#i never post anything that isn’t a reblog but i was so overjoyed by this purchase i had to share with the autists

[crockerberts]

ok sunscreen review as an autist who HATES sunscreen because it feels icky

AVEENO DAILY FACE MOISTURIZER WITH SPF 15

9/10 stars for me personally for now at least. will explain more below !

once its on it does not feel like sunscreen at all i cant even tell im wearing sunscreen it doesnt get greasy or make my glasses slip or anything PLUS it moisturizes my face and doesnt make me look sweaty either!!!!

my only star off is that for the 10 seconds i am applying it it does have that characteristic suncream feel (though its a little more lotion-y than sun cream so i will give it that) but after giving it like 15 seconds to set in, assuming i applied it correctly and didnt leave globs on my face unsmoothed out, it is completely fine and dandy. i just gotta take off a star for that bcuz i am so obscenely texture sensitive 😓😓😓😞😞😞

i have like never used face sunscreen before and instead opted for staying in the shade all the time bcuz my skin is rlly sensitive but this is suuuuper nice to have cuz im at college now and my campus is SOOOOO bright cuz there’s no god damn trees anywhere. anyway highly recommend for fellow autists who hate shit on their skin i found it at target for like 3 bucks

[karanoid]

about top joe discord

LET ME ADDRESS A FEW POINTS:

There has been many fear and anxiety regardless the top!joe discord I made. I understand how it gives my discord a bad reputation. Somebody has kindly reached out to me to ask me addressing several points, which I’m now gonna clarify:

1. I am racist, I asked why, and they said mostly because of my dismissive behavior to people who called me out for drawing yusuf adorned in gold jewelry which made their friends feel unsafe. So, I am a muslim and was raised in a muslim household and community. I am fucking brown.

I didn’t say it because you don’t need to know that about me. What bothers me is how some people feel the need to come to my inbox informing me “maam yusuf is a religious muslim who prays 5 times a day and do all the supplementary prayers all while he drinks alcohol and fuck nicky in the dailies, he wouldnt be wearing gold maam no maam.” as if I didn’t know any better. so please, now don’t do that. If you care so much about the littlest details like wearing gold then you’ll also call out yusuf because he draws living beings and drinks champagne. yes it’s true muslim men are forbidden from wearing gold AND silk but let’s not forget, nothing in the comic and movies imply yusuf has ever been religious. It’s easier to see nicolo as religious because he was a fucking priest. Yusuf was a fucking merchant, it’s easy to see that he’d be less faithful because he would have been travelling and seen many kind of people to broaden his horizons and not contained to a little bubble of hyper religious community. However, let me remind you: whether yusuf AND nicolo are religious or not is entirely UP TO THE AUTHOR/ARTIST. It’s totally fine to make him religious and if you can respect it THATS GREAT, I ALSO LIKE HIM THAT WAY, but please remember it’s not even canon and hey sometimes I just draw things because I like the aesthetics. Also please, do not harass writers for getting a thing or two incorrect, even white people cannot get christianity correct, even between two muslims could be a disagreement whether this fic’s yusuf is problematic or not. I wouldn’t even expect anything more and THAT’S OKAY. Just don’t be an ass to muslims of color in real life and don’t fall into the believe that it’s a religion of violence. you can say that greg made him that way bc he knew nothing better but hey, I have no problem with that. again, it’s fine to make him religious, I’d be delighted but it’s ALSO fine to make him not religious.

2. I think that people only write Top!Nicky out of political correctness. OKAY. I apologize for this. I thought like this because I have accounts telling me that they were pressured into writing top!nicky or they wanted more readerships so I make a BIG assumption. I realized this is only a small part of switch and top!nicky fics and the big bulk of this must be out of genuine care. So yeah, I apologize for thinking that people only write top!nicky out of political correctness. I think writers should be allowed to write whatever they want. Yes this includes top!Nicky. And in whatever kinks they want it. However, this still doesn’t change that the discourses do scare people away from writing top!joe. Write top!nicky however you want, but stop vague-blogging about top!joe. racism isn’t inherent to top!joe and you can always remind people to be mindful with their writings but discouraging people from writing top!joe is not the solution. 

3. Top!joe is racist and people in the discord are racist. Okay, I am gonna touch several aspects why top!joe discord is considered racist: (1) because I don’t like to switch them, therefore I am racist. Sorry that’s not how it works. I have a clear preference and that’s just how I roll. Besides, a lot of people in the discord (including me) think either they switch (because they are 900 yo) or joe just doesn’t like bottoming. I’m not the kind of people who refers to reality for fiction I consume but people who prefer to top or to bottom exist (2) i want to be away from accountability and responsibility. Nope. The reason I made it is because I wanted to gather people with same interest as mine. 

4. I paint Yusuf as aggressive and the whole discord like him being an aggressive top. I think this is the only reason why the discord is seen in a negative light. Because wow what a coincidence that someone vagueblogged my discord at the day I celebrated about Nicky suggesting 20 years and wrote a post about how Joe is allowed to be angry. And beside someone made the WRONG assumption that we are focusing on Joe’s anger and violence (what). Okay, I don’t know how to break this down. But I will try. First, yes I was overjoyed at the news. Because I’m one of the people that do not like feral!nicky headcanon. I liked it at first bc it was funny but then it was twisted into Nicky being cold. So I don’t like it (lol), I still like it though but like I don’t seriously think that way. However, I never liked the idea that Nicky suggested higher than Joe. Because then his character just doesn’t click with me, there was a cognitive dissonance for me because joe clearly says nicky’s heart overflows kindness, you can see nicky as a medic in the credit montage. Also, from their body language and from the way the movie set em up, I think Joe is the one who suggested higher and I am glad to be proven right. Second, I did write a post about how Joe is allowed to be angry at Booker. People agreed with me, so I was not alone. But the reason I wrote that post is not because I wanted to paint yusuf as aggressive, but because I’m tired at people who think Joe shouldn’t display any negative emotions. I think it’s out of character. I do NOT think Joe is aggressive. That is NOT his wholeass personality. If you looked at my tog art tag, never once I portrayed Joe as anything aggressive. If I do, please show me. Third, people are conflating this with my post where I reblogged with a comment that implies aggressive Joe isn’t racism. Okay in this, the context is IN BED. It’s Joe being aggressive in BED. It’s literally BED ROLES AND FANTASY. I don’t even have a particular scenario in my head when I reblogged that, the original post clearly refers to bed roles with manhandling and kinks etc. like, why would you spank someone in public? Lastly, about the discord, NOPE, most people in the discord agree that Joe is either a GENTLE DOM or SERVICE TOP. But in my opinion, if someone likes Joe as an aggressive top (again, bed roles baby) I really don’t think it’s racism. It’s just... projection? 

anyway, back to joe’s emotions, these are posts from a moroccan man (paragraph #7) and a brown woman whose posts I agree with. Let’s be real, people of color are expected to shut up in favor of white people’s fragile feelings.

Now, about racism in fandom. I understand the concern because muslim men are painted as violent and aggressive. You know what I will never forgive those radicals for taking away innocents lives and to leave a lasting damage in how muslims are perceived in the west. However, you have to keep in mind, Joe in the movie is far from being stereotyped. I mean, Gina and Marwan practically greenlit him? Now, you might have concerns that writers are gonna turn him into a walking stereotype which is... okay, I understand that concern. But the solution is to communicate this ‘hey I think you make him too stereotypical in this etc etc’ not “write more top!nicky AND shame top!joe” because again, top!joe is not inherently racist.

also some people mentioned that they hope I recognize racial bias in the ship. dude, that goes without saying, all aspects of your life will be influenced by racial biases. however, this kind of thing is not specific to fandom/shipping. Like I said I’m fucking brown, friends and families with facial features that cater to white expectation are treated better. I did say at the bottom of this post, yeah I did notice why it’s always a brown character who’s always openly mad. And that’s in itself a form of racial bias. Racial biases affect everyone, white or POC, it doesn’t matter. But I got an issue with how people think this is racism. like how convenient, if by falling to racial biases mean you are a racist then what about those white people who created this racial biases in the first place? and I noticed the persons who got the audacity to cry about everything in this fandom is white?? I mean okay, they don’t know what I am, but not everyone is comfortable with sharing their private information like ethnic group, faith, etc. what if they really don’t want to share it? Because like you said, racial bias, whether good or bad will affect me. Now, I don’t know what white people are feeling, I’m not white. However, based on my interactions with them. We’re all just people sharing same interest, it could be they fall into racial biases, but all we shared about are just regular HCs. Even people making a conscious effort to combat racial bias still in essence fall for racial bias. You just cannot escape it.

According to this post, fandom assumes that the bottom is the proxy of writers, I don’t think this is applicable to everyone but let’s just say it’s true and people tend to write about their projection better so I’m gonna assume the racism part comes from the fact that..yeah I do think the bottom usually gets more fleshed out as a result of them being the writers proxy, so somebody posted this in the discord which I agree because yes I do think there’s a lack about yusuf’s background especially when it comes to crusade era:

but since I know most writers aren’t muslims, to me it’s not so much about racism but they simply know nothing about it, and not always out of ignorance either but in this climate, if you get a thing or two wrong you’d get harassed. so *shrugs* I understand the reluctancy. But here’s the thing, this is not about top/bottom issue but because most of the fandom are white so they have more freedom in writing the white character. Anyway, plenty of people have projected themselves into yusuf already, the whole “top/bottom” thing in this fandom is not even a thing. Yes, some writers project on the bottom so if you prefer bottom!joe that’s fine, somebody in the discord is doing a research and it turned out top!joe wasn’t even a CLEAR majority in JULY. So clearly they got their share already?

so please, let’s stop with the vitriol. if people are preferring top!joe it’s clearly because of different preferences. it’s not that deep. it’s the same way with how some people are preferring top!nicky. But we’re being driven out based on a hypothetical scenarios? like what do you want? for us to cease existing??? don’t be ridiculous.

I know people won’t listen to me. So this is my suggestion: LETS JUST IGNORE THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE. LET’S ALL JUST AGREE TO DISAGREE. 

[lemonsandstrawberries]

Figaro Drabble #17

fandom: Stony (Steve x Tony)

universe: Figaro universe

summary: Tony always prided himself on being Figaro's favorite and then everything changed, once that thing appeared in their lives..

length: 986 words

a/n: 17th February was National Cat Day in my country, so I decided to write a fic! aand then fell asleep and didn't post it on time... so Happy One Day after National Cat Day! hope you enjoy the fic, likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated and needed!

————

Figaro Drabble #17

Steve didn't know a lot about love. He never really experienced it, rejected by most of the girls back in the times before he got the serum, while his time with Peggy, the girl he truly felt close to, was cut short and the blossoming feeling never developed. After waking up in the 21st century, Steve didn't expect to ever fit in, not even mentioning finding love, but a miracle happened and he and Tony found each other. That, that Steve could call love. That warm, soothing feeling whenever he looked at Tony, was close to him, and listened to his voice. Their love was growing and filling his heart and soul with something he never experienced before. Steve wouldn't call himself an expert on love, but he knew that what he was feeling towards Tony, that was true love. Pure and passionate and everlasting. 

Yet, it all faded in the face of the feeling he was witnessing in the current moment. That was the kind of love that was hard to describe but obvious to everyone and so good. Steve loved Tony and was loved back, but this was an entirely different story.

"Outrageous," Tony scoffed, his eyes fixed at the same point as Steve's. Steve didn't say anything, just kept smiling, his arm wrapped around his sulking husband as they sat together on the couch in the living room, basking in the love-filled glow. 

"Seriously, I have no words," Tony continued, and Steve continued to not talk, just observing and listening, somehow secretly enjoying Tony's ramble and curious how far it would go.

"I don't know how you can be so calm, Steve! I have never been so insulted in my life!"

Oh, insulted. That was a big word for the overblown offense of Figaro, their shared cat, playing with an old scrunchie. As their only child, Figaro was spoiled as a cat could be, eating the best selection of cat food, having cat towers and scratching posts in every room, and more toys a single cat could need, starting from the simplest stuffed toy mice to the fancy automatic laser lights. Yet, all that cornucopia of cat toys was no match for the stretched-out, yellow scrunchie that one day had slipped out from Thor's pocket and Figaro snatched, claiming for himself and dubbing the best thing ever. Since then, Figaro could be seen wildly pawing at the scrunchie, chasing it all over the place and when he got tired, he flopped down on the floor, the scrunchie near his face, and looked adoringly at it, clearly in love. No matter what Tony did, what he offered, he couldn't convince Figaro to play with anything else, and the only playtime he got with his cat, was when he begrudgingly tossed the yellow nightmare and Figaro kept bringing it to him, playing their version of fetch. The trend did catch on, and soon Natasha donated some of her hair ties and even Bucky added a one or two, and the collection kept growing, much to Figaro's delight and Tony's dismay, but the yellow scrunchie was the unquestionable winner and Figaro's true love. Steve wasn't quite sure if the true offense didn't lay deeper, rooted in the fact that Figaro chose Thor's belonging over many toys Tony had bought. 

"What?" Tony suddenly asked, and Steve noticed that Figaro was sitting at the bottom of the couch, his tail doing some twitchy movements. Sometimes it did happen, that during his playtime, Figaro tossed the scrunchie somewhere and needed assistance in getting it out, which was the current case. "You flung it under the couch, get it out yourself," Tony told his cat, sounding offended. 

"Aw, don't be like that," Steve cooed, not liking Tony being mean for such a petty reason. "Here, Fig," he said and stood up, walking behind the couch, keen on helping their cat, Figaro following.

"Hmph," Tony crossed his arms, thinking that, yeah, maybe, he took it a bit too far. The scrunchie love would end one day, hopefully, and then he would get his cat back from under the vixen's spell. And there was no need to take it out on his fluffy son, not when Figaro was so overjoyed. Before Tony could join in the scrunchie search, there was a movement behind his back and suddenly the floor was further away and the ceiling was a lot closer.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Tony yelped, unsure what to hold to, and clutched to the armrest, curling feet to himself. 

"Fig, look!"

Tony didn't move but saw Figaro zooming across the room, chasing the free scrunchie, happy with getting his toy back. Tony wasn't that happy.

"Huh, so we have a lot of random stuff under the couch..." Steve said from underneath, holding the couch, and Tony, over his head without any effort.

"Sometimes I forget how freakishly strong you are..." Tony muttered angrily to himself, not directing the complaint to his husband, but Steve laughed anyway still hearing it because of his super-soldier hearing. Of course. "Put me down!"

"Hmm."

"Steve!"

"I'm thinking about it."

"This isn't funny, Steve!"

Steve, holding the couch and grinning, had a very different opinion.

"I can feel you smirking, if you don't put me down right now, you will be sleeping on this damn couch for the rest of the month!"

"Well, in that case, I might as well carry it to our bedroom," Steve said, turning around and taking the first step, deeply enjoying the outraged screech his husband made. It was pretty simple - Figaro had his scrunchie to play with and Steve had his Tony. And like all games, this one also had to come to an end, and Tony was put down and the couch got back in its place. And if Tony still wanted to kick Steve out of the bedroom for his mischief, convincing him not to do so, was another story. 

[itsashowtime]

Hello show! Sorry to bug you, but I saw your twt post where you made a remark that telling Artists they are just talented is insulting to how much time effort they put into into drawing and had a realization that you are absolutely correct and how wrongly I've been complimenting artists (i also used to do the i wish i could draw like u which i also realised is also toxic and doesn't really come off as a compliment either)

so i was wondering if u have time if you could toss out better and more positive art compliments to respond to artists work and maybe some WHAT NOT TO DO so i don't make the same mistakes in the future

⋆「 ☾ 」⋆ Hi, dearest Moononny!!! Happy to hear you follow me on the blue bird app/site! 

Feel free to reblog this if you find it helpful! 🙏

“I wish I could draw like you” / “I’ll never be as good of an artist as you” are two of the worst kinds of ‘compliments’ an artist could get, yeah! Degrading yourself isn’t going to uplift anybody, so it’s a good thing you stopped! Most people including myself just don’t know how to respond to those sorts of comments because in the end, the ‘compliment’ turns into a comment that begs for validation (which isn’t bad, it’s just not the right way to get it)

But anyways!

I had a discussion with my friend about the talent thing right after that tweet, actually! We agreed that calling someone ‘talented’ isn’t inherently bad! It means that some things are naturally your forte, but what matters is what you accomplish with the talent you have!

So I guess if you want to call someone ‘talented’, you have to pair that with something else too! For example, ‘You’re so talented and skilled’... I’d think of more examples but it really just depends on the situation imo!

If you’re an artist, the easiest way of coming up with compliments is thinking about what you personally want to hear from someone yourself. If you want someone to point out specific details of the piece you drew that they enjoyed, then you should naturally do the same.

Artists generally love getting comments, especially if it’s more than just “I love this”, “This is cool”, etc. But!!!!

Usually, it sparks joy when you show that you paid attention to what the artist is conveying in their art. Something like “I love your line art, the weight is so fine!”, “The shading is so crisp, I love it!”, “This pose is so cool and dynamic!”, etc etc.

I get overjoyed when people point out all the things they liked about a piece I made or they gush about moments in my webcomic, that sort of thing gives me so much drive and motivation and strength, and I’m certain other artist’s do too!

I’m not saying that you should write an entire essay if you want to compliment an artist, but if you genuinely want to support someone you like, then it’s usually best to tell them what specific parts of the piece stuck out to you in a good way (usually saying ‘I love’ in the sentence will let them know that you aren’t criticising)

Which brings me to things you totally shouldn’t do omg... 

Obviously putting yourself and your skills down is a no-no. That’s rude, and you’re making things uncomfortable for both parties.

But the other thing I personally don’t like (and probably many others) is when people go ‘What’S uP wiTh (insert body part or anything really) 🤪’. Unless the artist specifically asks for criticism, keep it to yourself. 

A lot of people say that whatever you post to the internet is up for criticism or whatever, but it’s unwanted. Nobody asked for it. It’s not even a compliment (but apparently people think it is???)

Otherwise, I can’t really think of anything off the top of my head . . . I hope this helps! I might add things later if it comes to me . . . 😔

[penguiduck]

The Relationship Between Online Readers & Writers: Motivation and Appreciation for Writers: Implementation

Introduction | Part 1: What is this Relationship? | Part 2: Creating Motivation and Appreciation for Readers | Part 3: A Day in the Life of… | Part 4: Creating Motivation and Appreciation for Writers: Perspectives | Part 5: Creating Motivation and Appreciation for Writers: Implementation | Part 6: How to Write the Best Feedback |  Part 7: Where Does This Leave Us?

Previously, I provided some perspective on why writers require feedback and a sense of appreciation. I believe fostering empathy for the writing process is vital in this relationship between readers and writers online, so understanding why it’s important is the first step. In this chapter, I would like to discuss the implementation of how to show your favorite writers appreciation and provide them motivation so they may continue to update the work that you so enjoy. I will mostly be focusing on feedback in the form of comments or reviews, but will mention a few other alternatives.

First, I’d like to provide a quick breakdown of why leaving feedback should matter to you:

1. It’s polite. It’s common courtesy. If someone took time out of their day to provide you with content you enjoy free of charge, then you should take a few minutes to show your gratitude. For more information on why, refer to Chapter 5: Motivation and Appreciation for Writers: Perspectives.

2. If anything, it can only help the writer — as such, this directly benefits you, the reader. Feedback is essential to the writing process. If writers do not receive feedback, they may not feel any incentive to continue writing or, at least, continue posting their work online.

3. This is your currency, your contribution to the online community. One-sided relationships are not healthy or productive. To maximize benefits for both parties, writers and readers, readers must also partake. For more information about currency, please refer to Chapter 2: What Is This Relationship?

With that said, let’s continue with things you can do for writers.

1. Leave feedback. This can come in the form of comments or reviews, notes, or even Facebook chats. The medium doesn’t matter so much, though I have heard from some writers that they prefer their feedback to all be in one place, not only for their reference, but also so that others may see it.

Nevertheless, feedback should be personal, specific, and thoughtful.

When constructing a comment, the content of what you write is important. This is your opportunity to show how much you appreciate and admire a writer’s work. You’ve probably heard of the age-old adage “quality over quantity,” and it applies here. Receiving a comment that says “Great! I love this!” or “I like this! Excited for next update!” is nice, but these comments don’t really tell the writer anything. For all they know, these comments could be copied and pasted from one source to the next — there isn’t any evidence in generic comments that readers have even read your work.

Think about something that you love, a hobby perhaps.

Let’s say you’re an artist, and two viewers leave comments on your work:

a) Pretty! Love seeing your work!

b) Oh, wow! Your art is breathtaking. I really love the vibrant colors you use to paint the background. Your characters always have the most expressive eyes — they’re like a portal to the soul. You clearly put a lot of love and effort into this, and it shows.

Which one would more likely motivate you to paint again? See what I mean?

Or, let’s assume that you’re a dancer. You have a performance, and two friends say:

a) That was great!

b) Your performance was amazing. I thought you were absolutely stunning in that dress, and your music selection is spot-on — it really matches your personality. I’d love the opportunity to see your next performance!

Which one would more likely give you warm fuzzies?

All options above took me less than a minute to type, which is far less time than a writer would spend on creating content for you. I encourage you to put yourself in the writer’s shoes when providing feedback. If all you provide are generic comments, do you think writers feel special at all?

How often should you leave feedback? Well, that depends. If the writer updates often, as in multiple times a week, perhaps a comment every other or every few chapters would suffice — I’m sure you are busy, to0, after all, and while I very much appreciate and enjoy reading all comments (they are always so nice to open my email to!), I don’t expect them every update. Then again, if you tend to leave shorter comments that take you no more than two or three minutes to compose, could it really hurt to brighten a writer’s day? If the writer updates less often, once per month, perhaps, then I think it’s good practice to leave a comment each time.

Consider this: I have a fuel tank for my inspiration when it comes to writing. I can run on a near-empty tank, but it’s difficult for me to do, and I struggle with creating content. It’s far easier for me to write and put out quality work when my inspiration tank is full. Every piece of feedback I receive fills it with a certain amount of inspiration.

A quick “Hey, this is really great! Every time you update, I get so giddy!” perhaps adds one measurement of inspiration.

A more detailed “Wow, I liked how you wrote [character name] in that scene — it was spot on! I feel like his personality is so hard to get right, but you really nailed that thought process. His interaction with [character name] really proves that he’s a lot softer than most people think he is!” perhaps adds three to four measurements of inspiration.

Then, a thoughtful “You know, I’m always so impressed with your depiction of [character name]. The cogs in his mind are always turning, and he’s so introspective. I felt that you captured his strategic disposition well here, and I’m eager to see how he’s going to use this newfound information to approach [character name]. I would think that he’d be a little more soft-spoken, though I’m also eager to see him kind of angry and protective. Looking forward to your next update! Your writing is always a treat to read!” could add ten measurements of inspiration.

Ultimately, readers should provide feedback as often as they’d like, knowing that each comment contributes to that inspirational fuel tank for their writers in varying degrees. If you want high quality, muse-filled updates, this feedback is absolutely essential to contributing to that process. This is why writers ask for feedback and are overjoyed to receive it — it is a precious resource that can only come from their dear readers.

One struggle I often hear from readers is that while they appreciate and enjoy my work, they don’t know what to say. But fear not! In the next chapter, I will go into detail on how to write these personal, specific, and thoughtful comments.

2. Leave likes, kudos, loves, whatever the medium of approval is. I would argue this is bare minimum, equivalent to a “Thank you. I like this.” If you received any amount of enjoyment from someone’s hard-wrought work, you owe them this. It is literally a click of the button and will take a fraction of a second.

I’ve seen notes from readers who say that they will never leave a kudo on AO3 content unless the work is finished. This thought process is asinine. I would compare this to you volunteering to help paint a friend’s house over a few days. You offer your labor free of charge, from the kindness of your heart, and your friend refuses to say thank you, buy you lunch, give you refreshments during the week. “I’ll only show you gratitude when you’re finished,” your friend says. This is toxic relationship. DO NOT do this. Give your writers the appreciation they deserve while they are hard at work, not just when they’ve finished. Do not be so emotionally deprived that you refuse to perform a simple task that can only make writers feel good about themselves and their work.

3. Bookmark, subscribe, and follow on social media. While this isn’t direct feedback, per se, each of these adds to a metric and can grant your favorite writer a following.

I normally wouldn’t say that bookmarks show appreciation because they’re more for the reader’s benefit that the writer’s, but I will say that I’ve seen some comments written on bookmarks on my works on AO3 that have really made me smile. Subscribing, again, is more for the benefit of the reader. However, adding to that number does denote a certain level of popularity for that piece of writing. Following your favorite writers on social media is much the same.

4. Fanart. If you are creatively minded, then perhaps you’d like to express your appreciation through artistic means. This goes without saying, but sending a writer a piece of art inspired by their work is flattering. 10/10 will give warm fuzzies. For me, I always welcome fanart and am thrilled to receive it.

5. Word of mouth and referrals. Market your writer’s content for them. You can tell your friends about it or recommend it via social media. It’s always wonderful to hear when new readers find and enjoy your work, and it’s the ultimate compliment, knowing that another reader referred them. If a writer has a Tumblr or Twitter, follow them and reblog or retweet their updates. I think this is a phenomenal way to show that you appreciate them and the hard work they put into their writing.

Of course, these are just a few ways for readers to express appreciation and motivate their favorite writers. If you have any other suggestions or practices, please feel free to leave a comment!

Next up is a tutorial on how to write quality comments. Stay tuned!

Also posted on AO3.

[destiel-suggestions]

Destiel Suggestion 1

First I’m just going to post some examples from the book Huntress by Malinda Lo. In my opinion, Kaede is much like Dean, and Taisin is much like Cas, and they have a similar journey and dynamic. Let me know if you agree!

_

She saw a beach made of ice, and she felt her heart breaking.

The ground where she stood was frozen white, but twenty feet away, cold blue ocean lapped at the jagged shore. Someone there was climbing into a rowboat, and she knew that she loved this person. She was certain of it in the same way that one is instantly aware of the taste of sweetness in a drop of honey. But she was afraid for this person’s life, and the fear raised a cold sweat on her skin and caused a sick lurch in her stomach, as though she were on a ship during a violent storm.

She opened her mouth to call the rower back—she couldn’t bear the loss; it would surely cripple her—and at that moment she realized she could hear nothing. All around her was an eerie, unnatural silence. There was no sound from the ocean. She could not even hear herself breathing. She felt her tongue shaping the syllables of the person’s name, but she did not recognize what the name was until the rower turned to face her. Kaede.

The rower was Kaede, and she looked back with dark, troubled eyes. Loose strands of black hair whipped around her pale face; there were spots of red on her wind-roughened cheeks. Her lips parted as though she would speak. But then Kaede reached down into the boat and lifted out a long oar, dipping it into the azure sea to propel the small craft away from the shore. The droplets of water falling from the blade of the oar were tiny stars, extinguished as quickly as they burned into being. The boat cut through the water, leaving the shore behind, and just before the destination came into view, the vision ended.

_

 “We believe that the unchanging seasons—and even those creatures who have been crossing into our lands—we believe that these are all connected.“

_

"What do you want to do, then?”

Kaede held the knife in her hand again, feeling the weight of it. “I don’t know,” she said slowly.

_

Fin studied her student, with her serious expression and windblown hair. She noticed Kaede’s fingers cradling the hilt of the iron dagger as if it had always been hers.

_

“Making a decision isn’t about knowing every potential consequence. It’s about knowing what you want and choosing a path that takes you in that direction.”

 _

Kaede shifted the knife from her right hand to her left, and back again. “I guess I know what I want, then.” She lifted the knife; it was heavy, dependable. She felt every muscle in her arm engage as she threw it. The dagger struck the very edge of the target and clung there, quivering slightly.

_

She stepped back, lifting her arm, and threw the knife again and again, until all she could hear was the iron ringing as it flew through the air, the sharp strike as it hit the wall, and behind her, the rising-and-falling groan of the sea.

_

Taisin saw Kaede arrive late at the dining hall for the evening meal, and she knew it meant that Kaede had just come from Maire Morighan’s chambers. They did not speak, for all meals were taken in silence, but they looked at each other from their opposite corners of the sixth-form students’ table. There was a new sense of intention in Kaede’s demeanor, and Taisin was certain that Kaede would be coming on the journey. It made her nervous all over, anxiety and anticipation prickling across her skin.

After the meal, a servant was waiting for her in the corridor with a message: Sister Ailan wished to see her in her study. Taisin went immediately, hoping to avoid Kaede for as long as possible. She didn’t know what to say to her; she didn’t know what she could say to her.

_

“Teacher,” she began in a hesitant voice, “I must ask you something.” When she had first told Sister Ailan about her vision, she omitted the feelings that had been so upsetting, fearing they were a sign of weakness or inexperience. But they had come back to her again and again, and now she could not ignore them.

Sister Ailan regarded her gravely. “Yes?”

“In my vision, I felt something.” Taisin clutched the teacup with both hands, as if that might hide her self-consciousness, but she was afraid it was written plainly on her face.

“What did you feel?”

“I felt—I think that I”—she looked away, biting her lip, and finally she blurted it out quickly—“I think that I was in love with Kaede. In my vision. But that is—that can’t happen, can it? I want to be a sage, and I know that all sages take vows of—of celibacy. Does this mean that I—that I will never become a sage?”

Sister Ailan heard the anxiety in Taisin’s voice. She answered carefully: “Your vision is not the same as a fortune foretold by a traveling mystic. It is not a prediction of the future, Taisin.”

“No, but visions—the one I had—isn’t it a glimpse of the truth? A truth that exists already within the energies of the world? Everything I do—everything that Kaede does—will bring those energies into the form they took in my vision. Isn’t that what you taught me?”

“You are thinking about this too analytically. Your vision is the truth, but it is not the future. It may be that you don’t yet understand what you saw.”

Taisin put down the teacup, curling her fingers into fists. “Teacher, I want to be a sage more than anything I’ve ever wanted in this world. I don’t want to jeopardize that by falling in love with anyone.”

Sister Ailan considered Taisin’s flushed face, her renitent posture. She asked, “How did it make you feel, this… love?”

Taisin was taken aback by the question. “I—I have been trying to forget it.”

“Why?”

“Because it can’t happen,” she said miserably. “It can’t. If Kaede comes on this journey—if my vision comes true—then—” She broke off, remembering the dreadful fear roiling in the pit of her stomach when she saw Kaede leaving the beach behind. At last she said, “I don’t want her to die.”

Sister Ailan leaned forward and took Taisin’s hands in her own, curving her warm, dry fingers over Taisin’s fists. She looked into her student’s dark brown eyes. “Love is not what you fear, is it? You fear the loss of it.”

Taisin’s eyes filled with tears;

_

“All right.” Taisin listened as Sister Ailan gave her instructions on what she would need to do when she reached Cathair, but beneath it all she felt an upwelling of emotions that threatened to engulf her. How could she keep her feelings secret? Was there any way to prevent what she had seen from happening?

She resolved, at least, to try.

_

Kaede began to get up, and Taisin realized that she was gripping Kaede’s hand with white fingers. Heat rushed through her and she dropped Kaede’s hand as if it were a live coal. Kaede turned to her, a strange look on her face

_

Con looked over at Kaede, who had listened to their conversation in silence, and asked, “Does that sound all right with you?”

Kaede blinked. “With me?” She hesitated. Her father was watching her. Hearing the prince and her father discuss the details of the journey had made her feel largely irrelevant. Six years at the Academy behind her, and she was utterly unprepared for this sort of thing. She felt both useless and irritated by the uselessness. But she would never allow her father to see her misgivings, so she said nonchalantly, “Of course. It all sounds fine.” But the palms of her hands were clammy, and Con’s words rang in her ears: We just need to survive the journey. What was he expecting?

_

Kaede told herself that what she felt was only a little seed; she would simply not water it. It wouldn’t grow any larger than this tiny prickle of attraction. She wouldn’t let it.

But that night after everyone had left, and they had all spread their blankets on the floor of the hall, Kaede lay awake for some time, trying to make out the sound of Taisin’s breathing in the dark.

_

When Taisin broke the connection, Kaede staggered. She was overjoyed, but she was also confused. She reached out for Taisin’s hand, but she had already turned away to finish the ritual. When it was done, her face was a carefully controlled mask; she would not meet Kaede’s eyes.

_

What do you think? Is this the kind of story you like? Any similarities? ;) Reblog with comments please, that’s the best way to give me feedback!

[geek-gem]

OK KO Back Into Red Action

3:42 pm including I checked the episode title first twice on TV and saw the time changed and the time many seconds ago changed on here. Now it's 3:43 pm but now I just watched the episode commericals on including I'm gonna mention spoiler in here I'll tag it.

Really it was a nice episode. Including a surprise mainly even if last night I saw a screen cap of the title last night okay bro came in here nothing much I said hi and asked him how was school he said good. Heard him close his door including he closed my door first after he left.

But yeah I saw mainly two screen caps of the title screen and checked the guide last night.

Honestly it's a good episode. Including we get to know more of Red Action. Looked up to the right, "We Got Hacked" is on almost put let's get hacked almost I at times think of that title.

Yeah we get to know more of Red Action and basically well see her in action. Basically the episode starts off with Enid admiring Red Action's blog and even surprised by Red Action taking a picture of her and her too. Including Red Action invites Enid yet she says it was an option and also KO is excited about it. Yet Red Action is able to get Enid to come along leaving the gum she bought to come out and some how take it.

Turns out and even during when Enid is looking at pictures on Red Action's blog she's a time traveler which is interesting. Including as the episode went on the world of OK KO is in the year 21x they said supposedly a year I supposedly while Red Action is from 31x so interesting. Right thumb itched right side of nose.

Basically hanging out and Enid and Red Action kind of having the time of their lives. They are soon chased by a group sorry if I spell this name wrong Futroop or some shit. Including sorry if I'm wrong they seem to be parodying the Power Rangers in a way or just indeed. Including the backstory of them and their designs.

Their chasing Red Action because by mistake she broke this crystal that's been passed down from generation to generation of other Futroops. Including yeah I'm kind of describing the episode.

I didn't laugh much if I remember. But it was a nice it was a Enid with focus now on Red Action. Along with I suppose character developed. Mainly this part when Red Action reveals who she is. Along with telling Enid she's more cooler then her and basically admires her. Including thinks she's very cool and that she's too nervous to even comment on her pictures.

Mainly the episode ends with the both of them deciding to fight the Futroop and a meteor Red Action revealed in her story comes down. Including a new crystal or something is there. Okay, "We Got Hacked" just got finished I need to change it. So it turns out Red Action never planned this and because of Enid giving her a look she tells the truth about that. Including she likes being in 21x and decides to stay there. Along with she's good with her team again.

Now I remember I wanted to mention honestly it's weird when I think of a timeline for shows. I think of modern day and I head canon Enid as 18 and if we go by today's timeline 1999 to 2017. It's some stupid shit not really. It's mainly how old is think she is. Including from what I read she's mentioned to be in her late teens which is 17, 18, and 19. She seems like a young adult to me.

So I just sat back down switched the channel to let me look yeah mtv2 with Ridiculousness on.

But also what happens next the two girls are overjoyed or basically with Red Action saying in a way it wasn't much of what happened. So Enid recommends a insane and extreme thing known as volcano surfing with Red Action overjoyed by the idea of it despite mentioning she doesn't know what it is. Despite the name volcano surfing oh head.

Really it was a nice episode. Also that Danger Zone thing I'm surprised their wasn't more of a reference to the Danger Zone song or even Enid referencing the lyrics or hearing the song. That's what I expected.

Also to be honest please don't be bothered by this. The way the episode starts off. I was seriously worried Red Action was gonna be a jerk and try to embarrass Enid and just destroy even more of her trust with people. I was being cautious. Basically kind of what happened, "You Have To Care" the back story we got.

It's mainly because the way Red Action is first presented in, "Your Everybody's Sidekick" and how at first she used KO along with the other quote on quote cool kids. Even despite the end where she likes it the KO helped her with her hair. I even just this Red Action blog I follow the idea she tries to keep this tough image of herself. It's mainly that episode. Basically other times she's appeared, "Your Level 100" sorry if I got that title wrong where she's a bit upset that KO isn't 100. Other times she's just been around. Including, "Plaza Prom" and, "KO's Video Channel" where he tells Enid and Rad about their dancing video and despite giving a critical statement or heads up she might of laughed at it too.

Including writing that last part I realized just why the.....for some reason don't wanna say the f word but just me over studying this well bullcrap.

Also the last time I wrote Enid's name before I mentioned the episode, "KO's Video Channel" I rewrote her name a lot even typos.

But yeah about Red Action it's quite off topic. It seriously looked like that to me at first. Yet turns out I was wrong good and a lot more heart felt that Red Action actually thinks Enid is so cool she's too nervous to comment on her pictures.

Honestly even Red Action's vehicle I thought I was seeing the tank from, "You Have To Care" yet it's a different vehicle. Even writing this post I think when I started about maybe I thought Red Action was gonna be that way I remembered what the tank well it's a tank it looks different no doesn't suck just this is a hover vehicle oh it is a tank in a way.

Honestly really nice episode I liked it quite a bit........should I mention it just honestly the shipping if you like it I have no problem. I'm not the biggest fan or even of the other one. Not being mean or anything yet it seems better then the one from, "You Have To Care" but I'm not the biggest fan of ships I'm sounding like a hypocrite. It's just I feel people are gonna talk about that. So I might as well say my opinion. What I meant I'm not the biggest fan of ships is that I don't really obsess not trying to stereotype or even think much about them or just it depends. Also some personal weird feelings too.

Got tags done almost left the word rags it's tags. Yet seriously good episode also think one of my friends started watching the show he texted me about KO having two voice actors and I'm confused too almost left the word room instead of too. But stuff like KO's voiced by kid Goku I'm not the biggest fan of Dragon Ball yet seen much more of it with Dragon Ball Z Kai and seeing it's still going. Kept retyping still. But also I don't wanna mention him because of spoilers for him unless he's seen the episode.

Ether wise almost left the word food sorry....I mean good just ticks.

But ether wise entered a few times by mistake sorry ummm just seriously good episode. Luckily next Friday is a day off 4:22

Edit 9:40 pm after making a post I found out it's 301x to 201x wow and I am just.....need to look better and I'm stupid at times because I forget shit seriously I really do I happened last week with last week's episode where I thought Enid's mom was a witch but I forgot she was a vampire. Yet yeah I made a post talking about so my head canons aren't off now 9:41

Edit 9:46 pm it just turned that time was 45 but I seriously need to focus on shit and be careful and also just...reblog something it's Jim Cummings birthday I'm just editing back and forth like last week 9:46

[moyurukoda]

I'm glad you asked, dear anon! Unfortunately, I can't really make just one post detailing every bit of my trip, as I'd probably crash my tumblr uploading a lot of pics into one post. Instead, I'll make this post about Paris, then I'll reblog each part of the trip after I've written about them (don't worry, they'll be under a read more so they won't clutter up your dash too much). I went to Tokyo for 4 nights, Hakone for 1, Kyoto for 3 (Hiroshima for a day trip), and Tokyo for 2 more, so there'll be plenty of Japan stories soon!

So here goes, part 1 of my holiday recap: Paris!

My sister lives in Paris, and since we were both going on the trip to Japan I had to meet up with her there, and I spent around 3 days there.

First things first, we went to the Sacre Coeur! I wanted to go there last time I was in Paris, but due to time constraints we weren't able to go, so I was very happy to be there. The interior is magnificent, but I don't think that we could take pictures inside.

(I'm on the left and my big sis is on the right btw)

This is a view of part of the city from outside the Sacre Coeur, I'd imagine it looks lovely when the weather is nice (it was perfect binge watching weather though, when we got home each day sis and I watched The Handmaid’s Tale, messed up but good would recommend).

After that (I think, I genuinely can't remember what happened each day it feels like this part of the trip happened ages ago lol) we found this branch shop that sold the weirdest stuff. Think of it like the Tiger chain store. Full of funky shit. Like the queen of England or a man with a corkscrew penis titled “Happy Man”

After that, we had a nice dinner in a restaurant, including my all-time favourite bird to feed (and eat), duck! Only complaint would be that the iced chocolate was kinda grainy, but hey nothing's perfect! I got juice after finishing it, so that was okay.

After that juicy duck, we went to the Moulin Rouge, but on the way there we passed by a wall of graffiti. Some of it was artsy, but nothing was quite as beautiful as this work of art. Props to the person who blacked out the swastika btw, down with that sort of fascist shit.

Real tacky. And also filled with a lot of shops I had to avert my eyes from.

Then, for dessert, we had strawberry and lemon sorbet! I think that's the word for it anyway. Delicious but it nearly fell off of my cone 9.5/10

The second day was definitely a win for my foodie side. There was a sweet shop close to the apartment, so of course we had to investigate. There was a chilli pepper sweet and of course I (who fits the “white people can't handle spice” stereotype perfectly) deeply regretted eating it. So did my sister, who normally loves spicy things. Maybe spicy gummies are just things that should never have existed.

For lunch/early dinner we went to this marvellous restaurant that has the best hot chocolate and macaroons. We got caramel, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and rose petal macaroons, which were all lovely! It's interesting to taste something that tastes like how it should smell though.

We were going to go to the cinema with my sister's friend (movie doesn't matter, can't remember the name of it if that's any indication), so we decided that we had to have something a little more substantial. Luckily, there was a 5 Guys on the champs élysées! ... Or should I say 5 Garçons? I think my French might be slightly off but anyway yeah their burgers are great.

On the third and final day, we visited the Louvre. We mistakenly thought that it'd be free that day (first Sunday of every month or something), but we still enjoyed it even if more money had to be spent. I really enjoyed it! The Mona Lisa is kinda small though.

Frankly, the Michael Cera Doppelgänger painting was much more interesting to me.

 Or the image of hell that I was visibly disgusted by.

Or the mask that looks like “Dad’s contact photo on your phone”, according to my sister (the photo is of Saitama, who my dad calls the one punch man after I gave him a comparison pic at my cousin’s wedding a couple of years ago).

You know what's better than all of that though? This selfie.

Anyway, after we finished checking out the Louvre we went to this crepe place. Btw savoury crepes are the bomb and no member of the human race should die without trying at least one of these they're delicious.

My sister ended up spotting this event being held in a minerals museum (I think) that was holding a National Geographic exhibition, so we went there and it was incredibly interesting! I need to read an issue or two from it tbh.

There was also a gemstone exhibition going on in the other wing of the museum, so we checked that out too! I'm a big fan of gemstones, so seeing an amethyst geode bigger than me had me overjoyed.

So, there isn't really anything else notable from my trip to Paris, after we got back that day we packed up and got ready for Japan, which I will talk about more in the next reblog! It's 3am rn so I won't have it done tonight, but I promise that it will be done tomorrow, I can't wait to tell you all about it!

[yellowtonin]

A long ramble-y truthful tea time on my struggles last quarter #unfilteredstudyblr

i have been neglecting this blog and all you lovelies and for that i sincerely apologize. i’d like to explain and take this opportunity to open up a dialogue on the struggles of being a student - something that really needs to be discussed more within the studyblr community and in real life as well. it’s human nature to share our success and bury our failures, even if they eat us alive. there have been efforts to change this and it was definitely a goal of mine when i started this studyblr, to be open about my entire journey. but i failed.

before i word-vomit any more, thank you for reading this! it’s actually been a while in the making but i didn’t have the power to post it until now. this isn’t meant to be a “how to not be an ina” or a warning of any sort. i simply want to share this so if there’s anyone willing to brave wading through these paragraphs who’s going through the same thing, they know they aren’t alone. i know some people go through more in life, but these are my struggles. i couldn’t bring myself to post on this blog or even reblog and visit other studyblr’s bc seeing everyone’s “perfect” notes and “perfect” academic lives and “perfect” grades was too much. i don’t often see people share such downfalls in their academic life online and i hope this changes because we should have each others’ backs. if you need someone to talk to, i’m here. i will be back to posting notes and such now. i will also be checking my asks more regularly (sorry loves I just couldn’t). smell ya later, loves~

winter quarter (so the past few months) was very draining and i’m sorry to say that i really couldn’t bring myself to put anything substantial here. i thought i had a better handle on minimizing stress by preparing material in advance, prioritizing better, managing my time better… i practiced self care more than ever, made efforts to take care of my physical being, ate healthy. i took breaks. the quarter was definitely off to a great start. and yet, it all went downhill a couple of weeks in. some habits i maintained and others didn’t work out as well. i started eating less but indulging in junk foods more. i made efforts to exercise but made even more excuses. i was constantly drained. i did manage to stay relatively on top of my course material but the cost was that i was overworking myself by never giving my mind a break. 

some other elements were out of my control, like how my three hardest midterms were scheduled on the same two days and how my finals scheduled three on one day and one the next. or how my biochem class was team-taught and both professors’ had completely polar teaching methods. i also underestimated my classes when i signed up for them; i had expected biochem and my neuro classes to be the hardest but physics surprised me. i thought psych would be my relaxed, fun class but the material was more neuro than psych, so it wasn’t. i didn’t truly enjoy any of my classes. yes, i had friends in them. yes, i liked my professors. but no. i didn’t enjoy the material i was studying.

now, this happens to any student; there’s always some subject for which your method of learning and thinking an visualizing and understanding isn’t suited for. for most people these are their math classes. for me it’s chem and practically anything that focuses on processes at the molecular level. and when it takes additional effort to understand a subject, we students tend not to enjoy it. my neuro, physics, and biochem classes all focused on things at the molecular level. yay.

my second biochem midterm was the hour before my physics midterm and boy oh boy was i a ball of anxiety, and i’m using the a-word in its medical sense, not colloquial. so guess what happened? that’s right, an anxiety attack. a full blown anxiety attack within the first ten minutes of the test. my heart was pounding, my vision was narrowing, i couldn’t breathe… i thought i was having a heartattack. the worst part about this, the absolute worst part was that i was thinking logically. i knew it was just a test and that i had done all that i could in the limited time i had. i knew that everything would be alright even though no, i didn’t know some pathways, but there was so much more i knew!!! i knew i was capable of getting through that exam. i knew i was “””overreacting””” (additional quotation marks bc no i do not condone comparing anxiety to overreacting). and yet my body was doing its own thing. i handed my test to my ta, explained my situation in a few words and rushed to sob in the bathroom. my ta, bless her soul, talked to my profs and arranged for me to take the makeup test. she met me in the bathroom and said all the right things and then got my stuff and sent me on my way, 30 minutes before my phyiscs exam. i cried randomly throughout the entire day. 

i went to talk to my neuro prof about possibly postponing that exam since it was the next day but he uncomfortably informed me that i required a doctor’s note. and yes, i did randomly burst into tears in front of him. no, i wasn’t embarrassed. i was just tired. he told me the best thing would probably to sleep and i agreed. so i went home, napped for an hour and then studied far less than i had hoped to. it was hard. it was tough. my head was pounding like there were a thousand drums within it. i took the rest of that day off and then started relearning everything i needed for my biochem exam. it was sadly surprising to realize how little i retained when i had studied the first time; my brain truly didn’t store that information. that makeup test, though harder than the actual as was policy, was a blessing.

this wasn’t the first time i broke down during an exam (throwback to one of my orgo exams… a story for another time) but this was the worst. it also seemingly came out of nowhere bc you know what?? i didn’t feel bad at all. i kept telling myself i was doing all that i could for both my head and my grades. i subconsciously lied to myself and successfully too! i can honestly say i didn’t see it coming, even in retrospect. but it taught me a lot. i didn’t get enough time to rest after my midterms but i started studying for my finals a couple of weeks in advance and took plenty of breaks and watched plenty of the animated star trek. i wasn’t able to go home as i like to do in such dark times but i was fortunate enough to have my mom visit with my furbabies for the remaining period. having a support system near is so so important. i feared for my grades because i was honestly far too close to c’s for comfort in those 3 classes. but i pulled through. i did better than i could’ve hoped with a significant improvement in my neuro exam score compared to previous ones. my overall grade was still within a standard deviation to the average so i got a b- but i have never before been so proud of myself for a b-. i pulled b’s in my other two classes as well and am also so so proud. spring break was calling my name and i threw myself wholeheartedly into the endeavor of relaxing. i spend time with friends and family. i stayed home and went out on the town. i drew and read and watched tv and also took walks around the lake and cuddled with my furbabies. i let myself heal for a while. and now i’m back for spring quarter. i’m being cautious now in ensuring my class load is manageable. i’m scheduling exercise in and i swear excuses won’t get the best of me. i hope this term is better. and where there is hope and willingness, change follows. i refuse to be blinded to the workings of my own head. i will push myself but respect my limits. i am still not 100 but i am excited for this fresh start.

if this helps even one of you i will be overjoyed. thanks for bearing with me and my rambling~

[luminousfinn]

@bodhirookandor I just saw you reblogged my post with that fic idea for a Bodhi/Cassian undercover mission gone wrong fic 

#so i can cry or whatever#suicide cw#death cw#bassian#but like listen Cassian would try everything in his power to die#he would hold out for the first interrogation (maybe even the second and third)#but he knows#he /knows/ that he won't be able to last forever#so he tries everything in his power to kill himself#they end up having to restrain him but Cassian kicks at them#bites them#until one of them decides that he's too dangerous or whatever#idk#but he's doing everything in his power to die#and Bodhi would be racing against time because he knows what Cassian's going to do#and he's trying to find him#he tries to get the resistance to help but they can't#maybe they're in a a place where there is no extraction/they have to extract themselves#and Bodhi's on his own#maybe he finds Cassian#or maybe he doesn't#if he does#would it be before or after cassian is forced to spill secrets for the Empire#(assuming they restrain him so much he can't move)#or would he find him dead?#what if he didn't find him at all#and years go by where Bodhi is just searching because he hasn't given up#won't ever give up#because cassian deserves better dammit and bodhi won't ever give up on him#and holy shit im crying and you haven't even written the damn thing yet

and man your tags killed me. (Because I have to share the pain.)

It’s unlikely I’ll ever write it, I have way too many series and long fics going already, but I had some more thoughts. (Erm, this got longer than expected.=

So the two of them have acquired some information vital to the Rebellion, but their cover have been blown and the have to escape cross country on foot to get to the capital where they’ve left their ship.

Half way there they’re ambushed by an Imperial patrol. They split up while running one step ahead of the patrol, each carrying a copy of the data, to maximize the chance of the information gets to the Alliance.

After Bodhi takes off, Cassian makes a choice. He destroys his set of the data and allows himself to be captured planning on tricking the Imperials into thinking he was the only rebel agent and banking on his suicide back up. He knows that it’ll break Bodhi’s heart if he dies, even more so if he dies this way, but to him the mission, the need of the Alliance, will always come first.

Well Bodhi isn’t quite as far off as Cassian had thought he was and sees that Cassian is captured and knows that he won’t see Cassian alive again. But there’s no chance to save him and with a broken heart he continues to the capital.

When he finally gets there though there’s new all over the place that the Empire not only captured an Alliance agent, but when he tried to kill himself they stopped it, that this will lead into major breakthrough in the fight against the terrorist organization that calls themselves the Alliance. (You know the usual bs propaganda)

Bodhi is both overjoyed at the news - Cassian is still alive! - but also terrified. He knows how much Cassian knows about the Alliance, how much damage it could do to them and that the Empire will stop at nothing to get it out of him. He has to get Cassian out and it has to happen before he’s transported off planet for interrogation. (Btw Kay is there too, he’s the one who’s picked up much of the information about Cassian’s capture and him surviving his suicide attempt.)

In the mean time Cassian is getting increasingly desperate in his captivity. They’re watching him like hawk bats as he’s already tried to kill himself once and nearly succeeded. He first tries going without water, but that’s discovered and the guards make sure he consumes enough water and food that he won’t die.

After that, he gets aggressive. He attacks his captors every chance he gets - he¨s kept in isolation, so no chance of l picking a fight with another prisoner - hoping that when subduing him one of them will land a blow that kills him. But all of it to no avail.

On the outside Bodhi and Kay are scoping out the Imperial compound, trying to find a weakness, an attack vector. Bodhi manages to come up with a plan that might work, only problem is that he needs at least one, preferably two, more sets of hands to pull it off.

He knows he can’t ask Draven. The man won’t expend the resources needed to free an agent from Imperial custody and is more likely to declare Cassian a security risk and have him assassinated in his cell.

[From here my ideas get a bit more sketchy, I haven’t really thought much further so I’m making most of this up as I type. Bear with me.]

Rough outline is that Bodhi runs into Chirrut and Baze.

The two Guardians left the Rebellion soon after Sacrif for reasons I haven’t really settled on, but they did, and the two of them agree to help Bodhi and Kay rescue Cassian.

Queue, the rescue which, while they are successful, they only escape by the skin of their teeth.

Once they’re safely away and Cassian have been patched up, Chirrut and Baze leaves him and Bodhi alone to talk. All Cassian says is, “I’m sorry”.

And he is. He’s sorry that he broke Bodhi’s heart, that he’s caused him so much stress and pain. But he doesn’t apologize, because he can’t. Can’t because he knows, they both know, that given the same situation he’d do it all over again.

Bodhi thought he’d be relieved when Cassian was safely away, but seeing him sitting there on the bandaged and unapologetic, all he can feel is anger. And rather than say something he’ll regret he just turns around and walks out.

After this follows two conversations.

The first is between Cassian and Chirrut. It’s about being committed to something greater than yourself and what that can do to a relationship.

Cassian tells Chirrut that he can’t ask Bodhi to always put himself after the mission in a relationship, that that isn’t fair.to him. Chirrut tells him that that isn’t his choice to make, it’s Bodhi’s. And that whatever Bodhi decides Cassian should respect that, but that if Bodhi decides to stay, then he’s doing so not out of duty, but out of love for the man Cassian is. Commitments and all, and to always remember that. Though Cassian may end up paying a greater price if Bodhi do decide to stay than if he packs up and leaves.

The second is between Bodhi and Baze. This one about loving someone who’s committed to something else and how you deal with that. That it has nothing to do with them not loving you, or not wanting to prioritize you, but in their hearts they heart something and that trying to ignore that would break them, make them less than they could be.

Bodhi tells Baze that he doesn’t want Cassian to compromise himself, to lose that intergal part of who he is, but that he himself isn’t sure if he can live like that even if Baze can. Baze replies that only Bodhi can ever answer that question, bbut no matter what both he and Cassian will pay a price.

Bodhi asks him if there's anything that Baze regrets. “Yes,” Baze says. “That I left him for five years. That is time we’ll never get back.”

That night, while Baze and Chirrut are sound asleep and Kay powered down as well, Bodhi slips into Cassian’s room. He hovers just inside the door until Cassian, who was only dozing and heard him, turns over on the bed to face him.

“Can I sleep here?” Bodhi asks.

Cassian doesn’t answer in words, but scoots back on the bed until he’s up against the bulkhead, giving Bodhi room to slip beneath the covers. It isn’t until Bodhi has settled down, curling up against him that Cassian speaks.

“You can sleep here as often as you want.”

“Then... I think I’ll stay,” Bodhi answers.

@apolloniae Since you were the one who started all of this, I’m tagging you as well.

[shebe67]

Will not keep anyone waiting...here is chapter 2. thank you for the likes and reblogs and the kind words. Please let me know what you think. This is my first attempt at writing Cory and Topanga, hope I did them justice.

Thanking all my usual friends, because without them this wouldn’t have gotten written. @sand1128, @zombeeegurl, @hiheyhowdyhi, Courtney and Kayla.

Header pic made by @hiheyhowdyhi

Cross posted to fanfiction.net here (X)

A Weekend in Paris

Five months have passed since New Year's Eve on the roof. The group of friends had been so happy since then. Farkle was overjoyed to be with Smackle again even if it was long distance. In a couple of days that distance would be no more. He would be in Australia with his beloved and they could pick up where they left off the day she had left for Australia. Video chats and late night phone calls were ok, but nothing could compare to the moment he would see her in person for the first time in months. Everyone had come with him to the airport and he was glad they did. He knew he would miss a lot while he was gone but would see them at the end of the year. They all had plans for the summer. Plans that didn't really include the group as a whole. Maya and Josh would be spending the summer in Philly with his family. Zay and Sara would be staying in the city, as Zay was doing some summer theater and Sara was working. Riley and Lucas would be spending the summer in Texas and Lucas had some big plans for Riley. Lucas had mentioned his plans to Farkle and he couldn't be happier for them. Riley was about to have a summer she would never forget.

Chapter 1 (x)

 Chapter 2

 Sunday, June 4, 2023 at the apartment of Cory and Topanga Matthews

Topanga Matthews was just putting the finishing touches on the salad she was fixing for the big going away dinner she was having for Riley and Lucas and Maya and Josh. They were all going away for the summer and it was the perfect opportunity to have Shawn, Katy and Zay and his girlfriend over for dinner. The main course had been fixed and Riley and Maya were setting the table. Topanga was already dressed for the evening and was waiting on Cory to come downstairs. Auggie was over at Ava’s until dinner time which was in an hour. She and Cory were due down at the bakery to meet Lucas. He had asked if he could talk with them privately before dinner. Topanga had been expecting this conversation for a while now. She just hoped Cory wouldn’t flip out and go crazy on Lucas.

“Great job, girls the table looks great. I think everything is under control. Riley, your father and I are going to go down to the bakery and pick up the cake I had made for desert.” Topanga informed the girls.

“Mom, you know you didn’t have to go to all of this trouble,” Riley said, “but we sure do appreciate it.” Riley walked over to where her mother was standing by the couch and hugged her. Maya followed and hugged Topanga as well.

Topanga placed an arm around each girl and told them, “It’s no trouble at all. I just saw it as an opportunity to get everyone together one more time before you leave for the summer. I really can’t believe you’re going to be in Texas all summer, Riley. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you to, mom. I’ll be home in August though in plenty of time for classes to start and maybe we can do something together then or you and dad could always come to Texas for a few days.” Riley suggested to her mother.

“Maybe we can squeeze in a trip to Texas. We’ll be seeing Maya and Josh in Philly so maybe we could find a few days to fly down to Pappy Joe’s ranch.” Topanga added. “Auggie would love the ranch.”

Just then Cory yelled, “Topanga! Do we really have to have people over tonight. I wanted to hang out in my sweatpants and watch the baseball game on TV.”

As he appeared in the doorway from the hall Topanga turned and looked at him and said, “I told you about this a week ago, Cory. You were okay with it then, what’s changed?”

Cory walked into the living room and smiled as he saw her with Riley and Maya and said, “Because if we don’t have the going away dinner than neither of the girls can leave and they will be here with us all summer. Like they should be. I didn’t okay any trips with boys!”

Maya was the one to speak up, “What’s the matter, honey? Are you afraid that Riley and I will have too much fun without you around this summer? Come on, Matthews, we’re big girls now. It’s time to let the little birdies leave the nest.”

“Not ready! Topanga tell them they can’t go.” Cory pleaded with his wife.

“Sorry, honey. Maya’s right. We need to go to the bakery and get the cake I had made for desert, come on.” She grabs his arm and heads to the front door. “Bye, girls. We’ll be back soon!”

The door slammed and Maya looked at Riley and asked, “What do you think that was all about? Matthews was acting weirder than normal.”

Riley just laughed and shook her head at her father’s antics, “Who knows. But he wouldn’t be my dad if he acted normal. Come on Peaches, let's go get changed for dinner. I brought that new skirt of mine you wanted to borrow.” Riley grabs Maya’s hand and they disappear up the stairs and down the hall.

Once they were in the hall and closed the apartment door, Cory stopped Topanga and asked her, “How can you be so calm when you know what Lucas wants to talk to us about?”

Topanga just looked at him, smiled and said, “Cory you’ve known this day would come since she was 12 years old and first met Lucas on the subway. You’ve known ever since he asked us for our permission to take her on their first date. You’ve known this day was coming even when she brother-zoned him in Texas and through that God-awful triangle. You’ve known this since that day at the ski lodge when he gave her that jelly bean and they chose each other. They love each other and want to be together, this is the next logical step and when Lucas asks us for our blessing to marry our daughter, you’re going to look that boy in the eye and say yes. Then you’re going to stand up and shake Lucas’ hand and welcome him to the family. You love Lucas and he has never done anything to make us question his love for her and now he wants to make the ultimate commitment to her and she deserves every bit of happiness that he can give her. Just as Lucas deserves all the happiness she can give him. They belong together, Cory. Don’t they remind you of two other kids that had stars in their eyes not too long ago?”

Cory smiled and knew exactly who Topanga was talking about, “Yes, they do. What ever happened to those two crazy kids?”

“They got married and had two beautiful children and lived happily ever after and today they are going to go give their daughter that same future.” Topanga said.

Cory looked at Topanga with a tear in his eye, “This is really happening isn’t it. We’re going to give Lucas Friar our blessing to ask our little girl to marry him.”

“Yes, honey. That’s exactly what’s going to happen.” She had tears as well. Cory put his arms around her and held her as they each quietly thought back to the day they brought that little girl home from the hospital and all the joy she has given them her whole life. Topanga pulled away from him, wiping a tear away that had escaped. She took his hand and led the way to the elevator and out the door and down the street towards the bakery.

[hope-in-my-bones]

I'd like to share a little wisdom, if you'll hear it. Or maybe it's not wisdom cuz I smoked quite a bit and feel compelled to share this but anywaus here ya go. My "Adult Life" has been quite an experience thus far. But not in ways I would've expected, say, 5 years ago. I've learned how to do my taxes, for the most part. I've tried alcohol, though I seem to be the only one in the house who much prefers drinking juice and also buys it in gallons. I've discovered a bar that is also an arcade and I now have a place to take my friends out on a late night that's actually fun and they serve root beer. I had my first car, though it was brief. I bought myself a ukulele because I decided I was finally gonna learn to play an instrument and stick with it. I got a couple tattoos, and I really like them. I've picked up my interest in Art again. I'm determined to build a portfolio and aquire new skills, simply because it's FUN. I've listened to my friends tell me about college and how their teacher tells them they're actually gonna be famous one day or they're planning to study abroad. I couldn't be happier for them. I demanded they send me postcards with funny notes or remember to save me a front row seat. While I haven't had the adventure of college just yet (more or less living vicariously through my friends), I have had an interesting period of change and self reflection. Bringing me to a short story I'm about to share. But before I do that, this is in now way meant to convince anyone that there is a single right way to find personal happiness. This is simply an account of how I believe I am finding mine. In 4th grade, I went to a public school that no one would've heard of, and certainly never won any awards for being a great school. I had 2 friends, and spent most of my free time in the nurse's office. I never felt like anything "special," but I had 2 friends and that was good enough. Then one day in Art Class, the teacher gives us an assignment with the book called "Salt in His Shoes." It was colorful book about Michael Jordan. We were asked to recreate a page in the book without tracing. I chose a fairly simple page, he was sitting at a table with his arms crossed and holding a basketball. A few days later when the assignment was finished, I was pretty happy with it. And was certain I would it would look great hanging in the hallways at school. More days pass and in the middle of math, I was called down to the art room. I was absolutely terrified that I had done something wrong. I believe to this day that I had my first real panic attack then. To my great relief, I was completely wrong and the teacher had informed me that between two students, she had chosen my picture out of the whole 4th grade to be featured not only in the school art show, but also the town art show. I was ecstatic. Simply overjoyed. I don't think I ever bragged about anything to my friends as much as I had this particular event. MY ART was going to be seen by EVERYONE because it was GREAT. But while my art was going to be featured in a show, I wasn't going to be there. Mom couldn't take me, and thus I had no way of getting there. I wasn't mad, but rather just a bit sad that I wasn't going to be able to see other people's art nor see that which was physical acknowledgement that I had something beautiful to offer. But I was already well versed in disappointment, and thus thought nothing more of it. Kids are weird. And definitely more complicated than we give them credit for. I often wonder if getting farther away from certain ages is what creates this almost imaginary gap of intelligence that adults believe they have from children. That adults forget what children really know and pick up on simply because they, the adults, have more vocabulary and reasoning to describe their thoughts and actions. This time I was called to the Principal's office. Cue second massive panic attack at the tender age of 8. Unbeknownst to me, Mom made a phone call. Under no obligation or favor did Principal Shirack have to do this. But he offered to pick me up and take me to the art show. The one at school. Looking back on this particular moment, I don't remember how I felt or what I did after leaving his office that day, and the experience was rather visceral at the show. But as I examine the memory further, I am led to the conclusion that standing in front of the picture as it hung on the wall,--parents glancing at it as they looked for their own kid's drawing-- was a defining moment that helped create ME. Someone showed me a kindness that was by no means required. He could never name every child in the school individually, and he certainly didn't know me or my name until then. And yet he created a moment in my life that I will always look fondly upon and remember as an inspiration to be a good person. To be kind. And to help others. He gave me Opportunity. Years later I lost that drive for art, which I regret deeply even now. I developed terrible anxiety and fear of success. Believing that I was the manifestation of failure itself and deserved only such. Making commitments and not following through. Crying from stage fright and vowing to never try again... I found the inspiration again only recently, and I intend to take advantage of it, and yet I asked myself "How? After all this time, why now?" And I'll be damned because the answer was so freakishly simple that if I could kick myself in the shin, I would. I explored. I had no net. I had moved put of my parent's house. No deadlines. No limits. No one to impress. Everything that I described at the beginning of this vignette was something, that the very thought of, made me anxious or uncomfortable. My friends going off to college without me. Doing my taxes which I had never gotten right before. Wondering if alcoholism in my family would effect me too. Making car payments. Never learning how to play an instrument because it's too hard. Not getting tattoos because only a handful of people seem to think that it'll kill me when the amount of ink I want will probably only kill me when I'm already old. Finding a place to take my friends that is fun for both me and them so we're not stuck indoors because I don't have much mode of transportation. These are honestly only a few things that I've grown more confident about. They seem indifferent. But these changes, this new lifestyle that I've accepted, it's taking one day at a time. Living with long term goals achieved by short term success. Getting paychecks. Saving for an apartment. Earning good credit. All these things have made me happier. I don't feel left behind when it comes to things like college. My friends don't expect me to know what they're talking about. There's no longer a pressure to move through life as quickly as possible to achieve the long term retirement we all know and already want. I have less than others, and now I push to be more informed and advocate for what I believe to be morally good and just causes. I spend more time with my pencils because I have fun doing it, and it's no longer "just a distraction." I work till I bleed because every dollar on my paycheck is proof of personal achievement that I never appreciated before. It's made me kinder to people who have even less than I, more patient. If I see a homeless person and I only have a 5 in my wallet, every dollar goes in that little cup because I know what it's like not to have dinner. I don't do these things because I feel that I have to, but because I want to. These things have simply become integrated into my lifestyle because I have widened a perspective that was once just tunnel vision. Graduate high school, graduate college, focus on a job, work till retirement. Never before did I acknowledge the little victories because I was made to believe that my only focus should be on my future self and rather than who I am now. Now I'm sure if you're still reading this, that you've made it this far and you're probably asking "Alright what's your point?" If you have a mental disorder, or you're finding that your life isn't near any kind of fulfillment that you had hoped for by now, please don't be discouraged. Happiness isn't achieved in a day, but it's about building yourself. If you're afraid to do something because you doubt it, I implore you try it with someone you trust. If you're struggling with a class and can't get any of the material right, take a day off. Refresh yourself. Go play a videogame. Sleep. You are more than your grade. And getting one F, or even multiple, does not define you as a person. It sucks, but it's not actually Failure. If you didn't get that one job that you really wanted, that's ok. They don't deserve you anyways. Try something easier to obtain if only for the money itself. If you're worried that you're art isn't good enough because no one liked it when you posted it online, maybe that one like, or reblog you need will come from someone who hasn't made an account yet. They'll find you eventually. If you don't want to pay a bill because it means no food money, then by all means feed yourself. What good is a bill if you're dead? You are the only person who can decide what's best for you. If you make a mistake, you have your whole life to learn from it, however long that is or however long you want it to be. People change. You will change. The future will change with you. Be bold. Be adventurous. Be kind. Be you.