#I had to basically give up writing to figure out my life work situations etc

[rexxdjarin]

I think the vast majority of this fandom has forgotten I exist as a writer/artist/creator

most of my work hasn’t been touched in months

which is really deflating

[juliwuzhere]

Question: If Camp Camp (Once the show gets picked up for season 5 again the title and summary doesn’t matter could be either or) hired you as a guest writer, and you got to write like a few episodes max, what would you write about?

Omg. I have been waiting to be asked about my episode ideas for SO LONG. I’ve wanted to make them into actually fanfics on AO3 but I’m not sure if these are good ideas so I’m taking feedback on what ideas are and aren’t good!

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Muffled thoughts-

Okay so I love the brainwashing plot that Daniel had introduced A LOT. And I wish they had kept it but you know if the show runners didn’t want it to be this super epic thing they could probably follow the plot of this episode idea.

Basically, Daniel try’s to brainwash Max and get him to turn against the camp-

(Side note: I’ve been planning on writing a more serious version of this inspired by one of my favorite camp camp fanfics called “Nothing Sweeter than Revenge,” the sequel to a rewrite of the cult camp episode. If you’ve read it then you know it will follow the same premise but be a much longer and detailed dive into the moral ambiguity of the situation. And if you haven’t read it, READ IT, IT IS SO SO SO GOOD!)

-so he brainwashes him but the camp is able to immediately defeat him. Daniels arrested or something happens that removes him from the episode, and now the campers and counselors are trying to make Max snap out of it because unlike before, the brainwashing isn’t fading away.

This episode would revolve around the campers trying to get Max to act like himself again because he’s too nice. He’s not like, smiling all the time, at least not in a creepy way, but he isn’t frowning (which for Max is out of the ordinary.)

They try and get him to be rude to someone, or insult people, swear in every sentence, be rude to David, throw things at the camp mascot, etc. But Max can’t bring himself to do it. He doesn’t like being mean, he swears a regular amount of times, he likes David too much, and he cares about animals to much to hate the platypus.

I haven’t quite figured out what would make him snap out of it but I think one way I’ve come up with as a place holder is the campers being mean to him. Ignoring him, being annoyed at him, etc. This is because we have never really seen or heard Max talk about his life outside of camp besides some instances about his parents and the line he said in season 5 about not having any friends back home. So, for this placeholder reason at least, I would say that Max gets bullied, or people just don’t like him, so the campers treating him like this would spark up a feeling of deja vu and sadness that would lead to a heartfelt talk with David, and a moment of clarity where Max snaps out of the brainwashing.

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Nerris and Max centric episode-

I only have 2 story ideas revolving Nerris but god are they some of my favorites. This episode would be revolving the idea that Nerris really wants to learn magic. But, since they live in the real world, she can’t really learn it. So, she learns the closest thing to it, hypnosis.

Since it’s a new year at camp, she is ready to show off her new skill. All the campers gather at one of the tents and have a sort of sleep over. Nerris tries her first attempt of hypnosis on one of the campers by grabbing her pocket watch and doing that thing in cartoons that isn’t really how hypnosis works but hey, god in camp camps universe is an octopus so really, who cares?

She tries to hypnotize them and, it fails. She goes one by one on every camper and it fails on all of them. Max walks into the tent with snacks he’d stolen from the mess hall and Nerris, completely hopeless on it working, gives it one last shot. She tries it on Max, says the whole “When I snap my fingers you will be in a sleeping state” speech, and when she snaps her fingers, Max clocks the fuck out. Neil is able to catch him, avoiding Max a concussion

Nerris, obviously doubtful, tells Max to stop acting. She thinks he’s making fun of her, but when they see that he is not waking up or reacting, Nerris cheers in joy at it actually working. Turns out she just needed to do it on someone who was really exhausted, aka- Max.

All the campers are little shits so obviously they all start pitching in with their own ideas on what to make Max do. As they argue on who gets the say on what he does, David comes into the tent due to all the noise they are making.

They are staying up past bedtime and so David starts scolding them. Max is still passed out so the campers are trying to come up with excuses saying that they were just having so much fun but Spacekid slips up and ends up mentioning the fact that Nerris hypnotized Max.

David doesn’t believe it but his curiosity gets the best of him and he tries to wake Max up. Obviously, this doesn’t work. David is now upset because, you know his favorite camper is basically in a coma, but the campers start trying to defend themselves saying that it wasn’t there fault rather it was Nerris’s. Nerris, to avoid punishment comes up with the trade that if she’s allowed to get away with this without a punishment, she’ll make Max participate in camp activities.

Now listen, David is nice. But I also think this guy is very obsessed with loving camp activities, nature, and anything of the sort. So to finally be able to have his favorite camper actually participate in his activities, without having to beg him to. Of course David takes the exchange.

The whole episode would revolve around the campers realizing that, oh shit, max is kind of good at everything. Archery, sports, you name it.

(This is following my head canon that before his parents sent him to camp they would sign him up for stuff like piano lessons, guitar lessons, dance lessons, anything, just to not have to deal with him. They still have him in those classes but now it’s throughout the whole year, with the expectation of summer since he’s at camp.)

And the second thing that they do is take advantage of Max. Like no shit, they are 11. Obviously they are going to make him hang out with them and do their laundry and chores while he’s in the suggestive state he’s in. The episode would revolve around how to not treat people poorly and take advantage of them and also talking about the fact that the kids at camp Campbell probably get lonely at times. Sure, most people are in trios or duos but most of they don’t have another person at camp who likes D&D, or magic, or space. This episode would sort of be like the episodes in camp camp where they try to teach a lesson or something like that. Either way, I feel like this one is the most camp camp episode idea I had since it’s a chaotic and fun thing that I could probably write into an episode.

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Again, I have more ideas but they are also very long and I think you can tell from how much I’m writing that these ideas have been in my head for a WHILE. It would be nice to write these into actual fanfic and have the posted on my ao3 account but I want to know if the ideas are any good so I guess I hope these actually sounded good and not terrible 😅

[sharpth1ng]

hey again!! thank you for answering my ask, and for the clarification! i figured you probably had it all sorted out because you're a grown adult and seem to know your stuff but i still said something anyways just in case haha

i should have been more clear with my original ask but i myself still find all this stuff quite confusing so thats my bad sorry 😞 basically it has nothing to do with the labour of printing or if the company publishes it or not, it’s because fan fiction is already grey area, it’s ok when no one is making money off it. as soon as at any point someone makes any money off it, like these printing companies, or commissioning someone on etsy, or even just going somewhere local to get the pages printed, it now becomes illegal - fanworks infringe on the creator's intellectual property and you need a licencing agreement if it's not public domain etc blah blah blah you get it lol

as soon as the word "pay" comes in, it's illegal - you can't pay for anything, even if you are the one that wrote the fanfic (which fucking sucks). but your merch and stuff is completely fine because the references are based on your original writing, like theyre not gonna be like "how dare you sell this tshirt with a bloody B on it thats illegal!!" bcs that whole thing is entirely unique to your work and has no ties to the original property 👍

but thats just my understanding of it, and the specifications of it can get really confusing!! same thing happens with fanart too, technically you aren't allowed to sell fanart - that's why people often only sell it irl at cons to avoid copyright strikes. but then again there is people selling fanart on redbubble and in fanzines etc so like, i honestly don't know how that side of it works as well?? i think its under a different law since it’s a transformative work maybe...??

its all very confusing i wish clarification was more clear 😭 but you sound like you've looked into it and know what you're doing so thats fantastic, and i'm glad to hear. thank you again for answering so quickly i dont mean to be a bother. ur a talented writer and i loved debaser, keep it up 😊

Yeah no problem! I do appreciate the effort to give a heads up. And like to be fair I’ve done my research but I’m not a copyright lawyer or a legal scholar and the law on this stuff is very confusing to me.

In terms of the fanart stuff my understanding is that it is illegal to sell but for the most part fan Artist are too small for copyright holders to go after, it’s just not really a thing that’s done for the most part. There’s even a number of situations where selling fanart led to those artists being directly employed by the copyright holders. I think it’s very rare for fan artists to get sued for copy right and the only examples I know of are from Disney.

For the most part fanart sold is illegal, but it’s similar to torrenting content where its not really enforced so people do it anyways, and often at a pretty large scale. The stuff on red bubble and in fanzines is also illegal as far as I know, it doesn’t count as transformative.

Honestly I think it’s very unlikely that anyone printing my work would get targeted like that, mostly because this fandom is small and I’m even smaller. I only have a little over 1000 followers here and while that’s more followers than I’ve ever had before in my life it’s pretty much microscopic on the internet. Beyond that there’s less than a handful of printed copies as far as I’m aware.

Honeslty I have a lot of issues with copyright law- obviously it needs to apply to things like generative AI which is essentially a very environmentally damaging collage machine, but in terms of fanart and fanfiction I really don’t see how it could be construed as taking away profit from copyright holders.

People for the most part only read my work because they were already into scream, and a number of people have even told me my work got them to watch scream so if anything I’ve created profit for them. Fandom is the reason these original works have the legacy they do, and fanworks are a massive part of that because you can only consume the original content so many times before you get bored.

Beyond that we wouldn’t have some of our most highly acclaimed cultural works if copyright law had existed hundreds of years ago. Like, Shakespeare would have been fucked.

Alright lmao rant over. Tl;dr I’m doing my best to do this all in a legal way, but it’s good for folks to be aware that there may be an issue with the legality of printing my work even if they aren’t paying me. I think it’s unlikely any of you will face repercussions because this fandom is miniscule but if you’re worried maybe don’t post on Tumblr- but feel free to dm me or post in my discord 👍

[nestavadavat]

Nests "Oh god how to get my long fix actually plotted" Guide for the Damned

If you’re someone like me who’s wanted to write a long-fic but has had a really hard time this is the guide for you.

So the main problem I encountered while trying to plot out fics was that I didn't know what plot points I should meet! When we’re young y’know you’re taught the beginning-middle-end type of story structure, maybe a basic version of the hero's journey. If you don’t already know that follows the;

Exposition > Inciting Incident > Rising action > Climax > Falling action > Conclusion

Now at least for me it was kind of hard to use this for fics! Mostly because this isn’t a structure built for romances! The structure I’m showing you I found from this article which I built on! Feel free to just go wild with this structure honestly!

(PS you can also use the hero's journey as outlined by this article but I don't particularly find that layout helpful!)

So here’s your rundown! Long read ahead!

(BIG TEXT) The Hook

Meet the protagonists, give your story a theme, etc! Now because I’m adapting this for fic, you actually have less work to do here. But let's say you’re doing an AU, you need to establish to your readers what situation your characters are in! What's their everyday like, what's the new change in their life that makes your story relevant?

You’ll also want to set up your issues! Maybe you’re writing about Dean Winchester, you’ll want to establish his daddy issues to come up later. If you have a twist in mind this is where you’ll want to lay your little crumbs.

Inciting Incident

Whats changing? This is where your characters should meet properly. Now’s when you establish their dynamics.

Are they enemies at first? Maybe they’re instantly making heart eyes at each other. The article I’m basing this on says it should be about 9,500 words, but you may not want this, so generally it should probably be in the same chapter as your introduction to the character/s. Maybe have it continue into the second one. This is your setup!

Plot Point 1

Our article talks about how your characters should be “stuck” together. You can do this literally or figuratively depending on how quickly you want them together. This just means you want to give your characters a reason to be together. Maybe they’re roommates now, they’re trapped in an elevator, or they’re working together.

At this point personally I’d want to have your characters starting to be attracted to each other if they aren’t already! You want to start giving your readers those swoony type moments where they want the characters to get together! Also define what the characters want, or give hints. Do they want a relationship or are they focused on something else? (Already have in your mind whether or not they’re going to get to that goal or change their mind)

“Pinch Point” 1

Now’s when you start getting into conflict. Now this could be internal or external conflict.

Is someone keeping them apart? Is one character too afraid to go into a relationship? This is also when you maybe want their first kiss, or a semblance of something building between them. They should start falling in love/being drawn more to the other character.

Maybe they share a moment, or complete that work project, maybe they carpool home together after something! Just give them reasons to be together and reasons for that established conflict and goals to come up.

Midpoint

Boom something new just happened. Our article tells us that this can be formed in a false-high or false-low. This should be when at least one character solidly admits (even if just to themselves) that they’re in love with the other character.

A false high means that it seems like everything is going super good, trick your readers! Maybe your characters sleep together or they have a touching moment. You definitely want this route to seem like an endgame where they're all happy.

A false low means that your readers should be thinking “oh my goodness how are my blorbos supposed to come back from this”. Maybe that love confession goes poorly, or they get in a big argument, or something goes poorly with one of their goals!

“Pinch Point” 2

More problems!!! This relates back to your characters conflict you set up in the beginning. Maybe they need to make a big choice related to their goal or something from their past comes up. Maybe your characters are getting closer still but this conflict should be brewing.

Your character should be nervous about their relationship because of these conflicts. This should blend into the midpoint, so these conflicts are starting to arise during for false-high or false-low and maybe creating a strain on this newfound love.

Plot Point 2

More stakes! Your characters really can’t catch a break! This is when that thing your character was afraid of actually does happen! Maybe there's a misunderstanding, or their plans fall through. The article says that this is the moment when your character should be going “i knew better than this”.

This is when your readers should really really think that there's no way the characters can come back from this. Maybe they call it off or split up because of all this not-so-sexual tension created. The characters have to chose between wanting the relationship or being afraid (and its super heartbreaking and compelling when they chose fear btw)

The Crisis

Now your characters need to choose. Is it worth it? The answer to this for your main character is usually “yes”. This is when they should start looking for their solution to their big problems and start learning and changing. (Character arcs <33)

The Climax

Yay they got back together! Your theme has been explored, and their problems are solved/being solved. Usually this means a big gesture like a love confession, a proposal, something big and dramatic that makes your heart ache. Your readers should go feral rn!

The End

Now’s when everything gets tied together. All of your characters big plans come together. You may want to timeskip forward to show us their lives. Happily ever after and all!!!

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Thank you for reading all this! Just as some ending notes, a lot of these points probably blend into each other. Also feel free to mix these around, this was mostly a way for me to really get this into my brain so I can practice it more but I hope this also helps other people who may struggle with finding a plot structure for longer romance oriented fics!! :)))

[mochiwrites]

How do you plan your stories & arcs+ overarching plots/arcs

I love your stories. The solar/lunar ones got me so sad, and i still like it

ueueue ty!!! 🥺

these are !!!! my favorite kinds of questions to get, okay okay. this is gonna be a long post, so I'm gonna put this under a read more!! :D

so, I'm gonna split this into two sections: overarching plotline and individual arcs.

starting with overarching plotlines:

a lot of my planning for a storyline comes from throwing multiple ideas at the wall until something sticks, really fjghjdhdfjgh. I try to figure out what kind of tone I want to go with (i.e. a dark story, a light hearted story) before I put any sort of plot together. and depending on what tone I want to go for, I start thinking of my villain and what their motivations are, etc etc.

what I typically do when building say, an au like good crimes, songbird, or parrot coven, is I'll build the world up itself and figure out how each main character fits into the world. in each au I just listed I had grian, mumbo, and scar's basic backstories all figured out before a plotline came together. figuring out what my main characters roles are in the story makes it a lot easier to think of a plotline

that isn't always the case though. take my solar eclipse au for example -- that plotline came before I had any details of the world figured out. sometimes it just happens in reverse order :D

after I've got the foundation of my plot going I'll either open up a google doc and write out notes or I'll write stuff down on my ipad with my little notes app

as for how I get the overarching plotline going, it's mostly about the situations I'm putting the characters into! some situations will be more related to the plot than others, but sometimes I drop things in the unrelated situations to circle back to the main plot later :3 it's all about connecting things back to the plot

as for individual story arcs:

I don't typically use arcs for every story I write. my last life au and the double life au I co-write with @/hitheeprithee don't work in arcs. however songbird does have arcs! I'd also argue that crime au has arcs as well, but those are lot less complicated with an astounding 2 (two) arcs. but songbird has more than 3 arcs at the moment

the thing with story arcs is you have to think about what you want to accomplish in that arc. for example, we're currently in the middle of arc 2 in songbird right now. the first arc of songbird served as an introductory arc, introducing grian, mumbo, and scar, and the basics of the songbird world. this second arc we're in right now (and I have to be vague into order to avoid giving spoilers) is an important arc to scar's character mostly, and arc three will continue to expand on what arc two has started

when I do my story arcs, I focus on a few different things: how the plot is advanced in this arc, and how the characters grow within the arc. and depending on what I focus on is how I'll divide the story up into arcs :D

[qllie]

people who are like "we need to teach x in school we need to teach y in school" bother me because I think it's kinda missing the point of the problem...

like I've seen stuff that's like "americans can't name all fifty states/most countries" you know, stuff like that. And I don't think adding "memorize this list of countries" will help students to become more globally aware? because I had to memorize countries in like 7th grade and I aced that test. But now I don't remember most of them. SOOO like my point is school giving you a massive list of stuff to memorize just isn't gonna be all that helpful for most people. Like there are better ways to teach "global awareness" than memorizing a bunch of countries, since a list of countries doesn't really tell you much anyways... (I mean it's important to know where places are to situate them in current/historical events. but like just knowing names doesn't make you "globally aware" you know)

Also stuff like "media literacy, critical thinking, etc" I think is already being attempted to be taught in schools? you can argue about whether it's being taught well, but to say it's simply not there is not true. Like stuff like history and English (composition/literature) generally attempt to teach some form of critical thinking/media literacy. I think my problem with those kinds of posts is they want there to be some kind of "critical thinking" class and like. That's not really how it works? like critical thinking is a skill you learn to apply, it's not like math where it's like "2+2=4, triangles have 180 degrees, etc" like these skills are not just "here's how to critically think boom done."

Okay also another thing I've heard (from people at my school) is stuff like "high school didn't teach me how to write in this specific format we're writing in now nothing I learned is useful." And like okay maybe your school really did suck idk. But like high school isn't aiming to teach you every single type of writing you will be doing in your career (they can't do this since like there are people who are gonna be doing wildly different kinds of writing). It's more about giving you tools that you can apply to what you're writing later!!!! like for example no one ever will ask you to write a five paragraph essay after high school. But like transitions, learning to research, knowing how to outline, forming arguments, etc etc ARE gonna be helpful!!!!

Like basically I think a lot of the "school didn't teach me this" want school to just be like. A list of every single task you will have to perform and exactly how to do it. And like school cannot do that, partially because it'd be boring as hell (and you would remember 0 of it), and also because that's way too much shit to do. I think the point is more to set you up with the skills to figure out how to do things.... you know? And you can argue it's not doing well at that (yes schools are flawed in several ways)...

like okay for example "schools should teach us how to do our taxes!!!!" (people said this at my high school. which had a personal finances elective. which would teach exactly that). Is kind of a bad idea? In some ways I mean teaching students to be familiar with tax forms is good, but they're not gonna be able to definitely tell you how to do your taxes forever... like as your life changes (eg: job, income, disability, family, injury, on and on) your taxes are gonna be done differently. And also if I'm a 10th grader learning about taxes no way in hell I'll remember all of that (or even most of it). Like I think it would be good if schools familiarized students with tax forms (actually) but it's not gonna be able to tell you "do this this and this every time done yay!" like I think it's more about teaching you "here's where to find more info on how to do this" or "here's kind of what you can expect from forms like these"

[schtorytime]

I'm giving myself some little at home literary workshops (thoughtful rambling about my own writing under the cut, idk)

I dunno if anyone else feels this way, but I think writing in a fandom that - and no shade here, I'm just being objective - has a pretty low bar in terms of fic quality has made me a little bit complacent or given me this false idea that I'm a better writer than I am. Not that I thought I was the best writer in the world to begin with or anything, but I think regularly sifting through the piles of steaming garbage that makes up such a huge portion of the tags on ao3 (and this might be a mcyt thing in general, or it might be because I only read one ship and said ship is in fucking dire straits, idk) has made me feel a little too comfortable or something. Recently I've discovered a few authors that are like - genuinely good at the craft, and I've realised like... holy shit. I am so MEDIOCRE LMFAO. And I don't mean it in an emo oh I'm never writing again woe is me kinda way, that's not really my style; it's in an 'i'm inspired to improve' kind of way. Like sure, I can write in the basic sense. I can create an idea and see it through and get the basic point across; I feel very confident in punctuation and grammar etc. I feel very very at home in writing dialogue that shit comes as easy as breathing. Characterization also comes super easy to me; I find it easy to grasp what a character is about and the way they think and how to predict what they would do or say in any given situation, but everything else outside of those two things?! Mid. Just so painfully mid. My description skills are so flimsy, symbolism and metaphor are virtually foreign concepts to me - I feel like I write really *simply*, and I think the stuff I do write is good! Like it's good in the simplest form, it is, but it's still just... *simple*, and that frustrates me. I know it's enjoyable, I know it's *nice*. But I don't want it to just be nice!! I want people to walk away from my work like, awestruck. I want people to be so immersed and taken back in the same way that I feel reading some of the stuff I have in the last few months. I think I'm in this weird place where I realize I have potential and I have some of the tools and ingredients to *get there* at some point in the future if I really work on it, but I'm also a little lost I'm like how the fuck do you get from point A to point B. I'm such a 'I want a clear route cut out for me and explained to me' kinda person so when I'm left floundering to figure out how to improve by myself I'm like ... where the hell do I start. I wish I'd read more growing up (I did a little as a kid but then by my early teens I'd basically stopped) - I think I'd probably be further along if I had. Kicking my younger self, stupid boy. I dunno I dunno, I'm very inspired I feel restless. I know the answer is just practice but I want to be there NOW D:< I've been doing a little studying and reading some stuff and just thinking how the fuck did you come up with that what the fuck. I just feel like I write so simply, I dunno how else to explain it. I do too much telling and not enough showing and I probably over explain things the same way I do in real life speaking (anxiety havers rise up) but I also write from characters perspectives that I think would also do that, so I don't wanna tip it too far away from that and make it feel unnatural somehow, but I also don't want it to be so BASIC I don't even know if I'm making sense anymore I'm just frustrated but almost in a good way. I think you have to feel that way to make any actual improvements. Hmmmmmmmmm.

It's like in my head I think and see in images and movie scenes and I THINK?? (Maybe I'm a narcissist) that those images and movies are fucking genius, like I'm a genius in my brain, but when you hand me some sort of writing device and ask me to get those movies in my head on to paper???? I plop my ass on the floor and start drawing nonsensically on the walls like a toddler. Okay maybe it's not that bad, but in *comparison* to the stuff in my head - it is. Source : just trust me guys It's weird being very self aware but struggling to know what to do about it. Hmm. Idk, idk. Ignore my ass. HMMMM. Much to think about..

[missmentelle]

Tips for Living With ADHD (From Someone Who Actually Has It)

There is a lot of advice floating around online for how to manage the symptoms of ADHD. 

Most of it is bad. 

A lot of the advice available for coping with ADHD has been written by people who don’t actually have it. Much of it is either aimed at parents raising ADHD children, or it simply amounts to “just try harder and figure out how to remember things better”. It’s hard for people who don’t have ADHD to understand that there’s more to it than “being easily distracted”, and the advice they give for managing the disorder is sometimes woefully out of touch. 

Luckily, I have ADHD, and I’ve had to deal with it all my life. ADHD has not prevented me from getting a master’s degree, writing a novel, keeping my apartment clean or advancing in my career, because I’ve figured out some coping strategies like:

Train yourself to do the “keys, phone, wallet” dance. Misplacing things sucks, and it happens a lot with ADHD. To keep at least the important things from going missing, I have taught myself to physically tap my keys, wallet and phone before I leave any location. Getting into this habit took a few weeks, but now it’s muscle memory - and it’s saved me a lot of headaches over the years. 

Start a Bullet Journal or find a good day planner. My bullet journal is my life. For those of you who aren’t familiar with them, bullet journals are basically grid notebooks written with a special system that lets you quickly keep track of and organize all the things you need to remember. Their customizability lets you organize things in a way that makes sense to your brain (and there’s no need to make them as fancy as the ones on Instagram). Plus, the fact that it’s not an app or online tool helps me avoid distraction.

Do a daily 15-minute sweep of your apartment. Household chores can quickly get away from you, until your apartment is so overwhelmingly gross that you don’t even know where to start. Keep things to a dull roar with a fifteen-minute daily sweep - bag up garbage, move the dishes to the kitchen, throw laundry into a hamper, wipe up obvious spills. When your space is less overwhelming, it’s easier to tackle bigger chores when you need to. 

Set reminders to reply to emails and messages. If I don’t answer a message immediately, under normal circumstances, there’s a 50/50 chance I’ll never remember to answer it. If I know I need to reply to a message, I’ll set a quick reminder in my phone to respond - Siri can set reminders for me instantly, and it helps a lot with communication. 

Prioritize tasks and do the most important ones first. My brain has a limited ability to concentrate on tasks that I’m not hyper-fixated on. Attention is a finite resource for me - once I start to get tired or burnt out, the odds of me completing a task I’m not interested in drops to almost nothing. Order your tasks by importance, not difficulty; sometimes I’m only able to do 1-2 very simple things in a day, and it’s important to make sure those are the things that most needed to get done. 

Use the Pomodoro method for getting things done. I need pressure and deadlines to get things done, which is sort of difficult to replicate after college - the only person who cares if I work on my art or write a novel is me. So I use the Pomodoro method - this is basically where you set a timer for 25 minutes, work until it goes off, set a time for 5 minutes, relax until it goes off, and so on. There are even apps like “Focus To-Do” that automatically use Pomodoro timers and can even track how many you do on each task per day. 

Put reminders of daily tasks in places where you can see them. I have several houseplants, and the only reason those houseplants are alive is because they have brightly-coloured sticky notes on them that say WATER ME EVERY FRIDAY. Putting up visual reminders might seem tacky or childish, but if that’s what works for you, then that’s what you need to do. Putting a chore chart for yourself on the fridge is way less embarrassing than getting a pest problem because you lost track of chores. 

Tackle chores and cleaning in stages. Deep-cleaning my whole apartment in one day is simply not going to happen. It’s just not. So when it’s time to deep-clean, I spread it out in stages - one day is the day to tackle the fridge, the next day is the bathrooms, the day after that is closet organization, etc. Breaking things into manageable chunks is how I’ve tackled everything from my graduate thesis to moving - I accept that I need to spread big tasks out across more days than other people do, and adapt accordingly. 

Audiobooks and podcasts are your friend. If I’m doing a task that doesn’t require a lot of concentration - like mopping, or dishes, or walking the dog - my mind wanders... and it often wanders to another task I could be doing, causing me to abandon what I’m working on. I’ve found that the best way to prevent that is to keep my mind occupied. Throwing on some headphones and listening to an audiobook (which I rent from the Libby app for free!) has been a win-win situation for me; it helps me stay on-task, and it helps me reach my reading goal every year. 

ADHD can make it difficult to thrive in a world that wasn’t built for our brains. But when you find the right strategies, it’s possible to accomplish your dreams and navigate the world in your own way. 

[cryptidofthekeys]

Spooky Month Sona? FR this time?!?

so uh yeah here,, take him,, bc if i dont i realize im not gonna post him and it’ll get to a point where im self conscious about him fnjkdljkfdl things are always subject to change with my sona after i get stories n shit started so yeye but here’s CC

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| Name: Chase Crawford (I literally have to give any sonas a last name to differentiate them)

| Nicknames: CC, likes to be called Cryptid as well

| Gender: Trans FTM (He/Him)

| Age: N/A but an adult

| Height: 5’5”

| Species/Race: Human

| Occupation: Works wherever he can tbh

| Hair Color: Dark Brown (Spiky quiff)

| Eye Color: Gunmetal Blue

| Skin Color/Body Type: Extremely pale and also he’s fat

| Appearance: His main outfit is an oversized dark purple hoodie with a design of a single lavender dahlia on the front of it (the sleeves are lil bat-like wings when spread out) (the flower- okay ONE of the flower’s meanings is literally it means ‘Good taste’ no I’m not sorry for this one hah but also aside from the joke.

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Dahlias symbolize beauty, commitment, and kindness), he has black pants that match with three chains hanging down and they look distressed and a lil ripped up, some of the way bigger holes are patched up with purple patches (all he had on hand and he loved the aesthetic of it)

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And finally purple sneakers to match with his hoodie n such as that, he has some black gauges in his ears (they are magnetic ones lmao), he has dark circles under his eyes but he promises its fine, his eyes are just like that- Other than that he has a black binder he usually wears underneath and forgets to take off a LOT, he also has a circle beard.

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| Personality: CC is very sweet, kind, caring, he loves to help others out and sometimes pushes himself to the limit with it but w-we don’t need to get into that, he’s got anxieties n shit like that, basically got whatever the fuck is wrong with me buried deep in him I mean he IS a sona after all.

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He can be very oblivious until something is directly in his face essentially so he can get put in some particularly troubling situations, he really needs to pay more attention and read the room from time to time imma be honest, tries to see the good in everyone but he does have his limits, very protective of the ones he cares about, hates his parents which is a given bc they are horrible. He’s very chill most of the time, just overall sleepy and tired looking.

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I’m not lying when I say oblivious btw, like it legit- he has to s e e it with his own eyes because most of the time he’s dumb,, just like- he could see a fucking wanted poster of someone and be like …Oh, maybe they just look similar (v much not like my deltarune sona, this one is just a big ol dummy)

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…He DOES have dumb luck on his side though thankfully, so even with troubling situations, the universe just be saving his ass one step at a time. Which its funny because you’d think with all the horror movies n media he’s consumed it’d teach him a thing or to but it really doesn’t, he just out here living life, blissfully unaware of the danger he’s been in multiple times.

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He can also be a chaotic feral lil gremlin once you get past the social anxiety.

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| Side Facts: He’s REALLY into horror, he calls himself a ‘horror junkie’ even, has lots of horror merch in his home, movies, books, figures, etc- He’s just big into horror lmao, he loves to write a lot, you can find him on his computer a lot just writing some fics here and there (dw it’s not all horror …Although he has a LOT of horror fics he’s posted)

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When he’s not working he’s usually chilling at home, playing video games, writing, or listening to music, or hell just watching movies even. He does like to stay at home a lot as he’s very introverted but when he does go out it’s usually at night, he just prefers the night air, does he know its dangerous? Eh, who knows- He’ll usually have headphones on and playing music while he takes a fun lil stroll, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

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Despite liking horror n shit like that, genuinely super sweet and friendly, is very much a pacifist unless you hurt his friends and then he can get pretty aggressive, a ray of sunshine if you will unless provoked.

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Cryptid lives in the middle of the town, his house is nothing too fancy really, just what he could afford, it’s painted purple and black though to match his aesthetic.

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Likewise, back to how I said he goes out at night completely unarmed and unprepared in general, headphones on so he couldn’t hear if someone was sneaking up on him, and you already know who the three I’m selfshipping him with are (ooh bold of me to mention selfshipping on my main, im getting more confident everyday) with but bc I wanna write their interaction later, none of them have met yet.

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Also usually listens to a lot of hard rock/heavy metal lmao, and sometimes just,, boom, goat simulator music.

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Plays the acoustic guitar in his spare time but seems self conscious when playing around others.

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Has three dogs, a brown Chihuahua named Tootsie Roll, a black and white Shih Tzu named Cash, and then finally he has a Chinese Crested he rescued off the street named ‘Winnie the Pooch’ calls him ‘Win/Winnie/Win-Win’ for short though, also sometimes calls Cash ‘Cashy’

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And calls the Chihuahua ‘my little tootsie roll’ he loves all of them, aside from being overprotective of his friends n such like that, honestly he WILL get violent to protect his lil babies especially, you try to hurt them or anything he WILL fuck you up.

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Also refers to the trio as ‘My little stinkers’ calls them stinky, crusty, etc a lot but it's very clear he loves and cherishes them, Tootsie is 4 years old, Winnie is 13 or that’s what the vet told him he looked to be about, and then finally Cash is 1 year old.

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I think one of the biggest differences in him is like,, despite being oblivious unlike my DR sona who knows like oof yikes this is dangerous,, i needa get the fuck outta here- this one is just a dumbass,, he looks at these three bastards and goes …oh shit they’re hot- im gay like BITCH THEY ARE MURDERERS, KIDNAPPERS, AND OR CANNIBALS- …as long as they don’t hurt his frens OR his dogs tho its aight

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Also,, CC’s Pansexual for the final tidbit.

[spotaus]

Yeaaahhh, I was having mental block because I want to finally write a proper Dream Drabble, but I need to wait until I'm home on break, so Lust in the meantime!

Lust definitely works at that shop as a kid because (like you mention later) he was always causing some sort of trouble, so his family sent him to find work and try to be responsible and. Well. Yeah, he loved it a bunch, and had to work hard to figure everything out, but it works out swimmingly because he really just never leaves! He loves that place!

And AUGH!! Thank you! I wanted to bring in a couple more piece of magic lore (totally not inspired by your ask, which, by the way, is so so good and I'm going to dig into it after I manage to get through my work today!) because I always give Reaper and Geno these colorful eye-markings, and I wanted a lore purpose! His grandfather settled begrudgingly, but managed to secure himself a nice cushy life (mix of Nim just having that infatuation with skeletons, and being better off than most people by coming from Reaper's, he was able to establish a bit easier-) and Lust was used to that! It's a pretty obvious sign that he's a foreigner (I'm thinking about something like that for Horror too, maybe just his size is telling enough, and Cross has that mark of his old kingdom so that's covered lol-) but he doesn't mind it, and because he enjoys fashion, sometimes he can play it off as make-up.

Seperate thing for the Geno/Dust/Reaper situation because I actually wanna dig into it a lil! Geno was originally from a different place, and has no ancestry connected to Reaper's kingdom. However, I like to think that the more connected to magic you are, and the longer you stay in the kingdom, the more likely it is that the markings will show. Lust has them because Life's magic (through the intent in the plants his ancestors ate, the water they drank, etc) kind of defines their magic. A few generations down the line, his ancestors would stop having the marks. Geno, though, came and lived right in the heart of the kingdom, and constantly called on his own magic to cast spells, which is influenced every so slightly by surrounding magic situations too. So, I'd say a few months into being there, his markings set in. (At first he thought that they were just really prominent eyebags or the result of magic overuse, but one day Reaper was like "Oh! You've already got your markings, that was quick! They look good on you! :]" and Geno was like 'My what?' and got the whole dissertation.) Dust would be SO surprised to find he now has basically permanent color around his sockets. It's definitely based on the other two's magic accepting his, and by default, if Reaper accepts you you just kinda... become part of the kingdom. So the next time he sees his reflection he's like ?????. They fade a bit when he's a long distance from Reaper's kingdom or the two of them, but not by much. He's lucky he hides his face a lot anyways! Anywhooo. That Scifell plotline would involve this too, where Red gets his markings under his eyes after like a year of sticking around. It's like a blessing from life (for those religious or superstiscious) maybe Geno calls it the 'Kiss of Death' instead, to be cheeky.

And!!! Sorry back to Lust! Not to put him into the horrible spiral of Nim but! Exactly!! If he were just a few years older or born a bit earlier, Nim would've had her sights SET. (I really do think it'd be funny if Nim really liked skeleton monsters and only had a few others. And like, her father before her collected fire elementals, and before that her grandmother liked aquatic monsters, etc, so the diversity levels of the previous kings are off the charts-) I almost wonder if Lust's parents specifically held back on having kids for a while, already out of Nim's preference range and stage, but they decided to have Lust in a bought of confidence, unaware that Nim would soon be hunting for a new future mate for her twins- And yeah, Lust's family would've been the exact desired look for a skeleton in Nim's tastes, but they didn't have any young enough kids, so she moved her search elsewhere. Lust came just barely after Nim had established that Ccino would care for the twins and ended her searches, but Lust was always warned as a kid to try not to draw attention of the royals. Just in case. (Ohhh yeah, Ccino's mom narrowly dodged one bullet. Just uhh. just to get set on fire- I'll leave now.) And. This is a bit late but I don't want to format it right, but!!!! Nim would've totally tried to set Dream up with Lust!! Gods that's so crazy.

Lust's personality is one that is a little bit of a struggle, but I think he's got a healthy amount of fears. Just. Not relating to him and his own actions and confidence as a person. His whole life he's had this nagging feeling that he could be in some sort of danger, he heard the nobles whispering and the worried nights his parents had as he grew older and they saw glimpses of the Golden Prince out and about (Lust thought Dream was handsome, but was pretty sure if they ever talked he'd want to punch the guy. Assumed Dream was an average snotty brat of a royal.) So, he's very assertive, makes loyal friends, has a BUNCH of acquaintances, and also very many enemies.

ANGST!!! YIPPEEE!!!! Definitely. He's smart. Especially once he gets to the capital and he's no longer sheltered entirely by his family. He hears about how a skeleton a lot like him was part of Nim's harem once, how maybe he could draw the prince's attention while he was still young and call dibs on a spot. How he was very pretty, an eyecatcher, etc. Definitely had more than a few nights up worrying about that. About how he was just luckily too young, just luckily born after the search, that his parents had waited a few years. 'It just wasn't right back then' they'd say, but he knew their warnings now. It was nerve-wracking.

When Nightmare takes over, part of Lust is actually excited. He'd been bothered by so many (well-meaning) people about how much potential he had if the new king noticed him, that when it was the unheard of little recluse twin that stole power, it seemed to make everything make so much more sense. Everything actually seemed *safer*. If everyone was busy with the end of the world, no one was objectifying him. And then things got better, and the talk of a harem all but died out into normal compliments and flirts, nothing about the king. It was strange, but a comfort.

And!!! Yeah, Ccino coming to the shop is CRAZY. Lust would 100% be 14 (I'm impressed by the math, hehe-) and staring at Ccino and wondering what hell the castle had put him through. He'd seen Ccino there before maybe once, looking no better, but now it was going to be more frequent. Ccino looked stressed and tired all the time, and Lust's gut kinda did twists because, well, if Ccino is who he thinks Ccino is, the one chosen by Nim, then... what was he doing now? He didn't seem happy or all dressed up, not like he was expecting, and he was running servant errands, not being pampered... and there's a little bit of pervasive fear in there. He's young, he wants to ask Ccino if he's okay when he stops by, wants to give him a gift to tell him it's alright, ask if he needs help. But he's a kid, and has no clue what he could do, so he leaves it be. And exactly like you said, he dreads the fact that... that could have been him.

And I like to think that, as things went on, because Ccino was a pretty regular customer, he got to see his healing journey second-hand in real-time. And by the time Lust took over the shop, the old owner had dusted and Ccino was speaking to him instead now. He was patient when Lust scrambled an order or made too much of a certain fabric. Always said that it was a lot of work for Lust to take on all at once. And Lust kinda looked up to him in those years. They weren't so different, one just had the luck of being born with the princes and not before.

Andddddd I love that. yeah. Lust is only able to visit the castle itself *after* everything goes down, so he never directly gets to meet the adult nightmare everyone knew, only glimpses during balls. So, when Cross lets him visit finally, Cross warns him to be wary if he meets Nightmare. And. Nightmare's just a little guy! What do you mean this baby is the same an who murdered people and rewrote the country??? Lust has to refrain from treating Nightmare like a child. At this age he worked and had a job too. But... big difference.

And yep! No one really clarifies to Lust what the deal is until he's been around for... probably years atp. so he makes some pretty accurate guesses. Just by the way Ccino kneels down to button up Nightmare's winter tunic explained everything to him. He has mixed feelings, but ultimately can accept that, under their circumstances, they're managing pretty damn well.

THE PARTIES!!! Lust took one look at Cross getting knighted and was like, 'Ah, yes, there's a handsome bachelor!' because! If his family is made up on nobles, and he wasn't chosen by Nim? They're not above arranging a marriage for him (Nightmare has been putting his foot down about Arranged Marriage too tho-) and so Lust's actually kinda been eyeing up the Knights since Killer's knighting, so that he might actually get a say. but... Killer was too old, and also Lust heard rumors that he was a murderer sooo nope. Horror was a bit younger but just didn't seem the type to date. He's pretty sure Dust was ready to kill anyone who approached him at his ball. Cross was kind of his last chance, and, oh! He's actually handsome! And young! But, like you said, when he noticed Cross was formally declining dances and seemed overwhelmed, he didn't even bother to shoot his shot. (Shout out to Nightmare on choosing introverts and awkward dudes as his Knights. Killer was the only one really outgoing, Horror managed longer, Dust had no patience, and Cross just kinda pushed his way through.

And then!!! Ccino comes up to him and is like, take this boy he doesn't know how to dress and my plate is full. Please help. And Lust is more than happy to help!!! He was thinking about this guy for months!! Ccino dropped him on his doorstep like an early birthday present! And while Lust did have ulterior motives at first (get his family off his back) it literally never was a motivator after he actually got to talk with Cross because. Cross is a dork?? He's shy, and cute, and gets all serious and protective and acts like the storybook knight anytime his job gets brought up? he's passionate, and kind, and doesn't get things right all the time but he tries. And Lust is just enamored. Entirely. (Shout out to Ccino!!! Accidentally putting relationships together since forever!)

And awe!!!! Lust and Ccino friendship my beloved.... Lust would definitely still harbor some guilt. (especially after he chose to enter the chaotic lives of the Knights and the Castle, when Ccino had no choice and could be anywhere but here if he hadn't been taken) and Ccino's answer... so comforting, so genuine. That's DEFINITELY where Nightmare got his demeanor from, and ur right, that's how everything has turned out okay!

Bonus Note: I think that Lust would get along great with Ink. Like, y'know the whole jealous partner trying to seperate their partner from friends? Wrong. Lust is embracing Ink in all his weirdness and attachment to Ink. They're the trio that people *think* are actually poly, but it's just that Ink is their clingy best friend. Ink respects their date nights and when they want to spend time alone, and so it's really healthy for the three of them! Along that line, Ink is usually out on his own assassination missions (he's still a separate contractor) or following Blue and Dream. Lust... gets along decent with Dream. Dream actually aged, so it makes Lust a bit uncomfortable to be around him (not because of him acting out of line, but just the years of other people using Dream's name to unintentionally harrass him). Along those same lines, Cross told Lust about what happened between them, and if only for Cross' sake he can't just forgive what Dream did. He won't retaliate like we wants to (though he did take a seam-ripper to Dream's cloak once when he saw it sitting out in a common-space, so it fell apart later when he tried to wear it) but he won't be chummy. Blue's fine. No strong feelings from Lust either way with him, he's just a guy living his life.

Hi guys. So. Idk if I ever actually posted about Lust from New Age beyond establishing his relationship w/ Cross. (Ancha I beg of you if this contradicts smth please tell me lmao-) SO I'm gonna try and infordump what I can about thoughts which have been building up in my brain, all finally exploding because of this doodle I did for that shitpost lol.

So! Lust, I've established, works at/runs a tailor shop in the city surrounding Nightmare's castle, right in the capital. It's a decent one, has a good flow of people and serves mostly monsters with a few human customers. It's staff consists of Lust (head stylist/tailor), Hapstablook (Swap!Mettaton, the main seamstress who stays in back), Simulacre (My own mettaton from Doppletale, who designs), and the fourth spot on their staff is constantly shifting since they can't seem to keep a front desk worker. Lust wasn't initially the owner of the building or shop, but after the owner passed away, it was left in his hands.

I like to believe that Lust's family came from Reaper's kingdom! Mainly because I think that the magic there from Life is so potent that it leaves a mark on families or people who live there and embrace her magic. Lust's great grandparents moved away to the kingdom under false pretenses of peace, and were rapidly trapped in the kingdom and made to start a new life. The marks under his eyes, the light blue that looks like eyeliner, is actually a magic marking. (Reaper and Geno have marks that resemble eyebags in blue/red, and if Dust stuck around long enough or bonded w/ Geno and Reaper he'd get purple ones :] ) So, he has just the tiniest connection to the magic of that land through his appearance.

He's lucky he was born slightly before the princes, because Nim totally would've stolen him away from his parents. He's pretty much exactly what Nim was searching for. And honestly, I think it'd be interesting if a few generations before (he's the first long-living monster in his family fir a few generations) one of his great aunts or uncles was taken away to be part of Nim's harem. Just thinking...

Anyways, yeah, Lust is pretty, and his bloodline derives from Reaper's land of plenty.

He's also a handful. The kinda guy who remembers everything about you, your drama, and your likes and dislikes and uses it for better or worse. Kinda guy to hear someone he doesn't like is allergic to nuts and sprinkle a bit of peanut oil on their food or smth. But in the same breath, if you tell him your favorite fruit is a razzberry in passing, you will end up with razzberry-coded outfits for the next month <3. This absolutely obliterates Cross while they're dating, because he's say something like his shoulder hurts from training and Lust will add extra support to his clothes so they take pressure off the spot, or Cross will mention that the X pattern of stitch on an embroidery is a bad reminder and Lust unstiches it and makes something prettier over the spot, etc. Lust enjoys doing that sort of thing (he's definitely not a people pleaser, this is only for those he cares for) and it's a nice treat for both ends. Cross isn't used to someone listening so closely to him.

Oh! Lust and Error get along, I think. It comes with the territory of fabrics. Error has a thing with textures, usually only wears things he makes, but he's prideful and hates asking for help sewing pieces of his wardrobe together. So. He uses a binding spell to keep like, the arms of his jacket connected to the torso instead. (He doesn't want to go to Sasha and the others in the castle, again a pride thing, and he doesn't want to ask Ccino because Ccino's nice to him and it's a dumb request.) But Lust? Lust hears that Error makes his own clothes while talking with Sasha about Nightmare's fabrics (post reveal of his and Cross' involvement, ofc) and Lust decides he wants to see for himself. He's respectful of their jump in status, but asks if he could see the fabric, because weaving one's own clothing from magic is very impressive! Error actually hasn't had anyone tell him that and then ask to see it... but this is Cross' mystery boyfriend and so it's probably fine. So he hands over one of his sweaters. And Lust is befuddled to find he can't find any proper seams for the sleeves or hem, and asks Error about it. After that Lust manages to coax Error into sewing lessons every once in a while (maybe they start a little club, because I think we mentioned Ccino might try to learn to knit too?) so that he doesn't have to waste his energy on his clothes anymore. Lust also provides him with pattern suggestions for different clothing styles, just in case he wants a challenge (he does.)

Lust makes fast friends with people, but Error is the one he's the most proud of.

Lust tries to steer clear of Nightmare usually. Not because he doesn't trust him (no, Lust believes he's very very safe with Nightmare) but because he feels strange with the king being a little boy. He doesn't like that he sees bags under Nightmare's eyes, or that he jumps at the slightest sounds, or that he's always ducking under Killer's arm, tucking into Cross' side, like a cautious animal.

He tries not to pry, but he always worried about Ccino when he could come in for new fabric for a new outfit, usually dark pine green or black, sometimes the tans he liked to wear. Between what he's seen and what Cross told him after the fact, Ccino has been raising their king solo for many years, and practically kept the kingdom afloat. But Nightmare was constantly vigilant, to the point of passing out at his desk and having 20 plans just in case, and stressing hinself out about the state of a small border village so badly that he'd start crying? Lust knows this is for the best, Nightmare will lead them into a bright future, but that poor kid is just a baby to Lust. A very capable baby, but just a baby. He doesn't like to linger too long or else he feels guilty.

And uhhh. Hm.... I think he likes it when Nightmare throws parties. A LOT. Not only is it great for business, but he also gets to dress up! He tries to look nice at work, but his most creative outfits happen at the balls open to the public, like the knighting ceremonies. (Lust saw Cross for the first time there, at the ceremony. It was a few weeks later that Ccino brought Cross to him and insisted he needed a full wardrobe change.) Lust just gets to socialize and have fun in a responsible setting! It's great!

Last thing. Lust adores the other Knights. Like, ofc Cross is his beloved teddy bear, but once he gets to know the others he fits right in. Horror (and Farm, they met at a ball initially) are adorable. Horror loves to cook, abd Lust isn't a picky eater so he'll try any recepie offered to him! Dust is very closed off at first, but when he saw how Dust acted around Killer (mouthing off, pulling his hood down) he looked tired, but very happy. His little smile was genuine and calm. Killer is a riot and lets Lust and Sasha use him for an equivalent of fashion shows! Killer always jokes to Cross that he's stealing his maiden, and the first time Cross almost bit Killer. (<- He finds it funny once Killer gets together with Ccino because now he knows it's 100% a joke. Both Ccino and Lust would maul Killer if he tried to start cheating 🙏)

[guns-in-the-desert]

Germany NSFW A-Z

I’m super excited to post this, I worked hella hard, so here it is.

A= Aftercare

   He’s not the best at it, as being soft and comforting isn’t in his nature. It takes him a while to get good at it, and when he does, it’s super routine, almost robotic (let’s be honest, he made a checklist.). Step 1. Ask if  you're alright, Step 2. Wipe you down, and so on and so forth.

B= Body Part

  Not to be basic but, your boobs are hands down his favorite part of your body, he loves to squeeze them, even when y’all aren’t fucking, he’ll play with them without even realizing, bonus points if you have sensitive nipples. On him he really likes his arms, he likes how they look around your waist, and how easily he can pick you up.

C= Cum

  Ludwig is a Super neat person, so he likes a quick and easy clean up. He likes to nut inside you/a condom or in your mouth, not only does he think it’s hella hot, but also there's little to no mess, it’s 10/10 for him.

D= Dirty secret

  He would die before telling anyone this, but he steals your panties, not that you don't know, he’s quite bad at returning them, so you notice them missing. He really wants to stop, but he just thinks it’s so hot, and they remind him of the different times you've done it, for example: You wore that pink velvet thong the first time he tied you up. P.S they're not always clean when he takes them, at this point don’t even let him do laundry

E= Experience

  He’s not as experienced as you might think, he’s quite awkward actually. He’s done it a few times, but he still can’t can’t look at your bare body without blushing, watches HELLA porn though , but don’t expect him to admit it.

F= Favorite Position

  He absolutely LOVES fucking you against the wall, you would never know it, but he’s kind of a show off. This position shows off his strength (and his biceps), plus he gets to feel your tits against him, it’s a win win situation for him.

G= Goofy (is he more serious or goofy in bed)

 This man ain’t even goofy in day to day life, like, at all. Y’all know damn well he did not come to play any kind of games with you, I wish you would try and crack a joke while his dick is out.

H= Hair

  He's neat, he trims regularly, he's well maintained and well groomed, would never shave it completely off (he gets cold) because it makes him feel less manly

I= Intimacy

  He’s not goofy, also not very intimate, he’s quite aggressive, being gentle isn’t in his nature, not that he’s trying to be during sex, like italy said in the show “he’s like some sort of super sadist.”.

J= Jack off

  He jacks off, a lot, don't ask him though, he’d practically deny knowing what masturbating is, claims it’s “DISGUSTANG”, despite literally getting porn for christmas. You've caught him in compromising positions multiple times, still denies ever doing though.

K= Kink

  “He's like some sort of super sadist.” Italy said it best will literally rock your shit for the hell of it. Flogging, spit, bondage, the whole nine yards, know s, almost no limits, will he slap you across your face and call you a whore? Yes. Will he choke you until your face turns blue? Yes. Will he tie you with a vibrator and leave you for hours? Definitely. Will he make you walk on a leash and sleep in a dog bed? Absolutely. Can he look at your tits, without blushing? Of course not, what are you, fuckin crazy?

L= Location

  The bed, he does NOT want to even risk getting caught, he’d be WAY too embarrassed. He decided to get frisky in the living room once, and Gil walked in. He didn’t fuck you for a week and he didn’t talk to his brother for a month, partially because Gilbert’s and asshole and takes every oppurtunity he has to bully his younger brother, partially due to embarrassment. 

M= Motivation

  Almost everything, surprisingly, he’s actually a pretty horny dude, but if you really wanna get him going, beg, he loves to see you beg, you could also crawl around on the floor in low cut top, and skirt in front of him, but don’t be surprised if you get a collar the next day.

N= No

  Will not, and I mean NEVER ever even consider sharing you under any circumstances. He doesn't care how much you beg and plead. Why would you want somebody else with y’all is there something he’s doing wrong, ask him again, I dare you, you'll get your ass beat, I mean it, in the hottest way possible of course.

O= Oral

  Ludwig prefers receiving, and even though you’re doing the sucking, he’s doing the work. Really rough, so don't be surprised if cum is coming out of your nose by the end of it. When it comes to giving, my guy had a stiff ass tongue at first, like he licked your pussy mad hard, he figured it out eventually, thank god.

P= Pace

  Surprise surprise, he’s mad rough, but does find a pace and a rhythm quite quickly, which is a really good trait not many people have (I assume) it’s easy to get into, which is always pleasant. It goes very smoothly.

Q= Quickies 

  Not the biggest fan of quickies but he’ll do them nonetheless, they just aren’t his favorite, he’d pick it over masturbation, not that he does that of course, your always a better option with his hand.

R= Risk

  He takes risks in the sense that he likes to experiment with new toys, kinks, roleplays, etc. not with location though, he sticks to the bedroom and the shower exclusively, and he's even iffy about that.

S= Stamina

  This man spent a decent chunk of the show running, so he can and will go for hours. It's kind of insane. 

T= Toys

  Yes, of course, ropes, vibrators, flogs, you name it, he's got it, it’s as simple as that.

U= Unfair

  While foreplay lasts for quite a while, he isn’t much of a tease. With the exception of the occasional orgasm denial, he’s pretty straight to the point. He doesn't see a reason to drag things out when it’s not necessary. Like if you're  getting flogged, you're getting flogged, there's no if, ands, or buts, he doesn't have time for talking or teasing.

V= Volume

  He sucks at dirty talk, so he lets his actions do all the talking. Doesn't really make noise during sex, there’s the occasional grunt, but even thats rare

W= Wild Card

  So I mentioned before that you caught him in compromising positions in the past, the first time this happened was an absolute disaster. You had walked in to ask him what he wanted for dinner, he looked like a deer in headlights. You asked him what he was doing and his response was “I lost my turtle.” I don't know what part of him thought he would believe because; 1) He doesn't own a turtle, 2) he somehow lost it in his dick? So for this to make sense, he would have had to go and buy a turtle, have it near his penis for whatever reason, proceed to forget about said turtle, and after all that it still would explain how a turtle would fit into anyway, like I know you have foreskin, but, damn. So you ask him if he was masterbating, which obviously ended like this “NEIN, THAT’S DISGUSTING!” 

X= X-Ray

  Big dick,  more girthy than it is long, but it still has quite a bit of length, has the slightest curve, and a vein along the underside, he’s uncut. Wait till you see this man in grey sweatpants.

Y= Yearningh  In the top 10 for characters with the highest sex drive, He’s number seven on the list. Which says more about the people above him than it says about him, himself.

Z= ZZZ (How quickly does he fall asleep after?)

  Either he’s out immediately, or  he gets up and does work, there is ZERO in between with this man, I really don’t know what to tell y’all.

I really hope y’all enjoyed, I don’t have any WIPs as of right now. So, I write when I get ideas until I get more requests. See y’all in the next one. Bye for now

[swaps55]

⭐

this one time, I ended up accidentally leaving a 3k word comment of praise on one of your fics, obviously not meaning for it to get so long. I'd LOVE to hear about a section - of LITERALLY ANYTHING - you've been dying to talk about!

I have never had a comment that is too long or too short - you are incredible and I love you.

OH OH, can I talk about Sharjila? I’m gonna talk about Sharjila, which is the Cantata chapter called “The Things We’ve Done.”

Sharjila started with this:

“I want to maroon Sam and Kaidan on a planet when one of them is injured and they have to survive.”

So, I did some planet codex hunting to find a suitably dangerous place to maroon them, and figured ME1 planets with hazard warnings were a good place to start. Sharjila jumped out pretty quickly because it had a pressure warning, which sounded fun (for me, at least).

I talked to Real Life Romance Option about what I could do with that – what kind of injury I could come up with, what complications I could throw at them with the environment, etc., and felt pretty good that I had a solid basis to work with.   

Now, I am primarily a pantser. I do some basic outlining that gives me milestones, or goals I want to work towards. But when I sit down to write something, nine times out of ten, I just start typing and see what happens.  

So I started writing the opening paragraphs in medias-res, without a real plan for how they got in this situation. And I noticed very quickly there wasn’t just tension over surviving, there was tension between them. They were pissed at each other. But I didn’t know why. Whatever happened on the mission that got them to this point, they were really unhappy with each other about it.

I couldn’t figure it out. I started writing scenes that stepped back in time to before The Incident, hoping that if I cut back and forth between the present and the past, maybe something would materialize, but I am here to tell you it did not. I tried a few things that tied back to Torfan, but nothing worked.

So I got frustrated, decided, fuck it, I’ll write some prompts, and accidentally wrote Sonata instead. Ironically, Sonata ended up handing me the answer to why they were pissed at each other on a silver platter. When I finally got back to Cantata, finally started writing it with a better idea of how I wanted the overall story to work, and finally got back to Sharjila, I for the most part had a plan, and the plan worked.

Cantata got my entire heart and soul when I wrote it, but no piece more than this one. I worked so hard to pull this story off, and it took the help of so many people. I am incredibly proud of it.

[blockgamepirate]

Technoblade’s purpose in the political narrative of the Dream SMP

I can’t sleep so I decided to finally write the post I’ve been struggling with for literal months, except way more casual because I can’t be bothered anymore and also I’m sleep deprived.

So the thing is: to me the DSMP storyline has always been primarily political, probably because I was introduced to it through Wilbur who was definitely going for political, and also because I’m just generally interested in political narratives right now. Obviously I appreciate the character work and the personal relationship stuff, that’s what makes it more interesting than just dry allegory, but when it comes down to it, this story is about politics to me. So that’s the angle I’m going to approach it from.

Also not to spoil the conclusions here, but I’m an anarchist, that’s my lens.

(Obviously all of this is about rp from here on out unless otherwise specified)

Basically the situation as Techno joins the server is this: L'Manburg exists as an autonomous nation and is de facto independent although not officially recognised by the Dream SMP. The self-appointed president Wilbur Soot decides to hold an election and rig it in order to consolidate his power over the nation he founded and he gets his VP Tommyinnit to join in on the plan. Their scheme fails and they end up voted out instead. The new president, Schlatt, immediately establishes himself as an authoritarian figure and exiles Wilbur and Tommy.

A couple of points on what the election arc demonstrates:

1: the appearance of democracy can be used for distinctly undemocratic purposes.

2: even if the elections aren’t rigged, the electoral system could be massively flawed and end up favouring a party that in fact didn’t have the popular vote

3: even if the winning government (the coalition in this case) has the majority vote, that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll actually act according to the popular will.

4: the supporters of the losing parties basically just have to let the majority overrule their wishes, espcially since apparently L’Manburg doesn’t have an established role for an opposition, yikes. That’s actually a MAJOR oversight in the system but I’m not gonna go into that too much.

5: frankly as an anarchist I am just deeply cynical towards representative democracy, and just because you have a token appearance of choice and consent doesn’t mean that it isn’t a hierarchical and authoritarian system. And to be fair, from my point of view this applies even to so-called liberal democracies and progressive parties. Full disclosure: even if L'Manburg was the ideal example of a representative democracy (which it very much isn’t) I would still be opposed to it because I fundamentally do not believe in top down systems, even electoral ones.

6: despite all these flaws, all the characters seem to implicitly accept the electoral system as legitimate. There’s criticism against the actions of individual characters acting within the system, such as Quackity calling out Wilbur for trying to rig the election, but nobody is questioning the system itself.

So at this point I’m sitting there, watching all this go down, and thinking “man, this would be so much more bearable if there was an anarchist point of view being represented in the story.”

And hey, look who IMMEDIATELY SHOWS UP.

Okay, I’m not gonna lie, early installation Technoblade is not the best representation of anarchism. I was mostly rooting for him out of sheer contrarianism initially. I didn’t really even care if it would be another Killmonger/Magneto/Zaheer situation because I’m used to reading against the authorial intent when it comes to these things. Sometimes any representation is better than no representation, even with political ideologies. That’s not to say that him just straight up spouting this hobbesian notion of a “dog-eat-dog world” didn’t grate on me, obviously it did.

That kind of worldview of humanity needing authority in order to prevent chaos and conflict is literally antithetical to anarchism and is the favourite talking point of authoritarians, the least anarchist people there are. It’s literally what people use to argue AGAINST anarchism. I think it’s mostly because cc!Techno obviously wasn’t particularly educated on anarchist thought and was just basically having fun roleplaying with his friends at this point. Which is frustrating but fair enough I guess.

Cynical ideas about human nature are pretty deeply rooted in the mainstream, unfortunately, most people just consider it common sense. And like I said, it’s a huge talking point in the propaganda against anarchism.

(… even though in fact these arguments were originally used against proponents of representative democracy. Hobbes himself was very much a monarchist, the idea of letting normal people vote for their representatives would have been terrifying to him. Like surely the world would descent into a free-for-all war, all against all. Imagine letting commoners have OPINIONS, the horror.)

So yeah, that stuff was pretty ehhhhh. It was basically what I’d expected though: cc!Techno isn’t an anarchist and we just don’t get accurate representation from non-anarchists, ever. What I dared to hope was that Techno’s character would at least stay consistent about his opposition to ALL governments. I was pretty sure that he would, even though it seemed like the majority of the fandom at the time was convinced that he would switch over to Schlatt’s side or something. It would have been a really shitty twist, I would have ragequit immediately. I mean what would have been the entire point of his character then? He might as well have been a random mercenary. Why even have his character be an anarchist if you were just going to make him work for a government?

(ftr this is kinda my biggest problem with the Hypixel Skyblock revolution event lol, honestly I think that was a worse depiction of anarchism than early DSMP Technoblade. I mean the speech was good, but… still became a government official, tho. booooooooo, cringe)

And yes, I was rooting against L'Manburg, obviously, and I would have even if it had meant having to deal with another badly written anarchist villain character. I never understood why people saw L'Manburg as the good guys, they were nationalist and exclusionary and their whole existence was based on trying to scam people for money.

I mean they were definitely funny, they were great entertainers. I have no problems with people rooting for them because they’re fun to watch; I did that for a bit too. But people were starting to get really into the story and talk about Wilbur and Tommy, the corrupt politicians, and the country that literally excluded people based on nationality as the heroes, unironically, which was wild to me. And when Wilbur started his “villain arc” well: people called it a villain arc, as if he hadn’t been pretty much a bad guy from the beginning, constantly just out for money and power and taking advantage of the people around him and then pretending to be the victim when challenged. I mean yes he got worse, but I wouldn’t call it a villain arc, more like just a mental breakdown arc.

More importantly, to me L'Manburg represented so many things I hate about the status quo in real life, and seeing the fandom mostly unquestioningly accept it as good just pissed me off. Still pisses me off tbh. I mean, to be diplomatic I could say that I understand the emotional attachment and the way L'Manburg was built up mirrors a lot of how real nations are built and how they create a sense of patriotism out of symbols and a sense of honour and loyalty, and it’s actually really fascinating how it even works in a Minecraft roleplay. Says something about the human mind I guess. Doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

Anyway, I just wanted to see literally any kind of opposition to power, even if it had to come from a character that was unquestionably a villain, which I fully assumed Techno would be. Because political narratives so often just leave us out, or at best barely mention us. And even from a narrative point of view, adding an anarchist perspective to a political story just objectively broadens its scope and actually challenges people who are used to only arguing along the lines of conservative or liberal, welfare state or privatization, nationalism or multiculturalism, etc. Even if the original work dealt with it poorly, at least it would give me the excuse to rant about it on Tumblr, which is kinda why I revived my old Minecraft sideblog for this. (That and pig!Techno fanart.)

Also how can you have a story so fundamentally about power without its counterpoint: the rejection of power?

(Yes, Dream SMP as a whole is definitely a narrative about power, it’s a huge theme for Wilbur, Quackity, Dream, Eret and the Badlanders at least, as well as obviously the anarchist characters from the opposite direction.)

So yeah, the build up to November 16th for me was mainly about the anticipation for what Techno would do, how would Techno’s character respond to the seemingly inevitable formation of a new government. THAT was the point of interest for me, that was what I was the most invested in. Would we get an actual anarchist opposition as a new side to the conflict or would they just awkwardly drop that whole angle? Or even have him team up with Schlatt like a complete sellout? There was so much potential but I worried they might just waste it.

And I was right to worry since apparently in the original script Techno wasn’t supposed to do anything, he was just there to help fight Schlatt and witness the explosion along with everyone else.

And WOW that would have been so incredibly boring

Not even just from the political perspective, just talking about the narrative in general terms here: imagine November 16th without Techno’s plot points. Not only would it have been boring for Techno’s character but it would have been equally boring for basically everybody but Wilbur and Philza. An anticlimactic fight followed by a big explosion that pretty much everybody had seen coming already. Yes, the button room scene is dramatic and heartbreaking… for Wilbur and Phil. But nobody else was there to see it. For everybody else, it was just a big explosion. It would have been such a huge disservice to anyone watching the other POVs.

Techno’s intervention gave everyone an ACTUAL climactic fight, it allowed characters other than Wil and Phil to witness some actual drama happening and to participate in it, rather than just waiting around for the explosion, while also foreshadowing the explosion. Even better, it provoked SO MUCH discussion in the fandom AND gave a perfect hook for future conflicts to arise. Wilbur’s end was tragic but it was, at the time, final. L'Manburg would have still suffered a catastrophe but it would have been left with just the same exact antagonist as before: Dream.

And at this point Dream’s core goals had barely changed, just his approach was now different. Yes, that makes a difference for the plot, but it doesn’t really change much in terms of ideological conflict. Especially since there really isn’t that big of an ideological difference between Dream and Tommy, because arguably neither of them are particularly big on ideology in the first place, they just have conflicting goals and use different tactics to achieve those goals (well, the tactics aren’t always even that different *cough Spirit cough*).

Techno’s conflict with Tubbo and especially Quackity (and honestly most of the other characters in general) brings in so much more depth to the story, just by introducing another angle, not to even mention how much it brings to focus questions about power and violence. These are themes that exist in other characters’s storylines too but nowhere in the same way or as central as with Techno.

I’m getting kind of ahead of myself here, though.

The real twist of November 16th was the fact that Techno WASN’T a straight up villain, actually. It was a twist to me anyway, because with all my cynicism I just didn’t see it coming, I didn’t expect him to actually start making reasonable criticisms. I didn’t expect him to drop the hobbesian arguments entirely and start making points that actually sounded like anarchism.

I have to assume that cc!Techno must have seen some of the criticisms of his character and been inspired to adjust because the difference is pretty notable.

(Sidenote: I’m just forever kinda sad that Techno’s “I may seem like the villain here” monologue was cut from the video and most people never heard it.)

And I felt SO validated by the way, because it works so well in the story! Everyone is mostly content with the restoration of a status quo of some sort, Schlatt is gone, this is supposed to be the good ending, and then Techno calls them all out and turns the narrative around completely: This was just a coup d'état. This was just the previous political leadership retaking power by force. Why is everyone celebrating the same exact system that lead to Schlatt’s authoritarian rule in the first place?

What he does there is force the audience to question the narrative they’ve been presented so far, that they’ve accepted without a thought. It might not convince them, but they can’t just ignore it either.

Whatever you wanna say about the discourse around Techno on that day, in the ideological narrative THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. Not who betrayed who or when is political violence justified, that’s about personal relationships and morality and it’s mostly all more relevant to the aftermath than the event itself. In my opinion, the REAL point in the moment is that the characters and the audience were comfortable with the ending only to be presented with a completely new perspective on the events.

It also recontextualises the finale, including Wilbur’s actions! It’s a much more ambiguous end to the Pogtopia vs Manburg arc and to Wilbur’s original run as the head writer. Wilbur’s “even with Tubbo in charge I don’t think [that ‘special place’] can exist again” is vague enough to be dismissed as just part of his paranoia and internal conflict, but with Techno, there’s a concrete question: what if Tubbo, given the same powers as Schlatt, will turn out to be just a new Schlatt? And suddenly you have to wonder what Wilbur meant by his words too. And was all this foreshadowing something about L’Manburg’s future?

Okay I’ve only made it to November 16th and there’s so much more DSMP to talk about but the post is getting too long and I’m starting to lose my energy. Will I ever make a part two? No idea. But I’ll try.

Standard disclaimer: I’m not the spokesperson of anarchism, other anarchists might disagree with my reading

[in-tua-deep]

Ok I totally want to hear more about this survivors au/Delores is real! How do the siblings handle having this different version of Five? Five may be better adjusted but he still has to heard his family around like a bunch of stray cats. What happens when Hazel and Cha Cha show up? How do they find out that Vanya causes the apocalypse and how does Five handle that revelation?!

here is the thing, i think the survivors au has the potential to be HILARIOUS

no one knows how to handle a well-adjusted five, and this absolutely includes the commission

So you mentioned Hazel and Cha-Cha?? Five in this au was not nearly as absolutely feral as he is in the show bc he knows how to interact with people - he was raised by a competent adult and a weird best friend and they occasionally saw other survivors as well

please picture old Five hanging around the water cooler and chatting with Hazel

the other funny thing is that Five is competent passing - he is well adjusted emotionally but functionally?? Hazel is out there complaining about dental being cut and office parties and budgets and Five is there sipping his drink having never filed taxes in his life. Five doesn't know what the fuck a dental plan is, he was a child soldier and then lived in an apocalypse.

So please picture for me Hazel being like "okay I know corporate wants us to keep what we're being paid to ourselves but fuck that, workers unite, what do you get paid as a legend old timer?"

and five is like "you're getting paid? i get to not get tossed back into the apocalypse, I think"

"but what about expense forms? what about medical care?"

"I'm like 80% sure i'm being experimented on, actually." Five says nonchalantly, "Don't get me wrong, my idea of medical care is fucked by being a child soldier but I'm pretty sure regular people don't have electrodes attached to their heads every time they get a checkup. Could be wrong though! My ex-dad used to monitor my brainwaves while I slept so like, my idea of appropriate shit is fucked, you know?"

This is a Five who was raised by Rick, he is polite to his coworkers. If Dot asked him if he wanted to grab lunch, Five would have gone and grabbed lunch with her or politely said that he couldn't.

Cha Cha only ever talks to Five when she wants to talk shop, so they've had a couple of conversations about weapons but not much else tbh, Hazel just tends to be more personable

So when they're sent after Five, Hazel is much more hesitant to kill who he perceives as a "work friend" and also is definitely thinking about all the times Five casually revealed a way the commission was being highkey shady about him, such as the potential experimentation, no pay, working under duress etc. He's much more easily turned against the commission because he's even more primed to say "fuck the commission" than he is in canon

Hazel out here like "how did Five break his contract when Five wasn't even being paid? I kind of want to read it."

Hazel out here like "I would unionize if I didn't think the commission was anti-union enough to send literal assassins after me if I suggested it :/"

meanwhile with the siblings

Five just. talks over them a lot and makes so much sense that it's actually really hard to argue with him, and he's weirdly considerate of his family's obligations

Like Diego is like "i have to go see Patch" then Five is like "that's great I'm proud of you buddy, it would actually be really handy to have some law enforcement read into the situation if you think she's up to the task. that goes for everyone by the way! If y'all have people you trust, more bodies would be super helpful I think"

the entire family, collectively, who have like zero trusted social links: uhhhhhhhh

Diego, with this weird permission, probably?? Does? Awkwardly attempt to read Patch into the situation? Patch is, obviously, like "what the fuck, Diego" but probably goes with him to the mansion (????????) because she's concerned and then meets his fucking whacko family with their superpowers and suddenly everything is 100% more realistic

Five is just like "yes hello I'm aware I look like a child, i'm actually in my late 50s or early 60s (apocalypse time amiright) because of time travel stuff. Yes I am Five Hargreeves who went missing in like 2002 or whatever. anyway it's lovely to meet you, i'm so glad diego has someone he trusts, and considering my sibling's shifty looks when i told them to invite anyone they trusted this genuinely makes me concerned that Diego is the most socially well-adjusted of them."

"That cannot be possible." Patch says, like someone who has met Diego Hargreeves.

"You haven't met the rest." Five says sympathetically, "In our defense we were raised in isolation as child soldiers."

"That... explains so much." Is all Patch can say to that, "But you seem..."

"I'm adopted." Five waves away.

"We're ALL adopted." Diego grits out, very aggrieved by this and also not sure if he likes the fact that Patch seems friendly with Five, or at least is listening to him?

"I'm double adopted."

However! With the recruitment of Patch, herding Diego becomes like 90% easier.

Honestly the worst to herd are probably Luther and Allison? Luther because he's Number One and resents Five taking charge and also resents Five's casual dismissal of Reginald and also suspects that Five (or at least the commission) has something to do with Reginald's death?

Allison because she is torn between following Luther and helping him and helping Five but also calling Patrick and Claire at every possible moment while ALSO trying to repair her relationship with Vanya. She's flighty - she'd bail on a Five-apocalypse-assignment if Vanya mentioned being hungry or if Luther called or anything like that

Vanya likes to be included and, if asked, would probably drop as many current obligations as she can. Like she would probably cancel her teaching if Five genuinely and sincerely asked her for her help, which he does because he's 100% sure Dolores would manifest in front of him and smack him if he dared even imply someone without powers wouldn't be helpful

Vanya is like "I'm not sure if i'll be helpful - I don't have powers ):" and Patch is like "wtf are you talking about - my superpowers are Gun, Backup, and Reading Comprehension and i am like the most useful member of this team right now"

Vanya gets a confidence boost just from hanging out with Patch honestly, I think they should be friends

Klaus is thrilled to be included are you kidding?? He says he does it for money but he's just happy to be there and also as one of the most emotionally intelligent siblings he is mildly concerned about the fact that Five looks like he's about to cry and also emotes

Five also gives Klaus positive reinforcement, hugs, and Five absolutely weaponizes the I'm not mad, but I believe that you can do better and I'm going to give you more chances because I love you and fully believe that next time you'll be amazing way that Rick used on him.

I feel like Five ends up saying something along the lines of "I understand that x is really important, and we're definitely going to look into it. Is it something that needs to be addressed right now, or is it something that can wait until after April 1st? If it can wait, I can write it down here on this list so we don't forget. If it can't wait then we can figure out a time to address it and help you" a lot

Like Grace malfunctioning and potentially killing Reginald?

"We don't have to make this decision right now." Five says patiently, "Because Grace is a robot, we have some options. Living with a robot who is potentially malfunctioning and homicidal is dangerous, but Luther saying that means admitting that Reginald might have made a mistake or error with Grace's programming or upkeep. I haven't been here for a long time, but I remember Reginald being very precise. Regardless, this isn't a choice between permanently shutting her off or not. We can shut her down temporarily until we can fully address the issue. We can ask and see if there is a 'system reboot' option or some sort of system check that Grace can undergo. We can try find and hire an expert to take a look at her programming to find the issue."

Five gives this speech while like, organizing the weaponry in the house on a table very nonchalantly

Five out here making buzzer noises at his siblings arguments like "yeah no that's a false dichotomy and a strawman's argument, want to try again?"

(Look apocalypse nights were long and they had games that were literally about arguing pointless shit like ranking types of chairs or the best way to break out of a prison without powers and things could get heated)

"Who died and made you boss?" Luther demands.

"Uh, the world? Were you not listening?" Five asks, looking very purposefully confused.

It gets even MORE delightful when Five reads Rick into the situation because a) he promised and b) his siblings really have like, no connections jeeze

Rick fully believes that this is his son from the future, like Five introduced himself, but Five skipped out on a few key details. Such as being adopted.

So Rick spends a solid chunk of time just staring at Five, who looks basically nothing like him, trying to think like, who is his mother ???? if we save the world will Five stop existing? why would I name my child 'Five'? Does everyone have powers in the future? was there like... a radioactive apocalypse? would radiation give future humans superpowers? when did my life turn into a comic book? am i even allowed to ask these questions? will knowledge of the future fuck things up?

and then when Five comes back and is like "what is up everyone this is my dad Rick who will be joining us, he doesn't have any memories of me thanks to time travel but if anyone is mean to him i WILL kneecap them"

"Your DAD?"

Five does kidney punch Klaus for saying that Rick is a DILF but otherwise everyone just is like, warily looking at this Normal Dad Man in confusion because?? This is the dude who raised Five, who they watched take out like an entire commission team by himself yesterday? He looks so. Normal.

Rick is very confused and like, wonders if he's supposed to be the team mascot? But Five keeps involving him and asking his opinion and in return Rick enforces snack breaks and makes everyone sandwiches and has gentle talks with everyone

Every time Five notices someone about to blow he just lovingly makes sure that that person is alone in a room with Rick

Luther ends up crying on the sofa with Rick gently patting his back as Rick calmly states that Luther seems like he's put a lot of time and effort into his family and making his father proud and that since Reginald isn't here to say it, Rick will have to be the one to say that he's proud and that they've been dropped into a difficult and stressful situation - so soon after Reginald's death when they're still grieving! - and he's doing so well

Luther, experiencing unconditional positive paternal regard for the first time in his life: i don't know why i'm crying so much

honestly this is just a comedy of juggling the gang, having impromptu therapy sessions and discussions, investigating the apocalypse and the eye, leonard trying to meet vanya continuously and failing because she's constantly surrounding by family or rick/patch, the commission trying their best to bust up the dream team/isolate Vanya/kill or remove Five, while Hazel lives out his romcom dreams with Agnes and also says "fuck the commission"

[lockewrites]

New Character Intro!

Rheanon

Rheanon came from a simple life; her mother worked in medicine, her father in engineering, neither of them high up in their career fields but making enough to survive, not lavishly but comfortably. She has a younger brother who joined the military, following in their grandfather's footsteps. Rhea herself inherited her parents' smarts, but she had difficulty deciding what to do with them; she now spends her life trying to figure out what to make of it.

Time means little to her, and the world seems to wait for her to take action when she's ready. Her moral compass swings wildly to and fro, almost as if to fit any situation she's in. And every divine being has their eye on her, whether benign or malicious in nature, despite her simple origins. It seems she's destined for greatness, one way or another.

Rheanon is ultimately intended to be everywhere at once, across all universes and timelines. Her purpose is to give me someone to write alongside any canon character or questline or faction. Each ficlet of hers can be assumed to exist in its own verse, and she'll make an appearance across various fandoms. Tldr; she's basically my dedicated "What-If" character for exploratory and self-indulgent reasons.

For fandoms with various origins (i.e. Dragon Age: Origins), she'll be thrown into all the ones I enjoy; for ones with different classes, the same approach will be taken. For fandoms where a last name isn’t given, it will default to “Vydra.”

AO3 Series Page

If there's a situation or pairing you'd like to see Rheanon in, send it my way and I'll see if I can make it work! Nearly any fandom you see me reblog for over at @alxxiis​ is open for request! 

For specific ideas (and ones I’ll be more likely to accept), check out the spreadsheet I’ve made for various fandoms, NPCs, pairings, origins, etc. This will be updated as I come up with more ideas, and this is not an exclusionary list! If there's someone or something you want to see that's not on the list, send it and I'll give it a shot!

The Paths of Rhea

[capitalism-and-analytics]

Hey!

Saw your post on how you managed multiple jobs while in college and bought a house (congrats on the house btw!!). Do you have any tips on time management and how you managed so many things during college? Thanks!

- someone who wants to get many things done in a day but struggles with time management

Thanks so much!!!

As for your question, I think everyone's journey differs, so it's hard for me to give any truly specific advice since what worked for me, may not work for you.

...with that being said, here are some general tips that I think are applicable to "most" experiences:

Always be thinking ahead and always try to get ahead. This is where I think most people mess up because as soon as they get caught up or get some extra free time, then they don't always use it effectively. No matter how well you plan for stuff, there will always be unexpected obstacles (i.e. assignment took longer than usual, you had to work late, your car broke down, etc.), so getting ahead is the best way to combat these obstacles.

Don't underestimate the importance of acknowledging that it is hard work and accepting that fate. Really take a moment to figure out whats important to you because time is limited and opportunities are endless and you will have to turn down some opportunities. This seems like common sense, but you'd surprised how often people confuse having effective time management into meaning that they "getting most things done" or "getting everything done", when in reality it just means "getting the most important things done".

This seems like common sense, but the reality is that most people think they are "hard workers", yet in practice, they are not and it leads to them overburdening themselves with too many commitments leading to disappointment and failure. Furthermore, people will often put themselves into situations that require hard work, while disregarding the impact and consequences that it will have on the rest of their life. It's like having a child and thinking that your daily life will in no way be impacted...

Don't be afraid to "waste time" on making some sort of tracking or scheduling tool. Sometimes just the behavior of documenting it all out can be stress-relieving and it always provides greater assurance that you don't miss anything. I know there have been many times, even though I was able to track all the tasks I needed to do in my head, the act of actually writing it out made me actually take a holistic analysis of all the tasks to realize that I wouldn't be capable to actually finish them all in a certain time, leading me to re-prioritize stuff.

Don't ignore your basic needs. I'm a huge violator of this, so it's an example of "Do as I say, not as I do", but neglecting your basic needs on occasion may not be a problem, but neglecting them long-term can have detrimental consequences. In short, working hard now may get you ahead in the short-term, but it may result in you getting behind in the long-term.

Another common sense one, but make sure you are working smart, not just working hard. I feel like this gets thrown around quite often, yet people fail to actually do it. Frankly, it's probably one of the most commonly referred to excuses I hear from people. Working hard does not guarantee you anything, so if it is not getting you the results that you want, then stop doing that and re-assess your plan.