#it was a 4-year drought and i hate it

[fleurcttes]

☆

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Arthropoda - Branchiopoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Branchiopoda is a class of small, mainly freshwater crustaceans that feed on plankton and detritus. They are comprised of 9 orders: Anostraca (“Fairy Shrimp”), Anomopoda (���Water Fleas”), Ctenopoda (also “Water Fleas”), Cyclestherida (“Clam Shrimp”), Laevicaudata (also “Clam Shrimp”), Spinicaudata (also “Clam Shrimp”), Haplopoda (“Predatory Water Fleas”), Onychopoda (“Water Fleas” again), and Notostraca (“Tadpole/Shield Shrimp”).

Branchiopods are found mainly in freshwater, including temporary pools and hypersaline lakes, and some in brackish water. Those that live in temporary pools are known for having eggs that can dry out for long periods of time and hatch once they are submerged in water, as an adaptation to drought. Only two families, one in Onychopoda and one in Ctenopoda, contain marine species. Most eat detritus or plankton, catching them in the setae on their appendages. Notostracans are opportunistic omnivores that will feed on algae, bacteria, other branchiopods like Anostracans, and even small fish.

Branchiopods are characterized by the presence of gills on many of the animals’ appendages, including the mouthparts. Most have compound eyes and a carapace. In the Clam Shrimp, the carapace prevents the use of the legs for swimming, so the antennae are used for locomotion instead, as they are in nauplius larvae.

The oldest known branchiopod was Rehbachiella kinnekullensis of the Upper Cambrian. Notostracans in particular have a good fossil record, with the oldest known species being Strudops goldenbergi from the Late Devonian. Notostracans are often described as “Living Fossils” due to their lack of major morphological change over 250 million years.

Propaganda under the cut:

Both Triops (a genus of Notostracan) and Artemia (a genus of Anostracan) make popular low maintenance aquarium pets, respectively called “Dinosaur Shrimp” and “Sea-monkeys” in the pet trade.

Triops longicaudatus helps control the West Nile virus, as they prey on Culex mosquito larvae.

In Japan, Triops cancriformis are used as biological pest control, kept in rice paddies to eat weeds.

Most branchiopods feed on small plankton and detritus, but some are large(r) predators, and Notostracans aren’t the only ones! The Giant Fairy Shrimp (Branchinecta gigas) can get up to 86 mm (3.4 in) long, lives in hypersaline lakes and rivers, and eats copepods and other branchiopods: mainly other fairy shrimp.

The genus Artemia, also known as Brine Shrimp, are commonly bred to feed fish and crustacean larvae, both in fish farms and in aquarium tanks, due to their ease of rearing, richness in nutrients, and tendency to be the preferred snack of small fish. Daphnia, a genus of Anomopod, are also often bred as fish food, as well as for amphibian larvae.

Artemia urmiana was once abundant in Lake Urmia of Iran, but drought has caused their population to drastically decline, leading to fears that they were nearly extinct. However, a second population has been discovered in Koyashskoye Salt Lake of Ukraine, giving hope for their recovery.

Scientists have taken the eggs of Artemia salina to outer space to test the impact of radiation on life. The brine shrimp eggs traveled on U.S. Biosatellite 2, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 missions, and on the Russian Bion-3 (Cosmos 782), Bion-5 (Cosmos 1129), Foton 10, and Foton 11 flights. On Apollo 16 and Apollo 17, the cysts traveled to the Moon and back. Unfortunately, the results showed A. salina eggs are highly sensitive to cosmic radiation… 90% of the embryos died at different developmental stages.

Clam shrimp convergently evolved a shell similar to a bivalve. Both valves of the shell are held together by a strong closing muscle. The animals react to danger by contracting the muscle so that the valves close tightly and the crustacean floats motionlessly to the bottom of the water.

Daphnia are used in scientific studies as a model organism. Because they are nearly transparent, their internal organs are easy to study in live specimens. They are often used to test the effects of toxins and climate change, assisting with the assessment of ecological impacts caused by human disturbance.

One time, while looking at pond water under microscope, I saw a Chydorus sphaericus and squealed out loud cause it was so cute, and my professor made fun of me. But look at this. The Cheat lookin ass:

[kdramaxoxo]

K-drama Drought...Or IS it?

Is there a k-drama drought, or are there less dramas to pick from in 2024?

Lately I've been feeling like there are no k-dramas to watch. I normally watch 4-6 AIRING k-dramas at a time (yes, I have a problem) and right now I am watching none. So I did a little search to see if there really ARE less k-dramas to choose from and from what I can gather, it's FACTS.

There are less k-dramas being made in 2024.

According to this article, last year there were 250 k-dramas produced but the shows were having trouble getting picked up by networks, so only about 150 made it onto the screen. This year? Only 40 k-dramas are slated to air for 2024 so far. That is a HUGE drop. And actors are having trouble getting work because there are less projects.

Time to hate on Netflix (my hobby)

You know I LOVE blaming the new streaming business model. You know, the one that churns through content, dropping whole shows just to get subscribers so they can tell their investors about "growth"? I'm guessing all of these larger companies (disney+, netflix, amazon prime) are creating a vaccuum because people are watching those over regular networks. The funding is probably just not there since there is so much competition.

Obviously I'm guessing and I'm not a data analyst, just a k-drama girlie missing all of her shows. But I always felt like netflix changing the landscape of television has it's cons and I think this is a major one.

I couldn't find any other articles to verify these numbers, but a few other ones talking about how netflix k-dramas aren't doing well (and by well they just mean they aren't "squid game" and in the top 10, and that's all these large companies care about. Because of that they are also putting out less k-dramas. It sucks because I miss all of my tiny low budget k-dramas and those will never make it in the netflix world, but they can't get picked up by networks now either.

I could keep going but I'm having FEELINGS. I just hope networks decide to make decisions apart from netflix and that netflix stops caring about k-dramas as much to make room for that.

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Snippet 4, 1, 2, 3

She traversed the long hallway with grim determination, feeling like a soldier marching into a doomed battle.  Ser Criston walked at her back, silent and frowning, his dark eyes full of terrible pity.  

It was a pity mirrored in Ser Harrold’s face.  As they approached the double doors of the King’s chambers, she could see it even at a distance.  She hated it, wanted to scream and rage at them for it, but didn’t.  Her circumstances were not their fault.  They were at least sympathetic to her, unlike most, having stood witness to her plight for the past five years.  She couldn’t meet their eyes, however, requesting entry while fixed on the wood grain in front of her.

Viserys was inside, bent over his model as he could be found most nights.  He greeted her but didn’t immediately look up, leaving her to stand at one end of the table while he fiddled with a small ivory building.  In the corner, a fire crackled and danced in the hearth, raising the room’s temperature to a heinous degree.  Targaryens, she scoffed, sweating irately through her dress.  They’d live in the Dragonmont if they could, in the same caves as their stinking beasts.

“Are you well, my dear?”  Viserys asked absently.

“Yes, my love.  I simply wished to see how you fared after the long hours in court today.”  An act.  She didn’t have to ask to know how drained the King was by the time he left the throne room.  The Maesters insisted he was on the mend, that his wounds were finally closing and free of infection, but even the work of healing was exhausting to the body, and her husband had begged off all his afternoon appointments to rest.

“Oh, I am fine,” he said, finally glancing at her.  “Though it did drag on rather long today, didn’t it?  All these reports of drought and crop failure.  What were there?  10, 12?  I’m embarrassed to say they started to blend together.  They rather wear a man out after a certain point.”

Already growing tired of the charade, Alicent took a breath, put on her sweetest, most adoring expression, and approached her husband’s side.  “Can I do anything to ease your tiredness, my love?”  She stared at him meaningfully, stretching her mouth into a simpering smile.

“No, my dear, I will be well,” he said, turning back to the model and flatly ignoring her.  “Your attentions do me much good, but tonight I think I will retire early.”

She cast her gaze to the floor and clasped her hands together to prevent them from balling into fists.  She could not let him see her eyes burn at his thoughtless dismissal.  “Are you certain?  It brings me joy to assist you.  And I do not wish to be remiss in my duties.”  Please!  I ask you for nothing and give you all.  Just grant me this!

She didn’t even want to be here.  She wanted nothing from him but was forced to beg for it all the same.  “Thank you kindly, my sweet, but no.  I will release you to enjoy a night free of me.”

Mortification wasn’t a strong enough word for what she felt, staring at the polished stone floor.  Neither was rage.  “Well.  Good night then, Viserys.”  

“Good night, my dear.”  She could hear the door opening behind her, and wondered how long Criston and Harrold were listening in on her humiliation.  Wondered further if she could have them whipped for it.    

“Your Grace?”  She turned without acknowledging Criston’s question and marched out of the room.  Her face burned.  She refused to look at either knight as she retreated back into the hallway, only hearing armored feet fall in step behind her.  She didn’t stop until she stood alone in the center of her room.

“I will retire now, Ser Criston,” she said, each word clipped and barbed.

“As you say, my Queen.”  The door closed slowly behind her.

Her chambers were completely silent.  Not even the nighttime bustle of the city below seemed to penetrate the walls.  

She didn’t know how long she stood there before she lost the battle for composure, but lose it, she most certainly did.

All her septas’ lessons about respecting and honoring her husband flew out the window in an instant, followed by the fine porcelain vase that once sat on her side table.

How dare he!  That useless, good-for-nothing bastard.  Not satisfied with just the vase, she tore the blankets off her sofa and flung them across the room, before marching over to her heavy copper bathtub and shaking it by the rim like a feral beast, biting down on a shriek that would surely wake the whole Keep if she let it free.

She was the queen!  His queen, Gods damn him!  Apparently she was fine enough for him to marry, fine enough to use at his convenience, but when it was something she needed, he couldn’t be bothered with the one duty he owed her!

“Your Grace, are you alright?”  Criston's concerned voice sounded through the door.

“I am fine,” she bit out, white-knuckled fingers trembling.

“...Are you certain, Your Grace? I heard a commotion.”  He sounded uncertain, and like his hand was already on the latch.  By the Gods, was no man in this castle capable of listening when she said something?

“I am fine,” she repeated sternly.  “You need not come in, Ser.”  You can't give me what I need.  So leave me be.

Her savage mania passed at this interruption, however, sapping away that furious burst of energy.  Weakened, she collapsed to her knees in a heap, and leaned her forehead heavily against the tub.

She was truly alone, she realized.  She couldn’t rely on anyone.  Not her husband, not her father, not her loyal sworn shield.  Not even the Gods would intervene for her.

And if they were so resolute in their silence, then she would take the final option left to her.  The only person who would help her now was herself.

[henrysglock]

So with all of this recent discussion about Will stans there’s something I’m really curious about. In terms of the current Will/Byler subsection of stranger things fans and how… passionate they are, how might this group of fans be affected by the end of the series? Especially if things don’t go their way? (i.e. Will being the main focus or getting Eleven-esque powers, Byler becoming canon etc.)

Even if they get their perfect desired ending, do you think that they would continue to be so fixated and well, honestly aggressive about things like Will, Byler and their personal interpretations of the show? Or would they perhaps either mellow out or gloat about it to other fans? Would there be sustained, long term passion and intensity towards these aspects/views of the series and its characters?

And on the other hand, what if this subsection of the fanbase didn’t get their desired outcome for season five? Would there be denial? Or a reaction not unlike that of bbc Sherlock fans, with speculation of a secret, second final season or that there had to have been behind the scenes meddling as to why they did not get what they wanted? Would these fans consider the final season to be canon? Would they remain fans?

Sorry for such a long ask, I’m just curious about your thoughts on the viability of the Will/Byler fandoms remaining as they are now and how the ending of stranger things might shape these communities.

That's the thing, Nonnie. Putting my cunt face on for a second, but this fandom has been majorly disappointing. We go 2-3 years between seasons, and people complain about a drought. ByIer burned bright for about 1 year post-ST4, and then people were begging for new content. Girl you have 4 seasons to talk about!

So, even if they do get their perfect ending, the fandom is going to cannibalize within 5 years (if I'm being generous). They'd gloat initially, but they would get bored...and so would the rest of us, because their perfect ending is a flat, out-of-character cookie-cutter Disney sell-out conclusion that is, well, boring. If they don't get what they want, the fandom will cannibalize even faster, with people leaving in an "outrage" and doing nothing but bitching about "bad writing" (as if they didn't just make up a script in their heads, expecting the Duffers to follow that exact script).

I could see certain groups deciding not to take the final season as canon if they disagree with it, but remaining fans of the rest of the show. I could even see the people leaving in an "outrage" coming crawling back a few months later just like they did with the Noah situation. There would definitely be people blaming it on Netflix, but given the attitudes I've seen...they would be more likely to blame the Duffers. Which...sure. Whatever.

I think there will either be a slow death to the fandom by "okay, we got our sppon-fed MCU ending" or a fiery blaze of "this sucks and we hate it because we didn't get what we wanted" even if the season is phenomenal otherwise.

[kafus]

we’ve really come such a ridiculously long way. themes of being split in half, mirror imagery, etc, have been present in my life for a really long time, but it wasn’t always positive the way it is now. some of my earliest known vent art involves characters being possessed by a “mask” personality that lashes out against their will. lots of writing and art about feeling haunted by another figure. horrible reflections in the mirror. and some of my only tangible records of ayano in my childhood include stuff like complaining to a friend when i was 13 that i essentially “came to” with self harm wounds on my arm with no idea of why on earth i made them or how.

when i first became aware of alters in early 2016, i was actually afraid of ayano. she was a very run of the mill persecutor type at the time, i could not understand why she kept interfering with my friendships and acting out of control and she still had unchecked self harm habits that scared me. but somehow even without a therapist at the time and as a confused and frightened teenager, i was able to extend a hand a little and learn to understand her a little better. by the time i got a therapist in 2019 we already had decent communication, but diagnosis and therapy really accelerated a lot of that for us. and by the time we started remembering trauma in late 2020 we were close enough and working together enough to endure that together in a supportive way. i’ve really fallen in love with her the past few years as we stumble through trauma recovery together (oh and she’s been clean of self harm for almost 4 years now!!!!)

it’s crazy thinking how we went from me being scared of my traumatized parts lashing out on account of being traumatized (which i didn’t understand at the time) to being in a loving autoromantic relationship and generally being attached at the hip (literally lol). i still have so much to work through and so much bullshit i deal with on account of this disorder but the feeling of complete helplessness and being hated by my own mind passed probably sometime in 2022 when me and ayano really hit our stride with working as a pair. loving her (and therefore also myself) is the best decision i could have made for our trauma recovery. it’s still hard but at least i have her support and i support her in kind. i am not afraid of my alters anymore

this is also why i’m so glad this drought of her not fronting for months and our communication struggles are finally passing/being worked through because daily life is so much easier to tolerate when we work in tandem dbdjjsks

[blazeperalta]

in my josh and toby feelings today

anyone else have this weird soft spot for their relationship? I absolutely love all the dynamics on the show and although there are far greater (and by that i just mean “easier”) platonic friendships to enjoy while watching, those 2 make me ache more than any other.

I remember richard talking about his relationship with bradley on twww and how they’ve known each other so long so they’ve had their fair share of arguments/disagreements, and he said something like “I love him like a brother and i hate him like a brother” and it’s stuck with me because it describes josh and toby perfectly. And idk if it was meant to parallel their off-screen relationship (although i sincerely hope brad and richard’s relationship isn’t quite as antagonistic because i love this cast and want them to be friends forever lol), but I think about that quote every time i see toby and josh interact. They’re brothers who reluctantly love each other.

All this to say, it’s been over 4 years since i watched the west wing for the first time and i still haven’t been able to bring myself to rewatch drought conditions. The words they say to each other just wreck me and i genuinely tear up every time i think about it, and when I talk to someone else about it, I actually start to cry. I was furloughed, because covid, and was staying with my mum, and I just remember walking downstairs weeping telling her they had a huge fight. Again, i don’t really know why it made such an impact because it’s not like they were best friends and now they could barely even look at each other (i had plenty of that pain from josh and donna thank you!) there was always issues with them, but it was so difficult watching them be so cruel to each other, but *knowing* it comes from a place of hurt and there’s still so much love there.

[tojikai]

I just finished the “home” series, i just found your account yesterday yet all that’s left for me to read is “permanent mark”🙃

Like the “fix you” series, i ended up with alot of questions which is weird because i don’t have any for sundered but then again, im more of a toji girl

Questions:

- why did toji cheat?

- What happened in their marriage for it to get like that?

- did he ever truly fall out of love?

- do you have any plans for another story series?

- what would’ve happened if she hadn’t died?

- would’ve he regretted it or come back to her eventually?

- did he think of her daily after her death?

- how was he feeling after her death, years after?

- why did he put his mistress over his wife?

- Does he love his mistress more

- what’s up with the whole thing he did/him putting her over his wife

- what was his thought process when it first happened and after it kept happening

- ik he said he didn’t love hana but why would he cheat and basically put her over his wife if he didn’t?!?!

- i read 3 out of 4 stories so far and it seems like there a pattern of dudes putting someone they think they love yet don’t over someone they do or love more, is there any reason’s for it

Just me rambling about the story and your other stories:

I know he did but i hope toji suffers so so so much more until his last breath! (He did but I hope it felt like it was infinite for him😌) also Fuck hana! Wtf😭😭 if only toji didn’t fuck up bro its so sad, im hating yet understanding him?? If that makes sense, actually no not understanding but sympathetic towards him in the first ending ig but still fuck toji!!! I felt bad for him and then the next life chapter??? With his thoughts wtf and putting hana over y/n again😭 fuck toji!! he basically emotionally cheated if i was y/n i would’ve lefttt!! I swear your y/n’s are saints compared to me shhsjs

Your stories are so beautifully written yet so sad

I love them even if i might hate the love interest lol

Im More of the resentment type so it feels so silly to say this especially over a fanfic(but then again all of yours are so wonderfully written) but your stories i guess have made me possibly see things in a different light: like ppl do make mistakes and can change or genuinely regret them or that people can maybe hurt the people they love which is so weird for me to say because its a story and also im the type to refuse to believe you can love someone after you treated them so badly or cheated on them. Ig ur stories have made me realizes humans make mistakes and they aren’t BAD people for it butt the pppl they hurt doesn’t have to take them back nor forgive them or they can and it lean to something better than what would’ve been if they ended things

Note:

Im so sorry if im asking too much and i hope im not bothering you, i just tend to talk alot regarding things that i get invested in and i get so curious sbsjsj

Im probably writing this much because im so sleepy right now haha (my apologies especially if i wrote so much nonsense or I didn’t write/explain things wellh

thank you in advance if you answer 🫶i appreciate it, have a good day/night🖤i hope y enjoy the remaining of summer! Tysm for creating these masterpieces ‼️

hiii omg thanks so much, im glad that you enjoyed them <3

- to answer the first 3 questions: toji cheated bc he was bored. i have no excuses for this man in home series bc he really cheated bc their rs was getting a bit dull for him. do u know that point they say in some lovers' relationship. the drought, the feeling similar to "falling out of love" but they say not to leave your partner during this time bc that's when true love begins? yeah that. 🥹 he didn't really fell out of love but it's like a similar feeling to it.

- as for plans for another series, i'm thinking of doing a mini one. i have a draft here just waiting to be polished and published.

- if yn didn't die, hmm... assuming they stayed together, it's gonna be a very dead relationship. bc yn is so so tired. not just emotionally but mentally too. she's gonna have a hard time believing that toji still loves her even if he tried to explain. she's gonna be very reserved and visibly uncomfortable around him, thinking that he doesn't really want to be w her and just staying out of pity. she's gonna limit herself, and the love that she shows him. it will ultimately end in divorce, and he's gonna end up not wanting to sign it.

- yes, toji would've still regretted it even if yn didn't die. he's bound to come back to yn eventually. the day he left, he never planned on staying with his mistress for long. he just went there bc he was frustrated and he's trying to run away from yn's confrontation and the consequences. deep inside he was hoping that yn won't push through w the 'divorce.'

- for the 7th and 8th question, yes toji thought of yn every day and every night. the onyl time he's not thinking of her is when he's swarmed with work. but even during those times, his mind wanders to her still. the feeling that he felt when he learned of her death and discovered how she prepared everything for him and his new life was how he felt his whole life. it was never lessened. if anything it only got worse w time.

- for the 9th, 10th and 11th question: no, he didn't love his mistress more than yn. he left and put his mistress over his wife bc he thought that's what he wanted. there was a sense of thrill, the feeling of being with someone new that pushed him to act like that. as mentioned in the home series, his pride took over and he thought that that's the freedom that he wanted but it wasn't. it was too late when he realized that. you really don't know what you got until it's gone. he thought yn's gonna be there forever and that's why he kept choosing to go to his mistress not knowing that yn's days were numbered and that he's about to lose her.

- when he first cheated w her out of pure lust. there was no deeper meaning to it. and then it kept happening bc he found escape and thrill in it. other than that, she gives him a different type of attention, something new.

- w hana it was the attraction that made him act like that. im not saying all people, but some tend to be nice to attractive people and they don't even notice that to impress a new one, they end up neglecting another one. other than that, it's bc they work together. he doesn't plan on getting it on w her tho. he loves yn.

- i just like the thought of them making mistakes to learn from LMAO but i guess the difference is in fix you, his wife's dead. it's the lack of appreciation for the present and being stuck in the past. while in sundered, uhm it's a lot of pride and he did love Naomi tho. she was so good to him. (except that 'thing' she tried to do)

it makes me happy when people say they learn something from the content i put out🥺 the fact that you guys read my masterlist also makes me happy bc it makes me realize that literature really do make something immortal AAAAA i enjoyed reading this and answering your questions~ thank you so much for the love and support you give my stories <3 hope you're having a great week ~!!

[adriankyte-writes]

Lore Drop

Lore Drop

Tagged by @bagheerita and @chaniis-atlantis

Do you make your bed? No. It seems like a fairly stupid ritual to me. I'm the only person who sees it. I don't want to spend 5 to 10 minutes in the morning straightening it out, to then have to undo it when I'm going to bed. I tend to snug every blanket I own bundled on me, so "making the bed" is an ordeal.

Favorite number? 13

If you could go back to school, would you? I am considering it. Getting a masters could help me move up in my career a lot and I really enjoy going to school, as weird as that may sound. But I'm also at a point in my life where I'm taking a serious look at what I need to retire, and I'm wondering if I wouldn't rather focus my energy and funds on generating income streams.

Can you parallel park? Surprisingly, yes. I failed parallel parking both times I took my driving test, but years later I was attending college on a campus with limited parking. So I decided to give it a try to save me having to walk and what do you know I can. (Still don't much like to though.)

Do you think aliens are real? Yes. I think the universe is vast enough that it is arrogant to assume our planet is the only one capable of sustaining intelligent life. I also give fairies and cryptids the same consideration so take that with a grain of salt.

Can you drive a manual car? I understand the concept, in practice I was told that learning wrecks the transmission and the only person I knew who could wouldn't teach me unless I dropped the cash for a new one.

What’s your guilty pleasure? My big one right now is VR. I got introduced at a party and I'm absolutely hooked. Saved up for months to buy a headset.

Tattoos? 4, a dragonfly, kanji, crystal ball and a chibi grim reaper.

Favorite color? Purple, silver, black and blue

Do you like puzzles? Sometimes. I enjoy doing them, but my adhd makes it difficult to finish them, and then they make me feel guilty.

Any phobias? Crickets (thank you Texas drought/flood combo) and clowns (thank you Stephen King.)

Favorite childhood sport? Lightsaber duels. (I was not terribly popular at the religious academy where I spent my early education.) I actually spent quite a bit of time in private play/stimming and never really got the social aspects of sports down, and I hate playing most of the sports games. Oh wait. Archery is a sport. Definitely archery.

Do you talk to yourself? Yes. When I start answering myself it's a good indication that I need to engage in some socialization.

Tagging @leahnardo-da-veggie @idkaguyorsomething @chaos-monkeyy

and anyone else who wants to play

[bardic-inspo]

🍓🕯️🍄!!

Thank you, friend! 💜😊

[Writer's Truth or Dare Ask Game]

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

Roleplaying on proboards-style forum websites as a kid loose on the internet (for Warrior Cats, at first). I spun off into semi-original narrative writing from there, which I struggled on and off with for a number of years for a number of reasons. I did write a few DA fanfic snippets here and there, but mostly kept those to myself. I wasn't in a good life space to re-devote myself to creative writing again for while.

I think it was fall 2019 when I decided on a whim to break my writing drought by doing NaNoWriMo. I had just played Fallout 4, and fanfiction felt like a sort of "safe" way to break a writing drought, with established settings/characters. What came out of that November was the earliest draft of my Fallout 4 longfic, Bring the Gasoline. That's the only time I've done NaNo and I have mixed feelings about whether I'd do it again or not, but I think it's what I needed at the time.

That jump-started me, and I've sort of waxed and waned from that experience as far as, what frequency/volume of writing feels right at any given time with whatever else I got going on.

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

Hmm, 6 or maybe 7. I have a love-hate relationship with editing. I try to let myself be messy and repetitive and cliche or whatever in my rough drafts because I tend to have more faith in myself as an editor than a writer at times. And I do get a big sense of relief when the rough drafting is done, and the editing starts. But I'm also impatient, and editing up a messy draft takes time, and a lot of time, that means walking away and letting it sit and coming back with a clear head. I'm still working on that patience part more.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

I keep thinking about that little bit they added to the epilogue scene, and Astarion making mooney eyes at Tav before/as they're waking up together. I've never stayed at the Elfsong in any of my playthroughs, so for me, I've imagined that as the first time Astarion and Tav went to sleep(trance)/woke up in a real bed together as opposed to a tent. And, for now at least, all the evil is vanquished. Cazador is gone. Astarion is safer than he's ever been in centuries.

And I see it just dawning on Astarion that he loves going to bed next to them and watching over them still at rest and getting to wake up beside each other. I think he's fascinated and just really moved by the sense of safety and love and comfort that those little moments have, he's stunned silly by it, and he just wants to savor them as much as he can. I think he cries happy tears a little bit about it that first time, while Tav's still resting.

From then on, Tav almost always wakes to find Astarion woke up first, and is watching them. Even if Stari isn't resting himself, he'll come sit by Tav when they do, and strokes their hair, or just sits close. I see him as a snuggler, too, once he lets himself have it. And he'll groan and grumble and try to get Tav to stay in bed with him as long as possible if they say it's time to get up.

[chirpsythismorning]

I dont even think the tag is dead at all tbh. We were really spoiled last summer with 2k post per day, and something crazy happening everyday like Mikhailgate, scriptgate, sock anon or people impersonating Ross duffer, but if you check most tags on this app, that's rarely the case. The thing is, it's been a year since season 4 came out and we're still getting around 300 posts per day and I need people to realise how crazy that is. Before season 4 the tag had like 5 k followers and there could be days without a single post. The fact that it's been a year and we still surpass 200 posts, AND we've already made it through the most content drought phase of the hiatus (since filming is about to begin and we'll increase the daily posts again) is crazy. This tag is still very much active, even for a show that hasn't released any new content for a year. And also AO3 is still active. The fact that for a whole year, there's been writers who still update fics or create new ones everyday is something I'm not used to coming from other smaller fandoms.

I get it's a bit more boring right now and we are looking back to the may-august craze, but we've already made it through the worst and we only need to hold on for one more month

This is definitely the best way to look at it!

I think I’m also maybe sad bc a lot of familiar faces aren’t as active, like some folks I remember seeing daily are gone. Which is fine!

And even despite that you’ll see posts in the tag get like hundreds of likes, so there are definitely a lot of people still lurking just not posting. Which is also fine!

It’s so true though that we are a lot more active than we realize.

Tumblr in general I used to think of as like a no man’s land pre-s4 bc it tends to really only be active in specific fandoms where like the unity is on point bc the content is just rolling in.

So many fandoms reside here at a point, but dwindle over time, and I feel like we are very fortunate to have made a big space here bc it is a cool platform when you have a lot of people that like a certain thing and want to talk about it.

And we’re fortunate enough to be so massive and not only that but this is sort of just the beginning. Imagine how many followers we’ll gain leading up to s5, during and after…? Or the aftermath of people coming here to look at theories and be like YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT! All the queer fans who kind of talked down on us (understandably) for potentially falling for queerbait, joining in and being like wow this is surreal, it finally happened. It’s going to be magical.

For now I guess it just makes me wonder if I should take a break too?? Like seeing yourself over and over in the tag is almost a wake up call that I should step back like everyone else is for the time being? Bc like idk if it’s maybe annoying to see the same person over and over? Or if it’s just the reminder of how inactive things are and that’s what makes people step back too?

Not even a bad thing necessarily like you said, bc this is still an unprecedented case of a fandom being quite active despite the circumstances.

Honestly though, even if there isn’t much news going into May and in the couple months after it, beyond like the bare minimum of what we’re expecting, I’ll try to embrace it and maybe step back or even focus on more detailed posts instead of the day to day fodder.

I also hate myself for this, but I rarely go in the top posts tag??? I’m always like living in the recent posts part of it and that’s probably also the problem 😭

So reminder to anyone that’s like me who does the same, we gotta support more of us that have top posts too bc I will literally remember the top posts exists, go there, find absolute gems (obviously it’s top posts???) and then be like why the fuck don’t I come here more often??? That’s another way I could probably curb my disappointment about us not being as active as I’m used to. And it’s super simple.

There’s a lot of stuff like that I could do better at to contribute to the solution of this being a better experience for myself and other still active on here!

Thanks for the pep talk anón 😇🙏

[captainblou]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool~)🌈🌈

Hi Angie!!

OK. So. I have received this in the past, by several other persons, and everytime I draft a post and delete it because I am a self-loathing mess and can't find FIVE things I like about myself. BUT NOT TODAY. So, apoligies to anyone who sent this to me before and didn't get an answer, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that it's really hard.

OK. Deep breath.

1 - I'm a good great cook (see the self-loathing here? I'm beating its ass). If you ever come to my house, you will be FED.

2 - I'm funny, I guess. I like to think that I am, in fact. I make myself laugh, there's at least that!

3 - I love that I'm still learning stuff about myself at 31, and that I'm able to accept those new things with ease. Fluidity is the way to life is my go-to quote and I'm glad I'm able to live by it.

That's 3. Is 3 OK? No? OMG...

4 - I love that I started writing again after a 15 year-long drought??

5 - I'm independant. It helps that I hate most people and social interactions, but I like that I don't NEED anyone to be happy.

See? Wasn't so hard! I can do that. 100%

Thank you so much Angie <3

[mermaidsirennikita]

Begging you for fated mates romances. The immortals after dark drought is killing me

Lol it's ruuuuffff. I'm excited for Rok's novella in March because he's just so fun, but I reeeeally hope she gets Kosmina's book out on schedule this year. (Lothaire literally just losing her remains one of the funniest things in the series to me. And her being this adorable angel princess and his inner monologue going "That's nice. I'm still sending your ass to Louisiana" simply because she's the Sandy to his Rizzo I guess??)

I genuinely want Kosmina's book, for one thing. For another, I NEED. KRISTOFF. AND FURIE'S. BOOK. And a book for Heath MacRieve: Werepire At Large, plsthx. You can't deploy a werepire without giving him someone to FUCK. You can't give me the brother of noted fuck machines Lachlain and Garreth MacRieve without giving me the ACTION.

Anyway, try:

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. These are obviously like. As RIDIC as you've heard. They are also. DELIGHTFUL! Just broads landing on planet Blue Big Dick (CW: there are bad aliens in the first book and they do rape women largely offpage) and putting these weird little worms in their chests to live and the warms going "la la la" and then the big blue alien men having worms that go "tra la la" and when your worms sing to each other you gotta FUCK and be together forever like it or not??? He'll die for you and your worm???? Listen, I read like 6 in a row last year and then I had to stop and pretty soon I'm gonna read some fucking more.

Favorites include: Barbarian Alien (#2, heroine is all "Jesus Christ I hate this alien guy" and he's all "OMG IT'S HER" and kidnaps her away to his cave, as you do, which is controversial because he's from a noted line of kidnappers and the other aliens are all D: about it but then she teaches him how to fuck, should mention that most of these aliens are hardcore virgins), Barbarian Mine (#4, everyone who reads this is gonna think differently of me because the hero is like Ice Planet Tarzan because he grew up in the wastelands all alone and his dad died when he was young so he didn't even really learn how to talk like an alien, and he doesn't even VAGUELY know what sex is, and she has to.... teach him things........... the heart wants what it wants okay) and Barbarian's Mate (#6, the one where the heroine had an IUD the whole time so her chest worm wasn't working and then her IUD falls out and her chest worm is all "LA LA LA" at the most annoying, dickish alien's chest worm and they're both like "OH FUCK NO" but then they go on adventure together, and it's soooo good)

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson--Fun fact, the arranged marriage fantasy romance I keep recommending is actually a fated mates book! The hero isn't just Elsa But Hot Man, he's also descended from wolves, so he can SCENT her, and when he scents her for the first time it's actually quite aggressive and his friend is present and goes "buddy, please stop touching her nipple this seems like a crime". It's the mating bond!!!

The Sea King by C.L. Wilson--Next book in the series, goes fated mates even harder because the hero is a merman Aquaman type from a matriarchal kingdom who was trained in the seductive arts and meets the heroine and KNOWS lol. And he's determined to wife her up. CW: sexual assault, not from the hero.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh--I've only read the first two books in this series, but they're good, and they're all following the fated mate format. This one is about a heroine who's from like this Vulcan sort of psychic mind freak society, and her fated mate turns out to be a verrrrrry earthy shapeshifter guy who's like "welp. Sadly it's her".

Laura Thalassa's Four Horsemen series has a very fated mate vibe. It's not explicitly stated, but all of the four horsemen basically get thrown off once they meet Her and then their entire game is ruined lmao. The series has some things.... I find.... Less than great. But I remember really enjoying Pestilence and Death, War and Famine are foggier to me.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is omegaverse but make it a contemporary romcom. Full fated mates shit. He makes her call him alpha while he's plowing her in the woods. They live in a better society.

[renlyslittlerose]

9 people you would like to get to know better

I was tagged by @ragnarlothcat @veloursdor @yourfavoritefridge 💕

1. 3 ships:

Obikin of course, as it's currently rotting my brain and has been for the past year and however many months. It brought me back from a period of fandom drought, so I'm enjoying once again splashing around in the fandom space

Spuffy. I will always be Not Well about this ship, whether it's platonic, they hate each other, its sexual, some weird mix of all three - whether they love each other, hate each other, can't live without each other. It's the ship that contains so many multitudes that I can't help but always be drawn to it.

Mshenko. Still have a major soft spot for this ship. *In Marge Simpson's voice* I just think it's neat.

2. first ever ship:

That title will also go to Spuffy! I was ten when season 5 of Buffy was airing, and I just hoped and hoped and hoped that they would kiss. I was bitten by the enemies to hate fucking to lovers to soulmates trope early on.

3. last song:

Deathly Hush - MORSURE

4. last movie:

Oppenheimer, I think?

5. currently reading:

My own fics in a perpetual cycle of editing 🙃

6. currently watching:

Deep Space Nine (started season 5), Malcolm in the Middle, and Ahsoka

7. currently consuming:

Tea (orange peeko with a splash of cream)

8. currently craving: Chili garlic noodles from a nearby Chinese noodle shop

I tag: @apfelhalm @boomhauer @obiwan @posthumousvigor @howlbrooklyn @treescape @vulpesarctica @lovey-dovey-and-sad @gretchenzellerbarnes and @elcaballerodragon

[sun-undone]

Raw thoughts here, so sorry for the scattered mess!

I wanted more of the Pogues together.

It felt like there was too much time with just John B and Big John.

Cleope was cute.

I actually wanted to like Topper, but nah. I hope Rafe continues to be a villain, because I don’t need more people sympathizing with him (and so not here for a love triangle with him). Also, Rafe is a POS for melting down the cross. I was hoping to see him get his ass handed to him by Pope and JJ.

Jiara moments for me were the creme de la creme (let’s be honest, they were the reason I got invested in the show — both together and apart). There are so many positives here, but I want to share my complaints first lol I wanted more scenes with them! Maybe more feral JJ. Better closure between Pope and JJ. More kisses (hello, final episode?). And I’m sad about the time jump because we didn���t get to see key moments at the start of their relationship. And I was hoping the machete scene in the jungle would have been better, like an ambush or something.

Mike pissed me off, but it was nice to see Kie’s mom making an effort. Wish we could have seen some form of reconciliation between the Carerras and JJ.

Okay, but he longing/angst etc. was so good. THE HUGS. Holy shit. AND THE KISS. And we actually got the “I love you” — I cried. And I cried after it was all over because now we have to wait at least another year. Excuse me? I keep replaying these scenes, and I’m just basking in them. So much to dissect here.

HI HELLO thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!! overall, i agree with pretty much every point you've made here ajshdakjdh but let's see if i can ramble about more specifics. the answer is yes and strap in cause this is a mess

the lack of pogues content (core 4 and entire group alike) is my absolute biggest gripe about the season. it legitimately made me so sad to see them split up for what felt like the majority of the season. it was definitely one of my worries going into the season since we knew it would be more romance based and the pogues have been paired off, but damn. i really thought they'd still find a way to have the pogues working together more often. it really felt like they were barely a part of the entire mystery, and it actually made me so angry that only jarah b got to see el dorado or even really do anything in south america. the pogues are the heart of the show, but i think with all the drama and the massive scope of the plot in this season, they got massively pushed to the side, and that stings. the first 2 episodes were gold mines for pogue content, while the rest of the season is a massive drought

the john b and big john stuff was also a big issue, one that's definitely directly connected to the lack of pogue content. and i understand why there was that rift, and in theory, i do like the arc for john b. i just wish it was paced better. in no world would i ever want the pogues' dynamics to suffer in favor of big john development like ?????? who wanted that????? i was also rooting for him to die the entire season so. glad he did and i'm not sorry about it.

cleope was so fucking cute!!!!!! i love how sweet and generally uncomplicated their romance was, it was such a needed tonal shift from jarah b and jiara. i kind of wish they'd done a bit more with fleshing out cleo's backstory as well as the "no love club" thing, which they literally only mentioned twice. but on the positives, i adored seeing cleo interact with pope's parents, her reaction to getting a room all to herself, and them pretending to be engaged in episode 5 that was fucking hilarious. their chemistry was off the charts

i never want to like topper but i actually did not expect to hate him even more than i already did, cause i literally thought that was impossible. but no. would you look at that. he's managed the impossible. i hope he burns in hell!!!

speaking of burning in hell, yeah rafe still sucks but is still the most compelling villain on this damn show by far. it was cool seeing him fly off the handle and go too far with his independence and then have to reel it back in by the end. i do wonder where the hell he ended up though, since we never saw him again after the airstrip. the whole ending scene was weird, but it was extra weird that we didn't get any sign of him, not even a tease. and yeah, i was hoping so badly for jj specifically to FINALLY get to fight rafe this season but. guess not. the pogues barely interacted with rafe at all cause carlos took up so much room as the new big bad.

jiara was overall such a highlight for this season!!!! i do think the writers hyped it up a little bit too much, calling them "the romance of the season" was kind of misleading imo, but YES WE HAVE CANON JIARA!!! i 100% agree about having another jj and pope conversation near the end of the season, i was truly SHOCKED that they never confided in each other about their respective relationship troubles, or really that none of the pogues talked to any of them at all???? not getting to see sarah ask kie about jj post-reunion hug was actually a fucking travesty and i'll never forgive the pates for it honestly. that one moment of john b realizing it in episode 9 was ADORABLE but god it just made me wish we'd gotten more of it. that's really how i feel about so much of the bright spots of this season, lots of potential and groundwork that was laid, but rushed execution. BUT there's also so many positive things to say about jiara!! the fucking hugs we got were incredible and so emotionally charged, every time kie looked at jj you could see her affection written so clearly across her face, and i ADORED how she was so open in expressing it to him. (although i wish there was more direct exploration into the trauma that didn't allow jj to accept that love at first, and more insight into what exactly changed on that front between the anniversary party and the kiss cause it kind of felt like something was missing there). i was hoping for a bit more feral jj too, but i was very pleasantly surprised by the slightly less aggressively feral, but more soul-crushingly worried feral jj that we got. plus the entire scheme of breaking kie out of kitty hawk was so great, he was on a mission and failure was not an option. and then adding onto all that, we got lots of great banter, lots of longing, some beautiful score and soundtrack moments, all in all: we won.

but even with that being said, i'm also 100% with you about the weirdness of the finale, in terms of jiara. i was floored that we didn't really get much of anything for our one episode with established jiara?????? not even a hand hold or a protective arm around the shoulders, idk i haven't rewatched it yet so maybe i'm missing some crumbs, but cleope and jiara in the finale were both so lackluster (aside from cleope's love confession of course that was so fucking adorable). it felt like they had no real reason to even be in south america in the first place, and the limited screen time they did have felt so wasted.

and then yes. we have the time jump. oh the time jump. i had a bad feeling we'd get one, but i was hoping with everything in me that it'd just be a couple of months. not eighteen of them. i can't even express how bummed that ending made me, it was so rushed and didn't really explain anything, and it sucks that we've missed out on such formative periods for both jiara and cleope. BUT my lovely jiara friends are giving me some hope for young adult pogues and all the goodness that could come from that and seeing established jiara a little bit older and more free. i'm also hoping that with the characters finally being older, the show might let itself get more mature again cause holy shit i miss when they let these kids curse whenever they wanted. also jiara sex scene that's all i'm saying

and last but not least, mike fucking carrera. bane of my existence. another gripe with the time jump is that he and anna are cheering for kie?????? so maybe they've reconciled off screen????????? i sure fucking hope not. i really felt for anna for a while too, i liked that she was making an effort to mediate and try to see kie's perspective while mike was so blinded by his own ties to the cut. but anna lost me again when she went along with sending kie away after all. that scene was genuinely bone-chilling, and i don't see any reconciliation from that. kie is with the pogues now. period.

this got so long so fast i am so sorry

[burningblake]

Rules: list 10 of your childhood ships

tagged by meg / @charlottesmatthews 💜

tagging: @bookaholicthoughts @tisdae @the-maidofmischief @lizzybennets @robntunney @fireflyxrebel-writes @xwildangel @mauraeyk @matt-casey

1. Flor x Fede

My first otp ever, they shaped me. She fell first, he fell harder trope.

2. Flor x Max

Obviously I was devastated when Fede died and I wanted to hate Max with all my heart, but not only did I end up shipping it, I actually became obsessed with them. Also, rivals to lovers my beloved.

3. Caspian x Susan

Rip 12 year old me buying the book to read more content on them and finding out their romance was only movie-canon :') also hello my ben barnes crush.

4. Robin Hood x Marian

The amount of times I watched this movie isn't normal. My mom would find me in the morning playing the cassette over and over again. Another rivals to lovers.

5. Tristan x Yvaine

Same as above, but I owned a DVD of this one. So many rivals to lovers.

6. Edward x Bella

I won't apologize at all. I still ship them.

7. Anastasia x Dimitri

Rivals to lovers my beloved.

8. Sinbad x Marina

I often say my love for pirates started with potc, but in fact, sinbad walked so that jack sparrow could run and that's how it is.

9. Jack x Elizabeth

I mean I understand that realistically William was the better choice, but this was a fairytale, and therefore Elizabeth should have ended up with the man who gave her freedom, don't come at me please.

10. Sam x Austin

"It's like waiting for rain in this drought." <- one of the most epic lines.