#i wanna do more stuff like this it was fun

[lj-lephemstar]

Progress Checkup! (Jan. 2025) | Scratchin' Melodii Devlog

Hey guys! Time for another progress checkup; This is actually the first one of the new year! I hope you were all able to enjoy the holidays. I took a bit of a break from working on most stuff last month and have been getting back on things this month. First, I wanna thank everyone who's wishlisted Scratchin' Melodii on Steam! So far, the game's gotten over 17,000 wishlists! Thanks so much for the support!

In the previous devlog, I mentioned some changes to the rhythm system. In the Dragon Funk preview, you can see the new rhythm system and character icons I mentioned in the previous devlog! Actually, let's unpack some of the new things you're seeing in action there:

Hold Notes This is the first song in the game to include hold-notes! They mostly work the same as they would in any other rhythm game. However, since this game has an emphasis on self expression, moving the control stick during these will let you tune the note's pitch-bend for extra expression points! I showed that off in a post here. As for Pow Notes, I've been working on a way to let the player get expression points from these too! I'd like for most of the special notes like these to be not just a gimmick, but a tool that the player can use to their advantage.

Quadruple Lines Yep! The first blue line in this one is extra long and has 4 rows! Fun fact actually, I had to implement this feature after I realized that part of the song was too long to fit in just two rows. It was pretty difficult to figure out both how to do it and how to execute it in a way that doesn't feel too jarring, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results! In fact, barely anyone's even noticed it; I guess that's just how natural it feels! Not sure how much more often I'll be having lines longer than two rows, but it's great that I have the option now.

AutoPlay You might also notice that the player inputs are perfectly timed... TOO perfect... that's because I've developed an autoplay feature for the game! At the moment, it's mostly for debugging and stuff, but if all goes according to plan, AutoPlay Mode and Replays should hopefully be available to players as well in some form when the game comes out!

"Next" Indicator & Other UI Related QoL Some of the top things players said they had trouble with in the demo were related to being prepared for the next line. So, if you look at the right-end of the rhythm bars, you'll see a little tab that shows the color and amount of rows the next line will have! Also, now each line's suggested notes can be seen before the rival performs them. This did take some thought, as I actually kinda still liked the idea of it appearing as if the characters were making it up on the spot, but to put game design first, it makes more sense to have it displayed as soon as possible so the player has more time to react and prepare. This also opens up more possibilities for future mechanics, so in the long run, I think I've made the best choice here.

Now, let's get into what I've been and/or will be working on that you haven't seen yet!

Act 2's Boss The music for the Act 2 Boss is  nearly complete! I'll likely be starting to animate it pretty soon. This song is the longest one I've done so far, clocking at a duration of a little over 3 minutes long!

More Animation Updates for Stir & Mix At this point, I've done even more cleanups on the sequence you saw in the last devlog and I've finished animating the "I wanna" scene of the song, which will probably have the most changes out of any other scene in the song. When I first animated Stir & Mix, I didn't quite have the time or skills to do everything I really wanted to do with it. That scene in particular I felt was WAY too stiff and boring, especially compared to the more dynamic and fluid scenes that appear in some of the other the stages now. I'd say I'm about halfway done retouching all the animations for this one!

Refined Model Sheets I don't talk about these very often, but sometime around 2023 I started using model/reference sheets for the characters. (I might show them off someday, but for now they're staying private!) Before this point, the designs are pretty inconsistent from shot to shot, so this helped a lot with that. Recently, I've done some revisions I'm really pleased with. Their designs are finally becoming... well, final! I'll be reworking the affected characters' hub world sprites at some point to reflect these changes.

Slight Reworks for some Act 1 Songs On the sound side, Stir & Mix's vocals have been reworked again! As I've mentioned in the previous devlog, 2cada's tuning style and techniques have evolved a bit since we first started working together, so we thought it'd be fun to go back and incorporate some of that into it. We'll also probably be reworking the structure of Nami's song a little bit at some point just to make it a feel a bit more solid, which may require a new line or two from her voice actor, Meggie-Elise! So funnily enough, it seems some of the songs will have end up having TWO unused beta versions after this.

Also, a quick PSA: Please note that beta versions of content will NOT be included in the full game. I've heard people ask for them to be "brought back" or toggleable, but in my situation something like that is both easier said than done and I also just... don't want to LOL. With as many directions I can take this game, I know I can't satisfy everyone, but I can make a game that satisfies me, so I'm aiming for that! And hey, maybe other people will like it too.

I think that's all I wanna talk about for now! Thanks so much for reading. It can be a bit of a daunting task to write these at times, but I'm glad to keep you up to date on the project when I can.

-LJ

[rook-laidir]

Apparently y’all wanted more banter

Enjoy, ya degenerates!

~~~

Rook: Are dragons and wyverns the same thing?

Taash: What? No, they’re completely different.

Rook: They’re both giant lizards that breathe fire and ice and other stuff. Feels like the only real difference is dragons have more legs.

Taash: Dragons are way more complicated than wyverns. Trust me.

Rook: I feel like if I don’t, you’ll burn me alive.

~~~

Rook: I picked up some Rivaini foods the other day. They’re in the pantry if you want to use them.

Bellara: I saw! But what makes them Rivaini? Besides the Llomerryn sauce and the couscous, I mean?

Rook: What do you mean?

Bellara: Well the bananas are Par Vollen, the spices are from Tevinter, and I think the flatbread you bought is Nevarran.

Rook: That’s what makes it Rivaini.

~~~

Bellara: So what’s Isabela like? I mean as a leader.

Rook: Tough when she needs to be, fun when she wants to be. She’ll drink you under the table and kick your ass at Wicked Grace. Why? You’re joining the Lords?

Bellara: Oh, no, I was just curious. She’s so…

Rook: Intimidating?

Bellara: Yeah. And really pretty! She’s just like the Pirate Queen in one of my serials!

Rook: Knowing Isabela, she probably inspired the whole thing.

~~~

Harding: You know, you can come visit my Ma’s cottage whenever you want. She makes really good pie.

Rook: Thanks, Harding.

Harding: She’d love to meet you and hear about your adventures. And she always has a spare bed made just in case.

Rook: Are you trying to set me up with your mom?

Harding: No! What? I was just trying to be nice! You look like you could use a good mothering.

Rook: Aww, thanks, Harding!

Harding: Well now I wanna take it back!

~~~

Harding: Look, I really don’t mean any offense by this, but I gotta ask…

Rook: This should be good.

Harding: Did you try to rob Varric when you first met him? Because he made it sound a lot like you were trying to rob him.

Rook: Really? What did he say?

Harding: That you stood awfully close to him and asked a lot of questions about Bianca.

Rook: Bianca’s a classy lady. And maybe I just liked the chest hair.

Harding: You’re avoiding the question!

Rook: You’re asking questions you don’t want answers to.

~~~

Spite: Twenty gold!

Rook: Not a chance.

Spite: Twenty gold!

Rook: I won that bet fair and square, Spite.

Lucanis: You know there’s no reasoning with him.

Spite: Twenty! Gold!

Rook: You can’t even spend it!

~~~

Davrin: Have you seen my coin purse?

Rook: I didn’t take it.

Davrin: Now why don’t I believe you?

Rook: Hey, I don’t take things from my friends. And you lost it at The Hilt.

Davrin: So you have seen it.

Rook: No, but I saw you flirting with Markos. He’s a pickpocket.

Davrin: Dammit.

Rook: (laughs) Sorry, Dav. It’s the Lords of Fortune way.

Davrin: Well the Lords of Fortune need to learn some manners.

Rook: Where’s the fun in that?

~~~

Neve: You should get your arm checked out. You probably injured it.

Rook: You’re looking at my arms?

Neve: I saw you wince when you pulled your bowstring back. Probably a pulled muscle.

Rook: First my arms, now my muscles? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were checking me out.

Neve: And I’d say you’re trouble.

[jonquilyst]

Day 0 - Introduction

🎵 Dear Mom and Dad, I’m doin’ fine. You guys are on my mind… 🎵

Welcome to the premiere of the 3rd season of Total Drama Sims: the hottest, freshest reality TV show on simblr! I’m your host jonquilyst, though I'm sure by now you already know that 😜

18 ambitious teenagers have gathered to put their wits, guts, and strength to the test to seek out the ✨ grand prize. ✨ Like the previous two seasons, they will compete in crazy challenges, deal with less-than-perfect living arrangements, and face the judgement of each other!

🎵 You asked me what I wanted to be, and I think the answer is plain to see… 🎵

🎵 I wanna live close to the sun. Pack your bags ‘cause I’ve already won… 🎵

Allow me to give you the grand tour of our portable "camp" for this season: an airplane that totally isn't run-down and hasn't been sitting unused in a hangar for years! We will be using this airplane in our journey across the sims world, and it will be here that our contestants will spend their time between challenges!

Because of our tight quarters, everyone will be sleeping and eating all in one place! No more team separation here! That also means we no longer have a designated place for confessionals; they'll be done in the bathrooms, just like the good ol' outhouse from season one!

However, we were able to designate a room for our elimination ceremonies, of course! The door you see here is where our losing contestants will take the drop-of-shame, out of the airplane and onto wherever we're flying over! (Don't worry, TDS will make sure they'll land safely and have accommodations... maybe...)

Now, here's the real kicker of this plane: first class.

I did say that everyone would be sleeping together, but that isn't technically true.

Unique to this season, the team that wins a challenge will win a reward along with invincibility. That reward is first class. Complete with quality beds and all the entertainment to satisfy even the most brainrotted teenager, first class is the place to be!

The beds in economy class? Let's just say we assembled the bedframes ourselves and got the bedding from a dump... 🤭 There's also no room for games and such, so all the fun stuff is in first class!

So! If contestants want nice beds and all the entertainment they want, they will need to work for it. All they need to do is be on the winning team.

🎵 Everything to prove nothing’s in my way. I’ll get there one day! 🎵

Now, allow me to formally introduce you to our 18 new contestants!

(from left to right; top to bottom)

ALANNA CASTILLO (she/her) by @lyratea - A writer who wants an unforgettable adventure

AVERY BENNETT (she/her) by @hellogreta - An athletic girl who wants a break from her chaotic family and home life

BRENDAN TOWNSEND (he/him) by @sanitysims - A skilled cook who is nervous to compete on the show

CARSON FOSTER (he/him) by @changingplumbob - A Llamacorn Scout that was convinced to sign up for the show by his new girlfriend

ELIO ALVORETTER (they/he) by @paracosmic-sims - A generous and outgoing person who is representing themselves and their partners in the competition

ESPRESSO BEAN (she/her) by @riverofjazzsims - The twin sister of Season 2 contestant Coffee Bean; competing to get the Total Drama experience for herself

ESTRELLO PYRE (he/him) by @invisiblequeen - A long-time fan of Total Drama Sims who wants to win the show with kindness and friendship

JOSUE SUAREZ (he/him) by @simsinfinitylt - An outdoorsy guy who was unexpectedly signed up for the show by his abuela

LUCIAN BRIGHT (he/him) by @simstagramsomeone - A gaming streamer who is competing on the show to promote viewership on his channel

MAEVE BARGEN (she/her) by @aniraklova - A mischievous party girl who wants to build relationships with others, both friendships and rivalries

MARILYN MOORE (she/her) by @aliengirl - A spoiled popular girl who signed up for the show because she thought it was acting-related

MATTEO PERALTA (he/him) by @matchalovertrait - A musician who wants to make some new friends and get exposure for his band

MINATO MATSUDA (he/him) by @ravingsockmonkey - A loyal party guy who wants to meet new people

NITE CROWE (she/her) by @kissalopa - A nature and animal-loving half-alien who wants to test herself and try new things

RAYLAN K. RODRIGUEZ (he/him) by @bloomingkyras - A highly competitive boy who likes challenging himself; was inspired to sign up for the show by Season 2 winner Liana Morris

TOMIKO MORIYAMA (she/they) by @kari-sims - A staunch bug-lover who wants to travel the world; signed up for the show without her parent's permission

TOUMA REID BEASLEY (he/him) by @nakasumi-sims - A bubbly shrine caretaker who has an array of survival and outdoorsy skills

ZIGGY SKINT (he/him) by @ethicaltreatmentofcowplants - An outdoorsy boy who is relatively shy but has a strong moral compass

🎵 I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE FAMOUS! 🎵

So... We're Waiting on Teams Again?

Yep! Like last season, our contestants will remain teamless until the first challenge, but the unique part about this season is that the first challenge itself will be determining which teams contestants are placed on. And remember, there will be 3 TEAMS this season!

[thunderlina]

In the wake of the TikTok ban and revival as a mouthpiece for fascist propaganda, as well as the downfall of Twitter and Facebook/Facebook-owned platforms to the same evils, I think now is a better time than ever to say LEARN HTML!!! FREE YOURSELVES FROM THE SHACKLES OF MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND EMBRACE THE INDIE WEB!!!

You can host a website on Neocities for free as long as it's under 1GB (which is a LOT more than it sounds like let me tell you) but if that's not enough you can get 50GB of space (and a variety of other perks) for only $5 a month.

And if you can't/don't want to pay for the extra space, sites like File Garden and Catbox let you host files for free that you can easily link into NeoCities pages (I do this to host videos on mine!) (It also lets you share files NeoCities wouldn't let you upload for free anyways, this is how I upload the .zip files for my 3DS themes on my site.)

Don't know how to write HTML/CSS? No problem. W3schools is an invaluable resource with free lessons on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and a whole slew of other programming languages, both for web development and otherwise.

Want a more traditional social media experience? SpaceHey is a platform that mimics the experience of 2000s MySpace

Struggling to find independent web pages that cater to your interests via major search engines? I've got you covered. Marginalia and Wiby are search engines that specifically prioritize non-commercial content. Marginalia also has filters that let you search for more specific categories of website, like wikis, blogs, academia, forums, and vintage sites.

Maybe you wanna log off the modern internet landscape altogether and step back into the pre-social media web altogether, well, Protoweb lets you do just that. It's a proxy service for older browsers (or really just any browser that supports HTTP, but that's mostly old browsers now anyways) that lets you visit restored snapshots of vintage websites.

Protoweb has a lot of Geocities content archived, but if you're interested in that you can find even more old Geocities sites over on the Geocities Gallery

And really this is just general tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. If you dig a little deeper you can find loads more interesting stuff out there. The internet doesn't have to be a miserable place full of nothing but doomposting and targeted ads. The first step to making it less miserable is for YOU, yes YOU, to quit spending all your time on it looking at the handful of miserable websites big tech wants you to spend all your time on.

[coquettemouse]

The loud ring of the school bell echoed through the hallway, and Leo instinctively covered his ears, wincing at the sound. He was used to it by now, but that didn’t make it any less unpleasant. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the new kid—Jason—doing the exact same thing, though his expression was different. He looked genuinely startled, his face tightening as if the noise had caught him completely off guard.

Leo watched him for a moment, curious. Guess I’m not the only one who hates that thing, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Piper was busy packing up her books and notebooks, neatly sliding them into her bag like the organized machine she was. She glanced over at Leo. “Earth to Leo? Our next class.”

Leo gave her a half-smile, still distracted. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

The two of them walked to their english class together, joining the crowd of kids heading in the same direction. When they entered the room, the teacher—Mr. Hermes—was already at the front, adjusting a stack of papers. He was this skinny guy with super messy hair and a beard that looked like he just forgot to shave. He always kinda looked like he just rolled out of bed, but he had this cool vibe about him, the kind that made even boring stuff seem kinda fun.

Leo liked Mr. Hermes. He always had a joke or a story up his sleeve, and he wasn’t afraid to bend the rules a little bit if it meant making class more fun.

“Alright, everyone, settle down!” Hermes called out, clapping his hands. “We’ve got something a little different today. I’m giving you an activity to work on in groups of three.”

The class perked up slightly at that. Group activities were always better than sitting through a lecture.

Mr. Hermes continued, waving a paper in the air. “Here’s how it’s gonna work. I’ll hand out the instructions, and you’ll work with your group to come up with some creative answers. You’ll have until the end of class, so don’t waste time deciding on your trios.” He paused, grinning. “And yes, you can pick your own groups.”

The room erupted into chatter as everyone started looking around, deciding who they wanted to team up with.

Piper tilted her head, clearly already thinking about their group. “So, who should we—”

“I wanna team up with the new kid!” Leo blurted out, cutting Piper off. He pointed right at the blonde boy sitting in the back, all quiet like he was trying not to be noticed. Leo didn’t really know why, but something about him just made Leo want to drag him into their group. Maybe it was because he looked so... out of place. Or maybe Leo just thought it’d be fun to see what his deal was.

Piper blinked at him. “Him? Why?”

Leo shrugged, grinning. “I dunno, I just wanna talk to him. He looks kinda cool. And, y’know,” he added with a cheeky glint in his eye, “he probably needs help making friends or something.”

Piper rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. “Fine. But don’t scare him off, okay?”

Leo ignored her and turned to Jason, waving him over. “Hey, Jake! Wanna join our group?” he called out, loud enough for half the class to hear.

Jason’s head shot up, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at Leo, then Piper, then back at Leo again. For a moment, he hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if Leo was serious. But then, with a small, uncertain nod, he grabbed his notebook and slowly made his way over to their table.

Leo beamed. “Cool! You’re with us now. I’m Leo, by the way. And this is Piper. Don’t worry, we’re pretty awesome.”

Jason gave a small smile, his voice quiet but polite. “Thanks. I’m Jason, actually.”

“Yeah, I know,” Leo said, leaning back in his chair. “Mrs. Roberts introduced you, remember?”

Jason shifted awkwardly, clutching his notebook to his chest. “Um, yes,” he said softly. “You called me Jake.”

Leo blinked, then let out a chuckle. “Did I? Oops, my bad. Jason, Jake, same thing, right?”

Piper rolled her eyes, giving Leo a playful nudge. “No, it’s not the same thing, genius. Maybe try listening for once.”

Leo shrugged and Piper let out a sigh. “Well, welcome to the group, Jason. Let’s see what Mr. Hermes has in store for us.”

Leo leaned forward, his excitement bubbling over. “Don’t worry, dude. We’ve got this. With me on your team, there’s no way we can lose.”

[moonpie016]

---

This song just fits this.

My goodness, they're simpler in design.

Good!

.....And so the rambling begins.

Which I would consider this a oc rambling, I don't know what these dudes are anymore. Except for Myst. But fun.

Though I already explained stuff here.

(If ya wanna read or re-read.)

The wall of words underneath.

⬇️

💛

Soooo.

Illy (she/her)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

First one up. Not much has changed honestly. Still trying to have some calculated way of thinking about things, either logically or critically. It's a struggle for her.

But likes using whatever knowledge she has to idk, rant? Spout random facts?

She's just minding her own business unless it IS her business. (Or nosy).

She has glasses now. Yay! Great! She can read without straining her eyes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

💛

---

💜

Waxing (he/they)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I kinda stole the name Waxing from an old oc of mine, sooo that's his name now. Old oc has no name now. :]

A new thing (other than the headphones) is that the center of his hoodie can basically become or resemble a pit.

Because that's how any strong emotion feels. Usually negative ones. He hates it, Illy tries to make Wax calm down with reasons he shouldn't be anxious, but falls out the window.

💜

It only works if he's not too worked up. Man's eyesight is....ok. Not the best, because unlike his other part, he has to squint at most things. Like words on signs and stuff. Why doesn't he just copy his other half? Idk. He's stubborn. And character design reasons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

---

❤️

Seeds (She/he/they)

Myst (she/her)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Imma just put Seeds and Myst together here.

Because they're basically one in the same. Yes, Seeds' jacket has stuff on it, I probably will draw something with more stuff on the jacket. (Because I didn't know what else to think of.)

The one side of his face is more expressive than the other. Mostly because each one of these guys looks upset every waking moment.

(They're not, they just look like that.)

But I guess it's to show being more comfortable in being expressive and just not feeling comfortable and trying to... understand the room. Confusion.

Is their goal the same as the album? No. They're all technically "whole", but don't understand anything about this life stuff. It's weird, tricky, and overall odd.

Living in a nice relaxing Void™ is all they know. But taking a step into unknown territory is the what they want, an adventure.

(Depending on whatever adventure really means to them. Or me.) Breaking out of this weird shaped shell. Because the world is scary.

Too much scary stuff that makes Wax retreat to his safe space, and essentially brings his other counterparts with him.

She's more honest and blunt about everything. Even when she's trying not to be. Her cold face, her voice. Always been how she's characterized in my head.

Myst doesn't like this because she knows that this isn't ok. But the others, especially Seeds and Wax just... don't do anything.

But, she and Illy continue to try and strive for new things. Even when the other two challenge them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🩵

---

I really need to update tags on certain stuff.

Ok, I think I've ramble enough again.

But hope you enjoyed this... random redesign/ LORE (not really lore.). :3

---

[doodler16]

Without giving myself much away, lemme tell you that I've been writing and working as an artist for years. Every time I try watching Viv's shows, it never fails to give me second-hand embarrassment as they remind me of the stuff I used to write when I was a teen.

I imagine Viv clapping her hands all giddy and giggling as she kicks her feet like it's the best thing in the world as she shows her poorly-designed, random OC's swearing and acting like edgy American teenagers.

The Mastermind episode, for example, makes me cringe like these Seven Sins like Queen Bee, Mammon and Ozzy are supposed to talk like refined upperclassmen who never swear. Have them talk like Game of Thrones (GOT) characters. The same problem applies to Hazbin Hotel where Alastor and the angels in heaven swear. It's like I'm watching Monster High except they were written by the people behind Riverdale.

Also, the humor isn't even that funny which reminds me of how I'd try to emulate Family Guy and South Park without any idea what makes them very entertaining in the first place. Basically, you don't force your audience to laugh but you've gotta give them something to laugh at. Sure, you can be offensive and even poke fun of people but in her case it's just spiteful and annoying. I just watch with a straight face pondering if it was meant to be funny.

I heard she also makes fun of those with intellectual disability and those she doesn't like by either making them into chubby and annoying characters or ugly caricatures who tend to drool and struggle to read. The story is just all over the place and many other characters end up being neglected over Viv's favorite ship.

I learned not to make those mistakes when I entered college where we also had writing and literary classes that I started scrapping all of those cringey comics and fanfics I used to do in high school. If I were the showrunner, I wouldn't wanna embarrass myself and ruin my career with those shows. Sorry for the long ramble but I just wanna get this off my chest.

Yeah, the humor is pretty hit or miss. Maybe out of context it might more funny but in context it does feel dragged out. Vivziepop is very open about being proud of episodes she has written. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being proud of your achievements but there are times when Vivziepop overdoes it and sounds like she is sucking her own dick (metaphorically). There are so many examples of this you can easily find online. She’s inspired by Bojack Horseman and South Park.

Yeah Anon, I was expecting the deadly sins and by extension the overlords in Hazbin Hotel to be gray characters who were professional authoritative figures for Hell. But they are a bunch of middle schoolers hidden in a trench coat.

Yes, she does make fun of people with disabilities in the show (especially if they are ugly). I don’t mind dark humor but when Vivziepop does that, it screams double standards. Because the in universe and in the fandom, they would coddle and defend Fizzarolli (a pretty disabled man) but when it’s someone else it’s “ew” or the characters make a judgmental face.

Vivziepop is an excellent example of what not to when writing a story, Anon.

[pigeonstab]

(Slides you a coupon for 1 free post about characters)

I am asking politely to hear your Nightmare thoughts, if you don't mind sharing (If you still don't wanna you can ignore this, no pressure c: )

Arghhh ty v .v

Honestly I feel like there's so much to do about like- y'know we see Nightmare as a very confident character but I feel like he keeps a lot to himself. Like we've talked about what he keeps from his gang and stuff, mostly his history with Dream and Something I find really fun actually is when the team doesn't even know that Dream and Nightmare are brothers at first. Like they know the boss has beef™ with this guy but he's not gonna tell them anything more so they just accept it and don't really question it, even if they did they probably wouldn't get much out of Nightmare. I really like the idea of like, they're fighting the stars and Dream's calls Nightmare 'brother' and the gang's just like "BROTHER???". And AGRHHH I just love how fucking lost Nightmare is. He acts so composed but he's really not. He has his reasons against Dream, and he's really mad at him but he just can't help but long for his childhood. Cause it feels like nothing has been right since then. Even if as a kid it wasn't that nice Dream was always by his side and that was the only real connection and happiness he had. And just, I feel like he misses Dream a lot more than he ever lets on. Nightmare doesn't want to seem weak, because he's been weak once and he was hurt so badly for it. He never wants to hurt like that again and so he shuts things out.

He's just a huge control freak I think.

[pikachicachan]

Omggg, after seeing the news of the winter storm, I had to write this! This is as fluffy as snowww:

[At the Table]

Gov: Alright, let's do a weather update! California, how are you doing?

California: [cough] Horrible! The winds have picked up again and a fire started near San Diego like what the [censored] is happening?!

Gov: [winces] Well, that's not good... and the southern states, you guys got a historical amount of snowfall! Tell me about that —

Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama: [dazed and smiling]

New York: [gestures to those states] What tha [speaks New York] is goin' awn with dem?

Gov: I... actually have no idea.

Georgia: [sips coffee] I've been gettin' snow for a while so I'm used to this, but they haven't had snow like this in ages so... [swings his mug to the southern states] they're frozen in awe, so to speak.

Louisiana: [chuckles] Mais, NOLA has neva looked more gorgeous! Last time it saw snow like dis was in 1963... da streets looks amazin' in tha snow! I don't even need a daiquiri with all dis joy in da air!

Texas: [hums] I can't remember the last time I felt ma people be so... happy. [smiles and sips on Mexican Hot Chocolate] It's nice seein' them havin' fun for a change. [mumbles to himself] Ma power grid is also holdin' up so that's a miracle in itself too...

Florida: This white stuff... is snow?? I'm actually seeing snow?? IN FLORIDA?? AND IT'S COLD?? CALI, SWITCH WITH ME. THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!

California: [cough] You'd rather have fires??

Florida: I'm literally surrounded by water like I'm pretty sure I can handle it.

California: [pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs] if only we could switch...

Texas: [grins] awe, chin up California! Ya know whut, I'm in a good charitable mood. HEB will be donatin' $1M to ya and we've sent about 6 truckloads of supplies to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank! You'll be back up on yer feet in no time!

Gov, New York, Georgia, California: [stares at Texas]

California: More help from you? I [cough]... I don't know what to say.

Texas: [shrugs] You don't need to say nuthin'. Just accept it.

California: [cough] Right... thanks dude.

Florida: [shudders] I felt a chill go down my spine, but I don't think it was because of the weather... anyway if y'all wanna have a snowball fight at the beach, let's go! [snaps away]

Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, California: [snaps away]

Gov: New York, are you going to go?

New York: Yeh. Ain't no way Florida is nawt gunna put rocks or sumthin' in his snowbawls.

Gov: Yep, yep, you have a point. I'm going to call CDC just in case.

New York: Hold off on dat. I wanna see wat he does an' who gets hurt. [grins] Ma monies on Alabama. [snaps away]

Gov: No stop — ugh! [snaps away]

Hehe, just a cute little thing that I wanted to write.

I'm not even sure how to write Gov anymore cuz he's not our good ol' Gov anymore... 😔

I feel like the bad parts of Texas are always emphasized, so I want y'all to know what good things Texas is doing too! We're more than our bad government, I swear! 😭😔

But also, I'm burning with envy that a huge chuck of Texas got snow BUT NOT WHERE I AM. It hurts seeing the news about it and not being able to play in the snow with everyone else 😭

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed! ✨

[hearts4johnwick]

SUMMARY. 𝜗𝜚 your husband has been missing for almost two months now, yearning for him is making you relive some of your best memories.

CW. 𝜗𝜚 mentions of od’ing, fluff & angst (whose page are you in??? ofc it’s angst 👅) bold = flashbacks

A/N. 𝜗𝜚 umm i know absolutely nothing!!!about south korea or their schools, so this is purely based off of american schools bc my latina ass is not cultured on this, if yall wanna correct me or help me in some stuff, pls do! just know i’m writing this for fun tho <3

the voice of your teacher announcing a new student catches your attention, a boy with slightly longer hair stands beside her, holding onto his backpack. “this is kang dae-ho, he is transferring from seoul, and as your new classmate, you shall treat him with respect.” your eyes analyze dae-ho, he’s cute, you think. you glance over to your friend and she raises her eyebrow in a flirty manner, you smile.

“find a seat, dear.” there were plenty of seats available, but the seat beside you was the one he was eyeing the most, and you did not mind at all if he sat next to you.

the two of you make eye contact and you watch his eyebrows raise slightly, he quickly makes his way to the seat beside you. you give him a soft smile and he returns it, a soft hint of redness grows on his face.

“of course.” your friend playfully rolls her eyes and you chuckle before the teacher begins the class.

once the class finished, you head to your lockers to put away your books, in the distance you see dae-ho and your friend speaks. “you should go and talk to him, maybe we can go to the bakery after school.” you look at her and nod.

“that’s a good idea.” you walk away from your locker, your hand holding your other over your legs as you make your way toward him. dae-ho turns and his heart begins to race as if your beauty leaves him speechless, or you coming up to him caught him off guard. “dae-ho, was it?” he nods. “nice to meet you, I’m y/n.”

he smiles widely. “cute name for a cute girl.” you smile, his confidence taking you aback for a slight moment.

“thank you.” you feel your face heat up, but you brush it off. “my friend and i were wondering if you’d like to join us at the bakery right across the street after school? we usually go there for some lunch, since the lunch here is not too good.” you make a disgusted noise and scrunch your nose, he laughs and you smile.

“I’d like that,” he says and you smile.

“great. see you there. what’s your next class?” you ask him, and he tells you that it’s math, you exclaim when you look at his schedule and realize you have every single class together.

after classes finish, the three of you do as you agreed and head to the bakery. you get to know a lot about dae-ho, and you find out you have much more in common than you ever thought. he’s energetic and kind, and you admire that.

“so, do you have any plans after graduation?” you ask him, breaking the silence your friend left you both in after her mother came to pick her up.

he hums, taking his time thinking what to say. “joining the marines is a good idea.” you raise an eyebrow. “but, apart from that—i’d love to marry a pretty girl, maybe start a family with her, maybe move back to the city, or move to costa rica, i’ve seen pictures and i think it’s the most beautiful place i’ve ever seen.” you can’t help but smile at his plans, they’re quite nice. “and you?” he asks you your question.

“i want to become a veterinarian. i love animals so much, i’ve rescued some! dogs and cats!”

“what do you do after? do you keep them?” he questions.

“oh no no! i’m allergic to cats, i just send them to a shelter or put them up for adoption. when animals stay in shelters too long they sometimes kill them, and i hate that. i wish i could keep every animal i rescue, but ive only kept two dogs, two german shepherds.”

dae-ho laughs. “remind me not to mess with you, then.” you laugh at his joke.

“yeah, don’t.” you suck on your bottom lip and look at him. “but, apart from becoming a veterinarian, I’d also like to marry a handsome guy, and maybe start a family, although, I’m alright with dogs—how many kids do you want?”

“i want 4.” your breath hitches, and you grimace, you’re acting as if you’re gonna be the mother, but, you couldn’t help it.

“your poor wife.” you place your lips into a thin line. you two share a short laugh and continue to get to know each other.

you and dae-ho grew fond of each other in only 3 months, he was even walking you to your house, no matter the fact that his house was nearly 20 minutes from yours.

one night, you and dae-ho stand in your front steps, before you say goodbye, he grabs your hand and caresses it softly. “y/n.” he begins, he has all of your attention. “why don’t we… take a break from the bakery and go to an actual restaurant…maybe tomorrow?” he pauses between his words, thinking thoroughly about what he’s saying. when he sees your expression soften, he knows it’s going great.

“i’d love to.” you smile widely and place a hand on his cheek gently. the two of you share a sweet moment, he said he’ll text you the details, and you dismiss him with a kiss on the cheek and the blood rushing to his cheek makes your heart flutter.

one date led to another, and then another, after that, another one, until it became a weekly thing. when the two of you graduated, he quickly went off to the marines, and you were proud of him for that, he could do what he wished for, but you were terrified at the same time, terrified that one day he might not come home, and the thought of that destroyed you.

him coming back home permanently meant everything to you, you thought that maybe you could start a family now, you were at a fine age, you were married and financially stable, your job was paying you very well, and so was, dae-ho’s, but now that he’s back—forever now, that might change—and, it did.

you turn sideways on your bed, your hand brushes the cold spot next to you, it’s empty, you don’t like that feeling at all, it makes you feel empty. you remember the moments when dae-ho kept you warm, the times after intimate moments when you would just lay in his chest, staring into his eyes, or simply when you would fall asleep in each other’s arms.

you check the time, and it’s 2:34 am, you sigh and stare at your ceiling, and you start to feel tears pooling in your eyes. you stand from your bed and head over to the closet. there, you take one of dae-ho’s jackets and hug it, as if he was wearing it as if you were hugging him. his scent made your heart ache, this was the closest you’d been to him in almost two months.

you sob your heart out as you slide down the wall, softly murmuring his name like a prayer, hoping he’ll hear you.

your finger softly curls dae-ho’s hair, and the two of you admire each other in the spotlight, his hand on your hip and yours on his shoulder, sharing the prom king and queen dance.

“prom king, huh?” you raise an eyebrow.

“no thanks to you, prom queen.” he chuckles and you roll your eyes.

“what’s a king without his queen?” dae-ho raises his eyebrows and nods. “this is so embarrassing, i hope they’re not looking—or looking at you.” you chuckle.

“no, trust me. they’re looking at you.” your eyes light up, and your face gets hot, but you don’t know if it’s because of embarrassment or his compliment. “you look unbelievable tonight, y/n. i can’t imagine you on our wedding day.” he says, your mouth opens and your heart flutters, god, you cannot wait to marry him, he’s all you’ve ever wished for, you don’t care that he’s your first love, you think he’s the love of your life—you know he is, and that’s what matters, not what people think.

“i love you.” your confession catches him off guard, he’s said it before, but you never said it back, only ‘me too’ but the words ‘I love you’ have never come out of your mouth, and even though you’ve been wanting to say it ever since the moment you laid eyes on him, something has been stopping you, but you knew it was about time.

“i love you more,” he says back, and you smile widely. you embrace each other, but continue your dance until it concludes.

shortly after graduation, the two of you decided that after dae-ho serves his time in the marines, you’d get married—and so you did. your wedding was beautiful, it was intimate, with only two or three family members from dae-ho’s side, for obvious reasons, and almost your whole family tree.

your family loved dae-ho as if he was their own, and that made you feel very grateful, dae-ho had a rough childhood, and seeing him get the love he never had growing up was better than anything you could ever ask for.

the day of your marriage was truly the happiest day you’ve ever been, and let’s not even talk about the night. from then on, you appreciated every single moment with dae-ho, you always have, but you’re treasuring them even more now. the two of you began to travel, you started with costa rica, of course, and so on—you went to some places such as japan, tennessee, bali, dominican republic, and all of europe, you’d hope that between this year and next, you can finish traveling the caribbean because dae-ho loves the caribbean and the beaches.

you had planned for the bahamas on your next trip, but this is around the time when your husband was struggling, and when he turned up missing.

dae-ho has been missing for almost two months, he just vanished into thin air, he didn’t leave you a note, or a text message, he just… left. and you missed him dearly, you thought these months as an eternity, and you couldn’t take it anymore.

the orange bottle of full pills was tempting you—you wanted to end this pain, you wanted to end it now. he could end it, if he would just show up on the doorstep, just him, you don’t even want flowers or a gift, you just need him, or the other reason to end it is to just not keep living.

why would you need to keep living? the reason you are hasn’t been here with you these days—you have no reason to keep living, so why not just finish it?

your brother found you, he took you in his arms, sobbing and calling out your name. the bright hospital light was bothering you, your vision was blurry and your heartbeat was steady, slower than usual, but it was still beating, and that was the important thing.

the cold, dry air of the hospital made you feel sicker as if you were actually dead. you had your eyes closed when you felt a familiar, warm touch in your hand. you try your best to open your eyes, but your vision is still blurry.

“dae-ho?” you croak, a drop of wetness rolling down your cheek in pain. you hear no answer, so you don’t know if you’re hallucinating, or dreaming, but you cry.

you had thought that maybe—maybe he’d been back, oh, god you wish he’d been back, just so that you could spend the time you have left with him—but one thing is for sure, and it’s that you’ll soon be seeing him, whether that would be in the flesh, or the after life, is still to be decided.

❛ i wish i could live without you

but you’re a part of me. ❜

[urbanqhoul]

Do you have any tips when creating story, character or world building? Me and my friends have been stuck when trying to move forward to more world/plot writing and planning for our story project. (We also plan to post it on different media platforms so advice would help lots!)

I MEAN i ain't really all that good at it I think I'm sure wrw got a billion clunky things about it but ILL TRY N GIVE SOME TIPS Personally when I was making WRW I really focused on what kinda world would be fun for me to draw and think about which is why its super dreamcore/weirdcore inspired cuz that kinda stuff makes me really inspired n gets my brain goin' :3 Lean into what you love making it helps ya stay hyped about your project, i do make WRW for ya guys n adore seeing your reactions but I also v much focus on my own self indulgence to keep it fun for myself to work on since I'm literally creating like 80% of it (I do everything except for the voice acting and background music (thou my bud helps me with ponderin story ideas sometimes)so being self indulgent keeps me goin' ) I try not to over stress details/over think certain parts which probs leads to the more clunkier confusing bits- but its my lil passion project and I'll do it however I waNNA

....also if ya gonna do something like WRW or a comic or anything- make sure ya got a backlog of post/pages ready before you start actually posting. Trust me future you will thank you

[n1ghteeea]

Have there been any headcannons of the fellas and Janine that you personally disagree with or don't make sense to you?

Ooooh, that’s fun.

The fandom is dead and I’ve only been here since August, so I can’t say I saw a lot of stuff to either agree or disagree with tbh (which is why I ask ppl to send me their hcs and ideas bc I wanna see at least SOME content) buuuut there are a few character interpretations that piss me off.

1. “Janine would be jealous if Egon got in a relationship with other guys” she literally would not. If it was someone else? Maybe. The guys? No. Dude, they are a family. He constantly spends time w/ them instead of her, they sleep in the same room, they are BASICALLY an old married relationship already, and she dgaf, she loves all of them and she wouldn’t mind. SHE set them up to meet in EGB on Egon’s birthday, I swear. If she was jealous she’d constantly drag him away from them to spend time with her instead, but she doesn’t bc she doesn’t mind. They are grown adults and they can share perfectly fine. Stop putting them against each other. Pictures related.

2. “Peter doesn’t care about his job or his friends and really only wants to gain fame and a girlfriend” I WILL KILL YOU!!! But like that is FACTUALLY not true. In the show we see him having MULTIPLE opportunities to leave ghostbusting behind and go on to do something more fun, but he ALWAYS turns them down like it’s obvious (ex: “Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?”). Plus, he cares more about his friends and his job than about any girl, AND he cares more about them than his infamous movie counterpart!! Movie Peter turned down work when he had a date. RGB Peter? Yea, he whined for like 2 seconds but then went anyway and forgot about it like immediately. I mean hell, in EGB HE was the one who after TWO MINUTES back in the Firehouse went “wow guys, we stopped early with this, maybe we should reconsider and become Ghostbusters again?” HE LOVES THIS JOB AND THESE PEOPLE!!

3. Not a fan of when ppl separate the guys into 2&2 ships, just let them be poly. All of their dynamics are written with the same depth, they all care about each other and have sweet moments, like come on. It esp irks me when ppl only care about Egon/Peter, idk, smth smth picking only the two conventionally attractive white men to ship and talk about from such a close-knitted group is an odd decision to me 🤷

4. Hate when ppl ignore / exclude Janine from the group. She’s just as much a member of this family as the guys are, and they love her, leave my goat alone. But also don’t like when they ship her with other guys besides Egon. Maybe it’s cuz I see her as a lesbian, maybe not, idk. Not my thing.

5. Idk don’t like when ppl can’t separate the movies from the show? Saying RGB guys left Egon alone like the movie ones did is plain wrong. They didn’t. It was a mutual decision to split up and they were all miserable and clearly missed each other. In Afterlife (as much as I like it) it barely seems like the guys gaf about Egon dying at all, but in RGB? Boy oh boy, they are the happiest people ever when they meet. Separate them!!

6. PPL NEED TO LOCK IN FOR EGB!!! If you like RGB but never saw EGB you don’t see the most heartbreaking tragic part of their relationship and how it affected all of them, ESPECIALLY Egon. As I said before, EGB literally has everything ppl wanted from the sequel movies PLUS it’s actually good.

But overall my fandom experience was positive (cuz the fandom is dead) yay!!!

[dross-the-fish]

Hi. I love your goth lit stuff and your Hyde and I wanna know your thoughts. So, I know you don't like TGS (I discovered it recently and am kind of obsessed, lol) but I'm curious to know what you think of Hyde being viewed as "evil" because Jekyll is harder on himself than he would be on other people who do similar things as Hyde. I have not read the book and probably never will so idk if that contradicts. I remember in one post you even have said Jekyll experiences self-loathing. So, what if he held himself to impossible standards and Hyde represents a desire to break from those? What about Jekyll splitting into personalities that don't fit into his "Hyde" version? In the comic there was one that he created one that was a copy of Lanyon as his image of a perfect gentleman. Feel free to ignore if it's not your thing, I just like your analysis :)

Ok I've been looking at this one awhile because I wasn't sure how to answer it. I haven't read enough of TGS to know what you're talking about so I have zero context for Jekyll having a copy of Lanyon as a secondary personality (wtf??). I will say as a general rule I do not like the idea of multiple alters for Jekyll. I don't even like the idea of Hyde as an alter. By all means, if you enjoy that interpretation have fun. It's not on me to tell you how to engage with the source material. But I do largely disagree with this interpretation. In terms of Hyde's evil being exaggerated because Jekyll is so deep in his self-loathing I feel like there is SOME truth to that when it comes to Hyde's sexuality. Hyde enjoys things that aren't dangerous or destructive but they are taboo and against the law in Victorian England. However, it doesn't negate the fact that among Hyde's more harmless crimes there are full on cases of assault and murder. You can't really downplay murder. Henry also admits that he enjoys hurting other people in his letter. That's not a thing that is subtextual, Jekyll says it in his own words.

"This familiar that I called out of my own soul, and sent forth alone to do his good pleasure, was a being inherently malign and villainous; his every act and thought centered on self; drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another," There are some things that can be left up to interpretation, but that Edward Hyde derives pleasure from the pain he causes isn't really one of them. I'm sorry, I just think it's too much of a stretch to say that Edward is doing relatively mundane things that are only harshly judged because Henry has impossible standards for himself. To another point. I feel like downplaying Edward's cruelty misses the point of the book and it makes Jekyll's conflict a hollow one. If Edward isn't actually doing anything all that wrong and Henry is just caught up his own self-loathing then where's the horror? Why is Utterson shocked and desperate to find any means he can not to think of his dear friend, Henry Jekyll, as being associated with Edward Hyde? That aspect of the story is only compelling if Edward Hyde is the dark and terrible truth lurking under the surface of someone Utterson thinks he knows. I can think of few things more tragic for Utterson than discovering someone he's close to is a monster who has been struggling to control his urges and took desperate measures in a last ditch attempt to run away from his own nature. I love the idea of writing a character who has every capacity for kindness but is also ruthlessly cruel. Who commits atrocities and forces the characters around him to question how much are they willing to accommodate him and turn a blind eye before they share some culpability in his crimes.

In my AU he is at odds with the crew, he's not a hero, he's the villain that they are forced to work with. They need him to come up with a cure for supernatural diseases like lycanthropy and vampirism. He's the only one that can do it because he's the only one who's willing to push the envelope and embrace unethical means of getting results. His personality is also a double edge sword, swinging between hostile and destructive to genteel and even kind, he can love and be loved as much as anyone else can. That's what I like to write about. I like the duality of the character and how it forces other characters to introspect over what they'll excuse in another person as long as it's their friend or ally.

[specialgradefckr]

AWHHHH ty for the tag!! i know i've got soooo many wips i wanna see from you heheheh... omg god i STILL have to check out some stuff XD life really does get away from you sometimes

i'll pass on the tag to @eevwrites and @infinitatis-ink i know you bitches got stuff in drafts. show us the goods. gimme. sample.

hhhhh... the forbidden texts... some of which have gone untouched for like. an entire year almost.

but i have some BESPOKE lines in some of my drafts. i swear to god. some of these are absolutely WILD sjhdflghdg i still love them even after months and months~

from my final heatwave fic, omega!gojo getting sex ed entirely from porn:

Satoru had always liked the idea of getting knotted. Like, what omega didn’t? You were his best friend, and you could confirm you liked the idea, too. The two of you had talked all about it – about everything, once you’d both presented and helped each other out through your first heats. The moment you’d reluctantly shown him your collection of knot toys, he’d ordered some for himself. You had to wrestle with him to keep him from borrowing one to try out, complaining that you didn’t trust him at all to sanitize it properly, and then there was that one time you and he were both in heat at the same time- Anyways, Satoru knew he wanted to get knotted. He just hadn’t found the right alpha to do it with yet. But now he has one, and now he’s finally going to get knotted, like he always wanted. So why, when Suguru finally grinds against his ass, does he feel ice in his gut? He tries to hide how he stiffens up but Suguru notices. Fuck. Didn’t it hurt if they didn’t fuck when they got hard? Like, in the porn, the alpha stepbrother always begs his omega stepsister to help him out just this once, and she agrees because she knows that his knot will be painful and hard for hours if he doesn’t cum inside some hot omega pussy. (Listen, he’s not proud of that one. He’d only clicked on it in the first place because the stepsister looked like… someone he knew.)

this fic i started in like. may of last year or something wild. it's such a fun idea, it's SO full of funny moments:

“This is what I looked like in high school. We dated a whole year, you know, I can prove it. The pictures are still up on his profile.” Piercing, bloodred eyes dart from the picture, and back to you. Fair enough. You looked like crap in high school, and you definitely look a lot better now. “I must have had a pretty fun personality, no?” His mouth opens up, but before he says anything, you put your face right up in front of his, eyes locked, smiling deviously. “Or I must have been a complete fucking freak in the sheets.” He barks out a laugh, and you know you’ve got him. Foot in the door. “You’d suck my dick to get a date to this stupid reunion?” Sukuna didn't take you for that sort of woman, but the teasing question falls from his lips so naturally. “I would suck your dick to make Satoru Gojo feel inferior,” You correct. Where have you been all of my life?

and this one is another super fucked up delicious wip of mine:

“Yo! Suguru!” He calls out cheerfully, dragging either twin by the hair. Their mouths are duct taped shut. “These are yours, right?” “Which one do you love more?” His eyes shine a painful white-blue. Like glacial ice in the sunlight. Suguru's breath leaves him. “What?” “Nanako and Mimiko, right? Which one do you love more? You can keep that one, and I’ll kill the other.” Ice in his lungs. His breath. He had never. Never imagined that Satoru would. “They’re innocent – they’re just girls – ” “Your girls killed two women. They’ve got two lives to pay for their crimes with, but out of respect for our long friendship, I’m letting you keep one. Isn’t that nice of me?” “Two monkeys?” He snarls helplessly. “Monkeys to you. To me, they were women. And I say that killing a woman is a crime worthy of death. Choose now or watch them both die.” It’s not a bluff. Suguru can feel him gathering his cursed energy, he can curse faster than Suguru could even dream of stopping him.

silly wip tag game!◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜

show us a paragraph, line or dialogue out of context from your current wip[s]. if you aren't a writer, feel free to share one from the last fic you read! ♡

these are from three different wips, the last one is something i wrote in december 2024 (those who remember me talking about nanami and a desi reader...yea), and the second one is something my aashi (@fushitoru) has been asking for since the beginning of time [hint: salaryman choso]

— npt: @gojocon @norikuna @sonnytoru @starmapz @aishi-toru @baepsays @gojosoups @indiewritesxoxo @madamechrissy + anyone else

[thenamessparkplug]

tw bright flashing colors

well i uh decided to make a little vent animation

took me about two and half hours-ish and i did it all in one sitting

had some fun with the background and FINALLY learned how to use a mask in after effects

but uh yeah

theres just this thing that been brought a couple of times recently and its brought up some not so fond memories of the last time

dw btw im actually doing a lot better than i have been i just thought this would be a healthier outlet than like what i usually do lmao

[arcanegifs]

Here's more comparisons of Arcane Gifs before and after I color and sharpen em!