#I should probably use a lot more tags here. but I'm too lazy to

[simonsrosebud]

kevaaron cause why not

kevneil (both are acespec )

Matt/Nicky (I stan bi matt) Erik and Nicky are still friends but we're previously in a relationship, Erik has moved on (maybe nickys first love??)

andrew/Roland pre -series (theyre like a year apart cause I'm not sure how old Roland is but I've always thought of him to be a gay middle-aged man, but Andrew would be like underage and that's a nono)

Kandrew (acespec kevin?? Maybe on the demisexual spectrum??)

Renee/Allison/Dan or some variant/combination in the same au as Matt/Nicky

Jean/Neil , demisexual spec Neil

Kevin/Jeremy cause they were never given a chance and KEVIN I KNOW THERE'S GAY IN YOU demispec kev

Choose whichever pairing that inspires you most but PLEASE tag me in the writing cause I need more aftg in my life <3

okay i may definitely tag u if i do others but for the first one i couldn't help but do jeremy and kevin I JUST LOVE THEM

The thing about Jeremy, Kevin supposes, is that he really thinks that he could’ve been a Raven if someone had been paying attention all the way in West Virginia.  He had the same talent and stats that other strikers did when joining the line, had more of a height advantage than Riko ever did.

Being a Raven would have broken his spirit.  Kevin doesn’t think he’d ever forgive himself for that, knowing that he probably would have contributed to it at some point.

But then he wouldn’t be this, free and spirited and so fearless in showing unabashed joy.  Here, sitting in Kevin’s car, babbling on about California and how Kevin really should visit him next time so that he can show him around.  “I’m glad the sun has finally reached you,” he’s saying, “You look good with a nice tan.”  And it’s taking too much out of Kevin to keep his eyes on the road.

Jeremy’s hotel is just off campus, but it’s not far, and Kevin does have time, so he leans against the hood of the car while Jeremy lifts himself up onto it because “the height difference isn’t fair”.  It's only three inches, Kevin doesn't dare point it out. And suddenly Kevin is reaching out to smooth his fingers through Jeremy’s hair, soft and smooth and golden in the setting sun.

“Maybe it’s all this hair weighing you down,” he says.

Jeremy smiles, wide and lopsided and lazy, and leans into his touch.  “Never.  The hair is part of my charm.”

Kevin settles his hand on the hood of the car, then, all long legs and tall torso leaning so casually, and he’s pretty sure Jeremy’s eyes linger on his arms for a second longer than normal.  It makes his chest fluttery, so he says, “That’s what I used to tell Jean.”

And oh, Jeremy lights up.  “Yeah?  He tells me it’s unbearable.”

“He’s an idiot.”  Why would anyone ever say that?  “I used to talk about you a lot… in the Nest.”  He doesn’t really know why he says it other than he and Jeremy won’t be in the same place forever and Neil told him to stop holding back just because he’s scared of getting a letter in the mail from Ichirou himself.  So long as you send them their money and stay out of jail, your free time is your own.

With the way Jeremy preens at his confession, he thinks it’s the right call, anyway.  He taps Kevin’s closest finger with his pinky.  “What, about exy?”

“No.”

Surprise.  “Oh.”  Jeremy’s skin is honey gold and bronzed from the constant California sun, but Kevin’s never seen him sunburned.  The tinge of pink on his cheeks may be as close as he’ll get.  “Can I tell you something embarrassing?”

Oh no.  Kevin steels the lead in his stomach.  “Sure, anything.”  He can feel it coming, the inevitable, I feel flattered, you know, but I just don’t-

“I used to have a poster of you in my bedroom at home.” 

God, this was even worse.

“But I took it down once my older brother caught me kissing it goodnight before bed.”

Oh…?

Kevin opens his mouth, but doesn’t know what to say.  Instead, a smirk starts taking over his lips.  “You had… You used to kiss me?  Every night?”

Jeremy’s blush has traveled the length of his neck, but at least he laughs softly.  “Until I was, like, almost sixteen, yeah.”  Kevin taps his pinky finger back.  “Now I just do it in my head.”

Pause.

Kevin whips his head back up, shock surely coating his face.  “You what?”

And Jeremy’s face falls.  “I-I just mean- sorry, I didn’t- oh god, I just made this super,” he slides off the hood of the car, “awkward.  That’s not- I just meant that, like-“

Kevin grabs his hand when he gets too far.  Jeremy freezes, but doesn’t dare move.  Kevin works on his words, lets his mouth fish open while he tries forming them, and eventually says, “If I had a poster of you,” he frowns, “I’d, um…” he looks up at Jeremy, vulnerable and confused and maybe, possibly, the least bit hopeful.  “I’d kiss you goodnight, too.”

Grinning, now, Jeremy lets his hand fall further into Kevin’s, and gives it two squeezes.  “You can, you know,” he whispers.  He meets Kevin’s eyes slowly.  “If you want.”

Nothing could stop the jackhammering in Kevin’s chest, or the rushing of blood in his ears from how red his face probably is, but Jeremy’s voice comes through right as rain regardless.  He gives his hand a tug, pulling Jeremy closer, and steps towards him so that he has to look down at him.  Those three inches are going to kill him.

But Kevin must be taking too long, because then Jeremy’s hand is sliding up the side of his neck and pulling him down, and Kevin’s hands go flying to his sides, falling into the dip of his waist and wishing they could run up along his skin.  Jeremy sighs a bit into his mouth and drags his tongue along Kevin’s bottom lip, and then Kevin is pulling him closer until their chests are flush and his hands can slide underneath the thin t-shirt, hand splaying on Jeremy’s lower back and wanting to curl itself into the skin there.

Jeremy’s tongue is warm and slick and Kevin tries not to be embarrassed when he moans lightly into his mouth.  It makes Jeremy smile against his mouth, which really is Kevin’s own fault because he did not want this kiss to end.  Jeremy tucks back in for one more kiss, shorter but sweeter, his fingers gently scratching at Kevin’s scalp, and searches Kevin’s face from only inches apart when Kevin subtly tilts his head into his hand.

“I kinda had one more embarrassing thing,” Jeremy pants a little, a warm smile poking through, and god, everything about him is warm and sweet, so so sweet.  His skin underneath his shirt is warm like a fresh batch of cookies; tongue like a melted marshmallow daring to fall apart in your mouth;  smile like a rainbow after a hot summer shower and disposition of one that reminds Kevin of his mother’s comfort, of Abby’s hugs and his father’s safety.

Jeremy himself is a son of Apollo, Kevin is sure of it.

But Kevin doesn’t trust his own voice, right now, so he just nods and hums in encouragement.  He holds Jeremy close more decidedly, taking advantage of the contact and flattening his palms along the bare skin of his back and waist below his shirt.  He thinks for a moment it sends shivers down Jeremy’s spine.

For this, though, Jeremy goes up on his tip toes and tilts Kevin’s head to grant him his ear.  He nips at it, first, sending a shiver down Kevin’s spine, and says, “You’ve been number one on my list since I was fourteen.”

“God.”  It’s not intentional, but Kevin doesn’t even care at this point.  He’s heard all about these lists from Nicky.  He knew what it meant.

Jeremy laughs, quiet and contained and goofy, and props his elbows on Kevin’s shoulders to shelter them in.  “Would you like to come up to my room?”

[destinysbounty]

Yo what if you went off about s3, it'd be cool

The love triangle, the quick tech development, whatever you want, I wanna know what you think

(I saw you in the tags of that post, please gimme the analysies. pretty please)

The entirety of my thoughts on Ninjago's technology are long and vast and complicated, and I could probably make a full video essay on just that topic alone. But for the sake of simplicity, and also because I'm too lazy to write a 10k-word essay with screenshot evidence on why Ninjago tech isn't actually anachronistic, I'm going to just focus on the season 3 issue for now.

Now, one criticism that often gets lobbed at Rebooted is the matter of the technology. How did Ninjago suddenly become a hyper-futuristic technoscape in the span of what couldn't be more than a year? At first glance, I can understand how that might feel unrealistic. I used to feel the same way! But it actually makes total sense when you realize that this technology probably already existed, if only in a beta form, for years before s3 started.

But wait! If the technology already existed in some form, then why wasn't it used? Why did Ninjago only become a cyberpunk dystopia during s3??

The answer to that question is something that sounds like a no-brainer, but should probably be said anyway: just because a technology exists, doesn't mean it is democratized. That is to say, just because a society has made certain technological advancements, doesn't mean everyone in that society can actually access those advancements. Look at any country in our contemporary world - richer and more industrialized communities typically have better access to cutting edge developments, whereas more rural communities may not even have reliable internet access. Even Ignacia, which is one of the most rural communities we've seen in the entire show, was depicted as having landlines and telephone poles in the very first scene.

Moreover, it's reasonable to assume that robotics and digital technology has existed - and fairly advanced - for decades in-universe.

My evidence? The creation of characters such as Zane and Unagami. Both were invented roughly 40 and 20 years pre-canon respectively. Coding, and especially programming an AI like both characters are classified as, requires the existence of a computer. Which means that computers existed as early as the Serpentine War. (Unless Zane is the product of magi-tech, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Especially since Zane's original body also has other functions that, to my knowledge, wouldn't be possible without programming. For now, I'm proceeding under the assumption that Zane was created purely with technology.)

For these reasons I would argue that certain technologies, and in particular digital technology, have existed in-universe for a lot longer than we might think at first glance - but due to what appears to be some very extreme wealth disparity, technology has only recently become more widely accessible within the last few decades.

Think about it. Most human settlements we see are fairly small and rural, except for Ninjago City. Ninjago City is the only city we've seen on-screen in the entire series (with a few small towns here and there, but it's mostly just villages). And even then, the cost of living in Ninjago City itself is astronomically high. There's clearly something funky going on with this country's distribution of wealth.

With that in mind, it makes total sense that the tech we see in s3 was at least in development a lot earlier than anyone might realize. It's just that it was too expensive and exclusive for anyone in the general public to actually use it.

Now, let's look at this in the context of Rebooted.

Imagine you're a multi-millionaire tech mogul and the CEO of a very powerful tech company. The city is in shambles in the wake of an apocalyptic battle against Lego Satan. You take this opportunity to spearhead the reconstruction efforts. On top of being an impressive PR stunt, this is also great for business as it presents you with the perfect opportunity to populate the city wholesale with your own products: flying cars, holographic floating streets, AI vending machines, elaborate VR and AR setups, mechanical spider wheelchairs, the whole nine yards. The government probably even writes you a big check to make this process more accessible to your consumers - I mean, to the citizens of your the shiny new corporatocracy you may or may not have stumbled into creating. Whether or not you employed lobbyism to get this check is neither here nor there. After all, this is for the greater good! And to finally seal the deal that this city has become a Borg Industries outpost, you rebrand Ninjago City to New Ninjago City. This isn't just a city anymore, it's a corporate asset. It's an ad campaign. It's a way of life.

This also explains why all the tech mysteriously vanishes after s3 ends: supply and demand. A robot apocalypse is, among other things, bad for PR. I don't wanna think about the existence of a Lego Stock Market because that will hurt my brain, but a robot apocalypse is definitely what I would classify as a "black swan event" (an unpredictable crisis that severely disrupts the stock market). The company starts faltering financially because of all the public backlash, people stop buying and investing in their tech, their stocks start to crash, and Borg Industries has to roll back on their infrastructural monopoly. And so the technological status quo is (mostly) restored.

The theme of s3 isn't "technology bad" - at least, it shouldn't be. If you're as brainrotted as I am then the theme of s3 instead becomes, "maybe you shouldn't let one sole company have a total monopoly on your society's infrastructure because they might accidentally start a cyberpunk dystopia". And that is a...disturbingly apt moral for our current day and age (cough cough Amazon).

...can you tell I've been listening to The Fine Print by Stupendium on loop for too long?

[mid0khan]

I got tagged by @the-apocrypha in the last line game, so I'll share a little bit of the (really big) Sandman fic I'm working on (like seriously I went from 'only writes one shots' to 'start a 100-chapters-long project' with no transition and I don't know what I'm doing I can only pray it's good)

Anyway, enjoy

Hob stood across the street from the bookshop.

When Abel had told him there was an angel in London, and one with a passion for books and a knack for magic, he had hardly believed his luck. If the revelation hadn’t been immediately followed by Cain stabbing a butter knife in his brother’s head (“How dare you ruin a perfectly good mystery you miserable maggot!”), Hob would have hugged him. Cain had assured him such a “benign” wound would heal pretty quickly, and he had even proposed to burry Abel near the surface, so he would rise up more easily, but Hob had awoken before he had a chance to thank his unlucky informant.

Finding the bookshop had been easy enough, but Hob was now facing an unexpected difficulty.

The ghost car, the one he had seen driving itself and that had caused him to avoid Soho for years now, was parked right in front of the shop.

He had feared he would see it; he was in the middle of its territory after all. But he had never thought the thing would be waiting for him there.

Hob had been standing there, staring at his newfound adversary for at least half an hour. The thing hadn’t moved at all. It was waiting for its time to strike, no doubt. Hob had no choice but to try and get around the car to reach the shop’s door, and pray that the car wouldn’t have a sudden crave for blood.

He warily crossed the road, keeping his distance with the ghost car as much as he could. It didn’t move. He hugged the wall, slowly approaching the door while never taking his eyes off the beast. From up close, he could see what a beautiful car it was. He hadn’t seen this kind of Bentley in ages, and this one looked brand new! He would have been in awe if he hadn’t been so suspicious of the thing. He finally reached the door, all but fleeing away from the car with a sigh of relief.

When his eyes got used to the relative darkness of the shop, Hob gasped.

Books everywhere. Books on shelves so full they looked like they were going to crumble. Books in piles on the floor. Books on the stairs, because there was a mezzanine filled with books too. New books, old books, children’s tales next to things that really should not be read by children, big classics and very niche authors… It was untidy. It was crumpled.

It was lovely.

“Go away,” a voice slurred to Hob’s left, making him jump. “We probably don’t have what you’re looking for, and if we did, we wouldn’t sell it to you anyway.”

Hob had been so focused on the books, he hadn’t noticed the little reading space next to him. Slumped in a very old armchair, a red-headed man was staring at him, slightly menacing. He looed very out of place in the bookshop, with his old-rocker style and his sunglasses, but somehow, he also seemed to perfectly belong there.

“Weird way to handle a bookshop,” Hob mused, and the redhead hissed at him. “But I’m not here to buy anything, actually I have a book to show to M. Fell?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, curious, all trace of aggressivity leaving his body.

“Oh! Well in that case, welcome. Aziraphale is out for now, but he should be back soon. You can wait for him here, take a sit.” With a lazy raise of his arm, he pointed to a chair, and after carefully putting the pile of books covering it away, Hob sat, trying not to stare too much.

He was sure he had already seen the man somewhere.

The thing with being immortal was that he had seen a lot of people. It wasn’t always easy to remember which face belonged to which name, or where and when he had met someone. But there were situations that were harder to forget than others.

He had frequented a few circles that were… not very legal, in the 60’s. He had missed the thrill that came with doing something forbidden, that he had grown up with as a mercenary, and he had been quite good at picking locks. He had made sure never to kill anybody (his life and the last century both had had enough death already, thank you very much), but still, it had not been as fun as it had once been. He had felt like a fraud, stealing alongside people who struggled to make ends meet when he himself had been richer than any of their victims.

But there had been a weird job, not long before he had left his group. Someone had offered thousands to simply walk in a church and steal holly water. Of course the client has made it look like a big coup, but Hob had not been fooled. He had refused the job. He didn’t want to risk getting dragged in some demon summoning or whatever.

The redhead was the spitting image of the client.

Maybe it was just a man looking a lot like his father. Or maybe it was the same person. A fellow immortal? Another angel? Something else?

Maybe he could help too?

“Could you take a look at the book, too?” Hob asked, making the redhead frown. “I really need advices on how to use it.”

“How to use a book? Well, usually, you’re supposed to read it.”

“This one is a bit special; besides, I can’t read it.”

Hob took the grimoire out of his Marlowe was better tote bag, and the redhead tensed

“Nope! Absolutely not.”

“Could you help me-”

“No.” The redhead stood and grabbed Hob, forcing him toward the door. “I’m not helping you with that, Aziraphale is not helping you with that, you get out and you never come back.” He pushed Hob out of the shop and slammed the door shut behind him.

Hob stood there, dumbfounded. Welp, that didn’t go as planned. What was he supposed to do now? Could he convince the redhead to let him back inside? Was there maybe another book-specialist angel in London?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a squeal. He realized he was still in front of the bookshop’s door, and a white-haired man was standing in front of him, a look of bewilderment on his face, his hands flapping in front of him in excitement. The man pointed to the grimoire still in Hob’s hands with a shaking finger.

“Oh my, is it really… No, it can’t be, but it looks just like… Where did you… Come in!” The man grabbed Hob’s arm and dragged him back in the bookshop, while almost screaming. “Crowley? Crowley dear, you won’t believe what I just found!”

I am supposed to tag people there too, which makes me a bit nervous, so I'll tag @cuubism, @kydrogendragon and @mimisempai if you want to play, and if you don't, forget I ever tagged you

[einsatzzz]

♡ 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐒. ♡ Tag 10 followers you’d like to get to know better

TAGGED BY @dreamieparadise (thank you! 💜)

TAGGING. @azaracyy @social-muffin @yenosiria @shiawase-rina (feel free to ignore if u don't want to do this hehe also my brain is not braining rn, 4 ppl is my max, whoever wanna do this can do so too!)

✧. ┊ 𝑵𝑨𝑴𝑬 : Ein! People I comm'd probably already saw my irl name but let's close our eyes 😆 Tho if we're friends, you can ask for my irl name. (lowkey I'm more used to being called Ein than my irl name)

✧. ┊ 𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑨𝑺 : Just Ein again lmaooo

✧. ┊ 𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 : I've been suspecting that I may highly likely be nonbinary but I'm too busy with my work and hobbies/personal projects to find out about it now.

✧. ┊ 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹 𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵 : Aries!

✧. ┊ 𝑯𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 : 150cm - 152cm 🧍‍♀️ around two years ago, I went to my annual physical exam and got a height measurement of 152cm, which made me happy bc I've been 150cm since high school. But then this year, I got 150cm...so I...I shrunk...?👁️👄👁️ I will never let go of that 152cm.......I'm still 152cm in my heart...

✧. ┊ 𝑺𝑬𝑿𝑼𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝒀 : Somewhere in the ace spectrum (maybe ace, maybe gray, idk bruh), but I'm too busy with work and hobbies/personal projects to find out what it is exactly.

✧. ┊ 𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑺 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑷 : According to my smartwatch app, it's 5 hours 👍✨

✧. ┊ 𝑫𝑶𝑮 𝑶𝑹 𝑪𝑨𝑻 𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑶𝑵 : I love both! But I'll just say I'm a dog person because I have a pet dog lol

✧. ┊ 𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑲𝑬𝑻 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑺𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑷 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 : I don't really pay attention to it that much, but I really like the soft & fluffy ones.

✧. ┊ 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴 𝑻𝑹𝑰𝑷 : Japan again!!! Going on a one week trip there improved my physical and mental health, fr fr, not kidding. Maybe I should just live there idk. Also wanna visit online friends' countries and meet with them! Most feasible rn are SEA countries hehe I'll save up for it and visit someday my SEA homies, you know who u are. Second most feasible is Europe, because I will highly likely apply for a Schengen visa sometime in the future but not so soon.

✧. ┊ 𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑮 𝑩𝑰𝑹𝑻𝑯𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 : I just checked and my first post is around August 15, 2014. But it should be a few years older than that because I lurked A LOT in certain fandoms before my first post. Safest bet is probably around 2011, which is when I was obsessing over Ina11 and stalking ask accounts here.

✧. ┊ 𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑰 𝑴𝑨𝑫𝑬 𝑨 𝑻𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑳𝑹 𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑮 : I wanted a tumblr account to follow ask accounts of my favorite characters.

✧. ┊ 𝑼𝑹𝑳 𝑴𝑬𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 : It was from an Uta//Pri Drama CD called "Masquerade Mirage" and the character that my oshi (Ai) is playing as back then is named "Einsatz". I was very down bad for Ai back then, you don't understand. Anyway, the actual "Einsatz" username was already taken so I added a few z's at the end since I'm too lazy to think up a new one (idek that it's a german word). Mutuals/friends back then started to call me "Ein", I just rolled with it and now it's just stuck to me. I don't really wanna change it anymore, even if Uta//Pri isn't an active interest of mine now.

[jynxeddraca]

Thoughts on Where Astarion is From

Going to be a long post. Because there are definitely spoilers for the game in general and probably for Astarion's quest, I'm putting this under a read more.

I've seen in several places now that Astarion is commonly headcanon'd to not be from Baldur's Gate originally. Personally, I really think this makes sense since he's an elf, his parents in theory would still be alive, and - if you stick to the idea he originally was noble/patriar born - he would be recognizable to a lot of people even after being turned. Not only in the city in general but I imagine he helped 'entertain' at Cazador's palace since Cazador did host parties.

An aside, I think this holds true for all of Cazador's 'house' spawn. I know Dalyria formerly was the Physician General to the Parliament of Baldur's Gate but I have a feeling she - like Astarion - probably wasn't in that position terribly long before getting turned so may not have been around long enough for people to really recall her face.

But back to my actual thought: The common thing I see when people headcanon about Astarion's origins before he lived in Baldur's Gate is that he is from Waterdeep, or the surrounding area, because the area used to be home to most of the elves in Faerûn. Just as a note for anyone unfamiliar with where cities are: Waterdeep is 750 miles North of Baldur's Gate, Elturel is officially 200 miles East of Baldur's Gate.

I have an alternate theory: Astarion is from somewhere East of Baldur's Gate. Possibly along the Chionthar.

Why?

Because sometime before the story, at least 100 years ago - and honestly, I think it'd be before he was turned so 200+ years ago - he was in Reithwin Town (the town in Act 2) - and got banned from The Waning Moon.

And this isn't just me making an assumption or coming up with a headcanon. Now, I was too lazy to go find the in-game screenshot that I took and it's on my gaming computer, so this is from the BG3 Wiki - Here's the text when you read the BAN LIST at The Waning Moon:

The text (bold emphasis mine) reads as:

BARRED FROM ENTRY The following EX-customers are UNWELCOME. Do not let them in, even should they beg. ESPECIALLY should they beg. Martin Doughty - human? - chug-and-run Adam Smythe - lascivious behaviour, also known as 'The Pickle Incident' Gerringothe Thorm - SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE DID Kavin Ort - tall dwarf - exceedingly boring Syrah Bee - short half-elf - vomited on the waiter (purposefully) Unknown elf - pale skin, snide mouth - referring to master distiller as 'the porcine publican' Rochelle Kwark - halfling - groin-punching Yon Von Don (suspected alias) - grotesquely tall human - underpants on head

End screenshot text.

And a second screenshot where the wiki states that the pale elf is Astarion with a link to the source of Kevin VanOrd's twitter. Granted, I do not have an account on twitter so I can't see any posts on twitter and can't confirm the tweet, but I'll post the plain text (no hyperlink) links down below because Tumblr is picky about stuff.

Screenshot Text:

The names on BAN LIST are the writers of Baldur's Gate 3 poking fun at themselves, as confirmed by writer Kevin VanOrd[1]:

'Martin Doughty' (Martin Docherty)

'Adam Smythe' (Adam Smith)

'Kavin Ort' (Kevin VanOrd)

'Syrah Bee' (Sarah Baylus)

'Unknown elf' - Astarion[2]

'Rochelle Kwark' (Rachel Quirke)

'Yon Von Don' (Jan Van Dosselaer)

[1] VanOrd, Kevin. 2023. "As the book's writer I can confirm it was a juicy act indeed. All the names (aside from Gerringothe's, of course) are based on Larian writers. I can literally tag myself as Kavin Ort, the boring dwarf!" [@fiddlecub, Twitter]. 14 Oct 2023. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20240329212133/https://twitter.com/fiddlecub/status/1713103283026383083

[2] VanOrd, Kevin. 2023. "And yes the unknown elf is who you think it is." [@fiddlecub, Twitter]. 14 Oct 2023. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20231017062203/https://twitter.com/fiddlecub/status/1713103448516812817

End of screenshot text.

Supporting screenshots out of the way, here are my assumptions so far:

He probably did not have lots of time to dedicate for traveling pre-vampirism days just because law school then actually being a magistrate (yes, I am assuming that law school is a thing in Faerûn).

If he was a noble pre-magistrate days, Reithwin wouldn't be a normal destination choice since nothing in the game makes me think it really was anything more than a normal town that just happened to have fallen to horrific events.

Related to first two bullets: my personal thought is that he was probably sub-30 when this ban at The Waning Moon happened.

Cazador didn't/doesn't travel much himself (Astarion calls him 'reclusive' at some point).

I really doubt Cazador lets any of his spawn travel on their own.

What makes most sense to me personally is that he was traveling from home - wherever that is - to Baldur's Gate. Unfortunately the 5e map of Faerûn only list 4 cities along the Chionthar: Baldur's Gate, Fort Morninglord, Elturel, and Scornubel. It shows none of the towns/settlements shown in Act 1 or Act 2 in BG3. Just for reference:

Which probably is just so there is some vagueness for D&D players to add in their own towns since D&D is a giant sandbox. So that's kind of what I'm doing here. Somewhere between Reithwin and The Reaching Woods is a town that Astarion once called home.

[problematicbyler]

my question with a lot of the takes that i’ve seen where they want to draw a line somewhere, whether that be at fantasizing or specificity or the takes being boring is like,, do they not read smut? ik some people don’t and that’s obviously fine like don’t read something if you don’t want to read it. but i feel like ive seen a lot of people say “stop having weird boring takes and actually write a fic instead of just fantasizing about it” and i think that’s such a strange take because something tells me not one of those people would be happier having more explicit fics saturate ao3. to me a lot of this feels like people are personally uncomfy with more nsfw content (which again is Obviously fine everyone has their own limits which should be respected and i don’t think anyone who just is saying nah it’s not for me and not making it a moral issue should be called puritans especially cuz sex can be a really sensitive topic for some people and i think those people generally understand the nuances a lot better than others who are throwing out allegations) and want their discomfort validated or maybe just want to understand it more themselves so they jump to one of these limitations. they don’t want to say they’re completely uncomfortable with sex because they’re probably not!! there’s just something that specifically seems to irk them about this situation and they want to publicize that in a way that makes them and anyone else who sees their take feel like they are objectively right and not being mean or against sex. i bet some of them have read smut (for other fandoms or even for byler) and maybe even enjoyed it but maybe felt icky or guilty and they want to justify that and not feel like they’re the weird ones or too sensitive or like kink shaming. i also bet some of them haven’t read any smut and don’t understand that it’s not all self insert (not that there’s anything wrong with that but tbh ive seen none of that on ao3 for byler and ive seen a lot of takes saying people want to have sec with teens and are making self insert fantasies about it when ive seen actually zero evidence of anyone doing that) and that it’s mostly using these characters who we love and project onto as vessels to explore different scenarios (emotional and physical) in a safe place that anyone who knows what they don’t like and knows how to read tags on ao3 won’t be negatively affected by.

(i also just want to say that the take that it’s boring and lazy content is so silly considering head cannons are literally the backbone of any fandom like we are all here to put them in situations we don’t already see them in in canon and “fantasize” about how they would react (except for people might use the word “think” or “speculate” when referring to non explicit head cannons) and also the fact that there’s a non explicit polls account that doesn’t get any flack for posting polls with the same level of frivolousness (not a bad thing, i like them too) and those are allowed to be just good old fun but once you add sex to the mix suddenly everyone only wants content that is serious and exclusively canon relevant)

yes!!!! being uncomfy with smut is fine!!!! but moralizing it and shaming people who do like smut is not fine!!!! all we are asking is for people to mind their own business and take control of curating their online experiences instead of taking it out on people for making content they don't like!!!

and yes!!! why are headcanons considered gross sexualized fantasies? like to me so much of sex is psychological so when i'm talking about kinks or who likes x thing more or what their sexual dynamic is like.... to me that's just another level of analysis and examining the character.

nothing further to add because i 100000000% agree to all of the above. thank you for the message!

[axewchao]

Dal is such a a cool character! There's so much to know about him tho, so I want to ask to have a better understanding:

How many alternate universe Dal's are there?

By koopasona does that mean Dal IS you or like a part of you?

How long has he been around for?

Is there like, one main storyline his Mario verse self abides by, or can he like shift through realities? Or is there a Dal for every interest you have

Last one how did Dal and Luds get together? (I'm an OC x canon shipper myself so like a dork I had to ask 💀)

Sorry that's a lot I'm just really interested in knowing all the details 😭

Hoo boy, this could take a hot minute... Okay, let's just go from top to bottom!

1.) How many alt Dals are there? There's uh... a lot of them. Not including the Dallies, there's... sixteen of them??? I haven't stopped to count them all recently so this number comes as a bit of a shock. This number might not even be correct... :'D

2. Is Dalex my sona/part of me? Not anymore. Dal did start as a sona of mine, but evolved into his own character later on. I still use the 'koopasona' tag for him mostly out of laziness; by the time he became his own thing, there were already hundreds upon hundreds of posts involving him and I didn't have it in me to change his tag, even with the help of the mass post editor. Though considering that this lack of change can still make people believe otherwise, I should probably get off my ass and just do it already =w="

3. How long has Dalex been around for? According to dA, my very first post of him was back on my birthday in 2016. Dude's been running around for more than half a decade. They grow up so fast... ;w;

4. Is there a main storyline, or does he shift realities? In the Marioverse specifically, there's three different Dals: The Koopa one, the Human or "Real Worlder" one, and finally the "Hooman" one; aka the 'Nintendask-style' one that I haven't used in a very long time. The Human and Koopa versions both have their own separate stories, the former siding with the Mushroom Kingdom and the latter siding with the Koopas. No shifting realities here, or in any other 'verse for that matter, but there is something called the Dallyverse where Dals and Dallies from other realities can meet up and hang out. These multiverse meetups have absolutely no effect on the stories they live through; it's just for funsies.

5. Is there a Dal for every interest I have? Not every interest, but I can get the urge to toss a Dal in there very quickly. Even if I never go through with it, the idea will sit there in my head for a while.

6. How did Dalex and Ludwig get together? I've seen your ask blog; Suzuka's pretty cool too! ;3 But to actually answer your question, that depends on which Dal you're asking about. I'll assume it's the Koopa version for now. This answer's a bit long, so get a snack ready =w="

It takes both of them a while to realize how they feel about each other. As much as Dal enjoys romance as a genre and can see it between other people in real life, he doesn't notice when romantic attention is directed at him. He's never had a crush before either, but knows for a fact that he'd never fall for someone he barely knows (bro's demiromantic). It isn't until someone points out how his soul sphere (the blue thing in his hair) kept turning pink around Lud that he got on the right track; thinking about how much he enjoys spending time with Lud beyond Koopa heritage/magic lessons/general Koopaling shenanigans is what helps him realize that something... more might be there, at least on his end.

Does he confess? Oh hell no. Despite what his normal demeanor may imply, Dal doesn't always have a high opinion of himself and the effect he can have on others. What's so special about him anyway? What could he give Lud that more than a dozen other Koopas out there couldn't? What if he just bores Ludwig in the end? It's... probably better if he doesn't do anything...

On Ludwig's end, he doesn't notice it either, but the signs are more obvious. He starts seeking Dal out even when they aren't scheduled for a heritage/magic lesson. He finds it easier to talk to Dal with each passing day, even when they aren't alone. Dal's presence has a calming effect on the normally stand-offish Prince, with the latter's title having practically no effect on how Dal treats him making it even better. He actually leaves the castle to visit Dal's place, even spending the night every now and again.

It's... comfortable. Peaceful. More than Ludwig thought it would be. He knows that people like Dalex are hard to come by when you're of such high status, and knows how lucky he is to call Dal a friend.

The Chain Chomp incident happens, and Dal's injured. Lud refuses to let anyone else touch him; the thought of Dal getting hurt frightened him more than it should've. Dal was able to handle himself against two loose Chomps, Lud knew he wasn't hurt that badly, but still...

He starts getting handsy; first checking on Dal's wounds and later leaning on Dal and staying close to him without realizing it. Nearly nuzzling him at times. He doesn't think about it, he just does it like it's instinct. It's as easy as drifting off to dreamland.

Then his siblings spell it out, and suddenly he feels like he's having a nightmare.

Thing is, Lud's already been in two relationships before meeting Dal, and they both ended badly. He was a bit more open about his first boyfriend, but said BF was effectively scared away by jealous "fans." The second left him because Lud tried too hard to keep the relationship under wraps, leaving said relationship feeling more like a dirty little secret. They parted peacefully, but the breakup left Lud crying himself to sleep every night for over a month.

He'd already messed up twice, and he did NOT want to mess up a third time. Not with Rathmore.

Despite this, Lud's pining soon becomes unbearable. He can take a rejection, really, and he'd thank all the stars in the sky if Dal actually said yes. It's just the public's reaction that Lud's afraid of since they already scared one guy off. They might scare Dally too.

He confides in Lemmy about all of it. His cousin encourages him to go through with confessing; third time's the charm, right? Dal's got a good head on his shoulders; if he can take two Chomps, he can take crazy fans. Plus, with everything Lud's taught him, he can protect himself even better!

It takes a while for Lemmy's words to sink in, but eventually they do. Maybe... maybe things will work out this time. Maybe he doesn't have to be too cagey, and won't be forced to pay a price if he's more open. Maybe he can just... be, and that will be enough. It certainly feels like it's been enough so far; Dal's always understood whenever Lud wanted to stay inside or had work to do and therefore couldn't hang out...

He... really was perfect, wasn't he? Exactly what Ludwig had always wanted. He'd be a fool to let Dal slip away.

Ludwig Von Koopa was many things, but a fool was not one of them.

[pudding-parade]

Simblr New Years Resolution 2024

Because @papermint-airplane is lazy and demanding…and I promise not to whine too much.

What's your Resolution for your Simblr? I dunno. I always say that I want to be less flaky and "here today, gone tomorrow" about it, but I never actually follow through with that. Life happens and, when I can, there are many things that I'd rather be doing than sitting at a computer messing around on a blog. Right now, I don't have a whole lot of other options available, so…Enjoy it while it lasts? Hate it while it lasts? I guess? But even so, there are other games I want to play besides Sims, and since this is a (mostly) Sims-dedicated blog…Well, there we are.

What do you want from the Sims Franchise? All I want for Christmas is a 64-bit TS3 so that I don't have to keep checking how much RAM the game is using and then saving and reloading before it hits the Point of No Return. It must really suck for people who play bigger and more heavily-populated worlds than I do.

I'm convinced a 64-bit TS3 will never happen, though. Even though, last I checked, EA still sells the game. At full price, even.

Any other New Years Resolutions? I've never been one to make resolutions. Life is too unpredictable, so I just go with the flow, doing the best I can day by day. I'm old enough now that I know that who I basically am and what I will do in my life is not going to change much, if at all. I've done chameleon-like change enough in the past -- sometimes willingly, sometimes not -- that I don't feel that I need to change anything else, ever. I'm happy with who and what I am, but it's taken me about 50 years to get to that level of I-don't-give-a-shit-what-anyone-else-thinks zen, so…yeah. LOL

On the other hand, not to be really strange and probably macabre, but…Until recently, I wasn't supposed to live for very much longer. I'd already outlived expectations, in fact. I'd been given about 5 to 7 years of "meaningful" life when I was diagnosed in 2013, meaning that after that it was predicted that I'd pretty much be hospital- or at least bed-bound until I finally kicked it. Or offed myself, which was my plan for when I became incapacitated because that is no kind of life.

So, how long I could've kept going was an open question, but I think it probably wouldn't have been much more than a year, realistically. Things went downhill pretty fast this past year. And I had come to grips with that and had things all arranged. But now that I will live longer, perhaps even a normal lifespan, I'm kind of feeling flummoxed about what I'm going to do with all that time that I hadn't planned on. So maybe my resolution should be figuring that shit out. Yeah.

Anyway! I, too, am lazy and demanding, so I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you read this and decide to do it, too, tell 'em I sent ya.

[olath124]

OC INTERVIEW

THANK YOU @ouroboros-hideout for the tag!

Violet is going to answer in a sincere way. She is a firm believer in a fake it till you make it, so she's usually more cool and collected than her spontaneous answers. But I liked to have a glimpse in her mind so she’d answer as she was speaking to herself.

My comments are enclosed in*...* and yes, using an old image because too lazy to make another one xD.

NAME?

Violet… Wright.

Don't like other people knowing my name.

NICKNAME?

V.

When I was a kid Jackie used to call me Violent. Then Ultraviolent. Then UV. Then simply V. That's quite the jump. When I got back and he called me V again, as nothing had changed, I knew I was home.

GENDER?

Female, cis.

STAR SIGN?

Hmmm… Aries? I’d have to ask Misty.

But she said I am passionate, stubborn, and prone to anger as every Aries, and I tend to believe her.

HEIGHT?

Yes, I know, I'm small. 1.65 cm.

I've always been small and when you're surrounded by buffed Valentinos that's an issue. But lately, it's proven useful. I'd rather be small and quick than big and hard to miss!

ORIENTATION?

I don't care, if someone sparkles my interest I stay with them as long as we fit together. I’m probably pansexual, or probably heteroflexible, but I've never really thought about it in depth.

FAVORITE FRUIT?

Fruit!? It's hard to find real good fruit in Heywood. But once Mama Welles bought real cherries for something special and Jackie stole them. I can't get that taste out of my head!

FAVORITE SEASON?

I like winter. I like the colder weather. I wish it would snow sometimes.

FAVORITE FLOWER?

Should it be violets? I hope not, but when I go out with someone who knows my name they always give me violets. It's embarrassing. If I had to pick a flower I'd pick peonies. But I don't care much about flowers anyway.

FAVORITE SCENT?

Tobacco. Not smoke, I don't like the smell of smoke. But I love the smell of tobacco. And a hint of vanilla, I think!

COFFEE OR TEA?

Coffee, usually. Tea on special occasions.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP?

It may vary a lot. If I need to stay awake or if the adrenaline is high I can stay awake. I've spent a few days when I had to… do a lot of stuff without sleeping. But when I finally stop I crash hard. I can sleep for 12-14 hours at a time.

*Vio, you’re a mess xD”

DOG OR CAT PERSON?

Cats. Dogs require too much attention and energy. I don't have a fixed schedule so having a dog would be a mess.

DREAM TRIP?

I love the City, love to hate it. I know, it's only a trip… but I know I'd feel out of place anywhere else. If I had to choose somewhere, I'd say Europe. Greece, Spain, or Italy… but I really don't like the idea of being away from the City for too long. Can I have a trip to a particular part of the City?

*She REALLY loves Night City*

FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER?

Do people really have a favorite fictional character?!? I… don't know, I have to say that I've never consumed a lot of fiction, anyway.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH?

One or none. As I've said, I usually crash on my bed when I'm too tired to go on, and often I sleep directly over the blanket.

*A real mess!*

RANDOM FACT?

I've once tried… This is embarrassing… to crochet a sweater for a cat. I still have the threads and everything somewhere. I thought it would be relaxing. But it was a mistake. Don't have the patience for that kind of stuff and they've teased me enough for it.

This is random enough isn't it?!

Anyone I know (or I silently follow like a stalker, because yeah, that’s what I do.) up here has probably already been tagged (most of them have already done it!) but that's ok anyway! @cybervesna @aggravateddurian @theviridianbunny @dustymagpie @wanderingaldecaldo

[sentientcave]

questions about books! thanks for the tag @stellewriites (And also the people that tagged me in this before I was lazy about it

1. the last book I read

All About Love by Bell Hooks (Technically I listened to the audiobook, but I think it counts.)

2. a book I recommend

Tehanu by Ursula K LeGuin - I'd recommend the whole Earthsea Cycle but Tehanu is particularly gorgeous.

3. a book I couldn't put down

Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - This is one of my favourite books ever, every time I read it I basically don't stop until it's done. DWJ writes some of my favourite books of all time tbh, mostly children's lit, but like, really good children's lit. I still really enjoy the Chrestomanci Series as well.

4. a book l've read twice or more

There are a lot of books that fit this. If I like a book I'll read it at least twice. Probably one of my most re-read books is actually an anthology called The Golden Book of Faerie by O.R. Melling. It was so influential on my outlook as a writer, Melling just has this really beautiful way of tying the ancient to the everyday that I've always enjoyed. It's technically 4 books and like 1000 pages but I've read it probably 10 times over the years.

5. a book on my tbr

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - I can't even remember where I came across the recommendation or if I just happened to pick it up during an ebook sale, but it looked really interesting. It's set in Afghanistan and spans from the Soviet Invasion to post-Taliban.

6. a book l've put down

I didn't get very far into Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao but I would like to revisit it sometimes soon. I was just really distracted at the time and I just never picked it up again. But I've heard a lot of good things.

8. a favorite book from childhood

The Tortall Series by Tamora Pierce - Just like, all of them. I've named a lot of old favourites in here already though.

9. a book I would give to a friend

This would depend immensely on the person! I gift books a lot and try to branch away from personal favourites of mine to picks tailored more to them. I'm pretty good at it.

10. a fiction book I own

I own a lot of fiction books lmao. All of the above really.

11. a nonfiction book I own

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets. I got really into mushroom growing a couple years ago. I only own the E-book though. Does it have to be a physical book? I've got a whole bunch about dye plants too

12. what I am currently reading

The Meaning of Freedom and Other Difficult Dialogues by Angela Y. Davis - It's a series of her speeches over the years.

13. what l am planning on reading next

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur - I've just seen her poetry online a lot and figured I should read it. I used to really love poetry so I'm trying to get back into it.

14. my shelfie

A lot of my books are still in storage so it's still a little empty in here. I have to move the tier stand next to my notebooks because I don't wear makeup anymore and it's just collecting junk.

I think most of my people have been tagged already but I don't think @mi-i-zori has been tagged yet. Also tagging anyone who wants to do this please show me your shelfies

[ohkate]

WEEKLY TAG WEDNESDAY

The self care edition

Thanks @energievie for the tag babe!

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Name: Kate

Age: 44

What kind of day is it? Will the snow please go away?

When was the last time you ate? Last night

About how many hours of sleep did you get? I sleep off and on and I tend to toss and turn throughout the night. So usually only a few hours at a time.

Name one thing you could do to make your day better right now: Not be at work.

Why are you not doing that thing? Cause...money.

What are you going to do tonight to relax? Gallavich anything. I love fandom creative work and it makes me really happy to just create.

What comfort food do you not eat often enough? I should deny myself more, honestly. But I would say my homemade potstickers.

What’s stopping you? They take like 3 hours to make. And buying all the ingredients is expensive. But they're the best thing you'd ever eat. I make great Chinese takeout style foods. My char sui pork is ridiculoussssss.

Have you ever had a professional massage? Yes. The idea of them used to skeeve me out, but I got a free one as a gift and I found I do like it if it's just my back and if I can just sit in a chair. I don't like lay-down massages unless performed by the person I'm sleeping with. Then it's kind of nice.

Have you eaten fruits and vegetables today? Not yet but I will tonight.

How much water have you had today? None, but I will. I usually only drink water after 5pm. I'm a soda addict.

Is there a self-care gadget you really want to buy? Not so much a gadget, but I wish I could hire someone to take out my trash every night. Or I wish we had a trash chute. I live on a 3rd floor apartment and I work from home so I don't have to go out every day. I have a prior knee injury that's been acting up a lot lately and so going up and down the stairs is killing me. I hate having trash hanging around so I tend to force myself to do it anyway. i wish i could just hire someone to take it out every day for me. It would do more for my mental health than anything else, not having to worry about falling down the stairs.

What is your favorite healthy snack? I actually love frozen veggies and fruit. With some veggies I don't like, i love frozen. Like peas. I hate them cooked, love them frozen.

What is your favorite unhealthy snack? Cheese. An obscene amount of cheese. I'm fairly convinced my entire ass is probably cheese. Or sour cream.

What is one thing you are going to start doing RIGHT NOW to take better care of yourself? I don't do well if I don't have a hobby so I think just continuing to enjoy that is good for me. I tend to get hyper-fixated on something for a long time. I have real life hobbies, too, and those are more consistent than fandom stuff. But if I can't stretch my creative muscles I can get depressed.

And to close, I want you to say one NICE thing to yourself that you really need to hear right now: You're doing the best you can. It's not your fault you are living in the situation you're living in. There's literally nowhere to move to. You work your ass off and not forcing yourself to get 3 jobs just to pay 5k rent on some 300 square foot apartment somewhere isn't being lazy. You're stuck right now but you'll get out of here someday.

tagging: @lingy910y, @metalheadmickey, @gallawitchxx and anyone else who wants to play.

[myalchod]

Ship Tag Game

Tagged by @vera-dauriac over messages, which totally counts. Multifandom because I am indecisive AF and also possibly lazy?

OTP: That's one per fandom, right? 🤣 For sheer persistence over years and multiple incarnations, Milathos. Currently eating my brain? Rhaenys x Corlys, Silrah. (Clearly the fault of a certain actress. *shakes tiny fist*)

Ship that you love but your friends don't (and that's ok): of those I'm closest to, there's a lot of "I don't get your fandomship but it's very shiny", and tbh as long as they let me flail around and don't actually judge my ships it's all good.

Wholesome ship: Dragon Mom and Pirate Dad are the most wholesome. Fight me. (Don't fight me, I'll feed you to Meleys. She agrees.)

Comfort ship: I don't know if I have once, since I have this depressing habit of picking ones with a heavy dose of DOOM. (Sooner or later, doom. /Ivanova voice) My idea of a comfort ship is fic for anything that canon doomed where they get to be happy, so I guess I'm for patching the boat up until it can get back out to sea and sail off into a lovely sunset.

Crack ship: Um. Goodness. I don't know that I have anything I actively ship that qualifies. (Hey Vera, does wanting Pearl Fishers to get resolved in that threesome count? I'm sure opera purists would have something to say about that, if only "what the actual fuck?".)

Ship that should be popular but isn't: Most of my ships tend to be less popular in the fandoms they're in because I do like me some older/less generally popular characters, so probably most of them. And I judge the fandom at large for not recognising their awesomeness. So much judgement.

Opposites attract ship: Banged my head against this more than I expected because I couldn't get past either "but I don't like sunshine characters!" or "but they're all opposites if you look from the right angle, just like they're all too similar if you look from another one". So, in the absence of a satisfactory answer and to get something else in here that amuses me: Victoria and Ivan from RED, which is just a ridiculous delight for so many reasons.

Canon ship: Canon ship that doesn't get blown up, you mean? See Mom and Dad, above.

First ship: I think this might have been junior-high-school-aged Charis watching ST:TNG, because Picard/Crusher is genuinely the first one I remember. (I guess even wee Charis kind of proves out certain aspects of my type, lol.)

Cursed ship: Did I mention I regularly pick DOOM DOOM DOOM with a side of "canon said fuck you this is never going to happen because we've wrecked it forever?" (Honestly, how Musketeers fucked up a perfectly good Milathos dynamic will leave me forever salty, so I'm pretty sure that qualifies. Death is easier to solve!)

Tag (if you have the time and inclination using one or many fandoms, your choice): anyone who wants to do it, but please tag me so I can see your response!

[aquariusqueen77]

Into My 3-Yr Sobriety Streak 🩸🫁

-69 to -61

Yes, I know. I took so long and now you think I'm flaky. Can you blame me? Mars and Mercury have been in retrograde, Pluto in Aquarius, and I'm an Aquarius- I should know! And don't get me started on the New moon!! It's been a tough time for me. I mean, you relate, right? Your head feeling a little clouded, angry about past situations that you know you'll never forgive, and are emotionally and mentally over it, but somehow not yet entirely.

I mean, what is forgiveness, really? I mean, really? Is it even necessary?? How can you forgive yourself of something disjointed? How hard can you be on yourself? That's so vain. You deserve happiness, don't you think?...So what's up with that overtone floating at the back, the vacuum, like between a half brain and the skull..but still inside the brain...Ugh, who am I kidding? I just lost you, didn't I. You don't get the picture, do you?

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

So weeks ago, I was experiencing a mental fog, and of course I was procrastinating most of my projects. It's a "problem" I have. I don't see it that way, I'm just trying to be sensitive to my Neurotypical audience. They call it laziness * laugh *. I don't enjoy it, so I don't get it. Okay, maybe a little. Do you ever get that feeling like your brain time is slow moving and it's like you're lagging but that's only because you have a lot on your mind. Damn, I could use that Provigil!

By the way, Sara Hyland is a great actress, I'm a fan.

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

Anyways, I lived life normally these past days. I smoked a bit, here and there, once every couple of days. I mean, did you really expect me to be fully sober during the festive season? Who else doesn't wanna be with their family during this period? I've said a lot, and you're probably wondering: why am I "rambling"? Well, I brought up family because it's what touches close to home to most of us whenever pain is brought up? The world is really that fucked up. If you can't relate because you have a loving home and healthy family dynamics, good for you!:) Just try to imagine what I'm about to say because it's worth the mental jog, I promise.

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

So, when I was experiencing my mental fog, I came across an article on a certain platform I am beginning to love. It was basically about procrastination. Who woulda guessed? * Chuckle * So basically the whole point of the article was to advise the people  watching from the outside looking in not to take things at face value.

What could look like laziness or procrastination to you, would be a mental and emotional struggle for someone else. It could also be something else. Personally, I don't mean to be an overthinker or too optimistic but I believe we live in a vast world full of probabilities and possibilities, nothing is black and white. Actually it just means, I'm open-minded. Wow, why is this even a term used in 2024? Anyways, remember when I told you I met a stranger and we conversed about the recovery journey? What I want to teach you about is pain, but mostly circumstance.

Unfortunately, we're gonna use homeless people as an example- courtesy of the article I read( I can't tag it because I lost track of it and never saved it). I don't know much about homeless people, but like I said earlier, we're going to use our imagination. I am taking you on this journey with me, so we may learn and grow together. Thank you for being here and taking your time to read this, enjoy my thoughts with me. Okay, so why do you think homeless people indulge in drugs but specifically smoking? Would you blame them for it, say they're responsible for their actions, hold them accountable? When a homeless person asks you for some change, do you instantly think, " They're just gonna buy drugs, what's the use?" or " Get out of my face, junkie!"? I'm sure now that I brought the topic up, you're probably contemplating more about it.

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

I'm not one to judge people due to their lack of resources, so maybe dive into this empathy route with me? It's a cold night, if we ain't cuddling, watching movies, we're probably lighting it up. Honey, you know smoking doesn't exactly warm you up, right? But it definitely distracts you from such harsh conditions. Shelters, and sleeping outside, are often overcrowded. I'd step out for a sec just to break the monotony or claustrophobia. A cig is definitely a relief.

Homeless people use smoking as a way to deal with hunger pangs as it suppresses appetite. Unfortunately, this helps deal with the problem just for a short while, but it worsens long-term health and nutritional deficiencies.

Nicotine is a stimulant, so it's used to combat fatigue. Can you blame them? The constant physical strain can cause stress, and smoking provides a sense of structure and control in their chaotic life. Smoking is pretty much a social activity, this is a form of bonding or brings about a sense of community when they do it in groups (Aw).

While smoking doesn't alleviate these factors in a significant way, it does serve as a coping mechanism. Addressing these physical hardships would help reduce the smoking rates among the homeless population.

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

Now, let's talk about the multifactorial correlation between smoking and homeless people. We all know this is a coping mechanism for stress. I mean, I do it because of the stress sometimes, so I kind of get it. This makes me feel sad for them. Besides the stress, it's also a way to "deal" with trauma, mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, etc. Due to their limited access to addiction treatment and support services, they often struggle with substance abuse. The habit is way too normalized, so it's easy for one to adapt to it.

I'm sorry to say but homeless individuals are...let me just say, Tobacco companies have historically been known to target vulnerable populations, including those with lower socio-economic status to make smoking more appealing. Wow, they really said, " Brokey!!" I think Imma dive into this one for you because I cannot be called out like this and just sit back and do nothing! So apparently, they market the cheaper cigies specifically to low- income neighbourhoods and basically they're often displayed in convenience stores and offered as promotional deals. As a business woman, it makes sense( I'm not that kinda business woman though), but as a lady who enjoys a smoke once in a while, I am appalled. Damn, so free samples are given out to homeless shelters, etc., and where low-income individuals congregate. Studies show that communities with higher poverty rates often have more Tobacco advertisements per square mile compared to affluent areas. Advertising campaigns often frame smoking as "affordable luxury" or a mental escape from stress and what not, I mean, who wouldn't fall for that?

Tailored products- smaller ones to those who can't afford the normal sized ones. I actually have experienced this, years back I would order the King Size Sportsman. They were around for a couple of months then disappeared. Quite frankly I loved it because it was more refined compared to the smaller sizes. It was worth it! Now, I haven't seen smoking ads...quite frankly, I don't think I've ever seen one, that I remember..all this is from research( just the ads part)...I just see them in movies. Anyways, so apparently, smoking is portrayed as a form of independence or rebellion. I mean, it does feel that way ngl. It felt that way for me, sometimes, in the past. But unfortunately/apparently, the ads did this to target individuals, that felt marginalized or excluded from the mainstream society. Tobacco companies sponsor events or provide funding for initiatives in low-income areas, I know right? It looks harmless. It's actually ironic and hypocritical, but I would also say, good, good. I mean, isn't smoking just matrix behavior?

I feel bad for them, because if one wanted to quit, it'd be so hard, because of all the barriers in place- lack of access to healthcare, resources like nicotine replacement therapies, etc. Like I mentioned earlier, and definitely don't mind repeating( I'm doing this intentionally), the overlap between homelessness and mental health issues contribute to higher smoking rates. While cigarettes are costly, individuals prefer instant gratification over other expenses due to Nicotine's addictive nature.

In conclusion, besides high smoking rates worsening long-term health, it also strains limited financial resources, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

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

I'll make sure to bring up how we can deconstruct this and help break this matrix. What's the use of knowledge/awareness, if we won't do something about it, right?

[rayday-mayday]

Moved my selfshipping and proship bullshit onto here.

My carrd with counter-points to anti-proship and anti-paraphilia arguments, alongside some other related stuff.

No essential info about me/this blog is listed in the carrd, don't worry.

Here's also a list full of proship resources

Hi and hello! I'm RaydayMayday, or just simply Ray.

I use he/him pronouns, I'm trans, gay as fuck, (sometimes I like women. It's rare as hell though.) autistic, and mentally ill.

I kin a few things. Mainly I'm dogkin/dogboykin + kin Nagito Komaeda ( yes, in 2024, ) Rainbow Dash, Shoto Todoroki, Scaramouche/Wanderer, and Violet Evergarden. I don't mind doubles or whatever, but can get a bit uncomfy when people simp heavily over the fictional characters I kin. I'll be reasonable about it though dw.

I'm technically also a furry ig but I'm too lazy to make a fursona and don't participate much in the community anymore.

Don't like the shit I post? Find me annoying? Just don't feel like seeing me? Feel free to block. I won't take it personally.

I try my best not to judge others unless they're being pricks or doing immoral shit. (Reminder: fiction has no morality. Periodt.)

Don't harass me. You will be blocked and/or reported.

I should probably add some of my stances on some things, too.

I'm profiction, proship, pro paraphilia + anti offending, pro queer identities in terms of sexuality/gender, anti-transid, pro Palestine, anti capitalism, anti violence, and pro recovery.

I don't particularly like calling myself proship/profic, since I personally believe the discussion about related topics need a lot of nuance + I just generally dislike "us vs them"-mentalities, but it's just more convenient to call myself it soooooo yeah.

I might've missed some shit, but that should give a good idea of what I stand for in general.

If you need some clarification on the "MDNI ( if post is NSFW or darkfiction )" part of my banner:

I don't mind minors interacting with me as long as yall don't interact with my posts containing NSFW- or darkfiction themes.

Posts talking about NSFW- or darkfiction topics are usually fine imo, but if you wanna be sure then just check the tags. I usually tag my stuff with "mdni" if I, well, don't want minors interacting.

To block out NSFW, darkfiction, ask replies, and/or discourse posts from my blog in specific:

Block the tags "×NSFT×", "×darkfiction×", "×asksandstuff×", and/or "×discourse×" (without quotations, to clarify)

I guess I'll be making imagines too sometimes, so to search for those just use the "×imagines×" tag that I will be adding on to those.

[ F/O list + more under the cut ]

F/O list emoji meanings

Current main F/O(s) - 💐

Platonic - 🪐

Romantic - 🌒

Sexual - ☀���

Tends to yandere-ify - 🩸

Tends to predator-ify - 🎀

Selfships with out of spite - ☘️

F/O list

Sunday - Honkai: Star Rail 🌒☀️🩸

Aventurine - Honkai: Star Rail 🌒☀️🩸

PHEN-228 - THE BOILED ONE PHENOMENON 🪐🌒☘️

Andrew - The Coffin of Andy & LeyLey 🌒☀️🎀

Ashley - The Coffin of Andy & LeyLey 🌒☀️🎀

Damon - Br<3ken Colors 🌒☀️🩸

Whitney - Degrees of Lewdity 🌒☀️

Alastor - Hazbin Hotel 🌒☀️🩸💐

Rantaro - Danganronpa V3 🌒☀️🩸🎀

Sebastian Solace - Pressure 🌒☀️

Edd - Eddsworld 🌒☀️🩸

Tom - Eddsworld 🌒☀️🩸

Matt - Eddsworld 🪐🩸

Tord - Eddsworld 🌒☀️🩸

Viktor - Arcane 🌒☀️🩸🎀💐

Jayce - Arcane 🌒☀️🎀💐

I struggle with jealousy cuz parasocial relationships and might not be okay with sharing some of these fuckers.

F/O tags list

Not going to update this any further cuz I'm lazy

Sunday - ×SunRay×

PHEN-228 - ×BoiledPookie×

Andrew - ×CoffinedRay💚×

Ashley - ×CoffinedRay🩷×

Damon - ×LeashedLove×

Whitney - ×HomophobicHomosexual×

Alastor - ×RadioAnxiety×

Rantaro - ×OriginalBabygirl×

Sebastian Solace - ×StingRay×

[m-to-z-andbackto-m]

About Me! (MasterPost???)

Hi! I'm MZM I a lil' silly sometimes-

MZM are my irl initials used as an online name, but I genuinely think of myself as "MZM" sometimes!

(The nickname "MZ" is a little personal, I'd prefer if you don't use it, "Zizi"/"ZeeZee" is for close friends only, respect that too :D)

🖤🩶🩷🤍🩷🩶🖤 ???

(ACTUALLY I'M HAVING GENDER CONFUSION SO IT'S Mainly She/Her/He/Him But I don't care what you use)

🖤🩶🩷🤍🩷🩶🖤 ???

💙🩵🤍💛🧡

AroAce Spectrum 🫶

🧡💛🤍🩵💙

March 28th 2007 - 17 Years Young GOD HELP I'M ALMOST AN ADULT

DO NOT SUPPORT/AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH/PLEASE AVOID:

Racism, sexism (misogyny AND misandry), homophobia, transphobia, aphobia, faithism of any kind, ableism, you know what, prejudice/discrimination in general, keep that to yourself and move along buddy.

Offensive and disgusting "jokes", look, I like dark humor as much as the next person but there is a line and I guarantee you have made someone uncomfortable and they just didn't say anything, set boundaries with your friends, people, or just don't make certain jokes.

Proshipping (As in shipping that's incest, pedophilia, non consensual, etc...) (Also I'm aware of the original definition, but words change, English is weird and I'm sorry)

I'm a (somewhat) sane multishipper and I will not cross that line. Fiction Or Not.

Realistic Gore, Children/Babies Screaming/Crying, Disturbing Things In General (I Get Paranoid)

Directory Thingy

# MZM Rambles A Lot - My Rambles (Consist of mainly me nerding out about characters, fandoms, etc... But open to other topics) + Responses To Reposts And Reposts Accompanied By Text (Basically Any Text I Post)

Currently working on tagging my art

Art Trades And Requests Closed!!!

Commissions will open as soon as I make a reference sheet and figure out payment methods :/

Fandoms I'm Familiar With: UTAU/UTMV (UnderTale AUs/Multiverses) 🫶, TMNT (A little 1987, mostly 2003 and 2012, some 2007, 2014/16, and 2018), VenomVerse, Spiderman (Mostly the animated content but I'm catching up on the Marvel movies to prepare for Venom 3 💪), FNAF, The Owl House, Amphibia, Steven Universe, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, etc... because we'll be here all day if I go on- 😭

(Remember, love the content/concept, not problematic creators)

Interests/Hobbies/Things I Do: Art/Drawing, Animation, Cooking/Baking, Sewing, Learning To Use Watercolors

I Dabble: Voice Acting, Music (As In Singing), Literature

Extra activities I have done/tried but don't/can't do regularly: Roller And Ice Skating, Ceramics, Embroidery, Have an unfinished plushie head in the basement, probably some other stuff

A Little More About Me: Sometimes I feel extra childish, bare with me, I'll understand if you need some space, I can be overstimulating sometimes

Don't be rude, literally, just scroll past what you don't like, keep interacting and you'll get more of it, then you're a masochist at that point

Some More Stuff I Like: My Friends <3 (Duh), Animals, Mythology (+ Creatures), 80's/90's shows I watched for some reason instead of normal cartoons 😭, Cartoons In General (including a few unpopular ones) 💕, Cultures (Religion included but I'd rather not talk about it), LOTTA QUEER STUFF 😊

~Other Socials (In Order Of Activity + Links If You Click Name)~ (Where did my links go???)

Discord (Maybe I should make a server at some point...)

Tumblr - You're Here! :D

YouTube - ꧁Lazy MZM꧂

Quotev - しᎯⲍႸ ⲘⲌⲘ

I was gonna put Amino but I rarely use that mf-

And others I either forgot about or don't use

Just to be clear, sometimes, or, well, a lot of the time, I think randomly and process things differently/weirdly, please be patient with me and tell me if I need to reword something 😭

[oceanblog-old]

RP Blog for Ocean 🌊 Anon!

Hello, fellow @midoribaiers and others!

Ocean uses she/her pronouns. Mod is a minor so keep that in mind, though suggestive humor is fine! I can't guarantee a lot of activity since this isn't my main but I'll try to pop in. I don't mind if people find out my main (it's very obvious to anyone who knows my main) but I'm not publicly saying it because I find the pseudo-anonymity entertaining.

ocean picrews (too lazy to draw her)

FURTHER INFO UNDER CUT

Ocean herself isn't quite sure what she is. She seems human enough though, so she's not too worried about that. She also has a fondness for oven mitts, for some reason.

I don't know any rp lore and neither does Ocean. I didn't expect to get attached to her so I never developed any lore. I'm figuring it out it with her. Anything goes. She's self-indulgent and stereotypical and that is perfectly fine by me!

Ocean doesn't have an actual name. Maybe she did at some point, but she's not sure. She was called Ocean once, so she's alright with that. She has tanned skin and upturned orangey-yellow eyes. Her hair is a dark muted blue and short. She has uneven bangs that are longer on the left, she doesn't know who cut them but they did not do a great job. Her teeth are a bit too sharp and she WILL bite you. She should also probably stop eating random things—just because you can doesn't mean you should!

🪼 - in character!

🐚 - out of character/ooc!

⚓️ - asks!

will add more tags as needed!

This is a sideblog so I can't send asks from it but I'd like to be able to organize some of this from here lol

Feel free to send whatever