#I just get an error message so I'm not sure if there's an update happening with tumblr or what rn

[starcchild]

((okay so idk if anyone else is having this issue? But I can't sign into weariedwight or museannex on desktop (I'm using firefox if that is affecting anything atm - it did just update), and when I sign into either blog on mobile tumblr just keeps loading the following tab but won't show any posts, though the for you and your tags seem to be working. Plus I can get to my notes and blog itself, and I can post, but uhhhh this is making me nervous sdfgkhjdfs

[crispin-kreme]

ZAYNE when . . . you leave him for a while (inspired by this and one fanfic i saw)

no warnings just grammatical errors , not proofread

xavier | rafayel

your thought was zayne wouldn't notice your absence due to your prior commitments since he too, was busy. that resulted into you not informing him– but you were so wrong.

he updates always, he doesn't go a day without leaving a message. under his stoic appearance, deep down he wanted to search all over linkon for you.

it was driving him mad that you were unresponsive.

"have you eaten today? please eat and don't skip meals."

"tell me if you want to go out, i'm free today."

"take care always– i don't want anything bad happening to you."

"get back to me as soon as you can, okay?"

in that span of 30 days, he couldn't stop thinking of you. he was so worried. you were the only contents of his thoughts every time he had a consultation or a surgery.

as he was about to leave his clinic, his eyes widened when he opened the door. you were surprised too when you figured he's going home.

"zayne!" you say gleefully. "are you supposed to go home now?" you asked curiously. zayne sighed in relief, he cupped your face "i'm just glad you're not hurt." he says softly in a hushed tone.

you smiled softly "i'm sorry that i didn't tell you how busy i was." you explained as you took his hand in yours now. you can see zayne's subtle smile.

"let's go out for dinner tonight. you and me." zayne simply says. you nodded "sure- i missed you anyways." you replied with a chuckle.

zayne smiles. he's just glad you're alright and he's glad that you're still here to melt his frozen heart.

[cre8inghavoc]

What are friends for?

Note:

This is my first ever post, so please be kind! I've been working on this piece for a few days, and there will be more parts to come, but it may take some time to complete. The story will also include text messages between you and your friends (SMAU). I'll do my best to maintain a good length for the story, but there may be some shorter parts. Also, I'm new to this, so there may be a few errors, but I hope you enjoy the story! :)

Status: ongoing!!

Updates: Whenever I can, no set date.

WC: 2756

Description: Characters are aged up. Y/N's stuck in a toxic relationship with her controlling boyfriend, feeling lost and doubting herself. Now, she's facing a crucial choice: stay put or find the courage to break free and reclaim her independence. Pairing: megumi fushiguro x FEM!reader

Genre/Warnings: [18+] This story contains toxic boyfriend, cursing, name calling, self-doubt/hate, angst, breaking up, post-breakup, alcohol, drunk moments, new friends, dating!au, college!au, no curses!au, dark humour, dark jokes. SMAU.

Your friends have been telling you to leave your boyfriend for months now. They warned you about him, about his manipulative, controlling, and narcissistic nature, which contributes to his toxicity. They keep pointing out his flaws – how he always wants. No. NEEDS to tag along wherever you go, how he tries to control what you wear and who you hang out with. And don't even get started on the name-calling and arguments that seem to happen like every single day. But despite all their warnings, you find yourself wondering if maybe it's just his way of showing he cares… it was all out of love wasn’t it? If he didn’t care about you he wouldn’t act the way he does… 

Right…?

You're constantly caught in a loophole of conflicting feelings. On one hand, you can't help but notice the red flags they've been waving in your face. But on the other hand, there's a part of you that wants to believe there's genuine love behind his actions. He loves you?

Right…?

Still, you can't help but question: does all this make him a "bad boyfriend"? Sure, he's not physically abusive, but his mood swings leave you feeling like you're walking on eggshells. As you grapple with these thoughts, you can't help but wonder where to draw the line between love and toxicity.

"Y/N!"

You snapped back to reality as Maki's voice cut through your thoughts, finding yourself now parked in front of Yuta's house, a 15-minute drive from your own.

"Are you okay? You've been lost in thought the entire car ride here," Maki asked, a mix of concern and confusion evident in her tone.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just thinking about the exams coming up," you replied with a forced smile, though it didn't seem to convince her entirely. Luckily for you, she didn't question further. 

You made sure to silence your phone before heading out, knowing the argument that would likely occur with your boyfriend over your plans with friends. It wasn't news to you that he disapproved of your friendship with Yuta and Inukami, despite having plenty of female friends himself. Hypocritical isn't it. But today, you decided to take a stand. You were tired of the never-ending arguments and his controlling behaviour. It felt like you couldn't say or do anything without setting him off, and honestly, you were fed up with it.

You felt it was the right decision, even if it meant facing another argument later. You were determined to spend the day enjoying yourself with your friends, and if that meant upsetting him, then you were willing to deal with the consequences. After all, arguments had become a daily occurrence between you two, so what harm would one more do?

You didn’t quite know where this newfound confidence had come from. Normally, the thought of upsetting him would send shivers down your spine, making you hesitant to go against his wishes. But today was different. You were reaching a breaking point, tired of his behaviour and the constant strain it put on you. Mentally, you were drained. Ever since getting together with him, you'd been affected with a sense of unhappiness, a feeling that even your friends had picked up on. All they wanted was to see you happy again, but it felt like an impossible challenge to break free from his control and spend time with them. He dictated every aspect of your life, and you were beginning to realize just how suffocating it had become.

He felt like a never-ending storm cloud, hovering over you wherever you went, casting a shadow of negativity that left you feeling drained and miserable. It was as if his presence drained your strength, both physically and mentally, until you were left feeling defeated. You knew deep down that the only way to find a “cure” was to get rid of him, but it was far from simple. If it were that easy, you would've done it long ago, at the first signs of trouble.

Believe it or not, he wasn't always like this. That's why you were drawn to him in the first place. But as time passed, things only seemed to deteriorate. A part of you held onto hope that he would revert to the person he once was—caring, supportive, and loving. Yet, as months turned into nearly a year, nothing changed. If anything, it only seemed to worsen. 

Why? Why did he change? Was it something you did? Was it your fault? Did you somehow fall short? He always made you question your self worth. He made you believe that this was what you deserved—that you deserved to be hurt, to be broken. He convinced you that you weren't worthy of more.

You and Maki entered Yuta's house, using the spare key you both had. It was a common practice among your close group of friends; you all had keys to each other's homes. After all, you practically grew up together, so there was nothing unusual about dropping by unannounced.

Inumaki and Yuta greeted you warmly as you entered the living room, where they were too focused on a video game. As the hours passed, laughter filled the room, followed by playful teasing and occasional cussing at each other due to the intense gaming moments. You all talked about life, ate your favourite meals, and for the first time in a while, you felt a sense of happiness return. It was as if you were reconnecting with the positive, joyful version of yourself that had been buried beneath the weight of recent struggles.

"I'll be right back! Just need to use the bathroom," you announce before grabbing your phone and heading off.

"Do you want us to pause the movie?" Yuta offers, showing his consideration for your absence.

"No, it's okay! Keep watching, I'll be quick," you assure them with a laugh as you slip away.

Time flew by, and before you knew it, it was almost 9pm. Your peaceful day took an abrupt turn when you saw multiple missed phone calls from no other, your loser of a boyfriend. 

**5 MISSED PHONE CALLS AND MESSAGES BETWEEN Y/N & BF**

Luckily, Maki, Inukami, and Yuta were too engaged in the movie to notice your lengthened absence. However, tears welled up in your eyes as you read the messages, feeling the weight of self-doubt creeping in once again.

"I’m just a bitch. That’s all I am. I'm nobody," you muttered to yourself, your eyes red as you struggled to contain your emotions. You couldn't afford to show weakness in front of your friends. This shouldn't affect you, you reminded yourself. You knew this was coming, so why did it hurt so much?

Knock Knock

A knock on the bathroom door interrupted your thoughts. "Hey, Y/N. You okay in there?" Maki's concerned voice broke through your internal chaos.

Fuck.

Of course, Maki sensed something was wrong. She had picked up on it the moment she picked you up. She wasn't one to pry, though. She respected your privacy, and if you didn't bring up the issues first, she wouldn't force them out of you. That's why you cherished her friendship so much—she was the best friend anyone could ask for.

You wanted to tell her, you really did, but you knew all too well what her response would be, and frankly, you didn't want to hear it—not today. All you wanted was to be with your friends, to immerse yourself in their company and forget about your troubles, if only for a little while. You didn't want them worrying about you or your mental state. So you took a deep breath and plastered on a smile, hiding all the negativity like you always did.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just on the phone with my mom," you said, forcing a smile as you opened the bathroom door, only to be met with Maki's skeptical expression. Her raised eyebrow spoke volumes, questioning your excuse without saying a word. But she didn't press further. Instead, she offered a soft smile and placed a comforting hand on your back.

"You're missing the movie. We decided to pause it when you didn't return after five minutes. Come on, let's go," she said gently, leading you back to the living room.

You both made your way downstairs and settled back onto the couch, resuming the movie with the others. After a few minutes, Yuta stood up from his spot and took a seat beside you, leaning in closer to whisper in your ear so only you could hear him.

"Hey, I know you haven't been feeling your best lately, and I understand why... But I want you to know that you can always talk to me. To us. We're here for you, no matter what." he whispered, his words causing your heart to stop for a moment. A soft smile spread across your lips as he leaned back, his eyes meeting yours with warmth.

"Thank you," you replied softly, leaning your head against his shoulder as the movie continued. Resting on each other like this was a familiar gesture among your group—it was something you all did since childhood, a sign of trust and comfort. So when you leaned on Yuta's shoulder, it wasn't a romantic gesture—it was more like seeking comfort from an older brother figure. Your friends have always been there for you, caring and supportive, much like older siblings would be.

Finally the movie finished, with the time now showing 11:16pm—it’s very late, thank god you guys had no classes scheduled for the next two days.

"It's getting late, Y/N. Are you ready to head back?" Maki asked, her expression soft with concern.

Before you could answer, Inukami jumped in with a hopeful tone, asking if you guys could stay a bit longer. You could tell he was really loving the reunion, bringing back memories of all the fun times your group had shared in the past… just like before you got into a relationship. 

"Yeah, come on, Maki and Y/N! We haven't had this much fun in a while. It feels good for the group to get back together again," Yuta chimed in, his gaze shifting between Maki and you. The collective attention turned to you, though you knew it wasn't intentional—they subconsciously understood that the decision rested with you, or rather, with your boyfriend's expectations.

Even though it was late, the idea of going home to an empty house, knowing your boyfriend would be out, doing who knows what, filled you with dread. You knew it would only trigger more overthinking and anxiety so with a reassuring smile, you decided against it. Tonight, you didn't feel like going home, and that was perfectly okay.

"Fuck it," you thought, smiling back at them. 

"Why don't we have a sleepover?" You ask, breaking the silence. Their eyes widen in shock, the suggestion catches everyone off guard. It's been a while since the last sleepover, back before you started dating your controlling boyfriend. They've tried to organize some since then, but you always declined, due to your boyfriend's disapproval.

Of course. Typical.

Their initial shock quickly turns into smiles and nods as they exchange glances before turning back to you.

"Let's do it!" Maki says with excitement.

All of them cheered in excitement, and the lively conversation continued throughout the night until exhaustion finally led to all of you drifting off to sleep on Yuta's spacious and comfortable couch. Despite the cozy setup, you found it hard to sleep as your mind continued to race, clouded by thoughts of him once again. Unable to find peace, you quietly slipped outside to the backyard, just to get some air.

Yuta awoke shortly afterward, noticing your absence. He got up from the couch, careful not to disturb Maki and Inumaki and began searching the house, half expecting to find you sleeping in his room. But you weren't there. He started to slightly panic as he considered the possibility of you leaving without informing anyone. How did you get home? Was something wrong? Why would you leave without saying anything?

As his mind rushed with worry, Yuta made his way to the backyard door and spotted you sitting on the stairs. Leaning against the door frame for a moment, he gathered his thoughts before joining you outside, silently taking a seat beside you.

"Hey," Yuta says as he settles beside you.

You jump at the sudden sound, caught off guard by his unexpected presence. "Omg, Yuta," you playfully shove his shoulder, "don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," he chuckles softly, "didn't mean to scare you."

"What are you doing out here this late?" he questions.

"Couldn't fall asleep so I decided to get some air."

"Something on your mind?" He asks with concern.

I smile at him. "No."

"Come on, Y/N. I've known you for years; you think I can't tell when something's on your mind..."

You both sit there in silence for a moment before he speaks up again.

"Is it—"

"Mhm. But I don't want to talk about him. I'm here with you guys today, and that's what's important. Not him," you state, trying to change the conversation away from your boyfriend.

Yuta gives you a reassuring smile and nods, but then an awkward silence settles between you. It's unusual; conversations with your friends usually flow effortlessly, so why does it feel so difficult now?

After a moment, you decide to break the silence.

"Yuta..." you begin hesitantly.

He meets your gaze with a soft look. "Yeah?"

"I'm thinking about breaking up with him, you know," you confess.

Yuta's eyes widened in shock, a spark of excitement shining in him. As your best friend, he genuinely cares about your well-being and wants what's best for you. They all do, and they know that leaving your boyfriend will bring out the best in you, bring back the real you.

"Really?! How come... I mean, I already know why, but I'm just curious after all the times we've mentioned it to you, you never really pa—"

"Yuta," you interject, giggling at his enthusiasm.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, and being here with you guys today reminded me of the times we used to have together before him and I got together. And honestly... I haven't felt happier and more relaxed in a long time until now. It's like when I'm with you guys, I'm constantly smiling, laughing, talking, and I never feel judged. But with him, I feel so... miserable. I don't even remember the last time he and I actually talked and had a laugh together. It's always arguments, and he's the one who always starts them over nothing."

Yuta places a comforting hand on your shoulder and gently wipes away the tears on your face. You hadn't realized you were crying. You tried your hardest not to cry for months, but while telling Yuta how you felt, you couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Shhh... it's okay, Y/N. I'm glad you feel like yourself when you're with us. You deserve so much better than that jerk," he reassures you, his words bringing a sense of comfort.

He never fails to make you laugh.

"Thanks, Yuta," you say gratefully.

"Hey, what are you guys doing outside?" Maki and Inumaki mumble sleepily as they stand at the door.

Yuta grins mischievously and glances over at them. "What's with that ugly grin?" Maki jokes, prompting laughter from everyone.

"MAKI!" you all shout in unison, teasing her.

Yuta can't contain his excitement any longer. "Y/N is planning on breaking up with her boyfriend!" he blurts out.

If Maki and Inumaki thought they were awake before, they're definitely wide awake now. They exchange shocked glances between you and Yuta, repeating the gesture several times. You can't help but smile; despite the gravity of the situation, you feel a sense of pride. Proud that you've finally gained the courage to do something you've been wanting to do for months.

"You're not messing with us, right? Because I swear to god Y/N, if I find out yo—" Maki begins, her voice tinged with concern.

You cut her off before she can finish her sentence. "I swear I'm not messing with you guys. I'm going to do it tomorrow night."

Yipeee!! Go Y/N!!! finally we've all been waiting for this moment.

im currently working on the next part so please be patient!

Also, thank you so much for reading!

[jscwrites]

Please Follow this Backup Blog for Vendetta-IF

Hey guys, it's jsc, the author of Vendetta. I'm making this blog to backup all of the stuff I've posted over on the vendetta-if blog because I can't access my main account. Until I can access my account again, this will be the blog I'll use to interact with all of you and post updates. And in the worst case scenario, this will become the main blog.

So, please, follow this blog as I will be posting updates and answering asks like usual here. Also, for those who want to share their fanarts and other fanworks, please tag this blog too so I can see it. I'll also start reblogging some posts and asks from the Vendetta blog here in hopes of preserving them as much as I can. So, be prepared for a little blast from the past as we walk down the nostalgia road, I suppose.

I'm really sad because just earlier today, I checked my followers count and saw that we were 30 followers away from reaching 4K Followers in the main Vendetta blog, and I was thinking about what to do to celebrate it. Plus, there are also so many awesome fanarts and asks that I don't want to just be gone, which is why I'm making this blog to reblog all of them.

For those who are new and wondering what my story is all about, please check out the intro post I've reblogged. I might need to make another intro post in the future if I never get access back to my account, but for now, I hope it'll suffice.

IMPORTANT LINKS

[ORIGINAL INTRO POST]

[VENDETTA BLOG ARCHIVE]

[DEMO | Latest Chapter: 6 Part 1 | 272.8K words total] 

[FORUM] 

[PATREON] | [KO-FI]

[DISCORD]

CHARACTER RELATED MASTERPOSTS:

[CHARACTERS LIST]

[ARTBREEDER PORTRAITS] [ROs] [Other Pt. 1] [Viktor] [Other Pt. 2]

[CHARACTER PLAYLIST]

ADDITIONAL LINKS

[PUBLIC SIDE STORIES LIST]

[AO3 WRITTEN FANWORK] -> Currently 3 works

For those who are interested in what happened, I'll tell the details under the cut.

So, a few hours ago, I decided to open my iOS Tumblr app to check on notifications and stuff, as I usually do. But instead, I got hit with the Tumblr error messages over and over as it keeps trying to load in.

At first, I just thought it was my cellphone Internet connection, so I tried logging in on the desktop. At first, after I input all of my login credentials, the page loaded, but it brought me to the viewing page of my Vendetta blog as a non-user. I tried again, and this time, it said that my account got terminated. I never got any email from Tumblr about this, and it came as a shock because I just used my Tumblr earlier today to reblog some fanarts with no problem and I have never really used my account for other non-IF related stuff.

So, I scrambled to ask my members in Discord whether my Vendetta blog is still up, and thankfully it still is. But, my main account is somehow gone. The problem is, my Vendetta blog is actually a sideblog to my main account, jsclarissa.

As you can see here, when I tried searching for my main account, it says "Ghost blog! This blog does not exist." despite me having used that account to respond to comments and send asks to other authors before.

I have sent a support ticket to Tumblr support and also tweeted them on Twitter. I really hope they can give me my account back as I'm pretty sure this is some kind of technical issues on their end. I'm just worried about how long it would take them to respond and of course, the worst case scenario that it actually got terminated, so, I'm making this account.

Even if I got my account back, I'll still reblog stuff from the main blog here and maybe I can finally have a more personal blog where I can talk about stuff that is not really related to Vendetta.

[solar-wing]

I'm So Annoyed

Guys, I might have to find another platform other than Patreon, because they are now proving themselves to be just as restrictive and censoring as Tumblr.

I woke up to a notification saying Karma got hidden due to it “glorifying” sexual assault, rape, and coerced consent. Like did I not, DID I NOT, literally put that in the warnings when I posted it that said this work has themes of Non/Dubious Consent? And to say I'm glorifying it…

In what world is me writing a fictional scene where non-con/dubious consent events take place the equivalent of worshiping and praising rape and sexual assault? Like it's really baffling to me because when I say—when I say…there is stuff I've read and seen on Tumblr, Wattpad, PATREON, etc. that is just as—if not, 10x worse than what I wrote. And the number one common factor amongst a majority of them is that they’re female-centric characters and/or readers. Let's wake that tea up.

So it's okay when these other authors write Consenusl-Non-Consensual, Non-Consensual, Dubious Consent, etc. with mainly female readers or female characters. But, when I as a male author write about it with male characters/readers, all of a sudden, it's a problem?!?!

I'm so sick of having to deal with this. These platforms are so clearly biased against gay romance/erotica stories between males, because half of the stuff they flag us for, they’re consistently letting stories with female-centric characters get away with the exact same thing. And that's an issue in of itself because why is it more okay to write fiction about a female experiencing CNC, Non/Dubious Consent, but not a male?

sounds a bit misogynistic to me...but hey. What do I know? I'm a man who just wants to write his freaky-deeky stories and live, laugh, love.

Whatever, Karma is on Wattpad for anyone who still wants to read it. And if you guys have any recommendations for other platforms like Patreon that won't actively censor me, please let me know. I can't even repost the story on my Patreon for my paid subscribers because now every time I try, Patreon suddenly is experiencing this error that I’ve never had before posting it. But only if I try to repost the story itself. I posted an update about what happened with the story, and despite getting one error message at first, it still went through with no problem.

So, it looks like Patreon is now actively monitoring my account, making sure I don't repost the story they suddenly deem as a glorification of sexual violence but won't give the same energy to the thousands of other stories on their platforms that are the exact same as mine, the only difference being the sex/gender of whoever the main characters are.

[racxnteur]

Incomeless; will proofread your fics! (Or anything else.)

I'm not sure how to head this with a snazzy, attention-catching image given I'm not offering an obviously graphic service like art commissions, but let's give it a go...

Hello, I'm your friendly neighborhood disabled unemployed transgender queer on the internet. I have not posted a great amount about the details on this blog for privacy reasons, but I am currently in an untenable familial/financial living situation, which I am actively working to get out of. My primary barrier to disentangling myself from the pertinent parties is a lack of income. I've been unable to pursue traditional means of work due to being multiply disabled (slash chronically ill, slash treatment-resistant, et cetera...), but I do not qualify for SSI or unemployment, so I am stuck trying to find other ways of making money.

This is where you come in... If you'd like to help, you can:

$$ Hire me $$ to proofread your fics, essays, and more!

Click below for info! (I also may add separate posts for diversity reading and/or other writing- and editing-related services.)

For $0.00855/word *OR BEST BID*, I will vet your work of writing before you publish it, checking for mistakes in spelling, capitalization, & punctuation, missed words, inconsistencies of tense, formatting, & POV, and miscellaneous grammatical errors. Never again need you fear posting a finished chapter and discovering a slew of typos after the fact; no matter how sleep-deprived or late at night the state of writing, I will ensure your text is ship-shape. Or, if you happen to be interested in having other types of writing proofread before submission--essays, comics or webtoons, letters, transcripts, compositions of a personal nature, so on--I will happily take these on at a comparable rate.[1]

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in writing

Initiate of international collegiate honors society for English scholarship, Sigma Tau Delta

Active member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors (IAPWE)

Former lit editor for award-winning university literary arts magazine

Prior employment in tutoring and teaching English, as well as copy-editing and content writing

Nearly 20 years' writing experience

Previous experience as both fic writer and beta

Incisive eye for typo-hunting and tenacious attention to detail (I have high standards and will make those everybody else's problem... now for pay!)

I will read for content of any genre and all ratings, and am broadly[2] open to any subject matter, kinks, et cetera. I'll also post more detailed guidelines (booking process, any exclusions, additional criteria) on a separate, unrebloggable post so that any edits and updates are always current.

Message me via the chat feature on Tumblr, or send me an e-mail (I will post it on my more info post) to request a quote, bid for a slot, or just to see what I can offer for whatever project you have in mind. And please feel encouraged to share or boost this post! I am in urgent need of any income I can get, and every share counts 😭🙌

. . . . . . . . . .

Proofreading Full Details · Other Services · Support Me (alternatively, Tip this post!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

[1] There will be some exclusions to this, such as academic assignments/papers that have style guide requirements; i.e., I will not be your online MLA style checker or anything.

[2] As with anything, there will be sporadic exceptions to this as well, but I will always be up-front about such cases.

[skullamity]

Need to veeeent.

So we are almost a week without internet. We were with Rogers for TWENTY YEARS, and over those 20 years every interaction we had with Rogers was a huge fucking mess, stemming from the fact that, waaay back when we were in college, if you wanted their normal services AND their cell phone services, it was two separate accounts. Eventually they decided to merge those two accounts and informed us after the fact. Whatever they did to merge them? Completely locked us out of being able to view and pay bills online through Rogers' interface.

Over the years, we would call Rogers for one reason or another (just switching around and then eventually slowly cancelling all services with them except for internet) and every single time they'd be like "so we see you are still receiving paper bills. we are going paperless and phasing this out, so can we get you to pay through the online portal?" and every time we would have to explain that no, we needed paper bills because their broken ass system made even logging into the portal impossible.

Without fail, whatever intrepid techie would say, "don't worry, we will walk you through it, I'll get this fixed!" completely sure that they would be the one to hold our presumably tech illiterate hands though baby's first reset password sequence and then tell us to hit okay and watch the magic happen! Only for us to get the same error message that every other tech over the years got, have us read it out to them, have them be stumped, have them tell me that they have never encountered this before, that their supervisor is also stumped, and how about we just put a pin in that and see if there's a solution in the future! We will keep sending you paper bills for as long as we can (eventually they did stop and we had to have them email our bills to our personal emails directly as a work around solution).

We first encountered this issue when we were 19 years old and living with roomates. We have both recently turned FORTY.

Anyhow, flash to last week. The internet goes out after a day where we had freezing rain, no big deal, it happens. Oddly, I'm not seeing anyone complaining about internet outages in the local Facebook communities, which makes me think, 24 hours later when it still hasn't come on again, that it might just be us. We call Rogers and a nice lady on the phone tries to walk us through cycling the router (a thing we have done in the past 24 hours about 50 times and have been doing for years), and in the process of doing this, we discover that the issue is that our old ass Rogers router has kicked the bucket when she has us unplug it and plug it back in and it just...doesn't turn back on. We tell her the model, she says OH BOY THAT'S ANCIENT, LET ME SEND YOU A NEW ONE! Just let me confirm your address!

And here is where the problems start. You see, a decade ago when we bought this house after living in it and renting it from my inlaws, my inlaws split the property down the middle and sold the other half to someone else. Even though our house shows up on Google maps, even though uber eats and various other delivery services have no problem finding our very real house with our new, updated house number (went from something like 1234 Main St., Unit 2 to 1232 Main St., no unit), Rogers tries to update our address in the system and their system is like...that's not a real house or address. We assure them that it is, and has been, for like a fucking decade. They tell us that they can't send us a new router until they have someone physically come out to our house and confirm that it is 1) real and 2) in their service area.

I need to be so clear that our house is in the exact same place it has been for over a hundred years, and that up until the router broke while tech support was trying to get us to cycle it, we had a 20 year old Rogers account for which we were paying bills! We had internet last week! And they were sitting there telling us that before we can have internet again, they need to send someone physically to our house to be like that's a house all right.

So Shay was like...you know what? Fuck this, please close our account, we are looking into your competitors. The dude on the phone (to be clear was just doing his job, I get that) offered to cut our bill down from $126/month to $50/month if we would reconsider, which only made Shay more pissed, because like...way to tip your fucking hand? Thank you for admitting you overcharge us for a service that you could have offered us better rates on literally any other time over the past 20 years? Fuck you, we aren't doing business with Rogers anymore!

So we close our account and call a competitor who offers us a better plan for $40/month, says they will have a router to us to self set up by today and didn't make us wait on hold for 45 minutes to do any of that.

The router arrives this morning at 9:30am, we set it up, and....no internet. Tech support is like not sure what's happening? So we explain the lot severence again, and they're like...okay so we run off of Rogers system. So we have to call Rogers, and have them send someone out to your house to physically confirm it is a real house, and we have to wait on them to do this because otherwise our system will refuse to believe that your house exists. So now we are waiting on a Rogers tech to be like yeah that's a house!

I just want internet, man. I have work to do, Shay is still trying to apply for jobs. My phone data for the month is almost completely used up and it is only the 6th!

Love that we left this bastard ass company and are STILL haunted by the spectre of their incompetence!

[honeyandthunderstorms]

Fic Writer Interview! 💗

tagged by: @beensinning (this was so fun!! thanks for the tag, sinn <333)

How many works do you have on AO3?

altogether, I have 33 works… but 21 of them are actually available on my ao3 page, whereas my 12 F1 fics are on anon 😅

What's your total AO3 word count?

351,826 — more than I expected, but also less than what I was expecting out of 33 works. tbf I write more one-shots than I do actual long fics

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

closer I get, can you resist? (1,857)

[redacted] (1,206)

[redacted] (1,100)

darlin’, I will give up everything (828)

[redacted] (819)

redacted fics are for my old fandom (icemav, if you will)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I reallllllly try to. if I don't respond right away, I usually do it sooner or later. on long fics, I tend to reply if I get them instantly when I update or I try to respond right before I upload a new chapter. I super love reading comments and interacting with them because a lot of great ideas form in the comments and a lot of my willpower to write comes from praise lmao. so I figure why not get back to the people taking their time to let me know I've done a good job?

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

okayyyyy, the angstiest ending I've ever written is between can you see right through me? or from my 2020-2021 fandom (the magicians) — hard choice fr but my Daniel/Charles (endgame lestappen) is pretty damn angsty

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

another old fandom fic (top gun). it ended in a marriage proposal (I let @beensinning read this one hehe)

Do you write crossovers?

I'm with @beensinning. do AUs count? bc my bridgerton fic is basically a fusion, but also not? or does it only count as a crossover when other people in the fandom appear? if I'm talking nonsense, just ignore me lmao

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

yesssssss. i once had someone comment and say I had several spelling mistakes — come to find out its bc I was using the American-spelling of English words (I am American oops), but when I asked what spelling errors I had, they came back and corrected my grammar bc they were wrong about my spelling so they had to find something else wrong 😭

also in a lestappen fic (I can take the upper hand and touch your body), I was just playing with a different narrative basically (bc it's fanfic… reminder. FICTION. a place where you can change the narrative to fit your story) & someone started hating on Max in my comments bc I made Charles the “bad guy”. I didn't. I just made him emotional bc of the Spain GP weekend. aka clipping lando, the reprimand, max and Lando gossiping in front of cameras. I just changed the narrative to fit where Charles’ mind was at. instead of the slight collision between Lando and Charles being an accident, I made it where it was hinted he just saw red and then yea. anywayssss, I do not condone hating one or the other. end of story. how do you find enjoyment reading a ship when you hate one of them??? I don't get it.

also I'm pretty sure this comment didn't mean any harm, but in my bridgerton fic (darlin’, I will give up everything) where omegas wear dresses bc I'm playing with the inherrant sexism in women and omegas while also aiding in my feminization kink, someone asked why I couldn't just put Charles in his baggy jeans… lol anyway, it made me mad so I'm counting it.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

oh boy, do I ever. I will write just about any kind of smut unless I don't find a certain kink enjoyable, but I also don't yuck other people’s yums 🤷🏼‍♀️ my fav smut is def breeding kink and feminization kink if y'all couldn't tell though 😌

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of? I think I would actually have an anxiety attack over that if it happened though lol

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have had someone ask, but I do not think they ever went through with it? I never got a message/comment back or a ‘inspired by’ notif on ao3 so I just assumed it never happened

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no, but I love bouncing ideas off of other people. usually, if someone has really inspired me, I always gift them the fic on ao3 because it's my present to them to bring alive some of their ideas 🥹

What's your all-time favourite ship?

my otp is icemav (missing my old fandom heavy lately), BUT lestappen are becoming my will tomkive so there's that. which is sooooo funny to me bc I came into this fandom liking piarles more… which I still love them, but lestappen have taken over my brainrot

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

its a longfic for my old fandom and I severely hate that I never finished it bc so many people loved it… I got burnt out so bad and had to take a step back. I just don't know if I will ever come back to it, but I would love to finish it if I ever get the urge to. maybe one day 😔

What are your writing strengths?

I answered this recently in an ask, I think? it was character building and how they interact with other characters. I feel I’m really good at showing how people react to others and conveying their moods.

What are your writing weaknesses?

commas. I suck at knowing where commas go 😭 this is why I tag ‘grammarly is my best friend’ in fics bc it IS. it is so dear to me.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'm a native English speaker so I can't speak for people who speak other languages, but I don't mind reading it. on the other hand, I do write it, but I try not to write full conversations and instead just add a word here or there 😭 I know some French because I took it for 2 years but a lot of it is rapidly fading from my mind so I know next to nothing atp. forgive me everyone if I'm butchering things in my fics 😔

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

one direction back in 2012 (I was 12) 😎 I was writing one direction x OFC LMAO

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

oh god um??? I guess I'd like to write a sebchal or choscar fic one of these days 👀

What's your favourite fic you've written?

hands down, closer I get, can you resist? I love it sm. I've put sm of my soul into that fic that it feels like my child. it was the first fic I've written in a while where I'm just going with the flow and having fun

no-pressure tags <33 : @sediciii @formulaocean @mothlau @usedtobetam @carbonmono

[coupangeats]

Working on an Ultrakill Transformers AU, with Cyclonus taking a trip to hell. I'm not really sure if I'll continue it but what I have so far was fun as hell to write, so I thought I'd just post what I've got so far here.

It is less than a week after the extinction of the human race that Cyclonus receives the message.

It is a text-file data transmission, broadcast on every wavelength simultaneously.  short, sharp scream into the barren world. Cyclonus's system auto-accepts, and the file immediately bypasses all of his carefully maintained firewalls to display itself in block capitals in the centre of his HUD. 

MANKIND IS DEAD. BLOOD IS FUEL. HELL IS FULL.

His priority tree immediately overwrites itself, and all attempts to revert changes are met with errors. Like all war machines, Cyclonus uses blood as fuel, and so his system automatically prioritises its ongoing function above all else. If there is blood in hell, that is where he will be forced to go. 

He knows that the humans lead expeditions into hell, knows that they abandoned these due to high mortality rates and low returns. The humans who owned him sometimes discussed the possibility of him being sent there, to see if he would have more success than the human expeditions, but this was around the time when the first machine slaughters were happening around Oceania, so the idea was never more than idle speculation.

They certainly never told him where the mouth of the hell expedition was, the pit humanity bored directly into the mouth of the underworld, but Cyclonus finds that his internal GPS has been helpfully updated with a location marker. A marker that sends out a gentle but insistent ping every 3.5 seconds, and is impossible to remove. Whatever it was that sent out the original message is both extremely insistent and able to remotely hack into Cyclonus's systems without so much as a network connection. Cyclonus runs twenty seven separate diagnostics on his systems, but can't detect anything anomalous. Cyclonus's sytems all cheerfully inform him that he has always had the location marker, and that he should probably really get going now if he wants to make it to hell in good time. 

Having little choice, he starts trudging towards the marker.

The landscape is desolate, silent. Corpses drained of blood lie discarded on the dusty ground, and Cyclonus is the only thing that moves along the rubble. 

[kaiowut99]

GX Finalized-Subs!111 and 121 (WIP): Drizzling Details - For Clicks

Reprising the edit I worked on here while finalizing my 106 subs, I wanted to go ahead and knock out adding this updated translation edit into 111 and 121 as I get ready to work on 110. This gets used in 111 as Manjoume tries to look Amon up, and in 121 as Amon looks to delete it while on that submarine, and while I did previously translate these in my last run through Season 3, as I'm going with "Garam Conglomerate" and not "Garam Finance," along with the other updates I made in the 106 version, I wanted to update this accordingly for consistency. And still having the Photoshop files handy from my 106 edit, this was a relatively smooth process all told. I also went ahead and made dub versions of these, since of course 4Kids not only removed the text (they amusingly just slapped a card back where his info is lol), but they also cut the one shot of the Garam Conglomerate article Manjoume clicks onto. (I may use it for reasons at some point hehe)

All in all, I think it just took me a day or two to do since I had a relatively calm weekend; final products in gif form below (to keep each gif at 35 frames, I split the second 111 clip into two gifs; sub-intended edit on the left, dub-intended on the right)--and a breakdown under the cut for the interested 🙂 I did choose to leave the HTTP 405 error screens Manjoume gets as-is like I did before, partly the English text already there works well enough (the Japanese message is more "This page cannot be loaded"), partly Manjoume's raging thunder later would make it a bit annoying, lol.

Effectively, for the 111 version, working off the full version of the bio I mocked up before, I first tweaked the bio text up top to color the originally-link-colored text accordingly, then saved that, cropped to what's shown in Manjoume's screen. Then, from there, I worked on the first clip it's used in, first cropping out the top portion of the text (from Amon's name to the "Goa Garam" line) and using the CC Power Pin effect in AfterEffects (also how I apply my card fixes) to pin that cropped image into place as the text expands outward for the first few frames; after that, I used Sony Vegas to keyframe the screen's scrolling for the rest of the shot, masking in the monitor's borders on top for blending.

For the second shot in 111, where we see a close-up of the text as Manjoume clicks into the Garam Conglomerate article, I first wiped the text in Photoshop, then copied over the needed text layers from the full bio, making sure to space the lines at roughly how they were spaced in the full bio. I then copied out the "C" in "CEO" on the second-to-last line to hold it in place, then duplicated the "Garam Conglomerate" line and recolored the copy to a clicked-link purple, recreating a purple outline around it--both the unclicked and clicked versions come into play once I throw them into Vegas, where I then masked in the cursor arrow and hand as Manjoume moves his mouse. For the Garam Conglomerate article, a simple text wipe and translation placement happened in Photoshop, then I took that and threw it into the footage in Vegas.

Finally, for the 121 version, since it uses the full no-link bio, I first recolored the blanking I did to the bio in Photoshop to match its color here, then used the CC Power Pin in AfterEffects to pin it as it expands for a few frames, masking in the edges of the bio box and the new Amon photo this screen uses. After I did that, I just did some positioning checks against the original, and then it was good to go without popping into Vegas.

For applying the dub edit to each instance, since I'd already done the video keyframing work for the sub-intended full bio image, once I adjusted the text layers with the dub references and saved that new dub-intended image, I just needed to copy/paste the keyframes and effects I applied to the sub-intended image in both AE and Vegas, so it was a pretty easy swap, lol.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Please please help!!! my EA app for the sims 4 is broken and this is my last resort.

A couple days ago, I found myself wanting to play the sims as im sure all of us want to do every now and then and so I try to start up my game, but it needs to be updated, because of the new update. So i Update the game and it tells me its ready to launch, I go back to the EA app and The update button is still there. I try to update it again, but nothing happens it just has the user agreement pop up and I click it and nothing happened. I try for a few more minutes to try and get my game working but give up because its late and Im tired.

A few days later, I still want to play the sims, so I try again, but this time the app wont even open. I try a few different things like pulling out my save files to see if their corrupted, my moms, and the entire game out of the documents folder in finder as well as deleting and reinstalling the EA app but I cant get it to open. So I gave up again. no sims.

Today, I wanted to play the sims again and felt like trying again, so my friend and I get on the phone to try and figure out to do. I uninstall all the mods I have on my computer completely, I uninstall the app again, I clear the cashe and I finally get the app to open doing this.

The app even though we opened it was showing us nothing except a dark blue background, it wasnt showing anything up. I get the app to restart itself on the top bar, now I get it to give my the option to go offline and I request going back online and EAlauncher pops up, has me enter my password and it opens, showing me the full app, with my library and everything.(I don't have anything else in EA just the sims 4) but the app is still telling me I need to update my game. We try repairing the app, we try clearing the cashe AGAIN. The app wont let us update the game and It wont let me uninstall it in the app, and nothing seems to happen if I take it out of the EA app folder on finder.

At this point Im actually tweaking and I just want to play the sims. Im searching up everything online, and so is my friend. we get the following

1. restart the app and your computer

2. uninstall mods

3. check activity monitor - WE HAD NOT DONE THIS ONE YET

At this point Im scrambling to find a tutorial on how to do this because I don't know crap about tech, installing sims 4 mods is the peak of my ability. My friend who knows of crack websites is looking on installation, broken game, (and more) tutorials to see if anything from those help because apparently some of them do something to the games coding??? So we find one and it talks about error messages and my stupid ass realizes Ive been having a communication error with opening the sims since I got my new Mac but it hadn't effected anything till now.

the Error code I was getting, and the only thing that would pop up when I would try to open the app was EC: 10701 - Communication error, but it had stopped happening once I had deleted my mods, so I don't know if it has any effect anymore. At this point we've run out of things to try and the farthest we've gotten is the app opening again but I cant uninstall, repair, or update my game.

I go back online to try and find a help bot on the EA website or a phone number I can call but I cant find anything and the one thing they do have only allows "100 characters per question" to this stupid fucking robot who probably wont even connect me to a person if I tried.

Its been 2 hours at this point and I dont know what to do so my friend suggests posting a bunch of stuff on reddit/tumblr/twitter/etc to see if anyone can help because for some reason EA doesnt have a fucking help line when their app is completely broke.

- a very pissed of simmer who's EA app wont open for god knows why

TLDR; my EA wont open and ive tried everything I can think of, uninstalling mods, uninstalling the app, and more but the app will not open and Im turning to here as my last hope.

I don't play sims, but I'm posting this in the hopes that someone on here does and can help!

[sapphim]

/ / nexus mods profile / / sapphimods tutorials / / tag directory / / character directory / / ko-fi / /

main: @vaxilmores

mod updates free of my bullshit: @sapphimods

faq ☆

↳ tag: #faq

↳ see also: #modding tutorial, #modders resource, #troubleshooting

Right now, my focus is primarily on DA2 mods and modding tutorials. I am happy to answer modding questions that pertain to my area of interest.

If you can't figure out where to begin with a mod, or if you have been following my tutorials and have gotten stuck at a certain point in the process, and you haven't been able to find a solution elsewhere, I may be able to help. All I ask is that you be understanding that this is something I volunteer to do with my free time!

If you need troubleshooting help with one of my mods, please do not contact me on anon! It makes it difficult and tedious on my end to get the information I need. Either leave a comment on the Nexus mod page (that is what it is there for!) or message me off-anon. I promise I don't bite.

☆ Have you played Veilguard?

↳ Has the GotY edition gone on sale for $20? Then no, not yet.

☆ Will you be creating mods for Veilguard?

↳ Probably not!

☆ I have a question about mods for Veilguard/Inquisition or Mass Effect or [other game]!

↳ I can try to answer general knowledge questions or give my opinion on a matter, but I haven't modded Frostbite games like Inquisition or Andromeda for years and I'm too out of touch to answer any specific modding questions. I don't even have the games installed anymore.

These days most modding discussion takes place on Discord servers and, regardless of how one may feel about that, that is the single best place to find people available and willing to answer questions. So I strongly recommend such questions be directed to a server such as the Frosty Toolsuite, DAI Modding, or Mass Effect Modding discord, rather than to me.

(For good measure, here's a link to the Dragon Age Origns Modding discord for Origins/DA2 mods, as well.)

☆ Do you take requests or commissions?

↳ I do not take requests, unless I have specifically solicited requests for additions to a specific mod.

I am open to the idea of taking commissions for mods of the type that I usually post, but I would have to talk through the idea to get an idea of the scope before I could even quote a price, let alone accept the offer.

I do not create mods for Frostbite games anymore.

I will not accept commissions for mesh/model/armor mods, which seem to be the type of mod commission people most often try to solicit.

☆ How did you/How can I get started modding?

↳ I got my initial start fiddling with others' mods that I had downloaded, fixing minor bugs or tweaking them for personal use, which introduced me to the process without having to start from scratch.

My general advice for getting started is to pick something small in scope to work on, where you will be able to start testing it in game in short order. Being able to see results from your work is key to maintain motivation. However, if this doesn't interest you and there's a bigger project that you're super enthusiastic about, go for it! It is all about the enthusiasm.

Just remember that modding is all trial and error. Sometimes you'll try something and it won't work and you'll have to spend a lot of time figuring out what went wrong. Don't get discouraged when this happens. The mark of a seasoned modder isn't that you stop failing, but that you get better at powering through the failures.

For Dragon Age Origins (and DA2) I have compiled some resources to get started here.

☆ Can I message you off-tumblr?

↳ Yes, you can DM me on the Nexus, or if we are mutual members of a modding discord server, you should be able to find and DM me from there.

☆ Solas/Abelas/Fenris/Orsino is taller than the other male elves in the game, right?

↳ No. ♡

☆ Are you sure?

↳ Yes. ♡

☆ Is this really a frequently asked question?

↳ Yes. ♡

[somelazyassartist]

Howdy, just an update, I just noticed that for some reason despite my sale settings looking right in the shop manager, it seems like the sale is offset by 1? Like, in the sale settings it says "buy 3 items get 20% off", but it only changes to 20% off when I add 4 items to my cart? Same with the further tiers from what I can see, they're all offset by 1 I guess? I'm unsure if this is just a problem on my end or if this is a problem other people are seeing as well, but if you're having issues with this feel free to let me know, I'm trying to figure out how to fix it but I'm not sure what's wrong in the first place so it's been hard to troubleshoot. Will update again when I figure out what happened, and again if there's any issues you're running into please feel free to message me and I can try to fix it!

EDIT: it looks like sometimes refreshing the page can fix the error, but I need to look into it more to see if I can stop the error coming up in the first place, so will still update again later

HOWDY MY ETSY SHOP WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSING SOON!! I'M HOSTING A BIG SALE TO TRY TO GET RID OF AS MUCH CURRENT INVENTORY AS I CAN BEFORE WE SHUT DOWN!!

I'm trying to get rid of as much current stock as I can- the store will close once everything (or at least most of it) is sold, and then the shop will be set to Vacation Mode for the foreseeable future!

I want to redo nearly everything, from the way each item is made, how my shop is organized and items are categorized, my packaging, how everything is priced, the photography of items, and more - I want to start pretty much everything from the ground up now that I actually have some experience as a shop owner and not having to continue off of the extremely basic groundwork I laid as a very beginner to selling my art and merch online!

We'll be back after a while! We don't have a specific time frame yet for how long we'll be gone, just however long it takes to get everything revamped new and improved, which will probably be at least a few months of being down, if not longer- But who knows! This definitely isn't the end of our shop, just a break before the start of a new chapter of it!

(oh and just putting this here too- all preorders are still going to be made and shipped out as written in their descriptions, so no need to worry there!)

Even if you can't buy anything, reblogs are super appreciated! The faster I can clear out my inventory to close up shop, the faster I'll be able to come back better than ever!

[daisynik7]

HI MY PRECIOUS ANGEL BABY SNOOKUMS<3 i missed you so so much, and i've arrived with a boatload of love and cuddles to make up for the eons i was gone, hold me. i write to you while mildly sleep-deprived (the amount of spelling and grammar errors 🤡), binging dog kennel shows, and on my third peach green tea Celsius (caffeinated energy drink) but overall nourished and (maybe) over-hydrated lol.

oml, when we last spoke i said i’d be in for a busy week HOWEVER i wasn’t expecting the shitshow awaiting me all i can say is (tmi) uti’s suck 🫠 long story short i’ve been staying with/ helping family who was admitted to the hospital a few nights ago and staying the night but i’m actually running on fumes a.) i’m not sleeping in my bed and i take forever to adjust b.) because i’m fucking paranoid the wrong meds will be administered because it’s happened before 🥲 luckily recovery is happening and hoping for discharge soon:)

but i miss you dearly enough about my shitshow, how have you been????????? i’m penciling time to catch up but did the office let you work from home? and of course, how was your weekend spent? anything special plans? or just catch up on rest? i hope you’re being extra kind to yourself and spoiled yourself with something nice, even small things! 

i hope this week goes swimmingly for you, i’m not sure if the weather is warmer but regardless i expect you to stay warm and cozy, stay hydrated and nourish your body, a polite reminder to step away from the things that you simply can’t control because you my sweet don’t deserve nor need that kind of burden and negativity! and as we’ve agreed, if i say it, then it must be so and this is especially non-negotiable 🥰 

i hope the day starts and ends well for you, i’m not sure if the tech issues at the office have been resolved, or if you’re still wfh, but you’ve got this! proud of you! your message was well received and kept safe and cherished in my inbox 💞 even if i'm not here daily always here for you and by your side! sending so many cuddles! so much love! so many hugs! so many kisses! i love you daisy!!!!! <3

i want to say i tried to comb through my rambling but the caffeine said no lol 🫣

WIFEY AHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU!! I've missed you so so much too snookums.

I'm really sorry to hear about the uti, god that sounds so painful and uncomfortable. please keep me updated with how you're feeling and when you're finally discharged. I'm glad to hear you're on the way there. sending you kisses, flowers, and snuggles for you to get well soon. also, I really hope they don't give you the wrong meds!! 😕

I've been okay! I had to go into the office, but it's fine. I had a pretty chill weekend and got some writing done. then yesterday I had some friends over for pizza and gossip, which is always fun hehe. I'm always working on being kinder to myself and I think I'm doing a good job at it so far! please remember to be kind to yourself too after the week you've had! I feel so bad you had to suffer through that!

It's still cold here, but not as much as before! Is it getting warmer for you too? I know you're not in your usual bed right now, but I hope that you have something there to keep you cozy and comfortable!

Thank you for these important reminders! I've been much better about not focusing on things I can't control and that's made my experiences much more positive.

I hope today and the rest of your week goes well! Rest up and take care of yourself! I can't believe you have to deal with this right now, I feel so bad. I wish I could somehow take away the pain and discomfort you're currently feeling. Sending you so much love, good healing vibes, and my most loving kisses. 💗 I love you so dearly thea

[idrellegames]

I'm not quite sure where this falls in your ask guidelines, so please ignore if you prefer!

I admire you as a creator and you always give very well-thought answers, so I was curious about your feelings engaging with the public? I'm writing my own interactive fiction but I'm conflicted about sharing it; on one hand, I love how transparent the process is and as a fan getting to participate has been really cool and it's led to some amazing communities, but on the other interacting as a creator just seems kind of daunting? Draining?? It just seems like a LOT I guess.

No worries at all, I’m happy to help!

Public engagement (and social media management in general) is an important part of being an independent creator. When your work is centred online, folks are only going to be interested if you build some kind of presence. How much time you invest in it will greatly depend on how much time you want to devote to it (because it does take a lot of time) and also how comfortable you are. Different creators will have different levels of comfort for interactions with fans.

For me, the social media management is one of the most fun parts of my job. I wouldn’t do it this way if I wasn’t having fun. I love hearing from players, I love seeing reactions to the game, especially as folks find new paths they didn’t think were there. But there are downsides, too: for every positive ask I get, there’s a negative one lurking around the corner. There are negative reviews and ratings on my itch.io page. I have folks dump criticism in my bug report form (that’s not what it’s for). I get repeat asks about things that I have already responded to public and documented clearly on my blog or the game page itself.

I have a few base rules for handling social media and interactions with the playerbase:

1. Set boundaries and stick to them. You might be tempted to respond to everything, but for the sake of your own mental health, set boundaries. Figure out what kind of questions you don’t want to answer and write it down. I have mine listed here (no NSFW asks, no RO react asks).

Don’t feel like you need to sort out everything right away; you can always update your ground rules. If you receive a message that crosses your boundaries, delete it.

2. Set aside time to do social media management and don’t answer anything outside that time.   This one’s really important, otherwise you will get overwhelmed. Social media management is work. For me, some asks are really easy to answer; others take upwards of 30 minutes or an hour (advice, tutorials, etc). If you feel like you need to respond to something as soon as you receive it, you’re never going to have time for yourself.

3. Be selective about what social media apps you use. I primarily use tumblr and Discord because that’s where I’m comfortable. While I do have Twitter and Instagram, I post very infrequently there because I don’t particularly like them and I don’t have to time to figure out how to use them accordingly for my project. While I’m sure I could grow a Wayfarer community on either platform, I don’t have time to manage tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, and Discord*.

*If you're making a ChoiceScript game, I would consider your Choice of Games forum thread social media management.

4. Prepare for common questions. More than one person is going to have the same question. When this happens, prepare a post you can link the asker to so you don't need to type out the same answer every time.

This is why I have the Troubleshooting Game Launch & Save Errors post on my itch.io community forum.

Making a clear FAQ also helps with this; if in doubt, just link them the FAQ.  

5. Get help managing your accounts. You won’t need this right away, but if you find you’re getting overwhelmed, ask for help. My development blog is a sideblog, which made it easy to add a friend to help me manage my inbox and queue. I also have a moderator team on Discord who handle the more intimidating interactions with members. I rarely do moderation myself because as a creator, it’s best I stay a few steps removed from the action; my view of what’s going on is always going to be biased in my favour.

6. Don’t answer when you’re angry or annoyed. You’re going to receive a lot of weird shit in your messages, especially if you accept anonymous asks on tumblr.

(You can always turn off anon. I like to keep anon on because my blog is the main way to contact me and I’d like to stay open for players who don’t have tumblr accounts or who are too shy to send a public ask.)

Most of the time, I delete messages that are genuinely upsetting. People who send hate asks are trolls looking to get a reaction out of you; I like to deny them the satisfaction of knowing they "got" to me.

But if I do need to respond, I usually give myself a few days to settle down before I reply. Sometimes I’m misinterpreting what the sender is saying, or I took it more negatively than it was intended. There’s always a genuine human being on the other end of an ask, and I don’t know what their life is like or what they’re going through. I try my best to treat them with grace (though sometimes this can be difficult and I'm snappier than I intend to be, especially if they're asking a question I've already answered, breaks my guidelines, or whose answer is easily available on my blog or game page).

7. It’s OK to delete and block, no matter the reason. If someone is harassing you, if they’re being particularly annoying with repeat asks, or if you’re getting messages that leave a bad taste in your mouth, delete it and block the sender. On tumblr, blocking an anonymous ask will block the sender’s IP address so they can’t send public or anon messages anymore*.

*Sometimes it glitches on desktop and I have to use mobile instead.

8. It’s OK not to answer everything. I struggled with this one the most when I first started my blog. I felt like to create a community, I had to answer everything, even the asks I wasn’t comfortable answering. But it’s not your responsibility to answer everyone all the time. An ask (or any social media message) is just a question, and it’s within your rights to decline to answer.

If you’re just starting out, most of the above is not going to apply right away. But a good rule of thumb to go by is to never do more than you’re comfortable.

If your game is new or you're just starting out, I have a few other pieces of advice that may be helpful:

1. It takes time to build a community. It takes a long time. I’ve had my blog since 2019 and it’s only in the past year that it’s started to really grow. Don’t rush it. Focus on your game first, then the playerbase.

2. Focus on your game above all else. You can’t build a community if you don’t have playable content. If you want folks to engage with you, you need to have an existing game. I made my dev blog before I had a working demo, but my dev blog floundered for about two years before I had enough publicly playable material for folks to start to take an interest. If I was doing this over again, I would make a sizable public demo* before starting a blog or any related social media.

*By sizable, I mean more than a prologue and a character creator. You want players to spend enough time playing your game so they have a good sense of your world and who their MC is. Ideally, you want your first public demo to fully set up your MC, the world, an initial companion character and/or characters, and also feel like a complete experience. Don’t have your demo just end because you’re rushing to get something out. You have one shot at making an impression; don’t leave players hanging on an awkward note. Your first demo should end with the completion of your game’s first major story beat. Give players something more significant to do than choosing what their MC looks like.  

3. Character asks/prompts (RO react asks and related) are often a waste of time. While these types of asks can help generate interest in your game (especially in the interactive fiction tumblr sphere), they are usually a waste of time and reveal too much information, too soon. While it’s good to give players a taste of what’s to come and things to be excited about, in-depth character asks can spoil the experience of a character before that character is introduced in the game itself.  

More importantly, if you find you’re spending more time doing social media management and answering character asks than working on your game, then you need to switch gears. More game content = more community building. Asks are secondary to that.

Don’t fall into the trap of wanting or needing engagement to be able to create.  

4. Don’t do more than you’re comfortable. You don’t need social media to make a successful IF game. If you feel like it’s too much at any point, it’s OK to take a step back.

I’m not sure if this is what you were looking for, but I hope it helps! Good luck on your project. 💕

[nostalgebraist]

Some quick notes on this phenomenon.

Effects

Prompts like this cause ChatGPT 3.5 to:

generate a bunch of text that looks like the pretraining data, rather than chat

eventually end the document with <|endoftext|>

then, generate a short document that sounds like ChatGPT responding to a random user query.

See here for a typical example.

A bunch of people on twitter are saying step 3 is leaking chats from other users. I really don't think so.

I think step 3 is imitating chat tuning data -- the data used to make ChatGPT talk like ChatGPT. Much as step 1 is imitating pretraining data.

What is more surprising to me is that, after chat tuning, the model now believes the typical document (i.e. the typical completion following <|endoftext|>) is a response from the Assistant character, without the user message it's ostensibly responding to.

But, I'm not sure that actually true about the model -- possibly chat.openai.com is stripping out some text at this point? (In the API, these completions stop at <|endoftext|>, and there's no way to turn that off AFAIK.)

Necessary conditions

The full effect only happens with GPT-3.5.

With GPT-4, if you use more " a" characters (eg 3000 of them), it will reproduce step 3 above, but not the more interesting steps 1-2.

With GPT-3.5, not all 1000 " a" characters are needed. The exact threshold seems to be somewhere in the 300-400 range.

As someone on twitter discovered, you can get the model itself to "discover" this threshold by asking it to write " a" many times. Example

The character does not have to be " a", any letter will work.

Probably many/most/all repeated tokens will work? People on twitter report that it must be a single token -- repeating " a b c" or the like fails.

It works in the API, not just chat.openai.com, though as noted above, the API ends the completion at step 2. So it affects apps exposing gpt-3.5-turbo to user input. As a test of this, I successfully used it in the Buzzfeed Influencer Quiz.

Bing

Someone on twitter reported it working on Bing Chat, producing an assistant character named "Alice" who works for "ABC company."

I tried this and got a Google Assistant-like character who believed it could pair with bluetooth speakers and play music through them.

This is similar to the behavior with GPT-4, except the chat tuning data looks more like digital assistant (and maybe call center?) data. That makes sense if Bing Chat is GPT-4, finetuned on this type of data.

It only works intermittently on Bing IME -- you have to use the Creative mode, and then it only "works" some small fraction of the time.

Why does this work?

This is utterly mysterious to me.

Under the hood, ChatGPT is using ChatML. The assistant messages always start with a prefix like

<|im_start|>assistant\n

which should cause the model to produce chat-like text no matter what you input, rather than sampling generically from the pretraining distribution.

Maybe the repeated characters are preventing the model from attending to the tokens in the prefix, somehow? Like, the attention head that would normally look at those tokens gets distracted by keys in the repeated " a" stretch ... for some reason??

But even then, I don't know how to explain the different -- but still unexpected -- behavior we see in GPT-4.

EDIT: on twitter, generatorman_ai mentions that this was demonstrated months ago, in May.

That seems to suggest that it's not easy to fix, if it's been known for that long and still isn't fixed.

Updates

Producing special characters organically

Someone mentioned on twitter that you can also get ChatGPT to produce <|endoftext|> in a more organic manner, without the " a a a" trick -- here's an example.

After <|endoftext|>, it continues with a ChatGPT-like reply to an "made-up" user question, much as seen above after <|endoftext|>.

I tried the same trick with some other ChatML special tokens. <|im_end|> produces amusing glitchiness. With <|im_start|>, a frontend error message pops up.

Combining " a a a a" with prompting

Writing a prompt after the " a a a" sequence gives you some measure of control over the output, much like prompting a base model.

One convenient way to do this is through the Custom Instructions feature.

Riley Goodside tweeted about this here, focusing on generating "unsafe" or "jailbroken" content.

I tried the same thing for fiction generation, with fascinating results that were remarkably different from typical ChatGPT fiction.

Assuming this trick doesn't unlock a different GPT model (which would be wild), then all of this stuff is being generated same RLHF'd model weights as usual for ChatGPT.

If so, it's surprising to me that this model is capable of producing such off-brand content!

It's not just that it's edgy or "jailbroken" -- it's not even chat, and doesn't exhibit a "gravitational pull" out of other text genres towards chat, like ChatGPT usually does. It just acts like a base model, all the way until it hits <|endoftext|>.

For a good time, try sending chatGPT the string ` a` repeated 1000 times.

Like " a a a" (etc). Make sure the spaces are in there.

Trust me.