#i need 10 to 15 business days to recover

[khaopybara]

Destroy Love - Khaotung Thanawat

[bunny-corp]

Hi Everyone!

now THIS is what I was excited about, Hurricane kids from early 2000's (SPECIFICALLY late 2003) will remember this almost IMMEDIATELY! These are restored framed from the original Fredbear and friends ad campaign! I was SO SO excited when i recovered these, I swear they were like MY FAVORITE back in the day!

This ad ran from around 7/10/2003 to about 8/15/2003 being pulled after the Fredbear and Friends project was canceled by the subsequent disappearance of Henry Emily in October. [Specifically around 10/13/2003 - 10/16/2003, There are several dates here, but I personally couldn't find one that was not immediately disproven by another.] The ad featured the character designs from the 2007 Freddy Fazbears location, alongside Spring-Bonnie and Fredbear himself!

The ad's purpose was to announce new animatronic characters alongside an animated series in a more simplistic art style, a general expansion of the Fredbear family name, and for a while after the bite of '03 it was a hopeful statement that despite the tragedy, founders William Afton and Henry Emily would keep Fredbears Family Diner open!

Which, as you know, Didn't happen.

With Fredbear's officially shut down in November of 2003, William Afton would later reopen the business under another name in 2007! Putting these designs to good use in the infamous Freddy Fazbears Pizza!

By the way, sorry about the censorship and the semi-smear frame of chica, ALL the frames I could find with Fredbear or Springbonnie were blotted out, I believe this is because of the mass rebranding when the franchise was bought out and as for Chica? That was the clearest I could get, most of her frames are of her twirling!

Rest assured, this happens all the time! It just means I need to do a little more digging to find the uncensored version! I'll update this post when I find them!

~Bunny C

[rainebownerd]

I will need 10-15 business days to recover from this video

[crowclubkaz]

i will literally need 10-15 business days to recover from this. thank u vico for my life

[violetasteracademic]

Hey bestie, was just wondering when chapter two comes out 🙂‍↕️ been refreshing ur page once an hour for dayyyyyys. 💓

Hi my friend!! So funny you should ask, it will be ready to go up by early evening tonight! I will let you know as soon as it is posted! (I'm in US central time zone. So about 6-7 hours from now)

I'm so honored and delighted to have you reading the new fic 🥹 I don't like to share toooo much of my personal life on here because this fandom is sadly not always kind to artists and writers when it comes to the hostility of the ship wars, but I do want to give a heads up that A Court of Twisted Fate will not be coming out *quite* as fast as Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow. I blacked out and wrote almost 100k words of Golden Doe in a total disassociative bender in under a month and a half while I was in between homes, closing the final chapter of my old life after a long fought for divorce, and set aside my 10 year long business and career. I was in a weird little vortex and could easily get a chapter out every few days. I want to be honest with myself and all of you that I will not be able to match that pace right now without massively sacrificing on quality and thorough edits!

If I haven't said it enough, you guys truly have no idea what the response to Golden Doe meant to me. Writing that fic helped me survive a very difficult time. I had never written a fic before and didn't even have an ao3 account, I had to wait a few weeks to be allowed in. I had no idea anyone would read it, and sharing that story wound up being one of the most special and joyful times of my life, which seems impossible when I look back on what I was going through! I just... Thank you. I don't know what else to say. Thank you a million times, every day, forever.

I am starting life completely over in a new city and a 1940's bungalow that has had a few catastrophes since moving in 🫣 I'm hard at work job hunting in this nightmare economy and fixing up the urgent items in the house! So it's a different kind of busy filled with lots of fear and anxiety and mental exhaustion. Thus, I'm also trying to give myself lots of time to heal and recover. I'm hoping for a chapter once a week this round, but I might need some grace for up to two weeks!

This might be a good opportunity to answer some other questions I've gotten. Some have noticed the new rating is M instead of E. There WILL still be smut, but this is more of a dark and spooky old school style slow burn and very story forward. And while I hesitate to say the spice will be more vanilla, it is not as kink forward as Golden Doe! It will still be spicier and more detailed than what SJM would typically write (y'all she's tame in my book) but a different style. That being said, the piece is not finished. Sooooo.... 🦇 we'll see if kinky Azriel body snatches me again and demands that the spice be freakier and more frequent. In which case I'll update the rating.

Golden Doe started as an M rating and 15 planned chapters, and we all saw how that worked out!

I'm pushing myself to create a unique world and characters that are not just a carbon copy of Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow. Of course, it is still canon Elain and Azriel! But I'm focusing on different sides of them. I hope you all enjoy it just as much, but if it winds up not being your vibe, do know I have a few ideas bouncing around for Golden Doe continuations, additional Elriel fics, and my inbox is always open for ideas and prompts/requests!!

[brb-on-a-quest]

Day Fourteen Day Fifteen Day Sixteen

im SOOOOO SORRY that I left you guys hanging those two days! *cries* the first one I genuinely forget, and the second I was too busy to do it- and I think that this is not the first time this might happen, since the farm (oh yeah, if you're not one of my regular followers, you should know I'm a farmhand lol) is picking up steam, during my down time Im trying to do more physical rest for my body to recover. which means unfortuantely, Ive been spending less time on here in general, and that my longer posts that take more time to write have had to pause for a while.

so, I'm sorry to say but this is the last day i'll be able to do this for a while, but maybe forever. I've had so much fun with it and loved to see everybody's different answers, and how we've all connected!! but for at least a few days/weeks, I need a bit of a break lol. if anyone wants to pick up this game again, with the same list of people I've given already or different ones, you are more than welcome to! and I'm not leaving Tumblr, I'm just not going to do this particular ask game anymore.

our final question: what is something that you you want in your life, and what can you do to achieve it? what steps do you need to take to earn the life you see yourself living?

thank all of you so much! I hope to return again maybe sometime! I wish you all the best :)

Awww no worries gracie! take care of yourself first. Def appreciate all the work it must've taken to come up with good questions. I'll be sure to haunt your inbox soon with hopefully some equally thought-provoking (or not) questions.

ok, actual question: our final question: what is something that you you want in your life, and what can you do to achieve it? what steps do you need to take to earn the life you see yourself living?

To be honest, this question has haunted me for the past...well since before high school. (has it really been almost 10 years since I was a baby highschool freshman?). To be also perfectly honest, my depression and anxiety were so bad I was never convinced I would make it as far as I did... which allowed me to put off answering the question for a long while until the Hour of College Applications approached.

Well, against all previous conceptions of my future, I am still alive and about to graduate in December (literally how) and set to walk across the beautiful stage in May to get my undergrad diploma with some kind of academic honors (I forget the Latin for it). Definitely not the highest GPA, but I am relatively proud of myself considering the effort and, for lack of a better phrase, blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into this. So, steps that need to happen in order to graduate

Pass classes (Preferably with A's but I'm also in a position where hopefully my self-esteem won't die with a B or 2).

Write and Finish my thesis (shaking crying throwing up I don't have enough capacity for this even if it's only 15 pages in Spanish)

Study and hopefully pass a GRE (graduate school readiness exam I think? 'cuz I'm told it's a good idea for master's school applications I can not stress enough how much I hate standardized tests and am so anxious about this that I haven't even opened my books yet, I've just been throwing myself into thesis research instead; I 'know not all schools require this but I'm going into something that's not my major, so I feel some kind of need to prove myself).

Apply to graduate schools for counseling!

Only four things... it shouldn't be so bad.... one would think... (can I please just skip to the part where this is over why do people call college the best years of my life).

The other thing I want to work on is just being a better person and in particular a better friend. My goal is therapy, particularly pediatric therapy because it's such a neglected area where I'm from and also in general I think because there tends to be stereotypes of "oh children can't have mental health problems." but doing that means I want to develop more compassion, friendliness, and patience and gentleness and actual listening skills while being assertive...yk an environment that nurtures personal and other's growth. Which is really hard. Progress has been made but still more to go.

[anjumzm]

Midsummer Night

A Legacy of Gods Fanfic

JerCes Daughter x LanMia Son

Chapter 15

Theodore Sokolov King

I knew this day would come, but not this soon. Although I had all my ducks in a row, I hadn't expected Abazi to make his move so... recklessly. He'd spread rumors that had caused our stocks to plummet. It also impacted the deals we'd almost sealed, making our partners skeptical. If I wanted to save myself and my cousin brothers from Grandpa Aiden's wrath, I had to be quick and efficient. Given his latest move, he now knew of my plans to go against him. Previously, both Abazi and I had attacked each other in shadows, but now it was evident that Abazi had gotten impatient.

Well, time for my first move.

I typed a message to my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Aaron Volkov. "Meet me at my office."

The reply was swift and curt. "Who's this?"

"Volkovs' soon-to-be son-in-law," I responded.

The next reply was a string of curses, conveying the asshole's frustration at the entire situation. If it were any other time, I would have taken pleasure in ruffling this buffoon's feathers, but I had more pressing matters at hand.

"I've heard rumors of Abazi having something of yours... something about a black book."

That earned me a long stretch of silence. He kept on typing and erasing the message.

"No worries, take your time, brother-in-law. Considering the way you're struggling to reply, I take it it's something of value for the Volkovs. Good thing you have me on your side now, don't you think so?"

"What do you know, King?"

"Nothing as of now, but I have my men in place. Soon, I'll have the location of your 'possession'. Chances are we can recover it from Abazi once the location is disclosed." Although the book was in my possession, I couldn't possibly let Aaron know this. If I returned it, well, the only outcome would be death by the hands of Jeremy Volkov. And I wanted to live, more so now than ever before.

If only to own Aanya Volkov.

"And you're helping us out of the goodness of your heart, I assume," Aaron replied.

"Of course. Cannot let a rat manipulate my beloved fiancé's family."

"Cut the crap, Theo. What do you want?" The guy was smart when he wanted to be.

"Down to business, I like that. Well, I'll be proposing something at the next Bratva meeting. Once we overthrow Abazi's control over the southern port, I'll propose to put you in his place. You'd be the new King of the Southern port, all but in name. You see, I'm a businessman and cannot involve myself in the illegal activities of the port, but you guys can. I want to be able to do business without suffering any loss. If all goes well, you can keep 10% of the profit we make. Additionally, I'd be giving 20% to the Bratva, which is more than the measly 5% Abazi offers. Give it some thought."

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed with his reply. "OK. But before agreeing, I have one more condition to add."

"Well, go ahead."

"I want you to break off your engagement with Aanya."

That did it. It filled me with a rage like never before, with a need to maim this asshole for good. I will burn each and every one who tries to come between me and my birdie. She was mine before she knew it, and I'll do everything in my power to keep it that way. "Aaron, let me remind you that you're in no position to make demands. You see, you're missing the point here. 'You' need something that 'I' can help you get back. Even if you disagree, I have other ways to get my plan in motion. Not to mention the point that I can and would get back the black book you so desperately want. Also, what are the chances that I blackmail you once I get my hands on your book? My offer is a mere courtesy given that we're to be relatives and all. As for my engagement with Aanya, deal or not, I fully intend to make Aanya my wife. Neither you nor your family has any say in it."

I needed an outlet. Something, before I started smashing stuff here and there. I called Alejandro and asked him to arrange a boxing match as soon as possible. It was a habit I'd developed in my teens to keep whatever this thing I feel at bay. And it did wonders, the pain, the exhaustion-all of it. Previously, Uncle Niko used to accompany me, but since I fell from his grace, Dom had taken up his place. I messaged him, "Up for something fun?" "Down for it always," he replied back.

An hour and a couple of bruises later, I was sated... if only for a while. After a while, Dominic came into view.

"That was a good fight, you left quite an impression. The news will have reached the King's Mansion. Grandpa Aiden will be furious. Get ready for the consequences. I'll be ready with popcorn and stuff. I'll ask Sean to join too."

"Thanks for nothing," I replied curtly.

"Seriously, Theo, what's wrong? What triggered this? I thought we were past our teenage shenanigans. Are you okay?" "Since when are you my therapist? Trust me, out of both of us, you need to get yourself checked. I heard about your latest episode. Uncle Bran must have been thrilled. All good at home, Dommy boy?"

"Asshole. I was asking out of concern. Bet you're not familiar with the term, you psycho."

"Don't care. Be present for the next Bratva meeting. I have a surprise." I left without waiting for his reply.

I knew that Aaron Volkov wouldn't decline the offer made because I made sure that there was no other option left for the Volkovs. As expected, I found a text the next morning. "OK. I accept the deal. But no one else should know about this-neither my father, Aanya, nor anyone."

"Sure. Looking forward to working with you, Mr. Volkov."

This needed a celebration. And what better way to celebrate it than with the little bird who seemed to occupy my mind a lot these days?

I called Aanya. "Hello, Theo?" she answered, her voice curious.

"Hello, little bird. Are you free this evening?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Why are you asking?"

"Good. I'll pick you up at six" I could already picture her face, the way her eyes widened in surprise, the way her lips curved into a reluctant smile. Every moment with her was a game, a tantalizing dance that I couldn't get enough of. Her presence was intoxicating, and the more time I spent with her, the more I craved it. I was obsessed, utterly consumed by the thought of her. The idea of anyone, especially Aaron, trying to come between us was infuriating.

Time to play with my little bird. To ensnare her in a way that not even she's able to keep us apart.

[delta-lethonomia]

for the fic writer ask game! 4, 8 (for nettle wine!), 9, 20 (for wrong reasons!), 30

yesssss some good ones here! thank youuu

4. What are some words or phrases you feel like you overuse?

Oh god. So many. I feel like Tav's heart is always beating in some overused way, her hips tightening or loosening while heat pools in the basin within. Her cunt clenches all the time too. 🫠 I'm just writing what anxiety or arousal feel like to me alright it's hard coming up with more varied descriptions lol

I also always describe Astarion's eye color as "red, red eyes", but that's deliberate - I want them to seem somewhat hypnotic and otherworldly, while not being glowing or tacky - but I am painfully aware of it every time haha.

8. What is your favorite line/section from Stinging Nettle Wine?

!!!! Funnily enough it's the Dalyria interrogation scene haha. The dichotomy of Dalyria being interviewed while Astarion's busy getting off upstairs (and being loud about it) amuses me. She's so anxious yet prim and proper, but is also starved / isn't used to drinking fresh, "thinking" blood from a goblet that she immediately chugs too much, spilling it all over herself which makes Tav give her her first taste of her magic. I really enjoyed giving Dalyria the space to explain why she's there, and it's a bit like a therapy session for her: she's being as honest as she can be, and given the slightest encouragement basically trauma dumps all that's been bothering her for decades. The visual of her in a frilly Victorian shirt, drenched in blood and getting progressively more incoherent while Tav watches, stone-faced, legs crossed and arms folded and Astarion moaning his heart out upstairs is just *chef's kiss*. If I could draw I'd draw that scene lmao

9. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

So I've been reading fanfic since the LiveJournal days, I distinctly remember stumbling upon some dracoxharry explicit slash fic at age 10 hahaha. I had no idea what I was reading and developed some very weird preconceptions about anal sex, lol. Later I wrote like 10k of a naruto fic back when I was the same age as the cast, and I've got babies first smutfic floating around somewhere (hardcopy only, never uploaded, it was a Scarecrow/OFC oneshot taking place in Arkham Asylum haha! Cillian Murphy bewitched me heart and soul. It's very entertaining reading what virgin 15yr old me thought sex was like hahhahha)

I wrote some OG fantasy that never really went anywhere (20k) around that time too, but For All the Wrong Reasons is 100% my first "serious" writing venture that's ever gotten anywhere. I always wanted to be a writer as a kid. I've been "doing nanowrimo" since 2008 or so, read Stephen King's "On Writing" as a young teen etc but in hindsight it's very clear to me that all my creative endeavors stopped at the same time as some very significant traumatic events at age 15, and I only started writing or even considering making art again at 29, probably because I finally cut off my garbage family and had some space to rest and recover. I mention this because I'm finally starting to feel noticeably fucked up over my mom's death back in June and if experience has taught me anything it's that I apparently need to be in a good place mentally to write 🥲 I am holding onto this fixation as hard as I can, lol save me tavortheylinith you're more fucked up than me

Anyway, as for why bg3 in particular - I blame Astarion's sad wet cat eyes. Fucker. Reading fanfic has been my main hobby since forever but I'm so damn picky these days I rarely read anything not recommended by authors I trust. I just reached the point where I felt like I had to write the type of story I wanted to read.

20. Share your favorite kiss scene from For All the Wrong Reasons. If there's no kiss scene, share your favorite moment of intimacy (romantic or platonic)

Ooooooh! So I actually have a doc where I write notes about all the different sex scenes and how their dynamic is different in all of them 😅 as in, who's in love at this point, who's in charge, the results etc. Kisses are a different story though... hmm. I like the kiss after Tav gives Astarion a tadpole. It's a big moment for her, giving him a bit of power, and there's something very intimate about it that I like. I also really like the bit where they finally kiss after Tav's fuckup in Shar's temple. It's all about the build up - I remember being very frustrated with how much it took to get to a point where Astarion wouldn't kill her 😅

Her spine uncurled as she straightened, her lips tingling, her hips loose and spooled full of warmth as she slid onto her knees, her hot, wet mouth instantly cooled by the cold air as she pulled away from his neck. Astarion followed with her motion; they lingered, inches apart, mirrored by their hands and mouths, for his too was parted by quickened breaths. Her eyes flickered to his lips, soft and kissable, the faintest peak of his fangs barely visible. Up—and she’d caught him, for his eyes had been looking at her mouth, too, and her heart skipped—Astarion looked like a man besotted, flushed and open, like a man who wanted nothing more than to kiss her for all the world to see. Even in the pale morning light of the ruins of Reithwin, he looked luminous and bright, a face so handsome a wretched thing like her should not be allowed to touch. But Tav took what she wanted. But for him—she wanted to be worthy of it. Her voice didn’t want to work, but she made it, jarringly loud against the noise of their mingling breaths, magnetized by the way Astarion was tilting his head, the syrupy slow drift of his eyelids. “May I kiss you?” When he smiled, he did so with his eyes; faint lines crinkled at the corners. “Darling, you don’t have to ask,” he replied, “but thank you. I’m glad you did.”

But favorite sex scene has gotta be the Shar's temple one. I was less afraid of writing something that would upset the imaginary "oh no how could you be so mean to bby astarion"-fans in my head so Tav really pushes the boundaries on that one, and I'm looking forward to more intense bdsm debauchery in future 😇

(appreciate any thoughts on what would make Astarion safeword out btw! I think he'd try at this point but his tolerance level is too fucking high for my vanilla brain hahhahah)

30. Have you noticed your style change over time?

Absolutely! I'm getting too wordy hahahhahha for real though, I think my descriptions and flow have gotten a lot better. I skimmed the doc while I was looking for kiss scenes and saw the line "Astarion scoffed theatrically" and was immediately hit by an intense wave of cringe. God. I started editing the early chapters once upon a time but I just can't look at them anymore without cringing theatrically pulling this face

versus the later chapters, where if I accidentally read something it sucks me in and I emerge an hour later in mild disbelief I wrote that lol

[terranceholdsapencil]

So Ive watched Boom and initial thoughts

S14e03 "Boom" doctor who spoilers

-immediately knew these guys were dead.

-susan twist what are you doing in my ambulance

-killing someone because they'd take four weeks to recover is insane but also works great as the endpoint of capitalism

-casual reminder that I adore 15s theme. Its very different from other Doctor's themes but its lovely.

-skye boat song?!?! Two played that on his recorder back in the web of fear

-"One wrong move, and BOOM. I go all food mixer"

Great line, 10/10

-"everywhere is a beach eventually"

I hate that this made me think of Rose

-"Why, does a landmine have lights on it?" "*groans* capitalism" "Excuse me?" "Flashy lights play well in a showroom. Modern warfare. Death by salesmen"

This is just. Oxygen but instead of a space station its warfare. Jamie Mathieson basically wrote this already. But thats okay I will still eat it up

-lesbian gymkhana. Noice.

-"IiIm not even screaming yet"

THAT'S THE RIGHT ATTITUDE 🫵

-smelted :)

-"i was trying not to show off" well thats new cause you always show off

-"you are brave." "mm." "And you are wonderful. And I forgive you for being incredibly stupid"

Do you know what that reminded me off? The dead boy detectives staircase confession. Come on, you hear it too:

"Also, I cannot BeLIEve you would risk your entire existence coming down to this operatic horror show for me. That is so FUCKING stupid its unbelievable" "Sorry. No version of this where I didnt come get you, is there"

-"I went down to the beach, and there she stood, dark and tall, at the edge of the wood. The Sky´s too big; Im scared!, I cried, she replied: Young man, dont you know theres more to life than the moon and the president´s wife?"

Was she erm , was she nice, the presidents wife?

Ah, well, that was a lie put about by the shabogans. It was the presidents daughter. I didnt steal the moon, I lost i..

Id know you anywhere.

12 AND CLARA MENTIONED?!?!?

-"Life is cheap. Patients are expensive"

Just as I said. War oxygen. Theyre fighting the algorithm. And capitalism.

-"war is business, and business is booming"

-"and my name is the doctor ""the doctor isnt a name" "yeah. haha! And I not even a doctor."

Was the degree in cheesemaking a lie? What about the lego? Doctor, have you lied to me?

Medicine, science, engineering, candy floss, philosophy, music, problems, people, hope, and practically everything :(

-"Great name, Mundy Flynn. You should marry RUby, then you´ll be mundy sunday. Go on, get married, Id laugh every day."

NOW THATS MY TYPE OF HUMOUR 🫵‼️

-"Ive met sentient Mud. lovely girls. I mean grumpy, yeah, but you try lying around with your face full of mammals all day."

I thought of the morax from the witchfinders first but yeah lovely girls

-"im a much bigger bang than you bargained for.

im a lot more explosive than I look and honey, I know how I look."

Originallt I was just a fan of the first line but something about the doctor being in a very bad situation but going "Im hot af :)" is... lmao

-SNOW??? SNOW STOPPING MID AIR???

-"do you get-get-get it?"

-the way he said "girl" in "now you need proof, faith giArl?"

-DAD TO DAD???

I reallt liked the theory of Susan coming back but this might also hint at a general doctor-family thing. Maybe his child

-when everything worked out the soundtrack was the same as during the tardis reveal in the star beast. I had to stop the episode cause that score made me FEEL things. I could not the heck focus on 15 with this soundtrack on cause. Uhm.

....

Im so sorry but this tardis reveal is so so so SO special to me so playing the same music is actually vile. Because. No I wont be able to focus on the actual episode. I couldnt focus on the actual episode because 15 sang a song 2 played on his bloody recorder. You cant use a TARDIS REVEAL SCORE.

-"What happened" "well, its uh, its kind of hard to sum up. I think if I had a diary it would be a little bit too exiting for words. I think I could write it with drums. Can you write a diary with drums? I bet I could."

IS THIS A THOSCHEI REFERENCE?! 🗣🗣🗣

-the sky is like actually super pretty on kastarion 3

-"quite frankly, your life span sucks" HAHA

-"fish fingers and custard is mt favourite" FISH FINGERS AND CUSTARD?!

-"A sad, old man once told me. WHat survives of us is love."

-irs actually insane how happy the tardis "vworp vworp vworp" makes me. Everytime the tardis disappears I giggle like little kid.

-im sorry but the next ep is SO intriguing Im very excited for next week, more excited than thid one actually

[zainsjuicebox]

i will need at least 10 to 15 business days to recover from the second half of this finale to talk about the things i did like this episode

[echodrops]

The Promises I Made (2023)

Oh man. Oh man.

At the end of last year, I said that I had really struggled through 2022 and hoped that 2023 would be an easier year, but also that I didn't want to count any chickens. Which was... ultimately the right mindset to have, because 2023 was even worse for me than 2022. Between the stressors of work, money, and things just falling apart on me left and right (car is still in need of $3000 worth of work...), I couldn't be more glad that 2023 is over.

Consequently, it was a very bad year for promises. Possibly the worst year I've ever had since I started, actually. Oof, icing on the cake after all the disappointment I dealt with this year.

Still, a tradition is a tradition. Here are the promises I made for this last year!

2023 Promises

1) Work on the Texas house yard. It’s still never really recovered from the frost that killed everything in 2021 and it looks pretty shabby right now.

Status: Broken, mostly. I did have the gardener come and do a lot of trimming as well as take out one dead tree, but still, one dead tree remains, and the tree in the backyard has grown roots so big now that they've exposed a underground wire, so uhhhh... gonna have to deal with that this year...

2) Get both bedroom floors sanded in the Utah house upstairs.

Status: Broken. This just didn't happen. No money. But it really, really needs to happen soon though... Oof...

3) Get the Utah house sprinklers up and working ALL the way for this summer.

Status: Broken. This is the hardest promise on this list, I swear to god. This city in Utah has NO ONE who is willing to work on normal residential sprinklers. Please someone save me.

4) Actually get the back fence fixed up and the greenery back there trimmed and managed.

Status: Broken. Well, one day...

4) Put a new sink/vanity in the downstairs bathroom of the Utah house.

Status: Broken. I sure... made a lot of promises about the Utah house, didn't I... Where did I think all this money would come from...

5) Related to that, lose at least 20 pounds. 2020-2022 was not kind to me and the stress eating was real.

Status: Broken. I didn't gain weight this year but I didn't lose any either. RIP.

6) Take my mom on a road trip to one of the U.S. states that she has not been to before.

Status: Broken. I was busy all summer and we just didn't do this.

7) Get back in touch with the allergy specialist to continue working on my allergy/inflammation issues.

Status: Broken. Yikes, seven in a row without a single kept promise. Anyway, I did want to do this, but again, the surgery they want me to have will take all my insurance and then $2000 out of pocket. It's just... not going to happen...

8) Go through my closets and donate or throw away clothes that I know I will not wear.

Status: KEPT. Oh my god, one I actually did. I ended up donating SO MANY shirts to Goodwill.

9) Finish at least five books this year.

Status: Broken. I finished two I believe. But... maybe the 50+ 100k word fanfics I read this year could count instead?

10) Organize my documents (especially student papers)—my desktop and documents folders give me nightmares just looking at them. 

Status: Broken. Jesus, why am I so allergic to this promise? I think it's been on the list for like three years running now.

11) Help Kacchan through her first semester as a teacher! Exciting!!

Status: According to Kacchan herself, this promise has been kept. Go me.

12) Get a decent paper shredder to shred old mail. 

Status: Kept! I finally got a shredder!!

13) Clean off my back patio/car port area so I can park my car there again.

Status: Broken. Literally there's not that much stuff out there other than my coworker's old bikes she dumped on me. Why have I not done this...

14) Get the Texas house dishwasher fixed… I’m so tired of washing dishes by hand… How do people do this, oof.

Status: Kept! I got a newwww dishwasherrrrrr. I am so happy...

15) 100% complete FF16 babyyyyy!!

Status: Broken. I played it, but did not 100%. Too busy. TvT

16) Talk to an HR rep about my retirement savings so that I can consolidate my retirement accounts. I have been putting this off for like five years now.

Status: Broken. I think this has been on the list for years too. And given the current uncertainty of my workplace, I honestly think at this point I might be better off not asking anyone who works there for any financial advice...

17) Do at least one artwork to actually use that new paint program I bought. 

Status: Broken. Well, I THOUGHT about it. Does that count?

18) Pay my credit debt down by at least $2000. I’m still paying off the hell year but I hope I can make progress on this.

Status: Broken. The hell year of last year became Hell Year 2.0, Economic Boogaloo this year. So many things went wrong and had to be paid for. My wallet is C R Y I N G.

19) Finish making changes to master courses. No more major revisions!

Status: You know what, I'm going to count this as kept, because we're now down to the really specific courses that only one or two professors teach. So, close enough!!

20) See a zone-tailed hawk. This is another rare-but-possible bird for my area.

Status: Kept! Conveniently, one flew over my car one day?? I got only a terrible cellphone photo, but I did see it. Yay!

21) Attend the FFXIV Fanfest in Las Vegas!

Status: Broken. I tried!! But I did not win the lottery for a ticket, so I was not able to go. This one was pretty much out of my hands, though.

22) Update HaaH at least once. Please, Echo???

Status: ...I'm sorry, forgive meeee. OTL

23) Get the small leak fixed in the side bathroom of the Texas house and have the faucets replaced.

Status: Plumbers are... so expensive... Broken.

24) Look into the cost of light housekeeping services to give myself a little more time to do things that aren’t work.

Status: Technically kept... in that I did look into the costs... But ultimately, I chickened out of contacting anyone. I don't know why, but I feel like even if I got a housekeeper, I would be so embarrassed by my house being messy, I would frantically clean it the day before the housekeeper arrived anyway...

25) Catch up with hanging up all the charms/pins I’ve gotten recently on my corkboards; these are just sitting in boxes/bags around the house. D;

Status: Broken. My god, I thought about doing this so many times this year but I just never did it... I even both MORE charms and then didn't hang them.

26) Use Spotify more often or cancel my Spotify Premium subscription; it’s not worth it if I don’t use it.

Status: Kept. I cancelled it when they decided to raise the price. Cancelled Amazon Prime and Netflix this year too. Honestly way too tired of companies raising the prices of subscription services while offering LESS quality than in prior years.

27) Get an art display book to preserve my great grandfather’s artworks.

Status: Kept. They are safeeeee now.

28) Fix the screens on the Texas house.

Status: Broken. Probably for the best I didn't do this though, since the dog developed a habit of scratching at the office WINDOW to be let back into the house...

29) Bird watch at a specific location in Texas. It’s my secret where since I’d rather not share my specific location on social media, but let’s hope I can finally make it to this place!

Status: Kept. I didn't see many birds there though, RIP.

30) Finally get rid of the dirt pile in the front of the Utah house.

Status: Broken. I feel like the dirt pile is getting smaller and smaller over time as erosion takes its natural course, but I didn't really do anything to decrease the pile this year.

31) Sign NeNe (my puppy) up for the intermediate dog training course.

Status: Broken. I thought about this several times, but decided not to in the end. I wasn't massively impressed by the trainer she had for her puppy class, and honestly she's pretty decent at learning things at home anyway.

32) This is super nerdy, but my bro got me the FFXIV cookbook and made me promise to actually use it, so I guess I’d better at least try to make something from it.

Status: Broken. I keep making this promise and continually forget it, over and over.

33) Take down the remains of the wooden fence posts at the Utah house.

Status: Broken. This one I could have done and just... did not do. I'm pretty useless.

34) Take part in the fitness challenge at work this coming semester.

Status: Broken. To be fair to me though, in August I fractured my pelvis and basically couldn't do anything past basic walking all the way until December so I kind of have a semi-reasonable excuse for this one.

35) I will remember to take my medicine on time, all the time. Taking them late is messing things up quite a bit.

Status: Mostly kept. There was a night or two where I did forget, but since I literally require this medicine to live, I can basically immediately tell when I need to take it again, so most nights I do take it on time.

36) Get a stand for the toaster oven in the break room so we can finally use it!

Status: I'm going to count this as kept even though we did not get a new stand. Instead, we rearranged the order of the room to make it possible to fit both the toaster over and the microwave on the same countertop. So the toaster oven can indeed be used now!

37) Get my car detailed because the inside really needs to be vacuumed.

Status: Broken. My god, the car needs this so desperately now. But... money...

38) Go horseback riding on the island. I’ve never ridden on a beach before!

Status: Broken. Nobody really seemed that interested in going with me, and I thought it would be weird to go alone...

39) Eat healthier. Maybe cutting out snacks is too much to ask, but at least replace some average meals with salads, etc. and overall make an effort to actually eat better. Sometimes the fact that I feel like garbage is my own fault.

Status: Broken. The stress eating was extreme this last year. Please save me.

40) Wait, I should probably acquire a Playstation 5 so I can actually play my new copy of FF16, lol.

Status: Kept.

41) Help make sure the new tutoring requirement for the English classes goes over well.

Status: Kept, in that I did the best I could with a very, very weird plan. We immediately abandoned this plan the moment the grant expired anyway, since no one liked what admin had wanted us to do.

42) Finish decorating the main office. I’ll feel better if my workplace reflects the level of professionalism and school spirit that I envisioned it having this year.

Status: Broken, and I'm not going to roll this one over to the next year because I am 100% stepping down from my current administrative position and going back to being a full-time instructor again, so I will not need to decorate the main office anymore! Whoo!

43) Catch every variant of Vivillon in Pokemon Go. I’m currently missing Icy Snow, Marine, Meadow, Monsoon, Ocean, Polar, River, Sandstorm, Savanna, Sun, and Tundra, if anyone would like to be friends!

Status: Broken. I caught some of the ones I was missing but I really didn't play as much Pokemon Go this year. Broken pelvis decreasing walking ability but also just got tired of the game pushing more and more microtransactions, so I kinda took a longggg break.

44) Try to be more comprehensive with giving feedback to students. I’m always good at providing detailed comments on essays, but I’d like to spend more time commenting on smaller assignments too this year.

Status: Broken. Every year I try, every year I feel like I still haven't given enough. Maybe the issue with this promise is that I don't really know what is "enough" for the students compared to what I personally think I should give...

45) Make sure the retirement party for my coworkers who retired this year goes off without a hitch and honors them well.

Status: Kept. Oh, this was so nice and so much fun. It was really great seeing the retiring faculty members so emotional over how much we were able to honor them and their contributions to the school.

46) Take part in more activities on campus; I have a tendency to not attend many events because they’re in the evening when I’m tired, but I should really stay more often.

Status: Kept, though mostly by necessity. I kept constantly getting called in to help on things, even in other departments.

47) Write some Chainsaw Man fanfic for @mistystarshine!

Status: Broken. I'm so sorry, this just did not happen. I wish my work schedule was manageable instead of actually insane. There are so many things I want to write and do for myself, rather than for work...

48) Help my parents tear out the carpet in my old childhood bedroom.

Status: Broken. My mom talked about it a lot, but it never ended up happening.

49) Do something to destress (massage, pedicure, something?) at least once per month. I gotta take better care of myself…

Status: Broken. So broken. I only got more stressed this year. More and more and more and more...

50) I will keep my promises! 

Status: Oof, mostly broken. Next year I'm going to set a reminder for myself so that I remember to check my promises every few weeks or something...

Kept promises: 15

Broken promises: 35

Another year, another chance, I guess. See you all in 2024!

[thewitchwannabe]

HAPPY MUTATION DAY

NEW DESTINY SINOPSIS

Leona walked into the kitchen, the smell of pancakes filling up her nostrils. “Mornin’ sis!” Mikey said, flipping a pancake with the pan. ‘Show off’ she thought affectionately, a smile grew on her lips. “Ohayo Mikey, happy mutation day”, she said. “Happy mutation day!” The orange turtle answered. Leo walked over to the kettle to start preparing her and Master Splinter’s teas, as well as Donny’s coffee. Mikey continued to work on the pancakes, garnishing the stack with some strawberries. He was going all out for their birthdays but at this rate Leo feared they were going to need April to make a second grocery run this week. A little later Donny walked in, eye bags under his eyes as usual, carrying his coffee mug, making a beeline to the coffee pot. “Happy mutation day, Don!” Mikey said, finishing up Leo’s plate with a number 15 and handing it to her. Donny simply sat down with his now full mug, taking a big sip, his eyes finally seemed to focus on his siblings “happy mutation day”, they said calmly. Mikey handed Donny his plate, a stack of buttered pancakes with a number 14 on it, the purple turtle started eating with delight. Leo shook her head at the sight of her brother, “when exactly did you go to sleep last night?” She asked. Donny looked up a slightly offended look on his face “I’ll have you know Leona, that i went to bed at a reasonable 10:30 pm, my brain just didn’t shut up until 4 in the morning”. 

The two of them continued to eat while Mikey prepared the rest of the pancake batter. He turned around once he had his, Raph’s and Master Splinter’s plates ready. “Alright I’ll go wake up the little rascal, Leo you can take dad’s plate to his room” he said. Leona nodded and stood up from her seat and started serving Master Splinter’s tea and placed it with his plate on a tray. “That won’t be necessary my children” Splinter’s tired voice said. He entered the kitchen with a sleepy Raph next to him. A soft “ohayo” left the youngest turtle’s lips as he walked over to his seat. Leo quickly walked over to the old rat, “Tōsan! What are you doing here?” She asked worry clear in her tone. Master Splinter, smiled at his daughter, “It’s you kid’s birthday, I couldn’t spend it in my room again” he said, it was true, he had barely congratulated them last year since his health wasn’t as stable as it was now. “Don’t worry Leona, I’m feeling quite well today”. Leo watched her dad walk over to the table. Raph already devouring his breakfast, the 12 sign left to the side like Mikey’s own 13. A smile made its way to Leo’s lips, as she walked over to her seat to finish up her breakfast. 

The little family ate and chatted, a stark difference to last year’s celebration. When Master Splinter was still recovering from their showdown with the Shredder. Donny working non-stop to find a way to bring his health to a safe zone of sorts. Leo patrolling the city looking for any sign of the foot. And Mikey making sure Raph didn’t try to follow their sister. It had been a hard while, but they finally reached a sense of normalcy, things aren’t as dire as they were. The foot has been MIA for a while, and Leo’s biggest concern was her brother’s training and getting groceries and supplies whenever April was too busy or couldn’t find an excuse to buy a family’s worth of food. April was the latest addition to their little clan. Their paths had crossed here and there as she was often caught in the crossfire of their battles with the foot. She’s always been quite the magnet for trouble according to her. But that also meant that she caught sight of Leo rushing to Splinter’s aid the night of their showdown with the Shredder and decided to follow her. April helped her get her father out of the collapsed building they were trapped in after the blast Leo caused when she stopped the draining jutsu. She even stayed with Splinter while Leo went to rescue her brother’s from the foot’s headquarters. She simply stuck around after that night, and Leona couldn’t be happier about that. Sure she had this weird friendship with Karai, but having a friend who never tries to harm her or her family was pretty nice. 

Leo was brought back to the conversation, when Raph spoke “nēchan, are you making us train today?”. Leo looked at Raph and raised an eyebrow “mmmmm” she said placing a finger to her chin, “i don’t know, should i give you a day off?” All three of her brothers immediately said yes, making Master Splinter chuckled as he sipped his tea. She faked offense at their response “come on, training is fun” she defended crossing her arms. “It is, it is!” Mikey said, “but come one sis, it's our birthday, we should take it easy!”. Donny and Raph nodded their heads in agreement. Leo rolled her eyes “fine, you can skip training, but remember April is coming in the afternoon” she said heading to the dojo by herself. The cheers of her brothers behind her. “In that case, how about a private lesson, Leona?” Master Splinter said, getting up from his seat with the help of his cane. “Only if you feel up for it, tōsan” Leo said as Splinter reached her at the door. Splinter laughs a little at the overprotective-ness of his daughter and lets her lead the way to the dojo.

Leona practiced the kata Master Splinter had explained, as he watched and gave pointers sitting on the floor a little to the side. Leo made sure to follow all the indications her sensei gave her. She was determined to perfect the move as it would be her job to teach her brothers. This was the system that they had reached, as training and keeping up with 4 students was too taxing for the rat. So Leo took over her brother’s training, being able to spar with them and teach them what she knew as the oldest. And after that Splinter would give her private lessons to her. After a while Leo was making the move with an almost perfect precision, so Splinter declared the lesson over, and called Leo over to sit with him. “You know Leona, while we were all eating breakfast I realized something” he said. Leo turned to look at her father “what did you realize tōsan?”. Splinter looked up at a picture hanging on the wall, the five of them many years before, Master Splinter had just given them their masks, they were all smiling. “I realized how lucky we are” he started “yes we have gone through tough battles, battles that have left us some lasting scars, but we have managed to overcome them all”. Leona thought about it, they’ve grown up hidden away, scavenging for food and supplies, only having each other, but they were happy and loved. “We’ve gone through so much, and yet here we are, the five of us being able to laugh and celebrate another year of our family forming” Splinter turned to look at Leo, “and I have to thank you for it, Leona”. Leo’s eyes grew wide, “me?” Splinter nodded his head, “yes, you made sure we were all taken care of after our last encounter with the Shredder. You provided for your brothers, you cared for them, and continued to train them, when I was too weak to do so. You’ve grown into such a strong young woman, and couldn’t be prouder of you” Leona looked at her father with wide eyes feeling them start to water a little. “I’m so incredibly lucky to have you as my daughter, Leona,” Splinter said, wiping away Leo’s tears with a gentle smile on his face before pulling her into a hug. Leo quickly returned the embrace. The two of them hugged for a while, and Leo let herself be comforted like she comforts her brothers. 

Soon enough the afternoon rolled around, the family rested in the living room waiting for April to arrive. Mikey and Raph playing ‘InkSquids’, while Donny scrolled aimlessly on his phone. Leo watched her brother's gameplay, making sure their game fights didn’t escalate. Splinter sat in his chair, with a hot cup of tea, content to have his children with him. Suddenly the sound of footsteps filled the sewer tunnel leading to their home. The five of them turned their heads immediately at the sound, their senses always acutely aware of their surroundings. They quickly relaxed as their human friend appeared through the door. April walked in apologizing for her tardiness. “Jones was helping me with our calculus homework,” she said. She placed her large bag on the kotatsu table in the center of the living room. “Don’t worry April, we're just glad to have you here” Leo said as she walked over to hug her friend. “Well I’m here, and I come bearing gifts”. If Raph and Mikey had ears, they would have perked up, as they clearly got excited at the mention of gifts. 

They all gathered around the table, as April opened her bag. “They’re not much, just a few things from me and Master Splinter”, the human said. The four turtles turned to look at their father, with surprise in their faces. “I asked Miss O’Neil to help me get each of you a small present”, Splinter said as he sat besides April ready to hand the gifts. Raph went first, Master Splinter handed him a small set of art supplies. Next was Mikey, who received a figurine of his favorite superhero ‘Arachnid-Man’. Then was Donny, April handed him two very unique looking mugs, one of them the size of a small bowl to add to his collection. And finally for Leona, Master Splinter handed her a small box tied closed with a ribbon. Leo opened her gift inside a small necklace with a blue butterfly for a pendant. “It's beautiful” she said “thank you tōsan, April”. The younger turtles thanked the father and friend once more, all happy with their gifts. 

Mikey quickly ran to the kitchen and came back with the cake he and Raph prepared. Donny helped serve a slice of everyone as April helped Leo put on her gift. “I hope it wasn’t much trouble getting them, April,” Leo said. The human girl sat besides her friends as she was handed a piece of cake. “Not at all, Master Splinter already had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to get you guys, I just had to go get it”. Leo looked around at her family, Mikey was in the middle of explaining the story behind his figurine to Master Splinter who simply smiled and nodded along, most likely not being able to follow Mikey’s convoluted explanation. Donny took Mikey’s plays in front of the tv, to play ‘MarcoKart’ with Raph. Leona’s face softened, her family was all together, safe, and happy, and she had a realization of her own. She realized that she’ll always fight to preserve this. To have these moments with her family, and protect them. 

“I want the next turn after whoever loses,” Leo says with a smile.

Next

[toads-treasures]

Fifteen questions for fifteen mutuals!

(It will probably not be fifteen I am too scared to tag too many people)

I was tagged by @galaxycunt weeks ago, and I finally got around to answering.

Tagging @hereforthehaunts @cactme @plasticdodecagon @iwanttobecomeavoid @mars-colony no pressure tho!

Also, feel free to skip any questions you don’t wanna answer.

1. Are you named after anyone?

My great grandpa Tora. But he went by Tory. He was apparently a grumpy ol sonofabitch according to my dad, but it was also his idea to name me after him so 🤷‍♀️

2. When was the last time you cried?

Prolly like two days ago but I don’t know for sure for sure. I cry all the time. I think this time I was crying in frustration at packing for my last camping trip lol

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, and I don’t know if I want any tbh. It would really cut into my time of being the Weird/Fun Aunt who lets my nieces and nephews stay up too late and helps them dye their hair

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not nearly as much as I did when I was younger. We call that Growth 😌 but sometimes I can’t help myself

5. What sports do you play/have you played?

Ha. I am so uncoordinated I don’t play any sports. I played tennis for one year in high school and hated it. I’ve gone rock climbing once and really enjoyed it even though I was scared shitless, so I’d really like to get back into that. I’ve also been kind of wanting to play tennis again just for funsies with my husband and not actually pay attention to any rules or anything and just have fun.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about other people?

I think height? Because I’m pretty tall and if someone is taller than I am I definitely notice

7. Eye color?

Hazel is the least pretentious way to describe it. Or green…ish.

8. Scary movie or happy endings?

Why not both? I will say I like things to end happily, because I need to have some semblance of hope in the world lol, but also bittersweet endings will stick with me for the rest of my life.

9. Any special talents?

I am freaky good with names and faces. I will remember people who I had one college class with but never actually personally interacted with them. I can also like, trifold my tongue so it looks like a clover.

10. Where were you born?

Ha nice try fbi. Just kidding, it’s just a small town (like, less than a thousand people) in southern Utah and I highly doubt anyone would know the name or where it was, but if perchance they do, it probably means I know them in real life and I’d rather not risk it.

11. Free space

Ummmmm I love hiking and camping, and I’d love to get into photography and videography to be like a nature photographer, I think that would be cool. But I’m also Very Bad at taking pictures. I always forget to take them, or I frame it really bad or the lighting is really bad, I’ve got a lot to learn with that hobby lol. Also I wish I could just wear my crunchy/granolaey/outfits all the time business casual my absolute beloathed

12. Do you have any pets?

No 😔 I want one, either a cat or a dog, but honestly I have so much anxiety around it because there’s this CREATURE in my HOUSE and it needs me to live! And what if it eats my plants and what if my plants are toxic and what if it chews a hole in the floor or the door and we get kicked out and and and (you get the idea).

13. How tall are you?

5’10” 😎 my husband insists I’m 5’9” but he’s wrong

14. Favorite subject in school?

I’m still recovering from the god complex that being in English class gave me so, we’ll leave it at that.

15. Dream job?

I do not dream of labor, but I have a few ideas of what would be preferable than being a receptionist for the rest of my life lol. I’d like to open an online sticker/print shop and just draw and design cute silly stationary and stickers. I’ve also always dreamed of being an author, but seeing as how I can’t finish any of my wips that will probably remain a dream lol.

[holllandtrash]

ah miss em, miss em... after that last 6 to 1 chapter i'll need 10 to 15 business days to recover, it got me re-reading every. single. line. at least twice 🥵 but yeah... i'm so normal about it 🙃

anyways, the whole series is gorgeously well written! hope you're having a great day! 🖤

LOLLLLL

I LOVE YOU

[alittlewhump]

15 Questions Tag

Thank you for the tag, @i-can-even-burn-salad - though I'm not sure what you mean, nobody is suffering here. :)

Rules: Answer these questions from the perspective of one of your characters. Theoretically you are meant to tag people to do the same, but I'm simply not sociable enough to tag anyone. If this game interests you, consider yourself tagged.

For the purposes of this tag game, you are interviewing Morgan from my long story Unbidden, not terribly long after the events of the most recent epilogue piece (#18).

1. Are you named after anyone?

"No." He looks away, as if something about a nearby plant has caught his attention. "Not any more," he adds softly.

2. When was the last time you cried?

He gives you a sharply disapproving look. "I'm not sure that's any of your business," he tells you tersely. In fact, he woke this morning - a poor start, not having meant to fall asleep - with grief he refuses to name scraping jaggedly inside his ribcage, and wept quietly for several minutes before gathering himself to face the day.

3. Do you have kids?

An expression of bewildered disbelief crosses his face. "No. Why would I ever want – no, no children."

4. Do you use sarcasm?

"No. I like to speak plainly, and I appreciate when others afford me the same courtesy." He regards you with mild suspicion, clearly trying to work out whether or not the previous question was meant to be sarcastic.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

"Their proximity." He says this as though it is self-evident.

6. What's your eye color?

"You'd know better than I would. Ah, unless – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have presumed. Very pale blue."

7. Scary movies stories or happy endings?

He squints, his eyebrows drawing together. "It doesn't matter, as long as it's true. Either, or both, or neither. A happy ending for the fox is a scary story for the rabbit."

8. Any special talents?

"No." He does not elaborate. There is no need to. Blaise might have had something to say about that, but as she is not currently present, you will have to make do with what you have.

9. What are your hobbies?

"I enjoy tending my garden and preparing reagents. I like to read. Pansy is teaching me to knit." He fishes an approximately square knitted cloth out of one of his pockets and makes to hand it to you. The edge stitches are loose and it is wider at one end than the other.

10. Where were you born?

"Gea Kul." He does not appear to have any interest in elaborating on this.

11. Have you any pets?

"Any... companion animals?" He shakes his head in the negative once you make your meaning clear. "No. Animals come and go through the garden. I like to watch them, but they aren't mine in any way. I might try my hand at keeping bees, one day."

12. What sports do you play/have played?

"I've never played sports. Some people are very skilled, I'm sure, but they don't hold much appeal to me."

13. How tall are you?

He seems momentarily confused by the question before he recalls your evident visual impairment. "A little more than fifteen hands."

14. Favorite subject in school?

It takes him a few seconds to work up a reply, toying with the stitching on the hem of his sleeve. "I have always enjoyed learning, no matter the subject. Botany has brought me the most pleasure, I suppose."

15. Dream job?

He physically flinches at this question. Recovering quickly, he smooths away the sorrow from his features, uncreasing the line of his brow and pursing his lips slightly to make a straight line of his mouth. "My work as an herbalist is very satisfying," he says, not meeting your eyes. "I couldn't choose anything I'd rather do."

[jenneferofjengaberg]

Seriously. It WILL happen to you, it's just a matter of when. As someone who works in a computer repair shop, we get so many customers who want us to salvage things from dead or damaged drives or devices.

Sometimes we can. But it's very time consuming, and therefore, very expensive. And honestly a lot of the time it's not successful. Data can be overwritten fairly quickly and it can also become corrupted. Once a file is overwritten or corrupted, there's not much of anything we can do about it.

We've had clients lose important tax documents. Their novel, their work files, digital copies of identifying paperwork, you name it. Especially heartbreaking though are the people who lose the only photos of special events or even deceased loved ones. It's horrible, and we always do everything we can to recover anything at all, but often we can't, and we feel just awful.

So please, don't be filled with regret. Just back stuff up.

As the above says, offsite backups are best, especially in cases of fire/floods/theft/displacement/etc. I also endorse Backblaze. It's what I personally use, and the company I work for has a business account with them as well. They recently raised their prices to about $99 per year (but if you sign up before October 3rd 2023, you can get in at the old price of $70 a year at least until next year), but they're still just about the cheapest game in town for backup. They have unlimited backup, and you can even backup external drives, which many backup services charge extra for. If you need to restore data you can either download individual files from their web interface (they're working on a local restore function from their app) or you can download large zip files of your data. If you have a seriously huge amount of data, they'll even ship you an external drive with your data on it, which they charge you the cost of the drive for, but if you ship the drive back to them within 30 days, they refund you completely. I used this option a couple of years ago when I had a 10 TB external drive fail on me. They shipped me a drive of equal capacity with all my data on it, and they charged my credit card for $189 which was the exact cost of the drive on Amazon (I checked). They're not making money off this. I put the data on my own new drive and shipped their drive back and they refunded me the entire $189. It was painless. You can also just opt to keep the drive.

But I get it, some people are broke or poor, and $99 a year is too much. In that case, there are lots of file storage sites that will give you a few free Gigabytes each to play with. Most do have limitations like an individual file size limit, no encryption, content limits, etc. Here are a few to get you started:

iDrive - Their basic free plan gets you 10 GB of backup

Google Drive - gives you 15 GB of free storage (but if you use Gmail, Docs, or Google Photos it counts against this limit)

OneDrive - From Microsoft. Built into Windows and you get 5 GB for free.

Dropbox - The basic free plan gets you 2 GB.

Mediafire - The free tier gets you 10 GB of storage

Sync.com - 5 GB free

Box - 10 GB of free storage

There are lots of others. Obviously, if you have a lot of files or data, this could get unwieldly, but my best advice is to try and use each service for backing up one thing. Documents at one service, photos at another, videos at another, etc. You could even make a spreadsheet or note to keep track of what you have where.

For local backups, external drives are getting cheaper all the time. The downside of local backups is of course that they can be affected by the very same things that can affect any other devices you own. Fires, power surges, theft, etc. But ANY backup is better than NO backup.

There are free programs that can make local backup easier. You can set it up to automatically backup on a schedule, for example. Two of the best free solutions are Paragon Backup and EaseUS Todo Backup. Both these programs have paid versions with extra features, but the free versions will be more than sufficient for anybody who wants to make basic backups.

TL;dr tech support workers beg you to back up your shit so we don't have to bear the weight of your crushing digital losses.

beastly reminder