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project-sekai-facts · 11 months

Note

Regarding your post about censorship: I'm like 90% sure most of this is not censorship (they left the entirety of buddy funny as it was. I refuse to believe "partner" is where they draw the line). I've played tons of Japanese video games in official English; the usual standard for translation is, in practice, that it shouldn't be obvious it wasn't originally written in English. Imo, this is the actual difference between "the miles i fell in love with is so cool!" (Not grammatically incorrect but not how actual people speak) and the official. As for it having romantic connotation to begin with, lol you said you got that from looking it up but Google the same thing in English and you will still get only romantic advice because it just assumes you're asking when the appropriate time to say I love you in a relationship is.... It could've been a joke, or a gay allegation, an anime way of speaking, or even nothing. How would you know which? I absolutely do not mean this in a rude way and I'm really sorry if it comes off like that but. I don't think you can comment on the connotations of words or level of casualness without speaking the language yourself.

Same with minoharu; it's (unfortunately) not canon. If she actually said "I love you!!" Regardless of dictionary definitions, it will be read as a romantic confession by most players, and you often say the game likes ambiguity so I take it that's a no. "I like you!" Is rather an awkward thing to yell in english, though. So "you're the best" is what they substitute.

(Please don't blame the translators for stuff this insignificant tbh. Some things in early game may sound clunky, but they've really smoothed out over time in terms of word choice sounding natural (...event names notwithstanding). I've done translations between my first language and English for fun; if you linger on every last word and it's connotations, you will go /insane/ reallyyy quickly. Imo no two words in different languages have the exact same meaning, connotation, use case etc. Ever. Differences of this level are utterly inevitable when games have so much text.)

Anyway. Thanks for all the effort you put into this blog, it's a fantastic one and it's not my intention to be harsh, if it comes off like that please just delete this ask. Don't feel bad about something some stranger on the internet said.

to be honest I don't think it's all censorship either, i just kinda went off on a tangent about things getting removed in translation and i did put in the post reasons why these translations actually are valid (aside from Toya woao because they did leave that one in the card name so it was a deliberate choice to remove it from the story, thereby also removing the reference in the card name). That Asahi post is old and I have done more research into it since, because my JP isn't good so I've gotta make up for it somehow, and literally every dictionary definition and anything I can find for that word frames it as romantic. For the extra mile I checked Japanese dictionaries for languages other than English. I found one thing saying it can be used for an idolisation, but even in that instance the way it's framed in the story is still done in a way that could be viewed as ship tease. In other words, it's probably romantic. Even if he's just talking about the character and not Tsukasa, it has a romantic reading and removing it was a deliberate choice. "The miles i fell in love with is so cool" might sound a bit rough, but it could have still been translated to keep the original context no problem. You could've just done something like "well of course it was cool. i fell in love with miles for a reason" or "it was so cool! as expected of the miles i love". the thing is with writing for a game like this is sometimes people need to say things that in real life you would probably just say in your head. the POV character for this event is Rui so we can't just take a look at the thoughts of the characters, which is why what they're feeling needs to be conveyed through text even if it sacrifices a bit of the realism. especially in a visual novel styled game like this because the characters are limited to a 2D model with limited movement and expression. if this was an anime you could probably get more leeway with what they say because you can convey the character's feelings through various other means (eg: the animated MVs that don't have any dialogue but could convey a story and emotion much better than looking at the in-game version of the scene with no dialogue). Don't worry I don't think you came off as rude and I know I shouldn't really talk about a language I don't speak but I hope the research can at least kind of make up for it.

Minoharu isn't canon I know but it's very obvious that what Minori feels for Haruka goes into romantic territory, whether you like the ship or not. And sure, if you put "I love you" most people would probably read it as romantic by default, but that hasn't stopped the translators before. "You're the best" honestly is a valid localisation that still conveys pretty much the same meaning I just find it odd that "I love you" is removed here, a flashback scene from a point in time where minori and haruka didn't know each other, but is translated with accuracy in multiple interactions between An and Kohane in present day. If Minori and Haruka don't know each other it's slightly less likely that people will interpret it as romantic and slightly more likely that people will interpret it as a simple idolisation but with An an Kohane actually knowing each other and having a close and affectionate relationship the go-to is probably gonna be romantic (which isn't wrong considering the events of BFST and Wishing for Your Happiness, but still sticks out that they left this in here but change it for another couple with heavy romantic subtext).

I'm not blaming this on the translators, they're just doing their job and obviously with localisation you've gotta lose stuff, it's just that some of these are very specific things to cut (eg: any indication of Asahi feeling romantically towards Tsukasa's character and ambiguously Tsukasa himself is completely absent in the official translation). I'm blaming this on the higher ups at sega who get the final say on what is and isn't included in the translation. You can't translate everything directly because languages don't all work exactly the same, especially english and japanese. obviously due to these differences, you're not going to be able to translate everything directly and localisation is necessary (regardless of language) to make it accessible and easy to read for an audience outside the country of origin. but there are gonna be questions raised when a scene is localised to keep the same meaning as the original text aside from one line that removes notable queer subtext. because if they can keep the rest of toya's speech in line with the original but they specifically remove the part about him wanting to stay side-by-side with akito forever and change it to wanting to perform side-by-side, despite the fact they left in the "now on and always" part in his card name, that was removed from the story intentionally. they kept what asahi says to tsukasa with the same meaning as well, but any indication of asahi feeling romantically towards the other is completely gone. the issue is that sega seems to be intentionally removing queer subtext from the game.

don't worry anon this wasn't harsh, and localisation is something that actually interests me and i've read into quite a bit, so i enjoy the opportunity to talk about it. and thank you as well!

#asks #mod talks

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teecupangel · 1 year

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Hello. Hope you're feeling good.

I was wondering if assassins in modern au weren't assassin and just lived like normal people what was their job?

Hi, nonny. I'm doing good. Just found some time to rest up after all the moving and unpacking XD

Oooohhh, I like this ask, nonny, but Imma cheat a bit and use a lot of my answers from the modern-day fic I wrote last year XD

Altaïr

I think this will depend on how much you want to reference Altaïr’s upbringing in AC1.

If you want an almost beat-by-beat reference, Altaïr will be heading some kind of PMC that he ‘inherited’ from his foster grandfather. He’s born into the family business and it’s the only life he knows. Reading about new tech helps make the PMC always be up to date with their equipment but Altaïr usually reads any kind of scientific advancement on his down time.

If you want to give him more freedom to choose his own path, his scholarly nature would make him a job in the field of science or history (with philosophy being a favorite hobby of his)

History: more on archaeology who mainly does fieldwork, sometimes goes to conventions and symposiums to talk about his team’s latest finds. His journals detailing each day when he’s in the field are usually published and a lot of people in the field enjoy reading his thoughts… even if he sometimes gets off track and there’s suddenly a drawing of the person he loves in one of the pages…

Science: owner of a privately-funded research and development company (might even have funded it from the inheritance he got from his foster grandfather) and actually leads one of the teams. The company focuses on researching and developing new tech that would make life easier for everyone although Altaïr does have a notebook filled with the deadliest ideas for weapons that he doesn’t really have any plans to make.

Ezio

Definitely born into a rich family that operates one of the oldest banks in Italy and he’s being trained to be a COO. Would have summer jobs in one of their banks.

His passion though lies in the arts and he would paint whenever he needs to relax. His parents agreed for him to take art classes because they want to support him (and Federico is meant to inherit the business anyway).

He meets his best friend in art class and they start a friendly competition of painting the same thing.

His friend is the one who gets recognized but that’s fine with him. He paints because it relaxes him, he’s not there for the spotlight.

Their banks would have framed paintings of his and he still paints as a hobby.

He mostly works for the family bank as a foreign representative, going to other countries to help out a new branch, train the new management, and sometimes talk to possible clients and partners.

Ratonhnhaké:ton

His father wants him to inherit the family business but he decides to take over his mother’s job as the representative of their tribe and the usual liaison that talks to outsiders.

His mother is currently a judge in tribal courts.

He also works similarly to a park ranger and would check their lands regularly, making sure nobody trespasses or hunts in the nearby forests.

The Kenways:

Edward married a socialite named Tessa Kenway a few years after the death of his first wife.

Before that, he used to be a captain of a freight ship. With Tessa’s money, he started his own freight shipping company.

He’s now retired with his son taking over his company and lives with his wife in Kenway mansion. He sometimes visit his son and grandson to annoy his son and to just ‘hang out’ (“Isn’t that what you kids say nowadays?” “… yes. I suppose so?””) with his grandson.

His oldest daughter (from his first marriage) ran away from home after they tried to get her engaged to a rich dude, Edward knows she’s living with Mary and Anne, two old buddies of Edward during his freight ship captain’ing days and visits sometimes. He didn’t tell Tessa though (it was Tessa’s idea to marry her off) because he doesn’t want things to escalate and Tessa has a suspicion that he’s having an affair with Mary or Anne (or both!) while Haytham learned that his sister is fine and living her best life when he tried to catch his father cheating for his mother.

Even in a modern day AU, the Kenways will still have drama. Them’s the rules.

Desmond:

Ran away from a very isolated community that may have been cultists or just really ‘we don’t trust the government’ kind of hippies. Desmond likes to joke both.

Works for a bar that has a new owner who isn’t afraid to try out new things.

Desmond thinks he’s flying by the seat of his pants but his heart is in the right place so Desmond tries to be supportive.

Also… he was given the go signal to adjust the drinks menu and make new drinks so that’s an automatic ‘that’s my boss and I support his decisions!’ for him.

Shirley Templar is his signature drink. He’s other signature drink is “Desmond Take The Wheel” which is just him preparing whatever the hell he wants for a customer who cannot take back the drink because that is what they ordered.

Shay:

Used to work for a freight ship with his dad being his captain together with his best friend Liam.

Hope works as a logistics support for the company they work for and also a radio operator when things get hectic. Shay and Hope may have been flirting on the radio for a while (much to his father’s amusement).

The company they’re working for started making really bad decisions after the owner lost his wife and son. Liam was transferred to another freight ship to be its captain and, during just a routine job, they got hit by a massive storm too far off the nearest coast which they wouldn’t have hit had their course not been switched an hour before their departure.

Shay’s father and a lot of the crew died that day and Shay blamed the owner because the route was approved by him. He refused to settle and lost with the cause being given as damnum fatale.

Haytham scouted him soon after and he was a captain first before being elevated to Head Logistics Officer.

Arno

He owns a cafe that once belonged to his uncle (not related to him but was a close friend of his father).

He’s been arrested for disorderly conduct (he was suppppeeer drunk and his longtime girlfriend/childhood friend just broke up with him) but the officers pitied him so they just let him sleep it off in one of the cells. The dude on the other cell started singing along when Arno began to sing sad love songs. Both of them were drunk though so they made the police officer giving them an easy time… well… a hard time.

He uses the profit he got from the cafe he inherited to buy more establishments.

He’s now focused on learning how to make a bar profitable… by buying a bar.

Jacob

He was the one in the other cell. He got into a bar fight but he wasn’t that drunk. The officers heard the fight happen because some slurs about Jacob’s sexual preferences were shouted by the other dude so the officer just left Jacob with a warning.

He’s actually the owner of a small orphanage and has an out-of-school youth program that usually helps children from high-risk areas. All of this is funded by his family (to be more exact, his sister).

He has a degree in pediatrics and this is his dream job.

This might (if the rumors were true) have been because he had been an unwitting accessory to a tragic fire as a young man that led to the death of children.

He has an adopted son named Jack.

Evie

Doctor, got top marks in her batch, and continued their late father’s job as a concierge doctor. She took over her father’s patients who are all quite wealthy (including the Kenways).

On her vacations, she would join her long-time boyfriend (“You married yet?” “No, Jacob. Jayadeep and I believe-” “Yes, yes, if it happens, it happens, blah, blah, blah.”) who is part of Doctors Without Borders.

She’s officially the head of the Frye family which she inherited from their father but she always gives Jacob his share (“So you’re still a trustfund baby.” “Pretty much, I guess. My sister loves me… as long as she doesn’t have to hear about my latest dumb stunt.”) while also donating a lot to his orphanage and program.

There are rumors that it’s a money laundering thing but that’s unfounded.

Bayek

The police officer who had to suffer thru Arno’s drunken singing of his ex’s beautiful flaming hair and Jacob’s sulking.

Almost always gets the graveyard shift so his fellow officers can go home and spend them with their families.

Used to be married, and had a divorce after a hit-and-run killed their only son, he still has a picture of his family on his table and everyone knows he still loves his ex but the death of their child was too much for both of them.

His ex may or may not be part of the government’s secret intelligence gathering bureau… maybe. Bayek does not know and does not want to know as he doesn’t want to risk her job in any way IF she was an actual spy.

Layla:

Still works for Abstergo and still has a feud going on with Sofia Rikkins.

Kinda friends with Lucy and Daniel Cross, enjoys adding chaos to annoy Berg if she knows she can get away with (or make someone like Robert take the fall).

Likes to drink in Desmond’s bar (technically Arno’s) and always takes the “Desmond takes the wheel” option.

Okay, so these ones aren’t Assassins or Hidden Ones (officially) but I kinda felt bad leaving them out since I wrote about Bayek.

Kassandra

MMA fighter who came from a military family.

Had a falling out with her stepfather when she was young and she left. It’s not clear if she left on her own or if she was kicked out and she doesn’t like to talk about it.

She only talks to her younger brother although her mother is trying to mend broken bridges… it… isn’t really working… unfortunately.

Her brother is in the army per the traditions of their family and she always worries about him.

Eivor

Spokesperson for her foster brother and working to help out for his reelection at the moment.

Her passion is in poetry though (and drinking everyone under but that’s more of a pastime) and she’s working on compiling her poems into a book. Her poems are quite beautiful but tend to be on the side of trash-talking certain types of people.

It took months but the ravens/crows around the area of her home now recognize her and would leave trinkets as a thank you for always feeding them.

Note: not a lawyer so I’m not sure if damnum fatale can be used for Shay’s part but Imma wave my fanfic writer card.

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big-boah · 2 years

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Autistic Thing of the day:

Autistic Catatonia 😵

I made a TikTok on this too with the same info (link here!)

I wanted to talk about autistic catatonia, which isn’t something I’d heard about until I researched it on my own. When I brought it up to my doctor, she said it made perfect sense.

Autistic catatonia affects, at minimum, about ten percent of autistic people. And the best way I can describe it is “getting stuck.”

I’ve dealt with this my entire life, I plan to do something, or respond to someone, and my mind goes blank and I just can’t move. If I fight it, my anxiety goes through the roof. I can’t talk or respond, only maybe stim a little or communicate using eye contact or eye gaze. For me, it can last anywhere from a few seconds to several hours.

Unfortunately, my bodily functions still continue when I’m stuck, so I have to be guided to the bathroom, need help in the shower, and kept out of harm’s way. My partner and I both have ADHD and have a similar thing happen but can still kind of move even if it's difficult, but that’s more executive dysfunction.

This is also a little different than derealization and depersonalization in that most people still feel entirely like themselves when these episodes happen, your inside mentality is the same. I can carry on commentary in my head during these episodes and I feel like I'm myself, just stuck.

Being catatonic is almost like every cell in my body is frozen in time. I know what’s going on around me, but my brain just can’t make that connection and that spark of purposeful movement doesn’t make it outside of my own mind. I wish there was a better way to explain it.

A lot of autistic people experience this differently. Some people have this and believe it's a shutdown (which is a little different because in shutdowns usually you can communicate.)

People with mild catatonia may feel like they've "gone nonverbal" and also feel physically stuck, although others can assist you to move if needed.

A lot of people have this experience when they're frightened of experiencing high levels of overstimulation. I've always said it's like my brain pressed pause on my life, because I wouldn't.

If you know someone who goes through something like this, make sure they stay safe, hydrated, and make sure to check in on them even if they don't respond. I like when my partner acts like nothing’s up, he will just hang out with me there. Some people like touch when they get stuck while others don’t. This can happen no matter what your support need level is in general. This actually happens often enough where it increases my support need level, I need to be supervised anyway. 😅

Once I realized this was a feature of my autism, I was able to come up with a plan with my loved ones because it happens about 2-3 times a week. Ever since I started taking ADHD meds it happens less, and research has found that benzo medications can actually prevent this from happening and help the episodes. Research needs to catch up to the rest of us on this one!

But if you experience this or periods of hyperactivity where you also feel like you can't interact with others on your own command, it may be autistic catatonia.

Hopefully this helps someone! 🤟🏻

#actually autistic #autism #autistic catatonia #catatonia #neurodivergent #adhd #audhd #ptsd #autistic thing of the day #dan.posts #autistic #autism things #autistic adult #high support needs #actually disabled

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encrucijada · 1 year

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oc questions tag.

tagged by @coffeeandcalligraphy ! thank you, rachel <3 i decided to do this one about piedad narváez from keeps staring and i'll never fall asleep.

5 words to physically describe your oc (do you have a drawing? even better!)

freckles, scars, fair, sharp, light-eyed (we're counting it as one)

i don't have drawings of piedad (unless you count this one my sister did). but i do have a fc for them! lydia graham. and here are some other photos that have their vibe

who inspired your oc?

piedad started as a percy jackson oc so first step was picking a godly parent for her. from the start i wanted it to be a muse because i knew i could give her some orpheus-like powers. i ended up going with urania because ✨stars✨. then because of the nature of my rps with @lethed-of-all i had to find a fc and just... randomly decided it would be lydia graham? then i gave her a violin because as a child of a muse she would need an instrument and i was listening to lindsey stirling at the time so naturally ballet summed to her aesthetic. things slowly developed naturally from there. i did more research on urania for piedad's powers and found out premonition was plausible. and long story short now she's the physical manifestation of fate in i'll never fall asleep <3 i'm not sure where the knives came from, though. i think it might have just been a vibe check that went well with her slowly establishing aesthetic. probably a result of me deciding the bow of her violin could turn into a stiletto knife.

give me a song to define your oc

oh man i can give you a couple of songs. recently i realised most of piedad-core songs are some form of "will someone please make me feel something" while adam songs are more "will someone please pay attention to me". so do with that what you will

shatter me by lindsey stirling (started it all. somebody make me feel alive then shatter me)

gasoline by halsey (quintessential in i'll never fall asleep. and all the people say: you can't wake up, this is not a dream. you're part of a machine, you are not a human being)

kairos by eden (the things only i know... i just keep waiting for kairos. fun fact! kairos is a greek word that means something approximately to "perfect time to do something")

love is a... by pvris (just put your hands around my throat, ain't been to heaven but i'm close)

circles by eden (this is my life i will not run in circles, ending where i start. so hold onto to me we'll burn down slowly)

if i met your oc on the street how would they greet me?

with strangers, piedad keeps her distance. would not initiate the interaction but would give a polite smile and greeting. with people she knows it's a bit of a range but usually she goes for a hug with her friends.

can your oc be your best friend? why?

i don't know lmao. i don't think so. no reason other than vibes i don't think we would connect enough to become best friends. maybe something like... coworkers or classmates that get along.

1 adjective and 1 noun to describe your oc

starry & blue. i dunno, piedad is just very silver and blue in my mind. with some green from her eyes.

and i'm tagging @onomatopiya @saltwaterbells @teddywriting @cannivalisms @moonssugar @cream-and-tea and anyone else who might want to do this!

#tag game #( wip ) greek tragedy!

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silentwillowwhisperer · 1 year

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!!!!

I can't believe I forgot what this week is!! It's bi week! Thank you, tumblr, for reminding me!

This is a really long post, feel free to just skip around if you want. I would definitely check out the links/video!

(Before I start talking, yes, I have done research and I will be providing a bunch of great articles about bisexuality.)

IF YOU ARE BISEXUAL AND/OR QUESTIONING, STEP ONE OF REALIZING YOUR SEXUALITY IS AKNOWLEDING THAT YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID!

I myself have this problem where I invalidate my own fears and insecurities because 'it could be worse' and 'I'm just being dramatic' and 'I should stop being such an attention seeker.'

Biphobia, especially the internalized kind, is VERY real.

NO, dating someone does not suddenly alter your sexuality. If you are a masculine-identifying individual dating a man, but previously identified as bisexual, you are still bisexual during the relationship too!

People will sometimes unknowingly invalidate bisexuality because they do not understand this. If you are an ally or hope to become one, please do some basic research before making assuptions.

I've found that reading books and articles that include bisexual representation are helpful when you feel particularly alone and when you are questioning yourself.

By the way, Bisexuality does not always mean that you only like male and female individuals! If you scroll down, there's more info on that in the article link titled 'bisexual vs pansexual.'

If you ignored everything else on this post, then pay attention here.

This is a helpful list of hotlines for queer and questioning individuals.

Ok sorry I got off topic. If you want to start with the basics, then maybe figure out what bisexuality is first?

What is bisexual? and What does it mean to be bisexual?

This next site is a wonderful place to look if you want more information on sexuality.

minus18.org These are usually more direct and a bit shorter than other articles.

Some articles from this site about bisexuality are:

Busting 7 myths about being bisexual and Bisexual vs. Pansexual

I think I might be bisexual (a colorful pdf complete with pictures.)

This one includes info on sex, safe sex, and healthy relationships. Those are things that I am not not at all knowledgeable about, so you'll just have to read the pretty article.

Am I bisexual? 9 signs you might be.

You don't have to be romantically attracted to someone to want a relationship! If you are not aware of the term queer-platonic relationship, a quick google search should clear it up pretty well.

Wanting a lifelong relationship is understandable, even if you identify on the ace/aro spectrum. These pictures sum it up pretty well.

This is an article from abc news about some queer-platonic relationships

This one is in first person : )

This is also in first person, I like this one the best.

Wait! What if you previously thought you were straight but now you have a crush on someone of the same gender?

You identify as straight but now have a crush on a girl and Woe is me! (That title is so funny to me.)

WikiHow!! Our savior and salvation. Yeah, sometimes I just give up and and look through these kinds of articles, because to be honest, they are pretty helpful. (Also the others can get really long.) Pictures too! It's a miracle!

How to tell your parents you are bisexual and How to tell your mom you are bisexual.

Because if you have a good relationship with your parents, then keep it!

Mental health and lgbtq

If you want to know a person's sexuality/pronouns/ learn more about their orientation, maybe just ask?

Seriously. Try ASKING.

Coming out. How terrifying. We're gonna need some links for that!

Coming out (For teens.) and Coming out to your parents

This one is a 44 page pdf of a coming out guide.

People erase my existence.

Being an ally! Allies are great! Allies are friends!

If someone comes out to you and Being an Ally to lgbtq people.

SCIENTIFIC QUEST TO PROVE BISEXUALITY EXISTS

How to express my sexuality. (I'm just gonna leave the google search here.)

Can you realize your sexuality at an older age? (yes.)

Myth of realizing you're queer 'too late' in life.

Oh look at that, I did not read this article, but I think it's got the jist of it.

You may also have my google search.

And another pdf: A closer look bisexual transgender people.

I gave up on reading it, tell if it's trash and if I should delete it please?

BI PRIDE STUFF!!!!

(Brought to you by amazon because that place is magic.)

There's socks and earrings and shirts and flags and stickers and pins and underwear and EVERYTHING.

And last but never least, if you're not a reader, here is an animated video! It's great if you're like me and your attention span likes to turn off randomly.

youtube

Wow, my brain walked away halfway through that, I hope someone finds it helpful. The amount of links I had open just now was stressing me out.

Anyway.

HAPPY BI PRIDE!!!!

(week)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go pass out. : ) Good night.

#bisexual #pride #lgbt pride #bisexual week #Youtube #tawny post

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crow-caller · 2 years

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Hey! I saw that you published some books (looking forward to checking them out, actually), but I was wondering how you did that? I'm not out of high school yet, but I've already finished my first draft of book one of my series, and have been working on editing and fixing up the second draft. I do have an editor, which is nice. I was wondering how you published? Any advice/ info would be greatly appreciated!

Hey, cool! My first book legit came out when I was still in high school.

I'm an indie author, so I'll talk about indie stuff... and traditional... and oh dear that's a lot.

Let's go over some pros and cons and what to expect.

Crow's (oops not) Quick Guide to Publishin'

Self Publishing:

This is what I did for Good Angel, Bad End, my duology!

Self pubbing:

+Total control of end product +No deadlines +Full control of changing it at any time -You do all the work (or pay) -It costs you money for jobs you can't (or shouldn't) do yourself like editing -Extremely limited reach of audience, very hard to sell

I queried GA/BE around a bit but ultimately decided to self publish it. It's just too niche for mainstream, being a weird genre mix up with way too queer characters. Multiple neopronouns used by funky angels in magic school slice of life that turns apocalyptic? yeah, I felt it'd be best I just put it out.

You'll need to

Edit the text (I'd recc multiple friends, a paid editor)

Proofread the text (I'd recc paying a pro)

Assemble the text files formatting (for digital, print)

Get a cover

Make pages for it on GoodReads etc and promote it

Self-publishing can be a lot of work. I did GA/BE's interiors myself using first Microsoft word, then adobe indesign for the recent revamp. Using Word/other text programs can give you a fully workable interior file, but abusing the free trial system of adobe will allow more advanced inclusions. Getting ebook files to work is a nightmare, and print can also be a pain- it's a lot of following online tutorials and trial and error I found. Calibre then is the program you use to finish digital files for release.

Costs for editing can be very high. Editing is a high skill, high time job- I got my books done on discount from a friend for next to nothing, but expect definitely a few hundred bucks. Research though fair prices. You don't need to hire someone to proofread or edit, but it is a good idea. That or outsource to many friends, ideally ones who give honest feedback. A proofreader is much cheaper as they only look for errors, I again got it cheap for 65£ per book. Art wise, I bought mine on commission- talk to an artist and make it clear it is for a commercial project and that you have the right to sell the end result. My cover for each book was about 100£

You might notice this is adding up to a few hundred quid, and yes: it cost me like, 350£ or so per book to publish, even with myself doing a lot of the work. This is a lot! Does it pay back? Usually no. I have at this point now "made a profit", but it took years. You can't typically go into self publishing looking for profit.

I really enjoy self publishing GA. It meant I could put a project out that I kinda only made for me, and have full rights to do whatever I want with it. I got to design the cover and choose what to do at every step... but it was a crazy amount of intensive work too. Marketing wise I've found is about impossible- your best bet 100% is to send the book to as many people as possible (digitally) for review and just try to get enough people reading it. Then you hope they like it and talk about it. I've found no other method of marketing particularly useful: word of mouth is still king.

Indie Publishing:

Indie pubbin:

+Don't have to spend any money (get paid) +Professional editing/cover/formatting +Backing of publishing house's marketing team -Deadlines -Less creative control -Contracted -Must query and be accepted

My first book was Angel Radio, which actually I sold when I was 17. came out when I was 18. The timescale for traditional publishing, even indie, is typically at least a year.

There's a lot of indie publishers out there, and we should read them more often. However, being published by an indie publisher (aka, a small, non-mainstream one- unlikely to ever be 'on shelves') takes extra, different work.

Do your research!!! There's a LOT of scam publishers out there. A publisher will never, ever, not even slightly ever, charge you money or pressure you to spend money (like buying your own copies of the book). A great way to check is to just look up 'publisher name + scam'.

Prepare a query letter. This is a pitch for your book, basic book info, and a bit about you. Every publishing house will have a 'submissions' page which explains specific wants (such as several pages of your book or a synopsis), so every application is slightly custom.

Query and wait. It takes many weeks to hear back with queries. Usually you should do them in small batches of like five. It's very rare to get a deal- it may not be your book, it might just be market trends or they already got a book about dragons on order.

DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CONTRACT. Contracts can be hard, so seek help if you want, though I've found my one contract to be not that long and readable. Still, you should always read a contract, especially as a scam publisher might try to trick you there.

Indie publishing is good because... it's more accessible and diverse than mainstream, but still offers the same benefits to authors. Just on a way smaller scale. I don't think my publisher, Harmony Ink Press, did much jack or shit for me marketing wise, and that's pretty typical. Marketing is very hit or miss and very expensive, so the onus is still on you to market (spoilers, these days marketing is on you no matter what). You also have more leeway in edits and covers- I designed AR's rough cover and worked with the artist directly! That's uncommon.

Most indie publishers also have a common royalty scheme where you pay it back. This isn't a hallmark of a scam, it's pretty normal: You get advance cash upfront, but then do not earn royalties until your book has paid itself off. Which it may not. Angel Radio sold for 500$, not a huge amount but not exactly tiny, especially for a teen. But I haven't earned a penny on royalties because it never sold well enough! I think I'm a little over halfway there.

Traditional Publishing

(I don't have a book of this type. yet...?)

Y'know, like, books?

+Large advance +Big support team +Marketing +Books on shelves +Most lucrative and recognizable -Sharper deadlines -Least control and rights -Must query (hardcore mode) -Still marketing yourself

Traditional publishing is the longest timescale and hardest method. Obvs. You again are looking to write a good query, but now you need to go through a literary agent. You query an agent with your book (again, should only ever be free), the agent then essentially queries publishers on your behalf ("out on submission"). An agent is your liaison to the business of publishing, taking a portion of your earnings for the service. You just can't make it into publishing without an agent.

A query letter ideally is... roughly, quickly, this is my format guide.

Hi there [actual agent name]

I'm here proposing my cool book, XYZ of ABC, a GENRE book of ??k words that IS SOMETHING UNIQUE SELLING POINT. MAIN CHARACTER is LIKE THIS but faced CONFLICT when PLOT HAPPENS, in SOME KINDA WORLD OR WHATEVER. THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU WRITE A 2-3 SENTENCE PLOT BLURB. But when TWIST happens, will MC have SOME EYECATCHING IDEA? This book will appeal to fans of THIS KINDA THING and is extra good because RELEVENT DETAIL LIKE OWNVOICES. I believe JUST KEEP SELLING KID. I myself SOME SORT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT LIKE UNI, PAIRED WITH A RELEVANT HOBBY. thank you for your time

Hot and dirty, something like that. You gotta recall at all times this is a market. It is economic. Your passion... matters, but uh. It doesn't matter. Gosh that sounds rough. But make your passion clear but your sound business proposal clearer: You need to show why your book is worth picking over thousands of other queries.

Querying is a horrible torturous process that does help you slowly build up exposure therapy to rejection and failure. Anyways, that will take a bit typically (I've been querying on and off for ten years for an agent, but a lot has been 'off' time). Then you wait and eventually, bam! Probably post some edits, your book is sold.

You still wait a long time though, and have a lot of work to do. So much work. Your book will come out on shelves at the end, sure, but that's still not a promise of success. The author these days is especially the product, and while you start on a higher stage (maybe even the marketing team will f---ing do something), you still gotta claw. There's a high level of scrutiny too on debut authors on any tier, but especially the traditional publishing tier. So your success is very dependent on each book you do, with it being harder and harder to sell books if you aren't doing fantastic.

Still, it's hard to deny the appeal of that mainstream success. Man, I'm chasing it myself! But it's not just easy book out there you go. I'm pals with traditionally published authors and you'll still be very busy, if you can get your foot on the ladder with an agent to begin with. Being on submission generally takes months, and even when your book is with a publisher it may be a lot of time and work before it ever comes out. Even then, hitting the shelves still doesn't mean you're set for life.

Still. Good luck. Go try!

(BTW look at my books, I guess, as a sticker on what I hope is good advice, and good luck! I first decided to try publishing Angel Radio with HIP because of a post by someone else published by them on tumblr... like 10 years ago now....)

Gum ebook

Amaz print

Goodreads)

#writing #writing advice #publishing #publishing advice #sometimes theres asks

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pb-dot · 1 year

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Writer Q&A Tag

Full disclosure, this is my second attempt at writing this tag. After I was mentioned by @mthollowell-writes I started filling in the questions with the enthusiasm I usually show for these kinds of things. Then, I actually double-checked the post and discovered I was not tagged, but rather mentioned as an inspiration. This flustered me to the point where I plain forgot to read the next line encouraging those tagged in this way to participate as well, and so, not wanting to be gauche, I deleted the post-to-be. Now I know better, and found the whole thing humorous enough to share, so good on me, I say. Q&A below the cut

1)What motivates you to write?

Writing just makes me happy. I might hem and haw about the obscure pain of trying to nail my thoughts to the page, as well as the sheer nightmare that is editing the result, but the truth of the matter is that writing lets me be a happier person. Part of it is no doubt that it allows me to unload one of the several stories I've got rolling around in my head at any given time, and part of it is that I just enjoy the process of it, forming formless thoughts into linear sentences and linear sentences into more or less coherent paragraphs,and so on.

2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

The description of Jake's first impressions of 13 sticks with me. I can't quite decide if I think it's good or if I just think it's good-shaped, but it'll do for this example.

There was something with the pensive look in the eyes of the strange young man that just drew out the similes. His eyes weren’t blue, they were like a perfect sky; His hair wasn’t blond and tightly cropped, it was like freshly harvested wheat; His cloak was not over-sized and ill-fitting, it was like an immaterial fog swathing his delicate form. Perhaps the young man could not be comprehended otherwise, at least Jake couldn’t.

3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

I am very fond of the main couple of my book, Jake and 13. There's just something about the slow but inexorable and unashamed way these two grow to rely on each other that really works for me. They both have good cause to be cynical about the world and everything in it, but despite this, there's something about how they are together that allows them to be vulnerable and gentle with each other, and that's the kind of thing that makes me smile.

4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I love the drafting process. Getting words on the page in the form they're supposed to have just fills me with energy, and every time I add a detail that flourishes into a whole subplot or important worldbuilding detail I feel an incredible level of mastery that just fills me with energy. That's not an everyday occurrence, to be clear, but a couple of times per draft I'll get into the "wait, what does that bit I added on a whim imply exactly"-headspace, and often that leads to the discovery of something neat!

5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Oh, now this is hard for me. Not because I don't know what to say, but because anything that might constitute bragging is just difficult for my brain to handle. That said, I think I'm really strong on structure and plot, thinking about characters and their struggles and development in terms of part of an overarching story just comes naturally to me and I enjoy working on that scale.

6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

I honestly just love the very specific kind of commiseration writers show to each other, and Writeblr captures it perfectly. There's just something refreshing about posting something like "got distracted from writing by worldbuilding, got distracted from worldbuilding by research about Parisian sewers through history" or whatever and have people popping up like "Oh if I had a dollar every time that happened."

7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I'm a Scrivener boy, and I must say a couple of features of that program help my writing a sizable amount. I enjoy how it's offline and not integrated or associated with any level of AI fuckery on any detectable level. The way it organizes your manuscript on a chapter-chapter level and the chapters on a scene-scene level has also been very useful for getting nitpicky with the structure, in addition to finally getting me to organize my writing into chapters which I had dragged my feet on for months at that point.

8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I just got done writing up a lengthy summary of The Coal Wars that set the stage for my setting, so while I hatelove it on the level I hatelove most of my ideas, it'll be my pick for this. In short, the city the story takes place in isn't commonly referred to by name because the name it used to have, Imil, is so closely related to the name of the empire it used to be the capital of, Imelia. Imelia was an expansionist maritime empire that maintained colonies and suzerainties all over the world until its chief colony Pelia declared independence after a series of unpopular taxes were levied against them along with the kind of draconic control that an empire might employ against its subjects. This declaration led to a spreading wildfire of requests and demands for emancipation from Imelia's other colonies.

Long story short, Imelia declared war on all of them in an act of imperial hubris. Because control of coal production was such a big deal for the Imelian empire's steampunk technology, these wars were known as The Coal Wars. These wars ended up bankrupting Imelia, and with the hereditary line of emperors cut off with the last empress' death, the whole nation was at a perilous tipping point.

What ultimately decided the fate of the empire was a bunch of the government's debtors and creditors banding together and deciding to repossess the imperial palace, which led to a scuffle between the debtors' private security and the remaining government and their loyalists that saw the last government of Imelia fall in a rather ignoble way. Not wanting to get into the mess of inheriting Imelia's many problems by claiming the throne, the debtors declared the nation of Imelia defunct and went back to their business consolidating industrial and real estate holdings while their security and private military forces maintained a sort of peace in the city.

9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

If you are like me and writing in and of itself brings you joy, try to find little moments of calm or clarity to write a bit. Doesn't have to be much. Just fiddling with some sentences or correcting obvious mistakes in your text can be enough to keep your writing fresh in your mind until better days come along.

If you're less energized by the act of writing itself and it's an actual drain on you, I recommend you to not worry about it. Take a break. Rest. Maybe read or watch some fiction, go see some friends, and live whatever slice of life you can in your current state. It might not seem like it, but this is a vital part of writing as well, since you need a steady stream of impressions and thoughts and feelings to fuel your writing, in addition to needing them to live a fulfilling life of course.

10) Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

I should be way better at reading other writeblrs stuff honestly. There's some good stuff in here. That said, I do enjoy reading up on @stesierra multitude of projects and @dyrewrites' dark, wicked, and delightful Pale Blood. I also have a longer list of people I just like seeing pop up. In no particular order: @anxious-andconfused @starbuds-and-rosedust @words-after-midnight @holdmyteaplease @teacupsandstarlight @ettawritesnstudies @simonambroise @writingamongther0ses @leisoree @wrenofthewords @isabellebissonrouthier @rickie-the-storyteller @robin-writes-a-lot @scifimagpie and of course @mthollowell-writes

Everybody mentioned above can consider themselves tagged in this. I also wouldn't mind getting to know the following people a mite better: @maskedemerald @deadhunter-series @your-absent-father and @unspokenvastlywritten

#writing #writeblr #hearts in clockwork #peebs thinks #the clockwork boy

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odder-oddish · 1 month

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Bond- Chapter 4

Two chapters in one night? It's more likely than you think, especially with my garbage sleep schedule. I'm enjoying developing these characters. That said, this chapter definitely highlights the enemies of 'enemies to lovers.' No warnings for this chapter, but I have an author's note at the end, sharing some thoughts on the progression of their relationship that I advise you check out after reading.

Demon hunting is a socially isolating lifestyle. It's best to work with another hunter or several others, or loneliness creeps up on you. That said, when you spend all of your time with the same people, they can begin to annoy you. Remember to get space when you need it, and if you and your partners don't click, there's no shame in finding another hunting buddy. It's not like you're chained together anyway. -Henry Bayshore, 'Hunting for Dummies'

Felix doesn't expect to be particularly productive during his first day of research, and he proved himself right. He'd taken a couple more general books on demon summoning, hoping he could at least learn the basics of what the ritual was. He really should have paid more attention when Elodie talked about spells. His rudimentary knowledge meant that reading the complicated texts were slow going.

But he couldn't ask Elodie for help, or Mikaela, though she'd be a great asset. If they knew there was a demon bound to him, they'd try to kill it, and Felix couldn't risk losing his own life. Not when he still had a job to do. Besides, after staying awake for so long, even sleeping through the whole morning wasn't enough. By ten o'clock, Felix was exhausted, so he marked the page in the book he was reading and turned go to bed.

"Will you move?" he asks Ace, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, blocking his space.

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired and want to sleep," he says. "And that's my bed."

Ace just smirks back at him. "But I'm your guest. Shouldn't you be a gracious host and let me have the bed?"

"You don't sleep."

Ace hold up a finger, irritatingly close to Felix's nose. "Ah-ah, I don't need to sleep, but I still can."

Felix shoved his hand away. "You're not taking my bed, Ace."

"I don't see why we can't at least share. It's big enough for the both of us."

Felix rolls his eyes but decides not to fight it anymore. He's too tired. Ace is still blocking the entrance to the bed, with it being set in the corner, so Felix awkwardly steps aside him, climbing into the bed. Trapped between Ace and the bedroom wall, Felix rolls to his side, facing away from the demon, and tries to go to sleep.

Ten minutes pass, and he feels a sudden, rhythmic shaking of the bed behind him. He looks over to see Ace bouncing his leg up and down, still sitting on the edge of the bed. "Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Rocking the bed."

Suddenly, something is lightly touching the back of his neck, oddly caressing his skin. Felix whirls around and grabs it. He's holding the spade of Ace's tail, which he lets go of immediately. The demon just laughs. "That's funny, I've never had someone complain about that before. Usually they enjoy it when the bed starts rocking."

"You know what I mean. I need sleep," said Felix, rolling back onto his side.

There was a short silence, for perhaps a minute, before Ace spoke again, "Wanna make out?"

"No."

"Wanna snuggle?"

"NO!"

Aggravated, Felix yanked the bed's only blanket over himself completely and squeezed his eyes shut. He just wanted some sleep.

Suddenly, he heard a snicker of laughter behind him. "What?" he asked flatly.

"Nothing. Goodnight, Darling."

Felix finally found an uneasy sleep, hoping that Ace hadn't lied about everything and wasn't plotting to kill him while he slept.

Morning arrived, and Felix had not, in fact, been murdered during the night. With his eyes closed, he enjoyed the relative peace for a moment before the events yesterday began flooding his mind again. Right. Demon. Summoning. Stuck.

With a deep breath, he opened his eyes, ready to face the day.

And came face to face with Ace staring right back at him. Felix shouted in shock and rolled backwards. "Finally," said Ace, laughing. "I was wondering how long it'd be 'til you woke up. You should'a seen the look on your face." Somehow, in the middle of the night, Ace had stepped over Felix's body and slid into the small space between him and the wall.

Felix just groaned. The day was already off to a terrible start. He moved to get off the bed, momentarily forgetting about the chain. Ace made no move to follow him, so when Felix reached the edge, the chain went taut, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Ace just laughed again before rolling out of the bed himself, grabbing the chain from the center, and forcing Felix to his feet.

In the bathroom, Ace continued his streak of childish behavior. Felix began to get undressed to shower. "Would you turn around?" he asked Ace.

"Aw, you're not gonna give me a show?" he responds, sitting on the bathroom counter and trying out one of Elodie's perfumes.

Suddenly, Felix realizes another problem. He can't take his shirt off, as the chain connecting them keeps him from sliding out of his sleeve. He returns to the bedroom, pulling Ace along with him. He finds a pair of scissors and the shirt from the top of the sleeve to the collar. "Turn around," Felix repeats once they're back in the bathroom, with a strong sense of authority that even has Ace doing a double take. He makes a 'tsk tsk' sound, but otherwise complies while Felix strips and turns on the shower.

Felix has never been one to sing in the shower, but apparently, Ace is. As Felix tries to clean himself as fast as possible, Ace belts out a chorus to a Whitney Houston hit that would bring tears to the singer's eyes. Tears of pain, that is. Felix pokes his head out from behind the shower curtain and tells Ace to shut it, to which he responds, "Jealous?" and continues singing anyway. Felix thunks his head against the wall of the shower, trying to calm himself down before continuing.

Ace must hear his pause, with shower sounds not changing, because he suddenly pipes up. "Want some company?" Felix doesn't dignify the question with a response, finishing up in silence before shutting the water off, and another complication arises. His towel is on the wall next to the far side of the shower, the chain is out the front. Felix is left awkwardly stretching through the entire length of the shower, one hand close at the front of the shower, where the chain is still connected to Ace and the other reaching for the towel. After significant struggle, he manages to catch the cotton between two fingers and pull it back towards himself.

Drying himself off, Felix puts his new pair of pants on and wraps the towel from his torso to just beneath his arms. "Wow, you really are a prude," Ace comments at the way he choses to cover himself. Felix just rolls his eyes and leaves the bathroom.

Elodie's door is open, but her room is empty, so Felix enters and finds the sewing kit she keeps on her. Years of hunting have made them both experts in basic clothing repairs, a skill Felix has found surprisingly helpful recently. Back in his own bedroom, he ignores Ace yanking on the chain and snickering as he sews three buttons into his shirt along the line he cut. Finally able to dress, Felix undoes the buttons, slides his shirt on and then closes the top. The sleeves are now a little uneven in tightness, but it's better than wearing the same shirt for days.

"What's your problem?" asks Felix, finally reacting to Ace's antics.

The demon just shrugs. "You brought me here, you can deal with it."

"I'm sorry, is this just… revenge for being summoned?"

"Maybe," says Ace, in a way that certainly means yes. "Maybe some inspiration for you to solve this damn problem for both of us."

"You know, you could help with that," says Felix, opening the door and going downstairs with Ace still jingling the chain behind them.

He doesn't let up on his antics in the kitchen either. As Felix tries to make breakfast, Ace blocks his way to the fridge, turns off the stove while Felix is cooking eggs, and very nearly trips him with his tail.

"Would you quit it?" Felix hisses, finally adding the eggs as well as a toasted bagel to his plate.

"Quit what?" comes a voice from behind him, and Felix freezes. He catches Ace's expression too, and he also has a look of shock on his face.

Felix turns to see Elodie walk into the room., returning a glass to the kitchen. "Nothing," he answers quickly. "Just, erm, was trying to kill a fly and it kept getting away."

"I see," says Elodie. "You feeling any better? I haven't seen much of you lately, and I wanted to talk about catching that demon."

"Do you really think it's worth our time?" Felix asks.

"Absolutely, I bet it's tracking us. It found our room," says Elodie. "Hell, maybe the summoning failed because it was already here, just out of sight. Maybe it knocked us out and we couldn't see it."

Felix begins adding jam to his bagel, trying to think of a way to answer Elodie's question that gets her to back off the summoning without becoming suspicious. If she tries summoning Ace with Felix already bound to him who knows what would happen? "Why would it just knock us out?" he finally asks. "It could have killed us last night."

"Maybe it was trying to send a message," says Elodie, uncertain. She sits down at the kitchen table, pondering the situation.

"Well then it did a pretty poor job. It should have at least let us know what it wanted." Felix pulls a fork out of the kitchen drawer and sets in on his plate.

"What's your theory then?"

Felix looks at Ace, who's leaning against the countertop, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "Maybe your summoning had an issue. It was your first time trying it, after all. And maybe it's a weak, pathetic demon who's too scared to come after us face to face." His tone is sharp as he ends his sentence, and he looks at Ace out of the corner of his eye who responds extremely maturely, sticking his tongue out at Felix.

"Maybe. Let's lay low for a few days; make sure it doesn't pop up and come for us when we aren't ready."

"I agree. I'll do some reading and see if I can find anything about failed summonings." Elodie nods.

"I'm going to go to the store today for some groceries. You need anything?"

"I'll text you," says Felix as Ace next to him says "Oh, how about a good red wine." Felix ignores him and picks up his plate, wondering where his fork went. He opens the same drawer and picks up another one as Elodie turns to leave.

Felix picks up his phone and begins adding a few things to a list for Elodie. "So, maybe a nice Merlot, what do you think?"

"I'm not asking Elodie to get you wine," says Felix, sending the message.

"Why not? Forcing me to be around you is bad enough, but having to do it sober is just cruel," says Ace.

"Because I don't drink wine; if I ask her to buy some, she'll be suspicious."

Felix takes the plate to the kitchen table and Ace follows. Only when he sit down does he realize that the fork is missing again. "Ace, did you take my fork?"

"Hmm, why would I do that?" asks Ace, fluttering his eyelashes. Felix rolls his eyes and fishes yet another out from the drawer. He eats as quickly as he can, ravenous after the last few busy days.

Felix tries to settle in for another day of research, but Ace does not let up on his antics. From talking nonsense to himself to wandering around the room, going through his stuff and testing the lengths of a chain. Felix gets so wrapped up in trying to study one of the books that he doesn't notice that Ace has looped the chain around his front while he zoned out, leaving the thin chain tangled up around his chest. He nearly falls out of the chair trying to fix it, and Ace cackles.

After several hours and no new answers, Elodie brings him food. Chicken and rice and some grilled vegetables. Felix takes a break from reading and allows himself to eat more slowly, enjoying his rest from work. He zones out a little bit, just relaxing for a while. At least, until he hears a snicker from the bed to his left.

He turns over to see that Ace has snatched his journal. He has a pink pen in his hand, and is doodling over the faded writing and sketches on the pages. "What are you doing?" Felix whisper-yells, knocking the pen from his hand. He tries to nab the journal as well, but Ace turns away, holding it just out of reach.

"I'm just making some revisions," he said. Felix stares at the pink scribbles, which are certainly are not improvements.

"Where'd you even get that pen? Give it back!"

"It was on the desk in the library. And, no, I don't think I will."

Felix lunges for his journal again, only succeeding in jostling Ace's arm a little bit, causing a small "click" to come from the back of the book.

"Ooh, what's this?" Ace asks teasingly, and Felix's blood runs cold. Ace opens up a hidden compartment in a journal, and half a dozen polaroid photos fall out. "What are these? Are they of you?"

Felix gets out of the chair to grab at them, but Ace kicks the chair out as he tries to get up, causing Felix to slip on to the ground. Ace pins him down. "Just a sec', I wanna look at these real quick." Felix just freezes, giving up completely. He's too weak to fight back; he can't argue and yell or Elodie will hear. He's completely stuck.

"Oh, is this a young Elodie?" asks Ace, holding up the first picture. Felix knows the photo of him and Elodie sitting on a tree branch on Dyer Island. "She was adorable, and you… well the bowl cut wasn't a great idea."

"Ace, please stop," Felix says desperately, angry at having his privacy completely invaded. The demon doesn't listen, he just keeps flipping through the photos until he comes to the last one.

The last is Felix's favorite. He's seventeen in that picture, which Elodie took. It shows him and another boy, just a year older. The other boy is looking at the camera, a look of pleasant surprise on his face as a young Felix leans in and kisses him on the cheek. "You never told me about a boy in your life," says Ace. "You've got good taste; how come he's not out here hunting demons?"

With renewed anger, Felix stands up, making another attempt at grabbing the photos. He catches the one in Ace's hand between his fingers and tries to pull it away, but the photo rips in the process, causing Felix to stumble back down, eyes beginning to water.

"Well now look what you've done," taunts Ace, picking up the pieces of the photo and turning them over. "Oh you left him a note on the back. 'Dear Sebastian, you'll always be here, in my heart. I-'…Oh fuck." Ace trails off and a genuine look of remorse crosses his face. He doesn't finish reading the photo.

'I miss you.'

Felix is crying now. He'd just destroyed the last photo of him and Sebastian, his first love, and one of his best friends. There was so little left from the Pariahs, and now, another artifact had been destroyed.

"Sorry," mutters Ace. But it's half-hearted. Felix doesn't respond, just sitting down on the bedroom floor and sobbing, holding his head in his hands. He stays like that for a long time. Ace is mercifully silent.

When he finally composes himself and stands up, he doesn't look at Ace, though he can feel the demon's stare directed towards him. Instead, he turns to the desk, where he sits down and opens the next tome. The demon has caused enough pain already. It's time to send him away.

Final Note: Ace obviously crosses a line several times this chapter, and while it's not a surprise due to his demonic nature and the situation he finds himself in, it does raise some concerns about the progression of Felix and Ace's relationship. Obviously, a lot of fiction contains unhealthy, toxic relationships. But I know a lot of folks don't jive with that, myself included. So without causing any spoilers, I just want to let everyone know that Felix is not about to be a pushover this fic, and Ace has a lot of reflecting to do before any sort of relationship is possible between them. The tension and Ace's ass-hattery will not be swept under the rug in a would-be unhealthy relationship. Thank you for reading, and I appreciate any and all feedback.

#dead by daylight #ace visconti #felix richter #riconti #dead by daylight fanfic #rip my sleep schedule

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welikeimagines-andfandoms · 7 months

Note

Hi, I hope you doing good. Can i have a matchup for LOTR and/or HOBBIT, Marvel please 💐 Firstly English not my first language. I'm autistic. I'm genderfluid, bisexual with male preference.I have long black wavy hair. I have thick black eyebrows, brown eyes. I always have rosy chubby cheeks. I have braces. My body is curvy with very big chest and little tummy. My eyebrows are constantly furrowed. Also I'm 172 cm. I'm Libra. If you interested, my mbti Infp and my enneagram 5w4. I always have poker face. I'm very outspoken, stubborn. I always doing my job alone. I find it difficult to express my feelings and prefer to isolate myself. My best feature is that I know a little about everything, I always surprise people. Those who know me for the first time describe me as cold, scary, quiet, unapproachable and distant, mature. But at heart I'm compassionate and helpful, works for the good of people. And they often think I can't speak and I'm deaf but I'm not. People say I'm extremely chaste. When I enter an environment, I listen to what people say and get to know them well, I decide if there is anyone worth talking to. I'm only close to two or three people. They describe me as cold, soft inside, calm, sarcastic, resourceful and knowledgeable. I am usually a rebellious person. I am the person who stands against injustices and lies in an environment. They say I make clever jokes and I'm the mom-friend. Actually i like to help everyone and it works automatically without me noticing. I will help anyone by giving my all. And i hate phsyical touch. My love language is words of affirmation. If I talk about myself, I've always been on my own. I have family problems, I was never close with my father. Even though we are side by side with my mother, we are distant. I'm just my own mom and dad. That's why I've always focused on academic achievement for salvation. And I think I'm very good at it. My hobbies are drawing, sewing, writing and researching, especially about mythology, cultures, politics, history, fashion. I like to visit second-hand and antique markets. I'm someone who doesn't like to waste money but cares about clothing. I always wear my headphones and listen to music, i listen every genre. I like silence, soft colors, being alone, flowers (especially honeysuckle), spring and breeze. I don't like crowds, noise, children, loud talkers and shiny things. I always wear colorful clothes with floral prints or all black. I also wear interesting earrings and different printed socks. And finally, I don't really have an ideal type. I love every person. I like the fact that there are different people. And I don't believe in love. If I'm going to be with someone, I'll be happy if we have respect, compassion, and loyalty to each other. It is enough that we are in harmony with each other. If I am with someone, I am clearly their mother.-🧠

I ship you with…

Pippin

✨ Giving you your own little corner for you to read in peace

✨ Adventurous little picnics together

✨ Decorating your hair with beautiful flowers from around The Shire

✨ Getting you pretty Hobbit dresses to fit your gorgeous frame

✨ Being there for each other to talk whenever you need

✨ Playing around but always being able to rein him in

✨ Quiet together time

✨ Being the only one to keep your crazy hobbit in check

Kili

✨ Having fun climbing trees together to be able to get away from everything

✨ Horse/pony rides together

✨ Giving you a found family with the dwarves and they all love you

✨ Gifting you pretty gifts just for you

✨ Leaving and sending each other love letters

✨ Laying together in the sun to just have quiet time

✨ Not being afraid of you and being able to bring out your sweet side, looking like a black cat and golden retriever together

✨ Deep conversations together

Steve

✨ Collecting records together

✨ Buying you fresh flowers everyday

✨ Reading together

✨ Loves seeing you in gorgeous vintage style pastel dresses

✨ Drawing with one another

✨ Hikes together

✨ Seperate together time

✨ Finding quiet cafes to take you to

#ship #ship match up #pippin #Kili #Steve Rogers

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kenobster · 2 years

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So apparently there is a nationwide shortage of ADHD medication in the United States. :) :) :) This has been known to me for several years because every time I go to fill my prescription, it's out of stock. It's to the point where I've learned to never believe I'll have my next dose of medication that I need in order to function until it's physically in my hand.

In fact, several different times, I've changed my meds to ones that don't work as well for me, completely variant on which specific medication is in stock. Bless my psychiatrist's heart for not making me go to a 1 month check-up every time I have to do this. Bless my pharmacist for helping me as best she can and answering all of my questions and doing her best to get an ETA for me (even though she usually can't). And fuck the pharmacy technician last night whose answer to my sobbed questions was just, "just try a different pharmacy or ask your doctor to change your meds." Yes, very helpful, Jodie. Yes, I don't mind having to change my prescription to a less effective med every single month. I also don't mind spending five hours every single month calling every pharmacy within 15 miles of my apartment only to be told "we don't have it in stock either" by half of them and "we're not legally allowed to tell you that information" by the other half. I especially don't mind doing any of that while literally suffering the severe effects of ADHD's lack of attention span, focus, and dopamine, every single month for days (and sometimes weeks) while I go without my meds. Fuck you very much, Jodie.

Every time I ask why there's a shortage, I get a new answer. What I've surmised is that

(1) I am limited in the amount of ADHD medication I can have. That makes sense. Except when I'm going to go out of town and my refill period lands straight in the middle of my rarely taken vacations and I'm legally not allowed to get it like 1 day early. Cool.

(2) The pharmacies are limited in how much they are allowed to order per month. So if I need 27mg of Ritalin and Susan needs 27mg of Ritalin and we both use the same pharmacy, and the pharmacy has already ordered 9/10 of their prescription slots per month, then either Susan or I needs to go without.

(3) The vendors are apparently limited in how much they are allowed to sell to the pharmacies per month. This number is created by zip code... No, not how many people who have ADHD in the zip code, but rather how many people live in that zip code in general. So if, idk, zip code 55555 has a shit ton of people with ADHD living there because, idk, maybe ppl with ADHD tend to clump together, then it doesn't matter. All those people who don't make the cut in their zip code need to go somewhere else to get their prescription.

(4) This, I found out last fucking night. Apparently the manufacturers are ALSO being limited by how much ADHD medication they can even fucking make.

# 4 broke me last night. I had a panic attack on top of an anxiety attack on top of a near-suicidal depressive episode. I was scream-crying in my car. Other than when I've had a kidney stone, I literally have never scream-cried before. And all because someone somewhere decided that it's more important to deny the potential for a drug addict to get their hands on slow-release anti-recreational capsules of Vivance than to give someone with a legitimate prescription a medication that they desperately need to survive.

Last night, I asked my pharmacist, "Okay, well who the hell is responsible for this? Who is limiting all of these different places on ADHD medication?"

She told me the DEA--the drug enforcement administration.

Since it's an administration, that means it's directly under the executive branch. I don't have time or energy to research who to contact at the DEA directly or which cabinet member oversees the DEA. All I know is that since it's an administration, it's directly within the jurisdiction of the executive branch (i.e. the President). There's no need for Congress or the Courts. So idk, if you have ADHD and you're sick of not being able to fill your prescriptions because of this bullshit, or if you have a heart and think this sounds like the utter bullshit it is, maybe send an email to the president telling him to stop the DEA from making my life hell. His email is [email protected]

#personal #adhd posting

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vilithshaven · 3 years

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I'm not gonna lie, your posts especially anything that has childe in it makes me wanna scream in happiness. So how about god darling asking childe if she can visit his family in morepesok? Imagine his mom on her way to the market and suddenly childe with the creator side hugging him is in front of the door

DOTTORE'S WEAPON PART 5

Here's the long awaited fifth part in my Experiment God series! It took me longer than usual to write unfortunately, but it's here now, so who cares, right? :D

If you're new and want to check out the other parts, you can find all of them on our masterlist!

Tagging @nicebonescomrade because she wanted to be tagged. <3

Warnings: Reader throws up once, mention of torture, trauma, mental breakdown, scalpel

- Lilith

(Name) eyed the Liyue doctor warily, eyebrows furrowed. Their mind told them that they knew this man, but they just weren't able to put his face to a name. Any memories of before the experiments Dottore put them through refused to resurface. Their mind was a blank space. They didn't even remember if they had family or friends.

A sense of unease spread through them and they tried to hide behind Childe, grabbing onto the back of his top. The Harbinger frowned, while Scaramouche and the Tsaritsa stood next to him, focused on the current conversation.

"I hope Tartaglia already told you that this is of the utmost importance. Noone is allowed to know what you're going to do here; not even anyone back in Liyue, once you finish your job and return", the Tsartisa spoke, tone flat and full of distrust. She would have prefered a Sumerian doctor as the nation was known for its wisdom, but this was the only doctor Childe had accepted. He'd outright told them that he wouldn't put their God's life in any other hands. Although the Harbinger deliberately failed to tell them that Zhongli was going to kill him if anyone else touched their God.

The green-haired man nodded. "Of course. I swear on my life that I will not speak about this nor write it down anywhere."

The gathered people did their best to relax. Scaramouche put his hands on (Name)'s shoulders and gently pulled them forth so that Childe's body wasn't shielding them anymore. They cringed and averted their eyes.

"(Name), this is Baizhu. As you probably have heard just know, he'll be in charge of getting that Delusion out of your chest", the Balladeer introduced them, not letting go of them even as they tried to worm their way out of his grip.

The doctor smiled. Although he'd like to come closer and give the Creator a proper welcome, he refrained from doing so upon seeing the fear in their eyes. Eyes that resembled the nightsky. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Grace. This on my shoulders is Changsheng, my beloved friend."

(Name)'s eyes flickered to the snake, eyes focusing on her. It's like a muted conversation took place between the animal and the god, and Changsheng slithered down Baizhu's body to get to them. A soft smile graced their lips at the feeling of the cool and smooth body underneath her hands and they picked the snake up, placing a kiss on their snout.

Their God looked back at the doctor and nodded hesitantly. "Very well. I can agree to that."

They had to. No matter the discomfort it would bring in the future, it was worth it in the end.

Baizhu started the process by reading through Dottore's notes several times, pointing out key notes to whoever had been tasked with watching over him on that day. It was always either a Harbinger or a high-ranked Fatui agent. They didn't trust him to leave him alone with the mad Doctor's research. And that was good. If circumstances had been different, he would have loved to delve deeper into them and try a few of those experiments himself.

The Delusion held a unique power in it, one Dottore described as 'Darkness Manipulation'. He found nothing about its exact abilities, only that it was a revolution to all known things and, should their God ever learn to control it, an unstoppable force. The crazy Doctor had been working on a training schedule for (Name), but he never got around to start it. If it was for the better or the worst, Baizhu couldn't tell. Had they been able to control it, they at least wouldn't hurt anyone. Now he'd had to tread with even more care to ensure he wouldn't activate the Delusion on accident. Childe had told him enough of their God's bad days to know that its power wasn't to be underestimated.

After he was sure he understood enough about the Delusion, the true test began. Baizhu took skin samples from the affected area on the Delusion, tried to see what kind of movements or touches would force it to repel him. It happened quite so often that he'd be flung into a wall, their God apologizing to him whereas the Harbingers laughed at his plight. He'd only remind them that it was his job to work out the kinks, even if it meant he'd get hurt. There was nothing to worry about.

But the worst reaction happened the day he tried to cut out the Delusion for the first time. Baizhu numbed the area with a potion in advance to ensure (Name) didn't feel any pain during the process. Changsheng slithered around their neck, resting her head against their cheek and flicking her tongue out in a way of comfort.

Scaramouche and Childe both were present, arms crossed and anxiously watching the procedure.

The scalpel slit into the skin with ease and (Name) turned their head away, eyes shut tight. He removed the excess skin covering the Delusion, careful not to cut into it. Scaramouche cringed at the sight of the skin now lying on a medicinal tray, opting to focus on their God's face instead.

The Balladeer gasped, rushing over to cup their God's face. Tears had been pouring down their cheeks, teeth biting into lips so hard it brought forth blood. "(Name)?", he asked gently, repeating their name several times. But they didn't respond, only grimaced and started to shake their head.

Their expression was a mixture of confusion and terror, body tense and ready to run for it. Although the affected area had been numbed, they still felt the pressure on their body. It brought them back to that lab, until their mind slipped fully back into the past.

The Delusion's light pulsed in beat to her heart, alerting them of what was to come.

"Doctor Baizhu, I suggest you leave the room."

Baizhu nodded and picked up Changsheng, hurrying out with one last glance at their God. Sweat had started forming on their skin.

Childe strode to (Name)' head, placing his hands on their shoulders. They writhed and bucked up, a quiet cry tearing from their throat.

"(Name)!"

Their desperation was obvious. If they didn't get them under control now, they'd be forced to knock them out to prevent the havoc their Delusion would ultimately cause in response to their feelings.

"(Name), please. Listen to me", Childe urged, bending down until his lips brushed against their ear. "You're not with him anymore. We're here. Your Ajax and Kunikuzushi. You're not alone."

Scaramouche rubbed their cheeks, placing his forehead on theirs despite their movements. Their breaths intermingled and his distinct smell slowly perturbed the iron stench of blood their memories had procured. "You are safe. You are free", he whispered. "You're not his puppet. Not anymore. We found you."

(Name) opened their eyes, lids fluttering. They gagged at the burning sensation of vomit in their throat and the two Harbingers helped them up just in time for them to vomit onto the floor. Scaramouche turned up his nose at that and closed his eyes for a brief second. He took a deep breath in his gloves.

Their God heaved and shook, a dazed look in their eyes. Sweat dripped down the side of their head.

"You're fine. You're safe. You're free", the two Harbingers whispered. They only stopped once (Name)'s eyes shut and they fell asleep.

From that day on, they were forced to take it even slower. None of them had thought of their trauma or the fact that this resembled what Dottore had done so much. They'd been careless to believe their God had forgotten what had been done to them.

Several weeks after that first failed attempt, (Name) had their first bad day in months. They stared at the ceiling, hands clutching the blankets close to their body. No movement was seen expect for the occasional subconscious blink or gulp. They didn't even listen to any orders urging them to eat and drink.

Childe stayed by their side the whole time, sitting on the bed, their head resting on his thighs. His right hand stroked her head, the other lay intertwined with his God's on the silk sheets. He rambled on about his dreams and the latest talk going around the castle. Then he'd reassure them again, speaking to them in hushed tones how much he treassured them, that he was so grateful to have them in his life.

They showed the first sign of life during his stories about his family. Specifically Teucer and his mother.

"I'd like to meet them."

Childe stopped, unsure if he'd heard it right. Their voice was oh so quiet, barely audible over his own and he hadn't expected a reaction at all the whole day. He looked down at his God, but their eyes remained vacant. "Who?"

"Your...family."

A euphoric warmth spread through his chest and he lifted their intertwined hands to place a delicate kiss on their knuckles. He smiled into the skin, his warm breath causing goosebumps to form on their skin.

"It would be my honor to introduce you to them, (Name)."

Therefore it was decided. Childe made quick work of convincing the others that it would be good for their God to leave the Ice Palace for a few weeks. They'd been cooped up in here ever since he brought them back, the only times they went out was for his departure and arrival. Besides, Baizhu's procedures drained them rather rapidly. He was sure that once their God managed to get a nice vacation with his family, they'd be feeling better than ever and noone had to fear an outburst. Most likely.

The Tsaritsa didn't like the thought of their God leaving her palace' safety, however even she found herself accepting Tartaglia's request. It wasn't healthy for them to stay inside all the time and interactions with people that weren't servants or the Fatui surely would do them good.

Not even three days after (Name) had uttered their wish they found themself in a carriage, bundled up in thick fur coats provided by the Tsaritsa. They were sure that these were from the Archon's personal collection, the icey smell and length telling them so. Once upon a time the thought would have made them feel uncomfortable, now they buried into them.

"Are you excited, (Name?)", Childe asked them. His bright grin made them smile back at him.

"I am. Thank you...for all of this."

"No need to thank me! Just enjoy this trip away from any prying eyes and tell me if you're overwhelmed. My family can be quite strenuous and I'll understand."

The journy took two days. Morepesok lay far up north where even summer days never brought any warmth and the generic occupation was fishermen. Most houses were ramshackle buildings that looked as if a harsh gust of wind would destroy them in a second in spite of the fact that Childe reassured her that wasn't going to happen. His family owned a more luxurious mansion, he said, thanks to his high pay as a Harbinger. Or a toy salesman, which was the occupation he told his family he had. They never questioned it, thankfully.

They came to a stop at a market and Childe helped (Name) out of the carriage after helping them put on a scarf and mask, instructing the driver how to reach his home. His arm wrapped around their shoulders and he steered them towards the various booths holding warm drinks and food, fabrics, clothes and so many other things.

Their eyes brightened at the sight, at the happiness the people exuded despite the unbearable cold and bleary environment. The both of them strolled through the market. (Name) got wary looks from the citizens, them openly displaying their distrust to the covered stranger, although they greeted Childe in a familiar way.

However that wasn't a surprise to them. They wore a black mask that covered half of their face. A safety precaution. One of many the Tsaritsa had worked out with Childe beforehand to ensure that nothing would go wrong on this trip.

Suddenly Childe whooped, opting to grab their hand and pulling them along as he ran through the crowd. A few people leered and insulted them, but most just shook their hand and continued on their day, smiling fondly at the scene.

(Name) found it hard to keep up and clutched the scarf around their neck closer, breath coming out of them in fast puffs. Due to staying inside ever since...that, they hadn't worked out or done anything to uphold their stamina. Hence they bent over, hands resting on their knees to catch their breath. They heard Childe apologizing and he ran a hand along their back, rubbing in soothing circles.

Two snow-white hands came into their vision and cupped the back of their head, making them look up. (Name) tensed at the sudden touch, but relaxed as soon as their eyes fell on a ginger-haired woman. Familar blue eyes looked back at her. "Are you okay, dear?", she asked, frowning in concern. "Please excuse my son for making you run like this."

Childe pouted and crossed his arms. His mother let go of them. "I already apologized!"

"And they were just focusing on breathing and probably didn't hear you! Again, young man!"

The ginger groaned and leaned down, his lips touching their forehead. "I'm sorry for not taking care of you better, (Name)", he whispered, careful as to make sure noone heard him say their name.

(Name)'s eyes crinkled and they chuckled, taking his hands and intertwining their gloved hands. "It's okay. You were just excited. I understand."

Coos disrupted their peaceful moment of looking into each other's eyes and both looked at the ginger-haired woman, who now adorned a big smile on her face. "I'm glad you're back, Ajax. Your siblings miss you. But who is this? You did mention someone was going to come along with you..."

Ajax grabbed the basket from his mother with one hand and motioned the woman to follow him. This time he walked slow, glancing (Name)'s way to make sure they were alright. "Let's get home first. This is no place to talk."

His mother was visibly confused by this need for secrecy, but she accepted it nonetheless. She hummed as they trudged through the market to the outerskirts of the village, the song a sweet lullaby.

(Name) saw their home the moment they turned a corner. Unlike its neighbors, it was two stories high and upkept. A fence surrounded the grande building, the metallic gate opened halfways. Just in front of the door stood the carriage that had brought them here.

"It's quite different", they murmured as they walked up to the entrance. Ajax squeezed their hand. "It's...nice."

They separated once they entered the building into the lobby. A fire burnt in a fireplace to their left, its warmth attracting the newly arrived. Ajax and his mother discarded their winter clothes first, hanging them up on racks while (Name) waited. The Harbinger came to them and went onto helping them out of the several coat layers. The scarf stayed, hiding the Delusion from sight for the moment.

His fingers toyed with the strings of the mask, a contemplative and sad look in his eyes. "Mother. What I'm about to tell you is a state secret. It was hard enough to get them out of the Ice Palace, so if anyone were to find out...yeah."

Telling his mother about their Creator meant admitting to working as a Harbinger. His mother who was the only person of his family to be granted such a privilege. (Name) put a hand on top of his, stilling the nervous movements of his fingers. They nodded.

Ajax took a deep breath, shoulders slumping. "Meet (Name)...our Creator and the God above all gods." The mask came loose with a soft tug of his hand and fell off, fluttering to the carpeted floor.

His mother looked at them with wide eyes, confused and shocked. She grabbed onto the back of a couch as a wave of dizziness washed over her. "Our...Creator? What? The Ice Palace? Ajax, what do you mean?"

Ajax went to his mother and helped her sit down. He stood staying, his hands resting on her shoulders. "It's a long story and I promise I'll explain more later when we're alone. Just...you can keep this secret, can't you? (Name) needs this reprieve. They just need to feel normal again."

(Name) walked up next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling into his side. He accepted the hug, pulling them closer.

"I'm just (Name). Nothing more", they said, voice hesitant. They didn't want to overwhelm the poor woman. It was clear that she was close to a breakdown. "Frankly, I...I wanted to come here to meet Ajax' family. The family of the one who saved me."

It didn't matter that it was Scaramouche who found them first. Ajax, their Ajax, was the one to get them out of that horrible place. They shivered and burried their face in his shoulder as old memories resurfaced.

A lithe hand touched their hand and pulled them down, only to be replaced by warm arms. The distuingished smell of fish entered their nose. Hands rubbed soothing circles into their back.

"I may not understand this situation, but..." His mother breathed out shakily. "You are in need of a family, aren't you? Your eyes...they remind me so much of my boy's after he came back from being kidnapped."

Her mouth found its way to (Name)'s cheek, lingering there. "It's nice to meet you, (Name). I hope you'll enjoy your stay here."

(Name) felt their eyes grew wet and she bit into their bottom lip to stop the sobs from bursting forth. But his mother looked into her eyes, and that look told them everything they needed to hear.

The first drops ran down their cheeks and they hiccuped as they pressed their face into her shoulder. Warm hands caressed their back and waist and soft humming tuned out the rest of the world.

(Name)'s heart was ready to burst as it realized it finally has found what it was missing all this time.

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hee-blee-art · 3 years

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tumblr user hee-blee i am trying to make a visual novel WHAT is the process like where do i start lol!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

hello anon, I am very happy to talk about this!! story-based games are a big interest of mine and while I am by no means an expert I do have some experience (I currently have four story-based games in the works and one demo out on itch.io) so I can offer a bit of advice based on my experience so far.

I think the very first thing would be to research visual novel/interactive story game-making programs. there are a variety of different ones out there, and going through tutorials for your program of choice will give you the best idea on what you'll have to do to put your novel/game together. I've been putting all my games together in the ren'py visual novel engine, which I have found to be fairly accessible and intuitive once you get the hang of it. there are lots of tutotials and videos and forums to learn from and ask questions in available, and the ren'py creator community seems very nice and helpful especially towards beginners.

regardless of your program, there are a few basic things that you can do to get started: 1) planning out your story (or stories if you have multiple paths; I personally find it helpful to have a document with all the story paths written out before I start coding to help keep myself organized, and to have a collection of character sheets on hand for the main cast, as characters are the most important part of visual novels/interactive stories), and 2) making sprite libraries and backgrounds (collections of images of your characters with different poses/expressions and the various settings for your stories. the basic setup for visual novels is sprites on backgrounds with dialogue/text, and you can definitely make a lovely visual novel using just those things. you can add in a ton of other elements if you want--there are lots of ways to get creative with visual novel/interactive story engines--but it's easier to keep things simple your first time around to avoid overwhleming yourself.

I'd also suggest checking out other visual novels for inspiration (itch.io is a great place to find free indie story-based games and visual novels), and taking a while to go through google and youtube to learn about how other people make their visual novels--the more perspectives you get, the more tips and tricks you'll learn.

some general pointers I have for people starting out with making visual novels/interactive story games:

- back up your code often! I copy and paste mine into a google doc every so often to make sure I have a back up of it just in case something happens to my active script, and for good measure I also copy my wip game files over to an external hard drive every once in a while just in case.

- don't worry about stylistic elements (title screens, menus, user interfaces, decorative flourishes, etc) until closer to the end of your coding process. I find it a lot easier that way as opposed to trying to tend to both the game script and the stylistic elements at once. if you'd prefer, the same benefit could come from handling all the stylistic elements first right out of the gate, but I would reccomend especially for you first time to leave styling your game until the end.

- don't let stubborn errors get you down! coding--even relatively simple coding like that used in engines like ren'py--is a lot of trial and error (at least for me), and you'll have to go back a lot to search for and correct little coding errors to get everything to work right. it can definitely be frustrating, but it gets easier the more you do it, and if you get stuck a quick google search will usually get you to a forum post with a solution (and if it doesn't, you can always post in a forum yourself to ask for help).

I hope that helps a bit! I'm very heartened to encounter someone interested in making visual novels--I think they're a wonderful and super versatile storytelling form and I would encourage anyone interested in making one to take a crack at it.

if you have any specific questions or just want to talk about the process or your stories, I would be more than happy to hear about them, so feel free to dm me (invitation open to anyone interested in visual novels/interactive story-based games!) best of luck, I hope to be able to experience your visual novel(s) some day!

#asks #visual novels #interactive fiction #video games #if anyone has other advice to add please do!

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gracien-system · 2 years

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Hey this is gonna be a pretty heavy/venty post, if you don't want/need that right now, please keep scrolling.

We've been extremely hesitant to enter the disabled community, less so on the nonphysical side, but still hesitant nonetheless.

This is due to how... all... of our concerns, ideas, and general thoughts have been just plainly discarded by both our PCP and parents.

We've kind of gotten to the point where things which should be good news, or just neutral -- for example, normal heartrate, blood pressure, and O2 before our surgery the other day -- are... somewhat threatening?

Threatening in the sense of "this will be used as proof we're faking/misinterpreting/whatever the fuck".

So, as kind of a vent, a way to remind ourselves of our physical issues, and just... I guess just putting our experiences out into a public space, here's a list of symptoms we've noticed -- and their potential causes.

hypersensitivity to pain in all areas of torso and stomach, along with thighs. This is very likely fibromialgia. The doctor refused diagnosis on the grounds that "I don't diagnose unless you have hypersensitivity in at least 7 'parts' of your body"... and he counted the torso as one part.

high sensitivity to temperature fluctuations, causing nausea, dizziness, soreness, and disorientation. These symptoms can and have been caused by entering a cold environment after being in a warm one, and by entering a warm environment after being in a cold one, and have been triggered by gradients of under 10 degrees (going from a 75 degree outside into a 68 degree inside is enough). This is, from what we can tell, most likely inherited from our mother, who has the full expression of Lupus, although it could be something else, we genuinely have no idea at this point.

a tendency to bleed more than the average person from even fairly small wounds, in spite of having normal clotting factor. For a good while we thought we had low clotting factor, but apparently we don't -- our best guess is that it's due to higher-than-average heartrate? There's probably something else to it, though.

resting heartrate of ~110 when on our Aderall and sitting/standing, ~100 when not on Aderall and sitting/standing, and ~85-90 when not on Aderall and laying down. The most likely thing we've found which would match symptoms like this is POTS, although we haven't done enough research to say conclusively if it is or isn't, however, we've had Covid 6 times, and considering POTS can be a post-viral illness, well, it's not out of the question whatsoever.

hypermobility in shoulders, elbows, fingers, and to a lesser extent in hips. Doc dismissed it as general hypermobility and said it's probably harmless after checking us for HEDS, but figured we should still list it here.

occasional migraines, usually related to heat-shock or stormfronts, that are painful enough to force us to lie down until they're over.

Chronic pain at various points around our body which is usually around a 2, but can spike up to about a 6. The exact areas change day-to-day, but they're usually our knees, other random joints, or tendons, but there is almost never a moment where we're at a 0 on the pain scale.

There are... probably more that I'm just plain forgetting or not recognizing, but these are the symptoms which immediately come to mind.

It just goes to show how much we do experience which is just... kind of ignored due to the fact that we can mask, and because we're "too young to be in pain/disabled/sick".

Honestly, at this point, I don't know if we'll end up making much, if any, progress in understanding what the hell is going on or getting it diagnosed while we're a minor, because of A: how much energy and time it takes to do research into potential conditions, talk to people about it, and worry if we're faking.

and B: how little care our doctor and parents seem to give about our condition(s) as long as we're able to function, and how much they seem to want us to just be normal.

We honestly didn't realize just how much medical gaslighting we've had to deal with, because it just kind of felt natural. We were told that "you look normal to me", which, following our look of both confusion and barely contained rage, was followed by "- wow, would you look at his [sic] face, I bet no one's ever told you that before!".

Anyway, I think that's about it for this post. If you made it all the way here, thanks for listening -- we'll be watching the reblogs on this one, if you have anything you want to add or say, just please try not to let it spread into gatekeepy/exclusionist circles. The last thing we need is a bunch of bastards coming into our replies telling us we're just wanting attention.

Have a wonderful day, all of you. /gen

#medical tw #medical gaslighting tw #disability

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horatioandalice · 2 years

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Hi! I'm looking into getting a pet bird but all the cages that I've found look cramped. Oh and I'm planning a pair of budgies. I noticed that you have what looks like a nice one. Would you mind my asking where you got it? Or just like recommendations in general?

Thank you so much in advance! I just want a big cage for my future feather babies

Hello! Unfortunately I don't think that they make the kind of cage my budgies have anymore T_T It's a Vision L02, which I can't find anywhere now. There is a Vision L12, but the bar spacing on that one is too wide for budgies (the bars on the L12 are almost an inch apart, and for budgies no more than half an inch is recommended). Fortunately, when it comes to cages, there are a lot more options than there used to be when I first got my birds (almost 10 years ago now)!

Generally speaking, the larger the cage, the better, even for a couple of small birds like budgies. Usually anything that is marketed as a "parakeet cage" or a "budgie cage" is going to be way too small for actual budgies to be happy and healthy in. I've had a lot of luck searching "flight cages" or "finch flight cages"--ideally, you really want your birds to have some room to fly around in their cages. For this reason, it's generally also considered best to get a cage that's wide and short than one that's tall and skinny (since birds need lateral space in order to take off), but these can be hard to find. Fortunately, a lot of flight cages are big enough that it doesn't matter that they tend to be taller than they are wide! I had this exact one for Spencer for many years before it finally fell apart (it was disassembled for moving purposes and reassembled one too many times), and it would be PLENTY big for two budgies!

You can get some pretty reasonably priced ones at Amazon (although be aware that the quality can vary widely, so it's wise to read the reviews first!), but I have also found really good deals looking at the online clearance section at pet stores' websites! I got Spencer's current flight cage (which is DEFINITELY big enough for two budgies) on sale on a big chain pet store's website for around US$250, which is extraordinarily cheap for a cage of its quality and size! If there's a parrot rescue near you, you might also check and see if they ever have cage sales--when I lived in a U. S. state (Colorado) that has a big parrot rescue (The Gabriel Foundation), they would sometimes fundraise by selling their spare cages at good prices. Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist (does anyone other than me still use Craigslist, lol) can also be good places to look but make sure the cage is in good condition before you buy it--a lot of people use these methods to try to unload cages that are damaged or no longer suitable for housing birds (e. g., they're rusty or bent or the bars are made of uncoated, potentially toxic, metal, etc.).

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much for doing your research before getting birds! <3 It really makes a huge difference for their quality of life!

#ask #cage #budgie cage information

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woodsteingirl · 3 years

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A case in suburbia, domestic dynamics, and a forever home. What could go wrong?

the moment i’ve been waiting for! chapter one is up now! read here or under the cut.

Cas and Dean were searching for a forever house. They had been pretty much since Cas got back from the empty. They were ready to distance themselves from hunting. Dean had always wanted a sort of suburban, white picket fence life, even if he didn’t admit it to anyone. And since he already admitted how he truly felt to Cas, why not throw his need for a domestic lifestyle into the mix. Cas was all for it. Ever since Jack had given up most of his powers to Amara, thus causing her to take his place as God and him almost human, Cas had been hoping for a place to raise him like a normal child. The bunker was great for hunting and a place for Cas, Dean, and Sam, but not so much for raising a 5-year-old kid.

House hunting had been a burden to bear, but they were making out alright. Up till this, they’d looked at about 3 other houses. They were all a no for different reasons. The first one Cas decided was in a school district that wouldn’t be good for Jack, the second didn’t have a big enough garage or backyard, and the third didn’t have enough bedrooms for all of their family to stay. With the whole credit card scam they’d been running for as long as they remember, budget wasn’t really a problem, but they didn’t want something extravagant.

There it was, 538 Chapel Street in Pine River Crossings. It wasn’t too far out of Lawrence, only a few hours' drive, and all the houses looked nice. Very cookie cutter, but that was sort of the appeal. They couldn’t guarantee that they would fit in with the traditional, upper middle-class people, but what the hell, if they could kill god they could take suburbia.

A few days passed, and they were set up to look at the home. They drove the hour and a half to the next medium-sized town with the belief in their minds that this was the one. It had all they needed, a two-car garage, a respectable school district, and two guest bedrooms. They were so caught up in this concept they made the mistake of not checking the news for the nearby areas. Once they arrived, a realtor who showed them around the dwelling greeted them. It was all they could ask for and more practically too good to be true, especially for people like them. The actual presentation of the house went over without too many problems. The person exhibiting the residence commented on how it had been on display for almost a month now, which was the first red flag. A house as nice as this, in a densely populated area, would usually not be on the market for that long in weeks unless there was some hidden con.

They signed on it not a day after seeing the house in person. It was all set up and they could officially start moving stuff in the next week. They officially shared the good news with everyone the day after they signed. Sam was beyond happy for them. Not only would he finally have a space to himself, he was proud of his brother for living the life he’d always wanted. Jack was thrilled that he would get to go to actual school and have friends that were his age and not cosmic entities. In the meantime, Cas did more research into the neighborhood. There was their hidden con. The newspaper Cas had pulled up on his phone said, “Local Couple Murdered in Own Home.”

“Dean, look at this.”

Okay, that was a setback. A murderer on the loose in the neighborhood they were moving into was not exactly what he had planned, but he had delt with worse. “Alright, that could be a problem.”

“I think it’s a little bigger than a problem,” Cas retorted.

“Is it our type of thing or just something local law enforcement could deal with?”

Cas read on in the article, “the couple was stabbed, there was no sign of forced entry, neighbors reported nothing amiss besides lights flickering before the murder. The weapon, as well as the perpetrator, was never found. No official suspects have been labeled, everyone has seemed to have an alibi.”

“It definitely sounds like our thing. Lights flickering, no breaking and entering, and all.”

They decided they could pose as residents, as it seemed perfectly normal for the newcomers to be concerned about the literal murderer on the loose. Since Cas was newly human, and Jack was, well, 5, Dean thought they might need outside help. Being out of practice to spend more time with your husband and child really had its fallbacks. Sam was off the table as backup. He was out of town and Dean didn't want to interrupt his first weekend without him in god knows how long. Plus, they needed someone who wouldn't draw too much attention to their family dynamic.

“Hey, Cas, what do you think about calling in Claire to help us with this one? You think she’d do it?”

“Calling her in for help is a good idea, whether or not shed actually do it is another question.”

“I’ll call and ask, and if she wants to help, and if not then I can think of something else.”

He kept his promise and called Claire not an hour later. He decided it might be best not to tell her it was undercover work, or that it was taking place in a white picket fence neighborhood, as that might turn her off from it almost immediately.

“Hey Claire, its been too long since we’ve talked,” he started.

“Hi Dean. what do you want, there’s no way you’re just calling to catch up if you’re starting with ‘its been too long.’”

“You got me there. I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me and Cas on a hunt. Its not too far from the bunker and we’d have you back home in a week.”

“Sure, that works. When do we start?” She hadnt seen Dean and Cas since they rescued Cas. That was over a month ago, she’d been meaning to visit, but she’d been so busy with hunting, and getting to know Kaia again now that she was finally back. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to reconnect and not miss out on anything too big back at home.

“If you could come down here by Wednesday, that’d be great.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” She was tempted to sign off with an ‘I love you’ but she was never a lovey-dovey person in that way.

On tuesday she promised Jody she’d be extra careful and would be back in under a week. Kaia told her to make sure to call every day and update her on what was happening. Claire agreed, promising to keep in touch. She spent the rest of the day driving down to Kansas.

Back on Dean and Cas’s end, they were trying to get the house set up for 4 people when they had no furniture prior to this. Cas had always loved furniture shopping even before he had a use for it. When he worked at the Gas-and-Sip, he would browse the home improvement magazines in his spare time. Dean was pretty much the opposite. He had never had reason to care for it, so he didn't. Maybe his hatred for Swedish furniture was rooted in his deep-seated commitment issues. It didn't matter much why he hated it, he just left most of the choices up to Cas. there was then the issue of appliances and such you couldn't find in a furniture store. That was left up to him. Cas sent him out to Walmart to get things for the kitchen. That was something he could do. He picked out a mixer, some silverware, and a pioneer woman kitchenware set. It came with pots and pans, mixing bowls, and a few normal sized plates. That was enough for him to consider it an absolute steal. He brought his finds home to the bunker, setting them on the table designated for things that were to go in the new house. Jack was sitting on Cas’s lap, pointing at things on the computer.

“What’re you guys finding?” Dean asked, hovering behind Cas’s shoulder.

“Djungelskog!” Jack exclaimed, showing Dean a photo of a large stuffed brown bear.

“I thought you were looking for furniture?” Dean directed the question more at Cas, but he was still looking at Jack.

“We are. Jack just got us a bit sidetracked. We found the majority of what we need. Among other things not of as grave importance.”

Dean looked over the shopping cart and then gave the go ahead. Not before adding the stuffed bear to the cart, though.

The next day Claire arrived. Everyone was thrilled to see her. Jack ran up and threw himself around one of her legs and Cas gave her an awkward dad side hug. Dean wondered when he would tell her what the hunt would actually consist of, but he didn't want to interrupt the moment.

A few hours later, Dean fixed everyone a real dinner and had them sit down at the kitchen table. The realization dawned on him that this was going to be his last sit down meal officially living in the bunker. Everyone sort of just sat in silence for a beat. Perhaps reflecting on their own lasts of officially living there. “Claire, I sorta forgot to add this when I called you, but the case is a lot of undercover work. Also its in a suburban area.”

“And why didn't you tell me this sooner?”

“Well to speak freely, I wanted you on this case and I was worried it would make you not want to come.”

“It almost does, but i'm already here now, and i wouldn't want to waste a days driving on something i'm not actually going to do.” She guessed this would probably take longer than a week. “And i'm guessing this isn't just something you decided to do out of the goodness of your hearts?”

“We bought a house in the area, and we just wanted to make sure it was safe,” Cas explained.

“Hang on, you bought a house for real and you didnt even think to tell me? You didn't think that that was valuable information?”

“It didn't come up in our phone call,” Dean said.

“And? That’s no excuse to leave your daughter out of major life events!” The ‘daughter’ part just sort of came out without her noticing, but seconds after she said it she regretted it. God, how embarrassing.

“You’re right. We should’ve told you sooner. It was kind of a recent decision, though, so you haven’t been out of the loop for too long,” Cas said.

The next day was moving day. Dean loaded the appliances into the back of Claire’s car, since the back of the Impala was already full. Claire took her own car, while Dean, Cas, and Jack rode in Baby. Their real furniture was being delivered as they spoke. Cas offered to ride with Claire, but she assured him she’d be fine by herself. The drive wasn’t even that long, especially compared to the distance she drove yesterday.

Dean was silently nervous. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but it was written all over his face. His first real stable house, with the man he loved, and his two kids, he could only hope that he didn’t mess it up. Cas put a hand on his shoulder showing he saw how Dean was feeling.

They turned onto Chapel Street and pulled up into the driveway of the house. It somehow looked bigger and more daunting than it had during the walkthrough. Claire arrived almost ten minutes later. Everyone just sort of paused in front of the house for a minute, reveling in the stability most of them had never had.

#pspspsps you want to reblog my hard work sooo bad #supernatural #spn #castiel #dean winchester #supernatural fic #samael speaks #sammy sires

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