#i dont have any good long books on it and i dont trust anything i find on the web to be not weird and biased

[2-faded-memory-2]

i just need to sit here and have every drop of info on theology injected directly into my mind

[agirlwithglam]

🎀 The It Girl Lifestyle Guide 🎀

hi girlies! this guide is a part of the big series: The Ultimate It-Girlism Guide. in this mini guide i'll be including all things health, morning/nighttime routines, and more!

How to create your ideal morning / night / any other routine:

Here’s a mini step by step guide to curating a routine that works specifically for YOU, tailored to your own needs and wants. This can be for any routine u wanna create: morning, night, after school, after work, before school/ work, etc etc.

Apps / things needed:

ChatGPT (or an AI like that- it’s not completely necessary but it’s useful)

Notes app / docs app. (Or a pen and paper- this will be to write down the routine!)

Calendar app (optional tbh)

Ok so first off: decide what you want in your routine. Make a list in no particular order of what you need/ want in the routine.

Some examples:

Once you’ve created this list, you’re pretty much half way done. In this next part you can use chat GPT to make it easier, or use your own mind.

The next thing to do is: ask chatGPT to make a routine with the steps u wanted.

Make sure to mention what time your routine starts and ends. And if there’s anything you want to change, you can just ask the AI or make those changes yourself!

The last step is to write it down!

You can either write it down on the notes app, docs, on a journal/ piece of paper, anything that’s easily accessible to you. I heavily recommend writing it down somewhere, but if you dont want to you can…

Put it into your calander. This can help you be a bit more organised, but it’s not completely needed. As long as it’s written down somewhere- so you dont need to always remember it- you’re good.

Health and wellness

In this section, i will be talking about fitness, mental health and physical health. I will mention some useful tips to finally start, how to overcome procrastination, and how to take care of that area of your body.

1. FITNESS.

Numero uno: fitness! I’m not going to go yapping on about how fitness is so important- im assuming you all know that by now. But let me just remind you that staying fit is not only exercising or going to the gym everyday. It can be: running, going for a walk, playing a sport, yoga, pilates, dancing, cycling, and THE LIST GOES ON. DO anything that moves your body and gets you fit!

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Start small. Set small goals first. Set SMART goals

Choose the activities you enjoy. Like i mentioned earlier, there’s tons of ways to stay fit- cycling, running, swimming, yoga, dance, sports, etc. etc. (if you like, joining a class or working out with friends can help you stay motivated!)

Stay consistent. I know i know, this is said everywhere. But there is no progress without consistency. Even if you can’t do a whole workout one day, try and do 10 jumping jacks, or 5 pushups. Do whatever you can. Remember: 1% is better than 0.

Create a vision board. You can create one yourself, or find tons of them off Pinterest. Vision boards will make the process so much more fun and will certainly motivate you.

Set a reward system. Tell yourself: if you do this high intensity workout now, you can go to the spa later or watch tv.

Find a why. This goes for like everything tbh. If your why is big enough, you are capable of doing anything (even finding that lost book that you owe the library!) basically, are you doing this to get ripped? With tons of abs, or to get strong and impress people? Or are you doing this to boost your self esteem and improve your health?

2. FOOD & NUTRITION.

Balanced diet: eat the rainbow! Meaning- eat meals with a variety of different colours. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. it’s completely alright to eat a chocolate, but remember: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.

Hydration: aim for at least 8 glasses of water a day. Trust me, drinking the magical potion that is water will help you SO much! It can help you clear your skin, have pink uncrusty lips, keep you fit and soooo much more.

Mindful eating: in the book IKIGAI it is said that you should only eat until you’re 80% full. Not 100%. Why? Because the time it takes for you to digest the food will have already made you extremely full. You may even have a stomachache. Studies also show that cutting back on calories can lead to better heart health, longevity, and weight loss.

Here are some tips to manage cravings:

Find healthier alternatives. If you are craving something sweet like chocolate, have something like a sweet fruit. If you crave something salty, try nuts. If you can’t think of any, search up some healthier alternatives to it!

Create more friction for junk, and less friction for healthy. This concept was said in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. What does it mean? Make sure that it takes a lot of energy to get the unhealthy junk food. Maybe keep them high up in a cupboard so whenever you want it you have to go get a ladder, climb up, and then get it. And keep the healthy food in easy reach. Like some fruits open on a table, etc. (also remember to keep some actually yummy healthy food like Greek yogurt or protein bars.)

Distract yourself. Go do a workout or engage your mind in a hobby that you enjoy. Basically take your mind off food.

Yummy water. Make some lemonade for yourself. Or perhaps add slices of lemon, cucumber, mint or strawberries to it for some flavours. I’d do some research on this cus i know that some combos can rly help for things like clearing your skin, boosting energy, etc.

3. MENTAL HEALTH

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. It affects how we think, feel and act and also determines how we handle stress, relate to others, relationships, etc.

Of course there will be ups and downs for our mental health. It’s not something that you can just fix once and it’ll be good forever. No, it’s a rollercoaster. But having a “good” mental health is really important for a successful lifestyle.

Here are some tips to help you improve your mental health:

Meditation / deep breathing. I can’t emphasise how important this is. Even 1-2 minutes a day is good. Start small. You dont even need to be sitting crossed legged for this. Whether you’re in class, on a vehicle or in a stressful situation; just breathe. Take a deep breath, and out. Do it right now.

Journalling. Write. It. Out. Writing your problems and worries out is SOO therapeutic, especially when you want to calm down. There are SO MANY benefits to journalling. But remember that once you’ve ranted on the paper, tear it, rip it, and watch it burn. (Don’t keep a journal for this unless you KNOW 150% that no ones ever gonna read it. Trust me, it’s terrifying knowing that someone’s read that.) other things you can do is create a gratitude journal, so whenever you’re feeling low you can just go to it or write in it.

Self careee!! Create time for self care in your week. Because if you do that, it’s gonna be that one thing which you’ll be looking forward to each week, which will make life SO much more fun and bearable. For me, my forms of self care are watching thewizardliz or tam Kaur, reading, watching a movie at night, etc.

POSITIVE. SELF. TALK. Need i say more? What you say to yourself, is what you believe. And what you believe reflects in your external life.

Sing your heart out to Olivia Rodrigo. I swear this is actually so calming and therapeutic. Basically: express your feelings. If you’re angry at someone, feeling grief or really hurt by someone, screaming to Olivia Rodrigo songs in my bedroom is my go-to (i just make sure not to do it when others can here hehe). You can punch your pillow, scream, cry, etc.

Remember honey: this too will pass. Repeat that over in your head. This will pass. This will pass. This will pass. I know you may be going through the toughest time ever, but this too will pass. Nothing is forever. You’ve gotten through so much worse. You’ve got this.

!! Girls, please remember that these are just some tips. I am NOT a professional. If you really feel horrible every single day, go to therapy or counselling. Also contact mental health hotlines or emergency numbers if needed.

Mkay thats it! I hope this was of some value to you, and stay tuned for the next guide in the it girl series!

[drdemonprince]

Can you offer any (academic) writing advice for Autistics and ADHDers? You clearly write a lot and write very well and very clearly, so some insight into your process would be great. Personally, I tend to struggle with over explaining or over citing (cause I am always getting misunderstood) and that I get very fixated on not misrepresenting what my sources are saying to avoid feeling like I'm lying. All this is time consuming and makes it hard to say what I really want to say. Thanks!

Hi there! I've written an essay about a lot of this, here is the free link to read it on Medium:

Much of my writing process is inspired by the book How to Write a Lot by Paul Silvia, and it is specifically tailored to academics. The advice applies to people who write popular nonfiction or fiction just as easily, however. And he does have advice relevant to the self-editing and self-doubt you describe feeling.

The full piece gets into this more, but here are some of the stand-out tips:

Schedule a regular time to write every week and show up no matter whether you are feeling it or not.

Throw out all your magical thinking about what you "need" to be able to write. You don't need the perfect workspace, divine inspiration, the right pen, the right playlist. You just need to show up to write regularly, and do it

Editing, outlining, working with research notes, and drafting all count as "writing." Don't expect your initial drafts to be perfect or to equate writing only with getting new words on the page.

Try writing in public spaces to help get yourself in the mindset of explaining a concept to someone with a different frame of reference and type of expertise than you. Writing in a cafe or a public library can force you think and write in a more accessible way. (alternatively, you can pretend you are explaining the concept to a specific person in your life who you respect but who doesnt have all the same reference points as you -- sometimes this is called the "Grandma Test". Explain something like you are talking to your grandma.)

In addition to all this, I would add that you should read a lot of writing, both good and bad, especially work that isn't dry and academic. If all you read is journal articles, you'll write a journal article -- and most of those are hell to read, even for academics. read fiction. read bad wattsapp shipping. read substacks. read newspapers. read indulgent personal nonfiction in the cut or whatever. read reddit posts. notice what works and what doesn't. develop an ear.

and then write a lot! it took me 15 years to get good enough for anything i wrote to get noticed. you can expect to take many years to get comfortable developing your own voice, too. i dont know how far along you are, but even when you've made tremendous progress you'll only notice your flaws and feel the most turgid brain foggy moments. that doesn't mean you're failing.

also, to some extent you can embrace your citation-dense, precise manner of self-expression. we are living in a moment of maximalism and indulgent, long creative works. it's the decade of the 5 hour youtube essay and the 2 hour album. my 5,000 word essays do better than my 2,000 word ones. you should strip down unnecessary tangents and trust yourself and your reader a little more probably, but ive found that the more blatantly autistic and indulgent my writing gets the more the right people like it. a writer's flaws and their distinctive voice are kinda hard to separate. you're not for everyone!

good luck!

[crows-heart]

To us

rawdogging this shit it was meant to just be a creative writing assignment but it got too long for it so im putting the full version on here!!! i dont intend for this to get big or like have a part two but i am open to writing one (definitely not going to abandon this like i did with my last fanfic thing noppers)

simon riley x gn!reader, 1st person w/o use of y/n, string of fate soulmate au (i did write it gn but it stil feels feminine somehow so apologies)

cross posted on ao3!!

As soon as you turn 18, a string appears, forever attached to your pinky, that only you can see. Nobody particularly knows how this happens, but we’ve learned to not question it. It leads to your forever soulmate, your other half. Most of the time, the string was red, leading to your destined romantic soulmate. Sometimes, though, some people had pink strings, leading to their platonic soulmate. Other times, multiple strings would be knotted together in the middle. Very rarely did someone have no string, but it still happened.

You’re meant to follow your string, find your soulmate, and live happily ever after. 

I don't think that life was meant for me.

It started (obviously) when I turned 18. It was just a red string, nothing more to it, from what I could tell. It led east, and it always seemed to be slack -- slack enough to give the impression that my soulmate was much farther away than I thought they would be. That's fine. Just more motivation to explore the world, right?

I was always told to never lose hope, and that no matter what, I would reach my soulmate eventually. I just had to let “nature take its course” first. Yeah, I don't know about everyone else, but I started losing hope the more years that passed without the string getting any more taut. Sure, I could’ve taken initiative, but I was a broke 20-something year old fresh out of college. I hardly had the money for rent or any other basic necessities, much less a plane ticket or gas money to see where in the world my soulmate was.

That got pushed out of the way the moment the string started to fray.

It wasn't a normal phenomenon. The only times I ever heard about the string starting to break was when your soulmate was dying. It broke fully when they died. 

My string? It looked about one tug away from snapping apart.

I doubted I looked much better at the moment. The old lady I was sitting next to on the plane gave me a sympathetic look at my frazzled appearance, though I hardly noticed it since I was looking at the string every other second, watching for any more tearing. I bought the cheapest tickets on the earliest plane to Europe, hoping it wasn’t a waste to go across an entire ocean. I would start in Britain and go from there. The string was moving around a lot recently, pointing southwest for the first time and shifting around a bit, but it's finally returned to pointing east, and has stayed there, so I can only trust that my soulmate isn't moving anytime soon.

I did anything I could do to distract myself from the situation at hand. I tried watching movies, reading a book, even staring at the cabin wall to bore myself to sleep. I was desperate for a distraction. There wasn’t even any screaming and kicking children to keep me awake, but I just couldn’t sleep. I had too much nervous energy. My soulmate is dying and I don't even know who they are.

Finally, the plane touched down and everyone was let out. I was trying hard not to push people around, but I did bump into a couple people on my scramble to get out since I was looking at my string. It wasn’t looking any better, but it wasn’t as slack. That was a good start.

I tried not to get anxious as I got my luggage and headed out of the airport, but it was hard. Even if Britain was considerably smaller than the United States, it was still huge, and there's still so many people here. It was like I was trying to look for a needle in a haystack, but I had a terrible lighter to burn away parts of the hay -- the lighter being my string.

I throw my stuff into the first taxi I can find and wait as the driver brings me to the nearest motel. Like I said, I'm a broke 20-something year old. There conveniently was a car rental nearby, so I got over there as fast as I could. I didn’t have a lot of time to waste, especially considering how the string was looking.

It was facing north eastern now, just a slight change, and it wasn’t any more taut than it had been at the airport. It still looked close to breaking, enough for that anxiety to grow and grow. As I drove down the -- thankfully -- empty highway, in between flicking my eyes from the road to my string, all I could think about was what to say. Clearly, whoever was on the end of this thing wasn’t in good shape. They’d still be alive, sure, but what’s guaranteeing that they’re even awake right now, or that they’d even want to see me? I haven’t exactly tried to reach out, but neither have they.

Those thoughts are put on the back burner for the moment as a building comes up on the horizon. I slowed down, realizing I had been speeding up slowly the longer I was trapped in my head. The building was a hospital. The closer I got, the more I noticed. There were 2 trucks parked in the front and a group of men standing by the one closest to the road. The men seemed to be military, if their stature and general appearance was anything to go off of, but I couldn’t focus on any of that.

All I could focus on was the string leading directly to the middle of the group, leading directly to the tallest of the group, who was leaning against two others.

My breath hitches and I quickly park the car, not even bothering to shut it off as I throw open the door. I’m rooted in place, unable to move as the two soldiers lead the third to the truck. The third had his head tilted slightly down, looking like he was barely managing to put one foot in front of the other.

He must’ve noticed the way the string was, taut and insistent, as his head picks up and he turns as best as he can, eyes now staring directly at mine. Neither of us look away as he’s pushed into the truck. I take a step forward, but the truck starts and I can just barely make out the narrowing of his eyes as the truck drives further away, pulling him further away.

I should’ve taken the car and chased after them. Should’ve taken that tiny rental car and pulled over an entire army truck. I didn’t. Instead, I step inside the hospital entrance, trying to not sound like I’m insane as I stand before the front desk.

“Ma’am, I’m really sorry to bother you, but is there any chance you know of a patient that just left? He’s really tall, built like a brick wall, left just a moment ago with two others.” The words tumble out of my mouth as my hands grip the edge of the desk. The secretary’s brows furrow, looking up from her computer to take in my awkward grin and frazzled demeanor.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you that information.” Her voice is firm, but sympathetic.

“Please, I- I don’t know who he is but he’s my soulmate and my string is frayed--” My pleas are interrupted by a gruff cough, a clearing of the throat for attention. My shoulders tense as both mine and the secretary’s gaze lands on the man standing just a couple of steps away. He looked to be a soldier as well, though maybe a bit older than the others I saw outside earlier.

The man wasn’t looking at the secretary, rather his gaze landed on me, softening slightly at my obvious distress.

“I migh’ be able to help you with tha’.”

The man introduced himself as John. He said he was the captain of the men I saw earlier -- Johnny, Kyle, and Simon.

Simon. My soulmate’s name is Simon.

It’s funny how quickly things change. Just yesterday, I was worrying over what to eat over dinner, and now, I’m worrying about my soulmate’s possibility of dying and first impressions. John warned me that he was a bit reclusive -- which explained why he hadn’t attempted to reach out to me either -- and had just gotten back from a near death experience. He was going to be jumpy, to say the least, and probably a bit too cautious.

The ride there to their base was quiet. I was stuck in my thoughts again, staring at my string, and John didn’t try to push for a conversation. The truck eventually rumbles past a pair of gates and parks, prompting me to step out. I follow behind John as he walks ahead, making sure not to stray too far behind so people know I'm with him and not just some random civilian who snuck inside. 

He leads me through the winding corridors, occasionally looking back with that firm, but slightly softened look. We come up to what looks like a common room, where the two soldiers I saw earlier were sitting.

“Where’s the third muppet?” John asks, giving a subtle nod towards me. The eyes of the pair were a bit unnerving, but I tried not to think about it. The string around my pinky was taut once more, attempting to tug me towards where my soulmate was.

“He’s in his room, sir.” The one with the hat -- Kyle, I suppose -- remarks. His eyes were on the captain, but his attention was divided between the two of us. “Dunno if he’s accepting visitors.”

“He’ll make an exception.” With that, John places a hand on my back and guides me to the hallway attached, giving another nod to prompt me to go. He stays back with the other two, probably to explain the situation.

Walking down the hallways leading to his room was nerve racking. I kept my head down and focused on the string, letting it guide me. There weren’t many people walking around, thankfully, but the few that were only gave me odd looks before continuing on. Eventually, I came to a stop in front of an unassuming door where my string was pulled under it. I breathe out a sigh and raise my hand to knock, the sound seemingly echoing in the rather empty hallways.

There's a grumble from behind the door, and some shuffling, but it opens inwards regardless. My soulmate stands before me, just as silent as I was. He stood tall, though with a bit of limp, likely due to whatever injury he faced that caused the fraying in the first place. His good shoulder leaned against the doorframe, supporting his weight when he couldn’t. The two of us stared at each other for a moment, still in silence. I snap out of it soon enough, my eyes meeting his, the same dark eyes that caught mine earlier.

“Hi.” The awkward smile was back, this time a little softer and less panicked. I could only hope that he still wanted me after all these years with no attempt to find him.

His expression was unreadable, making me unable to get a grasp on how he might react.

“Look, I know that we’ve never met, but I… I don't want to lose you before I even know who you are.” He continues to stand there, causing me to keep talking, if only to fill the awkward silence. “I couldn’t just sit and wait while our string looks like--”

Just like earlier, my rambling is interrupted. He moves closer, as if in a daze, and slumps against me, his body going limp in my arms. I go still, staring straight ahead, but I move only when Simon’s arms wrap softly around my waist. One of my hands cusps the back of his head and the other rests on his upper back, right between his shoulder blades, rubbing softly up and down while remaining mindful of any injuries in the area.

“... Hi.” He mumbles back, voice muffled by how his face was buried in my shirt. His voice was raspy, like how one might sound after shouting for hours on end, but it was comforting, though I doubt that was intended.

A warmth bloomed between the two of us and if I had looked down at our string, I would’ve seen the strands slowly coming together. Not fully, but it was starting to be a little more stable.

It’d take a while for the string to go back to normal, but I was willing to dedicate the rest of my days to it-- to us. 

[butter-is-bored]

INTRO POST!!!!!

i have been on tumblr for almost a year and i am finally making a intro post.

Hi my online name is Butter!

(yes I know that it is a little random but there is a story behind it. I might share it one day.)

She/her :3

My birthday is feb 5th 🎀

My sister made my pfp <3

I am a Aquarius 🌊

‼️I AM A MINOR ‼️ please no inappropriate or hateful things. I will block you.

If you are over 18 it is okay to follow me. ‼️Just NO nsfw blogs‼️

If you feel uncomfortable with me following you because i am a minor just ask me to unfollow you, it’s okay trust me.

Feel free too dm me as long as your a moot :>

I kinda suck at texting btw

Fav fandoms: Osemanverse, my hero academia, skeppy, bbh, dream, George, sapnap, castle swimmer, the moth prince.

I can think of any others :<

Fav YouTubers/streamers: Skeppy, Bad Boy Halo, Dream, George not found, sapnap, funky frog bait , Captain Puffy, foolish gamers, Haley pham, ifoundjoy, Karl, LilithLuvsYa, Vitjok, ItsMoonshine (editor), Kira Diao, and DTowncat.

(Yes i used full names)

(And i main Bad and Skeppy)

Fav candy: Twix, sour patch kids, nerds gummy clusters, candy canes.

Fav books: Solitaire by Alice Oseman, radio silence by Alice Oseman, this winter by Alice Oseman, heartstopper by Alice oseman, other than that i just tend to read dnf fanfics on ao3 or wattpad.

Fav artists: Conan gray, cigarettes after sex, Dream, mitski, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, the last dinner party, Nafeesisboujee, Billie Eilish, Lizzie McAlpine, Alex G, Lana Del Rey, phoebe Bridgers, and more but i am too lazy to write all of them.

Favorite movies: Wonder (2017) , How to train your dragon, Sing (2016 and 2021), Zootopia (2016), and big hero six.

My YouTube

My Spotify (Pls don’t say anything bad about my music taste i am very sensitive about that)

My twitch (i dont stream nor do i plan to but if you see me in chat feel free to say Hi. I am usually watching bads streams )

My good reads

My vent blog idk

My dream team blog (mainly reblogs)

My joke blog

Idk what else to say.

Old pfp and bingo that is about me :>

[deedala]

weekly tag wednesday

thanks @heymacy for the game this week and for tagging me!!✨

name: deanna

the year you graduated high school: 2002

sun sign: scorpio

describe your personal aesthetic or vibe in three words: pastel, sweet, floral

do you know your enneagram type? 2w1 is what i got the last time i took it and im too tired to take it again lol

do you believe in ghosts? i believe in good energy and insidious energy and that humans can have an effect on the energy in spaces oh no that sounds insane

do you believe in aliens? yeah but not really on Earth, just somewhere out there

do you believe in life after love? yes cher ty

how many pets do you currently have? 0

a song you have on repeat: did i mention im sorry - petey

which of the seven deadly sins do you identify with the most? wwwrath maybe??

are you sentimental? yessss

what's a new hobby you'd love to pick up? writing (crine)

favorite vegetable? romaine lettuce

do you collect anything? nnnot really

a piece of media that makes you feel insane: WELL... Shameless

did you drink water today? i love water...

tell me about your water bottle: a green aluminum straw cup with black, yellow, and blue leaves on it!

are you good with plants? do you have any? no, i kill plants. dont trust me with plants.

art museum or history museum? oh boy tough one!! i love art but i think im gonna say history because i fuckin love learning about shit and seeing models of places - especially ones that you get to walk through!

and finally, what's a book or fanfic you believe deserves to be made into a film? ok i have thought long and hard about this since i saw the preview of these questions last week and............ its gonna have to be Cooperative Gameplay for me. Love is a Ballfield would be a close second!!

some tags after the cut!! <3 and remember you can always find a link to the blank questions for easy copy/paste on @weekly-tag-wednesday's blog!

@jrooc @michellemisfit @crossmydna @gardenerian @suzy-queued

@mmmichyyy @callivich @spoonfulstar @energievie @gallawitchxx

@gallapiech @mybrainismelted @femboymilkovich @lazystargazy @sgtmickeyslaughter

@heymrspatel @echotrees @sam-loves-seb @wehangout @the-rat-wins

@blue-disco-lights @loftec @rereadanon @whatthebodygraspsnot

@palepinkgoat @creepkinginc @gallavich-annise @catgrassplantdad @francesrose3

@softmick @thepupperino @lingy910y @sickness-health-all-that-shit

@ian-galagher @samantitheos @transmickey @captainjowl @c-nord

@burninface @runninonemptyy @geonbaeeeesblog @doshiart

@kiennilove @stocious @pillowbee @casey-ackkat @kowhaifairy

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

What’s it like for the older toys to have a drink for the first time?

OKAY, SO!

Angel doesn't allow anyone to drink until they have a precise confirmation of everyone's ages and medical exams come out detailing if there's anything the toys absolutely cannot eat. Everyone is fine and dandy, thankfully, so one day Angel comes back from the grocery store with a few thinks for the older toys to taste.

Poppy likes wine, and is way too knowledgeable on it since day 1. Angel asks her how she knows all of that, she shrugs it off and says she picked up from a book in Elliot Ludwig's office (which is true). She's always VERY excited to try new wines, and was 100÷ sure she couldnt get drunk until she got tipsy. Lots of "I told you"s happened that day.

Mommy Long Legs is also on the wine team, but with the addition of caipirinha and any drink that also has fruits added to it. She and Poppy act like they know everything about wine, and in the household they kinda do. MLL absolutely HATES getting even a bit tipsy, though. She's there for taste only and if she drinks too much she can and will get grumpy. She fears she'll be an aggressive kind of drunk and never tries to see if her theory is true or not, and things stay like this.

Catnap and Dogday both like it, even tho it feels like a very mature thing to do. They dont drink close to any of the younger toys unless Angel is around, though.

Crafty likes the taste and almost drinks too much. She gets instantly tipsy and that's how she finds out she cant handle much.

Kickin feels like he's a big Adult, but he's a biiiit dissapointed. All the adults he knew pre-HoJ always hyped drinking so much, and for what? He however is very excited about mixing things. Whenever they're allowed to drink he tries making something new, and he, Long Legs and Poppy have lots of talk about taste.

Miss Delight drinks one (1) cup and goes "okay thank you a lot!" and the turns starts mixing things up. She doesn't even partake on drinking, girl literally does not care, she just loves mixing things and seeing what works. She and Kickin come up with some cursed combinations for everyone to try out.

Bubba and Picky are excited at the idea of feeling like a normal-ish adult until they drink for the first time and hates it. -9999/10 who thought this was good. Why.

Hoppy is HYPED. Drinks a bit, likes it, is still SUPER HYPED. Angel has to stop her from drinking too much, and some time later on they find out it's VERY hard for her to get drunk.

Bobby finds that it's... Okay! She likes wine more than the other options, but not to the extent Poppy does. Angel makes some caipirinha later and it becomes her favorite, but again, she doesn't mind not having it. It's all just a big "oh okay!" to her.

Angel does keep some drinks in one of the fridges, but the toys hardly drink unless it's a weekend. However...

Prototype does let Catnap drink a bit more from time to time. They usually just sit outside Proto's hut and talk while drinking a bit before stopping. Catnap liked doing this because being a bit drunk would make him feel less guilty from everything.

Dogday would also drink alone sometimes in order to cope with Everything he went through. Then one day he catches Catnap leaving Proto's hut smelling like alcohol and the two stare at each other like "uh oh this doesn't feel like a good way to deal with Everything", and work together to have better coping mechanisms. After some months they completely drop the habit before it could run out of control, and are only able to do that because they're in a safe and healthy environment.

... Prototype still lets Catnap drink though. He trusts him enough.

[cerenemuxse]

smth smth thomas, ryan, and ashima…

mkay, jokes aside, i think i got it, as in their dynamics. i would like blame (affectionate) my moots for getting the gears turning on these three for me as well as enjoyers of 1x1014 and ThomasXAshima digging into their dynamics respectively 👍

this one’s gonna be a long one 💃 this is also more exploratory so this’ll get chaotic really fast :’D

i wanna start by digging into each duo first. first one i wanna take a look at is Thomas x Ashima.

from the first interaction, there’s always been competition used in their language, starting off as a one-sided thing from Thomas’ side. he saw Ashima as someone he was competing against in many ways. she was beautifully painted, she was likely stronger than him, and she was likely faster than him. in his eyes, she was better in many ways and he wanted to compete against that, show that he was just as good to be in the show with the antics he would commit during TGR.

once they confront each other, his defensive barriers seemingly goes away. Those that he builds up when he sees an engine who is a threat to his performance and status. A threat that was a reminder that there will be engines who were better than him.

While its funny that Ashima tells him to “calm down. Be quiet,” on a deeper level, it’s necessary. Thomas NEEDS that reminder to stop talking. Stop letting his deepest fears do the talking. “You know in your heart that there isn’t any other place to start.” She knows Thomas doesn’t believe in those ideas anymore. They are there to haunt him but they’re not true, and Thomas knows this.

So its interesting to me that the shunting competition was brought up. By then, Thomas doesn’t know what competition Ashima would be competing in, and I have a feeling he assumed that she would be in the Best Decorated Parade. Besides that, he is being challenged right after letting out his insecurities. Yet he agrees as Ashima had tackled one thing he had struggled with the most before his rebuilds: shunting. It’s been 4 years since his rebuild. (TGR in 1964. his rebuild was in 1960), and by then, he’s gotten used to his new shape. He could shunt better than before, not having issues with tight turns and derailing. He’s definitely gotten better. Maybe not as good as Percy or Duck, but good enough in his books (or so he thinks).

And when they meet up again at the Railway Show? They use the topic of competition as a means of conversing again. EVEN when Vinnie came in and interrupted the shunting competition, their competitive natures continued, but instead of it being a one-sided hatred, its a mutual friendly rivalry. A rivalry that doesn’t overcome their friendship during their time together.

This is such a drastic dynamic from Thomas x Ryan. With Ashima, Thomas saw someone he wasn’t an equal with but once she is able to talk to him about how those differences were a good thing and he needs to embrace what makes him so different in the first place, he sees an equal rival. Ashima isn’t afraid to challenge him but she does it with the intent of wanting to be equals and friends. There are things Ashima isn’t capable of like Thomas is. If anything, I would’ve loved to see Ashima bring up those points but in a manner where its not “oh pity me” but “our expierences may be different but it comes to the same point. we both have to embrace what makes us so unique, even if its something we dont like.” Engines are in a situation where they can’t just choose to physically change themselves. They can force it but the changes are down to people.

With Thomas and Ryan, its the opposite dynamic. In Ryan’s eyes, Thomas is “better” as in he’s more experienced, being an all-around engine. Ryan was relegated to passenger service up until being withdrawn and sold to the NWR, whereas Thomas has experienced it all. Thomas, originally a shunting engine, has a branchline where he pulls passenger and goods services. On occasions, he has run specials because he can be trusted. He’s enamoured with the idea of being all-around engine, and Thomas is one of his best examples of this.

Once again, Thomas sees Ryan as a rival, much like with Ashima, but the difference here is that Ryan wants to be equals. However, with the way he sees Thomas, i wouldn’t put it past Ryan to be dismissive of his own qualities when brought up with Thomas’. If anything, Ryan compares himself to Thomas, and this is where Thomas steps in as the one to establish that neither one is better than the other in general. Thomas is better than Ryan at some things, whereas Ryan is better than Thomas at other things. This is how things are and they shouldn’t be pushing themselves down because one is better at something than the other.

So where would Ryan and Ashima be? Well, we have Ryan, an engine who is dismissive of his own great qualities, stays away from the Gresley family legacy as much as he can, and simply just a guy. Ashima, from the looks of things, is already a well-rounded and developed character. She’s already gone through her character development whereas Ryan doesn’t. Now, do I think they can get along? Not exactly.

I could just say “Ofc they would!” and be done with it, but given how different their interactions with Thomas are and their characters as a whole, I don’t think they initially would and its not something I can just gloss over and be like “they get along. the end.”

So for starters, let me actually properly dissect and compare these two, in terms of character and physical qualities. That earlier paragraph was just a rough description, and i may or may not have already disagreed with it lul (minus the getting along bit ofc)

Ryan and Ashima are both powerful tank engines, both intended for passenger service. They both have optimistic views but the different ways of going about it. Ryan uses optimistic views to uplift moods whereas Ashima is a realistic optimist. They both want to have an “we are equals” dynamic with Thomas but go about it different ways. Ashima’s way is through sharing her fiesty competitive nature with Thomas where Ryan’s way is trying to get to know and befriend Thomas first, despite the idea he has that Thomas is superior as an all-around engine. But the biggest different is that Ashima is bold whereas Ryan is reserved. Both chatty, yet again in different ways.

And this is where I believe they would clash, particularly during a time where Ashima visits Sodor for some time. They’re so similar yet so opposite of each other that they don’t work that well when they first meet. There’s underlying tension going on because of their ideas. Best example is if Ryan wants to step back and wait, process a situation, Ashima wants to step back too but gets impulsive and goes for a solution immediately after, and depending on the situation it may or may not work. Situations where they start off thinking the same way but they quickly diverge from one another. They’re basically the equivalent of the saying “There will always be more than one solution to a problem” in a nutshell but have a hard time acknowledging this.

What’s important here is that this is one of the few times Ryan has problems with another engine (besides from Bill and Ben). He usually stays away from an engine he notices is probably not a good idea to get along with but Ashima is a different story. He doesn’t want to say he hates Ashima, because he doesn’t. He just doesn’t agree with her way of doing things. There’s also the issue with Ashima’s relationship with Thomas.

Ryan can tell that Ashima is one of Thomas’ closer friends, and with him being the nonconfrontational guy he can be, he doesn’t want to upset him either, so he stays quiet. Ashima feels the same way, noticing that Ryan and Thomas are oddly close, but her reasons come down to “Maybe I’m not understanding something” and “I can deal with it when the time is right.” Neither one wants to drag Thomas into this as he has nothing to do with it.

It was their luck that Thomas wasn’t aware of the tension going on those two as they were able to resolve their problems by settling down and just talk it out. Talk why they have these problems with one another and what they can do to start making amends. It was slow progress but they were able to get to a point that they could get along, seeing things from each other’s perspective if needed, right before Ashima’s visiting time on Sodor came to end and she had to go back home.

This is where the three start to intertwine with one another. Thomas and Ashima have been communicating through letters since the events of TGR. Ryan was already aware of this by the time Ashima visits, but he would simply listen along to the letters if he happens to be with Thomas when its being read out loud. It’s not until after Ashima leaves that Thomas invites Ryan into the letter exchanging. Seeing a chance to bond with Ashima as well with Thomas, Ryan agrees. As the years go by, the three bond with letter after letter. Decades later, Ashima visits once again, and these three start to realize many things. (Ok, well, Ryan and Ashima do. Thomas was ahead by decades but never said anything lmao)

and that’s my thoughts on Thomas x Ryan x Ashima. this was more “let me figure them out” rather than explaining how i feel about them in a structured manner because I don’t do that lul

[jesus-is-an-ally]

How do you get past feeling stupid when you believe in God? Like, how do you ignore the feeling that you should be an atheist and not believe in God and that all this is just, a fake made up religion meant to control people? And obviously when i say you i mean i. I want to believe but i feel so dumb for it. I know im a smart person but every time i get involved with christianity i feel like im taking to an imaginary friend because thats how everyone refers to it. I feel like im feeding into an industry that colonized people, when i dont even go to church.

And ive had experiences with God that feel so unlike any religious experience ive had, but my brain always forces me to logic it away. Like ill feel an immeasurable level of calm and happiness and then my brain will go 'those are just endorphins'. How do i get past that?

Long read ahead, but I encourage everyone to read it, because I did my best to answer this and I think there's some good stuff in here.

Hey anon. First I'd like to say that I am not professionally trained, I do not possess a biblical degree of any kind, nor am I a pastor or a priest or anyone like that. But I have been a Christian my entire life, so that should count for something, Lord willing.

I also want to say that I think this is a very good question and I thank you for asking it, as it gave me a chance to think deeply on my faith in order to put it into words.

I always find it really hard to explain faith. I struggle to explain to fellows Christians, to non-Christians, and especially to people who aren’t religious or spiritual in any way. This is probably because faith is very much not a thing of this world, so it is nit easily translatable. But I will try my best.

I too have dealt with doubts in my life. I have felt the need to logic it away. All Christians have one doubt or another, and if they say they haven't, they are lying or potentially believing in a watered down, more palatable version of Christianity.

Either way, let's face it, the world is designed by the devil to make you doubt. The good news is that there is no question or doubt or critique that is going to make God start shaking in Their boots, realizing They hadn't thought of that. They are omnipotent, and anything you are wondering can most likely be found in the Bible, if you know where and how to look.

There are many books that explain the logic of Christianity, such as “Person of Intrest” by J. Warner Wallace or “The Case for A Creator” by Lee Strobel, who has also written many other books similar to this. Fair warning, it’s been forever since I’ve looked into either of these books, so there’s a chance there’s questionable stuff in there that I don’t remember.

However, I do need to say that faith is very much NOT a logical thing. It’s a belief in something that you cannot see, touch, hear, or otherwise sense except with your soul. It's the trust that God is out there, even when you lack concrete evidence.

I believe a person cannot become a believer by force, whether their own or someone else's. You have to truly open up your heart and let the Holy Spirit in. You must confess with your mouth that you believe in the Son of God who died and rose again, that you are a sinner, and that you need forgiveness and guidance.

I'm not pulling this out of my ass, there are a bunch of verses on how faith is not based in the logic of this world. Here are a few.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For we live by faith, not by sight.

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There's a story I heard when I was a kid about a pastor being asked if he can hear God speaking to him in his prayers, and the pastor responded "no, I can't hear Him, it's much clearer than that". Faith is something practically unexplainable in earthly concepts or words. But it is solid, even it doesn't feel like it.

Hebrews chapter 11 is all about faith and what people have done by it, and I encourage you to read it, but I'd like to specifically call attention to Hebrews 11:1, which says,

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

This is the verse often pointed to when people discuss the biblical definition of faith, and it's the best I can offer.

However, it sounds like science and reason is not the only thing you are struggling with. As for morality, how can we be Christians when Christianity was used to abuse, colonize, and murder innocent people all throughout history and even today?

I'm not going to use the bullshit excuse of "oh they just weren't real Christians" because that is unhelpful, defensive, and probably not even true. All Christians are sinners, and hatred, murder, and all of that other stuff are sins, so it is possible that many or all of those people were true believers.

The simple answer to this question is that sometimes you just have to accept that your people did bad things and swear do your best to stop it from happening again (without spending so much energy on it that you burn out). I have had a lot of practice at this since I'm also white.

In German elementary schools, when they teach the children about WW2, what they basically say is “hey, this is our history, you didn’t do it so you don’t have to feel guilt, but you do have a duty to never let it happen again”.

I think this sort of thinking should be taught to the descendants of all oppressive people. I will also add that we also need to check ourselves that no nasty thoughts have slipped their way in. Often, you can continue the hurt without realizing. But this doesn't mean that Christianity is secretly evil or that Christians are inherently going to abuse others or any of that.

At the end of the day, there's nothing I can truly say that will instantly make you believe.

Like I said, it's not something I can force nor is it something you can logic your way into. No amount of evidence, even if it's the most rock-solid thing in all of the universe, can make someone have faith.

I hope there is something in here that can help you in some way, anon, and I pray God blesses you and keeps you safe.

[basilbunni]

what are your relationship hcs for ninajack?

chat this deleted my work so this is way more delayed than played

but thank you for asking

more under cut im a yapper abt them </3

so as kind of a foundation i think nina and jack have a super opposites attract relationship and i kind of touched on that in my phys hc post (check that out if you enjoy this content bee tee dubs)

for example, nina is super duper messy while jack is obsessively organized and clean from being an ocd doctor man

they really level each other out in an almost healing way and that's part of why i love this ship sm lmao

nina keeps jack from trying to be painfully perfect and he keeps her from being dangerously reckless and laidback

they also fit under a princess and knight in shining armor type thing for me personally— and yes, i will explain LOL

nina, after being in a super neglectful and abusive relationship with jeff, gets to be with jack who's more attentive and caring towards nina, making her feel more like herself and leads her to being more in tune with princess treatment

jack also has relationship trauma, which i think anyone could guess if you've even just heard about the background story that the person who made sally's story made and not just seen the low quality mask photo story

(for those who DONT know that story and dont want spoilers for it i do suggest leaving the post now and reading it because it is a pretty common reference for the creepypasta fandom and i will be referencing big plot points)

so having the sacrificial college girlfriend (whos name i would look up but im currently on a roadtrip with shitty service) jack isn't used to getting anything back in return and/or being treated nicely without something sinister being behind it

but nina loves super unconditionally— which immediately contradicts that train of thought which would ultimately lead him to trusting her more and more over time til they're just at a point where they can both love each other without fear of the other person being similar to their past experiences and that's just so heartwarming urgrgrhh

the knight part really comes into play with nina being a bit clumsy and reckless because jack is constantly having to basically baby proof her experiences because she is so prone to creating problems

moving on— jack finds little acts of service that nina isnt really used to to show his love

like he'll make her a meal or get her jewelry or whatever just to make her day because its not something she got with jeff at all

which its more like it makes her month because she will not stop talking about it to anybody who will listen

that's just how she is— she loves very loudly

which is COMPLETELY NEW to jack considering that the sacrificial college girlfriend (i still havent googled her name my signal is somehow worse) was truly just there to lead a lamb to the slaughter

so when nina is actively seeking his affection and caring and loving for him it is such a new experience that i would think he wasn't quite sure what to do

guys hes a nerdy medical major white guy first and a demon second in my books he is an awkward man

but there's a want to be perfect for nina so he really fakes it til he makes it

but then nina is also a super-people-reader so when things dont line up she's immediately on his case

"hey man i thought you barely had any experience why are you good at kissing are you lying to me"

and then he gets a little embarrassed by it and hes like "i have no idea what you're talking about i'm just paying attention to your reactions"

she still doesnt believe him fully but she accepts it

they do cute shit together too

like they'll watch movies and tv and stuff together and cuddle

or nina will dress him up and buy him clothes (because like i said in the past post, jack is very copy and paste easy outfits and nina is obsessive with accessories and big outfits yada yada yada)

he'd probably let nina do just about anything tho as long as shes having fun and close to him hes pretty content

god i feel like i still have more lmk if you want more urgrgrhnmmhmf

[wulfums]

Fun Halligan Facts (And abt how Rick and Klaus are w her!)

- her middle name is Briggs. Klaus was mad enough when he found out where Rick got her first name from…no one show him Limbo of the Lost

- I just KNOW like 75% of the picture books Klaus reads to her when shes young are very truck and car based. Rick is like “Im starting to think those are more for you than her” and Klaus is like “Well excuse me for sharing my interests with her 🙄” (This is very lighthearted silly teasing banter. Rick thinks its genuinely so cute because now Halli gets just as hype abt trucks as her daddy and its So Fucking Cute)

- Rick is keeping every piece of art she ever gives him no matter what. He puts it in a big binder.

- They both act like theyre superior to other parents (Which pisses off Stan, Francine AND Roger.) even though they do equally dumb shit. But they make a point to never be demeaning towards whatever she gets interested in. They are like, signifigantly more strict though because theyre both overprotective. This becomes an issue when she hits high school years.

- Halli and Rogu are lifelong besties. Rogu is 2 years older than her but bcuz of how weirdly they both age, theyre basically at the same place.

- Some of Klaus’ boyz have kids around Halli’s age! She gets along with them. They tend to just be doing kid versions of whatever they see their dads do. Klaus has the cutest videos of this. His boyz are very sweet to Halli.

- Its really important to Klaus that Halli learn German!! But she loses interest fast which is upsetting to him. Klaus is like “Dryly being taught and tested is how I was taught and it worked!” And Rick is like “You also regularly have nightmares about everything from your childhood, honey.” Rick suggests they make it more interesting for her. What they do is have Rick join in on learning it. Because hes starting from barely knowing any, and kids learn faster, Halli is ahead of him so the fact she can be smarter than her dad on something motivates her. Rick + Klaus play up their responses to make her laugh.

- The Smith family are actively in her life! Ill be real- for Stan its because he knows she has Fischer blood in her and hes terrified she’ll also be a stoner when she gets older and he cant deal with a third one. He tries to instill “morals and values” in her which Klaus and Rick are NOT happy about. Greg warns them to make sure he doesnt try to kidnap her. They basically use Stan as an example of what happens when you dont take school seriously.

- Klaus asks Francine to not drink in front of Halli, and surprisingly she listens. She missed having a young kid around so shes sooo sweet to Halli. But she lets Halli get away with anything and everything. She doesnt want Halli turning into a nerd.

- She loves her Uncie Jeff and Auntie Hayley!!! Theyre the only Smiths that she calls anything like that. I think overall personality wise, Jeff is a good influence on her (despite what Stan thinks.) because he is extremely empathetic, honest and in touch with his feelings. He also cried so hard (good cry) when Hayley points out that Halligan genuinely looks up to him. Hayley is similar to Francine in that she loves Halligan a lot and does let her get away with more than Klaus and Rick do. But she does also take safety seriously. Halligan thinks shes super cool because Hayley shoplifted some gum for Halligan once!

- Steve is excited to finally have a younger family member!!! He gets her into tech stuff early on for sure. He is sooo sweet to her and so are his friends! They let her feel part of the group. Shes also the only one on planet earth who thinks these four are cool guys and they know thats not gonna last forever so theyre gonna roll with it as long as they can. They let her play dnd with them and let her character be a bit OP. But not TOO op.

- Roger is not allowed to watch Halli under any circumstances. He can interact w/ her if either Klaus or Rick is there but they dont trust him not to lose her or get her killed somehow. Which, fair.

- Tuttle is Halli’s favorite babysitter! He instills a love of gardening in her 🥺 He lets her pick out the first flowers he’ll plant in the spring.

- Halli is friends with Libby! Shes over at Gregs a lot bcuz of this. Greg is similar to Klaus and Rick in that he is strict and actually keeps an eye on them.

- Halli isnt allowed on Youtube without supervision and doesnt get a smartphone til shes much older. No content slop for her.

- I think her first word is Truck (she says it as Tuck) and Klaus starts crying whenever he thinks about this. She actually loves when he shares his interest in vehicles with her 🥺 She loves things that go fast.

So yay fun facts !!

[0bviouslyem1ly]

It's nice to see another fan of obey me in the agere community :) By chance could you do something with CG Lucifer? Moodboard or headcanons, whichever you're in the mood for I dont mind

Of course! I love the thought of him as a caregiver so much :D I'll make a moodboard too!

~

Caregiver Lucifer (Obey Me) headcanons!

•He's very strict, and likes to have rules. He mostly doesn't want you getting hurt, but his brothers cause so much trouble on a daily basis as it is, he doesn't wanna deal with too much more trouble. He'll make sure you don't get into anything, he'll make sure you eat/drink enough, have a bedtime/nap time schedule, and a daily schedule in general.

•In the room he works, he has an area set up for you in the corner. He has everything you like! He's got blankets and pillows, a play mat, plenty of toys and sensory items, stuffies, books, whatever you enjoy doing.

•Whenever he's working and you really want attention, he might let you sit on his lap while he works. He'll hold you and cradle you with one arm, and do paperwork with the other. He's used to multitasking.

•He's really good with kids, seeing as he raised 6 naughty little demons.

•He tries to keep up the "tough guy" and strict act, but it always fails. He has a huge soft spot for you, and loves to see you happy.

•He sings to you at bedtime, or if you're gonna take a nap. He will sing lullabies to you, and hold you as he does so.

•He likes when you lay on his chest.

•Lucifer doesn't really trust any of the others with you. He's super overprotective of you, but especially when you're regressed. You're in such a vulnerable state of mind, and he only wants you to be happy. The only person he trusts to babysit you would be Diavolo. He might trust one of his brothers, but he usually prefers Diavolo to take care of you.

•He didn't really know what age regression was. He had to do some research to figure out the exact meaning. But once he figured out, he went full dad-mode.

•He loves any nicknames you give him! He would be open to any nicknames, and would adore them all.

•If you like drinking from bottles, he'll hold you in his arms, rock you back and forth while feeding you a bottle. He may even hum or sing while doing this to help you relax and feel safe.

•He's like a big teddy bear. He lets you do whatever you want with him. Put stickers, makeup, marker, gems, ect on him. He'll let you, as long as it's easy to get off. His brothers would definitely tease him if they didn't come off easily.

•He bought you two one of those necklaces that you can put a picture inside. It's silver and has a little bat on it. He put a picture of you and him inside each of them so you can always be together.

•He will give you piggyback rides/carry you. He gives you full on royalty treatment.

•Lucifer likes tea parties and playing dress up. He loves letting you dress him up, and style outfits for him.

•He's always there for you if you regress, and will stop everything for you.

•If you get hurt, he will immediately rush to your side and check on you. He's very good at taking care of your wounds, and calming you down if you're hurt so he can clean them out.

•He gives the best and biggest hugs.

•He's actually pretty clingy. He always wants to be by your side, cuddling you up and giving you lots of love and affection. He just thinks you're the cutest thing, and wants to smother you with love.

•He has a very calming singing voice, and a very smooth voice in general. He'll often sing to you, whether it's silly songs from movies, or random beats and sounds.

•He is one of those caregivers who just look down at you, and coo about how cute you are. Huge baby talker.

[seaweedbraens]

Hi! I've been following your fics for a few years now and I was just wondering, do you have any tips for new writers? Specifically for fics that is. Any advice from planning a fic outline to just general writing advice would be hella appreciated!!

hello!!! welcome to fic, we're super happy to have you here <3 i'd love to drop you some 'tips' (i am using quotes because i am not sure if im qualified to give advice - and i'm not sure if it'll work, but here is what works for me!)

when i outline fics, i almost always know what my starting and ending is. i've definitely mentioned this before but i always always know my endling LINE, i dont start writing a fic if i don't know where it's gonna end up. again, this may not be you, so dont panic if it isn't! this is just how i begin.

since my fics are on the...ahem, lengthier side, i usually have 'sections' of content between my beginning and end. i write down (usually by hand, but it doesnt matter what you use tbh) significant 'events' or 'goals' of the section. for instance, as i was writing my bigfic (we could walk straight through hell (with a smile)) one of my chapter outlines looked like this:

since this fic used multiple character POVs, i also made sure to label which section was being seen through which character's eyes. sometimes, as i'm making my sections, i'll get inspiration for dialogue, and i include that too. as you can see above, i also highlighted sections as i completed them, though that's just more to keep track than anything else.

i wish i could give you more insight into writing, but really the biggest piece of advice i can give is to keep reading. reading fic is good but reading books is even better because you'll learn so many words, absorb so many kinds of writing styles, and learn what you like and what you don't like and patterns that you'll settle into. i have to confess i dont read much these days, which i need to change, but i used to be a voracious reader, and that definitely helped me as a writer.

i've been writing fic for a long time, though. so when it comes to writing fic in particular, i am a huge advocate for a couple of things (and these are pretty general, not necessarily writing-related):

don't force yourself to write!! sometimes you just arent feeling it and thats okay. i write in insane spurts - as i wrote wcwsthwas i occasionally pumped out 10k in a single sitting - but i go months and months without writing in between. if you're in a rut i don't think you need to force yourself out of it, because more often than not i've found myself dissatisfied with my work when i do force myself to write. as creatives, burnout is common, but because this is fic we're lucky enough that we operate on our own schedule. we don't need to push ourselves to write if we don't have to. but trust me, when you feel the urge to start writing again, it's wonderful, and the words will flow out of you!! just make sure you

stay inspired! again, reading good books helps you expand your own vocabulary, and it'll come in handy when you find yourself needing to write descriptions. observe the world around you, learn movements and expressions and how things and people tick. explore writing prompts and see what inspires you best (i took one look at soulmate au prompts and never looked back). it's cool to be inspired by fellow creatives online (just make sure to give credit if needed) but also try to be inspired by yourself! a lot of my fics stem from my own experiences and thoughts and emotions, and i think to some degree that resonates with people, which is always great. try to examine things on a deeper level. draw on memories from your own life and they'll hit more often than they miss. think about what makes your hurt, and rage, and cry, and flinch, and smile. remember the little things that make interactions so special. when you put yourself in a character's shoes in a certain situation, question why they'd act or react a certain way. and make sure

you do you. if your work doesn't sound beautiful and prose-y, that's fiiine. it's okay to keep it simple!! it was a bitter pill to swallow and it took me many years, but i have finally realized that my strengths as a writer are in my dialogue and emotional dump-writing. i don't think i'll be ever to be one of those poetic writers who can pull words from the trails of your thoughts like a some kind of sick magical literary genius. i have some friends who just. they write so BEAUTIFULLY and i'm so envious of them, but that's their strength, and i have my own. remember that!! and please for the love of god

don't worry about stats. write for YOU. this may sound lofty but i can't stress this enough. i was unfortunate to start writing fic when i was very young, and as a competitive little brat i was obsessed with the numbers. i desperately tracked every comment and like and favorite and follow. i let that dictate my writing, because i knew that if i wrote a certain way, made fics extra fluffy or whatever, they'd draw in more comments. i'd force myself to write more, update fics to show how active i was as an author in the fandom, and in the end, that truly sucked out the joy of writing for me. i found other ways to channel my creativity for a long time and then returned to writing. now, i write when inspiration strikes, and to my surprise and joy people still want to read. i love when a fic does well, but it doesn't debilitate me if it doesn't. writing for yourself, and for the love of a good story, and for the love of the source material, and for the love of writing, will make you a better writer. and on that note:

quantity does not equal quality. i've been asked quite a bit how i write such long fic but that's largely because i like to read long fic. i like it when a story is build up and fleshed out and you end up knowing everything about everyone. i like drawing out moments, giving characters depth and thoughts and relationships. a lot of my fics are full of extra padding that goes into building character relationships and friendships, because as an only child they are super important to me. HOWEVER there is real fucking skill required to write a short fic. to fit a beginning and middle and end into the least amount of words possible. it's incredible, it's a skill i wish i had, and deserves every laurel that long fics get. as a writer, if you find your fic ending earlier than expected, that's fine. you don't need to add more words just for the sake of puffing up the wordcount. at the end of the day, if your story shines, that's all that matters, and readers will respond to it.

im not sure if this will help you but this is kind of the bulk of what i've learned all these years writing fic. at the end of it all, what works for me may not at all work for you, but i'm certain that with time, you'll find your groove and carve out a niche for yourself, just as we all have. just remember: have fun! the internet is batshit and sometimes not the best place but my time writing fic has exposed me to the most wonderful people. writing will help you learn and grow in ways you won't be able to foresee now - just go with the flow and take it all in as it comes! be positive, accept critique and feedback and learn from it, and stay enthusiastic about telling your stories. feel free to message me anytime, and please drop a link to your fic if you ever post :) i'd love to read it!

sorry for the late response, and for making you read this NOVEL, holy shit. haaave a good day/night <3

[ask-frater-imperator]

Hey Frater, quick question about the other Papas. (Also maybe mod to put out a headcanon or two?)

How would the Papas be with children of their own? Like, there's a difference between just babysitting a kid and actually raising one. Which Papa do you think would have been a good father?

Sorry i my wording doesn't make sense I woke up with a flare up in my wrist and I really want to curl up and cry right now because it's my dominant hand.

Well eh.. that's a long one.

To start this off, I believe Terzo would be the best to raise/have kids on the matter that he.. kinda did.

Secondo and Primo, depending on a few things, could be second best or the worst.

Terzo barely spoke of it in public or when he was Papa, but he did have children of his own- two girls who are still active members and sisters of sin to this day. I don't talk to them much anymore, but they would be in their uh.. mid to late 20s or early 30s now.

Terzo was a very nervous father. He had no idea what he was doing, and he didn't trust Nihil enough to ask him for advice. He ended up making a sort of club.. I dont remember what it was called, but it was a bunch of parents within the clergy all sharing stories and tips they had from raising their kids. It helped him a lot- I used to babysit a little when he needed a break.

.

Going in order, for Secondo, it really depends on what stage of life he's in at the time. If it was when he was a cardinal or a bishop (before he started partying and drinking), I think he would have done alright, maybe reading a few books just in case he got anything wrong.

He didn't have kids, and when he got to a certain point in life, he swore he would never have any. He didn't want them to live a life like he did.. to risk passing down anything he didn't want for them (an example: thinking if he had a son that the child would be forced to be papa one day).

If after he was papa, he would feel terrible about it entirely. Having to raise a child while you have a drinking problem and a job that stresses you would stress you out more than ever. I feel that he would end up paying child support in some way or doing all he could to make himself better so he could be better for his kid/kids.

.

Primo wanted kids when he was younger, but instead of his own, he.. he really got me, Secondo, and Terzo. He had to raise us when Nihil or babysitters couldn't. I came to the clergy a bit late.. I think when I was around 10?.. that's a story for another time, though.

Primo was a good brother. Even if he got in trouble for things here and there, he did all he could to make sure we were raised right. I wouldn't wish for it to be any other way..

When he grew older, he became more.. mental a little. Life broke him down, and he accepted that he wouldn't have kids of his own. He was content with that. He was glad that he could at least feel like a father with us.

.

As for me- I don't know if I want children or not yet.. I think I'd be better off as just a babysitter or adopting when they're more around 10 or 11- I don't feel confident with babies or toddlers, that's all. I know I'm old but.. maybe one day.

.

// mod note!!: This is mainly just all headcanons with a sprinkle of things I remember from interviews and my general understanding of the characterization of the other Papas. Sorry this took so long to get out, and if it's a bit ooc- I really had to sit back and think about how to put this all into words. Flare ups suckkkk. I hope you have a pain-free day or at least an hour in the future. <33 -J.K

[lathrine]

there's a TTRPG opinion i've seen A Lot online (mostly [but not exclusively] in D&D circles) that giving your players magic items is stupid and bad and they should Be Earned Through Sweat And Blood because otherwise they Unbalance The Game.

this might be true at big tables. i wouldn't know.

but i have DM'd A Lot. like A Lot A Lot. i wouldn't consider myself like master dungeon master or anything-- there is a lot im not good at and a lot i still have to learn-- but i do have a pretty good grasp on how the flow of a small table works. i have DM'd for tables of two-three players almost exclusively for six years.

i don't know what the current stats are, but many years ago WToC released stats that showed most 5e players never get past level 10.

if you have a two-three player table, any campaign book is lethal under level 5, and 6-10 is only slightly better. it does not matter how savvy your players are, how experienced, how tactically minded. you, the dungeon master, are playing a constant stressful battle against yourself to keep your party from instantly becoming paste. do you fudge rolls on the fly so enemies dont inflict 27 damage with an ill-timed crit, absolutely vaporizing your level 2 bard? do you reduce the number of enemies in an encounter, constantly fluctuating between too few and too many? do you let every roll lie where it falls, so The Struggles Are Real, regardless of the consequences? do you give them an NPC companion, to help even the odds? the answer is you do all of the above-- plus some extras-- in varying amounts. its one of those dm things im not very good with.

i'm running Horde of the Dragon Queen right now, and the inciting incident is a bandit siege on the town. the players are level one. the encounter is the entire night with a boss fight at dawn. if you follow the encounter Exactly as written the party fights-- and i am not exaggerating-- upwards of 60 enemies without a long rest, with a single short rest, and at level one.

as written, it is not survivable with a party of under four players. and frankly a party of 4+ would struggle.

and this is relevant, i swear, because as a dm of parties of two-three players, i love magic items. i love giving them out, i love the party having them. i love knowing that i dont have to pull my swings because the playing field is more level. i love being able to present them with A Challenge knowing it wont be an exercise in futility-- just challenging. i love giving silly magic items, that arent particularly powerful in their own right but if used cleverly can give a pretty big step up in future scenes.

i love making magic items, themed specifically for the player. something i can give them at a big milestone or story point, that's maybe a little beefy but feels Special.

i dunno mang. its the video game of it all. i have given out Tons of magic items over the years and my players have used maybe like 10% of them. i think very few players want an item that just lets them win the game. most people just want to feel Cool when playing the imaginary make believe game with their friends, and magic items are a great way to do that.

i think if you cant trust your players with magic items, because it'll Ruin The Game, there is a fundamental disconnect somewhere at the table.

[gallivich]

15 jan

2025 #2

hiii guyyssss just home from schl and i literally dont even have much on my mind so likeeee ill just give u a rundown of my day 😭 im still learninng how to use this stupid app because why did it take me a solid like 7 minutes to find my drafts. im a LITTLE bit stupid!

ughh i have a new teacher for home ec and my old one was one of my faves coz it was practically a free period because shes never made us do work before LOL and i thought id hate the new one cause hes lowkey scary af but hes actually so chill and fun and no seating plan and he actually teaches us BUT IN A FUN WAY TOO. idk is it bad i lowkey prefer him. Dont tell anyone thats a hot take AND HES A PE TEACHER SO WE CAN LITERALLY HAVE NORMAL CLASSES IN THE PE CENTRE like thats so fucking fun liek the big room yess plsss we were learning like cpr too and there were volunteersand it was soooo fucking funny yes why do i actually love this !!!!!!

then in chemistry my fuckign laptop wasnt working so i didjt have the right to do any work :,( so i got like nothing.done AND NOT EVEN BY CHOICE!!! just felt likementjoning i got the most busted one omfg

THEN in pe it was just 1 period so i jsut got to walklaps with my friends and it was so fun i love it. like it was so sunny out and u dont even understand i get so depressed in winter like i cant and the sun hasnt shined in absolutelt ages and i was out walking in the sun and i was WARM. Guys no joke almost started crying like jesus i hate winter so muchhhh anyway pe was good inlove walking with my friends and staring at our crushes together and being physically attacked with balls on purpose by boys. Ya

THEN we had mysic which i also love coz i csn fuck around with a keyboard with my friend anddd ya . Dame class as my crhs aswell so . He was lowkey so antisocial today tho. God word antiscoial makew me laugh honestly YA SO I HAD ITHER CLASSES TOO JUST TOO IRRELEVANT and omfg i lvoe my frineds but my friends friends are SOOO fucking annoying im sorry lkke stop following me around u freakkkkk sorry im so mean omg im just so picky with my friends and i do NOT like them. No actually what am i yapping about im picky THEYRE ACTIVE RACISTS byt my tohr friends is only friends withbthem befause of her stupod boyfriend. So ya

Then i got maccies on the way home and god it tastes so good but feels so bad i feel so fcuking fat after a good maccies ljke i jsut wanna throw it up to feel like clean again ??? Thags weird me acting like i dont shovel shit into my body everyday anyway NOW I WANNA WATCH A MOVIE AND EAT POPCORN BUT IM TORN ON WHAT MOVIR so i might just keep wwthcing glee,,? Ljke obv i love shameless vut i havent ewtched ANYTHING else in like. Way too long. Magbe rewatch little miss sunshine or ermmm bones and all IDKK IDKDIDK OK BYE ill talk tommoz today wasbboring as shit but im not about to stop the grind on the second day so like yeah ! "U shouldnt be trusted with the books u cant read" "What I read" "PFFTTT" Also go buy from free prints its fuckign amazing SOMEONE BUY ME MORE BURTS BEES LIP BALM THE AUTUMN COLLECTION PLS PLS PLS PLS PLS PLSSSS S goodnight hope tmrs more intresting. So jealous of people whohave like 40 streaks like fuck urself actually (sorry) BYE

natural - shelly