#This getting one thing done per week thing is not working out I'm already super slow posting as it is this isn't helping

[abby-howard]

You mentioned deadlifting to prevent wrist and back pain/injury when drawing👀 I was wondering if you could share your workout routine if you haven’t already?

Definitely!! I love talkin about it haha. And I'll preface that this is just what I do, but if you want a professional's advice, I've heard good things about the book Draw Stronger by Kriota Willberg.

Tony and I usually work out 5/6 days a week, three days of lifting and two or three days of cardio, with at least one rest day a week. I always make sure to do a cardio warm up before lifting, between 15-30 minutes of either the stationary bike or rowing machine. That's what I have available, you can also run or do jump rope or whatever gets you goin'! Sometimes when it's a just-cardio day we go for long walks and talk about work. Good stuff gets done on those walks 👍

Our lifting routine is arm day, leg day, shoulder day, and we usually do 5x5 sets of everything-- so five sets of five reps per workout.

I sprinkle in farmer's walks really often, which are the best for wrist strength!! Especially if deadlifts are too intimidating (deadlifts are super good for your grip strength and back, but can be a bit scary because it's usually a high weight.) You just hold a weight in one hand, pretty much the highest weight you can hold while keeping your shoulders level, and walk in figure 8's (for balance) until your arm gives out. Then switch arms. Any time my hand starts to feel iffy, I do more farmer's walks and it helps!

More specifics under the cut:

On arm days we do mostly bench press and bent-over dumbbell rows, sometimes with abs worked in (I like to do windshield wipers or whatever it's called, where I hold the bar like I'm doing a bench press then bring my legs up on either side until my abs give out.)

For leg days, we do barbell squat and deadlifts. It's also fun to do the slam balls as part of leg day >:] Where you pick up a heavy ball and throw it down and scoop it up in a squatlike motion. It's a fun one!

There's ALSO a time-efficient leg workout I do when we're on deadlines where you do three minutes of wall sits in total, and can take as many breaks as you need, but for every break you do ten bodyweight squats. It usually leaves me feeling like jello.

Shoulder days are focused on lat pull-downs for me and pull-ups for Tony (I can only do pull-ups with a counterweight ToT), then shoulder press (where you sit up and lift a weight over your head.) It's good to pair opposite motions like pushing/pulling! I think we also tend to do bicep curls on these days? They're a grab-bag of whatever extra stuff we want to do.

This schedule is not super rigorous, but is enough that I push myself to do something almost every day while usually not being so exhausted that it cuts into my work. It's the kind of thing that I can keep up for the rest of my life, which is what I'm interested in! Maintaining a routine to protect my joints and mobility for as long as I can ✌️

I used to see working out and the gym in general as something I was punishing myself with, and that meant it was a miserable part of my day and working myself up to it was a mentally exhausting task. But Tony has been really helpful in shifting the way I view working out as something more like regular maintenance, and of course it helps that I found something I could work towards getting better at, which is strength training!

So while I recommend that artists work in some arm strength exercises, I do feel it's about finding something that feels like a part of your routine rather than something you dread doing every day.

[bumblequinn]

hi @sourpatchsquids! thank you for your question.

as an artist with ADHD, i know this struggle very well. unfortunately offering advice on this kind of thing can be tricky, because what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa!). nonetheless, i can try; take whatever works for you, forget the rest, or reshape any part of it as you see fit. :)

but before i offer any actual tools, i have one caveat. i want you to take a moment to reflect and consider if you should be:

changing expectations

the timing of this question seems fated, because just the other day i had a therapy session wherein i expressed my grief and frustration over struggling to work lately due to my seasonal depression. it's not fair that i'm struggling just because it got a little darker outside! i just want the spark i had in the summer! i was so much more consistent!

my therapist's response: nothing about human beings is consistent. we get sick, we get tired, we get hungry and thirsty (and thirsty) and sad and lonely and restless and stressed and overwhelmed. this all gets amplified for folks who are atypical in some way or another.

when my therapist compared our seasonal cycles to those of plants and other animals, who wilt and slow down and hibernate, i protested aloud that i wanted to be a perennial instead. at this she said: even perennials change with the seasons. rose bushes have to be pruned, sometimes down to half their height! it was a dose of perspective i didn't particularly want, but really needed.

so when you're struggling to work through executive dysfunction, burnout, or brain fog, it can help to first check in with yourself about a few things. what do you have the capacity for right now? do you need any accommodation? and if so, what changes you might make to accommodate yourself?

with practice and self reflection, i've learned a handful of specific routines that help me when i'm struggling with creative work, which i'll detail next. note that while your question is specifically about music and i am specifically a musician, i believe that all of these suggestions can apply to most any form of digital creative work.

with that in mind:

#1: work slower

when i'm at the top of my game, i can get a LOT done in a day. but when i'm depressed, fatigued, or distracted, i just can't go full steam. sometimes i'll try to convince myself that i can if i just push harder, but what actually ends up happening is that i'm just fiddling with settings and going in circles rather than moving forward.

instead of that, when i want to work a lot but can't, i try to work slow. how slow? however slow i need to. take four hours to figure out the melody for a single verse. take all day to figure out that drum groove. yeah, i take a lot of breaks in between. who says i have to be my Absolute Most Productive Every Day Or Else? that's the puritan work ethic talking. kill it. be kind to yourself.

i'm reminded of advice i once read about some super successful and prolific author (gaiman? king? pratchett?) who said they wrote only four hundred words every weekday. that's already less than the word count of this post, and i'm only—[travels into the future to check my final word count]... 22.8% of the way through writing it!

now, i don't think i could function that way, because ADHD means some days i'm hyperfocused like crazy, and other days i just have no steam at all (more on that in #4-6). but it seems to me that if even someone highly respected in their profession can achieve what they have with only a little bit of work on a regular basis, maybe i don't have to punish myself for not pumping out a finished work every single week.

doing less work per day means you're much less likely to burn out, which does a lot for working more consistently. if that consistency still doesn't look like a five-day work week, that's okay! as long as it helps you work even a little more often when you want to, it's something worth doing.

however, if you're still feeling truly stuck, all hope isn't lost. you can still try:

#2: switch projects

sometimes the reason i'm moving slow is because of a bad brain day, but sometimes the reason is that i just cannot muster the motivation to do the specific task i'm trying to do right now. ADHD is fueled by novelty and interest, and if i'm not interested in what i'm doing, or it's feeling stale, that's a sign that i need to switch gears.

this is why first it's helpful for me to have more than one project going at a time. this might mean completely unrelated works, or it might just mean related tracks as with the music for a game like SLARPG or susan taxpayer.

the idea here is not to start a dozen different projects and bounce around them like i'm playing whac-a-mole—though i have done that. (i don't recommend it.) the idea here is to have a manageable number of different projects i can be working on so that if i get bored or stuck on something, i have fallback options.

what that number of projects is depends entirely on the week. maybe right now it's two, maybe another time it's three. i would probably be getting carried away if i tried more than that, but that's just my own limit. maybe yours is different. that's something for you to think about.

but it doesn't have to stop there.

#3: switch focus

maybe there is this one project that i just HAVE to work on, but the task i'm trying to do at this stage just isn't coming to me. okay, well, why don't i try working on a different task?

let's say i can't figure out what i want to do with the melody in one part of the song:

what if i try jumping ahead to a different part of the melody? ...no, i'm stumped on melodies today. okay, how about working on the drums instead? ...hmm no, i think i'm just completely tapped out on writing parts right now. alright, what if i organized my tracks, making sure they're all grouped and named in a way that i can work with easily? what if i did a rough volume balance for the mix?

and so on. if that's not enough to shake the off stuckness, i might consider: what can i do to make this project more interesting to me?

what happens if i try using an instrument or effect that i almost never reach for? what if i try sampling something obscure? what if i bang out the drums using my midi keyboard instead of drawing it in on the piano roll?

any approach that breaks me out of my usual habits is bound to get that feeling of novelty and fun back when i need it.

or maybe i can't do any of that right now, and so i take the time to answer a question from a fellow musician instead. i consider that part of my work, too, in a broader sense. check in with yourself and figure out what you can do right now. the rest will still be there later.

but okay, let's say you try switching gears, and switching again, and again, and nothing is moving. you try new approaches, but that wall of awful is insurmountable in this moment. it happens! the next thing you might try is:

#4: learn something new

when you aren't able to make progress on your projects, you can still make progress on your knowledge and craft. i often find this stokes a flame of inspiration in me where there wasn't one before. and even when it doesn't, it still gets my brain out of that feeling of stuckness and dread and into one of thought and action. learning also benefits in the long term because it adds to the well of knowledge from which you draw for all your future works.

for all the awfulness that exists on the internet, it remains an absolute treasure trove of teaching. there's an endless ocean of videos, blog posts, and articles from which you might learn something about your craft. (and if you sail the seven seas, plenty of book PDFs as well. 🦜🏴‍☠️)

it's true that the quality and depth of information out there can vary wildly, but in my experience most resources get at least some things right. and the more you research, practice, and figure out what works for you, the better you will learn to differentiate between the advice worth keeping, and the advice to forget. (that goes for all of what i'm saying here, too!)

that said, since our shared focus is music, a few resources i would highly recommend are:

music theory and composition music matters, 12tone, charles cornell, music with myles, 8-bit music theory, and this introduction by andrew huang

mixing and production dan worrall (especially this series for fabfilter), kush after hours, red means recording, andrew huang, alice yalcin efe, in the mix

general inspiration nahre sol, ben levin, david hilowitz, game score fanfare, posy, jerobeam fenderson, open reel ensemble, and ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!

(if any readers have their own helpful resources for creating music or any other media, feel free to share in the replies & reblogs! 💓)

of course, on an especially bad day, it might be a challenge to seek out information, let alone retain it. that can feel pretty bad, but remember: be kind to yourself. the next thing you might consider trying is:

#5: consume art you love

not just music. books. shows. movies. games. illustration. animation. whatever moves and inspires you.

but do it intentionally. don't just pull up some random thing the algorithm suggested! check in with yourself about what you want (or are able) to engage with right now. choose accordingly. if you get a little way into it and realize it's not scratching that itch, hit the bricks. check in with yourself again. wash, rinse, repeat, until you find whatever it is that speaks to you right now.

and do it actively, if you can. don't just let it go in one eye and out the other! really pay attention to the work. what do you like about it? what are its themes and motifs? what makes it work so well? what are its flaws, and how much do they matter? what might you do differently? you can write notes as you do this if it helps, but even simply noticing and thinking goes a long way.

what you don't want to do is come at this with a lens of shame or envy. you're not here just to say to yourself, "ugh, if only i could do THAT." it's okay if it happens. use that thought as a springboard for curiosity: "well okay, how DID they do that? do i have the resources for it? if so, how could i apply that to my own work? if not, how can i adapt it, or what do i need to learn?" keep your mind open and approach the work with a sense of wonder.

as a creative person, it's very easy to think, "i should be making something right now, not watching a movie!" but that thought forgets something vital: your art is a response in a conversation. of course the "language" you use is your own, and maybe if you're lucky you'll invent a new word. but most of the words you use have been around long before you were born. you're just one voice in a dialogue that spans continents and generations, and that's okay. it's even the whole point.

none of us is an island. we are profoundly social animals. just as we can't live without eating, we can't make without learning. so half of making art is consuming it. consider this part of the process as well.

and finally,

#6: rest, and live your life

let's say you're in really dire straits. you've tried working slower. you tried changing focus, you tried changing projects. you want to take in new information or actively engage with your favorite art, but you're not in the headspace for it. what now?

take a nap. take a walk. take a shower. eat a nice meal, or an okay one. talk to a friend. maybe even do that chore you've been putting off (you know the one).

it's human to always crave making, but you're not a machine—and even if you were, machines need regular maintenance, too! you wouldn't drive a car that's completely out of gas, and you won't do yourself any favors treating your body that way either.

i know that when you take a break it feels as though you're not accomplishing anything, but you are: you're taking care of your animal self. and while you do that, your creative brain doesn't stop working! much like windows, it has countless background processes running at any given moment, with inscrutable names like "cbdhsvc_692da" or "Microsoft Edge Update Service." it's true, i checked.

when you're stuck on a project and you step away to rest, your brain is still chipping away at your ideas unconsciously. i like to tell people, "it's percolating." much like waiting for a pot of water to boil, that idea is still heating up, even when you take a step away. just be sure to check in on it once in a while. the time will pass, and it'll be boiling again before long. :)

before i go, i'll leave you with one last thing to keep in mind as you try all of these strategies:

be kind to yourself.

being human is just about one of the hardest things you can do. let alone being a human trying to survive capitalism while living with disabilities! the last thing you need on top of that is to overwork yourself, talk to yourself negatively, or treat yourself harshly. there are plenty of other people in the world who do that to you—don't be one of them.

i'm not saying that you shouldn't try to challenge yourself, to test your limits and go above and beyond your ambitions, if that's what you want to do. just remember that hard work and self compassion are not mutually exclusive. so be careful not to bully yourself. take pride in the progress you make, even when it seems small. encourage yourself like you would a friend who's going through a hard time. and when you challenge yourself, be your own cheerleader.

i hope you find this advice helpful! remember, this is just what helps me, so don't feel like you have to follow any of it exactly. maybe taking time to learn new information helps break you out of your rut more than working slowly, so you reach for that tool first. maybe having multiple projects going at once is too distracting for you, so you prefer to stick to one at a time. whatever your needs are, feel free to alter and adapt these ideas to fit you.

thank you for reading, and i wish you the best of luck in your creating.

with care, bee 🐦

[midnight-mourning]

The Thought That Counts

💘💘Midnight's DCA Valentine's Day 10💘💘

This one was super interesting for me as someone who's ace to sit and think about, shout out to the aroaces, this one is for you, little hurt/comfort just because that's what i was feeling

Prompt: Sun and Moon discussing with an Aroace yn why they dislike romance? Or maybe just watching some really bad romcoms on a horrible day

Word Count: 1753

Read here if you prefer ao3!

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The sound of happy love songs has started to grate on you recently, you're not going to lie. You get maybe like, a couple days worth, but all week long feels a bit, excessive. Not to mention the barrage of lovey dovey advertisements, decorations, and so on you've seen everywhere you've went.

Sure, it all wasn't intentionally done to annoy or make you uncomfortable, but sometimes it certainly felt like it. 

As you walk into the Daycare for work, you do your best to ignore it as per usual. Today would hopefully be the last day—since it was Valentine's, after all—and then you could go back to living in peace. 

Again, it wasn't necessarily a hate for the holiday, rather it was just a general discomfort. Not typically feeling, if ever at all, attraction for other people just made you feel like you were getting pressured into a game everyone else was playing. Except for you that is. 

It just wasn't your holiday, and that was fine, you just simply wished others would see it that way too. Instead of having to constantly be on edge if you said the wrong thing about not wanting the persistent reminder that you don't fit inside the box everyone else puts you in. 

It was a bummer, and it hurt quite a bit. Losing friendships and the likes in certain cases. Just because of the fact you didn't experience the world the way they did. 

But, you'd deal with it. Just like you've always done. 

If you could, that is. 

Unfortunately, your favorite coworker(s) had made it a bit difficult to keep your head down and avoid like you typically did. 

Valentine's was their favorite holiday—though, you think they said that with every holiday—and thus they had to go all out for it. 

Every inch of the Daycare was covered head to toe with decorations, streamers and paper hearts covering every surface. Instead of the Daycare theme, age appropriate love songs played through the speakers up above softly, adding to the overly love-filled atmosphere. 

For them, you were sure it was great, exactly the vision they had in mind. For you, it was just, too much. 

But the decorations and the music weren't the problem. Unfortunately, it was Sun and Moon themselves causing the 'issues' you were dealing with. 

All week long they'd been leaving little things for you to find throughout the play area. Little handmade cards with endearing notes. Paper roses folded neatly by your belongings. 

It tore you up inside, mainly because you knew what this all was leading up to, and you were almost dreading having to tell them. It wasn't that you didn't care for them. You really, truly did. A lot. So much. 

But not like that. Not at this point, that is. Sure, maybe it was possible, but at the current moment, the idea of such just made you feel, off. 

So when Sun came up to you near the middle of your shift, something hiding behind his back, you already had a guess as to what it was. 

Before he said anything, he seemed to pause, almost deflating upon getting closer to you. 

You speak first, trying to keep your tone light. "Everything alright, Sunny?"

"Of course, Sunbeam!" Still, he keeps his hands behind his back. "But, is everything alright with you?"

You nod with a smile. "Of course. I'm just a little tired is all."

"Oh... are you sure? You've seemed a bit, upset all week long. Would you... like to talk about it?"

Your brows raise, both in surprise and in fear that you'd been found out. "I, no, that's okay! It's not um, something I really want to talk about right now."

"Right. Of course." He steps back, then another, then turns around but manages to keep whatever he was holding hidden from you. "Well, enjoy your break, friend!" 

He walks off then, before you can stop him, and your heart sinks a bit. 

The rest of the day proves to be, incredibly stressful. The party for the kids goes great, but it leaves you with a terrible disaster to clean up. It sours your mood more than you expected, especially after finding the mess of glitter glue hiding underneath one of the tables, you spend nearly thirty minutes scrubbing on your hands and knees to get it cleaned up. And when you emerge you remember all the rest of the clean up you still have to do, stressing you out even further.

With a sigh and a stretch to crack your back, you trudge over to where the trash is and deposit the used paper towels into it. You turn around to get back to work, but are shocked to find Sun standing there, looking a bit cheered up compared to your last 'official' conversation earlier. 

"Hello Sunshine!" 

You smile, tired. "Hi, Sun. Need something?"

"It's not what I need, but rather, what you need, friend." He pokes your chest once, rays spinning. "I have a little surprise for you. If you'll accept." 

Your brow furrows. This seems a bit different than earlier, so you're curious. "Oh?"

"Yup! Now come on!" He takes both your hands and starts pulling you out of the Daycare, heading in the direction of the theater, you in tow. 

You don't protest physically, too tired and stressed—as you quickly realize—but do speak up about it. "Woah! What about cleanup?"

"Clean up can wait! You obviously don't feel well, and we need to fix that immediately!" Sun pushes open the theater doors with his back, leading you inside. "And Moon and I have just the thing for it."

After your eyes adjust to the lighting, you're surprised to see there's a film pulled up on the large screen, with a couple of beanbags and blankets piled near the middle of the room. There's a smell of popcorn in the air that makes your mouth water. 

Sun finally stops once you're over by the beanbags, pushing you to sit down in one, covering you with a blanket once you comply. He sets a bag of popcorn and a couple boxes of candies in your lap. When he's done he pats your head and sits down in a bean bag not too far from you. But you do note it's not his usual spot beside you, but you let it go as he claps his hands. 

His rays spin. "Ready to get started? This is just for you, but we went ahead and took the liberty of picking the first film."

"I, yeah, I guess so. Thank you guys, I uh, needed a break." You take a bite of popcorn and turn to look at the screen. "More than I expected—Is this 'Valentine's Day'?!" You almost choke from your laughter. 

"Of course! It seemed fitting, and the reviews we read were very passionate!"

You shake your head, settling in. "Passionate is the key word there, I think."

The film passes by quicker than you'd expect, chatting with Sun every so often to explain why the story makes you laugh so much, explaining what exactly a romcom is, and just in general decompressing from the day. 

They let you pick the next one—with Moon getting to be out to watch this time instead—and you choose another classic bad movie, 'Bride Wars' to keep the theme up. 

Again with Moon though, he keeps his distance from you, settling in a respectable few feet away. Which, you did appreciate in the beginning, after being overwhelmed with the amount of in your face love-dovey stuff the past several weeks. But now, you're feeling, lonely. 

About a quarter of the way into this movie, you decide to speak up, turning to your lunar companion. 

"Hey. What's going on with you guys today?" You ask, reaching a hand over to rest on his. 

Moon flinches, not making eye contact with you. "We're just, we thought, it doesn't matter. We don't want you to be uncomfortable with us, Star."

"Uncomfortable? With you?" You shake your head. "Never. I mean, yeah I was a little worried when—" You stop, realizing it's not helping as he shrinks in on himself. "I, let me explain, I guess."

Moon nods, and you sigh. 

"Romance, just, isn't my thing. Not usually, if ever. I just, I don't really get those feelings for other people. And when it gets constantly shoved down your throat, you start to realize how uncomfortable with it you actually are. Really uncomfortable. I just wanna be me and not feel like I have to be something I'm not, that I can't be." You shake your head again. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I can still feel attraction and the likes, and I, I care about you two a lot. Especially you two. But it's just, not like that? I want to be close with you, be around you all the time, I like your jokes, your teasing, talking to you, but the idea of romance, in general, just, gives me a bit of an ick sometimes, does that all make sense?" You lay back, running a hand through your hair. "I mean, I—I think I'm in love with you both, but not in the way that I have romantic feelings for you? Sorry this is a word vomit of an explanation I'm sorry—"

You feel arms wrap around you, pulling you up into a hug. 

Moon's voice is soft, just a murmur. "We're sorry."

"Moon, it's not on you—"

You can feel him shake his head against you. "Not that. We mean we're sorry you have to deal with that. It's not fair."

"Oh, yeah. I guess so."

He pulls back, hand resting on your cheek as he looks down at you. "We care about you too, a lot. It, doesn't have to be anything more than that. It's enough just to be able to say it. Does that make sense?"

"Y-yeah. It does. More than you know." You feel your face heat up, either from embarrassment or excitement at understanding. You bury your head against his chest. "And as for like, the gifts and stuff, that's still okay. They're still sweet, and they mean a lot. I promise."

Moon snickers. "Sounds like you just enjoy getting things."

"Not true! I really do like it! It's the thought that counts." You protest, now fully embarrassed. 

Moon hugs you a little tighter, humming. "I suppose it is."

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Thank you for the request @starspindle! It was interesting to tackle in that through writing I learned a bit about myself and my own indentity, plus i just enjoy writing hurt/comfort hehe ^^

My writing Masterpost

DCA Valentine's Masterpost

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[maxwell-grant]

The Penguin Ep3 - "Bliss" Breakdown

oh

(Episode 1) (Episode 2) (Episode 4) (Episode 5) (Episode 6) (Episode 7) (Episode 8)

So that's what Victor's image in the credits was meant to represent the whole time. A still of him inside the last memory he has of his home, his perspective on the window before it all went to shit.

I get that it might have been obvious the opening was a flashback given the election was still ongoing and given we get to see Vic's friend, the one who was shot by Sofia, still alive, but they also peppered enough bits that hade me fully convinced we were just watching Victor's present life when he was out of earshot from Oz. The bombs were a genuine shocker.

Credit to @davidmann95 for pointing out that the rooftop pebbles are Victor's equivalent of the Crime Alley pearls, an extremely important detail to add to the other Batman parallels Victor's gonna be shown having in this episode.

I'm loving a lot of the choices that go into Oz's outfits and specifically what kind of outfits he wears around specific characters, the whole chameleon thing he's got going personality-wise reflective in his choice of wear, and I like how this extends to the people around him and his choice of vehicle and base and everything. He may not wear fine suits everywhere and for all occasions, but this is very much a Penguin concerned about fashion particularities and branding and ways to dress up himself and the people acting in his behalf.

This scene where Oz pays Victor is funny, but it importantly sets up an element that's gonna come into play regarding their relationship by the end of the episode, that is how hard Oz projects on Victor and how much of his insecurity and need for affection comes through in his attempts to deal with the kid. Two episodes in after all the shit Victor's done for Oz and it's the first time we're seeing Oz talk about giving him a salary. It's not an unusual comedy beat, sadly not a real life one either, but the thing is, Oz is not a cheapskate, far from it. Across the last two episodes, he's been very quick to fork over cash to smooth over negotiations, and he's more than happy to pay the kid and praise him for demanding double (even if he shuts down the idea), it just genuinely never occurred to him until the moment that, right, the kid whose job is driving me around and burying bodies and putting his neck on the line for me needs a paycheck, of course, he's gonna get a nice thousand per week because I'm a good boss who does that kind of thing.

Nice little reminder of the class disparity element of the show, in how Sofia looks at Oz's set-up and dismisses as tacky garbage, while Graciela calls it bougie and thinks Victor's basically set if his boss is letting him crash in a place like that. Also illustrated in the money scene earlier, because from what I've researched, a thousand per week is an average salary for a driver in New Jersey (which is where this Gotham is located), and despite Oz calling it a start, Victor's already shocked at how much money Oz is paying per week. Just these totally different conceptions of what money and good living entail across the board for our characters. SPEAKING OF totally different standards,

So it turns out that Sofia has been planning her own meteoric ascension into ruler of Gotham for about as long as Oz, and more effectively at that, and if there's anything this episode will establish for sure about her, it's that Sofia Falcone is an actual supervillain the way Oz is still some ways from being. Alberto's shipment wasn't the ticket for the two of them, just for Oz, and Sofia just needed him to drive her around and open the door once more.

Oz the whole time basically happy with running a club and pushing dope out of a warehouse to the point of crying to her in the end that it was the best thing that ever happened to him, while Sofia here casually unveils a Gus Fring hidden meth lab with a mushroom forest full of Arkham Super Drugs and another Batman Villain working out in the backroom to produce them. Oz spent the last years ass kissing and spinning plates and seizing his own little levers of power all over Gotham, while Sofia was enduring soul-redefining torment entrenched inside the Supervillain Factory of the world where she would discover and pillage the tool that would let her conquer the city in one swoop.

A tool that she debuts before the underworld with an intimidating yet casual speech, above the city writhing before her and falling by the minute into her grasp, before casually leaving and telling her grunt to wrap up negotiations for her. The Riddler showed Gotham what a supervillain is and can do, a call to the maladjusted victims and freaks everywhere to grab their masks and bombs and get in the action because this is how the world works now that Batman exists, but Sofia here shows us not just a different way the rot spreads across the city, not just a way in which Arkham can become the other force filling in the power vacuum, but that being a supervillain is also a business model every respectable criminal in the city is gonna have to get on board with real fucking quick.

I love/hate that we get to have a few scenes of Sofia and Oz working together and how good they are, glad they could at least give us those before everything gets turbofucked forever further.

I definitely encourage you to keep up with the Penguin podcast, and particularly the latest episode where they talk with Rhenzy Feliz and fluency consultant Marc Winski, where they go over the thought and care that went into depicting Victor's stutter and incorporating it into the character and show, it's a very insightful conversation.

Oz's empathy for people with disabilities shows up in him complaining at the waiter for speaking over Victor, and later in their scene with Johnny Viti when he berates him for calling her a psycho, and is consistent with lots of other little moments where it's come up. I like that this is a consistent thing with Oz, and not just one of the things he does for show - even when he's complaining about Sofia to Victor, he never disparages her based on mental illness, he calls her uptight and elusive and a problem he wants off his back, but he never insults her the way all the other mobsters do.

Even in the bathroom scene by the end of the episode, where he does lose his patience and rushes Victor to explain himself, only happens after they've reached a boiling point. I do think it's important, for his character and role, that Oz maintains some important principles, even if they are still self-serving.

Again, love how the show knows just when to drop the Penguin name to maximize hurt on Oz.

What a fucking show Farrell and Miloti and Feliz give us in this episode.

I said back when the trailers dropped that Sofia Falcone looked like she was going to be the prestige crime drama protagonist that this show would have if it wasn't about The Penguin, and that's the vibe you get out of these two together. She is the tormented HBO leading lady and he is the charismatic side character, he is her driver with a wacky voice and face that bites it tragically to motivate her revenge / bites it after the reveal of how he backstabbed her. Which is exactly where the Falcones liked him, that funny guy in a supporting role who drives them around and runs their club and digs up their graves, and it's partially how their last scene in the episode plays out.

"Yeah I know I ruined your entire life and led to irreparable damage to your mind and sanity and reputation and all that, but I really wanted a little piece of the action as a nightclub owner, is that so bad?" is a confession that Oz only survives because he's the main character. In any other show, him bearing the depths of his embarassing pathetic soul to Sofia like that would be the last thing he does before dying, tragically or cathartically.

But to his credit, it worked. Sofia actually sheds a tear for him. It's the first time Oz has seemed genuinely honest with her, and more importantly, it's the first time anyone has been honest with Sofia ever since she got back from Arkham. She really has no one else she can possibly trust but the least trustworthy person on the planet. Who on Earth could possibly be willing to make an ass of themselves before her like that if they weren't being truthful?

Lauren LeFranc: You know, I think Oz is a bit of a walking contradiction and I think he deeply believes what he believes in that moment. I think he genuinely feels that way. Also understands the benefit of her being on his side at the same time. Right? Like, if she doesn't believe in him, their operation currently goes to hell. Not to say that he's playing that up, I think that is a moment of genuine emotion from him. But I also think for a man like him, he's not quite sure where it begins and ends. He doesn't believe that it's bullshit. That doesn't mean that it's not. Like, I don't know if he can even identify it or if, honestly, if Oz takes the time to unpack that. He's not a guy who's like, "Hmm, let me think about my actions today.", you know? - The Penguin Podcast: Episode 3

I'm extremely curious as to what the Sofia-Oz dynamic is gonna look like in the rearview. Does he have enough of a lid on his temper to fake that masterfully being offended on Sofia's behalf while playing her attack dog? Does he genuinely regret that she got sent to Arkham over whatever he did? I think this and the ending scene go a long way in pending towards either way and that's interesting to me. Even if 90% of what he says is bullshit there's some of that regret / kinship that feels genuine

I am very curious to see what becomes of Eve and what more will we learn about her. She seems to be Oz's second-in-command when it comes to businesses he does with her and the girls, and I like that the girls and Victor form a personal squad for Oz (and crucially, he's promising all of them a bigger slice of the pie when he becomes a big shot, and just as crucially, all of them have massive targets on their back right now).

It is genuinely funny how appalled and offended Oz is, at the idea that maybe the kid he roped into this with a gun to the head only stuck around out of fear, not because the kid thinks he's a great guy giving him a chance. I call him the Michael Scott of crime and I mean it. But like most funny things about the Penguin it also has something sad and lonely and pathetic and human about it, the ever present disconnect between the gentleman he wants to be and the thug he acts like.

Like with the salary thing, it just did not cross his head at any moment prior to this, not when he threatened to kill the people he cared about or openly argued with Vic whether to shoot him and stuff him in a trunk, not when threatening to gut him like a fish for messing up or spilling his secrets or telling him to lie with corpses, that Vic was sincerely scared of him and his power and did not leave because he feared this known gangster would do exactly what he said he was going to do. To Oz, doing those things to "his guy" now would be unthinkable, but the question that Vic wanted to leave never even popped in his mind.

And it makes him genuinely upset. That scene at the bar, where he is fully alone, sad and tired with his drink, tired from all the plates he's had to spin and all the indignities he's endured and still endures, tired from all the hats he's had to wear, and sad because the only person so far he's been able to let down his guard around, the one person with whom he could at least wear a hat he liked just bailed on him.

Of course he'd never kill Vic for just wanting to leave, once he realizes that this is actually a factor in how Victor views him and obviously he'd be a bad boss if he did that. Of course he gets angry at Victor for wanting to throw away an opportunity given to him that Oz would have (and probably has) killed for, he's giving Victor the kind of help he desperately wishes he got and he's gonna throw it away? Of course he gets shocked at being reminded Victor is a guy with needs, a guy that Oz holds lethal power over, and not just a kid version of Oz that he can live out his Rex Calabrese fantasy by helping out and mentoring. And of course, none of the cruel and hurtful things he says to Victor before he leaves would sting if there wasn't just enough of a bitter truth to them, or at least, enough of it to stick with Victor.

What an excellent scene Victor's panic attack was, totally get why it was the editor's favorite

I was waiting for a Victor-centric episode and was not dissappointed, this is the episode where he first comes on his own as a character and we see how crucially important he is to the show, the from-the-bottom ground floor perspective on everything that Reeves and LeFranc have repeteadly defined the project around. I love getting to see such an on-the-ground perspective of how fucking monstrous Riddler's plan was, and the kind of lives it ruined. This poor kid thrust headfirst into a Batman/Robin origin story and situation.

It's like Feliz said in the podcast, the end of the episode is the first time we've ever seen Victor, and maybe the first time Victor's ever seen himself, outside of survival mode, outside of simply living to try and get to next hour and do what his parents/Oz tell him to, which is a painfully real state to be in for anyone who's dealt with poverty growing up or is dealing with poverty right now. It's the first time he really has an opportunity to decide on his own what he's going to do on his own. As much as we may know he's making a doomed choice, that he really should just hop on the first bus out of Gotham and join his girlfriend in the sun, well, he's a Batman character, he doesn't get to do that.

Victor wants to live his life and protect himself and the people he loves and make good choices and be a good person, but on a deep fundamental level, he just wants his family back, he wants his dad back, he wants to do right by them more so than by himself, even if that means doing things they would find detestable. Like the son of a doctor, a son who now chooses to inflict violence every night if it means he can avenge their memory, here we have the son of a nurse presented with a choice: He gets to honor the intentions of his parents by dying as a well-meaning decent nobody like they did, or he gets to make up for the shame of how they died by living a good life, one which was denied to them, by surviving and thriving as a criminal. He gets to honor their ideals, or get back at the shameful cruel reality of how they died, but he cannot do both. So he makes his choice.

Oz, in this episode, burns nearly every single bridge he has: with the Falcone family, with the Maronis, and with Sofia, and he even does it with Victor. If Victor hadn't come back, Oz would have died on that parking lot, and still Oz is ecstatic that his guy's come back, because all he wants is for someone to like him enough to stick around with him. Victor is not so sure he's not in for a horrible time now, but in his own way, he also burned his bridges, and he also got what he wanted.

Okay Vic, you wanted dad to not take shit from others and shoot for a better life, you got a dad who will teach you to do just that. You wanted to pal around with small-time criminals you were friends with even if your parents insisted otherwise, well, the king of hoodlums is the only guy you have left in your life now.

You have committed yourself body and soul to a dangerous life within the city you love, spurred on by the tragic injustice that took your parents in an event that destroyed your entire world? Great, welcome to Gotham, here's even a new name you get out of it.

[kpopsexstories]

First Drafts of all Quick Fix Gay Season 2 Stories Are Done 😊👍 (K-pop smut on Tumblr)

Great news! I just finished the first draft of all eight Quick Fix Gay stories for the next season. I'm not sure but I think I already told you that...

...the Quick Fix Gay series will be published in seasons after all, just like the straight Quick Fix series, even though I originally said it wouldn't.

...I'll start the next season shortly after I've published the first three NCT 127 Dating Ban stories, which I've already announced and scheduled on the Upcoming Stories page on Story Finder (March 23, 20 and 27 respectively).

...there will be a BTS x TXT focused third season shortly or immediately after Season 2.

What can you expect from Quick Fix Gay Season 2?

Anything can change and when I start to proofread and edit the first drafts I might exclude or replace some of the stories. I try to keep a solid standard and don't want to publish something I'm not happy with.

That said, at the moment I'm planning the following:

8 short gay smut stories published one week apart for two months.

Some new idols, including Stray Kids Felix and Han Jisung, and The Boy's Eric (because he's been requested multiple times).

Several x Top Male Reader NCT stories, because someone sent a request asking for more top rather than bottom reader NCT Dream stories.

Idols who are spanked, who beg and who generally act submissive 😏😉

Lots of cumshots 😅

Season 3 and beyond...

I also believe I told you this already, but shortly or maybe even immediately after season 2 I'll start season 3, because those stories have already been written! It will be a special season with 6 stories that all follow the same pattern: a BTS member has sex with a TXT member, in a special season I'm calling "Big Brother, Little Brother".

(It will make sense once you get to read those stories, I promise 😉 They're simultaneously fun/funny and hot.)

Beyond season 3 I currently have no specific gay Quick Fix plans (though many unfinished drafts and requests). As always I'm open to requests – and already have many older ones I should continue to draw from – even if those stories won't be published until way later.

What about straight stories?

We're currently early into Quick Fix (straight) Season 5. There are still 6 more stories to come, published every Tuesday. After that, I believe I'll have a couple of longer straight one-shots ready.

I have indeed been focusing on writing mostly gay content recently, primarily because I did only straight content for so long before I did my first gay story. I do check to see how much straight VS gay content there is for each idol and try to balance things out so there's something for everyone regardless of who you want to read about 😊

The results of everything I'm working on today won't be obvious to you until months later though, and by then I might have more straight content too. Like I said before, everything can change and anything can happen.

(Suddenly I get super inspired by one idea and go off in a new direction. Or I get stuck in a slump, writer's block being a very real thing.)

Regardless, I do already have plenty of both straight and gay content to keep the blog going for a long time. And short-term, right now, I'm doing one straight and one gay story per week.

Long story short: You have a lot of hot smut to look forward to – both gay and straight 😊

Story Finder

Story Finder is my external website for this blog. It's a way for you to browse the 118 already published stories on the Tumblr blog, in visual and categorized ways without the need to scroll through endless posts to find something you'll like.

Among other things, you can:

Browse stories by group and idol (find everything I've written about your bias).

Find the most popular stories.

Find stories based on the type of sex in them (Sex Categories) – Missionary, Doggy Style, Outdoors, etc.

Follow sub-series (Universes) that are sporadically published stories that build on a bigger plot.

Browse stories based on things like word count, perspective (x female reader, x male reader, third person character or member-on-member) and the intensity of the sex.

Browse all gay stories in one place.

View statistics (nerdy, I know 😊😏).

See and track requests, including the status of any you might have sent in via Tumblr.

[amoebagrl]

catch me if you can, working on my tan (PREVIEW)

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ neighbor!ellie williams x fem reader

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ summary: ellie spends her first summer at her and her fathers new vacation house, and her first summer with a summer fling.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ a/n: hi! i hope u guys enjoy this lil preview of a fic im working on, so sorry it’s taking so long to write, i’m super busy. it should be done in a week or two :) per usual, join my taglist to be notified when i post the full thing & song used in title is slavatore by lana del rey! ♡

Ellie didn't know why Joel decided to purchase a beach home, but she was greatful for it.

Summers in Jackson were grueling. The hot, and sticky air definitely wasn't her favorite.

So when her adoptive father, Joel, had let her know that his offer the house had been accepted, Ellie was overjoyed.

In the weeks before summer break, she became more anxious and excited to spend her summer on the beach.

She wondered how different the beach town would be from her home, and what kind of kids her age would be there.

When the day finally came, Ellie was packed and ready, sitting at the table with her bags in hand, and suitcase by her feet.

"Woah there kiddo" Joel laughed as he entered the dining room. "What? I'm ready" *You sure are" he chuckled "Can we go yet?" the auburn-haired girl whined.

"Well if I knew you were fixin' to get going this early, would have finished packing" "Seriously?!" Ellie called out to the man as he walked away.

He entered the room with his luggage after, what Ellie claimed to be, hours.

They piled up into the beat up truck and began their twelve hour drive to Florida.

Joel insisted they only stopped for absolute necessities, but found himself stopping for snacks one too many times.

When they arrived, it was dark, around 10:00 at night. Ellie had fell asleep in the passenger seat around halfway in the trip, after claiming she ‘wasn't tired’ and it reminded Joel of when she was a kid.

"Ellie. Ellie. Cmon get up" Joel whispered, nudging the girl.

"Huh?" She asked, stirring "We're here. Come on, get inside" "What about all the bags?" "Well get it all in the morning" "Mhm" she groaned.

Unbuckling her seatbelt and walking inside, she barely took the time to look around, just heading straight for her bed, which was already made. She took a mental note to thank Joel in the morning before falling asleep.

Ellie woke up to the bright sunshine creeping in through the window. She slowly sat up and creeped out of her bedroom, looking for her father.

"Morning Ellie" Joel croaked out from the kitchen, turning around with a mug full of coffee.

"Goodmorning" Ellie yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Ya sleep well?" The older man asks, sipping on the steaming cup. "Mhm. Thanks for making my bed and stuff." She smiled, truly greatful.

"No problem." He replied, grinning in return.

"Hey, why don't you go down the street and get us some of those...uh... 'a-kai' bowls?" He asked, reaching for his wallet. "I think it's açaí, but sure.

Let me get dressed" She nods, turning to go back upstairs to get dressed.

The auburn-haired girl emerges 20 minutes later in jeans and a t-shirt, tugging on her beat up converse.

"This good?" She looks up, unsure if the outfit is suitable for the hot weather.

"Jesus, Ellie. I said clothes for hot weather, it's

'bout ninety degrees!" "I'll be fine" She rolls her eyes, grabbing the $20 bill from Joels hands, before stepping outside.

"Shit." She gasps, fanning herself for a moment before grabbing her skateboard off the porch and stepping onto the sidewalk, heading off down the block for the small shop.

The bells over the front door chimed as Ellie stepped in the small, but nice, café.

"Welcome! What can I get started for 'ya?" You asked, looking up from the cash register to meet the customers gaze.

"Oh, um... Can I look over the menu and stuff?" Ellie asked, bringing her hand up to rub the back of her neck, a nervous tic she had.

"Of course" You smiled sweetly.

reblog to help support your fav writers! 🫧

taglist: @5prettygirl5 @cowgirlcherrie @553ellie @certifedcrybunny @hi2647 @romioneslut

[holycorrupt]

if you have the time/energy to elaborate, what's your process like for coloring stuff you ink traditionally? i've figured out a few different methods over the years, but i generally stick to fully digital or traditional for a piece, so i'm curious to see how you do it! :0

This is such a fun question for me because I get to both ramble about my art process and have an excuse to throw some colors on this Breloom I drew ages ago.

I use Clip Studio Paint and an Ipad for my digital stuff so I'll be referring to the processes on that but I'm sure there is a work around for other programs as well :^)

I scan my traditional art at 400dpi because it's always easier to work bigger with digital stuff and resize it smaller then the other way around :^)

So here's our raw scan, which already looks very decent but when I want to color something I like for everything to be much cleaner/sharper/more contrast-y and to get rid of the noise from the paper texture lmao. A well lit photo will also do the job because that's what I did for many years before getting my scanner but tbh if you're a traditional -> digital artist like myself a scanner is like a best friend you can buy HAHA

First things first, I apply a Gradient Map Layer > New Correction Layer > Gradient Map

Clip has a really nice black and white map preinstalled but I made myself a custom map just by pushing the black and white a little closer, it completely clears up all the noise and makes everything really crisp! Make sure you check on your lines when adjusting things because super fine feather lines can sometimes be lost if you make the contrast too high. Extra tip! If you want to make Graphite Pencil or Ball Point Pen really nice looking as well, just add a dark grey point in the gradient map closer to the black then middle...works perfectly :^)!!

This is the point I look for stray pixels, cat hairs, ect and make sure to erase any surrounding doodles or sketches I don't want included.

GOD DAMN Those lines are CRISP-Y!!!

Next up we're going to want to go Edit > Convert brightness to opacity

Tbh If I didn't have this method idk what I would do with myself.... I've tried the whole "Lineart on top layer set to multiply" Method and ...ehh....

Now that I have a nice transparent line art I'll stick a new white layer down below it because the checker pattern hurts my eyes LOL

I'm going to add a read more here since this post is getting lengthy haha

I'm going to quickly go over the style I use for MTE! It has been refined to be quicker and easier to do since you know...I have a week time limit per page ... 😭 I have a completely different way I do colors for other things I want to spend more time on but I might explain that one in the future...I'm running out of steam tonight LOL

I use this really awesome brush pack that has a pencil like texture and I love it to bits...here's a link to it if your interested!

At this point I might add some overlay layers or play around with an airbrush but I think this guys done for now :^) I tend to stay away from highlights with my shading for MTE..My biggest goal is to make sure everything is clear and readable! That being said I break my own rules all the time for special panels that need the extra 'oomf!'

Slap a lazy square background and yay!! He's done!

Hope this was interesting aaaa Thank you again for the ask!!

[artsbymalorie]

Paper Techniques Workshop Day 2!

(Bottom left, pressed but wet hibiscus on flax paper. Bottom right, dried result.)

Finished up my two day paper techniques workshop at the Morgan Paper Conservatory and besides when I'm working on printmaking projects, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun or was so focused! The whole two days, while pulling sheets, I literally had nothing but paper on my mind. I was so locked in to this workshop I had dreams last night about different tweaks I wanted to make to my paper. Which was honestly a nice break from some stressful things happening in my life right now!

Last night I made some notes of some specific sheets I wanted to get made today. Partly so I could try to get the most out of this workshop, as many sheets as possibly, and also to make sure I had sheets that would work with specific print projects I have in mind. I was also looking up different inclusion ideas. All of that combined is probably why I was dreaming of paper all night long.

I was pleasantly surprised with all I got done today. We had to end earlier to allow time for cleaning up, but I still was able to work through my list. I made some really sick sheets using the abaca fiber, laminating old maps between the thin sheets. I made a number of sheets with floral inclusions, and in the last half hour my classmates gave me the go ahead to dump little fabric cuts into the cotton vat to make confetti paper.

It was amazing to see how much difference one day made in my paper quality. Just from working with the medium Saturday and getting a look at the sheets pressed and set to dry, I was able to get an idea of how to tweak my technique today to get better results. Mostly this looked like more lamination, better planning of my ideas, and just an easier go at couching since I had the practice.

I played around a lot more with the abaca today because it was the most translucent of the fibers. I love collecting old maps and brought some I had got at an old book shop in England last summer. I feel like these sheets turned out spectacularly and I'm already planning prints to go on top. I have a few ideas but I will be ruminating on it in the coming weeks. I made about eight map sheets. A few 10 x 12 ish sheets, some 8 x 5 ish sheets, and some 3 x 5ish sheets. I'd honestly love to do a little ode to Thanet series and see about having them displayed at a mini gallery somewhere. Much to think about.

I played around with the pulp today in more specific ways. I created some sheets with colored circles for specific blocks I have already. I also did some layering to see if I could add color in a more muted way. I think these all turned out super fun and very usable!

I got some of my paper back from yesterday and was pleased with the among of usable sheets I got. For my first time really paper making I feel like I didn't do too bad. Maybe that's me being overconfident but I am so proud of my paper! The rest of the paper will get shipped to me later this week, so I don't have to drive back to Cleveland. I'm excited to get the rest of it back and see how it looks fully dried. Once it's pressed in the hydraulic press and load the dry box (which reminds me of a giant flower press with box fans) I feel like you get a good sense of what sheets turned out good, but you never know.

I'm really hoping to take more workshops at the Morgan. I have my eye on a letter press workshop that is very within budget, but I think I am allowed to apply to the equitable artist fund once per season. I may get shot down but continuing my art education is really important to me, especially as someone who didn't get the chance to go to art school, so I'm willing to take the risk of rejection, especially when the potential reward is an valuable learning experience.

Some things I learned that I want to remember:

You can tear handmade paper with bar/ruler just like other paper

Pilling pellon can mess up your paper with removing it, and stained pellon can stain your paper

You can layer sheets on top of each other to make bigger sheets, or to add fun layers (my classmate Meryl did this and now I want to try doing more)

Embedding paper cut outs is very cool (my classmate Lizzie did a ton of this and now I want to try doing more)

Morgan harvests mulberry in the fall to make Japanese paper in workshops!

Clean up involves hydraulic press, straining pulp, squeegeeing tables and floors, loading dry box, and spraying down pellon, felt, and screens!

TLDR Paper making is literally the best but also I want to remember everything so I made this long blog post!

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

ALSO. DAMN. speaking of worm being a fucked up story and knowing not everybody's gonna make it. i'm curious. do u have like... undersiders survival tier list? i wanna know who u think's gonna make it or who u think might not. when ur done having shrimp emotions over brian fridge etc of course :]]]

MAN. WELL. I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD BRIAN DYING FIRST. GOD. hes not even dead yet (which is worse btw) but with the state hes in i may as well count him as such. i cannot see a world in which they convince bonesaw to fix him here. ugahuhh.

ANYWAY. this is not gonna be in list order bc im just thinking out loud as i type so here does. if im so real. lisa has had not one but TWO death scares already *and* her power is the least offensive so i thought for sure it was gonna be her.

im tempted to say taylor has final girl energy because she does and she could have plot armor considering most of the story is from her pov but with all of the interludes showing the story could VERY EASILY be told from someone else... i would not be fully surprised if taylor dies eventually and we switch main characters entirely. i would not be HAPPY about this per se but i wouldnt be totally surprised. taylor is so fast and loose with her own safety in regards to everything i could see her throwing herself into some situation and not being able to get herself out of it (very funny considering rn she is paralyzed at the hands of bonesaw in view of the brian fridge. aha. taylor you are in danger) HOWEVER i think if this is going to happen it wont be until wayyyyy later in the story and also itll either be some dramatic blaze of glory or just like. inconsequential and to save someone else .

torn on alec and rachel. if you wouldve asked me this like a week ago i wouldve said id expect alec to die second but i dont know why exactly? just vibes i guess. rachel is so hit or miss bc i definitely think shes strong enough to survive but also. again shes got the whole putting herself in stupid situations because of her anger thing which would easily get her killed if she was up against the wrong person. and i think in a meta sense killing her specifically would be SUCH a major shock. especially if its like. sudden or short or offscreen or something. someone who gets built up as super tough and indestructable getting offed in a second. idk. i can see it. ALSO LITERALLY THE FACT THAT AS OF RN THEYRE BOTH TARGETS OF THE S9 and from the way their test is supposed to work, only one person can make it out of there. which means AT LEAST one of them will have to die if they dont disrupt the test enough. (<< if this happens im expecting rachel to be the one that makes it. i dont think she wants to join the nine but i think shes more likely to go through with it than alec)

aisha.. i do not know enough about to say whether or not i think she'll survive much longer. she has done some STUPID SHIT and seems rlly reckless and doesnt care a whole lot for her own safety but also. need more info on her!!!!!!!!!!!

[ladysomething]

I love everything that you’ve written for F1 so far (you are just the most incredible writer, I could read all of the fics you’ve written a million times and never get bored) but you’ve truly outdone yourself with Where You Go, I Go!!!! I literally read chapter 2 like 4 times last week and I’ve just been counting down the days until I could read chapter 3 (but I pinky promise I do not mean that in a “write faster” kind of way, I mean it in a “I was excited that I audibly squealed when I saw you posted today” kind of way). And ABO is something that I hardly ever read. But you just do it SO well. I LOVE the world you’ve built. And this fic is just SO incredible. I wasn’t sure how you could top the first two chapters, but eek CHAPTER THREE. The way that Charles going into pre-heat prevented any questions about Max and his intentions from getting answered (the tension is buildingggg) and Pierre showing up and Charles getting claimed, oh my god every scene was incredible and I am SO EXCITED to find out where this is going, because I genuinely don’t know what to expect!!! Thank you so, so much for sharing this fic with us!!!

I am a different anon than before, but I was very interested in reading your response about if you found writing long fic to be daunting. Like prev anon, I am a numbers girl, so learning a little about your writing process/philosophy was super interesting!! I have another question if you don’t mind me asking- how do you decide on your posting schedule?! Although I would literally read this whole fic in one sitting, I do love the 1+ weeks between updates because I love getting excited for a new chapter and looking forward to it, but you said in the ask that you were already writing ch6, so I’m curious what made you pick the schedule you did!!

thanks again for sharing this fic with us, we are truly all so lucky to read it!!

ahhh!!!

well firstly I can't take the entire credit for this fic. @saiyanwitcher reached out to me after I wrote Give Me That Fire and offered to beta for me. As we were getting to know each other, she asked if I'd ever consider writing an Omegaverse fic, and I said yes, and here we are. But if there is any reason why this fic is better than the others, it's all because of her! She has spent so many hours brainstorming with me, proofreading, and pulling me back from the edge when I said "I want to do THIS" and she said "girl what" (she didn't really, everything I propose she says "alright, lets figure out how we can make that work").

I'm so delighted to hear you loved chapter 3! this whole fic is sooo different to anything I've ever written, but I LOVE exploring new themes and topics and ideas in fic - you'll never really catch me doing the same thing twice. pushing boundaries is what I love about fic, but it doesn't always pay off, so I'm SO happy to hear that people are loving this fic as much as they are.

as for your question ... which, firstly, like most artists I am extremely self involved, so talking about myself is like my fave thing to do lmao. I will answer literally ANY question you could ask.

but, posting schedule. after many years of trial and error while posting long fics, the thing I've found that works for me is that I need to have a fairly sizeable amount of the story in the can before I start posting. I usually like 5-6 chapters, but, more importantly, I want to know that I have the feel of the story before I start to post, because once I post I can't go back and change things. at about that 5-6 chapter mark, I know that I'm deep enough into a story that the plot is right, the characters are right, and the tone I'm using is right, and then I feel comfortable starting to release it out into the world.

from there, I post a chapter only when I finish a chapter. so I finished chap 6 on Tuesday, and then I worked on chap 3 on Wednesday, gave it to @saiyanwitcher to beta on Wednesday evening, and then by this morning she'd done a final check and I was okay to post.

my own personal goal is to write one chapter a week, with Wednesday being the day I'm always aiming towards. so this week I was actually a little later than my "schedule" because ch 6 was giving me a headache and it took longer to write than I wanted.

at this point, I know roughly how long it takes me to write one chapter for this story (a week), but I also know some of these chapters are harder to write than others so I HAVE to give myself some extra leeway (hence the maximum of 2 weeks).

I hope that kind of explained my thought process and as I said, I'm so happy to answer any questions!

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is STILL NOT part one of chapter seven. For the foreseeable future, this is a teaser zone.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop now, and start by reading chapter one. 

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Okay, so, I was a no show (for the first time ever) last Friday. Please forgive me, but I had an absence letter from Queen Bey. That's right, instead of writing or talking about my beloved fic, I was dancing my ass off at the Renaissance concert. So, thank you in advance for your forgiveness.

I DO have a sneak peek for you this week (which is super duper draft 1, so words might shift here and there by the time it's posted on A03 - bear with me). And, if life allows, I'm working towards posting this chapter in full by September 1st (which would mean only one more week of teasers for "season one.") Per always, please send me all the writing vibes you've got. Words are coming, but not always quickly, so every bit of wishful thinking helps!

CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK

TUESDAY, JULY 11TH, 9:00 PM, RUSSEL TAVAROFF’S CAR

Russel has been sitting in his car for two hours, paralyzed by his thoughts. A little more than twelve hours ago, he’d just finished his second cup of coffee when he was called into Jacob Kane’s office. He took his time explaining everything he’d come up with on Luke Fox, his concerns about Sophie Moore’s conflict of interest, and his speculation on why Luke could be after the Kane family, with evidence in hand. The Commander let him do most of the talking, never really looking at the printouts, but asking the occasional follow up question for clarification. When it seemed Tavaroff had covered everything, the Commander sat back in his seat, and then asked him what his career goals were. Of course, Tavaroff said he’d really appreciated the opportunity to learn from him, and that he hoped to continue doing so. He felt it was an honor to be trusted with the responsibility of interim Lieutenant Commander.

Jacob took the folder of files, and thanked Russel for bringing him up to speed. He said that if he was going to continue taking on new assignments, he’d need to make room on his desk, and asked him to start delegating the things he’d been working on to several people he was reassigning, especially with Tyler being out of commission, and them having trading cases before the accident. So, Tavaroff spent the day doing as he was asked. 

By 4PM, there was a 5PM meeting on his calendar, with Jacob Kane’s office as the location. The agenda stated they’d be discussing next steps. The only next step was for Tavaroff to sign an NDA in exchange for a package, which included his salary for the remainder of the year, his vacation payout, and the cash value of his stock in an exit bonus. Should he choose not to sign and leave quietly, an investigation would need to be initiated, and a psych evaluation completed, with potential disciplinary actions taken that could limit his ability to work in law enforcement again in the future.

The Commander did thank him for his commitment to the organization, and dedication to protecting his family. Unfortunately, his decision to pursue Luke Fox without approval, who was too visible as an executive at his daughter’s company, and as the son of the renowned Lucius Fox, did not demonstrate the kind of judgment that the Commander expected from someone at Tavaroff’s level. He felt a mutual separation was the fairest course of action. 

Upon signing, he was asked to hand over his firearm and badge. Then, he was escorted to his desk, where a box was awaiting him to collect any personal items he’d brought to the office, which needed to be approved to take with him. He didn’t make eye contact with anyone still in the building on his way out, let alone speak to them, because he could feel their eyes casting judgment against him. Embarrassed was simply an inept word for how he felt. 

They did take a look around his car, to make sure he didn’t have anything of theirs laying around that they’d need to confiscate, but they really relied on the NDA to protect them. The truth was, they weren’t above more permanent forms of termination if they felt like a prior employee posed a security threat. There were very few examples of anyone taking such a risk that required mitigation, but in the rare occasion, those people managed to have surprisingly coincidental incidents occur that made them a non-issue. 

When Tavaroff arrived home around 6PM, he’d changed out of his suit and tie, taken a shower, drank a beer, and then noticed a folder he’d left on his kitchen table. He walked over to it, and saw a few printed pictures that he’d been meaning to come back to and analyze with more intention, but he’d lost track of the idea. There were two high school yearbook photos: one for Sophie Moore, and one for the girl two grades younger, Angelique Martin. And then there was a third image of Angelique bartending at O’Mally’s during some sort of holiday party. 

He closed the folder, frustrated with himself. He didn’t work for them anymore, so these people's stories shouldn’t matter. He’d dedicated years of his life to a company that turned its back on him when he was trying to protect them. The compulsion to break away led him to put on his shoes, and head out the door, in his basketball shorts and tshirt. 

He’d gotten into his car, and didn’t know where to go. He didn’t know who to call. He didn’t know what he’d say to them if he did call. So he just sat, waiting for an idea to materialize. Instead, the only thoughts he was berated with were rehashings of how these people could ruin life as he knew it. Sure, this wasn’t the only thing he had going, but so much of who he was tied back to his role at The Crows. 

Now, two hours later, he’s tired of sitting. He needs to do something. He needs answers, and to take his control back. He decides to pick up where Tyler left off.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I really appreciate every comment, heart, and reblog. Kudos and comments on A03 too. These words don't always flow easily, and all of it pushes me to write on the hard days. It helps to know y'all are still with me. So THANK YOU, seriously! Follow #SaveBatwoman on all socials please! Support the Writer and Actor strikes. #wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[recurring-polynya]

Writing/Art Update 5.21.2024

Somehow, I feel like the Summer Slump has hit early this year. School isn't even out yet, but I'm already at this point where it's hard to ever get anything done because my attention is always getting pulled away and before I'm ever able to get really into a thing. Part of it is because I am a procrastinator, and it takes me forever to get started on something. If I were just better at Getting Down to It, I would accomplish more, but that's just...not the mode I am in. I am generally able to name one priority per day and actually get that done, but whether or not I get anything more than that done is kind of a crapshoot.

I did (finally) finish one of my requests this week! The first one was short and I was able to bang it out in 2 days, and that was great. The second one was harder because it was longer, which gave me so many more opportunities to get distracted. I did get it finished, though, although it meant ignoring my ao3 inbox for a few days and it is now Out of Control, although I'm now trying to get that whittled back down. (As long as I'm doing links, I also managed to fill a request with something I had in my WIPs folder, so I am up to 3 total). It would be super cool if I could just...write them all short and quick, but that is not a thing that is up to me. The fanfic comes out the way it does. I am just here.

I know which one I am going to do next, but I haven't started it yet, in part because of the inbox thing and also because there's part of the manga I want to re-read, but it's in the Soul Society Arc, so I keep getting distracted by things like "does the Kidou Corps have specialty eye makeup?" I'm also kind of hoping to finish an art I started a while ago. I got partway through the coloring and I'm not real happy with it, so I may have to roll it back a bit and try again a different way. It's just sort of in the same state of it's taking a long time because it's taking a long time.

Anyway, it's almost summer and I've got a lot going on. I have not, by any means, given up on my requests. I actually think it's good for me to have a list of small projects to work on, but I'm not going to try to impose a timeline or anything. I'll just work on them when I have the time and inclination, and hopefully, every so often, I'll manage to finish one. I do really appreciate everyone's patience. Believe me, this isn't my favorite way to be, either, but sometimes one-day-at-a-timing it is the best you can do.

[purplesurveys]

1861

What was the last bad thing that happened to your phone? Not really bad per se, but getting a notice in the middle of filming something that I had no storage left. I'm a hoarder through and through, so even though I have files backed up and even have Google Drives to store my photos in, I like keeping most things on my phone and I'm very familiar with running out of space haha.

What are your plans for tomorrow? We have an all-day team building thing. The company even booked a hotel for us overnight, so I'm here in my room right now while taking this.

Have you ever been with someone while they were throwing up? I honestly can't remember if that's happened. I'm usually the one they accompany lol...

What kind of outfit are you wearing right now? Sweatshirt + sweatpants. I'm savoring this moment now because I'm in a hotel and the aircon is freezing and this will never ever happen anywhere else this time of the year lmao.

Would you go out in public right this moment? I am technically in public right now.

Who was the last person you talked to on instant messenger? My sister. I was asking for photos of the dogs earlier because I was missing them.

Have you ever done something illegal with a family member? What about with your best friend? Hmm. Probably.

Would you rather get high or get drunk? Drunk.

Would you rather get pregnant at too young an age or never be able to reproduce? I don't want kids, so.

What was the last thing you cooked? Can it be the last thing I reheated instead because I don't cook? Hahaha. Spaghetti from Jollibee.

What were you doing 45 min ago? Playing Rhythm Hive.

What will you be doing in 20 min? Changing into my sleeping clothes for tonight.

What did you do yesterday? Worked, played my game, and for like three straight hours I watched videos from this local vlogger that I really really like. I actually already started watching his stuff months ago, but then he disappeared from my algorithm never to come back. I suddenly remembered him yesterday so I looked him up and saw that he had been posting new videos the whole time, so last night was dedicated to catching up.

Did you get a full 8 hours of sleep last night? Nah. Never on weekdays as I do revenge bedtime procrastination.

Have you ever gotten alcohol poisoning? I would never drink that much in one go to be at risk of alcohol poisoning.

Are you in a good mood right now? I'm feeling pretty damn great lmao. I'm in a hotel, I'm taking surveys, I have a plate of macarons beside me, I don't need to worry about work tomorrow since we'll be team building-ing...it's all lovely.

What’s the hardest thing you have done all week? Get through a meeting with a difficult client. He's so negative, never once seemed grateful, gave very strong know-it-all vibes, even his own teammates were on edge around him...I never thought a meeting could be so soul-sucking until that happened, and I honestly wish the deal would fall through or that the event we are planning for them gets cancelled. Not worth it.

How did you feel when you woke up today? LOLfuckit's9:30andIoversleptwhydidIoversleep

Do you want to see someone at this very moment? No.

Think of the person who has hurt you the most in the past year, who is it? My mom.

Do you think two people can last forever? Sure.

Do you find it in your heart to forgive? No.

Last person you talked to on the phone for longer than 5 min? Idk, that doesn't really happen a lot. Maybe with my dad? it's always more a call between him and my mom, though. We kids just chime in from time to time to greet him and such.

Are you a morning person or night person? Night.

Did you go out or stay in last night? It was a Tuesday evening, you best believe I stayed in haha.

Who was the last person in your bedroom? My sister, if I remember right.

Are you afraid to tell your true feelings? Doesn't it always depend on the situation? I'd feel more hesitant if I'm not around people I'm super close with.

Can you honestly say you’re okay right now? Sure.

How has this past week been for you? Nothing out of the ordinary.

Do you currently have a hickey? No.

Did you ever lose a best friend? Yes, I have.

How many piercings do you have? Just two, but I never have anything on them anymore.

Do you bump into someone’s arm if you want to hold their hand? No...

Are you listening to music, if so, what song? Continued from last night. Nope.

Favorite part of summer? My birthday.

Where was your default picture taken? A museum in Makati.

What is your middle name? Eh...

What color underwear are you wearing? Beige.

What color shirt are you wearing? Orange.

Ever had a near death experience? Not really.

Have you ever kissed in the rain? I don't know. Probably?

What is your natural hair color? Black.

Could you handle living with the last boy you texted? No, I barely know them.

What are you excited for? Seeing my dad again, traveling to Vietnam, and getting the notification for Jin's first live back.

Have you been to the beach this year? Yes, twice – both related to work but it's fine haha. The first time was at a TVC shoot that needed to be set at the beach; The second was our team bonding day where Leah invited us all to her beachside house.

What makes you happy? My dogs, day offs, and BTS.

Anything happen to you within the past month that made you really happy? Sure. My birthday happened and my birthday is always one of my favorite days of the year; that's one.

Could you go the rest of your life without smoking weed? Yes.

Held hands with anyone in the past month? I don't think I have. I've linked arms with my grandma since she needs help walking now, but we haven't held hands.

Would you put your life on the line for anyone? Yes.

When’s the last time you did something you knew was wrong? Three seconds ago, lol.

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now? Doubt it.

Are there any bruises/cuts on your body? No but there is this very uncomfortable knot(?) on the right side of the back of my neck right now that is preventing me from bending my head to the right.

How late did you stay up last night? 2 AM, as usual.

Do you want someone to call you right now? Not really.

Are you a loud person? With the right people, I can be.

Are you a shy person? For the most part.

Does it take a lot to make you cry? No. I was crying uncontrollably the other night over BTS videos.

If your parents didn’t like the person you were dating, would you lose them? Depends on the person, I'm guessing. With my last ex, I imagine I would have fought for it. Hard to imagine with anyone else since I've never dated since then.

How’s your heart lately? Steadily working its way towards peace.

How was Saturday night? Pretty uneventful. I dyed my hair and stayed in.

Will you be in a relationship in 4 months? No.

Are you tan? Yes.

Do you think you can last in a relationship for 3 months? I did. Nearly 20 times that length.

Think a lot before you fall asleep? Sometimes.

[5-pp-man]

I've hit the 3rd ep for all of the things I'm watching (except for 1 but shhh). Crazy. As per the rule, I guess I'll write down my thoughts for them now.

Atarashii Joushi; Fun and heartwarming in a very tame sort of way. It reminded me of CDD a lot in the first episode, but I feel like it's really making itself stand out now. Also, the 3rd ep made me cry. wtf.

Bullbuster; Very interested to see where this goes with the island plot. I like the touch of realism for how the company operates. Kataoka is actually my fave character so far just because he has such a strong presence, lmao

Dekoboko Majo; It's your standard over the top gag anime (which I like! it's just stupid silly fun) I do like the allusion to a deeper plot though

Hypmic; I already loved Hypmic and I never even expected another season, so I already feel spoiled. I love how they're weaving all the divisions into the ongoing plot, it's actually done pretty well? Though the anime original group (TBH) feels a bit jammed into the story, but it's only natural when you've got something with a plot like hypmic (that's already jammed full with contrivances, lmao) Also, Dotsuitare Homos episode when? (probably next week. yippeee ^u^)

Kamierabi; It's starting to become apparent with the 3rd episode that the plot in this show. Might not be that great. But I love death / high stakes games, even if they're kinda shitty. The animation isn't nearly as bad as everyone wants you to believe though.

Kamonohashi Ron; Ron he is so sillay <3 I love detectives, I love buddy teamups, this is a winning combo in my book. Their banter is super manzai-like though, very dry / reaction based humour. Which I think is funny but not when overused (is this show overusing it? not rlly as of now thankfully). Also, very intrigued by what the hell happened to Ron

Kawagoe Boys Sing; Uhhhh this only has 2 eps rn but the 2nd one was already so much better than the first. I love IT kun and Otome kun, excited for the rest of the cast to be introduced Ok I've seen the 3rd one now and in the very first sentence from Adachi I heard it was Kimura Subaru. I'm so happy he's here!! It was a good call to get him for this show since he's a great singer (in English too so it was nice hearing him in the ed this time!) Just an aside I actually think it's really nice how cool everyone is with all the weird quirks the characters have. Like, they consistently see Otome's feminine traits as a genuinely cool thing, and it's such a breath of fresh air compared to other shows

Migi to Dali; This is def up there as my fave this season, I loved Sakamoto so I'm super happy that Sano san's other work got adapted as well. May she be freer where she is now. Her strange brand of humour will forever be one of my faves, and having it mixed with a mystery this time is like a dream come true

Undead Unluck; I'm watching this one w my brother and I'm glad, it's exactly the kind of stuff we tend to watch together. The animation for this one goes crazy hard btw.

Watashi no Oshi; I wasn't feeling the first 2 eps all that much (they were funny and had a few good moments, but they weren't fantastic or anything), but goddd the third one was so good... and the 4th was really funny. I'm enjoying this one more and more each week :) also the op is super catchy

Yonkyoudai; This one is really sweet, I love the usage of different animation styles to evoke certain emotions, and the way it often mimics children's drawings works so well for this story. I get all teary eyed watching this one every time...

[tetrisfinished]

JAMAICA 2025

so the month of january is the longest month known to mankind. except this time, i'm so so so happy about it! because i'm on my LOA from work and just....happy in general!

every year, we do a caribbean vacation (all inclusive) in the winter. this year, we didn't actually have anything planned, but a couple weeks ago yasir was all "let's book something" and since i'm not working - vacations weren't an issue of course. so we booked an all inclusive in jamaica!

we did 6 nights, 7 days, though after we booked, we looked at the flights and it turns out basically 2 of the travel days were ALL travel. so that was kind of tiring. but overall it was a great time!

and so, as per usual, before i let myself comfortably forget the goings on of the vacation, let's document it!

DAY 1 - JAN 22, 2025 - TUE

this was our travel day

we booked with air transat vacations, and our flight was at 2:35 PM in the afternoon

mama had offered for yasir to do the thing that we usually do, which is drive our car back from the airport and then pick us up in our own car

so mama and baba picked us up at about 12:30 PM from the tim's closest to the airport and we went in

when we got to the airport, yasir had already completed checkin, but we found out that jamaica has a c5 form that we needed to complete as well so yasir spent time fumbling his way through it and then was unable to complete it for anyone other than himself. so i completed it for esa and i. and finally we sent off our baggage and were on our way into the gates

this is the first trip with esa that we did not take a stroller, and frankly that i packed NO extra snacks or anything from home for esa

the reason for that is - we almost always end up buying stuff at the airport and also the snack containers from home also end up being an extra nuisance, carrying around, washing, bringing back, etc so i finally did away with them

and csn i tell you HOW LIGHT i felt! it was just lovely to take that load off

the flight was on time and great, esa watched his tablet mostly, and yasir and i bickered (urgh) but whatever

we got snacks in the plane and i watched the movie inside out - SUPER 100000000000% RECOMMEND, please do yourself a favour and watch

we arrived in montego bay, jamaica at 7 PM and then exited the airport onto the transfer bus

we stayed on the bus for about 2 hours (some of it waiting for all the passengers, and the rest of it getting to the resort - ours was one of the last (if not the absolute last) ones to arrive

we stayed at the bahia principe grand in st. ann and arrived there at about 9:30 PM and by around 10 PM we were done with check in

luckily, the dinner buffet was still ongoing so we put our bags into our room and then headed straight to dinner

after dinner, we came back to our room and fell asleep - it was a long day of travel and we were pooped

DAY 2 - JAN 23, 2025 - WED

on this day we woke up and went straight to the buffet for breakfast

after breakfast we went back to our room to hang out for a bit and then went to the beach (spent no time there, though) and then straight to the kids water park

esa spent most of the day there and had the freaking time of his life

after all that time at the water park, we went for lunch at the buffet and then back to the room to shower, clean up, and nap for a little bit

once we woke up from our nap, we went out to walk around and explore the area; we saw the marketplace (bought esa some sand toys and made a mental note to come back and grab souvenirs) and hung out at the lobby (got a coffee at the lobby bar)

shortly after we went for dinner again at the buffet and then we went out to hang out for the kids movie night - they projected thelma the unicorn on the lawn across from the main pool and esa watched for almost half of the movie

and here i use the word "watched" very loosely, because he had made a friend at the waterpark earlier that day who was there as well and they did a lot of running around together during the movie lol

when esa bacame antsy, we went back to the lobby bar area and hung out; there was live music and dancing and so of course, esa joined in and had a blast

after dancing, we went back to our room to sleep for the night

DAY 3 - JAN 24, 2025 - THU

on this day we woke up and had breakfast at the buffet and then walked around the hotel lobby

on the way to the lobby, we were stopped by one of the bahia privilege club representatives who managed to rope us into a presentation for bahia privilege for the following morning - in exchange for a voucher to either the gift store or the spa (we chose the spa)

then we asked around about different excursions; first we went and asked at the air transat booth and then we asked at the hotel booth

yasir was interested in doing some deep sea fishing (which frankly did not appeal to me at all, but i said that was fine)

but it was not possible to do it that day so we ended up doing the snorkeling excursion which was supposed to happen at 11:30 AM

we quickly rushed back to our rooms to get ready with our swim gear and grab our towels and stuff and got to the beach by 11 AM

the excursion was supposed to start at 11:30 AM but the boat that was going to take us didn't return from the previous excursion until noon so it was delayed

in any case, we got on the boat and went about 15 minutes away to the reef to do our snorkeling

we were given life jackets except they weren't the traditional vest style ones, more like noodles wrapped around our midsection and just that alone was enough to paralyze me into fear

and for 20 minutes i stood there being too afraid to go into the water

all the while, esa was saying "mama i'm not afraid, can i go?"

and at one point the guy on the boat was like, you can let your son go he can hold on to the tire and i was like SIR OVER MY DEAD BODY (not in so many words or so loudly, but anyway lol)

finally, i did it though, i got off the boat and i myself hung on to the buoy and floated away seeing what was underwater

NO RAGRETS because gosh it was so beautiful

there were blue tangs, and sea urchins, and reefs, and so many other little fish - it was just lovely

anyway, we snorkeled for about an hour - this time yasir even went into the water (last time in cuba he was too afraid) and he and esa stayed right by the boat holding on to the stairs lol

it was excellent

then it was time to come back to the shore and once we were back, we went straight for lunch at the jerk kitchen (snack bar type place across the pool) where esa had a whole beef burger all by himself (that's how hungry he was)

after eating, it was around 3 PM i believe and their was a foam party starting at the pool shortly so we did that at the pool and esa, again, had a blast

once the pool party was over, we went to the water park for a little while and hung out there before going back to the room and showering, getting dressed, and taking a quick nap again

after that we went for dinner and then hung out a little bit (though not too long, we were pretty pooped) and then came back to the room to sleep

DAY 4 - JAN 25, 2025 - FRI

on this day, we had our presentation booked for 8:30 AM in the morning so we woke up, got ready to go and meet our bahia rep for the privilege promotion presentation

we went together with him (his name was malique) to the breakfast buffet and had breakfast

afterwards we spent a bunch of time at the bahia privilege club office thing listening to the sales pitch for it all to end at 11 AM when we finally left - spa voucher in hand :p

immediately after leaving there i booked my full body massage at the spa for the following afternoon

this was our beach day - we went to the beach and spent all day there which was super fun

after that we went back to our rooms again to shower, get dressed, and nap since that night i had booked one of two a la carte reservations (tepenyaki) and it was at 9:30 PM

before heading to the reservation, around 7 PM that evening we wen to the buffet and i fed esa dinner because i didn't think he would be able to wait so late and because i couldn't rely on only tepenyaki for him

we arrived at our reservation and it was suuuuuperrrr delayed, but the food was good and esa was suuuuper tired by the time it was done so we went straight back to the room and slept

DAY 5 - JAN 26, 2025 - SAT

on this day, same as the previous days, we woke up, went to the buffet and had breakfast

then yasir and esa spent some time at the water park followed shortly after with the beach

this morning i had a bit of upset tummy, so while they were at the water park, i went back to the room to relieve myself of that (ahem ahem)

and afterwards i went and lay on the beach chair while they played in the water

after that, i took esa to the buffet and gave him lunch while yasir went back to the room to shower

yasir got ot the buffet at the same time i had to leave so around 2:30 PM i left to head to the spa where i registered, used the voucher, and had my hour long full body massage. and oh boy it was just l o v e l y!

i was done by about 4 PM and then i went back to the room where esa and yasir had also come back to after lunch

esa had fallen asleep as is, but when we woke up i showered him and then showered myself and then got ready to head out

this was the kids night at the marketplace, so we went at 8 PM and hung out, there was music and dancing for the kids

and there was also food and drinks for the adults

after the kid portion of the evening, we stuck around for some adult entertainment (they were doing a game of trivia) and then eventually left to go to the buffet and have dinner

after dinner we went back to our room and slept

DAY 6 - JAN 27, 2025 - SUN

on this day we woke up and went for breakfast and i had decided i wanted to do the bike tour that morning

the bike tour was scheduled for 10 AM and when i got there i realized that the bikes had kids seats in the back too, so i quickly called yasir to ask if he wanted to join and he did

it took a bit of convincing to get esa into the kids seat, but he finally agreed and the 3 of us along with one other guest and the hotel staff person gregory were on our way

we had a nice chill bike ride around the resort, we went to the marketplace and then to the luxury side and stopped by the waterfront area

gregory even found a tiny hermit crab and showed it to us

it was great

after the bike ride, we came back to the lobby and grabbed some drinks at the lobby bar

again i got a little bit sick so i went back to the room to "relieve" myself

during that time, esa and yasir went to the kids club house (esa had woken up that day saying he didn't want to go to the water) and esa did some activities there

afterwards, i decided to stay and hang out alone in the room for a bit and then decided as it was our last day to go to the marketplace and grab some souvenirs

so i went to the marketplace, did my shopping, and then went to the beach to find esa and yasir playing in the water

i lay on the beach chairs and got some fried chicken wings from the hotel staff that were sampling the food and then when esa and yasir were done, we went for lunch at the buffet

but we ended up not going back to the room early enough to time out a nap so we just showered and got dressed and went back to the buffet for dinner

after dinner was supposed to be the kids show in the theatre at 8 PM so we went there (but because of the lack of nap, esa was thoroughly tired by this point already)

after the kids show was a little entertainment for the adults - there was a "mr. bahia" contest and yasir took part in it and did a dance performance on stage and that's a core memory right there LOL

once the mr. bahia contest was over (yasir didn't win despite my ridiculously loud cheering him on), the magic show started and it was amazing

we watched and it ended at 10 PM at which time we went straight back to the room and to bed

esa fell asleep almost immediately and then i went back out to the lobby bar and watched AND took part in the nightly karaoke session

i sang unwritten by natasha bedingfield - i don't know how i did (pretty sure it was quite shitty lol) but i looked at the screen, belched my heart out, and was done and i had a great time

shortly after midnight, i called it in a night and went back to the room and fell asleep

DAY 7 - JAN 28, 2025 - TUE

this was the day of our return

the night before yasir had booked a private taxi to the airport because the bus transfer took too long and left at 8 in the morning from the resort

because we did the private transfer, we were able to book it for 8:30 AM in the morning and that meant we had enough time to pack and have breakfast and go to the airport

once at the airport we got busy with checking in, and after checking in we still had a wait of 1.5 hours before boarding began which was almost an hour prior to flight departure time

finally we boarded and were on our way; our flight departure time was 12:25 PM and we arrived back in toronto at 4:35 PM

baba was there and ready to pick us up once we got out with our baggage and then we spent TWO HOURS GETTING HOME THANKS TO RUSH HOUR AND THE STORM WE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH URGH

finally we got back to mama's place and had dinner and went straight to bed

the next morning we had breakfast in caledon and hung out until just afternoon when we finally got home to whitby and that was our trip to jamaica

it was lovely and memorable and i'm so glad we did it!

much love,

k

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

First Monday of the month, so here we go!

As per usual, this is also an Open Question Night--anything I've posted about here or on AO3 is fair game; my askbox is always open but tonight I'll be keeping an eye on it and responding. I do take prompts, but no guarantees on how quickly I fill them.

Not a whole lot to report this month--mostly because moving took up A Lot of time/energy/etc., so I didn't get as much writing done as I would have hoped, so just a quick blitz through:

OTP Meme fills-- I'm still super behind, haha. I caught up on June, but I need to do July, August, and September for all five ships this month, so that'll be fun.

PodTogether-- It got posted! It ended up being not quite all I'd hoped it would be (our plans were a lot more ambitious than our execution, haha), but the three bits that did get finished/posted I think turned out pretty well. I do enjoy doing this event a lot; next summer should be less busy for me, too, so hopefully it'll go a little smoother/I'll get a little closer to whatever my partner(s) and I end up planning (although I think I might take Leverage off my fandoms list next time; we'll see.)

Other SW-- No real updates here, other than we at SWBB got an ask about next year's event already (signups don't open til like December!!!), so I'm going to dig up what I started last year and hopefully actually finish it so I can participate. I've been involved with that event for so long that it felt weird to only do modding/betaing/podfic and not Write for it this time. (Precipice!verse has the same update it has for the past several months. It will not die until I leave this fandom, but it hasn't been getting much/any active focus lately.)

BSG-- Signups are still open for GBB! We could use a few more artists and betas. Story detail submissions are coming in, and I'm excited for what I'm seeing. I also want to get a little more into actively working on TOB over the next few weeks/by the end of the year. It's been floating around in the back of my head for so long and I thiiiiiink I've named all of the people and patched enough of the plotholes to get started...of course, now I need to figure out exactly when/where I need to start (especially since...you know, need to introduce a bunch of OCs plus explain why Baltar ends up in a different position...so yeah XD) I do still have various crossover snippets that might get worked on (like the one I reblogged the other day; there's also the Zeb and Helo one that I thought turned out pretty well); plus The Blood of Angry Men which I do genuinely plan to write at some point, but structuring it is a complicated question XD (Zarek character study/backstory piece; mostly focused on everything that initially sent him to prison, told through the lens of him looking back on it as he faces down his execution in S4; some stuff about charisma and followers he's lost/led to their deaths; the balance between him believing in his rhetoric and wanting power/using that rhetoric to gain it...a lot of really interesting things to think about here, lol)

Les Mis-- P&J will update soon; I'm also working on Acheron which I'm super excited for. I've written snippets of dialogue for Provenance (companion to P&J) but that won't get posted until the main fic is complete (because it's probably more fun to watch Ari solve as much of the puzzle as is possible given modern-day available records/evidence before filling in some of the gaps with a somewhat more traditional-style fic, lol)

Castlevania-- Not really much to say here other than at some point I will pick up Incinctus; also when Nocturne starts airing I will probably be Very Tempted to do a more active/actual crossover with Vampire Chronicles (bookverse) because. Like. The Theatre is right there lol (I know the vampire rules are very different in the two canons; which is part of why Marius existing in Incinctus is only a quick Easter Egg cameo; also Alucard and Armand would hate each other so much lol and I love them both so I'm not...suuuuuper interested in writing about that XD) Anyway, we'll see how much Nocturne actually draws me in, but at the moment I'm looking forward to it.

...I think that about covers it! Moving is exhausting and expensive but while unpacking/setup is still going on we are Fully Moved at this point, so...yay! Hopefully next month will pick up some.