#Wanting to do exercise is a new thing for me though XD

[whostarlockeda03]

Having a very bad concentration day at work and none of my usual brain coercion tricks are working :/

[gallusrostromegalus]

hi i see that you have much smart dog experience. i may have accidentally purchased such a dog. she's only 10 weeks, and ive had her 1, and she's already outmatched every puzzle feeder i got or have made. to the point that she is morosely disappointed when her food comes in an actual food bowl. do you know where i can find like. "heres 100 enrichment toys you can make out of free trash so your dog stops eating fucking rocks for enrichment" lists. i only have so many paper towel tubes XD

Herschel now just disassembles puzzle feeders, so I've been focusing on "Toys that, even if he already knows how to operate them, will still take TIME for him to collect the treat from" to give him something to fuss with.

Herschel eats all his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, because he will otherwise eat so fast he will literally inhale and choke on his kibble and I do not need him developing pneumonia from aspiration. Even though it's a "Simple" toy it slows him down and he does have to think a bit to tip it in the most efficient manner possible. Kong's "Flipz", "Gyro" and "Rewards Wally" are also really good "dog needs to think/carefully manipulate the toy for food" toys that act as both mental stimulation and exercise and "give human a break for up to twelve minutes" toys.

I highly reccomend KONG as a brand- they're local to Denver and have an impeccable saftey record and all of the toys I have gotten from them have held up extremely well vs. the ravages of three entirely too smart and strong-jawed dogs at once.

Some more thoughts:

If she's not prone to shredding rubber, the kind of treat toys she has to chew are also good stimulation.

If you don't want to give her That Many treats, my vet said that dogs can have as many green beans as they want. Just make sure that the beans haven't had salt added to them- canned usually does, but frozen green beans usually don't, but always check the label.

You can make nearly any toy last longer, or make a cheap long-puzzle by freezing the treats so they take longer to eat AND provides hydration. Herschel's most favorite treat of all time is literally a wad of sliced green beans in a dixie cup, filled with water and frozen. Just peel off the cup and hand him the chunk of ice and he's good for up to half an hour and more chill afterwards.

You can also freeze lick mats

If your girl is like Charlie and doesn't like greenbeans, you can also try freezing paper cups of: Canned pumpkin, apple slices in water, putting some ice cubes in the bottom of the cup, a gob of peanut butter in the middle and then fill it with water to make a peanutbutter filled ice cube.

If your girl is REALLY like charlie who has figured out how to use labor negotiation and strike tactics for better treats: boiled chicken chunks frozen in some of the water you boiled them in.

Walkies are as much mental stimulation as they are physical exercise. Take her out and let her sniff to her heart's content.

Also Puppies in particular need like, SO MUCH exercise.

Let her participate in activities with you. Herschel and charlie sit in the kitchen and I narrate cooking dinner to them, which seems to interest them, even if I don't have spare veggie ends to give them. I also frequently bring them along in the car if I'm running errands when it's cold enough to do that, so they have something new to look at, and get to participate. I also am more likely to stop at a new park and give myself some exercise and mental stimulation.

Training her to do tasks is GREAT Smart Dog enrichment- esp if she's a herding or heeler, they LOVE being helpful. I taught the dogs they get a small treat if they come in from the yard without me having to go chase them down, which saved me a lot of hassle, and now I'm working on teaching herschel to pick things up off the floor for me if I drop them and alert for chickpeas, which my housemate is allergic to.

A lot of dogs like cat-type toys. Tie a stick or some fleece to some paracord and drag or flycast it around for her to chase/play tug with when she catches it. Toys that bounce unexpectedly were also a huge hit. or just wave the string around the cat and the corgi both like that.

If you live in farm country or know other people with pets, you can grab something with the scent of another animal on it and bring it home for her to smell. Charlie and Herschel spent the better part of three days investigating the wad of horse undercoat I brought home and put in the spare wobbler for them to smell.

[musedeluce]

Petnames? Eh....

What if you don't generally call them petnames, instead just calling them by their names? What thoughts might they have, regarding your name, and their own?

A/N: Brought to you because I don't generally like pet names. Personally, for me, calling people by their names is special, and pet-names feel generic XD. There are times they don't, but that's generally how I feel. Nicknames are lovely though lol

(By name, I mean whatever the person goes by, of course)

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Xavier

To be quite honest, he doesn't really think about it. He's just happy to be talking and doing things with you. He himself doesn't really call you any cute names, at least not with any regularity.

Additionally, every time you his name he feels like he's exactly where he's supposed to be, a sense of belonging he's missed for a long time. He really loves it when you call his name.

Someone may point it out, however. It's not something that bothers him, but he's ever so curious... He'll just ask you.

"Do you not like petnames? Is that why you never call me any?" his eyes are wide with innocence, and somewhat pleading. (Don't let this fool you he knows exactly what he's doing.)

It may have bothered him a little more than he thought...any and all endearments from you, he'll desire. He's a bit greedy that way, and at the core of it is just him wanting to be with you and experience things with you, especially new things.

You can pull his own trick on him, and he'll fall for it.

Eyes wide, looking a touch sad - "Do you...not like when I say your name?"

He'll never be bothered by it ever again, and he's somewhat learned to ignore things that others point out about your relationship, as long as you're both content together, nothing else matters.

Xavier loves to call you by your name as well, it feels like something he's waited to do for so long. Finally, you're here, you'll respond.

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Sylus

Legit actually bothers him (but not in a detrimental way), but he'd never come right out and say. Usually he's quite open and direct, but not about this. As he often calls you sweetie and kitten, he's wondering why you don't respond in kind, sarcastically or otherwise.

As it so happens, he tries to get you to call him pet names, starting off small and eventually evolving into full on, well thought out plans where he tries his absolute hardest, but he's so sneaky about it. (He thinks)

Considering his first attempt was just to stare at you really intensely after he called you sweetie like he usually does, you catch on that something is going on.

Attempts range from asking you questions like "What do bees make?" and then responding when you answer as if you had actually called him that, asking you to read romantic passages out loud to him (Which is how he found out he likes to have you read to him just in general), having the twins or Mephisto "gather intel," and having undercover missions require acting of the romantic sort, petnames -required-

This is of course, the perfect opportunity to mess with him. Call Luke and Kieran "Darling" jokingly. Mephisto is now and forever "pretty bird"

Then of course, call him one when he's not really paying attention and then act as if nothing happened. He will mentally crash out (in a good way, and maintain outward composure)

Eventually though, you'll have to explain, smirking while you do.

"I'm exercising a privilege I have, of course. I'm the only one who calls you by your name, Sylus."

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Zayne

Not one to make a big deal about things. Call him whatever you want, and if that doesn't include pet names, so be it.

Though, when you dropped "Doctor" and instead started to call him "Zayne" he felt joyous. It was a sign of your relationship getting closer as the both of you reconnected.

He's playful and bold with you, and likes to try to provoke reactions where you say his name in different ways. Of course not in an obvious fashion, as he's stoic and calm, so his playfulness might not be super obvious to people.

"To decide between hotpot or stir fry, let's play rock, paper, scissors. Which one do you want to be?"

"Hot pot!"

"Alright, let's get that then. And perhaps go for a walk together after." Very often, its things like this that show his playfulness and desire to have fun with you.

"Zayne" the laugh in your voice delights him. "You bought every flavor of special cupcake?"

"Zayne, you should rest." Your concern makes him feel warm.

It might end up that you ask him about it, yourself. "Zayne, do you mind that I don't call you pet names? It seems like its something expected? If you want, I can try to use them more."

"Why would I mind? I like my name. I especially like my name on your lips." The smirk on his face is small, but obvious. " Besides, every relationship is different, so what is expected in one case won't be applicable in another."

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Rafayel

He doesn't care that you don't call him any pet names. Why would he? You can call him whatever you want, he'll respond. But, he will be curious.

Especially since he sometimes calls you "cutie." and you don't seem to mind...but he'll want to be sure, and approach in a somewhat roundabout way. Not asking straight out why you never use them. Instead, he'll start by directly asking you about something adjacent.

"Does it bother you when I call you cutie? I'm perfectly happy to stop if it does, Darling."

"As for me, I wouldn't mind a cute moniker from you!" Aha! His main goal all along. Now, once you explain, he'll be perfectly satisfied regarding this matter.

"Oh, it doesn't bother me. I would tell you if it did. Petnames just aren't my thing. I like calling you "Rafayel" because it's your name. It's you!" You smile at him, and his ears start to turn red.

He's so fun to tease, the back and forth banter is the best, and this is something you can totally use.

"Cutie~" and you hand him a clementine and watch as he processes this ridiculous joke as you peel your own.

Whenever he hears you call his name, he loves it of course, but he also is filled with a sense of happy relief.

He also loves to say your name, filled with a sense of curiosity. He's always interested in you, and wants to know every detail from what you ate for dinner to your most guarded secrets. That curiosity extends to the world around him, something he wants to learn more about and experience, especially with you.

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[sillyandquest]

WOOOOOOOO!!!!

It's Megaman's birthday today and y'know what I decided to do?

Make a post about my au about Roll. XD

Well, sort of.

Fr though, I really do love the Megaman franchise. It's one of the main reasons I draw today and want to get better at story telling. I honestly would've made a full drawing instead of a handful of doodles, but life gets busy and I need my sleep.

Anyways, last time I posted I showed you guys this design I came up with for Roll's armor.

This time though, I wanna talk a bit more about Rock's part in the au because despite what I say, he is still a main character in the au.

Doodles under the cut.

First I had to get a good grasp on who Rock is as a character before figuring out what he'd be like in the au. Canonically, he's a kind, courageous boy, with a strong sense for justice and is very polite towards others but is a little naive.

With that in mind I think he'd largely be the same in the au, only difference being he's more protective of Roll and does his best to be the responsible one. However being responsible does mean he's a rule follower, it makes Rock feel guilty.

Despite the new protective streak though, Rock definitely knows Roll's willingness to wreck Wily's newest machines like there's no tomorrow, which does worry him a bit, but he's very glad she's on his side.

This actually brings up a theme I want to incorporate: opposites complimenting each other.

Rock truly believes in Dr. Light's dream and wants it to become reality, on the flipside, Roll's more concerned with things happening in the moment. Rock absolutely hates fighting, Roll finds it fun. Rock is more quick to accept obstacles as they are, meanwhile Roll always looks for another way.

That last thing actually leads me to bringing up an old concept from an entirely different au. Because Roll always looks for another solution, what if she managed to befriend some of the bosses from some of the games?

Rock wants to stop fighting and actively tries to dissuade the robots he fights, but accepts it as inevitable because he doesn't see another option. Roll however is more empathic to other robots issues and unlike Rock is too stubborn to give up on finding a different way. Through her empathy, Roll may be able to dissuade robots from fighting by reaching out a helping hand.

Obviously, this doesn't work for every robot master, but it will work for some, and it's this that gives Rock hope throughout the many battles he and Roll find themselves in.

It's the main reason he keeps putting the armor back on when Wily comes back with another plot. As long as Rock has Roll to fight alongside, there will always be another way. Maybe one of those ways will lead to the peace they both want.

That's just Rock for now, there's still even more to think of. Like Protoman.

Much like Rock, Protoman is largely unchanged with the only difference being that he is more willing to show up and spend time with Rock and Roll in a mentor sort of role.

This is because with both of them in active fighting roles, they're gonna need some training. This happens after the twins beat Wily as a team for the first time, so before or after MM3. Blues helps Rock with aim and difficult jumps, while he helps Roll come up with new ways to use her broom. They all also do team exercises so they can fight more effectively, but they don't always accomplish their goals. Blues is a tough teacher and the twins ended up running back to Light Labs after one of them collapsed during training.

They were so freaked out after the first few times it happened. One time they both passed out during training, dw Blues carried them home as a good big brother should.

There's still more to think of with this au. I have a lot in mind, including merging this au with that Megaman X au I've been thinking about. Y'all will probably know which one it is, I have very few au's here.

Overall, Rock and Roll both want peace between humans and robots, they just have different mindsets that influence how they go about it individually. That's why I think it's so important that they fight together.

With that said enjoy this final doodle of Megaman and Sunstar. I like to think that Rock, with Roll and Rush's support, managed to find a way to save Sunstar in this au and the two became buddies.

Sunstar really likes his little friend, but not nearly as much as Mercury likes Roll

She's his favorite.

[pizza-soup]

Hey! Just wanted to do an update for the new year!

Sooo, what have I been up to? A lot actually!

First off, I'd like to introduce a new member to my household, her name is Lucky, and I found her on an urbex trip last year as a tiny thing, and looked how gorgeous she is as an adult!

Those markings are pretty neat, huh? She's looks just like a Maneki Neko, all that's missing is a red ribbon and koban coin. She has such a sweet, affectionate personality, she is surprisingly very open to strangers giving her attention, and she loves water! Yeah, she plays in water! She has zero fear of it and likes playing with the sink faucet or laying on my shoulders when I soaking in the bath. I think it stems from me taking her out to the garden with me in the summer when I was watering the plants, the puddles cooled her off.

Speaking of gardening, I have two new trees. Ginkgos! My great aunt had one in her front yard, these are the babies. Since it's way too cold to plant them directly into the ground, they're currently in pots. I want them to grow just a bit larger before transplanting them.

And yes, that's Sol posing by the new trees! Look how handsome he is now! I'm glad he and his sister took in Lucky as an honorable sibling, I think she'd be very lonely otherwise. Stella has also grown up to be beautiful, and likes sharing her bed with Lucky. Orion doesn't like her though. Lol but he tolerates her so long as she doesn't get too close.

My health is better, thankfully. While I think I'll always have hypotension now, my doctor and I found a setup that works to keep it at bay. I have to watch my activity level and learn to rest properly (exercise can cause BP to drop fast), and stay hydrated with electrolytes daily. I have to set reminders though, since Im so bad at remembering. So far I haven't had any relapses for 7 months. I've also oddly lost a lot of weight, I thought it was suspicious, but my doctor said I'm actually at my BMI and the weight loss was gradual. My records show it was within a normal time range. Idk it felt so sudden to ME, but maybe I didn't notice it until recently. Eh. My sense of time isn't the best. Whatever the case, I was told to keep doing whatever I'm doing.

Work is... just as weird as always! Lol to the point it's kind of not weird for me anymore, I've gotten used to the strangeness of it. My brother however never got used to it. He actually quit working for the labs, not because it scared him off but because he finally got his major finished and he is working in an observatory down south. I'm proud of him! Space has always been a big interest for him, and the space science here in NM is growing!

As for creating, I've been busy writing two fanfics on Ao3. One is a Pokemon story, Come What May, and another is an alternate take on the classic Disney film, The Little Mermaid, called Candle on the Water. They're pretty long, my Pokemon fic is currently topping 20 chapters! I'd really appreciate if more people read them. Give em a little love. It's not the best work ever, but I'm kinda proud of them. They were written when I was struggling with a lot of self doubt and mild Imposter Syndrome. I'm working on being more gentle to myself and not letting perfectionism sabotage me or stop me from creating, and I'm kinda seeing that effort pay off bit by bit.

I've also been doing some song covers. I'm not sure if I'm confident in sharing those yet, but I've gotten a lot of encouragement from my family and my brother's friend who has been letting me borrow his music studio for recording sessions. Maybe I'll post one song if it's requested. I have three covers so far and they're all Evanescence. XD

Its been a very peaceful time for me, I got a raise last November and it's been nice. I've been treating myself to stationery and home decor. I splurged a bit and got two gaming devices from Anbernic, and have been modding my 3DSXL. Because screw gaming companies and their paywalling/microtransactions. It's time we start actually owning our games again, including media like music and movies.

I think this year is going to focus on retro media for me. CDs, DVDs, cassettes and vinyls. I've been rediscovering my collection in the garage and learning to maintain/fix my devices. Because while I do enjoy my modern media, I like the thought of having offline backups should I not have access to it later.

And my old school stuff takes me back to my summer days in school when I couldn't wait to get home to play my Gameboy while listening to my CDs, reading comics, or doodle and write short stories in my notebooks, or make zines with my friends. That might be something to revisit this summer.

I hope everything has been going well for you all, and if not, I hope it will soon. I may just return to this year, but probably gradually. I missed you all, and I miss sharing bits of my life here with you.

Take care! 💕

Edit: I'm not coming back. I'm sorry.

[cybertroniannugget]

Gift Giving Bumblebee x Reader

Dec 6

Look at that cute face

Fyi, I make sure to always use real lyrics for Bumblebee xD List at the end as proof.

Spotify is my best friend when writing Bumblebee.

As much as I love him, writing the bay version is tough. Always searching for lyrics that fit.

It's a little rushed, but better late than never right?

It's pure fluff

🎶Give it to me baby-Boots with the fur-tonight🎶1

“You want my boots?”

The yellow scout nods, pointing at your shoes.

“I mean sure, but why?”

🎶It's a wonderful surprise🎶2

“But that's no American tradition though.”

🎶Cuz I don't care🎶3

“So you wanna gift me something through St. Nicholas Day?”

🎶I love you, always forever🎶4

“Love you too, Bee. I'll give you my boots later, alright?”

He buzzes excitedly.

“Ey Bee, I need you on patrol with me.”, Jazz talks over the comm link.

Bumblebee’s antannae fold back and he whirrs a little annoyed.

You pat his cheek, smiling.

“I know, we rarely see each other, but this is important. I'll be here for a while.”

Another sad buzz echoes from his vocalizer, before he transforms and drives away.

Later in the evening you receive a message from Bee, asking you to put your boots outside your door.

“Okay, that's actually cute.”, you chuckle while walking outside.

Hearing someone round the corner you quickly walk back inside, leaving your shoes where Bee asked you to put them.

He has been busy lately with training under the new agreements between earth's government.

Daily exercises for the soldiers where they have to learn how to fight Deceptions.

And when he wasn't busy with that, he had to go on routine patrols.

When you wake up the next day, the first thing you do is checking outside to find your boots filled with Christmas chocolate and a note saying ‘I love you my honeybee’

Quick on your way back inside with the shoes in your hand, you put them down onto a chair, admiring what has been put in them.

“Oh, he even bought new headphones.”, you say, holding the packaging.

Taking your phone out of your pant's pocket, you dial the access code for his comm link, holding the device to your ear, waiting for him to respond.

“Bee, that's very cute, but you didn't have to do that..”, you say as he picks up with an excited buzz.

🎶I'm hopelessly devoted to you🎶5

“Where you at right now?”

🎶By the hangar🎶6

“Alright, wait for me there.”

A few minutes later, you walk into the wide open hangar where that yellow Bot you have grown to love stands waiting.

🎶Hello🎶7

“Hey there, Bee.”, you say smiling.

🎶How was it for you-Christmas present🎶8

“It was so sweet, thank you Bee.”, you say while walking up to him.

The scout crouches down to be more on your level and whirrs happily.

🎶Because I'm happy🎶9

You smile as you stand before him.

“So, gift giving?”

The scout buzzes confused.

“It's your love language.”

His optics widen, antannae standing up now as you said that.

“Don't worry, I love you too Bee. I figured something was up.”

Hugging him, as much as the size difference allowed, you couldn't stop smiling.

🎶You can be my safety zone-Nothing can come between You and I🎶10

You chuckle as you look at him, a hand on his cheek.

🎶You ready?🎶11

“Let's see how the others will react…”

Bee chuckles.

Here's the proof guys:

1 Pretty fly for a white guy-The Offspring

Low-Flo Rida

don't stop me now-Queen (obv)

2 Friday I'm in love-The Cure

3 I don't care- Ed Sheeran&Justin Bieber

4 I love you always forever- Donna Lewis

5 Hopelessly devoted to you- Olivia Newton John

6 Hangar- 8485

7 Hello-Adele

8 How was it for you-James, Christmas present- Doris Day

9 Happy- Pharrell Williams

10 The Ocean-Mike Perry & Shy Martin You and I- One Direction

11 Price Tag- Jessie J & B.o.B

[heymeowmao]

2025.02.05 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321325130757910954172

- came to make good on his promise for a travel/vacation livestream.

C: Is it still light out? LYN: No, it's dark already. My background is just photoshopped. C: What happens when it gets dark? LYN: Then it's just an audio-based stream, where you can't see anything.

C: Why aren't you swimming? LYN: You must be a new fan, huh? I'm well-known for being afraid of water, and you're asking me why I'm not swimming? I'm afraid of dying. I won't be playing with my life, thanks. LYN: Swimming- even in a pool- is an exercise in life and death. Don't just see my 1.89m height, I'm afraid of water. When I'm taking a shower at night I tremble with fear. C: Shouldn't you overcome your fear? LYN: How? Find someone to teach me how to swim? I don't have time for that. // Also it's a bit troublesome. If I were a rich second-gen with a private pool it'd be fine, but if I wanted to learn I'd have to go to a public swimming pool. With my terrible physique, what if I go and someone takes a photo of me? If I'm wearing some small trunks and the whole pool community takes photos of me and posts them online, wouldn't this one instance ruin me for life?? C: Ning-ge, I'll teach you. LYN: No, thanks. I don't need it. I don't want to learn. Is that ok?? C: Wear a diving suit. LYN: Wouldn't that be weirder? C: Just cover your face. LYN: I'll wear a motorcycle helmet to go learn how to swim.

- LYN was happy to see a comment that read "Usually I am not a person who likes to watch livestreams, but what is it about LYN's streams that captivates me and even makes me want to watch the playback when it's over?" - the vlogs that he released were directed and edited by him, bc his whole studio is on new year break. he invited his staff (and their family) to come with, but they didn't want to take advantage of him so didn't come.

C: Can you sing with a Dongbei accent? LYN: Not really.

C: Can you normally eat spicy things? LYN: I'm alright. I can eat spicy, but not the terribly spicy kind. I'm not someone who can handle spice, but like mala hotpot for example, I can eat. But that time (straight eating a chili pepper) was a little perverse, though.

C: Lao-da, do you have any pets? LYN: ??? I'm starting to really think that you're AI sending me comments. How could you call me "Lao-da", which makes me think you're my fan, but follow up with "do you have any pets"?? That's really weird. LYN: Oh. I think I've got it, but I don't know if my interpretation is correct. You didn't want to become a pet of mine, did you? I won't be raising you, thanks. Forget it. Go away~ You're even more perverse than that pepper I ate the other day. LYN: You're quite spicy, lao-mei.

- it's been cloudy the whole time he was here XD LYN: I purposely wanted to stream from the balcony. Honestly, this is my first time staying in an ocean-view room. I was thinking I would come to stream, and my whole background would be the ocean- it would be so romantic. But sadly once the sky starts getting dark, you can't see a thing! Can you tell that this is the ocean? /points/ LYN: It's not on the shoreside, maybe that would have been better.

C: You can't say that the neighbors are fighting today. LYN: The soundproofing in this hotel sucks. The two rooms are also very close. I'm talking on the balcony and the neighbor on their balcony can hear me streaming live. Like sitting on the stage during a concert. // They probably think I'm just some wannabe influencer who spent a lot of money just to make this stream happen.

C: Right now I really wish you would turn into a seagull. LYN: Why? So that I can freely make noise by the seaside? But then a lot of you who want to watch my livestreams wouldn't be able to take it anymore.

C: Why are you always streaming? LYN: What do you care?! Why are you always eating??

C: Ning-ge, I want to see the scenery. LYN: Grab a car and come, then. Whatever you want to see or do, just get on a plane, order a car, ride a bike, get on a train- and go see it. Why are you telling me??

C: There's a reflection off of the glass. LYN: What do you want me to do? Kick and break the glass??

C: Liu Yuning, you are the brightest star in the night sky. -- 夜空中最亮的星 LYN: I don't dare to sing- this is a hotel! AND I'm on the balcony- if I sing the whole building is going to hear me. I can't have a guest agent knock on my door and confiscate my laptop. LYN: What if I sing and later you see a trending topic- "LYN sings at a hotel and gets beaten". That would be embarrassing. I still want to survive in this industry for a few more years. - /starts lip syncing instead/ LYN: Did that sound nice, friends? C: Lip syncing. - /starts singing for real/ /looks around in fear of his neighbors X'D/ LYN: Friends, if I'm dragged out and beaten in a short while, you'll have to report it and speak up for me.

LYN: You can clearly see the difference from when I started streaming until now. It's really a shame that you can't see the ocean at all, though.

C: You're like tabikaeru (Travel Frog). LYN: Yes, I am a traveling frog. Whenever I go out I'll take a photo and send it back to you.

C: Ning-ge, there's a UFO behind you. LYN: If I were able to catch a UFO on my stream, I'd be viral. It might even be on news outside of the country. LYN: "LYN is abducted by aliens on live stream" is also trending-topic worthy.

LYN: Oh, no. It's night. The light is starting to attract mosquitos. D: - spraying some mosquito repellant to "threaten" them into not coming closer

C: Go into the room, you're too eye-catching out there. LYN: Are you outside the hotel, and you can see that everything here is lit up so you know right where I am? You want me to have some privacy? - /chokes on a mosquito/ C: Watch out for sasaeng fans. LYN: No, it's okay. Because I always stream, so my fans probably figure that they've really seen enough of me. Normal fans see an artist and start screaming. Of course, my fans also scream, but not as shrill. My old fans, at least. They've probably seen enough of me. They still like to see me and are happy and excited, but more like seeing an old friend. They don't really scream. So, I don't have sasaeng fans-

LYN: Can you hear people talking? (No, he's not gearing up for a bathroom break.) I can hear the neighbors talking clearly, which means they can also hear me. - /pretends like he's talking on the phone, so that they don't think he's an influencer/ /activates Liu Group Conglomerate CEO!mode XD/ C: Wouldn't saying "Liu Group Conglomerate" already expose you? LYN: Is it not famous in this industry?? I- !!

LYN: I hear fireworks. If we start seeing them in the background, how romantic would that be? // Wouldn't it be romantic? That'll be exactly how I planned it.

C: Ning-ge, lay on the bed and stream. LYN: What do you mean?!? I used to just be a streamer, and now even though I not only stream but am also an artist who sings and acts, and- /looks around/ AND AM THE CEO OF LIU GROUP- but the rule is that streamers are not allowed to stream from the bed. It's not allowed. If a bed shows up on the stream, it violates the terms of service. There's absolutely no way you'd ever catch me streaming while laying in a bed.

C: Liu-zhong, the company's gone under. LYN: Are you crazy??

C: Lao-da, are you having fun? LYN: It's fun. In all these years I've never come out with the sole purpose of traveling. I don't know if I'm happy, but I am relaxed. I haven't really played. This is my first time waking up at a given time just to eat the hotel's breakfast, though. - two bowls of noodles, four fried eggs (sunny-side up), two sausages, two pieces of bacon, 2 cups of Americano - ^ this is a lot so that he can save money and pass on lunch until he can get to the tastier dinner options C: You didn't take two eggs on the sly? LYN: I'm sure that if I did, the hotel wouldn't say anything. But if word were to get out, it would be bad for me. // I still need to maintain my image. I don't want people to think I'm stingy.

C: Did you bring your beads? LYN: I've heard that Hainan is a good place for beads, as they oxidize faster. The humidity is good, especially for xinyue bodhi, which are special to this location. - drove (roundtrip) 400km to check out the xinyue bodhi market in Hainan (bought two & regrets not haggling); didn't bring any xinyue with him, but brought others (that he's wearing) to see if they change. - regrets (?) not buying more, so that when he attends shows or events he can gift them to people as a small token; but reconsiders bc they were too cheap 200-500rmb, when he usually gifts ones that are 5000+rmb, and was afraid people would think he's stingy if they ever found out.

- /pauses to listen/ LYN: There really is the sound of other people. Don't be surprised if the neighbors really are fighting today. - /listens more/ LYN: It sounds like a kid. // What do kids listen to nowadays? 7-8 year olds? Other than LYN's music, what do they like to listen to? LYN: 孤勇者? There was a period of time all the little kids were singing that song. C: Nailong (yellow dinosaur cartoon) // 苹果香 (Apple Scent) LYN: /cautiously starts singing it/ C: Is it a girl or a boy? LYN: I don't know. I think it's a boy. It doesn't matter.

1:01:30 --- Break #1 - /LYN_Livestream is trending/

LYN: When I removed my earphones just now the surrounding area is so quiet it's terrifying. It's SO quiet, so now I feel like I can't be too loud. You can just hear the wind, but other than that, no other sounds.

- /neighbor is only their balcony, pretends to be on the phone again/

C: Are you making "calls" so frequently because you want the Livestream King title? LYN: Yeah. My position in the company shouldn't be threatened by anyone else. I'm firmly fixed here. I want to grow roots. C: What do calls have to do with Livestream King? LYN: You must not understand; we're speaking with hidden messages.

C: Where are you staying? LYN: What do you care?? Are you coming to ambush me? Just because you wanted an autograph, and I wouldn't give you one, and now you want to hit me? I said that I was sorry- that I was busy. Now you've found out that I'm in your hometown and you want to send people to ambush me? Don't even dream of making me tell you where I'm staying.

- /moves the stream indoors bc he doesn't want to disturb people/ - !! fireworks !!

- /turns the camera back on, but it's pointed at the bed (!!)/ C: This can't be streamed!!

C: Lao-da, you romantic guy, you. LYN: Actually, I knew they would set off fireworks at night. That's why I purposely started out on the balcony and waited for the fireworks before moving the stream inside. You think I don't know what's up? I've been staying here for four days already. You think I don't know they set off fireworks at night? C: Did you arrange for the fireworks? LYN: I didn't plan to that extent. That's the hotel's own business. But you can consider it Liu-zhong's arrangement if it makes you happy. LYN: Look at that- once I'm inside with the door closed my voice is louder! C: Liu-zhong, you romantic guy, you.

LYN: It feels like Liu-zhong became more relaxed, right? It's because it was too quiet outside, and I was on the balcony. These are all ocean-view rooms, and people like to sit on their balconies at night to watch the ocean- even though they can't see anything- but the mood is very nice. When I spoke, everyone could hear me. Like I told you- my voice can travel far.

- /he's using a gopro as his camera rn, and was considering taking us down to see the ocean. ultimately decided against it./ LYN: We'll leave that for the next time. LYN: Mainly, I wanted to show you the ocean, but we're a little bit far. It's okay. Let me make a bit more money and next time I can stay in a better room- the kind that you open the door and the ocean is right there. Let me work harder, and the next time I come out to travel I'll show you.

C: Travel more. We like to see you relaxing. LYN: Ok, we'll see. I don't know about traveling MORE, that's no good. I still need to work when I have to. LYN: This industry still needs me. At least, that's what I think. Even if it doesn't need me, I'm going to force myself in anyway.

C: Why are you leaving so early? LYN: Leaving at 8:30p is early for me? Look at how I've spoiled you. I haven't eaten yet. I already told you! In order to save money my whole group gets up to eat breakfast at at the hotel. Even if I ate our bowls of simple noodles this morning, it's about time for me to be hungry again! Why am I leaving so early- because I started streaming at 6p! You may have eaten already, but I haven't!! LYN: Friends, sometimes when I speak very exaggeratedly, do you think I'm too much? Does that tone of voice make me come across as average/ugly? C: It shows how close we are. LYN: But shouldn't I be using the sound of my voice to sway people? // A lot of you are already used to the way I speak, but the problem is that I'm trending today. Am I still? Tell me. If I am, then that means there are some people who just found themselves here. "LYN Livestream? I've seen him singing and acting, but not streaming. Let me check it out." They come in and hear me talking like this and I'm sure they would no longer be attracted. They won't stay. C: You've dropped off the trending topics list. LYN: /laughs/ /stops/ /whispers/ No way. /crying/ I- I don't believe it.

LYN: I'm sure it must be because I didn't have the image of a handsome young man. So I feel like I do have to watch what I say sometimes. LYN: I welcome all of you in my stream tonight. Welcome to all of you who have just entered my stream. If you haven't yet subscribed, please do so. I am a visual-streamer. Please give me your support. Thank you.

C: I want to hear a song. LYN: Oh, I am not much of a singer, sorry. I'm not much of a singer, but I want to thank all of you who have come to watch my stream tonight. So... I'll sing something. It might not sound very good, so please be generous. What should I sing? Why don't you think of one for me? C: 奉上. LYN: Whose song is that? -- 奉上 LYN: I feel like I'm a little too loud. So let's not sing anymore. Of course, I am not much of a singer, so thanks for bearing with me. C: May I ask, whose song it is? LYN: I think the singer's name is Liu Yuning?

C: What are you planning to eat tonight. LYN: I'm not sure. I just know I'm a little hungry. LYN: Actually, I think I've gotten a bit thinner. In Beijing I could just order whatever I wanted to eat, but now that I am traveling I don't know what to order. I'm not familiar with the takeout options around here. - was recommended coconut chicken and one the first day of travel went to the restaurant but it was full. wanted to get a number, to wait, but they weren't giving out numbers, either. :P eventually did get to try it.

LYN: Friends, this place is too much like Hengdian. On the day I arrived we were just driving around and I don't know why but I got the feeling like I was on the streets of Hengdian. The streets here are 90% similar to those in Hengdian. Isn't that scary?? LYN: I don't know if there are any locals watching? I'm in Sanya right now. If you have an opportunity to go to Hengdian, you'll find it a lot similar to your hometown. It feels the same. C: Not the ocean, though. LYN: Right- not the ocean, but the streets feel the same.

- not used to Yunnan dishes (bc of all the spices)

- someone thought there were more fireworks outside, so wanted him to open the curtains again. LYN: !! /tries to open the curtains to show the fireworks/ No, it's too far off to the side. It's too late. LYN: They're very short-lasting. Maybe it's someone setting them off privately.

- someone asking about when/where filming for KSTLB3 will be; LYN jokes about being half a scalper, and giving out the schedules of other artists for free

- this is his 5th and last day in Sanya; brought all of the equipment along, so decided to make use of it and stream. - not afraid of exposing his location because he'll be gone by tomorrow, lol

C: Lao-da, are you afraid of sasaengs? LYN: I.. am. I am. Some are really scary. I won't tell you about it, because I don't want you to learn. I think I can handle them pretty well, though. - for example: is afraid to haggle when he knows people are around/following him

C: Lao-da, can you make a fan-group for minors? I've been following you for six years already. LYN: You've been following me for six years and still aren't an adult yet? /doing math/ So you started liking me in your early 10s?

- catches the fireworks this time C: It's our own people setting them off. LYN: Some of you are also from business empires? Why don't I believe you can also set off fireworks by the beach? Are our business empires actually rivals? C: They've been set off for you to see. LYN: Seriously? I'm gullible and would believe it. C: The Hainan Fan Group set them off. LYN: Really? Thank you. But don't set off any more. Don't waste your money.

C: LYN, speak louder. I can't hear. LYN: Are you my neighbor? Are you in the room next door, and want me to speak louder so you can hear me streaming live?? Just turn up your phone volume.

C: Lao-da, can we see your phone case? LYN: What's there to see? You've seen it online, haven't you? Also, I haven't changed it. I was planning to switch to an iPhone 16 but I... don't like using it. I already bought it, I just haven't changed it. But it's about time that I do.

- thanks the Hainan Fan Group again for the fireworks; LYN: "You bunch of romantics~" - signs off to go eat dinner 🫡

[theriu]

What advice do you have for someone who wishes to (eventually, as soon as she has both the space and the money) have a cat, but who has never had a pet before?

Oh goodness, I don’t feel like an expert but I will do my best! Here’s a few tips I can think of from my own experiences:

1) Decide how okay you are with shedding. Of my two cats, the long-haired one obviously sheds a lot more noticeably, and it can be a bit aggravating to find clumps of fur all over the carpet. Hard floors can make this less of a nuisance since you can sweep it up easily, but if you have a lot of carpet, I’d suggest a short-hair cat unless you just SUPER LOVE long-hairs. Of course, my cats were both strays so those kinds of considerations didn’t really factor in. 😅

2. Determine if you want a cat that is indoor/outdoor or indoor only. Now, there is a lot of argument against letting cats run free outdoors, but I used to live out on a farm right next to a trailer park full of stray cats, so a few more (all fixed) weren’t going to make much difference to the local wildlife. Once I moved into town, though, I rehomed my one cat I knew would be miserable being indoor-only, and the other two have adapted pretty well to being indoor cats. (They do try and sneak out the door sometimes, though.) I did this mainly because risks like being hit by cars or being mistaken for a stray and adopted by some well-meaning person are much higher in town. They are still risks elsewhere, though, so keep a collar on your cat, and consider getting it microchipped. Also, know that you will probably need to get the cat some extra shots, for diseases they can only get outside. Also also, make sure you spay/neuter! (The kitten issue aside, female cats are so WEIRD when they are in heat!)

For indoor cats, my house has stairs the cats can run up and down and they seem to stay in good shape, but just make sure they have some kind of ability to exercise if they can’t run much. Stimulating things like feeder dishes that make the cat work for its food can help mentally and with keeping them from overeating. (I got this neat feeding bowl that is actually a holder of five cups of varying sizes that get filled with food, and the cats have to paw it out of the cups. It’s really helped with how fast they were eating.)

3. Cats have very different personalities, so I think it’s good to try and figure out what a cat is like before adopting it. I kept all my cats because they were really friendly compared to other cats I had known. Of course, there is the issue where my two current cats don’t always get along, but they at least don’t get into full-on brawls. But if you don’t have any other pets when you get the cat, this should be easier - you only have to get it used to you! Cats don’t always show friendlieness by cuddling; a lot of times, they just want to be in the room with you. But if you’re looking for a cuddler, see if you can find one that isn’t too afraid of people and will come right up for petting. When introducing it to your home, give it plenty of space and time to get used to its new surroundings and roommate.

4. Remembering to feed and water and change the cat litter can be hard, especially if you have ADHD. >.> My solution on the water front has been to fill a large decorative bowl in the living room and the cats just drink off that. XD For the food, Stormy will always remind me when she thinks the food is low (this is generally a false alarm the first couple times, the drama queen). Make sure you clean the litter box frequently, or the cats may find other, less agreeable locations to go. 8/ (Such as, oh I don’t know, INSIDE THE DRYER ON MY CLEAN LAUNDRY) If your cat does pee somewhere, you want to get those pet cleaner sprays because they break down the stinky enzymes that make cat pee smell so bad for so LONG.

5. As mentioned, some cats are cuddlier than others, but here’s a few general tips on cat behavior: a slow blink is how they show they trust you. A cat rolling onto its back is also showing trust that you WON’T touch its vulnerable belly (but some cats do actually learn to love tummy rubs; you kinda have to figure that one out on a cat-by-cat basis). They often like being petted on the area over the hindquarters near the base of the tail, but they also have a lot of nerves there and can get overstimulated, so if a cat goes from letting you pet it to trying to bite your hand, it is probably telling you that petting needs to stop NOW because its nerves are going CRAZY. This can also involve some trial and error; my former cat Clyde still sometimes knee-jerk reacts to being petted, but my sister says he has never done it to her, so we think she just pets less firmly than I do. Meanwhile, Shuri has NEVER reacted poorly to petting, and in fact would love nothing more than for me to spend an hour petting her so hard that she squishes into the mattress.

6. Don’t waste money on fancy cat toys unless you have some indication your cat likes that kind of toy. (This may be different if you raise them with the fancy toys from kittenhood; mine were both strays and are Very Suspicous of anything fancy I get them.) Laser pointers are an INSTANT FAVORITE and only cost a few dollars! And a dangly thing on a string can usually get them excited. Cats will often prefer a plain cardboard box over a fancy catbed, but they like pillows and piles of clothes and chairs and couches and people beds. And sometimes the round puzzle you put together on top of your hope chest, because Borders Are Safe Zones.

7. GET SCRATCHING POSTS OR THEY WILL MAKE THEIR OWN. (They will probably make their own anyway; my couch is regretably covered in claw marks. But the scratching posts at least help slow the deterioration.) Fun Fact: Cats don’t use scratching posts to “sharpen” their claws, but rather to rub off the outer layers on their claws. If you trim your cat’s claws yourself, you may notice how the claws kind of flake off when clipped. Be very careful not to cut into the quick (the blood vessel) when trimming! If your cat strongly opposes this process, the vet can do it for you for a small fee, but I generally just wrap mine up in a towel and make them suffer the indignity. It’s cheaper for me and less stressful for them than a long car trip and a visit to the strange vet’s office would be. (And they always forgive me pretty immediately after I release them. I cannot speak for cats that may hold grudges.)

I’m sure I haven’t covered even a tenth of the useful info, but I hope these are helpful and that you find just the right cat buddy in the future! 😄

[aphfanficwriters]

Every month we will pose a question and collate responses as a fun and informal little exercise in getting to know each other and spark discussion.

For the year's end, we asked our writers:

“What did you write this year that you were most proud of?”

Tama / @murderenjoyer: I was torn between a couple but my favorite complete fic that I started this year would have to be Old Scars, Future Hearts. I felt it came out very sweet, which admittedly is not my bread and butter, so I was nervous it would end up reading as flat or overly mushy. I think the finished product came out really well for being outside my usual wheelhouse. My second choice was the McDonald's burger handy one xD

Old Scars, Future Hearts by Delgumo (America/Russia) Old and new wounds plague Ivan. Alfred wants to save him.

WhiteWings / @smuttyandabsurd: Parents aren't supposed to have favourites lol, but On the Cusp of Blooming is probably the runaway favourite for me this year. The idea for it came in a sudden flash of inspiration (which is always the best kind!), and I think the execution was good.

On the Cusp of Blooming by smuttyandabsurd (Indonesia/Netherlands) Netherlands surprises Indonesia with an unannounced visit.

Mossman: I got torn between fics where I force long thick objects down Ivan's rectum and fics when I do it to his throat, so I chose a fic where he remains untouched. I had a lot of fun with this one and it was my first ever AU

Holiday fling by Mossy_man (China/Russia) [no summary]

Eru / @eruverse: THIS YEAR??? Naw i have NUTHIN

Lacy: choosing this as my fave because its the first fic i wrote in 2024 😭 not sure about it being anatomically correct or isit plausible whatsoever. but i love them being nasty, disgusting freaks doing sexy gross stuff behind closed doors 😄

1001 Ways To Die — Chapter 7: Dying Days 2 by NashTea (Fishandnear) (Germay/Japan) Another impromptu session between Kiku and Ludwig partaking in their favourite activity, this time, it’s a little different for Kiku.

Cheeb / @chibidashie: It was hard to choose but it's the fact I finished The Joker's Dreadnought in 2024, despite having to deal with harassment from the fandom as this was a vent fic to let out so much of my feelings from being badly harmed from the fandom itself. Truly though, I wanted to make my own Cardverse AU but with dragons involved heavily. If I could be allowed to have a runner-up, it would be the sequel that I just finished recently to even out all the knots, The Convocation of Kings. It's not as thrilling as The Joker's Dreadnought but still holds dear to my newly-born Cardverse AU.

The Joker's Dreadnought by ChibiDashie (Sealand & Wy, Liechtenstein & Switzerland, Germany/North Italy, Austria/Hungary) "That's what happens when you're a joker. Life ain't fair, you know." In this harrowing Cardverse tale, Jokers are a rarity blessed by the gods by only a select few born unto this world. Imbued with unique magicks, the Jokers may be seen as a weapon that can prove a kingdom incredibly valuable. However, the populace fears these people to the point that the Joker is not just a person, but from what many can describe them: "rat", "demon", "animal", "filth", "scum of the Earth". Peter is one such joker. Robbed from his birth family as a toddler due to a declaration under King Alfred, he is isolated from the rest of the world in the hands of the Spades, kept as nothing but a novelty for the select few. Ten years have passed since Peter was robbed from his family, looking only at the stone masonry that surrounds him and one view of the Royal Capital with only one window. How a boy longed for freedom may have been seen as a miracle when a group of rogues commit the greatest heist in the lands beyond, resulting in a bounty on Peter's head. What Peter does not know that with every step he takes comes tragedy, betrayal, and hopelessness. Peter only wants one thing: Justice.

Ciel / @torontofetish: i guess it would be my first hetalia fic? i think i did a pretty decent job and i liked my descriptions quite a bit 🥰

acuerdo by southerngothics (South Italy/Spain) It’s still new to him; four months is an eternity for humans, perhaps, but perspective has shortened and condensed time into a coiled thing, folding over on itself until the entire stretch of it is thin as parchment. Four months is the blink of an eye. And the fighting has not stopped since he set foot upon that little island kingdom; he hasn’t had time to truly process it all. That Romano is his now. That they are together. That every morning he will wake up and Romano will be here, and that every night Romano will be asleep in this bed. It still seems like the far-fetched dream Pedro had cooked up in hushed tones, away from the menacing glares of el Papa. Spain is convinced, somehow, that if he blinks, reality will throw its punch and he’ll be back in Palermo, crushed under that damned France’s boot. In 1282, King Peter III of Aragon is crowned King of Sicily.

Prush / @proosh: The thing I'm most proud of is the silly joke crackfic that spiralled out of control into a full length schizoid episode-inducing meta-analysis on nations, haunted houses, and blood: The Abyss. It's the best thing I've ever written and maybe will ever write and I don't think I'll ever top it in how tightly written and interconnected it all is.

The Abyss by proosh (Germany/Prussia) Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein. - Friedrich Nietzsche, Jenseits von Gut und Böse The German Empire wakes on a stormy night and finds himself drawn into the darkness by some unknowable instinct that pulls him into the belly of the earth. Some things are better left undisturbed.

Emil / @connorsandroids: For me it was the stupid (but silly milk prompt fanfic) oddly enough, I dont know why its my fav

The Milk Dilemma by Berlin_gas_chamber (Japan & South Korea) Japan is enjoying a peaceful afternoon at his home when South Korea arrives with a carton of his new “super-powered milk,” claiming it provides incredible energy. Despite his initial skepticism, Japan agrees to try the milk with Korea. The milk works as promised, giving them both a sudden surge of energy. They decide to take a walk in Japan’s garden, where Korea excitedly shares his plans and ideas. Japan realizes that while Korea’s inventions can be unpredictable, they always bring joy and strengthen their friendship.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Love the answers! Got some more :D are you tired of just me asking questions XD I can give you a break if you want?

1: I forget if you answer this already but what’s their favorite dance move?

2: does Kon pull the typical older brother pick on the younger brother stuff on Chris & Jon? Like giving them noogies, wet wilies, sitting on them, etc…

3: are they excited for the new dbz budokai tenkaichi 4 game? I’m actually quite excited myself lol

4: who’s their least favorite superhero or hero they think their ok?

5: what video game systems do they have?

6: I saw an earlier post about the starcave, can you tell me more about that like where’s it at & stuff?

Well @pin-crusher2000 , Given I’m sort of bit on a mini vacation as of right now, I got some time to spare ;-)

1) If the music is playing as per requesting the DJ at a party, Chris no doubt will take the floor doing the ever so catchy Achy Breaky Heart line. Let’s just say that good ole country music Pa showed Clark and him rubbed off a bit. Though if it was the Hamster Dance playing, Jon and him would instead freestyle

As for Jake, Mar’i and him steal the floor with a traditional Tamaranean ceremonial dance that sees them more or less air hit their fighting moves back and forth ending with their arms crossed like two swords for a good five minutes straight. When not doing so, Jake might be doing either the Monkey or the ever so classic Batusi

2) More like noogies, hair ruffles and lifting them by the legs upside down playfully (like Tadashi in Big Hero 6 did). He’s more of big brother that would verbal tease them but otherwise is pretty cool. So cool in fact he’s convinced he can make them Mini Mes of himself if only Clark and Lois would allow it

3) The following would be an accurate enough depiction of Chris and Jake’s reactions to the announcement trailer alone:

(For the record, I’m plenty excited for it too lol)

4) Probably either Hawkman (Carter Hall) or Captain Atom would be their least liked due to both of them being stuck in the mud, upright, little to no fun attitudes rubbing them both the wrong way in their own unique ways. Hawkman only more slightly given his own grim outlook on a lot of things, so grim even Batman himself once commented on it

(In canon too

Justice League International #19)

5) Nintendo Switches, PS4s (later PS5s), Nintendo Wiis, and Original Xboxs; those two have quite a wide range of time periods and differing generations of hardware that compliment their PCs as well.

6) The StarCave, aka the The Fortress of Fortitude, is located within the mountainous outskirts of the Bludhaven district, blending in well with the trees and limestone cliffs via active camouflage tech and shields. While it’s exterior once de-cloaked resembles a smaller blue and pink version of the original Fortress, the interior resembles something of a combination between colorful futuristic high tech base, a modern comfortable living room plus kitchen, a expansive and old timey gym area complete with numerous workout pads, exercise equipment and an entire wrestling ring for martial arts training, and almost the lot of it having wall to wall beige carpeting with only the gym and the hanger for their vehicles being the exceptions. So yes, even for a superhero base, they have a No Outdoor Shoes rule, though at the entrance way they do have some indoor slippers and sandals for themselves and guests.

[lewdladylily]

Hiya, how have the holidays been for you? We had pork ribs/belly, angeldicks (sausages :P), mashed potatoes +more on xmas eve and it was delicious! Newyears eve was turkey day, I'm so stuffed and for once it's food and not by toys or dicks xD Glad we have the cabin to go to so Em and the kitten don't have to be freaked out by the fireworks. -Anna

The holidays have been pretty good. Some nice family events, it was a lot of fun watching my daughter open presents. Exhausting though, my daughter hasn't been the easiest lately. And fewer opportunities to do lewd things while she is on winter break is disappointing of course. But things are generally going well.

There is one fun thing I've been able to do somewhat consistently over the holidays. I don't know how much I've talked about it on here, but Raven has been training me in endurance walking while wearing high heels, with the basic goal of working me up to pony boots. The idea is it helps me get in my regular exercise and lets us indulge in one of our favorite kinks, pony play. I started back in October I think, using some ankle boots with a block heel that was fairly high. I've been walking in place, its the most practical thing right now, but I would love to get a treadmill for this someday. Maybe I will if I keep this up long enough, prove it wont be a waste of money. For the time being I am using a metronome to keep me on pace and a timer.

Anyway, I was becoming pretty expert in walking in heels like that, so mistress decided it was time for a step up in difficulty and bought me some thigh high boots with a 6" spike heel for Christmas.

I love my new boots so much. The feel so good to wear, nice and tight with some resistance when I bend my knee without hindering movement, and they are a lot of fun to walk in. I was pleased to find that my experience with easier heels transferred quite well to these boots and I could easily walk around short distances from the start, but they are significantly harder in terms of endurance. It's the balance. Not that I feel like I am going to fall over, but keeping your balance is a full body effort. You have to keep disciplined, not letting yourself tilt or let your posture get too bad, and you have to step straight and distribute your weight correctly because the heel barely helps with any of that.

The result is that before with my ankle boots it was fun, but this really feels like pony play training. I've always loved pony play kink, and one of my favorite fantasies involving it is being made to walk until I am too exhausted to continue, then fucked to orgasm (or excessive edging, depending on how masochistic I am feeling) while dead exhausted, dripping in sweat, and unable to resist even if I wanted to. Pony training with these boots plus edging during my breaks and after my training is finished has been an excellent approximation of that fantasy.

Hopefully at some point I can upgrade to true pony boots, but even then I am sure I'll be enjoying these boots regularly.

I'm actually just about to go do a training session now, boots on and everything, just decided I should answer this before I did.

Oh, and I am sure some people are wondering so I might as well say it here, I'm still in denial from last time I reported it I believe, with my last real orgasm back on September 15, and my last ruin on October 11th. I don't anticipate my next orgasm being all that soon either, we've just not had enough time to do things so I've not been worked up into the kind of horny mess Mistress likes me to be. Hopefully we can change that soon :)

Thank you for the ask!

[nickgerlich]

Owl See You Soon

Marketingland is filled with a lot of craziness. Already this semester we have seen it in the form of Oreos centered on a pop star, and Heinz mustard—I mean Mustard—doing similarly. Coinbase broke the internet during Super Bowl 2022 with its QR code sliding across the screen. I could write a book about these things.

Lest we marketers ever be accused of falling asleep at the wheel and not continuing to come up with some fresh, creative ideas, Duolingo, the popular app for learning new languages, just staged an epic stunt that has the social graph abuzz.

They killed their mascot.

Before I go on, I must salute my student, Joshua Ruiz, for bringing this one to my attention, as it had completely missed my radar. I will also issue an invite to everyone else to please feel free to send me blog ideas. I can’t possibly see everything there is to see.

But back to Duolingo, which sent its owl to a deep six last week. Videos seen online showed their beloved owl in a casket, eyes Xd out and mourners tossing flower petals. A pickup truck with the gate down drove off as if it were a hearse, leaving Duolingo fans to cry in their language soup.

Here’s the great part: This stunt has dominated post-Super Bowl conversations to the point that it accounts for 84% of them. Holy cow. A company shelling out more than $7 million could only hope for so much, maybe even just five- or ten-percent.

Duolongo views this is a brand-building exercise. There are numerous competing apps for learning new languages, such as Memrise, Rocket Languages, and Pimsleur, but the biggest foe is Babbel. It thus behooves Duolingo to double down.

It’s not like Duolingo is hurting. In Q3 of 2024, they had 37.2 million Daily Active Users (DAUs), which grew 54% year-over-year. Revenues grew by 40% compared to Q3 2023. In contrast, Babbel, which is based in Germany, is also experiencing rapid growth, but is still second to Duolingo.

Duolingo was founded by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker in 2011. But there’s more back story than meets the eye, because von Ahn earlier created the CAPTCHA system of web authentication. CAPTCHA is actually an acronym, standing for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. The result is those annoying challenges requiring us to select all the blurry images with boats, bicycles, or whatever the algorithm wants to mess with us.

Thank you very little, Dr. von Ahn.

As for the dead mascot stunt, it is not exactly new. Planters Peanuts killed off their mascot, Mr. Peanut, on 22 January 2020, and then staged his funeral during Super Bowl 54 a few weeks later. He came back to life, though, as Baby Nut.

There is risk in doing such stunts, especially when you mess with your mascot. There is a certain finality associated with death, and according to Christian accounts, Jesus Christ is the only human ever to rise from the grave. You can’t just resurrect your mascot and say JK.

Can you imagine a world in which Cap’n Crunch, Tony the Tiger, and Toucan Sam died? Why, the breakfast cereal aisle would never be the same, and I suspect those brands would suffer. Heck, why tinker with success after you’ve spent millions of dollars building a brand around an anthropomorphic mascot?

And, perhaps more importantly, will people be more likely to download Duolingo thanks to this marketing stunt? We shall see.

There is a huge benefit to all of this growth among language apps, because only 20% of Americans speak more than one language. Maybe this signifies a trend, that we are hungry to learn other languages and seek to become better global citizens. There really is no excuse, even if you grew up in an insular white bread neighborhood.

There is another huge takeaway from this, too, and that is Dr. von Ahn is an immigrant. This is me talking here, but in my view, we MUST get a grip on the immigration issue. Given the fact we are dying and having babies at the same rate these days, the only way our population will grow is through immigration. And, as Dr. Zeke Hernandez clearly shows in “The Truth About Immigration,” immigrants don’t take our jobs. No, they create them. They bring new ideas. They innovate. And they create wealth.

As usual, I digress. This is highly recommended reading when you’re not busy taking classes. And you never know. The next immigrant we welcome might just start a company that goes on to kill its mascot in one of the greatest marketing stunts of the day.

Dr “Owl Vote For This” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[cassiana-on-dark-side]

Hello! 🤐🎸🎅🏻 here

I’m happy too 😊 I did think about switching to Italian and I’m ok with either, it would be exciting to switch and see how we write in our own language, but like you said English is also fun and if people feel like scrolling through the srs24 tag they can still read our messages. I’m from Florence, although all four of my grandparents were originally from the South 😂. You? :)

Don’t worry about it, now I’m the one who should apologise 😅. I’m incredibly happy and excited for you! It’s always such a disarmingly deep joy to welcome a new life into the family 🥰. And your brother is right in appointing you, he knows his son’s cultural education will be in the best of hands 😉. Big congratulations! 🥳

Love love love Wish You Were Here! I must confess a little “musical sin”: I don’t think I’ve ever listened to any Queen album in its entirety 😣 Whenever I hear one of their hits I enjoy it and I’m glad it happened to be on the radio or someone played it, but I never went to look up an album 🫣🫣 It’s probably because I get that too, I just fixate on something really hard for a while and sometimes I go back to the same obsessions, so it’s hard to find a moment to go explore new potential ones 😅. There’s so much music I want to discover and it becomes almost a bit daunting to choose what to start with from an infinite list of unknowns.

That’s cool! What are your fandoms? I also love movies, what kind of movies do you like? As for my hobbies, I’ve been getting into videogames more and more lately. I wasn’t allowed to play them growing up so I guess I’m trying to catch up on cool stuff I’ve been missing out on as well as avoid missing out on new ones too! 🤣 I used to write too throughout school, but I kind of lost the spark a bit (although every now and then I still feel the need to at least journal, there are things that I just can’t process without writing about them). I also constantly try to get into exercise but I always fail, to the point where I think my hobby is *trying* to exercise 🤭 I won’t give up until I find something that works for me! 💪🏼🤣 my favourite so far though is bike riding, it reminds me of when I was a kid. Albums-wise, it’s really difficult for me to decide on just a couple of favourites, there are too many good albums out there! Whenever I’m asked though, my go-to is Selling England By The Pound by Genesis and also Hail To The Thief by Radiohead (basically my top albums by my top bands).

You too! Have an amazing day and enjoy the first days of being an aunt! 🥰

Hi dear!

No problem with the language, I actually think it’s fun to keep going like this. 😊 How wonderful Florence is! I’ve been there a few times, always with different people and on different occasions, and every time it’s a new and beautiful discovery! 🌟 By the way, there’s a church (and a station 😐) that have my name! Incredible, right? But none of my relatives come from anywhere near there. I’m from Rome (we’re practically neighbors 😅) and I could write for hours, but I’ll spare you! XD

My little nephew is such a sweetheart, really a mini Santa’s elf! I can’t wait to introduce him to lots of music and all the beautiful things in the world! 🎶✨ As for Queen, no worries, you can hear them everywhere now, although there are some hidden gems that are delightful. But I totally get it because when I get obsessed with something, it’s hard for me to move on from it, just like with Pink Floyd. 😅 But there’s so much amazing music I’d like to explore more! Like Genesis, Yes, and many others. 🎧

As for exercise, I get it. I kind of hate it, but I have to do it to stay in shape, and it’s tough. 😅 What I love the most is hydrobike (incredible, but true!) but it’s a bit of a hassle to find something nearby. 🏋️‍♀️

The fandoms I’ve been (and still am) most active in are Star Trek (especially Voyager), where I wrote my first fanfics, Tolkien, and now this one about classic rock. I like all kinds of movies as long as they’re not too silly or horror. What about you? Any other musical or artistic obsessions? 😎

[angieowlie]

Happy 2024!~!! ☺️

Hope your new year has gone off to a kind, gentle start <3

This year my main goal is to pace myself. In all aspects of life, including writing, working, exercising, and resting. I've been thinking a lot about what I want my day-to-day life to look like, and I've drafted a rough schedule of what I would like to follow.

I feel as though the stress of the holidays has fallen away and, with it, the emergence of the bright new start of January have slowly eased away my winter blues. I feel safe and rested and ready to write regularly again, to come back to where I left off and return to the story like returning to a warm group of friends. I've been allowing myself space to write little drabbles of whatever comes to mind, not thinking too much of grammar and wording, only of creating a small piece of happiness before I start the day.

Despite the (freezing) weather that is Canada, I've been bundling myself up and driving to my favourite park and making sure I get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, even just 15 mins. Slowly, it's begun to do wonders for my mental health and I feel myself, well, feeling like myself again.

Working from home is amazing, but sometimes you feel trapped by the walls of your room and the walls of your mind. That's why I've been coaxing myself to go outside, even just for a bit, because it does help. I often worry about wasting gas or catching a cold or what-have-you, but all of that pale in comparison to looking after my mental health.

I realized last year that, because I've gotten to know my bbs more now, I actually feel like redoing parts of vol 3's plot XD So that's what I'll do after finishing up my current task of editing vol 2 draft 2. I also want to start brainstorming vol 4, mostly because I've been editing and rewriting since September of 2022, and, creatively, I am yearning to write something new X'D It's fulfilling to go back and polish up a draft, of course, but I do miss the magical feeling of coming up with something new. The excitement and wondrous joy of discovering where a new plotline will lead to, you know?

Towards the end of 2023, I began reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and, oh my goodness, it's now my creative bible (after Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way Every Day). It's filled with such gentle words of wisdom and, like, permission to just create and have fun.

I also reread the first 2 volumes of The Dangerous Convenience Store, and my most joyous discovery is that the fandom has nicknamed Gunwoo as "Ah-juicy" 🤣 I have the Mandarin version from Taiwan, so I had no idea what the English fandom was up to. That being said, still no word of the other volumes being translated in Taiwan 😭 pLEASE put me out of my misery, I need to know what happens next!!

I also started watching (of all things) All Creatures Great and Small, and it is just the wholesomest show ever! (The 2020 version.) Peaceful village life and cuddly animals~ Sigh~ Yes please~

Anyway, I hope this year you read and write and create things that make you happy! And look after your mental and physical health. And drink lots of water! And look at stars. And laugh big deep belly laughs. And accomplish one goal on your list (you can do it! 💕)

Until next time, here's to more magic 🧚🏻‍♂️✨✨

[selfdoubt-moonbeams]

08/13/2023 - Day 1

Mental exercises

The Shadow Work Journal (Second Edition) – This is something I wanted to try to help me heal from past trauma.

Part 1: Fill in the blank

I always feel like I’m the strong and stoic one. Reading, playing games, and watching TV is how I manage to escape. Sleep brings me peace. I am so tired of always being the responsible and strong one but excited about nothing. I want to try to be healthy so that I can finally get pregnant. For some reason, I always end up sad. I deserve happiness and peace.

Reflection Questions:

What am I sometimes seduced into a victim mentality?

(I had to look up what victim mentality is. According to Merriam-Webster it is the belief that one is always a victim: the idea that bad things will always happen to one. According to WebMD Victimhood can become a part of a person's identity, but it is a learned behavior and can be changed.  It often evolves as a defense mechanism to cope with adverse life events. People who constantly blame other people or situations for the events in their lives have a victim mentality.)

Honestly, I am not sure how to answer this question. When life gives me a shit hand, I accept it. Because I do not have any control over how the world turns. The only control I have is how I react to it. There is no one to blame when your family member dies. The only time I can maybe think of that would fall into this category. Is when it comes to my family. I constantly feel that they hate me. From the things I kept hearing when I was quite young. From disparaging remarks about my parents, to myself and siblings. What other conclusion could I come to? It was me versus them. Typically having to do with how we just are as people or because I was always criticized for being overweight.

What systematic self-improvement techniques can I use to replace my victim mentality into a more empowering belief about myself or the situation?

Again, not sure if this applies to me. I do not think the world is against me, or someone is constantly picking on me. Though if I do suspect something may have something against me. I just give them the benefit of the doubt or have an honest conversation with me. Depending on the state of relationship with them. I can be wrong; I am human and will never be perfect. I can just do my best to be a good and understanding person.

What kind of thinking do I need to adopt in order to step outside my limiting beliefs and focus on what excites me?

I typically spend my days on things that excite me. Even if it is something as simple as reading a new book I borrowed or etc.

Hmmm, I am not sure if I am doing this right. XD

[thedarkmistress16]

please gush about your passions and pastimes!!! I would love to hear about them

ack- im happy you want to hear about them!

Passions:

obvs as y'all know recently and just in gen., i guess, writing- i love crafting worlds and stories where anything can happen and just creating scenes above all else, like getting lost in the details of everything. I love getting lost in my own world and making myself happy as most self-indulgent writers do (and showing off my legitimate skill in a proper form of writing after doing shitpost-y things for so long is pretty rejuvenating, XD). And upon going back to some of my older, posted works and wips, I still laugh at the dumb shit I thought was the best stuff ever and now find myself giving those ideas a refresher like my last writing update, because it's still a legitimately enjoyable read.

i love sketching for similar reasons, but more so to visualize a fuzzy, almost-there idea, usually about fashion. Like recently I re-drafted some outfits for a fic idea I had, in order to make the world and designs make sense in my head. And I redesigned an existing outfit, running with certain themes and embellishments in design. I'm so happy I can churn out simple sketches like that when i really put my mind to it and feel content with the finished product nowadays. I feel accomplished as a hobby artist now and it's all thanks to heavy online research, a few how-to books, and putting effort into one art class. It's the second hobby of mine that I want to be good at, almost as much as my writing. Speaking of, I sometimes draw what I write or dream about because it's that prominent in my head.

Wow i love music guys- ha, but you already knew that *lenny face*

Past times:

I really like playing the simpler games in life- not as much in the vein of it being less difficult or busy, but more so with fewer controls, interesting mechanics, and a captivating style that I can easily fuck around in or beat some levels for a few hours. Bring on the (spider) solitare (only 4 suit sucks ass why do i do this to myself), jewel quest (FUCK YOU CROWS), barbie's fashion show (SINGLE DREAM-), zoo tycoon (fuck guest happiness), and sonic adventure or x-men of course.

MMD vids are v neat, like I know a handful of choreos that are fun as past midnight exercises to get my blood pumping and i get to discover new songs and learn more about other languages at the same time! Also the aph as mmd crack vids are the best whether its them making 'i hate this' or 'yeah im hot shit' faces or being completely into it as they're forced to dance or simply copying a vine. Like, they give me brainrot and serotonin at the same time its so fun. I love seeing all the different outfits for mmd vids in general, too, on top of new covers i never would've known about.

I really love analyzing things in general, actually. It's how I learn most of the things I do and know now, even though it technically causes me to lose large chunks of time because all i'm doing is staring at the damn thing, XD. Sometimes (all the time) I'll look at a gif or vid of a character changing their facial expression as they do/say something and I'll be completely enthralled by it. Something similar happens when I stare at REALLY GOOD artwork. I think it's the technical part of my brain trying to figure out the individual elements which make up whatever that thing is, like what facial muscles are being used to convey that emotion or mix of them, what the character is feeling, how the lighting or shading of the environment or extra details in editing affects said expression, etc. And for art, I'm thinking of the lines, posture, composition, object placement, color palette, negative space, tone, and all that jazz you learn from studying art.

Scrapbooking is a fun pastime for me that's extended from celebratory cards to actual gifts to my personal sketchbooks. It's part of the "creating something out of nothing/seeing what you can create with some basic templates and decorations" kind of mindset. And it makes me happy because I get to be creative and my family members and friends (even my employer) love them as part of their gifts every time and come to expect it from me each holiday, so I'm constantly encouraged to do it in the best way. I've recently kinda gone overboard on using ribbons and charms for the spiral and stickers and washi tape for the actual book itself on my sketchbooks, but I find myself wanting to draw in it more because I did that, lol.

I love rewatching the things I love. I usually have the same commentary about it, but its nonetheless enjoyable. And I never know what new thing I'll discover about it next, even if i've seen it over 50 times and only have it on as background noise and don't actually watch it. And yes, I will easily let something play on repeat at least that many times in my lifespan as well (like, a full day of it, at least).

wow i love staring at characters im attracted to for hours on end can i get a HUYEA-