#a couple of the other mods might know one/both of those as well?

[nomairuins]

the world if sims 4 had more lots per world

[cripplecharacters]

Hello!! I’m a fic writer and have had the idea of giving one of the characters I’m writing for prosopagnosia. Within the canon, he mistakes the protagonist for someone he used to know (the protagonist is unable to correct him) and doesn’t realize his mistake until much later on, where he then comments that the two aren’t actually similar at all, in reference to their personalities. He’s also known to refer to people with notable visual traits, at least in the online circles I’ve run in.

I have a couple smaller questions in regards to how I should proceed:

Is it reasonable for him not to have been aware that the way he perceives faces is different?

Would it be incorrect to have him identify others by facial features? Not in the sense of “the one with the short nose” or anything, but “this one has red eyes” and “that one has a scar”. Something easily picked out on the face. Would those be identifiable traits at all?

My fic isn’t meant to have much of an overarching plot, and it’s just supposed to be funny/slice of life. This character is important though and will be a consistent presence. What jokes might my characters make, what jokes should I avoid making, and what jokes is the character going to hear the most and get sick of real quick?

Thank you for your ask! Whether or not he realizes he can’t recognize faces depends on both his character and the severity of his prosopagnosia, as it can range from difficulty differentiating faces to being unable to distinguish faces from objects. From the experience of myself and most people I know with prosopagnosia he’d probably just assume he’s bad with faces and not think any deeper than that, but it isn’t a universal experience.

It's also fine if he recognizes people by unique facial features! Despite not being able to picture someone's face he could try to remember key aspects of someone’s face like a prominent mole or a crooked nose, though I agree something like ‘short nose’ is too vague. The more unique and prominent, the easier he’ll have remembering it (to clarify when I say ‘remembering’ I mean remembering that they have that feature, not being able to picture it). He can also try recognizing people by clothes they always wear or unique hairstyles, though it can get confusing if someone decides to change their hair or he meets a stranger with the same hat as his one friend. The easiest way for me to recognize someone is by their voice or calling their name and waiting for them to respond.

Have a nice day!

Mod Rot

Hi!

Usually I identify people by hairstyle or specific articles of clothing, although unique traits like a scar or red eyes would certainly help as confirmation! (Of course, personality as well--but speaking about visual traits, this is what I look for.)

I hate when people change their hairstyles, it makes them totally unrecognizable for a while. Often I can figure out who someone is a few minutes into a conversation, maybe shorter for people I know really well, but changes to big recognizable features throw me off. (Don't ask how many times I've been in conversations with people and had No Idea who I was talking to...)

So yes, it's realistic to go off facial features, although non-face features may be more common as an identifier. It's also realistic to mistake someone for another person entirely. I often think people look alike and they just are similar heights with similar hairstyles to non-face-blind people.

Joke-wise, I make fun of myself for not recognizing people. It's embarrassing, sure, but in hindsight it makes a good story. I don't like being teased about it, it makes me feel bad or inadequate that I can't recognize people. But when I do it? Funny story!

Mod Rock

Hello,

As someone with a similar condition (I've always heard it referred to as face blindness,) I use a few different things to recognize people;

Glasses. A lot of people I know have unique glasses and I use those to recognize them. I know this person because they have blue, red, and gold glitter in their glasses, and I know this person because she has electric teal wire-frame glasses.

Hair. This only works when people have an unusual hair colour or style. If someone has one side of their head buzzed, I recognize them by that. If someone has very long red hair, I recognize them by that.

I also look at distinct facial features. I know someone who wears red contacts and I recognize them by that. Something like a scar or very distinct facial features can help me recognize someone.

Voices. I'm not excellent at recognizing voice but I can recognize a distinct vocal quirk, like a Louisiana accent.

Context is also important. The biggest thing I struggle with is recognizing people out of their usual context. I struggle to recognize most of my old classmates outside of high school and school-related functions like graduation ceremonies. If I see an old classmate or even a family member in the drive-thru, it's hard to recognize them unless they have something distinct about them or I know them really well (such as if they were in my friend group.)

And then there are little things I pick up on that help me recognize people I wouldn't otherwise recognize. I work in a drive-thru so I can recognize a lot of people by their orders or by the cars they drive. I can recognize a few people based on their names when they order on the mobile app- if they order and don't use the app, it takes me a minute. I can recognize most of the regulars because they usually know my name and make conversation.

And yes, like you mentioned, personalities.

I didn't know I struggled to perceive and recognize faces for a very long time, I thought everyone was the same way. If it had never been pointed out to me, I probably still wouldn't know that I need to do things differently. It's not something that's easy to notice without outside help telling you that no, actually, most people can recognize people they know or even people they've met a few times.

So yes, he sounds very realistic based on my experience. He sounds like he has it pretty severely. And, by the way, the same situation happens to me all the time. And it's extremely embarrassing when it happens.

I make a lot of "I barely recognized you!" jokes with people who know I have face blindness. They aren't extremely funny but it's my way of saying "You've changed something about your appearance" or "Wow, it's been a long time!" I don't know of many face blindness jokes either, it's not something we often have the opportunity to joke about. If he draws people, he might make a joke about "Yeah, this probably isn't the best career" or "I know, don't quit my day job." Or he could do something kind of like Toph Beifong and react to someone else's art with "Don't worry, I think it looks exactly like the person." Maybe if they're looking for someone and he points out a random person like "Hey, there they are!" only for the group to realize he's messing with them?

Maybe you could repurpose some blind jokes and make them about "I can't recognize people" instead of about "I can't see"?

Mod Aaron

[aziraphales-library]

Hello and thank you so much for your work! Recently I was on kick for het!human!azicrowley and have read a lot of ones where Aziraphale is a women and Crowley a man (or, in one memorable occasion, genderfluid person). But I want to look at the other side! So maybe you have some recs for women!Crowley/man!Aziraphale? Preferable longish fics, especially great if it's hystorical au (any era will be great), and also I would absolutely love if fic plays with Crowley having reputation of some kind of fallen women (good play of words huh!), absolutely not suitable for respectable man as Aziraphale, but it's optional. Crowley also doesen't need to be strictly women, but preferable woman passing for outsiders for mist part!

Hi! We have a #female crowley tag you can check out. Here are some longer human aus, in a few of which Crowley is a woman and a couple where Crowley is genderfluid...

A Collar For Christmas by Quefish (E)

Aziraphale is a farmer in a small village in the country and his life is everything he ever wanted. But a bank snafu sends him into the city where he meets bank manager Toni Crowley. Is he willing to give everything up for a woman he just met?

Seeing You Home by TawnyOwl95 (E)

It’s time for a new start. And just how many of those has Crowley had since she found herself pregnant at seventeen? This time it will be different though. This time she has a job, and a house and she doesn’t need another boyfriend. Especially not one who lives right next door. Aziraphale Angel’s new start is proving tougher than he ever imagined. Eighteen months out of the Catholic Church and he’s still finding it hard to let go of certain beliefs about himself. And his new neighbour is determined to test every one of them.

Incorporation by Ack_Emma (E)

Best friends from rival wool merchant families, Antoinetta Crowley and Aziraphale Fell are shocked when their parents arrange a surprise marriage between them. But this new arrangement is a chance to be on their own side and to be left alone for a bit. Their lifelong friendship is solid, what could go wrong? As it turns out, plenty. Times are changing, and married life is harder than it looks when you're a pair of young, ineffable dorks.

More Than by NaroMoreau (E)

Crowley would like to spend another year without marrying, especially when thrust-forced to pick a husband. She refuses to cave in on a matter of principles. She refuses to cave in specifically on a matter of not wanting to be married to Lucien Morningstar. But she might need a hand to break free from such a burden. And who knows? She might even find something else along the way.

The Sometimes Wife by AgentStannerShipper (E)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that older brothers are the worst. As the youngest of three children, Parson Aziraphale Fell has been given an ultimatum: find a wife, or lose the family's support. The only problem? Aziraphale has never looked at a woman that way in his life. His attention has instead been captured by the family gardener, a beautiful young man who holds Aziraphale's heart in his hands. But when a mysterious newcomer arrives in the village, Aziraphale finds himself falling - quite unexpectedly - for her as well. Aziraphale knows he will have to choose. After all, it's not as if he can have both...can he?

Brave to Stay, Brave to Leave by ChristocentricQueer (M)

“Great, a pastor. Why does he have to be so bloody cute?” Crowley mumbled under his breath. A Human AU where Crowley and Aziraphale are both in their late fifties. Crowley is gender fluid and bisexual (He/Him and She/Her). Aziraphale is a transman and gay (He/Him). Crowley is a botanist who is agnostic. Aziraphale is a Protestant pastor in a fictional denomination. They live in Tadfield, a medium sized town in the United States. Slow build with a happy ending.

- Mod D

[savelockwoodandco]

At this point, I wonder if it is still possible to save Lockwood and Co... It seems so unreal to me. But I also have so much hope that the efforts will eventually succeed.

Hi Anon! Thanks for sending this in!

We've gotten a couple messages like this, and decided to condense our answer into just one -- but hopefully a good one.

We totally understand the idea of saving it seeming unreal. It's been 4 months since cancellation -- four months and a week, if we're being more precise -- and summer has gone by with our feverish effort supporting it. Add to that the week-by-week hashtag posts, email campaigns, and our frankly incredible trending streak -- which has gone on as long as we've been cancelled -- and it's easy to understand why people might be feeling a little in limbo.

Of course, there's always posts by CF, the cast, associated crew, Agents Stroud, and other people related to the show to make people both hopeful and fearful. One fan's encouraging post could be another fan's death knell, and there's no way to predict how an update, a like, a retweet, or anything else will make you feel.

(The only thing we can predict your reaction to is pictures of the lovely Leo, which is to forfeit all mortal possessions to the Leo. It's what he deserves, and certainly what he Demands.)

But we, along with our lovely Anon and others, truly do have so much hope that efforts will succeed. In fact, I -- the humble Tumblr mod -- still stand by what I've said since May: we are going to succeed, and Lockwood and Co will be on our screens again before long ('long' in the relative sense, of course -- it takes time to film and edit!).

My confidence is matched only by my pride in you all and my wonder at the way fans from all over the world have stood up for our show and those involved. And if you think this doesn't apply to you --yes, you reading this -- specifically, let me fervently assure you that it does.

Every drop in the bucket, no matter how small, is part of the waterfall, and we have an incredible waterfall here.

As always, we the mods are assured that Nice Things are coming, and that, for the time being, we only have to do what we can with what we have.

The wheels of TV grind slowly, but they grind fine -- and knowing about every tiny happening within CF would drive us all mad, rest assured.

So yes, all we'll know about is the end result, but let's be real, all we need to know about is the end result. Saving the show is what matters, not the intricate legalities that get us there.

Things can and will turn out well for us. Let's keep adding our drops to the bucket.

And a picture of Leo in motion, holding a treat in his mouth, ready and expectant for the celebration:

[tavyliasin]

Fandom Essay - Body Positivity and Validation

Good timezone darlings~ Lia is back at it again with some examination of BG3 Fandom and some more of the wonderful things we can find within it. This time we are talking about representation of different physical features. If you feel this might be a little much for you, either in regards to your relationship to your body or any potential dysphoria, please feel free to skip it. Second disclaimer that I will be mentioning trans and nonbinary people here from the perspective of a Cis person - this is absolutely not my right to speak for or over anyone so I thoroughly welcome the voices of those with lived experiences to join in the comments with their input, but I also did not want to leave the topic out of the discussion and you may just see why as we get into it~ So on with today's long title:

How FanWorks Can Be Important To Self Acceptance And Body Positivity - The Next "Callout Essay" from TavyliaSin (Who is calling herself out with these too) ((there are reasons it feels targeted I know where to aim)) (((but honestly it's fine it's all positive I promise)))

Today we will be discussing: body types, disability representation (only a little though, this one may need a full post of its own), body size, gender (and gender euphoria), scars and "imperfections", visible ageing. This will be through the lens of both the canon inclusion and everything we see in mods, edits, and fan creations of all kinds. As usual I will use sub headers and encourage anyone to skip what makes them uncomfortable, as well as to join the discussion~ so let's begin, shall we?

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What Does Body Positivity Mean?

Let's start off with the simple one. Body positivity doesn't mean promoting any one body type as the ideal or as better than any others, it is about being positive about the mortal flesh vessels we inhabit and all of their features. A lot of people can find this difficult, to love oneself or even just accept oneself, especially in a highly critical society. But that is where representation and even fan creations can step in - by being vocal and loud about appreciating features that people may feel negative about in themselves, we can help build up confidence and self worth, as well as reminding all of us that we do not have to look a certain way to be desirable and desired~

How Does This Relate To Baldur's Gate 3?

On the surface, we do have a lot of characters with more conventionally accepted body types in the main cast and romance characters, though it is worth noting that the base models were updated to be less "Hollywood muscles" on a couple of characters, which made more sense to the character stats and backstories (unless Gale was working out every day in his tower, he's not that much like a bodybuilder physique).

But aside from this, when you look closer, there's also an awful lot to appreciate in the standard character designs. A lot of these are things which fans pick up on and adore, despite how they may be features that people are actively bullied for or that are seen as undesirable by beauty standards. Those "beauty standards" can get in the trash too, but I'll use it here to point out the things we are shining a positive light on in the face of those societal values~ Karlach - Our tall queen, strong and muscular and not particularly feminine with her tattoos, piercings, and hairstyle. But she is adored for all of those things, even her broken horn is an important feature, alongside the glowing heart and fire that have some in the game view her as monstrous until they look closer and know her. Astarion - His laugh lines. Gods don't we love those? The wrinkles in his face are experience, and of course he has those signs of exhaustion in his eyes that make him so much more relatable to many of us. Lae'zel - This might feel like cheating as she's not human, and is less human-like than most of the other characters, but in a way that is also an important one. She's still desirable and treated as such in the romances, as well as very much adored by the fans. Gale - The little signs of ageing and stress mark Gale's face, and even the hints of greying in his hair are picked up on and chewed on by those who love him most. Wyll - More on him later but honestly is he not the poster boy for physical acceptance? Not only do we have his initial appearance with the stone eye but with one choice his entire body is completely changed and part of his story is arguably learning to live with this and how his new look is likely going to be seen as everything he ever feared. Halsin - Are we cheating with BIG TALL MUSCLE MOUNTAIN because many people find this attractive to start with? Maybe, but again he has clear signs of ageing, as well as very obvious facial scarring. His look might easily be described as fearsome, and yet his personality couldn't be further from it. Raphael - Hello there lovers of older men, who look at each one of those wrinkles and his brow lines and start sweating a bit more. I'm with you, he's gorgeous because of those signs of aging, not despite them. Abdirak - Our real poster boy for scars and visible wounds. Features which have long been given only to villainous characters in fiction (particularly that aimed at younger audiences) and yes he is one of the most violent characters, but he is also immediately deeply sympathetic to the player. So we are no longer equating scars/visual difference with pure evil. In general we have a lot of features that are not overly smoothed out or homogenised to fit certain standards. We have different nose shapes, visible pores, scars, acne marks, wrinkles, greying hair, moles, freckles, body hair, and a lot of variety across face shapes and features. It makes the characters feel more real, more relatable, and seeing features closer to our own can be comforting and validating in a lot of ways. Of course there are more examples, and far more we could say about each one of these and all the things that make them unique that we love about them, but we would be here all day and there are other topics to cover!

What About The Player Characters?

So we do have a range of fantasy races, many of which arguably don't represent real humans at all, and we do also lack variation in body types in the standard game. But we also have player characters with shorter statures with the dwarves, halflings and gnomes. Beyond just being part of the lore and story, there is some representation here for similar body types in real life. I can't say a lot on this as I neither have personal experience nor do I personally know anyone who could speak on how they feel about these races in comparison to lived experiences, but it would be equally unfair to leave the point out of the conversation - please do add something in the comments if you have the knowledge and emotional bandwidth to spare, I would love to hear about your experiences and opinions! Aside from this we have a wide range of skin tones (though my own is too close to plain paper to be able to tell you if this is anywhere near adequate so please feel free to weigh in with lived experience here) as well as scars and other features in the character creation. There's also vitiligo pigmentation, which is not only representing the condition but also normalising it to those who aren't familiar and making some rather beautiful options for our characters in my opinion. Even in the hair styles there are a couple of options featuring thinner hair or baldness patterns. There are less options for textured hairstyles and the facial features are equally limited, but there are some truly gorgeous mods out there which I'll mention later.

Player Characters And Gender

Another caveat to please weigh in with your lived experiences, but this one is one that I've seen friends enjoy and it was really wonderful to see that delight. Being able to select pronouns, genitals, body type, and voice all independently of each other is something which is so vastly meaningful to a lot of players. To some it might just be "oh cool I get to choose what my character looks like naked", but to a nonbinary friend of mine... Well, they were sending me happy, joyful, and what can only be described as "delightfully shouty" messages when they were in character creation. To paraphrase, and to tone it down just a little, it went something like this:

"Wait you mean I can have a character look and exist the way I want to be? I can actually have myself represented on screen, and nobody will misgender me, and nobody will decline a romance based on any of this?!"

Maybe it seems silly but I got tearful to see them just absolutely losing it over having these options. They've been stuck with binary options in most fantasy RPGs for so long... Of course there's still things that could be improved, there always will be, but that joy? Priceless. It meant something in that moment and I hope it will continue to mean something to a lot more people in many moments to come. Of course there are still flaws - the faces and bodies are still gender matched, and it isn't possible for people to refine the size and shape of player character chests. In some ways really what we have is the bare minimum, a start that needs to go further, but seeing as there have been precious few games in the genre to even reach this low bar it is good to recognise it, to say "this brought people joy and is worth the effort to make it happen", and to say "please go further because there is genuine interest."

What About Mods?

This is where we can see a lot more of that positivity flourishing. There are countless options, from having more hairstyles and hair types, to face shapes and features, all the way to body types and adding in top surgery scars. Giving the game the ability to be modded, and potentially even encouraging and supporting it, means we can see so much more of that body positivity and representation. Having a hero who shares your features, seeing romances play out where the characters are valued in every way just as they are. Being able to mod softer and wider body types to the Origin characters too, taking the form away from the bodybuilder/model physique and far closer to more average - and undeniably still devastatingly attractive - body types. Seeing the trans-Origin character headcanons portrayed too, that's just so utterly divine~ (There is a lot to be said about parallels to LGBTQIA+ experiences in the Origin storylines, too, so feel free to comment on those at the end if you would like to) To all of you out there making mods, and sharing the characters you've created using other peoples' mods - thank you! I adore seeing all of these, as well as people's happiness in sharing and using them too~

I don't even use mods, honestly darlings I'm not the best with tech at times and as I'm spending vastly more hours writing than playing it's likely not as worth it for me - especially when people share the modded content for us all to enjoy in videos and screenshots. But I love how many there are, that they exist, and all the ways they give people joy and euphoria to see their own body types and/or body types they find to be desirable~

But Wasn't This Post About Fandom and Fan Creations?

It was - and is! Because after all of the content you can get in the base game and in the modded version, what comes after is where the fans go with it from there.

That's truly where we get the most body positivity and joy. Headcanons leave the head and pour onto the page. We see characters reimagined a hundred times, each with their own twist, their own enthusiasm both from the creator and from fans just eating up every piece that comes out. There's so much variety there seems to be almost anything you could wish for with almost any character, and I can guarantee you that if there's something you'd like to see and aren't seeing out there, there will be an artist willing to work on the idea (most likely on commission basis, we do prefer to ensure our artists can eat after all, but there may be some willing to just adopt ideas to draw as their own too). This even extends to cosplay, with gender-swapped characters, as well as the one thing I will always be vocal about in cosplay - everyone should be allowed to wear the character costumes they love regardless of body types or how well their body/face matches the original character. Though this does come with the caveat that skin should never be darkened to match a character's look (if that character has a natural type skin tone, obviously green etc is not an issue) - just be your own version of the character if you adore them enough to put the costume together.

And your work?...

Thank you for asking Lia, let me answer that one for you. Of course, take it away, Lia! Ahem silliness aside, there is something you might or might not have noticed in my writing. I don't do a lot of body-type description. You can imagine whatever you like as you read - Gale with a soft tummy to snuggle? Yes please! Or you can imagine him with sculped abs, or a more slender frame - whatever brings you the most joy to read. This is especially true for anything I do with gender neutral character fics (usually "character x Reader"/2nd person pieces) - I try to stay away from any specific gendered features and focus on actions and sensations which can be common to any body.

How Does This All Add Up To Body Positivity?

Simple, love - by sharing and making all of these works we are saying "these features are beautiful, we love them, we want to see more of them as we fall head over heels time and time again". It might not seem like a lot, but the mind is both powerful and very easily open to suggestion. If a person keeps seeing negative things about a feature they have (eg, as a mild example body hair on women/feminine people) they will internalise that and wish to change themselves (eg, waxing/shaving/etc). In the case of a bit of body hair that might not seem drastic, but it still changes how someone feels about themselves. At the end of the day, the more we love ourselves the easier it is to look after ourselves and be happy in the mortal flesh vessels we pilot around this terribly strange universe~ For my part, I have seen my body shape which I had struggled with shown time and time again as "wow look at this character who looks this way, they are amazing! I love this feature, and that feature, and the way the artist made sure to include this particular thing-" Every time I see that, every time I see parts of myself I struggle with being applauded and appreciated, I feel a little brighter. A little more comfortable. A little more like I am allowed to dress it up nicely and spend time and care to feel good about it. I also feel less shame for old scars, for every part of myself that has made me look at the mirror with unkind eyes. Confidence is not a single brick, it's many that need to be built carefully with the right cement. If it is chipped away at too many times, even by little self-deprecating "jokes", it will erode. It will crack. It will wear away piece by piece instead of building up. And before anyone decides to try equating weight and health, darling this is not the place. If you truly care about someone's wellbeing, leave their health to the private discussions they have with their doctors, and remember that looking after oneself is far easier from a place of loving oneself. If you care about a thing, you want to look after it. If you see a thing as already broken, you're less likely to be cautious in how you handle it.

Where does this essay end?

Well, I believe that would be here. With the endless gratitude for every creator out there bringing us mods, images, fiction, art, cosplay, content of all of these wonderful characters in every incredible variation that we can think of. I encourage those of you who are feeling lower in confidence about yourselves to really look at the fan responses to these creations - the excitement and desire for every body type, every feature, everything that we might see of ourselves and dislike there are so many people out there seeing those exact same features we have and feeling nothing but attraction, desire, love, adoration, and praise~ We are often our own worst critics, but not one of those characters would ever reject us, neither are we rejecting any of our favourites when we see them on the screen. I certainly hope to see more games bringing us this variety, and going further too. There is power in fiction and fan-works, and it is helpful to recognise it too.

Apologies if this one felt too long, rambling, or like I lost my point - it was done over 3 days and I'm rather tired~ I have other essays coming in the next few weeks too, and I really would love to hear your opinions on any of them~

As a final note - please do add your own views and experiences on the topic! I can only offer my own as a disabled white cisgender asexual/bisexual/panromantic woman with too much time on her hands~ I neither wish to ignore experiences outside of my own nor speak over them. All I can offer is what I see, what I hear, and of course my endless love to all of you~ That, my very dear darlings, is never in doubt. I love you just the way you are, because of who you are, and will see the beauty in everything that makes up the sum of your wonderful selves~

[justenjoythegossip]

PR ANTICS PART 1: Team Real/Team PR's tactics, the use of haters in a PR strategy and the purpose it serves

Team Real and Team PR: 2 sides of the same coin pursuing the same objective

I have already defined who “team PR” and “team Real” blogs were in my pinned post. You can check it out if you want.

Their disrespectful, condescending and downright insulting tone is usually a good enough hint to recognize those plants whose purpose is to push certain narratives. But they actually are two sides of the very same coin, as they pursue the same objective even if they sometimes use opposing strategies. Each side is meant to “gain the upper hand” at some point, before the other gains ground again. And so forth. By using the oldest trick in the book that is the good old divide and conquer tactics, their goal is to distract from the truth, drive more traffic and keep people’s engagement to a maximum. Although, I do suspect people’s patience might very well be wearing thin at this point. 

Why do people (still) give them the benefit of the doubt…

I have already explained how each Team has lost any credibility at this point. However, both have gotten away with it and sometimes even continues to do so thanks to two things: 

They sometimes have legitimate information that could only come from Chris’ or Abba’s team (a Team Real blog had the exclusive for Chris and Abba’s wedding with Renner and Hemsworth’ presence for ex)

They sometimes point out obvious lies coming from the other team

Those two things still provide them with an audience that listens to their wild speculation or blatant lies, as people keep hoping they will catch a glimpse of the truth or get the ultimate evidence that they are looking for, as it will prove them right.   

Similar and opposing strategies used by either Team

Each Team uses a nice mix of actual facts, real observations, speculation, lies, hateful comments and trolling. And both of them show no sign of actual integrity and keep attacking other people who have an opinion that differs from them.

I was recently attacked by one of those Team Real blogs in my private DM who wrote to me and I quote: “Chris and Alba are married! I know someone who works with his sisters and their marriage is real.” But as I said, I know for a fact that Chris and Abba are exclusively PR because my mailman’s third cousin removed is best friends with someone who knows the assistant of Chris’ mother’s dermatologist. I am obviously joking. I am not privy to any private information but you get the point… 

The inclusion of haters in PR tactics…

It’s important to note that trolls and haters are part of the strategy used by a PR team. Those hate accounts basically work as a controlled opposition. They can serve various purposes. First of all, they can work as bait to get a pulse of what some people might really think of someone, of their RS, of their actions etc. They can also help shape a narrative or help discredit one.

For example, when certain mods called Chris a groomer or a pedophile for dating Abba, they were achieving two things. First they were selling that those two are a real couple. But also by voicing such a false and extremist opinion, they help discredit any kind of concern the public might have looking at them. Indeed, the age difference between them is pretty vast but the optics are even worse given that she looks like a teenager. Some of those mods miraculously became shippers afterwards, which is another sign of them being plants placed here to sell a narrative, whatever that may be and using whatever strategy they see fit. 

Also, if my memory serves me correctly, a hate twitter account got the exclusive for the infamous Walt Disney pics and then claimed they got those pictures via Chris’ sister’s private account. If you actually believe that… It is much more realistic to believe that this account was fed those pics or is actually working for their team. But I am speculating of course. 

The alleged hate relationship between the two and how it helps Chris’ image…

There were hints and breadcrumbs that were designed to help sell the narrative that Chris and Abba actually hate one another. The pictures of them on the stairs after their first papwalk were comically bad and Buzzfeed threw actual shade with their “romance” headline. His mother liked a tweet calling her a racist. Her best friend and soulmate liked a tweet calling Chris “a cheap version of Leo but without the talent”. Of course, Chris and Abba might dislike one another. Or… this could also have been manufactured as well. We will never know for sure.

But what we do know is that this narrative helped achieve a couple of things. First it kept the discourse between Team Real and Team PR very much alive. Because how real can they be if they hate one another? 

But it also helped save Chris’ image with the people who are aware of her problematic stuff. If his fans actually believed that he really fell in love with a Nazi sympathizing yacht girl, he wouldn’t have many fans left. So this narrative served not only as damage control, but also helped him gain sympathy from the people who pay close attention. How sad is it that he is forced to be in a PR RS with a girl he hates? Poor Chris!

I personally think they don’t like one another. He has done the absolute minimum to sell this and his whole demeanor point to it. But again who knows?

I will share more of my thoughts on those PR tactics in my next posts.  

[quizicalgin]

Confusion and minor speculation

So, it seems that the launcher refused to install the file as it is currently. Plan B was install the doll as a package and try to place it, and that made the game immediately crashed.

So it's still somewhat behaving as I expected. However, I'm assuming people could still use the doll to some degree, or did it just crash whenever they tried to use it?

Did it just attach itself to lots at random, even in that state? Or were they still usable back then, were placed as decor, and then spread before people knew it was the cause of their game breaking woes?

Scarily enough, the most recent report of an infection I can find is one in 2023 from the exchange. It seemed to still effect their game the same way as previous reports?

This leads me to wonder if I do need to roll back my game to the earliest versions in order to get it to "work", if it won't install or function with the latest version.

That aside, here are some things I do know from the files:

The original doll was made with tsrw version 1.0.12

The updated version that was released was made in version 1.0.14

The files I found included the C# code for the dolls "talking" function, and while I'm not the best coder, I can read enough of it to say that there doesn't appear to be anything in it that would make it behave maliciously. I may need a second pair of eyes to look at it for absolute confirmation of that, though. Considering how talented Rebecah was, and how much more advanced many of her other mods were, I find it highly doubtful the fault is in the code here.

This gives me new speculation as to why the doll would attach itself to lots on its own. How does anything become attached to a lot in the sims 3?

That is something I have admittedly never fully understood, how CC could be shared through lots or sims that way. Mainly because when I would save sims to share them they never had the CC go with them from what I remember? But that was over 10 years ago the last time I made one to share, and I would have to look at my old sim DLs to see if my memory is lying or not.

Getting back on track, the game has to have something in it to make it randomly assign the doll, right? New children in the worlds have to get teddy bears somehow, and since both doll variants were cloned from the bear, perhaps it spread that way. Only problem is that doesn't line up with the reports of people that claimed they received it from tattoos or other item downloads. The doll isn't flagged as anything but a kid's toy, so it wouldn't just randomly attach to anything else.

The main theory, as rude as it sounds, is that I think the people that said that weren't aware of just how MUCH they downloaded from the exchange. Maybe it wasn't a spree, but they may have DLed a sim, or a home, in addition to those items, or an item that was used as storage, as we did get storage units in WA that had released around the same time as the doll. The only reason I still want to double-check that though is due to a couple of the reports coming from respected people, and I can't imagine what they would gain lying about it.

Although they could just as easily fall under my theory, but that's why I'm trying to dissect this thing.

It could very well be, depending on your pc and QOL mods installed, that the doll may not be a threat anymore. I'll be making a trip back to the exchange, since it seems that perhaps the files I have might not be sufficient to infect myself.

[virtualtrashcollector]

🌼 Kisses & Brownies

Joker x Female (Dark Knight Joker) 18+ only

Summary: As a young kinky British woman working as a mechanic in Gotham for the Joker, one night you see him looking rough after a fight. You decide to invite him into your office to patch him up.

Warnings: 18+ VERY EXPLICIT. This story features lots of dirty words and situations! Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised. No minors please. Enjoy!!

Word count: 7,198

Note #1: I will post each chapter separately as some are quite long. 6 chapters in total.

Note #2: This story takes place between 'Joker Comes for a Sleepover' and 'Meeting the Joker'.

Note #3: My OC has several body mods, including a split tongue, a pierced septum, and pierced naughty bits.

Chapter 1:

It was a cold and windy Thursday night in downtown Gotham as the three of you worked away in the garage. Richie and Michael were in the machine shop while you toiled away in your office. It was a smallish room tucked in the upper left hand corner of the shop. Thinking you heard your name, you approached the door and pushed it open slightly. Standing quietly in the doorway you listened in. A grin slowly spread across your face as you overheard the two men talking to one another.

"Daisy's way hotter than that other chick was." Michael said while tightening the bolts on a large tire.

"I'm not arguin' that with you, just saying she had a bigger rack that's all." Richie exclaimed as he rifled through a large metal toolbox.

"That she did, those tits were huge." Michael responded as he finished the tire he was working on.

"Haven't you two talked enough about tits for one day?" You inquired stepping out into the shop. Both men stopped what they were doing and turned to look at you. Richie smiled and replied,

"Don't think so. Maybe you would care to join in, ya know? Maybe a little show and tell?" His Italian accent was very strong and you had always found it very sexy. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and an incredibly sweet smile. Both men were wearing dirty shop coveralls and were stained head to toe with grease. You wore the same coveralls as they did, along with your regular steel toed beige colored workboots. The shop smelled like sweat, gasoline, and balls.

"I'm good thanks, maybe later. That is if you two get all of your repairs done." You teased making your way over to the counter for the blueprint you needed. Snatching it up, you started back to your office as they resumed their work.

"Now that's what I call incentive." Michael exclaimed while rolling another tire over to his station. You made eye contact with the buff heavily tattooed man, and held it for a moment. Damn he looked good tonight. You just might have a little fun with these two later.

"And someone please turn on the fan, it smells like sweat and ballsack in here." You said while waving your hand in front of your nose. As you approached your office the backdoor next to you opened, and in stepped J.

He seemed to notice you at the same time you noticed him. The other two men seen as well but quickly looked away once he glanced in their direction. He looked roughed up, almost as though he had just been in a nasty fight. His long green hair was a mess and his suit was dirtier than usual. Approaching him you inquired quietly,

"Everything alright sir?" He was slightly out of breath and was gripping a small black knife in his right hand. He was also hunched over a little more than usual.

"It is now." He replied closing the knife and putting it back inside his coat pocket.

"Just had to deal with a couple of...... disturbances." As he said this he stepped closer allowing you to get a proper look at him. Inspecting his jacket it didn't take long before you noticed the red stain underneath.

"You're bleeding." You said lifting the fabric to see a sizable crimson spot. J looked down.

"We'll...... what do ya know." He licked his lips and continued.

"Thought maybe one of those assholes got me, but I wasn't sure." You found yourself feeling genuine concern for your new boss. The thought of him being hurt very much made you want to care for him.

"I've got a first aid kit in my office, I'll get you fixed up good as new." You said gesturing towards the door. He grinned and quickly headed inside.

Luckily Richie and Michael hadn't noticed J slip into your office. Inside the steel room was a desk, a mini fridge, a coffeemaker, a few filing cabinets, and a couple of chairs. A large mural was stamped onto the metal wall behind your desk, and a ceiling fan spun perpetually above. There was also a metal shuttered window that opened up right into the shop, should you choose to have it open. You had placed a few plants around the room to make the place feel a little nicer. It was relatively dimly lit. The only lights were a floor lamp, a table lamp, and a candle.

"Didn't know you had an office." He remarked clicking his tongue. You shut the heavy door and locked it behind you. Approaching your desk, you removed your laptop and set it off to the side on the concrete floor.

"Have a seat." You encouraged him while gently patting the desk.

"Yes ma'am." He said hopping up on the dusty surface. Grabbing the nearby first aid kit you opened it up on the desk beside him. His legs were parted slightly allowing you to easily slip between them. His feet dangled freely in the air. J slid his tongue over his lip as you moved in close. You were now virtually eye to eye with one another.

"I like this....." He said reaching out and touching your large steel septum ring.

"Thank you sir." You responded softly with a grin. Carefully you removed his heavy purple suit coats. He watched closely as you peeled off layer after soiled layer. Now down to his dirty dress shirt, you untied his tie, slid off his suspenders, and unbuttoned his shirt.

The faint sound of an air compressor leaked through the thin walls of the otherwise quiet room. J was now shirtless allowing you to instantly spot the wound he had obtained earlier. Right at the base of his ribs on his left side, there was a painful looking gash most likely caused by the tip of a blade. Reaching for the gauze and disinfectant, you dabbed a little on the material and poised to press it onto his skin.

"This is going to hurt love." You warned him softly while placing your free hand on his thigh. He nodded his head slightly and took in a breath. Making contact with his soft tan flesh he barely even flinched. Thankfully the laceration didn't look deep enough to require stitches. After sufficiently cleaning the area you put on a fresh bandage, making sure to secure it good and tight. It took a few minutes to clean up some other minor cuts and scrapes on him as well.

"There we are." You said packing up the first aid supplies.

"Thanks doll." J said with a crooked smile. With the supplies away, you used your fingers to lightly touch a blackish bruise on his muscular bicep. There were at least a half a dozen more bruises you could see scattered about his arms and torso. He also had a number of scars in an assortment of sizes and shapes. Standing close to him, you could feel the heat coming off of his body. His dark eyes seemed to observe you hungrily. He smelled like sweat and dried blood.

He seemed to notice your left hand for the first time. You had lost your middle finger a few years ago.

"Never noticed this before." He said gently gripping your hand and observing your wound. He looked sympathetically at you with a questioning expression.

"Nothing too strange, I simply flipped the bird to the wrong person. Before I knew it my finger was on the floor. Learned my lesson that day." You answered him. He felt the nub where your middle finger should have been.

"Damn. This makes my injuries seem..........trivial." He exclaimed with a soft chuckle.

"Not trivial. Just not so severe." You told him with a small grin.

"Unfortunately I can't really do anything for these." You said tracing his various bruises with your fingertips.

"But there is one thing I can think of that might make you feel a little better....." As you said this you trailed off purposely. Your lips were nearly touching his as you felt his hands slip around your waist, pulling you closer still.

[marclef]

hello there.

today's post is a very special one. and, despite this being the Official Funny Heeheehaha Day, this post is only SEMI-jokey. but i have put it underneath a readmore anyways, as it is both pretty long and to save the eyes of anyone who couldn't care less. thank you.

and now, without further ado:

Why I Believe a Goddamn Hatsune Miku Mod for Sonic Mania Helped Inspire The Noise (that fucker from Pizza Tower).

so. let's begin.

the year is 2018. about a year after the release of Sonic Mania, Sega's love letter to classic Sonic fans, one very special mod for this game emerges from the depths.

this is Sonic Mania & Hatsune Miku, a mod which does.... probably exactly what you're imagining. but it's a surprisingly deep and well-crafted mod, changing the games titular character into our beloved Vocaloid singer while also changing sprites around and generally turning the mod into an anime/meme-filled mess. but, that's not the main reason we're here.

this is the mod's answer to Stardust Speedway, a classic Sonic zone from Sonic CD.

most of Act 1 is fairly standard affair, some light references to other stuff hidden throughout the backgrounds, and a couple suspiciously Domino's Pizza-themed sprite edits here and there. but, come Act 2, the references sudden creep in more and more. ..... as well as, a suspiciously familiar face.

those who know about Hatsune Miku and Domino's might be getting where this is about to go.

now, for standard Sonic Mania fare, the main boss of this zone's Act 2 is Metal Sonic, fittingly guarding the very zone he was battled in from Sonic CD. but of course, this is our beloved Hatsune Miku mod. we can't have that.

instead, we have Him.

Domino's beloved (?) mascot of the 1980's, The Noid himself. now, probably seems like a random reference, unless you remember the Hatsune Miku collaboration that Domino's did years ago. but i'm not here to argue about Domino's mascots. i'm here, to spread the truth.

now, the music most associated with Metal Sonic, the boss replaced here, is Stardust Speedway Act 2's theme, specifically the Japanese Bad Future version, given here for reference.

we're getting back to Pizza Tower i swear.

but anyways, the very opening bits of this song, specifically the siren-like sounds. might sound a bit familiar to avid Pizza Tower fans now, doesn't it?

take a good listen to the opening of The Noise's battle theme, Pumpin' Hot Stuff.

hear those same sounds?

now, it might just be coincidence. perhaps i'm simply assuming that, given Peppino and Noise's rivalry, a simple little reference to Sonic was put in here to hammer that point in. there's no way this little Hatsune Miku-themes mod could've had any impact on that!

UNTIL!!!

some of you may know, that in a 2019 interview with McPig, creator of Pizza Tower, the man himself dropped a crucial piece of info that ties my entire theory together:

.... Hatsune Miku bootleg, you say? and, given that the mod for Sonic Mania came out in 2018, it certainly could've been an inspiration, given that Snick exists as well...

so perhaps, my little theory here is a bit-farfetched. maybe, i'm just overblowing things a bit just because that's the way my brain is. but i implore you, fellow Pizza fans, to hear me out here.

Thank Hatsune Miku today for giving us this disgusting little man here.

(artwork courtesy of my friend @abbyroseflame24)

thank you.

[creative-kny-fics]

ooo, requests!! could u do lee!tanjiro with ler!sanemi and giyuu? maybe tanjiro is feelin sad and giyuu makes sanemi cheer him up? really show him no mercy. thank u!!:))

Nice!

Warning: This fanfic contains tickles. Also remind them that I don't speak English, so if they find any errors, let me know to correct it. I hope you like it!

Lee: Tanjiro Kamado

Ler: Giyuu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa

'Well, Giyuu brought you a little surprise' 'GIYUU - SAN!', Giyuu could barely react when Tanjiro and Nezuko ran and pounced on him.

'Oi, take care' 'It's alright Nemi, oh god, I missed you sooooo much' 'We too Giyuu-San! That's why we brought you your favorite dish and Sanemi - San's too'

That was how Tengen, the Kamado brothers and the Sanegiyuu ate.

'It seems like she's still in the habit of sleeping a lot' 'Ohh yes, she must be very tired. She has cooked for everyone hehehe'

'Well, I'll also apply the young Kamado's technique' 'And you, why?' 'Because being extravagant is exhausting, you know?', classic Tengen...

Giyuu and Tanjiro talked, despite the fact that they sent each other letters, they had a lot to talk about, but among those things, there were the lives of the people who died and what he hurt when he became a demon.

'Hey, like this again? Tanjiro, we have repeated it to you, you didn't hurt anyone... And about the others, well, we won't be able to change the past, but... We can choose what to do in the present, do you think they would like to see you sad? No, right? Come on, give me a hug'

They hugged in front of a jealous Sanemi's gaze, but then an idea occurred to him. He leaned closer to him and whispered to him, Giyuu agreed smiling as Sanemi sat down next to him to begin the plan.

'Huh?' 'Relax Tanjiro, relax,' Giyuu whispered, placing Tanjiro's head on his lap and his body on Sanemi's lap, caressing him gently.

'Thank you-! He-Hey!' 'What's up Kamado? weren't you sad? I just heard a giggle', do not have or do not approach Sanemi when he is in his ler mod, you will come out crying and sore from the tickles what will he do to you

'No! Wait!' 'Too late, calm down Tanjiro, you're in good hands', sure, "good hands"

Tanjiro knew that Giyuu might not be so cruel, but Sanemi? He had seen the tickling fights of both of them and he was not gentle, not even with Giyuu who was his couple, what was going to become of him? Also, not to mention that Sanemi knew his worst spots, he was fried.

'GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! NOHOHOHO!!! YOU ARE GOING TO WAKE UP-' 'Let them wake up, that won't stop us from tickling you', Sanemi smiled mischievously, watching Tanjiro kicking hard and squirming.

Sanemi was squeezing his thighs, while Giyuu was only gently brushing his neck, he didn't know how or why, but his body just at that moment became extremely sensitive.

'STOHOHOHOP!! NOHOHOT THE NEHEHECK!! GIHIHIYUU - SAHAHAHAN!!!' 'Hmm?', he mumbled, muttered as if he hasn't gone down to his armpits.

Sanemi applied his techniques, squeezing his thighs with one hand and scratching up his sides with the other, pressing his hips, gently sliding his fingers around his belly, poor Tanjiro

'IT'S TOO MUCH!!! WAHAHAHA!! UHUHUZUI - SAHAHAHAN!! NEHEHEHZUKOOOO!! HEHEHELP!!!!' 'They're asleep idiot, suffer' 'Sanemi, be nice', he rolled his eyes and that's when they changed positions, now Tanjiro was lying on his chest and Giyuu, well he was next to Sanemi

'Ready? Tanjiro Kamado...' 'N-no! Tomioka-san! Please help me!' 'I'm sorry Tanjiro, but is it you or is it me. And believe me, Sanemi is very good at tickling...', Tanjiro's eyes widened when he saw Sanemi's smile, who was approaching his armpits moving his fingers and making him laugh in anticipation

'*yawn* wow.. I fell asleep, onii-chan? Where-?', Nezuko got scared when she heard a scream not far from here, but she recognized who it was, Tanjiro!

Nezuko got up and ran until she saw how Sanemi had Tanjiro imprisoned, digging his fingers into her brother's armpits, who was writhing, kicking, screaming and crying from having laughed so much.

'HEHEHEHELP!!! I CAHAHAHAN'T *hip* NO MORE!!! *snort* I-I!!!', Tanjiro could no longer speak, his laughter remained silent until he felt Sanemi stop, he prayed that he had really stopped and was not pretending to attack him unawares

When Tanjiro looked up, he found Sanemi covering his mouth while Nezuko vigorously clenched his hips. 'Set my brother free!' 'Da-damn!'

'Hey Nezuko, do you need help? It looks like the torturer will become the victim', Giyuu smiled, walking with Tanjiro towards them. Well, it looks like Sanemi went from ler to lee.

[charlotterhea]

Last part of my Summer Fic Reading Challenge journey and ngl, it's extremely satisfying seeing the whole card ticked off. XD

19. Parallel universe

At first, I wasn't even sure what was meant by 'parallel universe', wondering whether not every AU story is technically a parallel universe. XD But then I searched for the tag and stumbled upon "The Unforeseen Possibility of Universes" by MsRosemaryPrince and finally, it clicked. We're talking about 'parallel universes' in the physical sense... 😏 Yes, sometimes I'm a bit slow. Didn't stop me from enjoying the story, though! The thought of Hermione and Severus finding each other in every universe just makes my shipper's heart sing, so I devoured this one and might keep my eyes open to find more stories with this tag. ^^

11. Mythical creature AU

Although creatures are a huge topic in HP, I've only read a few fics centering around creatures so far. I'm not that drawn to that topic personally, I guess. But digging through the archive for this prompt made me stumble upon "just a mannequin with nothing left to hold" by eatgodbemoss and I have to admit, if they are all like that I should probably read more creature fics... 😆 I thoroughly enjoyed Severus being possessed by an incubus and I enjoyed even more how our favourite idiots beat around the bush. Go read it if you're in the mood. ^^

24. Canon compliant

Guys, I hit the jackpot with this one! So, canon compliant is hard to do with Hermione and Severus but I still gave it a shot. You never know, right? And not only did I find a cute story about an encounter with them at the end of year one, but it also is about CHESS! 😍 You cannot imagine how much I love stories about chess! I don't even play chess! I don't know a single chess rule! I can't even envision the moves! And yet I have the time of my life reading them. 😂 Anyway, the story is "Pawn to Eighth Square" by scratchyquill and it's a quick but adorable read. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Go read it!

12. Space AU

For this prompt, I chose a longer story to read, "Sagittaria" by multilingualism. It had everything I love, Snamione, bits and pieces from the book woven into the plot to discover, moments to grin about, and a twist at the end I didn't see coming despite the hints that have been there! I'm hooked for part 2 of the series!

Free Space

Honestly, I don't know if I'm supposed to read a story for this one as well but since I had a one-shot I wanted to read anyway I chose to use it for this. So, "Call me Severus" by kidansong. What a cute story is this? It just ticks all my boxes. Virgin!Severus and explicit consent? Hell, yes! I really love the softness of this story and the fact that it still manages to be hot as fuck. I mean, how could it not? Explicit consent is hot as fuck... 😆

This story really was the perfect one to complete this challenge and I'm really happy I made it despite being doubtful a couple of weeks ago. I had so much fun reading all those wonderful stories and am very grateful both for the authors that they've written them and for the mods of the challenge to offer bingo cards. I had a great summer full of reading and chatting with a writer or two in the comments. 💚

[isolaradiale]

hey mods! i was wondering if it was at all possible to run another poll on how frequently the events are run in the future sometime— i apologize if i’m incorrect on this, but i don’t remember ever seeing the results posted from the first one, so i was curious to know what they ended up being. i realize another event is about to start, and the ones you have given us this year have been so much fun! i appreciate all the hard work and dedication you’re putting into them, but truth be told i feel that it’s been very difficult to juggle replies when they happen so frequently. skipping them is an option, but it’s disheartening to have to do so when you have characters who need the participation if you’re interested in ranking them up.

this is just a suggestion at the end of the day— i realize i personally am not entitled to something like this if you decide against it, but i thought i would reach out because how myself and few other members seem to have been feeling lately. thank you for your time, and as always, thank you for running such a wonderful group! we appreciate all of you!

Hey anon!

This is a topic that was brought up to us recently and we ended up talking about it, but with all the anniversary stuff we forgot to post our thoughts on it, so we apologize. And so while it's a little delayed we'd like to share what we decided along with our reasoning and a little context regarding why the event schedule currently is what it is.

To begin with: at present we do not plan on changing our event schedule. We polled on frequency just before the summer, and even going into this year we had said we wished to be able to run events more often this year so we plan on continuing to uphold that promise. The last event and the new one were both new just because it was summertime, we'll be going back to reruns in between again after the new event!

If it feels like there are too many events, it may be because of reruns! When we introduced them the intention was that they would be optional for those who hadn't done them, or for those that wished to rank up quicker. The assumption was that if someone had already done the event or didn't have time that they would just skip them since it's rerun content. Unfortunately while we'd like to accommodate everyone regardless of activity levels, when it comes to things like event content it becomes a little impossible for us to do.

Reruns came about in the first place because of the opposite complaint, that events were being run too infrequently and that the ranking up process took too long because of it. It's unfortunately an issue where we're going to have members who have differing opinions on either side, but ultimately we decided we'd rather provide the extra content for the members who want it when those who don't could skip it, rather than provide less content and deprive the members who were eager to participate the chance to do so!

Even if we were to go back to the old event schedule from a couple of years ago where events were two months or more in between, we'd likely have to remove reruns altogether. We wouldn't want to only run six or less events in a year and have half of them be reused content, and this would cause additional issues since the rerun system appears to be very popular with those who weren't able to participate the first time.

That isn't to say that there won't be any changes in the future, though they might not be as extreme as you may be hoping for. For 2024 we will be rerunning the frequency poll, but we won't be going as far as to make them two months apart like the were prior to reruns. We are also discussing alternative solutions that wouldn't involve dramatically changing the schedule as well, but that's more on the table for 2024 at the moment.

In the meantime the best we can suggest is to look at curating your event activity if you feel like you need to participate! Only do one or two event threads per event, for example. It's also absolutely fine to drop old threads now and again, and doing so is a common practice in the group!

Ultimately we understand where you're coming from, but unfortunately the group is big and there are many differing viewpoints on things like this. We do hope with this post that we've helped shed some light on why things are the way they are however!

-- the island stars.

[aziraphales-library]

Hey! I love love love reading unrequited love, and although obvi their love is utterly mutual they don’t necessarily know that sooo

If you know any, could you recommend me some fics were Crowley is ‘pining’ for Azi?

They don’t need to have a happy ending where they get together (might even prefer without) but can do!

Anyways love ur blog tysm :)

These are hard to find! Most are not actually unrequited love. I found a few with hurt/no comfort, and a couple of longer ones where they do end up together in the end, but there is a lot of feeling unloved, pining, and angst before they get there.

i wanna fade away (with you) by Lilyofthevalley26 (G)

Armageddon had come, and Armageddon had passed. They didn’t have head offices to report to anymore. They were free agents. A new emotion joined the others in his chest. It felt like hope.

No Problem by LeotheLionathefootofOrion (M)

No problem, Crowley thinks. No problem at all. Anything for you. Even after two months of radio silence and not even a message on my birthday. No problem. - x - The whole friends with benefits thing really isn’t doing Crowley any favours.

Microcosms by oceantears (G)

“So, Alpha Centauri,” Crowley says, “you never did go there with me. Why? Jus’ not- Not wanting to stick it to Heaven? Still believing in the greater good and all? Not wanting only me for the rest of eternity, afraid you’d get bored of me?” It’s honesty and fear disguised as barely a jab, barely a joke, and they both know it. Crowley can call the stars into existence, but he cannot successfully hide 6,000 years of loneliness and longing and pain. Aziraphale only looks at him for a moment. If he tried, Crowley thinks helplessly, he could find constellations in the angel’s eyes. He could find another universe in them, one entirely untouched by God and Heaven and Hell. One that could be theirs, if only Aziraphale allowed it to be. “Neither,” Aziraphale finally says, “I just- I was afraid. And I… Well. I always found reaching for the stars a rather pointless endeavour when I already have everything I want right here.” Crowley takes a deep, shuddering breath and makes himself say it. Makes his tongue move and form those words they both know so well but have not had the courage to say out loud yet. “But you didn’t,” he forces out, “you didn’t want me. You still don’t.”

Attempts At Healing by alcyme (T)

Imagination can only get you so far. And then there are things not powerful enough to make it to reality. Like feelings of love. Time mends all wounds and that includes a broken heart. After all, what is healing than just reversing time. It would be a shame if The First Healer can’t even heal himself.

Crowley and His Army of Grandmothers by burnt_oranges (NR)

Crowley had impulsively stopped by Artisan Du Chocolate, the next place on Aziraphale’s meticulously ordered list of chocolatiers to sample, and now Crowley wonders--is it too much? He had bought a hundred fucking pounds’ worth of chocolate, of course it’s too much, but would Aziraphale notice that it was too much? That is the question.

Warmth by indigo (E)

Friends with benefits really had to be the very best solution there was for any self-respecting immortal being on Earth. Handy. Convenient. The perfect way to de-stress with none of the hassle of trying to find a human willing to overlook the more demonic parts of appearance. It was reliable. Comforting even. Dependable, emotionless relief. Perfect, Crowley thought. Right up until the point when, well, it wasn’t.

- Mod D

[homestuck-iconz]

John, Jade, I asked the dersites this question. Now it's your turn.

Thoughts on my favorite ships

Arasol (flushed)

Mitula (flushed)

Meowrails (pale, obviously)

Erifef (pitch)

Karezi (flushed)

Johnrezi (pitch)

Mod John here! Friendly reminder that if I seem rude about a ship, that's not the goal! I respect everyones ships (unless they are gross or illegal, duh) and I think most ships could be pretty cute!!

(ALSO I THOUGHT I POSTED THIS MY BAD)

Arasol <3 - 5/10

I used to be a strong Arasol shipper actually! I always thought they were super cute and I liked the thought of her dragging his ass out of his hive for ADVENTURE! Although I think Aradia is too... free. Shes a wildcard, a free fairy, she doesn't wait on anyone. I just think she needs someone who can better tie her down, or be able to keep up with her rather then be dragged along. How I enjoy this ship is very situational, I think it would work better flush then pale because of the nature of the two quads, but I mostly see them as close friends, or ex-lovers who just become really good friends

Mitula <3 - 9/10

These two are GOOFY AS HELL BRO!!! In my top ratings charts for sure! What more is there to say? Imagining she can let her guard down with him more easily then some others, they both get GOOFY with it! She handles any outbursts or breakdowns of his pretty well, and they are both just SUPER comfortable and protective of each other! (Latula more so then him, she did threaten Damara in Open Bound over Mituna afterall). 100% that couple who would tell the other they have a crush on someone else, and the other would be in full support like "YEAH!! GET IT BABE!!!" and are probably publicly affectionate because they are Too Cool to care. Overall love these two <3

Meowrails <> - 10/10

THE SILLIES EVER!! SOOOO SILLY GOOFY!!! A top ship 100%, I could dedicate entire posts on why they are SO good and yummy. I know I have in fact wrote entire paragraphs on them already after all (Mod Jade has gotten a taste of these rambles before.) To keep it simple though, they are the two autistic moirails who compliment each other and actually *see* each other for more then "Weird Sweaty Horse Boy" and "Weird Roleplaying Shipper Cat Girl". They help support each other, care about each other, and help the other grow in their own ways too. We were DEPRIVED of more amazing content of these two being pale.

Erifef <3< - 2/10

I think I can understand where this one comes from, but personally it isn't my cup of tea! Eridan might be grouchy sometimes and yeah he can get on Feferi's nerves, but I never really saw it more then Feferi sorta being like that? As well as I can't really see Eridan having too huge of pitch feelings for Feferi, that's like one of his childhood besties! Ex-moirails sure, but they used to be SUCH goofy friends! Just a low rating because I can't see it happening in really... any quadrant, but even LESS so in the pitch one. I think even if they ended up *disliking* each other, it would be hard for that to turn pitch, based on how Fef was already disinterested in being in a relationship with him. Also, I just don't think Eridan could really... be pitch for her. Again, silly goofy friends.

Karezi <3 - 5/10

I remember while reading Homestuck, I sorta liked this ship, but it never really piqued my interest very much. I think it could be silly and cute, mostly based off of their goofy interactions that they have had in canon. Karkat had a HUGE crush on her after all, and she liked him too. It was super fun in the comic, and I don't really hate it, but I don't really care for it either? It sorta lands middle ground for me. Personally I prefer them as just good ol friends! (With maybe some past romantic issues, like ex's or smthing along those lines)

Johnrezi <3< - 8/10

I LOVE Johnrezi, it was one of my big time ships for a while! These two pitch idiots WILL prank you and you will be pointed and laughed at. Although I could see Terezi taking it a bit too far and that frustrating John, which just adds to that pitch flavor. Brain isn't braining, but I think they bring out more of the chaos in each other and it is VERY fun to see.

[the-firebird69]

Live Action | The Lincoln Model L100 Concept Vehicle | Lincoln

The l100 zephyr

That's what we're going to call it there's some math about this car that is intense makes it easy to make and kits will be easy to make and available. The tires and rims fit inside what looks like a little teeny fender and that's what it is and it's a solution but we'll make it integral. You don't like the idea of making it look like the tire. Couple other things the door and roof no but all you have to do is make it into a door and you've completed the task then it looks like it anyways why do it if it doesn't look like it it looks ridiculous opening. It's a bit long but he says that's fine they think all sorts of things about it then you need it and you actually might need it yeah for the engine which would be in the front we're going to start off with a different engine configuration but it still thinks that we should go with the design and we kind of agree. And we do think it's right. And we're going to go ahead and we are going to make this vehicle on the front end is up higher and the front end is a little wide from top to bottom and it uses it Camaro type system with the air goes under so you can make a couple small channels and it probably lower it a little for speed and for real but we'll keep it a little higher so we can use front wheel drive vehicles and we will put the gas actually it's oil shocks in you keep saying gas doesn't necessarily want to use those but it is what people use he says they know how to do it and we'll put in those then they're more expensive and it's a good idea they're still half the price of the oil. I'm kind of laughing cuz I know what the effect is and we kind of need it. So we've got this idea this car with a slight modifications we'd make and with a fiberglass carbon body that's really not fiberglass and roll cage and frame we would be using a Dodge Challenger or Dodge charger as a donor and we would keep the dashboard but not the top of it and the controls and you want to change the seats out they weigh a couple hundred pounds. We're going to go ahead with this idea there's a few reasons why it would work and unlike the Lincoln which is too hard to make but is going to be much faster than this is not true and we'll get to that.

1. The donor cars are dogs and trading it into a Lincoln is kind of an odd thing but it has a similar look is not true this looks real cool and real mean especially when you lower the front end a little it also go much faster:

-0-60mph 3.9 seconds

- quarter mile 6.7 seconds

-top speed w our slight design mods mostly will look just like this 480mph twice the speed of the 800hp challenger. The hellcat top speed 520mph

2. Why do it? And the answer is because you can is twice as fast as your original car in both cases and that's extremely fast it's not such a leap that would be massively noticeable there's another great reason and it is because of the name and the negative connotation that's coming up and because it'll probably cause it to happen. And people driving it would most likely be trumpsters than people want this pretty bad. Right now we know who owns Lincoln and it happens to be Trump and he doesn't understand when you put the kit in it's a solid rear axle and it's speed it would be a little bit rough that's one thing but the car will be easy to build and easy to switch out and the current one is a dog and it goes 230 mph and it's just disgustingly slow for how much power it has this car would go so fast probably well above what we said it's not even funny and it looks very nice kind of like a luxury sports car in perfect for a fly car but yeah the connotation is that you get shot in the head

I'm going to put this in the pipe and see who wants to run it and both his kids are coming forward and his boys and a couple of girls and some others and it's going to be chaotic but this is what it is and they will try and get our son into it after their bosses are dead to try and take over the job and be safe that's how they think

Thor Freya

We probably should look at this my crap is terrible and this is terrible but it seems interesting

Charles Manson duplicate

Boy this is terrible what an idea and he's actually Lincoln so we're going to have to try and put it together

New London no bill Lund

We have to say it's bad there probably is anything Lincoln is bad they own the company and everyone say I'll be dead if I build this she'll probably start with a kit car no he says our production model will be too heavy it won't do the miracle cuz it has to be built like a supercar we can actually do that and use carbon makes a big difference and he's kind of laughing because I'm probably stupid enough to do it probably am I will call it the l100 zephyr the Lincoln Zephyr and Becca sings about it for some reason

Trump

I get the meaning of it now I thought it was the old one and I thought it was ridiculous but this is much different it makes sense

Becka

Olympus he always has a huge front end sticking out his face and all switch other stuff and he gets nailed in the car is perfect for it

I want this up and running and I'm going to put it out and see if people team up and do it it's great and it's going to cream the stupid piece of s*** Trump

Thor Freya

[sutekh94]

Vlog - The Lost World of the Proxima Realms

So… I broke 1,000 subscribers recently. Why not celebrate the occasion with a vlog about a time when this channel was inactive?

If all goes well, you should see a Q&A submissions post somewhere by this time next week. I haven't quite figured out how I want to handle it, be it a video post or something over on my Twitter or Patreon.

Some corrections and omissions: It's pretty obvious that I didn't cover absolutely everything related to The Proxima Realms/Nashronth here. By my count, there were at least 59 published written works related to The Proxima Realms between December 2017 and March 2021, not counting revisions and re-releases, and goodness knows how many stories and story ideas I had that wound up going unpublished. I completely forgot some of those stories existed, like a series called "The Yva-Kaiphronth Chronicles". Pretty sure that was the last TPR-related story series I ever published, in early 2021. Like I mentioned in the video, these stories are currently unavailable, but if there's enough interest, I might compile all of them, plus some unpublished material and ideas, as one massive download. Who knows? I might do that regardless.

I barely scratched the surface regarding the many, MANY main characters I made for TPR's various stories. Maybe that's a good thing, since most of them wound up being really samey in practice. Talking purely about their personalities here. Like, I can tell you what they were supposed to be, but only a few actually broke through the barrier of mediocrity and into the rarefied air of uniqueness. What set them apart was mainly their designs. For instance, the character Remivaqa (or Remi) has GIANT BAT WINGS growing out of her back that she can disappear whenever necessary, and yet, she's about as bland as a mattress. That Roger Alcorn kid I mentioned? Just as bland, and he was arguably THE main character throughout most of TPR's/Nashronth's existence. Aliya? She was one of those few who did stand out from the rest, with her cold, calm, collected, and intelligent nature. And she had some decent plots surrounding her, like her search for her missing grandma and her rivalry with this hotheaded elf guy named Olandri. I wish I'd made those early TPR stories more about her than Roger.

It turns out that I wasn't completely finished with The Proxima Realms by early 2021. Halfway through 2022, I wrote down some ideas for TPR-related stories, but they were just ideas. Those ideas were the very last TPR-related things I ever made, though to this day, I still A. wonder what could've been had I kept pushing forward with TPR, and B. have random TPR-related story ideas pop into my head from time to time.

Drawing Aliya for the thumbnail after a couple years of not making any art related to TPR was so surreal. It kinda shows how much I've improved since 2017. Now I'm wondering how some other TPR characters would look if I were to draw them today. I picked Tamaya to be with her because of all my current OCs, she's the one closest in personality to Aliya. Oh, and both of them have girlfriends.

Like I've said about a trillion times by now, there's much more TPR-related material I could cover down here in the description, but since I only have a limited amount of space to work with, I can't mention random anecdotes about TPR's development, talk even more about the MOTH PEOPLE, explain how Roger's grandma is actually a MOTH PERSON, and discuss a race of beings who look like the Lastree custom/mod race for Starbound. What I will say is that I really shouldn't record unscripted rambles when it's almost 1 in the morning, lol. Seriously though, if I sound kinda tired and disjointed at parts in this vlog, that's why. The last third or so was recorded the following morning, after I got maybe five hours of sleep at most.