#it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in-campaign.

[morrigan-sims]

Knight-Commander Theodore Marshall

Carrion's former mentor and father figure, and the commander of the Knights of the Silver Order. Just a Dad trying his best. Regrets nothing more than leaving the boy he knew as Reverence for dead. Unfortunately for him, Reverence Carrion is alive, and wants him dead...

[closeup of his face and official art reference under the cut]

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Azul Ashengrotto - Room Relaxation Vignette

"Happy Birthday"

[Beside Mister S's Mystery Shop]

Azul: Now then, however should I go about garnering interest in tomorrow's sale? Oh, who is that I spy over there…?

Azul: Epel-san, hello! This may be a little out of left field, but have you any interest in the Mostro Lounge's latest campaign sale?

Epel: Aaahh!? Oh… Hello, Azul-san. What campaign…?

Azul: You see, tomorrow is my birthday. And I was looking for some way to show how grateful I am towards everyone.

Azul: That's why, for tomorrow only, we've decided to slash our food and drink prices to discount rates at the Mostro Lounge!!

Epel: A discounted rate!? So, how much of a deal would you say we'd be getting?

Azul: Behold! One drink off the drink menu can be ordered for free.

Azul: In addition, all food items are 10% off. Parties of 3 or more will receive 20% off!

Epel: 20% off for groups of 3 or more…!? Awesome! That's good to know. I will definitely come tomorrow!

Azul: Wonderful! I do hope you come with your friends… and of course, your ESTEEMED POMEFIORIAN UPPERCLASSMEN. We await your patronage!

[Octavinelle Dorm – Azul's Room]

Azul: Both my academic activities and the Lounge's closing duties have finished successfully. I appreciate it when everything ends smoothly like today.

Azul: Now then, what documents do I still have left to look over…? Oh, is this from the Headmage? What could it possibly be?

Azul: A warning regarding the care of the apple trees? Who cares… is what I'd like to say, but if I leave this for later, it could become a bigger problem. I'll send a notification to the others in the dorm.

[message sent beep]

Azul: It looks like there was some trouble between some dormmates… There was a single incident today, between freshmen. It seems those four-person rooms are more prone to these little fights.

Azul: In regards to their individual arguments… Nothing really stands out as dire. I'll just write out a few suggestions on how to handle it going forward and send it on.

Azul: Next, let's look at the Lounge's report… Fufu, today's sales were in top form.

Azul: Our plan for tomorrow should bring us an abundance of customers. We may be selling at a discounted price, but that should be enough to draw in new folk.

Azul: That is, especially if Epel-san is true to his word and brings his dormmates… Specifically Vil-san!

Azul: If we were to slap on a label to every dish he orders as "Vil Schoenheit's recommendation!"…

Azul: There's no way there wouldn't be a massive increase in foot traffic. THIS IS A HUGE CHANCE FOR AN INFLUX OF NEW CUSTOMERS!

Azul: The Lounge's operations for the day will need to change depending on whether he shows up or not. I'll have to double-check all of tomorrow's preparations once again.

Azul: I'll run a few simulations in my mind while showering. All time is precious and should be used efficiently, after all.

Azul: Heheheh… I've come up with a fantastic plan. With this, tomorrow will be perfectly executed.

Azul: Now I feel I can spend tonight at ease.

[Octavinelle Dorm – Azul's Room]

Azul: What is the radio playing at this time of night…? Ah, an economics news program. How perfect to play in the background while I finish my assignments.

Azul: Today's Enigmics assignment is rather tough. It'll be good to have something to listen to in between answering questions…

Azul: …Oh, a watchmaker from the Queendom of Roses has a product up for pre-release, I see. I had heard that it was in development…

Azul: As it is the first new product in two years, I'm sure the stock prices will be affected. I should keep it on a watch list as I learn more about stocks.

Azul: …An apparel maker from the Shaftlands is experiencing difficulties? It seems the abnormal climate is the source of the issue… Hm.

Azul: That most likely means that other products may end up affected as well. For example, agricultural products…

Azul: Perhaps I should re-look at the Headmage's missive from earlier. There may be something useful there.

Azul: Oh? This formula looks like… Ah, yes, I should apply what I learned from that other problem. It's much easier to understand when I look at the bigger picture.

Azul: That reminds me, that business proprietor I met at a seminar the other day had mentioned a movie revolving around the person who came up with this very well-known formula.

Azul: It could be a good topic of conversation for the next time we meet, and I may even learn something new.

Azul: I'm sure it would help with this assignment as well, and it would be a good change of pace. I'll play the movie and lower the radio volume…

Azul: Perfect. I'll continue working on reviewing my Enigmics lessons and preparing for next class until the radio program ends at 22:00.

Azul: …That concludes the radio broadcast. I suppose I should work on "this" while I finish watching the movie.

「Survey on Quality of Life Improvements for the Student Body」

Azul: I've improved any and all issues I've had myself. I can't say I have any real dissatisfaction during my time here, but if I were to pick one thing…

Azul: I suppose it would have to be the troublesome formalities I have to go through to leave Sage's Island.

Azul: Every single time I'd like to attend a business seminar, or a social gathering, I am required to report to and gain approval from the Headmage.

Azul: Not only do I have to jot down the destination and purpose of the visit every single time, but the approval process is much too slow. And the most irritating thing about needing to write these applications in far in advance over and over again…

Azul: Is that even if a highly competitive and sought-after seminar announces that they've increased attendee capacity the day before the event, I couldn't possibly gain approval in time!

Azul: In the first place, why should we go through this whole process just to leave campus? If only they'd trust us students a little more.

Azul: The academy should provide students with more independence. I'll also add a few comments on the benefits of doing so.

[fervent writing]

Azul: That's it for the survey. What else do I have left to deal with for today…?

Azul: Aah, here's a birthday card. It seems there are some thoughtful people out there.

Azul: I would rather avoid any debts I may incur by receiving gifts, but I do appreciate cards that could help build connections. Let me see, who sent these cards…?

Azul: This one is from a Mostro Lounge business partner, this one is from someone I met at a seminar… Oh, and here's some from clients I've worked with in the past, as well.

Azul: Heh… With every bit of effort, my web of business contacts keeps growing. However, this isn't enough. It isn't nearly enough.

Azul: I've decided. I will absolutely make it my goal to have this school loosen its rigorous rules on leaving campus so that I can make plans on my free days at a spur of the moment.

Azul: Even if I can just make my way to one new social gathering, it will expand my connections even more. If I do that…

Azul: One day, it wouldn't be farfetched to think I'd be swimming in an ocean of birthday cards! Heheh… Hahahah…!

Azul: AAAHAHAHAHAH!!

[Octavinelle Dorm – Azul's Room]

[bubble, bubble… clink]

[clank]

Azul: Mm…

Azul: What's that sound…? Ah, the newspaper's here…

[puts on robe with a flourish]

Azul: Delivered, as always, perfectly on time. It's all thanks to this newspaper that I am able to wake up today as my usual time.

Azul: I've changed it up many times, but it seems this is the perfect amount of sleep for me in the end… I feel completely refreshed.

Azul: Now then, let me see what fascinating news I can glean from the newspaper today.

Azul: I think I'll drink something warm as I look through it.

Azul: Nnnn… I've finished reading all the articles that caught my eye, so I suppose I should start getting ready for the day.

[Azul magicks his hair up]

Azul: I'll adjust the water temperature to be lukewarm… Ah, still too hot. …Good, this is just right.

[splash, splash…!]

Azul: My skincare routine is as usual… Next, it's time for the makeup. Each little detail counts.

Azul: After all, visual appearance makes up 55% of the impression other people get from you.

Azul: People's eyes are drawn especially to the neck up. I need to use my makeup to give a strong aura so as to not be looked down by anyone.

Azul: I'll draw the eyeliner in a sharp line, and the eyeshadow and eyebrows should be drawn so as to give my eyes an almond-looking shape.

Azul: A bit of an intimidating look should suffice. That way, when I take a bit more of a sincere stance, it would be easier for the impression to change in my favor.

Azul: Now, for my lips… I should use this "Ocean-Proof Lip Balm" designed around the Sea Witch that I bought recently.

Azul: While it has a wonderful moisturizing effect, it doesn't rub off easily whatsoever. Since there's no need for me to reapply it every so often, it's perfect for someone with a busy schedule like myself.

Azul: Finally… The most important part is the shading and contour. Based on this application, the face can take on a completely different appearance.

Azul: If it's done too lightly, there won't be any effect; and sometimes it can have the opposite look of what was intended.

Azul: However, if the shading is applied too dark while trying to give the face a more angular look, it could end up looking strange.

Azul: Start the contour from the cheeks and apply a tone that is only a tad darker than my skin color to help create that natural shade...

Azul: Try to make it look as natural as possible, as if nothing had been applied at all… The trials and errors I've suffered getting to this current application method is numerous.

Azul: It's apparent that there's worth even in studying proper cosmetics.

Azul: …My hair is good to go now, as well. All that's left is to determine the perfume I'll use today…

Azul: Because of the campaign we're having today, I will most likely be on the Lounge floor as well. I should select a more reserved scent, then.

Azul: Right. I think I'll select this cologne with a herbal note that I've taken a liking to recently.

Azul: It's not too sweet, nor is the scent too strong… The herbal aroma also firmly plants the feeling that I truly am on land.

[spray, spray…]

Azul: Good. There is not a single thing out of place. I look perfect, as usual.

[Main Street]

[Heartslabyul Student chats with Azul]

Azul: Yes, thank you very much. We should talk again should we have the opportunity…

Epel: Ah… There he is. Azul-san, good morning!

Azul: Oh my, Epel-san. Good morning. Is there something you need of me…? Ah, does it have something to do with the Lounge?

Epel: Ah, not really. I mean, I did think I should give you a heads up because there's gonna be a lot more of us than I thought, but actually…

Epel: I realized I wasn't able to wish you a happy birthday yesterday. So, I just wanted to say, Happy Birthday!

Azul: Oh, my… Heh, thank you so kindly. Well then, I shall definitely have a table reservation awaiting you at the Lounge.

Requested by @oya-oya-okay.

[love-byers]

boyfriends who defend and reassure each other <3

"Wait, this is Will's fault?!" 1x01

"I'm the only one acting normal here! I'm the only one that cares about Will!" 1x01

"Will could've cast protection last night, but he didn't. He cast fireball. [...] My point is, he could've played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party." 1x01

"She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing, I could tell." 1x02

"Maybe it's his ghost, maybe he's haunting us." "It's not his ghost." "And how do you know that?" "I just do." "Then what did they pull out of that water?" "I don't know! All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive!" 1x04

"Hey! Hey! Hey, Troy! Hey, Troy! You…you think this is funny? […] I saw you guys laughing over there. I think that's a real messed up thing to do." 1x04

"Now she's going to let him die in the Upside Down--" "Shut up!" 1x05

"I'm gonna get you home, okay? I'm gonna get you home." 2x02

"Maybe...maybe that's good." "Good?!" "Just think about it, Will. You're like a spy now. A super spy. Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's thinking and feeling, maybe that's how we stop him. Maybe all this is happening for a reason." "You really think so?" "Yeah, Yeah I really do." "What if he figures out we're spying on him? What if he spies back?" "He won't." "How do you know?" *grabs his hand* "We won't let him." 2x05

"Closing the gate will kill him." 2x09

"It's a cool campaign it's really cool!" 3x03

"What if you want to join another party?" "Not possible." 3x08

"I don't think Mike is gonna like that you're lying to him. And he doesn't deserve that, and when he finds out he's gonna be mad." 4x02

"Seems like you've made it super clear you're not interested in anything I have to say." "That's just not true." 4x02

"I was being a total jerk to El, I deserved it…" "No. No, you didn't deserve anything." 4x04

"Listen, the truth is, the last year has been weird, you know? I mean, Max, and Lucas, and Dustin, they're great, they're great, it's just...it's Hawkins, it's not the same without you. And I feel like maybe I was worrying too much about El...I don't know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something. Does that make sense?" *nods* "I have no idea what's gonna happen next. But whatever it is, I...I think we should work together. I think it'll be easier if we're—we're a team. Friends. Best friends." "Cool." "Cool." 4x04

"I should've explained myself, because then maybe Eleven would've taken me with her and things would be different, but…" "No-" "I—I didn't know what to say." 4x05

"Sometimes...I think it's just scary to open up like that. To say how you really feel. Especially to people you care about the most. Because...what if they don't like the truth?" *nods*4x05

"Sorry." "No--" "No, it's so stupid given everything that's going on." 4x08

"See how you're leading us here? You're guiding the whole party, inspiring us. That...that's what you do. And see your coat of arms here? It's a heart. I know it's sort of on the nose, but that's what holds this whole party together: heart. And without heart, we'd all fall apart. Even me. Especially me." 4x08

"He's not going to stop, ever. Not until he's taken everything, and everyone. We have to kill him." *grabs his shoulder* "And we will. We will." 4x09

[axollyon]

here's some art i've made for my upcoming custom slugcat mod for rain world, the corrosive!

if you're interested in learning more about it and in seeing in-game footage, keep reading under the dropdown! i'm hoping to release this very soon, so keep an eye out!

the corrosive is mainly carnivorous, but ISN'T able to use spears - instead, you have to bait predators into biting you! by being bitten, you'll release a deadly poison into your assailant, allowing you to eat it instead once it stuns it! however, you need to manipulate them very tactically, as being bitten by a creature while you're still recovering from another bite will always kill you. being taken into a den will also always kill, as usual, so you need to lead them into a spot where you know they won't reach their destination in time.

while lizards may be less of a threat due to your poison, you still need to watch out for other environmental hazards! notably, water kills you. if you're in water for more than a few seconds, even if you're not holding your breath, your poisons will wash away out of your body and into the water. luckily, the corrosive's campaign takes place before the collapse of the waterfront facility, so you'll be seeing far less water in your travels. it's also before the collapse of the garbage wastes, which is your home; you can swim in its dangerous acid just like any other slugcat can in water.

additionally, you can also craft using your bodily chemicals! if you swallow a piece of rubbish, it'll be dissolved and congealed into a slimeball. you can stick slimeballs onto a wall to climb up it, making up for your inability to use spears for traversal. you can also stick slimeballs onto creatures to slow down their movement, potentially buying you more time before you get taken into a creature's den. be careful with these as well - once you spit them up, you can't swallow them again, and they melt in water in the same way that you do.

how will you turn the tables on the world?

thanks for reading! if you're interested in playing this once it releases, i'll be posting the steam workshop link here on tumblr very soon. i'll also soon be needing playtesters, so if you're interested, send me a message!

[grayintogreen]

HELLO FELLOW NEIN AGAIN ENJOYERS. And happy Tombtakers Loredrop Day. Today I bring you a preview of a long term event coming this summer.

Are you sad that all the enticing lore dropped in CR2 episode "Fleeting Memories" might as well be an eternity away from bearing fruit? Did you think Cree was a fun NPC and wanted more of her? Are you a fan of fix-it fanfic that barely fixes anything and in fact just makes everything a little bit worse?

Well, I have something you might enjoy!

In honor of Nein Again reaching episode 26 on the day of LitMoR's fourth anniversary, I'm going to be running a weekly "bookclub" for the series to run parallel with Nein Again starting July 29th. You can find the full schedule for the entire duology, plus side stories and intermissions here (more dates to be added depending on where I get with the third mega novel and yet it's still going to take less time to get through than Nein Again). It runs exactly like Nein Again, only its a really long fanfic.

And you may be asking yourself? Uh, what's LitMoR? And I'm GLAD YOU ASKED.

life in the margins of redemption is a post-episode 26 canon divergent series I started writing four years ago after the end of Campaign Two to satiate my incredible need to retell the story but slightly to the left, keeping dead characters alive, making certain plot threads and themes more prevalent, and exploring some elements from the campaign that I thought were underdeveloped simply because those just weren't the things the cast wanted to focus on (and that is valid- this is in no way me going HERE'S MY BETTER VERSION OF CANON, it's a love letter to wanting more of these characters). At 1.6 million words and the main two stories of the duology remaining in the top three longest fics in the CR tag even after all these years, it is an absolute chonker and I'm still adding to it. It's a story that is very close to my heart and I thought it would be fun for people to either re-read or discover it while taking it in in bite-size chunks as you watch how it diverges from canon and goes off in wild new directions.

Below the cut is an FAQ ranging from what you can expect to the story to how the book club will be run if you'd like to participate. If there are any other questions, please don't hesitate to send me an ask! I look forward to seeing how this goes. Hopefully it'll be fun for the people who would love an excuse to reread and for new readers alike.

WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?

I've been told numerous times by people that LitMoR looks interesting, but is ultimately very daunting and intimidating. By promoting a book club, I hope that maybe those people who have wanted to read it will find it easier to do so. Also a lot of people who have read it thought it would be cool to do.

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING?

Whatever you like! You can read the assigned chapter and go "that's nice" and never do anything else. You can leave a comment on AO3! You can join my Discord and talk about it with other people. You can talk about it on tumblr. You can not do any that at all and instead do some secret additional thing. It's really up to you how you engage with it. I just ask that you be polite about it. It's all in fun.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE IT?

Back button. I really don't expect this to be a huge thing- it's just something that I'm proud of and want to share it with others and if there's a way to share it that makes it easier on people to read, that's great! But I will not be coming to your house and demanding you give me my flowers. I just ask, again, that you be nice. If it's not for you, it's not for you.

WHAT CHARACTERS DOES THIS FOCUS ON?

This is an ensemble story, so while there are significant narrative beats dedicated to Molly, Cree, and eventually Lucien, every character is given a chance to shine and have their own subplots and arcs. A lot of arcs still play out as they did in canon, but under radically different circumstances and in new ways and some characters whose personal growth wasn't focused on as much even get some additional layers.

WHAT IS THE SHIPPING/ROMANCE VIBE LIKE?

My rule of thumb is that if you absolutely despise any of the ships listed, this series isn't for you, but if you're indifferent at worst, you'll probably be okay, because the shipping is on par with how canon treats it- i.e. it's part of some characters' arcs, but it does not derail the plot nor does the romance override other relationships. Everyone is still intensely weird about one another, regardless of whether or not they are kissing.

EXPLAIN THE RATING

The rating is for violence, gore, intense situations, and a lot of mindfuckery, but I wouldn't say any of it is atypical of what you would see in canon. The tags represent anything that comes up more than once, but if something is specific to a chapter, I will usually put it in the author's notes.

WHAT TAGS SHOULD I USE IF I WANT TO POST ABOUT IT?

LitMoR, LitMoR bookclub or life in the margins of redemption are good tags to use! I would avoid using canon CR tags unless you're just really into them for organizational purposes so to not to annoy people who aren't here for this. I'm trying to make this as fun and hassle-free for all sides of the line. I will only be using the CR tags for this post and the starting post and every subsequent bookclub post after will be tagged with the series name or "LitMoR bookclub" to keep things tidy and not annoying so you can either follow me or the LitMoR bookclub tag for updates.

WILL THIS SPOIL FUTURE EPISODES?

If you are aware of things that are coming up narratively even if you don't know the details, then you should be okay, because for the first few weeks OUADYA will follow pretty close to canon before it wildly diverges and doesn't pick up canon events until much, much later. If you want ZERO spoilers ever, then you might wanna sit it out, because while it does take lore in a different direction and does operate under its own thing, it will likely spoil a lot of things for you.

I have heard that it's possible to enjoy the fic if you haven't seen the full campaign if you don't care about utterly spoiling yourself! If you decide to stop watching after episode 26 for... reasons, it is actually fully able to be enjoyed with just that context.

HOW CANON COMPLIANT IS THIS?

It does not consider TNEOL or Molly and Caduceus's Origins comics canon (the first story was written before any of them came out), and does, again, take things in wildly different directions and has intense, deep, and maybe not exactly what was intended by Matt and the cast, lore, on top of occasionally throwing out certain spell rules that get in the way of good storytelling (like Doric's infinite wildshapes in the Dungeons & Dragon movie). I do have it on good authority that my characterization is pretty damn accurate, but you'd have to ask the frequent readers to weigh in on that.

Also shockingly, I have accidentally predicted a lot of canon events, which is very funny.

[blackpilljesus]

What I've learnt from the opposition that keep winning:

Radicalisation > Justification: Like a lighter igniting a wick and the flame spreads, put your thoughts & actions out there and mobilise the existing base. Many women spend too much time disproving moids claim or trying to "fix" them and not enough time on us. The right dont waste their time trying to change minds unless they're making money from it, they run off vibes. People didnt vote trump because he had an amazing campaign they voted because what he stands for could benefit them & they know it by looking at him & his history. Dont waste time getting into arguments or going onto their platforms to debate. The main times RWs spend time countering others is on their own platform where they also get paid for it. Add in inflammatory speech. Use catch phrases. I've changed minds not by directly convincing people but just doing me & speaking with convinction. I post stuff that can teether on the extreme side even when I thought I'd lose my followers. Idgaf how absurd it sounds I stand by it.

Your mistakes dont matter: based on the above point, people will still ride with you if they believe in what you stand for & it resonates with them. When their shortcomings are brought up they switch the topic. They dont come out with apology essays on why they were wrong or justifying themselves. Focus on your aim & work with people that'll advance it & ignore those who wont: The right will use whoever to get to their aim. Doesn't matter how much they disagree, if they've got a common goal they'll put other differences aside to get to it. Then the right ditches them after. Many GC "feminists" voted trump for TRA issues (even though they wouldn't work with libs for other womens issues lol). Part of why the left is so divided is because they expect all round perfection from everyone involved then the purity contests start. Speaking of the above, many of us focus on imperfections & it's not that deep.

Excuses dont matter: Roe fell during a democrat presidency. Trump elected a justice during election season even though obama was told he couldn't do the same. Regardless of who won the US elections the right would still actively be trying with their aim whereas when biden won in 2020 many got relaxed. Too much time is spent theorising & rationalising other people's actions rather than just recognising the threat and focusing on how to neuter it.

Dont underestimate the threat/enemy: Many people thought Harris would win, everywhere I looked it was trump stumbling over his shallow rallies. Trump was made out to be an idiot with no shot at winning both in 2016 & 2024. The right are called stupid but they're actually strategic; the maga slogan, trump & other RW leaders narcissistic personality that is absorbed by many, playing on people's egos, etc all played a part in their win. Another case of unestimating opposition is people claiming white women vote against their interest & were just these clueless damsels who need saving when it's actually in their interests to vote the right. This twitter thread explains it well and this tweet summarises it.

White women were not voting against their own interests. Their men are paying their bills, raising their family, and keeping them on top of a pedestal above other women. They did what needed to be done for security.

People thought that after 2016 there would be a change but nah. Even seeing this with 4B, women think it'll change maIes if they do it underestimating what would actually go down.

Get in the real world: Speaking of the above, be wary being in too deep in echo chambers.

There was another reddit post from a trump supporter that was probs deleted as I cant find it anymore but it said a similar thing. Again it seemed like Harris would win based on the news & peoples reactions online. She even had a ton of popular celebrity endorsement. It's hard & as beneficial as online spaces can be, the real world is where it matters most. Work on having money & resources for yourself and to help other likeminded women. Work on defending yourself in the real world & trying to improve the situation around you irl instead of wasting time online discourse. These things can be useful but it's easy to ingest excess amounts that delude you.

Hit 'em when they least expect it: Women have a tendency to announce their every move and tbh I'm guilty of doing this too & have made efforts to stop. MaIes strike out repeatedly when it's least expected. Dont announce to maIes how you wont be around them (thus giving them time to prepare), just do it.

Persistency & consistency is key: Despite all the hate podcasts, manosphere, PUAs get - they're persistent. Most times they dont respond to it & laugh at the haters to belittle them. They enjoy our anger & keep going. Dont overvalue the hate you get, have an agenda separate to people's validation - it will help greatly with the first point.

Win at any cost: MaIes, the right, religious people etc will do whatever it takes to win. Any violence, any bloodshed, any infrastructure toppled even if it comes with their demise they're willing to risk it all because the things they believe in give them a purpose in life and they see no purpose in the alternatives. I ain't putting it on anyone to do these things, but it does work going all in. Very few on the left or left leaning are willing to risk their lives (not just physically but even their social status) for what they believe in and would rather win by playing fair while the opposition do not care about the rules.

(Edit) Forget the logic, sometimes - Initially left this off but seriously similar to the above point just go for it. There tends to be a lot of over analysis & perfectionism when it comes to going after what we want & honestly fuck that. Despite claiming to be logical, actually the opposition just run off their feelings and go after what they want anyways (which is why there's so many double standards & holes in white/maIe supremacist logic that gets endlessly analysed but it doesn't matter in the end). These systems of oppression didn't form overnight it took numerous trial-and-error but a lot of people in our camp are so quick to give up after a setback. If women can be delulu about porn obsessed jakey they can be delulu about liberation if they want that.

Now overall I know that the world is generally dominated by conservative ideologies such as the family unit, anti abortion (until a moid wants a woman to get one), religion, capitalism, etc and have institutions & systems that have been solidified over the years to push these things which gives them a huge leg up but the above points are just things I see that additionally contribute to their success. Adopt some of these and we could move forward. This is not to praise the right nor do I think they're perfect but just simply observing what's working.

[dimension20pcbracket]

round 1 statistics

hi, gamers! while we wait for the round 2 polls to close, here are some interesting stats and tidbits from round 1 that I noticed :)

total votes: added up, the 52 polls in round 1 had a total of 28,221 votes. holy shit!

largest percentage of votes: sometimes the polls were tight, and other times they were... not. the top 5 most decisive winners were:

Fig Faeth (93.6%)

Kingston Brown (93.2%)

Sofia Lee (90.3%)

Chirp Featherfowl (89.7%)

Pete Conlan (88.8%)

the thinnest margin of victory to eke out a win went to Rue, who beat Amethar Rocks with a slender 52.2% of votes. notably, Rue kept up the trend in round 2, with their even slimmer 50.2% defeat of Gerard of Greenleigh, so it will be interesting to see if they're able to keep clinging on through round 3.

polls with the most votes: some polls really got you fired up, and brought Dimension 20 fans running in droves to vote for their faves...

Lapin Cadbury v Pinocchio with an unparalleled 1,636 votes

Squak Airavis v Kristen Applebees (838 votes)

Sam Nightingale v Colin Provolone (818 votes)

Katja Cleaver v Prince Andhera (767 votes)

Kingston Brown v Gangie Green (718 votes)

... while other polls had less fanfare. polls with the least votes:

Tuti IV v Maggie (347 votes)

Vicar Ian Prescott v Bob (388 votes)

Saccharina Frostwhip v Megan Mirror // Twyla v Marcid the Typhoon (392 votes each)

Bean v Amangeaux Epicée du Peche (409 votes)

Sunny Biscotto v Binx Choppley (416 votes)

it may not surprise anyone to know that it looks like none of the winners of these least-voted-on polls will be advancing to round 3; it seems the passion isn't there for these particular PCs :/

winning PCs with the most individual votes:

Lapin Cadbury (851 votes)

Kingston Brown (669 votes)

Fig Faeth (573 votes)

Evan Kelmp (509 votes)

Kristen Applebees (487 votes)

winning PCs with the least individual votes:

Maggie (255 votes)

Bob (260 votes)

Sam Black (269 votes)

Cody Walsh (274 votes)

Gunnie Miggles-Rashbax (285)

evidently, individual votes accrued in round 1 aren't a great basis for predicting future success - Kelmp was the fourth most-voted for PC in round 1 but won't be making it to round3, and Gunnie was the fifth least-voted for character in round 1 but on track to head into round 3 by a pretty decent margin.

campaign stats:

the most to least successful campaigns, by % of characters that won their round 1 polls:

Fantasy High: 100% (6/6)

Misfits and Magic: 100% (4/4)

A Starstruck Odyssey: 83.3% (5/6)

A Court of Fey and Flowers: 83.3% (5/6)

The Unsleeping City: 77.8% (7/9)

A Crown of Candy: 75% (6/8)*

The Seven: 66.7% (4/6)

Neverafter: 66.7% (4/6)

Mentopolis: 66.7% (4/6)

Burrow's End: 66.7% (4/6)

Coffin Run: 25% (1/4)

Dungeons and Drag Queens: 25% (1/4)

The Ravening War: 20% (1/5)

Escape from the Bloodkeep: 16.7% (1/6)

Pirates of Leviathan: 16.7% (1/6)

Tiny Heist: 0% (0/6)

Mice and Murder: 0% (0/6)

Shriek Week: 0% (0/4)

*ACOC: while Amethar was passes on to round 2 to compete against Pinocchio, he did lose his initial poll against Rue. if we included Amethar as a winner, ACOC would have a considerably higher 87.5% success rate, making it the third most successful campaign overall.

it's definitely interesting to see how the success of various campaigns has changed over round 2! Fantasy High stays strong, while the MisMag crew has been wiped out, and several campaigns have lost all of their remaining PCs. it'll be exciting to see how the numbers look when all of the final votes for round 2 are in.

thank you all so much for playing along with this bracket! I hope you're all still having fun and are getting hype for round three :)

[unscrupulousartist]

Kickstarter Update #2

Cross-posted from Kickstarter:

A few things I'm looking forward to in October...

Hullo, hullo! Welcome to Update #2.

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who's supported my campaign so far. :) This first week I was hit by an influx of spam marketers and questionable conversations that, while a shitty achievement badge in general, I was unprepared for emotionally; but each and every one of you has been a reminder that there are real people out there who want to support real art.

Speaking of supporting real art... there are some exciting things coming up in October that I'm looking forward to supporting in my life, and perhaps it'll be stuff you'd want to support, too.

IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER 

October 15th—Confluence ft. Publishing Goblin | @publishinggoblin

Confluence is on my radar because of my low-key obsession with Publishing Goblin—'cause come on, how great of a name is that? I've supported previous Publishing Goblin projects and will likely support more of their projects in the future. Publishing Goblin brought me The Alleyman Tarot, will eventually bring me The Hot Housewife Tarot, and has been steadily working through several poetry projects. As a bit of a goblin myself, I've got a starry eyed vested interest in seeing another cool creative make art and succeed in this world; for it's art that makes the rest of it worth living.

Confluence has beautiful artwork, a trusted artist working with a diverse team, and is a perfect excuse to throw dice into trays and laugh with friends. Full disclosure: this is likely to be a nice little gift for my TTRPG loving step-son, and we'll see about bullying him into running a little campaign for me and his dad. 

October 22nd—A Fool's Errand by J Strautman | @strautmaskreplica & B Marsollier | @b-marsollier

In other TTRPG news, your friends and mine over at Planet Arcana have designed their own tarot-based system.  A Fool's Errand puts your party into the world of Planet Arcana, with it's lavish landscapes, brilliant beasts, and arcane insight. You don't need to be familiar with the podcast to enjoy the game; but if you're looking for an award-winning group of Canadians playing through a unique Tarot-Inspired universe, it's definitely worth a listen. 

Playtesting our own little calamity has been a highlight of my still-very-novice RPG experiences. I get to live out my piscean fantasties as an angry waterbreathing aquean composite, and weave a tale of prophet and mystery with some storytelling friends. We're only a few sessions into our campaign, but it promises to be a fun experience. 

Sometime in October, Probably—Refugium by Simon Roy | @simon-roy

And I would be remiss not to include my favourite comics on my list. Refugium is the third book in Simon Roy's Griz Grobus series, following the eponymous first book Griz Grobus and the second, Miramar. Simon's a fantastically detailed comic artist and works with a wonderful colourist, Sergey Nazarov, to bring this galaxy-spanning universe to life. It's already funded, but you can buy the backlog or support Simon on Patreon while you wait for whatever he makes next. I'm trying to be patient while I wait for my copy of Refugium to arrive—hopefully sometime this month.   

Can you think of anything else exciting happening this month? Let me know. :) I always like finding new artists to swoon over. 

Stay Rested, Audrey

[digitalcactusblog]

I have a tentative idea for a campaign that I kinda want to run that is light enough that it could fit within my current schedule...

The concept at its most basic is a D&D 5e boss rush, or, if you've played gw2, almost fractal-esque, in that you are diegetically being transported from boss to boss upon defeat.

Honestly, I initially came to this idea for the potential of maybe running an irl campaign for people dropping in and out? So it would serve more as testing grounds for me creating interesting new bosses and players trying to minmax absolutely broken characters. So, no continuity between bosses, just pure testing grounds for funsies.

But, thinking about it, I'm wondering if there actually is a way to give it a continuity and a story after all? Like, if between each boss the characters had a little bit of downtime to chill out and get to know each other?

I'm imagining a potential storyline like, you are all members of some sort of multiverse monster hunter organization, or something along those lines. A common, unifying reason for your characters to be put on the same team. Some joining willingly, others less willingly, maybe one is from a timeline where xyz boss actually destroyed the world.

With adding a storyline though, I can see this potentially snowballing in terms of how much time it's gonna take me to plan each session though, haha.

Also, since each boss is a boss, but not all bosses are going to have emotional ties to the characters in some way like a more traditional D&D campaign might, I'm unsure of how it'll feel to play this hypothetical campaign. Whether after a couple of bosses, it'll start feeling rote and boring.

But I kinda want to take a step out of my comfort zone and try something new that isn't guaranteed to be perfect, so I was like, why not take a stab at this idea?

So... interest check?

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion

It's going to get worse. I'm not sure it'll get better.

The embarrassment I'd feel putting in a performance like that after a touching memorial to Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End. The only Scottish player to ever win the Ballon d'Or and we stink the place out. Shameful.

I don't know how to process my frustration and write good copy, so here's a breakdown player by player.

Onana: ARE YOU TRYING TO GET SOLD YOU DAFT CUNT.

De Ligt: Not a RCB. CB only. His passing and moving doesn't suit him flanking someone - especially not Maguire.

Maguire: His uncomfortable-ness spreads into others. We saw it with Luke Shaw, we see it in De Ligt, Martinez and Yoro. He's in a decent patch of form at the moment, but United need better.

Yoro: Poor. He's a kid, so it's understandable, but he was off it again today.

Mazraoui: The only player worse than Onana today. Wtf has happened to this guy? Or is it karma for being a dick about the Rainbow Laces campaign stuff?

Dalot: Cannot play LWB. Bring Amass up to the first team. Stick Dalot on the right. Bump Mazraoui into the back three.

Ugarte: Better today, but not by much. Right to be subbed off for Collyer, too easily bypassed, but did have some nice touches on the ball in tight spaces.

Mainoo: Similar to Ugarte, Kobbie looked off the pace. Confidence matters, and again he was good in tight spaces, but things weren't clicking with him in CM and part of me wonders if him and Bruno should swap positions - use Mainoo like Amad as a tekky player on the edge of the box.

Amad: Looks class, but not quite as clinical today as vs Soton.

Bruno: Tries too hard and fucks the flow of the team up. Solid penalty, and dependable on those, but we need more leadership from him. If that's not Keano style passion then it needs to be performance on the pitch ala Rooney.

Zirkzee: Looking sharper each game but still a little clumsy when driving at players. Good hold-up play, but poor defending for Brighton's second.

Collyer: Another solid cameo from Toby. He looked bright coming on, provided more energy, strength in midfield, and played a simple game that kept us flowing.

Garnacho: Lively, though ineffective.

Hojlund: The guy needs dropping for a while to be honest. He needs time to hone his game, re-find himself and what makes him a good prospect. Being Mark Hughes or Drogba and battling every defender is dumb, especially when they're bigger, stronger and more experienced. He has great technique, so be quick, get in behind, utilise that quality.

Antony: Why are you still here.

I feel sorry for Ruben Amorim. His style of play isn't suited by this squad, and whilst he talks about people adapting... not everyone can or will adapt. You can see that he's lacking options, and that's on Ratcliffe & co. for bringing him in and expecting him to cope, and the Glazers prior for such dogshit club management that we pissed away millions on unsuited signings, dividends to the shareholders (who takes dividends from a football club?), and are paying disgusting levels of interest on a now-illegal loan to buy the club in the first place - money that's gimping our great football club.

The reality is that United are in dire straights financially, and while I'm not a big fan of him, Ratcliffe seems to be at least taking a pragmatic approach to fixing the rot. The problem is that in that process, there has to be SOME sort of support for the manager to make the team his own. We've seen glimpses of quality, of potential, of style, but that's it. It seems like the issue is near to no money for transfers unless we sell, so lets do it? If Rashford's going, get him gone. Antony, get him gone. Casemiro, get him gone. Eriksen... keep til the end then let him leave - same for Lindelof. Luke Shaw, get him gone. Malacia... if you don't rate him, get him gone.

That's two wingers (Amorim 10s), two CMs, two CBs (for this, Shaw is LCB), and a LWB. Amorim with SEVEN more players he actually wants and who want to be here could actually win a few matches, but until he has that we're just praying to survive game to game, and that's how you finish 14th and get laughed at by everyone. It's also how you miss out on the cash that Europe provides you.

Maybe United need that break. Fewer games, more time at Carrington to learn Amorim Ball. Buy a bunch of cheap, good prospect kids and mingle them with academy talent. See who stands out and can step up, sell those who don't. I will say though, if I'm Harry Amass I'm fuming that I can't get some first team minutes at the moment. United look bereft of a left wing. Miserable.

Next up: Rangers on Thursday in the Europa League at 8pm. We have to put those fucks away. A miracle run in the Europa or the FA Cup are the only glimmers of light in the tunnel of shit that is our season. Get praying, reds.

[ratwavekayla]

PSYCHODUNGEON next stretch goal and finale stream

PSYCHODUNGEON hits it's first stretch goal (New Dungeon Textures) so I am contractually obligated to make this book More Dysphoric. Did an update about it and revealed that as well as Dysphoria and Medical Trauma Textures I'm planning one related to money stress.

The update also has some more details about the next stretch goal.

The next stretch goal for the game is a pre-written Dungeon Scenario. This will be designed to let a one shot or starting session skip over the Building a Psychodungeon step. There'll be a written up Client character, a filled in Dungeon sheet and descriptions of each floor as well as scene starters related to each Texture. As well as facilitating a different beginning to play this scenario also models how things could look in a given game of PSYCHODUNGEON and fills in more flavour of the wider world. I think it'll be a brilliant addition to the book but we only have four days to make it happen!

Make that a little over 1 day. Fun fact: I mixed around the order of stretch goals a few times, mainly motivated by what I was most excited to write after the campaign and what I think most immediately expanded the games possibilities. The Dungeon Scenario got boosted up the list sometime ago because I could see myself getting a lot of use out of it at conventions or such.

I'm not sure how much further we'll go in the final day. If we managed to make it past this goal and all the way to 4k (the Eight Playbook goal) I'd feel happy with how things have gone, but that maybe feels a little far at this point.

Anyway, in the interest of not allowing myself to sit refreshing the Kickstarter page every minute tomorrow I'm going to do a life stream from 2:30BST. I'll work on some PSYCHODUNGEON art, answer any questions about the game and just chill out as we cross the finish line.

[anxietymadmax]

A bit ago I said I wanted to draw some player character ideas I had, so voila

This is Hinoka! A Tiefling Fighter (with the Samurai subclass, if that wasn’t painfully obvious).

This is the character I’ve decided I’d play if the opportunity arose and it was a fairly low-key style of campaign, nothing too crazy on the character story front (I do have another character idea, but the story and theming go kinda mental, so I wouldn’t just dump them on any ol campaign lol).

What is a D&D character but a glorified OC, so I shall properly delve into her design and character below -

She's so fun!

I mentioned (on my post about Tiefling horn inspirations in antelope species) that I had an idea for Blackbuck styled horns, and here they are! Hinoka has been a concept for at least that long, but I don't actually recall when I came up with her.

Mechanically, the Samurai subclass has always seemed interesting to me, I find it amusing how so many of its abilities feel very trope-y (like, literally that thing where a character moves their sword millimeters and it cuts someone in half, that is basically one of the samurai abilities), and it's an interesting stylistic choice in a game so heavily western medieval styled (I do really fw samurais in fantasy settings, i.e. Elden Ring and Delicious in Dungeon).

Whether I'd be able to lean into the Samurai theming would depend on how constrained the setting of a given campaign is, but considering it is an official subclass I feel like I could worm it in. To that end, her weapon of choice is not a katana, but rather a katana on a stick, aka a Naginata, which mechanically would probably be a glaive, but flavoured otherwise.

Onto personality, like with her class, I purposefully conceptualise Hinoka to be easy for me to play as, so she can probably be summarised as 'headstrong naive optimist'.

She lives for a good fight, and will always approach the battlefield with honesty and dignity. She treats opponents with whatever respect they are due, and will never turn to trickery or dirty tactics. This can, of course, be used against her, as she will often hope the same of her opponent, and they may easily trip her up.

Hinoka has a very strong personal sense of justice, believing the world to be very black and white, good vs evil, and that every wrongdoing is easily rectified (which, to her, usually equates to a punch in the face). This outlook on the world comes from a fairly sheltered and idealistic upbringing, and is one that over the course of a campaign would likely be shattered and remoulded.

Despite a harsh view on morality, Hinoka herself is incredibly kindhearted to most, especially those in need. Any problem faced by another, she will do her best to solve. Again, she may have to learn that not all problems are easily solved, but she will do her damndest anyway.

The last main personality trait to go over is that, sort of in line with her other traits, Hinoka is not exactly the thinking type (mechanically, dump stat int and wis lol). When faced with a problem, the first instinct is to see if that problem can be hit hard enough, and when that doesn't work, it'll take a bit for her to decide on the next best option.

Hinokas backstory is not super set in stone, something I'd likely elaborate on if I were to actually play her, but the basic gist is that I think she'd be raised by some kind of family of guards in the service of a particular noble house or authority (literally a family of Samurai who serve a lord). This upbringing would provide her combat training, her style of honourable battle, as well as context for her sheltered and naive outlooks.

I haven't decided what would prompt her to leave her family and go on an adventure, but probably nothing super devastating, since it'd be important to me that her outlook on life is intact for the start of a campaign. Maybe just rite of passage type deals.

And that about wraps up the current deal with Hinoka. I think I would get a great deal of fun out of playing her, even just drawing her was a blast. Hinoka is, however, one of two player character ideas that I have, and the other is... a lot more... lots. Warlock of The Undead is all I have to say I think. I shall draw and infodump on them another time xx

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi there, and thanks for giving me a lifetime of validation and confidence in my neurotype to keep pushing through it all.

I'm a writer. I always have been. I love writing, and it's the only thing I consider myself to be legitimately good at. Linguistics is one of my special interests. I love the flow of a grammatically correct English sentence.

Anyway, I have major executive function issues. Specifically with starting tasks. So I already find it hard to sit down and write. But I find it even harder to continue the progress I make in anything. After enough minimal effort, my brain decides it hates this activity and everything related to it, and inside a single hour I'll go from obsessing over a creative task to being indifferent or repulsed by it. But the *feeling* of knowing I had just been so passionate about it a second ago remains. I end up putting myself into a depressive episode every time I try to be creative in any regard.

I've played D&D with my friend group for years, and I've wanted to run my own campaign for a while. But not only does my inability to start completely destroy my progress in worldbuilding and planning, but I can't organize my thoughts at all. I've tried mindmapping and charting and notebooks and binders. When I'm trying to organize my campaign in any way, I revert into this dramatically incapable person. My brain just instantly fogs and clouds, and I don't know how to visually plot my system and lore that helps me in any actual way. But I *love* worldbuilding with a passion. Even when I don't want to engage in it, I am still absolutely fascinated at creating a world from my own brain. Especially one my friends can play in. Yet in this moment, I can't mentally be bothered to do any of it, and I'm subsequently depressed.

I never saw myself ADHD since I aligned with autism so intensely. I still don't find myself relating to ADHD very often. It's also hard enough for me to accept I'm autistic because I feel like an imposter every other hour. My question for you is, how do I overcome this? How do I overcome myself? How can I enjoy an activity I literally love, and continue to enjoy it? These are loaded questions, and of course you'd have to know me personally to answer this the right way. But I just want to know if there's anything I can do about myself. How do I ignite a flame in myself that doesn't burn out in 10 minutes? Moreover, are there any tools available online that help autistic or ADHD or just neurodivergent people focus, plot, plan, and organize in a very visual way? My latest attempt was to find an AI assistant that I can verbally speak with or text, who would do the plotting for me, and ask the questions for me, and I'd just insert my thoughts and ideas. I can't find what I'm looking for. It all feels so hopeless. I can't even amount to a personal desire. I feel this has to do more with depression than anything else, but I'm new to the neurodivergent community at large, as I've mostly dealt with my struggles on my own accord, and learned through books. Maybe there's a billion tools and strategies I've never heard of before. My mind was blown 80 trillion times since downloading Tumblr regarding my mental health, so it's worth asking a profound community member like yourself.

Sorry for the essay, I'm incapable of shortening my thoughts. If I don't type it all out the way I see it in my head, it'll be an itch I can't scratch for the rest of the day. If you do have any advice or recommendations, I would be so grateful. But I'm grateful for your engagement with the community already. You're just awesome.

Thanks for the empowerment and understanding you give me every time I open this app. You're changing people's lives, and that's real.

Cheers ❤️

Hi there,

This was somewhat hard to digest, but I’ll do my best to help.

I couldn’t find much. But I did find one article that lists some ways that might help with executive dysfunction and writing. This excerpt is going to be long, so I apologize in advance:

Executive dysfunction is a term used to describe weaknesses in the cognitive process that organizes thoughts and activities, prioritizes tasks, manages time efficiently, and makes decisions. It’s common in certain disorders, such as Depression, ADHD, and autism. Executive function skills are used to establish structures and strategies and to determine the actions required to move a project forward. So for those of us who struggle with executive dysfunction, dedicating ourselves to a project could get quite overwhelming. Here are some little tips and tricks I’ve compiled throughout my experience.

How to start:

Task initiation is one of the biggest struggles when dealing with executive dysfunction. This is especially hard with writing, since you need time to muster the energy needed to jump into your story. Here are some tips:

1. Start a 1-3 minute timer and force yourself to write something, anything, before it ends. The words that come out don’t matter. You can just write, “I don’t know.” The point is to force yourself into the writing zone.

2. Leave bread crumbs for yourself at the end of each writing session to make picking up where you left off easier. For example, stop in the middle of a sentence or thought, so the next time you write you won’t have to tackle something completely new.  You just have to finish that incomplete thought and continue from there. You could also leave some notes about what happens next, cutting down thinking time in your next session.

3. Try free writing. This is a great way to get those creative juices flowing with minimal effort. Free writing alleviates the pressure of writing something good. Spend a few minutes writing about anything, like your day or a frustrated ramble about your story. It’s like a warm up before your writing session.

How to keep going:

So you’ve started your writing session. How do you keep writing? Most importantly, how do you keep working on your project?  When struggling with executive dysfunction, the regular “set a schedule” approach doesn’t tend to work.

1. Scale down your goal if your big, overarching goal for your project is overwhelming. Try changing your goal to something more manageable and short term. For example, try writing 500 words a day. This might make it less likely for you to lose steam half way through.

2. Try writing sprints if daily goals aren’t working. Instead of hitting a certain word count, you’re setting a timer and writing for its entire duration

3. Don’t feel bad for needing external motivation. Will promising yourself a pizza after you hit your goal motivate you to write? By all means, do so. Maybe you just need a friend to ask you if you’ve written at the end of the day. Find out what motivates you.

4. Find a writing buddy. This can be someone who can sit down and write at the same time to hold you accountable. Or it can be a critique partner that expects you to turn in something by a certain deadline.

5. Try something new. This is one of the best ways to combat how constraining and overwhelming your writing might feel. It’s okay to lose interest in your project for awhile and try something new. Unless you’re racing to meet a deadline, you have no obligation to keep working on a project that isn’t working for you. Setting a project aside doesn’t mean giving up on it. You might only need some time away from it before you are able to finish it.

Trying something new could also mean changing where or how you write. Usually write at home? Try a coffee shop. Do you usually type? Try hand writing. It might or might not work for you. But change could be quite refreshing for your mind.

6. Write whenever you can. Sometimes the urge to write comes while you’re waiting for lunch to heat up, or right before you go to bed. Motivation can be hard to find with executive dysfunction, and designated writing times don’t always work. Have something on hand you can easily pull out to write with to take advantage of these moments. Jotting down a hundred words as you’re waiting for dinner to cool might not seem like much, but it’s still words contributed to your word count.

Some of these tips might work for you. Some might not. Writing successfully is mostly about finding what works and running with it. These are things I found helpful when I embarked on my first novel and I hope it would at least give you some ideas.

The link to the full article will be below:

If that doesn’t help, I did find this Reddit thread that might have some helpful tips.

Reddit Post

I’m sorry that I couldn’t find anyone else or anything visual. Many sources focused on younger children. So it hard to find resources for older teens and adults.

Maybe some of my followers can give some tips/advice?

If you’d like, we can talk personally so I can try to help. I have an associates degree in English if that means anything. Lol.

Anyway, thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ❤️

[voidscarredadjudicator]

Hey guys. Sorry for being quiet for a month. Hopping on here to let y'all know that I do still have a pulse. Things have been... fine? I guess? Here's a bit of a wordy update on my situation right now, but the tl;dr is, I'm good, HE is still on hiatus, but I'll get back into the groove soon hopefully. Also happy holidays!

The mysterious and vague 'personal life stuff' is still ongoing, and I really don't know how long it'll be something that I have to deal with. I'm continuing to not elaborate because it is very much a personal life thing, but I can assure you that nobody's dying or anything grim like that.

On an only somewhat related note, my expendable income has shrank dramatically in the past few months, so I've been having to get a lot more stingy with what I spend money on. I'm not poverty stricken; I can still afford rent and bills and groceries and whatnot, I just gotta cut corners where I can so I can actually build up my savings.

What does this mean for Humanity's Endling? Well, it's... still on hiatus, technically. But really it just means I'm picking up more shifts than I'd usually care to, which means less time to actually work on it. If work were being done on it to begin with. I'm also cutting out my NSO subscription, which unfortunately means I will not be playing Splatoon 3 much at all anymore. Granted, I was kinda taking a break from it already, so it's not like I've been getting my money's worth of the subscription anyways. So if you were curious about my absence during this most recent Big Run, or the lack of a lengthy season observation/headcanon post like last time, that is why.

All of that said, it's not like I haven't been writing at all - just been hard focusing what creative juices I'm still able to generate given my situation on the accursed TTRPG I've mentioned in prior rambles, as that's an actively running thing that I kinda need to constantly pump stuff out for.

Speaking of which, I pulled a Super Mario Galaxy and wrote a whole ass children's book for the players to find as a lore thing. It was written with the intention of just being a normal children's book in a bubble, but when viewed with the context of the entire campaign thus far, takes on a completely different meaning. Which is to say, you don't need to know a damn thing about the campaign to appreciate the story - a theory I tested by having two people who aren't players read it.

One almost cried. The other actually cried. And when the players found it in our most recent session, one of them also cried, and we had to take a breather after the fact.

Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I feel like that's one hell of an achievement. So I am pretty proud of myself for that. If you guys are interested, I might clean it up a bit and post it either on Ao3 as an original work or just straight onto this tumblr. It's only about 2k words, so it should fit nicely in a single post.

That's all I can really think of to say at the moment. Again, even though I might seem a bit quiet, I am still here. I take a peek at tumblr at least once a day to see if anyone's sent any asks or anything like that, so don't be afraid to toss something into my inbox if you have a question.

Oh, and for the anon who sent an ask suggesting me to upload what I have of Act II done already - I don't exactly plan my stories in a linear fashion, nor do I write them as such either. It's closer to me thinking of the major moments I wanna do, plotting out how to connect them, refining, refining, refining, rearranging, refining, scrap half of what I have done, rearranging, suddenly having an epiphany, scrapping another chunk... yeah, it's a bit chaotic. I see what you're trying to say though, and I do appreciate the suggestion, but it can't really be done with the way I go about writing.

That's it from me. Happy Holidays. Play Cyberpunk 2077. It's a good game, I swear. Or Undertale Yellow if you own a toaster. It's me, I own a toaster. I played Cyberpunk on my brother's computer. Thanks, bro. Love you.

[musekicker]

So.... would anyone be interested in playing a online very much home brewed table top role play game that's srmthfg based?

Been putting in some work of making a campaign and home brew system to Game Master for players.

I will mention some things ahead.

I'm setting this game many, many, many years into the future where it seems things are for the most part peaceful and the Hyper force has gone down in history as heroes of the universe. Players would be monkey ocs set in that world.

Still working out what stats will look like but I will say that I'm using something called "Archetypes". Sort of your characters class, and it's based off the hyper force team members. So there is Hero, Monk, Fighter, Pilot, Mechanic, and Scientist. While I had ideas of how those classes would affect a character powers/skills, I see myself as a very "yes and?" GM and if you can give me a good reason for why your character would have a certain ability or skill with the archetype you chose, most likely it's a green light.

Very, very new to gming. As in never have done before. So chances are things will not be as organized as a a experienced GM. But honestly I think that might be interesting as I'm also very open to fudging rules in the players favor if it'll be a good story/help the play go smoother.

More a thought but I will admit I'm not interested in getting player characters killed. What I'm looking for out of gming a game is for folks to have fun and collectively tell a fun story. Not to say there will not be challenges to the game.

so basically, I'd like to hear who would be interested in playing, what people would like to see in a campaign (story, game mechanics, etc.) . If enough people interested, maybe start a channel for talking about the game more.

[x-v4mp3y3lin3r-x]

I do think it's sort of fascinating how people say "they haven't talked about it" when they mean "they haven't publicly posted about it" because it's as if the idea of actually privately socializing with people has gone out the fucking window in online spaces?

I just think it's interesting how nowadays it's common to see attention-seeking people throwing wild accusations like "so-and-so hasn't said ANYTHING about this, they must not care!" around because they know it'll ignite the keyboard-warrior-piranhas? and people will feel justified in their harassment campaigns, because they assume that everyone posts everything publicly these days. (and if you don't you have something to hide, or you don't care)

and there's one thing to be said about the fact that a lot of the people who get called out actually HAVE made public posts about whatever topic the piranhas have picked up this year

but also, idk about y'all but I like having private conversations with people. me and my friends often talk about serious topics, news, etc. I talk about that stuff with my family, with the people I know irl. It's good to be able to have private convos where you don't constantly feel pressure to word your opinion like a goddamn press statement. (in case one of the piranhas misconstrues something you said) It's good to be able to have actual discourse and share opinions and hear feedback from the people you know, who aren't automatically assuming the worst of you.

I just don't think the mentality that everyone must craft a perfect, non-offensive, agreeable post or else they Must Not Care is a sustainable mentality. I think we've already seen a lot of people burn out the past few years, because it is exhausting keeping up with the responsibility once people feel like you owe it to them to play 24/7 news reporter.

Y'all have got to stop looking towards influencers, celebrities, or other social media users for political statements or news or journalism. Follow actual journalists and care about what they have to say.