#I'm actually really surprised I share a mutual with them since most people in these spaces reblog things that are triggering for me

[velvetvexations]

staying the FUCK outta the discourse but i’m pretty sure i know what user they’re accusing you of being a sideblog of, and i don’t buy it. firstly cuz ive spoken to them a few times as far back as like 2020 and the writing style is totally different but also cuz im mutuals with both of you and ive had post like notifs come from both blogs when afaik likes always come from your main even if reblogs/comments can be from side blogs. like yeah it could be whole ass separated accounts but like they’re not shy about their opinions on thier main that seems like a lotttt of effort tbh

everyone is just interchangeable paper dolls to some people

[its-short-for-jackalope]

THE SEARCHER IN THE SHADOWS

☆ Thoughts On Part One ☆

I have many thoughts and feelings and I am definitely not gonna be able to wrangle every last one in here, but I can do my darnedest to hit most of the big ones!

Dropped From The Clouds

The contrast of this first song compared to the start of TGOA makes me a little insane. Both songs are full of questions and uncertainty and take place after the characters have been teleported to another time and place, but When Are We? has the comfort and assurance of being with friends while Dropped From The Clouds has Rose isolated and alone without any familiar faces, and the parallel just reminds me of how much has changed and how quickly things are continuing to change. When are we going to slow down? Not now, it seems.

Dakkar's introduction, oh my god — "I'm nobody." [mildly threatening Radiance noises] "Give me the orrery." — and then he immediately goes into science mode. I need to draw him so bad. Also, side note, I already adore Jesse Bhamrah's voice.

He was/is a Traveler and a Searcher? so it seems the titles aren't mutually exclusive, then. I wonder if his unclear status as a Traveler has anything to do with whatever he's got going on that we heard in Transmission 14.

Fast Friends

CAPTAIN ADDISON ARVAD!!!!!! THE SCREAM I WANTED TO SCRUMPT!!! (also Natalie Masini sounds amazing)

"Lower your weapon, for God's sake." "The gun was your idea." I love them, your honor

So Dakkar and Addison were absolutely taking precautions in case Kal had possessed Rose, right? That's the vibe I get, anyway. Maybe they know he's capable of doing that sort of thing (maybe Sia has seen it happen? or, y'know, ✨️seen✨️ it) and that's why they wanted to check if she knew the GAD's publication date—Kal doesn't seem to automatically gain his host's knowledge, like when he didn't seem to know Morgan had already been sent away, so if he was possessing Rose then he probably wouldn't have known the date.

...Actually wait, you know what? Maybe it was Itzal they were worried about. We don't really know anything about what magic he could have at his disposal—maybe he can also possess people or change his form. and since he's a bigger, badder threat, I think it could make more sense for them to avoid saying his name rather than Kal's. 🤔

ADDISON IS A ROSE FAN???? ROSE IS PRETTY FAMOUS ON THEIR ISLAND??!? THEY HAVE A BRICK FROM TOWNSHIP NUMBER 9??!!?! Rose deserves the hype 100% of course but I have so many questions

okay I didn't expect Rose to meet Addison the very hour she arrived 2 weeks in the past, so I did not consider the fact that she and the crew would be here and they wouldn't have disappeared yet. I am now deeply afraid, because I know something happens to her. I have been so afraid of how the time travel will hurt me irt the twins that I didn't think about how many OTHER ways the time travel could hurt me.....

AND ROSE CAN'T WARN HER!!! So she just has to keep her mouth shut and let it happen and Addison must know that something happens, she and Dakkar didn't seem surprised that Rose didn't know who she was, but she's gonna go in blind anyway... 😭😭😭 okay wait, what if Addison and Sia's plan was for them to leave the Antikythera drifting for the others to find, but instead of returning to Lincoln Island Addison and her crew disappeared??

Destiny Strange and Sublime

...well now I just feel silly for not even considering that Dakkar would be the Searcher in the shadows 😂

I can't quite tell if the people he mentions he'd been unable to save is like... a personal thing, as in he actively failed to save them because of his own mistakes, or if it's more of a shared grief for the Blazing World and all its inhabitants. the first interpretation is definitely more angsty, lol.

I wish I had more coherent thoughts on this one but at this current time it mostly boils down to ohh pretty music, Dakkar is cool, Jesse Bhamrah is awesome, et cetera.

Arrival, part 1

HELLO PART 1 SONG!!!! I am excited to see how parts 2 and 3 may emotionally devastate me in the coming week!

so many people from the Blazing World! pleasantly surprised my island of refugees theory was correct. then again, I've spouted off enough theories that odds are at least some of them gotta be right, lol

Ahlaam my beloved!!! Virginia's voice is gorgeous, omfg.

The different creatures and plants from all over the world.... have the Searchers been looking for things that remind them of the Blazing World and bringing them back to the island to make it feel more like home? Crafting a facsimile of the Blazing World from pieces of Earth? (aough, and I thought "Ipomoea, just like home!" couldn't hurt any more than it already did...)

the phrasing of "OUR planet's biggest ocean" is interesting to me. Is the Blazing World connected to Earth somehow, thereby making it the same planet in some way, or is it just that this island has been home long enough for Ahlaam to feel attached? Or. Or. If the Blazing World is on the moon, then it would make sense for Ahlaam to refer to the Earth as her planet because the moon revolves around it and it's the moon's planet. (yes, hi, hello, it's a new pulp episode, we are once again in the Overthink Everything And Fire Off A Bazillion Theories era <3 )

They've been waiting for Rose for YEARS? ...would that be since 1835, or 1829? and we know they've been waiting for Margaret because, well, duh, but have they been waiting for Samuel and John, too? or are they all just Rose stans?

the crew of the Antikythera....... 😭😭😭

I love that a good portion of this song is basically just Ahlaam going "check out our sweet digs" lmao

The nights have been dark but this is the spark that will set the whole lighthouse ablaze — YELLING RIGHT NOW, oh my god. lighthouses are guides through darkness and stormy weather and they also cut through fog, I want to bite something (/pos)

this has got to be both very nice and very overwhelming for Rose, lol.

Addison & Dakkar and Ahlaam & Dakkar are both very fun dynamics

A Spell Is Just A Rule Made With Magic

THE FOG IS FROM A SPELL!!! ITZAL CAST A SPELL AND CORRUPTED HIS PEOPLE! "It saturates the heart with darkness 'till you forget life before the blight" oh my god, he convinced all of them that the fog is how they always were & were meant to be? No wonder Kal considers Sia and Margaret traitors. So when Kal says "soon the Blazing World will meet its end" he might not be talking about an actual place—in his mind he's probably talking about the traitors' movement & the ridiculous, dangerous ideas they have about replacing Itzal's world with one of light...

"A spell is just a rule made with magic, and any rule can be broken" AOUGH. CHILLS.

ooh they believe Rose is the key? aw man this adds more weight to "I was a hero and the heroes win — don't they?" in Vanishing...

"Capital." oh my god Mr. Dahan you can't do this to me. The similarities between Dakkar and AJ have to be intentional, right?? ...oh god, is Dakkar gonna make a bad deal to save lives? Is he gonna sacrifice himself in some way to save his people?

Two Weeks

I love this montage, it's such a nice way to go through this part. also I just really like how this whole first part is structured, having this entire part dedicated to Rose in this time is a great way to handle the time travel without being confusing by jumping back and forth, AND it gives us time to get to know the new characters a little bit! It's also a bit of a breather after how hectic the end of TGOA was. (I feel like part 2 is going to get super intense super quickly, lol.)

So they start with science and testing her mind, giving Rose access to all their research to see if she figures out anything there. And then they go to the volcano and scan her, starting to test her body for evidence that she might be able to help them in some magical way. (They're probably still going over the research too, ofc. Those were a lot of books, Dakkar.)

Day 9!!! Sia is here!!! I desperately want to know exactly what she and Addison were talking about. I think it might be a plan to abandon the Antikythera for Margaret and the others to find in a few days, but that's mostly speculation.

also Sia seems so much more relaxed and at ease here. maybe it's because she's at home with her people and she can be less secretive than she was on the satellite? (and because she isn't in a literal magic battle, lmao.)

Dakkar mentions phase three and they go to the lake to try doing stuff with illusion magic—do they want to try using magic on Rose to see if they can get her to activate whatever magic she may have? Or maybe how Rose reacts to the illusion magic could reveal something...?

Rose not wanting to go in the water, aoughhh 😭 and Sia helping her when she's scared 😭😭😭

Dakkar's Grotto / Mobilis In Mobili

when I saw this scene during the premiere I said "holy sci fi" and I stand by that. this environment is so cool. I wonder why the rest of the island isn't like this when they're clearly people with a lot of knowledge and technology... it's probably a matter of supplies. They fled to this island from Itzal and his spell, so they wouldn't have had time to pack a lot of stuff. I imagine whatever they did manage to bring and/or build is all dedicated to their efforts to find a cure and protect everyone.

we know they haven't found anything yet because they're still testing Rose's blood. man, that's gotta be stressful for her. (And the Radiance folks, yeah, but c'mon. so much pressure on Rose right now and she's brand new to all this. 🥺)

The Nautilus is here!!! and it's a spaceship!!! AHHHH!!! 🤩

SHIT IS GOING DOWNNNNNNN! Margaret is radiating and I am going to be Thinking about what it means that Sia can sense it—is it a part of her precognitive abilities? is it part of whatever bond they have that allows them to combine their power?

Rose blurting out a warning about the fog and Ahlaam and Sia immediately getting more concerned.... I hope that maybe since she waited until right before Sia left it won't influence anything negatively, if at all—it's only a very small part of the present that will be influenced and it's not like they totally altered their actions across two weeks to accommodate for that information so I'm sure it's fine. hopefully.

Rose is worried about Samuel almost drowning like she did (and is/will be)... she is not going to like hearing about the dangers he's actually facing. well, if anything is gonna wake up potential magic in her, learning that one of the bad guys attacked & has been harassing her baby brother will probably a good contenderrrrroh fuck I had a thought. uh, stay tuned, we'll get there.

oh god the Ellen Austin will be arriving soon and Samuel and Rose will reunite (they BETTER REUNITE ASAP) and Rose is going to be two weeks older and I am going to perish

not the little reprise of The stars appeared... that made me so sad last time.... 😭 I love how this version of it is positive. the parallels,,,,,,

Rose and the Stars

IT'S HERE AT LAST!!!!

The past stays soaked into our skin 😭

we are lit by suns that shatter through the dark.....

WE TRAVEL WITH THE SPIRITS THAT WE KEEP — ough, makes me think of the ghost of all my yesterdays in Behind Me. also the change from "Don't spend a second looking back" in ep 1 to "only looking back to see how much we've grown" has me feeling things idk how to describe rn, lol

THE CONSTELLATIONS TURN INTO A CROWN!!!!!! 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

Rose will shine again 🥺😭❤

A Few More Thoughts

Is the day Sia arrives also the day Addison and her crew left the island? we don't hear from her after this, and her disappearance isn't mentioned in the rest of part one but Sia knows that something happened to the crew when she confronts Kal on the Ellen Austin. If they had a plan for the Searcher crew to return to Lincoln Island and leave the ship for the others to find & investigate to kickstart Margaret's memories, but then the crew just didn't show up, I would think it would be mentioned? Unless they didn't want to overwhelm Rose and distract her from her work, or maybe they avoided discussing Addison & the Antikythera with her because of time travel rules...

oh and it is gonna take me a bit to grasp the time travel rules, lol. (sorry Matt, I haven't seen any Back To The Future since I was a kid.) I am going to be pondering the timeline for a while, particularly where Sia is involved. I feel like they probably want to avoid going back into the past as much as possible just based on how they are with Rose and how they put a lot of effort into not altering the present with her information about the future, but I don't think Sia would have gone from 1835 and skipped right ahead 39 years and stayed there? Like she has people to take care of and plans to make, she probably wouldn't just disappear on them for such a long time? maybe the Travelers who are experienced in abiding by Time Travel Rules are able to navigate backwards in time with more freedom because they know what they're doing. idk, like I said it's gonna take me a bit to wrap my head around this. maybe parts 2 & 3 will make it a little clearer.

OKAY, CONTINUING MY SAMUEL THOUGHT FROM EARLIER: Sia and her bunch believe Rose is the key. What if Itzal and Kal think Samuel is the key? What if that is why Kal was interested in Samuel on the Ellen Austin and why he seemed to really delight in antagonizing him? If Kal was hanging around long enough beforehand to see how close Margaret and Samuel are, then that could have convinced him that Samuel is Important™ to the Blazing World and that Margaret knows he is important to them. And maybe both sides are only halfway there, maybe it's both twins, together, who are the key, and that's why they haven't made progress towards the cure with Rose over their 2 weeks.

okay there are probably plenty of things that I'm missing and more that i could come up with and tack on, but I've been working on this post since last night and i want to finish it and get to other things so I am calling it here, lol.

...that is a horribly long sentence but I am not editing it. hope you enjoyed. <3

[crystallizsch]

okay hi so im messing around with this tumblr blog stats website again and i’m so mesmerized by the graphs and i'm really surprised about which posts get notes and the amount they have ;;;

(weirdly sentimental and rambly tonight so feel free to ignore btc fdsskj)

ngl i dont pay attention to how my posts are doing after i post them (i just forget about them 💔 and i only notice whenever i see them in my activity and i check people's tags or comments) so sometimes it comes as a surprise whenever i see some posts have notes that are in the hundreds?????? at least a thousand maybe????

scary.... but also thank you 🥹 i'm just Out Here ;;;

i started this blog thinking that it’s strictly for twst art that i was always just felt shy about posting rambles like this or reblogging things or talking about Anything Else that isn't twst. several hundreds of posts + reblogs later i think i just slowly stopped caring and decided that i'm just gonna post/rb whatever i feel like--

this blog is slowly turning from just me only throwing art out there into me making it into some kind of journal??? if that's the right descriptor for it???

anyways all this to say it's just because i also have been seeing more followers lately 😭 so hiiiii if you're reading this <3333

i feel like i've mentioned this before in one of my older posts, i think it's some sort of impostor syndrome i'm feeling again. i can't believe that there's people out there that are "fans"??? people who perceive me and i know absolutely nothing about them or i only see them as someone who consistently likes my posts. it's a weird feeling being considered a big blog (especially since i never mentioned anywhere the amount of followers i have; honestly even the mention or acknowledgment of having an amount of followers is making me feel all sorts of fhdslfhlsdjfksldkj).

even though i know there's no point in me thinking about this, but it does make me wonder what made people follow me considering the absolute mess variety of posts that i do (to most mutuals/friends reading this, i already know why you're here, and some of you are very obvious so shush /lh /j). and sometimes there's no indicator other than the people who spam like/rb a series of posts before/after deciding to follow.

like. I do yume art, i do jamil art (which i consider a separate entity from my yume art), i also do just unhinged rambling about twst in general. and i've started to occasionally reblog stuff. i don't know if i'm forgetting something else-

to clarify, i'm not being ungrateful 😭😭😭 it actually makes me happy to know that i'm making an impact to someone even just a little. it's a weird mix of feeling pressure and pleasure from it. if that makes sense 💦

so sometimes i feel like a terrible person for putting boundaries because i don't come on here as a "content creator" or whatever but just another person who does things on a whim, sharing their dolls and little drawings and yapping to anyone who is interested to listen.

LMAO i don't know how to properly end this train of thought i just needed to yap 😭

thanks for reading whatever this is if you've made it this far 😭🫶

[sophaeros]

I think I'm hf in the exact same thing as you rn I just found your blog I am also obsessed with band rpf and Casablanca's/hammond jr do u have a kind of manifesto or anything I can read

dude did one of my irls send this or smth..i was literally Just talking about putting together a masterdoc and they were egging me on BSJFJWBS. i mean i'm kinda working on one but no promises bc im terrible w long term projects and also theyre very difficult to figure out

BUT i Will say (and i've seen other random people online agree w me) i think the general timeline is that during the seven years they lived together from 1998 to 2005 jules was down bad for albert but albert didn't realise his own feelings, so the most that might've happened is some fooling around physically. (this is mainly going off of this page from the meet me in the bathroom book where jules says "albert, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, baby!" insane quote. i could talk a little more about their full quotes but that's another post)

sometime between 2005 and 2013 (possibly 2011 tbh, comedown machine is The gay situationship album but angles touches on it a lot too) they dated twice and broke up both times. im not sure who broke up w who but tentatively i would say the first breakup was more acrimonious while the second breakup might've been mutual.

it's difficult to say anything for sure because most of their songs have songwriting credits shared with other people, so looking at lyrics for clues has a pretty big margin of error since a line might've been written by someone else and not them, yknow? i mean rpf is never a "for sure" kind of deal i could be entirely wrong and that would be fine but. you get what i mean

also one way trigger is the lynchpin for me. i physically cannot imagine a platonic explanation for this poster that uses a screenshot from thelma and louise of all films. not to mention the lyrics like even my Mom raised an eyebrow at "get dressed in your bed while she's asleep." and also it's one of two strokes songs albert has ever played solo with the other being elephant song (at least according to setlistfm, im still trying to find a video of it) (edit 12/08/2034: setlistfm lied to me he did not play elephant song 💔💔💔💔) which was written, surprise surprise, by albert and julian in 1999.

i mean i guess the poster could be them fucking around and having a little laugh but come on what an insane ass joke to make man. i'm gonna make a post later about one way trigger being their specialest little song because it really is

soo like..theres still more i could talk about like one way trigger being written by the albert julian nick trio (which makes me laugh imagining nick mediating their lovers quarrel) [EDIT: ACTUALLY WAIT NO ok it's hard to find definitive information on who wrote what bc different databases have information of varying precision but the canadian site socan which is the most precise so far says only albert and jules wrote the lyrics for one way trigger i'd misremembered. albert julian nick trio Did do call it fate tho which is still kinda crazy !! also jules and albert being the only ones to do one way trigger makes me crazier jesus christ why is this depressing ass song Their Song !!!!] which is the same trio as games from angles. theres a lot i've been thinking about them nonstop for like, what, a month? give or take? my poor friends have to deal w me sending dozens of messages at a time much love and light to them if they read this muah

and thank you for the excuse to be insane on main anon 🥰

[starrzies]

★Meet the Artist 2024★

I might have forgotten to post this </3

Hello there!!

I'm Starrzies, but I also go by Rodimus!! Of these two names I prefer my nicknames (Starrz/Roddy) more than the formality of my full username/chosen name!! I'm 19 and a full time college student! (I want to become a Forensic Pathologist!) My pronouns are He/They ONLY and my chosen gender identity is Demiboy! I'm also Aroace, my specific labels being Cupioromantic/sexual!

I'm just a silly little guy trying to do his best. I am a hobbyist artist and writer and I love to share what I come with in the hopes that other people will enjoy it as much as I do! I tend to post art related to my own characters, art I've done for other people and - more rarely - fandom related art! I also stream on Twitch!!! Usually it's art streams (especially for Art Fight!) or me playing my games - either solo or with other people! I do have a Discord server full of my friends, mutuals and people interested in my stuff and community! Feel free to come join :) I'm on basically on every platform (maybe not active, but I'm there!)

My special interest (been into it for as long as I can remember) is Transformers!! It will almost always show up at some point! I'm also super into Lego Monkie Kid, Overwatch and Genshin Impact!! (The last of the 2 I on and off play!) I tend to reblog content form these 4 fandoms! (They're the main 4 but I may branch out!)

I try and be super friendly! Really, I don't bite, but I do have a very limited social battery! So conversations may not last very long when it comes to talking! I also sometimes just don't have the energy to reply. If I don't reply then it's nothing against you, I promise!! That being said I AM TOTALLY OPEN TO BEING FRIENDS/MUTUALS!! Please note, if you are younger than 18 I will NOT be your close friend, close mutuals at most. This is just due to safety! (Pre-established friends before I became an adult are still a nd will remain my friends.)

Pets! I own,,, a few. Just a small little amount. They're all my babies though and I adore them. I do my beast to take proper care of them and give them long, happy and fulfilling lives! Hiraeth and Ravage both came from litters I've raised! (Hiraeth being an accident and Ravage from a foster litter.) Ember was my sibling's cat but became mine because she just,,, likes me more? My other pets were 100% intended! All of these guys are spoiled rotten,,,

Silly little notes/explanations!!

Cupioromantic/sexual; someone who doesn't feel/feels little romantic/sexual attraction but desires a romantic/sexual relationship

Demiboy; someone whose gender identity partially identifies with masculinity, but is not entirely binary

I've been in relationships before! However, I generally only feel platonic love for people around me. I genuinely love (/p) all of my friends and you'll see me make that very clear! I am NOT interested in relationships, especially after this most recent one. Things have gotten complicated AF and I don't even want to bother entertaining anyone.

I have a Decepticon Insignia Tattoo on my left wrist! My first tattoo ever and I LOVE it so much! I will be going back in October for hopefully, my second tattoo!

I own a 2001 Ford Mustang!! It's a convertible too! I ADORE my car so much and there is so much I have planned for it!!

I own 4 dogtags! They are NOT military related at all though! They just have special meaning to me and I've been wearing them since 2018! I did actually let someone borrow one of them for a decent amount of time but it was returned to me! I don't think I'm ever going to let them go again, they mean too much to me.

Ravage is named after the TF character! :D He was my little gaming buddy back when I was fostering a litter of kittens for my senior project. I ended up keeping him, I got too attached. Now he is best friends with Ember!

Hiraeth was a TOTAL accident. I was supposed to just have her mom but she was pregnant much to our surprise! (Someone was getting rid of her, probably because they knew she was pregnant, and gave her to us without telling us that lol) I was allowed to keep Hiraeth but none of the other cats were allowed :( They all went to loving homes though!

Discord is my main, preferred way of communication!! I always have it open on my second monitor so I tend to respond really quickly on there :) You should totally add me on there! I'm under the same username ;)

Feel free to interact with me!! Just be aware of my boundaries and DNI! (Very basic btw!) I'm always happy to chat and meet new people :)

I want to make a comic!! I have so much more planning before I can work on it though :( One day! You may see little teasers to it being posted on my socials!!

This blog is my SFW blog!! I do have,, other accounts but those will remain unnamed! If you are curious and have your age visible feel free to ask me about it in DMs!

WHEW, I think that's enough personal info that I'm putting on the internet LMFAOOO I'll be sure to redo this next year as well ;))

Quick Reminder!!   I DO NOT allow people to reupload, repost, claim, trace, reference or use my art without my Permission! If my art is posted anywhere else other than my accounts it’s not mine! If you like my work, consider following me or commissioning me!! (This does not count if the art was made for you! Please remember to credit me though!!)

Art Trades are Open! Commissions are Open!! Do NOT ask me about Requests!! Do NOT; Reupload, Repost, Claim, Trace, Reference or use my art without my Permission! 💜

You can Dm me Questions or Concerns! Like my work? Check out my Carrd for where else you can find me!

[librarylexicon]

2024 Writing Review

tagged by: @daringyounggrayson - ty!! 🫶 tagging: I already tagged a bunch of people very recently so I feel awkward 😅 hmm how about @freyafrida @goldenraeofsun @babblingbookends and any other other followers/mutuals who write. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE.

number of stories posted to ao3: Ten! Which I'm very happy about, because it's the most I've posted in a single year since 2015(!). Here they are:

Family Crisis (almost 90k and counting)

A Manor of Speaking (3k) - Corners series

Duty and Care (400 words)

Better Out Than In (200 words)

Catch and Release (300 words) - Corners series

Belated Vigil (100 words) - Corners series

Ends and Beginnings (500 words) - Corners series

At the Gate (500 words) - Corners series

Happy Birthday (282 words) - Corners series

Now and Then (14k) - Corners series

word counted posted for last year: AO3 says it's 109,554, which I know is not really accurate, because I posted the majority of Family Crisis in 2023. Rough estimation puts the actual number closer to 33k.

fandoms i wrote for: Batman (Comics)

pairings: TimSteph in At the Gate, and some minor BatCat and TimSteph in Family Crisis.

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads: Family Crisis is the obvious winner of all three categories, as the oldest and only chaptered fic.

work i’m most proud of (and why): Outside of Family Crisis, because I don't want it to dominate these answers, it would definitely be Now and Then. I'm a big fan of Dick & Tim's relationship in Post-Crisis and have long wanted to do them justice in a fic. It became a 14k behemoth that I think captures why I love them so much, and I hope that it will inspire more people to read the comics and appreciate Dick & Tim in them.

work i’m least proud of (and why): This is hard to answer, because I try not to post anything that I'm not very proud of. That said, it's probably A Manor of Speaking, simply because I rushed to finish it for an event and couldn't make it as long or developed as my usual one-shots. I don't dislike it, but it's really more of a vignette than an actual story, and Cassandra deserves a full character study, in line with All the Corners That Are Left for Dick or Flight Mode for Tim. One day!

share or describe a favorite review you received: I like this question because it made me reread the last few pages of my AO3 inbox and relive reading those delightful comments. I don't receive a whole lot of comments, but so many of them make me blush from how kind and effusive they are. Here's one from Now and Then that I absolutely adore (warning: contains spoilers). This person also left a bookmark saying "I love everything from this author but THIS is SO [keysmash]", and I remind myself of it whenever I feel down about my writing.

a time when writing was really, really hard: Whenever I work on Family Crisis, there comes a time in the latest chapter draft when I hate everything I've written and think it's super predictable and boring and I'll be letting down my readers. And so I write an abominable number of drafts for that thing. *headdesk*

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: I don't know if it surprised me, per se, but I did not expect to conclude chapter 23 of Family Crisis with the scene that I did. It was a very sweet moment that practically wrote itself, but there was no trace of it in my chapter outlines!

a favourite excerpt of your writing: I think Ends and Beginnings is my favourite of the seven ficlets I wrote for a zine last year. Dick and Bruce are, as always, the centre of it all, and I especially loved fitting a ton of characterisation into 500 words.

“We’re a family of only children—but you’re not the one who has to deal with siblings who weren’t always there. Or who once tried to kill you. And Damian’s still not used to living here instead of at the penthouse. He was bound to be on edge.” Bruce shook his head. “You give yourself too little credit, Dick. And I was too blind to appreciate how much you’ve done to hold this family together.” He passed a hand over his face. “I’ve missed too much.” A lump rose to Dick’s throat. “Give it time, Bruce.” “I’ve been gone too long. Damian’s two inches taller. Damn it, Tim became an adult and I wasn’t there.” Dick swallowed, eyes prickling. “Speaking from experience… needing your dad isn’t something you grow out of.”

how did you grow as a writer last year: I'm not sure how to answer this. I'm too slow and deliberate of a writer to follow challenges or push myself to meet certain milestones or statistics. I did write a bunch of zine fics, which was a good exercise in sticking to a word count and letting loose with some fluff, silliness and slice of life. Ideally, I'll continue that mindset, because it was really beneficial to just Get The Words Out. (IRL, I was published in an anthology, yay!)

how do you hope to grow this year: Somewhat related to my previous answer, I always say that I have excellent attention to detail, but in practice this means I'm a habitual perfectionist. If I could learn to turn off that part of my brain more often, that would be great! Also, I'll be able to write about so much more if I stop shying away from action scenes.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): Undoubtedly this would have to be @tevyaa, who is the most supportive person I have ever met in fandom. Whenever I feel discouraged about my writing (and then guilty about complaining), she's always there with a pick-me-up, and her comments are the most lengthy, detailed and complimentary ones I've ever received. She's a fantastic cheerleader and I owe so so much to her. One gift fic is not enough!

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: When I wanted to make Dick and Tim take a brotherly bonding road trip, I sent them on the Great Ocean Road in Now and Then, because I have firsthand knowledge of it and knew my depiction would be accurate.

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: When it comes to fanfiction, characterisation is everything. Without accurate characterisation, you're just writing about OCs. You'll know you've got strong characters when they start bucking your outline and doing what they want instead. So yes, outline all you want, but be prepared for your characters to have their say along the way.

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year: I feel like a broken clock saying Family Crisis again and again, but there are only a couple more chapters left (but the most difficult ones), and they're the top of my priority list. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to continuing my Corners series, including filling that mysterious gap between A Manor of Speaking and Belated Vigil. And I never start out thinking I'll do fandom events, but the Dick Grayson Anniversary Week looks interesting...

[namazunomegami]

This post is for @sniigura and me but you can read it too /j

Thank you darling for letting me ramble about some of my original story ideas 💕 My blog mainly features fics so I think there's no point to share them, even tho I have a lot concepts and characters that I've developed in my earlier years as a writer.

Cw: a lil mention of prostitution and kidnapping, my characters in general have disastrous upbringings

The first idea that I somehow circled back to came to me in the form of a very vivid dream. I rarely have dreams, and I'm especially surprised and at awe that I still remember the story with all the details and imagery.

The story is set in the Edo period of Japan and it's focused on a girl named Otomuro (my brain somehow recalled the name of a noblewoman from the Fujiwara clan. Probably I was searching for names for an oc and for japanese ocs specifically, I tend to use the names of actual people so I have the proper characters in kanji), who's abducted by a yokai. Luckily, when I did some research on japanese folklore, I found numerous yokais who frequently kidnapped children from their parents. And this story and even the original dream was full of various creatures and spirits from japanese culture.

When Otomuro is an adult, she's forced into prostitution. Though she frequently tries to escape the yokai, all her attempts result in failure. The yokai states that she's its favorite child and acts like an abusive mother figure towards her. She gets really close with one of her clients who is a ronin, a samurai without a master. His character is still really vague but I remember that he promises that one day he'll rescue her and helps her reuniting with her family. And that's basically it.

I mostly spend time with building Otomuro as a character and I did come up with a scene when she's serving as a kamuro, basically a lady-in-waiting for high ranking courtesans. Courtesans had a good relationship with their kamuros. They treated them like their younger sisters because they had mutual responsibility towards the other. Kamuros ran different errands for courtesans like delivering letters, gifts, or luring clients in to their brothel and in return, the courtesan fed, dressed and sheltered the kamuro.

This story is in a veeery slow progress, but I'm 100% sure that it can be an awesome idea for a novel. If I can come up with anything to fill in the missing parts.

The second idea is a short story that focuses on two original characters from an unfinished novel. That... sadly will remain unfinished. I'm very much heartbroken that I won't finish it, I put tremendous research into the setting, wrote over 140k words, prepared a massive appendix for further context and explanations but one single character's arc and personality fucked the whole thing up. He was supposed to be an antagonistic character but I just kept building him and he became a rather sympathetic lil fella, and he shouldn't be a character you can feel sympathy for. And it doesn't feel right for me to continue... My boy massacred the whole story lmao.

I've had a rather large cast for this novel, and the characters are with me for more than 3 years now. I know what kind of life they're going to lead, how their life started and how it'll end. They're very much their own distinct person, almost alive, and somehow they can function quite well in a different setting. Nowadays, I really like to think about them as one traumatised, queer, neurodiverse and multicultural friend group lmao. They're my children, I can never let them go or forget about them.

Yeah, back to the story, since most of the characters are highly developed and established, sometimes they just start talking inside my head. That's how my writing process usually start. The story is rather simple, my main characters, Lotte and Nikolai have a little catch up after 3 years of seperation.

I started to entertain this idea because until now, I never had the chance to develop crucial parts of these character's life. Mainly Lotte's relationship with her adoptive children (they didn't even have genders or names but now I'm settled on two boys) and one of her most dangerous coping mechanisms to deal with her depression and C-PTSD, which is none other than dissociative amnesia, and how it circles back to the kids. Lotte is a loving mother, but not an ideal, perfect parent. She's very much dependent on her older kid and quite possessive towards the younger one. Her kids must take care of her the same way she does for them too. Nikolai had several failed marriages throughout his life but the reasons and causes were unclear. So I decided to make a background character, Ulyana, as his first wife (Ulyana is still a special character for me because I named her after a russian friend I had online during quarantine. It's sorta a habit of mine to name characters after people I know and love, like Lotte's mother is named after my aunt and Nikolai's best friend is named after my grandfather and such). So the easiest way to solve these issues is to make the characters sit down and talk.

Lotte and Nikolai share a very complex and deep relationship. It's filled with a lot of understanding, gentleness, playfulness and platonic love. And even some romantic love on Nikolai's part which gives a kind of tragic edge to the whole thing. Nikolai is very much in love with Lotte, that's why his marriages fail but Lotte can't reciprocate this kind of love because she's well... canonically aroace (but like nearly all of my characters are queer this shouldn't be surprising), she has no desire to be a romantic partner or a wife but she does want to be a mother. They've been through a lot, they have an effect on each other, they make each other grow. Lotte smiles and laughs only in the company of Nikolai (and besides my russian characters only she's allowed to call him by his diminutive, Kolya) and Nikolai is capable of selfless acts to ensure Lotte's safety, though he's still a morally grey character, he's willing to achieve it by comitting corrupt and questionable things even.

But as much as I love them, the plot were abandoned before I could've written a longer interaction between them. There’s a draft of their first scene, however, there’s still an enormous language barrier between them so they can’t communicate that well. But these two really deserve their own seperate story.

Thank u bby for letting me share this with the world, hope you have a wonderful day 🥰💗

[juliens-bakery]

hi sorry this is so long ! this question may seem out of the blue, apologies, but why are so many boygenius fans on here, like, shameless liberals who won't tolerate any criticism of Biden? to be clear I'm not talking about your blog, I scanned it and it was so refreshing to see someone actually critical of the Dems and their instrumental role in the genocide. like, I see popular blogs in the fandom making aggressive posts that are basically “you HAVE to vote blue” and *yet, crucially*, they haven't reblogged anything actually critical of Biden? it seems the only time they talk about politics is to proselytise about how you HAVE to vote blue despite the *genocide*, and nothing negative about the actual policies, just scolding anyone to the left of them and saying hey biden's actually not that bad domestically !

i'm a POC boygenius fan from the global south and it's just something I've been observing keenly knowing that the external policies of that country will always hang over my head like a looming threat, whether blue or red is in power internally. and when young voters in that country do, for once, take cognizance of the devastation enacted on *our* countries by their govs, these liberals crawl out of the woodwork to scold them, then go back to posting about the latest julien-lucy sighting or whatever. it's surreal to see.

again, sorry for the unprompted rant, it's just been eating at me for so long and this blog just seems like one in the fandom that I can still trust. I just needed to get this off my chest. i fell in love with bg in 2020 I'll go back to streaming them now <3.

hi! thank you for this ask, it's been very thought-provoking for me, and i really do appreciate the trust. and no worries about the length, i'm about to one-up this shit.

it is a little hard for me to answer this question fairly. for one, the boygenius-sphere has changed a LOT since i started here (7 years! it's a long time!), and so a lot of my mutuals that i've had since are no longer here (shoutout @remembermydog though, we still here <3) and a bunch of new people have come through. so i'm really not as plugged in with the broader fandom space as i used to be, and i don't really follow a ton of new blogs these days, so i can't really say that i've seen everything that you've seen for myself.

that being said, even if i've had less ability to share your experiences, i do think what you're saying has a lot of truth to it. the obvious thought is that boygenius fans are disproportionately white, which naturally lends itself to that sort of optimism about the extant systems of power. fundamentally, i think, it is very difficult for a white person in that country to reconcile themselves with the idea that the extant systems of power were always bad to begin with and have never been fit for purpose, b/c they've always worked well enough for them. like, there's no innate moral value with being white or not, but it's not the most surprising correlation either. (and yes, i'm aware that boygenius fans are also disproportionately queer women, which counterbalances that optimism to a very real degree).

the frustrating thing is that there are so many people who refuse to even entertain the idea that some people have a moral line over which they will not cross. and i do think that there can be a moral obligation to do an unpleasant distasteful or "bad" thing in order to achieve better ends. but there's always balance between the depth of the wrong and the value of the ends. and everyone has to decide for themselves where that balance lies for them. if i was american, i don't think i would vote this year, for a bunch of reasons. i don't think i would begrudge anyone voting for biden, especially if they thought that trump would send even more bombs (although frankly i have no fucking idea what trump would do). i've voted for trudeau in years when i really didn't want to because of the voting patterns of my particular district. i am about to be an extension of the canadian legal system, which has inflicted incredible amounts of harm to indigenous people and many others.

voting for biden and not voting for biden are both moral compromises. the only question is: how much blood are you willing to get on your hands as you fight for a better world? everyone's line is different (and not everyone's line is acceptable). i think i'd be more comfortable with not voting, because i think joe biden is among the very guiltiest people for this genocide. so maybe i don't want to support and reinforce that guy! and fundamentally, a party that wins elections has much less incentive to change. and the thoughtless and condescending dismissal of these ideas that really infuriates me. so i am really sorry that your experiences of this space have been tainted in this way. there are lots of good and thoughtful people, and these years have been the most fulfilling period of my internet life. but it's a space full of people on the internet just like any other, and so i don't really think it's uniquely bad, but neither is it uniquely good. i've made a nice little space for myself, and i really hope you can find that too <3.

thanks for the ask. there were a lot of things i needed to get off my chest.

[stellarred]

I've been seeing a rash of posts from some people saying that Q and Picard would never get together, and that they'd kill each other before that ever happened.

Granted, I'm Qcard biased as hell after shipping them so hard since the early early 90s. But, why would Q and Picard never get together in the end? @predawnite

And what is this stuff I'm seeing out there about them killing each other and hating one another?

When last we looked, Q and Picard shared a very tender moment of mutual connection in STP, and considering Q has spent the past 35 years pining and chasing after Picard because "he has always loved him" as quoted by Akiva Goldsman, I hope the hating thing is a joke.

Picard doesn't hate Q. He really doesn't. Q annoys him, sure. But, he does have warm feelings towards Q, but he can't look past his rigid, moral compass because Q is so wild, and he refuses to let go of his stubbornness and allow both he and Q the chance to just "get their feelings out in the open."

Picard loves him--not nearly as much as Q loves him. But, after Q shared his deepest truth with him, Picard was receptive to Q. Did you see that micro look he had on his face when Q said he had "one more surprise in store"? That was a look that someone gives when they're anticipating doing something *more naughty, sexual, sneaky, (you get the picture) after something else like that has just been revealed to you.*

Picard was anticipating something more, and knowing that Q had just told him that he loved him and shared that intimate mental message with him, Picard was most very likely anticipating both of them taking things a step further. Gut feeling that was what was happening. I will fall on my Qcard sword for that any day.

There were a LOT of gay undertones that were not overt throughout TNG and STP.

As for them never ever getting together? No. I disagree.

They would've had significant problems staying together in the TNG era. Or rather, Picard would've tried to leave Q, which would've hurt Q. Q would be fighting to keep him.

But, Q's love for Picard had deeply grown and matured, and Picard recognized that in the end of STP S2. Considering that Q's not actually dead dead, and that he won't hurt Jack because of his love for his father, and that Q promised to see Picard again, and that the likelihood of Beverly and Picard not staying together, Picard will join Q at the end.

I recently asked, Why does Picard always stare at the stars? (in TNG and in STP)?

He does it because he knows that his destiny lies out there. With Q.

Qcard has been a long time in the making. But, it is destiny onscreen or not.

[thaleleah]

awe yeah your mom was vulnerable and stepshit took advantage of that 😭 dw tal, your person will come at the right time 🩷

ikrrr his dick needs to be snipped 😂 man is almost 80 years old, it's nastyyy

my stepmom is a literal child, she actually throws tantrums it's actually so fucking embarrassing. a literal slipper 😂 now i'm worried cause are you gonna hit your 2 year old like that if he acts up or doesn't listen to you? LOL tal ilyyy for not liking my dad either cause he doesn't deserve it! too little too late

omg you write for avatar too? 👀 look at you go girl! what's the avatar fandom like? it seems like it's chill and drama free. the reason i starting watching avatar was because of jack 😂 i'm a huge scream fan so i needed to see what else this man has been in and was so surprised he was in avatar 2, i actually didn't recognize him because of the hair but he still looked so fine! i need to rewatch avatar 1 and 2 because i actually really enjoyed it! and the cgi is amazinggg (much better than marvel) - and yes ghostface is so fucking hot, especially in the new one, i think cause it was more serious and the mask was like decayed. ughh i have a predator/prey kink too it's just so so hot! getting chased and hunted by those two was soooo ughhh! can you tell i only have a thing for villains? the heros barely capture my heart 😂 look and you and both simping for tom and jack; we have amazing taste in men 🩷

i'm so glad you got some writing done and it didn't feel forced, never force yourself, tal 🥰 you got this babe 🩷

🍯🐝

Babes, the way I tried to respond to your ask TWICE with a rant about how my stepdad must want me to hit him with my car because of how he treated my mom this weekend on her birthday weekend, and Tumblr closed out on me both times without saving my long af rant. SOOOOO maybe that's the universe trying to tell me to let that shit go. Which, like, okay. But . . . OOOOO THAT SHIT MADE ME SO MAD. So, anyway - thanks for listening to me tell you about a rant I would have made you read had Tumblr not told me no twice lmaooo

I feel so sorry for the two year old. Hopefully your stepmom will refrain from being a vile evil bitch to him. At least I hope. And yes, nothing your dad does could ever make me like him. Fuck that man lol

I doooooo write for Avatar! Avatar is the only fandom that I've consistently been in for nearly my whole life and I can't ever see it going away. I have such huge respect for James Cameron cause the world that he's created is just so amazing and beautiful and the detail and meaning of it all has me in constant awe. I could literally watch the movies over and over again and never get tired of them. December 2025 can't come soon enough for A3, I'm practically vibratingggggg. The fandom is def not chill and drama free though, especially on the smuttier side. It's actually been super toxic recently which is really disappointing cause I feel like Avatar is one of the fandoms that should be the least problematic but...here we are. My mutuals get tons of anon hate messages daily and sometimes there's even drama between accounts. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with as much bullshit as they have since I'm a smaller blog, but I have gotten my fair share too. I know it really doesn't matter what fandom you're in, all fandoms have haters and most writers or artists get nasty messages, but it still sucks. All my mutuals are great though and they remind me of why I started being active in the fandom in the first place when things get a little too rough. Some people write some good Spider fics since you're a Jack Champion fan 👀

Love youuuuu 🥰

[hyperpotamianarch]

So, I actually neglected to analyze the final results of this poll. The fact I accidentally posted it twice has made it problematic, because I can't know who double voted and who didn't. But it's fine.

In both polls, only one Orthodox Jew said they don't know what E-l Baruch or E-l Adon are. It is possible, however, that those are two different people. But at least one Orthodox person doesn't know those.

This poll has four more Reform voters than the other one, and two of them have voted that they know what those Piyutim are. That still places the majority of the Reform voters at not knowing - something that seemed even more significant in the other poll, where no Reform Jew voted yes.

The Conservative population seems to have changed: while the amount of Conservative Jews voting merely rose by one, their division changed in a somewhat drastic manner (in relation to the small numbers we're talking about) - three votes transferring from no to yes, in addition to the additional vote being yes as well. If we take the largest number from each - a conservative (heh) assumption, since there could be no overlap at all - we'll find the Conservatives pretty much evenly tied in knowledge of this Piyut.

One more Secular Jew voted here than in the other poll, but it's also clear that two voters from here didn't vote there and one voter from there didn't vote here, unless the one secular person who voted yes there misclicked. Largely, however, secular Jews don't seem to be familiar with it outside of one. Considering the nature of these Piyutim, I'd like to hear this one's story - I suppose the Reform one-or-two are also interesting, but taking recent data into account I think I can guess at the explanation for that.

One Goy less voted here. I mean, it could be people who agree with the ‘Itim, true enough. Can't argue with that. But if it is, I would also like them to elaborate on that.

The reason I asked about these particular Piyutim is very simple: until recently, I have never in my life seen a Siddur that does not include them. Let me explain.

For most (Orthodox) Jews, these two Piyutim are just a part of the first blessing said before the Sh(e)ma‘: Yotzer Or. Its general structure is starting by thanking G-d for the heavenly bodies that light our world, transferring to praising G-d for His servants in general and describing how said servants praise G-d, and finishing with asking G-d to shine a new light on Zion. And the Piyutim I've mentioned both are inserted into the first part and actually share a topic with it. They don't stick out like a sore thumb. Or they wouldn't, if they didn't have a blatant acrostic and were mutually exclusive with each other - one only said on weekdays, the other only in Shabbatot.

But why would I see the need to make a poll about it? Well, recently I found a PDF file of a Reform Siddur for Bet Mitzvah, which I assume is meant to be a gender inclusive version of Bar/Bat Mitzvah but it could just be a typo. Anyway, to my horror (well, I'm exaggerating, it was merely surprising), this Siddur had neither of these Piyutim. It actually cut Yotzer Or in an interesting way, but that's not really the point.

Now, to be absolutely fair, this Siddur also cut about half of the larger Sh(e)ma‘, having only one and a half out of three Parshiyot. So it might just be a preparatory Siddur, not necessarily meant for daily use in general. However, I did want to check - hence this poll.

From the results, I'm assuming that in general those Piyutim do not appear in Reform Siddurim (and possibly Conservative Siddurim are more or less even on whether or not these Piyutim appear. And if that's the case, it makes me wonder: why? While there can be halachic reasonings for that (see Sefer Ha‘Itim), Reform Judaism doesn't tend to care about that. So what reason could there be for this omission?

My personal best guess is time. E-l Adon in particular is kind of long, and while E-l Baruch isn't too long, it might still be considered a little boring. Those Piyutim are also clearly relatively late additions to the bracha, so it's a bit easier to cut them. Of course, that doesn't explain why the Israeli Reform Siddur I checked did have at least E-l Baruch (IIRC), but some variety in choices makes sense.

Because I randomly do polls (and due to having a look at a reform Siddur):

[thebisexualdogdad]

Cullen Row x mechanic Male!reader headcanons

● you met Cullen when he brought his and Harper's car in to your garage to get the engine fixed

● he heard through some mutual acquaintances that you could fix up cars for cheap thanks to "finding" parts that frequently "fell off" of the transportation trucks

● you thought he was cute and was flirting with him hard, offering to fix the car for free in exchange for a date

● he was really into you but nervously said yes because the last guy he went out on a date with did a total 180 the moment he found out Cullen was trans 

● the date went better than Cullen could have even imagined and he really wanted to tell you the truth before he fell too hard for you and got his heart broken

● he was surprised when you were completely unfazed by it 

● "you're still into me?" 

● "of course I am, I like you a lot Cullen and I'm going to kiss you now if you're okay with that" 

● "I am really okay with you kissing me" 

● when Cullen told Harper he had a boyfriend she immediately needed to meet you

● she pulled the whole "if you hurt my brother I'll hurt you" speech

● but unlike most people you knew she actually meant it 

● you and Harper end up getting along really well finding common ground in your shared love for mechanics and engineering 

● Cullen brought you into his, Harper's and Duela's little thievery club

● you're the perfect getaway driver and can lose any cop car in a high speed chase when needed

● a lot of the crews stash gets hidden in your garage now since the three of them of don't have any permanent residency so it's safer than them carrying it around town in backpacks 

● Duela still hasn't forgiven Harper for having her backpack with $500 in it stolen on the subway after pawning a bunch of designer handbags they lifted while breaking into some rich lady's penthouse 

● Cullen much rather prefers sleeping in your bed in the small loft above your garage than in their car or whatever cheap and trashy motel room they can rent for a week 

● and when winter comes around and the shitty motel owners in Gotham raise the room prices to take advantage of all the unhoused folks trying to get off the streets Harper and Duela start sleeping on your couch 

● Duela gags having to watch you and Cullen be all cute and coupley 24/7

● Duela "I think I'd rather go freeze to death in the snow than have to be subjected to this tooth rotting sweetness any longer" 

● Harper "if you leave I'm keeping your cut of the jewelry we stole last night" 

● Cullen "I think Duela owes Y/N part of her cut anyways for scratching the new paint job on his car" 

● "seriously Duela you are never driving my car again" 

● Duela "it's not my fault you were busy getting handsy with Cullen in the backseat when you were supposed to be on lookout for the cops"

● "Hey Harper is the one who should have known the store had a silent alarm!" 

● Harper "I told you those models of glass cases weren't supposed to have motion sensored alarms!"

● Duela "children, children that's enough, I just got a text with a new job offer… anyone up for robbing Bruce Wayne?" 

[akfamilyhome]

YouTube 2022 Year in Review

Sorry for the wait on this one! This is what catching COVID after Christmas does to your schedule, I guess. This will be my first Year in Review post shared on Tumblr instead of Patreon! They're freely available to read either way, but this is a more suitable place to put it, probably. For those who don't know, in each of these posts I look back on the stuff I put out on YouTube throughout the past year, and perhaps share more interesting facts about them that I haven't before!

This year has been sort of a continuation of what happened in 2021. I graduated and got into a day job at the end of that year, so this year was mostly me adjusting to things, and as a result, output on the YouTube channel hasn't been as frequent as I'd hoped as I didn't have too much time to write/continue scripts.

However, I did explore other avenues for smaller-scale but still interesting topics, including the videos I put up on my rebranded second channel, Akfamilyhome Plus! I'll talk more about those videos later in the post. And of course, I started a Tumblr account, which you're currently reading from right now. In addition to that, I've been upgrading my computer setup as well, going from my 2017 MacBook Pro to a full-fledged PC for gaming and editing work! Migrating stuff over and adjusting my workflow for it wasn't super annoying, and thankfully the videos I made in the latter half of the year helped with that.

So anyway, stuff that I DID put out! Let's see what fun facts I can share along the way.

Every Unique Level Gimmick in New Super Mario Bros.

You could say this is the one "big" video I put out this year, and man I really wished I could've put out more of them! Regardless, what started as a small interesting discussion with a couple of mutuals about New Super Mario Bros. DS ended up as a pretty fun romp down memory lane and an excuse for me to babble about obscure Mario enemies! I was also very satisfied with the jokes in this one -- hopefully they weren't too bothersome for some of you lol

Of course, my list of what constitutes as unique level gimmicks isn't 100% accurate, some people have pointed out a few objects that actually did appear in later games like the tilting lava plaforms, but I think I still got most of them!

Some folks have asked if I'll do similar videos on later games of the NSMB series. Like other potential sequels to my videos, it's something I can consider, but considering they most likely have less unique gimmicks compared to the DS entry I'm not in the biggest rush to do so. There are still other overlooked aspects of the later games I could potentially talk about though, like the Coin Rush packs in NSMB2.

"10-in-1" Nintendo Switch Sports Accessories

Most of the videos released this year were kinda spontaneous ideas rather than the topics that were stuck in burnout limbo, including this video on plastic Switch Sports accessories that a Twitter poll convinced me to make! Yes, it is a simple review of plastic accessories at the end of the day, but some of them actually did surprise me a little and I thought the video struck a nice balance between constructive demonstration and dunk-fest.

For those asking about further testing...this accessory kit has since found a new home. Would rather have a family actually have a reason for using this than it taking up space at my place!

Since I found this accessory pack, there are other similar ones that have started popping up in stores here as well, including ones that contain golf clubs as well! ...I'm not sure if I want to make reviewing these a regular thing though.

Regarding my tangent during the Volleyball segment about using Joy-Con strapped to your arms and legs as VR trackers...there's already a tool that tries to pull that off called SlimeVR Wrangler! I have not tried it myself yet, but for those who have spare Joy-Con lying around this could be something to look into.

I bought the arcade version of Rhythm Tengoku

...that title kinda says it all! This all happened from me stumbling across an auction for the arcade game cartridge itself and biting the bullet, and documenting the whole process of getting it to work has been both frustrating AND fun (and perhaps even useful for other arcade noobs like me lol). I still have the cab where it is and it does still work when it wants to! Someday I might be able to hook up larger arcade-style controls to it or even build a standalone station or cab for it...but there is absolutely zero room at my place for a setup like this right now, so that will have to be in the very far future!

A month after this video was posted, a listing popped up on Yahoo Japan Auctions for the original control panel itself! ...at that point I didn't have more money to burn for both that and the necessary adapters and wiring to get it to work though, so hopefully it went to a good home.

Slightly unrelated, but it was a while since I posted an unscripted video on the main channel, and I thought I did a pretty good job in this one without stuttering or repeating too much! If you liked that and want to see more, I have more unscripted content over on Akfamilyhome Plus which I'll also touch on later!

The Famicom Disk System Cleaning Extravaganza

This is a case where I really just wanted to indulge in talking about the obscure of the obscure. I'm sure just generally talking about the Famicom Disk System and the stuff I've collected for it would make for a great video, but there actually hasn't been a YouTube video about these cleaning kits that aren't in Japanese! I also kinda liked the bootleg disk tangent, and hope that gave you an interesting glimpse at the early gaming scene in Hong Kong.

Like I said in the video, the cleaning spray counted as flammable material, so I wasn't able to ship it from Japan to Hong Kong. I'd like to thank PushDustIn for taking care of it in the meantime and also cameoing in the video! If anyone has further (legal) ideas on how to get that spray from Japan to Hong Kong, please let me know.

For those who were interested in the footage of early Hong Kong gaming stores shown in the video, I'd like to share its source! It's from a 1990 Japanese documentary featuring a local media personality investigating the booming Hong Kong video game market (and bootlegging scene). The clean rip I'm sharing below unfortunately doesn't have any subtitles (and the only reupload with subs I've seen was in Chinese), but it still shows some pretty fascinating accessories and scenes of a time period that even I was never around for!

Every Game I've Beaten in 2022

And here's my latest video, from...a few days ago as of this post! It's a quick review of every single game I've beaten during 2022, at nearly a game per minute! I would've loved to have it out earlier at the end of 2022, but then y'know, Christmas COVID happened.

As I said near the end of the video, I wanted it to be less of a simple "Top 10 Games of 2022" video and instead let me share a wild grab bag of games from different generations that might pique others' interest, and reading some of the comments, it seems that it accomplished exactly that! Thank you to those who watched it all the way.

I'm definitely down to do a similar video at the end of 2023 as well, but it hopefully will be shorter. I might write down each of these review sections as I finish each game as well, rather than doing it as one big batch near the end of the year. Actually, 2 games are already on the list so far. How many will it end up with? We'll see!

Akfamilyhome Plus videos

And that's not all, as I've shared quite a few unscripted videos on Akfamilyhome Plus this year! There have been new meme videos and core video commentaries posted this year, as well as a fun random idea I had of asking folks in my Discord server to GUESS! THAT! NINTENDO! IMPRINT! (you can watch the video above if you haven't yet)

Near the end of 2021, I started posting bonus unscripted videos for Patreon supporters. A handful of those videos have also been posted publicly since, so you can now enjoy videos of me:

Checking out four different variants of Tetris on the Game Boy

Trying the Hong Kong version of the Famicom

Write-protecting a Famicom disk

Flipping through a licensed Chinese Mario 64 strategy guide

Playing a 3DS game upside down

Messing with the GBA wireless adapter

Visiting a private retro museum in Hong Kong

Reminiscing about every 3DS Puzzle Swap panel

And throwing a Famicom disk into water!

And for patrons, there's still a bunch of exclusive videos available, from checking out the Nintendo DSi XL Demo Video carts, to reading the 2010 Nintendo anti-piracy manual! As more videos are posted on Patreon, some of the older ones will rotate out into public availability, and that's how I'd like to keep it going for a while. But if you can't wait around or want to show your support, all these videos are available on Patreon for as low as only 1 USD a month and will remain so for the forseeable future!

(It also gives you quick access to my semi-closed Discord server, but if you'd like a peek at this chill place of discussion, here's a 25-use invite link as thanks for reading all the way down here!)

That's almost everything I've put out on YouTube this year! That's not even counting the time I freaked out at Chris Pratt Mario!

This year, while I'll still be trying to get some of my limbo scripts off the ground, I'll probably embrace more spontaneous ideas like I did during 2022 as well, so I don't fall too heavily into a production rut. And after a year at my day job, I hope this year I can strike the balance between that and YouTube work more easily. I'd like to revamp my Patreon presentation later this year as well and continue to make cool stuff for it as thanks! The dream of being able to do YouTube work full time continues.

Thank you for your continued support, and hopefully this year will be a better one!

[dilfyjilfy]

I would love a sangcheng and mingcheng fic that goes like

Huaisang has been friends with Jiang Cheng for years, and as such, knows all about JC's insecurities with himself and regarding relationships

Because of this, Huaisang feels that it is better to ease JC into the idea of a romantic relationship with him, rather than just confessing outright and potentially scaring him off

As soon as Huaisang recognized his feelings for JC, he came up with an entire 5 year plan to woo him, and things have actually been going pretty smoothly

Huaisang is in year 3 of the plan, and it involves getting JC acquainted with his family, cause he know how protective Mingjue can be, and he wants his brother and his future husband to get along

He starts getting Mingjue and JC to hang out together, with his presence, and then without

Things are actually going pretty well between Mingjue and JC, to Huaisang's delight, that is, until Mingjue catches feelings, and not having Huaisang's reservations, asks JC out like 3 months into meeting him. And JC says yes

(at this point, neither JC or Mingjue know about Huaisang's feelings for JC, they just thought Huaisang wanted his two favorite people to hang out and get along)

I'm not sure where it'd go from here, I just know that eventually mingcheng would find out about Huaisang's feelings for JC (maybe through some bitter arguments and tears), maybe feature a temporary breakup, courtesy of JC, who wants Mingjue and Huaisang to value their own relationship more (even if he has to end up alone), and during this temporary breakup, Mingjue and Huaisang manage to work out their feelings (this is when Huaisang would find out that wow, it really only took a few months for his brother to fall head over heels for JC, and the feeling seems mutual) and come to the conclusion of 'hey, doesn't Jiang Cheng deserve 2 boyfriends, if that's what he wants?'. Still, Huaisang is determined to get Mingjue and JC back together even if JC only wants his brother. They go to talk to JC, together

During the getting back together talk with Jiang Cheng, Mingjue and Huaisang find out that in addition to JC having romantic feelings for Mingjue, he has also had romantic feelings for Huaisang that go beyond even the start of Huaisang's conceptualization of the 5 year plan. As in, JC has been in love with Huaisang since a year after they first met

When Huaisang asks why he never said anything, JC tells him that he was scared of losing the friendship, and that when it seemed like his feelings were returned (maybe once Huaisang also caught feelings he started acting a little different before putting his plan in motion, and JC noticed) Huaisang started acting more distant with him, and once Huaisang introduced him to Mingjue, he read that as Huaisang rejecting him in the most gentle way be knew how, so he resolved himself to only ever being Huaisang's friend. Mingjue and Jiang Cheng hitting it off and falling for each other soo quickly was a surprise to them both

It would end with Huaisang and Mingjue just going "you know, we don't mind sharing" and BOOM, Jiang Cheng now has 2 boyfriends

I also just want a crying Huaisang to call Mingjue a 'big-tittied slut' in a fit of rage but that's neither here nor there

[gaybarbiegirl]

My Top 5 Gay Barbie ships

As an avid Barbie fan and a lesbian, I feel like it was only a matter of time until I made this. I think we can all agree that the Barbie movies blessed us with some of the best lesbian relationships gal pals of our childhoods, and I guess this is just my way of paying homage to my favorites. A little disclaimer, this is all just my opinion, so I'm sorry if your favorite ship isn't here.

5. Kristyn and Hailey - Barbie and the Pink Shoes

Starting out with a painfully underrated ship from a painfully underrated movie, we've got Kristyn and Hailey. In my opinion, Barbie and the Pink Shoes is the funniest Barbie movie, and these two are a big part of the reason why. They bounce off of each other really well, they have a great and believable daydreamer/down to earth dynamic, and their relationship is really sweet. I mean, it's hard to watch two people navigating an unknwon world together with no one to count on but each other and not end up shipping them. Plus, the scene where Hailey gets captured by the snow queen and Kristyn runs crying through the frozen road always breaks my heart.

4. Mariposa and Catania - Barbie Mariposa and the fairy princess

I'm gonna be honest, the way the pairings went in the Mariposa franchise actually makes me kinda bitter. And that's because they had these two characters who I think are perfect for each other, but they totally disregard their relationship for the sake of pairing Mariposa with Prince Carlos (who is honestly just a male version of her).

I mean, seriously - Mariposa and Catania have this Romeo and Juliet type of story, being from rival fairy kingdoms and all, and it would definetely have ended in romance if this was a het ship. Catania is the only one who's kind to Mariposa from the start, she bothers to learn about her culture and to make her feel welcome in her kingdom, and she trusts her blindly even when everyone around her tells her she shouldn't. In return, Mariposa listens to Catania about her struggles, and does everything in her power to help her overcome them. They have a lot in common and a lot to teach each other, their relationship development feels very natural, and their bond is what saves the day in the end. But nooo, Barbie has to end up with the prince. Smh.

3. Barbie and Sal-Lee - Barbie Starlight Adventure

These two probably have the most down to earth relationship in this list, ironically. They have no big dramatic bonding moment, no speech about believing in each other, and their love isn't what saves the universe. It's all very simple and low key, and that's kind of what I like about it.

I love how nervous Barbie is to meet Sal-Lee in the beggining, how it takes a little while for them to get used to each other, and how even in the end there's still a bit of healthy competition between them. You can tell both of them weren't what the other one was expecting, but once they get to know each other, they realize they're something even better, and I think that's really great. I also love how Sal-Lee gets all protective of Barbie, always looking out for her in the end. Overall, their relationship is just very wholesome and comforting. 10/10.

2. Merliah and Kylie - Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2

Rivals to lovers, anyone? Truly one of the best relationship tropes out there, and it was executed beautifully in this movie.

Merliah's and Kylie's flirty rivalry in the beggining is everything, and I like how it's not one sided. Like, Merliah isn't the nice "let's all be friends" girl who's being cornered by mean girl Kylie, they're both mutually competitive, which is pretty unique for a Barbie movie. And, of course, as their relationship develops, all of their scenes are just the cutest and the gayest.

Kylie saying "since when does the queen of the waves give up?" when she's pulling Merliah out of that whirpool? Amazing.

The two of them holding hands while swimming together? Beautiful.

Merliah swooning over everything Kylie says, from her plans to her bad jokes? Lovely.

And the whole ending sequence to that movie lives in my head rent free. Merliah is all upset over being a mermaid forever because, in her own words, this means she can't surf with Kylie anymore. Then she turns human again and gets to compete with her one more time, but with love instead of animosity. And finally, the two of them thank each other for everything they got to learn together and agree to share the 1st place trophy. Incredible. Lesbian excellency. Love it with my whole heart.

1. Liana and Alexa - Barbie and the Diamond Castle

Surprising no one, Alexa and Liana get the 1st place, and for a good reason. To this day, they're the biggest wlw icons from any Barbie movie ever. Everyone has seen the posts talking about how the colours of their dresses are the colours of the lesbian flag and the bi flag, or about how they're the og cottagecore lesbians, or about how there's a scene in the movie where the two of them literally float away from their "love interests" on a rainbow, and they're all 100% right.

But while the sheer amount of gayness these two have is great, I still think this isn't the best part of their relationship. The best part, I think, is just how devoted they are to each other.

Like, we know they regularly write songs about how happy they are together, and both of them consider their relationship to be the best part of their lives. They take care of each other in a way that is so casual but still so meaningful, and you can tell it comes from a place of real love. When they get the chance to make a wish, they don't even have to think before wishing to be together forever. And throughout the movie, we see them risk their lives and rethink their values for the sake of keeping the other one happy and safe.

They're not just my favorite barbie ship, they're one of my favorite ships of all time, and they totally deserve all of the praise they get.

[xenon-demon]

WIP Wednesday

thank you so much @sailors-ink for the tag!!! <3 it's technically thursday for me now (gotta love being australian) but shhhh it's fine WIP Wednesday is a state of mind ✨

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We're posting progress here. If you haven't made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you've posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That's it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!

WIPs:

1. steddie domestic hairwashing 2. cheerscoops fake dating season 3 au (steddie/buckingham) 3. when you come back, it's gravity (kas!steve au) 4. med student steve & nurse eddie who is sick of his shit 5. doctor who steddie indulgence

And the snippet I'm posting is from steddie domestic hairwashing:

“You know there isn’t actually a hospital policy about bathing?” Steve’s barely shut the door behind him before he starts speaking.   Eddie feels a thrill of anxiety shoot through his chest and hopes to whatever higher power there might be that his heart rate monitor doesn’t pick up on it. “What?” It comes out way too strained, and Eddie’s really got to get a grip on himself. Just because he feels like a deer in the headlights right now doesn’t mean he needs to act like it, for fuck’s sake. “There isn’t a hospital policy about who can help you shower, or go to the toilet, or whatever. You don’t have to put up with the shitty sponge baths from the nurses anymore,” Steve says, his voice bright and excited about this, the absolute bastard. Eddie swallows, trying desperately to school his features into something calmer. “Oh. How, um, how’d you find that out?” “I asked one of the nurses,” Steve replies, like it’s obvious, and of course he fucking did. God damn Steve Harrington and his stupid god damned helpful nature. "Sure, you can't have an actual shower, since you still have bandages and stuff on. But as long as we don't get them wet, there's nothing stopping me from washing your hair or helping you get cleaned up." “Right,” Eddie says, and he knows he should say something, crack some kind of joke like I’m surprised the nurses will speak to anyone associated with me, but he can’t bring himself to. He sees it on Steve’s face the moment he notices that Eddie isn’t as excited about this as Steve is. “What’s wrong?” Steve asks, brows furrowing slightly. He’s much quieter now. “I thought your hair was bothering you? Since, y’know, we had that conversation…”

Aaaaand I'm honestly not sure who to tag since I've seen most of my writer mutuals post for WIP Wednesday already, so I'm gonna say if you see this and want to do it but haven't been tagged, then do it and say I tagged you! <3