#So this is the best I can do at my current level

[marlboro00999]

So, tell me about yourself, Chris.

"My studies take up a lot of my time. I've always achieved top grades in my chosen subjects. I love the theatre and costume design - I've written a few plays. I'm a good writer, and I like to push the boundaries of acceptibility. People need stimulation and their personal comfort zone needs to be pricked - triggered to question if other possibilities they'd never thought of could be accepted by them."

Are you dating anyone?

"Ha!... No. I was dating for a while, but something happened that changed all that. You see, I started meeting up with a friend after school. He was a good few years older than me, but he made a big impact. I don't even remember how I first met him. That time seems a blur to me now. But I felt compelled to meet up with him when he wanted to meet me a few evenings a week. Nobody had made such an enormous impact on me. He introduced me to smoking, which became more and more regular, as he'd supply me with Marlboro Reds. He became my best friend, and he learnt everything about me."

Really? He must have been quite a guy.

"Oh yes. He really is."

So, what happened?

"On one of the evenings, he took me to a place out of town which was a life-changing experience for me. It transformed my whole outlook on life, and life's priorities."

Can you tell me where that was?

"I can't tell you the location, but it's called the Marlboro Men's Club."

What happened?

"My friend told me he wanted me to meet his friends, so I was quite keen to be introduced. It may seem strange, but even though he knew everything about me, I'd not actually learnt anything about him over all those weeks of meeting up with him and smoking. I can't even explain why. Smoking the cigarettes with him had become an almost ritual process, and I felt incredibly bonded to him through it. I trusted him completely, and can honestly say I'd do anything for him... and for the Marlboro cigarettes."

What happened when you arrived at the Marlboro Men's Club?

"The door was locked, but he had a key. As the door opened, a cloud of cigarette smoke was billowed through the door. He led me into what was a large dark room. It was like some sort of warehouse, but totally wreaked of cigarette smoke. It was such a surprise, but unexpectedly appealing and stimulating. Out of the shadows stepped a number of men, all dressed as my friend dressed, with biker jackets. I wasn't afraid, as I knew they were his friends, and they were all smiling."

So, it was just a few older men?

"Well, actually... no. I was surprised to see a few guys my age from school. Not from any of my classes, but I recognised them from seeing them during break times. All the men and the guys from school were smoking, and all smiled, looking really pleased to see me."

Was the room empty?

"No. There was a very large Marlboro logo on the far wall, illuminated by lamps and candles which adorned a massive stone slap in front of it."

Interesting. So, what happened next?

"I'll simply say that, if the following events were to be included in any of my writings, I'd never be published, and my future prospects in the theater would vanish. However, I can add that after that evening, I broke off with my date. The experience of my ritual initiation into the recently formed Marlboro Men's Youth Club transformed me, and I knew that this was the only family I needed - that no partner could possibly come near to providing the emotional and physical needs that had been revealed to me. I was filled and fulfilled at that stone slab before the Marlboro icon in ways that remain secret, only known to the initiated. I'll simply say that I was brought into full communion with my family and with Marlboro."

What are you writing in that book?

"I'm writing updates on the boys at school that I'm currently nurturing in Marlboro addiction. It's important that I report on their addiction progress, and on my level of influence over them. It's so my family at the MMC can judge when each one is ready for introducing for their initiation."

Their initiation?

"You surely realise that all the boys at the school need to eventually be initiated in the MM Youth Club? It's what's best for them. My family require it. Marlboro requires it."

Check the follow-on story HERE

[glowettee]

HIIII MINDYYY!!! how are you doing?

i love your guides and advice so much, i wanted to ask you if you could make your own guide to writing in a diary? like diary writing tips, making it pretty, girly diaries, etc etc etc.

thanks so much for ur time and ily!!

hey glam!! omg i'm so excited to answer this because diary keeping is one of my absolute favorite things to talk about (and do!!)... i've been keeping diaries since i was 9 years old and i have boxes of them under my bed that i sometimes read through when i'm feeling nostalgic or need to remember who i used to be. so yesss, of course glam, i'd love to give you a little guide, i hope this post answers your question well <3

✧ mindy's guide to keeping the most magical diary ever ✧

first of all, let's talk about WHY keeping a diary is literally life-changing:

• it's like having therapy but it's free and available at 3am when you're spiraling

• you can say things you'd never say out loud (and sometimes just writing them is enough to feel better)

• it creates this beautiful archive of your life that future you will treasure

• it helps you notice patterns in your thoughts and behaviors that you might miss otherwise

• it's the perfect place to dream without anyone's judgment (including your own)

✧ finding your perfect diary format:

the biggest mistake people make is thinking there's only one "right" way to keep a diary. there isn't!! here are some formats i've tried and loved and hopefully you like it:

• the classic narrative diary: just writing about your day, your thoughts, whatever comes to mind

• the bullet diary: quick points about what happened, how you felt, what you're thinking

• the themed diary: keeping separate journals for different parts of your life (one for dreams, one for creative ideas, one for processing emotions)

• the question diary: answering the same set of questions every day to track how you're evolving

• the art diary: more visuals than words, perfect if you process feelings through colors and images

• the structured diary: using prompts and templates to guide your writing (i'm actually going to be selling prompts + journaling templates on my gumroad soon)

personally, i switch between formats depending on my mood and energy levels. some days i write pages and pages, and other days i just jot down three bullet points before falling asleep. both are valid!!

✧ making your diary absolutely beautiful:

• invest in a diary that makes you excited to write in it!! (this is so important... if you don't love looking at it, you won't reach for it)

• create a "diary aesthetic" with special pens, stickers, washi tape, pressed flowers, etc.

• designate a special spot in your room as your "diary corner" with good lighting and cozy vibes

• develop little rituals around writing (i light a specific candle and make rose tea before i write. i also love putting on the soundtrack from legally blonde on or sometimes even harry potter music, weird right?)

• don't be afraid to make it messy!! perfect diaries are usually abandoned diaries

• use different colored pens for different moods or topics

• leave space for future reflections (i leave margins so i can add notes when i reread)

• include little artifacts from your life (movie tickets, dried flowers, polaroids)

✧ what to actually write about (for when you're staring at the blank page):

• write a letter to your future self or past self

• document the tiny beautiful moments that would otherwise be forgotten

• write about what you're learning right now (about yourself, about others, about the world)

• create lists (things i'm grateful for, things that made me laugh today, things i want to try)

• write about your dreams (both the sleeping kind and the aspiration kind)

• describe someone you love in detail

• write about what's worrying you and then write advice to yourself as if you were your own best friend

• document your current favorites (songs, foods, people, places, outfits)

• write about the version of yourself you're becoming

✧ how to keep it up long-term:

• lower the bar for what "counts" as a diary entry (sometimes mine are literally two sentences)

• connect it to an existing habit (i write right after i brush my teeth at night)

• don't try to catch up if you miss days (just start fresh where you are)

• give yourself permission to be boring, repetitive, and contradictory

• read old entries when you need motivation (it's so magical to see how far you've come)

• remember that you're writing for YOU, not for some imaginary reader

• create seasonal "check-in" dates where you review and reflect (i do this every equinox and solstice)

• experiment with different times of day to find when your thoughts flow most easily

• use voice memos when you don't feel like writing (you can transcribe them later)

✧ making your diary extra girly & coquette ✧

i know this was your main question, so here is a long list of a bunch of things i personally do to make my diaries cute and girly <3

• use pastel gel pens for different moods (pink for happy days, lavender for dreamy thoughts, baby blue for sad reflections)

• decorate your diary cover with pressed flowers, lace trim, or tiny pearl stickers

• create "pretty borders" around special entries with delicate doodles of flowers, hearts, or ribbons

• use strawberry or rose scented stickers as entry markers (scratch-n-sniff diaries are elite!!)

• add little bows or ribbons to mark important pages (i tie tiny satin ribbons to the corners)

• press flower petals between pages (roses and lavender dry beautifully and make your diary smell divine)

• use a soft pink book light for nighttime writing to keep the aesthetic consistent

• write in your prettiest handwriting for entries about things that made you happy

• add little watercolor washes as backgrounds for special memories

• use heart-dotted i's and swirly flourishes when you're feeling extra

• create "memory pockets" by gluing tiny envelopes to pages where you can tuck away small mementos

• draw tiny butterflies or hearts in the margins when something good happens

• use coquette-core stickers (bows, ballet slippers, swans, cherries) to categorize different types of entries

• spritz your favorite perfume very lightly on special pages (just a tiny bit so it doesn't damage the paper!)

• decorate with vintage-looking lace tape along the edges of important entries

• use a pink silk ribbon as a bookmark (i attached a tiny crystal charm to mine)

• draw little crowns above dates that were particularly magical

• create a "glossary of feelings" in the back with different symbols for different emotions

• use glitter gel pens for birthdays, achievements, and other celebrations

• write quotes from your favorite romantic movies or books in fancy lettering

• create little "note to self" sections with pink highlighter boxes around them

• use strawberry-scented erasable pens so your diary always smells sweet

• add tiny pearl or rhinestone stickers to mark especially precious memories

remember that "girly" means whatever feels feminine and special to YOU. there's no right or wrong way to express your femininity in your diary!! the most important thing is that it feels like a beautiful, safe space that you're excited to return to every day.

✧ the deeper magic of diary-keeping:

the most beautiful thing about keeping a diary is that it helps you become friends with yourself. you start to notice your own patterns, celebrate your tiny victories, and hold space for your struggles. you create this ongoing conversation with yourself that grows deeper and richer over time.

your diary becomes this sacred space where you can be fully, messily, contradictorily yourself. in a world that's constantly asking us to curate and filter our experiences, there's something revolutionary about documenting your life exactly as it is. beautiful, boring, confusing, and real.

xoxo, mindy 🤍

p.s. if you're worried about someone finding and reading your diary, i have a whole system for that too!! let me know if you want me to share it in another post!! 💭 thank you so much for this ask glam! <3

[eta-volantis]

I've been wanting to yap about this but I keep forgetting to ajhdjkg anyways

So, look, I have my criticisms for 1.6 and 1.7 and there are people complaining about how those patches aren't subtle enough (including things like the agent missions in 1.6). While some of the criticisms are fair, I'm going to argue that those patch still contain a lot of subtlety with Hugo and Lycaon.

They could have just narrate what going on with Hugo like but instead they showed it to us in a very interesting way. Since Lycaon's agent mission, Hugo is framed as his rival or at least someone with fundamentally different philsophy from him. And yes, that is still how he is, however there is a level of villainy to Hugo in the way they portrayed him from the beginning. What is interesting in how they do it, or at least how I see it, is that from Lycaon's agent mission to 1.6 is the game showing us Hugo through Lycaon's eyes. The base of the plot is that Hugo is acting, but even then, he was acting as Lycaon would see him: the power hungry villain he needed to control/put down. Through out 1.6, they never outright said 'actually, Hugo is good' and like okay, sure, we know he's playable to there is going to be a limit to his villainy but they still show it rather than tell it. The hints and drips that he is acting is done through little personal conversations he has with Wise/Belle and the superb acting from his VA. When he talks from his heart, his tone changes. You can even hear the switch when he goes into his usual act again.

Okay, so when does the perspective switch? Imo, it's at the end of 1.6 which leads to the reveal scene we get in 1.7. The end of 1.6 is, as we find out, when Lycaon hears the code and chooses to play into the act. In other words, Lycaon chose to trust Hugo despite everything; despite their past, despite what just happened - in fact, he even noticed that the blade was not turned at Wise/Belle but outwards. At that moment, the view of how Lycaon sees Hugo changes and we finally see Hugo for who he is and not how others (including Jack and how he imparted this to Lycaon) painted him as. This is further shown to us with what Lycaon chooses to apologise for. He didn't apologise for misunderstanding that Hugo was the one that killed his whole family, but for how he sees Hugo as a person despite Hugo basically saying he hasn't changed his mind about his views on murder and selective cruelty.

This is why, for me, these two characters and their story is probably currently the best narrative ZZZ has to offer atm even with the things around it in the patches not being as good as it could be.

[bloodblanks]

writing tutoring

status: open for those interested in learning how to write (from your hopefully favourite fanfiction author) :3

author's note: skills taught may include but are not limited to nsfw content. all ages are welcome.

hi! i’m going to assume that you’re reading this post because you’re interested in learning how to write. if so, you’re in the right place! (if not, i’m not entirely sure why you’re reading this :sob:)

as you (probably?) know by now, i am a fanfiction author. i primarily write dark romance with heavy angst and smut. i am also currently studying for a certificate in creative writing. my credientials are not that impressive, but hopefully, you’ve read my work and decided that i am sufficiently skilled at my craft. if not, here’s my masterlist, i guess?

anyway, sorry for the excessive yapping. let’s get to the point...

i am now offering one-on-one tutoring services for those interested in learning how to write. i am able to work with all ages and skill levels, so everyone’s welcome! all you need is some basic interest in writing.

so, what can i even do?

i can:

brainstorm ideas with you

help formulate an outline for your work

give guidance on the actual writing process

analyze your work and provide feedback

discuss ways to improve your writing

teach you methods that i employ myself when writing

answer questions regarding writing, ie: plot, characterization, pacing, phrasing, etc

explain certain specifics of the genres i write, ie: how to best write a reader insert, second person pov, nsfw content, etc

and various other things along these lines...

i wanted to say that i tried outlining what a regular lesson would be like, but honestly, it would be completely dependent on the individual and their goals. if you are looking for elaborate feedback on your work, then that’s what we’ll do. if you want help structuring a plot and adding depth to your characters, then i’ll advise you accordingly. if you want to discuss your story ideas with me, then i’m more than happy to yap.

i am able to give lessons over video call, voice call, and even text for those uncomfortable with calls.

and lastly, pricing!

a standard tutoring session will be an hour long, at the rate of 15EUR/session.

however, you can also pre-purchase packages for:

40EUR/3 sessions.

65EUR/5 sessions.

for those interested, please send me a dm here (on tumblr) or add me on discord: bloodblanks (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ and if anyone has any questions, feel free to send in an ask or message me privately.

thank you for reading! ♡

[tamavonpineapple]

«Chung Myung’s mind drifted, far from the cold of the present, back to the warmth of a summer day in Huayin. Where Tang Bo fell asleep, lazily sprawled on a chair, his head tilted back over the edge of the backrest with a half-empty wine bottle resting on his lap barely held in place by the loose grip of his hands. The sun painted his face in gold, casting a glow over the messy strands of his hair.

The gentle rise and fall of Bo’s chest mirrored the sway of the wind through the trees. Chung Myung had sat there, watching him in silence. His neck would surely be sore when he woke up, but there was something calming in the way Bo lay so still, so utterly at peace.

Chung Myung could still hear the echoes of the countless times he had scolded Bo for letting the wine grow tepid for dozing off while clutching on the bottle for too long. Now, he could almost relish on same wine again, as if he had been drinking it whole from his hands, with his lips grazing on his fingertips, as his own hands cupped Bo's, trying to catch the drops slipping through.

But all that was left to do was hold on to Bo's body, thigh against his chest, his silent sobs had long since ceased. Chung Myung clung to his body as if he could share some of his warmth.»

And yeah, It's done... I'm so done. Although I wish I could say the same thing about my fanfic.

And special thanks to my friends @felixblankspace @victorian-platence for being great friends. ♥️✨♥️

(gracias por soportarme :') )

[noctlas332]

day two the lengthening is an act of love

[4lph4kidz]

i think i'll probably elaborate on this eventually because i'm not sure how well i can word this right now, but essentially one reason i keep coming back to homestuck is that to some degree it's also an excercise in self examination? i enjoy it as a work, but i also feel compelled to dissect my response to it, for a variety of reasons. if you think that sounds like a nightmarish ouroborous of OCD-fueled pointlessly mastubatory overthinking then you'd be right

[onyourstageleft]

I'm going to be a certified library professional in a few short weeks, I have a solid understanding of the need to read broadly and should have a strong personal commitment to doing so, but more often than not, I end up reading fanfic for the one relatively obscure YA universe that has engrained itself into my very being rather than reading literally anything else and I don't know how to feel about it

[pidgefudge]

hmm

[bigeyedchangelingchild]

So regarding this post, and specifically this tag, this is hitting on something that I believe that's super unpopular.

I, as a disabled person, would rather live in a high rise than on the second floor of a low-rise.

Now first off, if a safety regulation ends up causing a height restriction that's not the same thing as a restriction purely about height, in my experience that's almost entirely about people's views unless it's near an airport.

(and even then might still be about the view, but for pilots and ATC which is safety, not because they like having coffee on their porch while looking at the mountains.)

So like, to begin with the premise that height rules are inherently a safety regulation is nnn.

But fundamentally the taller a building the more my safety as someone with limited mobility aligns with that of my able-bodied neighbours. When I live on the second floor and the elevator breaks, or a fire happens the expectation is that I can go down the stairs, I can't so I end up being stuck. When I live on the 15th floor and the elevator breaks or a fire happens the expectation is that it's not reasonable for me to go down the stairs regardless so there is more fire surpression required, there is multiple elevators required, the elevators must be isolated from the units and there must be systems to try and contain a fire to one unit, and one floor. And the elevators will be fixed much faster because all my able-bodied neighbours are also calling the building manager saying that they aren't going to carry their groceries up 15 flights of stairs.

That's also assuming that the low-rise even has one elevator.

[adozentothedawn]

Took me multiple days, but I have committed an art. It's an illustration for this fic of mine and making it has driven me insane. Anyway, hope you like it because I spent so much time on this just trying to learn the program and getting it to cooperate, aside from just generally not really knowing how to draw things. But honestly I think it came out well! At the very least I learned some things about art which is nice.

[pochapal]

I wish you the best of healing and that you are assisted by competent doctors who care about you and will ensure you have a good quality of life and lots of life to live. you deserve it (everyone deserves it of course, but specifying 'you' so you know that I believe you are a person whose thoughts and continued literature sparks joy and enriches the world)

also I hope that you are as of this moment doing well or that you will be doing well in the future.

aahhh this is very kind thank you!!!! <3

[cavefairy]

dude oh my god. sonic forces..................

[thevalleyisjolly]

And what if I redesigned the monk class according to actual wuxia themes and tropes, what then. I simply think monks are cool and can absolutely be redeemed as a class once you take the Orientalism out of it and be a little more thoughtful about what fantasy martial arts are actually like in East Asian stories.

[say-duhnelle]

I'm not sure that naming gymnastics as the antithesis to sports with "ghettoized leagues for the frail and delicate" where traits more common in cis men give you an inherent advantage is quite the W you think it is, mate

crazy that in the 1970s they were like, "fine, women can play sports. but because they're innately less athletic than men, only in a special ghettoized League For The Frail And Delicate where they get paid less 😊". And not only is that still the system in 2023, but viciously lashing out at the smallest challenges to that system gets framed as Feminist Praxis

[cosmo-and-bullet]

For a sec I thought Hoover might be a young Apple snail because he is much bigger than I assumed a mystery snail would be, and upon Googling, I learned two important things:

1. Mystery snails can grow to be quite large! Their foot can sometimes get to be 3” long if you do it right!

2. Aquatic animals are just… Hard to keep. Lots of people report having their snails for a disheartening amount of time. But a bunch of them also decide to get right back on that damn horse because snails are AMAZING little critters and we want to figure out how to do it RIGHT 💪 That just makes me feel so much better about my failure with little Bullet…