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existslikepristin · 3 years ago

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Impromptu Review

Thanks for editing this one goes to momirene and Worldsover, and for helpful beta reading feedback from them and one dork who wants to remain anonymous.

Tags: TheLounge, Red Velvet, SNSD (Girl's Generation), Joy, Sunny, loneliness, potential traumatization of cats, a hoard of hell-themed sex toys, a strap on, a butt plug with Jiu's face in it, and bisexual problems.

The front door of Sunny’s apartment swung open so fast that Joy felt a breeze from the vacuum it left behind.

“Joy! You’re here!”

Joy blinked. “Yeah, I said I would come over.”

“It’s been so long since we’ve met up! Come in, come in!”

“It’s only been like a month though.”

Sunny grabbed Joy’s hands and pulled her through the doorway. “It feels like so much longer than that!”

Joy smiled and took her shoes off in the entryway. “You seem more excited than usual.”

“What? How so?”

“Well for one,” Joy said, pointing at the kitchen, “It looks like you prepared for a whole party in here.”

The kitchen’s island was covered in plates of snacks and several variations of alcoholic beverages. Additionally, Sunny was noticeably sweaty, like she had just run around the house preparing for guests. Joy figured it would be best not to bring that up.

“What? No. That? That’s… yeah, that’s a lot of food, isn’t it?” Sunny’s posture drooped, as if she’d already expended all of her energy on her greeting.

Joy pulled her into a side hug. Her height served to straighten Sunny back up. “What’s going on, girl?”

Sunny sighed and leaned her head on Joy’s chest. “I dunno. I’m just excited. Haven’t had a good social night any time recently.”

“Aw! But what about these cutie kitties?”

Sogeum popped her head out from behind the wall and gave Joy her signature droopy, grim stare without so much as a meow. As soon as Joy shuffled in her direction though, she turned and went back into the living room.

“Well, you know. Can’t really have a real conversation with the cats.”

Joy hummed her agreement and stepped into the kitchen. “I’m always happy to talk to you Sunny. They don’t call SM a family for nothing.”

Sunny groaned, loudly.

“Um. Okay,” Joy said when Sunny didn’t elaborate. “Not a family? Just a bunch of really close friends?”

“Yeah, that’ll work better. Not a fan of the family motif.”

Joy picked up a cracker and chomped down. “Gonna… explain? Family is normally a positive thing, isn’t it?”

Sunny grabbed a bottle of wine and yanked the cork out. “Yeah, totally, for sure. Hey, do you like Chardonnay?”

“I…” Joy didn’t want to skirt around whatever issue Sunny was having, but was well-aware of her stubbornness. “I sure do.”

As fancy glasses of white wine were generously poured, Joy made note of Sunny’s slow, unsteady movements. She worried that perhaps Sunny had already started drinking, or wasn’t getting enough sleep.

* * *

“Can you believe that, Joy?”

“No way. It’s just inhuman.”

“Completely! It’s not like green onions are suddenly more expensive to dry out!”

The conversation had started with gossip and cheese snacking when the sun was high. As the sun set, the discussion shifted to the price of instant meals, and the snack plates were all but empty. Joy had to fight the constant urge to fall asleep, as the topics were never much more interesting than that. But she let Sunny lead the talking as much as possible.

Joy was simply relieved that Sunny called her over before diving into her liquor storage. “You should start a petition to regulate the price. I’d be the first to sign it.”

Sunny’s tipsy grin matched Joy’s. Though the alcohol consumption had been slow-going, they had been doing it for several hours. “Oh that would be great press. ‘Washed up idol upset with ramen manufacturers.’”

With an exaggerated roll of the eyes, Joy pointed at a set of boxes in the corner of the living room, currently being used as a lookout tower by Sogeum. “You’re not washed up yet. Look at all of those sponsor gifts. Those weren’t here last time I came over… Wait, they weren’t, were they?”

Sunny giggled. “No, they’re, uh… new.”

Their corporate sponsors weren’t something that Joy, Sunny, or any of the other SM idols discussed often. There were usually so many vying for their attention that it was pointless trying to keep track. But Joy reasoned, somewhat drunkenly, that talking about it might be therapeutic to someone so down on their social status. “Who are they from, anyway?”

A blush deepened the red of Sunny’s already tipsy-glowing cheeks. “Uh… Nobody. Just a regular sponsor, ya know?”

Joy grinned. “Oh, come on. You can tell me. What am I gonna do? Call a press conference to tell the tabloids who’s contributing to your paycheck?”

Sunny rolled her eyes. She shot off the couch, spilling a drop or two of her wine in the process. From Joy’s naturally higher perspective, Sunny didn’t seem that much taller. “Fine,” she said, wobbling, “but you better not make fun of me.”

“I’ll make fun of you for other reasons, like how much I love you, bitch!” Joy blinked at her own shouting. She didn’t know when the alcohol had hit her, but she was beginning to think that she was a little more intoxicated than she previously thought.

Thankfully, the joviality in her voice seemed to encourage Sunny to play along. She set her wine on the coffee table and picked one of the smaller boxes off of the pile. “Disclosure first! We haven’t agreed to any deals yet. They sent me this stuff to try to convince me to shill it. I didn’t reach out to them.”

Joy waved the disclosure off like a mosquito, but Sunny still tossed the box in her direction. The weight inside of it was awkwardly distributed. Joy attempted to catch it, but it wound up ricocheting off the tips of her fingers and nearly knocking over an open, mostly full bottle of soju.

“The fuck is in this thing?”

“I’ve got some ideas but I just know who it’s from. Open it and find out.”

Joy tore into the box with no regard for the care that went into the packaging, which itself was surprisingly discreet. A smirk cracked her lips when she thought about what sorts of deliveries required such discretion. But the smirk faded right away when she got a view of the inside and realized that the packager apparently had the same idea.

Inside was a pair of plastic sheets wrapped asymmetrically around a roughly water bottle sized blob of blood red silicone. A small bit of pink cardboard advertised it as a five-speed, rotation-simulating, self-cleaning, pattern-switching, USB-charging, automatically-lubricating, remote-controlled vibrator with a speaker at the bottom for replicating a set of desired moans and a specialized charging dock.

Joy cleared her throat and stared at the horrifically fancy dildo, and its label, “Dante’s Dive,” unsure if she should toss it back to Sunny, considering it was clearly a personal item.

Sunny reached into what was left of the box, procuring a pretty little decorated card. “Dear Ms. Lee, we at Second Ring Inc were very pleased to hear your impromptu review of our products on a recent episode of ‘Welp, I Guess We’re Talking About This Now’ and wished to send you some additional items to show our appreciation. These are in no way a request for further public review,” Sunny was briefly interrupted by Joy’s disapproving snort, “but should you be interested in a partnership, we have included a phone number at which I, the chief executive officer, Lee Youngjoon, may be reached. Optionally, my username--”

Joy missed a few words as she was shocked by the extreme sound emitted by the vibrator when she pushed a button on the remote control.

“--is ‘worldsover’. As you know, Second Ring specializes in sexual wellness products, of which we’ve sent you a wide variety. They can be enjoyed by couples, or can serve as a fantastic outlet for power singles like yourself…”

Sunny trailed off. Joy was afraid she knew what was coming. “Damn, Sunny. You say so much as three words on national television and they scramble to get right up on your ass, eh?”

It was too late. Sunny was already tipping up the bottom of the soju bottle. A few drops spluttered back out of her mouth as Joy pushed it back down. “Sunny! You’ve said it yourself! You don’t want to get married!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not still lonely!”

Joy wrapped her arms around Sunny. “You’ve got me. And a million other friends!”

“Fans don’t count.” Sunny’s voice was partially muffled by Joy’s shoulder.

“Ouch. Time for me to delete my Sone club membership. But fine. A hundred other friends. It’s not just me. It’s my members. Your members. And plenty of others. All of NCT would be--Okay, nevermind. Aespa though! They love you too.”

“But I don't want to inconvenience you." Sunny ended so matter-of-factly that Joy had to pause to process the short conversation.

"You know how… You know how you take a road trip, and there's a road block, or really bad construction, and you have to take a detour?"

"Yeah. I'm a detour."

"Come on, Sunny. What you are is the scenic route!”

There was a long silence.

“Was that the end of the metaphor?” Sunny eventually asked.

“I am very drunk.”

“You’re not that drunk.”

“Drunk enough to be shit at metaphors.”

“It’s…” Sunny extricated herself from Joy’s hug. “It’s okay. I think I know what you’re getting at, and I appreciate it. It’s just that a few words don’t really fix a brain, you know?”

Joy nodded slowly, watching as Sogeum casually stalked across the room. “Yup. But believe me. I’m here for you, at least. So if you need a friend, or some company, I’m at the top of your list.”

The cat plopped herself on the floor, right up against Sunny’s leg. Joy giggled. “Fuck off, kitty. I just said I was the top.”

It seemed the topic of conversation was ready to change. Sunny smiled, and it was enough to indicate her understanding.

“So!” Joy moved things along. “A pile of free, top of the line sex toys in your living room. What’s a young woman to do about that?”

Sunny snorted. “Well I’m not going to masturbate while I have company over, that’s for sure.” She grabbed another box from the pile and handed it over, doing her best not to disturb Sogeum’s new resting place.

The new box took mere seconds to open, this time revealing a black silicone butt plug with a red gem in the base. The casing suggested that a picture could be inserted beneath the gem, and it appeared there was one already there as an example. Joy had to flip it around to a variety of angles before she could make out that it contained a headshot of Dreamcatcher’s Jiu making finger hearts on her cheeks. She cocked her head, wondering if the image had actually been authorized.

Another box swapped between the womens’ hands. It took Joy a little longer to open than the last, but it turned out to be that way for a good reason, given that it was gently holding some fragile cargo: A red-tinted glass bottle of lube, labeled as “Juice from the Fruit of The Tree.” The lengthy product title had a snake winding through the letters.

“Well now they’re just really doubling down on this theme, aren’t they?” Sunny asked as she worked out how to open the next package, using her bottle opener as a makeshift knife.

Joy laughed and picked up yet another, now eager to see what kind of wild object it would contain. “Yeah, they really are! No lie, they’re starting to give me some ideas. Talk about sinful.”

“‘Oh I know,’” Sunny mocked the company, as SM artists often did, fingers still struggling to find their way under the first cardboard flap. “‘Let’s send Sunny a whole pile of sex junk. Bet she’s sinful enough to use it all.’ Like, come on Love-eye, or whatever your name is. What’s a single woman gonna do with all this? Hold up a pillow fort?”

“Hey, maybe he doesn’t know you’re single. Maybe there’s some stuff in here that takes two to tangle with… Fuck. Choerry’s got me using alliterations.”

Sunny barely managed to get her fingers inside the box, but her knuckles were turning white from the tightness of it. It seemed that she had left a portion of the packing tape uncut. “I said I was single on the show, though. I don’t think there will be any couples’ toys in here.”

“Oooh, I’m gonna make it a bet now.” Joy smirked. Her next sentence bypassed her verbal filter through the holes left in it by the alcohol. “If you get that thing open and there’s a strap on inside, you have to fuck me with it!”

A jerk of her arms snapped the remainder of the packing tape. Sunny chuckled. “You’re on. There’s no way it is.”

Joy had to admit that Sunny had a point, considering how small the package was. Surely it couldn’t fit a series of leather straps, or a dildo any larger than a couple of inches in any direction. The little voice in the back of her mind that told her making such an offer was stupid quieted down somewhat.

There was a moment of quiet. Sogeum rolled away from Sunny and made her way to the kitchen. Joy picked up another box, confident that she hadn’t just placed herself in an awkward situation. Sunny shook her head, amused. And then…

“J-Joy?”

Joy looked back, but wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at. It was a sort of mass of black string with some silver discs hanging off of it. Another piece of pink paper fluttered to the floor, where Joy picked it up and read aloud.

“‘The Obol.’ As Charon ferried Dante across the Styx and into the hole that is Hell, so too shall this state-of-the-art magnetic harness ferry our exclusive Dante’s Dive dildo into your… partner’s hole…”

There was more to be read, but both women seemed to get the point. The only sound in the room came from Sogeum chomping through some hard cat food in the kitchen. Slowly, their eyes raised and met. They both spoke at the same moment.

“That was a bet’s a joke bet right?”

Their drunken minds needed a moment to detangle their words into distinct sentences. Sunny’s “That was a joke, right?” and Joy’s “A bet’s a bet.”

Sunny started again first. “You know, we don’t have to.”

“I will if you want to.”

Every sentence being exchanged was followed by a palpable stillness. Joy’s heart beat loudly in her own ears, and she swore she could hear Sunny’s too.

“Do you… want to fuck me with that, Sunny?”

Sunny answered instantly. “Yup.”

There was a flurry of action, though it was slowed here and there by a tipsy stumble or two. Sunny gathered up an armful of the items on her coffee table, both sex toys and the bottle of soju, and sprinted for the bedroom. Joy rushed after her, messily attempting and failing to remove some of her clothes on the way.

Sogeum was spooked by the sudden kerfuffle and fled out of sight.

The bedroom was no less hectic. Sunny dropped everything on the bed except the soju, which she took one more swig of directly from the bottle before setting it dangerously close to the edge of her desk. She wiggled out of her shirt and bra, which attracted Joy’s attention instantly.

Joy struck at Sunny’s cleavage, wrapping her fingers as far as they could go around the legendary orbs, and her lips around one of the budding tips. Their differences in height made it awkward, but they very soon found their way to a horizontal state that eased that tension. Unfortunately, it was not on the bed, but on the floor, but they weren’t about to let something like that stop them.

What clothes they were still wearing exploded off their bodies. Joy’s shorts and shirt, Sunny’s pants and socks. All of it ended up in different sections of the room, thrown under and over furniture.

Joy was no stranger to encounters like this, and neither was Sunny. They had shared countless stories with each other… and some spit. But neither had considered their prior make out sessions to be precursors to explicitly sexual action. For her part, however, Joy considered this one differently, and Sunny’s hands searching half-blindly for Joy’s ass confirmed to her that Sunny thought the same.

Backs arched. Legs ground against one another. Open mouths met, trading the alcoholic scents that the women no longer cared to distinguish. Their minds had devoted themselves entirely to the search for physical pleasure.

A lot of exploratory prodding led Sunny’s fingers to the entrance to Joy’s pussy, failing to notice the number of pokes that ended up at Joy's exit. She took some time familiarizing herself with the drenched outer folds.

Joy, however, noticed the poking at her ass. Her mind swam with serotonin, thoughts of other people, and alcoholic fumes that seemed to rearrange the letters of her thoughts into nonsense. Or possibly into inspiration.

Inspiration relevant to the happenings at the prior year's award shows, that is.

Joy tried to pull back the moment Sunny’s fingers dipped inside her. She had opened her mouth to speak but instead groaned and arched herself further into Sunny’s grip on her sanity. "S-Sunny. B-bed."

At least that message was received loud and clear. Sunny dragged her fingers against Joy’s G-spot as she, disappointingly, pulled them out, nearly causing Joy to scream. The same fingers plunged into Joy’s mouth and quieted her as she diligently sucked her own juices from them.

The action transferred to the bed. Fingers immediately found their places again, and Joy bounced on her back in time with Sunny’s brutal shoves. Packaging bounced all around them. It was like a desperate, distracted game of Vegetable Shinobi for Joy, swiping at the jumping dildo. Sunny’s fingers were divine, eye-wateringly so, but Joy wanted something unholy.

Sunny muttered Joy’s name, catching her attention again. She lifted her head to meet for yet another imprecise kiss. Their legs twisted around each other. Joy could hear the desperation in Sunny’s moans, vibrating all the way down her throat, burning like the alcohol. She snaked a hand between them and found Sunny’s clit.

The moans freed themselves as Sunny bucked backward, almost out of Joy’s longer reach. Joy noted the exceptional reaction, and flipped Sunny onto her back, following immediately and putting herself in the position of power Sunny had initiated.

“You’re gonna fuck me with the strap on… right, Sunny?”

Sunny’s eyes widened, and she grabbed the toys.

“No, not yet,” Joy stalled in her most seductive voice. She slid down, nearly falling off the bed, and wrenched Sunny’s legs wide open with her elbows.

Sunny clenched her fingers around the hell-themed dildo for dear life. Joy’s name poured through her lips over and over again as Joy’s lips poured over her pussy.

Joy had to fight Sunny’s strength to keep her spread thighs from clamping around her head. She wanted to keep hearing her senior beg, loud and clear. To that end, she dug in her tongue, unable to penetrate far, but far enough to open Sunny up and feel the wetness flow into her mouth.

“Please… Joy… I’m close… Joy, please! Joy, don’t stop!”

The thought flitted through Joy’s head, that perhaps denying Sunny her orgasm would be fun, but something about the way she said it made Joy wonder if Sunny’s neediness was rooted in her loneliness, more than in her desire to get off. She shifted herself to wrap her arms under Sunny’s legs and pulled. It wasn’t possible for them to be any physically closer than they were, but she wanted to make it feel like they could be.

Sunny’s voice cracked, choked, and broke into a scream. Joy winced as her tongue was squeezed uncomfortably, but she wasn’t about to stop. The back arches, hair grasping, and pained gasps that followed were worth it.

Joy kept it up until Sunny’s body fell back down and her muscles relaxed. Only then, she removed herself to ask, “Need a break before my turn?”

A smile crept up Sunny’s mouth. Her fingers tightened around the dildo she still had in her hand. “Get… back down here.”

If there was any benefit Joy appreciated most about idol training, it was recovery speed, and Sunny still had it. Joy picked up the strap, quickly figuring out how it was supposed to fit and sliding it up Sunny’s legs. The motion doubled as her approach for another make out.

Of course, Joy was still immensely horny. Her interest in making out with Sunny was overshadowed by her desire to get fucked savagely, but she had the wherewithal to hold out, to let it happen naturally. She was always good at letting others take the lead. Whether they led from the top or from the bottom didn’t especially matter to her.

The alcohol made her more impatient than usual though. She forced herself to wait for the five-speed pounding she’d get, but she ground herself against Sunny’s leg in the meantime. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long. Sunny threw her to the side and attached the vibrator to the unusual strap with very little trouble. Joy fingered herself as she watched.

“Fuck, yes, Sunny. This is going to be so goo--”

Sunny practically tackled Joy. Their lips collided again, strap hovering somewhere between Joy’s legs, but not close enough for her to feel it.

The moment she did, though, Joy grabbed Sunny’s ass and pulled. The lack of accuracy was made up for by the inhuman amount of lubrication present; both Joy’s and the curious synthetic compound that the dildo exuded seemingly of its own volition.

It was almost too much for Joy. The dildo was certainly longer than any she had used before, and bottoming out at full speed meant it hit her rather painfully in the cervix. She hissed, but otherwise just readjusted her legs in Sunny’s way to prevent the same thing from happening so easily again.

The strap held the dildo in place on Sunny’s body well. Despite its genuinely small frame, it seemed to prevent all wiggling. Every one of Sunny’s movements, including the less delicate, more intoxicated ones, translated to sensations that felt to Joy like a biologically attached dick, albeit with a plethora of extra features.

"You're so pretty, Joy," Sunny said. Even though she was doing all the work now, she wasn't nearly as winded as before. Knowing she’d affected Sunny made Joy grin into another kiss.

“No you,” Joy said with a smirk. She knew this would be good, but she truly underestimated how great it would be to see Sunny’s famous tits jiggling with the effort of fucking her. The sheen of sweat covering them would ensure the night wouldn’t be forgotten, even if Joy had another drink or two.

Joy’s first orgasm struck quickly and unexpectedly. Her breath stopped and a shudder spiked through her body from her core to the tips of her toes and fingers and head. The ability to think normally left her for a brief moment. She only kept the fleeting question of whether or not Sunny was able to feel Joy’s climax. Stars popped in and out of existence, obscuring Joy’s view of Sunny’s fantastic body.

It all faded relatively soon after, but it wasn’t enough for Joy. As soon as her lungs refilled, she screamed, “More! Sunny! Fuck me! Fuck me! Oh god!” She was practically numb everywhere, except for every square inch of her that the dildo rubbed, slid, and vibrated against. Her arms and legs wrapped around Sunny on their own.

Joy, eyes half closed, barely registered when Sunny slowed down to grab and open the extra package. She did, however, notice the sudden prodding feeling at her asshole.

“Sun--”

She couldn’t even finish Sunny’s name before something slipped its way into her butt. Her vision cleared up enough to see that even while she continued thrusting, Sunny had one hand tucked between them, and it was the source of the extra intrusion.

A couple more thrusts though, and Joy was lost to the pleasure again. She started to pant instead of scream or moan, or perhaps she was whimpering, or speaking fluent Polish. Joy couldn’t have said one way or the other. Another orgasm hit. And another. And another. She knew some time was passing between each one, but whether it was seconds or days between no longer mattered. Her mind was fading out of existence.

Until, that is, it wasn’t.

With seemingly no provocation, Joy suddenly remembered Cheungae. She had been meaning to talk to Sunny about him before they had gotten drunk. Her mind wandered, far, far more than it normally would during such intense sex.

Cheungae had taken her out several times since their first, less-than-professional meeting at the MAMAs with Wheein. Even though Joy knew he was struggling financially, he always insisted on paying for coffee, but would give up if he saw the bill when Joy took him to some of the much higher end restaurants.

He was always so polite, genuine, and humble. He didn’t even question when Joy told him they couldn’t be in a relationship, but instead insisted that they could be friends. Joy wondered if it was fair to him that she was treating him as a boyfriend in every way but name while she was still having a grand old time fucking everyone else in the industry. Cheungae knew about it, but wasn’t part of it.

And yet, sex with Cheungae made Joy feel good. Great, even. She could recreate the sensations in her mind for days afterward. His slim, toned figure hovering over her, his face contorted beautifully in adorable agony, his admittedly mediocre cock managing to hit her just right with every move. She couldn’t stop picturing him.

Another orgasm smashed through Joy’s illusion. The mental image of perfectly human Cheungae was instantly replaced with the very physical image of god-like Sunny. As tended to happen, Joy held her breath as the climax coursed through her. Her muscles contracted until she was holding Sunny in a deathly grip.

“F-fuck. Sunn-ny. Slow… slow down.”

It seemed that the request was desperately needed by both lovers, because rather than simply slow down, Sunny fell over. Joy’s pussy immediately craved to be filled again, but she knew she needed to clear her head. And besides that, she still had an odd full sensation. When her muscles relaxed enough for her to move of her own volition, she reached beneath herself and recoiled again at the feeling of a drenched butt plug. Her fingertips carried a puddle of mixed cum and lube back up.

“I’m sorry… Joy… I think that’s all I have left in me,” Sunny said between gasps.

Joy made note of her own throat and how dry it was. Whatever sound she was making while she borderline hallucinated, she’d be regretting it for a while. “All good. I was losing my sanity. That was unbelievable.”

Sunny giggled. It sounded painful. “The vibrator… or the surprise plug?”

Joy giggled back. “The plug was definitely a surprise. Was that the one with Jiu's face in it?”

“Mhm.”

“Cool,” Joy sat up, her head swimming in the aftermath. “But I just think it was you using the stuff that made it so good.”

Sunny seemed invigorated by the compliments. She smiled and reached under the bed, making some noise and bringing up a bottle of water. The two of them swapped it back and forth until it was empty and then collapsed into one another, idly feeling each others' bodies up the whole time.

“Does that mean you’re up for another… night like this? Or day?” Sunny asked as she fondled Joy’s tits. It sounded like she had sobered up, at least most of the way. Joy was too afraid of what she would see to look at a clock.

“You fucking know it,” Joy responded while she brushed her fingers up and down Sunny’s inner thighs. It was a reflex for her to agree, but she cringed inwardly as soon as she did, realizing how much more sober she had become herself, and how she wished she wasn’t. She was thinking about Cheungae again.

There was a barrage of light kisses all over her face, neck, and chest. Sunny looked far too happy for Joy to feel okay about retracting her statement.

“Maybe not right now though,” Joy said, just in case Sunny was already getting ideas. “We should really get to bed.”

She didn’t hear any arguments. They simply got up, and only long enough to flip up the duvet, flinging all of the remaining sex toys off, and jumped underneath.

It took a minute for Joy to realize she needed to remove the surprise butt plug. It was easy enough, and she ended up tossing it to the floor without looking at it.

Joy wrapped herself around Sunny. She was usually the big spoon, not that it bothered her. Sunny’s bare back felt comfortably hot against her chest and stomach. Cheungae liked being the big spoon too. He’d swap with her all the time…

“Hey, Sunny?”

“Mmm?” Sunny was on the verge of sleep, it seemed.

Joy lowered her voice, barely above a whisper. “Have you ever thought about… Settling down, I guess? Just being with one person?”

She didn’t expect Sunny to have an immense store of wisdom, but she hoped for more than what she got: a snore.

“Good night to you too, Sunny.”

#red velvet smut #snsd smut #girls generation smut #joy #sunny

156 notes · View notes

sinsbymanka · 4 years ago

Note

Hey. I'm sorry. So. Your post about sunseekerknight is really long and it seems out of date. I thought everything had been resolved and she promised to make amends but this all started back around again and it sounds like your issue isn't solved. Can you update me real quick? Sorry.

Thanks for being polite and coming to me. I’ll try to summarize things to the best of ability while also noting this is kinda a clusterfuck. It got long, so it’s under a cut.

In March 2020, I commissioned @sunseekerknight (I’m blocked so I can’t actually @ her) to do a Tarot Card commission of my Inquisitor for $80. I sent the money via PayPal friends and family as she requested which is something I no longer do for artists, even though I’d done it before with no problems.

The main post goes over my initial experience really well - the repeated attempts at contact and missed deadlines. This post was made on June 18, 2020 and blew up. I informed Ada that day I was making the post and she told me she’d be doing so as well.

I’d already filed the PayPal claim which was ultimately denied because I’d sent the money via friends and family, despite SSK’s assurances she’d help me resolve it in my favor.

I didn’t hear from SSK after this and I didn’t contact her. My father passed away on June 20th and I was busy dealing with the personal fallout of that (he’d been in the hospital the whole month of June as it was) so my priorities swung towards processing my own grief and planning what happens next.

On July 10th, my PayPal claim was denied. I forwarded the claim to SSK with the following message:

I want to inform you that PayPal has indicated, due to the way you asked me to send the funds (friends and family), they are unable to provide any sort of refund based on their policies. It is your responsibility to make the refund.

Because of the history of fraud I've uncovered, I will be pursuing this further. I am, in particular, asking PayPal to mark this account as one used for fraudulent transactions and scamming money before closing it. My hope is that this account is in your real name and that getting this account marked for fraud has real consequences you have to live with.

I honestly didn’t expect to hear from SSK again, but I did on July 12th:

Oh, I see. Now the difficult situation has become even more difficult. I'm sorry to say this, but, as I said earlier, I had only two offers for people affected by my actions - a PayPal dispute or finished art. And since PayPal is useless in this situation, all I can offer you - is art. I’m still ready to finish your commission because I don't want you to be left with nothing. I would like to return the money, really, but it will take time and I don't know how much, considering the current situation on Tumblr. I still want to resolve this issue peacefully, despite what is happening now. I know that you don't trust me, and I understand this, as well as the fact that you are disappointed, angry, etc., but still I want to do at least something so as not to leave the situation as it is now. But if this is your final decision, then okay, I understand and accept it.

This message struck me as victim blaming. I am, after all, responsible for the situation on Tumblr which means she can’t get commissions. I reacted with some venom and my tone is not great here, but I do ask you to understand the frame of mind I was in here on July 13th:

I don't think it's fair to claim that PayPal is being unhelpful in this situation when it is you who are refusing to refund money for a service that was purchased and not completed. I think it would make me feel better if you started phrasing the "situation" in a way that took responsibility for it. Such as: "I cannot refund the money to you myself, because I spent it before delivering what you paid for, and I cannot get your dispute resolved through PayPal because I asked you to send the payment a specific way that precludes disputes."

I also feel hurt that immediately after I sent my email on Friday, you blocked me from Tumblr and turned all your social media accounts private. I can't think of why you would do this when you claim to still want to resolve this and when I have been more than kind. I find it difficult to believe that you didn't know what my review would cause - it sounds to me like this is something that has been brewing for awhile. Frankly, I'm amazed it took three years. I would also appreciate if, instead of blaming the "situation" on Tumblr for your inability to receive new commissions, you began taking responsibility for that as well. May I suggest: "My actions in the past three years have harmed many people and they are angry about it with good cause. Because I have damaged my reputation to a great extent, I will probably not receive many, if any, people willing to pay me money for commissions."

I fully expect to receive nothing from you: art or my money returned. When speaking with PayPal on Friday, they advised the only way to shut your PayPal account down is if I file a criminal complaint with the IC3, which is the US's Internet Crimes division of the FBI. I did so and sent them the screenshots I have of all our conversations, your posts on Tumblr, and links to the posts of other people who publicly came out regarding the same behavior they experienced. I'm uncertain I can withdraw my complaints from both PayPal and the IC3, and if I could I don't think I would. I'm sure this isn't something that is high priority for them, but I assume eventually they will contact you to discuss your actions. The way I see it, you have three options at this point in time:

Find some way to issue a refund to me, and any other customers you've wronged. If I am contacted by investigators, I will say a refund was eventually issued in my case.

Deliver the art you promised to me, and any other customers. If I am contacted by investigators, I will say a product was eventually delivered in my case.

Continue to ignore what you've done and hope that no real consequences come of it.

As to the art, I don't want it anymore. It has been tainted by this awful experience and I will not enjoy it. I will, however, accept it if you choose to do it to lessen whatever consequences you may end up facing because, truly, I'd rather you learn from this than end up with financial or legal consequences that are even more burdensome.

Honestly. I never expected to hear from SSK again. But I did because this is the drama that never ends. On July 20th:

I must apologize for the long silence. Sorry, I just got home from an unexpected vacation with my family, and I followed the advice of my parents and friends - spend these days away from work and the Internet to feel better. As I said, I understand you. You sound reasonable and you are totally right - it is my responsibility for that. And I'm trying to work it out, even if these are rather strange ways. And it wasn't about you personally. This was part of another problem with a friend I was trying to protect, and I followed the advice to keep the accounts private during the "war" and block some people on the tumblr during this time to avoid any collisions. But still, I was available for correspondence via email, and now all my accounts are again freely available. I know how it looks like, especially for you, when you have really been more than kind to me, and I cannot apologize enough to somehow change and improve this situation. I just fucked up on all fronts and I admit it. And I see, yes. I don't mind returning your art or money, it's just a matter of time. These are not days, these are weeks or months, and it is solely a matter of your patience. If you do not mind waiting, then I will try to return the money to you, since you no longer want art for obvious reasons. I understand and accept it, and it's okay. If you're willing to wait, I'll keep you informed of the refund situation and will do it as soon as I can.

You’ll note earlier I told you I can’t tag SSK cause I’m blocked. I’ve never been unblocked since July despite her saying she would. This is also the last email I got from SSK. I’ve had no communication since to my knowledge.

At this point in time I was tired. Really tired. It was bad news I got this email exactly a month after my father passed because I just didn’t want to do it anymore. This is my second to last email to SSK in response also on July 20th:

Please feel free to do what you need to do to manage the situation. For my part, I have said and done all I can. I have asked for a refund for a service you have been unable to provide in a reasonable time frame, and thus you are legally obligated to return my money in the same reasonable time frame. That time frame has passed already.

When I am contacted by authorities about this matter in response to my complaints, I will tell them you have promised refunds but have not delivered. The only thing you could do to change this answer is to issue a refund before I am contacted.

This exchange is draining and unhelpful for me. I ask that you please do not contact me again until you are ready to issue a refund.

On September 25th, I was informed SSK had successfully opened commissions on Twitter and Instagram. This spurred me to send one final email:

I've been informed you recently reopened commissions to buy yourself something and met your goal, even though you only advertised on Twitter and Instagram.

I would like to remind you that I'm still owed a refund AND you shouldn't spend that commission money until you deliver on that art. Please do not rip and entire new group of people off.

There are other people, in the notes of the original post, who can attest to terrible experiences similar to mine. In particular, @starsandskies, @vorchagirl, and @charlatron have all come forward to talk about what she’s done and their experiences. Her pattern seems to be to open commissions, deliver a few, have the rest dragged out of her, and then to not do other ones. I drew the short straw this time.

I don’t know if she’s reading this - if she is, at this point all I really want is an apology, a list of people who are waiting for art/refunds from her, and a plan as to how she’s going to make it right. If she doesn’t do those things, I suspect I’m going to keep getting dragged back into this cluster for awhile to talk about my experiences.

If you’re waiting for artwork Non, open PayPal disputes and file complaints if you need to. The sooner the better.

#manka answers asks #sunseekerknight #this again #I'm tired of it again #sorry guys

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baronessblixen · 5 years ago

Note

Crazy request for Sharing a Bed prompts (feel free to ignore) Can you write something using all of them??!!

Anon, I did it. I used all the prompts. I know it’s been a few days since the list went around, but they’re all in here.

Mulder and Scully are forced to share one bed while in quarantine.

Tagging @today-in-fic

Four Days of Me And You

“What do you mean we have to stay here?” Scully stares at him, her eyes narrowed. Her half-packed suitcase sits on the bed and she drops a pair of socks into it. “This is a joke, right? You’re joking?” Her eyes are pleading with him.

When they checked in last night, neither of them paid much mind to the receptionist with the small, red eyes and the hoarse voice. It was late, both of them exhausted and in need of a shower. They were happy to find a motel at all, after hours of driving. There was one room left and they took it grudgingly. Well, Scully did. Mulder was smirking. He couldn’t have known that the floor was so rancid that Scully would invite him into the advertised Queen-sized bed that was barely a double.

“Not joking,” Mulder says, pushing a cup of coffee at Scully. “We’re under quarantine.”

“For what?” Her voice is unusually squeaky.

Mulder shrugs, biting into a croissant. “You go talk to them.”

“To whom? Mulder, if this is a joke and you’re-“

“I’m not joking.” He touches her shoulder and gently leads her to the window. The glass is dirty, shows a fine greasy film and several fingerprints. “Look.” Outside, Scully watches a team of hazmat-suits sealing off the premises. She swallows hard, her heart pounding.

“How long?” She asks, taking a step back from the window and bumping into Mulder’s large frame.

“Four days.”

“Why are you so calm about this? Aren’t you worried at all?”

He shrugs. “You’re here,” is all he says and it renders her speechless.

She doesn’t know how they make it through the first day, but they do. Despite his earlier displays of indifference, Mulder, much like his namesake, turns restless once the sun sets.

“Stop pacing,” Scully says, looking up from the novel she’s reading. She hasn’t read a novel – a romance of all things – in ages. “Go read a book. Watch some TV.”

“No,” he says, “do you think it’s safe to walk the hallways?”

“Better stay inside.”

He grins at her. “Want to keep me to yourself, Scully?”

“I want to keep the outside contact as minimal as possible,” she answers matter-of-factly. “I have to sleep with you after all.”

“You do?” The grin widens.

“In the same bed, Mulder. Not as in…” she clears her throat, pretends to be engrossed in her reading material. She hears Mulder chuckle he continues his strange exercise regime, walking up and down the small room.

How are they going to survive four days together trapped in this room? And, she dares a look at Mulder again, his back turned to her, three nights in the same bed. In that small, tiny bed. Together. Last night, she was asleep before her head even hit the pillow. Tonight, though, if Mulder’s current behavior is any indication, she won’t be so lucky.

Mulder, with a dramatic sigh, plops down on the bed, taking up most of the space, and turns on the TV. He zaps through the channels, never dwelling long until he settles on a game show. For the next hour, he mumbles the answers whenever the candidates are clueless. Scully sighs, relieved that Mulder, at least for the moment, is occupied, and she can return to the fictional love story that’s grabbed her attention.

The next time she looks up from her book, the game show has ended and has made room for a sitcom with canned laughter. She checks on Mulder and is surprised to find him asleep, sprawled across the bed with his head on one pillow, his arms around the other. She closes the book and tiptoes over.

“Mulder?” She ruffles his soft hair, hoping it will wake him up, but he doesn’t stir. “Hey, Mulder,” she tries again, her hand brushing his sleep-warm cheek. He makes a noise that’s half a grumble and half a sigh. “You’re using my favorite pillow,” she says to him, trying to pry it from his arms. His hold tightens.

“Mine,” he mumbles, sounding half-asleep.

“I need one, too,” she reminds him. When he refuses to let go of the pillow, she decides to take more drastic steps. She grabs the pillow from under his head and tugs at it. Hard. Mulder’s eyes shoot open and he stares at her.

“What?” He blinks at her tiredly.

“Scoot over,” she says with a not so gentle shove. Mulder’s movements are sluggish, but he obeys. “Why do you take up so much space?” She complains as she crawls into bed beside him, wrestling for the comforter.

He is still, no snarky answer from his side of the bed, and his breathing even. Scully puts her head on her hard-earned pillow that smells like sleep, but even more so like Mulder. She watches him sleep, observes how his mouth goes slack and his lashes curl against his cheekbones. There’s an imprint of the pillow on his cheek that’s tempting her. She doesn’t touch him, but watches him until she, too, falls asleep.

“You know, Scully,” Mulder says before she’s even opened her eyes, “sharing the same bed doesn’t mean sharing the same pillow too.”

“What?” She asks, a whiff of morning breath hitting her and she has no idea if it’s her own or Mulder’s. “What are you talking about?”

“Your head,” he says, tipping a finger against her temple, “is on my pillow.”

“Oh?” She yawns, her mind slow to catch up. The bed is warm, so is the pillow, so is Mulder. Her eyes drift close again as a smile breaks out on her face.

“Scully,” Mulder nags, “your head, my pillow. Stay on your side unless you actually want to cuddle.” Her eyes are still closed so she can’t see him, but she hears the lightness in his voice.

“It’s only fair,” she mumbles into the surprisingly soft pillow, “you were hogging both pillows last night.”

“I was not.”

“You were.”

“Fine, keep the pillow. But I’m using it too.” She blames it on it being early morning, on just waking up. When Mulder lays down again, his head so close to hers that their hair touches and their noses bump, she doesn’t move. Her eyes are open now and grow wide, but she doesn’t move away.

“Good morning,” he says.

“Morning breath,” Scully replies. She doesn’t mind it at all, revels in their intimacy. But Mulder doesn’t need to know that. Being this close to him, sharing his warmth, feeling his chest expand against hers as he breathes, feels good. Most of all, it feels right. It’s as if they’ve been waking up like this for years.

“If you want me to move, you have to pay with a kiss.” He closes his eyes and puckers up. She considers it for a second or two. It would be so easy. Just to see his reaction if, for once, she were to play his game of innuendo. He peaks at her through a half-lidded eye and the moment is gone.

Without a word, she rolls away from him and gets up. His eyes bore into her as she makes her way over to the bathroom. She looks at her face, her slightly pink cheeks and her ruffled hair. Her lips are full, throbbing with the desire to be kissed. She touches them and wonders what it would have felt like had she closed the small distance between them.

“Reading a book this late?” Mulder is standing behind her chair, his head almost level with hers. A few droplets of water drip from his still wet hair onto her neck. She shudders and turns to him, an angry glare in her eyes.

“Mulder!”

His sheepish smile is disarming. “You looked pretty,” he pauses, running a hand through his hair, “pretty busy.”

“Then why did you interrupt me?”

“Just curious what’s got you so engrossed. I’ve never seen you read anything with this much passion unless it was a medical journal.”

“It’s called a novel, Mulder.”

“What’s it about?”

“Are you aware that your hair is wet?”

“I am. What’s the novel about?”

“You can read it once I’m done with it.” She wishes she could send him to his own motel room. Or downstairs. Just… away. But he’s here. He’s staring at her, pouting and waiting, claiming her personal space. It’s only their second day and it’s not him losing his nerves, it’s her.

“I don’t want to read it,” he says, “hey Scully, why don’t you read it to me?”

“No,” she says quickly, staring at the letters in front of her, knowing exactly where the man and in the woman in the story are heading.

“Then I’ll do it.” Mulder has snatched the paperback from her hands before she can react. “Let’s see… ‘come on, Nick, this is crazy’”, Mulder chuckles, looking at her. Scully bites her lip, having already read that part. She knows what comes next. She knows exactly what Mulder is going to say any moment. Her whole body grows taut in anticipation.

“’He walks to where I am, the intensity of his eyes making it impossible for me to move away. You just looked me in the eyes, Sarah, and told me sex is all you want from me, so let’s do it. Fuck me until all your urges are satisfied. Fuck me until you can’t think straight anymore. Let’s just fuck, Sarah, and then, if that’s what you want, I’ll disappear from your life forever.’”

The room falls quiet and Scully is afraid to look at Mulder. She feels warm, uncomfortably so. Her hands grip the armrest, needing to hold on to something.

“Um,” Mulder says, clearing his throat, “Is that the kind of… literature you like, Scully?”

“No,” she answers too quickly. It’s none of his business that she used to borrow her mother’s romance novels whenever she came home from college. “There’s not much to do here, as you very well know.”

“Hmmm.” He nods, handing back her novel. “I probably should have waited taking a shower.” He winks at her.

“Shower,” she says as if it were a salvation. “I haven’t taken one today.” She throws the book at Mulder and he catches it, looking dumbfounded. For the second time that day, Scully flees into the bathroom.

Get a grip, she says to her reflection. Maybe it’s her who needs a cold shower.

When she returns, Mulder is in bed already. Who knew that all it took to regulate Mulder’s sleeping hours was a good, old quarantine. His eyes are closed, but she knows he isn’t sleeping. She brushes her damp hair and slips into bed.

“Hey, your feet are freezing!” Mulder sits up in bed, glancing at her.

“Sorry,” she says, unable to hide her smile. “I thought you were asleep.”

“Your cold feet can wake dead people, Scully. Get under the covers.” His voice turns soft and she feels warmer already.

“You smell good,” he says. She can smell him, too. They’re too damn close here in their motel room and this tiny, tiny bed.

“I smell exactly the same way you do.” They’ve been issued shampoo and shower gel, along with three meals every day. Mulder’s already displaying Pavlovian behavior, jumping up from whatever surface he’s currently on as soon as they hear the now familiar knocks at their door.

She reminds herself that this is not a vacation. They’re here because they might have caught a serious disease. So far neither she nor Mulder show any symptoms.

“What are you thinking about?” Mulder asks her. “Your sexy novel?”

“This quarantine.”

“You think we might have caught this virus?”

“No, I just- I don’t think so, no. I know it’s just a precaution. I know I washed my hands thoroughly.” She glares at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I took a shower after we got to our room.”

“About 69 % of men don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom.”

“69, huh?” She slaps him playfully and he laughs. “I promise you that I’m in the 31 % tile. What would- if one of us had it, what would happen?”

“I honestly don’t know, Mulder.”

“I wouldn’t leave you here.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were infected and I wasn’t, I wouldn’t leave.”

“That’s ridiculous.” But his words make her heart pound.

“We’re in Idaho, Scully. I’m not gonna leave you here all alone.”

“You could get infected, too.”

“So be it. I’ve got my doctor with me.” He nudges her side. She loses herself in his gaze, in its intensity. What were the lines from the novel? The intensity of his eyes making it impossible to move away. She knows what that’s like. They stare at each other, blink in tandem, breathe in sync.

“We should try to get some sleep,” she says quietly, breaking the spell.

“The voice of reason,” Mulder says, his voice low.

“One of us has to be.”

“Good night, Scully.”

“Good night, Mulder.”

The next morning, Scully wakes with sunbeams on her nose and Sunday on her mind. She smiles without opening her eyes and yawns. She thinks of making pancakes, of lounging on her couch, reading a book. Enjoying the quietness and the coziness her home provides. She stretches languidly until her feet encounter an obstacle.

“Eeep! Get those feet away from my back!” Reality grabs her and she turns quickly, staring at a wild-haired, crazy-eyed Mulder. “Why are your feet still so damn cold?”

“You ruined the blankets last night,” she says, pointing at the crumpled mess at the foot of the bed. “That’s why.”

“Yeah well, one more night and you’re rid of me.” His back is to her so he can’t see the hurt on her face. Up until now, they’ve gotten along so well. She thinks back to last night, their shared moment, their closeness.

“Mulder?” He ignores her. She reaches out a hand and touches his shirt-clad back. She feels the tension under her fingertips. She strokes his back in gentle circles as if to soothe him. Or maybe it’s to soothe herself. “Are you okay?” She asks. What she really wants to ask him if they’re okay.

“I didn’t sleep well,” he says to the wall. “I just need a moment.”

She gives him a moment. Actually, she gives him hundreds of moments throughout the day. They give each other space, always stay a few feet away from each other, waiting for the other’s next move, like two fencers.

Scully curls up in the chair and leaves the rest of the room to Mulder. He does sit-ups, he curses, eats and showers. She tries to read her novel, get lost again, and finds herself reading the same passages over and over. He hasn’t said the words, but she knows Mulder had a nightmare last night. The covers were her first hint. Trapped in here, he hasn’t been able to let off steam, to run it off or deal with it in his own, Mulderish way.

The first whole sentence he speaks to her comes in the evening and his voice sounds loud in her ears. “Turn off the light, I can’t sleep.”

“It’s only 8 pm.”

“So?” Grumpy Mulder is insufferable.

“I’m not tired. I want to finish my book.”

“I know how it ends.”

“Great, I don’t.”

“Scully, I really want to sleep.”

“And I really want to finish this book. You don’t have any problem sleeping with the TV on. Why is this such a big deal?”

“Are they having sex yet?”

“Excuse me?”

“The people from your book. Are they having sex yet?”

“You said you know how it ends.”

“I do,” he says, propping his head on his elbow. “What’s happening right now?”

“Not tired anymore?”

“I need a bedtime story.”

“I don’t-“

“Just read a few lines.” Now it’s her who wishes the lights were out. How does Mulder do this? How does he know exactly which moments to choose?

“Fine,” she says, licking her lips. “’He pushes his hand under my shirt and it brushes against…” she stops, her cheeks burning up.

“Against?” Mulder presses. His body does, too. When did he get so close to her? She should have stayed in her chair, at a safe distance from him.

“’against the curve of my breast’”.

“Hmmm. Do you… do you like that, Scully?”

“Do I like what?”

He doesn’t answer, not with words anyway. Today, it seems, they don’t have words. Don’t need them. His hand sneaks under her pajama top while his eyes remain on hers. She only has to say a word and he will stop.

“Go on,” he says and his eyes join in, ask silently.

“’His hand closes around my breast,’” she continues and pants, her body awaiting his next move. As Mulder’s hand, warm, rough and yet so tender, closes around her own breast, brushing her nipple, she moans. The book falls from her hand and she touches him, needing to feel his skin.

“Hey, what about your novel?” He asks, his eyes piercing her.

“I know how it ends.”

“You do?”

“They make love.” Mulder’s thumb is gently stroking her breast, waiting.

“Do they?” His question is soft, laced with a hint of uncertainty. “Is that… is that what you want?”

She nods, not trusting her voice. “But Mulder… I need to know something.” He waits for her to go on. “This morning, you – this whole day you just… I want to know if you’re only doing this because you had a bad night and don’t know how else to deal with it.”

“Bad night – Scully, why do you think I was cranky all day? Because of a nightmare?” She nods slowly, doubts creeping into her mind. “No. It was the opposite.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t have a nightmare, Scully. I had a good dream. A very good dream.” That intense stare is back and then she gets it.

“You had a-“

“Sex dream about you? Yes. So no, I’m not doing this because I had a nightmare. I’m not doing it because I’m horny either, if that was your next question. All day, all I wanted was to talk to you, hold you, kiss you. I couldn’t keep quiet any longer.”

“Why did you wait so long?” She asks with a hoarse voice.

“It’s not too late yet, is it?”

“We still have about 13 hours in this motel room. Is that going to be enough time for you?”

“No,” he says, his face drawing closer, “but it’s a start.” He kisses her, devouring her mouth as if he was starving. She kisses him back in the same fashion. The hand around her breast tightens and she moans against his lips. Mulder starts moving against her and her body follows suit. They’ve always been a good team. When his erection comes into contact with her own sex, she presses up against him. Their desire overwhelms them, transforms from gentle to desperate in mere seconds. Mulder’s hand slips between them and under the waistband of her pajama pants.

“Did you ever think,” she pants against his mouth, “it would happen like this?”

“In quarantine?” He asks, sounding as if he’s been sprinting. “Or in a seedy motel?”

His fingers find her wetness and she forgets what she asked him, forgets how to answer. She only knows the rush of sensation, of knowing that Mulder is touching her this way. Nothing matters but Mulder’s weight on her. She wills herself to concentrate and open her eyes. Mulder’s expression is something she’s never seen before. His face is open and vulnerable as if pleading with her not to hurt him. She kisses him, needing to feel the sweep of his tongue again.

“Naked,” she says, “need you naked.”

They undress each other, their eyes exploring new territory with every piece of clothing discarded. Neither of them can keep their hands to themselves. They take their time, learn each other’s bodies in detail and without rush. Until Scully can’t take it anymore. She reaches into his boxers and palms his penis, gently stroking his length.

“Scully,” he moans into her mouth. “This is very – nice, but,” he ends with another moan, one that almost sounds painful.

“Nice?” She asks, staring at him and falling in love with him a million times over. The expression on his face is one of pure ecstasy. She did this to him. With a simple touch. “Enjoying yourself, Mulder?” she asks when he moves against her, thrusting slowly into her hand.

“I want to be inside you or this is going to be very embarrassing very soon.”

Together, they yank off his boxers and her panties. Mulder stops, drinks in her sight, and sighs. If she thought she saw love on his face before, she must admit that she was wrong. This is love. The expression on his face is full of wonder, as if he were asking her how he got here, why he of all people deserves it. She wants him to know that he does deserve this, her. Without taking her eyes off him she opens her legs for him.

“Scully,” his voice drips with arousal, “I just…” he doesn’t finish his thought and sinks between her legs, his mouth moving across her.

“God, Mulder.” She grips his hair, not caring if she’s causing him any pain. Pleasure shoots through her whole body, culminating where Mulder’s mouth licks and sucks expertly. The tell-tale tingle of her orgasm makes her pull Mulder up by his hair. He stares at her, his lips glistening. He licks her off him, beaming.

“Get up here.”

“I was enjoying myself,” he complains but climbs up, settling his weight on her.

“Are you sure about this, Scully?” His cock throbs against her thigh, hot and heavy. She’s never been so sure about anything. Never been this ready. Before Mulder can have second thoughts, because she doesn’t have a single one, she reaches between them. Mulder sinks into her slowly, his mouth hanging open. Their eyes lock as he fills her, inch by delicious inch. Awe flashes over Mulder’s face and she wonders if hers reflects the same.

“Hi,” he says, sounding out of breath.

“Hi,” she repeats.

“Nice to meet you.” He thrusts once and she moans.

“Likewise.”

“I never thought- fuck, Scully. I knew we’d be, but – this is… this is…” She touches his face as he continues to move inside her, increasing the pace. “This is-“ he tries again, panting.

“Tell me later,” she moans, kissing him. And he nods, thrusting harder and faster until they both scream out; Scully flies first and her eyes close as wave after wave hits her. Mulder follows soon after and she watches as he falls apart in her arms.

“Mulder?” Scully asks groggily, her body slow and reluctant to wake up. She’s sore, pleasantly so, but feels sticky. It doesn’t surprise her considering that Mulder is wrapped around her like vine.

“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” He kisses her neck and nibbles on her skin. “Happy end of quarantine day.”

“Oh, is that today?” she jokes, trying to turn in his arms. “Mulder, I need to breathe.”

“Come on, we haven’t cuddled in days,” his kisses move south, pass by her clavicle and set path towards her breasts. “I need affection and you can’t avoid me if we share the same bed.”

“You think I’m going to avoid you when we’re no longer forced to share a room?”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it past you if you wanted to spend a night or two without me. After all this. Don’t you?”

“What I want, Mulder, is to sleep with you in my own bed.”

“Sleep,” he asks, kissing his way back up and grinning. “Or sleep?” He waggles his eyebrows.

“Sleep,” she says, kissing the corner of his mouth, “and sleep.”

“Who knew quarantine could be so much fun, huh?”

“Don’t get any ideas, Mulder,” she warns.

“Who? Me? The only idea I have in my head is to kiss you.”

“Well, that’s a good idea.”

#this took me all day #writing sex takes time apparently #qurantine and one bed fic!#msr #xf fanfic #my writing #my fic #Anonymous

200 notes · View notes

mittensmorgul · 5 years ago

Text

The Tumblr Beta Version: an objective analysis

I was tempted to just type “it sucks.” And while that is an objective analysis, it’s not exactly helpful. I’ve sent several requests to @staff and @support to restore my account to the old tumblr dashboard format, and received the same automated reply twice now. I’ll copy/paste it here so everyone is on the same page:

(lol, I had to go back and edit this, because apparently the beta version doesn’t display block quotes on the dash. So I’ve also put the block quotes in italics... hopefully it’ll display properly... note after editing: nope, it doesn’t display italics either... how the heck am I supposed to differentiate quoted text? I’ll start each quoted bit with an asterisk, I guess...)

*Thanks for reaching out about the beta dashboard.

*We're currently testing it out, and your account seems to have been selected to take part in the test. Thanks for your patience while we work on it! At this time there is not a way to opt out of testing. You may see your Tumblr experience return to normal as we continue testing.

WE CAN ONLY HOPE.

*In the meantime, check out some of the new features available only in the beta dashboard:

OKAY TUMBLR, IF YOU INSIST, though I would MUCH rather have back all the functionality I personally invested into this website through xkit... you know... making the site ACTUALLY FUNCTIONAL. Let’s see what this beta version has given me instead of functionality:

*Change Palettes: Go to the person icon, then click "Change Palette." You'll find the classic Tumblr blue, dark mode, and a few other color palettes for your dash.

So I tried out all the color palettes. In addition to the ones mentioned here, there’s one that’s trying to look like a green screen terminal that gives me flashbacks to the early 80′s. There’s a reason we stopped using green screen terminals... Another one is “canary yellow.” It’s very yellow. The “classic tumblr” isn’t actually classic tumblr... all the post boxes are dark blue with grey type, not white with black type. And all the other colors are the insanely bright fluorescent of the new Dark Blue standard tumblr scheme. Which means links are practically invisible unless I highlight them. It’s migraine inducing. The one theme with a light colored background is called “Concrete” or “Cement” or something like that and even that only works for about half an hour before the migraine aura really kicks in. I just want my Old Blue via xkit back. You know, what tumblr actually used to look like. I don’t want any of these horrible color palettes. None of them work for me.

*The new "meatballs" menu: This is where you can copy the post link, unfollow the Tumblr who made or reblogged the post, or report a violation to our Community Guidelines.

I could do all of this from the user menus with xkit, too. I don’t regularly report violations or have the urge to block people I have chosen to follow. Why on earth would I want to do any of this? And why would I want these features located directly beside the post link copy feature?

You know what I do miss? I miss the xkit timestamps feature. I didn’t have to hover dangerously close to the KILL IT WITH FIRE meatballs menu in order to see when a post was made, and in this era of disinformation and misinformation spreading around this site faster than Covid-19, being able to see when a post was ORIGINALLY created is a far more useful feature than an easier way to block people. For reference: I currently have three blogs blocked. Two of them are pornbots. One is a nazi. If I don’t want someone’s content on my dash, I don’t follow them. This “feature” is entirely useless to me.

*A quick note: Pagination is not supported in this beta test, but we're collecting feedback to send to our engineers.

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST. This beta test might actually be tolerable if I wasn’t trapped into endless scrolling. If I could page through my dash, refreshing it every ten posts or so. You know why? Because once I scroll about 30 posts down my dash, tumblr starts overheating my laptop under the load of ALL THOSE POSTS. Things start malfunctioning-- it takes longer and longer to load new posts the farther I scroll. And the keyboard navigation (both page down and hitting J to advance to the next post, and even just using the down arrow to scroll as I read a long post) freeze and stop functioning. One of my laptop fans has actually begun to malfunction.

You know why this wasn’t a problem on the old version? If the data load got to heavy, I could open a post in a new tab, click view on dash with xkit, and voila! Brand new tab! I could close the malfunctioning tab and everything would be refreshed to normal! But without pagination, THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Also, after reblogging a few posts, the beta version of this site breaks, and doesn’t open a post tab to add commentary or even tags. It just... reblogs the untagged post with no warning whatsoever. You know... that’s really really not cool. I tag EVERYTHING. Well, almost everything. The tags are the only way to keep track of the 40k+ posts on my blog. And warn people that I am posting potential spoilers, or other specific content. It’s REALLY inconvenient to have to either immediately go to my blog to edit the post and add tags, or even comments. The alternative is to scroll up to open individual posts I want to reblog in a new tab, and then reblog directly there. Ironically enough, THOSE pages actually open with xkit installed, and everything (surprise!) functions perfectly there.

It’s perfectly reasonable to understand why this specific issue has limited the number of posts I reblog. Reblogging content should not be this much of a hassle. Creators have been complaining for a while that reblogs have drastically slowed down, and I think making it even more annoying and difficult to reblog posts will not help this problem.

Also, with xkit enabled, there’s a function that auto-loads images as you scroll, so the images are always visible BEFORE they appear on screen. I don’t have to look at the colored boxes and wonder if this is a post I’ve already seen or something I should sit and wait for. Don’t even think about watching tumblr videos. Loading priority is given to the ads that you cannot pause or dismiss, so that video loads and plays in choppy two second bursts instead of being given priority. Since that’s the content I am actually here to consume, it kinda makes me want to do the opposite of patronizing anyone who advertises here with graphically intense ads. And then when you scroll away, with xkit, gifs and videos you’ve scrolled past STOP loading and playing, which I think might be contributing to the intensity of the resource hogging that’s literally melting down my laptop.

And for reference, I have a pretty decent little gaming laptop. A blogging platform shouldn’t be driving it to the brink of frying itself. I didn’t realize just how much xkit worked to streamline this and provide basic functionality to this site.

*And lastly, if you're an XKit user, know that the XKit team is working hard to update things on their end to make it compatible with the beta dashboard.

And this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I’ve lost without xkit. And this is a really REALLY garbage response to user complaints. “Oh, yeah, sorry we made our site suck even worse, but those nice people who do our jobs for free will surely fix our garbage soon!”

Dear wonderful people at @new-xkit-extension, I love you, and I miss you, and while I wish xkit worked with this beta version I’ve been forced into living with, I truly feel for y’all who are trying to deal with this nonsense on behalf of all of us.

And to the folks at Tumblr... maybe try to just... make your site actually more like xkit. You know, actually functional. None of these special new features are useful or functional to me. I respectfully request for a fourth time to be removed from this inane beta test.

Give us OPTIONS. Let us display ALL THE TAGS without having to click a button. Let me have back my Activity+ that actually allowed me to interact with people from my dash! That showed me real-time inline notifications in a way that I could reply to with a single click! Bring me back to my column of open messaging conversation icons so I have easy access to the people I talk with throughout the day instead of closing them all every time I refresh the page. I already feel socially isolated in freaking quarantine, please stop shutting off all my avenues of communication!

Let us have pagination! I mean, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to force heavy users of this site into a beta version that doesn’t allow us to opt out until your engineers had actually figured out how to make it work in a very basic way.

*Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

YES. PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS BETA TEST NOW. I have let you know exactly what I want from this site. I just want it to ACTUALLY WORK. For someone who spends 12+ hours a day on this site, this beta test version is NONFUNCTIONAL. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO OPT OUT. I AM LITERALLY BEGGING YOU. I WILL ACTUALLY PAY YOU CASH MONEY TO ALLOW ME TO OPT OUT OF THIS AND GO BACK TO HAVING A FUNCTIONAL BLOG AGAIN. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!

PLEASE!

I AM OFFICIALLY AT THE END OF MY PATIENCE FOR ENDURING THIS NIGHTMARE.

(one final quick note... I’ve only been back on my dash long enough to make the parenthetical edits-- i.e. adding italics that don’t display and then adding the asterisks at the beginning of each section of quoted text, and already my laptop is overheating again. For reference, I originally typed this entire post from within my tumblr inbox page-- which still functions normally with xkit-- and spent over an hour on it. My laptop was fine the entire time. Clearly the issue is this beta version of the website. I will never forgive tumblr if y’all fry my literal only portal to the outside world at this time. PUT ME BACK TO NORMAL NOW. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING AND ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE. Thanks)

(oops apparently i lied... when the asterisks and the previous final note failed to display, I thought that seemed suspicious, and realized that I literally needed to refresh my entire dash in order to see edited changes. Funny how xkit enabled me to do that in real time, which is just another bit of functionality I’ve lost with this beta program. Please guys, this is really, really not working for me at all, just put it back.)

#tumblr problems #staff #support #xkit #was this good enough for you? because I am totally done with this if that wasn't completely obvious #please end my suffering

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arpwrites · 5 years ago

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[Arpwrites] Tarot Commissions

If you’re seeing this, maybe its the universe saying it’s time you got a reading 🌝From Three Cats in a Trenchcoat to @Cupid Watch Out Sweaty, I’m sure there’s a spread for your needs 🌷

Commissions are currently OPEN!

The Process

Read my legal notices here, particularly the sections pertaining to tarot and commissions. You officially agree to these terms upon payment for my services.

Contact me via the Tumblr messaging system. If you’d like to keep your blog anonymous, contact me from a new sideblog. Mains are preferred though because it helps me get a better sense of your energy.

I will confirm the booking based on the requested reading and my status. Your written confirmation that you have read and are fully aware of my legal notices is required as well.

Fill out the form I provide you. It’ll have questions that’ll help me connect to your energy. If that doesn’t work, we may have to try something else like chatting for a bit or maybe you can send me your instagram. We'll think of something.

Send in the payment on Ko-fi if I confirm I am able to connect to your energy and you are comfortable with the level of it.

You will get your reading within three days. I will privately post it to my blog and share the link with only you.

Feedback and/or reviews are much appreciated.

What Will the Reading Include?

Here’s a sample reading using Three Cats in a Trenchcoat. Basically:

Commission details like your username, reference number etc.

Screenshots of your confirmation that you have read my legal notices as well as receipt of payment

Any special questions you may have asked as part of the request.

An image of the spread. I will be using the Prisma Visions deck by @jamesreads. It is gorgeous and I highly recommend it.

As much detail as I am able to glean from the cards.

An overall accuracy rating and notes.

A conversation to debrief about whether the reading resonated with you, any clarifications you might need, next steps, your satisfaction, and whether I can help you with anything else.

Why Me?

I'm truthful to a fault, a lot of times to my own detriment. I won’t hesitate to tell you if I feel like I’m making up things or if the accuracy feels low. I wouldn’t claim to have a gift for tarot if I didn’t mean it. You can trust me with your personal questions, I won’t judge.

I will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. I won’t sugarcoat what my cards say but I also won’t leave you feeling hopeless or worse than before. Tarot is meant to raise people’s vibrations and do good, and that is exactly what I will help you with.

Here’s what other people have to say.

How Does Tarot Work?

Tarot cards are a system of ‘divination,’ i.e., inference, based on the yet unproven concept that everything in the universe has a vibrational signature and that these vibrations obey the universal law of like attracting like. ‘Everything’ extends beyond the physical dimension and includes thoughtforms and energetic complexes. Similar in principle to how horary astrology works, the idea is that the vibration of your question will attract right vibration of cards for that moment based on energies at the time. Free will exists and there are several possible perspectives and futures, so readings only hold true while factors are in stasis and depend on the ability of the reader to strengthen and tune into these energies.

Remember!

Tarot interpretation is personal, intuitive and nuanced. Don’t compare card draws from one reader to another because meanings of cards are subjectively assigned by the deck user. Do not research your tarot reader’s card draws on your own and infer your own meaning, it will likely lead you to wrong assumptions. Only do so if your tarot reader recommends it because what matters most is their meaning of the card.

Do not use tarot as your sole decision making tool – it is advice, not fact. Tarot is not well suited for precise, close-ended questions. It works best when the intent is for one’s highest good, and the questions are open-ended and introspective in nature.

It is best to enquire about events that will occur soon since tarot readings pick up on current energies. It will be a waste to enquire about far off events since there are a multitude of factors at play and the reading will most likely be void by the time it happens.

Please Note

I cannot do readings about subjects in which I have no knowledge. So for example, I can’t do questions on financial investments because I have no idea how that system works so I can’t overlay it onto my cards to read them.

I tend to ask for more detail about their situation while I read. This is because every card has thousands of meanings based on the context so I’ll need clarification to ensure I’m communicating the message correctly. Sometimes the extra detail doesn’t help. In that case, I’ll offer all possible interpretations and ask which one resonates best.

My deck spits out as many cards as it wants regardless of the actual spread. I don’t draw specific cards, I shuffle till cards fall out on their own. So, your reading will likely have more cards than advertised.

Offered Readings

These include but are not limited to the below mentioned spreads. Let me know if what you want isn’t on this list and I can make a custom reading for your needs in the same price range.

Three Cats in a Trenchcoat for $3. As the name gives away, a minimum of 3 cards are drawn for a short insight or to gain an overview or get direction regarding a multitude of topics. Note that the relationship spreads work for platonic, familial, romantic, destined, and karmic bonds.

General: Past | Present | Future

General: Current Situation | Obstacle | Advice

General: Situation | Action | Outcome

General: Beginning | Middle | End

General: Start | Growth | Decay

Self-discovery: Mind | Body | Spirit

Self-discovery: You | Current Path | Potential

Self-discovery: Life Purpose | What Qualities | Action

Self-discovery: Needs | Wants | Fears

Self-discovery: Past Self | Present Self | Future Self

Self-discovery: Lesson You Need | Why | Action

Past: What Worked | What Didn’t | Key Lessons

Healing: Cords to Cut | Heal your Heart | Nurture Yourself

Healing: Be Aware | Remember | Let Go

Future: Aspiration | Obstacle | Solution

Future: What Helps | What Hinders | Unrealized Potential

Relationship: Intentions | Trustworthy? | Advice

Relationship: Teach Me | Need from Me | Relationship

Relationship: You | The Other Person | Nature of Relationship

Relationship: Soulmate? | Need to Know | Will it Last?

Relationship: Your Wants | Their Wants | Where It’s Heading

Relationship: Strength | Weakness | Obstacle

Relationship: Pulls Together | Pushes Apart | Needs Attention

Relationship: Conflict | Areas of Agreement | Resolution

Relationship: Outer Conflict | Inner Conflict | Relationship

Relationship: Real Issue | Next Action | Ultimate Destination

Conflict: The Nature of a Problem | The Cause | The Solution

Conflict: False Issue | Real Issue | Your Role

Conflict: Why | What | Resolution

Decision-making: Strengths | Weaknesses | Advice

Decision-making: Opportunities | Challenges | Outcome

Decision-making: Yes Outcome | No Outcome | Maybe Outcome

Decision-making: Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3

Decision-making: Solution 1 | Solution 2 | How to Choose

Decision-making: Best Case | Worst Case | Probable Outcome

Decision-making: Choice | Pros | Cons

Career: Hobby | Possible Career Development | First Step

Career: Opportunities | Distractions | Action

Career: Job Positives | Job Negatives | Change - to +

Career: Pros of Quitting | Cons | Advice

Career: New Career Suggestion | Advice | Outcome of Quitting

The Monster Inside for $6. A minimum of 6 cards are drawn to identify the darkest aspect of your self, the area of your life it most affects, your inner demon, how you understand/accept/heal from it, what actions you can take to overcome it and grow, and the possible outcome.

Love Me, Love Me Not for $9. A minimum of 6 cards are drawn to see how your crush feels about you, whether a relationship would work, how to attract them, how dating them would be, whether you should confess, and whether they’ll play a special role in your life.

Knock Knock. It’s the Universe, Asshole for $9. As many cards as required will be drawn to know what the universe thinks you need to know at this moment. What does it want to tell you? What advice does it have for you?

I’m BTS’s XXX for $9. This reading is strictly for fun and entertainment purposes! As many cards as required will be drawn to see what kind of relationship you’d have which your chosen member of BTS and how you’d meet if your paths were to cross.

Yoda on the Loose for $12. A minimum of 10 cards are drawn for general advice about yourself, your mind, body, spirit, friends and family, romance, hobbies, career, finances, and challenges.

It’s My Year, Bitches for $15. A minimum of 12 cards are drawn for your previous year in summary, what you’ve learned from the past year, what you aspire to in the next twelve months, what empowers you to reach it, what may stand in your way, relationships and emotions in the upcoming year, career and work and finances, health and well-being, spiritual energy and inner fulfillment, what you need to focus on for the year ahead, most important lesson in the upcoming year, and where you’re headed overall in the coming twelve months. Well suited for birthdays and New Year’s.

Know Thyself to Know the Universe for $21. A minimum of 15 cards are drawn to find out your best and worst qualities, what makes you attractive, your needs and wants, how you love and how you need to receive love, the type of partner that would best fit you, the key lesson you’re supposed to learn in this lifetime, and your purpose of existence.

@Cupid Watch Out Sweaty for $30. A minimum of 20 cards are drawn for an in-depth relationship spread about the true you in context of your role in the relationship, the true them, how they see you, how you see them, the past of the relationship if applicable, where it stands now, what lies in store for the future, what brings you together, what pulls you apart, your wants, their needs, challenges, how to love each other etc.

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to reading for you :^)

Sources: Several spreads are by Biddy Tarot, My Wandering Fool, Lunar Cafe, Self Tarot while others are my own. Do not steal my spreads, ask me for permission first.

Note: Do not use the copy from this post for personal or commercial purposes. Use it as a guideline to write your own with visible, explicit credit that has a working link back to this blog.

#arpwrites #aw commission

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theangrypokemaniac · 5 years ago

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@nyarthsis

If Team Rocket 'always had a heart for unpopular Pokémon', that's an admission their Alola catches aren't particular loveable creatures, so I'm not thinking anything too controversial.

You're saying they take pity on the animals no one wants, as in it's normal for me not to find them adorable.

Some Pokémon, such as Lucario, become fan favourites without the advertisement of a regular role the anime. With Wobbuffet, Bewear, Stufful, Mareanie and Mimikyu, do people like them for themselves, or because of their association with Team Rocket?

I think its the latter. I can't imagine there would be such interest in them were they to be owned by a Twerp or appear as a one-off. Really then, it's not what or who they are, it's to whom they belong that matters.

Alola has really devalued catching. Rather than be true to the source material, so battering a Pokémon into submission, as Ash did with Bulbasaur, Primeape, Muk, and many others, now you have to ask their permission!

Bewear didn't even get that. She hung around for no reason, and her 'friend' Stufful was belatedly tacked on. I see why those two were left behind, as Team Rocket had no right to take them elsewhere.

In terms of welfare, Mimikyu and Mareanie are better off staying with them, free and safe, rather than locked in the insalubrious depths of H.Q., but then it never bothered the writers sending previous Pokémon into an uncertain future, so what difference does it make now?

It can only be that, like their predecessors, there is no intention to ever bring them back, but unlike the rest, the fans can't even be allowed the vain hope of a return, not with this rather awkward disposal.

It's feasible that Jessie and James could call their base and request old monsters to join them, but it's difficult to imagine they'd fly across the world to Alola, wander through the woods, pick 'em up and go all the way back again. Why make parting so final and irreversible?

It does imply that Game Freak don't like them, so why should I?

I keep noticing this fickle attitude. A new era starts, we're expected to fall instantaneously in love with every element, beg for more and yet more. Then, once the next region arrives, this adoration asked of us is meant to evaporate and immediately transfer to the next batch.

Well why start to like them, if eventually the makers don't care, to the extent you wouldn't even know previous Pokémon had ever been alive?

Have you heard one mention of Seviper, Yanmega, Dustox, Cacnea, Carnivine, and Mime Junior since they left?

Why were they happy to chuck Wobbuffet after Sinnoh, yet fetched for Kalos?

How could Team Rocket live without it for an entire generation but suddenly it's indispensable again? What do you imagine the rest of their Pokémon felt about that?

Have Jessie and James wondered allowed how Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel are doing?

What of the last two generations?

What is this nonsense where every character is so detached from the past?

Supposing I was to force myself to appreciate them: since they've gone, never to return, I'd be dissatisfied with the show, thus no better off than I am now.

My feelings don't run on a switch. I can't find myself besotted one minute then dump the object of affection without a second thought, just because Nintendo want it from me.

Even if I had a more positive opinion of the current interpretation, there's no benefit to becoming involved when it's all so fleeting.

Mareanie is ugly, with three teeth. I think he's a sea anenome, so ought to be more attractive, but it's covered in nipples instead!

It looks like a bonsai tree growing breasts, reminiscent of the hideous content lurking within an Hieronymous Bosch painting.

The idea that all Mimikyu copy Pikachu, the most famous Pokémon, when in their world it's nothing special, is too stupid for me to accept. How could that be coincidence?

It's referencing reality, acknowledging the real world's view of Pikachu as the star, so if it's breaking the fourth wall, it invites disbelief.

Wobbuffet does sod all. It's a complete dead weight and has no attacks. Yet it's the one to survive generation after generation. Where's the logic in that?

I suspect his popularity rests on being there so long he's considered part of the furniture, the sole catch in which you can invest an emotional connection whilst fairly certain he'll remain around.

By now it ought to have developed some semblance of a personality, but it's as faceless as ever. Other Pokémon that have been and gone had a bit more about them, but Wobba's so bland no one can summon the energy to write him out.

If he went, what would you miss? Breaking out of his ball and hissing 'WAAAAAHBUHFEH'? Is that so integral?

I have several objections:

What is it meant to be?

Why does its tail have eyes?

Why is that never mentioned?

Is it a sort of quadruped, or has it only one foot with four toes, arranged like the bottom of a medical walking stick?

A lot of my reactions to Pokémon are influenced by encountering them in the games. With Wobbuffet, I remember first coming across it in the cave near Blackthorn City, and just as you're winning the fight, it pulls out Destiny Bond and suddenly you're both down.

When you finally get one, it's tricky to train. You have no choice but to guess whether the opposition will launch a physical or special move, and mostly you get it wrong. He never learns anything else and doesn't evolve, so it's that forever.

Persevering with Magikarp is worthwhile, but what's to be gained from taking any time out to fight with Wobbuffet?

The anime eliminates this problem. You're aware of the nature of the approaching onslaught because you can see it coming, and the opponent said it aloud.

In this context Wobbuffet should be the most powerful Pokémon in the universe. Come on, it can deflect every attack!

Is it? No. It has a successful defence about once a generation, and still loses the battle. I can't say if it's worse to be utterly pointless, or to not fulfil one's potential.

I resent it muscling in on the motto, as if it's considers itself of equal rank to Meowth. No it's not!

When I was young, there was a tendency for magazines to refer to Team Rocket as a duo. Meowth was judged to be in the same position as Pikachu: a main character yes, and valuable enough to be accorded the privilege of liberty, but still very much owned by people.

You would see references to Jessie and James as his Trainers, though how they assumed this worked went unexplained. Even if shared, one had to have to caught him, thus be his proper owner.

Later on this developed into them being three equal members, and the term 'TRio' emerged, but now, although perhaps not officially recognised, there's an attitude of treating them as a quartet.

It's just wrong! Wobbuffet's not been around since day one. He didn't join Team Rocket voluntarily because he had nowhere else to go. It was a choice made for him by his original Trainer, so out of his hands, or rather his flippers.

If he was an independent Pokémon who just tagged along one day, that would be different, but it belongs to Jessie. Promoting one of hers means James is lesser, and no longer equal.

In each generation Team Rocket catch at least one local Pokémon, but as Wobbuffet's there, it ends up with Jessie having more on her side than James, and I dislike the imbalance. Plus the one he does get is violent.

It can't be solved by giving him another new one, as then he's captured two in the region, and she has only one, so again it's skewed.

Whilst Wobbuffet does count in numbers, he's not on the level of the rest, who fight regularly. He's both there and not simultaneously.

I'm still irked the way Lickitung was ejected to make room.

It was the best Pokémon they ever had! It took out Pikachu, Vulpix and Bulbasaur with one move! It would've won those Princess Dolls for Jessie if the writers hadn't changed the rules so that Lick only affects those of sound mind!

It was as if they realised their mistake too late, and so Lickitung was featured less and less to avoid it dominating a fight, then hurriedly traded away for something reliably feeble.

The following analogy you may not understand, but I think it fits rather aptly:

There's a game called Final Fantasy VIII. One of the side quests involves you racing through a castle under a time limit. If successful, you are rewarded with Odin as a Guardian Force, which is a deity that will provide a defence.

Unlike others, he is out of your control, but every so often, as you enter battle, he turns up and annihilates your opponents. It's very welcome.

Unfortunately this game was programmed by bunyips, who clearly didn't want the last section of the game to be accidently easier for you. Oh no. If you're progressing, it ain't gonna be through luck, or turning the console on and off until he arises.

Therefore, towards the close, you come up against ex-friend Seifer. Odin is fixed to rush to your aid, but when he does, bloody Seifer slices him in half, horse and all!

He killed Odin, the ancient King of the North! The Lord of Valhallah! The Father of the Vikings!

It's not normal fighting death, it's irreversible. He's gone for good.

After this Gilgamesh introduces himself as a replacement. He too will randomly appear and set about the enemy.

The problem is that whilst Odin destroyed monsters unfailingly, with Gilgamesh it's a rarity.

He uses four swords, and which you get is also a lottery.

One is the same as Odin's, two deal average damage, but not death, and the worst one depletes 1 HP, so it might as well not have bothered.

Not only does it arrive but a fraction of the time, but it's in a fraction of those times that it's of any assistance, which is something of a comedown.

Lickitung is Odin: didn't see it often, but it tore the place apart!

Wobbuffet is Gilgamesh: once in a blue moon it provides rescue, but it's on a lot lower percentage than it's predecessor.

It's difficult not to be disappointed.

#team rocket #wobbuffet #mareanie #mimikyu #bewear #stufful

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gv-archangel · 6 years ago

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Open for Commissions!

OPENING FOR COMMISSIONS

Figured it's time I give this whole "writing for other people's money" thing a shot. I'd like to expand a little bit on what I'm comfortable with, write some new things I haven't before while trying to make others happy. And if I pad my wallet a little in the process, who's going to argue?

Rules are all listed below, including pricing and how to get in touch with me. Give it a read if you're curious! Thanks for the look!

I can't promise these prices will stay the way they are forever, depending on interest and feedback, but I won't change anything mid-commission. I won't be that asshole. Just, if you're crazy enough to be a repeat customer of mine, don't be surprised if I give you a slightly different quote the second time around. I tried to base my pricing off the time I spend working on these projects, as well as what seems to be about the going prices here. But like I said, first time giving this a shot. So apologies for the growing pains as I figure this out.

For a good look at my current writing stuff, check out my FanFiction gallery here: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3995298/

Anyway, open for commissions! I'm open for writing something from scratch, or for editing an existing piece. Read below for all the details, message me if interested!!

Commission and Editing Rules/Prices

General Rules:

- Please look through my gallery before sending me a message I just want you to know what to expect from me, so no one is disappointed in the end.

- If interested, send me a message at gvarchangelcomms[at]gmail.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

- Payment will be through PayPal with USD. I will send you invoices as needed.

- I reserve the right to decline any commission for any reason I see fit.

- Things I'm particularly comfortable writing:

Mass Effect/Dragon Age/Dishonored/Dungeons and Dragons/Witcher based fanfiction.

Romance and friendship based pieces, with a focus on the relationship

Fighting/combat pieces, both firearm based combat and hand-to-hand fighting

Worlds with established lore I can dig into and play with

- Things I will not write:

Non-consensual/abusive relationships

Strong kinks (macro/micro, vore, underage, essentially anything I feel uncomfortable with)

- Anything that does not fall neatly into these categories, please message me, and we will discuss it. I can't promise I'll accept the commission, but I will happily discuss it with you.

What to Expect From Me:

- I will keep you updated on what I'm working on and how far along I am with the piece. If I am nearing completion, I will include an estimated completion date.

- If you ask for an update, I will happily send you a status update on what I'm currently working on.

- If your piece includes something I'm not comfortable with, it may slow me down some and the quality of the piece may suffer. I will let you know if I encounter something like this, and we can discuss what to do from there.

- I have my own job and writing projects aside from commissions. I respect that you are paying for the piece and it will get priority, but I can't dedicate every free moment to it.

- If I have any questions, I'll message you and attempt to work around it until I hear back from you for clarification.

- You are free to post the completed piece wherever you wish. All that I require is a link back to my page, giving me credit for the work I did on the piece.

Writing Commissions:

- Try to be specific with your initial request of what you want. We can work out finer details as we go, but I need enough to start with to make a good first draft. This includes an approximate length that you would like the piece to be.

- Once I confirm I'll take the slot and the references are good, I'll give you a rough estimate of when you'll hear back from me with a working draft.

- I will send you the completed first draft and ask you for any significant changes that need to be done. This will focus more on high level changes: if scenes should be entirely changed or removed, if something in the plot goes against the character, or the plot went in a direction you didn't prefer.

- This will be the time to find the biggest changes. Here, the big changes will be free. Later on, there will be fees if significant changes are made.

- After the changes have been made and the draft is approved, that is when the first half of payment is due. Once payment is cleared, I'll dive into editing.

- Edits from this point on will focus more on making sentences flow more, correcting typos, and generally making the piece more readable. There should not be any significant content changes from here.

- On what I would consider a near final draft, I will send it to you to check for any corrections that need to be made. Please focus on ensuring all of the character details are correct here as well.

- When you've approved this, I'll request the final half of the payment and do a final check on the piece.

- After the payment clears, I'll send you the completed piece.

- I will leave your piece in a Google Drive folder for you. I can guarantee the link to it will work for two weeks. If you need to download it again after this point and the link doesn't work, let me know and I'll set it up again.

- I reserve the right to post the piece as a part of my gallery and my own form of advertisement. Any postings will include a link to your page, giving you credit for the characters and commissioning me.

Editing Commissions:

- PM me with a link to your piece, or an email we can use to exchange the piece back and forth after edits have been made. Please also include in your message a basic description of the piece (including the fandom that it features), what you're hoping to accomplish with the piece, and any particular concerns you would like me in particular to look for.

- I will confirm the word count and request half of the payment.

- Editing will include a separate page of nothing but my own thoughts on the piece, including what I think what works, what doesn't, and suggestions in high level changes.

- Editing will also include checks for any typos, grammatical errors, and restructured sentences. All changes will be made with highlights for easy comparison.

- I will also include comments throughout the piece for brief thoughts I have on particular sentences/phrases.

- After I have completed all edits and written out all of my thoughts for the piece, I will ask for your final payment. I will send you either the edited piece, or the document of concept thoughts/suggestions.

- Once payment clears, I will send you the remaining half of the edits. This can either be done through email, or I will leave your document in a Google Drive folder for you.

Writing Pricing: All prices will be rounded down to the nearest 100 words. If the piece comes out to 5780 words, you will be charged for 5700. And all NSFW pieces will incur a 10% price increase. That is for adult pieces: mature will not be subject to this extra fee.

Mini-Story: Pieces between 1 and 5,000 words. Typically enough for one decent length scene, maybe two short ones. The price will be $0.01 per word.

Short Story: Pieces between 5,001 and 10,000 words. Roughly the length of a traditional short story, typically two to three scenes. The price is $0.015 per word.

Medium Story: Pieces between 10,001 and 15,000 words. The price is $0.02 per word.

Long/Serialized stories: If you have something longer in mind, or want to get a short series of several stories, message me with what you want, and we'll discuss pricing and details.

Editing Pricing: All prices will be rounded down to the nearest 100 words. If the piece comes out to 5780 words, you will be charged for 5700. And all NSFW pieces will incur a 10% price increase. That is for adult pieces: mature will not be subject to this extra fee.

Mini-Story: Pieces between 1 and 5,000 words. The price will be $0.007 per word.

Short Story: Pieces between 5,001 and 10,000 words. The price is $0.01 per word.

Medium Story: Pieces between 10,001 and 15,000 words. The price is $0.012 per word.

Long/Serialized stories: If you have something longer in mind, or want to get a short series of several

#writer #commissions #commisions open

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silverskye13 · 7 years ago

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Commissions are currently open 5 of 5 slots open (as of 1/19/2018) You are encouraged to go through my gallery when considering a commission. If there is something I've done before that isn't on this sheet that you would like me to do for you, feel free to ask me about it and we can work something out. Prices All prices are to be negotiated with the commissioner before work is begun. I do ask for full payment up front, but I am open to the option of payment plans. Feel free to discuss these with me while we are negotiating the commission. My prices are based on my country's minimum wage. At these prices, I'm making roughly $6-$7 an hour. My commissions are open for US Dollars via Paypal. Character Design For each singular character I'm asked to design, you will have a limit of two free edits to be used on major edits to the design (color changes, adding/dropping things, etc.) After the first two, you will have to pay for further edits. How to Commission Me

- I’m available either through PM or you can email me at [email protected] - Tell me what kind of commission you would like (or link me to an example in my gallery) - Send me a reference of the character (if no reference, write a detailed description, and if possible link to other characters you know of that look similarly or any artwork already done of the character). - Information about the artwork itself, such as poses for the character, environment, emotions, etc - Anything else you feel I need to know - I will respond with whether the commission has been accepted. After which I will send you my paypal information (or give you the okay to send points). What I Can/Will Do - Animals - "Furries" or "Anthros" - Humans - Gift art (you commissioning it for someone else) - Blood and gore - Mild NSFW - Fanart What I Won't Do - Anime-style artwork (I can draw the characters but not the anime style) - Extreme amounts of cussing or foul language - Self harm/suicidal themed artworks (this is for my personal well-being) - Anything condemning or derogatory towards a certain person, people or religion (jokes are okay as long as its clearly a joke). Regarding Turn-Around Time and Cancellations Turn-Around Time varies from commission to commission. You must understand that I am human, just like you, and I am not a printing press. Any commission will take time, and depending on my life/home situation, it could take varying lengths of time. I will strive to finish any commission within 2 months of being commissioned. If you should have to wait longer than that, you will be warned ahead of time. In the rare case that your commission is canceled, you will be given either a full or partial refund depending on how much work has been completed on the commission. An example of this would be if I had already worked an hour on the artwork. I would send you what was completed and you would be refunded all but 1 hour of that work (roughly $7). I don't anticipate having to cancel commissions on anyone, and will work to make sure there are absolutely no other options available to me before a cancellation occurs. Should you have issues with payment/following through with a payment plan if one is discussed, please tell me. I will be more than happy to work with you. If you fail to meet payment requirements, and you do not contact me, I will stop the commission and any work that has been paid for will go unrefunded. Keep that in mind. Terms of Commission/Use For the artist: As the artist I reserve full rights to the artwork. I reserve the right to display it on any website where I have a presence (DeviantArt/Tumblr) with my personal watermark, unless specifically requested otherwise. I reserve the right to use the artwork in a personal portfolio or in personal advertising for future commissions. I also reserve the right to take down the artwork if I feel it is being used wrongfully, if it is stolen or reposted without proper credit to me, the artist. I also hold the right to accept or decline any commission, or to cancel a commission if a suitable reason is given. For the commissioner: You have the right to have the image for personal use. This includes desktop/phone backgrounds, printing for your wall, re-posting to your personal gallery as long as proper credit is given, and my watermark is in place on the image. You as the commissioner have the right to request a version of the artwork without watermark, provided it will not be reposted to any sites and will be reserved strictly for personal use. As the commissioner you are not allowed to claim the artwork as your own, nor are you allowed to use the image commercially, for any personal profit unless a written contract is made with the artist first.

#spazzcat commissions #artist commissions #commission information #commission info #i need to update this all the artwork is two years old good lord #the3Ss #L of the3Ss

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scentedsublimehologram · 4 years ago

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Serial Number For Stage Plot Pro

Serial Number For Stage Plot Programming

Serial Number For Stage Plot Project

Serial Number For Stage Plot Processing

Serial Number For Stage Plot Proposal

Let me offer a recent, real life example of why sending an up to date stage plot and input list when advancing is critically important.

Stage Plot Pro 2.9.8 Serial Number Key Welcome to SerialCore.com your number one source for the latest serials! We are a new surfer friendly serial site without annoying advertisements, updated almost every day to make sure you find the serial number key code. That you are looking for:). Question: Q: Logic Pro 8 Serial number HELP!! My G5 recently died on me. (I think it's the power supply, but that is another story entirely!!). Stage Plot Pro 2.9.8 Serial Number Key. Welcome to SerialCore.com your number one source for the latest serials! We are a new surfer friendly serial site. Stage Plot Pro Serial Number 13 stage plot pro serial number stage plot pro serial number mac stage plot pro 2.9.5 serial number stage plot pro serial number windows serial number stage plot pro 2.6.1 Mac version 2.9.8.2. Windows version 2.9.8.1. Stage Plot Pro: 13-Mar-2018: 2,263 KB/s. All retail software uses a serial number or key of some.

We had a fly date into a festival in San Francisco, with a tight window of arrival. Our window became even tighter when our flight out of LAX was cancelled, and we were bumped to a later flight, now arriving across the bay in Oakland. It was one of those moments on the road where things are out of your control, and travel is either going to work out, or it isn’t, so it’s best to simply relax. With pre-arranged ground transportation botched, the festival hustled and sent us a runner van to get us on site. With traffic from Oakland into San Francisco, we ended up arriving on site 29 minutes prior to stage time. Woof.

There is a certain due process to arriving on site at a festival. Artist check in, meeting up with the festival liaison, getting your bearings, settling into the dressing room, checking in with production, checking in with backline, loading or crossloading gear to stage, building gear, grabbing a bite to eat, potential press, using the bathroom, etc. The picture that I am trying to paint is that there are a lot of things that happen before your set, and when you arrive so close to set time, things you have done in advance become even more important.

Walking onto stage, it was as if an ethereal force had descended and backline, monitors, and mics were all placed exactly where they needed to be. How did it get to be this way? How did they know to put it like this? Allow me to introduce you to the Stage Plot and Input List.

The stage plot is a visual representation of how gear is organized on stage. What do you need to include when creating a stage plot?

Band name – Imagine not putting your name on the plot if you are playing a festival with 100+ other bands. You want people to be able to find and utilize your plot, right?

Serial Number For Stage Plot Programming

Date – I like to title things with the season and year. IE:Summer 2015. This allows the person receiving the plot to know that what they are looking at is current. If it is dated Fall 2012, and it’s Winter 2015, audio begins to question the validity of the plot they are looking at.

Contact information – the production contact for your band. Your name, role, phone number, and email address should suffice. Put it right on the plot. No one wants to dig up an email to find your info.

Names of band members – People don’t always use it, but sometimes it’s nice to have the people you’re working with for the day know your name when you are thousands of miles away from home. First name and instrument does the trick.

Ok, so the above is important in its own way, but this is the part that really matters.

Placement of gear – use labeled shapes to show where a piece of equipment is going to live on stage. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keys, Horns, Vocals, Doom Reverbinator, Strings, etc. Doesn’t have to be fancy; simply write it in a box, and plunk it down where it’s going to be set.

Placement of monitors – use labeled rectangles (IE: Monitor 1, Monitor 2, etc.), and number the monitor mix. Place the rectangle in front of where the player will need their monitor positioned. On a separate page, you can include notes for the monitor engineer, as far as what a player wants in their mix.

Placement of power – Until future technological developments arrive, we are tethered to the archaic system of “power cords” where we have to “plug in.” Wireless electricity, can you get here already? Need to plug in an amp? Need to plug in a pedal board? Need power for something else? Denote where you need to plug in on your stage plot. Oh, shit! What kind of power do you need? Are you using American or European gear? Bollocks, we haven’t the step down convertors!

Placement of mics – Maybe you are cruising with a non-standard piece of equipment. Telling the engineer how you want a mic placed (on axis, off axis, distance, etc.) helps them work more efficiently and quickly. This means more time for your sound check or line check. Is your singer on wireless? Make it known. Need an extra long XLR? What kind of mic stand do you want? Boom? Straight? Include all of that information either on the stage plot or input list.

To be even more specific, I’ve seen people label their plots with measurements of how things should be laid out. I encourage you to do this. Someone will appreciate it. Additionally, actual photographs of your stage layout are useful and provide a true visual for those setting things up before your arrival. Keep in mind that fine tuning will be required upon arrival. These documents are simply meant to get things close.

Serial Number For Stage Plot Project

The input list describes to an engineer what each channel is being utilized for. In the left hand column you will see ascending numbers. These are the channels that are being used. In the middle column, you will see what is being utilized on that channel. In the right hand column you will see what microphone we have requested, to mic or DI that element. For example, input #1 is the kick drum microphone placed inside of the kick drum. We’ve asked the engineer to use a Shure Beta 91a. Sometimes the house will not have certain mics available, and you will have to be flexible, unless you are traveling with your own mic package. Further, but not included in the example above would be effects that an engineer could apply to certain channels. I’ve seen where people will specify compressors, or gates on certain channels. I tend to let the engineer do their thing, and if something is grossly inaccurate to my ear, I will tastefully let them know.

**Please for the love of God, if you are a local engineer, do not put any vocal delay in the house mix unless explicitly requested. That is the peeve of all pet peeves. I will never understand the thought process that is occurring moments before letting that delay rip-roar through the lead vocal channel. Why would you ever do that? Reverb is commonly requested, but delay… NEVER!!

Full disclosure: I am not a FOH nor a MON engineer.

Serial Number For Stage Plot Processing

There are a slew of resources available online, both free and paid, to put together both. I personally have enjoyed success using Google Draw that is available for free in Google Drive. It is simple, intuitive, and has all the options one could want to effectively create a stage plot. The examples I provided above were created using Google Draw. Photoshop is another option, but it is more complicated, and costs money. I try to use the K.I.S.S. system whenever possible. Keep it simple, stupid.

Serial Number For Stage Plot Proposal

Stage Plot Pro is another option, and can be checked out here. I’ve personally never used it, but if you search stage plot in Google images, someone certainly has.

If all else fails, you can actually DRAW a stage plot. Crude, but it gets the point across and it’s better than nothing. (Photo credit: RockOnColorado.com)

As far as making an input list, any word processing software will do the trick. Simply create a table and wa-lah!

///

Sometimes despite sending an updated plot and input list, the engineer is looking at an ancient technical rider that has somehow made its way to them. That is the worst feeling when you arrive and see lines run to the tune of an old plot. Despite your best efforts, unintentional sabotage does occur. I like to keep a stack of correct stage plots and input lists on hand for arrival. Make it a priority to provide management and your booking agent up to date copies of your technical rider to avoid this issue. These documents are only useful if you can get them in the hands of a skilled production staff.

///

I highly recommend checking out Mark Workman’s book, One for the Road: How to be a Music Tour Manager. He is the one who turned me onto using Google Draw to create a stage plot, and I would be remiss if I did not give credit where credit is due. It’s a great read if you are fascinated by this subject matter, and I can’t recommend it enough.

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daniflutterdash-deleted · 7 years ago

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Hey! My name’s Dani and I do a bunch of projects for the MLP fandom! (Friendship is Pandering, The Pony ASMR Project, a cameo in Fallout: Equestria, and song covers!)

My youtube channel that features some of my works and demos can be found here!

I’m currently trying to save up money to be more financially independent in college since my family is in an AWFUL situation right now, AND save money to meet my wonderful girlfriend at poNYcon in January!

I am willing to post each commission publicly (unless you don’t want it posted) in addition to sending it to you through tumblr, and you will also receive a downloadable version of your commissioned audio!

My offering:

Ringtones/Personal Messages/Short Character Impressions - $3*

Short voice work here will be considered around a minute in length. All these works can be extended beyond this time with an additional $1 for each extra 30 seconds.

Additionally, added effects (sound, music, etc.) can also be requested for an additional $1 for each added effect!

I will need you to send me exactly what you would like me to say in the above types of commissions. If you would like me to write/come up with them myself, I will need to ask for an additional $2.

Character impression requests are not limited to what can be found on my voice acting page. I will do my utmost best to impersonate any character requested. If the impression is not up to standard, we may discuss an alternative request or I will offer a refund on the recording! If you want to hear a sample line of my character voice for your requested character before commissioning, please ask!

Character Dialogue/Banter/Scripts - $5*

Imagine Skyrim style banter if you will! Or really any sort of exchange between characters. This is primarily a commission consisting of two characters interacting. Additional characters can be requested at $1 for every extra character.

Narrations - $10*

Narrations include various requests including poetry/letters/comics/dramatic readings/paragraphs from novels and fanfic/etc. Additional length to narrations can be requested and pricing will be dependent on how much more is requested.

Example: Additional paragraphs from novels/fanfic/etc. will be $2 per paragraph.

Should any of these readings be requested to be read in the voice of a particular character (or a character speaks in said paragraph and a specific voice is required) an additional $2 per character will be included. This, however, does not mean it will be an extra $2 per paragraph that the character appears in, simply just the $2 per character for the whole piece.

Advertisements - $15*

Needing a voiced advertisement for your blog/website/business/etc.? I am willing to record an advert for you! Details on the tone and atmosphere of your desired advertisement can be worked out privately. An additional $2 will be added if effects are requested to be included. I may request to know how many locations you will be planning on using this advertisement and will request $3 for each one.

FanFiction/Extended Length Recordings - $20

This is similar to the Narration commissions above but involves greater length recordings. With these commissions I will read a chapter from a Fanfic of your choosing. Same additional pricing applies here when it comes to character voices and requested effects. Additional chapters can be requested at $10 per extra chapter.

* - Requests can also be made to voice tumblr posts or anything similar.

If you would like such requests to be uploaded to my tumblr, you must seek permission from the original poster and if they give you the okay, provide me with their url and a link to their original post so I may credit them in the upload.

Stuff I will record:

Anything mentioned above, as well as content and voice work I have failed to include in my commissions pricing (if you request something not listed, we can discuss pricing together)!

I am open to voicing NSFW content. To what extent of such content will need to be discussed and agreed upon before payment and recording. If you really want a certain piece to be recorded that I have expressed hesitancy recording, we may discuss how to best reach a middle ground for your request.

Stuff I won’t record:

Offensive material (Content that expresses any sort of problematic attitudes towards groups of people/characters/etc).

Abusive and traumatic material.

Graphic/Disturbing violence or scenarios (However, death/dying/battle scenes are okay depending on the content).

Important Info!

Paypal only, all prices in USD Refunds will be available up until your commission is recorded and delivered to you.

How do I request a commission?

Send me a message here on tumblr, or send an email to [email protected]! BE SURE TO INCLUDE SPECIFICS ABOUT YOUR REQUEST, buf if you aren’t sure about specifics, still talk to me and we can work it out from there!

If you are planning on commissioning a short voice work, I will need an exact script of what you want me to say!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to either message me via tumblr or send me an email! I’d be happy to answer any questions you have!

Beyond that, I’d just ask you reblog and signal boost this even if you don’t plan to request any commissions. I am really excited to start providing voice work for you all!

(Most of the ideas for this borrowed from here!)

#mlp #my little pony #wander over yonder #steven universe #voice acting #voice acting commission #voice acting commissions #voice over #voice over commissions #commissions

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dailytechnologynews · 7 years ago

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PCPer's Response to the Recent Ethical Concerns and Accusations

Hi hardware fans. It's been an eventful couple of days in the offices and home for me (and Allyn). A video from YouTube channel AdoredTV was posted late Thursday night (US eastern time) that directly attacked our credibility, which has been taken down, reposted, and taken down again. In all honesty, we tend to have a policy of not responding to verbal accusations online, because if we did, that's all anyone that writes reviews would ever do.

This one was more impactful though. We were called out directly by name (me and Allyn) and some very specific statements were made against our reviews on pcper.com and our new company at shroutreseach.com.

Most importantly from my point of view was that I woke up on Friday morning to find that I had been sent pictures of my home (and my office) from Google Maps along with my address from random viewers of this video. Obviously when you start to get into areas of personal and family safety, things get ratcheted up quite dramatically. With recent events showing that sometimes crazies on the internet can in fact do crazy things when incited, I was legitimately worried about my wife and daughter.

Jim at AdoredTV initially agreed to take the video down in an email exchange after I expressed those safety concerns. But after he didn't think I addressed all the points his video accusations covered in the response that I sent him (that will be included below), he re-posted it. After some more emails back and forth, he took the video back down as of Saturday morning.

At this point, I wanted to make sure that the response to his video that I sent him was public, so that the readers and viewers of both of our content can make their own decision.

In the end, I agreed to make edits to the FreeSync story/video that he brought up. These are reasonable points from him that would have simply required an email or phone call to address at the outset. We also added a disclosure statement to the end of our Intel 900P review in regards to Shrout Research. My statement of honesty in our review remains, but in order to be more transparent, the disclosure was added.

It's worth noting that not 48 hours before the original posting of AdoredTVs video, our team had been debating not about putting disclosures on the stories, but what the exact wording of them would be. This was prompted by a question sent in to our mailbag series our desire to be honest about things. This is still going to happen, but we are finalizing what that global statement will be.

I do think its important to note that despite the intent to paint it as such, there really are no black and white answers to this. Some will say that I should release financial statements. Some will say this is more than enough. I anticipate that he will still have some issues with our process, as will others. I accept that. We will continue to do what we think is best.

You'll find below a complete copy of an email exchange between Jim at AdoredTV and myself. It's a long read, one that I think is important in its entirety for those concerned about these allegations, but I've also prepared this more succinct list of our responses to the major issues.

Unfairness to FreeSync: We have made the edits/updates that the AdoredTV video called out. We believed at the time that our new article on the topic was adequate due diligence. While it is impossible for any outlet to update all published articles or videos every time something changes, we recognize that this was an important issue and we will try to do better about updating published content when appropriate. As for the FreeSync panel debate, the text of our review stated that the panels shared the same “specifications,” not that they were the same panels. However, in comments related to the article, we did state that the panels were the same. That was our error and we apologize.

General bias against AMD: We have worked with AMD for many years and have spoken with them both on and off the record countless times. The claims in the video that we did not convey pre-launch product concerns to AMD are false. PCPer was also not the first or only outlet to draw attention to the RX 480 power draw and Ryzen latency issues, and we worked extensively with AMD for months in advance of the release of our Frame Rating/FCAT testing. As for perceived bias, we treat all companies and products with respect and fairness, and it has never been suggested by the companies we cover that the reality is otherwise.

Radeon Affiliate Link: The first we heard about our Amazon affiliate tag being present in a link at the Radeon website was when Ryan Smith of AnandTech tweeted about it, as shown in the AdoredTV video. We have absolutely no idea how that link got there, and we received zero commissions or sales data on the Vega Frontier Edition as a result of it. Due to the fact that the affiliate tag present on the Radeon page is incorrect (it has an extra %20 at the end), we’re not even sure if it would have worked had someone inadvertently used it. But we reiterate that there is absolutely no arrangement, official or unofficial, that called for our affiliate link to be placed on AMD’s website.

Shrout Research & The Intel 900P Review: Intel hired Shrout Research to conduct testing of the 900P and produce a white paper for public release if the results were positive. We have conducted similar testing for many other companies, including AMD, and in most cases the information we provide is kept private for internal use at those companies. We also wrote a review of the 900P at pcper.com, with the timing of the release of both pieces dictated by the 900P embargo date. Contrary to the claims in the video, the review and the white paper were not the same. Separate testing was performed on different platforms, although one of the drives (the 480GB model), which was provided by Intel for the white paper, was also used in the review. In short, the tests performed were different, the results were different (in most cases lower in the pcper.com review), and Intel was not given pre-release access or control over the content of the review.

Disclosure: While we did not try to “hide” anything as was suggested in the video (Shrout Research, named after me, has a public website, twitter account, and has been mentioned and published often on our podcasts, weekly mailbag videos, on my Twitter account, and in my freelance writing bio), we failed to disclose the nature and extent of Shrout Research’s relationship with Intel on the 900P review at PCPer. That was our error. We will rectify this by adopting a complete disclosure policy for all reviews going forward, which will clearly state not just relationships related to Shrout Research, but also the terms of our review, any related advertisers, and any other potential conflicts that may appear. It was never our intent to deceive, and we still stand fully by the content of the 900P review, but we will attempt to do better about proper disclosure going forward.

(Times in the email reference a "current time" of about 10pm ET. Copy and paste is funny in Gmail.)

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 9:46 AM (12 hours ago)

to jim Do you have time to chat quickly today? Saw the video, I have lots of questions, many concerns, but most importantly a request. I can call you direct or on Skype, etc.

Jim P <*********> 12:38 PM (9 hours ago)

to me Hi Ryan.

Sorry I'm out all weekend and I'm actually not in my own place right now (I'm in Scotland but live in Sweden) and getting peace and quiet isn't very easy anyway. I might be available to talk a bit on Monday but if you have a request that needs dealing with sooner, feel free to shoot it to me and obviously I'll listen.

Regards,

Jim

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 1:18 PM (8 hours ago)

to Jim Jim,

I'm a little disappointed that you would be willing to post a video with those kinds of accusations without contacting me for input but unwilling to spend 15 minutes on the phone or Skype with me to address it. Although not your intent, we are at the point now of viewers of your content reaching out to me with pictures of my house on Google Maps with my address, as well as my office. Obviously with the recent occurrences in the world, and as the father of a two year old, this is something we take exceedingly seriously. I'm worried that your video and comments, though I disagree with almost all of them, are going to be used to cause more harm than you had intended.

I have a list of corrections and inaccuracies, as well as comments surround some of your concerns, that I am preparing. But I would greatly appreciate some assistance in controlling this situation.

AdoredTV 1:29 PM (8 hours ago)

to me Hi Ryan,

I just got back from the dentist and I'm currently at my sister's house in Scotland. It's dinner time here also. Tomorrow we celebrate my sisters birthday at another venue. What do you want me to do to help? Should I unlist the video? I'm willing to do that for now though it'll blow over in a couple of days anyway. Be aware that if I don't like your response to my points in the video, I wasn't joking when I said I left out more than I put in. I will not be manipulated, consider my offer to unlist the video the final chance of avoiding a real escalation. Regards,

Jim

Jim P 1:32 PM (8 hours ago)

to me Not sure if my previous response got through, resending...

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 1:42 PM (8 hours ago)

to Jim Jim,

I appreciate the offer to make the video unlisted. However, because the video will still be viewable from any number of sources with the URL, I think making it private would be more appropriate.

I plan to send you my responses and comments in private, or on a call, in order to address your questions and concerns in a way that does not endanger anyone's family. I understand that you may choose to take these emails public, and that is fine as I am not trying to hide anything. This can be an "on the record conversation" but the goal is to discuss in private, to understand each others points, without putting anyone else at risk.

Jim P 1:51 PM (8 hours ago)

to me I will make the video private, for now. And I will also write a tweet.

We'll talk later.

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 1:51 PM (8 hours ago)

to Jim Thank you for that. I will follow up with my comments today.

AdoredTV 5:12 PM (4 hours ago)

to me It's rapidly approaching end of day in Kentucky, Ryan. One more hour then the video goes public again. Cheers,

Jim

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 5:37 PM (4 hours ago)

to AdoredTV Hi Jim,

I saw your video posted on Jan 25th about me, Allyn Malventano, PC Perspective, and Shrout Research. While I think your intentions are earnest, I have some serious concerns about the accusations that are made and the facts of your story.

First, I think it is worth noting again that creating this kind of content without requesting input from the accused seems incredibly inflammatory and unfair. As you point out the code of ethics of journalism many times in your video, there are multiple references to “right to reply” that should exist during or at the same time. This opportunity was not given to us.

Second, the impact of your commentary, true or not, has the potential to cause harm to me, my team, and my family. Having already received pictures of my home and my address from viewers of your video, and with the recent events that have occurred around the world, I am now genuinely concerned about the safety of my family. Also in that code of ethics is a section on humanity: “Journalists should do no harm. What we publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but we should be aware of the impact of our words and images on the lives of others.”

The beginning of your accusations of bias on PC Perspective starts with our article on the first FreeSync monitors from 2015. The crux of your argument is that our team, including Allyn and myself, determined that FreeSync was the cause of the ghosting we saw on the display, though others indicated it was not a result of FreeSync, but rather the panel or integration itself. Our assertion at the time would have been that because FreeSync was the “certification brand” of this display, that in the end, regardless of the root technical cause, AMD and the FreeSync team were ultimately responsible. Our original story even details our inability to nail down the root cause of the problem.

*The question now is: why is this happening and does it have anything to do with G-Sync or FreeSync? NVIDIA has stated on a few occasions that there is more that goes into a VRR monitor than simply integrated vBlank extensions and have pointed to instances like this as an example as to why. Modern monitors are often tuned to a specific refresh rate – 144 Hz, 120 Hz, 60 Hz, etc. – and the power delivery to pixels is built to reduce ghosting and image defects. But in a situation where the refresh rate can literally be ANY rate, as we get with VRR displays, the LCD will very often be in these non-tuned refresh rates. NVIDIA claims its G-Sync module is tuned for each display to prevent ghosting by change the amount of voltage going to pixels at different refresh rates, allowing pixels to untwist and retwist at different rates.

It’s impossible now to know if that is the cause for the difference seen above. But with the ROG Swift and BenQ XL2730Z sharing the same 144 Hz TN panel specifications, there is obviously something different about the integration. It could be panel technology, it could be VRR technology or it could be settings in the monitor itself. We will be diving more into the issue as we spend more time with different FreeSync models.

For its part, AMD says that ghosting is an issue it is hoping to lessen on FreeSync monitors by helping partners pick the right components (Tcon, scalars, etc.) and to drive a “fast evolution” in this area.

Source: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Displays/AMD-FreeSync-First-Impressions-and-Technical-Discussion/Gaming-Experience-FreeSync-*

You then bring up the fact that after we did discover that a firmware fix occurred (after our review), we posted a completely new article four months after our review recognizing the changes and improvements. There is a fair point to be made that we should have gone back to the original story and updated it with links to the new story. However, by doing a follow-up story and posting it in the same channels as the original (main site, video, Twitter, etc.) we believe we did due diligence here.

*In an industry that constantly changing with new hardware reviews, firmware updates, and even software and driver changes, keeping up with it is difficult. Extremely difficult. We will continue to find ways to do it better.

Any claims we made in comments or forums that panels in the competing G-Sync and FreeSync monitors were identical are false, and our error. But in our originally story, where articles are edited and curated, we state clearly that they shared the same “specifications”:

Source: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Displays/AMD-FreeSync-First-Impressions-and-Technical-Discussion/Gaming-Experience-FreeSync-*

Should comments and forum posts have been more accurate? Yes.

You also mention our frequent streams with NVIDIA’s Tom Petersen as a source bias in our content. While we definitely have hosted Tom in our offices many times, the invite has always been open for any vendor we work with to co-host a live stream to talk to our audience. AMD has taken us up on these offers on seven specific instances:

· [https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/Live-Review-Recap-AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-GHz-]Edition(https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/Live-Review-Recap-AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-GHz-Edition)

· https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/PCPer-Live-Interview-AMDs-Richard-Huddy-June-17th-4pm-ET-1pm-PT

· https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/PCPer-Live-AMD-Radeon-Crimson-Live-Stream-and-Giveaway

· https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/PCPer-Live-Radeon-RX-480-Live-Stream-Raja-Koduri

· https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/PCPer-Live-AMD-Radeon-Crimson-ReLive-Discussion-and-RX-480-Giveaway

· https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/PCPer-Live-AMD-Radeon-Crimson-ReLive-Discussion-and-RX-580-Giveaway

· https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/AMD-Radeon-Software-Adrenalin-adds-game-overlay-mobile-app-wider-API-support

We probably have done more interviews with Tom than with AMD or any other vendor, but this is not indicative of anything other than NVIDIA’s desire to communicate with our audience slightly more frequently.

Next, you discuss the RX 480 power issue and indicate that PC Perspective’s stories were inflammatory and without merit. I would point out that not only did AMD acknowledge and fix the issue, but we were not the first media outlet to show the problem. Tom’s Hardware actually reported the problem first, and we linked to them in our first story on the topic. We worked with AMD to supply them with our data as we got it, to solicit input before, after, and during the story writing.

Another point brought up in your video is that PC Perspective appears to be willing to work behind the scenes with some companies to help fix problems and potential issues, but not with AMD. That is factually incorrect. We have worked with AMD in many instances, providing information before product releases, to help them fix problems.

Examples include our Frame Rating / FCAT testing, where we shared data, opinions, and insights with AMD months before the release of the first public story. On the Ryzen latency “ping test” we also sent information to AMD before publication to ask for input and feedback. When Ryzen motherboards were having significant issues at launch we worked with them and partners on updates and BIOS improvements in the background before reviewing those products. The facts are that we work with every company on the same level.

On the issue of AMD using an Amazon.com link that included our affiliate code, the first time I was aware of that was when the link and screenshot Anandtech’s Ryan Smith tweet was sent out. I never had any conversation with anyone at AMD about including it, or why it was there even after the fact. It was not something we asked for, expected, or benefitted from. A search of our Amazon.com affiliate data from July through today shows exactly zero Vega Frontier Edition cards sold on our account, from links on our articles or from AMD’s website.

Now let’s address the Shrout Research side of your story. Shrout Research was started in October of 2016 to allow us to offer services that we were being asked for from companies already, but separated from the PC Perspective website. It is probably fair to say that we have not been as open as we could or should have been about how this works.

But it is crucial to recognize that were not hiding this company or its relationship to me. The company and my position there is listed on my Twitter profile. We often link to ShroutResearch.com in stories posted on pcper.com. We have discussed Shrout Research on the podcast. I have answered questions about the company in mailbags from user-submitted questions. It is listed in my pcper.com profile page. Most (probably all) stories posted on MarketWatch or similar sites list my relationship to both companies. We link to the Shrout Research white papers (including the 900P paper) in some PC Perspective stories.

To address specific problems you have noted, I’ll start with the 900P paper and review. You claim that our test suite for the 900P review on PC Perspective was created for the Intel work done with Shrout Research. This is not true. The first review to use Allyn’s Latency Percentile performance testing methodology was with the launch of the Samsung 960 EVO in November of 2016 and research of this new testing process was first shown with the 950 PRO review in October of 2015. The 900P review was using this same testing method.

Furthermore, the testing that was showcased in the Shrout Research 900P white paper and the review differ greatly. You assert that the review on PC Perspective is simply a copy of the testing and work done on the research side, however looking at the paper and the review shows that isn’t the case. Benchmarks and analysis of applications like AS-SSD, CrystalDiskMark, Anvil, Photo Mechanic, and Houdini are in the paper, but were not used in the review. The data presented in the review is based on Allyn’s custom testing capabilities, of which only two small results are part of the white paper.

The testing for Shrout Research and PC Perspective testing of the 900P was done on different systems as well. The review data was gathered on our standard PCPer storage testing platform and the Shrout Research data was gathered on a platform that Intel specifically requested we configure. The review on PCPer used retail drives, the testing for Shrout Research was using engineering samples. Even more, the performance of the data results that do overlap are actually LOWER in the review on PC Perspective as they were tested on a different platform than the one used on the white paper. The results on PC Perspective and Shrout Research are not copies.

The concern over using hardware and devices received through Shrout Research arrangements for the review on PC Perspective is valid. Honestly, we didn’t see the harm (at the time) to include the second capacity of the 900P in our review as it presented more information to the reader. Was this unfair to others in the media? Probably. Have we seen numerous other exclusives come to websites (including us) over the years that weren’t fair to the media? Yes. Are samples often sent out differently from site to site? Absolutely. See the RX Vega launch most recently and many storage reviews that send different capacities and sets to reviewers.

If you follow PC Perspective at all, you know that we were going to publish a review on PC Perspective of the 900P regardless of the existence of the white paper or our arrangements with Intel. And our opinion of the product would not be have been swayed. Our agreement with Intel was to vet and evaluate the 900P so it could get an idea of how the device stood in the market and how it might be received in the public. The white paper was only to be written if Intel thought the results from our testing were positive in their eyes, however the fee Shrout Research was paid was the same regardless of whether or not the paper was produced.

Shrout Research currently works the biggest, and most competitive, companies in the high-tech world, including Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Arm. We have done similar work for others on this list, in particular AMD. We have done evaluation of hardware prior to media and public device availability, to advise and showcase the performance as our team sees it. In those cases with AMD, which began in March of 2017, AMD used the reports internally and decided to not request a public paper from Shrout Research.

If any of these companies saw me, or Shrout Research, or anyone on our team as unreliable or capable of bias, they would have no reason to work with me, especially on the Shrout Research side. Instead, the 18+ years of work that I have under me and the positive results I have produced in terms of relevant, honest, and useful content leads them to partner with us to help make their products, messaging, and companies better.

As I said at the beginning, nothing about Shrout Research is hidden or was attempted to be secretive. Should we have been more explicit in some disclosures? Yes, clearly. Should we have been stricter in how product was shared between the two entities? Probably. It’s something we had honestly discussed just this past week, and this story further necessitates the need for it.

At the end of the day, the trust of the reader and the companies that work with us is paramount and the only thing that keeps us going. There will always be some individuals that don’t like us or have insurmountable distrust of us for some reason; it’s been that way for literally the last 18 years of my life. But I know that we attempt to treat every company equally, treat every product equally, and every situation equally.

Many people feel a sense of distrust around paid advertising on hardware sites. I obviously disagree that running ads for a company inherently means you are going to be biased towards them, and I have built and sustained PC Perspective on that very point, a similar application of trust must be applied here. If readers and viewers were able to trust our reviews for ASUS motherboards, despite running ASUS advertising on our site, or our videos on EVGA graphics cards despite running EVGA advertising on our site, then I feel that readers should continue to trust us as Shrout Research moves forward.

Here is a list of the companies that we have worked with on the advertising side in the last 10 years:

· AMD

· Antec

· ASUS

· BFG

· Cooler Master

· Corsair

· Crucial

· Diamond

· Drobo

· ECS

· Enermax

· EVGA

· FSP

· Galaxy

· Gigabyte

· Intel

· Logitech

· MSI

· Newegg

· NCIX

· NVIDIA

· OCZ / Toshiba

· Samsung

· Seasonic

· Silverstone

· Thermaltake

· Tiger Direct

· Western Digital

· XFX

· Zalman

There have been years where AMD is our biggest sponsor; several in fact. There are years where Logitech has been. ASUS is generally one of our biggest sponsors. The point I want to make here is that if you didn’t trust us before, there is little I can do to change that. But if you did trust us before, I think we have proven ourselves over the course of many years that the trust is warranted.

And for clarity, the companies we have worked with through Shrout Research:

· AMD

· Arm

· Intel

· NVIDIA

· Qualcomm

I believe that work that you do, despite our differences, is incredibly important to keeping people on their toes and maintaining sanity. I don’t believe that you have correctly portrayed the work we do or how we operate.We aren't perfect, I am not perfect. I don't believe any of us have ever made that claim. But I do know that you have taken our work and intent out of context.

If you still have to have a video calling us out for our practices, I obviously can’t stop you. But I would request that you fix the factual errors in your video. That includes the FreeSync story, the assertion that we don’t work with AMD prior to posting stories (including the ping testing and the RX 480 power), the affiliate link on AMD’s website, the lack of differences between the 900P white paper and the review, and that we have not been forthcoming (at all) about the existence and relationship of Shrout Research and PC Perspective.

I don’t consider this list of points exhaustive, by any means. I didn’t have time to re-watch or transcribe your video in order to dive into details on each and every point. Should something specific come to mind you want me to answer, let me know. If you have other question or problems with how we do things, or how we appear to be doing things from an external view, I’ll gladly answer them.

AdoredTV 7:14 PM (2 hours ago)

to me Thanks Ryan.

I feel you have raised some valid points however it's not nearly enough for me to keep the video private. Specifically, you failed to address the major points regarding conflict of interest and the "FreeSync vs G-Sync Ghosting Comparison" video, both of which have still not been rectified.

Can I again point to the EJN's article where it clearly states...

Accountability A sure sign of professionalism and responsible journalism is the ability to hold ourselves accountable. When we commit errors we must correct them and our expressions of regret must be sincere not cynical. We listen to the concerns of our audience. We may not change what readers write or say but we will always provide remedies when we are unfair.

I will have a closer look on Monday to see if you have remedied these faults before continuing with the rest of your response. Regards,

Jim

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 7:20 PM (2 hours ago)

to AdoredTV Okay. Can you expand for me the points about the comparison story and video that you believe are still concerning? Is it that we have not updated the video and text of the write up to reference the later story?

AdoredTV 8:02 PM (2 hours ago)

to me Hi Ryan.

Sure I'll expand on these points. 1) I see no reason why you would not have rectified your error with the "FreeSync vs G-Sync ghosting" video, given what you have had pointed out to you today. That is literally a 5 second edit to the title which you chose to ignore.

2) The Optane review still looks the same - that is there is still nothing advising the reader of any potential conflict of interest. I'm sure you're aware of all the FTC regulations regarding this subject - but please...neither of us has any desire to go down that route I'm sure. - Jim On a personal level - When your changes are complete, it would likely be beneficial to point them out on social media. You will gain far more from these two small actions than your current course ever will - and by that I mean you will regain respect from your viewers. My bet would be you'd also find it all very liberating, because pride is a terrible thing. It's very late here and this has taken up much of my day so forgive me as I have to retire to bed.

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 8:16 PM (1 hour ago)

to AdoredTV Honestly, I was planning to include links and updates, but, I didn't want it to look like I was doing something manipulative before we had some to some kind of resolution. I agree these are 5-second edits, and I say in my rather long feedback note that I thought it was a reasonable request. You instead immediately posted the video back up, which I didn't think would occur without the dialogue.

The same applies to the Optane review - not wanting to change ANYTHING on the site as it would look like we were trying to change things out from under you, or the community. I assure you that my lawyer and I have gone over the regulations in this country for disclosure before starting the company, we are know what the bounds of "legal" and "moral" are. Also, do you not think AMD/Intel/NVIDIA/Qualcomm/Arm have lawyers that vet every relationship like this? If I was breaking the law, they would never have me working with them.

Are you going to keep the video up, even if these edits occur? What about your claims of correcting content that is known to be incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate? That seems to violate the rule, does it not, with all of the information you have had sent your way?

AdoredTV 8:39 PM (1 hour ago)

to me If you had simply rectified or even given the indication that you were open to rectifying both issues then sure I would have taken that under consideration. There was nothing to suggest that either move would be made. As it was, you basically just regurgitated a bunch of text from your reviews which I've already read. This stuff doesn't translate very well across the Atlantic. I made the video private on good faith Ryan. I was the one who offered to unlist it, then I agreed to make it private on your suggestion. I did what I could reasonably be expected to do to help you but you didn't take the chance. These past hours have been filled with me fighting my own viewers over claims of weakness, selling out or other nonsense like legal threats forcing me to take it down. I spent the last 6 hours fighting my own viewers because of this.

I didn't have to deal with any of that but I did...because I gave you the chance. I was hoping for a real show of accountability and this is what your readers want to see too. Please just apologise Ryan - make a statement, show that you've removed/changed the title of the FreeSync Video and updated your Optane review. I promise you that I will not gloat - in fact I'd be far more likely to applaud you for it. If that is done by the time I wake tomorrow, I'll put the video private again. I need to sleep, it's 1:30 here.

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 9:21 PM (43 minutes ago)

to AdoredTV It is done. The point of the initial email was to have a discussion and clarify things. I'm disappointed that you would repost the video even after the concerns I brought up about some of the rash notes and emails I received.

Here is the video with updated title and link to the updated story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ylLnT2yKyA Here is the FS story with link at top of first page: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Displays/AMD-FreeSync-First-Impressions-and-Technical-Discussion/Gaming-Experience-FreeSync- The bottom of this page discloses the specifics of the Intel 900P paper and review: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Storage/Intel-Optane-SSD-900P-480GB-and-280GB-NVMe-HHHL-SSD-Review-Lots-3D-XPoint/Conclusion

I will likely post a thread on reddit to bring up the points that I brought up to you in the long email, since that information is already out there and in the public. No mal-intent intended to you there, just making sure the points I sent you are public.

Jim P 4:43 AM Saturday

to me Thanks Ryan.

I've decided to skip the party today and get a video out on this topic and to clarify what happens next, so that this can be avoided in future. I will put the video private at the same time. Regards,

Jim

Ryan Shrout [email protected] 10:39 AM Saturday

to Jim While I am sorry for you to miss your family event, I appreciate the removal of the video and whatever update you might have.

I will be posting our comments and thread here to reddit sometime this morning.

Congratulations, you reached the end!

Again, thanks for reading and for giving us a chance to state our position.

#hardware #Computer #Technology #Tech #News

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matewritesmusic · 5 years ago

Text

Finalising my 2nd year: Statement

In my assignment submission for the 1st semester I hoped that I will acquire the following knowledge and skillsets:

Expanding my portfolio: I have created new contents of a music video, a tutorial video, a sound design showreel, and I am currently working on my electronic music album.

Becoming a better audio implementation programmer: during the making of the Unity + Wwise audio implementation video and the procedural audio module works, I have been using C# programming language and have learnt new techniques to implement audio in a game. I also successfully finished the Wwise middleware’s 101 and 201 courses which made me become a certified audio implementer. I also had the opportunity to work on the audio of a brand new e-comic book (as part of the dBs Productions team) where I was the lead audio implementer and assistant producer / sound designer. The developers of the e-comic book were very satisfied with my work and knowledge, and requested a ‘How could we improve our audio engine’ document from me, which I have gladly prepared for them. The company will probably get in touch for further works.

Improving my sound design skills by creating and releasing a modern avant-garde EP: unfortunately, I haven’t had time to finish this EP, however, I have finished two songs so far, and I am currently working on the rest of them. The building of these tracks seem to be a slower progress compared to my previous songs, as I am going in deep experimentations with modular and granular synthesis that needs more time to record, select, and arrange them. This EP creation idea was my plan B, for the case if my job applications fail to succeed.

Continuing to create more connections by going on events and participating on game jams, and start selling my music and sounds using online platforms: I attended on the global game jam in January, which was a bit risky because of my recent operation on my right ear. It turned out that I was just over-panicking the situation and I managed to write 5 songs (4 level and 1 menu music) within the first day. I spent the second day creating sound effects and implementing the sounds using Wwise. I have learnt very important communication skills on this game jam. I also approached the Publishing Director of BuildBox which is an aspiring game engine that doesn’t require programming knowledge, to find out more about their audio system.

I also posted an advertisement into multiple film and animation groups, offering my music composition on people’s video. I have been contacted by a 3rd year university student who needed music to her interrogation scene, which I finished on time and she was very happy with the result. There is also another video project in which I need to compose music for an office argument scene, which I’ve promised to do after the assignments.

I also found out how I can sell my sound effects and music on the Unity Asset store and Bandcamp, however, both websites need artwork for the uploaded music, and I found it difficult to find or create artworks that are free of copyrights, so I had to delay this step. I attended on the quarter Game Audio South West meetup, where I’ve met some new faces. I also attended on a Unity online meetup in April, where a funny new co-op game ‘PHOGS!’ was introduced. I asked audio related questions and made sure to make a memorable introduction to the participants, so hopefully next time when I appear on a Unity meeting they will remember me.

Working on getting my first paid (possibly game) audio job or internship: Although the e-comic job was unpaid as it was more of an ‘academic research’ project, given the fact that the developers were extremely satisfied with the results we provided and my relentless work for the tight deadline, I trust that they will be in touch as soon as they have a new comic book in the works, that they need music for.

I am participating in another team, which is an Augmented Reality project for the Exeter Library. I am the audio implementer and I will use Wwise to implement sounds into the Unity AR project. This is a paid project.

Job and project description - i.e.: Illustrations of the kind of work carried out, analysis of what you learnt:

Rip-pair game: I have learnt that the stuff we discuss and agree in the beginning of a game jam, is very very important for everyone to follow and stick to. If someone doesn’t do as it was agreed, it can ruin the whole game feel and aesthetics, as there is only 48 hours to get the game done, so there is no time for correction works and revisits. To ensure everyone is on the same page, small check points can be set up throughout the game creation, where everyone showcases the work they have done so far on the project. On these meetings (and generally on a game jam) using technical words and jargons are not recommended, as these can lead to misunderstandings/misinterpretations of the common goal.

Sound Design Showreel: I did not need to learn anything new to deliver the sound design video, although I did lots of preparation works before starting working on this video. The plenty pre-recorded sound libraries I made became very useful as there were only a few additional sounds that I needed to record to complete the work. However, after sending the video to a professional sound designer (who currently works on the new Halo game in Los Angeles, California) who very kindly reviewed my video and provided a long and detailed review, I have learnt a lot. He told me to be careful about using low frequencies for sound effects that can be triggered frequently. He raised my attention on using more cloth/leather/denim sounds especially for jumping and crouching movements. He also pointed out the lack of footstep weighting, which needs to be considered depending on the character’s bodyweight and walking / running speed, and not just the floor surface. Sound effects in a fight scene can be overwhelming, thus the player is not expected to hear every sound in a fight. More focus needed on the sound when a combo kicks in, or when the character is famous of having that particular weapon, then the weapon is super important to have an amazing sound. (eg.: Kratos and his axe + shield in God of War). He suggested to take a step back and find the small but really important moments, and analyse them under a “magnifying glass”. Think of transients (how sharp a sound should be), frequency range, sound to be tight or loose, using single or double transient and materials/textures of a sound. Since he raised my attention to these details, I’ve been playing games on headphones and focused on the sound design very carefully. I strongly believe, that the more and different type of games I play, the more focused and analytical my hearing will become.

Sherlock Holmes e-comic book: My learning in this project was more about the experiencing of how does it feel to be in a team. I have learnt that it is extremely important to set out the job expectations and responsibilities prior the work has started, so one can avoid inconvenient situations, heavy workload and awkward meeting moments. I learnt that I have to be able to say stop for additional ‘favour’ work, and only do further work, for something in return. That doesn’t need to be money. I have also learnt that it is wise for the manager or leader of the team to have a short catch up session with the members of the team individually once the work is done, to find out how they felt, whether they have any feedback or issue they want to raise. This can help avoiding awkward meeting situations and is definitely helpful to keep the team members happy and informed.

Interrogation Scene project: I have learnt that people can deliberately provide you misleading information about their project, just to convince you to work on it. Especially, when you offer your services for free. The 3rd year uni student also asked me to write music for further scenes in her project, but I politely refused to do so, as it was not part of our initial agreement, and I can only do further works for an acceptable fee. This was the moment when I used the lesson I have learnt from a similar previous situation, to be able to say no for someone who (obviously) doesn’t appreciate my service enough to pay for it. I only spent about 6-7 hours composing the music for her interrogation scene, as it wasn’t in the dark-electronic style we agreed beforehand, and her careless attitude started to really annoy me. After sending her the finalised composition which she was extremely happy with, she asked me what kind of scene I was looking for, because she might be able to find something in her files. I politely closed the conversation, as my experience with her didn’t really go as planned, which led me not to trust in her anymore, as well as the quality of the video she provided wasn’t the type of video I was looking for to work on. In this project, I basically learned how to say no, and how to avoid unreliable people.

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