#and then i will bring My Creation into work to share with everybody

[gobbluthbutagirl]

boss sent all the leftover cookie crumbles from the now-discontinued cookie butter cold brew home with meeeeeee btw

[vimse]

Ah wow it’s almost 2025, which means it’s time for the yearly art recap. Time flies when you’re struggling through your thesis, but I’m very pleased to scrounge up at least one Tech drawing per month. I’ll do a (not so) short reflection about my 2024 art under the cut if you’re interested, but for now, I’d like to express my greatest gratitude for everybody who has stuck around and shared my art. Hoping that 2025 will be a more productive art year. Byeee 🧡

Tl;dr under the cut: ramblings about my struggle in school, 2024 highlights, hopes and dreams next year

—

Let’s look back at last year’s summary:

What's next in 2024?

More Tech. Some things I'd like to explore in 2024 is character drawings beyond portraits, anatomy, simple backgrounds, OCs, storytelling through short comics, TBB band au, and maybe some commission work

Well, safe to say I didn’t get too much of that done haha. The reason for that is I’ve been really struggling with my undergraduate thesis work in chemistry. I don’t really know the root cause of it, but I just can’t bring myself to finish it and I’ve been procrastinating badly, so much that I’ve missed two presentation opportunities. The third opportunity is within 2 weeks and I’m nowhere finished or ready. It has been a constant source of stress and anxiety throughout 2024. I got burned out by the end of May and went to the school counsel to hand in my resignation notice, but got convinced to stick around but to finish it at a later date, because this is literally the last thing to do before I get my degree. Then afterwards I decided to go back to my old job full time, which has been very tiring and took a long time to adjust to. This is very obviously reflected in the amount of full illustration produced during July to October, especially September when I couldn’t bring myself to draw anything beyond Tech’s hand lol.

If I don’t finish my thesis in time for this round, I think I’ll finally throw in the towel for real. Maybe I’ve doomed my future or something but…this experience has made me feel incredibly (and constantly) bad for a whole year, and it has affected every aspect of my life. I’m very tired of it. And although my current job is very tiresome and probably detrimental to my health, it pays well and the colleagues are wonderful. Additionally, it is a niche job that I have years of experience in, with good connections, so I’m not currently worrying about my future job at all. And it’s still within the chemistry industry, so all the time I spent in school isn’t going to waste. In regard to my future, I’m more worried about wasting all of it on a conventional 7-16 job, of which I don’t think a degree in analytical chemistry would help me avoid anyways.

Okay, I’ve rambled enough. If you’re still here, thank you. Now, let’s look back to some positive highlights in my art year of 2024:

I think I’ve finally reached the point where I’m content with how I draw Tech. As evident by the picture above, it’s sort of consistent too, which is a bonus.

I joined my first zine!! It’s the Pabu Days zine and I can’t wait for everyone to get their copy of it. Everybody’s pieces are amazing. I wish I did better/more, but the creation period was during the worst time of my year, mental health-wise, and I have to accept that it was the best I could do at the time.

As for the “masterpiece” of 2024, my most proudest work is the CX-Tech piece I did during the height of TBB season 3. I’m incredibly happy with how the rim lights turned out and the overall mood of it. Also the texture on the armour turned out sooo good, I can’t believe I was the one who painted it lol. I wish I could personally show the picture from my monitor, because all the details seem to disappear when viewed on tumblr. Below is the illustration I’m talking about, along with a side by side comparison to the picture I referenced the lighting from + some closeups. Looking back at it now, I wish I added a stronger frontal light source, so that the picture isn’t so dark.

Also, extra shout out to the back study series. I am traditionally not a painter (just grew up as an anime weeb) so making these this was an incredible accomplishment.

With that, I’m wrapping this very long post (sorry) with some 2025 hopes and dreams. Basically it’s the same things I wanted to do in 2024: improve anatomy, more background, work on OC, work on AUs. I want to try very hard to make commissions happen next year, if people are still interested. Something else I want to do that isn’t strictly art related is to connect more with people, especially with those who are still hyperfixated on TBB as I am. I find it hard to socialise on tumblr, but I try to be more social on bluesky. Idk, I think it would be fun to find a small active community that is maybe more focused on clones and oc stuff.

Okay, that’s all! If you’ve made it this far, thank you thank you thank you. Have a happy holiday and may your 2025 be a wonderful, wonderful year.

🧡 vimse

[hyakujuuou]

One thing that I think TikTok achieved better than any other social media app (of my time), and the thing that set it apart from other social media (again, of my time) was that first being the cringe app and then being *the* social media app during the pandemic created a culture of imperfection that actually allowed it to develop its own unique cosplay subculture and be the origin site for somewhere between “a lot of” and “the majority of” the memes of the past 5 years. If I were to narrow down one reason why TikTok is this popular as a social media, it would be the culture of imperfection, and I’m legitimately doubtful that this will carry over to a US-owned TikTok.

(long post)

On the other social platforms that I’ve experienced (Google+, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, a brief stint with Twitter), there has always seemed to be an expectation that I’m putting my best face forward, and that I’m sort of polishing my words and content, and publishing something that is as perfect as I can manage at that moment.

For cosplay specifically, it is my perception that TikTok successfully developed its own kind of subculture within cosplay as it is done in online spaces, and that it exemplifies the sort of imperfection culture that makes TikTok appealing in a way that Instagram doesn’t. On TikTok, there’s much more of an expectation of imperfection and improvement that allows much more experimentation, less immediate competition, and gives a cosplay stage to people who wouldn’t be able to access conventions for travel or money or ability reasons. On TikTok, I’m not worried about my cosplay being perfect or even being finished— it was common to present works in progress and even to not know what a ‘finished’ version of the cosplay would look like, or if one ever even wanted to finish the build. TikTok was less of a performance in the way that cosplay IRL seems to me and less of a simulation of that performance in a way that IRL cosplay carries onto other social platforms. I think the best ways to describe the energy of TikTok from the reflections posted at shutdown are as a time capsule, a photo album, and a middle school yearbook. Being an app where posting cringe was the expectation for a long time certainly didn’t give TikTok a non-judgemental atmosphere, but there was a sense of community in being cringe but being free.

I think this also reflects in the creation of memes, and also brings in the anonymity aspect of TikTok. On TikTok, people can not only remain anonymous, but aren’t encouraged to use their real names (in the way Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Instagram does) and there’s not as much pressure to connect your profile and content to other media (as with Google+ and YouTube). It wasn’t as connected to other places on the internet (as far as I know I couldn’t directly share an article from a major news source to TikTok the way I could do so via email, Twitter, Facebook). Content posted on TikTok is divorced from reflections of one’s person, in contrast to Instagram, which is much more a place to post snapshots of one’s successes. I think that this, along with the expectation of posting low-effort cringe, gave the app its appeal and unique user culture.

And I don’t know if this is going to be able to exist on a US-owned TikTok, specifically, Donald Trump’s TikTok. In addition to Trump’s ownership driving away a lot of the original “cringe” creators (cosplayers, weebs, furries, visibly queer people, alt people, etc), pro-Trump propaganda forces everybody else willing to post political content to do so in a serious manner, exactly the ‘showing your best face’ that cause other media to be less desirable (or desirable in different ways) than TikTok. When Trump uses his new propaganda toy to amplify his politics, it will push cringe culture either into a small minority of users or off the app entirely. I don’t believe that the same meme culture will be able to continue on Trump’s TikTok, both with the overbearing presence of his social agenda that he’ll be able to push and with cringe culture dying on the app.

And I have no idea what it’s going to do after that. Once it turns into a right-wing echo chamber, it’s going to shut itself off from all other audiences. On an app that pushes Trump-wing propaganda, visibly being anything else will be dangerous to impossible. Once Trump’s right-wing doesn’t have anyone else to mock or criticise, the app will cannibalise itself.

:/

[zealouscanonindeer]

Hey everybody, Happy choices fandom shoutout day!

Firstly, each and every single one who is part of the fandom, irrespective of the book, the story, your ships, your HC's, you deserve a shoutout. I might miss some of you (im sorry in advance) but remember all your creations are loved and cherished.

I joined the fandom pretty late,and is nothing what it was in it's heyday,contemplating whether or not I should write and ever since I took that step, I couldn't be more glad. Thank you to everyone who supported, liked and reblogged. I love making content and hopefully making your day a little bit brighter.

To @jerzwriter and @lucy-268 and their @choicesficwriterscreations. Thank you for taking out the time from your schedule to bring together all our works. Sharing them with the community, truly the fandom wouldn't be here without you guys.

To @lovealexhunt and @choicesfandomappreciation for your lovely positivity and enthusiasm for hosting amazing events to bring our fandoms closer. Thank you ❤

To @liaromancewriter, my first OH friend, thank you so much for helping me, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

To @potionsprefect, who never fails to like a single post of mine. you are amazing! Seeing you in my notifications makes my day.

To @peonierose who is one of the most positive people I have ever interacted with. Thank you so much for your support!

To @cariantha , @tveitertotwrites , @coffeeheartaddict2 , @kyra75 @queencarb. Thank you for all your love.

And of course @tessa-liam who is one of the sweetest people in this fandom! 💕

Lastly, to @jamespotterthefirst @genevievemd @takemyopenheart @rookie-ramsey @lilyoffandoms and @storyofmychoices who inspired me to start writing and take that first step. I know some of you are not that active anymore but I hope you see this cause I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all.

If I have missed anyone, just know I truly appreciate you and hope for the best for all of you in this fandom.

PS to my followers @yagirlanaaa and @703cowbarn Thank you!

I hope you all have a wonderful month and sending all my positively and love towards you. Thank you for making this fandom so lovely and know all of you are close to my heart. 💕 Thank you for making this fandom so special.

@choicesfandomappreciation

[signalhill-if]

Hey, wanted to say thank you for ALL your hard work on getting your demo out. I absolutely LOVE the personal touches that you did to your twine???? It is so creative and fun to look at and play with; I also loved how you set up your character creation.

However, from reading the demo I do have two criticisms/questions: 😭

when making our character, even though we can describe our hair texture/style, I was wondering why skin color wasn't an option? (I played on mobile, so if it was there it got cut off 😭)

2. This one is more a critique of how MC comes off/personality wise, and maybe it's just me, but when you pick their "class" in the beginning - the descriptors for the classes kind of already sound like a preset personality. So I picked the signal because I was under the impression that MC would maybe have more...flowy hippie moments/everyone finds them kinda weird because they're intuned with the signal and their intuition is always right kinda thing. However, and I understand trying to balance one set personality that makes sense for everyone, but it does feel like personality choices feel moreso favored towards the mechanic or the flirt or the muscle class than for the signal class. Again, it might just be ME and my own expectations.

OVERALL, still great job, those were just my thoughts lol

Hey! Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

This first question lets me talk a little about my character creation ethos, which is something I'm always chomping at the fucking bit to talk about, so thank you lmao. You'll notice that there are no colour options in the character creation section! This is for a reason!

The goal with character creation, in my humble opinion, is to bring the player into the world as much as possible while also limiting their creativity as little as possible. With a text-based medium I find it useful to keep things sparse. If it's not necessary for worldbuilding, I cut it. Yeah, psych! That wasn't character creation at all, it was exposition!

So the player needs to pick from a list of hairstyles because I want the player to come into this world knowing what kind of hairstyles people wear. And I want the player to pick from a list of scars so they know they're entering a world where everybody's got a buttload of scars. It all gives off the vibe. Whereas when it comes to things like skin colour or hair colour, I don't want to limit the player's creativity by giving them a set list to pick from, y'know? Your character can have whatever skin colour you want them to have, and it's never going to be referenced in the game, so I'd rather the player decide that themselves.

As for the other part- the skills are just that, skills. While the selection gives you some suggestions for what kind of character might have that skill, it's not about personality as much as ability. I don't want to lock the player into a personality just because they selected one starting stat at the beginning of the game.

Rather than skills, the thing that mechanically will reinforce your character's personality is their identities. For example, I don't want players being seen as weird just because their Signal is high, because that's one of the effects of the Augur identity.

And in regards to the player not having many Signal-focused options in dialogue, I will definitely take that into account! I think once we get deeper into the cult storyline it'll take center stage a little more.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts!!!

[cryptid-artha]

Me: Makes an adoptable, draws it from scratch, makes something really nice that I pour my heart and soul into Adoptable: Can't even get $5 out of it, sits for months to years not selling, eventually ends up sitting so long I price slash and price slash then just give up and keep it making me just give up on them entirely. Me: Bids on an adoptable that is unique and REALLY nice The Adoptable: Has a REALLY high Autobuy, sometimes in the hundreds of dollars Person: Fucking autobuys it out from under me This happens every FUCKING TIME. This is why I never make adoptables anymore. Nobody gives two hoots about my stuff, but stuff just as nice by other people, even SMALL ARTISTS, like... without a lot of followers, sell theirs for hundreds of dollars. (I bring this up because if it was just popular people I'd understand, but it seems to be everybody OTHER than me that can sell adopts for $100+ while I can't even get $5 out of hours of work) I am getting so sick of REALLY liking a design, going to bid, and having it snatched out from under me for hundreds of dollars. But worse is when it's basically just a generic wolf, or a creature that looks half-assed selling for hundreds of dollars when something I pour my heart and soul into doesn't get a wiggle of interest. The one that really effected me the most was when I created a design years ago that I couldn't even get $15 out of (Somebody only took it when it went down to $5 because I was just tired of it sitting there) and another artist, a fairly popular one, made an extremely generic wolf and somebody paid $800 for it. Fucking $800. For a generic-ass wolf. Like, nothing special about it. Just. Grey wolf in a walking pose. sketch lines still visible. Flat colored. For $800. For enough to pay a month of rent in the place I had a room in. That hurt, and looking back, it still fucking hurts. I don't do art for the attention, I do it because it makes me happy. But... sometimes I want at least some appreciation for my work. I enjoy sharing my art. I love the feedback. I love being able to share my creations and see people actually care about it. I love discussing my creations with other people. I love the interaction, I love the shared interests. But every single time I work my ass off and nobody gives a single crap, it hurts. And every time I try to get something, and somebody drops hundreds of dollars on something when I can't even sell something with the same effort myself for $5... hurts. And people wonder why I gave up making adoptables years ago. I will also add.... it hurts even MORE that something shit out by AI in seconds sells for more than something I spent hours on... Makes me feel even worthless that even a damn computer shitting out art with fucked up hands and stuff gets more interest than something I spent hours on.

[behindtheakhtar]

Behind the Akhtar

What's good castmates? It's been a minute, huh? Life moves fast and we find ourselves behind on pretty much everything. Raise your hand if you've been there!✋ This has been the case for me these past few weeks. I've missed all of you and have so much to share. Let's get caught up on what I've been up to, where I've been, and who I have been spending time with...

The Hare and Hedgehog Cafe

The Hare and Hedgehog is an old fairytale about social class and peculiarly, spousal selection. The eponymous cafe was recently renovated and I was stoked to go check it out. Will it live up to the moral of the fable and have both bourgeoisie and proletariat welcome to sip its coffee creations? Real coffee drinkers are early birds, so I had to check it out early in the morning. It was rather peaceful outside and not too many folks were inside. This scenario gave me the best chance to check out what changes were made.

It was definitely cozy inside. Here's what's new:

Plush light blue sofa and armchairs

White cafe tables and chairs with accented wooden legs

Vanilla and clove candles placed throughout the space

Performance stage equipped with a microphone, violin, spotlights, and sound system

There is plenty of room for your books, laptops, and of course drinks and bites as you work, chat with friends, or simply enjoy the entertainment centered on the new performance space. The renovation turned out to be specific, small changes that show an intention to host emerging artists and attract patrons looking for a chill, laid-back experience. The Hare and Hedgehog does seem to pull off just that while living up to its fabled connection, being visited by both celebrity and regular folk alike.

The closer it got to the lunch hour, the cafe became surprisingly fuller. I say surprisingly because I was flabbergasted by the sight of a dirty Impress-O Espresso Machine at the counter. How could anyone continue to order drinks and food with the machine in that condition? I have no clue.

Drink and eat at your own risk!

Winterfestivities

The snowcapped mountains can only mean one thing. Winter has come. And with that brings the cheery celebrations of Winterfest. Not my favorite holiday but one I do enjoy nevertheless. This year, I wanted to start an annual Winterfest tradition. Besides capturing a photo with Father Winter, I decided to host a charity fundraiser for the organization, Toys for Elders. Everybody knows a pair of socks and underwear can be one of the best gifts ever as an adult, but we can also admit to missing the joy of unwrapping a new toy on the big day. Remember getting that new video game you wanted, or the trendiest doll with all its cute outfits? If you were like me, you geeked out on your first camcorder. The X, Z-Cam 360 was almost a relic at that time but it was my first so it was special. Even as a kid, I knew I loved being in front of a camera and pestered my parents almost to death (close call with my dad and a near cardiac explosion) to get me one. They gave in on the condition that I film family events such as birthday parties, house parties, dinner parties, pool parties...yup, we loved to party! It was a cool gig in retrospect given that it gave me the humbling experience of being behind the camera. But you can bet that I found ways to get in the frame every time. Anyway, the point of this ramble is that getting toys doesn't really happen outside of childhood, so I take great pleasure in re-introducing that joy to the elderly citizens of our world at Winterfest time.

It was a chill shindig, the way I like 'em after suffering many years of family party extravaganzas. As a special treat that evening, I did a live painting as an extra donation to the organization. I wasn't sure what I would paint right up until the time I started painting. Pretty risky, especially since I thought it was a poor effort in the end, but it's the thought that counts, right?

I do want to shout out my good friend and caterer, Dorothy Bheeda, for preparing some scrumptious eats for us during the event. As always, she proves herself to be not just a competent cook, but a gourmand that elevates every meal into a work of art. Hire her as a caterer for your next event! It's fully my fault she lost her job at a Make-a-Dish (long story for another day), so I'm doing my part to get her gigs to stay afloat. Didn't get a chance to snap a pic with her during the event, so here's one as she's leaving my apartment at the end of the night. (Sorry Do! You look great regardless!!)

Have You Ever Had Prairie Grass Nectar?

If you've never heard of this before, it's made from prairie grass hay, fills you right up, and reduces tension leaving you happy! Over the New Year's holiday, I'm getting a taste of the ranch life, and this special nectar blend, at Grapevine Terrace. As I'm prepping for another season of Residency of the Heart, I needed a relaxing reset and decided to check out this vacation rental located in Rider's Glen in Chestnut Ridge. You all know I'm a city boy at heart so I'm way out of my comfort zone here, but I've brought along a special guest who helps ease my discomfort.

Castmates, please extend a gracious howdy to my little lady, Devin Capricciosa. (If you have a keen eye, you should recognize her from my Winterfest party pics.) Yup! I'm off the market (so report any imposter Cupid's Corner profiles you see, it's not me!) and totally happy and committed to this gem right here. I'll give you guys the how we met background another day. Just suffice to know for now that she has a full-time residency in my heart (yeah...I'm doing cheesy romance puns now). We've only spent one night at Grapevine Terrace and have two more days left to explore Rider's Glen. If you know of any spots we should hit up, let me know on Social Bunny. I love checking out places you guys recommend. We're planning on making our own nectar tomorrow, seeing some horses, and scoping the local pub scene. So far, we've enjoyed staying in, cooking some matza ball soup together, then watching the New Year's Eve countdown. Have you made any resolutions for the New Year castmates? Hope you've had a great time over the holidays, spent time with your loved ones, and are taking care of yourself. I know it has been a pretty hefty rundown today, but I really enjoy sharing my day-to-day life with you all. We'll be back to our usual behind-the-scenes content at the studio soon. Super excited to keep you in the loop of the upcoming season! Stepping behind the curtain, Veer.

[whispersofinsight]

Playtime Perspectives

Playtime Perspectives Daily writing prompt Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you? View all responses Playtime and Video Games I almost didn’t think I was going to make this by midnight. But yes, I do play. Typically playtime to me looks like video games. I spend a lot of time playing them because they get my mind off of my problems. Just don’t expect me to be too good at them. lol What Defines Playtime? Playtime is anything that isn’t productive, right? I guess I would also consider managing my websites, something that I do in my playtime, but this blog, in particular, feels more important than that. I use this blog to process a lot of my thoughts, so I think it’s more serious than the label “playtime” would allude to. Would spending time with family and friends count as playtime? I do that periodically. I think that most people do this. Most of my daily activities aren’t too unusual or exciting. No, not everybody does what I do, but it isn’t anything to write home about. I try to keep things calm and simple, not that it always works out that way, but it’s the goal. Exploring Hobbies If I had more in the way of disposable income, I would love to pick up additional hobbies. Like painting (art, not walls) has always been an interest of mine. It’s so expensive though, all the supplies and space and such. That’s why I try to do it on my iPad. If there is a hobby that you think everybody should try, leave me a comment and maybe I will. The Value of Hobbies Hobbies are such an expensive thing, aren’t they? Right after I had that thought, the next thought was, “I wonder how people justify this expense.” But then after some contemplation, I think just saying “It’s my hobby” is justification enough, right? Hobbies help people in many ways. They can help reduce stress, improve focus and mental functions, expand social networks, and personal development. I don’t know that many people probably examine just why they have a hobby, outside of it being something that they like. However, I think most people understand the value that a hobby brings, which is why a justification isn’t usually necessary. Anyway, I think I might keep this post short and do another if anything else comes to mind. Side Note: Website Issues I have been trying to set up a CDN (Content Delivery Network) with my website host and Cloudflare, but I am having soo many issues. So, if my site is periodically inaccessible, that would be why. If you enjoyed reading this post and you’re not already a subscriber, you should consider subscribing today. I write new content frequently and I’m eager to share it with others. Subscribe The post Playtime Perspectives appeared first on Whispers of Insight. Tags and categories: Daily Prompt, content creation, daily life balance, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1805, digital art, everyday moments, family and friends, hobbies, personal blogging, playtime activities, relaxation tips, video games via WordPress https://ift.tt/mBtIfy9 January 02, 2025 at 11:27PM

[ugf-viridis]

A few things.

Not telling ANYBODY what to do, or how to run their affairs. This is more of a collection of recollections and things learned through experience from doing this shit for over a decade. Use what is useful to you.

First: this cannot be a situation where the vanguard of leftist ex-twitter royalty dominate every discussion and set every agenda. There are prominent people and groups who have a long history with resistance and liberation and antifascism and all the rest of it, but if we are to come out of this in any kind of non-shattered state as people and as organizations, and as a unified resistance to what’s ahead, we are going to need to broaden our standards of inclusivity, similar to what was done last time. I am not implying that anyone needs to sacrifice their principles. Quite the opposite. But we need to be bringing people in, not chasing them away because we don’t know them well or because they had one take that we find pedestrian or off. We have all had bad takes. We all started somewhere. We need to be fostering the creation of new groups, not competing for influence on behalf of the centers of influence already in our global community. Do not whore for influence. It’s a bad look. It hurts the movement. Do not chase people away or cancel people because they are not part of the vanguard™. And, yes, even the anarchist movement has one. You know who tf you are.

Second: might be a good idea to start obscuring those follower / follow lists. These make it very, very easy for anyone at all to build a network of who you interact with. I’m not naïve enough to think that this is a protection against state surveillance. It isn’t. Put that right out of your mind. If the state wants to map you online, it can very easily do that ‘if’ it decides to pour enough resources into doing it right. What generally happens, though, is that third-party antagonists, provocateurs, and fakers are going to figure out who your social circle is, who you rely on remotely to communicate online, and they are going to find a way to poison that web. This has happened to me several times. It happened to me just this summer, during the Palestinian solidarity movement. They will use lies to turn your own comrades against you, and they will destroy your online social presence. Or worse, they will poison that network with disinformation or snares at crucial moments that will get you or your people in trouble. Do not give away information that you don’t have to. Be present and open, but ESPECIALLY if you are a smaller player, lock the rest down and always take a moment to think about where something is coming from, is it verifiable, do others that you trust concur with it. This activity was THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON the fascist right had during the first Trump administration, and during the Gaza solidarity protests. They are even more organized now, and they have AI on their side. Treat information like your own body. Safeguard it, and only share it with those you trust.

Third: please, please, PLEASE do not bring your personal drama to work. Many of us have been in this game for a very long time, now. Rivalries and sour moments have happened. People have fallen short sometimes. Romances have broken apart. Lies have been told. People, even lefty heroes, are people. They are going to fall short, and others are going to remember. Settle it, or let it be, and move on. DO NOT bring it into movements or discourse or activities. It hurts us all. Which brings me to my next point. Do not put a jacket on somebody because you heard a rumor, because they aren’t well liked, because they aren’t a ‘real’ participant (please see above regarding the vanguard). Suspicion and reticence are healthy. Infiltrators ARE A THING. Be ever vigilant. But, jacketing somebody because someone on your team doesn’t like them causes great, great, GREAT, tremendous harm for everybody. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING makes someone want to abandon the work and, worse, lash out at others doing it, like being accused of some horrific thing they haven’t done. Do. Your. Homework. If you think somebody is a problem, find the evidence of that problem. And I don’t mean a random screenshot. The right has whole operations that specialize in faking that shit. Look for patterns. Look at the situation wholistically. Trust me, if it’s bad, you will eventually know, and there won’t be any doubt about it. Until then, reserve judgement and think first of the movement and the work. Again, though, if you see something, say something.

Fourth: finally, and this one might be the most important. Don’t get territorial and don’t start taking everything personally. A lot of events and issues are going to touch the entire community, ubiquitously, and saturate everyone all at once. Remember that we are not in a competition with one another for influence or to ‘get the scoop.’ We work best when we synergize and echo off of one another in real time, in an honest, good-faith manner. Give first. Always give as much as you can. If you are feeling put upon or marginalized, talk to a comrade about that. If you have no one to talk to, try and make friends. If you can’t do that, and there are good reasons why some of us can’t, then try and remember that it’s not about you, it’s about the larger struggle. Do not be afraid to just step away for a little while. Go watch a movie, play a game, listen to music, have a drink, take a walk in the woods or on the beach, have sex, whatever. Try and keep the negativity that horrible circumstances and stress compound inside each of us away from the larger struggle. It’s something we all have to deal with, even the most put-together heroic whatevers. We’ve all felt it. If the stress turns to resentment, of others or yourself, and this persists for more than a little while, go talk to somebody, anybody, you can trust. Don’t let it simmer. It will only get worse.

I hope this helps somebody. It will get real, as many of you know. There’s no other way to say it than to just say the outcome will rest upon the quality each of us exhibits as members of what the outside world will often perceive as a unified, monolithic movement. What each of us does, regardless of our ‘size’ in the movement, is going to have an impact on the whole thing. And this will become more true as things get more intense. Last time I saw entire gigantic social momenta hinge on a public conversation between two people on the internet, people who decided to put everyone else and what was important to everyone first. That happens, guys. More often than you might think. Remember that, and try your best to be your best. God or fate or whatever you believe in help us all. We didn’t deserve this hand, but it’s the one we have to play, for ourselves, for others, and for the future. See you out there. 💚

[inkforhumanhands]

REALEST REAL WRITER ASKZ BOIIIII

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

📡why is writing and sharing your writing important for fandom?

🎙️which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of?

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

Man, I wish dropping All According to Keikaku hadn't felt so anticlimactic! It's hard to get feedback on zine work because people buy it and then read it and then there's nowhere to put their comments (unless they actually look you up), so I was fine not hearing much while it was zine exclusive. But (sorry, here we're going to make a brief foray into complaining mode) once I put it on AO3 I guess I just expected a little more, especially since looking at the number of bookmarks (triple the comment thread number) and the fact that it's got 2 subscriptions (it's a oneshot) seems to indicate that it was a hit! This is your call to go leave a comment on someone's fic you enjoyed lmao because it's the nice thing to do. Makes the creation process seem a lot less lonely. Anyway it's fine, I did get some comments it just seems a bit underwhelming after all the time and stuff that went into it.

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

I really enjoy the play-by-play ones a whole lot, and because I'm a dangerous combination of low self-esteem and vanity I always go crazy over comments that actually compliment the writing itself.

📡why is writing and sharing your writing important for fandom?

I love the atmosphere sharing things creates where you have everybody lifting each other up. I think more things in life outside of fandom should also be like that. Also it's really amazing to be able to read so many iterations of your favorite bit of media and the different perspectives they bring! Personally it really keeps my love of the source material alive for a decade or more. And of course obligatory mention to all the friends I've made through fandom! :D

🎙️which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of?

I'm gonna say Epistaxis Anime by virtue of it's pretty long and I don't want to do it myself adsfdf

[essenceofelegance]

I NEEED. a luke castellan x daughter of aphrodite!reader where r has an obsession with VIV WESTWOOD BEVAUSE I HAVE AN OBSESSION WITH VIV WESTWOOD. make it short please. thanks babe ily <333

also can i be 🪦 anon? i love you and your writing <33

Hips & Lips

(Luke Castellan x daughter of aphrodite!reader)

Warnings: None

m.list

Everybody stopped moving.

"Pay up, buddy."

"Man, not again."

The pink smoke dispersed, the fading symbol of Aphrodite's claim, as light chatter gradually resumed. You weren't sure how to process the turn of events. Still dazed, you packed your belongings from the Hermes cabin into your mother's cabin, the cabin of Aphrodite.

"Hey, Y/n!" you turned your attention towards the voice. Luke. "Um, yeah?" you responded, "Do you need help with your things?" you glanced at your belongings and then back at Luke, "Yeah, I think so." You truly did; there was no way you could move all your possessions into your cabin alone, not in a time,you manner anyway.

Growing up, you had always felt a magnetic pull towards fashion. Life in the mortal world was much worse than that of a demigod at camp. Fashion, however, was your solace. It grounded you, and sifting through thrift stores for clothes was enjoyable; it helped you navigate your childhood. An infatuation with Vivienne Westwood bloomed after you stumbled upon their shop, instantly captivated by the brand's creations. Consequently, your collection of jewelry, dresses, shoes, and various accessories became a treasure trove of Vivienne Westwood finds. You could say this collection had helped you survive the 18 years you spent in the mortal world. Clothes and accessories boosted your confidence, evoked happiness, and made you feel like you.

"Thanks," you handed Luke a shoebox, and your fingers brushed. Your cheeks flushed. "I'll bring these over to your cabin," he said while grabbing a few more boxes, "you know where to find me if you need help." With a friendly gesture directed at you, his touch still lingering on your fingers, he set off.

It took you an hour to move all your belongings into your new cabin. It would have taken even longer if your half-siblings hadn't lent a hand. The process might have been shortened if you had simply asked Luke for his help. You debated the idea but ultimately decided against it. Luke had been nothing but helpful and welcoming to you, and a comfortable friendship had begun to form. However, your crush on Luke was an open secret—except to Luke himself and you.

And your half-siblings were determined to change that.

ohh i kinda like this!! i kept it short as per your request!! and yes you can be 🪦 anon <33 ily soo so much thank you for your support. did i write what you wanted? because i wasn’t really sure what you wanted so i just did whatever this was. i was thinking part two so lmk if you want one. who doesn’t love vivienne westwood?! (i have no idea why i named this hips & lips)

— ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི

Copyright © 2024 Emory Belrose. All rights reserved. 

⋆

Please do not re-upload my work on any platforms without permission.

Any reblogs, comments, likes, shares, and follows are appreciated.

[bilbobagginsomebabez]

watching lola sebastian's video the movie james franco doesn't want you to see which discusses atrociously offensive autistic representation and makes me think of all the ways you could do it differently (read: acceptably, well).

i think i would ask a nonverbal autistic person like that blogger* on here that talks a lot about their experience and relationship to language and communication to co-write and/or produce depending on which roles are needed to ensure they're taken seriously. there are absolutely nonverbal autistic people who want to participate in communal acts of creation, who want to present their experiences as art and a representation of what it means to be human. it's worth the effort to find them and involve them. it's necessary.

which brings me to how. this is also a logistical question! depending on their comfort with unfamiliar social environments, i'd probably either A) set them up with a livestream of set at home, a groupchat w the actor, director, producer etc, and whatever other accommodations they need to provide feedback and perspective or B)** if they were comfortable on set, get noise cancelling headphones, a private trailer for Safe Quiet Dont Bother Me Zone, an ipad or something for the groupchat system, and pre-plan a flag-for-attention signal in case any texts get missed. i'd also need a system of hard-drives or cloud storage so my collaborator could review footage at their own pace during filming and catch anything they might have missed. as I understand it, nonverbal autistic people also need extra time to parse language which can be exacerbated by a frantic/urgent/high pressure social environment. so asking them to provide all their feedback on set during filming is just. no.

based on the movies [never been on a set], i think the 'do not enter' zone on a set is communicated through social signals like everybody just kind of avoiding the area and assuming it's obvious, but that isn't obvious for autistic people. so maybe like green screen colored tape around the areas that will be in the camera's view that day. spraypaint on the grass? if sets do not already have this as standard practice, they should.

and these accommodation ideas might be shit! they might suck ASS and be completely different from what my autistic collaborator wants and needs. at which point I'll go "yay! you know exactly what you need and that makes it easy for me to help make it work." but the fact that I was already thinking about it and already have ideas helps them feel more comfortable in sharing their real needs and feel confident that I will do my actual best to accommodate.

I sit here thinking about how to get compassionate and considered autistic representation on screen and i say. ok autistic people need to be directly involved and in a position of authority and control. they have to have a role where they cannot be mown down. and they have to be able to exercise that authority. exercising that authority requires comfort and navigability. so I also have to think about making sure they are comfortable on set and can easily navigate it. so I have to think about what nails-on-a-chalkboard microcosms of hell are lurking on set to surprise and overwhelm.

this forces me to think about what actually bothers autistic people. I have to sit here and identify problems and risks, and that makes me better able to identify them in other contexts. i'm not a film-maker and i'm probably never going to make a movie. i'm never going to put these specific accommodations into place on a movie set. but thinking about it like this situates me to see the environment as the problem, not the disability or the disabled person. if I'm working with an autistic person and they have a meltdown, i don't look at them with fear or frustration, I look for the environmental trigger and how to remove it. I think about how to facilitate their involvement and contribution without putting them through psychological distress.

*don't actually follow them or remember the url, apologies. they just appear on my dash semi-regularly.

**some nonverbal autistic people have a caretaker that also acts as "interpreter" and i understand that this is controversial and sometimes seen as dehumanizing due to the inherent power imbalance. the caretaker is often neurotypical and a family member, and the caretaker's word is often respected over and above clearly communicative body language and vocalizations by the nonverbal autistic person who is assumed to lack full reasoning capabilities. they have little recourse in cases of misinterpretation. however if the nonverbal autistic collaborator has a person like this that they value and would prefer to have on set with them, that person would also probably need to be paid. if they have a job to support themselves and their autistic loved one that they'd have to take time off from to help with filming, participation in the project would financially harm them without paying the caretaker as well. so one paycheck could very well become two and that should be expected.

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade Ohaneze moves to end killinngs, insecurity in the South-East, appeals to Federal Government for support The Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, has vowed to use non-kinetic approach to resolve security challenge in the South East region by appealing to people causing bloodshed to embrace peace. The President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, disclosed this during a World Conference it organised to announce the programme for Sept. 29 Igbo Day Celebration on Saturday in Enugu. Iwuanyanwu, who described the killings and bloodshed in the southeast as ‘strange’, said as a father, “I am tired of the death of my children and they have given me the responsibility to lead them”. According to him, each time I hear anybody killed, I feel sad because most of them are doing what they are doing because of hunger and unemployment. “I am not saying that hunger and unemployment will make one to be a criminal but not everyone has capacity to endure hunger”. The president-general maintained that security of every place in Nigeria was the collective responsibility of everyone pointing out that the Federal Government alone could not handle it. He said that during the Igbo Day Celebration he would announce the non-kinetic approach to end insecurity in the zone. “As a father, I will call and appeal to everybody to embrace peace and the non-kinetic approach requires everybody’s support both state and the federal government for us to have peace in southeast. “Whatever sacrifice to bring non-kinetic approach to bring an end to bloodshed and killing in Igboland, I will do it. “I am going to reach these people by any means to beg them or even given my life if they want it; I will surrender it to ensure peace reigns in the region,” the Igbo leader said. He said he would send a delegation to Finland and other places to beg those causing bloodshed in the southeast. “We are not going to arrest or kill them. I don’t want to kill any of our children; we are going to appeal to them to tell us what they want us to do. “Those who are hungry, we will find them something to do to keep them happier but letting of bloodshed and killing should stop. “It is not easy to stop a hungry person who has found means of getting livelihood through guns but as a father, I will go and cry to them and I am praying God that these my approach work out well,” he said. He added that he would also resolve all the political crisis among the political leaders in the zone by reconciling them to move the region forward. The Igbo Leader appealed to the federal government to assist the zone with the reconstruction of railways, creation of seaports and more international airports to ease their businesses. “The issue of sharing rice as palliative does not have any meaning to any Igbo man but what you can do for him is to give him opportunity to make a living for himself,” he said. (NAN) #OhanezemovestoendinsecurityinSouthEast

[thelandscapingemployeetrap]

Kujo Yardwear Founder Talks Product Development & Business Growth with Shawn Langton of Kujo Yardwear

We have the privilege of sitting down with Shawn Langton, the visionary founder of Kujo Yardwear, to delve into the captivating story of product development and business growth. Join us as we explore the journey of starting the Kujo Yard, from the inception of an idea to the creation of a revolutionary shoe designed specifically for lawn mowing. 

Along the way, we'll uncover the importance of treating customers like gold, strategies for balancing different roles within a business, the power of having a clear vision, and the wisdom of creating a niche in marketing. Get ready for insightful conversations and key takeaways that will inspire and empower you in your own entrepreneurial pursuits. Let's dive in and learn from the experiences and lessons shared by our remarkable guest.

  "When it comes to be in a very specific niche, when I wanted to start a shoe company, that was my dream as a kid. I'm doing it, but there's no way in the world I'm going to just compete as a general like athletic shoe or general hiking shoe going against like Nike We had no chance but the only chance we have surviving and actually making something here is to have a very specific niche, do it really, really well and just focus on it and just in just try to be the best in that very specific niche." - Shawn Langton

Topics Covered: 

The process of starting the Kujo Yard

Creating a shoe for lawn mowing

The importance of treating your customers like gold

How to balance different roles in the business

Strategy and relationship building

Having a clear vision is powerful

The importance of having a clear vision

One of the smartest things in marketing is to create a niche

Key Takeaways  "Like you said ideas are not that it's easy. I mean a good ideas is worth a million dollars but ideas are the easy part everybody you know, there's a lot of people that have a lot better ideas than me about things but it's like you said it's the work it's the execution it's the investment it's figuring out how to create a great product bringing it to market and then just busting your butt in the sales and marketing to really you know get people to try it and then once people to try it once people try it that's even the harder part now you have to have outstanding customer service and fortunately that's something I thought of right from the beginning like customers are gold." - Shawn

  "I used to make these these crazy videos. And I still do have like me trimming trees and cussing and yelling and talking about being in the trenches and business and like, I still make some of those videos. But as I've grown a bit, I'm more becoming interested in the deep entrepreneurial conversations that caused the highs are the eureka moments where make you reframe something in your brain that makes you oh my god, that's the answer. And these answers move the needle forward. That helped you realize something in your life and business that make you make an extra 50 or 100 grand this year, that make you you know, be able to upgrade your lifestyle and provide for your family better to watch some of your own dreams come true instead of just getting excited of entertaining information." - Keith

 Connect with Shawn

Website: https://www.kujo.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kujoyardwear Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KujoYardwear LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kujo-yardwear/

 Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

    Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇  Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS  How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Check out this episode!

[ladychaos]

Hi everybody! I hope you’re well. I’m happy to share this little creation, which was really fun to build. Continuing my work on Newcrest, I wanted to add a cool place to hang out, especially for teens. It’s next to the house on sale I shared last week, and I think it suits the vibe of the neighborhood. I hope you’ll like it!

Take care and stay safe. 💜

Newcrest Basketball Court [cc-free]

Generic

20 x 15

When you don’t know where to go on a sunny afternoon, just ask the Newcrest residents for some tips. The basketball court is one of the most popular spots in town, enjoyed mostly by children and teens. It’s the perfect place to hang out, eat some amazing food and play basketball, of course. The city hall also invites street artists regularly to paint beautiful murals and bring some colours to this public place.

Available in my gallery

Origin ID: LadyChaosWorlds

You can download the Newcrest Basketball Court here: [X]

📁 Tray files :  Download (Patreon, free)

💟 Please don’t re-upload or share without credit.

Don’t forget to activate bb.moveobjects before downloading the lot on build mode (not from the map).

[*I’m currently redoing all Newcrest, creating builds and storylines for the whole world. You can check my progress here.]

[serenescribe]

“may the caffeine be your weaponry” — A Villain Espresso AU

(Or: That time I made an “Espresso steals the Soul Jam” AU 2 months before Devsisters put it in canon, completely killing me and my plans)

In April, I started working on an AU where Espresso stole one of the ancients’ Soul Jams and experimented with it, causing him to spiral down into a dark path, effectively becoming a villain in his own right. This was going to be my magnum opus, with over ten planned chapters — and perhaps it would have been even longer! — and multiple POVs along the way. There was even going to be a follow-up aftermath story with a focus on Espresseleine!

And then two months later, Devsisters released Cookie Odyssey Chapter 2, in which Espresso created his own Soul Jam.

While I was… somewhat happy that I managed to predict canon — in the sense of my AU and canon sharing the basic concept of “Espresso fucks around with Soul Jam and reaps the consequences” — I was also a bit gutted. It’s true that canon-divergent AUs have always existed, but the downside of making an AU with a base concept so similar to something happening in canon was that my brain would always be comparing the two.

I don’t know if I’m going to write this story as it is now. At the moment, I’m waiting for Chapter 3 of Cookie Odyssey to release before watching everything and deciding what to do next. But I wanted to make an extensive summary post talking about my AU — the premise, my planning process, the main characters involved, and more — as a proof of concept, that I did come up with this first.

Besides, I’m still very proud of what I’ve created. I hope that you’ll enjoy it too.

(Everything is under the cut)

PREMISE

After the defeat of Dark Enchantress, Espresso vanishes, along with one of the Soul Jams.

Spurred by adrenaline and an unabating curiosity, he flees the Cookie Kingdom in the dead of night, determined to dissect and evaluate every bit of the mythical substance with his own hands. Along the way, he finds an unlikely ally in Pastry — who’s on the run from the St. Pastry Order — and together, the unlikely duo head up north to Dark Cacao territory, aiming to seek refuge with Affogato, Espresso’s estranged elder brother.

Meanwhile, after discovering the Soul Jam’s disappearance, Clotted Cream, fearing for the worst, launches a hunt against Espresso to retrieve the powerful artefact before anything dangerous can come of it. Disagreeing with his decision, Latte and Madeleine form their own search party, departing in a desperate hurry to track down the missing mage before the relentless Consul finds him first.

It’s a race to get to Espresso as quickly as possible, the looming threat of another power-driven conflict hanging over everybody’s head. After all, the coffee mage is famed for being a dedicated researcher, dissecting every inch of his own magic meticulously until every little detail is thoroughly understood. With the untapped power of the Soul Jam readily available to him…

Well, as the saying goes, “Curiosity killed the cat.” 

(But would satisfaction bring it back?)

-----

THE INITIAL CREATION

The first thing you need to understand about me is that I get most of my creative inspiration from listening to music. The second thing is that I always like doing things differently from the norm.

Back in April 2022, when I was starting to get more heavily into Cookie Run: Kingdom, I began toying with the possibility of creating a Villain AU for Espresso. This was spurred by two things:

The first: I was listening to “A Good Song Never Dies” by Saint Motel. Really good song, by the way. It gave me just the right vibe I needed for this AU — somebody making a catastrophic decision, with repercussions; not knowing who someone actually is; and finally, the line “Make the caffeine be your weaponry”. It was perfect.

(A slight tangent: I initially misheard that line as “May the caffeine be your weaponry”, hence the name of the AU being different. Whoops.)

The second: I saw plenty of people making corruption arcs for Madeleine, thanks to his Crimson Knight costume. And as I said earlier, I like challenging myself and doing things a little differently. Since Madeleine going bad was the more popular concept, I wanted to see if it could be done with Espresso.

Initially, I toyed with a few different concepts. Remember that the base idea I was working with was “How to make a Villain AU for Espresso while having it still be in character for him”. Took a bit, but I eventually landed on the Soul Jam idea, and I rolled with it! Below is a compilation of some of the brainstorming I did at the very beginning.

The original version of the AU was… rough. It was sorely underdeveloped and, as a result, it was stuck in a weird limbo for a while since I couldn’t work out a good plotline. I roughly knew that I wanted it to be a sort of “chase” story — Espresso having disappeared first, supposedly “missing” until people realised he stole the soul jam; while Madeleine and Latte follow behind, determined to track him down and… I guess, save him from himself? You know how Espresso is. There wasn’t a real antagonist, and I couldn’t work out a third person to join Espresso and Pastry.

It wasn’t until Cookie Odyssey Chapter 1 was released, along with a lengthy brainstorming session with my good friend Sheep, that I ended up returning to this AU, finally expanding on it and patching up the plot holes that hindered any progress.

-----

NEW CHANGES

Since my planning process is a mess known as “I have like ten plot points and I will wing everything else”, I’ll just talk about the changes made from that point onwards, and other plot stuff.

Back in May, Clotted Cream arrived in Kingdom! Remember how during Chapter 1, we all thought he was going to be antagonistic? Hah… yeah. But the Republic being the antagonists — not the villains, because to be fair, Espresso is doing something fantastically dangerous here — was perfect for this AU. After all, right from the very start of Chapter 1, they were shown to seek interest in the Soul Jam. Additionally, Espresso himself hails from the Republic, so there’s personal stakes involved. That was one glaring plot hole resolved.

I also ended up introducing Affogato as the third member to round off Espresso and Pastry’s little trio. Affogato’s inclusion as an integral character actually patched up a lot of other plot holes. While Espresso stealing the Soul Jam is believable, he also isn’t stupid. He prides himself on his logic and reasoning. Snatching the Soul Jam was a reckless and downright suicidal move, especially since he’d have a target on his back, making enemies of all the kingdoms and the Republic itself.

Affogato resolved that plot hole because he’s a serial gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss aficionado. In the AU, he was the one who encouraged Espresso to steal the Soul Jam and experiment with it for himself. After all, the Republic was negotiating with the other ancients for White Lily’s Soul Jam, which was retrieved after the war against Dark Enchantress, in hopes of studying it closely. Once that deal went through, Espresso would no longer have any opportunity to study the properties of the Soul Jam personally.

Affogato is… honestly, the driving force of the plot. After the events of Chapter 13 and 14, he’s hiding in Dark Cacao territory. His only saving grace is the fact that Dark Cacao was more focused on the war against Dark Enchantress to hunt him down thoroughly, allowing him to stay under the radar. But he’s still a megalomaniac, and so he uses Espresso’s curiosity and desire for experimentation to his advantage, going so far as to personally spike Espresso’s drink with the properties of the Soul Jam that Espresso extracted and liquified, causing him to plummet into immense agony, burning from the inside out with power he can’t control—

Yeah, we’ll unpack that later in the characters section.

-----

PLOT (BUT INFORMAL)

Anyways, the story goes something like this:

Espresso flees with the Soul Jam, heads up north and meets Pastry, the two deciding to work together. They reach Affogato’s place, wherein Espresso starts experimenting with the Soul Jam, hoping to extract and liquify its properties in order to fully analyse it, and to determine whether it can be split between multiple people, offering a boost to their powers.

After Espresso succeeds, Affogato steals the liquified Soul Jam and spikes Espresso’s drink with it, causing his powers to massively amplify. My headcanon was that the Soul Jam acted as a physical amplifier for people to channel their abilities through, so Espresso physically ingesting it acted as a permanent, uncontrollable boost to his magic. He ends up knocked out for multiple days, teetering on the verge of death while Pastry helps him to pull through (all while she threatens to k-word Affogato).

Meanwhile, Almond lets Latte know that the Soul Jam is missing, and that the Republic is launching a large interrogation. After some time, Clotted Cream determines that Espresso going missing and the Soul Jam disappearing are linked, declaring a hunt to track down Espresso before he does anything reckless. Disagreeing with this, Madeleine actually abandons his duties to head off with Latte and a couple of others, their ragtag group heading north on Latte’s hunch that Espresso may have sought refuge with her other cousin, Affogato.

(Note: I use the headcanon that Espresso and Affogato are siblings, and Latte is their cousin.)

Latte and Madeleine’s group arrive around the time Espresso is beginning to recover, just in time to watch him blast Affogato out the window in a fit of anger. Espresso’s still recovering though, so he’s mainly out of it for the most part.

Sometime after, the Republic arrives, having tracked down Latte and Madeleine. Their ragtag group tries to fight, only to fail; and then Espresso wakes up and walks outside and demolishes half of the Republic’s forces with his magic, forcing Clotted Cream to call for a retreat.

From this point onwards… Uh.

So what happened is that I never got this far in extensively developing the plot; I know how it ends, and I know some stuff that happens along the way, but the specifics are lost on me. But basically, Affogato manipulates Espresso due to Espresso’s weaker mental and emotional state (thanks to the Soul Jam taking a toll on him), causing their trio to leave, turning their backs on Latte and Madeleine. 

There’s a chase that takes place over the course of several chapters — during which two new characters join their trio: Strawberry Crepe, who’s curious about the Soul Jam’s effects on Espresso; and Red Velvet, who is compelled to help when Affogato promises him a safe space for his cake hounds to live in peacefully.

Also, Espresso wrecks Clotted Cream a second time. That’s fun.

As for the ending… I don’t really want to spoil how the story ends. There’s a chance that I may write this in the future still, and the ending is simultaneously underdeveloped and cemented in place. But what I will say is this:

This story does not end happily for anyone involved. But there is an aftermath story, so it is not as tragic as it seems.

-----

CHARACTERS

Espresso:

Stole White Lily’s Soul Jam and fled, planning to study it out of his own curiosity and determination to prove his theories right. Thanks to his irregular correspondence with his older brother, Affogato, Espresso takes him up on his offer to study the Soul Jam at his hideout.

Though he is initially as strong-willed and self-assured as he is in canon, after Espresso ingests the extracted Soul Jam, he becomes a lot weaker — physically, emotionally, and mentally. He ends up spiralling down the path of corruption after falling prey to Affogato’s manipulations.

Turns against Latte and Madeleine thanks to Affogato. At a later point, he makes it clear that he won’t hesitate to kill them if they continue to chase after him incessantly.

Stupidly powerful now, thanks to the Soul Jam he ingested amplifying his abilities to be on-par with the ancients — if not even stronger in some ways, due to his meticulous research into perfecting his own magic.

Outfit Lore: Trades the full-length cloak for a capelet. The bottom of his cape is not in good quality due to his rough travels up north, and subsequent experimenting. No more tie. Design is meant to look slightly more “loose” since he’s spiralling down a path instead of remaining his usual dignified self, but I don’t know if I achieved that.

Pastry:

On the run from the St. Pastry Order following the defeat of Dark Enchantress. For a long while, Pastry struggled with what she had seen at the Tower of Sweet Chaos, up until she made the decision to flee.

She runs into Espresso, pulling him into a bush and telling him to shush due to the presence of Shadow Sisters trying to assassinate Pastry.

Due to being disconnected from the events that occurred in the Cookie Kingdom, Pastry was not aware of why Espresso fled until he showed her White Lily’s Soul Jam. Despite this, she decided to continue sticking with him, the two of them having forged an ironclad bond over the course of their journey.

Does not trust Affogato. In all honesty, her presence is probably the only thing stopping Affogato from fully manipulating Espresso.

Outfit Lore: Having left the St. Pastry Order, Pastry now lets her hair down. She wears very different clothes — a capelet with a large hood so she can hide her face when needed; a high-collared shirt and a long shirt; and boots. She still carries her crossbow with her at all times.

Affogato:

In hiding after the events of Chapter 13 and 14, but still as power-hungry as ever. He still desires to lead a kingdom of his own, attaining power and loyalty beyond his wildest dreams.

Spikes Espresso with the extracted Soul Jam because he doesn’t want to test it on himself in case it backfires. After all, it wouldn’t be good if Affogato himself died trying to achieve his goals, would it? He decides to take a gamble in trying to manipulate Espresso in order to achieve his goals — and it works.

Plans to use Espresso to take down anyone that comes after him, and to lure people into following him and Espresso. Essentially wants to make a kingdom of his own using his brother’s powers — on par with that of the ancients — to do so. Mainly targeted outcasts and stragglers, hoping to appeal to them with their whole… “We’re on the run from everybody” shtick. It succeeds, somehow.

Though he manages to turn Espresso against everyone else, he remains EXTREMELY frustrated that he can’t turn Espresso against Pastry.

DON’T TRUST HIM IN ANY CAPACITY.

Outfit Lore: Loses the fluffy-cloak thing after falling from grace. His clothes are largely the same but a little simpler, including his hairpiece. Has longer hair, tied up into a high bun with strands falling down.

Madeleine:

Accidentally exposed the fact that Espresso was missing since he was looking for him while the interrogation was ongoing.

For the first time ever, he throws aside his loyalty to the Republic in favour of tracking down Espresso — though this is more because Clotted Cream forbade him from joining the search due to believing that Madeleine’s personal connections to Espresso would make him… biased.

Absolutely RELENTLESS in his search, even when the other members of their search party give up and abandon the hunt after Espresso implores them to stop, stating that he’s not planning to start any wars or seek out world domination.

In a way, his point-of-view is that of a hero saving someone from distress — or in this case, saving Espresso from himself. Which isn’t really that good a thing when Espresso begins threatening them all with death.

Do not mistake him for a selfless hero. His motives are anything but. In fact, Madeleine is responsible for the ending to the story, and the events that take place in the aftermath story. 

Outfit Lore: Ditches his cape for a large… scarf-cloak hybrid? It’s cold up north, after all. He also ties his hair into a low ponytail.

Latte:

Though she still tries to keep things lighthearted, she’s plenty more serious in this story, especially after Espresso turns his back on her and Madeleine.

Does not trust Affogato in any capacity. While Madeleine’s reasons for continuing the hunt are spurred by selfish feelings towards Espresso, Latte’s motivations involve taking down Affogato and getting Espresso away from her cousin’s manipulations as soon as she possibly can.

Keeps their search party a couple of steps ahead of the Republic with the help of Almond’s tips. Unable to join them on the hunt, Almond frequently sends them messages tipping them off to the Republic’s next actions.

I don’t know what else to put here but please believe me when I say that Latte has a key role in the story as one of the POV characters, being the one leading the search party and knowing where they should go next, thanks to her close relationship with Espresso allowing her to predict his next moves.

Outfit Lore: Wears a thick inner shirt because it’s cold up north. Also wears Almond’s coat; since he couldn’t come with them, he lent Latte his jacket to stay warm. What a caring boyfriend.

Other characters:

Strawberry Crepe: Their role was not developed very much, but they were meant to be a part of Latte and Madeleine’s search party, before joining up with Espresso’s group after the first Republic confrontation. They joined because they were curious about how the Soul Jam affected Espresso, considering he ingested it internally.

Red Velvet: A late member to Espresso’s party. He has been hiding somewhere ever since the defeat of Dark Enchantress, fearing for his cake hounds if he gets caught. Affogato managed to convince him to join and help them by promising a safe spot in his future kingdom for Red Velvet and his cake hounds to stay in. Hits it off with Pastry.

Clotted Cream: Despite being the antagonist of the story, he isn’t the villain. From his point-of-view, what he’s doing is logical — a wild card mage known to have strong research skills stole the Soul Jam, and promptly disappeared. With his cool head and calculating movements, he manages to track down Espresso on two different occasions, only to be unfortunately obliterated each time.

Almond: Assisted in spearheading the initial interrogation. Unable to join Latte’s search due to his role as detective, roping him into assisting the Republic and the other Kingdoms. Sends tips and other messages to keep Latte alert of everyone’s movements. Does worry for Espresso, and is against taking him out entirely.

-----

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m still very proud of this AU, and I sincerely hope that I can actually work on it in the future — though whether I’ll keep it as it is or change it drastically to fit more with canon, I’m not sure yet.

There’s still plenty of stuff I never got to develop, and other things I wish I could have talked about. I also have a bunch of drafted dialogue and other scenes from when I was attempting to write out this story. I might share it in the future if people are interested, but if this post doesn’t gain much traction, then it’ll just remain as it is as a proof of concept that I came up with this AU before Chapter 2 of Cookie Odyssey was released.

On another note, I have a music playlist for this AU, if anybody is interested in it. You can find it here <Edit: Temporarily removed the Spotify playlist link due to some issues>. However, I’d consider the following songs to be key songs for the development of this AU:

Killer — The Hoosiers

A Good Song Never Dies — Saint Motel

Touch-Tone Telephone — Lemon Demon

Black Mambo — Glass Animals

Kingdom of Welcome Addiction — IAMX

The Mariana — Everything Everything

How to Start a War — Simon Curtis

If you’ve reached the end, thank you for reading this entire lengthy mess of a post! Please do come talk to me about the AU if you want; my ask box is open! ^^ Additionally, please consider reblogging it; I put a lot of effort into this, and it would make my day if it gained some traction.

(Oh, and if you want a little hint at the way the ending goes?

“If I’m going down, you’re coming with me.”)