#and I don't have access to a save right now to check for myself

[carlyraejepsans]

is there seriously no change in flavor text for sans' pet rock in the pacifist epilogue?? it feels like the perfect place for a joke about it being a sentient rock monster the whole time who's just a freak or something like that

[henrikvanderhussy]

How to play the original Secrets Can Kill in 2025 without game discs

oh my god I almost just wrote 2015 instead of 2025

I've successfully been playing the original SCK for the past couple hours (including "changing discs" and reopening save files), but it's possible I could run into problems later, so no promises that this is a perfect solution.

This method still requires installing the game files, so I think it'll only work on Windows, sorry Mac users. I'm using Windows 11. I was also able to install and open the game on a Windows 10 computer, but I didn't actually attempt to play it there.

All you need are copies of the game .iso files and a virtual hard disk drive program. The post got long, so details are under the Keep Reading. It's not actually complicated, but apparently I talk a lot lol

The .iso files:

.iso files are digital replicas of optical discs (CDs, DVDs, etc). You probably don't have the original Secrets Can Kill discs, so you will need to...acquire these files.

[NOTE: My personal ethics say to not pirate shit from small studios or independent creators. HeR is a small studio and if people don't buy stuff from them, they can't afford to make new games. However, the original SCK is abandonware and literally can't be purchased, so imo, it's perfectly acceptable to pirate it.

I want to strongly discourage anyone from pirating any of the other games which can be purchased. They have 50% off sales all the time (including through today, 1/5/25) and a bunch of the games are as low as $5 when on-sale. The digital downloads don't come with any kind of restrictive licenses, so if you get a new computer, you can transfer the files and keep your games forever. Pls keep supporting HeR so that we can maybe keep getting new games]

I recommend getting the SCK .iso files from archive.org. That link will take you to a software search for Nancy Drew Secrets Can Kill. As of this post, there's only 1 result that's actually for the original SCK.

Anytime you're downloading software from a site where anyone can upload stuff, there's always a possibility of viruses. Check and see if the uploader seems sketchy (Are there comments on any of their uploads warning about viruses? Is the account brand new?). You could run the files through a virus checking program, but apparently .iso files frequently throw false positives. The SCK uploader seemed legit, but I initially downloaded and installed these on an old computer that I don't use, just in case.

There will be a bunch of files available to download. You specifically need to download the "ISO IMAGE" files. There should be two of them- disc 1 and disc 2. After downloading, I recommend moving the files out of your downloads folder because you'll need to access them frequently.

The virtual hard disk drive program:

Like I said above, .iso files are digital copies of physical discs. Similarly, the way to use the files is via a digital version of a physical disk drive. "Mounting" the .iso files to a virtual disk drive is analogous to inserting a disk into a physical drive.

Windows 8 and above has a built-in ability to mount .iso files, but when I tried that, I got a notice that the file was corrupted. The internet recommended that a dedicated program might have more functionality. I chose the Elby Virtual CloneDrive program, which is free.

Installing the game:

After downloading and installing the virtual disk drive software, navigate to your .iso files, and right click on the file for disc 1. Scroll to "Open with", and choose "Mount Files with Virtual CloneDrive". It will now show up as a CD drive in This PC in the file explorer:

Double-click to open the drive and scroll to "setup.exe". Open the file to run the game installer.

The game will install in a typical way. I think the only non-default option I chose was "No, I will install DirectX myself". I didn't actually install DirectX, but everything is working fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk, maybe now it's built-in to Windows or something.

Running the game:

To run the game, just open the game shortcut like a normal program. If you can't find the shortcut or didn't create one during the install, go to your C: drive -> Program Files (x86) -> Nancy Drew -> Secrets Can Kill -> Game.exe

In order for the game to run, you need to have Disc 1 still mounted to your virtual drive. Unless you specifically unmounted it, it should still be there, but if you get a pop-up that says to insert the disc, the problem is probably that the disc isn't mounted.

I was expecting that I would have to run the game in Compatibility Mode to handle that it was made for fucking Windows 98, but I didn't have to do anything. It just worked with no adjustments. A miracle!!

Changing discs:

The original Secrets Can Kill was too big to fit on a single disc at the time it was made! They split it across multiple discs by location. The school is on disc 2, while all other locations are on disc 1. So if you need to move from the diner to the school for example, you have to change discs.

When you need to change discs, you'll get this screen:

WITHOUT closing the game program, minimize the game. Easiest way is by either pressing the windows key or alt+tab. Navigate to your .iso files, right click on the new disc, and choose Mount.

Navigate back to the game and click OK. Easy as that!

Whenever you fully exit and re-open the game, you have to open it with disc 1 mounted. So if you saved while at the school, you'll open the game with disc 1, load your save, and immediately switch over to disc 2.

And I think that's everything! Phew! This got a lot longer than I planned on. Feel free to send me questions if you're having trouble, but I may not know the answer. I'm not an expert in this stuff, I just spent some time poking around at it last week is all.

Have fun! Go manatees!

[akirathedramaqueen]

No, I am not done with Western Energy yet, and I am not sorry

I. Just. Can't. With those parallels.

Just look at that! I am sure bunch of people already pointed that, but Hell knows it makes me think a lot about this shift.

Murder Family

[Blitzø]: Stolas, this is really a bad time!

[Stolas]: Mm, when isn't it a bad time, Blitzy?

Stolas *knows* Blitzø is in danger. There could've been a room for speculation, if it wasn't for the next exchange:

[Blitzø]: What is it?!

[Stolas]: I've been meaning to follow-up on our last little conversation regarding my grimoire.

[Blitzø]: What did you just call me?!

[Stolas]: My book, Blitzy. The book I was given to do my job. That I've allowed you to use to do yours.

*gunshot*

[Blitzø]: Shit!

[Stolas]: Anyhoo, I have been thinking... You know I've been permitting you to access the mortal realm less than legally for some time now? But I do need it back to fulfill my duties. I was thinking; what if we worked out some kind of an exchange? Favors for favors... Doesn't that sound...

*gunshot*

[Stolas]: ...enticing?

[Blitzø]: You gotta stop using your fancy-ass rich people talk, okay? I am trying to concentrate to not getting FUCKED IN MY A *gunshot*

I will omit the rest, as it won't add much to the point (if you've seen the show, you know the conversation doesn't stop here), but you can draw some conclusions from the dynamic:

Stolas sees Blitzø in projection. Gunshots do not give any chance for the wrong interpretation. He knows imp is getting chased.

Stolas takes his time to get to the point, speaks slowly, as if playing with Blitzø, with his life even, and he enjoys that. He knows Blitzø can't turn him down as imp is on a hook.

Blitzø is clear that he would like to pass on the call for the better time, but Stolas keeps him on the line. Blitzø is clear that Stolas needs to get to the point because he is about to get killed, and Stolas, although does that, is still slow in speech, playful, and demeaning towards him.

Overall, Stolas does not care about Blitzø being safe at the beginning of the series. You can also get from that convo that he crosses boundaries without guilt, and if he was able to jeopardise life of his potential lover, it's not surprise at all that he is demeaning, creepy with overly sexual talks at inappropriate times, and does not take Blitzø's offence as something to care about (I don't think Blitzø was called by his name properly at least once in the 1st season, but I have to check), as shown in later episodes. Stolas is abusing power and knows he will get away with it, because Blitzø has nowhere to go and has to put with it.

Western Energy

[Blitzø]: It's really not a good time, buddy...

[Stolas]: I'm sorry it's a bad time yet again, Blitzy, but, um...

[Stolas]: I seem to have found myself in a bit of a sitch.

You see the parallel, right? Right?!

I'm sorry it's a bad time yet again, Blitzy.

The first time we heard that, he wasn't sorry. He was dismissive.

Mm, when isn't it a bad time, Blitzy?

And the situation... Stolas is literally getting kidnapped, and finds time to ask an apology for calling at wrong time. *Again*.

Let's look at another piece of conversation:

[Moxxie]: That's Striker, sir!

[Blitzø]: Oh, for fuck's sake! Can't you just get away? Aren't you powerful?

[Stolas]: I believe he has me bound with blessed rope, which limits my ability to free myself I'm afraid. So I think you should come save me.

[Blitzø]: Oh, shit, Stolas, I can't today, alright? I'm sorry. I-I'm literally on my way to take Loona in for her very important Hellbies S.H.O.T. It takes years to book an appointment at that place, it took me five to get this one... and she's doing a lot of field work, so you know, she needs it...

[Stolas]: Oh, ha-ha, well, I do agree that is very important... but I-

We know the rest. The phone is taken away by Striker, and the conversation is interruped. We also know that Stolas gets a sudden realisation that he is in danger, which gives a hint that before he didn't recognise the situation quite as serious.

You see the shift that happened?

Stolas apologises for taking Blitzø's time, despite being in imminent danger. He went from total dismissive to total apologetic and even evasive.

Stolas takes into account Blitzø's reasons, and admits their importance.

This time Blitzø is the one who talks more, but he is on point the whole time and generally sounds uneasy, understanding that this time this is, despite being the bad time, very important. As we know, after the conversation he rushes in, before agreeing with Moxxie and Millie for them to go instead.

And why is so?

I find it very interesting that the similar phrase was used in so different contexts. In the comparison, the power dynamic simply has flipped.

Stolas was the one who needed attention, and Blitzø was the one who was asked for help.

The first time around, Stolas needed attention as well, but his matter was so diminutive and Blitzø's problems at the moment were so serious, it was simply disrecpectful, to say the least.

The second time, his request is to literally save his life, and he apologises, puts Blitzø's interest higher than his. He now feels like he is a burden, a nuisance in Blitzø's life, not wanting to disturb him at all. The connection that holds them became so fragile, because Stolas realises he has nothing to offer besides power, and from that sole conversation it becomes clear that he now avoids using it against imp even on the verge of being hurt.

Stolas's attitude shifted from dominant to apologetic, he went from assertive to frightened, and, as Blitzø's importance in his life grew, so grew Stolas, giving us hope for his redemption, but also showing how insecure he really was all the time.

So much for the regal title and eldritch powers, if you can't hold onto a meaningful relationship with the one you care for.

[stellae-de-baphometis]

Important Announcement: Art/Writing Commissions, Ko-fi Subscription Tiers, Possible Etsy Store Reopening, & More

⚠️ THIS POST IS URGENT AND IMPORTANT. I KNOW IT'S A LONG POST, BUT PLEASE READ TO THE END IF YOU CAN. ⚠️

Hello everyone. So I'm aware that I've barely been active here lately, and while I've wanted to be more active here, I've had a lot of stuff going on.

So if you've been following my Ko-fi page, you probably saw my periodical status updates a while back saying that the book I'm currently writing (Beyond The Goetia) is almost finished. Unfortunately, I found that a bunch of the English translated content I had included was copywritten, so I legally wasn't able to publish it in its finished form. As a result, I have had to rewrite the book and start making my own translations of the original manuscripts, which has been very tedious and is taking an extremely long time to do lol. Nonetheless, I am still making progress on it, and I'm really hoping it will be finished by the end of the year.

With that being said, my partner and I are having a very hard time finding work and are currently struggling financially, so it would really mean a lot if you could help us out in any way possible. My partner's apartment lease ends soon and we don't really have anywhere else to stay long-term, so we need all the extra help we can get. We make barely enough money from our social security pensions to get by, and it's been extremely difficult for us to find employment.

We need to save up our money fast so we can afford to both find and move into another place to stay before the lease is up, but we're practically living from pay check to pay check, so I want to try and earn some extra money through other means so we have a little more financial security; even if it's minuscule, it's better than nothing at all.

I am still looking for work and trying to get a mainstream job, but in the meantime, I'm also going to be opening up art/drawing (both traditional and digital) & writing/literature commissions over on my @vampydemonartz blog; I accept both SFW and NSFW commissions. I will be making an advertisement post for commissions over on my art blog soon.

For those who are interested in books/zines on demonology, spirituality, and all things occult, you can follow and even subscribe to me on my Ko-fi page. I have set up monthly memberships, and each tier gives you different benefits:

Lunar Tier ($2 AUD) - One month early access to zines/books

Solar Tier ($5 AUD) - One month early access to zines/books + Name listed in acknowledgements section of zines/books

Galaxy Tier ($10 AUD) - One month early access to zines/books + Name listed in acknowledgements section of zines/books + Access to exclusive Ko-fi store items (e.g. handbound zines/books, custom handmade prayer beads, etc.)

Please Note: Galaxy Tier is not available as of right now, since I haven't set up the exclusive store items yet; but I will be sorting it out soon and making it available in the near future.

I'm also thinking about potentially opening back up my Etsy store, where I used to sell daemon sigil candles back in 2023. In addition to selling the candles again, I also want to eventually design and sell my own tarot deck, as well as sell my books/zines and maybe art prints of my drawings there too. I'm still sorting out the Etsy stuff though, so it's not definitive that I'll be opening the store back up; but feel free to follow my store in case I do open it again.

Additionally, my partner streams on Twitch from time to time (I also sometimes make an appearance on their streams too lol) and is working towards becoming a Twitch affiliate so they can eventually monetise their channel. If you could follow them over on Twitch, it would mean the world to both them and myself.

Now, obviously I understand that financial support is a lot to ask for right now, given the current state of the economy and the cost-of-living crisis; so please don't commission or donate if you can't afford to or are not in a financially stable situation yourself to do so. Honestly, reblogging this post and/or sharing it in other ways is more than enough help if you cannot afford to commission or donate.

If you do donate, please don't feel pressured to give more than what you can afford or want to give. Even if it's a small amount, it still goes a long way and helps us out a lot. Either way, I will still be eternally grateful for your support. 🖤

I am working hard to get my book finished and, even though I am publishing the ebook on Ko-fi at a price of pay-what-you-want with the option to download it for free, it would mean a lot if you could purchase it for a few dollars if you are able to do so. Additionally, I will also be self-publishing physical copies (as well as the ebook) through Lulu, so it would mean a lot if you could also purchase it through that avenue. But again, no pressure. Xx

That's pretty much all I wanted to say in this post. Again, please don't feel pressured to donate or commission if you can't afford to or simply don't want to. A reblog and/or share is honestly more than enough help if you can't help out financially. 🖤

Thank you so much for your support. Please know that I am eternally grateful for your help. Xx

~ ~ ~

⋆｡°☆. Commission Me Here

⋆｡°☆. Support Me On Ko-fi

⋆｡°☆. Check Out My Etsy Store

~ ~ ~

+ . . . Divider Credit . . . +

[sunshinetomorrow]

help a disabled trans woman get herself (and her cat) across the country and away from her family

hi everyone, i didn't ever want to have to be the one making a post like this but i'm kind of out of options here. ive had to move back in with my mom over the past few months but things have been getting more and more unstable and its really taking a lot of a toll on my mental health + has been actively retraumatizing to an extent.

the original plan was to move all of my stuff with me at once to go live with my partner in texas in a month, but due to unforeseen circumstances my mom had to move out of her current place this weekend. she now wants me to come back with her and help her move back in with my grandparents, but this would mean moving in the literal opposite direction from where i want to go and getting even further from my goal of autonomy from her/the rest of my family.

my partners lease ends in a month and we were going to get an apartment together, but in light of everything i think the safest option for me right now is to fly out early and stay with them until then. the biggest issue is my cat piper, i don't want to leave her with my mom since i don't know when i'd even be back to pick her up. unfortunately though, this means i will have to pay for a pet travel fee on top of my plane ticket, as well as checked bag fees for any of my possessions i want to have access to over the next month.

^ from what i can find, delta has the lowest rates for boarding pets, but they have pretty expensive checked bag policies (35 for the first bag and 45 for the second). all in all, i need around $350 to get myself, my cat and my basic clothes and possessions away from my family and safely with my partner at any time in the next week.

i don't have a specific goal date besides "as soon as possible" because the plane ticket prices will be changing every day. i also have a small amount of money saved up which could pay for part of this, but the longer i spend around my mom the more she is going to make me spend it on food or other things for our family. any additional funding will be spent on travel expenses or food and litter costs for piper!!

^ heres my paypal (ignore my strange username, somehow im one of the only trans people who doesnt have their deadname on paypal and im scared to change it bc of that)

i will keep everyone updated on this post!!!

$0/350

[copperbadge]

Hello, Mr. Badge, I seem to remember that you once posted about your processes and systems for staying organized in life with Excel spreadsheets etc. I’ve been struggling a lot with depression and executive dysfunction issues and don’t want it to impact my work.

Do you use the same processes at work? I get overwhelmed with the amount of documentation we have and the exceptions to the rules in our processes.

I'm so sorry you're struggling! It's really rough, and the more complicated the task feels, the more fraught it seems, the harder it is to even get a start. I feel that hard.

As for organizing work like my home life....well, it's sort of the same. I don't make a strong distinction between life and work simply because a lot of what needs organizing in my life IS my work, so it's tough to talk about them separately.

For example, I use Google Tasks to build a to-do list each day, but that to-do list starts with "stuff I'll do before work" then "shower" then all my work stuff, then "evening" and then all the stuff to do after work, ending with "7pm chores" (because I have a lot of stuff to do right around 7pm, which I need to post about elsewhere). Then the stuff I've pushed off to next day is below that, and that just bumps up the next morning. What's important isn't really how I keep the list, but that I keep it in a way that is constantly accessible, and I've trained myself to 1. put everything on it, even stuff like "grocery shop" and 2. check it whenever I feel lost. I don't find google calendars very helpful, however, so while work makes me use one for meetings, everything else goes on a calendar I made in Google Sheets that I'm just super used to by now.

It sounds like you're having a fairly specific issue, which may not even be related to your mental health (though assuredly the mental health issues aren't helping). If you have a lot of confusing documentation and exceptions in the stuff you do at work, that can be legit stressful even for someone who isn't dealing with other stuff, so I just want you to know that this may not only be a You Problem. My problem is usually the opposite, in that I'm often the first person doing something, or the only person who's done it in a while, so there's no documentation at all. But when I do have documentation I often will simply rewrite it.

After all, just because you have a handbook doesn't mean you have to use it. You can copy it over into another document and make yourself a step-by-step guide and/or a checklist. Like, I do our holiday cards every year, and my "HOLIDAY CARDS" document says "Here's the first thing you do, here's the second, do this before going past that, check this before asking for that". Literally at one point the document says "Stop. Before you go any further, do this step. Even if you don't understand why, do this step" because in the past I've disregarded that instruction ("Why on earth would I do it this way?") and lived to regret it.

Making the guide really, really sucks. Often it will take me four or five passes at a project before my guide is comprehensive (this is my fifth year doing the holiday card project and the document still has some steps missing at the end). But once you have it, it's invaluable, and often in the past I've found other people want my guides because they're fairly clear and precise about what needs doing when. For example, you might say, "Open the file and move column B to in front of column A. NOTE: THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION, THIS IS THE EXCEPTION." Or "Once you've saved the file, save a second copy to your backup folder so you can go back to it if you delete something you shouldn't. Stop and check: is this file from before or after October? If after, remember, you have to also rename it." If you find that there's a mistake you make frequently, figure out what would stop you from making it and add that in.

(We had a guy at work whose last name was VERY long and Italian, and so when I was working phones he got a special entry in the directory document I made -- the first line was all his directory info and the second line was just the phonetic pronunciation of his last name. He found out, which I had never intended him to do, and lost his shit laughing. "No wonder you're the only one who gets it right!")

So my recommendation to you is to create your own handbook, your own templates, and your own way of doing things and just slip that back into the system you have at work. Draw a diagram by hand if you need a flow chart. My approach to all my organizational issues has always been "What would make me do this correctly / prevent me from doing that thing wrong / remind me what to do / make it easier for me to start".

I think of this nowadays as the "Take the cupboard doors off" school of organizing, because to really make full use of my kitchen in a way that I liked, I had to take some of the cupboard doors off. It looks messier and kind of cheap, but it's actually a much more organized system now, and who's in my kitchen other than me?

[fereldanwench]

Hi wench!

Hope you are doing well💙

I have a choom who’s been searching around for Goro’s extended cyberware, they mentioned that you use it, we’ve been looking around for it but unable to find it. so I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if you might point us to the right direction?

Hey there! 💙

The cyberware appearance I use for Goro is actually something I made myself--If I can ever get around to finishing the rest of the appearances I made for him for photomode, it's something I'd like to release one day, but at the moment, it's private just because it's very unfinished.

However! Anyone can make their own custom Goro using the Appearance Creator Mod:

1) Spawn Goro in either photomode (how I'm doing it for this guide) or using AMM. I recommend starting with the Ronin Shirt appearance, but the same principle applies to his other canon appearances, too.

2) Open up ACM and get the camera centered over him so his name appearances in the top field. This can be a little finicky sometimes, so I definitely recommend checking the Lock Target option to maintain the selection.

3) Since the shoulder cyberware won't be visible with his shirt on, he doesn't need that mesh anymore. 😏 Scroll down in the ACM box until you see the t1_002_ma_shirt__takemura5285 fields.

4) Now click on the Select From List button next to the Mesh Path field.

This will open up another menu that contains categories for all the available wearable vanilla items:

5) In the Search field in the Mesh List menu, type in "shoulder" and then click on the arrow next to Body to show the items under that section. Click on t0_000_ma_base__cyberware_shoulderpads.mesh and viola! His shirt is now replaced with the full cyberware.

6) He's kind of missing his, uh, everything after this change, so now we need to give him his body back. Go back to the main ACM menu (where you went for Step 3) and scroll down to the end of the list until you see the t0_000_ma_base__takemura3048 fields.

This mesh contains his body, but his torso (and legs, but we don't need to do anything with those for now) are hidden when his shirt is on to minimize clipping. To unhide them, we'll need to turn those specific chunks back on by clicking on the Chunk Mask button.

7) In the Chunk Mask menu that pops up, you'll notice that most of the boxes are unchecked--We need to check the ones that correspond to his torso and arms.

(I don't know if there's a specific method to how each body part is labeled, but if you experiment with other appearances, you can toggle these to heart's desire to find combinations that work for you.)

8) Now if you want to save this appearance for later use, you can go back to the main ACM menu and scroll all the way up to the top to the Export fields. Enter your name in the Modder Tag field and whatever you want to name the appearance in the Custom Appearance Name field.

9) To access that appearance again, you just have to select Takemura in AMM and it should show up under the appearances list. You can see the ACM Tutorial appearance here:

And you can use this basic principle to make all sorts of appearances for him!

For instance, if you wanted to put him in boxers with this appearance, just go to the l1_002_ma_pants__takemura7861 field and search for "boxers." The default color of these boxers is purple, which I don't really think is his style, so I put black in the Mesh Appearance field* to activate that look. He doesn't need his belt so I just clicked the Toggle button under the i1_001_ma_belt_takemura7808 fields to turn it off. And of course, don't forget to turn on his legs with the Chunk Mask.

*Finding all of the available appearances for an item does require Wolvenkit, which might be a little intimidating if you're new to modding, but a lot of times you can make educated guesses to see if a color or pattern (like "arasaka" and "valentino" often have appearances) is available.

I hope this helps! If your friend needs any additional info on using ACM, just lemme know!

[mj-iza-writer]

"It started with yelling", Caretaker recalled as they spoke to the doctor privately while a nurse helped Whumpee into a sling.

"Whumpee had been asleep for a few hours already. I myself was getting ready to get into bed when I heard frantic movements coming from their room", Caretaker sighed, "I was on my way to check on them when I heard their yelling for help, I heard them fall. By then, I rushed to open the door. I saw them crash into the door frame and fall to the ground."

The doctor sighed, "they've definitely broken their collarbone. It could have been from falling or running into the doorframe. We're not sure, and they won't tell us. They seem to be shaken up still. They've also sprained their wrist. I can assume that happened when they fell."

Caretaker nodded, "I'll talk to them as I have to document all of this and file it to my board supervisors. I'll let you know what I find out."

Caretaker waited a few more minutes while the nurse finished helping Whumpee.

"Hey Whumpee, you gave us all a little scare", Caretaker came in and sat, "they're working on your discharge summary right now, so we have some time to talk."

"I-I'm sorry, I... I", Whumpee started to sob.

"Hey, shh. It's okay, Whumpee, you didn't do anything bad", Caretaker quickly got up to hug Whumpee, "you sounded very scared when I heard you, what happened?", Caretaker rested his hand on Whumpee's good shoulder.

"I had a nightmare, but when I woke up, I thought I saw them in my room still. Th-there was a shadow", Whumpee looked down, "I tried to get out of bed. Um, my foot was caught under the blankets, so I fell to the floor. I think that's when I hurt my wrist, and I called for help", Whumpee sniffled some snot up their nose and wiped some tears with their pajama sleeves, "I was rushing to the door when I saw it open, I tried to stop or move out of the way, but I hit the door and fell back, that's when my shoulder started to hurt."

"My my, I'm sorry you had quite the nightmare", Caretaker sighed.

Caretaker pulled the chair a little closer, and sat back down.

"I was getting into bed when I heard you moving around. I went to check on you, and when I heard you fall I sprinted to the door", Caretaker pulled out his phone, "and of course I saw you hit the door frame", Caretaker sighed, "so what will happen now is I'm going to document all of this here on my phone. A copy goes to your doctor, a copy goes to my supervisors, and a copy gets save to your care file, and as you know, you can access that at any time."

Whumpee nodded, "I'm sorry again, I know you haven't had any sleep yet. Now you have this to worry about."

Caretaker sighed and looked at Whumpee, "you have nothing to apologize for. Your care comes first, as for your injuries, I'm sorry to you that that happened. Don't worry about my sleep schedule", Caretaker gave a comforting smile, "I am perfectly fine."

Whumpee nodded and used their pajamas to wipe another tear.

Caretaker reached for a nearby tissue box and offered it to Whumpee.

Once home Caretaker got Whumpee into bed.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere", Caretaker looked them over, "try to keep your arms elevated. The ice packs and elevation will help with swelling for your wrist and collarbone."

Whumpee nodded, "besides that, I feel okay."

"I'm going to let your nurse know what happened so they come in prepared", Caretaker pulled up a blanket, "I'm going to send in the report and discharge notes to my supervisors, then I'm going to lay down for a nap until your nurse is here."

Whumpee whimpered a little.

"Are you okay?", Caretaker looked at them with concern, "I forgot about my nurse, do you think they'll be upset with me. I'm going to be an inconvenience to both of you."

"You're not an inconvenience Whumpee", Caretaker sighed, "never think you are an inconvenience to us. We are here to take care of you. We are happy to do that for you."

"I'll go out to the pharmacy later to pick up your pain medication the doctor gave you. Are you in any pain right now?", Caretaker looked over Whumpee again.

"No sir", Whumpee sighed.

"Okay, call me if you need anything at all", Caretaker started to leave, they looked around the room, "I bet that was the shadow you saw", they pointed at a pile of clothes Whumpee had neglected, "I'll clean that up later, and see about a night light in here."

Whumpee sighed as they looked at the pile of clothing. Knowing that was their fault, and they neglected to do their one chore of the day.

"I'm sorry", Whumpee looked back at Caretaker.

"I'm not upset about it Whumpee, but I will say this as a reminder. You have a few chores to take care of. I do that so you regain some independence, I hope we learned a lesson from this", Caretaker sighed.

Whumpee nodded.

"Alright go ahead and get some rest", Caretaker smiled, "and Whumpee?"

"Y-yes sir", Whumpee looked toward Caretaker.

"I'm not mad at you. Please remember that", Caretaker promised, "you are not an inconvenience at all."

Whumpee nodded, "thankyou Caretaker, that means a lot."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all. @villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived @sacredwrath @porschethemermaid @monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz @bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13 @notpeppermint @cyborg0109 @idontreallyexistyet @thebejeweledwatercat @painfulplots

[perplexingluciddreams]

yesterday was BAD.

first in the morning mum was helping me get dressed and my muscles at the left side of my ribs at my back went into spasm which is really really painful. mum gave me cocodamol, it helped a bit. i did swing. it hurt.

the plumbers came a few days ago to put the new bath in. the old one didn't work with my bath lift and i have been struggling. i had a bath once in mum and dad's ensuite bath which was hard. sitting is such hard work. it was too shallow water to begin with then i accidentally opened the plug and we didn't realise until a lot of the water had gone! i was cold.

then the plumbers had to come back to fix the new bath again because it wasn't right the first time. so yesterday i was meant to have another bath in the ensuite but i was too sore and tired so i didn't. mum helped me do a quick wipe wash instead. the main bathroom smells bad of the caulk.

THEN -

i tried to start to answer an ask on tumblr on laptop and i went to save it to my drafts but i closed the tab too fast before it finish saving and now the post is disappeared it is not in my ask inbox and not in my drafts!!!! so now i don't have access to the ask at all anymore i can't find it. it is lost in nowhereland. in the void. so i can't even redo the post because i don't have the ask anymore.

i spent ages writing and it was really hard and i wasn't even finished. and now it is all lost. i worked so hard.

and the reason i closed the tab too fast is cause i had a LOT of sore pressure in my lower tummy meaning i need the toilet really badly. so i started getting antsy needing to fix it but there is lots of steps to getting up and going to the toilet and i was already focused on a task so that was all i could think about in my head so i couldn't sort out the steps in order. i was getting upset and panicky overwhelmed already just from that. i tried to just close everything and put it away but then i did a quick check of tumblr on phone in my drafts and the post wasn't there. disappeared.

i was already anxious panicking upset. my brain got louder. i couldn't move. it is not right. i can't fix it. i was a lot upset. i needed toilet it hurt in my tummy. i was hot from being upset. everything all bad. too much at once. i needed toilet but i couldn't get up. too much all at once. it is not there. i don't know i don't know. panic. bad.

i started hitting. mum came and helped. meltdown. i did hitting and biting. i managed to go to toilet at least (with biting). then more meltdown. hitting screaming crying more screaming. mum stayed. mum encourages me to scream to get the bad energy out because more screaming means less hitting and biting and hurting myself in other ways.

mum is amazing. she tells me i am safe and she loves me. she helps me not hit and bite as much. she tells me it is okay to scream and shout to help get it out of me. she rubs and pats my back and gives me hugs when i am calm enough and rocks me as i cry. she got my chewy and put the fan on when i got too hot.

my first meltdown in quite a while. it was horrible. my throat hurts from screaming. my voice is not used to being used. i get so tired and worn out.

then i had sushi for dinner mum made i like sushi lots. i always feel better and less buzzy more loose after meltdown, even though it is horrible. i also feel more sensitive and raw. but mum and dad made me laugh and smile a bit. laughing is easier after i expel all the bad energy during a meltdown. this one built up for a while i think. i don't know.

i am still really upset about losing my writing. i worked so hard and i wasn't even finished. and i can't redo it because it was an answer to an ask and now the ask is disappeared gone forever i can't answer it anymore. i am really upset disappointed that all my hard work disappeared and can't get it back.

it was about swing and said something like: "your swing is so cool! can you show a picture of your swing? is there anything you do to manage fatigue while in swing sitting up for long periods?" not exact words but it went something along those lines.

ironically part of what i wrote (at least the part i remember) was about how my every day is a careful precarious balance. always trying to avoid some kind of crisis (meltdown, shutdown, crash). because a "tiny" thing can upset the balance. and the consequences are bad and causes further knock-on consequences. and takes time to get back to a careful precarious balance once again.

and then of course a few "small" things happened which fucked up the balance and it all went to shit. aka meltdown.

i put "tiny" and "small" in quotation marks cause they maybe is small for other people but for me it is huge and ruins a day or more. to me it feels like the whole world is off its axis.

anyway it is hard cause even though the meltdown is over i am still really upset and i can't fix it. it is not fixable. my brain is loud. i am still really mentally focused on it cause i hadn't finished. the task is not finished so i can't stop thinking about it. i didn't finish. i need to finish so it can be done and go away from my head. can't stop thinking about it and it is like poking at a fresh bruise over and over.

i woke up early this morning. hot. i hope today is easier than yesterday. i don't know yet. i still feel sensitive and raw. emotions bubbling fizzing swelling inside me.

[vanesa]

How I Customize Windows and Android

Windows: Rainmeter

Rainmeter Skins

Rainmeter | Deviantart

r/Rainmeter

Rainmeter is where I get nifty desktop widgets (skins). There are a ton of skins online and you can spend hours just getting caught up in customizing. There are clocks, disk information, music visualizers, weather widgets*, and more.

I get most of my skins from the links I posted, but they are by no means the only resources for Rainmeter skins. r/Rainmeter and Deviantart have some awesome inspiration.

This is what my desktop looks like right now:

Dock: Dock 2 v1.5

Icons: icons8 - this is probably the best free resource for icons I know of

"Good Evening [name]": Simple Clean

Clock: Simplony

* Note about weather widgets: Older Rainmeter skins that use old weather APIs will likely not work. The Rainmeter forums has information with lists of weather skins that do work.

Windows: Useful Things for Workflow

Flow Launcher - this is basically a search bar, app launcher, and even easy-access terminal all in one. The default hotkey is Alt+Space. I use this almost primarily to do quick calculations. There are a ton of plugins and I've barely scratched the surface with how I use it.

ShareX - This is my screenshot tool and I love it. Admittedly, I find it difficult to configure, but once I had it set up, I didn't really have to adjust it. You can create custom hotkeys to screenshot your entire screen, or to select your screen, or even use OCR. This has saved me a ton of time copying over text in images and making it searchable.

Bonus - Get Rid of Windows Web Search in the Start Menu: If you're comfortable with editing your registry, and you want to get rid of the pesky web results in Windows search, this fix is what I used to get rid of it.

Android: Nova Launcher

This is my main Android launcher that I've been using for almost as long as I've owned a smartphone, and it's super customizable. The best part is that it's free with no ads, and you can purchase premium at a one-time cost.

The main things I use it for are app drawer tabs, renaming apps, hiding apps, and changing the icons.

I've had premium for so long that I've forgotten what the features were, but looking at the website, the one feature I use is app folders.

This is what my phone homescreen and app drawers look like:

Time/Weather: Breezy Weather

Calendar: Month: Calendar Widget (I got this on sale for like 30 cents once but there are a plethora of good calendar apps out there)

Icons: Whicons - White Icon Pack

Advanced Customization

Further things to enhance your customization experience to look into include:

Flashing a custom Android ROM (e.g. LineageOS)

Give up on Windows & install Linux instead (Ubuntu is a good one to start with)

Android app modification: ReVanced apps (includes Tumblr), Distraction Free Instagram

Miscellaneous notes under the cut:

None of these links are affiliate links. These are all tools I happen to use on a daily basis and I'm not being paid to promote them.

Install Rainmeter skins and programs I recommend at your own risk. Before altering Windows, such as editing the registry, make sure you have everything backed up.

The Windows web search fix works on my Windows 11 machine. I don't know if it works for Windows 10, but I do know I was able to disable it in Windows 10 at some point, so your mileage may vary.

Install non-Play Store apps at your own risk. (Although in my opinion, open source APKs are less sketchy than some apps on the Play Store...) Always check where you're downloading APKs form!

The wallpaper for my desktop and phone are custom wallpapers I made myself.

(At the request of @christ-chan-official)

[grimfolks]

i'm sorry to bother you, i just came across your blog and i'm so shocked with how amazing your sims look. i play sims 3 but my sims look pretty average and my screenshots don't look great, can you please if it's possible explain how your sims look so beautiful like this? (specifically this post hiddenspriings/742135415348330496) like, how do your sims look that good? is that a default skin? and how do they have those shadows on their faces etc, is that editing or reshade? can you please explain deeply? i'm sorry i'm asking for many things, i'm just a noob and i really get confused looking at these beautiful posts wondering how to make my sims look cool like that too!!

I don't even know where to start asdfghjkl 😅 developing a sim style is honestly a journey and when I joined simblr my sims looked like potatoes too, it takes time and effort to actively work on that 'skill' if I might call it that. With that often comes the dissatisfaction of your progress and how your sims look, and sometimes you just have to stop yourself and enjoy the ride, without looking around at what others are doing. Anyways, into actual 'tips':

I think you need to figure out where you stand when it comes to cc (it's not really a need but it's gonna help I guess). I like the look of very simple maxis match skins (I have those linked on my resources page) and very often alpha makeup cc layered on top. I personally don't really like how alpha skins look like on my sims (they usually have much more depth to them but since I’m not into that I can’t recommend anything) so everything you see on them - highlights, blushes, shadows etc. is just makeup cc. For those I recommend: blushes 1 2 3 4 shadows & highlights 1(!) 2(!) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (+ tifa’s stuff here). Add them on top of each other and bam! suddenly your sim isn’t so flat faced anymore (little note here, I often use ‘blushes’ as shadows as well depending on their placement ;)

If you are interested in what I personally use as defaults check my resources page. I also have all the skins and eyes cc I use linked there. My advice would be to also check other simblrs’ resources as well, there are some well hidden gems there that otherwise I wouldn’t be able to find on my own. 

But If you are new to sims 3 you might ask: hey, how do you layer cc if you can only apply one for the category in cas? Well...Get yourself nraas master controller if you haven't already. With that mod you can increase the number of sliders which give you freedom of creating more diverse looking sims and assign multiple makeup per location. I won't explain how to do it here as there are multiple guides online, just google your question :) - I even saw great guides on youtube! It might seem like a lot at first but believe me, nraas along with its many modules will save you a lot of time and hussle. 

Lastly, part of the posting process here on simblr is editing and I cannot lie that my sims don’t benefit on that. I use reshade with mxao which enhance colors and shadows (check my f.a.q page for links) and smooth out pictures further with photoshop tools. 

Now I’m gonna expose myself a little, this is from left to right: the oldest sim in my folder currently (I’d say this is my late 2022 style), my newest sim and my newest sim with reshade on (but no further editing).

It’s a shame I don’t have access to my very first sims in sims 3 to really compare them but I think even here you can see the difference. So do not get discouraged, it will take a time and dedication like any other hobby but you’ll get where you want to be eventually :)

[ask-nurse-curly]

I guess I should call you Mr. Curly then! Or Miss, Mrs..? Correct me if I'm wrong! What happens if you go bald or, worse, get a buzzcut haha

Your frustration with FibroFree... I get it. I don't have FMS myself, but my sister-in-law does. I remember how much she suffered while fighting for the right to affordable healthcare. That's the kind of thing I expect when TRPC-R finally hits the market. The system is broken. Don't tell me if it's too personal - do you have FMS?

I wasn't part of the team developing TRPC-R though I was here when the incident occured. I got the second-hand account from my late mentor in the immediate aftermath and, oh boy... she's deceased, so sharing won't put her in legal trouble, although I must be vague for the details aren't public.

Let's just say... you know how TRPC channel activation increases cardiac growth, right? And TRPC-R regulates the activation of these channels in low gravity to counteract hypotrophy in astronauts. No problems there. HOWEVER. Say one of the test subjects got their hand on sweetener from a 'small-horse delivery' company (not naming names) and, say, the sweetener happens to be cut with a stimulant that causes exponential growth in combination with TRPC-R... now, I'm not a medical professional like you, but I'm sure you'll agree that a human heart should remain INSIDE the body, and it certainly shouldn't explode out of their chest.

The examination room was on lockdown for a week. I can't fathom how the poor nurse doing the medical check felt, but they left on the next shuttle to Earth and we haven't heard from them since.

By the way - you probably know already - there's a super galactic storm heading in your direction. It might miss you. If it doesn't, please, please, PLEASE message me as soon as you can.

- xoxo, Pheobe

P.S. I'm SO glad you asked about anoxygenic photosynthesis! Here are the facts: one, AP is photosynthesis in the abscence of oxygen. Two: two domains are capable of AP - archae and bacteria. Three: all known extant Martian organisms are believed to belong to these domains. These three facts are foundational to Martian/Terran Divergent Theory. You may be thinking "Pheobe, what about subterranean Martians; how do they photosynthesize in the abscence of light?" - an excellent question! This is the crux of the matter, and a heated source of debate. You see... [read more]

Attachment: 'Review of ATP and NADH Synthesis in Sub-Terranian Martians and the Evidence for Divergence', pdf, 1.7 Tb

Please, 'Mr Curly' was my father, I assure you that 'Curly' is perfectly fine. :-) I fear to imagine the day I go bald, I guess I'll just have to change my ID.

I don't have FMS, no, but with the amount of people that was funnelled through the hospital I worked at I got to see many cases, and it's incredibly frustrating to have the treatment readily available yet to be completely barred from accessing it. I'm thinking of going rogue sometimes, but you never heard it and I never said it. I'm sorry to hear about your sister-in-law.

...Okay, I did not actually know about the stimulant in sweetener, and I studied the packaging. This is...concerning. Even if the chances of someone being on TRPC-R are already low, and even lower of them ingesting a certain brand of sweetener, even one case is one too many -- and makes me wonder what else I'm not aware of that I should be. You've given me a lot to investigate, thank you! Albeit at the cost of...erm... a cor extrathoracicum event. Yeesh. I've seen many a harrowing case, but I don't think a spontaneous heart evacuation like that was amongst them.

Wow, that is a hefty file, I'm setting it to download immediately. Many thanks! Please know that you are saving me from frankly lethal levels of boredom with so much to read.

Right, forgot to add -- thank you for the heads up on the storm too! I'm sure we'll be fine, the ship is in very capable hands. :-) See you on the other side.

--Curly

[otomiyaa]

PSA: Back up your blog, check your tumblr e-mail for copyright strikes

Hi everyone, after suddenly losing my account with main blog + sideblogs last week, I would like to share the following warning with y'all. Not to scare you even though it is shitty, but to raise awareness. If this somehow results in me getting kicked off the platform again, so be it lol.

If you post anything fandom* related on your tumblr blog**, whether that's gifs, screenshots, videos, cosplay pics or even fics (?), you may risk getting a copyright strike (up to 3 in 18 months) or even immediate account termination. The chance is still rather small, but just know that it can happen.

*I say fandom in the broad term, so blogs that post about movies and series, anime/manga, games, celebrities, models, sports/olympics, etc. and it goes for gif and fic creators too. Not just accounts that post music or videos for example.

**I say tumblr blog, but this goes for all of the internet ofc. People have been getting this problem on any platform, from insta to etsy, youtube and twitter.

Disclaimer: I am no legal expert, just an unlucky blogger who lost her silly multifandom fic blog after 7+ years.

This will be a bit long and detailed so I proceed under the cut!

What can you do?

...To make sure you don't suddenly lose days, months, and years of content:

CHECK THE EMAIL LINKED TO YOUR TUMBLR. I know a lot of people don't do it, myself included. Tumblr does send warnings (though not always). It wouldn't have changed anything for me because I wouldn't want to appeal - since I don't want to go into this "fair use" discussion for just a fic & editing blog. I personally don't know the chances of retrieving your blog if you protest against the claims, so can't say much about that.

Back up your Tumblr blog if you can. Also save your Tumblr chats with people dear to you if you can. Account termination seems to work differently than deactivation. I was still able to see chats with people who deactivated long ago. But my blog that got terminated has vanished from everyone's DMs and ask boxes à la Thanos snap. I mourn my years of Tumblr chat with my best friend. It was not as if we even considered exporting/copying it just for the memories of the start of our friendship. But now that it's entirely gone, hehe, well. It is sad.

Save URLs and masterposts outside Tumblr. After losing your account, for I thiiink about 24-48hrs (I didn't clock, but it was temporary) you will be able to access it at least temporarily through cachedpages, if you have the URL. It doesn't seem to work for everything, but most of my Tumblr posts I could still see shortly through this site, even after I got wiped off the platform. I did this by googling my tumblr username + certain keywords, and the posts would pop up and give me the URL.

...To prevent getting copyright strikes and losing your account?

Probably nothing - but like I said, I'm not the expert, just the fool who lost her account. The termination e-mail will give you a numbered URL so it's not easy to see which post resulted in the account loss, but for me the keywords were:

-

-

Despite the 7+ years of posts, many followers and a lot of memories, I did not gain anything else from this blog and didn't think it was worth the (legal-) risks and effort to try and get it back. It would require filing an objection against the copyright claims with personal info from home address to name, and consenting to USA legal law stuff.

Even if I don't know the exact details, I'm sure they're not wrong, because whether it's fair or not, most fandom stuff has copyright issues in the end, so I can't protest against the claims with 100% certainty it won't get me in real trouble. Besides, I read about similar cases, lost cases, and admitted defeat right away.

They work with manual reports and most dangerously, bots, who seem to be randomly picking unlucky people to take down their posts and possibly the entire account.

So besides putting an entire halt to fic writing, gif making, video editing and other fandom indulgement, or the inconvenient act of censoring every single word and image, I don't think there is a way to entirely prevent getting targeted.

The one that treated me to the strikes leading to account termination was a certain Mr. Green who seems to have targeted mostly people on Etsy. But apparently now also on Tumblr. More about this I can share here for further information. I also share some other links that can inform you about how far the copyright problem can go. Again, no reason to panic. It's rare and I was unlucky. But it happens.

About Mr. Green, using bots all over the internet to take down fandom related material:

Tumblr post about his attack on fandom.

Long detailed doc from an Etsy user.

Insta post about also loss of Etsy account.

Also Etsy related, but same Mr. Green and his bots taking down something only because it used the NAME of an anime character.

Tweet about him and his company not being officially contracted but getting compensated.

About copyright claims on Tumblr - they are still rare, no panic, I just call it russian roulette and these are all unlucky people like me :')

Post by user @/marilynjeansiims about claims against users who post about Sims, including a petition against it.

Post by user @/happyheidi about Moomin posts facing issues.

Post by user @/hanyusan about olympic related claims.

Example by user @/koov about what a vague copyright warning looks like.

Good news, post by user @/yunghos about getting their account back after filing a counter notice. It seems to be possible.

Post by user @/iamkatehardy about getting a strike for using a gif.

Post by user @/stxrshxpxd about getting their acc terminated for no 100% clear reasons.

Post by user @/tekweela about getting terminated mercilessly because of a reblog.

Post by user @/fromanotherroom-revived about losing their account with similar advice as I write here.

Post by user @/ladyphasma about gifs and US law

Knowing this won't bring lost accounts back, or change the law, I do hope at least you can be better prepared just in case it happens... Better prepared than I was at least.

[endogenesis-evangelion]

so i need people to understand how being shitty about exomemories and fictives directly hurts people. including people with trauma, like me.

cw extensive discussion of suicidality, medical malpractice. heavy. very heavy. don't read if you're in a bad place. (i'm fine now. this was many years ago.)

when we were bodily in our 20s, we were unmedicated and i was deeply suicidal. like, "every moment i take another breath is inescapable agony" suicidal. "i have several files' worth of methods saved to my hard drive" suicidal. i'd always been told that The Thing To Do if you feel like you're seriously at risk of harming yourself is to go to the hospital, and i felt seriously at risk - i didn't feel safe being left alone, and our housemates (another system) were not supportive of our suicidality.

i had been seeing a counsellor at the local youth outreach, who knew fully about my fictivity and my self-harm/suicidality, and had helped me fill out the forms to apply for disability as a direct result of how debilitating it was for me. i happened to run into her on the street that day (tiny town and the outreach was Right There) and i decided to double-check that that was what i should do. like hey, i don't feel safe alone rn, i feel like i wanna End It, should i go to the ER? and she was like yeah you should do that.

so i went. i was really hoping for some kind of inpatient care, at least overnight, just to keep me from doing anything stupid. i explained that, did the 4-hour wait that used to be the norm for low-priority mental health patients and is now just the NHS norm in general, and eventually saw a nurse.

the nurse - a woman with all the terrifying energy and presence of Matilda's Miss Trunchbull - absolutely lays into me. i'm standing there crying and shaking, and she's yelling and screaming about how i've lied to everyone and i'm taking up time that they could be spending on the really sick.

she takes me over to a computer, where there are several other members of staff. she pulls up Wikipedia and shows me the article for Asuka Langley Soryu, and I realise what i'd done. i'd given my name instead of the body's legal name, and because she couldn't find me in the system, she'd googled me and found that i was "pretending to be a fictional character".

(i remember that at the time, this picture was the featured image specifically. seeing that come up in front of me is burned into my mind.)

now, at no point in the process had i lied or been evasive about who or what i was. i walked in holding one of the nge trade paperbacks, the one with me on the cover, because it was a comfort object. i had attempted to explain that this was me, because i figured that while being honest might get me put on an involuntary hold, that was actually what i wanted. i knew they wouldn't believe me, but i figured they'd at least see that this wasn't normal and maybe i'd get some help.

instead, i was fakeclaimed in front of god and everyone by a screaming woman who hated the mentally ill, and essentially told me that there was nothing wrong with me and i should go home. in floods of tears at this point, i say i don't feel safe being alone and i need somewhere to stay where i can be supervised. she gives me a list of some resources that aren't helpful at all.

i leave feeling more suicidal than when i arrived. all my life, people have been impressing on me the importance of "getting help", and it has been aggressively driven home to me that if there is such a thing as "help", it's not something i'm allowed to access. i'm a liar, deceptive, a fake person. i don't need help and i don't deserve it. my housemates hate me and i have few other friends. at this point in my life, i really feel like if i died, people would be relieved.

it honestly feels like a miracle that i didn't kill myself and the system that night. i'm not sure what stopped me, but i think it was my anger. self-loathing turned to indignation that anyone could be treated so callously, that i did everything i was supposed to do and the response was basically "just go home, we don't care if you die". i deserved better, actually, and with that came the ability to live on out of spite.

but jesus christos, i still hate that woman to this day. if it had happened today i would have filed a complaint, but i never got her name, and at the time i didn't realise that was a thing i could do. i wonder how many other people she's hurt in the course of her career. i wonder if any of them went home and killed themselves.

you don't want to be that woman. you don't want to wake up one morning and realise you might have someone else's blood on your hands, that your self-righteousness could be the thing that makes a kid think their life doesn't matter to anyone.

in the words of david lynch (gnu): fix your hearts. fix your hearts, goddamn.

[homestuckreplay]

EOA1 - Character Opinions

I think it'd be fun to do a quick roundup of how I'm feeling about each major character at big milestones in the comic (such as ends of acts), to see if these opinions change over time. So far I think we have six characters and one vague, looming force of indeterminate sentience to discuss.

Love

John Egbert - I loved this kid since I saw his silly little grin on p.3 when we got his name right, and he's still my favorite character. He's a mystery, an enigma, but he's not trying to hide anything, he simply hasn't figured out who he is or what he wants. He has simultaneously the best and worst taste in media and sense of humor. He loves computers but knows fuck all about them. He finally got an apple snack after eating nothing but cake all day. He may or may not have arms at any given moment. I could talk about him forever.

Rose Lalonde - Absolute loser dork who doesn't know it and wouldn't admit it anyway. She's so much fun to read about, and honestly, so much fun to totally dunk on. Because of her I checked a 750 page book debunking Freud out of the library. Great taste in animals, cats and eldritch horrors are some of my favorites too. I don't endorse her actions but I'm deeply excited to see what she does next. Saving John from this meteor is going to do insane things for her ego. I love her and I hope her computer gets hacked by the lab.

Like

gardenGnostic - We've only seen them twice (p.110 and p.169) and know near nothing about them but I like their energy, I always like it when someone has a really expressive typing style with lots of punctuation and emojis, and they're clearly excited about John's birthday and him getting their present. Definitely the character I'm most excited to see more of.

Neutral/Mixed

turntechGodhead - I really didn't like him based on his first couple of pesterlogs, he seems like somebody who would call his friends cringe and refer to himself as 'brutally honest' as an excuse to be cruel, and the way he types makes him sound bored all the time. But when he gave John that super thoughtful gift I did see him in a different light. He will probably shift one way or the other when we know him better, but right now I see a spark of goodness that keeps him out of the dislike category.

Dislike

Sburb - Not a character exactly, but somebody made this game, and right now I think they are deeply malevolent and suspicious. I do not trust this game farther than I could throw a cruxite dowel and I do not think whoever created it had good motivations, although I'm uncertain if they are actively, intentionally evil or if they are simply an irresponsible game scientist. The consequences are the same either way. They put my boy John in danger (and probably a whole bunch of other people too).

Hate

None... yet????

Uncertain

John's dad - Literally what the fuck is going on with this clown. Who IS he. Will he please lend me the Serious Jester magazine because it seems like a good read. He writes supportive notes of love and care for his son AND THEN PIES HIM IN THE FACE. What an enigma. He is operating on a plane of existence I cannot access

Rose's mom - I do not consider Rose a reliable source of information <3 so I'm holding judgment until I meet her mom for myself.

[tentaclesofhate]

How/where do you make your blinkies? I wanna make a few 😁

For generators, blinkies.cafe is great & also the only one I can think of off of the top of my head (and just added a ton of new templates since the last time I checked/rules if you don’t have to have any graphics knowledge or programs etc.) I don't use them often but I see them around the most often & think it's cool how accessible it is. I'll tell people to use this site 56278 times because it's simple & there's plenty of options. (And with the saved images you can kind of dissect them frame by frame if you're trying to learn how they work to make blinkies from scratch, later.)

Example of one of the few blinkies I've made there:

Useless information about how I personally make blinkies:

For blinkies like the ones on my Neocities - I use Photoshop & the "how" is honestly just via being old (I should make a tutorial if I have the time - but I've been making blinkies since the mid-00s so it's second nature, frame by frame - there's a few other people on here have written too! It's just infinitely looping animation at .1s speed @ 150x20px.)

Examples of blinkies I've made myself:

I'll preface this by saying I've been making pixel art in general for fun for over half of my life at this point so being a picky bitch, 90% of the time I make my own templates/frames/borders, & usually make my own pixel art or just resize things. (Pencil tool in any program - set to 1px) For text I either use old mini-pixel fonts (that I've had on drives since like, 2007 - like the text in my pinned post) or hand-make them (The text in both of these I'm fairly sure I did pixel by pixel because I couldn't find something I liked, bare minimum I know the Type O one is my own "font") IIRC you can do the same process using GIMP but I haven't touched that program since maybe 2007 cuz it's not intuitive for me. (Yes, I know this is a totally useless & nonsensical description of how I make things lmao)

(If anyone would actually like a tutorial let me know, right now I'm using PS 2020 but it runs like CS6, which runs like CS3 & the steps for building the blinkies/pixels themselves aren't program specific IMO. I used to save frames in Apple Paint & upload them frame by frame to sites that would make them into .gifs for me!)