#i just select them all and when i get one remove it from the queue list so i'm not having to do any one multiple times in a row | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

idrellegames · 2 years ago

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I'm not quite sure where this falls in your ask guidelines, so please ignore if you prefer!

I admire you as a creator and you always give very well-thought answers, so I was curious about your feelings engaging with the public? I'm writing my own interactive fiction but I'm conflicted about sharing it; on one hand, I love how transparent the process is and as a fan getting to participate has been really cool and it's led to some amazing communities, but on the other interacting as a creator just seems kind of daunting? Draining?? It just seems like a LOT I guess.

No worries at all, I’m happy to help!

Public engagement (and social media management in general) is an important part of being an independent creator. When your work is centred online, folks are only going to be interested if you build some kind of presence. How much time you invest in it will greatly depend on how much time you want to devote to it (because it does take a lot of time) and also how comfortable you are. Different creators will have different levels of comfort for interactions with fans.

For me, the social media management is one of the most fun parts of my job. I wouldn’t do it this way if I wasn’t having fun. I love hearing from players, I love seeing reactions to the game, especially as folks find new paths they didn’t think were there. But there are downsides, too: for every positive ask I get, there’s a negative one lurking around the corner. There are negative reviews and ratings on my itch.io page. I have folks dump criticism in my bug report form (that’s not what it’s for). I get repeat asks about things that I have already responded to public and documented clearly on my blog or the game page itself.

I have a few base rules for handling social media and interactions with the playerbase:

1. Set boundaries and stick to them. You might be tempted to respond to everything, but for the sake of your own mental health, set boundaries. Figure out what kind of questions you don’t want to answer and write it down. I have mine listed here (no NSFW asks, no RO react asks).

Don’t feel like you need to sort out everything right away; you can always update your ground rules. If you receive a message that crosses your boundaries, delete it.

2. Set aside time to do social media management and don’t answer anything outside that time. This one’s really important, otherwise you will get overwhelmed. Social media management is work. For me, some asks are really easy to answer; others take upwards of 30 minutes or an hour (advice, tutorials, etc). If you feel like you need to respond to something as soon as you receive it, you’re never going to have time for yourself.

3. Be selective about what social media apps you use. I primarily use tumblr and Discord because that’s where I’m comfortable. While I do have Twitter and Instagram, I post very infrequently there because I don’t particularly like them and I don’t have to time to figure out how to use them accordingly for my project. While I’m sure I could grow a Wayfarer community on either platform, I don’t have time to manage tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, and Discord*.

*If you're making a ChoiceScript game, I would consider your Choice of Games forum thread social media management.

4. Prepare for common questions. More than one person is going to have the same question. When this happens, prepare a post you can link the asker to so you don't need to type out the same answer every time.

This is why I have the Troubleshooting Game Launch & Save Errors post on my itch.io community forum.

Making a clear FAQ also helps with this; if in doubt, just link them the FAQ.

5. Get help managing your accounts. You won’t need this right away, but if you find you’re getting overwhelmed, ask for help. My development blog is a sideblog, which made it easy to add a friend to help me manage my inbox and queue. I also have a moderator team on Discord who handle the more intimidating interactions with members. I rarely do moderation myself because as a creator, it’s best I stay a few steps removed from the action; my view of what’s going on is always going to be biased in my favour.

6. Don’t answer when you’re angry or annoyed. You’re going to receive a lot of weird shit in your messages, especially if you accept anonymous asks on tumblr.

(You can always turn off anon. I like to keep anon on because my blog is the main way to contact me and I’d like to stay open for players who don’t have tumblr accounts or who are too shy to send a public ask.)

Most of the time, I delete messages that are genuinely upsetting. People who send hate asks are trolls looking to get a reaction out of you; I like to deny them the satisfaction of knowing they "got" to me.

But if I do need to respond, I usually give myself a few days to settle down before I reply. Sometimes I’m misinterpreting what the sender is saying, or I took it more negatively than it was intended. There’s always a genuine human being on the other end of an ask, and I don’t know what their life is like or what they’re going through. I try my best to treat them with grace (though sometimes this can be difficult and I'm snappier than I intend to be, especially if they're asking a question I've already answered, breaks my guidelines, or whose answer is easily available on my blog or game page).

7. It’s OK to delete and block, no matter the reason. If someone is harassing you, if they’re being particularly annoying with repeat asks, or if you’re getting messages that leave a bad taste in your mouth, delete it and block the sender. On tumblr, blocking an anonymous ask will block the sender’s IP address so they can’t send public or anon messages anymore*.

*Sometimes it glitches on desktop and I have to use mobile instead.

8. It’s OK not to answer everything. I struggled with this one the most when I first started my blog. I felt like to create a community, I had to answer everything, even the asks I wasn’t comfortable answering. But it’s not your responsibility to answer everyone all the time. An ask (or any social media message) is just a question, and it’s within your rights to decline to answer.

If you’re just starting out, most of the above is not going to apply right away. But a good rule of thumb to go by is to never do more than you’re comfortable.

If your game is new or you're just starting out, I have a few other pieces of advice that may be helpful:

1. It takes time to build a community. It takes a long time. I’ve had my blog since 2019 and it’s only in the past year that it’s started to really grow. Don’t rush it. Focus on your game first, then the playerbase.

2. Focus on your game above all else. You can’t build a community if you don’t have playable content. If you want folks to engage with you, you need to have an existing game. I made my dev blog before I had a working demo, but my dev blog floundered for about two years before I had enough publicly playable material for folks to start to take an interest. If I was doing this over again, I would make a sizable public demo* before starting a blog or any related social media.

*By sizable, I mean more than a prologue and a character creator. You want players to spend enough time playing your game so they have a good sense of your world and who their MC is. Ideally, you want your first public demo to fully set up your MC, the world, an initial companion character and/or characters, and also feel like a complete experience. Don’t have your demo just end because you’re rushing to get something out. You have one shot at making an impression; don’t leave players hanging on an awkward note. Your first demo should end with the completion of your game’s first major story beat. Give players something more significant to do than choosing what their MC looks like.

3. Character asks/prompts (RO react asks and related) are often a waste of time. While these types of asks can help generate interest in your game (especially in the interactive fiction tumblr sphere), they are usually a waste of time and reveal too much information, too soon. While it’s good to give players a taste of what’s to come and things to be excited about, in-depth character asks can spoil the experience of a character before that character is introduced in the game itself.

More importantly, if you find you’re spending more time doing social media management and answering character asks than working on your game, then you need to switch gears. More game content = more community building. Asks are secondary to that.

Don’t fall into the trap of wanting or needing engagement to be able to create.

4. Don’t do more than you’re comfortable. You don’t need social media to make a successful IF game. If you feel like it’s too much at any point, it’s OK to take a step back.

I’m not sure if this is what you were looking for, but I hope it helps! Good luck on your project. 💕

#wayfarer #wayfarer if #interactive fiction #interactive novel #writeblr #indie game #twine #twine game #coding in twine #on writing #answered

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radioves · 2 years ago

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i saw a bunch of other people doing trafficsonas and since its come to my attention that cringe culture can burn ive decided to make my own lol

still on the fence about the skull and bone charm thing. idk someone give me feedback and i might change it out or remove it

this is ermine. his name isnt permanent i might change it considering its literally just polilla’s dads name. also if it isnt obvious hes based off polilla bc my current skin doesnt have much to work off of

lives in a cave in the middle of the tundra because its ‘easier to defend’, which is codeword for ‘who the hell would put effort into building a house when you got a house built by mother nature herself right here’

literal menace. finds joy in blowing up peoples houses despite the current life hes on. also disappeared for the entire first session just to breed an entire army of dogs for the sole reason of He Could

depending on his life, his pupil color and sword gem changes color, while the badges on his sash crack and stop glowing. theres also moths on the back of his shawl that change color, and starting from green life as he loses lives he also loses moths, until hes only left with a big red moth on his last life [queue laugh track]

the beads are random colors but the ones on his dogs do correlate to the life theyre on- btw if your wondering why the heart colors are weird its bc i just color picked from his outfit and just turn the saturation and brightness up, hence why green is yellow and yellow is orange

i am planning* [*see : rotating it in my mind] on making a traffic hc post about how the players make their clothes, but the basics is they spawn in with their clothes from other servers, but as their clothes get torn up from classic scuffles such as Dying, they have to make new clothes with what they have to work with, for example: wool, leather, string, cotton / hemp / other plant-based materials, furs, etc.

as for ermine, he spawns in with his base clothes [sweater, pants, and boots] and has to make the rest of his clothes with various leathers and fur. and for the select few of you asking where he got the polar bear parts: um uh uhm,,, i personally believe that the map he plays in is alot bigger and encompasses more biomes, including cold biomes such as his tundra and also frozen oceans.

its kinda like a uhc game in a way if you think about it, with a bigger but still enclosed map, and the border slowly closes in each session until all the players are forced into the middle and ok i need to just make a proper post for this stuff Moving on

the dog breeding deal kinda backfires on him when he dies to a skeleton while farming bones [he just like me fr [bc he is]]

after that he kinda begins to realize ‘damn. im gonna die’ and starts wearing the mask more, kinda as a threat, bc we all know characters with masks are more mysterious and therefor dangerous. except for him bc he runs at the sight of any conflict as he is absolute ASS at fighting. hence the blowing everything up part

when he dies again his were-aspect starts to show itself in places like him growing wolf and dragon parts and scales and fur showing up on his face and limbs. its kinda annoying but he supposes its useful considering it also comes with heightened senses + partial night vision

and now red life. This is when it all goes downhill for everyone including him

like all stereotypical weres, he loses the majority of his sense of humanity and just starts going literally, as the cool kids say, off the shits- he doesnt hesitate to attack everyone and anyone, even if it risks him getting killed in the process. there is no stops for this man, someone is going to die and it doesnt matter who

yes he still has his dogs, at least the ones that remain, though at this point hes less a commander and more one of them, attacking in one big pack of fluffy piranhas

dubbed ‘the bloodhound’, he attacks mainly under the cover of dark, be it at night or in dark places like caves. just like his namesake, once he gets a scent on his next victim, he will track them down to the ends of time until they finally turn and fight back

the name ‘bloodhound’ comes from the concept of werewolves shifting during the full moon, the inherent violence of red lifes, the fact that hes literally a dog, bloodmoons, his red circle markings, etc. etc. tl;dr its cool

#if anythings spelt wrong sorry i dont care lol #trafficsona #trafficblr #digital art #artists on tumblr #illustration #:0

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luvdsc · 4 years ago

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mark lee sucks at technology.

tap the heart if you have a big, fat, embarrassing crush on your best friend!

pairing :: lee mark x reader genre :: fluff / best friend + social influencer au word count :: 5,883 words warnings :: none playlist :: dumb stuff (lany) ⋆ feeling (coin) ⋆ so far so good (gabrielle aplin) ⋆ electric love (børns) ⋆ love by mistake (bad suns) author’s note :: i was debating if i should post it on his bday instead, but i decided to drop it earlier, so uh, happy (approx. one week early) bday to mister absolutely fully capable (except when it comes to tech stuff) !!!! thank you for blessing us with your god tier raps ♡ ↳ part of the not clickbait series.

In your required upper division business course aptly titled “Essential Marketing Strategies,” you had learned about a concept called personal brands. A personal brand is explained as the first impression a person wishes to perceive based on their own experiences, qualifications, and achievements. Your professor had told you and your classmates to pick three words to define your own brand. For instance, you chose to label yourself as charismatic, fun, and creative.

Your best friend’s brand would be awkward, endearing, and technologically challenged.

Okay, so that is definitely more than three words, but who’s counting? You might as well tack on “Y/N’s big fat crush” at this rate because everyone and their mother knows that you carry a torch—or more accurately, a blazing wildfire that can easily be spotted from Pluto—for your best friend.

Well, to be more precise, you should probably say everyone, except Mark, knows. And that’s not for lack of trying either. You completely dropped the art of delicate subtlety months ago already. Maybe you should add “hopelessly oblivious” instead.

The rolling end credits to the sixth Harry Potter film are playing on the screen in front of you, signaling the nearing end of your magical movie marathon. You’re seated on the worn down couch in Mark and Donghyuck’s shared apartment, watching the former make his drink with the fancy, gently used Keurig newly settled on the scratched countertop. Johnny dropped it off a few days ago because he had splurged on a better coffee machine (“It even makes Instagram worthy whipped frappuccinos!”) and didn’t want his old, but still perfectly functioning caffeine provider going to waste.

“What’s wrong with this thing?” Mark slaps the side of the machine, and it starts to emit a low whirring noise. “Oh, that’s good, right? That sound is good, you think?”

His question is immediately answered by the sad squirt of hot water speckled with coffee grinds falling into his mug for a few seconds before the machine shuts off.

“What the hell?” he mutters angrily, carding his hand through his hair in frustration, and you finally decide to take pity on your best friend. Getting up from the comfy spot you know you sadly won’t be able to recreate perfectly again later, you stride over to where your best friend stands and flip open the top of the Keurig.

“Hyuck didn’t take out his used coffee pod,” you say, pulling out the incriminating evidence of your best friend’s roommate and disposing it in the trash can next to the refrigerator. “Where’s the espresso one you’re gonna use? Why didn’t you put that in?”

His jaw slackens, and he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, avoiding your gaze and mumbling, “I thought I’d just open it later and pour it into my hot water.”

“Mark,” you start, placing your hands on his shoulders firmly and staring into his eyes with a serious look on your face. “Please know that I’m saying this in the most loving way possible, but you are an absolute idiot.”

You release your grip on his shoulders and grab the espresso pod dangling from his fingertips before slotting it into the Keurig. You remove the mug he placed underneath the spout and wash out the accidental coffee water before placing it back in its original position and pressing the start button on the machine. With a sigh, you lean against the side of the counter, glancing at your friend who looks like a child being scolded for stealing from the cookie jar.

“If you pour the pod into your mug, are you just going to chug all the loose coffee grinds, too?”

“... I didn’t think that far ahead.” His lips start to unintentionally form a tiny pout, and your eyes (and your heart, too) soften.

You’re very relieved that Donghyuck is off filming with your friend because he definitely would be making fun of your heart eyes that frequently make an appearance around a certain Mark Lee. Which you always deny. Because you certainly do not have a gigantic crush on your technologically inept best friend.

You glance over at him again and have to physically fight yourself to resist the urge to kiss his cute pout away. Okay, so maybe you harbor a very respectable, medium sized crush. But it's no big deal. It’s completely under control. Unless you’re counting the fact that your best friend is still unaware, and you’re running out of ideas to try and see if he likes you back before you actually shoot your shot. Then it’s very much not under control because you’re losing sleep over it and you don’t know what to do to be any more obvious without stating the, well, obvious.

“Well, now you know. If you forget, you can FaceTime me and I’ll give you instructions on how it works.” You pat his shoulder reassuringly before pausing. “Wait, you do know how to FaceTime, right?”

“Yes!” he exclaims, sulking even more before confessing in a quieter, defeated tone, “Hyuck showed me last month.”

Mark grabs his finished drink and follows behind you, settling back onto the couch next to you. The streaming service already has Deathly Hallows Part 1 in the queue and ready to go, and your best friend is ready to click play until he notices your attention being focused on the smaller screen in your hands. He wonders if you’re about to post another one of your popular cooking videos on that app that shares a name with the most iconic song of the 2000s (hint: the name of the song’s singer is made up of four letters and a dollar sign).

“Are you uploading one of your videos?” he implores before taking a sip of his drink with a satisfied smile. Somehow, it always tastes better when you make it, and he can’t figure out why for the life of him. When he went to Johnny’s place, his older friend uses the exact same pod and water ratio for his espresso, and yet, it’s never as good as yours.

“Nah, I’m ordering my grocery delivery before I forget. Do you want anything?” You select the option to load your usual grocery items into your cart before debating on whether or not you should splurge on buying several packages of those seasonal Pillsbury sugar cookies that only come in stock during certain holidays. It seems like such an insult to the entire premise of your Tiktok account based on baking and cooking, but you’re an absolute sucker for those soft pastries.

“Yeah, can you get me a Shin Ramyun ten pack? Hyuck ate the last one two days ago and didn’t tell me.”

“You sure you don’t want ten boxes again?” You decide to get those Pillsbury sugary delights, happily adding three boxes to your cart. Everybody has a weakness, and yours just so happens to be a premade one way ticket to diabetes. You’re here for a good, delicious time, not a long time.

“No! That was an accident!” He objects, flailing his hands around, before falling back against the couch cushions in defeat. “But Hyuck does all the online grocery shopping now.”

“Thank god. You guys finally have quality toilet paper again.”

The past month of bathroom occurrences was plagued with scratchy tissue that felt more like goddamn sandpaper from the horrible depths of hell. To be honest, you probably would have rather used actual sandpaper, given the choice. You even made sure not to drink too much water any time you came over, but today, you decided to splurge on a venti passion fruit iced tea with sweetener from that very popular franchise sporting a mermaid logo and fiscally cosmic name. To your pleasant surprise, your trip to the toilet this time was wonderfully padded with Charmin Ultra Soft, not that absolutely awful off brand one with the gross texture of a dried pinecone from inferno.

“Hey, that toilet paper was a good steal! It was a three for one deal,” Mark protests, and you narrow your eyes at him.

“Wow, I wonder why it was priced so low.” You deadpan, and Mark blanches, recalling all those restroom incidents that were rather rough. Literally.

“Anyway, do you think my viewers wanna see me make chocolate crinkle cookies or mochi doughnuts?” You bring up the two recipes you managed to perfect and add your own spin to on your phone, eyes scanning the ingredient lists.

“Both. And tell me when you’re making them, so I can come over and eat them.” He gives you a wide grin, and you let out a snort at that. His smile only grows as he says happily, “I love your job.”

“You only love it because you can freeload off of me,” you jest, but nevertheless begin to start to add all the ingredients for both recipes to your shopping cart. You always film cooking videos on Tuesdays, edit on Wednesdays, keep Thursdays free for last minute touch ups and emergencies, and post one every week on Fridays with other various random videos uploaded whenever in between. With that in mind, you schedule your upcoming grocery delivery for Monday.

“Hey, you need me. I’m the best taste tester.” He puffs up his chest proudly before hastily tacking on a more genuine reason. “And because I’d starve without you. I can’t live off of instant ramen and frozen chicken nuggets forever. Gordon Ramsay already confirmed my shitty cooking skills. I need you to survive.”

“Oh my god, when I uploaded those pics of your scrambled eggs on Twitter, I lost like a hundred followers in less than a minute.” You confirm the delivery and place your phone on the coffee table, picking up the opened bag of Cheeto puffs before settling back in your seat. “My cooking credibility was completely shot. I had to explain to my fans that I didn’t make those.”

“Yeah, but now everyone calls me Eggy Boi online!” he whines, and you laugh. You have to admit, it’s quite a funny play on the whole “edgy boi” terminology. You wonder if Mark will find it amusing if he discovers his roommate is the culprit behind his new online persona (He probably won’t, and you reckon Donghyuck enjoys living in a safe space where he doesn’t have to sleep with one eye open, so you stay quiet about it. You’ll use it as leverage some other time).

“Okay, Eggy Boi, come by on Tuesday because I’ll be baking in the afternoon,” you say casually, grabbing the remote control from your best friend and pressing play.

You very narrowly avoid a green gummy bear to the face. It lands somewhere behind the couch, lost forever to the dust bunnies and other snacks that missed its target. You know for a fact that it’ll stay there until the boys decide to move to a new apartment. Mark grumbles at the miss, biting off the head of a red cherry flavored gummy bear perhaps a little harder than necessary.

“I hate you. But I’m still coming over next week because I want a doughnut.”

“No cookie?”

“... and a cookie. Maybe two.”

Wednesday comes faster than you expected, and you’re currently holed up in your apartment’s second bedroom—which you had transformed into a snazzy office space—completing the edits to your second video on mochi doughnuts. You already finished polishing the one about the cookies earlier, thank goodness. If you had to stare at your computer screen for another three hours, you would rather eat those pastries Mark tried to make two months ago, but had mistaken salt for sugar. Adding a cup of salt to any baked good is an extremely effective way to make anyone who tasted your best friend’s brownies experience a trip to the beach. Because they essentially just swallowed a mouthful of sand and ocean water. Because it’s salty as heck. Just like Mark was when you told him.

Speaking of your best friend, he’s currently puttering around in your kitchen doing god knows what. He knows better than to try another recipe and possibly blow up your number one moneymaker—your prized oven—in the process. Your heart nearly drops when your ears pick up the faint chopping sounds of a knife against your wooden cutting board. Is he going to try to temper chocolate again? He nearly burned through your entire stock of dark, milk, and white chocolate last time.

After much contemplation and deciding that you deserve a good procrastination break and a fully intact kitchen, you’re about to go out and see what he’s up to when Mark timidly appears in your doorway, clutching onto a white bowl of watermelon cubes with a fork tucked neatly in it. He shuffles in, dropping the snack on your desk before turning to walk out without a word, not wanting to disturb your work mode.

Your heart warms up at the sight, and you speak up, a small smile slipping into your face. “What’s this for?”

“Knowing you, you probably haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.” He pauses in the doorway and adds on sheepishly, “And I can't cook anything, so this is what you get.”

Your heart swells tenfold, and your smile widens even more as you spear a piece of fruit with the fork and quickly pop it into your mouth. “Thanks, Marky.”

His cheeks flush with a pretty shade of carmine, and he fails to suppress the little giddy smile that appears on his face at your nickname for him. He walks out of your office, reddened cheeks still rising up higher than ever. “Y-Yeah, of course. No problem.”

By the time you finish adding the final few touches to your edited video, the bowl of watermelon has been picked clean. You save your video and transfer both of your completed projects to your phone, making a mental note to schedule their uploads and add them to your account’s posting queue later. Shoving your phone in the pocket of your sweats after ensuring the successful transfer of your videos, you pick up the empty dish and walk out towards the kitchen, the silver fork clinking against the side of the bowl with every step.

As you wash the dish and utensil, Mark wanders over from his spot on the couch, leaning forward and casually placing his chin on your shoulder. Almost instantaneously, you feel the heat rising to your cheeks as you briefly fantasize about your best friend wrapping his arms around your waist and how domestic and sweet the two of you would look, like one of those cheesy couples the two of you always made fun of.

“What’s up?” you ask, making a conscious effort to hold your voice steady and not waver over the fact that Mark is basically draped over you. After you place the dish on the drying rack, you turn around to face your best friend, sorely miscalculating the distance as mere inches separate your face from his now.

“I—” Puberty decides to make an ugly appearance in the form of an ill timed voice crack, and he internally curses as he takes a step back, willing the incoming blush to go away. Letting out a small cough, he tries again, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“I, um, Jisung sent me some kind of dance video. He said it’s a challenge? I kinda don’t know what to do with it? Like do I make a new dance, record myself, and send it back? Actually, isn't it easier to just do a dance battle face to face?”

“Can I see the video?” You already have a good idea on what the video will be, but you want to confirm it. Mark fumbles with his phone, pulling up the video in his text messages. He angles the phone towards you for you to see, and you grab his hand, bringing the device a little closer to you for a better look and clicking play.

“Oh, it’s a Tiktok challenge! He’s doing the Say So dance!” you exclaim, recognizing the song almost immediately as your eyes follow the fluid dance moves, completely enthralled. “So a challenge isn’t going up against someone, like a battle. It’s just some kind of trend or concept that you try to copy yourself. You’re supposed to learn the same dance and record yourself for this one. I can show you some other challenges and help you practice and record this one tomorrow if you wanna drop by after work!”

“O-Oh, okay, sounds good.” Mark stumbles over his words, attempting to focus on what you’re saying and the dance Jisung is doing, but all he can think about is the way your body is pressed against his side, hand comfortably wrapped around his. He freezes up as the tips of his ears grow redder and redder with every passing second, and his face sports a similar color. He silently prays for the telltale crimson to go away by the time the dance is over.

When the video ends, you once again realize the close proximity between you and your best friend. Your face burns at this revelation, and you awkwardly take a step back. Clearing your throat, you hastily release Mark’s hand (He inaudibly lets out the breath he’s been holding in this entire time, yet he also already misses the way your hand felt grasping his).

“Uh, anyway, I’m gonna make a latte. Do you want a drink, too?” You walk towards the other side of your kitchen with Mark trailing behind you. You take out a floral, peachy colored mug from your cupboards before pausing and looking at your best friend. “Wait, do you remember how to use a Keurig?”

“Yes!” He says, slightly exasperated as he picks out his own cup from your cabinet. He always uses the same one—a cerulean blue mug with squiggles all over it—and all of your friends and guests know not to use it because it’s unofficially officially Mark’s mug (And perhaps, you did indeed buy it from that overpriced kitschy tableware shop down the street two years ago with your best friend in mind).

“Really?” You select the latte option and press start after you had already positioned the mug beneath the spout and inserted a green tea matcha pod. He finally relents, shoulders sagging and a defeated expression on his face.

“... No.”

You chuckle, taking the mug from him and carefully putting it on the counter. You grab the espresso pod you know he likes from the drawer below and place it next to the cup. “It’s okay, I’ll teach you again.”

Mark tries. He really does. He tries very hard to concentrate on memorizing the simple process, but he keeps getting distracted. His eyes are focused on the correct button to push before they start to trail up to your fingertips. And then, they go from your hand to your arm, then up to the elegant curve of your neck, and finally, to the way your lashes frame your pretty eyes and how the tip of your tongue sticks out slightly as you concentrate until all he can focus on is you, you, you.

Suddenly, in what feels like a blink of an eye, you’re done and handing him his finished drink, complete with a perfectly whipped milk foam on top. You ask him if he knows how to make it now, and all he can do is lie and nod with a barely convincing smile.

After all, how can Mark tell his best friend that the reason he never remembers is because you’re the biggest distraction?

Mark should be here in five minutes, according to his most recent text message. And in the text message below that, your friend had sent you a challenge. More specifically, it’s the one she completed with Donghyuck a few weeks ago. When you said you wanted bold suggestions on how to figure out if your best friend feels the same way about you as you do about him, you didn’t want one this bold.

Yet, the video link to your friend’s “today I kissed my best friend” challenge along with a winky face from her is staring mockingly at you. While you aren’t one to back down from a challenge, the mere thought of kissing your best friend causes vast colonies of butterflies to erupt in your stomach and your ears to feel as if they have caught on fire. You’re already tongue tied with your head in the clouds, and he isn’t even here yet. How utterly fantastic.

However, your mother definitely did not raise a quitter, so you spring into action when you hear the faint jingling of a key being inserted into your apartment’s door (You had given Mark a copy of your key almost immediately after you had moved in). You move the pretty indoor fern given to you by Jaemin as a housewarming gift last year closer to the edge of your towering bookcase, leaning your phone against it. You quickly position the device to capture a good view of the couch area in your living room and press the record button, arranging a few of the leaves to hide as much of your phone as you possibly can without obstructing the lens.

You run full speed to your bedroom, letting out a sigh of relief when you’re safely inside and hear Mark finally unlocking the door successfully and shuffling in. When he calls out to you, you try to even out your breathing, walking out of your room with your tripod and laptop in hand.

“Hey,” you greet him in the most casual tone you can muster. You place the tripod down and sit before opening your laptop and setting it on the coffee table. “I thought we could watch a few challenges for fun before trying the Say So one. Have you watched Jisung’s videos before?”

“Um, well, no, not really,” he confesses sheepishly, taking a seat next to you on the couch, leg pressing against yours. He squints at the YouTube video you pulled up earlier before he had arrived, reading the title before clicking the space button to start it. “Savage Tiktok dance compilation part two?”

“Wait, hold up.” You pause the video and then turn to face him with an incredulous expression on your face. “You’ve never watched any of Jisung’s dance Tiktoks?”

“No… I don’t even have an account.” His cheeks are dusted with the lightest shade of pink as he quietly admits, “I watch all of yours though.”

Your eyes widen at his confession, face heating up as you stammer out, “O-Oh, well, I can help you make an account later to upload your video.”

“Sounds good.” There’s a few seconds of silence as you mull over his previous words before he speaks up again awkwardly, “Should I, uh, play the video?”

“Oh! Yes, right! Of course, hit play,” you laugh nervously, twisting and playing with the hair tie around your wrist. He starts the video again, and the two of you watch the compilation, slowly relaxing once more as you tap your fingers to the rhythm of the song and he bobs his head to the beat.

“Do I have to change outfits like that?” he questions a few minutes later, eyes growing round as he sees the girl on the screen switch between four different outfits throughout the dance. His closet basically consists of the same five black shirts that he stole from Jaehyun. Even if he did do an outfit swap, there would literally be no difference at all.

“You don’t have to,” you assure him, clicking the enter key to play the next video that’s recommended: another Tiktok dance challenge compilation. “All you have to do is copy the dance.”

Mark nods, taking a glance at the laptop screen before his hand shoots out and he pauses the video, leaning forward to take a closer look at the little recommended video title banner at the top. “Wait! What’s that one?”

He clicks on it, the new video now loading up. The two of you wait patiently for it to begin, waiting for the spinning disc to stop. But it doesn’t. In fact, the whole chrome page goes blank and then, the little pixelated Google Chrome dinosaur pops up on your monitor, announcing that you have no internet connection. Furrowing your eyebrows, you try to reload the page before trying to re-establish your laptop connection to your wifi. Unfortunately, you cannot find your appropriately named “drop it like it’s hotspot” wifi anywhere to connect to.

And that’s when it hits you. Your landlord had sent out a notice to the entire apartment complex last week about the electricity being powered down today from 4 to 6 p.m. for a maintenance check, and a quick glance at the digital clock on your laptop shows that it’s a little past four.

You groan, closing your laptop and flopping back against the couch cushions dramatically. Mark cocks his head, slightly confused, before he pokes you in the arm. “What’s wrong?”

“I completely forgot about the scheduled electricity shutdown for the entire building. We won’t have any wifi for the next two hours.” You pout, your bottom lip jutting out in the slightest, and Mark doesn’t think it’s fair that you get to be this cute and have this much of an effect on his racing heart rate.

“That’s okay, we can… play some board games?” he suggests offhandedly, pushing away the embarrassing thought and nudging your leg with his, and you smile before a sudden idea occurs to you.

“Or we can still do some Tiktok challenges! What was the challenge you clicked on?” You quickly sit upright, turning to face your best friend, eyes sparkling in excitement. “I memorized a few of the dance ones already! Was it Renegade? I can teach you that one. Jisung showed me how to do it.”

“Um,” he starts, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His eyes dart everywhere, except you, as he lets out a feigned cough. “It wasn’t a dance one. It was about, uh, going up to your boyfriend… and um, hugging him... when he’s playing video games.”

“Oh.” You answer lamely, not knowing what to say. You unsuccessfully try to push away the image of you attempting that challenge with your best friend. “Those are really cute.”

“Really?” He says doubtfully, wrinkling his eyebrows and fiddling with the frayed sleeve of his sweater. “Wouldn’t the dude get mad?”

You don’t know what suddenly possessed you to do this (you’ll have to ask Renjun and his paranormal loving ass later), but you thank whatever demon did for that split second because you find yourself gently grabbing Mark’s arm and slipping your head underneath it. You swing one leg over his lap and settle down until you’re securely sitting in his lap, bent legs on either side of his hips, hands curled around the soft fabric of his sweater on both sides and resting on top of your thighs. His arms instinctively go around your waist, wrapping around you securely.

You tilt your head to the side slightly, studying the flustered boy in front of you with a teasing, albeit a little anxious, smile on your lips. “Are you feeling mad?”

Splotches of red litter his cheeks and decorate the tips of his ears, but your best friend furiously shakes his head at your question, bashfully ducking his head afterwards and muttering a soft “No.”

You swallow hard, heart pounding erratically in your chest as you timidly ask, “Would you be mad if I do this?”

Mark looks up at that, confusion written all over his face. His arms start to loosen around your figure, hands now resting on your waist. “If you do what?”

You take a deep breath. “This.”

You lean in and gently press your lips against his. Mark freezes in shock, and you quickly retreat soon after, gnawing at the inside of your cheek as you wait anxiously for his reaction. Your heart feels like it’s about to fall out of your chest and be buried six feet under.

A tiny noise of surprise belatedly escapes from him and crimson spreads across his cheeks like wildfire. His doe eyes are wide and sparkling, staring at you in bewilderment. Your best friend lets out a small laugh of disbelief before a full blown smile breaks out across his face. He gazes at you adoringly, breathing out softly, “I’m not mad at that.”

You perk up at that, draping your arms around his neck as you lean forward, beaming. “Really? You’re not?”

“Definitely not.”

This time, Mark meets you halfway, his lips slotting against yours perfectly and making you feel tingles up and down your spine. Your eyes are closed, and you are so hyper aware of the way his hands grip your hips, how he tugs you closer, and how his lips chase after yours. The number of butterflies from earlier multiply in your stomach, and you have ascended past cloud nine by now.

When the two of you break apart, your eyes flutter open, and you nudge your nose against his affectionately. The brightest grin blooms on his face once again, and he buries his face in the crook of your neck, muffling his little giggles and hiding the awfully vibrant cerise that rapidly blossoms on his face.

“Is this a good time to tell you congrats for completing your first challenge?” you say, resting your cheek against the crown of his head. You pull away when he lifts his head up, surprised.

“I wasn’t playing video games though,” he says slowly, processing your words and thinking back to the challenge that started this all.

“It was a different challenge. It’s the one that Hyuck did a few weeks ago,” you confess, and realization dawns on him, his face lighting up for a split second before a look of horror takes over.

“Oh, no. Is that why you had your phone recording on the bookshelf?” Mark asks, dread beginning to cloud his mind.

“Yes…” you say slowly, a little perplexed. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Oh my god, I ruined your video,” he moans, dropping his forehead onto your shoulder. “I saw your phone when I walked in and thought you were filming earlier and forgot to turn it off, so I turned it off for you.”

When the words finally register in your mind, you can’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of your throat, and he raises his head up to look at you with wide doe eyes at the pretty sound. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

You can’t stop laughing at the situation, and he looks at you worriedly, gnawing on his bottom lip slightly. You force yourself to calm down, a soft chuckle leaving your lips before you beam at him, leaning in and placing the softest kiss on the tip of his nose. “It’s okay, Mark. I’m not mad. That video wasn’t important anyway.”

“But still,” he whines before letting out a groan and slapping his hand against his forehead when the realization sinks in even further. “I’m such an idiot.”

“But you’re my idiot now, right?” you say teasingly, albeit a little shyly as well, as you reach over to tug his hand away from his face and lace your fingers with his.

“I mean, I kinda thought I was always your idiot,” Mark laughs softly and a little embarrassedly, eyes averted and cheeks turning pinker than ever. The largest grin spreads across your face at that, and you turn away slightly to hide it. You didn’t think your best friend can possibly be any more endearing, but he manages to prove you wrong every time.

“Well, then now you can add ‘Y/N’s boyfriend’ to your resume,” you say, and he fails to suppress the pleased smile appearing on his face at your remark, his rosy cheeks rising even taller than skyscrapers.

“So, uh, what sort of job description does that have?” He gazes at your intertwined hands in wonder, still completely giddy at the reality of you being his best friend and something more.

“Sharing hoodies, giving me attention, kissing, holding my hand, going on dates, you know, the basics,” you answer, squeezing his hand tenderly, and his doe eyes instantly light up. Mark feels a little bolder than before, and it shows when he grins widely and says:

“Can we do number three again?”

“Yes, we can, Eggy Boi.”

He wrinkles his nose at the name, disgruntled and unimpressed, as he crosses his arms over his chest, sulking. You let out a laugh before leaning in and crashing your lips against his. He immediately relents at that, enthusiastically responding and hugging you closer to him, and you can’t help but smile into the kiss as you feel his own smile appear as well.

At that moment, you decide that you want to change Mark’s personal brand. Because his should be “absolutely wonderful, positively amazing, a cute kisser, your boyfriend, and your bestest friend.” And yes, that is most definitely more than the allotted three words, but again, who’s really counting?

Certainly not you when you’re too preoccupied with kissing your best friend. Correction: best friend and new boyfriend.

One new notification: donutkillmyvibe uploaded a new video!

moominjun commented:

so you’re saying the reason why we didn’t get the highly anticipated best friend challenge video is because @ marklyrawr turned the camera off?

donutkillmyvibe replied: yes 😔 I’m sorry to disappoint everyone 🤧

nanaislove replied: omg no bby it’s ok 🥺🥺💞💓💓💝💗 you didn’t have to make an apology video for that 🥺💗💓💘💖

goofys.chuckle replied: yeah it’s mark’s fault. he’s the disappointment here 🥴

morklyrawr replied: hahahahaha stfu hyuck

tytrack commented:

mark is going through puberty. I apologize

dobunny replied: @.@

goofys.chuckle commented:

are we getting whip(ped)lash pt 2 by eggy boi?

morklyrawr replied: YOU’RE THE ONE WHO STARTED THAT NAME?????

goofys.chuckle replied: uh gotta blast 🚀

showmethemonet replied: @ goofys.chuckle does this mean you’re staying over again?

goofys.chuckle replied: @ showmethemonet yes if you want your super cute, mega talented, very handsome boyfriend to still be alive 🥺

showmethemonet replied: @ goofys.chuckle oh my god I didn’t know I was dating bts jin???

moominjun replied: LMFAOOOOO

goofys.chuckle replied: heart 💔 been broke 📉 so many times ⏰ i don’t know 🤔 what to believe 💯 mama 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 said 🗣 it’s my fault 😢 it’s my fault 🤦🏻‍♂️i wear my heart ❤️ on my sleeve 💪 i think it’s best 👍🏻 I put my heart ❤️ on ice 🧊

jenojam commented:

why am I not surprised……

itsmebetch replied: just mark thingz 🍉

suhprisemf commented:

mark your head looks flat af

jungjaeprince replied: 😂😂😂

10vely replied: @ jungjaeprince be quiet don’t cry

letswonwon commented:

whoop whoop

junguwu commented:

OMG CONGRATS ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP SWEETIE 😍😍

takoyaki_prince commented:

MARK!!!!! you look handsome !! 😘

jisungpwark commented:

rip to @ donutkillmyvibe ’s future videos that mark will ruin. press f in the chat to pay respects 🙏🏻

bigheadking replied: F ✊🏻😔

peachyangel replied: f 🥺🥺

yoitslucas replied: F 🤪🤪🤪 but glad you’re happy, man ❤️

donutkillmyvibe replied: F 💔

morklyrawr replied: @ donutkillmyvibe wtf babe????

officialgordonramsay commented:

didn’t i tell you to get back on tinder ?

apado_god commented:

nice 😎👍🏻

3K notes · View notes

greenplumbboblover · 3 years ago

Photo

(Originally from my Patreon)

Heya everyone!

Hopefully things are going well with you all! Today I figured I'd show off a bit of what I've been working on :) It's all themed around the 'environment' interest, which as mentioned in a previous post, is the first interest I'll be entirely working on ;)

Townie Interests Manager - General

The townie interest manager is a 'helper' for, well, pre-mades living in the town! It gives them random interests when you first load the world with this mod.

Some pre-mades are 'remakes' from TS2, I figured, would it be cool to make sure that those sims are somewhat true to their ts2 interests? And so, those sims now have interests that work with their TS2 interests!

All of these townies (aka pre-mades) have 'Dislike' and 'Passionate' (or neutral even) that are all true to them:

(Remember 0 is absolutely disliking the interest, 20 is absolutely loving the interesting, 10 is neutral)

For premades, these interests can always be tweaked to your own personal liking of course! I'm just basing most off of the traits and skills :)

Townie Interests Manager - Autonomy

Currently, this is still a HUGE WIP of course! And currently, I'm testing it with in-game objects before I wanna try it with other mods out there and my own items that I'll make for this mod (See documentation: Google Docs )

I'm still expanding the 'autonomy' for this of course, but currently, I'm implementing the autonomy for sims to go to hobby lots (or any community lots that has their hobbies on it). They can also, of course, choose to do it at home :)

So how does this work then exactly? Well, in the picture above you might have seen 'Hobby lot: None' (which looks different with an actual lot though :p)

Here's the progress in an image format:

Of course, you can change or remove it ;) I do have to make the 'removing' part a bit clearer though. For now, you have to choose 'none' for that to work. Not so practical really.

What happens after setting a lot as a hobby lot?

From there, there's a 50% chance a sim will decide to visit that lot, or rather do their hobbies at home :) Since Entertainment currently does literally nothing, I'll demonstrate it with Environment:

For these sims, they'll need a gardening skill higher than at least 1, and there need to be at least some plants on the lot! Nraas SP seems really helpful here, as it does skill sims up automatically depending on their traits :)

(NOTE: this will NOT affect any households you're currently playing with, just families that you're currently not playing with. I'll make sure there's an off/on switch for families though :))

---

Here both Jocasta & Gobias have decided they wanted to do some gardening in their own garden!

And here, I turned the Library into a hobby lot for Environment! And so Judy decided to visit it! :)

Testing blunder:

At some point, I actually forgot to 'blacklist' residential lots from being 'harvested' (since if you have no hobby lots, townies will just go to any community lot that has plants on it :)) And because of that Gobias kindly kept stealing/tending other sim's gardens :p

That no longer is the case though :p Gobias won’t steal your harvest anymore lol

How will this be useful?

First off, I'm personally really happy that Jocasta, for example, is *actually* tending her garden! I remember how before this mod, no one would tend their gardens and they were just... well, there!

So now, even if you're playing your family, and you're maybe following them driving to work, you actually see your neighbors do stuff!

Plus! your neighbors will actually skill up the skills they might need for their life wishes or just the storyline in general!

Stocks

As mentioned in the documentation, you can ask, in this case, the gardener sims here what they harvested and see their stock! This is extra great if your sim is a chef! All you got to do is check their stack of whatever-you-need, get anything with the best quality, and buy that, then make that perfect dish!

They may also donate some vegetables to you if they exceed over a certain limit (this is also so that the save game doesn't get bloated in huge MBs :p)

Researching an interest

Something for your own simmies! Now, because of some comments, I've seen on how people play their games, I figured this is the best way to proceed: Gatekeeping the interests.

What do I exactly mean by that? Well, if your sim is 'neutral' in an interest (So 10 points) they'll have to 'study' said interest they want to participate in :) That way, it's also less annoying too, when your sim is gardening for example, that the interests mod keeps bugging you about selecting a hobby and stuff :p

How it works:

Either on the computer, or your phone, your sim can go to Lyra's Interests & Hobbies > Research X interest.

Depending on what thing you're researching, your sim will show thought bubbles on what they're researching! So if you ever forget, just check the thought bubbles!

In this case, it's 'Health' ;)

Another way is of course to check the queue and hover over the task :p

Want to speed up the progress?

The research progress is somewhat like the 'writing a novel' progress. However, I coded mine in such a way, that it's keeping in mind that sims are reading things, rather than writing ;)

So, Bookworms and sims who read over 50 books (so if both, you're extra lucky! :p) will research things quicker by 10%.

Neurotic sims, on the other hand, that's -5% of the overall speed, since they really wanna know all the nitpicky details on how, what, why, where, etc.

------

And that's all for now! it's not super impressive, but it was a hard job linking things together though! Hopefully, you all liked this first progress log! :)

#hobbiesandinterests #InterestsHobbiesProgressLog #work in progress #wip #ts3 #sims 3 #the sims 3 #Long post warning

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houseboatisland · 3 years ago

Text

Engine Bios: Ethel

Number(s): NWR No. 21 (ex-BR No. 62886)

Type: LNER Class C1 (with modifications)

Livery: Kelly Green with Red Stripes

Built: 1923

Arrived on Sodor: 1950

Based at: Tidmouth (1950-Present)

Ethel, (officially Ethel Frances Gresley,) is a very special engine, despite originating from a class of ninety-five engines. Ethel was commissioned by Sir Nigel Gresley in 1923 as a personal pet project, more than ten years after her ancestral Great Northern Railway had stopped building her siblings. Sir Gresley was very taken with the “Large Atlantics,” and experimented on several of them not merely to build his Pacifics, but also to extend their lives, out of a legitimate affection.

Ethel, built shortly after the London and North Eastern Railway’s birth, was no exception. The LNER, who were thrilled to have Sir Gresley on their side, spared no expense when it came to letting him have her. ‘Under the hood,’ Ethel is far removed from her siblings. She has three cylinders rather than two, a more powerful boiler to accommodate this, various invisible adjustments to valve types and settings, and most noticeably of all, a more modern cab, comparable to those on the A1s she was built alongside. Perhaps critically to her survival, Sir Gresley decided not to fit her with his conjugated valve gear.

Named for her designer’s wife, Ethel had a very protected upbringing along the lines of what we would call today “helicopter parenting.” She was coaled by hand as a rule, kept clean enough to eat off of, and often allowed to jump maintenance queues. She appreciated Sir Gresley for this, but was much bullied in his absence by other engines who resented her status and privilege. Sir Gresley seemed a bit distant with her after her namesake died in 1929, and with his own death in 1941, she lost her biggest advocate. As the war dragged on, she became just another engine. Naturally, she had been painted unlined black, worked like the devil, and been neglected maintenance, and as her brothers and sisters disappeared, she became convinced she was next.

When her eldest brother, No. 251, was selected for preservation in 1947, Ethel was sure she was doomed. Barely any engines were being preserved at all at this time, so why should she, when one example already had been? Her confidence collapsed still further when she found out she wasn’t selected for the “Farewell Tours” her class was managing. She spent several months dumped at the back of Sheffield Darnall MPD, wondering when the cutters would come. Engines came and went, mocking her, asking where Gresley was “to help her now,” and other hurtful remarks besides. To their fury, and her own shock, Sir Topham Hatt I appeared in January of 1950, and explained that he had bought her after decades of wanting an Atlantic of his own.

Her own history of privilege, and the reactions of her fellow engines who had no such luck, made this turn of events more bitter than sweet for Ethel. Even as she was prepared to leave, her shedmates booed and cursed her relentlessly. Once on Sodor, Ethel did everything in her power to reinvent herself. She chose to be painted green with red stripes like several other North Western engines, and requested that her nameplates be removed. This was done, but they still reside somewhere in Crovan’s Gate Works’ storage, as the men refused to destroy them.

From then on, she was Ethel Frances Gresley no more, she was “just Ethel.”

Although she had been brought on primarily for semi-fast passenger trains and local trains along the Main Line, Ethel has frequently volunteered herself for goods work where possible. She insists on her status as a mixed-traffic engine, lets herself be last in line at the Washdowns, does her own shunting when the schedule allows for it, and regularly leaves the Main Line to help on the branches. All this has earned her a good reputation among engines, passengers and crews, who see her as a selfless jack-of-all-trades not above any kind of work.

She has butted heads with Gordon on occasion over “the pride and conduct of passenger engines.” Ethel initially was avoided by Henry, who felt uncomfortable around a green Atlantic and all that the concept reminded him of. He’s since become much more comfortable around her, and is highly favored by James, who lets her shoulder his goods work whenever he can get away with it, not for lack of the other engines trying to stop him. Ethel never met diesels in her time on the Mainland, and never truly learned prejudice towards them. She’s very popular on the Ffarquhar and Brendam branches when she appears, and is one of the chosen few whom Bill and Ben seldom play tricks on.

If you ask her where she comes from, she’ll answer you the same way she does everyone else:

“I’m Ethel. Now then, what can I do for you?”

#ttte #ttte oc: ethel #ttte: sir nigel gresley #ttte gordon #ttte sir topham hatt i #ttte henry #ttte james #ttte bill and ben #ttte oc

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dunefandomevents · 2 years ago

Text

Dune Mini Bang 2023

Writer sign ups open in 2 weeks!

Writer Sign-Ups Open - May 1st - May 14th Check In 1 - June 14th Snippets Deadline - June 30th Artist Sign Up / Art Claims - July 1st - until all stories are claimed Check In 2 - July 14th Rough Draft Due - Aug 18th Posting Claims - Aug 18th - Aug 25th Posting Schedule Announced - Aug 26th Final Drafts/Art Due - Aug 31st Posting Starts - Sept 3rd

GENERAL FAQ

Where can I post my fics/art? Stories and art can be posted to your own personal journal, Tumblr, ff-net, AO3, or wherever you like. For those of you with AO3 accounts, we will set up a collection that will go live on the day of the posting. If you don’t currently have an AO3 account but would like one, you can contact the mods for an invitation code to see if they have any available. You can also add yourself to the AO3 Invites Request queue.

For posting on other social media platforms, such as tumblr or twitter, please tag duneminibang2023 and @dunefandomevents , spread the word!

When do I start posting? We will open the posting date claims ahead of the close date. How many days it will be spread out will depend on how many writers we have signed up. If your story is multi-chaptered it does not need to be posted all at once, you should start posting chapters early so the story can be listed as completed by your posting date. You will be able to select a preference for where in the queue you are but ultimately your posting date will be selected by the moderation team.

What platform are these being advertised/posted on? AO3 will host the main archive collection - The collection will be created and ready to go for the Sept 3rd posting start date. Tumblr - Used for advertising signups and after posting starts we will cross post all stories to a masterlist. Twitter - Used for advertising signups and after posting starts we will be cross posting - Linking AO3 collection / Tumblr masterpost. Reddit - Will be used for advertising signups.

The only account we really recommend to have is AO3 as it is the main collection but so long as you have somewhere you can post your story when it is completed and link it to us that is fine. If you do not already have an AO3 account and would like one please contact us on the discord server or send an email to [email protected] and we will see if anyone has an invitation code available.

What if I have issues or concerns with my artist/author? Sometimes authors and artists do not get along and this may cause problems with working together. If this happens to be the case with you, please email or contact the mods on Discord and we will try to do what we can so that everyone has a chance to have fun!

If you have not heard from your author/artist in some time after trying to contact them, you can reach out to us via email/discord and we will try to get in touch with them for you.

Extensions? I am pretty attached to the idea of starting posting on the anniversary of the Dune Premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept 3rd but if you really really need one please email the mods as soon as possible. One easy option would be to select one of the later posting dates but if that doesn't work we may allow a few extra days.

Can I drop out? We have high hopes that everybody who signs up can actually finish the round and share in the joy of the reveal with us, but real life can unfortunately get in the way and we completely understand! If you feel like you just cannot finish in time and no amount of assistance from us can help you, just let us know by asap! Ideally we would wish to know before artist claims have opened.

Is it possible to be banned? Yes it is. The following events will result in being removed from the event and a one event ban on next year; Lying about your age in order to gain access to the 18+ content Hate on another participant for their ship/character/content - we are allowing ALL content for the mini bang. Hate on another participant for any reason really Failure to meet the event requirements

WRITER FAQ

What are the word count requirements? Stories for this event should have a minimum word count of 5000 words. There is no official maximum word count but keep in mind the story must be completed and ready for posting by the due date. Ideally we are asking for the stories in this event to be brand new, started and finished during the course of the event. If you would like to enter with an existing WIP we ask that you do not post any updates to the story until the event has finished.

Allowable story types; Prose, screenplay, poetry, podfic, or a translation of an existing story. One-shot or multi chaptered. So long as the 5k word count is reached then it is good to go.

What is Allowed? It is open to all duniverses/adaptations, any rating or pairing. This includes OCs and Y/N stories though we want to warn authors that those kinds of stories have historically been hard to get an artist claim. If you are able to provide references such as face claims that would be great, or if after consulting with your artists they may choose not to include the OCs at all. These extra details should be submitted with your snippet submissions. Open to AUs or crossovers with other fandom universes but we require that the main character or cast of characters be from Dune.

Ex 1. Original Main Character set in the Dune Universe with the cast of Dune characters along for the ride. A-OK. Ex 2. Paul Atreides gets teleported to the Star Wars Universe and is now a Jedi. A-OK.

If you are not sure if your concept will be allowed please feel free to message mods ahead of time.

What is Not Allowed? At this time we are saying yes to everything. ((except the scenario mentioned above)) Yes, EVERYTHING (even incest pairings), so long as your story is appropriately tagged. Like tag all the things, over tag, cannot have too many tags. Please keep in mind if you are using a pairing or a trope/kink which is considered controversial that you might receive negative feedback after posting or struggle to get an artist claim.

How many stories can I submit? We are limiting entries to one per writer but your story may be multi-chaptered so long as all chapters are completed by September 1st and has been fully uploaded by the assigned posting date.

What are check-ins? These are a way for us to see what you’ve been up to and for you to make sure you’re still on track. It will give you a little nudge/reminder if you need it, but they are not compulsory. A form will be emailed out to the address you provided at sign up and posted to the discord server.

We will not be mandating a certain percentage completed between each check in but a good goal point would be; check in 1 = 30% story written, check in 2 = 60% and rough draft due = 80%

What are snippets? We are requesting 2 snippets from each author, 500 words maximum each for artists to use for artist claims. They can be from any section of your story. Literally, just copy and paste a few paragraphs into a document and send it to us. You should also include any visual references needed if your story contains an original character which you may want your artist to incorporate. They can be submitted via email anytime after the event starts until the snippet due date on June 30th.

Once claims have been finished we will be emailing, and posting on discord the final pair ups.

This year we are allowing Writers to find an artist prior to registration and have their concept pre-claimed. If this is the case then a snippet is not required. You just need to provide us with the artist's name when you sign up and they will need to complete the artist sign up when the time comes.

Rough draft requirements? For the rough drafts, stories should be at least 80% complete. You will not have to turn them in to us, just assure us that you are at that point. Anything less is at the discretion of the mods and those authors should speak to one of the mods asap. We will help you as much as possible to ensure the story gets completed on time.

What is, and do I need, a beta? A beta is basically a person who goes over your work to make sure that there are no spelling/grammatical errors and they can even be of assistance in helping you with story lines, etc. It is highly recommended that a beta looks over your work before posting. If you are having trouble finding a beta, try the event discord server. Don't wait too long to go looking though!

#Dune #Dune Fanfiction #Dune Event #Dune Mini Bang 2023 #Writer Sign Ups #T-Minus 2 weeks

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slyttherins · 4 years ago

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Unexpected flame (part 5) | Fred Weasley x Sirius Black’s daughter

Hermione - along with Crookshanks - arrived at the start of August. She had brought her whole trunk and school stuff, having no plan to return home before the start of the new school year.

As expected, Ginny didn't waste time filling her in on the latest gossip inside the house. Juliet wished she had kept it to herself, as there was really nothing to tell, but according to Ginny, it was big news.

The three girls were sitting in Ginny and Hermione's room, eating freshly baked pumpkin cookies and catching up when Ginny brought it up.

''So...are we gonna ignore the elephant in the room?''

''Yes.''

''No.''

Juliet glared at Hermione. She usually didn't pay interest in gossip, which left Juliet surprised.

''What? I want to be let in on the juicy gossip too. All I know is what Ginny told me, which isn't much.''

''Because there isn't much to tell.''

Ginny rolled her eyes. ''Rubbish.''

''Come on, Juliet. You kissed Fred, there must be something to tell,'' Hermione encouraged.

Perhaps they did a little more than kissing, but she figured Ginny didn't need - or want - to know that. No one wants to hear that their brother fingered their best friend while they were asleep next door.

Juliet shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Ginny. ''Don't you think it's a bit weird that I tell you this? He's your brother.''

''But you're my best friend and I want to know about your love life...even if it involves my brother. There's things I do not want to know, but I trust you to not add too much details I don't want to hear.''

Juliet had no intentions of telling them all the details - she wanted to keep some parts of her night with Fred private -, but told them just enough to satisfy their curiosity.

''How was it? The kiss,'' Hermione asked.

Ginny scoffed. ''I bet they did more than kissing.''

''We did not.''

''You're lying!''

''Am not.''

''Quit it. Fred told George already and George told me-''

''He told George?! I can't believe him-''

A mischievous grin broke on Ginny's face. ''Got you. I knew you were lying!''

Juliet gaped.

Just then, George walked down the hallway and stopped at her door. ''What is she lying about?'' he asked, stopping in the doorway.

''She and Fred had sex.''

Once everyone had gone to bed, Fred slipped in Juliet's bedroom. It had become their night routine.

They'd sit on her bed and talk until late, until one of them started to feel sleepy. Sometimes, like tonight, clothes were removed and kisses were exchanged, but that didn't change their status. Juliet and Fred were friends. Or, perhaps a little more.

Hermione didn't approve of their arrangement, not a fan of these ‘friends with benefits’ thing, but Juliet had simply shrugged. They weren't doing anyone harm, they were just two friends having fun behind closed doors.

They rolled on their sides, facing each other as Fred caressed the pale skin of Juliet' shoulder in the half moon's glow. ''Funny how we didn't tell anyone, but somehow they all know.''

''All but our parents,'' Juliet corrected.

''Thank Godric! Mom would murder me.''

Molly wasn't against her children having sex. She knew they'd get to that at some point in their life, but she'd rather they waited till they were old enough to be responsible and safe. As in, responsible enough to not get a girl pregnant or catch an STD. She'd also rather it doesn't happen under her roof.

Although Fred was of age and that Grimmauld Place wasn't her house, Mrs. Weasley was sleeping on the floor above and she'd be livid if she knew what Juliet and him were up to while they were asleep.

''Same for my dad, but he'd murder you.''

''Murdered twice? What a heavenly way to die.''

Juliet laughed.

''Where do you think you're going, young ladies?'' Molly asked, catching Juliet and Ginny laughing as they came down the stairs, small purse on their shoulders and shoes on, looking like they were heading outside.

''Shopping,'' Juliet replied, passing her purse over her head to wear as a crossbody. ''We're meeting up with Luna in Diagon Alley.''

Juliet was hoping to get her hands on that quick-dry ink Remus told her about. Being a left handed, ink always smudged on her parchemin and got on her hands and it annoyed her.

''By yourself? While V- the Dark Lord has returned?'' Molly shook her head. ''That's not happening. Please take your shoes off and send a letter to Miss. Lovegood to inform her that you aren't going.''

''Mom! Are you being serious?'' Ginny asked,

''We didn't move here

''Juliet and Luna will be there. I'm not gonna be by myself.''

''What's the matter, Molly? I'm hearing you scream from the end of the hallway,'' said Sirius, coming out from the office.

For once, Molly was relieved to see him, assuming he'd be on her side. ''Your daughter and mine want to go to Diagon Alley,'' she informed Sirius.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Weasley, Sirius didn't react the way she had hoped him to.

''Oh, have a lovely day. Bring me back some ice cream from Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, will you Juliet?''

Molly looked at Sirius with a scowling look on her face. ''Is that all you have to say?''

Sirius looked confused. ''Do you need any money?''

Wrong answer.

''You're allowing her to go out? Have you forgotten why the Order has been reconstituted?'' Molly was fuming at, according to her, his his irresponsibility and lack of common sense.

''Of course not,'' Sirius said with a dry, almost angry tone. Voldemort was a soft subject for him. How could Molly think he could forget about that tragic night? ''But, I'm not gonna shelter her inside this bloody house. I'm the only one who is in hiding, not her. Juliet can go out if she pleases.''

''You know she can't use magic outside school, right? What if they get attacked by him or his followers? They know who she is.''

''I trust that Remus taught her how to defend herself. And, I'll go to Cornelius Fudge myself if they punish her for using magic as self defense while underage.''

Diagon Alley was bonded with people. Being one of those hot summer days, the queue at the ice cream parlour was really long so the girls decided to go to Obscurus Books instead, by Luna's request.

''It's unfortunate that Ginny couldn't come.'' Luna adjusted her funky looking, pink sunglasses.

''Her mom wasn't keen on letting her go to Diagon Alley knowing that You-Know-Who has returned. I get that she's protective of her children, but it's unlikely that the dark wizard will show up in the middle of the day,'' Juliet explained.

Luna stopped in front of a less busy shop. ''It's here.'' She pointed at the sign over the shop's door. Obscurus Books.

They walked inside and an old man greeted the girls at the front of the shop, informing them on their latest book releases.

Juliet had never been to this place before. It was nothing like Flourish and Blotts. Much smaller and not filled to the brim with books. According to Luna, this place had a much better selection of books about magical creatures.

Luna immediately strolled to her favorite section and began skimming through books. ''Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, I received a letter from Neville this morning.''

''Neville?'' Juliet repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

''Daddy and I were having trouble with one of our plants so I wrote to Neville about it last week. Turned out he simply forgot to water them...'' Luna explained, not surprised by her father's defective memory. ''Neville also told me about the new, very rare plant he got for his birthday. A Mimbulus mimbletonia, I believe? I've seen on in a book, it looks fascinating.''

A Mimbulus mimbletonia? Juliet had no clue what that was. Perhaps she should pay more attention in Herbology this year?

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley fic #sirius black daughter #fred weasley x sirius black daughte #harry potter fic #unexpected flame

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cosmic-goddess-leo · 4 years ago

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White Wedding

AgedUp!Bokuto x Reader SMUT

Summary: Bokuto and (Y/n) celebrate their wedding in the best way possible

WordCount: 1627

Warnings: SMUT! 18+ ONLY! Daddy Kink, choking

Author’s Note: This is a lil birthday gift for @allywritesimagines , I hope you like iiit!

Car rides with Bokuto were usually anything but quiet. He was as bouncy and energetic during long trips on the road as he was any other time of the day.

So why was he so quiet now?

It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, (Y/n) knew that much. The silence was thick with sexual tension, enough to suffocate the two as they drove to the cabin they had rented for the week. It made (Y/n) fan at themselves, grateful they had changed out of their wedding dress and into something more comfortable.

The silk garment was meant to be their dress for the reception, something more breathable and easier to move in as opposed to the gown they had selected for their big day. But (Y/n) would be lying if they said they picked it unaware it would drive Bokuto mad the entire night.

Based on the way his eyes occasionally trailed from the road to glance at the fabric riding up (Y/n)’s thigh, they knew they made a good choice.

The tension only thickened when the cabin came into view. (Y/n) couldn’t hold back the smile that bloomed on their face, especially when Bokuto began to visibly shift in the driver’s seat from excitement.

Bokuto wordlessly shut off the car, came around to the passenger’s side, and opened the door for (Y/n). “Our honeymoon suite awaits, my love.”

(Y/n) smiled wider before practically leaping out of the car and into Bokuto’s arms, causing the two to burst into a fit of giggles. He kicked the car door shut before adjusting (Y/n) to hold them bridal style.

He effortlessly carried them into the cabin, breathing in the scent of the hardwood floors and walls. Bokuto wanted to savor this moment, walking through the threshold of the cabin, officially beginning his honeymoon with the love of his life in his arms.

He was soon pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a familiar plush pair of lips pressing kisses along his strong jawline. Bokuto glanced down at his spouse, lips quirking up into a smirk when their eyes met. He knew (Y/n) like the back of his hand, but he didn’t need to be a genius to know what was on their mind.

(Y/n) opened their mouth to say something witty, but Bokuto was already halfway up the stairs and on his way to the bedroom when they finally realized what was going on.

They squealed as Bokuto tossed them onto the large bed, slipping into another fit of giggles as he quickly pounced on them, causing the bed frame to creak.

“What’s on the agenda for tonight, husband?” they purred, reaching up and shedding him of his black suit jacket.

“I have a few ideas...” he smirked, a glint in his eye as (Y/n) began slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

(Y/n) felt their mouth water once Bokuto tossed aside the dress shirt, his bare chest practically glowing from the moonlight shining through the bedroom windows.

They watched intently as his muscles moved and flexed when he removed his slacks and underwear, their eyes immediately being drawn to their husband’s freed cock.

If anyone had a dick that could be described as ‘beautiful,’ it would be Bokuto. A man as big as he was of course had a cock to match, the girth enough to cause the perfect amount of pain mixed with pleasure with each thrust.

Their thoughts were interrupted with the snap of Bokuto’s fingers, forcing their eyes to meet his. “Someone’s distracted...” he tsked, his fingers trailing from (Y/n)’s ankles, up their calves, and to their thighs where the silk dress had rode up. “I think I need to get your attention...”

Without warning, he lifted the dress up to (Y/n)’s hips and shoved his face between their thighs. A moan escaped his lips once me pressed a kiss to their clothed core, causing one to bubble from (Y/n)’s lips as well. “You’re already soaking through your panties for me, huh?”

(Y/n) felt ready to gush at his cocky tone. Their eyes never left his as Bokuto tugged off their underwear with his teeth before tossing the lacey garment aside.

Bokuto eagerly returned to his previous spot between their legs and began lapping at their folds, moaning in ecstasy at their taste. (Y/n) moaned shakily, instinctively attempting to press their thighs together only for Bokuto to hold them apart.

He took hold of one of their thighs and propped it onto his broad shoulder, allowing more access to the pussy he was currently feasting on. Bokuto was always so eager when he ate (Y/n) out, his tongue working wonders against their folds while his thumb traced tight circles on their clit.

(Y/n) already felt so close to bursting that it wasn’t fair. Their hands wove into Bokuto’s wild hair, gripping at the dual-toned locks in an attempt to slow him down.

Bokuto only growled against their cunt, his mouth now focusing on their clit and sucking roughly at the bundle of nerves. (Y/n)’s moans began to grow louder as they clenched around nothing, aching to be filled by whatever Bokuto was willing to offer.

“Daddy please!” (Y/n) squealed, their legs quivering from the sheer amount of pleasure they were receiving.

Bokuto smirked from between their legs, dragging his tongue up their entrance as he stared into their eyes. “Please? That’s so unspecific...”

Just as (Y/n) felt like they were on the brink of damn tears Bokuto plunged two fingers into their core, immediately pushing them over the edge to their first orgasm. (Y/n) writhed and moaned wildly, all while Bokuto smirked up at them.

“Ohhh damn baby, so quick!” he teased, licking (Y/n)’s slick off his lips as he continued pumping into them. “Got another one in you before I fuck you properly?”

(Y/n) quickly shook their head, their breathing uneven as they struggled to ride out their high. It was difficult to focus on anything when Bokuto had his fingers fucking into them roughly.

“I think you do...” he trailed off as he curled his fingers inside of (Y/n), pulling more moans from their parted lips. “Daddy knows you can deliver for him, yeah?”

Damn him and those arms... they thought, clenching around him as they watched his veiny arms flexing with each pump of his fingers.

“F-Fuck you, Daddy...” they whimpered, fingers gripping the covers of the bed like a vice.

Bokuto’s hand was around (Y/n)’s throat in an instant, her juices rubbing off onto her neck. “That’s how it’s going to be, huh?” he growled, adding pressure to their windpipe.

(Y/n) was so caught up in the feeling of being choked that they almost didn’t notice Bokuto’s tip prodding into their slit. The corners of their lips twitched up into a slight smirk as they gripped their husband’s muscular arm, urging him to choke them harder. “Wouldn’t be much fun otherwise, would it?” they murmured.

Bokuto only answered with the snap of his hips, hissing through his gritted teeth at (Y/n)’s tight heat. (Y/n) practically screamed, throwing their head back in bliss at the sudden feeling of Bokuto filling them.

He swore he almost lost himself in that first thrust every time he fucked (Y/n), the only thing keeping him grounded each time was the way (Y/n) squealed and cried for more.

As if on queue, (Y/n) dug their nails into Bokuto’s arm, practically sobbing for him to start moving. Who was Bokuto to deny his spouse?

Bokuto began thrusting into (Y/n) roughly, his moans mingling with theirs as he kept them pinned beneath him. His powerful body had the bed frame shifting with each thrust, the sound of the furniture struggling to accommodate their fucking almost making (Y/n) laugh.

They willed themself to wrap their legs around Bokuto’s thick hips, their moans going up an octave at the new angle. It allowed Bokuto’s cock to hit their g-spot perfectly with each thrust.

Bokuto suddenly braced his free hand against the headboard, his chest heaving as he felt his orgasm approaching fast. He leaned down towards his lover, pulling them by their throat to meet him halfway.

His golden eyes stared into theirs, lust and desperation swirling in his pupils. Their moans echoed through the room, intermingling with the sounds of skin smacking against skin as they neared the end.

Bokuto crashed his lips against (Y/n)’s, giving them the extra push they needed to reach their orgasm. (Y/n)’s strangled moans were muffled by Bokuto’s lips for only a moment.

He parted from their lips, pressed his forehead to theirs, then gave his own strangled groan, his hips practically spasming as he painted (Y/n)’s walls white with his thick cum.

His fingers twitched around (Y/n)’s throat, tightening his grip as they both rode out their orgasms. He finally released them from his powerful grip and allowed them to lay back against the mattress completely.

Bokuto kept himself propped above his partner, not wanting to unsheathe himself from their heat quite yet. The two laid there, still connected to one another as they steadied their breathing and savored the moment with one another.

(Y/n) felt themselves dozing off until Bokuto pressed a sweet kiss to their lips, then their nose, then their cheek, then their throat.

“I love you...” he breathed, locking eyes with his spouse once more.

They looked lovingly back into his eyes, causing a small smile to pull at his lips as they cupped his cheek. “I love you more...”

#Bokuto Koutarou #bokuto koutarou x reader #bokuto smut #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!!

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fashionablyiconic · 3 years ago

Note

It’s… probably not in good taste to post that last one right now (the one that looks like a dementor), consider Kabul just fell to the Taliban

I believe you are referring to the Balenciaga collection? Likely look 1 for that collection.

ok.

I don't know how long this has been sitting in my inbox. I queue and shuffle my posts and I'm not online all the time (hence the queuing) but given the information in the ask I can guess this was sent to me between the 13th and the 16th of August. And when queuing posts, I actually do that through WeHeartIt (I know I need a better system) so i don’t always see my tumblr, specifically this one. Which is also why this response may have been delayed. I apologize for the delay in my response...and that this response will probably be long but I've been flitting between two different responses to this ask so I'm leaving it open to a discussion here. I honestly am unsure how to proceed.

Before we go farther, obviously I didn't hand select this look to be posted in tune with current events in the world. I think I queued up the collection about two weeks ago. It was shuffled and queued and then I went offline to begin my work week. I do not know the order of posts I only knowhow many days my blog will post and what collections I will be featuring. The posting of that image was not intentional nor was it to drum up any publicity or ruckus.

This Balenciaga collection had its debut on June 6th 2021 (my posting has been incredibly delayed) and follows the vision of Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga. Gvasalia's focus has been about technology and "deep fakes", and has gotten really into the use of veils, masks, and coverings in his design. He has created the motif of "clones" who wear similar headpieces, creating unified and artificial aesthetics. Often the use of covering the face assists in his creation of "digital clones" in a world where "We no longer decipher between unedited and altered, genuine and counterfeit, tangible and conceptual, fact and fiction, fake and deepfake. Technology creates alternate realities and identities, a world of digital clones.” (his words exactly). My interpretation of this motif is that in our digital world the use of anonymity is not only valuable but almost necessary...so how not wear Balenciaga to hide when so much of our lives, information, and identity is connected to the internet. That's why Gvasaslia opens with "the one that looks like a dementor".

Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, an religious and military organization that has had a presence of at least some kind in Afghanistan since the 1990s. Most commonly known for their government control in 1996-2001, where one of the most notable uses of their power was to enforce mandatory burqa for women and restrict female autonomy to the point where they weren't permitted to leave their households alone. The Taliban ALSO has a history of censorship and destroying art and even ancient and historic monuments like the Buddhas of Bamiyan. More recently, as in the past few days, there are reports of Taliban covering advertisements featuring women and specific art.

I will just quickly note that I believe a mandated dress code, specifically for women, is abhorrent. That goes both ways with mandatory head coverings like in Iran and Taliban-run regions AS WELL AS the banning of head coverings like in France and Quebec. Women should wear what they feel represents their identity without fear persecutions. The enforcement and/or banning of certain kinds of dress are two sides of the same coin that is policing women’s bodies and autonomy.

So I have a question and this is a genuine topic of discussion not just me being a smartass.

My question is this: With the acknowledgment of current events, do I remove the image due to it’s CURRENT associations and disregard the original artistic intent OR do I leave the image up regardless of all associations and connections, be it emotional or critical, simply due to the fact that the initial intent of the image (or rather the garment) stands independently on its own?

I can argue both sides here. On one hand I recognize that in light of the events going on in Afghanistan there may be quite an emotional reaction illicted from the image in question and that is not necessarily always a good thing. I can’t help but remind myself that I have needed to make spaces for myself that avoid certain content in the past (most recently with TikTok) for this blog. On the other hand, however, Demna Gvasalia’s intention with the garment and the rest of the collection appears to be completely unrelated from anything close to the resurgence of the Taliban. In fact, it also seems like a form of censorship in favour of an unrelated issue.

Personally, I quite like the look. With Gvasalia’s intention in mind, it reminds me of wanting complete anonymity in aspects of my life that I don’t get to enjoy (like at my job where people see me and regularly connect with me in a way that means that sometimes I get the “why do you look familiar” question outside of my work. I work in retail). It feels haunting yet not weighed down.

Anyway, I’m feeling very conflicted and if you have opinions, I’m open to hearing them because I’m very split right now on the matter. Thank you for the ask and I apologize if it took me a minute to respond...also I’m sorry this post was a bit of a mammoth but I wanted to think about it because it was such a loaded subject. Images and words have power.

Here’s some ways you can provide support to the people in Afghanistan if you are able to, if there’s other places or ways to support PLEASE let me know.

The Federation of Anarchism Era

Islamic Relief Canada

Women for Women International

(Edit: fixed some grammar and spelling. That’s dyslexia for you)

#asks #long post

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flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash · 3 years ago

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Meet the Blogger

Thanks for the tag @risingphoenix761 :D

1. How/why did you choose your url?

It was me trying to be punny with my name (Ashton) and the fact that I can be fiery when it comes to topics that I’m passionate about.

2. Any side blogs? If you have them, name them and explain why you have them

I run @negans-network to help promote Negan content.

There’s @we-write-imagines but it’s been a dead blog for years. It has some amazing little imagines tho!

I did create another side blog that I was going to try and make into a book review blog, but I never posted on it. I’m not sure people on tumblr really care about stuff like what I’m reading and what I think of non-fanfiction romance books, so for now I stick to my bookstagram and Goodreads for that.

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

I just had to go look at my archive, and holy crap apparently I made my tumblr in April 2012, so almost a decade ago. I barely used it at first, then it went dead for a few years before I realized there was fanfiction on here, and I came back lol

4. Do you have a queue tag?

I do, tho sometimes it’s stressful af to keep posts on it, because I usually try to keep at least a few days worth lined up.

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

Originally it was because my roommates in college told me to make one lol. Most of my original posts were reblogging random aesthetics, Hunger Games, and Vampire Diaries content.

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

I just use photos of myself because I could never decide on one character or fandom for my profile pic. I actually just changed it recently for the first time in years, because I felt like the other selfie was out of date and I do not look that young anymore *le sigh*

7. Why did you choose your header?

It’s just a random af photo I found on google images way back when. I wish I was fancy enough to make cool header collages or photos like so many other people do, but alas, I am not.

8. What's your post with the most notes?

THIS ONE and I still am shook that it gets so many new notes each day.

9. How many mutuals do you have?

Wait, is this something we can actually know?!

10. How many followers do you have?

Currently 5,283 (y’all are awesome)

11. How many people do you follow?

Currently 242 but I really need to find some more because it’s gotten to be the same posts on my dash, or a lot of blocked posts since I blocked spoilers for Falcon and Winter Soldier, Lucifer, and Loki (I know, I know, I’m SO behind). I’m just very picky about my dash content, which doesn’t help with trying to keep a full queue of thirst blogging posts XD

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Maybe? I’m not sure I understand fully what it means, because I think of it as being off-topic content from your usual aesthetic, but I could be totally wrong about that.

13. How often do you use Tumblr each day?

Not as much as I used to when the fandoms I was in were super active, but I do check it regularly.

14. Have you ever had a fight/argument with another blog? Who won?

Yes. There was way more drama going on behind the scenes in the Negan fandom back in the day then I think a lot of people realized, and I’m so grateful to be removed from that nonsense and those blogs now. I don’t think anyone “wins” in those situations, because it’s shitty all around. There’s also blogs I thought I was cool with for years and that turned out not to be the case, which is always a crappy realization. But I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not going to set myself on fire to keep others warm, and have gotten very selective in who I interact with. Here’s hoping those blogs have all moved on and don’t still waste time trash-talking me in their little discord chats XD

15. How do you feel about "you need to reblog this" posts?

I ignore them. People can reblog whatever they want, and I don’t allow myself to feel pressured by that stuff anymore.

16. Do you like tag games?

Yes!

17. Do you like ask games?

Yes!

18. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Aesthetic and squish crushes, yes. One actually tagged me in this post <3

Tagging: @kellyn1604 @letsby @londoncapsule @whoreschach @jdmorganz @sarcasm-is-my-native-tounge @84reedsy @girlwiththepapatattoo @uglywettiewrites @irrelevantwriter @jobean12-blog

#ask game #tag game #about me #personal

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blinkplnk · 4 years ago

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#showyourprocess

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES — When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours!

Big thank you to @fengqing for tagging me and I’ll do my best to explain how I made this set for Jiang Yanli!

1. Planning

The beginning idea for this set actually stemmed from my Yanli birthday set for the @mdzsnet event, wherein I was working with this palette:

The one thing I had to learn with using palettes, and is my biggest help to others, is SCENE CHOICE. It can make a difference between tearing your hair out and being happy with your final result, though there’s definitely some trial and error to it.

So I knew I wanted to make a gifset using each of the colours, and, for the light blue, immediately my mind went to the Gusu Lectures period of time, due to Cloud Recesses having a much more blue and light palette than many of the other settings in the show. The lightness of the blue made me lean towards outdoor scenes, and I immediately recalled the interaction between Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan where she slips and he catches her (episode 6). Thus off hunting I went until I found it. The final set actually came about because I had more footage than the original gif needed and I didn’t want a colouring I was quite proud of to be a one-and-done kind of thing. I also found the scene featuring the second gif, which had a similar palette in the episode, and decided to work it in as well (because I have weird moments of fussiness where two gifs isn't enough lol).

2. Creating

I have all the episodes saved on my hard drive, so it’s a matter of finding the right scenes in the episodes and going from there. With my scenes found, I wrote down the timestamps in order to put it through Vapoursynth, which I use to crop, resize, sharpen, and denoise my gifs before importing them into Photoshop (I use a portable version). I trim them down to a relatively similar length (bc I like those sets to be similar), adjust the timing and, with all that done, we’re left with our base gifs like so!

Now onto the fun part! Colouring! I’m going to pop the rest under a read more because it’s image heavy!

I already had a pretty set colouring since this was overflow from another set, but I’ll break that down a bit as well. My first step is always to plop a couple of spots of the desired colour onto the very top layer of the canvas, because it makes judging if its in the right realm or not much easier, like so:

My go-to’s for base colouring is curves (which does a lot of heavy lifting on colour correcting for me) and a vibrance layer (to see what colours we’re working with).

Then it’s about manipulating those colours into something closer to my desired one. Thankfully here my scene choice made life much easier as it’s already a light setting but it’s also already got a lot of cyan to work with. Threw on a few selective colour layers (focusing on lightening the cyan;

making the blues stand out more by removing the warmer tones;

correcting that green-ish tinge back to blue and making the cyan lighter again;

Now here is a little something I tend to do thats negligible but it makes me feel better about the colouring and thats a gradient map set to soft light, low opacity (20% here) using the pale blue and black. It just helps making the image a little more cool in tone in my opinion, and I put that UNDER my original curves layer;

And this is where we break out the brush! Obviously the darker colour on the left needed to be lightened up, so I went in with the palette colour on soft light at 100%;

and lighten at 50%;

Then I added another selective colour layer to lighten up the cyans and get closer to the palette colour;

Back to our brush! A layer on the right with soft light to give a bit more uniform colour across that expanse;

And lastly, I pulled a gradient of just the blue across the left to smooth out the colour on the edge of the frame, like it is on the opposite side (bc I’m obsessed like that);

Amidst all of this, I was using masks on the brush layers to account for Yanli’s movement and keep it from overlapping her skin, until finally I was happy (you’ll notice above the two circles are barely visible now) and we have this result!

My process was basically the same for the other two gifs in the set, with the second requiring a few more brush layers and gradients until we had all three looking spick and span!

Isn’t she pretty?

3. Posting

This here is where we pray Tumblr doesn’t destroy our hard work.

I mean, ahem. I don’t tend to save stuff to drafts unless I can’t finish it then and there, or I’ll pop it into the queue if it’s for a deadline. The gradient text is one of my favourite ways to caption on sets and I use a palette generator from an image website (google adobe colour palette from image) to pull out colours to use (I fiddle sometimes to get a gradient that looks good), before popping them into Cuvou's text fader (I’d link but Tumblr don’t like that but if you google it should come up). I then switch the text editor here over to HTML to pop in the code generated by the fader, add any other text styles I want (bold, small font or header size font, etc), preview the HTML, preview it on my blog a couple times and then once I’m happy, usually that’s it! It gets posted or queued and out into the aether it goes!

In this case, this was the final result of the gradient text in the caption;

Phew so that was... a lot for what amounted to a colouring and I’m sorry if y’all didn’t want a tutorial but here it basically is xD For the tagging I’m going to go outside the fandom just a bit and tag, but if you’ve already been tagged, don’t stress it!

@offtodef with this set

@sugarbabywenkexing with this set

@gusucloud with this set

@wanyinxichen with this set

@sarawatsaraleo with this set

#showyourprocess #tag game #things i'm tagged in #this is very long #for what amounts to a colouring #i'm so sorry xD #hope you enjoyed!

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baphomet-media · 3 years ago

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Getting Psyched - A The World Ends With You Retro Review

Genre: Adventure Subgenre: JRPG Developer: Square Enix, Jupiter Publisher: Square Enix Platform(s): DS Release Date: July 27th, 2007 Hours Played: 42 hours this playthrough

You’ve almost certainly heard of this game, especially if you’re into JRPGs. When a game advertises itself as being “from the team that made Kingdom Hearts,” I was sold instantly as a kid. One look at the game’s box art confirms that Tetsuya Nomura had a hand at this game with his distinctive bold art style. But the game itself was something that nobody at the time had predicted. The game has an urban fantasy story unlike much that had been told at the time. Furthermore, the game was made to push the DS to its limits and create a battle system that could only work on the DS’s two screens. Does this cult classic live up to the hype, or is it just a janky mess? Let’s find out.

Story

TWEWY opens by introducing our protagonist, an antisocial teen named Neku Sakuraba. Neku unexpectedly awakens in the iconic scramble crossing of Shibuya, Tokyo. To his surprise, the crowds seem to walk right through him, and a strange pin appears in his hand that allows him to read the thoughts of passersby. Neku quickly learns that he has been thrust into the Reapers’ Game, a seven-day death game where the Players are the recently deceased that must partner up to fight the Noise, hostile part-animal-part-tribal-graffiti creatures that seek to erase the Players. What’s more, each day Players must complete missions given to them by the Reapers within strict time limits while avoiding the reapers themselves. If they can make it to the end of the week, they might just be able to return to life.

Along the way, Neku will meet a chaotic cast of characters including Shiki, the headstrong seamstress who is eventually able to get Neku out of his angsty shell, Beat and Rhyme, a pair of street-smart siblings with heavy 2000’s skater vibes, Joshua, an abrasive, sarcastic, literal Christ figure who’s somehow a good guy? Or maybe he’s a bad guy? Or… maybe he’s a good guy again? On top of that, the Reapers themselves vary wildly from the contrasting duo of the laid-back Kariya and the high-strung Uzuki to the lone radical Minamimoto. The game does a good job of having a full roster of characters without overloading the player. Furthermore, while most characters seem wacky at first, they all have motivations and layers behind them that become clearer as you progress through the story.

Without spoiling anything, nothing is as it seems in the Reaper’s game, and multiple parties are vying for control for different reasons, meaning the whole thing feels like one big political intrigue story on top of an urban JRPG. Even on my most recent replay after having played the game countless times over the years, I was hungry to put the pieces together. While the main storyline mostly follows Neku’s perspective and doesn’t explain a lot of the behind-the-scenes interactions and motivations of the secondary characters, the game fortunately has a Secret Reports feature, which are written by a certain character who seems to know way more than they let on. These Secret Reports are near essential to understanding the game’s true story, and reveal whole layers to the plot and world that the main story doesn’t even touch on.

Needless to say, I loved the story of TWEWY. Everything feels perfectly crafted, leaving no loose ends, while still leaving the player wanting more. If anything I wanted to see more of Neku and his friends after the game’s conclusion just hanging out in real life.

Gameplay

TWEWY is a JRPG, but in the loosest sense possible. In the overworld, the player controls Neku, guiding him around the various streets of Shibuya on the touch screen or with the face buttons. Unlike in traditional RPGs, outside of story events the player must deliberately initiate combat with the Noise. By scanning their environment they can read the surface thoughts of passersby, but also reveal noise symbols in the environment. By tapping on these symbols, the player can queue up battles with the noise, and can even chain multiple battles together for back-to-back fights that multiply your drop rate.

In battle, Neku and his partner are sent to separate Zones, with Neku on the touch screen and his partner on the top screen. Neku fights the noise by activating the abilities of pins he has equipped, called Psychs. Each psych has its own activation method, from swiping on an enemy to tapping empty space, to scratching on the screen, to shouting into the microphone, and more. It’s up to the player to equip Neku with the best pins, though pins level up as they are used, becoming more powerful and sometimes evolving into even stronger pins.

On the top screen, Neku’s partner fights the noise by using the DS’s face buttons to move through a combo map and select certain finishers. By selecting the right finishers, you can charge your Sync gauge to perform a powerful special attack. Both characters share an HP gauge, damage to each character subtracting from each side. If you’re following along, that means the game expects you to control both Neku and his partner at the same time. This can be tricky for new players, but you quickly get used to it. Additionally, you can have your partner auto-fight with a customizable delay, meaning you technically don’t have to control your partner at all. However, if you really want to deal major damage and wipe the floor with the Noise on higher difficulties, you’ll want to master battling with both characters at once. When I first played the game in 2007, I found the parner battling to be too difficult to keep up with, but now that I’m older and more experienced, I find the combat to be incredibly deep and rewarding. Additionally, the game rewards back-and-forth control of Neku and his partner with the Light Puck mechanic. Essentially, when one character performs a combo finisher, the light puck is passed to the other character, and passed back when that character does a finisher. In this way, you can build up a damage multiplier based on how quickly you rally the light puck. This creates a natural back-and-forth flow of using Neku until his psychs discharge, then getting a few hits in with his partner, and so on.

My only complaint about battles is that in later fights on higher difficulty the Noise will attack so frequently on the partner’s zone that it’s difficult to get attacks off with them at all. Your partner has a limited block/dodge, but it only does so much and there’s often tons of Noise attacking at once. It’s not insurmountable, but it can be frustrating at times.

Outside of battle, the player must constantly keep up with a few things, food, swag, and difficulty. Both Neku and his partner can eat food and wear clothing purchased from many shops around Shibuya. Food offers an up-front bonus as well as a permanent stat increase once the food is digested by completing battles. However, you can only digest so many times per real-time day, meaning you have to prioritize high-calorie foods before smaller snacks. I found the digestion limit to be a bit too limiting. It can be removed in the post-game, but it still makes food hard to deal with for someone that is effectively bingeing the game.

Swag are articles of clothing that offer flat stat increases, but also have abilities that are unlocked by showing it to the right store clerk. Each clerk can unlock the abilities of specific clothing, and you can unlock more by buying enough stuff from them to fill up their Friendship Gauge. I thought it was fun to slowly make friends with each store clerk, and I felt bad that I couldn’t hang out with them or reciprocate some of their obvious advances, though I’m sure it’s assumed that Neku cherishes his friendships with them after the game’s conclusion. However, you can’t just equip any old piece of clothing to any character. Neku can’t just pull off a dress and cargo shorts right off the bat. Each piece of clothing has a Bravery rating, with characters whose bravery is below that rating being unable to wear the clothing. Fortunately, bravery increases as you level up, and can also be increased by eating food. By the end of the game, you’ll be able to have Neku and company wearing whatever clothing you want.

Lastly there’s Difficulty. The game has four main difficulty levels, being Easy, Normal, Hard, and Ultimate. You begin the game in Normal, but once you unlock a difficulty, you can change it on the fly from the pause menu. On easier difficulty enemies have less HP and deal less damage, but you get fewer XP and worse pins. The reverse is true on higher difficulties, with some of the best pins in the game being available exclusively as drops on Ultimate difficulty. To aid you in this, you can also change your level at any time. Unlike in a standard RPG where your level is immutable to the player aside from leveling up, in TWEWY you can freely choose your level from one to the highest level you have achieved. For each level below your max that you set your level, you get a multiplier for drops. This can be combined with the battle chaining multiplier to get ultra rare drops, some of which have less than 1% and even less than 0.1% drop chances normally. This gives the player an incentive to level up aside from just stat bonuses, and rewards players who go out of their way to engage in battles. As above, battles are largely optional, but it heavily behooves the player to battle as much as they can, not only because you get drops and experience, but increasing your level gives you more wiggle room for harder fights such as bosses.

There are tons more smaller features, but these are the main ones. I thoroughly enjoyed the vast depths of the game’s mechanics and found the difficulty settings to be really engaging and a novel approach to RPG player advancement while still affording accessibility. I was enthralled for multiple hours as I struggled to get the best gear, feed my team the best food, and equip the best pins to get as strong as possible. Until the very end of the postgame, it never felt like mindless grinding, as you can just breeze through the story on Easy if you really want to, but where would be the fun in that?

Presentation

TWEWY is probably best known for its vibrant and bold incredibly urban street-art-themed style, which shows in not only the art, but the UI, music, and writing. The character art is that hard-outlined and overdressed Nomura art style that fans of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts have come to love, and the backgrounds are all vibrant and stylized to fit. The pixel art of the character sprites and Noise are all incredibly expressive, with Neku’s idle animation as he jams out to tunes on his headphones being one of my favorites.

The game’s music is unabashedly lyrical, covering a vast array of genres including JPop, Punk, and Hip-Hop, with many different styles of each. I loved almost every song in the game, though I found one of the overworld themes to be a bit grating at times. Other than that, the music is pretty great, and what’s even better is you can buy CDs of each of the game’s songs in the game to have your own personal sound test right from the menu, even going as far as to allow you to set the background music on the menu itself.

The game even has voice acting, though it’s limited mostly to battle quips and wordless expressions for cutscenes. I actually really enjoyed the voice acting and thought they nailed each character. I was honestly surprised at the audio quality the developers were able to pack into this game. The music was a very slight bit tinny through the DS’s audio chip as is to be expected, but barring that the vocals and voice overs were super clear and the instrumentation of the songs were well mixed.

Overall, the game’s presentation is about as good as it gets on the DS, giving even home console games a huge run for their money.

Conclusion

Honestly it’s hard to say anything bad at all about TWEWY. The game was a bit hard to approach at the time, but it’s aged magnificently. These days, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it’s the best (at least non-Pokémon) game on the DS. Honestly though some might be turned off by the game’s quirks, I think TWEWY is a masterpiece that everyone with a DS should pick up and play. I can’t wait to see how the newly-released sequel stands up, but honestly the original is a tough act to follow.

Score: 10 / 10

#gaming #article #review #retro review #twewy #the world ends with you #square enix #jupiter

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