#long replies are always okay

[kelpermoosee]

I LOVE SEEING YOUR CAPTAIN SHIP POSTING ON MY DASH !!! Its so so cute thank you for the delicious content ❤️❤️

Me and the guy who just (accidentally…???) killed my entire troop of Pikmin 😢

[freakoutgirl]

i'm serious though that people online have got to stop looking at posts and trying to therapize the op and anyone who relates to it. "that's not a healthy way to think" "you just need to do it" maybe not, maybe so, but ultimately who cares??? people are allowed to express their unhealthy, maybe self-pitying, maybe nihilistic posts on their blog. they aren't asking you for advice. they do not know you. you are not their therapist nor are you even their friend. they are not having a conversation, they are venting on their own personal space. if you find these posts annoying just block the post or the op and move on. no one wants to hear your thoughts on someone's mental health when you don't even fucking know them or their situation

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Finding Light in the Darkness || closed with pretty-isnt-pretty-enough

{ @pretty-isnt-pretty-enough, cont'd from here. }

Wanda actually managed a small, awkward smile - the first she'd made in a long time - as Sheva asked her question at the same time she asked hers. Her eyes were drawn to the glint of the Star of David pendant around Sheva's neck and... for a brief moment, Wanda felt such a wave of relief wash over her. So she wasn't the only Jew here after all. Just knowing that provided her with an immeasurable amount of comfort.

"Yeah, I... I didn't either," Wanda admitted. "Everyone here seems to celebrate Christmas. Religiously or... just... for the gift-giving side of it..." She hadn't meant it to be an attack on anyone in particular, but it did seem like the Avengers leaned into the capitalism side of things a little hard. Having come from a disadvantaged and war-torn community, Wanda and capitalism didn't really get along that much.

"Your um... Your necklace is really beautiful," she said, pointing to the Star. "I had one myself when I was very young, but the chain broke and I didn't realize until it was lost." That had been while she and Pietro had been living on the street. He'd stolen a ring for her, a silver one of a bird claw, to cheer her up some time later. She at least still had and wore that ring, even if she'd lost the Star of David she'd gotten from her parents.

"Well, you're doing better than I am," Wanda said, still feeling so awkward as she ran her fingers through her long hair. "I don't have a menorah or candles. I was going to see if I could find candles and just... stand them up on a shelf." Not the same thing, but it was something, at least. "But yes, I know where they keep the olive oil in the common kitchen. I can show you."

That got her thinking, though. She hadn't cooked or baked a single thing this year. Wanda didn't have much of an appetite lately. This was her first Hanukkah without Pietro, and it hurt badly. Cooking and baking had always been something she enjoyed, but half the fun of it was watching Pietro consume the result so happily each time. Without him, Wanda hadn't thought there was much of a point. But if there was someone else here who celebrated... "Are you going to cook something?" she asked, feeling a little embarrassed that just that simple question should cause her eyes to flood with tears.

"I usually cook and bake all sorts of things... but um..." she said, her voice starting to tremble, "I don't have my brother here... to eat it... anymore... so..." The wave of sadness hit her so unexpectedly that all she could do was cover her face until it passed. It was still so raw, losing Pietro, and feeling left out of the holidays wasn't making it any easier to deal with. Realizing that Sheva shared her beliefs, it was hard for Wanda not to just latch right onto her.

"I'm sorry..." she said, quickly wiping her tears and trying to reel in her emotion once again. The last thing she wanted was to scare Sheva away with her negativity. "I lost my twin brother recently, and this is my first Hanukka without him," she explained. "But if you... want... Do you want... some help... with what you're making?" she asked shyly. It would be nice to share that with someone again, she thought.

[notanotherinfjblog]

Texting habits per judging function

No one asked, but here are some observations I've made in my personal life.

*Note that this probably differs by age, gender, and culture (for instance, I have been told by several Americans that I use an insane amount of emojis, whereas it's not considered weird at all here in Germany).

FJ:

Generally very good at texting, will respond to absolutely every point you make. If you send them a long voice message, they can be found taking notes while listening so that they will not forget to answer any point you made.

Have a very hard time leaving someone on read and if they do, either something happened and they forgot, or they simply don't like you very much. If they open the message, they answer. If they don't have time to answer you right now, they simply will not open the message yet.

If the text conversation is done (i.e. you wrote something like "bye, see you tomorrow!" that does not require another response), they will still at the very least send you an emoji back for no reason other than letting you know that "Yes! I read your message! I'm not ignoring you! I love you!" (Literally every FJ I have ever known does this. Every single one, including myself.)

They will adapt to your style of texting. If you are the kind of person that likes to send a bunch of heart emojis to friends and the FJ friend is not, they will still pepper in a heart here and there. If you generally don't use emojis, they will use them only occasionally. If you reply in wallpaper long messages, so will they. If you break up your messages into several texts one after the other, so will they.

FPs:

Also generally quite good at texting and can actually appear a lot warmer in writing than in person (there have been several instances where I received really lovely messages from FPs who I used to think hated my guts whenever we met in person).

Prepare for emojis. Seriously.

You can have infinitely long text conversations with them. If you are willing to commit, the conversation between the two of you will never end. With NFPs, the conversations usually end up spiralling into nonsense scenarios, while SFPs keep telling you about their day and keep answering you about your day every day.

TPs:

(my texting experience with TPs is unfortunately very limited, so feel free to fill in my blanks)

Fe is very noticeable in the extroverts, i.e. they tend to go the FJ route described above, but in a more nonchalant and more relaxed way. Like with FJs, the focus of the conversation is on you and their dynamic with you.

The introverts (i.e. my dad, i.e. my only point of reference) are bad at texting and prefer to call, so almost all text conversations go something like this: TP: "Hi, I tried to call you, but you didn't pick up. I hope everything is alright with you?" You: "Yes, sorry. Everything's good here, how about you, everything okay?" --- end of conversation ---

TJs:

Generally bad at texting. Also don't really like it and see no point in it, so they usually prefer calling or talking in person.

Will appear colder in writing than in person, especially the STJs. Their answers will be straight to the point. No beating around the bush and no needless extension of a conversation in form of jokes/questions/anecdotes for a bonding experience. If they want to tell you something, they will tell you in person.

Have absolutely zero problem leaving people on read and usually don't mean anything by it.

STJs rarely use emojis, NTJs do but not excessively

If their answer requires them to type anything more than two sentences, they will send you a voice message instead. (Literally every single TJ I know does this, except my INTJ brother who is a complete maniac and calls instead.)

[crossbackpoke-check]

Substance, Shadow, and Spirit [remixed, abridged] by Tao Yuanming

[losergames]

how did you find the move from choicescript to twine?? I've been working on a project in choicescript but not really sure I want to host it there anymore

hello! thank you for the ask,

preface, i think both tools are great for what they were built for. i had a good time with choicescript and it was a good introduction to what variables can be used for and structuring an if game. if you don't care about UI/ appearance, then choicescript makes sense.

i will be real and say, the move to twine was difficult personally lmao because i had no experience with html, css, or javascript prior to the move -- but that shouldn't put you off. my personal approach to it was that it's a learning opportunity.

be prepared to be 'not good'. learning something new can be a really frustrating and discouraging process. things won't work the first time round, they never do, but keep reminding yourself that this is a process and the progress, and your understanding, will come with time! the best quality a dev can have is patience, especially in the if circle.

if you go into twine thinking about your long form game/project and try to port things immediately into a template, i think it will really mess with you. make something tiny first, like a tutorial game, and when you're ready move up to the long form stuff.

you don't have to do it my way, but the best way for me to learn was to just get hands on with twine templates other developers have made. get a feel for the twine programme, language, layout, interface etc etc. i will tell you right now the second day i started learning twine/ sugarcube i got stuck on how to //open// an imported file haha. learning is hard and it sucks but now i've built my own interface for my own game!

all this being said, you don't even HAVE to build an interface for your game -- it comes with a default UI that you can start using straight away. so, if you don't care about the ui/ aesthetics, twine can still be an option.

i do want to touch on publishing, because that is a huge aspect of if. twine is a free open source tool and choicescript is not. if you get to the point where you finish a game and can publish with cog/ hosted games, then just be aware that you do not //own// your own writing because it is in the choicescript language. you will only own the IP.

i was stubborn about choicescript for a very long time, i still think it has better accessibility //because// the interface is basic and the appeal of going through a publishing house is very understandable. they have a huge reach and an established audience so there's no doubt of your game having eyes on it.

twine has an advantage being open source because no one owns it. plus, it encourages self-publishing and i think that's a great thing to aspire to as a writer! i love chop shop even more now because i built and own the whole thing. technically, twine games don't even need to be on itch.io because they're just html files, so they can be hosted anywhere that supports html. if i had a website for example i could just embed it into a page.

obviously, i am going to have a lot of bias towards twine since i made the move myself haha. i'm not trying to put my own feelings into this because COG as a company was a whole other reason why i moved and that won't be discussed on this blog.

you don't have to move to twine if you don't want to publish through COG, i'm pretty sure choicescript games can be hosted on itch.io.

edit: from @/hpowellsmith in the replies: you can have a contract with Hosted Games to monetise a ChoiceScript game on itch or elsewhere online where you pay them a smaller percentage of revenue than if you're published through Hosted Games

i think if you're happy with choicescript and COG/ hosted games then go for it and, if not, there are other options out there!! it doesn't have to be twine but it's probably one of the better tools for interactive games and has a wealth of help guides/ tutorials.

sorry this was so LONG, but thanks for reading if you got this far anyways :^)

[riwrite]

from @deiscension. [ guard ] for your muse to step between my muse and danger + reverse (equivalent of a pomeranian trying to guard a doberman)

before he can do anything, a whirl of white and teal robes obscures he xuan's line of sight, buffeted around the wearer's figure by a strong wind summoned by the wave of a fan. her movements are practiced, elegant even, and she seems every bit the force of nature her domain suggests in the face of danger — though that danger wasn't a threat to the one she protects.

he has no love for his fellow undead. they're something to consume, to feed to the abyss under his sunken skin and grow his power, and they're an annoyance when they can't be that. they say he is a king, but his hollow manor, in which he has naught but bones and ash for company, tells a far different story than the bustle of ghost city. and that suits him just fine — hua cheng can fill the void in him by lording himself above the fools that live there, but he xuan knows better than to pretend he's anything more than empty.

so, when shi qingxuan dissipates the opposing ghost before it can reach out to so much as touch the perceived earth master, he xuan feels nothing. a prick of irritation, maybe, if he reaches far enough, that he didn't get the satisfaction of ridding them of the nuisance himself. or perhaps it's more that shi qingxuan bothered to step between him and the unruly ghost in the first place when he could have destroyed it with hardly a finger lifted ( not that he would have done it that way with her watching. he has a mask to keep up, and he can't display power unbefitting of an elemental master. which is often to his disdain — he hates that ridiculous shovel and it seems that inasmuch as it can feel, the feeling is mutual ).

the more he thinks about it, the more that irritation bubbles up from within the cold depths of whatever's left of his emotions. why does she always insist on this ? keeping him safe ? he's the last person to need her protection. she is the vulnerable one, always baring her wrists and her neck and all the softest parts of herself with no idea that he has teeth capable of tearing her apart. and she risks it, and for what ? for an empty old thing with plans to destroy her ? for the miserable wretch who was forced to swallow her doomed fate ?

for a best friend to whom she is oblivious — he chokes on her brilliance and she can't even see it. ( that brilliance should have been his. would he wear it as well as she does ? maybe it's the allure of it that keeps him by her side. )

   " i had it, " he says darkly, a threat getting lost somewhere. " that was reckless and stupid. what would you have done if it hurt you ? "

[synobun]

I listened to "Curico" and "If I Lead" by Kiltro in 2022 apparently. It left enough of an impression for me to remember the band name, but not anything about the vibe.

This seems... hm... hm... like it has potential? Not this exact song (maybe), but the general sound. I'll add it to my auditions list and see if it grows on me. I suspect not, but perhaps my efforts will lead to me liking this kind of music more in the future.

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

One thing to know about you: What’s your favorite video game? :)

hey okay ahhh. it took me a bit to get back to this cause i genuinely had to think about it- jst because while yeah i DO play a lot of games, i have a habit of not finishing them??? its a whole thing BUT.

its down between two for me- and yeah its hunter-core of me to say this, but BUT BUT- TLoZ twilight princess really really has stuck with me.

as it being my first zelda game/introduction to the series i got it used on whim and literally have over 100 hours in a save file (look- you CAN clear it in shorter time but i just was really into it-) and its a game ive actually replayed two or three times in full??? its just such a good zelda game (people will talk shit about the wii version but gamecube prices/the hd port to wii u istg- i WILL settle for motion controls- actually they didnt bother me too???). i just like the entire gritty feeling of the world and how realistic it looks. its mature while also the standard linear progression to pre botw zelda. botw is good- but its one of those games i said earlier about not finishing haha. twilight princess is just THAT. like it hooked me. same with the entire soundtrack and just- mannnn i cant even explain it! skyward sword is good too- but i just hold tp closer from the zelda games ive played (which arent many but i really think theyre cool as someone who only had a knowledge of solely nintendo=mari> for years, branching out on their other ips was a cool experience).

and the other one would be the 2018 insomniac spider-man game. when i played it FAR after its release (like in 2022 lmao) i just couldnt put it down. like everything from the combat to how fluid the web-slinging feels- it all just flowed so naturally to where it engrossed me as a whole. i fully wasted an entire weekend to beat the entire mf game. THATS how into it i was 💀😭.

oh and the ending of the story literally made me almost cry. AUGH. im not gonna spoil it but damn </3. i really would like to get a ps5 eventually to play though the sequel. miles morals eventually too- ik that ones pretty short so it shouldnt be that long. uhhh- im not even like a superhero person either- like im not diehard into the marvel universe but i just really heard such things about it over the years and it delivered for me.

i could probably say honorable mentions with neo: the world ends with you or doom 3. its a whole thing. i mainly play anime games (not alllllll the time but a lot of my ps4 library consists of anime games.)

I KNOW im rambling but in conclusion, twilight princess and 2018 spider-man (NOT the remaster on ps5. the og ps4 version. its just better. trust me.)

[colgatebluemintygel]

I want you to know that I write about OAO in my diary. I dont have any friends who read it but I always have Thoughts and Feelings and leaving a comment is simply not enough.

anon!!!! you write about it in your diary !!!!!!!!!! help this is so cute. if you ever wanna expel some of those thoughts n feelings elsewhere bab, you're so welcome to expel them here! i simply adore talking about them <3

[bookishmuggleborn]

hello?🧍🏻‍♀️

[alasy]

advices are welcome because i ✨dont know anything anymore✨

[mobius-m-mobius]

Omg you're an Ed fan! Did you ever watch that movie father figures he did with Owen, its really good

Hey there anon, an absolute yes to both and a fav comfort watch!! 😁

It's actually one of the exactly two Owen movies I'd ever seen before the Loki series sent life on a whole new trajectory, lol. Went opening weekend because while I've loved Ed forever a lot of his movies don't even screen locally so I specifically remember driving to the movie theater furthest from my house in December when it was an icy negative 2 degrees out (do not recommend 😅) and very ironically walked away captivated with how Owen's character wasn't at all like the stereotypical slacker brother who ruins everything?? Which I've now found out was all due to his usual improv/adjustment of each character he plays because ofc it was, haha. Super refreshing and their relationship was instantly natural plus as someone completely biased here their contrast in personality and style is unbelievably hot 👀

[jeanmoreaux]

How do you approach arguments with siblings?

that's such a hard question to answer bc it really depends on your relationship with your siblings and your individual personalities. there is not best or standard appraoch that will work for everyone. i have a good, and pretty close relationship with both my younger brothers, and as an older sister i was very much someone who occasionally scolded them when we were kids. so directly approaching them with any criticism or issue i am having comes pretty natural at this point. personally, i'd just be quite frank about whatever it is that's bothering me or that i want to discuss and confront them in a pretty straightforward way. i also try to make sure they're aware of my feelings (e.g. i try to be honest about feeling hurt or disappointed or concerned—i try to show vulnerability and be transparent. doesn't work all the time. it's a very hard thing to do). but that only works because we trust each other and they know me and my manner of dealing with things (and i know them). they're also (i hope) aware that, no matter what, i love and adore them as people. we're all in our 20s now so, you know, it's very rare that we even fight these days, so they know i mean business when i have something to complain about. the way i deal with my brothers is in no way how everyone deals or can deal or should deal with their siblings. there might be people you cannot even engage in an argument for whatever reasons. or people who will dismiss your feelings and the points you're making and turn the entire situation on you. and there's, sadly, not much you can do about that. if someone doesn't want to listen, it's hard to make them understand. and ofc sometimes it can even be dangerous for you to broach a subject with someone. if it's all more an issue of misunderstandings, it's important to figure out where exactly communications goes awry. i found that repeating back to people what i think they are trying to say OR imply (or vice versa) can clear up things sometimes. doesn't always work either though. i also learned that i ususally fare better when i layout an argument in my head and prepare some sentences before i start a difficult conversation. i often still forget some things in the heat of the moment, but just having thought about the most important points in advance makes that less likely (in my experience).

like i said, it's all so, so very dependent on many factors. if you have any more questions i am happy to help out as best as i can <;3

[pyrrhiccomedy]

The last time we were on a long flight, my wife and I invented a game we call "Little Guy."

You start a game of Little Guy by saying, "I'm gonna hand you a little guy." The little guy is some kind of baby animal you are imagining. "Oh," she might say in response, "Okay," and hold out her hands for it. I will then mime handing her the animal. This provides some clues as to the little guy's size, weight, and general ungainliness.

She then gets to ask questions about what kind of little guy this is, BUT NO QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS ACTUAL APPEARANCE OR SPECIES ARE ALLOWED. Qualitative questions, or questions about his behavior, are the only ones permitted. She can ask "Is he soft?" or "Does he seem nervous about being held?" or "If I put him in the bathtub, does he seem okay with that?" or "Would he like a lil grape?" or "Is he the sort of little fellow who would wear a vest in a children's book?" but not "Does he have fur," "Is he a reptile," "Is he from Asia," etc. Some questions are in a grey area so you have to follow your heart, but the point is not to identify the animal as fast as possible: the point is to guess the animal purely based on vibes + how he would act if he were in your living room right now.

And I'm not limited to yes or no answers! If she asks, "Would it feel appropriate to see this little guy in a propeller hat?" I can reply, "Oh no, he has a gravity to him. A bowler hat would be a more appropriate hat." Or if she asks, "Does this little guy have protagonist energy?" I can say something like, "he probably wouldn't be the main character in a children's cartoon. He'd probably be the main character's ditzy best friend who's always eating sandwiches, or something."

We're big Twenty Questions to kill time in a waiting room people, but Little Guy is more about the journey than the destination. It's got a different kind of sauce that's nice if "killing time" and "lowering anxiety" need to happen hand in hand.

[secondpersonpoetry]

HI!!!!! whilst eating dinner i watched the “once an otter always an otter” number retirement video on youtube and thought “ooh. cool. let me see what people are saying”. opened tumblr. saw your most recent reblog, pressed play. saw DYLAN STROME say the word “davo” and immediately had to pause it lol. put my fork down to boot. like…..flabbergasted. genuinely. man oh man. my goodness. unpaused. the past tense “it was (WAS!!!!) an honor to be your friend” (😧) and the “and hopefully we can make some more [memories] in the future” and the fade to black. SHUT UPPPPPPPPP. OH MY GOD…………….i don’t have anything of substance to add just im sick!!! im sickened!!!!!! it’s never overrrrrrrrrr. absolutely unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! frank ocean ivy trust and believe you WILL be looped for the foreseeable future……..they’ll never be those kids again!!!!! and the game’s in a week and a half!!!!!!! gahhhhhhh. nuts crazy bonkers etc etc. going to have an absolutely exceedingly normal one about it for sure!!!!!! hope you have a good one!!!!!!!

also! just for future reference: do you prefer asks of this nature sent to this blog or your hockey one? thank you!!

"Centaur over Tomer Butte" [amended, abridged], Robert Wrigley

you know. i don't think i actually ever registered dylan saying "davo". i think my ears just decided i didn't need to hear that, for the good of my brain to continue functioning. who up having their present haunted by the ghosts of the past who are less like ghosts and more like someone you keep forgetting walked out of the next room but also aren't quite sure if they came back and you've only just worked up the courage to call out to them. schrödinger's best friend who might or might not be there in your future to make more memories with. but at least this time you opened the door and left it cracked for him to crawl back through.