#also thank you anyone who still keeps track of the progress on this

[atarial]

60/100 characters drawn in now :)

tried to give feron more of his comic look, quite happy with him :D

gonna try to get to the end of this 'row' before i pause again, so 5 more to go

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ THE LIGHTNING ON TRACK | THE STRATEGY CALL

fandom. formula one & mcu

about. in which the stark racing f1 team talks about the 2025 strategy and beyond

content warnings. written in 3rd person

word count. 1.4k words

notes. with this chapter i wanted to involve a bit of politics and 'realistically' explain why stark racing won't immediately win a wdc (because with the whole set up, it would be possible). f1 are politics and no matter how many drivers say cash is king, connections have sometimes more worth

"welcome, everyone. thank you for tuning in", greets tony with a big smile on his face, spreading his arms as if going in for a hug.

"as you can see, i'm not currently with any departement, i'm doing the finishing touches in my own lab back in new york... since i don't want to drag anyone here to the US for meetings, we will proceed like this until january next year."

"now, i know it will be annoying with dragging your equipement with you and it's also unsafe, since you know... data secrets bla bla- so, in the next few days, each stark racing employee will receive the so called 'tactical intelligence glasses', which you can see me wearing. it's voice activated and can only be used by the one who sets it up, which will be you!" while speaking, tony fiddles with a pencil in his hand and starts walking around in his lab, showcasting it to every viewer.

"to cut things short, you'll receive a tutorial on how to use these glasses and set them up once you receive them. if you ever lose them, don't worry, we can track them. destroying them is pretty hard, but please don't try to make it a challange... our plan is to use them not only during meetings but also during the race, to keep our data from the cameras. with netflix, paparazzi and other cameras from the news, it's easy to steal data that shouldn't be accessible."

"alright then", he ends his ramblings with a clap, "we're going over the interesting part now. let's talk strategy..."

y/n let's her father's voice wash over her, her own glasses perched on her nose and feeding her constant information. in front of her are two holograms, projected by the hologram table in the meeting room she's currently in. the standing figure of her father and the presentation he's currently rattling off, all of it in a glowing blue.

next to her sits kevin, her future teammate, exhausted from the long 24 season but still paying attention. the rest of the room is filled with their team, the race engineers and trainers- each of them having their own glasses on.

to outsiders it looks like they're clowns, but it's a common sight in stark industries. decades ahead of the general public, stark stands for the future. of course they're trying to push it to the outer world, selling hologrammic equipement to both the industry but also private customers, but it's a slow progress.

the marketing team of SI hopes with their public use of the glasses and other devices they'll attract more customers, leaving the age of apple and samsung behind and instead welcoming the age of holograms. powered by starkanium, the production of phones, tablets, computers- anything really, is much cheaper and enviroment friendly than what's currently dominating the market.

shaking her head, y/n focuses on the presentation again. of course she knows it by heart already, she helped writing it, brooding over the strategy with the team ever since the team got announced.

"... the plan is to finish between 5th-3rd on the construction championship. not higher, not lower. we don't want to place higher, because this is our testing season. we will be practically sandbagging from the beginning, not revealing our true power for 2026."

yes... the construction championship. it will bring in money, not that they would need it, but it will justify the expenses they're going to make during the season to prepare for their second one. y/n is under no illusion, if they want, they could go all out and snag at least p2, if not p1. maybe she would even get her world championship- only then for everyone to say she won because she's driving a stark machine and not because of her own skill.

it sounds arrogant, she knows. but y/n believes, no, she doesn't only believe, she knows, she is one of the best in the whole world. if she can go against her father in an iron man suit, who can be only piloted by less than ten people in the world... winning in an f1 car is nothing.

but they've already made enemies for not waiting until 2026 like audi, 'enemies', who have much more pull within the motorsport world than them, simply because they're already established. christian horner is one, followed by toto wolff, the iconic red racing team not far behind.

with they're entry, they didn't make friends on the paddock, so for their first season... they can't be too good. or else their future seasons will be ruined.

it's stupid, to think like this, to think so far ahead, to think of others, in a sport where winning is everything. but it's not. cash and connections influence everything you do, how far you succeed. they have plenty of money, but are practically poor in connections. heck, even haas is better established than them.

they won't be, not after they're done after their first season. they will show the world, what stark racing is truly made of. and y/n will prove, that a woman can win.

"-bought data packs from previous seasons, dating back a whole decade, from mercedes and aston martin. cost a pretty penny, but data is everything. not to mention, after the big leak that happend in the middle of the season, we managed to grab enough data on all teams to calculate 3523 outcomes to this season. points, standings, anything." kevin wheezes at the number, which is followed by several data sheets. he gapes at the calculations, which predict another world championship for max 2064 times. all from the data they managed to collect.

"insane, right?", y/n whispers to kevin, who turns his head to her. his wide eyes make her snicker.

"welcome to stark racing, mate. just you wait until JARVIS and FRIDAY start feeding in new numbers and information." a muttered 'holy shit' is the only answer she gets and y/n has to snicker again. toto wolff once said something about formula one being war planning... well, he should know that stark industries and it's most brilliant minds know everything about war. be it on the market, by income or an actual alien invasion.

"we want to achieve at least one win, be it in a proper race or sprint, three podiums per driver and at least two fastest laps. and it will be possible", her father continues, pointing at a hologram of their car. it spins lazily in a circle, showing off it's aeorodynamic curves.

"this car is faster than the rb19, goes on par with the rb20. we don't know the upgrades from red bull, but another year and we can pretty much predict their stats for 2026. newey is predictable, all his upgrades point towards the perfection of the car, he focuses on what to make better and not invent something completely new. and if he does, he takes ages to prove it's better than what they had before. newey is brilliant, but he's no stark." there it is again, the facts of their rivals, taken apart and put back together to summerize their data in a few simple words.

"so, our motto for this season is testing, collecting data and improving for the next season. we're sandbagging, we're restricting ourselves. so if we ever do bad... we all know we could do much better. the engineering team will send first comparisons between the SR-1 and SR-2 out next week, y/n has already tested both cars in the sim, so we will have some data to read off."

"so, with that, we're pretty much done. thank you everyone for listening, i know for some it's very early right now, so if you have to read over the spark notes- JARVIS has put a summary of the most important information together, you'll receive the mail right after this converence. thank you again and welcome to stark racing, everyone!" claps fill the room and y/n takes off her glasses. it's exhausting to play mindgames like this, to calculate the desired outcome, but it will all come together.

hopefully, with her as a world champion, with the bold stark name on her back.

taglist. @lilypadlover , @adorablezhui , @peqch-pie , @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @aimixx , @themercyverse , @lem-hhn , @akiraquote , @kiiyoooo , @nichmeddar , @nothingfuninthislife , @minkyungseokie , @fionaschicken , @lyrasconstellation , @spideybv28 , @keii134 , @starssfall , @tpwkstiles, @fangirl-dot-com , @nichmeddar , @lady-laura-speaks , @nikfigueiredo , @hinamesgigantica , @brakingboundaries , @almostjollypizza , @yoremins , @raizelchrysanderoctavius , @celesteblack08 , @watermelon-sugars-things , @lighttsoutlewis , @radiantdanvers , @vellicora, @sterredem , @hiireadstuff , @jolixtreesunn , @mypage-myfandoms , @nelly187 @greeneyesandsunshine , @fulla02 , @welovediaaxx , @whyamireadingthis , @67-angelofthelordme-67 , @blueberry64857959 , @winchesterwife27 , @six-call , @skywalker1dream , @mellowarcadefun , @cherry-piee , @peterholland04 , @motorsportloverf1 , @renarots , @msbyjackal , @woozarts , @leclucklerc , @yl90

crossed off tags mean i can't tag you!

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE SERIES TAGLIST? please leave a comment on this post or send a non anonymous ask!

ARKHAM MAID 2024

[alittlebitofloveliness]

I like to think that Ponyboy thought Soda was closest to their Dom and Darry had their Dad; that sure his parents loved him but he wasn't their favorite but being dead ass wrong.

Got any headcannons about Mr. and Mrs. Curtis loving their littlest baby boy? :)

HECK YEAH I DO! Thanks anon, this ask is so cute.

Ponyboy and his Parents headcanons:

-Got to ride around on Mr. Curtis' shoulders a lot when he was little, and since he was the baby of the family and their last kiddo, also was allowed to way longer than Soda or darry did (this kid was nearly five when he was finally considered 'too big' for it anymore)

-Soda was definitely one of those kids who needed their parents to sit and supervise to make sure they actually did their homework, so when Soda and Darry were doing homework but Pony was too young to have any yet, Mrs. Curtis would sit at the table with him and they'd do colouring books together while Mr Curtis helped the others with schoolwork

-When Darry and Soda were out with friends but Pony was too young to go along, Mrs.Curtis would make a pillow fort in the living room and make them each an ice cream sundae, and then they'd sit together in the fort eating ice cream and reading together. It's part of why Pony's such a voracious reader now, because his mom made it so special for him when he was little

-When Mrs. Curtis was baking chocolate cakes she'd let Pony lick the spoon whenever he was alone with her in the kitchen- which was often, him and Soda were both total mama's boys. (She did it for all her kids of course, whenever they were the only ones around, and to this day they all still think they were the only ones who she let do it since she always told them it was their little secret.)

-Ponyboy has his father's height and also his build. Mr. Curtis was never a track star, but he won a few foot races at fairs and stuff when he was a kid, and that's where Pony gets his speed from

-Anytime young Pony wondered why his dad picked such a weird name- particularly if he was upset after getting teased about it- and demanded to know why they'd given it to him, Mr.Curtis would tell a different story and they got progressively more outlandish ever time he asked

-Mr. Curtis liked movies almost as much as Ponyboy does, except he was the type of person to talk through them, and it annoyed Ponyboy so much (now he'd do anything to watch a movie with his dad again)

-Mrs. Curtis gave all her kids tons of nicknames, but her favourite ones were a little ridiculous. She called Darry 'cheeks' because he had really rosy cheeks as a toddler, Soda was 'smudges' because as a baby he always had food on his face, and Ponyboy was 'bean' because he was a bouncy baby and was 'just like a little jumping bean, aren't you my little love?'

-Mr. Curtis loved plants but couldn't keep one alive no matter how hard he tried, and he mourned every single one he accidentally killed. Pony unfortunately inherited both the love of plants and the opposite of a green thumb. After the sixth plant funeral Pony forced him to attend, Curly got him a succulent thinking it would be impossible for Pony to kill a plant that hardly needs water. The very next day he found himself attending plant funeral number seven

-Mr. Curtis would help Ponyboy and Soda make signs and banners before every one of Darry's football games when Darry was having breakfast with his team. They always offered Mrs.Curtis to join them but she usually took the opportunity of all her boys being busy to take a few minutes to herself

-Soda was always moving as a child, so Mrs. Curtis took him to one of those 'mommy and me' dance classes- but like, the 60s equivalent so like, swing dance lessons they just happened to go to together- while Darry, Pony, and Mr. Curtis would all cook dinner. Because of this, the Curtis brothers all cook more like their dad than their mom, because Mr.Curtis had the patience to help teach them in the kitchen, whereas Mrs. Curtis hated anyone else in her space when cooking (girl me too)

-Mrs. Curtis was the chocaholic that all the Curtis bros inherited their sweet tooth from. She used to buy an extra bag of chocolate chips and keep in the drawer of her bedside table because no other place in the house was safe from Darry's careful investigations and Ponyboy's pleading green eyes. And don't even get her started on Soda's ability to sniff chocolate out like a bloodhound, and steal it quieter than a ghost. That kid was never quiet, not even in church, but hide a chocolate muffin in the back of the fridge and suddenly he was a monk until it was in his belly.

-Ponyboy thinks he doesn't share much/enough resemblance with his parents, but his ears go red like Mrs.Curtis' used to when she was embarrassed or mad, and the cut of his jawline is just the same as Mr.Curtis', and he tilts his head when he laughs just like his mom did. Sometimes Ponyboy will get confused and the scrunch between his brows is so similar to the way their mom used to look when she was trying to help him with math homework that it catches Darry off guard and for a second it's hard for him to breathe

-Mrs.Curtis might have got Pony into reading, but Mr.Curtis was the one who got him into liking poetry. He could recite lines and lines of poetry off by heart and Pony still remembers some of his dad's favourites

[dozyisdead]

Low downforce isn't necessarily a bad thing! Teams are constantly adjusting their levels based on tracks (ex. McLaren last year during Las Vegas), but Williams does seem car more suited for low downforce tracks. The thing I find kinda interesting, is that in theory a low downforce setup would actually be better for Alex who prefers oversteer--- which also means that Max could probably do very well in that Williams if they shave off the extra weights that's quite literally weighing them down. Carlos is almost notorious throughout the Ferrari fans for liking understeer better than oversteer (because Charles is wildly known as preferring a car on the nose, or more oversteer like Max and Alex). This kinda makes you wonder what that will entail for Carlos' run in William's! So to me, Carlos and Alex will be essentially like Carlos and Charles where they both prefer different things which could end up being a slight issue for Williams. I'm also pretty sure that the Williams past few cars have been oversteery, which brings me to Logan!

On Logan's end, I honesty don't know what he prefers? I've watched Prema videos of him explicitly answering it as he prefers oversteer in general ( he also said he'd rather have understeer during an actual race, but turns back on that statement later saying he prefers over). I get confused though, when some people are saying that he looks like he prefers understeering now though! So, Logan's situation is a bit funky to me. In the Prema video though, Oscar basically says that Logan likes to "send the car" which to me, sounds like he would perform well in a oversteery/low downforce car? Keep in mind, that this is from F3 and around 4 years ago, so Logan's preferences could definitely have changed by now.

I honestly don't really know which teams are more low/high downforce prone, but I do know the extremes of the two which are Williams (low) and Aston Martin (high). Just in Silverstone, Aston Martin had the highest downforce configuration out of all the teams! Which is wild compared to the other lead contender's (Ferrari, McLaren, Red bull, Mercedes) who chose to go more neutral to even low downforce set ups!

Oh great! Thank you again for more information!

So, you mentioned that Carlos prefers an understeer set up, which is kind of the opposite of what Williams has right now? I agree that it's going to be interesting to see what happens if the car is still on the oversteer heavy side, like it seems to be this year. I'm not sure if it's been like this in the past, but that is really interesting to know! I think with Logan's situation it is really tricky, but I believe someone mentioned that he goes over how the car feels and the data a lot, so maybe he's slowly been finding his balance? I can't imagine that it's been very easy to do so in the Williams, but if we look at his progress this year, I feel like he's been getting there. Like I said before, if they had a better car to figure out which why they prefeed, I think it would be a good view of their skills and abilities as drivers. Alex has his set up figured out it feels like, and the good thing is that the Williams car is really suited for him, being low downforce and somewhat oversteer. if we also take into account that Max like the car oversteer, I feel like that means Alex was doing a lot better at Red Bull than people think. Again, I despise the teams, love the drivers, yk?

Also, the fact that Willaims and Aston Martin are the polar extremes makes a lot of sense! I know people joke about cars being tractors or lawnmowers, but Williams really feels like an actual tractor sometimes. And I want to say that the reason Logan has been kind of switching about is maybe he is as close as we can get to a true neutral preference when it comes to over vs. under steer? I know that F1 cars are extremely customizable, for example Michael Schumacher's configuration was nearly painful for anyone else to drive because it was so tailored. I think Logan is a bit of an odd one out in that aspect, he prefers possibly a very neutral or as close to basic set up? I believe the only difference is that maybe his set up is more left handed leaning in the car? I heard something along those lines.

Thank you for all the information, it has been very fun to learn about and extremely interesting!

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

Special Mini Story: Your Name - Translation (君の名前)

Translator's notes can be found at the end and are marked with an asterisk.

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

A PDF version is also available.

Key

Hijikata Toshizo - Otori Eiichi

Nagakura Shinpachi - Sumeragi Kira

Todo Heisuke - Mikado Nagi

Okita Soji - Otori Eiji

Kondo Isami - Kiryuin Van

Harada Sanosuke - Hyuga Yamato

Saito Hajime - Amakusa Shion

Kondo: … Well then, I think we’ll wrap up today’s meeting here. Does anyone have anything they would like to add?

Todo: Yes, I have a proposal.

Kondo: What is it, Todo-kun?

Todo: About the headquarters. Don’t you feel like they’ve been getting a bit cramped recently? Even though we’re companions with the same ideals, we still want to have our personal space. Right now, we’re all a little too close to each other.

Hijikata: Are you saying that you want to move? I understand your reasoning. I certainly acknowledge the need for it.

Harada: If you’re going to do it anyway, make it a house with a really high lintel, Hijikata-san. That would be more convenient, I’m sure.

Todo: Don’t make unnecessary, unreasonable demands. Things are finally progressing nicely, and that would just interfere, don’t you think?

Okita: Moving, huh... If the headquarters are going to be bigger, then the garden will too, right? Maybe we can even keep that cat from before.

Harada: Ah, is it the small black cat you met while on patrol?

Saito: A little cat… merely stroking its soft fur seems to bring a simple joy...

Okita: Yes. This isn’t an unreasonable demand, right?

Harada: Well, hmm… I don’t think whether you can keep it or not is a matter of space in the first place.

Hijikata: Harada is right. No matter how large a house we move into, keeping a cat inside is prohibited. First of all, cats should be allowed to roam freely in the town for the public good of rodent control.

Okita: It can’t be… The kind of comfort a cat provides is also necessary in life.

Hijikata: No matter what anyone says, I won’t change my mind. It’s a no.

Nagakura: ... Hijikata-san’s idea that "cats should be allowed to roam free" seems outdated now. Anyway, putting that aside, what was prohibited earlier was "bringing them into the house." In other words, doesn’t that mean that "it’s okay to keep them as pets even now, as long as they’re allowed to roam free"?

Kondo: That’s true. As for me, I didn’t mind either way, so I was thinking of respecting Toshi’s wishes. If Toshi agrees, then I have nothing more to say.

Saito: I see, your earlier words were meant to encourage deep reflection... I apologize for not realizing your profound thoughts, Hijikata-san.

Hijikata: No, it’s not like that at all…

Okita: What’s with that? If you’re going to allow it, then please say it clearly. But thank you.

Harada: I honestly thought it was not a possibility, too. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Hijikata-san.

Todo: We’re getting off track. We’re going ahead with the move, correct?

Kondo: Ah, of course. Living conditions are important.

Todo: If that’s settled, okay. Shall we continue talking about the cat? If we’re going to have one, we’ll need to think of a name for it.

Saito: Well... the one who deserves the credit this time is Nagakura-san. How about we call it ‘Shinpachi’ so we don’t forget the gratitude we owe him...?

Nagakura: I appreciate the thought, but absolutely not.

Harada: Then, wouldn’t ‘Eiji’* be fine?

Nagakura: My childhood name? Enough already, leave my name alone. I’d rather not use either of them.

Okita: In that case, why not just ask Nagakura-san to name it on behalf of all of us?

Harada: That sounds good. Pick a good one.

Nagakura: … Alright, uh. … Well then, Shi…

Todo: I don’t think you would, but since it’s a special opportunity, something like ‘Shinsengumi’ is a no-go, okay? Try to be a bit more creative.

Hijikata: It's hard to say that ‘Makoto’ (integrity) is creative either.

Kondo: Using the toponym, ‘Mibu’, seems a bit too easy... What do you think? Can you think of anything?

Nagakura: …

Harada: Ah, do you want me to help you as well?

Nagakura: No, it’s fine. This is the role that was assigned to me. I will fulfill it no matter what. ... How about ‘Shingetsu’*? After the new moon, the moon will gradually wax. It’s a symbol of hope for the future. I thought it suits us now.

Saito: How wonderful... As a sign of our comradeship, I want to make a neck ornament out of the same cloth as our haori.

Okita: Great idea! Let’s get started right away. I can’t wait to put it on the kitty.

Harada: If you’re going to make a neck ornament, you’ll need a bell. I think I have one attached to my amulet, so use that.

Kondo: We were able to find a suitable name. Thank you, Nagakura-kun.

Nagakura: … Yes. That’s a relief.

Todo: Hey, Hijikata-san. I think ‘Shingetsu’ is good too, but in the end, it still has Nagakura-san’s name in it, doesn’t it?

Hijikata: I know you’re smart. However, since he hasn’t noticed it himself, just keep quiet about it. … Hey, everyone, remember it’s still a free-roam situation.

Translator's notes:

*1 Eiji- 栄治 (prosperity, peace). Nagakura’s childhood name. Different kanji combination from our Otori Eiji (瑛二)

*2 Shingetsu- 新月 (new moon). As Todo pointed out, it still uses the “shin” from Shinpachi (新八)

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Okay so. I've been sitting on my full first impressions of the game until after the gameplay reveal, cos I know shit can get twisted in marketing.

I was NOT a fan of the trailer. The vibe was off; I cringed a lot; it gave a off very bog-standard hero team saves the day kind of vibe which I inherently dislike because it seems like Dragon Age has just given up on giving you the freedom to be a bastard, or any kind of character that isn't on rails to be everyone's favourite boy. It also failed to bring any dark fantasy to the table. BUT I know from experience, namely the DA2 trailer (not the CGI one. the other one), that marketing is intent on making Dragon Age look like the goofiest shit possible to appeal to the dregs of society (normies). I watched it. Hated it. Moved on to life stuff.

Now with the gameplay reveal out of the way, I have some more solid takes on everything we now know about the game overall.

Things I liked:

The companions all look pretty cool; I've been excited for Devrin for years now, and seeing that he's a Dalish Elf as well as a Warden is quite exciting to see; everyone else are also not only well designed but don't feel like rehashes of our previous companions (apart from Harding)

The return of multiple weapon sets. Thank fucking god. This may even make archer a viable build again. Also I noted that you only have a set number of arrows which the UI tracks, which I'm a huge fan of

The look and style of Minrathous. I like that Bioware is showing their hard work in coming up with a unique area based entirely around magic-tech and I think the result looks great; I am really intrigued by the dark panopticon vibes and hope that becomes a major theme going forward

Different demon designs. I hope there's a bit more variation as the game progresses, but I liked little details like the Pride demons having some kind of armour aesthetic

Dialogue wheel. No notes; she's here, still the same comforting presence as ever. Praying with fingers crossed that it doesn't turn into a super bland protagonist situation like Inquisition

Choosing a faction in character creation that isn't locked to one's race; this one is a really cool idea and if origins don't come back it can be a decent alternative if the reactivity to your choice is the same as in the prologue

Things I didn't like:

Action wheel. Like. I'm a PC person, so I have no idea what the final UI will actually look like for me. But Bioware hasn't elaborated on their UI style at all and if Inquisition is anything to go by, I'm stuck with shitty console-centred UI for the whole game. I would rather just have the ability bar back, for my sanity.

The two-person companion limit. It automatically restricts people into a specific party build depending on their class and I hate that

The Mass Effect-style gameplay. Party tactics was a HUGE draw to the DA series for me, and is what got me into retro RPGs in the first place. Seeing it replaced completely to the point where we can no longer manually manage our party is a huge disappointment. I am willing to keep an open mind, just because I love Mass Effect that much, but it hurts knowing for a certainty I'm never gonna engage with Veilguard like I did with Origins or 2 as a result

The voice acting. Was this an out of date take, or did everyone sound super flat to anyone else? Especially Neve, who didn't seem to know what she was reacting to, just really wooden. It was disappointing, cos I love her voice overall. Wasn't a fan of Rook's voice but I don't plan to play a man anyway

The breaking pots method of looting. This is gonna feel like such a nitpick but I immediately pulled a face seeing that cos I could TELL some suit somewhere asked the Bioware team to "make it more like breath of the wild" and now for some reason it's not dynamic enough to just click on a crate and choose what loot to take; now Tevinters are storing exactly one (1) random health potion in decorative clay jars around the city (more likely than you think!)

The aesthetic of the veil and spirit stuff so far; it's just all a bit bright and noisy, doesn't really grab me as something fun to explore or fight (again, I'm an Origins girly so I'm biased)

Harding coming back. I know she's cool and everyone likes her and I like her too. In Inquisition. This is just a preference, but if I'm gonna start a new game as a new person I don't want to be inheriting pre-bought friends from the last protagonist ://

Things I HATE:

Why does everyone look like play-doh; it's disconcerting.

Like guys I know DA2 is having a renaissance but I don't think anyone was getting nostalgic over everyone's pudding faces.

Everything put out so far has basically crushed any hope I had for this becoming Dwarf age :/ No new dwarf characters, no mention of Kal-Sharok, Harding being the only dwarf companion basically confirms that dwarves will be unromanceable AGAIN. not a fan

TLDR: This is still definitely not a day-one buy for me. The series has just strayed completely from the genre and format that I loved about the previous games into a full action RPG derivative of games from four years ago. Without the focus on party tactics and the low-tech, dark and gritty worldbuilding from the first two games it just fails to excite me. It looks too much like other games for me to really register it as a Dragon Age game.

I love the story and the world of Dragon Age though, so I do still intend to buy it when it goes on sale, but this is definitely a "wait and see the reviews" situation for me, which is a first when it comes to this series :/

[sotwk]

Behind the Scenes: SotWK's Writing Process

Welcome to a little "behind the scenes" of my attempts to keep my growing list of WIPS and story requests/ideas organized!

My Fic and HC Requests are (for the most part), always open, and open to Anons. Occasionally, I also invite requests in relation to writing events or games. Needless to say, I get quite a lot of requests, and I am both flattered and thrilled by that.

However, I also work full-time (albeit always in front of a computer), and I have two little kids (who attend preschool, whew), so I have much less time to focus on writing than most creators here.

But I love writing, and I love using it to make people happy even more. My rule is, I will accept any requests (that reasonably fall within my guidelines, but I can be flexible!) as long as you can wait patiently for me to deliver on them. I always give my best effort to make it worth your while, and I will never ignore your request or give up on it without checking with you first (yes, this includes Anons).

I have no wait list. I do not work on requests "in the order they were received". I work on whatever story speaks to and cooperates with me that day, and that means shuffling amongst up to five WIPs at a time. That's simply how my brain works, unfortunately.

All my fanfics / your requests are always, and forever will be, FREE. They're gifts I am honored to give.

I am constantly saying, "I'm working on it" or "It's on my list", and I would like to offer just a bit of proof of that. So, especially for those who have been waiting a long time (and those who might have to wait even longer), I present my Google Drive's Organized Chaos to show how I keep all those WIPs in check:

Drafts in Progress: Stories that are closest to completion, and the ones I am currently trying to focus on.

Drafts on Hold: Drafts that I have started, but have stalled, so they're on the back burner for now.

Headcanons: I usually draft my headcanon requests straight on Tumblr, but sometimes they go on here.

Ask Screenshots: Where I save Asks that I responded to/deleted, but I needed to save the text for the sake of notes. Also lovely Asks that I save for posterity.

Valentine Event: I received so many Asks for this event that it required its own folder.

Gifted Graphics: Always hoping for new contributions to this one! (not subtle enough?)

And now, for my Fic Tracker Spreadsheet, which tracks ALL Tolkien fics I write, both requests and my personal projects:

I redacted the "Requestor" column to preserve some surprises. I track the estimated "Status" aka percentage of completion as a way to motivate myself, because getting to that blessed 100% is the Holy Grail for me!

WIP: Every fic that's on the "front burner" and I'm actively fighting to complete.

Requests/Concepts: Contains details of all requests and ideas I have which will eventually jump into the WIP tab.

Valentine: Remember how I said I received so many responses to this event? Yeah. I'm still determined to finish them all, though!

To Read: Yup, I track all the fics of friends that I intent to read here, too. That's how important those are to me.

I truly hope all this info doesn't scare anyone off from sending in more requests! I hope this gives Readers/Followers a little more faith in me and show that I take all requests I receive very seriously. They are the most important part of what I do as a fanfic writer.

I may be slow, but I'm committed and determined!

If you have any questions about the above, or about your requests, I'm open! Please keep sending in requests! Thank you for your support and patience!

Link to my FANFIC REQUEST GUIDELINES

Tagging some of those folks who are currently waiting on requests: @quickslvxrr @laneynoir @ladyweaslette @scyllas-revenge @lathalea @g-m-kaye @absentmindeduniverse @aduialel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @jordie-your-local-halfling @ladyk8tie @blueberryrock @the-phantom-of-arda @tamurilofrivendell @achromaticerebus @klytemnestra13 @glassgulls @the-fragile-heart-of-a-lady @guardianofrivendell @a-burr-a-hobbit @literary-eclair

[ghostclangen]

Did.....did Scratchpounce murder one of her own kits??? And either way I'm just thinking of the rest of that poor litter without their only parent now. Was she even caring for them with how far along she was in her curse? SO MANY THOUGHTS

GOD I WISH, that'd be juicy- but this still gives me a lot to think/talk about! she definitely was unstable to the point of hurting others at that point, if not with violence than just with her general aggression (parents can be scary even if they don't hurt you physically). thankfully it was only the first couple moons, but I can't imagine it didn't leave scars and ideas about mothers that would have to be unlearned (which ... oddly I hadn't thought about which is Crazy for me so thank you for reminding me and making me emotional LOL)

what actually happened is that we also have another cat who's under the curse who's progressed to the final stage- a VERY bad ten moons for GhostClan. Marshlily, Hornetstar, and now Fireflash (the only deputy Hornet has trusted enough to talk about it with ... She actually didn't trust Fauna or Auburn a whole lot) have had to do a LOT of keeping things quiet, and have mostly succeeded. (though I imagine there's probably a few conspiracy theories ...) thankfully it's made much easier by the fact that there are predators and rogues that will Also kill them violently, so there's a convenient excuse for the killings, I suppose.

On that note- and we're pretty much completely off track now sorry LOL- it's also easier to cover up bc in line with the themes that I'm ... trying to integrate subtly, I've been toning the curse down from the original guidelines/description of the challenge, so cats will act "normal"- not for Them, generally, but from an outsider's POV, there's nothing obviously wrong, they're just particularly aggressive and super grumpy- until they have a (literal) attack and lash out + kill someone. as opposed to the original description, which involves seizures and basically symptoms of rabies. so if anyone was v familiar w the challenge and was like "this is lame, aren't they supposed to be way more fucked up?", don't worry, it's on purpose ^^;

[kindheart525]

What was Snowcone thinking? Trying to repair her friendship with that...that pony! It wouldn't work no matter what she tried, she had just tricked herself into thinking it would. Veuve never understood her. What did she even see in her in the first place?

As Snow sat there cradling her pillow she tried not to cry. She was so upset it felt like her stomach was tied in knots. The more she sat there suffering, kicking her legs, grinding her teeth. The more she began to hate Veuve en Deuil.

She was so angry, she wanted nothing more than to put that pony behind her yet she lived in her head rent-free. Veuve was all she could think about, it ate up almost every waking minute lately. So much that her family was starting to notice.

“Snowy?”

She heard a knock at the door followed by a creaking noise as her mom crept in. She was a bit grateful that she wasn’t barging in to lecture her like she used to, she actually knocked this time. But she still wasn’t in the mood to see anyone.

“I brought you some tea.”

Snow didn’t even look at her as she came in, instead curling around her pillow even tighter and hissing out through her teeth,

“I’d really like it if you waited after knocking instead of letting yourself in!”

“I’m sorry. I’ll remember that next time.”

Twilight apologized genuinely. She was getting better at this. Not great, but better.

“You asked for tea earlier and I finally got around to making it. Your Nana insisted on helping me. It’s green tea, your favorite.”

Snowcone had honestly forgotten she’d asked for tea earlier. So much was going on in her head that she just couldn’t keep track of things like this right now.

“Thanks.”

Was all she could utter out in her current state.

“I also brought a cup for myself in case you want me to stick around, but if not I’ll just pour it to go. I can’t resist, you have good taste.”

Twilight made small talk as she poured two cups of tea, taking a sip out of her own as she finished her sentence.

That kind of small talk was honestly a good distraction from Snow’s agony. It didn’t make her feel any better at all but it drowned out all the terrible thoughts just a little bit. Plus Twilight was actually respecting her boundaries and offering to leave, she appreciated that more than she could bring herself to admit right now. 

“You can stay, I guess. You’re already here anyway.”

She mumbled.

“Well if you’re okay with that!”

Twilight couldn’t help but beam at this invitation, it was very begrudging but Snow wasn’t slamming the door in her face for once. This was progress.

Snowcone didn’t see this reaction though, Twilight did her best not to overreact and make it about her.

“We can talk about whatever you’d like. Your favorite books, that movie we saw a couple weeks ago, hay, even the weather. Or we can sit here quietly and just enjoy each other’s company. I know you probably don’t want to talk about...your friend.”

Twilight stopped to avoid saying her name, she didn’t want to set her daughter off.

“I know that’s been on your mind a lot lately. I understand that.”

But Twilight’s best attempts at dancing around the subject didn’t work, a vague mention of Veuve was enough to make Snowcone’s stomach start twisting again.

“She’s NOT my friend! I don’t wanna see or even think about her ever AGAIN!”

Snowcone cried out, her voice choking up as it grew higher and louder.

“Goodness, I knew you weren’t really seeing eye-to-eye but I didn’t know this was how you felt. Sorry I brought it up.”

Twilight rubbed her back in an attempt at comfort but Snowcone only tensed up, though not entirely from her mom’s touch.

“Well don’t be Mom! Because I’m over her! I really am!”

Snow insisted, trying to convince herself more than anything.

“I don’t even know why I was friends with her in the first place! She’s just a stuck up little bitch who doesn’t know the world beyond her stupid crystal castle! Everything I say or do embarrasses her because she’s just too perfect!”

She spit out in a mocking tone, punctuating her rant by shoving her face into her pillow and letting out a muffled scream.

“It...sure doesn’t sound like you’re over her. Not too long ago you had nothing but good things to say about her. You went on and on about how much she made you laugh, how much fun you had with her. Now you have nothing but bad things to say. How did that happen?”

The lump in Snow’s throat formed again as Twilight reminded her of all the good times she had with Veuve...she really did miss that.

Wait, no she didn’t. That filly humiliated her. Multiple times! No amount of good times could change that. If anything, it made Veuve nothing but a conniving bitch, lulling her into a sense of trust just to shatter it.

“I was just too blind to see how awful she is. But now I know better and I’m dodging a bullet.”

“Well it sounds to me like she did a few bad things and you’re letting it taint your entire view of her.”

Twilight spoke frankly, albeit completely missing the point that this wasn’t a conscious choice on Snowcone’s part. She wasn’t “letting” anything happen. But she couldn’t see that as she started to get into one of her old lectures.

“My friends have done plenty of things to hurt me and each other. If we let that change our view of each other, we would have broken apart long ago. We always talk things out and acknowledge that we’re ponies who make mistakes, but that doesn’t make us bad.”

She hopped off her metaphorical soapbox before she could get too preachy about friendship.

“I won’t tell you what to do with Vee, though. You’re your own pony and you can make your own choices.”

This did little to make Snow less annoyed, however. She always hated when her mom got like this. Once again she wasn’t getting it, she never truly did.

Trying her best not to lash out at her, she sucked in a breath through her teeth and put up a boundary.

“Thanks for the friendship lesson Mom. Totally helpful. Now I’d like to be alone, please.”

“Alright, Snowy. It was nice spending some time with you. I’ll leave you to it.”

Twilight was a bit hurt by Snowcone’s sarcastic, biting tone, but she tried not to let it show as she poured herself a fresh cup of tea and made her way out.

As she left, Snowcone went back to wallowing in her hurt and hatred, desperately refusing to admit that maybe her mom was a little bit right.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Broken Cycle Next: Circus Act

[andrea-lyn]

Thank you to @non-un-topo for the meme tag! I'm gonna keep living in 2023 as long as I can, gdi.

What is your favourite thing you created?

I think it's actually one of the zukka things I wrote: came in first (and I'm the last one leaving) about a marriage pact because as much as I loved writing some of the AUs (like the pushing bluesey and the terror genie au), this one was just so fun and I loved writing it, and while amnesia!roy was also fun, that one dipped into serious at times and this one was just a fun comedic romp. So! yeah! That!

Which work are you proudest of?

it's got a lot to do with having to finish what I start which is a Declan + Ronan canon divergent AU. I'm proud that I finished it because this was legit buried in my 'give up' pile and I was convinced to unearth it, and it got a mild plot, and I finished it. So yay me.

Is there anything you are proud of that you achieved this year?

I got a new job within seven weeks of being laid off. That one was HUGE for me, because it felt like eternity. I'm past probation now and I'm stupid proud of that, because I got to show myself that I am great and ppl will recognize that.

Did you explore anything new this year? (A new way to be creative, a trope you didn’t write before, or an idea you hadn’t thought of earlier, etc.)

I mean, applying for work for the first time in four years was definitely new. Coping with applicant tracking systems? Very new. I also did a full event planning for a physical event (I'd only done virtual before) and explored a couple new countries/places (Costa Rica, Bath).

Oh! And speaking of travel, I got back to my blog when I was laid off and while it's not like it's ever going to be super popular, I love writing my little articles and posting my pictures to revisit the things I've done.

Which work gave you the most difficulty?

Honestly, something that isn't published yet, which is an Old Guard/Outlander/Time Traveller's Wife mashup. I've had the idea forever and was plugging away at it all year, but it hasn't progressed the way I want and even though I have 20k written, it just feels paltry.

What was your biggest creative challenge this year?

Writing during the layoff was really rough. I had too much time on my hands and it was hard to get creative, because I felt like I had to be doing something productive.

Which work brought you the most joy?

Still cluck cluck, motherf- because Adam and Declan playing sick!chicken is something I am still v proud of.

Which of your works do you think people should check out?

Honestly? I'm cool with any of them being read. I was extremely happy with the reception of all my stuff, even the smaller ones.

Do you have creative plans for next year? Is there anything exciting you’re currently working on?

Always! There's 8 WIPs I want to finish, I want to continue work on my blog, and hey, maybe one day I'll write my novel instead of mentally fancasting it (Sam Reid as one of the main mentor roles has been consuming my thoughts)

Lastly, any words of wisdom or anything else you would like to share?

Super AO3 related, but always reminding yourself of the archive nature. That comments can come at any time, and that you're contributing to your own little kudos report. That you're proud because of what you published and it's great because of your work, not because of its reception.

Tagging @christchex @myrmidryad @queermil @jocarthage @smilebackwards and anyone else who wants to chat their works!

[eusuntgratie]

Fic Writer Q & A!

tagged by @cuprun thank you !

How many wips do you have currently?

i have 6 kiss prompts left, 2 rnm fics started, and 8 bigger/in progress wips across 3 fandoms, i think. i have many many many more documents in various degrees of disarray but lots of those will never get finished.

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish?

elliot x marco is definitely giving me some hell. i don't know the characters as well as i'm used to and i also started with vibes but tripped into plot which always causes some chaos. i have some great notes from a friend to get it back on track but i also struggle with having multiple wips across multiple fandoms and having very little time to actually write.

firstprince exes is also challenging bc its outside pov which makes it difficult to tell some parts of the story, but i really love that one and i'm determined to finish it i just need to focus on it (and stop starting new wips)

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you?

i get ideas everywhere all the time. i'm getting better at letting some of those go and trying to focus on the ones i have more motivation to write. i do keep a giant doc of ideas to come back to.

sometimes i get a huge burst of inspiration and could sit down and write for a really long time, but i just don't have a lot of free time available for writing. i write more and better when i have bigger chunks of time, but that's frequently in the evening when i'm tired and its harder to write.

if i have the inspo and get in a good zone i can sit down and write write write, but those opportunities are pretty rare lately!

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different?

it depends. i'm not great at creating playlists but they do help my writing process a lot. i love having them but i don't always make them. i do listen to them while i write but will also listen to them throughout the day if i hope to have time to write later because it will get ideas percolating and get me in the right headspace.

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organized?

i do a lot more planning now than i used to. i do typically just dive into a scene to get the feel for it and see what the characters are like and want to do. i don't do super organized outlines but i do usually plan out the rest of the fic in just sort of casual notes spread out visually by scene. i like doing that because then i can work on the fic out of order and i can throw in notes and ideas as they come to me. longer fics i do more planning, but still leave room for things to change, or new ideas, etc.

tagging: no pressure tagging @voxofthevoid @jbarneswilson @taste-thewaste @firstprincehornyramblings @onward--upward and open tag for anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

[miscelunaaa]

em's favorite reads for 2022

Hello and welcome to the list I said I’d make like two weeks ago and used to procrastinate doing both edits to sacrificial and messaging a client back about plot stuff!! Because I have a job now and I’m still adjusting to the fact that I’m an adult even now after all these years!! 

It’s been a fucking YEAR. Even like for myself personally, like this year’s just been fucking nuts. And yet somehow I found the time to do an immense amount of reading. I keep track of books I read, and well, to make myself feel better about how few books I read this year (and last), I started keeping track of fics I read that were longer than 50k. After all, 50k is what NaNoWriMo calls a novel, so why can’t I? With that in mind, it looks like I read some 60 books this year, most of them booklength fics. Of course, the list I keep is not exhaustive, thought I like to think it’s still pretty thorough. This year saw me starting to peak into other fandoms and read within them on ao3, and it also saw me return to commercial romance in the form of the Bridgerton Novels. There were things that I started and took to long to decide I didn’t like, there were things that I started a few times and finally decided I loved, and then there were things that I finished and allowed to haunt me for days after, when I couldn’t find anything that could compare. 

The list below is a selection of my favorites. All of them are works that qualified for a spot my personal “completed reads” list, so that means that, whether they’re finished or not, they hit roughly 50k (or were close enough for me to say it counted).  There are only ten because I had to arbitrarily pick a number to limit myself to, otherwise I would be here just listing things for the rest of eternity. Also note that there’s a lot of mxm on the list! On this blog, we are friendly to member x member fics, and if you have a problem with that, you can see yourself out. There’s so little I won’t read that after a certain point, it seemed silly to rule out some tremendous and beautiful stories just because I was worried about people being earnest Twitter shippers. The same accusations of delusional thinking can be easily leveled at those who read and write member x reader fics. In the end, the intent with which something was rendered matters more.

Anyway, that is all to sat that when I love something, I really deeply love it, and I will attempt to scream at anyone who’ll listen to me to read it. Consider this me, screaming at you with love. Happy reading <3

Before we begin, it should go without saying that all of the fics on this list are mature in nature and that you should not interact with them if you are a minor. Which like also, if you're a minor, you should not be on my blog, period. Read more disclaimers here.

∞ Stars Lost in the Sea (ao3) by smiles | this might have been recommended to my by @vyduan?? I don’t recall but either way THANK YOU. 

yoongi x seokjin, 75k, complete. Read for kind-of period romance, time travel, so so much pining, being where you need to be at precisely the right time, the unexplainable weightiness of love lost and regained, characters that deserve each other in ways I can’t hardly fathom. 

∞ Restitution (ao3) by @cloudteawrites | recommended to me by @minttangerines!!

ot7 x reader, 48k, incomplete/in progress. Read for deliciously tense hybrid dynamics, unconventional takes on species assignments for characters, phenomenal and thoughtful world building, a fic worth reading even if it were to remain incomplete for the rest of time. 

∞ tell me about the seagulls sam (ao3) by ebenroot | recommended to my by my irl army friend kitkat!!

seokjin x jimin AND namjoon x jungkook, 149k, in progress. Read for wonderful depictions of mental health issues, riotously funny character interactions, platonic soulmates vmin, deliciously one-sided-ish enemies to lovers, characters you are guaranteed to want to put in your pockets. 

∞ A Breach of Protocol (ao3) by Anna (pineconepickers) and tragicamente

namjoon x seokjin, 81k, complete. Read for unrepentant beefcake joon content, earnest and wonderful portrayals of adults trying to figure shit out while still being in the public eye, THE BODYGUARD AU TO END ALL BODYGUARD AUS, flawless and authentic characterizations.

∞ trust in the weather (ao3) by melodiousb

namjoon x yoongi x jimin, 70k, complete. Read for the magic au that will haunt me for the rest of my miserable life, the historical au that will similarly haunt me for the rest of my life, a magic system that felt natural and not once overwrought, romantic tension brought on by being the third in an established relationship, learning to love because you want to and not because you must, finding one’s place in a new home. 

∞ Teardrop (tumblr) by @hesperantha | I had the immense pleasure of beta-reading most of this!!

yoongi x reader, 70k, complete. Read for a story that feels deeply of our time, unflinching and joyful queerness, roadtrips with people who feel like people, the feeling of being unable to describe what a person means to someone while knowing the feeling is both vast and simple all at once. 

∞ What the Stars Look Like Under You (ao3) by nicedress

namjoon x yoongi, 100k, in progress. Read for the only pornstar au I have ever read that doesn’t fetishize sex work, depiction of recovery from deep seated trauma, being deeply understood in ways one would never expect, returning to loves once lost, a flawless depiction of an unreliable narrator. This is the fic that has seen my tears for every single fucking chapter. I can’t make this shit up. I have actually cried for each chapter of this fic.

∞ Honey when you need it (ao3) by GraphiteFox

yoongi x reader, 82k, in progress. Read for a reader-insert filled with tremendous depth, a playboy Yoongi that feels authentic, side characters that enrich and delight, depiction of mental health issues that feels real and done with care, an author taking care of their characters in a way that feels palpable while also being refreshing. Like that’s hard to describe and talk about but when you know, you know. 

∞ Up We Go (ao3) by Oh_Hey_Tae | recommended to me by @wwilloww!!

yoongi x jimin x taehyung, 100k, complete. Read for magical throuples, stunning depictions of depression, a modern magic au that I will never stop thinking about, a fic that will feel for you when you yourself are so tired of feeling, stories about love that taught me more than I could have ever expected.

∞ but i want it anyway (ao3) by ameliabedelias

namjoon x jimin, 55k, complete. Read for a truly perfect Jimin depiction, awkward and lovable Namjoon, metaphors threaded throughout that truly add to the story while being built upon in all the right ways, moments between two people falling for each other that I just think about all the fucking time. 

Have something wonderful you read? Want to share what you loved throughout the year? Tag me! I want to know what you read this year and loved!!

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©miscelunaaa 2022. My work is only found on this blog and under my ao3 pseud. Do not, under any circumstances, copy or repost my work. Thank you.

posted: 12.14.2022

[solojihyo]

so at the end of november, i hit 1k. and i’m honestly astonished - i never expected to hit 500 followers this year, let alone 1k, and i find it crazy that over 1k of you have chosen to follow me despite the little time this blog has been active. if i was allowed to, i would ramble forever, so i'm going to try and keep this short. but i just wanted to say that i'm so incredibly grateful for everyone who’s been supportive of me and my content: my followers, my mutuals, and especially my friends. i love you all so much.

to celebrate this milestone, and as a way to give back to you all, i've decided to create a tracking tag <3 i will be tracking #isaishi! the tag comes from a combination of isai and hoshi. none of my other ults' names worked as well (#isaihyo, #isaijin, and #isaizuha), so it wasn't hard to pick lol. anyone can use the tag, and you can tag me in visual kpop content for any groups/soloists! you can find additional information here.

finally, i want to tag some mutuals, old and new, who i want to thank for being so kind, welcoming, and supportive. i appreciate you all so much <3 thank you for being here.

@talkthatalk / @kimsmingyu / @sahyoz / @antifraqile / @jeonwonwoo / @mingyuskim / @twoset / @joshuas / @sanayeon / @korimi4 / @woozi / @junranghae / @isachaes / @wonjinist / @dokyeomblr / @hansolz / @injunnies / @wonwooridul / @wujugirlz / @lisanamjoon / @97-liners / @seungkwan-s / @dahhyuns / @woosanhui / @iive / @wonubit / @dahyun / @scoups / @woozification / @choiyeonjuns / @kinohohoho / @yoojimz / @loserline / @soolucky / @lesseraive / @seunievrse / @mandu / @ryudaeng / @lesserafimz / @lserlver / @keppie / @soonhoonsol / @aceofvernons / @suhyeos / @chocolatkpopidols / @junsol / @chanonara / @lenteur / @bravegirlss / @lixblr

(no one is obligated to reblog this post! i also tried to tag as many people as i remembered, but i apologize if i’ve forgotten someone, and i also ran into the 50 tag limit lol. i appreciate everyone who supports this blog, regardless of whether you've been tagged here <3)

once again, thank you all! words don’t describe how much all your support means to me. i’m still fairly new to gifmaking, but seeing all the progress this blog has made (as well as my own creations) makes me so happy. i look forward to celebrating more milestones together in the future!

all my love, isai 💖

[darnedanddarted]

Tagged by @tryan-a-bex - thanks!

Favorite color: purple!

Last movie/TV show: Working my way through the latest batch of Doctor Who specials. Donna is my 2nd favorite companion ever (but K-9 will always be my favorite)

Last song: I don't have a Spotify, so I don't have a good way to keep track of what I've been listening to. But the last song to get stuck in my head was 1985 by Bowling for Soup

Sweet/spicy/savory: Yes. I especially like when you mix two of them together - sweet/spicy, sweet/savory, spicy/savory, doesn't matter. Just so long as it isn't bland

Relationship status: married

Last thing I googled: Kroger store hours this week

Current obsessions: This one's getting long, so I'm going to separate it into categories.

Personal: Scrap blanket in Tunisian crochet - that'll take a while. Need to finish sewing a blouse and start sewing a dress (it's cut out, just needs to be sewn), and test some visible mending ideas on an old hoodie. Couple amigurumi toys for the niblings. Three pairs of hand-knit socks in time-out, each for a different reason. Some fics in very slow progress (mostly written longhand so no snippets right now). Contemplating if I need to start looking for a new car (mine's 8 years old and very, very German).

Fics: (Am I using this to plug some of my current favorites? Absolutely!) Some continuing Dreamling webcomics: Wolf and Raven by @wolf-and-raven-dreaming (also on AO3), the Horse Girl AU by @amielot (and the story Old Town Road by @arialerendeair). For prose fiction, there's Fuckboi Dream Was Forced To Experience The Mortifying Ordeal Of Being Alive And All He Got Was This Stupid Husband (by Fall Out Boy) by @dancinbutterfly (WARNING: everything really, especially as the story progresses, but by then you're hooked, so PLEASE mind the chapter warnings). To counter the dead dove with some truly wholesome content there's The Absolute Warlord (Witcher AU) series by @inexplicifics, and the Wolfblood series by the same author (AU of the Absolute Warlord AU). There's still smut in these - it's just wholesome smut instead of dead dove smut.

Tagging @mellowunknownsoul @hes-all-and-hes-more @nyxneon @mortallysweetstrawberries @indistinctive-mortal and anyone else who wants to play

[bursting-at-the-seems]

I am 28 years old and I am 5 foot 10 and wear a size 20. I work with a personal trainer, I don't eat a lot, and I do my best to eat mindfully. I also have several recently diagnosed chronic conditions, Autoimmune, Dysautonomia, and endocrine, though the symptoms have been around most of my life. These are genetic conditions and they are not caused by my weight.

They believe if I lose weight they will go away.

Growing up my family always made comments about my weight as well as others. Most everyone in my family is over weight. I would run miles every day in high school and skip meals and still hear how i needed to lose more. I became the DSM5 definition of bulimic, made easier by other abuse going on in my life.

Now, I am a happy person and happy with myself. I'm not at the weight I want to be, but I don't discuss my weight with anyone outside of my doctor. If my family asks I tell them I am doing my best and discuss my medical condition challenges. They have offered gastric bypass and lap band surgery unsolicited. At a party someone brought up my weight to try and help me and in that I found out people have been discussing it behind my back out of concern. So I sent this text:

Hey family,

I have heard for quite some time that there have been conversations about my weight with others in the family, though not to me. Recently, this has come to my attention, again.

My doctor and I are both aware and in agreement that my weight is not our primary concern. This is due to my other medical conditions taking priority, especially as my weight did not cause these genetic conditions.

Despite this, I still consider it a priority and I've seen progress: weight loss, more muscle, less body fat, smaller measurements. This is because:

• I have met with professionals (nutritionists, doctors, therapist) to review my eating habits, avoid disordered eating, and how we can manage my conditions and side effects impact on my progress.

• I work with my personal trainer and we track my progress. Also, I'm adding more physical activity as I can.

While appreciate the love and concern from everyone, I do not want my weight to be a topic of conversation when I am not in the room. I hope you will all respect that. There is no need to respond to this message as I trust that any of my family, whom I truly love and who I know love me, will not be discussing my weight amongst each other ever again.

Thank you

In response I had two people get very upset. Saying that I should have just let it go. That people talk because they care. That's what a family is. That they are worried they will need to bury me. That my text was dismissive and uncaring. That it's not about my looks (for some) I told them these conversations are hurtful and as they don't know my weight it must be based of my looks. I was told when I really want a husband and kids I will lose weight, I won't be truly happy till l do lose weight. I told them, aside from this I am happy, I my weight isn't a requirement to happiness or marriage, and that their conversations make me feel ugly and want to go back to disordered eating. That it's hurtful when I am doing everything I can, they know I didn't eat a lot, and I'm fighting my body in other ways. It makes me feel like l'm failing. That at the very least I didn't need to hear about these conversations and I didn't need it discussed at family events.

Was my message so wrong? Does anyone else struggle with this? I love my family so much. I'm doing everything i can to keep loosing weight and it never seems enough, not just for my family but for my body. It just won't go down more.

[bloodsbane]

Hello, Happy (late? Its 1 am so I think technically late) birthday :) I just saw in yer tags that you decided to play Slay the Princess on your birthday, and I wanted to ask what you thought of the game :)

thank you~ ^^ i'm more than happy to talk about it!

short answer is that yes, i did play, and i had a really good time! I did one "full run" of it. for those curious, i got these in order: the Fury, the Razor, the Damsel, the Prisoner, and the Adversary.

it's a game i'd definitely recommend to anyone who's at least slightly interested in it! and that it's absolutely one that's the most fun going into as blind as possible, BUT by its nature, you'd still have a lot to discover on your own even if you watched someone play part of most of a run ;)

(more concrete commentary and vague spoilers below)

(and of the routes i got, I think Fury and Adversary are my favorites, though I did the Godkiller branch of Fury so I'm really curious to get that again and try going with the Broken's suggestions heh)

I ended up getting what I think could be called a 'middling/Neutral' ending, which was fine, I was playing to explore and pick what felt right in each moment rather than get something more definitive. I think I got a lot of insights by the end of my route so I'm eager to get back into it and play the game at least like 2 more times.

I REALLY enjoy the game, I think the ideas behind it are so cool and I love how it has so much replay-ability. like, I watched Joseph Anderson's playthrough of it (which was super funny, though I didn't finish watching the end of it bc he got a different Ending than I did and I didn't wanna see every detail of that), and it was really interesting to see not only what other routes he discovered, but how when he encountered routes that I'd also run into (Razor, Damsel), he managed to get slightly-to-moderately different versions of them! Like, his version of the Princess at the end of his Damsel route was totally different from mine!

The presentation is perfect, too. I'm already quite familiar with Jonathan Sims' voice talents of course, since I've been a huge fan of The Magnus Archives for the last ~5 years, and he wrote/voiced in that podcast. He does a phenomenal job acting out all the Voices in STP, and it was really nice to hear him performing again (even as I'm keeping up with the TMA sequel podcast, where he also voices, just not as predominantly!)

The voice acting for the Princess was amazing too, I LOVED hearing all the different variations of her vocal presentation. I thought it was such an immediately cool detail... especially since I chose to take the knife down with me on my very first go at it, so my first impression of her was the much more dangerous and stern delivery, which I wasn't expecting - I anticipated the writing to have her play innocent at first, but of course I know now why that wasn't the case, hehehe.

and of course the artwork is amazing. i LOVE how it's kept to a more sketchy, work-in-progress feeling style, i think it conveys the fragility and impermanence and transformative nature of the game and where it takes place. and of course all the ways the princess is stylized, both more subtly and obviously, in each route, is one of the most fun elements of discovering new versions of her. a lot of the compositions are great and i love her expressions a ton!! uhg just really great artwork all around

and speaking of art, the ost is fantastic, really perfect ambiance as well as tracks that convey the feel of each route, like, i'd call them each uniquely textured in a way perfectly suited to each. i'll probably throw the ost on by itself at some point to try appreciating the music on its own a bit more

overall great game!! im excited to play it again and im curious just how many variations of paths and endings there are!