#THE MOST LOW EFFORT EDIT I'VE EVER MADE

[ashxketchum]

✧ DIGIKIDS THE EXPLORERS ✧

[janitorhutcherson]

bedtime with mike and abby ( mike schmidt x reader)

hi guys! this is my first ever lil fic/imagine/blurb here!! if y'all like this, I'll keep it up. I'm also new to tumblr, so please please be patient with me. in the future i'd love to do requests.

also if someone wants to help me with formatting/be friends, just shoot me a msg :p

this is just a quick lil imagine/blurb. I've seen so many smutty fics and i wanted to spice it up w/ some fluff. just sleepy time on mike's night off! on w the fic :p

*edit* this isn’t revised!! i threw something together last min and posted cause i felt like writing lol. don’t mind the typos

word count: 1,633

warnings: none! just fluff, angst if u squint!!

summary: nighttime with mike and abby on his day off!

Most of the time, you, your boyfriend Mike, and his little sister Abby were on entirely different schedules. Mike worked nights at a shitty gas station job for the time being after his job at Freddy's was... well.. no more for obvious reasons. Even though he swore off the night shift, this was necessary until he could find something better. Jobs were sparse at the moment, and Mike's history didn't exactly make him a star candidate.

A typical night would consist of you making the three of you dinner, slowly forcing Abby to venture out when it came to her taste buds. Recently, she'd taken a liking to tacos. You and Mike would make a joint effort to get her ready for bed earlier together, as Mike was more particular about being there for her since the incident. She'd get a bath, get into her jammies, and the two of you would tuck her in with a bedtime story. You'd both kiss her little forehead goodnight, then kiss your boyfriend on his lips before sending him off.

Most nights, you tossed and turned in your sleep, unable to rest properly without Mike by your side. A painfully dull feeling would rest in your stomach, the lack of his warmth beside you agonizing. You'd spend all night waiting for 6am to roll around as you felt the bed dip on his side, barely stirring you from your sleep. You'd have thirty minutes until your alarm went off, thirty minutes to wrap yourself up into him before you once again went on your separate ways... living your separate lives until you could have your few hours of union later on.

But tonight, you were lucky. Mike had gotten the next few days off. His job was being extra kind as they actually recognized the hard work Mike put in, something he wasn't used to. They'd told him someone would take over for a bit, to enjoy himself, to rest. It may have been a low-paying, trashy, borderline dangerous job, but his boss was nice, and the customers were certainly safer to deal with than those at the pizzeria.

You called out sick from work, not wanting to miss a single second with your little trio. You'd both even made the decision to pull Abby out of school for the day, spending it building forts, watching movies, and eating ice cream. The three of you even went out rollerskating, Mike awkwardly tumbling every few seconds on the rink as Abby would bust out laughing at him. The three of you were now sat around on the couch, Mike smooshed into the far side of the armrest as your entire body lay on his, Abby's head resting in your lap as she sleepily blinked her eyes. She'd already had her bath, brushed her teeth, and all three of you were in your pajamas.

"So, everyone have a good day?" Mike asked, turning his head to the two of you with a small but sleepy smile.

"Mhm," Abby hummed quietly, slowly nodding her head against your lap. It was clear that she was moments from passing out, and once Abby was out, she was impossible to get up without a fight.

"Okay, I think it's time for bed," you giggled, slowly lifting your own head up from Mike's shoulder. Mike nodded in agreement, a laugh of his own escaping his lips.

You both slowly pulled Abby up, getting her up on her feet, her half asleep state making her delirious as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, staring back at the two of you in confusion.

"C'mon, Abs, it's time for bed," Mike muttered, standing up. He grabbed your hand, pulling you up with him. You stood as well, following Mike as he led Abby to her room. She crawled up into her bed, her little body tucking under her blankets as the two of you sat on both sides of her.

"Want a bedtime story?" Mike asked, raising his eyebrows as he leaned down to press a small kiss to Abby's forehead. Abby's lips parted to answer, but before she could, her eyes were closed and she was out. A sincere and quiet chuckle escaped underneath Mike's breath, his eyes full of love for his sister as her stared down at her. You couldn't help but stare, the edges of your mouth turning up into a sleepy smile of your own. He was so majestic, his messy but soft brown curls were laying in every which way on his head. Even though he was much more rested than usual, his eyes were still somewhat sunken in, but to you, that just made him more attractive. His scruff was messy, unshaven, but it managed to highlight his jawline. The sparkle that remained in his eyes, even through it all, after everything that he'd been through, warmed you to your core, your love for him overwhelming.

"What?" Mike asked quietly with a smile still plastered on his lips, his eyes now locked on yours. A blush crossed your cheeks as you realize you’d been caught, your eyebrows raising.

“Nothin’,” you hummed, shaking your head. “Just admiring you.” Your hand reached out to his as the two of you went to your own bedroom, the only light now lighting up your house being the moonlight and street lamps peeking through the blinds. You both crawled into bed, pulling the blankets over your bodies.

There was nothing but silence other than the sound of the fan in your room, the hum almost hypnotic as you wrapped yourself up in his arms. Your head rest against his chest as he instantly tugged you closer, his back flat on the bed as his hand cradled your side. His thumb drew small figure eights on your shoulder. Your body felt fuzzy, a type of relaxation you hadn’t felt at night in a while. Mike made you feel safe. On nights where you two were able to just snuggle up, nothing could buzz in your mind. Anxious thoughts disappeared, even the ones that seemed to be a constant in the back of your brain. There was nothing but a warmness in your mind and a beam of love in your heart.

“Hey, baby?” You heard Mike ask softly, his voice cracking from his sleepiness. You were broken from your train of thought by this, looking up at the man with the sleepy eyes. “Hm?” You hummed in response, your eyes fluttering, but he couldn’t see due to the lack of light. Mike sat up, pulling you up with him as he grabbed your hands, both of your faces now lit up by the light peeking through the cracks in your curtain.

“I- I know we don’t get nights like these much, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m never home, I’m sorry you have to do so much for you and Abby alone. I’m sorry I dragged you into that mess with Freddy’s, got you involved in so much of this,” he said, his voice seeping with sadness and regret. His eyes held an even softer emotion than they did earlier, one that felt like a knife to your chest. “Most importantly, I’m sorry I can’t be the boyfriend I should be. I mean, we should be spending our nights out at clubs, going out on special dates and vacations, and I hate that I’m unable to give you that,” he sniffled, a tear now falling down his eye.

You leaned forward, a frown on your lips as your eyebrows furrowed, your eyes locked on his as you placed your hand on his cheek, wiping away the tear with your thumb as you shook your head. Mike’s own two much larger hands were now placed on both of your cheeks as he continued. “But listen, Y/N, I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone, okay? I- I’m not good at this shit, I know I’m not. I’m clumsy and I’m bad at emotions. I don’t always know what I want or what I need, but I know I don’t only want you, but I need you. You came into my life and you brightened it where it was the darkest. You brought happiness back, you made me understand what joy was again, what it was like to feel.. complete. You saved me, but..” he trailed off again, full on tears falling down his cheeks now. “Most importantly, you saved Abby, made her feel whole again too, gave her somethin’ like a mother, something I couldn’t give her,” he said, his voice breaking at the end. Before he could say another word, you wrapped around arms around him, pulling him into a massive bear hug. He buried his head into the crook of your neck, your mind not even focused on the salty tears and the snotty nose that was leaned up against your shoulder. Your hands rubbing his back as you kissed the top of his head.

“Oh, baby..” you whispered softly, squeezing him like if you let go he’d disappear. “You know I love you so much too…” you finished, pulling his face up by his chin, pressing a soft, gentle but electric kiss to his lips. The two of you then settled back into bed, curling up in each other’s arms as he played with your hair, occasionally leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your lips, small sniffles still leaving his nose from the emotional moment. He was right, it was rare you got moments like these together, but when you did, you cherished them. It took about thirty minutes of sweet nothings and cuddles before the two of you drifted off, in your own little dream worlds filled with many nights like these.

[thebramblewood]

this is in a similar vein to an ask you got recently but do you have any tips for those who are interested in sims 4 (or even other games like ts3 and ts2) storytelling? I write fanfiction but I think making sims 4 stories could be a fun venture. Anyway, thank you for your time! I love your stories so very much they're literally my hyperfixation!

Well, that makes two of us because it's literally my hyperfixation. I think I've shared bits of advice before, so some of this might sound familiar, but here are some things I think are important to remember (and I tried to be concise, I swear).

Write the story you want to write. Obviously, it's a great feeling when something takes off and people get invested. But if you pursue an idea only because you think Simblr will like it, you probably won't be inspired for long and it'll probably show. I've been very lucky with my story, but it didn't blow up overnight. Early on, I was thrilled to get double digit notes or one reblog or comment and was admittedly disappointed when I put a lot of effort into something and nobody seemed to notice. But I kept going because I was obsessed and wanted to see it through, and that's more true now than ever.

Start with low stakes and allow yourself to evolve. Before I was on Simblr, I made Sims stories with no poses or visual enhancements or fancy editing. I wrote them for myself, and I loved every minute of it, but they also gave me a solid foundation for the kind of storytelling I do now. Even after starting this blog, I eased myself into it. I learned how to use poses and Reshade, then moved on to more advanced editing techniques, then moved on to teaching myself to make poses and very basic CC. If you try to learn it all at once, you're more likely to give up because you're overwhelmed. Take your time and make peace with the fact that perfection isn't possible. Everyone's always learning!

Take advantage of the fact that Sims is a game. Even though I've been a creative writer for most of my life, I don't come up with fully-fleshed, elaborate Sims stories from scratch. It started off with my legacy and not wanting every generation to feel the same. I thought about gameplay I hadn't experienced yet and centered each generation's story around that. Even with HZID, I just wanted to make and play with vampires! That's it! Initially, I used a lot of gameplay to convey Helena's college experiences, and I still try to incorporate it when I can. It can really be a great base to spark your creativity if you don't know where to start.

Don't have a life outside your story. I'm joking. Kind of. I'm not a very social person and I don't like leaving my house if I don't have to. This leaves me with a lot of time for working on story things. Honestly, I could probably stand to work on it less. But for better or worse, I'm doing story-related things most nights and weekends, and even if I'm not doing anything, I'm thinking about it. It's probably mental illness, but we'll just call it passion. At the same time, it's also important to take breaks! If you're feeling burnt out, step away for a while. If you can't make yourself step away completely (raises hand), just edit the script or spin your blorbos around in CAS or something rather than going straight for posing a scene.

Follow and interact with other storytellers. This is probably the most important thing, and as someone who struggles with social anxiety it was the hardest for me to do. But I try to make a point of keeping up with other stories, commenting, and reblogging. Not only will the amazing talent of other writers inspire you, but you're building meaningful connections that make them more likely to want to interact with your story. There's no denying it feels amazing to watch your audience grow. But no one's going to see you if you don't make an effort to be seen, as scary as it can be. So try to be active in the community and support other storytellers the way you want to be supported!

[alwek]

I have 100 memes in my 9/11 folder, and so here's my

Bottom 10 9/11 Memes From My Collection

From Best Of The Worst To Worst Of The Worst

~~~~~~~~~~

10) Jungle Game Edit

While this is a good edit, there's not much context to this meme. As far as I'm aware, this screenshot comes from some computer game. Maybe it would be funnier if I knew the context to it, but as far as I know, this is just some pretty good edit over a jungle.

~~~~~~~~~~

9) Tracker Plane

It's a fun idea, but I think it could be done better. As it stands, this meme gets nothing more than a "heh" from me. Maybe if the plane was edited to be more antro, it wouldn't be in my bottom 10.

~~~~~~~~~~

8) Tall Towers

It's the towers, and they are tall. That's pretty much it. There's not much to this other than an edit I think looks pretty good.

~~~~~~~~~~

7) French 9/11

This meme is in the bottom because it requires a lot of context to understand. If you don't know french politics of the current years, this doesn't make a lot of sense other than "haha eifel tower 9/11. Whys hitler there?" Plus, this edit tries too hard to look low effort I think. There's better versions of this out there I bet.

~~~~~~~~~~

6) Sunday Night Sucks

I don't think there's much to this one. It's kinda basic in its relatability, and as 9/11 jokes go, it's kinda low effort, too. Relies too much on shock factor and the fact that this was the whole clip makes it a bit boring also. It's just "i hate work, 9/11." Could be better.

~~~~~~~~~~

5) Holiday Card

It's just 9/11 clip art. I find it uninspired. There's really not much to say about this. It feels like what corporate people would send to each other.

~~~~~~~~~~

4) Foxy

The clip of the fox is done really cleanly, but other than that, this meme is pretty basic. Not much going on, not much to say. The plane is the fox. That's the joke.

~~~~~~~~~~

3) Doug Dimmadome Hat

Doug Dimmadome Hat is the twin towers. Most of my least favourite memes in the folder are just the boring ones. There's nothing wrong with it, there's just not much going on. And for that, it lands near the bottom.

~~~~~~~~~~

2) Latias Does 9/11

I literally have a better version of this meme. Simple, low effort, boring.

~~~~~~~~~~

1) Hobbits Walking

The worst clip I've ever seen edited onto what I'm pretty sure isn't even a screenshot of the Two Towers movie. I get the idea, but the execution is just terrible. There are so many better ways that this joke can be made, and I don't understand how you mess up a joke that writes itself so dramatically.

~~~~~~~~~~

Send me 9/11 memes

[celestiallyslimy]

a big, unorganized rant on ai (from a human artist) 1. lack of effort and meaning ai art doesnt really have any meaning or effort to it. real artists need to put at least some effort into their art, effort that typing onto a keypad and selecting areas to edit cannot amount to. and even with minimal effort, there's still some meaning to it. a comfort character? that has meaning. maybe that character is from a show thats sentimental to the creator. an oc? how much time was put into that character's design and lore? even miniscule things can have meaning to someone. but ai? just type what you want to see and it's done. not happy? select, type again, and repeat. artists can just make what they want to see appear. if someone is up to put a lot of effort into something, (lets say an archer in the woods, for my example), this is what may happen; 1. make a sketch 2. start lineart 3. colour 4. shading 5. background 6. extra details and then, ai generative "artists" can type "archer, woods, bow and arrow, forest" until they find something they like. and then, they have the audacity to call the image they did not make "art". if someone said "i had a dream about an antro cat demon with insect limbs" and someone else drew that, who is the artist? the person who drew it. yes, the original poster made the idea, but they didnt create the result. all they made was the prompt.

for my next point, i'll be using the scream (1893) by edvard munch

the reason that the scream resonates with today's audience is because it portrays anxiety, terror, and fear. in fact, munch felt this himself[1]. will ai ever be able to feel this despair? no. it can only learn what people percieve the emotions as. it's called artificial for a reason. 2. low quality im assuming most of us know the basic concept of what lankybox is. i've never cared much, but from what i know, it's two content farmers hopping on popular trends to gain follows and views. the content lankybox makes is lazy and effortless. it's pumped out constantly, and just doesnt have anything to it other than cheap entertainment. but, ai image generators will type an idea; which takes little effort, and just adjust. it can take a few seconds up to a couple of minutes. now, i'm not doing the math, but with 12 hours on the clocks, that could be maybe hundreds of images generated in a day. annually, artists might make up to 50 pieces[2]. so, even though content farms are insulted and criticized for pumping out constant effortless videos (10 a day), ai art is considered fine because someone wrote it? someone scripted the brainrot videos too.

3. replacing jobs this is probably the most commonly talked about part of the ai controversy, but most companies say stuff like "we strive to create an ai model that will make increasingly more realistic artworks that look human!" and when artists raise concern about losing their income, they say "you wont be replaced!". yeah right. out of 2000 executives, 41% expect to employ less people thanks to ai[3]. and that's not even only about artists. this is mostly about artists but ai sucks in general.

i could write more but i dont feel like it tldr; ai replaces jobs (removing income from families), is pretty much a less worse content farm, and is incapable of doing what a human could ever do.

[sam-glade]

Find the Words Tag

Tagged by @cheeto-flavoured-pasta here and @i-can-even-burn-salad here. Thank you 💜

And I'll pass it gently to: @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @chayscribbles @chauceryfairytales @zestymimblo - your words are: star, sun, light, dark.

Looking at Gifts of Fate, since I've got it at hand, and I'm SO CLOSE to being done with editing.

From @cheeto-flavoured-pasta: side, sound, heart, and utter

SIDE

The downpour started when they were half way to Beetletun. The ground turned to mud, and the leaves of the bushes that crawled up the sides of the causeway drooped heavy with water. No wonder that there was nobody else in sight, on the road or in the fields stretching to either side of it. Lissan walked with his head held low, blinking away rivulets that ran from his temples. His hood and jacket soaked through in minutes, and water had gathered in his boots and sloshed with every step.

SOUND

Marrik screamed when something started moving inside the rupture, black against black. He choked on the scream when the head of a grotesque monster emerged. Its body followed, cloven hooves clawing at the edge of the opening. It fell to the ground from a height that would have easily killed a person, and picked itself back up as if it was nothing. Even at a distance of over fifty paces, it looked enormous. A bull, Lissan thought, his heart pounding, his breath quick and shallow. It was twisted, and corrupted, and repulsively wrong, but its shape and features, and the way it stomped its legs, still resembled an irate bull. Lissan wanted to laugh at how the comparison made a normal bull into a creature as docile as a newborn kitten. The sound that escaped him was more of a whimper. He clamped his jaw shut.

HEAT

The herbalist’s hut was a lonesome little thing on the other side of the Lord’s Woods. The trees had always surrounded it in a motherly embrace, sheltering it from summer’s heat and the biting winds of winter. Now, six years after Old Barran’s passing, hazels and rowans encroached on the herb garden and the modest yard.

UTTER (while searching for it, I discovered that I use 'mutter' too much)

“I would have heard it easily, Princeling.” Ianim shot him a glare over the old, old nickname. Fair enough, Gullin supposed they had a third wheel with them. He offered a small, apologetic shrug. Ianim waved his hand. “Sure, but you’re the most powerful Sword of Air in our generation, and Lissan—” “Apparently channels Air,” Gullin finished. He sympathised with the kid on that front — having one’s senses honed to the extreme was an utter nuisance at times. He heard the conversations around each table in the pub, and he was able to make them out if he focused. He smelled each steaming plate that came out of the kitchen. He could also see in the dark, detect the movement of air and minute changes in temperature. It was the perfect knack for a whisper agent, back when he dabbled in the information trade, and now for a Sword in the Intelligence and Internal Security Corps.

~*~

From @i-can-even-burn-salad: grief, grow, game, gasp.

GRIEF GRIEVANCE

“Then what is it, lad?” Resigned, he told Zevan everything. Almost everything. Once he’d started talking, he struggled to stop. He poured out all of his grievances against the Usurper and vented his worries. Zevan nodded along, attentive, smiling comfortingly.

GROW

Within a couple of minutes, movement appeared in the fallow fields and on the forest floor. As Catnip released her powers, animals gathered around her — two foxes, a handful of hares, various rodents, and little birds. Ianim watched, fascinated like a child, and Gullin didn’t fault him for that. Catnip and her ever-growing menagerie were a wonder.

GAME

“Perhaps we can start with a game of chess, my prince?” Ianim froze. This was his sister’s game, and as with everything else she’d attempted, she excelled at it. He knew the rules of course, but the one time the First Prince had seen him playing with Master Claren — in a desperate effort to maybe not impress her but prove to her that he wasn’t utterly inept — she took one look at the board and walked out of the room, an icy gust sweeping after her.

GASP

He didn’t want to die. He refused to. He couldn’t die. He had to make sure that Marrik and Adya made it home, that the groceries were kept dry enough in his basket, that his father got back home later in the evening. The monster didn’t care. Lissan moved his arm out of the way of the teeth in the nick of time and pounded on its snout. Its jaw hit him on the chest. He gasped for air, ground his teeth, and hit it again. It only irritated the demon more.

[alltimefail-sims]

I was tagged by @silentsundown! Thank you for tagging me!! ❤ I put my responses under "read more" because you already know I ramble lol

1. What’s your favourite sims death? Gotta go with a classic... the cowplant death. I really like cowplants!

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? I'm maxis mix, but hair must be maxis match.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? Nope. I can't think of a reason I would ever need to!

4. Do you use move objects? Yes, but I use the T.O.O.L. mod more (for really accurate placement).

5. Favorite mod? UI Cheats or MCCommand are obviously necessary, but I could not play the game without Lumpinou's mods or custom recipes (Granny's Cookbook is my favorite).

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? Get to Work, luxury party, and camping GP (outdoor retreat I think? It came in a bundle).

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? Honest to God I go back and forth on this. Depending on the context I have used both! (I pondered this question for a few minutes but it hurt my poor little dyslexic brain. I just kept going back and forth until I was too confused lmao.)

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I really don't have a favorite child. Erwin is probably my favorite townie makeover, but I will always have a special place in my heart for my Carter family OCs.

9. Have you made a simself? Yes, but I don't play my simself in game.

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? High maintenance, creative, family-oriented (+ music lover and moody)

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? Probably the true black tbh (but I use the last red hair swatch a LOT for some reason lol).

12. Favorite EA hair? I like all the hairs that came with Growing Together and I like the braided updo from Jungle Adventure.

13. Favorite life stage? Teens or YA probably as these stages have the most enjoyable gameplay features.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Gameplay - telling stories is the heart of why I play the Sims in the first place. I do love building, but I have to be in the mood.

15. Are you a CC creator? I wish, because I have some very stupid desires lmao. Maybe one day!

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? I wouldn't say I have a simblr squad, but I've met some amazing people on here who I would consider friends!!! ❤ Even if we don't talk often, I really care about my mutuals.

17. What’s your favorite game? Outside of the Sims, I don't play a ton of games. Probably Animal Crossing!

18. Do you have any sims merch? No!

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? Not yet, but that is a long term goal!

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? Back when TS4 first dropped I used alpha cc, no custom sliders, no skin overlays, and my sims were very ugly tbh lol. Then I shifted to a hyper cartoon look once I discovered simblr. But now I think I have my own distinctive style that I'm really proud of!

21. What’s your Origin ID? alltimefail01 (I think)

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? I like so many different creators, but I have everything @pralinesims has ever made in my game. I also love @simstrouble, @daylifesims, and @okruee hairs. For build stuff, probably @awingedllama!

23. How long have you had a simblr? A little over a year!

24. How do you edit your pictures? I mostly resize, crop, adjust the exposure and contrast as I see fit, then sharpen the image. I do have a new method for gameplay pics that I learned a few days ago that looks really clean and smooth that I'm excited about too!!! My whole process is pretty low effort as I'm not into that part of the process at all.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Strangerville (obviously) and Get Together, the underrated queen!!! The townies are so good and the world is amazing. But really I like any packs that add gameplay (especially family/legacy-centered gameplay).

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? Not a whole pack dedicated to horses that's for sure lmao 😅. I really want another city world, or at least a world that has apartments. More hobbies and skills would be phenomenal, like a whole skill game pack or EP dedicated to hobbies and personal passions (reminiscent of TS2 Freetime). More diversity of personality and skills in the game, more careers (not all playable ones like GTW, but I wouldn't object to a few). A skills/hobby pack would be a great pack to include bands and additional instruments. I would like more non-American-based worlds as well.

I'm gonna tag @xhannahsimssx, @wrixie, @crsentfairy, @retro-plasma, @acuar-io, @yooniesim, and anyone else who wants to do this 👍

[comfortunit]

literally just found you today thru those rants and 100%. ive talked about it with friends but we keep it to ourselves bc fandombrained people are so vitriolic & reactionary but you get it. fandoms as they are now are simply a function of capitalism and i wouldnt even say most are fans of the media they say they are but of the roving dudeslash fandom who NEED to see characters forced into their static cookiecutter trope pairing/mirroring themselves and fuckin or theyll die. fandoms in general also tend to be a cesspit of racism & terrible attitudes towards sex work despite their fascination with/fetishization of both race and sex work in general and its like the smaller the fandom is the more of a toxic microcosm of let people haaaaave funnnnn it becomes (idk why i wrote this i was just super surprised to see another mbd fan who was also a sex worker, hiii same hat i am waving to you from across the street)

i went off about this in a mutual's personal server even more than i posted/ranted about here on tumblr because it really pisses me off, especially when you visit low-rating reviews of any mbd book, extra especially fugitive telemetry (like "how Dare this author whose work i love give me a novella after a full-length novel release?!" it's so fucking ungrateful! and it demonstrates such a disgusting lack of basic reading comprehension).

here's one review i saw posted the month i picked up the book and happened to be using goodreads to track my progress at the time, for example:

out of ideas?! it's one of the more tonally different stories in the series. when i finished the book for myself, i came back to this review and i just did not know how someone could ever say something like this. did we even read the same book?! is she "out of ideas" or did she give people another short-form story that was packed with concise and exacting language, tackling a multifaceted web of brand new interactions that make murderbot's personhood that much more dimensional, and they turned their nose up at it because "ugh 🙄 why can't we just have more full-length novels full of stuff that i can pretend is evidence of my fantasy OTP ship being canon"? the idea that a story is "low-effort" to "produce" simply because it's short is such a fucking insult to writers who know anything about writing, especially short-form masters like martha wells. these books are raw concentrated emotion.

to use a food comparison, because i've been getting emotional about the bear recently, it's like comparing a family/holiday feast to an 8-course meal from a star-ranked restaurant. they are both incredibly valuable, in different ways. the novellas are basically 'the perfect bite', they are incredibly well-written, they're rounded stories about rounded characters. intricate, delicate, plated to perfection, and at the end you realize that you've had enough of these small courses (chapters) that it's like. wow, you realize how fulfilled you are; every 'level' engaged is maxed out... and a feast made to feed an entire family like the full-length novel(s) (since the next book is a full-length novel, too) is hearty, it's quantity from a quality-minded author, it's nourishing, it's fulfilling, it's going to get a lot of mileage from every character included. these are different experiences prepared by the same chef. trust that she's going to treat you well. you know?

but you don't let diners into the kitchen to make changes to the food everyone else is going to eat. i might be going a little far with the metaphor but i swear to fucking god if tor.com does the fanservice shit to mbd i'm going to lose my fucking mind.

but again. i have faith in martha wells, i have hope and i know she would never do that to us.

edit: oh my god where are my manners HI FELLOW SEX WORKER WHO LOVES THE MUDERBOT DIARIES! THANK YOU! HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL DAY!

[themagical1sa]

something I've been thinking about...

...is doing YouTube again.

It's been on my mind for years (like the classic Gen Z that I am) and I've even made a content plan last December should I ever actually pursue it.

I've only ever uploaded casually on my already existing channel. Most of my old content involves drawing, but you'll find that I also sing sometimes and make 3D videos via MikuMikuDance.

Lately, though, I've been feeling like making biweekly video logs. Vlogs? Video logs.

It's strange how, at a very low point in my life, my brain suddenly goes, “Hey, wouldn't it be amusing if we started at our lowest point and documented our development from there?”

I'm still contemplating it because the idea sounded impulsive to me, but at the same time it could inspire people later in the long run. Hopefully, if when my life starts getting better.

I do think that I'd probably just recount the past few days should I do biweekly video logs. Something something... I'm thinking of them like time capsules. Probably wouldn't put too much effort into video editing yet.

Anyway, yeah, these are just some thoughts.

[catherinekal]

Favorite Music Video Number 29!

Didn't take to long to get to some kawaii anime catgirl stuff.

Nyanners is great. I've not actually ever watched her stream (though have seen various highlights here and there) but have known about her long before she ever did vtubing. Once she announced she was doing vtubing it was like damn, this the most perfect fucking fit for someone. No wonder she exploded in popularity fast. Her avatar is adorable and I'm happy for her success.

Then she drops this video and its fucking fantastic. I have no idea what the original song is and honestly who cares. I love how happy and stupid and colorful and well executed this music video is.

I love her 3D model. As far as I know has only been used in this video? It nails that anime kawaii look she's clearly took inspiration from and I like how this video will switch between her 2D streaming avatar and the 3D one. The hairs even clipping into her clothing exactly like some AA 3D obscure anime game and its great.

But it being kawaii as fuck isn't why it's on the list. It's the sheer timing of the edits, and how it never gets boring or to samey with its limited assets. Whoever edited this did a lot with essentially just a 3D model, some simple animations, and some expressions Nyanners did using her 2D model. I'm not sure if any of the animations are directly from Mixamo either, but it wouldn't surprise if they were. All 3D animation is tough, but there's nothing super intense being done I can tell. At least compared to other 3D animations I've seen online. There's doesn't need to be for something like this.

So as always its taking something simple and doing something creative with it. The background is constantly moving to the beat. The circles that pop up every time with various sizes and positions is such a simple idea to always have something visually going on. The silhouettes behind the models help add to the texture of everything. Even the text is given thought by changing colors and coming in creative ways when called for. All simple things used to take what could have been a rather boring video into something that's just so damn engaging. Editing is an artform like any other and whoever made this really knew how to make something that nails the vibe of the song, Nyanners personality, and how to do a lot when little.

This video is by no means low effort though. a lot is going on and I can't imagine how long this took to make, not even counting the custom model and animations. I just kind of love it. It makes me happy and that's enough to be on this list. That's how a lot of these early music videos will be. Nyanners - Seiso

[multiimistakes]

Hi !!! ARACHNO they/them. 25+

⭐ This is a (mostly) private and very low effort multi-muse.

⭐ Not interacting with any muses or muns under 23. Exceptions can be made but no one below 18+ period. This means muns and muses and extends to physical appearances ( as in idc if you're vampire is 1000+ if they only physically look 17, stay away from me). Gonna be RPing some pretty heavy stuff here theme wise.

⭐ I will be screaming about muses a lot. Gonna post lots of fc posts and edits and hcs, etc. If you get annoyed easily, this ain't the blog to follow. I've got lots of self-indulgent muses. Idc if they're bad, they make me kick my legs and teehee.

⭐ Read all my info and stuff, please!

⭐ Even I don't have a muse listed as active/loud, they're still all up for grabs you just gotta poke me about it.

⭐ Memes are tagged under #(blog); memes

( RULES ) ( MUSES ) ( LIST VIEW OF MUSES*) ( TAG DROPS )

LOUDEST MUSES RN: -- SOMEWHAT LOUD: --

*= my list view of muses is gonna be less detailed but more up to date than my google site page, fyi.

Rules under cut for mobile.

– Keep the basics in mind. I shouldn't have to type them all out. Don't be fucking WEIRD. I'm liberal with my hard block.

– This is a MOSTLY private blog as I won't really be advertising it. I am open to writing with people besides mutuals on my other blog. Just know I am likely not going to be the first to follow in most instances. But if I do follow first, know that I read all info and rules before doing so. c:

– My graphics are going to be at a minimum. I have basic headers for all muses but otherwise I'll be without. Some muses will have their own icons. Sometimes I'll use GIFs. There won't be a uniform theme here so expect a lot of Frankenstein bullshit.

– Expect info pages to be the same. This is a low effort blog and I just want to write and yell about these bastards. Some muse pages will have pictures, others not. Some will be more detailed, etc. Some won't have any at all and will have a normal info post written about them. If you ever have any questions about any of the idiots, hmu. For the most up to date list of muses, please refer to my LIST VIEW OF MUSES instead of just my MUSE page.

– I tend to fixate on different muses at different times so don't expect me to talk about or write all of them at once.

– When sending memes, please specify for WHO it is. All muses will have an emoji assigned to them that I'll be using for various things, feel free to also use this method. If you can't decide on a muse, I always encourage the good ole' RNG method. Unlabeled memes may take longer to answer or may not even be answered at all as I struggle a lot with choice paralysis.

– I won't be RPing with muses and muns under 23. This can be case by case but will typically be adhered to. Shipping wise, I'm not going to be doing more than 10 year age gaps between muses for any muse under like 35. As in I may be open for a 35 yr old with a 50 yr old. But I will not be down for a 25 yr old with a 50 yr old.

For immortal muses, same applies but with their physical appearance (as in idc if your vampire is 500, if they look 18 I will not be writing or shipping with them with my mid 40s looking muse)

– Some muses are closed to romantic shipping. (Liluthe & Seoyeon rn) Please respect that. :) A lot of these muses are connected and know each other as well so I may have them mention one another from time to time. A lot are also heavily connected to my main muse, Clark, over on kxllerblond. I have some that are super self-indulgent ocs with ties to canons. Always willing to write that out though

– I have some unwritten DNI's and won't list them all but atm I will not be writing with any TVD muses period unless I've got an established mun relationship with you outside of writing those characters.

[weeniebagel]

Wanna get into fighting games? Can't really afford 'em? No problem.

I've seen a recent increase in the genre's popularity on Tumblr thanks to Guilty Gear: Strive (namely Bridget's reveal), but I've seen folks show concern for the genre's cost. While Strive may be outside of folks price range, that doesn't mean there aren't free or cheap entry points to the genre. (Every game listed below is easy to run on low end PC's, so don't worry if you're playing on a potato. Just remember to use an ethernet cable for the best possible connection!)

Melty Blood: Actress Again Current Code (MBAACC) has a unique reputation for its underground scene and playerbase, as well as its dynamic roster of 31 characters (each with 3 distinct versions, producing an effective roster of 93 characters). It's fast paced and has a simple control scheme and plays fairly similarly to the latest entry in the series, Melty Blood: Type Lumina. The best part is that it's absolutely free with rollback netcode thanks to efforts of the fanbase in the making of community edition. It's also where Neco Arc was first made playable, so if you find posts about her amusing, you can play her for 15 minutes and then move onto a real character.

If you're not as interested in something less "anime" and want to try old arcade classics, then I can't recommend Fightcade more. Arcade emulator that lets you play online with anyone in the world with a solid connection thanks to rollback netcode. Classics such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike, King of Fighters '98, Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire (Darkstalkers 3, in the US), and many, many more are all available. Hell, you can even play non fighting games such as Metal Slug on it, too! Of course, it's just an emulator, so you'll have to acquire roms yourself somehow, but that's a legally gray area. Fightcade does not give you any roms, so it's legal. Sure would be convenient if there was some sort of extension that automatically grabbed game roms for you the instant you joined a fightcade lobby, though.

If you're willing to drop a few bucks, then Steam isn't devoid of any good deals. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core +R (colloquially known as +R) is often on sale for just $3, and is a beloved entry in the Gear franchise. It's the game where Strive favorites Bridget, Testament, and Anji were last playable in, and maintain their original toolkits and playstyles. Not only that, but the game has some absolutely fantastic rollback netcode now! While it may be daunting at first, you'll find that most characters simplest bread and butter combos are easy and consistent. Low floor, high ceiling type of game.

Another game often available for cheap on Steam with great netcode is The King of Fighters 2002 UM. KOF is a very popular series in Latin America and East Asia, but never really exploded in the US. Recent series entry KOFXV has made an impact, and it plays like many previous entries. '02 UM has a large roster of fantastic characters to build a team around. Pick 3 of your favorites and jump right in!

A game you may already have (and not even know you do) Is Skullgirls. The game's often dirt cheap during sales, and has been included in more Humble Bundle's than any other game in the genre. Flexible, easy to learn systems, combined with a lovable roster of distinct characters gives you one of the best indie games ever made (and, personally, the best American made fighting game). Plus, after nearly a decade, the game is getting new characters again! There's never been a better time to start playing Skullgirls.

Ultimately, the best game to play to get into the genre is the game you want to play in the first place. If you want to get into Strive, there's no better game to play than Strive. Same with any Street Fighter, Skullgirls, Melty Blood, etc. Don't let the high level players scare you, there's always going to be fellow new bloods to play against. Check your game's wiki to find relative socials such as a community Discord, many of which have focused beginner tournaments and play nights to meet new people around your skill level. Don't be afraid to ask questions! You'll get answers and feedback from more experienced and friendly players.

Also, small note, use whatever controller you're most comfortable with. Keyboard and gamepad are perfectly fine. You don't need to buy a $200+ fightstick. While they can be fun, they're an investment often not worth making. Many of high level players such as SonicFox use a gamepad exclusively for every game they play. Go do you.

[littlx-songbxrd]

I think I might be scared of the world and the way it makes you feel afraid

*Jumps in at the last possible second of alestember to post the most horrid fan fiction I've ever written* Missed me?

Anyways this is day 3 angst for @alastair-appreciation-month I wrote today out of spite and bad ideas. I just finished this, its not edited, might be the worse writting I've ever done but its cool. This fict is dedicated to @cant-think-of-anything who is partly to blame for the ending and my friend who liked my private story when i posted hot girls spend their fridays writting patricide ily

Timeline? We dont know her. Sense? Also no. Just sit back and enjoy and maaaaayyybe dont look too much into it :)

TW. Patricide. Blood. Murder. Alcohol. Drinking (if you find any other let me know)

There was a dead body at his feet, the truth ran like a rampant beast through Alastair's every thought. His torn clothes left him kneeling against the bricks of the floor, rough surface burying itself into his bare skin. He tried to move his arm to get them away from the dripping water running through his hair and half-blinded sight, but they stubbornly remained raised where they were. 

It ought to hurt,  but his body didn't register it. Alastair could barely feel anything other than the crushing weight of his reality. False strength shattered as he refused to look away from his immediate view, where the body lay further into the dead-end street it had taken its last breath in.

Rain met blood on the side of the road, on the edges of his clothes, and at the tip of the stained glass, he held close. The blood it had initially been painted with wasn't his own, but he had held on to it so tight by now both mingled into the same scarlet. He attempted to stop himself from squeezing the edges so tightly, but every time the truth fell on him again he only hardened his grasp. Every reminder threatened to leave him unable to tether himself to this earth by anything except his own pain. It felt like he was watching the scene from afar rather than living it. Or perhaps it was all a dream, a vile twisted representation of his anger tormenting Alastair into insanity. The alternative seemed soothing as opposed to the truth of the evening, there wasn't anything taking him away from the situation. Miracles were low and scarce and nightmares could only last so long.  

He knew today would go wrong. It was always how things ended when his father was involved.  Elias's letter arrived a few weeks prior, announcing he, and he alone would be coming to Paris in a few weeks and hoped for an opportunity to see him. It all sounded harmless, most of his acquaintances rejoiced on the news he´d get to see his father upon asking who´s correspondence had come in. Alastair put all his efforts into seeming at the very least content. Pretending happiness proved quite the effort compared to the familiarity of anger, but he´d have to make do. He always did. That didn't mean in the privacy of his own room he didn't stare at the letter and ponder if burning it could make his father desist of the idea of ever coming at all. Maybe he could claim it got lost and ignore any summons until his father left France.The idea proved Alastair was slowly losing it, Elias knew exactly where he was staying. If he wanted an audience he could find him. Itd be foolish to think he could avoid him and Alastair liked to consider he wasn't as idiotic to feed into the idealism of his half-arsed plan. 

By the time the days to his arrival dropped into the single digit, he began to truly feel dread. The kind he was slowly losing the ability to hide. Having Charles confront him on why he seemed so jumpy all the sudden was enough to decide he needed to get control of himself. Fear was for the weak, and he´d trained his backbone to be made of steel. Elias' letter had only requested one meeting and that's all he'd give, but he wouldn't let his father cost him the life he was finally beginning to make for himself. Alastair never replied, confirming his agreement to seeing Elias, one last desperate attempt to hold some of the control he was losing, but there was no use. On the third day of his father's visit he woke to find him waiting on the institute's door. 

Part of him was glad to see he managed to make it without causing any issues Alastair needed to later fix, not enough to drown out the exhaustion brought just by the thought of spending an entire day with him, but he tried to hold on to the relief as he made his way towards him.  They both greeted each other with similar weariness, nothing too obvious as to raise suspicions, but enough to remind Alastair where exactly he sat in his father's eyes. There was some attempt at an awkward embrace, he swore his limbs felt like they´d be set on fire afterward, and left without much of a word. No attempts of conversation stuck during their time together. Pleasantries out of the way, there was nothing Elias appeared to want to say to his son, which suited Alastair just fine, there was nothing he wanted to say to him either. However, it did raise the question of why he´d been so insistent to seek him out at all. To walk in silence? He kept feeling Elias stare at him from the corner of his eyes as if studying him under the Parisian sunlight. Eyes narrowed, brows pushed together, it made Alastair wonder if it been so long that Elias forgot what he looked like. Or if maybe all the alcohol he must have consumed in his absence had helped in the process. 

He wasn't stupid enough to believe his mother's claims. Whenever she wrote, she tried her best to make it seem Elias had tamed the intensity of his drinking while he was away. Sona never outright wrote about the issue, that would involve acknowledging there was an issue to begin with, but he knew how to read her hidden messages. Assurances she might as well have made to the wind. Alastair assumed she felt sorry for him. Wanted to at least afford him a few more months without the burdens of his father's sickness. The gesture was appreciated, to an extent he felt touched by what his mother was trying to do. It didn't erase the fact it was too late. He already knew enough to never believe her. Yet, he wasn't sure Elias's drinking was the root of the strange way he acted today. There was something far more aware going on behind his light eyes. But Alastair was tired and wanted to get this visit over with, He kept his thoughts to himself until his father finally tired of his company. 

They parted ways upon reaching the institute and Elias refused to tell Alastair where exactly he was staying. So close to finally being done with this day Alastair didn't consider asking for more details, fearing trying to coerce any information Elias didn't want to give would only cause him to invade into his life longer. He watched him leave and almost felt guilt from the relief that fell through his bones. There would be a time he needed to return into his father's hold, but today was not that day. It would be long until he worried about Elias again. 

That night Alastair slept well for the first time in weeks. The last time he would in years. There was indescribable happiness flowing through him the next, a phenomenon purely driven by the absence of worry. He should have known it wouldn't last. That night as he began to finish his work and retire for what was left of the evening, someone called his name. One of the other residents of the institute stared at him through a wide grin, telling Alastair how hilarious his father's jokes were. The first thing he noticed was that his acquaintance was without a shadow of a doubt, drunk. Giggling at the sound of his own voice and a certain stumble to the steady rhythm of his feet. Alastair knew he needn't ask where he'd seen his father, but he still did. So much talk of being smarter than his desire yet he still hoped the man wouldn't reply to what he knew he would. 

The bar was only a ten-minute walk. From the information he got, Elias had just recently gotten there. Still tame enough to make jokes, present himself as charming. Make people pass off his drinking as nothing outside the ordinary. Alastair refused to acknowledge the loud thump his heart gave with every step he took. He rejected thinking about this entire ordeal in its entirety. He'd just do what he always did and then forget. Pretend it never happened. Let it fade into the other thousand memories just like tonight. 

The situation was worse than he expected, the effort it took to finally drag him away from the bar wasn't the one Alastair thought it'd be. Had it been the break? Did just a few months of freedom break his ability to do this? By the time he finally managed to get Elias outside he was left thinking in his sixteen years of life he hadn't suffered a night as difficult as today since he first began at ten years old. Elias was never glad to see him in this state, his image only represented one thing, leaving the bottle. But his hatred always stemmed from his separation with alcohol, not Alastair himself. Yeah, he'd scream some insults and do some damage, but Alastair knew it was never about him. For it to be he'd have to care for him more than the bottle. However, today he looked at his son with hatred indifference couldn't bring. Insults were sharper, harsher, looking for a way to tear through him. 

Elias kept on shouting, and Alastair could feel his patience slowly fading. He didn't know where Elias was staying, and any attempt to get him to inform would only end in disaster. He was alone, in the middle of a foreign country, and the only person he could perhaps ask for help was the last one he'd want seeing him like this. In the middle of his spiraling thoughts, he walked them into an abandoned corridor, hoping this would give him more time to think. Come up with anything resembling a plan. 

Upon moving them Elias got angrier, his struggle to free himself from Alastair's grasp stronger. He barely managed to remain tied to Elias's free wrist, a now empty bottle he refused to let go off occupying the other. When he managed to get them into the dead-end street he could no longer handle Elias, his anger took over him and began to fall into the carefully laid traps he now realized his father was setting. 

Alastair couldn't have guessed how long they both stayed arguing against each other. Alastair could barely recall when he stopped insulting him and began insulting his mother. His memories were scarce and rare but he could still recall Elias saying he wasn't his son. He would never be. The shock of it all made Alastair drop his firm hold, and the next thing he knew he was pinned against a wall, Elias whispering over and over again about how much he wanted to stop it. Stop seeing his face. Coherence to his words faded the closer he got with a knife he took off his shirt pocket. 

He didn't know what happened first, the knife digging into his cheek or the bottle smashing into his father's head. Suddenly his father fell to the floor, the bottle smashed into a thousand little pieces scouring around the street and the knife dropped at his feet. There were a few stains of blood. Not as big as the one pulling around his father. He bent down to pick a piece of glass, his body moving like a puppet on strings, and stared at his reflection. Who stared back at him was a killer of his own making. 

It was pathetic really, all this time attempting to convince himself there were scraps of goodness within him only for this to show his true nature. Time passed and there he remained, questioning if it'd just be easier to take the glass and finish his father's job. Once the thrill expired and the full weight of his actions set in he began to bring it forward, and forward. He thinks the only thing that managed to stop him was thinking death would be too kind of a fate for him. 

An invisibility rune allowed him to escape before mundanes found what he'd done. He ran through the streets of Paris to the only place he actually knew how to get to. Everyone was asleep by now, the only sounds from the city life outside of the church's walls. He swallowed in before stepping, his legs unable to stop shaking. The only reason he was here was to find a way to escape the city before his father's body was found. With his death all the debts Elias gained along his illness would be left with his family. He needed to set those right. Life do whatever it wanted with him afterward once he knew his family was taken care of. 

He tried to be as careful as possible when entering, making no noise as he managed to reach his room. What he hadn't counted on was his lover awaiting on the other side. 

¨Alastair where have you been? I´ve been looking-¨

Charles's entire face fell when he finally caught sight of him. Alastair probably looked like he'd been through hell. The cut on his face still burned while his hand was ruined from squeezing the glass. He could also guess there was blood all over his clothing. Alastair reached for the door and closed it shut. 

¨What is going on¨ Charles demanded. When he faced him he realized for once in his life he couldn't pretend. Hide how much his life was screwed. 

¨I need your help¨ he settled on replying ¨I need to get out of the city¨

¨Not until you tell me what's going on¨ the other man's voice grew impatient, weary ¨Alastair what did you do¨

At his silence he asked again, this time more demanding ¨What did you do¨ 

¨Something I can never come back from¨ he moved past Charles and began to clear his desk ¨I cannot, I will not speak about it. You best believe I am doing you a favor by doing so. I just need to leave. Tonight. When the truth comes out you can make some lie of why I am no longer here. Claim I escaped, claim I had decided to leave previous to the event already, you are the smartest man I know I´m sure you can come up with something¨

At that moment he felt Charles's hands turn him, forcing him to meet his eyes. With the memory of arms to his shoulders still fresh he couldn't help but flinch ¨Have you gone mad?¨

Yes, he wanted to shout. Yes, I  have ¨Charles I have never asked anything of you. I am asking now. Please. Just let me do this¨

For the first time in his life, he couldn't read his lover's face. Maybe it was his panicked state, but the silence threatened to kill him as Charles pondered his options. 

¨You do not have to leave tonight, I´ll help you in the morning¨ he finally said, his words low and defeated ¨But if this is truly the last night I will ever see you. Then we must not let it go to waste¨

When Charles kissed him there was nothing Alastair could do but return his advance. There was no denying his only salvation

—--

When he awoke the first thing he registered was darkness, and his inability to raise his hand. He struggled against whatever kept them held beneath him, the low light now helping to out in context his surroundings. It was the institute's sanctuary, or so he assumed based on the style of the floor the moonlight illuminated. There were also voices, they were far enough to sound disoriented but still there. He recognized one in an instant. 

¨I have no idea what he´s done¨ Charles's voice said ¨ but as head of the institute, I thought it best to contact you before anything escalated¨

¨You made the right call, now do we interrogate him by the mortal sword when he awakes¨

¨No no,¨ Alastair couldn't help but notice how his voice raised its pitch ¨ the truth of his deeds will come out eventually¨

¨What do you suggest we do in the meantime ¨

¨Perhaps he could remain in the silent city, alone until we figure out how to proceed. There he can await proper punishment without causing disturbances. I think itd be best for morale to keep this issue between us. I  can handle his family if it comes to it¨

¨Do you think they'd come looking?¨

¨No, that's why I am most confident in my ability to properly handle the situation¨

There was something both of them werent saying, but all three understood. They could make Alastair disappear if so they desired.

And so they did. For almost two years. Then he began hearing voices in his head, only to realize they weren't in his head at all 

What a ride huh? Also theres a lot thats not explained in page because Alastair doesnt know but I want to showcase in case its confusing. So this fict is going off the Alastair Verlac theory where Alastair isnt Elias son and the reason Elias was in Paris was because he found out Alastair may not be his son. He wasnt actually gonna kill Alastair but kept seeing Sonas ex face in him so in his drunken state he wanted to stop seeing it so yeah you get the rest. Would have Elias killed him? Thats up for interpratation. Also the reason Charles didnt want Alastair going under mortal sword was because he didnt want him potentially saying anything about their relationship. This was part one to an entire alastair villain au i will never write but hey i left the window open. If you guess who the voice is you get head pat

[foxymoxynoona]

Hello, maybe this is a weird question, but do you have a favorite of your stories? Like a tier ranking and what you love most about them? :)

It's not a weird question! What makes it a little hard is that my favorite stories to write are not necessarily my favorite stories to read. In fact I really struggle to re-read most of my stuff, I just can't enjoy it.

Let's say to write, favorite to least favorite, although even the low ones are still super high because I only write stories I want to write!

Lowlander: the constraints, the trope inversion, the fantasy element, the world building, the characters, everything in this was just fun, even when it hurt to write

Amended: just guilty pleasure writing, I loved getting to explore mundane suburbia, fun kids, rom com-esque f2e2l, dreamy stepdad Jungkook

Lone Blue Egg: the combination of drama and comed/absurd humor is one of my favorite styles to write, I just really enjoy it and I felt really proud of myself to tell a story that was still compelling but a little tighter/shorter

Sea of Indigo: I was super proud of myself to finish a story so fast, but also one that told a story to me that was meaningful and not just guilty plesaure writing; I enjoyed the world building and social commentary a lot

Sugar Fairy: this was just guilty pleasure angst and romance, I made all the selfish choices about what I wanted to read and explored so many new themes and hybrid smut writing, and I had a lot of fun doing it

Little Bean/Flux: these were just fun, this whole series was so much fun I write a bajillion words for it without the intention to ever share! Also becaues I wrote so much so long ago and edit and rework as I go, it's really gratifying to see how much I've grown as a writer in two years! Writing them is just fun fantasy though --travel, wealth, celebrity, secret, etc.

Tell Me What Changed: you'd never guess this is lower on the list considering how much I love it but it's been a really hard story to write at multiple points as I try to balance tropes, themes, characters, etc.

To Kill A King: this story is challenging me hard but I am doing my best to weave this really complicated, intricate plot and so far I'm happy with it! but it definitely requires a lot of brain power and care

Asunder: again, this is a lot more effort to write than Lowlander was because the worldbuilding and plot building have to be bigger and more natural, but I think once this story is completed I'm going to be really proud of the things I tried to do with it

Meadow: this baby is at the bottom of the list but I still loved it! It was the most challenging story I've completed to date though, between trying to worldbuild and invert tropes, writing a lot of action and political conspiracy I didn't have much experience with, and soem mixed reader response making me at times doubt my dedicisons in writing it

You'll notice most of my active stuff is at the bottom of the list!! LOL it's not that I hate the things I"m working on, I just have more complicated feelings when I am actively working on a story. All of the frustrations and doubt and excitement I have for those stories now was there for the finished stories too, I just have amnesia now that I'm done with them haha.

As for my favorite story to read, it's either Lowlander or Sugar Fairy. Once in a while I'll reread some of Amended, and I was impressed when I finally read Sea of Indigo! I have never read Little Bean, Flux, or Meadow  😅

[astrojoy]

so ... i wanted to share something with you.

about twenty minutes ago, i received my results for an exam and i didn't do as well as i'd expected. extremely disappointed because i held myself to high expectations and i'd really thought i did a good job once i completed it. i also felt cheated because there were several questions which i knew i calculated correctly at the time, but were either unaccepted due to the way i wrote it or simply because i mistyped the wrong numbers. i'm still content with my results, but i know i could have done better.

i was looking through the questions and received a notification from one of those motivational apps and it said:

“for no word from god will ever fail.” - luke 1:37

it's not common that i receive quotes from the bible, they're usually just standard motivational notifications.

on second thoughts, these were my most recent notifications from that app. there's a bit of a trend here ...

i noticed the time on my phone and it was 3:33. then, lightning struck outside (it's raining now).

i've been feeling up-and-down lately and the rain has been stopping and starting. at the start of this week, the rain began coming daily.

i have no idea what this means, but i wanted to share it with you because it seemed like something you might find interesting.

edit: wow, it's starting to hail now. the rain is nothing new because it's been raining this whole week but it's never hailed before. it hasn't been this harsh either, usually it's quite soft.

YOO THATS LIT!

Id say that if it's your guides then they could be trying to get your attentions with the motivational quotes. The lightning strike can actually be them trying to show you to feel "empowered" and to not let a simple grade get the best of you! What matters is that you tried your best and that's all you can do. 333 as I've read up on before on one of its meanings as "support" so that time with the lightning kinda shows me the whole "power" move

Lightning is energy. It looks very scary when it zaps the ground and is quite loud. However it does this while causing change on the ground. It's practically indestructible. Think of the Greek God Zeus for instance. He is a bearer of lightning bolts and stereotypically is shown holding a bolt in some artwork and etc. Zeus was also extremely powerful of course. Lightning also reminds me of the "tower" card in tarot representing change, however, it also - atleast in this instance - can show not letting the worst get the best of you and to zap the worries away. There is always another exam and always another day ^

Id say with that much effort in the message they were trying to convey to you that they really meant to try and cheer you up some. "For no word from god will ever fail" reminds me of God and how he cherishes everyone so deeply, unconditional love for his family. He made us all and he believes in us. Sure, as spirits/angels and etc, we all have our hiccups. We all have our mistakes. But he never sees that as a bad thing- in fact- he expects it. It's an opportunity to grow and learn something from what we did mess up on. We talk to him before we plan our next life and he knows we will have to learn a lesson however he never talks down to you. He understands emotions, he understands you. When he made us he never saw us as failures, he saw us as neverending possibilities. Therefore he wouldn't want you to think so low of yourself and as if you were one. A popular saying is "God knows all" which is true. So he doesn't want you to believe the false "For no word from God will ever fail"

Oh also the lightning can symbolize "don't expect what you don't know is to come" you didnt expect the lightning to strike. In tarot the "tower" card with lightning can show unexpected turns and twists. You didn't you expect to actually get the grade you got the test too. Maybe this was a smaller tip they wanted to show you 😉 this definitely isnt saying not to be ambitious and hopeful, but it means not to get too caught up in "im sure of this" sometimes since we can't control everything

Have a beautiful day love and thanks for sharing! Very interesting experience 🥰

[one-leaf-grimoire]

@ankhashiva or... 👀😳

Feeling sad and horny bc I can't see my boyfriend until I get healthy and back to college so here take this saucy pic I drew to cope.

The CEO's of PDA are at it again.

It's technically sfw bc her tights are still on :)