#how does one jump start and get a blog active again

[alcxandros]

questions plaguing my mind ;

why is Alexander protecting / resting / immobile to Alexandria Castle? is there a connection between the Alexandros family, Alexander, and Alexandria? was Alexandria formed in some kind of connection or honor of Alexander? what, if any, is the significance of the Alexandros family to Alexander? are the Alexandros family possibly a line of summoners? the horned people were not the only summoners to exist; if i recall correctly there were also a dwarven race that could also summon that died out to extension. and that's not getting into Eidolons existed outside of Gaia as Eidolons connected to Terra exist, taking on a more mechanical appearance

XIV is releasing Ark as a mount for pre-ordering and that pompted me to do just a lot of digging into IX in general and these questions won't get out my mind.

On some level, I do love having definitive answers to lore. I like knowing things. But there are times there is magic and wonder in not knowing. Take Majora's Mask for instance.. it would not be the same game to me and I'm sure much of its cult following if we got answers to every mystery and theory spun from it's whacky and cryptic world.

[emeritus-fuckers]

I love this blog so much, has become one of my favourites! How would the papas react to a cheeky butt slap/grab from reader? 🍑

Here you go Kay, you slapped Nihil's ass, now stop crying (I will not give you the context) - Jez

Papas when their s/o smacks/grabs their ass

Primo

You two would have to be a thing for a while before he's comfortable with things like that.

And even then, I think he'd much prefer if you just gave his butt a comforting squeeze instead of smacking it.

He dislikes how obscene the idea of slapping someone's ass is to him.

He's okay with you patting or lightly groping his ass while hugging, though.

So as long as it's something he's comfy with, he'll chuckle and pat your back lovingly.

Secondo

He grabs your wrist before you get the chance and raises a brow at you.

Pulls you into his chest and whispers to your ear to keep things like that for the bedroom like a good little darling.

He knows he would blush if he let you do it and his pride (and reputation) can't allow for that to happen.

He even puts on his stern dom persona for a moment just to make sure his dominance is not threatened.

Touch him all you want in private, though.

If you do smack that ass in private, he barely flinches, gently holds your chin and asks if you want Papa to spank you, since you seem so eager.

He doesn't mind, he just likes seeing you stutter <3

He does prefer if you grab his dick, though.

Terzo

This cheeky motherfucker-

He's gonna moan. Loudly.

And then he'll tease you about what you did. You can't fucking win with this dude, don't even try, love.

You do one thing that can be see as somewhat pervy and this motherfucker makes it his personality for a week, if not longer.

"You can't keep your hands off Papa, can you?" And then he has the audacity to playfully grope you all over but pretend you're the kinky one???

And then he gets upset when you don't do it again.

"You make fun of me for doing that, Terzo."

"Oh please, I would never. I love when you feel me up a bit, it makes your Papa very happy."

It's an endless cycle.

Copia

Considering how many times he smacked a Ghoul's ass, you'd think he'd be used to it. But he is not.

Literally squeals the first time you do that. After a few more times he fully grows to expect it and is even a bit disappointed if you don't smack his booty while you pass him in the Ministry halls.

Honestly I would be disappointed too because he's got cake and personally I would be all over this man and his ass if I had the chance.

He'd get a bit cheeky after a while and randomly smack your butt, too.

It becomes a game of you two sneaking up on each other and smacking asses.

It's absolutely hilarious. His Ghouls keep a score. You're winning.

Old Nihil

Bro almost fucking trips 💀

Turns to fucking dust

He's so fucking shocked he literally can't figure out what happened at first.

And then he sees you, walking away and barely containing your giggles.

Well, obviously, even if he's old, he's the very definition of sex appeal (can't believe I wrote that sentence about a 100+ year old dude) so he can't exactly blame you!

He will assume you meant it sexually and will absolutely expect you to jump his dick later tonight.

There's just a certain kind of beauty to you riding his dick that melts his old simping heart.

Young Nihil

Turns around faster than Sonic could ever run and pulls you into him, holding your chin with a big dumbass grin.

You wanna grope him? Okay, two can play that game, babe.

He's gonna grope you all over, making you laugh because it fucking tickles.

His lips and teeth are all over your neck, too.

Hell, he'd fuck you against the nearest wall if you'd let him.

And you started it. This man cannot be given any somewhat sexual cue or he will actively pursue fucking you.

And you started it! You gotta take responsibility!

Taglist: @sirlsplayland @firefirevampire @thatoddboy @ouijaboardemo (send an ask if you'd like to be added! Read the pinned post before asking!)

[heartbeat-eras]

If ChatGPT was my heart telling me what she does for work…

One very sleepless night, scrolling the blogs I got the idea from @starbeats to get ChatGPT to tell me what my little thumper does for a job. After only a couple of notes they managed to produce a story of a single heartbeat and the process and tasks required to complete each beautiful contraction using a style of writing I connect with so deeply. I then asked for the same on arrhythmias and it didn’t disappoint. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

———————————

“You know, being a heart is more than just pumping. It’s feeling the rhythm of life with every beat. But I don’t work alone. I have a team of electrical impulses that guide me, like a conductor leading a symphony. Let me tell you how it all feels from my side.

1. The Spark of Life (SA Node Activation):

It all starts with a spark—my own internal fire, the sinoatrial node (SA node). It’s like a tiny pulse of excitement deep within my right atrium. It sends a signal, a thrill that spreads through me like a wave of anticipation. I can almost feel the rhythm before it happens—this is where my dance begins. It’s the feeling of “something’s about to happen,” like a drumbeat quietly building up.

2. Atria Wake Up (Atrial Contraction):

That little spark races through my atria, igniting them with energy. The right and left atria squeeze gently—just a warm, subtle hug to the ventricles below, making sure they’re filled with blood. This moment feels like preparation, a calm focus before the real effort. My atria are the caretakers, sending a message to the ventricles, saying, “We’re ready. Are you?”

3. A Moment’s Pause (AV Node Delay):

Now, right here, I take a tiny pause—just a fraction of a second—thanks to my atrioventricular node (AV node). It’s like holding my breath before the big moment. Why? To give my ventricles enough time to get as much blood as possible. It’s that moment of anticipation, like standing on the edge before a jump, letting the tension build before the leap.

4. The Charge (Bundle of His & Purkinje Fibers):

And then it happens. The electricity shoots down a pathway called the Bundle of His, splitting into the left and right bundles like lightning branching out. The energy races through my ventricles via the Purkinje fibers, charging me up. This is the big moment—the surge. My ventricles can’t hold back anymore—they contract, squeezing with all their might to push blood out to the lungs and the rest of the body. I can feel the force of life in every fiber of my being, pulsing outward.

5. The Release (Ventricular Relaxation):

After that surge of energy, I finally let go. My ventricles relax, and I feel a deep sigh of relief. The blood flows smoothly, carried away by the arteries, and I’m calm again. It’s like exhaling after a rush of adrenaline, that peaceful, almost serene moment after the effort. I know I’ll do it all over again in just a second, but for now, I rest. I feel at peace.

I don’t just pump; I feel every beat, every surge of electricity that courses through me. It’s the spark of life itself. Each beat is a rhythm, a story, a heartbeat in time, and I am always listening to the signals, always ready to move. This is how I keep you alive—one emotional, electrifying pulse after another.

———————————

I usually know exactly what to expect, beat after beat. But every now and then, something strange happens—something unexpected that makes me feel… a little out of sync. Let me tell you about it.

1. The Sudden Jump (Premature Atrial Contraction - PAC):

I’m moving through my usual rhythm when, out of nowhere, a signal comes from somewhere it shouldn’t—a rogue spark from an atrial cell that got too excited, too early. It’s like someone shouting out of turn in the middle of a conversation. I wasn’t ready, but there it is—an extra little beat before I’ve even finished my thought.

My atria contract too soon, catching me off guard. It feels like I’ve stumbled on my own feet—nothing painful, just a quick trip that makes me pause. I can still recover easily, though. The ventricles are patient, waiting for the real signal, so I get back into rhythm almost immediately. It’s like a hiccup—strange, but harmless. But I feel a little flustered for a moment, wondering where that spark came from.

2. The Big Thud (Premature Ventricular Contraction - PVC):

Then there are the times when my ventricles jump the gun. I’m waiting for that electrical signal to come down the proper pathway, when all of a sudden, BAM! One of my ventricles decides to contract early—completely on its own. It’s a forceful, uncoordinated thud that catches me off guard. This one feels different—more intense, like a sudden drop on a rollercoaster when you weren’t expecting it. My ventricles were supposed to wait for the atria’s cue, but instead, they went rogue.

It’s unsettling, like someone stepping out of line. For a second, I feel like I’ve lost control, as if the rhythm I rely on has broken. But it’s over just as quickly as it began. I feel a brief pause, and then my next beat is stronger, as if I’m making up for that missed moment. It’s a strange feeling—a jolt followed by a pause, like catching your breath after a startle.

3. The Recovery (Back to Rhythm):

After either a PAC or PVC, I always come back to my regular rhythm—it’s like shaking off a tiny mistake and getting back in sync. But in those brief moments, I feel something. I don’t quite panic, but I’m aware of the disruption, and I feel a little disoriented, like a misstep in a dance. My ventricles may fill with a bit more blood after the pause, so the next beat feels bigger—almost like a sigh of relief, reassuring myself, “It’s okay, I’ve got this.”

I don’t mind these occasional slips. They’re rare and usually harmless, like a sneeze or a quick twitch. But each time, I feel a little flutter of surprise—a moment of uncertainty, quickly replaced by my usual, steady rhythm.

Sometimes it’s like I’ve been startled awake from a daydream. But in the end, I always find my rhythm again, and that’s what matters. I can handle a hiccup or two; after all, nobody’s perfect—even a heart.

[callivich]

Just a reminder for anyone new or anyone who has been lurking:

I know it’s difficult coming into a new fandom but everyone in the Gallavich fandom on tumblr is very friendly and kind, so don’t feel nervous - just jump in and say hi.

Make an intro post and check the #gallavichintro tag to find fellow fans! Here’s the general Shameless version!

Like seriously just send a message or reply to a post. We’re here to have fun, the idea of new people is great because it means more engagement.

When I say people are nice, I mean it. I’ve been in so many different fandoms over 20+ years and this is genuinely the kindest group of people I’ve ever encountered online in a fandom space.

Give your blog an icon. People tend to assume that ones without are spam blogs and may block immediately. Here are some great icons you can use with credit: here / here / here

If you’d like a Gallavich banner for your blog, send me a message - I’d be so happy to make you one! I’ve got ones free to use here / here.

Please don’t steal gifs and repost them, here’s a great post explaining why and another one explaining why and how to use the gif search function! And another one explaining the gif search function.

Reblog content you enjoy and write in the tags or reply to the post - how much you liked something or if you have other thoughts…..creators love to hear this!

Use the tags. They’re the best way to get your posts noticed if you’re new- #gallavich #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #ianxmickey any or all of these will work. When you make a post, you should see a little grey box that says something like add tags to help people find your post, just type in there. (You don’t need to use the # symbol. Tumblr automatically does that.)

There are so many brilliant active communities that you can take part in - I’ve done a roundup post here & I will update it with new communities.

If you feel creative? Got for it. Don’t worry about what people think, just share your work. Write that fic or headcanon or meta, draw that art, create that gifset, design that aesthetic piece, share that playlist. Chances are that a lot of people will enjoy your work!

Don’t feel shy about promoting your work either - tag it with #gallavich & the tags mentioned above.

Recommend what you’ve enjoyed! There is no time limit on sharing links to fic, art, headcanons, gifsets, posts of any kind…..reblog/share what you love and keep sharing it. Whether it’s brand new or years old, sharing the work is great idea.

Go back and explore things. Older fics on ao3, gifsets and art from years past, moodboards and headcanons that are years old. None of these things have an expiration date. So reblog them, share them, let people experience them for the first time and allow people to enjoy them for the 2nd/3rd/4th time.

Comment!! It’s such an important thing to do in fandom. Whether it’s on new work or old work, whether you write long comments or just a keyboard smash and emojis - it’s great way to share love to creators, to support/encourage/inspire them and to get involved in fandom. Check out Ian and Mickey’s guide to commenting and other posts about commenting: here // here // here

Share your ideas. Whether it’s headcanons or meta or fics or art, share it. Feel free to explore your ideas. There’s always room for discussion, analysis and creativity.

If you see ask memes or tag games going around, take part! Or even reblog one of these games and tag some people you’d like to get to know better! Don’t feel intimidated, it’s always nice to be tagged.

Keeping reblogging posts. Not just once or twice but again and again. The queue is there for a reason. And each time you do? You’re sharing it with your dash.

Remember, pretty much everyone starts out as a lurker and when it comes to being creative - everyone starts at the beginning. Those writers and artists and creators that you are in awe of? They all started out at square one. Everyone practices and creates over and over again, that’s how it goes. The more you write or draw or create, the better you get. And fandom loves to see it.

Need ideas or inspiration? I’ve got lots and lots of prompts for you!

This is a relatively small-ish fandom but it’s active and there is nothing nicer than new people joining, so don’t hesitate - jump in. It’s so much fun and we’d love you to join us! 💖

If anyone has any tips or encouragement they’d like to share, please reply to this post! 💖

And if you have any questions about using tumblr, send me an ask!

[nari-writes]

Blogging (and other dangerous activities likely to get you adopted by the Batman)

Inspired by Latchkey by goldkirk

Tim wakes up to Batman in his room.

It- well, it's not fair to say it's a surprise, but seeing the looming figure in his window does make his heart seize. Even after the time Tim's spent watching him with the Robins, it's still nerve-wracking to have Gotham's nightmare show up. Especially since Batman does little to dissuade the notion that he's here on genial business.

Maybe Bruce has figured out he knows and is going to silence him. Maybe this isn't actually Batman, but Man-bat, and Tim's about to be twelve-year-old bat jerky. Maybe-

His parents are home this week though, so if he really wanted he could probably scream and get himself some thinking time; but as he takes a breath to decide what to do, Batman puts a gloved hand over his mouth.

And, ugh. It smells kinda gross. Like leather and motorcycle fumes. Probably the right Batman, but also. Super gross? Why does he smell so bad? When did he last rinse his gloves?

“You've been blogging.” Batman says, which isn't a question but is a very unhelpful non-sequitur.

“Mmrnhm?” Tim says, largely unintelligible but not entirely intending words.

What the shit. Batman's only here because of the blog?

Also, unfair. He'd had to jump through so many hoops to spoof his IP and make his own VPN and switch which library he posted from, and Batman still found him? This sucks.

“Don't scream,” Batman says, and Tim nods. Batman pulls his hand away slowly, potentially having expected Tim to lie, but Tim's not stupid. Batman doesn't have to do this nicely, even if he is a kid, and Tim also knows that if he did scream, Batman would either a) be prepared and gag him again or b) vanish, and then Tim would be in trouble with his parents. Either option sucks, so he'd rather opt for the one that lets him keep taking in the details of Batman's suit. It's hard in the dark, but still way easier than through his camera.

“It could've been my parents,” Tim says, when it seems Batman's waiting for him to answer his earlier not-question. Batman hums, and Tim wiggles back so he's against the headboard. “Yeah, I figured you'd already researched their flight times. Have to try though, right?”

“The blog. Why?”

“It's-” he starts, because there's so many reasons and he doesn't actually know which one Batman wants. Or, actually, would like the least? Probably 'I wanted to see you in action' would land with the grace of a sleep-deprived Jason Todd, but 'I was lonely' may be worse. 'I didn't expect it to blow up?' may be okay, but in the end he hesitantly settles with: “I just think that- seeing you, being- human? Or, showing you have humanity- was important.”

“Did you ever think that I wouldn't want that?” Batman asks, and Tim shifts awkwardly.

“I mean. Yes? But also, the way people- talk about you and the Robins. It sucks.”

Batman's mouth looks very displeased.

“It just, it shows that you're human!”

“How do you know?” Batman asks, and he actually kinda sounds like Bruce Wayne now, like this is a joke he's used before, and Tim thinks through what he'd been about to say very quickly and shuts his mouth with a snap. Ow. Now his teeth hurt.

Batman, on the other hand, does something to his cowl that makes him look like he's very slowly raising his eyebrow. Is it weird to think he looks tense, looks more threatening now, even though he'd literally just been looming with the promise of violence? Tim swallows hard.

“I don't?” he offers, his voice breaking, and he literally doesn't think he's ever been more humiliated by puberty. “I mean, I don't! Know you're human, that is. You could definitely be an alien if you wanted. Or a spirit of revenge, or-” Tim flops backward on his bed and pulls his blanket over his head. “I shouldn't be so bad at this,” he mumbles, and doesn't think about he's definitely going to die because Batman's suspicious and Tim's an idiot when he's tired.

Batman is damningly silent, but when Tim finally, hesitantly, peeks his eyes out from the hem of his blanket, the Dark Knight is still standing in his room. Actually, he's half-hunched over Tim's desk, looking at the corkboard of Tim's photos and reminders. He reaches out, and Tim's heart thuds. “Oh, please don't!” he says instinctively when Batman grazes Tim's camera. Batman stops and tilts his head over his shoulder to look, and Tim swallows down the anxiety clogging his throat. “Please don't take my camera. I can get another one but I- that one was-”

“Stop taking photos of us.” Batman says, short and to the point.

“Stop posting them to the blog?” Tim offers, and this makes Batman turn around properly, looking at him head-on again. He's judging Tim, now, and Tim wonders what part of him will be found wanting. In Batman's eyes is Tim's wealth a precursor to change or stagnation? Does he think Tim should be doing more with his life? Or does he simply expect that this is a rich kid's hobby, no sentimentality involved? Bruce Wayne took his billions and made himself a hero and Tim knows he can't do the same, considering his parents are in charge of the Drake fortune, but there's probably a million other things he could be doing that don't involve stalking superheroes.

“You're a child,” Batman says slowly, and his voice has lost the harder overture that's affected his speech so far. “When Batman is out, it is late, and dark, and dangerous. You are a child and shouldn't be anywhere near-”

“I don't go close!” Tim protests, “I'm not stupid!”

“There are always people in Gotham. What does it matter if you're not in the area of the most danger when you're still in danger?”

“I'm not stupid,” Tim protests with a hiss that contains more vitriol than it really should, considering his conversation partner, but he can't help it. “If you never saw me how'd you think anyone else could?”

“How do you know I never saw you?” Batman asks, like a challenge, and Tim scoffs.

“Come on, you think I don't know that if you saw me out there, you'd have me thrown in the back of the Batmobile and at the closest precinct before I could blink? Jason almost-” Tim freezes, then quickly blurts, “-before he took your tires, and got adopted by Bruce Wayne, Jason tried to do the same thing whenever he saw me. I know what I look like, to people in Crime Alley.”

Shoot, shoot, shoot, this is actively a terrible lie; Batman only needs to ask Jason when he met Tim and the whole thing would be blown. And, also, name-dropping a specific kid, like Batman would remember who stole his tires? The connection is tenuous at best and damning at worst.

“You've been taking photographs of us since you were eight?” Batman asks, sounding horrified, and Tim winces internally. Please forgive me, Robin, he whispers in the back of his mind, and then says with all the glib disdain he can muster:

“Well, you let Robin go out when he was barely older than me. It's the same thing.”

He has never seen Batman do a full-body wince before. He's not entirely sure he could get Batman to do it again, and wonders if he should add it to his board of accomplishments. He’d have to encode it if he did, even if the board’s mostly for his own reference, but imagining it pinned up next to his photography awards is making him feel a bit hysterical. Then again, that could also be the fact that Batman is still in his room and Tim is lying.

“He was not eight-”

“I just think that unless the same orders get applied to him I think you're being a bit of a hypocrite. He’s actively in more danger than I am, considering he ends up in grabbing range of Rouges and I don’t.”

“I will be telling your parents,” Batman growls, and this time Tim smirks.

“Yeah? And how do you think that's going to go for you?” Tim can almost exactly imagine it: there's no way his parents will believe Batman, because it's crazy and they'd be freaking out over Batman in their house, and if he does it as Bruce Wayne it'd be a crazy coincidence for Tim Drake, known genius, to have access to. If Tim hadn't already solved their identities, that connection alone would probably tip him off.

Well, maybe Batman wouldn't think about the potential implications - academic strengths don't always translate to detective-solving skills, and it's just Batman's misfortune that in Tim's case it's a little bit the other way around. Detective skills that he's carefully and stubbornly honed have led him to a dogged dedication to his studies.

“Robin is a trained professional,” Batman says, and Tim volleys back with,

“Yeah and I'm not doing the same thing he is at all, so my standards can be different.”

“Tim Drake,” Batman says, this time actively growling his name, and Tim doesn’t know if he should cackle or wince. For one thing, he’s pretty sure Batman has lost this verbal volley, which is why he’s pulling out the doom and darkness voice.

On the other, this is the voice he uses on men triple Tim’s size and with twice the bravery (and crazy), and having the full force of it directed at him makes his stomach drop. He clutches his blankets, fabric pulled tight, and tries to pretend his hands aren’t shaking.

“The blog is being removed - do not start it again. I will not see you on Gotham’s streets again during my patrol.”

The lens of his mask are so narrow that the white is barely visible. He holds Tim’s gaze, like he’s imparting the orders, like he’s checking to see Tim’s fear will keep him obedient, and then nods slowly. The cape swishes behind him as he puts Tim’s camera back on the desk, and then he’s leaving. Leaving, and Tim’s secrets are safe and he is unharmed and undeterred.

“You won’t,” Tim whispers as Batman slips out his window and into the dark.

[macravishedbymactavish]

Friday (Alex Keller x F!Reader)

| Blog HQ | Modern Warfare 2019 / 2022 Masterlist |

| No use of Y/N | 18+ MDNI | Taglist Open |

Submission #2 for the Alex Keller Challenge - hosted by the amazing @glitterypirateduck

TW for : Steamy make out session (nothing graphic) - semi public and getting caught. OC Keller family.

Prompts Used:

Don't look at me like that

I told you it was a terrible idea [I told you this is a terrible idea]

This is by far the dumbest thing we've done

You wanted this as much as I did [you want this as much as I do]

“What's the worst that would happen?” You whispered, elbow resting on his shoulder as you two whispered back and forth. Your lip caught between your teeth as he stared at the ground, shaking his head.

“Someone catches us? A bear mauls us to death? Trying to explain how we both got poison ivy up in our business.” He whispered back, convincing himself that sneaking off from the campsite would be a terrible idea. Especially since his entire family was present, including his neices and nephew's.

“Then we keep it PG. We don't risk Poison ivy burns, or the wildlife catching us with our pants down.” You shrugged, standing from your spot as you started walking toward the cabin his parents owned. Smirking as you heard him softly cuss, jumping up to follow you to the back.

“You're terrible.” Alex sighed, rolling his eyes as you smiled at him. Tilting your head slightly as you studied his features. “Don't look at me like that.”

“Like what?!” You laughed, reaching up to rest your hand on his chest. Rubbing over the fabric slightly with your thumb.

“With the bedroom eyes.” He groaned, laying a hand over yours. Eyes moving over your figure as he actively reminded himself of the time he fell into poison ivy as a child. The discomfort he felt as he swore he'd never let it happen again.

“Well sorry, let me just pop my eyes out and replace them with my campsite eyes.” You teased, any further teasing cut short by his mouth gently finding yours in a loving kiss.

“This is a bad idea.” He mumbled, despite showing no signs that he wanted to stop.

His mouth moving against yours, the feeling of his hands warming your hips as you backed into the wall of the cabin. Your hands cupping either side of his face, holding him in place as he hummed in content.

“This is a terrible idea.” He whispered once again, barely pulling away. Eyes still closed as his moral compass spun out of control.

You both knew this was risky, you both knew this was to a degree disgusting teenager like behaviour. But the feeling of his body pressed against yours under the warm rays of sun; your personal little bubble of paradise wiped all concern from your mind.

“If it's so bad, why does it feel so good?” You taunted. Sliding one hand to the back of his neck; tugging gently on his hair. Eliciting a soft groan as he pulled you back into a deep kiss.

His hands sliding around your hips, cupping your ass as he pulled you flush against his hips. Kiss filling with fervor as he all but begged between kisses to leave the damn bonfire and continue this at home.

Moving your hips forward, you moaned softly into his mouth. Breath catching in your throat as you felt him pulling you closer, urging your actions on. Riling you up in return, until a small voice ruined the moment.

“Gross!” Pulling apart quickly, faces flushed from both your prior activities and being caught by Alex’s young nephew. “Everyone’s looking for you guys. It's time to eat.”

“Okay, bud. We’ll be over there soon.” Alex sighed, shuffling to stand behind you with an arm around your middle. Pressing his face against your shoulder as the boy immediately ran back to the group, explaining in great detail what he just saw.

“This was by far the stupidest thing we’ve ever done.” Alex groaned, voice muffled by your shirt. Pulling back slightly to readjust before walking back out to where his family sat.

Walking back toward the picnic tables, you called over your shoulder. “You wanted this as much as I did.”

Sitting down at the picnic table, you smiled at the small baby in Ellie's arms. Wiggling your fingers, and chuckling at the squealing laughter you caused.

“So, I'm going to be the cool Auntie sooner than later?” Ellie teased, watching in amusement as your expression fell and cheeks lit up in a deep blush.

“I told you it was a terrible idea!” You heard Alex argue from somewhere behind you.

Taglist: @bloodonmyhands-1221 @v1naco @bowtruckleninja

Alex Keller Taglist: @deadbranch @gcing-back-to-505 @glitterypirateduck

[daybreakrising]

so i've been thinking about this for the past few days and finally come to a decision-

i will be implementing a new rule regarding exclusive ships, and periods of inactivity

to preface this, i will say that i take exclusive ships very seriously, in that i don't jump to exclusives often or easily and they're usually based on very specific things. by extension, i also take the breaking of exclusives very seriously too. i don't like doing it at all.

however. in certain cases, if the partner involved in an exclusive ship goes inactive for a long period of time without any hint of returning and/or no communication, this then leaves me hanging for the development of that ship, and unable to potentially explore a similar dynamic with somebody who is active and communicating. i am a loyal person, but i have my limits - i cannot be expected to stay tied to a blog that isn't being used.

so what is this rule?

i am going to start breaking exclusives with blogs (or muses) that have been inactive for long periods of time with no communication or no sign of returning activity. and yes, this will apply even if someone is active on another blog of theirs, or is actively writing for other muses on a multi.

there will be some exceptions to this, particularly if the ship is built very specifically around one portrayal of a muse, but i won't put any guarantees in stone, just to be open about things.

what do you class as 'communication'?

talk to me. that's literally all it takes. if you've lost muse for your blog or a particular muse, that's fine - but tell me. communicate this with me. if you're just taking a short break from that muse but plan to return: great! if you genuinely can't see yourself coming back to the muse? also fine! still want to discuss and develop the ship away from the blog? i'm down for that.

i will not be angry or upset if you're dropping a muse or don't have it in you to be on that blog. i am always happy to park a ship (or ANY dynamic, for that matter) on the shelf for a while, and i can pick it back up again if needed. i find it very hard to throw things out, guys, trust me. i'll hold onto our dynamics until i'm forced to let go.

that being said, i do require continued discussion to maintain my interest in a ship. it doesn't have to be much - i'm not expecting people to send me essays or talk non-stop for hours or even every day. i just need something - random questions about their relationship, little ideas you've had for moments in their lives, even just knowing you're thinking about them on occasion is better than radio silence. so, if i'm not getting that from you and the blog/muse hasn't been used in a while.... maybe it's time to reevaluate that exclusive label.

i will, of course, communicate (or attempt to) with the involved partner if i come to this decision for our exclusive ship. and i want to stress: this is not personal. this has no bearing on how much i value our ship, the things we have developed, or you as a person and writing partner.

AND TO BE CLEAR:

this does not mean i am throwing out the ship entirely: i will still eagerly develop and write the ship if that blog(/muse) returns, we will simply no longer be exclusive for it. if activity continues, and providing i haven't developed another dynamic in the meantime, i may consider reinstating exclusives after a period of time - but i will only do this once, and i won't do it easily, which leads me onto:

i am also going to be stricter with exclusive ships as of this post.

i am usually exclusive for one of three reasons - first, that what i've built with someone is so specific to their portrayal of that muse that i cannot see me seeking out the ship with another portrayal. second, i have very specific ideas or thoughts about a "popular" ship and have found a partner whose ideas/thoughts align with mine and who i trust. third, it's a ship that involves characters no one would normally throw together and only makes sense in the world we've created for them.

as i said at the start of this post, i don't jump to exclusives easily (though it may sometimes seem that way). this just means that i'll need some more back and forth and to feel things out before i'll consider exclusives in future.

tl;dr: i'm gonna start breaking exclusives for ships involving inactive blogs or muses. sorry if this makes me a terrible person but i don't want to limit interactions with a dormant dynamic.

[mid-somer]

I'm thinking about Bob' Burgers again

I've been thinking about Linda and Bob Belcher a lot lately. Bob's Burgers is my favorite show and I've noticed that everyone who watches the show shares most of the same opinions on things (almost all of them positive, very few being negative) but one thing I've seen quite a few people say is that Bob and Linda aren't good parents. They say Bob doesn't care about anything except the restaurant and Linda favors Gene and is the typical "boy mom" and as a kid whose parents are those exact things I have thoughts about it.

At no point in the show does Bob ever put anything over the well-being of his family, but he does it in subtle ways. We obviously know the restaurant is his dream, but from the movie, you can tell he cares more about it being a source of livelihood for his family, keeping a roof over their heads, and keeping them safe. He did not hesitate to follow Linda into the Mole Hill when he saw the kids' bikes. once he realized he might be taking their childhood from them like his dad did at his restaurant he didn't hesitate to fire them so they could go live their lives and have a good childhood and he didn't hesitate to go get them from the weird old people's pot farm. That episode where Gene has a bully and he tries his hardest to help him out without hesitation. The Thomas Edison episode where they think Tina's hurt and he got to her the fastest despite being portrayed as someone who hates physical activity and never does it. The stone the witch game he plays with the kids where they're throwing pillows at him and jumping all over him while he's reading and smiling so huge because he just loves having his kids around. He got his legs waxed to help Tina through her fear! It wasn't "you're too young" or "that's a stupid thing to worry about" it was "it's your body and this is your worry and also I don't know how shaving works so I'll help you through waxing"

And Linda? Linda so very obviously loves Gene but I don't think she favors him or has that toxic boy mom mentality. When Gene started dating Courtney she was so excited for him to have a new person in his life who could see how cool he was. But when Louise fell into the crime hole? The only thing she cared about was her kids safety. When Tina and Bob told her they got into that accident in the parking lot with Jimmy Pestos car and her first reaction was to scream in terror and concern for her daughter. She loves everything her kids do, she supports them in all their ventures and runs into danger for them at the drop of a dime. Her kids feel safe enough to come to her when they have problems. She brought Louise to the mother-daughter seminar because she couldn't understand why Louise didn't love her and she just wanted to be able to spend time with her and bond with her and once she found the right way to do it she put in the most effort. She sacrificed her valentine's day with Bob to help Tina after she got her heart broken. She's able to bond so easily with Gene because they love all the same things, they're basically the same person, but that doesn't mean that he's her favorite. It means they like the same things and are both more open with physical and verbal affection. Tina and Louise aren't like that and she respects them and that quality and she adapts to it and loves them the way they need and like to be shown love.

My point is that Bob and Linda are top tier parents and are tied for best tv parents with Gomez and Morticia Addams. They still make mistakes but they love their kids and each other and they're like the most functional fictional family I've ever seen, despite being chaotic and weird. There will be no Belcher slander on this blog or like ever

[nothums-from-tj]

Good morning I’m getting back into PPG lately and I can not BELIEVE the lack of Boomercup content. As I’ve said before: if you want content you gotta make it yourself

I present to you headcanons that only this micro fandom will enjoy if anyone’s left/active still at all bc it is. So dead. Dead enough that I’m revealing myself for a ship my followers don’t even care about again. Combining some 2016 canon with the OG bc there are some gems, like Butters being a math genius and how her insecurities were subtly explored more

I’m also considering them like 16 or so here for sake of high school concepts

- they get closer in high school when Boomer’s had enough with being an edgelord and being associated to Him and Mojo so he goes to Butters first since it’s easier to be in the lighter grey area of morality than to try to jump from one extreme to the next (currently have a WIP going on this concept!! “tbmg” tag on my blog or chapter 1)

- he learns a bit of her past with Ace and he’s downright nauseous over what he did to her (“It was years ago. It’s not important now.” “You were five. It doesn’t matter with the whole hero and villain thing—manipulating a child like that is gross. He’s gotta be, what?—10 years older than us?” “Minimum. It’s not like he actually liked me—he just toyed with me.” “That doesn’t make it any better.”)

- Boomer does all the cheesy pet names when they start dating especially bc he knows it bothers her (she likes it a little, not that she’ll ever tell him that)

- Boomer also once started picking up chess or checkers after having enough of his brothers picking on him so he started learning something to be “smart” so he challenged Buttercup to a match assuming she’d be at or around his skill level

- that said, in actuality she started picking it up years ago out of sheer competitiveness with her kind-of-constant sibling feud with Blossom, eventually coming close enough to stump her for a moment or two more often than not just not quite enough to beat her; he learned this the hard way when she beat him so hard at it he sat in stunned silence for 10 minutes trying to figure out what hit him, then demanded to see a match between her and Blossom

- he thinks it’s kind of really funny how much of a sore loser she is and how differently she behaves from when they were kids, so like instead of screaming and yelling and demanding a rematch like when they were young she’d simply flip the table over or chuck the console remote or whatever at the wall and walk away wordlessly to chill out and the suddenness usually makes him laugh really hard once the initial shock wears off

- Butters’ love language is quality time and physical touch, which it takes a few months or so for Boomer to learn when she starts hanging out with him like all the time and play fights him (light punches, kicks his ankle when they’re sitting next to each other, a soft kick to his shin when she scolds him for something, will sneak up behind him to jump on his back just to startle him, etc) and as they become like inseparable the insults are always paired with smirks and shining eyes and so many more excuses for touching and play fighting

- Boomer’s love language is words of affirmation and acts of service which drives Buttercup insane bc she doesn’t know how to handle either of them, words of affirmation are always combated with insults and she’ll dodge them when and where possible bc “how dare he accidentally pick an insecurity of mine to comment on and make me feel like I don’t deserve to downgrade myself like that” so she’ll look away and shoot the insult to not be vulnerable Or something that she does feel good about and be like “duh?????? I know that already” then neither really know what to do from there; acts of service Buttercup will turn into a competition or see as an insult at first as if she can’t do it herself so when they start dating her sisters have to hold her back sometimes to let her bf do something nice for her and she started understanding by then

- Buttercup is the definition of no rizz and it’s so painfully funny for everyone around her

- “Okay, Boomer.” “I hate you.” “No you don’t.” “Yes I do.” “Prove it.” “Are you asking me to fight you?” “Maybe.” = Buttercup, flirting

- as cliché as it is for these two, she does call him Pretty Boy—originally trying to insult him which he never took it as such anyway, then as a nickname/pet name

- Buttercup is very much a morning cuddler and Boomer never wants to let her go when they wake up together

- after 3 months into just their friendship alone there is no longer such a thing as Buttercup’s hoodies and Boomer’s hoodies, it becomes one collection to the point that later on when dating they’d get each other matching hoodies and both would still end up at one place after losing track of who has what

- Brick and Buttercup have the same advanced/honors math class and it drives Blossom insane that her sister and her counterpart are the math geniuses and she’s not; Brick also tries to play wingman for Boomer and Butters after partnering up with her for some project in said math class

- when the other brothers find out Boomer’s trying to change sides and it means having less interaction/association to their dads they also ask Buttercup to “tutor” them and it makes Boomer jealous to no end (she only has eyes for him though)

- he’s always the first person she contacts after a fight with either Butch or Blossom so she can rant and blow up and then, after arguing with Blossom particularly, he’s always the shoulder she cries on and the first hug she looks for

- both have to learn how to communicate openly and set firm boundaries so they both have to ask the other Puffs to help them with it to prevent arguing and Boomer is so much better at it than Buttercup, who will more often than not still get defensive and Boomer has to set that they need to walk away from the situation so they can chill and then talk and she’s always super pouty abt it but still follows through bc she hates fighting with him

I’ll likely add more later Or if anyone else has any to add on please do <3

[skwigelfskwisgaar]

((I sent similar asks to other blogs and I don’t wanna make the rest of y’all feel excluded esp since it looks like half y’alls muses are losing their shit so… got any mental health HCs for your muse??))

I think this was kinda a mental health and background in general, I hope it helps!

More under the cut:

Perfectionist

● Skwisgaar is first and foremost a perfectionist in all he does. His need to be the best has him constantly playing scales, arpeggios, simple drills - and it's often more a tick of his to use his guitar the way Toki uses Deaddy Bear or Pickles uses drugs. It calms him to have his instrument with him in case he needs to play it to ignore his mom or whatever else annoys him. Very, very rarely does he leave it behind. He has a simple skincare routine, hair care routine, and makes sure he looks presentable as much as possible. Everything about him needs to be perfect, from appearance to performance. His need to perform at 100% at all times has given rise to other problems, primarily stress induced headaches, burnout, and a need to berate Toki and William when they fail to meet his standards.

Anxiety

● Skwisgaar being in the limelight and the need to perform in all areas of his life to the upmost perfect capability had led him to develop anxiety. Will he fail at staying the best? Will the fans turn on him? Will Toki become better than him? Does anyone else care enough to craft music? Will his mom call him again and berate him for ignoring her? It drives him nuts that no one else is striving for his level of perfection and sometimes he lashes out for the smallest inconveniences, having been stewing in thoughts for much longer leading up to it. Oddly enough Skwisgaar tends to know when he's worked up into an anxiety attack and tends to shut himself off when it gets to that point.

Dysfunctional Relationships

● It goes without saying Skwisgaar had a pretty absent mother and has a warped sense of what family, friendships, and relationships are. I think Serveta truly loved him, but since she herself was at the peak of her own life and career, she often used him as an excuse as to why she constantly had to try harder and harder to find willing men, housing, work, ect. Due to this, Skwisgaar has a very rocky maybe even stressful relationship with Serveta Skwigelf, and the very thought of seeing her sends him into a frenzy. Seeing how she and him moved around quite a bit for her work before she settled down into the cabin she lives now, Skwisgaar's only real lasting bond has been a dysfunctional one at best and has a hard time knowing how dynamics between people, friends, and even partners really work.

Hypersexual

● Due to exposure to Serveta's very 'active' lifestyle, Skwisgaar has a very active lifestyle too. For many, sex is a way to bond with someone that they truly care about whereas for Skwisgaar, it's just another activity in which he must perform to his fullest, with any interested parties. Primarily concerning to some is his adoration of the older women, which could be seen as him seeking approval from a mother-like figure since his own mother often blamed him for her failures. He jumps from person to person, even band to band, before becoming a member of Dethklok and finally establishing roots and forming some shaky friendships with the other members. His inability to understand how relationships work on a basic level has warped how he views potential partners.

History of Addictions

● Whereas Toki took over as lead guitarist and even seemed to thrive in the role when our neurotic blonde left for Sweden, Skwisgaar became a wreck when Toki vanished and started using drugs like the rest of the band to cope. Skwisgaar had vices, and when he indulged, he went hard into those addictions. Thankfully he finally feels like there's a support system in case he spirals out of control, but with the band spiraling out of control in general during that time and the fans finally turning on them asking about Toki, I believe he pulled himself out of it with help and managed to kick some of his vices to the curb for good. It's not the first time he's been told his vice is affecting his performance or that he is spiraling, and he knows deep down it probably won't be the last.

Abandonment Issues

● Skwisgaar's biggest defining trait when it comes to his mental health is his unwillingness to admit he is afraid of being abandoned. By the fans, by the band, by his friends and bandmates. Skwisgaar's childhood had a lot of men coming in and out of his life, all of whom wooed Serveta in hopes of becoming her one and only - and all of them leaving her once she moved on and to young Skwisgaar, also abandoning him. One could say this issue with potential father figures hit a peak with Serveta actually marrying Tỳr, and Skwisgaar trying to find that domestic bliss he craved as a child at the cost of leaving DethKlok. This fear of being abandoned has made it so he doesn't allow himself to become too attached to others, after years and years of disappointment from men claiming to be his new step-father. By the time Toki joins DethKlok, Skwisgaar has built these defenses to keep him from becoming disappointed if this too didn't pan out.

In conclusion, post AotD Skwisgaar sees Twinkletits infrequently purely because he sees it has helped Nathan and definitely helped Toki. Skwisgaar doesn't like admitting he might need help, and definitely isn't about to admit he has other issues unless it's to return the favor to Serveta and blame her for his visits to the rock talk specialist.

[marvelfilth]

Since you and your followers want an answer so badly but can't be bothered to actually look up stuff yourself, here you go:

From a trans person btw. And I've mentioned several times how I've seen it in these communities, communities I'm a part of lol, and even have a trans friend that doesn't like it so it's funny that you all just keep going on about it being cis people when it's not lol.

Idk how you're getting just use "girl with a penis" from what I'm saying when that's the exact same thing as using GP. I'm saying to specify when reader or charter has one by saying "x, has a penis". It's like you're purposely being obtuse about all of this because you don't want to change what you're doing.

I'm not being obtuse (funny how the second you're hit with questions you start calling people obtuse), I'm just not actively looking for hate where there's obviously none, and asking questions because (surprise!) I'm not about to change what I'm doing just because some noname on Tumblr told me to. I expected you to say something factual, but, so far, you've only said that some people don't like it and then jumped straight to it being harmful. Are you the obtuse one?

“Don't say girl with a penis, say character x (in this case Natasha) has a penis”

So if Natasha Romanoff has a dick in a fic I'm not allowed to call her a girl? Is that what you're trying to say? Is that what the issue is? And how is that even an issue? What are you even trying to say?

“Cissexist language and framing”?

Please, please tell me where in my fics have I ever used cissexist language and framing.

“Why does the tag g!p even exist when it essentially casts women with vaginas as default, inherently othering an already marginalized group of women…”

Because when you're reading a wlw fic and then get to the smut part and suddenly one of the women has a dick you'd be a little surprised. The majority of women have a vagina, so it's natural to expect that women in a fic would have one too.

Some people don't like being surprised like this, that's why we put a warning.

“Why does the combination of these two always frame trans/intersex women as not being as 'real' as cis women (generally implicitly, but the messages are pretty clear, and pretty much standard in g!p fics)?”

Again, I don't know what kind of fics you read and what kind of blogs you follow, but I've never even hinted at this in any of my fics.

Look, if i used the tag for a trans character (for example Natasha transitioning f to m or m to f) and put the tag gp THAT would've been harmful. I would've never used the tag in this case, because I understand how wrong it is in this case.

But my fics are not the case.

What I get from this is that some people simply don't like the wording. There's a number of very simple solutions. You can idk scroll? Block? The possibilities are endless.

[rukbat3]

Babylon 5 Rewatch - Legacies

This is a post I originally wrote several years ago for Mark Oshiro’s Mark Watches blog. I don’t really plan to edit them before posting, so there may be some references that don’t make sense. If you see words that look like gibberish, they are actually rot13, which was our way of discussing spoilers. There are plugins you can install to decode the text (Cryptext is the one I use), or you can copy/paste to rot13.com, or just ignore it.

I like this episode fine in concept, but there are a few problems with the execution which make it a frustrating exercise to actually watch. On the other hand, it does have a few features which become more interesting on a rewatch, so…

My first problem is with the actress who plays Alisa Belden. She’s just … not good. I don’t know what it is about her line delivery, but everything she says sounds so fake. And speaking of fake, what was up with those cliché smudges of dirt on her face in her first scene?

Then there’s all of the Narn bashing that goes on. Like, I can chalk some of it up to Alisa’s youth and immaturity, but then why is Ivanova so hostile to Na’Toth? You’d think she’d jump at any alternative to Alisa joining Psi Corps, but instead she’s actively discouraging Alisa from considering Na’Toth’s offer. Naq jung jnf gung yvar nobhg gur Anea znxvat fynirf bs gurve ivpgvzf? Jr arire urne nal ersrerapr gb gung naljurer ryfr va gur fubj. It feels icky. Even this early in the show, we have seen enough of G’Kar and Na’Toth to know that there is more nuance there, but suddenly this episode is treating them like outright villains with no redeeming qualities.

Switching over to the main plot now, I have a couple of minor quibbles and one major one. First how does Sinclair not know by now about the Minbari tradition of approaching with gun ports open? The war has been over for 10 years now; you’d think that this little cultural difference would have come up before, and been widely circulated in the military in the interest of avoiding misunderstandings. After all, you wouldn’t want anyone to re-start the war because of a mistake. This feels very much like manufactured drama just to have a cliffhanger before the credits.

Second, after Delenn clears up the misunderstanding, Sinclair is still suspicious. He tells one of the people working in C&C, “If their tracking system so much as blinks in our direction…” “Understood,” she replies. But what does she understand? If their tracking system so much as blinks in our direction, contact me right away? If their tracking system so much as blinks in our direction, open fire? This seems like the kind of situation in which you would want to make damn sure your orders were clear.

Third, and most seriously, what was Delenn’s actual plan here? How did she think this was going to go? She definitely comes across in several scenes as looking like she blames humans for the disappearance of Branmer’s body. In fact, she is the first one to suggest Home Guard or those like them might have had a motive. And she does this in front of Neroon, who it should be obvious is angry enough to do something foolish. Just how long was she planning to wait before coming forward with her “mystical transformation” story?

But as I said, the episode isn’t all bad. For me, one of the most interesting things about it is the glimpse it gives us into the continued tension between (at least some) Minbari and humans. Before this, the only Minbari we have really had contact with are Delenn and Lennier, neither of whom seem to have any trouble getting along with humans. It becomes easy to forget that it was only 10 years ago that the Minbari almost destroyed Earth. But here, the lingering resentment on both sides is on full display. Sinclair is having full-on flashbacks to the Battle of the Line, and Neroon seems to be just looking for an excuse to start the war all over again. It’s a valuable reminder that just because Delenn seems patient and understanding, doesn’t mean that every Minbari is willing to let bygones be bygones.

And it’s not just interspecies relations that are challenged in this episode; intraspecies relations get examined as well. The disagreement between Delenn and Neroon about best to honor Branmer’s service is apparently a sign of a much deeper disagreement between the warrior and religious castes of Minbari society. [season 4] Vg'f na rneyl vaqvpngvba bs gur evsg juvpu jvyy riraghnyyl yrnq gb gur Zvaonev Pvivy Jne, naq pbafvqrevat gur cneg Arebba cynlf va gung pbasyvpg, vg'f sha gung ur trgf gb onfvpnyyl vagebqhpr gur fhowrpg urer.

I do wonder about that final scene between Neroon and Delenn. Is she telling the truth about speaking for the Grey Council, or is it only the truth from a certain point of view? After all, she is the Grey Council’s representative on B5, and could thus be said to be speaking for them all the time, but has she actually consulted with them on this matter? I tend to think not, but I could be wrong.

As for the parts which become more interesting in hindsight…

[season 4] Bu, url thlf, Arebba vf urer! Ab bar urer vf rknpgyl jung ur nccrnef vaqrrq. Arebba unf fhpu n ybat jnl gb tb sebz urer, ohg vg'f fhpu n fngvfslvat wbhearl.

[season 3] V jnf guebja bhg bs gur prerzbal ubabevat Oenazre sbe n zvahgr jura V abgvprq gur Zvaonev sbyqvat gur synt nf vs vg jrer n uhzna zvyvgnel shareny, naq gura V gubhtu, ab, jnvg. Guvf znxrf cresrpg frafr, orpnhfr bs pbhefr Inyra zhfg unir gnhtug gurz guvf evghny! :-P

Favorite scene: Neroon’s apology to Sinclair. Surprisingly, he seems to be taking his assignment seriously, and not just paying lip service to an apology. The tension isn’t entirely gone, but a step towards understanding has definitely been taken. I especially like that Neroon does that Minbari bow (don’t know what else to call it), and then reaches out to take Sinclair’s hand. [season 3] Cyhf, bs pbhefr, “Lbh gnyx yvxr n Zvaonev, Pbzznaqre.” Guvf vf bar bs gubfr zbzragf gung oyrj zl zvaq gur svefg gvzr V er-jngpurq gur fubj! xD

[logically-asexual]

Thomas has done to Sanders Sides what Jacksepticeye did to his Egos. (Except Jack made his fandom wait 5+ year's)

5 years ago Jack's Ego videos would get 4+ million views within a few days. Then he started making Merch for them which was fine for a while until he stopped making content about them and only did things with them for Merch while endlessly teasing his fans with false hunts in videos that never went anywhere or amounted to anything. Fans eventually gave up on him ever doing anything but make excuses and shill Merch so they left the fandom. Now he has hired a Fan to write his Ego Lore and is once again making big promises that he will have more content "Soon" but the video's he has released so far have done terrible.

Jack waited too long and now the audience is gone and not here for his content now. I fear the same thing for Thomas. 3+ year's filled with false hope and Merch drops disguised as actual content has made his fandom weary and bored. No one is excited anymore about SS stuff because we think it's just going to be another money grab with no actual story or relevance.

🪦

yeah i’ve heard several takes on this jack guy and i can’t say anything about that because i am not familiar but what you describe does sound like what Thomas’s fate could be.

because like. the long waits are annoying, yes, specially if you’re an active fan and want to do stuff but you feel that you have nothing to draw upon to get inspired. but the Sanders Sides fandom —like as a crowd— had always been willing to move on to other things and then as soon as a new episode dropped everyone came back. and then you had your dash full of Sanders Sides even though you didn’t even remember that the blogs you followed posted that kind of content!

so yeah the fandom could stay dormant for months and months and then wake up and shoot to top ten trending hashtags whenever there was a video. and that was fine. but that can stay happening only under the condition that people like what they see when they return.

if you wake up the fandom to say “hey!! here’s content!!” and they all come running and see that it’s an ad, many will be disappointed. but okay. they’ll wait for next time.

few months later comes thomas saying “hey!! here’s more content!!” and they all come running and. it’s another ad. well. maybe next time? two in a row is enough surely? but by then lots of people no longer trust you. and maybe next time they won’t jump to watch the new video, but wait until others confirm that it’s not an ad or something similar before they go watch it. and once they do they don’t have much energy to rewatch it and post about it.

one or two more episodes come out and they seem alright. you’re thinking okay maybe that was all and well get back to the normal show. so you keep paying attention and then thomas goes “hey! content!” and you go and see the thumbnail and it’s a goddamn ad again! so you get sick of it. you don’t come back. you gradually lost your emotional investment that was previously just saved for later. now it’s gone. how do you get those fans back?

[puckish-rogue-archive-deux]

Financial Opportunities Within the Criminal Underworld aka What the Fuck do the Saints do to Make Cash

Hi, everyone! It's me again, your favorite big boi and resident criminal organization expert Andre. Today we'll be having a semi-brief discussion on what exactly does the fictional gang known as the 3rd Street Saints do to keep the BIG CA$H MONEY flowing. Cause no one ever said running a powerful and sexy gang like their own was gonna be cheap. While I won't get into the specifics regarding the amount of money earned with each and every business venture (do that on your own time), I want to give a general idea of how big of an operation this all is. Especially when you take into account this blog's canon regarding the gang spreading out across the globe.

Now the Saints operate on both sides of the law, though anything that would be considered "legitimate" is still questionable at best. For the sake of simplicity and getting it out of the way, I think we should start by describing the various criminal activities they operate. As a whole, the Saints have their hands in a number of different ventures that operate outside the confines of the law. Their biggest ones being; racketeering, arms and drug trafficking, sex work, loansharking, smuggling, chop shops, illegal gambling, protection rackets, fencing, cyber crimes, and murder-for-hire. On an individual level, members of the Saints are more than welcome to start up their own side-hustles to earn even more cash so long as a percentage of that goes back into the gang. Everyone's doing their part, y'know?

Of course there are plenty of other ways members of the gang can make easy money, whether individually or for the Saints as a whole. Theft (and I'm using it as an umbrella term because there are many types of it) is always a go-to depending on the scope of it. You can go from something as simple as a smash-and-grab to a full-blown heist with all the planning that goes into it. Again, everyone is free to work as they please, so long as they remember to send back some cash. Otherwise you can just fuck off and work on your own without being in a gang.

As the Saints grow in size and expand outwards across the US and the world at large, I like to imagine that they'd take a moment to really think about what sort of work fits the environment that they're in. Not every new location will provide the same opportunities one may find in a different city. So why not accommodate? Adapting to one's surroundings is the key to both personal and financial survival. And while the Saints may be rather unorthodox in the way they manage themselves, you can't deny the fact that they've come a long way from being a mere street gang.

Now let's jump over to the other side of the law and discuss how they earn within that area.

As brought up in a previous post, there is an hourly city income you can receive in both the second and third games of the series. I'm not going to bring up the first game because that was an entirely different iteration of the Saints and we're focused on the Boss running it.

In SR2 and 3 you're able to purchase various stores that give you different amounts of profit, which then all add up towards your total city income. In the second game this is limited to stores and restaurants, but in the third we're given the chance to buy up properties as well. Said properties can range from condos, local stores, a sex shop, to even an entire airport. If you'd like to learn more, then I'd suggest checking out this link here.

Now of course I like to imagine that the gang have other means of gaining a steady flow of income that don't completely fall under the topic of nasty crime. You know for sure that some of the Saints run their own fronts like restaurants, clubs, or anything else that can be used as a means to launder money. The Boss is of course no exception either, as I can see him doing the same here and there to generate more cash.

Some time ago I would have said that the Planet Saints stores definitely create revenue for the gang as well. But after much thinking and taking into consideration what the state of the world is like after what happened at the end of my revised SR3 plot for this blog, I think a majority of those stores have outright closed. Mostly because it's kind of hard to market a gang when they've gone and embarrassed an entire government and probably scared the shit out of other world leaders as well. Not to mention a good chunk of the public.

That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if there were at least a handful of Planet Saints stores that were still operating. Mostly cause let's be real here; the concept of a celebrity criminal has been a thing for ages now. That kind of reputation can still go strong even years down the line. And with my ideas of the Boss doing work that blurs the line on whether he's for the people or a selfish piece of shit, you know damn well there will still be people itching to grab the latest in Saints merchandise. Especially if it's like chic streetwear or something.

One last thing to mention are the former Syndicate strongholds in Steelport that are turned over to the Saints once they've been acquired. The 3 Count Casino, the Burns Hill Reactors (which was definitely made into a nightclub), Safeword (a brothel), and Powder (designer weapons store) are obviously making bank for the crew as well.

Again, I won't do the math to try and realistically think about how much cash they're earning on say a monthly or even yearly basis. But this is definitely stuff to consider for threads and anything else that might involve business opportunities for the gang in the future. I think what's funny to me is that this probably doesn't even come close to what much more established criminal organizations across the globe might earn on the daily. Like some of these fuckers work off of that old money shit. But I mean hey, maybe these bozos can get on that level one of these days.

[callivich]

Just a reminder for anyone new or anyone who has been lurking:

I know it’s difficult coming into a new fandom but everyone in the Gallavich fandom on tumblr is very friendly and kind, so don’t feel nervous - just jump in and say hi.

Make an intro post and check the #gallavichintro tag to find fellow fans! Here’s the general Shameless version!

Like seriously just send a message or reply to a post. We’re here to have fun, the idea of new people is great because it means more engagement.

When I say people are nice, I mean it. I’ve been in so many different fandoms over 20+ years and this is genuinely the kindest group of people I’ve ever encountered online in a fandom space.

Give your blog an icon. People tend to assume that ones without are spam blogs and may block immediately. Here are some great icons you can use with credit: here / here / here

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Please don’t steal gifs and repost them, here’s a great post explaining why. And another one explaining the gif search function.

Reblog content you enjoy and write in the tags or reply to the post - how much you liked something or if you have other thoughts…..creators love to hear this!

Use the tags. They’re the best way to get your posts noticed if you’re new- #gallavich #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #ianxmickey any or all of these will work. When you make a post, you should see a little grey box that says something like add tags to help people find your post, just type in there. (You don’t need to use the # symbol. Tumblr automatically does that.)

There are so many brilliant active communities that you can take part in - I’ve done a roundup post here & I will update it with new communities

If you feel creative? Got for it. Don’t worry about what people think, just share your work. Write that fic or headcanon or meta, draw that art, create that gifset, design that aesthetic piece, share that playlist. Chances are that a lot of people will enjoy your work!

Recommend what you’ve enjoyed! There is no time limit on sharing links to fic, art, headcanons, gifsets, posts of any kind…..reblog/share what you love and keep sharing it. Whether it’s brand new or years old, sharing the work is great idea.

Go back and explore things. Older fics on ao3, gifsets and art from years past, moodboards and headcanons that are years old. None of these things have an expiration date. So reblog them, share them, let people experience them for the first time and allow people to enjoy them for the 2nd/3rd/4th time.

Share your ideas. Whether it’s headcanons or meta or fics or art, share it. Feel free to explore your ideas. There’s always room for discussion, analysis and creativity.

Keeping reblogging posts. Not just once or twice but again and again. The queue is there for a reason. And each time you do? You’re sharing it with your dash.

Remember, pretty much everyone starts out as a lurker and when it comes to being creative - everyone starts at the beginning. Those writers and artists and creators that you are in awe of? They all started out at square one. Everyone practices and creates over and over again, that’s how it goes. The more you write or draw or create, the better you get. And fandom loves to see it.

This is a relatively small-ish fandom but it’s active and there is nothing nicer than new people joining, so don’t hesitate - jump in. It’s so much fun and we’d love you to join us! 💖

If anyone has any tips or encouragement they’d like to share, please reply to this post! 💖

And if you have any questions about using tumblr, send me an ask!

[haretic]

Present Day; 30/06/24 | Present Time; 1:53am

public pools

went back through my old diary blog and found some truly insane ramblings. i've always had a major amount of imposter syndrome about my issues so seeing it in retrospect, while disturbing, was really helpful.

some of the active psychosis ramblings were pretty funny though. I'm not sure how i get it in my head that i'm dying a painful death or that i'm actually an angel or my brain has been uploaded to the internet (that which is now true to a certain degree)

but still

i prefer this current blog, other people can actually see my posts here, and even if i don't expect interaction or anything, its helpful to know that someone, somewhere out there, even if its just Angel (who will never be a "just" in any other sense but in this case the sentence structure requires it) can all see my posts and i am not truly alone

because are you ever truly alone when youre on the internet?

its as scary a though as it is a calming one, and while i do think the internet is (for the most part) dead, its still nice to see other peoples puttering about in their own niches.

idk. just my evening thoughts

of more thoughts. I'm not sure the guy i like likes me that much. He seems plenty interested in me, but i just don't know if its in that way. my friends say yes, but i dont want to jump the gun and ruin things. we were friends before this and i'd hate to not go back to it afterwards.

we're going to hang out tomorrow. he got an invite from a friend to go somewhere also and he said if i wanted to come along i could but if not he wouldnt go. i said no and if he wanted to he could still go, i didnt want to be the reason he missed out on anything, and he said it was okay because he could always go later in the day.

i know that was objectively a good answer, i'm not sure i should expect anything more, but i'm always looking for someone to say "no! you're enough for me! if you don't want to, we won't go, together". which is an extremely selfish thought.

one of my biggest flaws is my selfishness i feel. i always want more than i've got, and feel empty without it. I know thats ridiculous, i'm working on it. We'll hang out tomorrow and i'll enjoy it. He's going to introduce me to his cats. Or cat, because one of them is shy and may not want to say hi.

i'm talking to him now, prying into his personal life. i want to know if he has a boyfriend. i feel like he does? i don't know though. i started writing this as a distraction so i wouldn't just do nothing in anticipation of his attention. really i don't know if this is a crush or craving closeness. i like to think i've gotten better at being by myself, and being alone. but there are still loads of times i crave closeness with someone. sometimes that can't be helped. but i've felt like this for a few months, longer than those relapses into selfish want usually last. but then again, i don't even know if he likes me back. we'll see i suppose.

i've been thinking a lot about the pools i used to go to as a kid. there are two, i drove by one today.

the outdoor one was smaller, it has a diving board, and its got this giant shower right near the entrance, as well as showers in both washrooms. they've got grassy areas for you to lay out your towels and stuff, but they've also got a massive greenspace that holds the toddler pool (a small hole in the ground that holds maybe a half a foot of water. i used to lay in it and stare up at the sky in it. just enough water i was always wet but i didn't have to put in the energy to float). for whatever reason they just won't connect that area to the main pool. one time my brother drank too much water and threw up there. he had had a massive mix of soft drinks at the airport earlier that day before my dad had landed in from a flight. at least i think those were on the same days, because i think thats part of why he was sick. i remember trying to touch the bottom of the deep end, near the diving board, and i remember jumping off the board. it was so daunting as a kid, but when i went back a few years ago, it seemed like barely a hop. i remember going there with my childhood bestfriend (someone i no longer talk to) and i remember burning my feet on the hot concrete running back and forth ignoring the no running signs. i remember getting sleepy and insisting on my mom to cuddle in the water. i always felt safe there. i could crawl right in her lap and the water was like a big blanket. i wish she had held me more in there. i remember playing mermaids and all the other typical kid things there. its a happy memory for me

the indoor one was much bigger, they had lanes and more fun splash pads and a slide. i remember how the stairs felt all cold and grimy and sandy as i jogged up them. my legs always hurt after it, but i had fun. the showers here were massive. for some reason old women would get absolutely butt naked there. it was only one wrong 90* turn to see ten fully naked grandmas lathering up in the pink soap out of the wall dispensers. i'm not even sure they ever even went in the pool. i remember a birthday party my other and much older childhood bestfriend had there. i got a little chihuahua toy as a party favor, and i slept with him every night for ages and ages. i remember playing there with my friends all the time, but it was never the outside pool. games there could be more fun, there was much more space, but there was always such a lack of natural lighting. either way, its also a happy memory for me

regardless of the pool, i always remember the showers. i had this habit of bringing the little hotel shampoo and conditioners to these things and showering fully with them. i don't know why i did that, i suppose i thought if i was going to shower i should do it properly instead of just a rinse. i'm sure nowadays i wouldn't care, but it was a whole procedure for me. i had to do it otherwise the pool day wasn't complete, and otherwise i felt sick

i have a lot of weird procedures like that, though. i guess thats normal for me. i like them, i don't find them harmful, i don't mind indulging them. i don't see why some people think its a bad thing. some people just like to keep organized, thats not a crime is it?

either way. i'm going to bed now, he's not dating anyone. i relapsed earlier again. i look forward to seeing him tomorrow. i hope hes interested in me. i don't plan on making any moves until i can see him in person and maybe reassess his feelings to me, but for now i'm just excited to leave my house for the first time in a week and actually see other people. i'm stoked.