#I AM INVESTED IN ROD. ROD!!!!

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

"man i hate this character"

[rewatches the two episodes said character is in]

"............ I need to overanalyze him in my Discord DMs"

[transingthoseformers]

This hit me like a ton of bricks

Because Sunny's been trying to message him for quite a bit now, and he's so fucking worried. So... so worried. Especially since, if I'm right by the wording of this, sunstorm may very well think that hot rod is dead and thinks he's clinging onto a futile hope

[arielleslipgloss]

hey there doll !!! 🎀💖

I have a question for you as a girl i truly struggle to keep up with my looks. I surely dress to impress when i go to work or when I go outside for an important meeting but on my ordinary stay at home days I don't really put any energy on how i look so I end up wearing pyjamas and messy bun , no make up... a total mess.

I tend to admire girls who has this motivation to get up everyday regardless of how ordinary or important that day is and do their hair and make up and nails dress up cute and go on about their days. I aspire to have that same mindset and energy.

Help a girl out I want to doll up and feel cute and do girly things too but I am lazy and unmotivated 🥺

How to Doll Up 101!!

(all photos above are not mine) “Life is a party, dress like it.” - Audrey Hepburn

Discipline! Not every girl has the motivation to get up and do their beauty routine. But, they get up anyways because it makes them feel good. It makes them feel put together and happy. It’s all about having discipline. Some days you will have motivation, other days you won’t. So, that’s why you have to get up anyways and start your routine. People always show them with all this motivation to get up. In reality, they don’t always have this motivation. They want to stay in bed all day and rot. On the other hand, if you rot all day you’ll get no where. So unless you want to get no where in life, get up. It only takes one second to get up. After you get up, you’ll realize it’s not all that bad. It’s really just all in your head. You’re this way because you let yourself. You make up excuses that only make sense to yourself. Other people who take action, won’t understand all these excuses. Maybe in the past they would understand. However, right now it’s all just nonsense. Four words, get up and start.

Slowly start incorporating new things into your routine!! It takes time to get into routine, so be patient. If you rush into it too soon, you’ll lose motivation quickly. So, take your time. As for being patient, add new things little by little. Maybe start by buying cute matching jammie sets? Maybe start by buying new satin sheets? Maybe you start by washing your sheets once a week? Maybe start by cleaning your room. There are so many things to start off with. Plus, you don’t even need to spend money to start. It’s super simple to add tasks into your routine.

Pamper yourself the night before! Maybe you wanna put heatless curling rods in, while you sleep? Maybe you braid your hair before bed instead? Maybe you pick out your outfit before hand? Maybe you shave your face, so tomorrow your makeup goes on smoothly? Maybe you take a long shower or have a bubble bath? The list could go on and on. Whatever works for you, is what’s best. Overall, take care of yourself with lots of love. Pampering yourself the night before, can help you the next morning. You will have less to worry about the next morning. Not only that, but less to do!

4. Invest in your looks!! Ofc, looking dolled up doesn’t come for free. You have to be willing to spend money on dolly stuff. “Dolly stuff” could be cute pajama sets, makeup, nail appointments, perfume, jewelry, and ofc lip gloss! Those are just a few examples though. You could invest in your looks MANY other ways. As always, whatever works best for you is what’s best. Moving on, make sure you always keep a budget. Why? Well, as much as you need to invest in your looks. You can always do diy beauty care. For example, doing your own nails, making diy lip gloss, diy face masks, diy body scrubs, etc. Super simple, self care you can make with what you already have. So, yes you should spend money investing in your looks. However, make sure you have a set budget and be wise with your money. Why? Well, because technically you can always do your beauty care at home.

5. Dressing to impress! Dressing to impress…..yourself. Honestly, dressing to make yourself feel good is a MUST. When getting dolled up. It’s rare that you see Barbie or the Bratz dresssing to impress someone. They dress to feel cute and good in their skin. So, you should do the same! If you wanna learn how to doll up, you have to up to the ogs. Aka, the Bratz and Barbie. This being said, stop thinking about others and start thinking about yourself. Also, have fun with dressing up. Pretend you’re a movie character, that always has the cutest clothes for every occasion. For work, you could dress up like a business woman. For home, you could dress up like a rich housewife. Just have fun with how you dress. Make your life seem like a runway show. Cause, who’s really gonna stop you. Well, except you.

Should I do a part two?? 💗

Thank you dolls for reading!! Remember to always educate yourself and stay pretty 💋

Love ya dolls 🎀

“Beauty is only skin deep. I think what’s really important is finding a balance of mind, body, and spirit.” - Jennifer Lopez

[insanityclause]

Tom Hiddleston was given a royal assignment on Thursday evening. An ambassador for the Prince's Trust, the Loki actor, 43, attended the charity's Invest in Futures event, where he relayed a poignant message written by King Charles. 

"I really am so pleased that The Trust's work continues to go from strength to strength, having, in recent years, expanded from its mission in the United Kingdom to now supporting young people in twenty-three countries," read Tom. 

"Celebrating the global impact of this work is an achievement which, I must confess, I could not have dreamed of back in 1976 when I started The Trust, using, at that time, my Royal Navy severance pay when I left the Service to help disadvantaged young people achieve their full potential.

"I am thrilled to say that it has now worked with over one million young people, helping them to start careers, launch businesses and re-engage with education. I am enormously inspired by the determination and commitment of young people, one of whom you will hear from later. They are changemakers; they will shape the world's future and we must support them to realise their dreams."

A momentous occasion for the Prince's Trust, the annual Invest in Futures gala is the charity's principal fundraising event, and this year it was held at The Peninsula London in Belgravia. While King Charles has historically attended the annual event, this year, his letter proved extremely powerful, conveying the importance of the charity's work.  

A star-studded affair, Tom was accompanied by his fiancée Zawe Ashton for the festivities. Posing for photos together, the loved-up couple held hands and stared into each other's eyes. HELLO! even spotted lady in red Zawe telling Tom how "gorgeous" he looked in his tux. 

Rounding out the guest list, Prince's Trust ambassadors Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Naomie Harris, Major Tim Peake, Luke Evans and Myleene Klass were also in attendance. 

Meanwhile, musical duo Rod Stewart and Jools Holland provided the entertainment, performing songs from their newly launched album Swing Fever, before handing the baton to DJ Cuppy.

It's been a royally busy week for A-lister Tom. Just 24 hours before the letter reading, the actor had been photographed meeting with Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace. Attending a reception for the BBC's 500 Words Finalists on Wednesday, Tom appeared engrossed in conversation, enjoying a laugh or two with Camilla, and music star Olivia Dean.

[gatheredfates]

I am thinking about the Compendium.

I am... I don't think disheartened is the right word—I feel like that implies it's targeted at other people/the community when the contemplation and consideration is aimed inwardly to myself—but I can't quite surmise the best word to sum up how I feel.

I know I would have liked to have had more Free Company / Event / Community focused spaces by now, but I think that's self-inflicted. I think my adherence to wanting permission from server owners has created a rod for my back in that not every server owner is on tumblr, has time to submit their communities or may even know of the Compendium in general. It's lead to me needing to do a bulk of the reaching out as well as recording and maintaining the document.

Which, don't get me wrong, I enjoy! I've had success! But I don't really have time for it between working full time, caring for my partner, running my other projects and actually having time for myself / my interests / my ocs and stories. There's a level of investment in trying to find the communities, join them, reach out to the owners and then copy all the information into the Compendium—time I'm realising I don't always have (unfortunately).

What it means is that I'm left with three options. One is to just suck it up and try to do it anyway, risking burnout in the process. Two is to appoint people to reach out on my / the Compendium's behalf; a job I wouldn't ask anyone to do unless they wanted to volunteer and, even then, I'm kinda eh about. Three is to reassess the Compendium's categories and change up what I accept.

I feel like the latter is the best. While consent is still important to me, I'm tempted to operate on adding Community and Event discords on the basis of them having public links (in the way I openly advertise Seafloor) is implied consent to be added to the Compendium—in the same way I don't mind if people link Seafloor in their Discords. It would be for these servers only ("Communities" in this instance being servers catered to a specific part of xiv storytelling / roleplay; e.g. a Doman Community, a WoL-centric community, etc. and events being like cafes, fight clubs, public in-character spaces—you get the idea), but means that people can anonymously submit communities and events they are a part of, rather than needing to ask their leaders, and I have a greater chance capture more spaces.

Free Companies and Casual servers would still require submission, due to their more intimate nature, but I don't think that's a huge setback? However, whether you're a Free Company leader or not, if you have a suggestion for a better method, I'm all ears.

Obviously, if people don't want their spaces on the Compendium, they can message me and I will remove them. That aspect won't change. I'm just wanted to alleviate some of my workload whilst also... kinda giving myself more work by proxy. It makes sense in my brain.

If the overwhelming answer is no, I'll go back to the drawing board. I don't think it's a bad idea, but there might be something I'm overlooking.

Anyway, if you've read this far, thanks for your time!! I care you. I'm going to bed. I may not respond to replies here until tomorrow. 💖

[zizz-asdf-re-r-o-u]

Headcanon time: Who might be on the aroace spectrum in a sex game?

I missed arospec week by... a few weeks lol. And hey look i'm making a Nukani headcanon post instead of a questionable theorizing analysis for once! If you have contributions for characters I don't have enough info on (especially Quincy), please add on!

Disclaimer: I'm aromantic but allosexual. For me, this means I experience sexual attraction, but not romantic attraction. In my local kink scene, I actually personally know several community members + friends who are asexual or aromantic or both, and some engage in sex while some don't. And lastly for demographic proof only, I'm in an unofficial discord server where some unspecified members are asexual, but they still play this porn game, so yes not everyone who plays this game are into romance or sex.

TLDR: someone can be asexual or aromantic or on the aroace spectrum and still have sex but that varies for everyone!

Now that that's out of the way, here are my headcanon times! None of this is true or ever will be true due to the marketing of a porn harem game, but I think it's fun to headcanon! Feel free to disagree cause I know how people reacted to that "Is Aster trans" reddit post.

Speaking of Aster. I think he's also aroacespec! In his SR room 5, we got text narration ONE time that he gushed or orgasmed or something with a vague hot rod behind Eiden's back. But we've never seen Aster naked nor involve his genitals with another body in the 5 H scenes we have with him. And unlike EVERY other character, he’s only described to have orgasmed once. He also constantly talks down on morvay’s sexual habits, and while it’s a running gag that’s played for laughs, isn’t it possible Aster actually thinks this way? But is still willing to engage in sexy times with Morvay because they're essence creatures so that's how you exchange essence, and they’re basically an old married couple & deep down they do care about each other. And remember what I said about aromantic or asexual people who still engage in kink or sex.

Next, Karu my beloved chew toy. At the time I wrote Garu/Karu analysis part 1, I thought both of them were firmly allosexual but also presented some evidence someone could use to argue Karu might be demi or aroace or something else. But the more I think about it, the more I think yeah, he might be. Or he’s just a tsundere. I swear I'm not delusional and am a logical canon-based theory fan. (Btw, according to google searching, it is possible for different alters to have different sexualities, so this does not apply to Garu).

Quincy- I have never watched a Quincy intimacy room (including his SR & R cards that I have unlocked) but my vibes based off all the other story content with him makes me think he might be in the umbrella, so Grey-ace, Demi, etc. From what I’ve heard other people say, Quincy has had a lover in the past but currently only has sex if Eiden begs for it. This might fit into the definition of people who don't really care for sex themselves, but is interested in it for their partner. If anyone has Quincy cards and has more information, please let me know!

Huey: ok so we have almost no information on him. But he didn’t have sex with his clan members. He was definitely not romantically invested in any of his clan members nor do I recall him having hints of being sexually or romantically invested in anyone else, which does not equate aromantic or asexual but its still possible. And that’s all I got. Anyone got additional input?

Eiden: ah our beloved Eiden. Let’s ignore that in meta, he’s supposed to be the audience self insert (even though he’s the least self insert type MC ever) and therefore he is not going to “prioritize” one ship over another.

Anyways, so I am 100% sure he’s not asexual. BUUUUT he has not expressed romantic lovey dovey attraction to his clan members. More significantly, he does not seem to pick up MULTIPLE clan members’ romantic hints towards him. Yes in Fateful Aegis, Eiden says “I love you too” back to Yakumo, but it’s prefaced with something like Your grandparents love you and I love you too-ish, which to me indicates found family love. Kuya has said the Chinese/Japanese equivalent of “I love you” (“the moon is bright/the moonlight is beautiful tonight”) and that totally went over Eiden’s head. Dante & Edmond are also intensely crushing on Eiden… but they’re tsunderes so it’s probably gonna take forever to get across. The other members are different types of dedicated but open relationships rather than traditionally romantic relationships (except for Rei, who’s still getting there). And I think this is a great thing! All these varying relationship styles that are given the same weight & importance & Eiden has such appreciation & care for all of them, despite not providing traditionally romantic affection back.

Aromantic people can still love their friends & family! We’re not heartless emotionless creatures. We just may not experience or be able to comprehend romantic attraction. And i don’t think that’s a defect nor a bad thing.* And I think it’s especially cool when we compare Eiden’s bad hookup habits in the real world with how he has multiple regular partners that truly value him and a new found family in Klein. If he was aromantic this whole time, it’s kind of a positive perspective, isn’t it? Some aromantic people do experience “squishes”, which is a term for when we feel emotional desire for a platonic relationship. Obviously none of Eiden’s relationships are truly platonic due to the sexual element, but they all lack the romantic element from Eiden’s side.

(Anyways, Eiden won’t ever “reciprocate” romantic love because it’s a harem game, but shhhhh. Also to anyone who says it’s an Asian game and the characters aren’t going to say “I love you”…. Well in their newest intimacy rooms, both Kuya and Yakumo literally just did. Heck one of Forest Night Kuya’s sprite dialogues repeats that!)

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this pointless headcanons!

*Speaking from my personal experience, I’ve have several sexual partners over time, but I never had the desire to date them or be romantically invested in them. And a weirdly telltale sign, that Jaidenanimation pointed out quite nicely, is that when she listened to romance songs she was like “wait that’s what people experience when they’re in love???” I’ve read a TON of romance and have heard a TON of love songs, but I cannot relate to any one of them. I literally have not felt any of those feelings. And when I have sexual partners, the horniness is definitely the forefront compared to any “falling in love” feelings. I did have what I now realize were several “squishes” in high school/college. What squishes feel like to me, are like “I wanna be your friend & you’re really cool & I cherish you! Like a lot! And also I don’t mind if you fucked me!” which emotionally feels different from “I’m in love with you!!!” (Which yeah i still don’t know what “in love” feels like, and I’m fine with not knowing!).

[dujour13]

Owlcatober 22. Nobility

“If it isn’t the Commander’s conman consort.” Daeran stood rod-stiff with both arms folded across his chest and his venom-green eyes flashing. “Honestly I’m not certain whether I’m more furious with you or with myself, to have been quite so easily hoodwinked.”

“Uh…” Woljif’s tail darted in time with his mind. Is this about that bottle of wine? The ruby cufflinks? The maps? The cut of the fake investment scheme? His eyes were wide with total innocence. “What about?”

“’Oh Count, I need a nice outfit to sit on the Knight-Commander’s council,’” Daeran mocked. “To sit on the Knight-Commander’s c—”

“Hold on, you’re mad about that?”

“I’m positively outraged!”

“But—” Woljif blinked. There were so many other things to be outraged-er about.

Daeran flipped a blond lock from his face. “That you didn’t confide in me! You could have told me it was a bid to seduce our brave and beloved bard.”

“You’re jokin’, right? You woulda laughed me outta town.”

“Touché. But I am nonetheless wounded.” Daeran stormed over to the drinks cabinet, poured himself a glass of wine and threw himself gracefully across a divan. “I’m taking credit, I’ll have you know. He did like the outfit, didn’t he?”

At the memory of Siavash’s eyes wandering down his chest – Is that a new shirt? It looks like silk – Woljif felt a flood of treacherous heat in his cheeks and pretended to search for something non-alcoholic among the Count’s bottles until it cooled down. “I guess.”

“You are so deeply in my debt you’ll require a potion of water-breathing.” It sounded like a threat. Daeran leaned forward on the divan, fixing him with a gaze of bright green shards. “Did he rip it from your trembling frame?”

“No!” Now it was Woljif’s turn to be outraged. “It cost a damn fortune.”

“Tsk. My dear Prince, you have so much to learn. Seductive apparel is meant to be ripped.”

“Really? When you got that much money, you just let people tear up your nice clothes?”

“I don’t let them, I enthusiastically encourage it! If any garment of mine did not simply cry out to be torn from my body I should be mortified.”

“Oh yeah?” It was purely academic interest that drew his gaze to Daeran’s ruffled powder-blue shirt, he would have sworn. This time Woljif didn’t catch the flush in time and had to feign a coughing fit.

“Please tell me you ripped his clothes at least,” Daeran said as soon as the fit passed.

Woljif narrowed his eyes, suspecting he was being mocked but grappling with certain doubts. Was that how you were supposed to do it? Had he messed up on some lovemaking ritual known only to the upper crust of society, and the chief was back there at the Citadel in his intact shirt feeling disappointed? Or was that just for toffs who rolled around in so much cash they didn’t know what to do with it except trash expensive stuff? Nah, more likely the Count was having a go.

He shrugged one shoulder and affected an air of confidence. “We weren’t in a rippin’ sorta mood.”

At that Daeran’s eyes lit up, though he sat very still as if to avoid scaring him off. “I see. What sort of mood was it, then? Shy, virginal probing? Frantic fumbling? And tell me, in the moment—la petite mort—is it chief? Knight-Commander? Or something soft, perhaps. Dove? Kitten?”

“I know what you’re doin’,” Woljif scoffed, moving toward the door. “And I ain’t that easy.”

“No. Stay right there or so help me. We are engaged in a game of riposte, you and I, and I believe I recall that you have made a solemn vow never to run away again.”

“Not to you.” But the Count was right about one thing. Woljif was desperate to tease from him the secrets of seduction, while he knew very well how dangerous Daeran could become when on the trail of entertainment, in this case apparently a play-by-play of his night with the chief.

“Yet you had best concoct some way to repay me or I promise you that you’ll regret it, my timorous tiefling.”

Woljif didn’t doubt he meant it. He stopped halfway to the door, calculating. Give a little, invite the obvious attack, and get the enemy to open up. “Fine. It was a romantic mood. Happy?”

Daeran certainly looked on the verge of happiness. “I’m afraid that’s too vague, my friend. Tender, trembling touches? Significant sighs? Longing looks?”

He made it sound like one of those dog-eared novels the chief kept on his nightstand, but in truth Woljif had to admit he kind of hit it on the head there, at least in some ways. He parried with “Is that so bad?”

“Oh, certainly not. Comically maudlin, but then what did I expect from Knight-Commander Butterflies?”

Despite the mockery, at the word “comically” Woljif’s brain went straight back to that night, to himself and Siavash tangled in the sheets together laughing until they cried, and it was too late to stop the huge, dopey grin that crept up and pounced on him.

“Aha.” Daeran pointed his wine glass and grinned triumphantly.

Woljif was going to have to concede defeat, but as he departed from the Count’s chambers he felt satisfied that while he’d learned little from the verbal sparring, he at least felt far surer that he hadn’t messed up with the chief. On the contrary. It might not have been the sophisticated clothes-rending dance of seduction the likes of Daeran and his dandies engaged in, but it suited him and the chief just fine. He could get everything he needed from those novels. Well, except maybe for more advice on rippable princely apparel.

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

If you haven’t received a Guero ask yet, I would like him with with prompt #4: 'I'm cold, and you're warm, you should do something about that." Pretty please!

Even though I love his dad more, he’s still a really cute guy!

Masterlist

Eventful Outing

Contains: Fishing (killing fish for food given a two-word mention) fluff.

1.4 K words

“When it rains on the ocean it rains on fish too.” - Matshona Dhliwayo.

As you stood in the rain with the river flowing by you, you wondered why you had agreed to this, "I brought plenty of food, can't we go inside until the rain eases up?" 

Guero snorted, "No fucking way, I told you I was going to catch us a fish for dinner and I am." 

You looked to his father, who shook his head, "The young man had a plan y/n, I'm sure we won't be waiting long." 

When Guero got you to agree to go on a fishing trip up north with him and Ibarra, you didn't think that would mean being stuck in the rain while they struggled to catch dinner, "It's not Salmon season so the only fish you're going to get now is Bass. You need to put different bait on the line." 

Guero glared at you, but there was no fire behind it, "You could have told us that an hour ago." 

His father huffed, "I tried to son, but you wanted things your way, telling me you read a book and shit. But now a pretty woman tells you and you're rushing to do what she says." 

Guero walked towards the shore, making sure to flick water at you as he took different bait from the box, "You wanna tell me how you know all of this and I don't?" 

You blinked, "I wasn't the only one, it's not a my fault you don't listen to me or your father." 

Guero smirked, "I listen to you where it counts." 

Despite your best efforts, you couldn't ignore the snicker that his dad gave, "Please shut up before I drown you." 

He turned to his father and inhaled in fake offence, "Do you hear how she talks to me Pops?" 

Ibarra shook his head, "You deserve it son, you got a big mouth." 

Your eyes widen in agreement, "Doesn't he? Holy shit, sometimes he won't shut up." Guero gave you a look and you held up a hand, "I know what you're about to say and if the words come out of your mouth I'm going to drown you for sure." 

He chuckled, "I wasn't going to say anything." 

Ibarra's hearty chuckle followed, "Yes, you were, it was as obvious as something can be." 

You shook your head, "Ok if this keeps going, I will drown myself." Still, you knew that look on Guero's face, "You are incorrigible." 

He smiled, "You love me." 

You sighed, "Yes, I do. Now please catch us food. I'm freezing my ass off over here and I know for sure I packed enough food to last us, so I'm only standing here to preserve your ego." 

He hands his father a chunk of bait before baiting his hook and throwing the line, "How did you know about the bait anyway? You hate camping." 

"One, we're not camping, we're staying in a cabin and two, I like to be prepared, so I talked to the bait shop attendant." You pointed to the box, "There's even stuff in there for crayfish since I bought a pamphlet for how to build traps from sticks and leaves and I thought you might like to try it." 

Ibarra smiled, "How thoughtful. That would be great y/n, I love crayfish." 

Guero turned to you and mouthed, "Kissass." But his eye betrayed how much he appreciated the amount of investment you had put towards this vacation. 

There was a change in the light and you looked up, the clouds growing even more ominous, "We're about to get a storm so you two better hurry up." 

Guero chuckled, "So you can predict the weather now? Tell me oh wise one, what other powers do you...." The skies opened in a torrent of water, "I stand corrected." 

You sighed, "I'd say you've got about twenty minutes before the thunder starts." 

"We'll have a fish by then." Guero sounded so sure of himself that there was no point in dissenting and sure enough, when the first crack of thunder came across the sky, Guero's rod jerked, "I told you." 

After a few mighty heaves, it was out of the water and dispatched humanely and Ibarra reeled in his line and sighed, "Alright then, can we go inside before we're hit by lightning." 

"Please, I'm freezing to death." You were so cold you swore your fingers were going to fall off. 

 Guero chuckled, "Hell yeah." 

Everyone headed inside and wrapped themselves in towels, "I'm going to clean and prep that fish and have a shower, no touches it." 

"I caught it, don't you think I should be the one to cook it." He was as smug as ever. 

Your eyes went wide, "No fucking way. A light and sweet river fish this fresh only has two preparation, baked with crispy skin or poisson en papillote. The oven here isn't powerful enough to bake it properly so poisson en papillote is it." 

Guero looked at you with such affection that you felt your heart might burst, "I have no idea what poisson en papillote but there was enough passion in your voice to let me know I should give up." 

Ibarra smiled, "It's French for fish in paper. It's really nice." 

Guero snorted, "Since when did you two get so fancy?" 

You sighed, "Please finely slice some onions. If you've got time to be all judgy, then you have time to help." 

Guero smirked, "I can do that." 

****

"Thish is sho good, you have to coo thish all the time." 

You shook your head, "Guero, don't talk with your mouth full, it's rude." 

"It is very good, all that time in the rain was worth it." You could tell Ibarra was trying extra hard, he knew how much his son loved you, and he wanted to make the most of the time away. 

You nodded, "I don't think I've ever cooked with fish that fresh, maybe tomorrow we can try and get some crayfish."

Guero suppressed a smile, "Look at you two getting along, and here I thought y/n was rude to everyone. I guess it's just me." 

You huffed in mock offence, "I am not rude to you, I just don't worship the ground you walk on like the other women you've spent you time with." The glare you fixed him stopped him from quipping back, "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're big mouth is going to get you into trouble one day." 

Ibarra, "It's already got him into plenty. Do you know about the time he landed in the principle's office for talking shit to a cop that came by the school to give a career talk?" 

"No, but I'm hoping you're going to tell me now." You weren't going to lie, you were hoping Ibarra would provide you at least one embarrassing story before you made your way back to SP. 

Guero chuckled, "Oh, you're having so much fun aren't you." 

You nodded, "Fuck yeah." 

****

The night wound down, this fish picked clean and the bread pudding Ibarra gone in one sitting. You tended to the fire in your room and shivered as Guero came up behind you, "Let me do that Mi amor." 

You pressed your lips to his cheek as you headed to the bed, moaning as the warmth from the heated blanket surrounded your skin, "You turned it on?" 

He nodded, "Of course. I can't have you going to bed cold now, can I?" 

With the fire stoked, he climbed into bed and rested on his back next to you and just as he got comfortable, you stretched your cold foot across the bed and brushed him with it, "Jesus Christ." 

 You flipped onto your side, "I'm cold, and you're warm, you should do something about that." 

Guero sighed and freed himself of his shirt before reaching over and manhandling yours off, after that, he pulled you into his arms so your skin was pressed again his, "Better?" 

You nodded, "Yep." 

He ran a hand up and down your back and rubbed your nose with his, "This is the closest we've been all day." 

You pecked his cheek, "Yeah I know, but I don't really want to make out with you in front of your father." 

He smiled, "It's not like he hasn't seen some shit." 

You huffed, "Next time he can bring someone and then it won't be awkward." 

Guero's eyebrows furrowed, "On second thought." 

You shook your head, "I have spent the whole day missing touching you." 

"Yeah?" He sounded so smug, "Maybe there's something I can do for that?"

"Nope, we're going to bed." As much as you wanted to, you had no idea how thin the walls were. 

He buried his nose in your hair and inhaled, "Alright Mi amor, I love you." 

"Goodnight Guero, I love you too." 

Fin

@withmyteeth @daydreaming-belle

[lillified]

I am intrigued, were the Autobots especially invested in hot rod's future for some reason? Or was it just general investment? Also anything else you are willing to share about hot rod I will soak up like a sponge

they weren’t specifically interested in Hotrod—she was just one of many young Cybertronians sheltered and trained to be soldiers in the war effort by the Autobots. She and many others grew up while the conflict was in full swing, and it’s understood that these eager, ambitious and able young warriors are the best assets they have.

Hotrod herself isn’t particularly ambitious or anything, though. She struggled to focus in training and never really wanted to be a soldier. She’s still figuring herself out, but she has an interest in what life was like before the war, and how ‘Bots used to live before intense military conditioning was the norm.

[ms-scarletwings]

Every Dredge Aberration (2024), Part 7

A door opened, the wound left growing.

Along grotesque procession, the ichor’s flowing.

It seeps through rock to blacken the blue,

Molds flesh like clay, turns nightmares true.

It creeps in to stay, feeling, growing,

And bringing its tarnish up to you. ₊˚.༄

Clutching Nautilus ˚.༄

Encyclopedia #142

Aberrant form of nautilus

Description:

The hand of some forgotten sailor, taken refuge from an ancient storm. Today, at last, it comes ashore.

Comment: In this one image alone I find myself in desperate need to make a vital note for refernce- do not. DO. NOT. Perish at sea in the territory surrounding the Marrows. To not lose oneself to the depths is, yes, a sound goal for any who lend their soul from the safety of land and into the trust of crew and craft, but I’m speaking of a danger worse than drowning. Perhaps I am speaking of a threat more dreadful than death itself, still watching the ribbon light of the worlds splintering apart the dark. The Deep isn’t so wasteful of its catches as man. Once it clutches a gift from above, it only throws it back for a cost no sane mind could bear to pay. Even after all this time, are my hands forever to be ones that only take… because I fear the bite of what wants to be fed?

How to catch: Tread the Gales, where the water shimmers black, and welcome this oceanic mistake’s homecoming with the powers of your infused winch. While the advanced hoist can accomplish the same thing, I do note that the winch has a 10% faster fishing speed and can be obtained for a lower investment cost.

Vagrant Sollasina ˚.༄

Encyclopedia #143

Aberrant form of sollasina

Description:

Five sensing spears quiver and guide. Two stalks erupt from the shell, with eyes to see the unseen.

Comment: I see strange directions for this ancient’s evolution to choose. It is impossible to know what the creature has been shaped to detect, whether it is desperate to find, or avoid what it senses. A fun side fact more about its untainted relatives is that there was once found a fossil of this genus in England, given the actual species name “Sollasina Cthulhu”.

How to catch: This is another dweller of polluted patches. Switch to an advanced rod designed for shallow casting.

Bifurcated Gar ˚.༄

Encyclopedia #144

Aberrant form of abyssal gar

Description:

A once strong body now divided, clinging to life through coiled channels of blood and bile.

Comment: A living testament to how the strength of the whole is only meaningfully counted by the strength of its bindings. A poetic art piece from the Deep, this metaphor for our dance- a glossy sludge making traffic between two halves of what once touched.

How to catch: You will not only need the aid of equipment specialized for casting through the corrupt oil, but also with the length to reach the abyssal depths. As such, the infused hoist is the only candidate for the job.

Slivering Lancetfish ˚.༄

Enclyclopedia #145

Aberrant form of lancetfish

Description:

An outward reflection, turning, coiling inward. The thrust of introspection, lost to self-obsession.

Comment: And so the spiral, well… spirals. There’s nothing to be said to add upon this concept, but it’s one of my favorite new discoveries since the rig was revealed. It checked off for both fantastic and dreadful even at first glance.

How to catch: While lancetfish are an elusive deep sea predator, unusual seismic disturbance has brought them to the cliffs with the other out of place fish. Any advanced rod for coastal catching will do.

Splintered Crab

Encyclopedia #146

Aberrant form of rock crab

Description:

Amber glue holds shattered fragments. A deep dweller cracked from the pressure.

Comment: Another turn, another puzzle to this creature’s characterization as literal or figurative. Already this transformation from shell to stone is strange enough, but the crab’s insides of sap reveal a whole other layer of impossible anatomy. For what it could be, the market has definitely lowballed the fisherman on what payment they offer for even one of these. Still, at least one specimen must be brought to the Painter at Little Marrow, going toward the ability to use Maple Orange pigment for your vessel customizations.

How to catch: Rock Crabs will readily be taken up by crab pots in the Gale Cliffs region, lurking depths shallower than 25 meters.

Cortex Decorator

Encyclopedia #147

Aberrant form of decorator crab

Description:

Folds of orange tissue tower from its head. Scything limbs administer the structure.

Comment: A delightfully skin-crawling addition to the day’s catch. Taken by the encyclopedia’s word, the skittering one has sculpted the very mound protruding from its own carapace. To what ends, it can’t be known. Either way, one of these is the other half of the requirements for Maple Orange boat paint.

How to catch: Before leaving the Cliffs, it is well worth investing into obtaining a Mouth of the Deep crab pot, which will be invaluable to helping catch larger mutagenic crustaceans such as these. The item goes a long way to allowing the player to keep investing research parts into engines, rods, and nets at this stage, rather than the expensive crab pot upgrades that otherwise would be needed for effective harvest of this size of crab and up. Shares a region with the rock crabs and their own aberrant, albeit preferring much shallower water. Keep your crab pots to 5 meters and below in the Gale’s bay.

Cystic Trilobite ˚.༄

Encyclopedia #148

Aberrant form of trilobite

Description:

An ancient infection, carried through time. Impatient in dormancy, it rises from the rocks.

Comment: One of the most eerie things the first beings who study the Deep and its influence is to realize, we are the last beings to have caught its attention. The forces beneath these waves have been awake longer than we can fathom.

How to catch: Any functioning crab pot, placed between 0-50 meters of depth by the cliffs, always in the oil slick, will have a chance at yielding one of these. For best chances, stick to a depth of 25 to 50 meters, to avoid wasting trap slots on the native crabs.

[donnerpartyofone]

main types of people i follow on tumblr

Mutuals from like Day 1 who still make the kinds of unique posts that made Tumblr great 10+ years ago. There are very few of these which makes them priceless.

New friends who let me bother them at length at obscene hours, we will eventually commit crimes together. There are next to none of these which is why I am not yet in jail.

People who mainly or almost exclusively post little things about their lives (as opposed to memes/cultural ephemera). May coincide with types 1 and 2, these are actually my favorite blogs to follow.

Blogs I follow so I can look at them late at night when I have insomnia and must become extremely stoned. Usually not very intellectual: cute animals, overprocessed nature photos, outer space imaging, ornamental foods like wagashi, etc. Next time you are stoned and don't know what to do with yourself look at wagashi on tumblr for at least an hour.

Theme blogs with no known personality behind them: fine art, cinema, fashion, politics...why am I even mentioning this.

Blogs whose actual content I love but the user has such an annoying personality that I'm always a little afraid someone will think I think they're cool. Fortunately I am not neurotic enough to let this control me.

Blogs that are thoroughly great EXCEPT I hate just the name of the blog so much that I almost unfollow them every time they pop up.

Blogs run by someone so cool I can't believe my luck that we're on tumblr at the same time in history, and I may be inappropriately invested in their whole thing they're doing.

Extremely cool and popular blogs that actually followed me back and that sometimes interact! I'm pretty sure that I've never cracked 6k followers and I never will, so it flatters and amuses me greatly that there are these superstars that follow me. It makes me feel like, um, something like uh, if Tumblr is "Downtown Train," they're Rod Stewart and I'm Tom Waits. That doesn't quite say what I mean. But if you think you know what I'm trying to say, you are old and/or nuts.

[stellalimned]

"A moment of your time!" Emcee catches up to you before you can disperse to your room or rejoin with your teammates, or wherever else it is you're heading off to.

"This way, this way." The strange host ushers you into a small shack, curtained off from the outside. They offer you a chair and a bright lamp hangs overhead.

"Now then," they start, positioning themselves across from you. "You've just been eliminated from the show. What message would you like to pass along to your teammates fighting for victory?"

In their hand is a voice-amplifying stick, which they hold out to you now.

... I do not believe I appreciate being accosted like this. I am already experiencing the incredibly unpleasant sensation of failure for the first time, and this island employee's sudden approach is only exacerbating the issue. They lead me away to a small, private chamber and proceed to interrogate me on a rather irrelevant topic—irrelevant in that it does not concern me or my goals. Have they no better things to do with their time? Surely their lord or master has tasks for them to complete in relation to this bizarre competition instead of asking contestants unnecessary questions.

For several moments, I stare at the unusual rod in their hands, pointed towards me. It remains still and motionless in their hand, contrary to my expectation of a spell shooting out into my face. Had such a thing happened, I would have been entirely justified in reacting accordingly with force and then leaving the scene, but apparently that is not to be the case. So I raise my gaze to them instead. Are they expecting me to answer?

A minute passes, then another. It appears waiting to be dismissed is proving to be an inefficient tactic, and it is likely such a thing will not happen until they acquire that for which they came. Surely their master must be irritated at their deviation from acceptable protocol, but that does not seem to worry this employee. I am left with no recourse. The sooner I may leave, the better... even if what I must offer might not be to their satisfaction, though I do not care what they think.

"The success and failure of the other contestants is none of my business. My only goal in this competition is to win and further perfect myself in the process, but seeing as that is now unattainable, I have nothing further to invest in it, least of all energy to waste on those still involved. My time is better spent improving myself so that I will succeed when the next chance arises." It is evident that no such thing will be available to me here, and I cannot fathom why I have not been sent away entirely, back to the academy, if my presence is no longer needed. I stand and make to leave, then pause. "Maria will have to continue on in my stead. Though she is human and much further from perfection than I am, I expect her to continue avoiding elimination in the subsequent rounds." With that, I exit the tiny space. I do not look back. Too much time has already been wasted here, and I must move on to where I am next supposed to be.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-08-21

If we're being honest, the first show I go to in Europe being a South African band is probably the only way I was going to get the ball rolling.

Listening: Ruff Majik is doing their Europe tour so I dragged a friend along. If I had a nickel for every psychedelic surf rock fantasy themed band from Pretoria I'd have two nickels. The two accompanying acts were Rocky and his Bootlegs, and Olaf Olafsonn and the Big Bad Trip.

Rocky was apparently doing their first show, solid performance although they did make the decision to spend five minutes in the middle of a song doing sonic landscape bullshit on their pedalboards and then come back in with a dubious closer. That's what we go to live shows for though so I can't complain. Literally cannot find hide nor hair of these guys online, which is a shame because I liked some of their stuff.

Olaf Olafsonn and the Big Bad Trip is a metalish themed psychedelic rock band who performed in some really good masks. Do you like really stupid loud guitar and a synth in there for some reason? This is for you. I do not yet speak Czech so I did not catch the names of any of these songs. Here's something I picked at random.

And Ruff Majik, I'm finally going to link their song "She's Still A Goth" which they are so so proud of. It is incredibly self indulgent. It is not by any means their best song.

Reading: Finished up The Will to Battle, moving on to Perhaps The Stars. The Will to Battle went in broad strokes as I expected, it's the build up, but it is of course still weird as hell. I enjoy the closer look at the despair that surrounds the Utopians, and the reveal that Mycroft has been hallucinating a cast of corpses at all times really makes me wonder what was fictitiously cut from the earlier books by 9A.

I'm sure that Palmer has at least a good chunk of the pre-edit version of those histories written out somewhere. I am much less clear in my vision of what Perhaps the Stars might be like.

Watching: I will link this video of a guy building a nightmare capacitor bank and popping a 500A fuse.

Dudes Rock

Making: 3D printing on hold until I get a sealed bag to store the filament I bought, because my house is so extremely humid all the time and I don't want to ruin a kilogram of filament. I'll invest in a dryer at some point but for now just having sealed dry storage is a must. I've been sketching a lot of designs out though, direct air coolers for my laptop, mounts for taps, filter holders and other camera stuff, etc.

I also started writing a program to help me generate components for building frames out of rod stock and 3D printed mounts. I found a hobby shop within easy reach that stocks steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and brass rod and tube stock which is so extremely handy.

Playing: Breath of the Wild- Yuzu handles emulation admirably. I suspect that being less good at the controls is helping me enjoy the cooking system more. If I was good at this I could probably Dark Souls a lot of these fights, the parry mechanic is pretty robust. Instead, I floundered at the face of the Moderate Test of Strength and, instead of Dark Soulsing it, I went away and decided it'd be more fun to hone my skills elsewhere and come back with better gear, more control, and some extra hearts.

I set up gpu-screen-recorder to do replays which has so far yielded these two.

Tools and Equipment: Ikea Bags are pretty handy. They're the biggest bags that fold flat that you can probably easily get. I use one now to handle shuttling laundry from my washing machine to the line, which is way more convenient than the old collapsible bucket I used to use, while also being smaller.

I also used an Ikea bag to haul my 3D printer home from the post office when the courier couldn't find my address for some reason. It's less than a kilometer but it would have been miserable to heft 10kg of box with no handles.

[albertfinch]

RECLAMATION OF DESTINY

"The vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten." - Joel 2:24,25

Many are trapped in a great pit — the pit of despair, of sin, of compromise, of failure and hopelessness. The Great Shepherd extends His hand to pull OUT desperate souls, giving them a second chance and making all things NEW!

God desires to restore all that the locust has eaten in your life! He will give you double for your trouble and turn your scars into stars reversing the curse.

Do not lose hope and accept your desperate situation, but rather:

speak to your pit, to your circumstances, and say, 'I AM COMING OUT!' 

Satan has tried to manipulate and deceive, convincing many that there is no way out of the pit, and when they believe his words, they become apathetic and lose hope. But his words are lies, because you are coming up and out!  Let’s focus on the anointing God has given us to stand against the schemes of the wicked one!  Let’s reintegrate divine authority into our prayers and spiritual warfare, taking up the “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). 

TAKE THE HAND OF JESUS

You MUST invest and be a good steward of this time, in order to be prepared for what is coming in the near future.  Do not say, "I have another year to get it together," or  "I will worry about that later."  NOW is the time!  You have a choice—will you remain in your pit, or will you take the hand of the Great Shepherd who desires to pull you out and once again set your feet on solid rock?

So take the Lord's hand, and let Him pull you out and give you a second chance! --  He is calling you! --  Come out and be separate!  “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” – Ephesians 5:17.  Do not dabble in the world.  Do not flirt with compromise and sin, for satan knows his time is short, and that what he does he must do quickly. Be not ignorant of his evil plans toward you – we discern the enemy, move in Christ’s authority and learn perseverance in the fight of faith.

He has a table prepared just for you—a place already set, and He is inviting you to come and fellowship with Him again at His table.

He is calling you home right now. Do not feel shame, guilt, or fear, but COME as you are and He will lovingly restore you . DO NOT WAIT ANY LONGER!  He has already prepared a feast for you, as well as a new set of royal robes, and right now He gives you a rod of authority. He will restore you, and you will reclaim all!

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

DEDICATED TO THE DEEPER THINGS OF GOD

We stand at a crossroads. There will be a great and terrible divide between those who are hungry for God and those who are spiritually content in their apathy.

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut." Matthew 25:10

There will be a great divide between the "wise virgins" of Matthew 25 and the "foolish ones."  And while the apathetic spirit of Laodicea (see Revelation 3:14-22) will increase there is a growing remnant who seeks God's heart, and refuses to compromise or accept anything less than a revelation of His PURPOSE for their life and His manifest presence which produces a hunger to aid in establishing the King in His Kingdom (Hebrews 1:14).

Desperate ones will come out of the pit of Laodicea (Revelation 3:16-17) --  fully abandoning themselves to walk in their Christ calling.  They are not left empty-handed, for God will fill their treasures with Himself and they will feast on His presence, becoming mighty warriors equipped with everything they need for advancing His Kingdom and bearing fruit that remains.  Let Your Kingdom come, Oh Lord!

The Lord is saying, "Mighty Warrior, come out of that pit!"

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Psalm 40:2

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[nervouscloudtheorist]

April 7th 2024

Dear Diary,

It has been a strange couple of days.

Yesterday I moved to the town of Marjoram. While I was on the train to Marjoram I met a cat named Rover. He was very invested in my personal life. I got so worried I forgot all my luggage!

Once I got to Marjoram, I was greeted by 4 townsfolk. I was super excited about the warm welcome until they told me that I was the new mayor. I tried telling them that I was not there to be the mayor but a yellow dog name Isabelle would not listen to me and I guess, somehow, I was now the new mayor.

Apparently this town didn't plan for their mayor to have a house or anything so immediately after getting off the train and talking a bit to Isabelle, I was told to talk to a fellow named Tom Nook to plan where to build my house. Isabelle didn't give me any real directions on where to go so it took me a minute to figure out all the cool things were across the railroad tracks.

Eventually I found my way to Tom Nook's business but it was a lot of work.

After I showed Tom Nook where to put my house, I was told to talk to Isabelle again. She must have had a detailed plan because to show my new role as Mayor, Isabelle had me plant a Tree in the town center.

I hope that it grows to be big and strong.

There wasn't much to do after that so I went around and introduced myself to the citizens. I got kind of tired after that so I went back to to where I told Tom Nook I wanted my house to be and slept in my new tent ( Yeah they set up a tent where my house should be, can you believe that?)

I must have been super tired because I woke up at 1:35 pm today.

As soon as I got out of my tent, I was told by Isabelle that I needed to go to the town hall so that she could better explain my mayoral duties. But before I did that, I decided to check my mailbox and to my surprise I got a letter from a hamster named Clay.

Clay is so funny! He might be the only person in this town so far that I think I might get along with. And get this we both love food! <3

Anyways, I went to town hall and Isabelle said that to be a better mayor I needed something called a town development permit. She wanted to explain more, but said she will only talk to me about mayor work while I am at my desk. She is so committed to making sure I don't burn myself out :). Anyways she showed me my new desk and chair and then explained what it takes to get a development permit.

I guess I need to own my own house and have a 100% approval rating from the citizens of the town. So far only Clay likes me so I guess its at a 19%.

I thought I already had a house though so I talked to Tom Nook and he said that I needed to have a down payment of 10,000 bells before he would even build my house.

I was feeling pretty sad over it, because I don't even know if I get paid for being mayor so I went to the museum that they have down the street. I talked to the curator Blathers about the exhibits and he told me that they had nothing on display and that I would personally need to obtain items for the museum. What kind of town is this am I right??

I went back to Isabelle feeling kind of dejected over the lack of exhibits and over my down payment and asked what I should do.

She suggested collecting rocks and seashells to sell to the local recycle place. Then once I got some money, she said I should go to the store and buy myself a net and fishing rod so that I could not only catch things for the museum but also sell anything extra. I had my doubts about how much money I could get that way but I followed her instructions and got 11,000 bells! The recycle shop is run by a pink alpaca name Reese and her husband who was just there sleeping. I'm not sure how her husband is but Reese is so sweet. I wonder if he will get upset over the junk she was buying from me but that is a worry for a different me.

Anyways, after selling my stuff, I immediately ran to Tom Nook and paid off my down payment. Tom Nook was so happy, he told me that my house would be done tomorrow but I'm not sure how that's going to happen because he hasn't even bothered to put in the foundation.

I took Isabelle's advice and went to the Nookling Junction which is the only general store in the town! I think its run by two different people because when I was walking around yesterday I met Timmy and today when I bought my fishing rod and shovel, I was helped by Tommy. They both look like Tom Nook so maybe they're his twin children? I'm not sure. I will need to keep an eye on this and see if the shop is really run by two people or if they are the same person.

When I returned to Town hall, Isabelle didn't have anything more for me to do so I explored the town. Apparently someone named Keaton is going to move in. I wonder if they will make him Mayor too or if that is only reserved for me.

Also I noticed that there was an RV park on the far left side of the town. I talked to the only person there, his name is Harvey. He said that people usually stop there when they travel and that they like to barter but only with something called MEOW coupons and that any bells I had would not be accepted which was honestly kind of a bummer because I just learned how to get bells.

I went back into town and found a strange lamp with a genie named Wisp in it. He said that he would grant me a wish once a day. I don't think that its real but I asked him to move in a robot frog because I think it would be neat. He said my wish was granted but I guess we will see.

To pass some time, I decided to catch some fish and bugs and give them to Blathers. He was super happy about the fish but I guess bugs bother him a lot. I also was able to finally buy a shovel which is awesome because this town is littered with fossils. Unfortunately it took me a while to realize I needed to take those to Blathers too as he is the only one who can tell me what kind of fossils they are. So I wasted some time there.

I did manage to get 2,000 extra bells by selling any fish, bugs and fossils that Blathers wouldn't take to the recycle shop which is still a little unsettling to me. Reese seems way too happy to be buying those items.

I decided I needed a new set of clothes so I went to the sable sister's tailor shop and boy are they expensive. I will never recover from this if everything is this expensive.

I still felt like as Mayor I should really be doing more work so I went to town hall and changed our town theme ( which apparently plays every time we enter building which is really weird ) and our town flag. Afterwards, Isabelle told me my rating went up to 26%.

I feel like this is going to take a while so I am going to spend the rest of the day fishing and bug hunting so I'll talk to you later!

- Finn

[tendertendrils1]

hey i just wanted to say that reading the rupees and rods series is what me get really invested in ravioli. i never thought i’d run into a series that had incredibly well written sex scenes along with emotional vulnerability and tender intimacy. it has it all! its really good!!! thank you for writing all of it <3

This was the sweetest thing to find in my inbox. Thank you!

They kind of snuck up on me, too. I never expected the series to turn into this long romance but am so glad that it has, and incredibly grateful for people like you who are also enjoying the obsession!