#don't worry about him this is how he gets enrichment /silly

[bottlesofclouds]

don't worry he'll go on the clothesline after this

(faster under cut)

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 32 (A Handsome Detective Investigates the Hack)

Detective Conrad Gordon stood in Heather's front yard with his canine partner, Bernese mountain dog Gord.

She'd never seen him before, but Heather knew why he was here. She raced to put her son in his crib and get dressed.

Holding out his badge, he offered a respectful nod and a charming smile that made her nervous. "Detective Conrad Gordon, ma'am. Are you Heather Nesbitt?" She nodded, holding her breath. Just her luck; the hottest man she'd ever seen had come to arrest her. "I'm here to look into a recent hack of Landgraab Systems. Did you know anything about that?"

"I mean, I read about it in the news like everybody else," she said. Her voice wavered. She was a very bad liar.

He clipped his badge back to his belt. "Do you mind if I take a look around your computer? A tip to San Myshuno PD said you might know something more."

"That's silly."

She laughed with an anxious breath, letting him in to search her PC. She hoped she’d covered her tracks, but the detective had been a geek since he learned how to type. Just like Heather.

He knew where to look and exactly what he was looking for. She could tell, and she tried to look busy. Flustered, she put a pot of soup on the grill in the backyard (why Heather why?!), but this was exactly the sort of strange behaviour that made a guilty person look it.

He joined her outside with a sympathetic frown. "You're really savvy with computers," he observed. "A vet who's also an app developer who got her start as the best online Incredible Sports player the game's ever seen."

She blushed. "You know about that?"

"I did a bit of research before the drive out here, but I didn't need to be reminded of all the times ButtercupNesbeets and your Henford Hens All-Stars kicked my butt online in high school."

"You played?"

"Not as well as you. But why the jump from gaming to hacking?"

The truth flooded out of her. "Malcolm Landgraab stole my app code, but I use those royalties to raise our son. And if Landgraab Corp's nothing but shady deals and bad business, I'm worried for my clinic. Besides, the news report said it barely cost the Landgraabs a thing!"

"It's still illegal, Miss Nesbitt."

"Mama mama!" Ash called for her from beyond the patio door, interrupting her rambling explanation. She pulled the pot of soup from the stove and shut off the grill, heading inside to lift her son from his crib.

"Cute kid," said the detective. Ash wriggled from his mother's anxious grasp and Conrad reached out to steady him. "Is the second one Malcolm Landgraab's, too?"

"No, thank the Watcher. I'm a surrogate for my best friends, and I guess I've been a bit hormonal. I was frustrated, but I didn't do it to steal a bunch of data and I don't plan to do it again. I just wanted to get back at my ex. It was stupid."

Heavily pregnant with a child for friends who couldn’t expand their family without her help, Conrad could sympathize with Heather's motives. Everyone in Simlandia knew the Landgraabs only cared about enriching themselves, but Heather was a single mom who saved the lives of helpless animals.

His dog took a liking to her instantly. Gord always knew a bad egg when he saw one, and Conrad could usually trust his canine's instincts better than his own.

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to get arrested? Should I call my parents to come get my son?"

The handsome young detective didn’t have the heart to bring her in. "I didn't record your confession because you said you've felt emotional lately. I don't like to take a confession under duress, so I guess the investigation has to continue. If the Landgraabs insist on pressing charges, you'll probably hear from me again. For now, I should head back, file a report, and let you get back to your son."

He didn't have a plan, but rather than stop by the station when he returned to the city, Conrad turned onto the overpass over the bridge and parked his cruiser Uptown... ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

WCIF Conrad Gordon? I used this sim by lemariiia from the Sims 4 Gallery, and changed his hair and beard to be a little less old fashioned. I changed his last name because I felt like it (it was Sampson IIRC), but otherwise everything else is the same. The dog I gave him myself because I love this breed.

Also we totally don't have to play coy and act like that's not the sim in my userpic! 😂 After I called time on the Everett/Heather flirtation because I fell too hard for Spencer and didn't want to do that to her anymore, I needed to pivot because there's still no gen 3 heir! I also need to make Heather do programming things to keep the Techie lifestyle (even though she decided years ago she doesn't even like the skill), so I planned the hack and the investigation, searched the gallery for five 'detective' sims, and then my friend Kenzie picked Conrad based on looks and traits.

Spoiler alert but I hope you guys love him because Kenzie picked so well!

[yellowhollyhock]

there is much to love about the tmnt fandom and I have to say one of the things I love the most, is when you meet somebody who has A Favorite and you get to learn about the character through their eyes

Like, my favorite is Donny, I knew it in the first episode, he is my classic blorbo type. And when we're talking 03 which is where I started, he's two of my classic blorbo types: obsessive genius and absolute sweetheart

So when I watch, while I love them all, I'm much more likely to notice his interactions a lot more and fixate on every slightest hint of what's going on in his head while Plot happens

And it's just indescribably delightful to like, I guess kind of have the other povs filled in?

For example I adore Mikey, they're so gender and so silly and SO full of love and self-doubt and insane levels of courage and entirely too much trust. Fascinating and multi-faceted and talented and the type of person I would admire in real life. But I'm never going to See Mikey the way someone who is as obsessed with him as I am with Don can, y'know? I love seeing fics and art that Show Him. Like there's so many angst fics? Not what I would have expected and it's so cool. Like. It fits for him in such a beautiful heartbreaking way

And Raph is extremely close with Donny for my fave spot, I love the different takes on him throughout iterations, I Adore him in 03. Early on my sister and I would laugh because I kept saying Donny was my fave and then going on and on about Raph. Here's the thing though: I see Raph from Donny's pov in a lot of ways. If you're watching 03 obsessively watching Donny, you're going to notice that Raph is always so so gentle and encouraging and protective. So in my head a lot of the time Raph is this Super Chill Guy who is filled to the brim with love and has never done anything wrong in his life and is capable of literally anything (which is how Donny sees him, according to what I made up in my head)

And I think it's partially for that reason that a lot of my close tmnt friends are big Raph lovers, and that's kind of what made me think of this initially because hearing about him from their pov is so enriching. Because he is actually a very flawed character and that's what's great about him! He's a teenager and so much happens and he's trying to process and he doesn't always choose the healthiest way and that is such a relatable experience. And that's also caused me to obsess Even More over the Brains and Brawn dynamic because. They make opposite bad decisions that sometimes cycle back into being the same bad decisions and they're so nonjudgmental towards each other about it and have such admiration for each other's strengths

I got on a bit of a tangent. Point: I was obsessing over Raph a lot but it's been so delightful to have friends who obsess over him More because they see him in ways that I can't from this angle

And Leo it's really similar but kinda flipped, like I love Leo for himself, but when I'm watching I'm mostly noticing two main traits, his patience, and also his social anxiety because! hnnn I don't know how to explain it. Like he takes longer to warm up to April which I'm Noticing because Donny warmed up to her Immediately and so I was watching for the others, you know? Or how he gets anxious during phone calls, either passing them off to someone else or taking them from someone else because he needs to feel in control because it's a high stress situation.

Anyway the more I get to know people who really deeply love Leo, the more I'm also seeing this indestructible older brother which I had mostly seen in Raph. (Which is also a whole other post because to me, Donny admires Raph and worries about Leo while Mikey admires Leo and worries about Raph)

And side characters! There are so many excellent side characters that are only in a few episodes and seeing fanwork that thoughtfully develops them in a way that's true to what we've seen but so much more? That's where it's at! I can't start listing them I'll never stop ahdhakshag no but I do have to say. Lotus Blossom!

I can go on forever but there's just nothing else like learning about a character from the people who love them probably even more than the creators, y'know?

[legalownerofufoemoji]

Ideas/HCs based off friend post?? <3

OH MAN LMAO OKAY UH?

I wasn't expecting AU asks but that actually is a fucking hilarious concept to me

Edit I am adding a fucking readmore because I am INSANE please click for submas rambles

So the tags say l4d and I'm gonna be so fr I don't know a lot of the lore, but I do know zombies and that there are special types

I honestly think, theres two kinds of scenarios that can definitely play out and it all depends on if Ingo gets amnesia or not (if we go with the no pokemon theory, therefore Uxie does not exist, BUT there are other ways to get amnesia so we vibing) because there are plenty of scenarios that make sense for random persok to have serious amnesia. If Ingo just, Wakes Up somewhere he definitely would be logical about it and start off with "I must have been injured whilst trying to survive" rather than "I'm from a different fuckikf universe help me"

My first thought is, if he does get amnesia from idk hitting his head or just Arceus being a cunt, then I think he is a very practical man and would adjust accordingly. He would be stressed as fuck, yeah sure. He would be VERY unhappy about having to be more aggressive in his stance on how he approaches situations (and not understand why he feels like there should be somebody else at his side handling more aggressive/threatening scenarios) but, much like in Hisui, he can definitely go from being funny train man so scarily ripped old man who can and Will deal with shit as needed.

I think guns would absolutely be a learning curve, though. He is used to the loudness because of trains, and I personally headcannon Ingo as hard of hearing and that's why he yells so much (which he would also have to learn to control to not alert the zombies in his immediate area) but I still think he is autistic enough to probably not appreciate how loud guns are. I think he would Deal With It but be moderately grumpy about it, I also think he sould probably be a great shot because of how calculating he can be, rather than if Emmet was in the situation where he would just shoot first and think second.

If we were in a situation where Ingo did have his memory though, I genuinely think that woukd be worse in a way?

The entire time he would be trying so hard to get back to Emmet, it would be literally his only goal, right next to not dying. He would probably speak about Emmet a lot, and also regularly use him as his motivation. God forbid he got injured, his only words would be "I can't die here, I need to get back to him, he must be so worried". He would absolutely also likely put his own health above others slightly more than if he had amnesia, because when he cannot clearly remember Emmet he falls back into his protective older brother stance of making sure everyone else is okay first. ESPECIALLY if they are kids, like in Arceus with the player character.

I also think if he ever got returned to Emmet, he would be much more of a changed man than when/if he returns from normal Hisui. Like deeply traumatized type beat. Amnesia or not, returning to a safe place after being in a horrible location that you literally have to kill to survive would do numbers on his mental health. I think he likely would end up very jumpy, with some form of PTSD, maybe even from the guns and would have issues with loud sudden banging noises. I think he would likely require Emmet to straight up be like a service animal (servive sibling? lmao) to keep him company in public so he wouldn't start tweaking. Crowds would probably stress him out, and he'd also probably be much more touch repulsed than before hand, where I imagine Ingo to be neutral to touch while Emmet is deeply touch adverse (minus Ingos touch, obviously)

Wow I fucking rambled . More asks if you have more questions please because I am unwell (I also deeply enjoy this AU idea ngl I think we should traumatize Ingo a little bit more. For the sillies. It's enrichment to him)

[quidfree]

hi, i just finished re-reading TLAAO (now going to the sequel) and i have a few questions lingering if you are willing to answer? (how many years too late i am?)

first of all, i love TLAAO. it's my favorite shouto-centric and my favorite todobaku (it might be my favorite bnha fanfic ever actually but there's some tough competition with your other fics specially that with the BL setting that is hilarious). you get their characters and their dynamic so so so so so well. i really like how you write them, specially shouto. i won't say anything on how he is usually characterized but your characterization is really great. it seems so very close to canon but a lot more layered. you bring more dimensions to his character, to how he feels and to how he thinks, to how he reacts to people, to relationships, and specially to his work. you build him up a lot from the canon material. dare i say he feels more like a fully realized character than in the animanga? it's true. i really like his introspectiveness and how he's perceptive and obtuse at the same time and how he thinks best in his feet but is so intelligent and how he is mostly nice but not always and difficult and so stubborn but very straightforward and honest although emotionally messy and so ambitious too. i like how his feelings are complicated, his thoughts are complicated, his relationships are complicated. oh, and i love that you let him adopt a cat!

you write todobaku's relationship in a way that actually feels authentic to both characters, and also very interesting, and messy, and so so so compelling. i like how compatible they are in a lot of ways, and their back-and-forth, and how in sync they fight, but i also really like that it's shown that it's difficult anyhow, because misunderstandings happen, because they are both complicated, with a lot of baggage and insecurities and defense mechanisms that overlap; and i like how adult, mature their relationship is. they are still very young, but they aren't teenagers anymore. their relationship development feels really grounded.

you write hawks so well too, although it seems like shouto doesn't get along too well with him, and just fine, which is understandable as their personalities don't clash that well and, well, the whole hawksendeavor and hawksdabitouya dynamics. i also love how much of camie you have included. she's so entertaining and how todobaku reacts to her is funny. i really like that they are close! your writing of momo is also really good as well. it made me appreciate her more and i already liked her a lot! i like your villains too, from godzilla (silly in such a good way) to "twilight" (ditto) to kajiya (mastermind) to kamiya (interesting quirk) and how you write hero work is really interesting.

don't worry about this being 'late', it's actually a real pleasure to hear people still enjoying things i wrote years ago (although i have to fight the itch to constantly edit my older works just a little).

i'm glad you like 'my' shouto, who is near and dear to my heart to write, and that the groundedness comes across. of course i'm always happy to hear people like the supporting cast, because i think having more than just the main couple really enriches the story and (importantly) is very fun for me to write. and thanks for the villain love!!

[dreamsgazer]

Hi! Can you n7 from the softest love prompts? Thank you so much!

Oh, Anon, thank YOU! I love that one, and I hope you'll like this one shot. Since it wasn't specified for what paring, I went with my classic one Tangerine x Fem!Reader.

N. 7: that gaze--tired, soft, their thumb gently rubbing your cheek, noses touching, silently mumbling an "i love you"

Prompt for here | Masterlist | Request always open, but I'm slow at answering!

Warnings: mention of wounds (nothing graphic), NO use of Y/N, TONS and tons of fluff. Sincerely, I surprised myself with all this fluffiness.

Quietly Together

You look at Tangerine and he looks at you.

Both of you lay on your side, facing each other, eyes heavy with exhaustion but refusing to surround.

You know he's aware of you taking in every scrape and bruise in his face, neck, bare shoulder.

In a rare moment of vulnerability, he has let you help him to bandage some cuts and gently press ice into a nasty-looking bruise on his back. Lemon is sound asleep in your guest room, his soft snores a familiar and comforting sound in the quiet of almost dawn. "It was a clusterfuck," was all they said about their last "business trip", as they jokingly call them sometimes.

You haven't pressed further, knowing that the last thing they needed once safe and sound in your apartment was being questioned about what they did - and to whom.

You have become quite proficient in postponing questions and worries until one of them is ready to talk, which inevitably happens the day after their return, while you all are watching the telly, and Lemon graciously pretends not to have heard Tangerine fuck you silly before breakfast.

The three of you sitting together while sipping tea and nibbling at scones is quite a domestic scene, and even if Tangerine never explicitly told you that, you know deep in your bones these moments are precious for him as well.

Home, safety, love. Lemon and Tangerine are mostly tight-lipped when it comes to their job - The less you know, the less you risk getting involved in this shit, is what your beloved Tangerine told you once during one of your crazily expensive dinners.

When it comes to their childhood, though, they are even more reserved. Your respect that boundary, but from how much they crave the domesticity you provide, you can take a pretty confident guess about some aspects of their past.

It fills your heart with tenderness and pride to think your tiny home has become a safe space for the two of them, and you make your best to let them know, in no uncertain terms, that the door is always open. Tangerine silently wraps his arms around you, pressing your body even closer to his. You kiss the tip of his nose, making his lips tremble with a silent laugh, and you smile back.

Gently wiggling your arm free from his hold, you delicately push a curl back in its place, caressing his forehead, careful to avoid the cut there. You try not to think about what kind of weapon could have done. He presses his face in your palm, unashamed and almost asleep, murmuring something along the lines of the wound not hurting, don't bother yourself with it. You do it anyway, because you love this man, and you know that under his swearing, sharp words, and witty remarks, he still thinks is soiling you with his presence in your life. Tangerine does love you, that is for sure, but you are acutely aware that sometimes accepting that someone loves him for himself (like Lemon does, yet in a totally different, romantic kind of way) makes your partner feel too vulnerable, too... maybe not scared, but hesitant in dragging you into his existence. What business does it have an assassin barging into a perfectly normal life, after all? Your heart aches for him when he speaks like that, and you are never tired to repeat how much you love him, how much he enriches your life. He looks embarrassed - always preferring actions to words - but you know he craves to hear you say so. He interrupts your thoughts, whispering something about buying you lunch tomorrow and going for a walk, and you murmur back how much you'd love to spend some time with him. Tangerine smiles - not a grin or a smirk, a proper, full smile - and caresses your cheek with his wounded knuckles, letting his fingers brush against your skin. He's painting you in his mind, like you are right now, relaxed, cosy, and safe in his arms. Seeing this relaxed version of him, this calm and not vocal side of Tangerine, is a privilege you would fight for against anyone. It's the ultimate demonstration of love and trust, for someone who usually cannot afford to be vulnerable to be like this while you hold him. "I love you," his cracked lips mouth only for you to see, before giving up and finally letting his eyes close. You stay awake a bit longer, rubbing his back with slow movements. A silent I love you too for him to feel.

[sparksnevadas]

SPARKS *shakes you*

I'm gently cradling gihsm while running around like one of those fast coffee drinking squirrels in movies. Thoughts are being had wjhendsjdbsjdj

The fight scene was so good!! mumbo and grian watching eachother's backs? The way they work together?? They make me soft<3 Also grian. Buddy. That's acid. Maybe don't touch it...??? Does he still have fingerprints._.

The way you describe keralis's power👀 ahshdjdjrjt (ough)

SCAR GETS TO BE A SCARY VILLIAN. AS A TREAT. ITS ENRICHMENT. girans inner turmoil here ahsjdjjd

Then the whole conversation in the office?? Fr, party crashing is way funner then emails anyway. Who wouldn't go for a little property distraction, right? (That whole conversation was gold ohmygod)

Cubs note... Everything... I give hugs<3

The quiet comfort scar and grian offer eachother. they can't do anything about the past, but they can change their future. And they'll do it together. The similarities (and differences) in their situations... Words aren't wording right but I'm loving this!!

AND THE ENDING???? SPARKS???? (Both figritive sparks and you sparks) i might have to take after Laurie here and eat drywall /very pos

gihsm is very dear to me<3 I love this fic so much<- said through the pain /silly

-🍂

<3 <3 <3

does grian have finger prints? hm... probably. but he probably got really really close to getting them burned off. if not for the potion he'd probably've lost them, that's how bad the acid was burning him and seeping poison into him. tee hee

yknow! i had no idea what to make keralis' power until i wrote the scene. initially the shadow guy wasnt even gonna be keralis, but then i was possesssed, wrote ha-shasha and i knew it had to be. my brother in craft chose his power /silly. i like his power though because to me it makes sense that he'd be a little off putting to look at bc he's had to rebuild his human form so often. he incites an uncanny valley sorta feeling with his eyes especially :) i like to play around with symmetry a lot in gihasm. i wanted to have grian see scar in his most vulnerable (body not cooperating, being taken care of by mumbo in the bathroom, just. things that only people who are tied together would allow each other to see) and then seeing him turn around and take control. Having to see scar move fluidly between those two extremes really humanizes him for grian quite a bit. humans have a lot of dimensions and so does scar. which yknow... leads into the last scene really well... oh my gosh, thank you for reassuring me that the office scene was good! /genuine. i worried a lot about it but i couldn't think of another way to write it. i love making keralis extra silly there. ("mrow") LEAFY!! i think your words are in fact, wording! "The quiet comfort scar and grian offer eachother. they can't do anything about the past, but they can change their future." yes. yes. yes. this is better than how i could put it. grian finally sees eye to eye with whats been done, and decides that he can no longer be passive. he can offer scar help, he can offer himself a choice. he can decide what parts of his life should change... and which parts don't need to. he's still a hero, even if he doesn't have the title anymore, yknow? bon appetit on the dry wall! thank you so much for the ask, leafy. i adore you! hope youre doing well

[thoughtcock]

self manifestations for 2023/24 (progress)

[X] rent an better actual apartment, by myself or with someone else: I am currently here now :) sitting by myself in the comfort of my living room, while listening to lofi music on youtube as background. And boy, what an amazing feeling it is. it is merely just over 400 sq ft, a small size by most standards. yet its just enough for me and the bf who comes over.

I used to feel like I don't do well in the ordinary, life had to always be happening or I have to be on some unconventional route (i mean it kinda is but still) to be happy or whatever. But lately, I really do appreciate the peace and the ordinaryness. I now romanticise the chill/hiding away to my safe space. I love doing my silly little home decorating and just feeling present at this apartment. my safe space.

I gradually became a much more neater and organised person. seriously, i started making my own bed more regularly and you could point a gun at me and i would find it so pointless to do it. its just going tog et messy again so who cares? but now.... i see why people do it.

i thought me being messy was just a personality trait of mine and i hoped people around me will accept it. but i dont know... i guess there's this new-found form of respect i have for my space now, and keeping it tidy just makes it so much more pleasant for me. the only issue with that is i spend significantly more time tidying, and my boyfriend still hasnt caught up to speed yet.

But still... I finally get ikea catalogues and how they are always selling this idea of a beautiful home enriching your life. because its true. and i get why people buy picture frames and decorative tissue boxes and carpets and all. to make a space much cozier, which in turn makes u happier and more at peace. And I get why people buy extra practical things like a water filter, storage space for your appliances, a speaker, a standing desk. because why wouldnt you? it boosts your quality of life in different ways.

Yes, its not cheap to rent, but damn I would rather pay with money than with my mental health. for seven years i've lived with the bare minimum. mostly stuck to buying necessary stuff for my home, or barely buying anything at all for fear it will eat up the little space i was allocated to. and now to have the space(!!) and options to buy something just for the aesthetics is suddenly new to me again. for 8 years i've been living in cramped dorms/subdivided rooms/flat share. i am so grateful and i cant wait to make more and get an even bigger space maybe (i still wish for a bigger kitchen, and an actual designated to hang clothes without taking over the living room space).

In the meantime maybe i can start thinking about owning a home. though i still dont feel ready, need to save more haha

[ ] get my first tattoo: still in the works. all the artists i like are either based far away, or i am still undecided and frankly procrastinating. slighly worrying about the fallout with the mother. also there is a bit of inertia to just fuck it and out trust in an artist for a tattoo that im not sure of yet.

[ ] adopt a cat: unlike getting a tattoo, i dont think i can just bite the bullet and bring an animal to my life full-time. since having a family dog, i realised how important it is to consider how I really have to be responsible for a pet. And making space for said pet in your life. my family dog came to us in a "yolo" way of sorts, and while he is amazingggggg, i know if it were up to me i'll do so much more to give him a better life. and so, i would like to carefully consider everything before fostering one. and also because my new apartment is so great as it is, how can an animal live in it well without destroying the space i worked so hard for?

[X] adapt well in new job: giving this an X because so far i've performed better than how i did in my first year. but there's a lot of self-pressure and probably managerial pressure to step up and do even more, learn even more etc. tbh sometimes it feels like my brain is swimming from all these new things i've learnt or am expected to learn. i dont want to disappoint people, but i am also trying to give myself the space/patience to improve and be better. after all im paid much better to live in this nice apartment.

[X] buy fancy decorative stuff for said new apartment (eg. plates, candles, artsy fartsy stuff)

[ ] be reading more: definitely falling back on reading... sometimes its hard to get the attention span to do so. i've been told i should get back on self-help books. so far i've read more autobiographies. there are some books i own that take me back to chaotic times (Eg. 2019) and i'm sure if i even want to touch them for fear of bringing up not so great memories and how this city is quietly turning to shits. well at least i have my nice place as it turns to shit... privilege much?

[ ] continue to choose myself: i feel like its a half-half on this...

[X] be okay with change: something i read recently is how because nothing last forever, its best to appreciate things are they are now before they are gone. the glass is already broken. impermanence makes things more beautiful.

[ ] have more reflective alone times: unfortunately not doing as much of that, but i hope that will change!!!! sometimes i live life on autopilot mode, and i could feel myself living in that mode for months since i've stopped going to therapy. autopilot mode isnt bad, but yeah i know i dont truly reflect on my feelings much if that is so. and i find my thoughts so muddled and messy at times. its like what the fuck do i want sometimes, why am i overthinking this and that, am i doing enough of this and that bla bla,,, but i dont know WHY im thinking like that. sometimes writing this in word vomit mode helps to rationalise and write out all the things in my head which is great... although i feel like a terrible writer because everything is so messy and word vomity

[X] solo travel (either a beach getaway or city gal holiday, or both): my first solo trip coming up soon! a beach getaway is something i always want to do. im not going to plan much or keep everything to a schedule, just see where this trip takes me. im hoping to just chill and be rejuvenated, and yes try to be more reflective

[ X] turn off my brain when work is over: a WIP but i would say i've gone heaps and bounds since leaving my last job. work stops at 6 and i try not to open my emails/messages, but i guess with more responsibilities sometimes i cant help it. but i can safely say i do have more time for other things without feeling like some manager will find me to settle a story or whatever. it feels nice to have no one bug u after work hours!!

[X] maintain close relationships with the people who matter: not sure whether to tick this since i've become a lot more introverted this year. i no longer do big parties or try to organise one anymore. in that sense i do feel more distant from people now, sometimes i dont even know who matters and who doesnt. but this time, i feel perfectly okay with it. i think its the new house effect, i just want to stay home all the time. maybe the person who matters most in my life is me, after all.

[X] restart seriously saving and investing again: getting paid more helps. though i do need to re-evaluate my investing choices. i jsut need to be careful about lifestyle inflation and balance things properly. i started budgeting again this months so hopefully i can stick to it.

[X] stay away from people with bad energy: its actually easier to do that when u have a significant other and u are okay to be alone. no longer interested in clubs or gettign fucked up, or getting on dating apps anymore.

-[X?] feel valued in a workplace/relationship: yes for work, thanks to great managers and great benefits. relationship, i would like to think my friends value me, and as for my boyfriend? i guess he does in his own ways, though i would like to feel more of it.

New goals:

learn diving

solo travel/travel to more unconventional places

romanticising life more

take a chill hobby like coloring

exercise at least 1x a week

[screeching-painter-witch]

omg ty for the long reply i genuinely love when people answer my questions in detail!! <3 and i hope you feel better soon too!

i'm at volume 1 of the light novel, but i've almost finished s2 of the donghua and read so much meta and fic i think i know most big spoilers

i think he's a really interesting character too. tsundere type characters like him (at least regarding his attitude towards xie lian) sometimes annoy me, but he's well enough written and funny enough that i love him as he is

I really like that he brings a certain pragmatism and realism to the xianle trio, especially pre and during xie lian's first ascension. xie lian and feng xin are good people, but in those times they are both kids and still incredibly privileged and sheltered, as well-intentioned as they may be. i think that while mu qing made the mistake of letting his inferiority complex rule him at times, xie lian also didn't fully acknowledge the significance of the class differences between them.

I don't know how canon this is, but if mu qing had to look after his mother and work so they could both eat, that adds a level of responsibility that makes his life even more difficult, beyond just having to be perfect to get approval and be seen as on the same level as his peers, no matter how skilled and dedicated he was. he had more at stake than just his own career. if feng xin or xie lian were to fail, they would just get back up (pre xie lian's first banishment at least). if mu qing failed or didn't perform up to a certain standard, the consequences for him would be more dire.

but pre-ascension xianle trio aside, i love that mu qing's background shaped his character. his pragmatism and realism as you mentioned continues way beyond xie lian's and even his own ascension and i love that mxtx made his class background and experiences have such a realilstically lasting impact on his personality and behaviour 800 years in the future. I also love that he's not just pragmatic, but very very sensitive about any comments on his background as a servant, as exemplified by his and his middle court officials' reactions to the "sweeping general" comments.

i also love that this sensitivity around his own inferiority (as perceived by others, because he knows he is skilled and good enough to be on part with xie lian and feng xin and the other officials, and even above xie lian in status during the novel's narrative) makes him keep others at arm's length and even makes him come off as snobbish and unlikeable.

and i love that he still cannot help but worry about xie lian despite his theatrics. in novel one, even before he volunteers to help him disguised as fu yao, he's constantly and immediately in the array the second xie lian begins to speak there. and his response to xie lian not recognising him, and xie lian's explanation of "he didn't used to speak to me that way before" all add lovely levels of foreshadowing their very complex and fraught relationship and how it completely changed since their xianle days.

it's so funny how even though he makes such an effort to be seen as respectable, skilled, refined, tasteful he's still so silly. he's the only heavenly official who pesters his worshippers and sculptors until they make his statues pretty enough, he constantly gets into the goofiest fights with feng xin in the goofiest moments to the point where it's clearly just enrichment for both of them and not an actual feud, they just love to fight. it's all shaped by his background and his actions to get away from his background, but he's still a very endearing character and his interactions with other characters, especially with xie lian and feng xin but with anyone he speaks to. he is still fun to watch and read about. it's truly a testament to mxtx's writing and thinking because he could have very easily fallen into the archetype of the snobbish inferiority complex bully character. but he doesn't

anyway this got long but i love mu qing and i cannot wait to learn more about this character, i love mxtx's pacing in the novels especially and the way every character ends up interesting and truly special as more is revealed about them throughout the story.

as for headcanons i am now adopting the idea that he wrote the poems about feng xin. i fully buy him sitting at his desk in his heavenly palace and smirking evilly over his pen and paper.

i also think he has a very extensive skin and hair care routine but he doesn't want anyone to know just how insanely seriously he takes it. i'm imagining the ancient china equivalent of feng xin going to his house in the middle of the night and being startled to near death by hair rollers and the scariest face mask.

and i think he and feng xin hang out for tea sometimes and it's not fully a secret but they don't tell anyone because they really like being seen as feuding enemies. also i think they are in love but that goes without saying

this got me out of the brainfog somewhat so ty for answering and asking me what i think about him too <3

i am tired and a bit sick and my head is cotton and the mental illness is hitting so i wish i could phrase this better or be more specific but

what are your favourite things about mu qing? or headcanons? i didn't appreciate him before but the tumblr artists are changing my mind at breakneck speed and now i need to talk about him

hi there :3 dw, i myself am brainfoggy af today so i hope i'm coherent lmao, thank you for asking though! :D

so mu qing is such an interesting character because, yes, ofc he's kind of an asshole but there's a lot to it imo. idk how far you are in the book, i actually know more about him than i could where i am right now (light novel 4) because i spoilered myself but i'll try to keep it spoiler free? (~book 2) i don't really have headcanons except that he was the one that probably wrote the ju yang poems about feng xin's dick. reason is that he can recite it from memory, which is so fucking funny fsdjhfksd

but his fav thing about him is probably that he's sooo fucking desperate to be liked and respected. like he grew up poor surrounded by the richest people ever ofc he'd have some kind of feeling of inferiority. that's always why he has to put up such defenses, it's because he was bullied and constantly put down. when xie lian is friendly to him he so wishes to be his friend but because of the severe class difference (that xie lian doesn't realise they have or he doesn't deem as so important) stands between them, especially from mu qing's perspective. he's imo incredibly jealous of feng xin who he thinks holds xie lian's respect more so than he does. all that together then makes him so blind to the fact that they are friends, or at least could be if he didn't push them away so much (which, again, is a defense he puts up).

he also is incredibly practical, which stands in contrast to xie lian's idealism, which makes them fight or disagree with each other a lot too, which mu qing takes to heart more (he's more sensitive to criticism because of him always having to be perfect in order not to be kicked out of the palace ig, and also because he's just more sensitive in his personality in general). all of this is probably the reason why he thinks he's not as important to xie lian. i've not read their actual parting yet but ig mu qing is very fond of xie lian and cannot stand seeing him destroy himself anymore. ig he also doesn't see the point of staying, like i said he's more practical and is more focused on not getting hurt himself than saving everyone, simply because he thinks it's unrealistic. though he appreciates that trait in xie lian i think, he's just too much of a coward to think that way (not an insult, i think he states it himself later on in the series). but as i said, i don't really know that yet.

there's so much to his character and he's just so complex, i'm really looking forward to read the whole series so i can just talk about him more and in more detail. he ofc does things that are really fucking shitty but there are clear reasons he does them yk. he and feng xin are such dorks too i love them. and mu qing is just a very grumpy black cat that can't help but snap at everything lmao

thank you again for the ask hehe, yess the art of him is so good, he'd be so pleased😌(he's such a pretty boi) what do you think of him? :D