#i'll find all of this a lot more interesting

[comicaurora]

You mentioned in a previous ask about Arcane that wanting to do something better can be a great motivator, but recently I've seen a lot of discussion about fanworks created out of "spite" like Spiderman Lotus or that Transformers fan film. Do you think these come from different feelings, leading to their end result, or that the motivation just needs to be handled carefully?

Ah, I see the confusion. When you have ideas for what a story could do, and then the story goes in a different direction and bypasses what you thought it would do, that can be an incredibly useful motivator for using that unused inspiration for telling your own story. Taking someone else's completed artwork and saying "move over, idiot, I'll show you how it's done" is a recipe for hubristic self-immolation.

Setting out to "fix" someone's work has to be approached very carefully. Artistic criticism is a complicated skill, but it isn't treated that way. Especially in the age of the internet, several wildly different things have been conflated under "criticism", and I think that's why spite-motivated "fixes" almost always end up tripping on their shoelaces and falling flat.

Art critique - "fixing" someone's work - is about figuring out how to make the art the most effective version of itself. Determine what it's going for, and make suggestions for how the artist could improve the execution of that goal. Clarify a confusing moment, change the score a little to be more emotionally impactful, break up the pacing with moments to breathe, tighten up the pacing to maintain the frantic vibes.

However, the broad perception of what art critique is has been bundled together with several other forms of criticism, including snarky reviews (a judgment of quality rendered after a work is completed and aimed at prospective audiences so they don't end up wasting their money), general knee-jerk mockery (it is easy and fun to score points off of other people's sincerity via a little casual bullying), critical analysis (taking apart how a story works to learn from it, a useful approach for other artists trying to improve their own skills) and, of course, fanfiction.

Ahh, fanfiction! If you don't like a story, you can just take the characters, setting, premise, worlbuilding, and the general shape of the plot - ignoring the fact that at this point you've borrowed about 80% of the work that went into building the original story already - and then you can just make the characters do what you wanted instead. If you think Spider-Man would be better if everyone was miserable and grieving a dead buddy the whole time, you can do that! Two hours of misery for everyone!

This approach is ostensibly trying to accomplish what art critique does - to make a better version of the story. But in practice, it's almost never interested in interrogating what the story was actually going for. In fact, it's actively scornful of what the story was going for. It doesn't take it apart to see what did work, it just says "I didn't like that and I could do better" and produces something trying not to be like the original it disliked.

I kind of think of it like this. If you ate a meal and you were like "there's not enough salt in this," you would not produce a better meal by focusing exclusively on loading it down with all the salt you could find, even if you were starting with all the same ingredients. Do you understand how they were put together to begin with? How the meat was brined, how the vegetables were cooked, what seasonings went where? Do you think all it needed to make it work was salt?

So you get fanworks that do indeed focus on the part that the fanartist thought was missing. You get Spider-Man Is A Sad Jerk For Two Hours. It accomplished what the fanartist wanted, but it fails in its true goal of being Like The Original But Better, because it never actually made the effort to understand what made the original tick. Why do people like Spider-Man in his other movies? Well, there's lots of reasons that work for different audiences - he's funny, he's good-hearted, he's graceful and well-choreographed, his fight scenes are fluid and exciting, his dynamic with the people of New York is lively and comedic, he's hapless and hurting but he always tries his best, he gets knocked down but he always gets back up-- there are many reasons to like these stories. But if all you can focus on is what you wanted them to add, you'll have a lot of trouble parsing out what functional elements you'll need to carry over into your fanfiction to not lose the core of what made it actually mostly work.

If all you focus on is accentuating the bits you wanted them to do without recognizing the parts that were working fine, you end up with a heaping plate of salt.

✨ as the ask states, this post is very specifically about spite-motivated "I can do it better than the writers" fanworks and not fanfiction in general ✨

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀

𝟭. travel ( ✈️ )

2024 took away many travel opportunities from me. i was supposed to go to barcelona with my family, but my grandfather passed away, and we stayed in italy to handle the funeral. i was supposed to travel to sofia with my cousin, but one of my exams was rescheduled to a date i couldn’t possibly miss, so i had to give up the trip. lastly, i was planning to go to valencia to celebrate my birthday, but a flood disrupted the city, and i couldn't go anymore.

in short, it was a frustrating year in this regard — i lost a lot of money and, most importantly, many opportunities to travel, which i believe has significantly inhibited me in this area. while i used to be much more inclined to book last-minute trips when the chance to travel on a budget arose, now i feel much more anxious about doing so.

i want 2025 to be filled with travels. i want to fully take advantage of the opportunities that circumstances beyond my control stole from me in 2024.

𝟮. keep my life even more private ( 🔒 )

it's been years now since i completely disappeared from social media. i no longer post photos or updates about my life online as if i were an influencer, and my daily life has significantly improved without the pressure to appear a certain way online. life is truly better when no one knows anything about you.

however, in real life, i'm quite the chatterbox, and i often find myself oversharing without even realizing it. that said, because i strongly believe in the evil eye, i've learned that, even if i have to bite my tongue, i can't share projects that are not yet completed — not even with the people closest to me, not even if i'm 100% sure they would be happy for me.

in fact, even though i cut off toxic people from my life two years ago, other friendships i thought were strong have ended this year. i want to live a peaceful, private life, even if that means staying silent. show results rather than plans.

𝟯. meditate and journal ( 🪴 )

i started this year (2024) well with this kind of self-care, but i completely lost it around may. i'll try again in 2025, hoping i can stick to it. if not, see you in 2026.

𝟰. indulge in healthy female friendships ( 🩷 )

two years ago, i cut ties with many toxic friendships that were holding me down and keeping me from healing. since then, i've been mostly alone, except for a few surviving connections i kept after high school. when i started university, i made new friendships, but they were very superficial and always centered around university matters.

however, since moving to spain, i've really understood which people were just taking from me without truly being interested in me as a person. in return, though, these past few months i've met some truly amazing girls in madrid, and i want to let myself indulge in that beautiful feminine energy that only girl friendships can give. wine and cheese in front of an episode of gilmore girls while you cut out pictures for your vision board.

𝟱. eat healthier ( 🥗 )

these past few months have been a rollercoaster with food. i've prepared a lot of homemade meals, but i've also ordered out quite often. i don't see anything wrong with ordering takeout or eating out with friends, but since it often happened when i was alone and didn't feel like cooking, i want to try to organize my cooking better and eat as many homemade meals as possible. of course, i won’t deprive myself of lunches and dinners out with friends, but i want to limit takeaway food to social occasions, not to lonely sundays.

it's been less than two years since i got out my ed and i want to keep the happy and healthy relationship with food i gained with so much hard work.

𝟲. keeping up with goals reached last year ( ☁️ )

obviously, all the work i’ve done over the past few years won’t go to waste! i want to persevere with the good habits i’ve developed and the work i’ve done on myself. the past few years have been strange and full of changes, but i feel like it’s all been positive. i’m happy with where i’ve gotten to and the person i’ve become, but i know i still have a long way ahead of me.

happy new year's eve everyone 🎉 which goals are you planning to reach?

[solarpunkpolliwog]

Do you have any recommended books for solarpunks?

Hi oh my goodness I'm sorry I didn't notice this at all, I've never gotten an ask before haha 😅

But regardless, hello!!! I'll admit that I have more thorough recommendations for video essayists than books. I've been living in an impoverished state for the past 6 years or so, so books have had to be a lower priority and youtube is free* 🥲That being said, you caught me at a good time cus a month ago I finally got some of the books I've been meaning to buy! So below I'll share some videos and creators I'd recommend, the books I put a priority on buying, why they were a priority, and my thoughts so far!

My values & ethics in the Solar Punk community

For me, being a part of the solar punk community means being very dedicated to mutual aid, the right to the city, and environmental justice. I can talk more about those concepts in future posts if you're interested in learning more about them!

But one of the risks of identifying with the solar punk movement is the trap falls of aesthetics like cottage core- As an individual, it's possible to get sucked into the aesthetic of things, and to focus on easier concepts like valuing environmentalism and still not address systemic racism, or your own internalized biases. One line that I read from a blog on The Years Project had a line that did a nice job of discussing this as a concept.

"[It's not] news that [environmental] movements have intentionally marginalized Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities in particular—though white environmentalists often deny this truth. After all, it took two months of national protests after George Floyd’s murder for the Sierra Club to finally even acknowledge the anti-Black and Indigenous racism engraved into the Club’s history and its founders."

So in finding resources likes books or videos to learn from, the biggest importance for me is dedicatedly learning about as many facets as I can, and not just focusing on the environment. The planet is important, but humans are complicated and I place a lot of importance on finding out about different cultures, their relationship to the planet, and how colonization and capitalism impacts that.

1. Books I Recommend

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

This has been the biggest book for me this year- It perfectly matches my philosophies on human relationships to the planet, focusing on the dichotomy of the author's experiences as an indigenous woman learning from her people, and the experiences around colonizers learning about scientific approaches to nature. This matches some of my experiences in different ways, and getting to learn more about the world, and be inspired to connect with my ancestral heritage. I can't recommend enough. I'll make sure to update more about reading this book later too!

Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade [FREE PDF]

This is a book I've just started, but already has given good vibes. I prefer books that speak as plainly as possible, and this one fits the bill for giving information and practical advice for mutual aid work. I'm only in the first third of the book, but so far I've been really appreciating learning about the history of mutual aid movements, and how the government the ballooning of the non-profit sector has impacted those movements, especially those led by minority groups trying to rise against our government. It has been really awesome so far!

Books I Haven't Read But Are On My List:

Racism without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva [FREE PDF]

Social Justice For the Sensitive Soul: How To Change the World In Quiet Ways by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution by Red Poppy

The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water by Charles Fishmen

Build It And They Will Come: A Guide To Architecting Intentional Community by Cat Lantigua

2. Video Essayists I Recommend

Andrewism

I think the most influential person to me in my journey is Andrewism. He does a lot of videos on socialist/anarchist concepts, including mutual aid, third places, and direct action. While I have some differences in viewpoint than him, his videos have primarily served as a way for me to learn new concepts and challenge my existing thought structures, with a number of them giving good starter guides to direct action. If you decide to check him out, I'd recommend these videos!

How To Build a Solarpunk City

Solarpunk is Not Enough

How We Can Make Solarpunk A Reality

How We Can Spread Our Ideas

Not Just Bikes

Why City Design Is Important (and why I hate Houston)

Not Just Bikes is a channel that talks about Urban Development and examples of amazing urban design compared to the United States and Canada. For Solarpunk topics, this is a fabulous one since many of the dreams of Solarpunk ideology comes from the idea of connection with people, the planet, and technology in ways that are productive and kind rather than at odds with each other. Good urban design lends itself to that connection: Of people being able to walk and gather, of not needing to rely on cars, and being able to help one another because we are in common spaces rather than isolated through single family housing and a car-driven society that has to deal with inefficient sprawl. I'd highly recommend these vides for learning more about what cities and suburbs can look like!

One note and critique is that Not Just Bikes does have a series on Strong Towns, which as an organization has some compelling points and arguments, but does have a background in right leaning conservative thought processes. You can read one of the critiques I found here. For me, even the Strong Towns series still a good exercise in getting started learning about urban design, and getting used to direct action, and they also have plenty of other videos outside of Strong Towns!

Car-Free Streets Are Amazing and We Need More of Them

Traffic Calming is everywhere in the Netherlands

Shelbizleee

I'm usually very hesitant to recommend "eco friendly" youtubers since it often falls into greenwashing, which is a tactic to make things sound like they're environmentally sustainable. But I've followed Shelbizleee for many years and they've consistently done a good job with educating about doing research into what companies you "vote" for, and tips for reducing hyper-consumption and waste. She does tend to focus on social media trends and some amount of click-baity titles as a framing device to educate, which is no longer my cup of tea, but it's a great starting place for things you can do in your life to decrease your personal impact to the environment and living things!

How To Tell If A Brand Is ACTUALLY Sustainable

How Our Recycling System Went From Broken To Shattered

How You're Funding Climate Change Without Knowing

F.D. Signifier

F.D Signifier is absolutely incredible. His channel focuses on black experiences and black masculinity, and he does a fantastic job with exploring different aspects of U.S. cultural issues. Listening to the thoughts of different BIPOC folks is a great exercise in exploring how every cultural group is impacted by capitalism and colonization. Some starter videos I'd recommend by F.D. is his videos

Bo Burnham's Inside and 'White Liberal Performative Art'

Micro-Aggressions of the Online Left

The Problem with Black Cops

Black Boys Aren't Safe

Khadija Mbowe

Khadija's focus is on pop culture landscapes and how that intertwines with how people act and view themselves and the world around them. I have a special interest in emotional wellbeing and introspection, and they do a great job delving into interpersonal and emotional wellbeing while challenging the patriarchy and capitalism. If you decide to check them out I'd recommend their videos

Critical Race Theory (a beginner's beginner guide)

Are "black girls less innocent" Adultification explained

The Media and 'Missing White Woman Syndrome'

Jessie Gender

Jessie Gender is someone I appreciate for the mix of nerdy and social issues in her channel, but may not be everyone's cup of tea! She does a lot of longer format videos on Star Trek, Transgender, Autistic, and anti-fascist topics. It has been helpful for me to choose when I'm encountering transphobic news topics, and gain information that has helped me with reducing my own internal transphobic biases towards myself, which was a huge win for my self esteem~ If you're into those things, here are some starter videos I'd recommend!

Earthsea & The Magical Power of True Names

Trans Protests Show How to Fight Fascists

How Transphobes Weaponize Burnout Against Neurodivergent Trans People

3. Other Video Recs

The Tragic Optimist's Guide To Surviving Capitalistic Nihilism by Dasia Sade

Third Place vs. Right to the City by Radical Planning

Why don't companies want you to repair your stuff? by TedEd

Pay-what-you can tool library saves residents millions in rentals and purchases in first 4 years by Localish

Fixing what's broken: How Repair Cafés can help reduce waste by Maine Public

Edits:

Corrected pronouns for Khadija Mbowe, my bad 😖

[suzukiblu]

I kind of want to try your method of posting wips a snippet at a time while writing them, but on the other hand I am nervous about it. Can you give me some advice?

I've been trying to nail down the mixed feelings, and this is what I've got so far:

for:

it will get eyes on my fics faster, and I can show off what I've written sooner, instead of needing to finish a whole chapter

it will encourage engagement both in reacting to specific posts and in asking for more

it will be more chances for people to be intrigued and want to read the whole fic

against:

what if I do it and nobody cares?

til now I've been releasing fics a chapter at a time and it would feel weird to change that. inertia and all

what do I do if/when I change something I've written and already posted a snippet of?

it feels weird to post them on my writing blog, which currently only holds finished chapters (and fanart), but if I post them on my main, I feel like they'll get lost and/or I'll miss reactions in my busy activity channel. Where should I post it to? Should I make yet another sideblog?

in direct response to your listed mixed feelings, in my personal experience of writing this way:

for:

it will get eyes on my fics faster, and I can show off what I've written sooner, instead of needing to finish a whole chapter: yes it will, and it feels great! and personally it also helps me keep momentum and helps soften the sting if I drop a fic/chapter later and people don't have much to say about it. I KNOW it's good, other people already told me they liked it!! no, I'm not gonna throw out the whole story because of one mediocre reception, SHUT UP IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND GET BACK IN THE WRITING TRENCHES.

it will encourage engagement both in reacting to specific posts and in asking for more: yes it does, and WAY more people consistently (and more gratifyingly!) engage with me since I've made a habit of posting this way, especially when they're especially interested in a specific WIP over my other ones, and a lot of people just seem to be more engaged and invested in my writing in general. or at least more willing to tell me that they are, if nothing else, haha.

it will be more chances for people to be intrigued and want to read the whole fic: yes it will, and if you post larger scenes and tag them, then more people are likelier to find you/your writing than would if you only post one chapter in the tags however often you update those. also, if you have a fic-specific WIP tag that you link to, it's very easy for people who are just discovering the WIP to go back and catch up all at once ( or for people who aren't into it to blacklist, if that's a concern, as opposed to them feeling like they have to unfollow/block you ).

against:

what if I do it and nobody cares? good news: they probably won't care! at least to start. that's just kinda how it is, to start. I get a lot of engagement because I am REAL prolific and do my best to be responsive, plus I've been updating this blog and in this specific fandom pretty consistently for over a year, and also have also been in online fandom spaces on and off for, like, legit twenty-five years at this point. so I am just very used to being in these spaces, and I also have readers who've followed me for a decade+ or even since I was an actual literal TEENAGER in at least a couple cases, so like, they're already kinda invested in my writing, haha. there are people following this blog who not only read my Inu-Yasha Miroku/Sesshoumaru fanfic back in the day in the Pit of Voles but also still REMEMBER reading my Inu-Yasha Miroku/Sesshoumaru fanfic back in the day in the Pit of Voles, to say nothing of everyone who found me through AtLA or the MCU or the Witcher ( or so, so much Star Wars meta, the Star Wars meta has also definitely been a thing ). also I update my blog pretty consistently and I do writing memes that reward the people who play with me with new content and more progress in their fave WIPs, and also they're technically "voting" for what they wanna see more of, so that also adds to them feeling engaged/invested and me feeling motivated/energized, because they feel like they've affected the growth and progress of the story ( which they have ) and I feel like they're enjoying the story and genuinely appreciate it ( which they do! ). so everyone wins!

til now I've been releasing fics a chapter at a time and it would feel weird to change that. inertia and all: yeah that is the sunk-cost fallacy trying to fuck you up and you can and should tell it to fuck off. if you try it and you don't like the change, you can just stop doing it. you're free! no one can stop you!! hit the bricks, do your thing, the past is gone and it is NOT in charge of your ass! your ass is all yours!! whatever, we do what we want! I am in fact giving you explicit PERMISSION to do what you want.

what do I do if/when I change something I've written and already posted a snippet of?: then you've changed something! if it's a major change, you can repost the updated scene or mention you're making a change in a separate post or just say there's been a significant change when you post the chapter and therefore people who've already read the WIP posts might wanna reread it, but personally I change and tweak and fiddle with stuff I've already posted all the time. usually it's just bits of phrasing or formatting or adding in little details to round stuff out or correct mistakes, or to clarify things that confused people or that I forgot about, but sometimes it's adding multiple paragraphs or even additional little scenes. it's absolutely a thing I do and a thing that I consider fair play. you're literally posting "work-in-progress" excerpts, it is in the NAME that stuff might/will change or be adjusted. shit, if you feel like it, throw the whole story out and start over with a 2.0 WIP tag!! art is meant to be fucked with!!!!

it feels weird to post them on my writing blog, which currently only holds finished chapters (and fanart), but if I post them on my main, I feel like they'll get lost and/or I'll miss reactions in my busy activity channel. Where should I post it to? Should I make yet another sideblog?: the past is gone! you are free!! it's a writing blog that is for your writing and you can write whatever you want on it. the rules are made up and the points don't matter!! if you want a WIP blog too, you can totally start a WIP blog too, but you also don't have to feel obligated to bloat your sideblog collection or to have to go to all the effort of building up a brand-new following for a brand-new blog when there's already people who followed another blog of yours specifically for your writing. it's your writing blog. it's for your writing. write on it how you please!! if you're SUPER-concerned about the change, include a specific tag on all your WIP snippets that people can just blacklist if they only wanna see your full finished updates. for example I use "rintalk" so people can skip my random talky posts/asks if they wanna but also won't accidentally be filtering out anything they DO wanna see from anyone else on their dash; they can specifically avoid just mine. so like, maybe "octo WIPs" or "nb WIPs" or just whatever you're into would work for you, or just something like that.

unrelated to your for/against: posting stuff like this is not an approach that'll give everyone the same results or even WORK for everyone, obviously, but it works for me because again, I'm prolific, responsive, tend to follow my readers' interests, and have been doing this a lonnnggggg time and have built up an audience both from past fandoms and in specifically DC fandom. and also I'm super, super ADHD. definitely also because of the ADHD. there is . . . there is just so much ADHD lol.

but yeah, like, I'm pretty sure I've been updating pretty consistently for the past . . . what, year or so of DC-hyperfixation? something like that?? I've also published over 300k to AO3 in that time and GOD knows how much more word count I've put up on Tumblr, so like . . . tl;dr, I absolutely think you should give it a try and see if it works for you/if you like it, I just also wanna include the caveat that you shouldn't be discouraged if you don't get an immediate return on or big response to said try. like, I dunno what your followers are like or how much they talk to you, obvi, but I personally had to kind of . . . cultivate, basically? I had to cultivate the communication and the back-and-forth, it didn't just happen immediately. we have cultivated, all of us here, hahaha.

for actual practical excerpt-posting advice, generally speaking, the best start I've found for starting out with posting a WIP as you write it is to take, like, the starting scene of the fic/chapter up until either a narratively-interesting/satisfying end point ( or better yet, a cliffhanger ) and post that as a WIP excerpt in the relevant tags. then you're likelier to introduce the story to new people and bring them by your blog to see more, and they'll come in both primed for and LOOKING for WIP excerpts. then, you know, you can post subsequent scenes or bits in chronological order, ideally. personally when I do WIP Wednesday or anything like that, I don't tag little posts like those in the main tags, just with a WIP tag specific to their story ( which, like, obvi you know I have those, haha, I know you've been around MORE than long enough and even if you hadn't pretty sure I already mentioned them somewhere up there anyway, I'm just being thorough ), but anything that's pushing 400-500 words or longer gets fully tagged with ships/characters/fandom/etc and gets chrono/non-chrono links included in the post and then sent out into the world as my lil' story ambassador, haha. just, you know, use a cut or at least a "long post" tag if it's much longer than that, because like, Tumblr manners and all, hah.

ummmmm . . . so yeah idk how much of that was helpful for you, obviously, but if you have follow-up questions or anything, feel free to hit me up, I'm always down for those and I'll do my best to answer!

[beef-brisket]

Lucifer smirked, watching Adam laugh. He's still got it.

Adam: Fuck that was dumb... but yeah, that was a solid try at rizzing.

Adam finally picked up a book, and they both headed back to the main meeting room.

Abel: Dad?

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at the random angel suddenly in the room. Adam, on the other hand, was much more excited.

Adam: Abel?! The fuck are you doing here?!

Lucifer gasped as the book Adam was held pushed into his chest.

Running over to his son, Adam pulled the smaller angel into a hug, both of their golden wings fluffed up.

Abel: Sorry, dad. I know it's going against Sera's orders, but I had to see you! To make sure... you weren't in Hell again- well, you're technically in Hell, but I mean on the streets!

Adam laughed: No biggie, kid. Besides, I can handle a bunch of sinners, especially now because I dot my axe back.

Huh. So that's Abel. Lucifer had heard many things about the first victim from the first murderer himself.

He looked nothing like Adam, but even though he spoke a lot softer and had a sweeter demeanor, Lucifer could tell there were some interesting thoughts behind those golden eyes.

Something mischievous and ready to bend the rules to suit his needs. And in that way, he was exactly like Adam.

That sweet angel act he put on was nothing but fake, Lucifer was sure of it.

That's when those darker, golden eyes locked onto Lucifer's.

Abel: Oh! I didn't know you had company, sorry dad.

Adam: Pft. You're fine, Abel. Stop apologizing so much.

Abel: Uh- right, sorry- I mean, fuck- oh no! A curse! I'm sorry dad!

Adam sighed as Abel wrapped his arms around him again.

Adam: Kid, I love the affection, but maybe Tobe it down in front of the literal Devil, huh?

Abel: Devil?

Lucifer flashed Abel a smile as he looked at him again.

Abel: O-Oh my god! Oh, I mean- sorry, that was rude, mentioning the all father's name- in front of you, uh...?

Lucifer: Lucifer~.

Abel's face paled hearing the devil speak: L-Lu... cifer. Great! Uh... D-Dad? Why are you here with the devil?

Adam: He's just helping me... well, no, he's not helping me. He's more annoying than anything. Hm. He's...?

Lucifer: Keeping Adam safe~.

Adam: Safe?! Bitch, I don't need you to keep me safe-a

Lucifer: From boredom.

Adam: Oh. Yeah. That's pretty accurate, actually. Kid, you can't stay here. If Sera finds out you're down here, it won't end well for you or me.

Lucifer notices the way Adam's tone changes. It wasn't his usual carefree, don't give a fuck tone, it sounded almost like a warning with a little bit of begging mixed in.

And he definitely noticed the way Abel tensed up at the mention of Sera.

Abel: I-I know, I was just worried... I thought you were dead! You were gone so long! I just... I missed you.

Adam smiled so softly. It was something Lucifer hadn't seen in thousands of years. He thought Adam had no softness in his heart anymore, but it looked like he was wrong.

Pulling his son into a hug, Adam felt his heart break as his son started to cry. It was so quiet and muffled, but Adam could hear it clearly.

Moving away, he wiped his sons tears and kissed his forehead.

Adam: Don't worry about me, okay bud? I'm fine, I promise. I'm only meant to be here for a few weeks. I'll keep in contact. Okay?

Adam smiled sweetly at Abel as he nodded and smiled through his tears. He was always such a strong boy.

The Sin of Adam!au.

One more quick au before I fall asleep.

Adam falls to Hell after his death. But he doesn't wake up in Pride. He wakes up in Wrath. Adam is completely pissed off and just itching for revenge.

In this, Adam conquers each ring of Hell, growling stronger until he's on the same wavelength as Lucifer, power wise.

Lucifer has no idea what's going on. He's slowly losing contact with the Sins, and everyone is in a state of panic. That's until he returns home from a few days away, trying to find the Sins, that he sees his daughters hotel, and Pentagram city destroyed.

Thankfully, Charlie and her friends are fine. But what she explains is unbelievable.

Charlie: It was Adam, dad!

Lucifer: Adam? He's dead Charlie- I buried him myself.

Charlie: I thought so, too! He was looking for you! He's alive!

Lucifer gets his daughter to hide. Everything is in a state of chaos. He can't find Adam anywhere.

Until he returns home and sees someone sitting on his throne.

After a long, destructive fight, Lucifer realizes that Adam only absorbed the Sins. Their not dead

Adam has literally been taken over by the powers of Hell.

Can Lucifer contain and find a way to get Adam and the Sins back before he destroys Hell and everything undead thing in it??

How will Lucifer get Adam back??

Who knows 🤷

Adam: You can't defeat me now Lucifer!

Lucifer: Oh yes I can! I'm going to fuck the sins out of you!!

Adam: Wait what?

Ozzie inside: YEAH BABY!!

Sorry I'm feeling a little silly lmao 😂

[tardisscans]

Hino Yusuke's Live (12/30/24)

I've been extremely sick so I haven't subbed anything, but I wanted to at least give a quick rundown of what Hino said in his last live!

Hino is really really excited for the Terebi-kun special.

The number of fans from China has increased a lot!

Initially there were more female fans but Hino thinks it's 50/50 now.

Hide arrives at 12:57 and Hino gets excited and asks if he's watching.

Hino starts rambling about how he feels lonely without Hide even though they've been together for a year.

He also states that he doesn't know how many days he won't be able to see him again after they finish Gavv, so the feeling is similar as to when he was with his idol group.

Both laughed at the "Sukipi Doshi" scene (すきぴ同志; translated by some as "lovebirds", "lovers" or "crush". I'll keep it as "sukipi" to simplify things lol)

Hino goes and describes the whole scene of Ep16 where Shouma and Hanto "sacrifice" for each other, but says he couldn't help himself and laughed when Shouma remembered Sachika's words about the "sukipi"s.

For Hanto, Shouma is really special, and for Hino, Hide is special too.

He talks about Hide having an unrequited love for Hino, and how clingy and embarrassing is lmao.

Hide actually comments a " ?? ".

"It's a bit troublesome to be so loved"

Hino says to not ask for spoilers, he's afraid of people getting angry at him lol.

Miyabecchi has been more cheerful lately!

He thought she was very serious and quiet at first but she's actually pretty lively! Hino also praises how talented she is and that she was chosen as Sachika for a reason :)

"Oi, Hide, don't just comment. Say something interesting."

Hino's favorite hero is Den-O and he watched every episode of it.

He also liked Kabuto and Kiva.

His parents told him he had the Den-O belt but he only remembers playing with Kuuga's belt lol.

19:03, Honoka (Shiita) seems to be watching the live too! :)

(Proceeds to complain about how hard is to make a live)

Hide asks if Hino has something he wanted to do before the end of the year but wasn't able to.

Hino says he wasn't able to go on a date with Hide.

He explains it's because they see each other all the time on set, but they go out to eat together, or go to each other house's too.

He kinda likes the idea to go travelling to different places for the FLT.

He also wants to get a driving license.

Hino likes the idea of picking someone up and having a "driving date" but I think people kept thinking he meant Hide?? (He was talking about him just seconds ago) so when he read "a date with your "sukipi doshi" he just talked about how much he wants one until he realized what the fans meant and said "Ah, sorry. Yes. It's Hide. My sukipi is Hide." lmao

"I swear it's not only a work relationship!" Hino keeps telling us how they are also good friends irl and outside of work.

He changes the subject and reveals Hide has him pinned to the top of Line, and how "weird" it is but also really cute.

In a more serious note, he finds Hide's pureness cute.

Comment: "What do you like about Hide?"

Hino: "He's like a dog. And his face."

He explains he replies really fast when he gets the notification, so he doesn't really have a need to pin anyone.

Comment: "Does Hino-kun have Hide pinned to the top too?"

Hino: "Hino-kun only has managers pinned!"

He does have a Gavv Staff group pinned though.

"Anyways, let's say Hide has an unrequited love."

(Unsure of what he means, but I think Hide comments that Hino actually does have him pinned to the top too???)

He also says that when he was in high school, he had a soccer event and went on a 2-3 day trip, and when he came back, his parents had already adopted a dog, so he had to get use to it lol.

Comment: "Hino-kun, are you a dog person or a cat person?"

He explains he was afraid of animals since little (to the point of moving sidewalks if someone was walking their dog), but after staying at a friend's house (who had cats) he became a cat person.

People asked him about meeting someone (Unsure of who they are- I'm really bad with names, sorry.) but Hino says they're really nice and friendly.

He changes to Hide again lol.

Hino mentions how he likes pickles but Hide doesn't eat them, so he always eats them for him.

At first he asked Hide to just give him what he didn't want, but nowadays Hide just finishes his bento and gives him the rest. (Because he's a child)

27:00, Ruito (Jeep) is here too!

"Ruito-kun is too cute!" - Hino.

He says Ruito is really cute while working (on stage) and he even thought he was a girl, but in private he's extremely funny, "He's just an ordinary boy".

Ruito is his favorite among the cast and says he has been seeing him lately (...Is that foreshadowing?...)

"I'll give you my pickles next time" - Ruito.

(Hino complains but accepts it anyways lol)

Gavv it's like an all-boy's school. (He feels sorry for Honoka and Miyabe)

He says he can't drink with Hide cause he's underage, but he can with Shoji and he's been hanging out with him lately and they went to karaoke! He address him between formal-casual, and even though he's a senpai and older, he feels like a friend instead of an older brother.

"Do you like Shoji-senpai?" (Laage9/Vram)

Hino says even though he joined midway, (he doesn't know if it's bcs he worked on toku before), Shoji blended perfectly fine.

Hino was determined to not go to his hometown for new year (I'm guessing to prepare for his role as Hanto.)

He says to look forward to who is he gonna spend his time with in New Year? And I think someone on the comments said it was Hide, but Hino says it's not, that it's okay for Hide to be separated from him in holiday season lol.

He then states that once in a while you just need to have some time to realize how important someone is to you, and to let Hide think about how having time with Hino is a precious thing.

"It's not Shoji either!"

Actually, back to the Hide, Hino hopes Hide can take him to Okinawa.

Hino talks about how he hated his own voice but that a producer told him he had a distinct sound and it was his strength.

Please do not treat him as a Hide's middleman!

He explained that it's as if it were Valentine's Day and they called him to meet at some place and he arrives, sees them fidgeting with chocolates in their hands, and his heart starts racing, and then they just tell him "Can you please give these to Hide?"

He talked with Director Sugihara about wanting to change his name, but Sugihara was like "It's you life, do what you want." (lol), but after chatting a bit, he suggested to check out Takebe P's other works (Producer of Gavv).

He says he tried LupPat and Zero-One (But Takebe didn't work on them, so I'm not entirely sure why he mentioned them. Prolly bcs of Sugihara working on Zero-One or Komura...)

At the end, he just thanked the producer, director, Hide, toku fans, and children, and said how grateful he feels to work on such a popular work, and that he will work very hard!

He then clicks on something and keeps getting distracted with the filters for like 10 minutes lol.

[abyssalzones]

art summary for 2024 ^_^ just used a template I pulled off deviantart this time, maybe next year I'll feel up to making something a little fancier. (more talking below)

overall I'm very happy with all I've managed to accomplish this year (ignoring the college-shaped gap in the middle) but I'm really looking forward to getting more done in terms of my large-scale projects in 2025... for a while I thought I was going to leave art as a side hobby while becoming invested in a different career but realizing that was going to make me miserable for the rest of my life has really re-ignited my passion for art. I could potentially be someone other than an artist and a storyteller, but I don't want to be.

with that in mind I plan on expanding things irt my online presence because I've never been very good at.. "marketing" myself... and I don't know how much that will change since I enjoy having a little authentic place here on tumblr to post art and blog at the same time, but I do have plans to open a patreon soon and maybe start selling prints. patreon would mostly be a place where I put short "bonus" comics, I still want my comics to be largely accessible to the public but sometimes I draw stuff and think "nah I don't think the public should get this one for free." it'd also be a good way to give people glimpses of WIPs as I work on projects that take a lot of time.

speaking of WIPs, I really really really want to finish this big d&d&md comic some time in the next few months since I started it all the way back last summer and it's been waylaid by... my starting irl college. ironically.

it's one of my favorite comics I've made so far and I think it'd be a huge loss if I just let it languish or didn't bother to fully finish it the way I'd been intending to. it also has a cool wizard battle in it. so, that's neat I think.

finally I really want to work on escape velocity, particularly making it more accessible to people. I always find myself in this awkward position where I'm never really sure how to talk about something I've been working on for seven (eight??) years without giving away too much, or without sacrificing the time I'm spending on writing and eventually Drawing it to make promotional stuff that gets people interested. I'm still working on a solution for that but in the meantime I plan on finishing up the basic plot outlines for the first act, then once that's done and I've written up dialogue for the first chapter I can get to work on DRAWING. yay!!!!!

anyway, thank you to anyone who has supported me and enjoyed my art this year :] expect more to come... soon...

[kittybobitty]

Ranking the Danmei I Read this Year

I got into Danmei this February, and wanted to do a top 5, but then realized I'd only read 5 this year lol, so instead I'm going to rank them from least favorite to most. So without further ado:

5. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

I picked this one up just because it sounded so ridiculous and funny, and never expected it to be so sweet! It's pure fluff and love. I've only ranked it low because it's just very low stakes compared to the rest of the series on the list. It's a great read in between much higher stakes series that constantly feel like they're ripping my heart out. I love Li Yu's character and how in love with him Prince Jing is. I'm looking forward tk getting the final volume next year!

4. Heaven Official's Blessing

We all know it and love it for a reason. I was absolutely enamored by hualian's love story. I love the lack of relationship drama because they trust eachother so completely, and I think it has one of the best confession scenes of any media ever. However, I did rank it lower because I didn't find the ending completely fulfilling. I know MXTX is doing an amended version and I'm anxious about her removing some characters but I am curious to see if I find the ending any better.

3. The Scum Villain's Self Saving System

It made me laugh so much, and then volume 3 broke my heart. I really love how related Shen Yuan is. It is MXTX's first series and it does feel like it is her first in a lot of ways, but this series has so much heart. I honestly would love to see more of the world explored, because I think it's so vast and interesting.

2. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

I LOVE this series. I love our himbo protag living in the regret of his previous life, I love how much of a hopeless romantic CWN is behind his cold exterior and damn, it's good spice. I am spoiler free and have not even read volume 7 yet (it arrives tomorrow!) But it's definitely the longest series I've read, I belive it will have 11 volumes in total. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out, but until then, I will keep all the related tags blocked haha

1. The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Anyone who follows my blog probably wouldn't be surprised by this. The series with too many titles, MDZS, was my first danmei and still sits atop as my favorite. I see a lot of myself in Wei Ying. His story breaks my heart, but his love story with Lan Wanji heals me. I love their dynamic, their relationship to the juniors, and their devotion to each other. I was to keep experiencing this series in new ways; I already am collecting the webcomic, I've started watching the donghua (and I'd like to buy it) and I will eventually watch The Untamed. Theres also the new stage play happening soon (no idea how I'll see that) and me hoping and praying for someone to pick up the manga for publication in the west. I love Wangxian so much!

And that's all I've read thus far. I know it's kinda basic as far as danmei go, but everyone has to start somewhere! I would love recommendations for what to read next. I do prefer the cultivation storyline, but I'm also open to Palace Dramas. I'm not particularly interested in Modern stories.

I'm likely to pick up Thousand Autumns soon, and I've heard Remnants of Filth is in the same universe as Erha, so I may also check it out. Feel free to leave other recommendations (please also note I'm currently only interested in series that have been published as books in the US, and not interested in reading fan-translations)

Happy new year everyone!

[bitbybitwrites]

I was tagged by : @porcelainmortal, @alasse9 @forabeatofadrum

Thanks for thinking of me! . . I should really do this before 2024 is up, right? 😂

BTW its still Dec 31 here where I am, so I'll say it counts.

I've done a lot more than I expected this year, as I look back. And I'm kind of proud of myself.

I started writing for another fandom - RWRB. Its been fun adding these characters to the mix.

I managed finishing 1 multi-chapter fic and a 11 shorter fics.

I'm still plugging away on 3 longer multi-chapter WIP, adding and posting chapters as I go.

I have compiled an additional WIP list of (*stops to count*) 16 other fics that are not posted yet, but are in various stages of readiness. I flitter around adding bits to each when inpiration hits.

I think that's about it for me for 2024 - still writing, slow and steady. 😊

I'm always so happy to see any of kudos and comments if you have left any . . . and I'm still really apologetic that I haven't gotten to responding to many. There's only so much time in the day. I will try to get to them!

WRITING GOALS FOR 2025: Basically write more, and write as often as I can. There are so many of my WIP I want to get into and finish . . hopefully some of you will find them interesting to read!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a productive and creative 2025! I look forward to seeing/reading all you create!

See links and descriptions to everything under the cut!

1.) COMPLETED FICS

April 2024

Falling For You (Klaine fic) - 26,089 words

Summary:

Kurt Hummel thought by donating his services as a florist to Memorial Sloan Kettering, that he would simply be giving back to the medical community. A good deed for the month of December. Little did he know that a few chance run-ins with an adorable doctor and a sweet little girl in the hospital lobby would change all that. Written for the Klaine Secret Santa 2023 Gift Exchange.

May 2024

Pretty Shiny things (Klaine fic) - 1,943 words

Summary:

The clangs and shrieks of the alarm system at Christie's Auction House filled the corridors, echoing through the mostly empty building. They were just as loud as the beating of Kurt and Blaine's hearts as they raced down corridor after corridor while they attempted to escape. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Kurt growled through his teeth as he ran, slipping slightly on the polished marble floor as he turned another corner. “I leave you alone for five minutes . . . FIVE MINUTES, Blaine. What on earth did you do?” **** Discovered a fun new thing on Tumblr called Ficlet Friday. This ficlet was inspired by a dialogue prompt by annepi: Prompt: Klaine - “I leave you alone for five minutes...”

June 2024

hold me close (FirstPrince fic) - 836 words

Summary:

Alex has had a rough day. It's a good thing that Henry's home to take care of him. For a Ficlet Friday prompt : "Tell me anything. Everything.”

blythe spirit (FirstPrince fic) - 1,756 words

Summary:

“I . . . I don't know why you're even interested." “Baby, I love you.  I'm interested in everything about you." Alex gave Henry a very pointed and heated look that definitely hit the mark. The flush on Henry’s face now deepened.  He worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a few moments as he considered his options. “Come on,” Alex softly cajoled.  “You can’t just say things like: ‘I played Elvira in a school production of Blythe Spirit’ and not expect me to ask for pictures . . or at least the lowdown on it all.”  Alex pouted again to prove his point.  “I’m a weak man, H.  These are the types of things I need to know more about.” ***** From a Friday Ficlet prompt: "Tell Me anything. Everything."

nightfall (Klaine fic) - 219 words

Summary:

Blaine sighed as he collapsed onto the sand. With his chin upon his knees and arms wrapped around his legs, Blaine gazed out toward the ocean, deciding that the purple-ish pink sky that stretched out before him was absolutely breathtaking. If only he had his camera with him. It would be a perfect addition to his next gallery exhibit. ***** Based off a Tumblr Prompt/Ask Game - "Create a microstory from the prompt selected" Thanks to Falles for giving me: "49 - nightfall"

i'll always come back to you (FirstPrince fic) - 504 words

Summary:

Alex will always come back to Henry . . .always Based on a microstory prompt: #32 - dust motes

July 2024

fire island follies (Klaine fic) - 3,027 words

Summary:

Blaine Anderson is off to a weekend on Fire Island - well, his good friend Santana is draggng him on one. He's not so sure it's the best thing to do - but a run-in with a beautiful performer from the Fire Island Follies quickly changes his mind. ****** From a Tumblr Friday Ficlet prompt from bowtiesandboatshoes : "We're going to Fire Island.  It's like gay Disney World." Title is from an actual burlesque/cabaret show: The Fire Island Follies

i hate waiting (FirstPrince fic) - 555 Words

Summary:

Alex needs to keep his daughter from being bored.   inspired by this adorable picture on Tumblr by wordsofhoneydew

study date (Klaine fic) - 945 words

Summary:

"Get your hands off me!" The sound of a scuffle had Kurt look up from his reading. To be honest, Divination was such a bore of a class. It's not like he needed to learn anything new about it. Kurt had all of his mother's crystals, divination tools, and journals tucked away in her old trunk up in the attic of their home. He could read tea leaves and scry with the best of them. He had long ago lost focus on the chapter Professor Holiday had assigned them for the evening, so at this point, any other distraction would be welcome. Even if it was prefect duties.

Originally this was a bit of a false start for my fic, Advanced Potions

The original prompt was "hogwarts!au + 4. meet messy + 6. "what is that?"

August 2024

what can compare with your beautiful sound (Klaine fic) - 1,183 words

Summary:

Kurt’s brow furrowed as he concentrated on the task at hand. He had to get it just right. His hand hovered just a few inches higher, and with a deft flick of his wrist, a drop of wax fell from the lit candle in his hand to his canvas below. The canvas moaned in ecstasy. “Now, darling, we don’t want to shift, now do we?" Kurt softly murmured as he leaned in close. "You've been such a good boy for me so far." ***** Based off of a microstory prompt from Tumblr : "candles"

November 2024

smutsgiving/wanksgiving 2024: rwrb/firstprince - 662 words

Summary:

Prince Henry has been given a new gift for his bedchamber. Entry for Smutsgiving/Wanksgiving 2024.

smutsgiving/wanksgiving 2024: klaine - 580 Words

Summary:

Dinner was lovely, but Blaine is really ready to go home. Entry for Smutsgiving/Wanksgiving 2024.

2.) PARTIALLY PUBLISHED WIP:

(Klaine) If I Can Make Your Heart My Home - (Klaine Reverse Bang 2023) Life in New York City and working in the restaurant industry wasn’t exactly what Kurt Hummel had expected it would be. He’s lonely, stressed out and miserable. He’s almost ready to throw in the towel and return home to Ohio when a chance meeting with a musician in Central Park changes everything. (Warning: an angsty rollercoaster of a ride. Soooo many cameos from Glee characters! 😉)

(RWRB) Puppy Love - (RWRB NYE gift exchange 2023) The cold snowy day that Henry Fox discovers an abandoned beagle puppy in an alley brings handsome, flirty veterinarian, Alex Claremont-Diaz into his life. Alex is a single dad, recently moved to NY with his young son who Henry hasn't met yet - or so Alex thought. (Fluffy kid!fic)

(Klaine) Sanctuary - (Klaine Word Scramble 2023) Crown Prince Blaine has stumbled into a secluded glade, trying to escape the horrors of the bloody war his father had brought upon their kingdom. Mourning his beloved older brother and faced with the burden of taking his place in the kingdom, Blaine yearns for a place to hid from the world to deal with the issues weighing on his heavy heart. He encounters a mysterious elf, the guardian of the magical spring that Blaine has mistakenly defiled, whose growing connection to his life the young prince can't ignore. (Inspired by an idea/ artwork by @datshitrandom and @justgleekout)

3.) WIP FICS TO FINISH AND POST

My WIP list can be found here! I keep it updated. Feel free to ask me about any of them if you're curious . . 🥰. Hoping to finish some of these in the coming year.

******

OK so ( as usual) I'm late to post - so if anyone hasn't done this yet and wants to - take my big open tag for it and maybe some of these folks might want to do one of these wrap ups as well?

Tagging ( participate only if you want to): @wowbright, @gleefulpoppet, @daisyishedwig, @spaceorphan18 @special-bc-ur-part-of-it

@myheartalivewrites, @14carrotghoul, @thighzp @tailsbeth-writes @onthewaytosomewhere

@sophie1973 @getmehighonmagic @tinyarmedtrex @henrysfox @blueeyedgrlwrites

@kirakiwiwrites @madas-ahatters-world @sarkyblueeyes @heartsmadeofbooks @iboatedhere

@little-escapist @littlemisskittentoes @kurtsascot @hkvoyage @lilinas

Psst. . . and if any fanartists see this and want to share what they've drawn this year, tag me! I'd love to see your work if I've missed some!

[emometalhead]

It's time for my annual New Year's post!! I hope everyone finds peace and fun as we enter 2025. Sending good vibes all around 🩷✨️.

As per tradition, I want to express my gratitude for my lovely friends here. (In alphabetical order by url.)

@awrestlinggirlwholoves80sbands - Alessia!! You are such a sweetheart. You are such a caring, kind person, and you're so beautiful inside and out. I am extremely lucky to have you in my life. You are a wonderful cheerleader for my successes, and I can only hope I provide the same enthusiasm for your life. I'm so proud of you for completing your schooling earlier this year, and I'm even prouder that you were able to dedicate your time to subjects that interest you so greatly. Your talent, creativity, and determination are inspiring. You are going to do amazing things, and I hope this coming year brings lots of joy and success. Love you 🩷🩷

@born-to-lose - Hiiii Mel 😘. Here's to many more concerts, musical discoveries, and fun flirtatious moments in 2025. You deserve all of the best and most enjoyable experiences in life. You're so smart, so talented, and so dedicated to your passions. I am in awe of you, always. It's actually so rude that you're so lovely and incredible. Also you're hot. Like girl, what can't you do? Love you forever 💍. I'm excited to see what this year will bring for you. I hope it's lots of joy and success in your endeavors. You're creative, talented, have great taste, and you're such a likeable person. I know you'll amount to great things, and it is so cool to have a glimpse into your life.

@day-trippin-dreamer - Tina!!!!!! I tell you all the time how much I love you and how amazing I think you are. It still bears repeating. You are one of my favorite people, and your friendship means more to me than you'll ever know. I am giving you the biggest virtual hug. Thank you for being there for me for so many years now. I know I can always count on you when I'm down, and I can always count on you to be just as excited as me when good things happen. Also you have such good taste, and it will always be an honor to be your friend and mutual. Here's to another great year of friendship, and hopefully lots of lovely lovely things in your future. ILY ✨️🩷

@doctorqueensanatomy - Hello my dearest, Sheamus! We've been friends for a few years now, but the way in which our friendship has blossomed this year has been so beautiful to me. I live for our life updates and spirited conversations about media, the effects of Capitalism, our regional quirks, and literally anything and everything else. I'm eternally grateful for you. I so badly wish I could snap my fingers and transport across the world to hang out with you. I'm always impressed by your thoughtfulness and ability to talk through situations. You are so smart, brilliant, and fun. I hope you know how much I love you. May this coming year bring us even closer. 🥰🥰

@duffmckagans - Hi Kelsey!! 😁 I'm so glad you're back on here!! Your presence brings a calm and bright energy into my life. We have had such a good few years of friendship despite the chaos surrounding both of our lives. After a bit of separation this year due to the aforementioned chaos, I hope 2025 will bring us closer than ever. I love how easily you understand my insane ramblings and the one million connections I make between media I love. You are so incredibly smart, insightful, and creative. I'll never stop being in awe of you. I also appreciate your willingness to be petty and dramatic with me. Multifaceted queen lol. Seriously though, I love you a ton, and I'm so happy you're in my life. I hope 2025 brings you stability and success. I'm always rooting for you.

@idontwanttospoiltheparty - Hi Fiona! I know we don't talk a ton, but your presence on my dash is always greatly appreciated. I love your takes, informed nuance, and analysis. It is clear how much thought you put into everything you care about, and that is admirable. I hope you know I genuinely take time to read and process everything you post, because it is always interesting. I hope this coming year is a positive one for you. I can't wait to see what you do or create next, and I'm sending good vibes your way. 🥰

@inquisitiveheretic - Hi Lee!! You've been around less this year, so I have really had to pay attention and appreciate when you're on my dash. Idk if you'll even see this, but I hope you do. I am wishing the best for you! I hope you're thriving irl. You will always be a person I hold a lot of respect for. It's been a long while, and I miss our chats. Just know even if we don't speak at all, I am always rooting for you. I hope lots of great media and interesting analysis comes your way in 2025. ♡♡♡

@losers-yurio - RYLIE!! I have no clue if you'll see this lol. I'm including you anyway. I will always always always be so grateful that we met. You will always be my first true Internet friend, and I'll never be able to explain the impact you've had on my life. I'm so grateful for you. It seems like you're absolutely killing it in college, and I'm so proud of you. You're such a kind, funny, and beautiful person. What an honor it is to even peripherally be in your life. I'm sending hugs and good vibes forever and ever. Here's to a wonderful new year ✨️✨️✨️

@nocturnal-light - Lynne, you impress me every single day. You're a great artist. Your drawings and crafts are always so cool, and it is an awesome thing to see. Your skating is so gorgeous. I'm so proud of you for everything you have accomplished with your skating career, and I'm so happy for you to have opportunities to do what you love. You are a ray a light, and I hope you know how much I adore you even though we don't talk too often. I hope you have a great 2025 full of music and fun. 🩷🩷

@no-fxn-club - Frankie!! Frankie!! Frankie!! You have no clue how often I think of you. Everytime I see cows, I think "Frankie would love them". Everytime I see a post where someone refers to a soda as a coke, I think of you. Everytime I listen to The Used or Set It Off or hear a southern twang, I think of you. You mean so much to me, and it is such an honor to know you. You have the best sense of humor, great taste in music, such a streak of creativeness, and it all cumulates in you being one of the best people I know. I am wishing you (and all your pets!!) a lovely, lovely 2025. 🖤🖤🖤

@only-a-heartbeat-away Hi Harlow! I think a lot of our interests have diverged, but I still have so much joy about us being mutuals. You're a really great person, and I love that we can still connect despite being in so many different fandoms. I love your passion about the bands you love, and I hope you discover even more cool music in the new year. I'm sending good vibes your way!! 🩷

@rebelrollerqueen - Hey Ren!! You haven't been around as much lately, so I hope you see this. I'm so proud of you. You are so intelligent, determined, and expressive. Your hair, makeup, and fashion are always above and beyond. Your taste in music is so good. Plus, you're a genuine, kind, and loving person. I don't care how old you become. I'll always be happy to be your Internet Mom. Seeing you grow over the last few years has been a beautiful thing, and I can't wait to continue seeing you move forward and succeed in life. Love you so much!! ♥️

@sohardlovingyou Hi Jori!!! You're my pop girlie icon forever. I love how tuned in you are to all the celebrity gossip and internet drama, and I love how happily you cheer on the people you're a fan of. Your blog is always a source of joy for me. It is so fun seeing your takes, and it's even more fun with how often our opinions overlap. You're such a fun person, and you're also gorgeous!! The whole package!! I hope you're winning in life, and I'm sending all the best vibes. May 2025 help us live out our poppiest fantasies. 💅🩷

@therockywhorerpictureshow - Hey Ella! 🥰 You're such a lovely presence on my dash!! I love getting little glimpses into your life. You have such adorable dogs. You are a baking icon. Seriously I want to eat everything you post 😭. If I ever find myself out East, I will seek you out for hugs and baked goods lol. You're so damn pretty it's actually crazy, and you're so sweet too. Just a lovely person overall. I'm so glad we're friends, and I hope 2025 brings you lots of good things. I'm so proud of you for going to school this year. It is an impressive and scary thing. You're pushing through and doing great. I hope you know I'm rooting for your success in all avenues. Love you!!

@xx-key-xx - Key, you're such a legend. You are the 2000s it girl of my dreams. You're so damn cool, and I love how much you're absolutely killing it. Your fashion, hair, and makeup are inspiring. I'm always happy to hype you up, and I can't wait to see what 2025 brings you for. I'm sending all the good vibes and energy your way. Let's party like it's 2005. 😎 Love you, icon!!

[kateknowsdramas]

I'm watching monarch industry on your rec and 42 eps in I really like it but I'm sorry so far I'm not seeing the most ride or die otp he's crazy about her and has done everything in his power and 100 times more to take care of her and her awful family including giving up the token kneeling all night giving her another wedding after finding out she can't have children and 60 other things of immense magnitude that show he loves more than anything and she's just idk what she's doing but it's certainly nothing or even close to what he is like is she's even being vicious in some moments like telling him he doesn't know what family means like is the ride or die coming in the last 20 eps ? Cause I know we get her being badass and protecting the city etc but that was like 20 eps ago and when I see "one of the most ride or die otps of all time" I expect equal devotion in their actions or idk what ride or die means

Hi Anon:

That's so interesting to hear your perspective. I can see where it seems that he's doing more for her than she is for him, but I disagree with you that it's not equal devotion.

Xiao Qi obviously has many scenes that showcase how devoted to Awu he is but there are so, so many that show how much she loves him and works to protect him as well. Her method is more quiet and done with intent but it's still her devotion to him that shines through.

I probably can't go through the entire show to pull examples but I'll link to some gifsets that demonstrate how she shows her love and devotion to him:

The scene where she punishes the women for trying to set Xiao Qi up by poisoning him

When they're out in the native lands and she uses the local custom of the woman dancing with the man they want to marry to stake her claim on him. The happiness she shows when she's with him shines through this entire sequence

She embroiders him a full on cloak to wear into battle

She flat out tells him "We live and die together" when they're facing a horde at the gates

Again, she tells him he's the most important to her and she will always be by his side.

When he's leaving under the guise of them being 'estranged' and they just look at each other to acknowledge they are with one another to the end.

This small moment where she makes him pinky promise that they will always be honest with each other.

I mean, I could say more. And I'm sure @dangermousie can come up with a ton more examples. But Awu is 100% devoted to her man and backs it up with words and action.

No, she doesn't drive off a cliff to protect her man like our girl Hee Joo in Phone Rings - but her quiet strength and loyalty along with her outward badassery (protecting the town and riding out to confront the invaders alone) is incredibly evident all throughout the drama. You can search my blog for lots of evidence of her love and devotion to her husband.

So I stand by the two of them as equally ride or die, in my humble opinion.

[larryvthompson]

This post is about the ST and Eddie Munson community. If you're not interested in this, please don't read. I might reveal one user in particular to spread awareness. This is not to shame or discriminate anyone, but the truth should be told for those who didn't have the chance to express themselves.

The stranger things community especially the Eddie Munson community is extremely toxic and it's distressing to witness. A lot of wonderful people who were once in the fandom all left because of toxicity, harassment or bullying/rumors. One particular person on here in the Eddie community caused a lot of commotion due to bullying and harassment. If I remember correctly from another user. The person harassed an artist for taking inspiration from another artist in the Eddie Munson community (art) bcs their art resembled another artist artstyle.

A few people spreaded the situation through many social media sites, particularly TikTok about the user who bullied and harassed the artist. Not only this strange behavior, but the user made jokes about (SA) but labeled it as dark humor. The person somehow before said they let the situation go, but a fellow friend sent me a screenshot. A screenshot from the person's recent reblog:

It's sad that they are trying to remind their mutuals of the beginner artist by saying the artist "stole" art. I know the artist who they are referring to a bit and I must say this person is very wrong for labeling the situation as "childish".

I understand if sometimes art resembles someone else's art people deem it as stolen, but without taking the time to research or understand them. Why message them telling them to delete their art? To tell your mutuals to attack that artist when they tried to vent despite the harsh words? Instead, I wish that person explained to the beginner especially if the artist used it as practice to not share their works if they were trying to find an artstyle of their own in practice mode.

Back at the time when the beginner artist was trying to explain their inspiration from certain artists. Sadly, the person they were trying to explain themselves too and their mutuals were saying rather foul and saddening things about the beginner artist works. They were calling the artist "uncreative" "Bipolar" "Liar" etc for trying to speak up for themselves or apologize. Everyone who did knew the beginner artist knew the artist were inspired instead of stealing. That's how they knew the beginner artist was being targeted over similar art to another artist artstyle because well... they were a beginner in the art world. You can tell when someone isn't even trying with their art and copy everything which wasn't the case with the beginner artist.

I wish I had more screenshots, but sadly I don't, but the beginner artist used a different composition (full body) while the original artist they were inspired by used a (head composition and a hair bun on the character Eddie Munson whereas the beginner artist drew Eddie's hair like the canon version of Eddie.)

Please stop saying other artists are copying if you don't have the full proof besides the drawing itself especially when the composition is so different. (The person labeled the beginner artist as a thief because the original artist work drew Eddie with a side profile smirking. The beginner artist drew Eddie in the same position, but the composition was different from the original so anyone can tell they were using the original art as a starting point or for practice.) Everything is similar or resemble something so I don't understand why this situation ever happened to that poor artist. All great things comes from inspiration. Bullying and harassing people won't solve anything and just causes more conflicts, and this is why fandom spaces become so toxic.

(I'm afraid to show the URL because the same person or their mutuals will attack me and block me. Though, I just want the best for those who didn't have a say so while in the community. I'll rather take the risk, but the user is raccoonboywrites...an Eddie Munson fanfiction writer.)

[hypersaline]

I have at least half a dozen mods that're between 80% and 98% finished. Most are pretty small, like one that gives children and toddlers a simple interaction with babies. A couple are a little more complicated, like one that lets players set up secondhand markets (a family that's done with a crib can sell it "to the market" instead of to the catalog; the next household that needs one can go to a particular community lot and buy it at the depreciated price; if a third neighbor checks the market, they won't find that particular crib anymore). They all accomplish their basic function, but...:

none of them are tested as thoroughly as I'd usually test them

many are missing some safety features (you can probably guess that bad things happen if you sell a crib while the baby's still in it, but the mod won't stop you from doing it)

most have small issues I'm aware of but haven't fixed (things like an error message/reset if a kid can't get to a sibling they're trying to interact with or a visible shadow on an invisible object) and, I have to emphasize, might have more serious issues that I haven't run into yet

they wouldn't have more than basic documentation

they're various levels of unpolished/inelegant/awkward in general

They're nevertheless things I like and think other people might also have fun with, and I don't know if or when I'll be up to finishing any of them. Given all of those warnings, would anyone be interested in a 'caveat utilitor' folder if I put one up?

[chillenby]

Okay. I'll try to explain it as best as I can without spoiling it and while covering everything you might need to now. (If you want me to explain everything else in detail just ask, I'll be more then happy to do so, but I certainly recomend for you to watch or play the game because it's great and has amazing retro graphics and soundtrack)

Since it's a bit longer post I'll just title the segment so that you can skip if you're not interested in something

Intro

It's a psychological horror with darker themes. Rape, murder, suicide and even canibalism. It's a game you can purchise on steam for like 12 bucks or watch a playthrough on youtube (most of them are about 2 hours).

It's about a crew in space. That's all I can say without spoiling it too much. It has a pot of metaphoric meanings and delves into a lot of different deeper topics (which is great if you're into more phylosophic type things and it can cause you to think about it a lot, from their catchy lines to just it over all) and they have a few characters that are very well written and really human.

Daisuke

For characters, Daisuke is the fan favorite, he's the youngest (18-20 years old) and he's the intern. People gravitate to him because of 2 things, 1) they see him as a silly guy (which compared to other characters he is because he jokes the most and is practically a lighthearted character) and 2) they find him relatable because he doesn't know what he wants from his life or his strengths.

Anya

Then Anya is also the fan favorite, she's a polite nurse that in the game doesn't actually have a lot of personality. Which in a nerative way makes a lot of sense. People gravitate to her because some of them have been in similiar situations and she makes them feel seen, while others feel bad for her and from a lot of different ao3 tags say that they think she deserves a hug

Sweansea

Sweansea is that typical old grumpy character you have in a lot of media and he's the engineer of the crew. He's Daisuke's mentor and a lot of people like to think of him as Daisuke's father figure. He's gruff, a bit blunt and in the end has one of the better monologs and opinions of the whole game.

Jimmy and Curly

Jimmy (co-pilot) and Curly (captain) are my favorites and the plot focuses a lot on them because we play as them, switching between their neratives. They're surtainly complex characters and most of the plot is built around them. Jimmy is that assholish character, mean, rude, greedy and selfish, while Curly is that guy people rely on and concider a nice guy. Polar oposites, but they are close friends.

Polle

And then Polle, the lovable mascot of Pony Express (aka the company they work for). She's also used as a metaphore and an amazing one at that. (Can't say anything else so I don't spoil anything and because I fucking hate that pony. Scared me shitless the first game thtough, literally friend had to be on call with me for the last 20 minutes of the game because that stupid Pony was practically haunting my ass).

For the plot, it's not too complex, but I personally find it impactful and as disturbing it is, I hold it close to my heart. It's dark and heavy and simple and complex at the same time. Though, the way the plot is handled through narative gives it that specific charm.

Fandom

For the fandom I'll just say this. Enjoy at your own risk and always check trigger warnings if you're sensitive to something. If you don't like something, just ignore it or go talk with your friend about it. Mouthwashing fandom has a lot of amazing stuff, like from psycho analysis, fanart and certain fanfics, while some miss the point intierly (which is fine, it's not, but if it makes a person happy who cares, I'm not gonna ruin it for them) and some which I personally consider that they go too far. Also, the fandom is perfectly split between people who want to enjoy the dark parts of the game and those who like the silly stuff (memes, jokes, fluff, and they probably do it to 'cope' with the game).

I'm not gonna go too deep into the shipping because everyone has their personal opinions on it, but it's a bit contreversial. At times diving into the proship vs the other side debate.

Music

Last thing, 'Headlock' by Imogen Heap is convidered the mouthwashing song. It's like about how you wanna persue your hobbies and interests, but you're stuck in place unable to actually do it. Which I personally think perfectly fits the game, atleast a very specific scene in the game that actually is one of my favorites and a bit not comforting, but it makes me feel a bit seen. But I think a lot of people actually just like it cuz it's a catchy song with a very nice and specific beat. Also, receantly JT music released the mouthwashing rap which actually covers a lot of the plot, meaning and other parts of mouthwashing. It's also a bop and in the intro they sampled actual sounds from the game which is very cool if you ask me

..

So yea. Sorry for rambling, I covered a few things, I thought would be important without revealing too much if you actually decide to play/watch the game.

WHAT THE FUCK IS "MOUTHWASHING"????

can someone tell me about what Mouthwashing is

my friend is obsessed with it and i wanna learn more about it for her, and i also saw it was a psych thriller and i love those.

lowkey i thought it was the sally face sequel so if anyone could rb and help me out itd be much appreciated

also whos that gay fuck daisueke or whatev

[starryjkoo]

Shouting into the void with a long rant, but I’m sort of confused by some of the takes I’ve been seeing about the Jikook NYC trip. Basically, I don’t understand why people think it’s weird that Jimin went radio silent or that neither of them have acknowledged the trip. I’m surprised because I’ve seen quite a few people saying this on multiple platforms.

Jimin never updates us on what he’s doing on a work trip? He barely uses social media or updates us on his life at all (can’t believe he actually forgot his password 😭) so honestly why were people expecting him to be actively posting things while in NY? He literally just went to London, completely disappeared, came back and then finally shared pictures of his HP tour on Instagram. And we still have no idea what he was actually in London for, he just ghosted us until he was back. So, there’s nothing odd about him going to NY and disappearing if he didn’t have a public appearance to attend.

At the end of Jungkook’s live he said he had schedules to go to that he couldn’t talk about, but that he thought ARMY would enjoy. Then he left and presumably met up with Jimin. So I think we can infer that the schedule he was referring to probably had something to do with whatever Jikook were doing in CT. And they had a camera crew with them, GoPros, and mics, so they were definitely filming content. Jungkook literally said in his live he couldn’t talk about what he was doing… so, why do people find it weird that they… didn’t talk about what they were doing? They’re especially not going to acknowledge something that is supposed to be a future project.

Anyways, there are a lot of interesting mysteries about their CT trip! And regardless of their motives, it seems like jkk had a lot of fun and Jimin was still physically present for JK during a monumental moment in his life. But I think there are some points that people are emphasizing as ‘weird’ or ‘significant’ or ‘suspect’ that have me scratching my head a bit because it contradicts what we know about them as individuals and the little bits of information we have about their trip.

And I’ll cap this rant post off with something else that’s been bothering me. It’s not weird or significant that Jimin didn’t appear in Jungkook’s post GMA live. That wasn’t a normal live, and it’s not really comparable to the one that JH did after Lolla or YG did after his concert. This was the first live that JK did after his debut as a soloist, and he used it to talk about the MV and his song. I’m assuming it was meant to be like the ones that the other members did where they talked about their albums a bit. That’s definitely not the sort of live Jimin would or should make an appearance on. It was basically part of an official schedule for JK.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

hope you feel better soon!

I am riddled with ailments, but I stay silly!