#music directory list

[katz-chow]

part 1 | part 3

ghost distribution system where you’re now sat on the tail gate of his truck, awaiting him to finish changing your tires as you eat the food that he made you. which is terrific by the way.

he has insisted that you sat inside to avoid the bugs and the chilly wind, but you said you didn’t mind. he replied he did and grumbled something you didn’t quite hear and went to make you put on his much bigger jacket.

so you sat there, a bowl of soup in your hands as you watched the sunset, your music blasting from the small speaker in his car, windows rolled down. you watch him change all your tires as the sky got darker.

“do you always do this?” you asked him as you slurp your soup from the bowl. his jacket now taken off from you and merely draped over your shoulders, your body warm from the soup.

he hummed in replied, a silent question for you to repeat yourself. he sets down the last tire on the stack just outside his garage and walked over to you, wiping his hands on a rag. “what do you mean?”

“you know…stalk people’s cars, out cryptic notes on their dash…take them home and i guess now what? kill me?” you ask him, the last part jokingly as you chew on the spoon you’re using.

he gives you a side glance as he huffs a laugh, looking away from you and thus, ignoring your little comment.

“hey! look at me when i talk to you!” you tell him as you hit his shoulder playfully. the sun was starting to set, streaks of orange and yellow and red filled the sky.

he turned to look at you, just like you had commanded him. he’ll always listen, you know. “did you know i actually really like sunsets?”

even with his balaclava on, you can see the crunch of his eyes as he gives you a soft smile. his twinkle, and not just from the sun. you smile at him. “i didn’t. what i also didn’t know was that you can cook.”

“i’m guessing that you’re saying it’s good?”

“very…i don’t think i could live without it.”

ghost nodded slowly and looks back at the sky. “this is the first time someone’s been at my house.”

you raised your eyebrows in shock as you leaned and tilted your head towards him, trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes to search for the truth. “you’re kidding.”

the weight of his pick-up shifted as he leaned back into it, shifting his weight onto the metal. he shakes his head and uses his heel to kick at the pavement underneath. “would you like to come back?”

you giggled and leaned back yourself, your palms keeping you. “dunno…will you cook?”

“always”

“tomorrow?”

“forever? i can change your tires again…”

master list | letter box | main directory

stop by the letter box!

[rebouks]

Keeping Lag to a Minimum...

I was chatting about a few things I do to combat lag over on discord and realised I do quite a bit of maintenance to reduce lag/load times. I decided to write em all down and before I knew it, I had a big ol' list. Here's hoping it helps!

Save/File Tips:

Clear your caches (located in the same spot as your mod folder fyi) I usually delete the onlinethumbnailcache, avatarcache and localthumbcache caches every time I exit the game, the main one to delete regularly is the localthumbcache file, they're just temporary files but it can get pretty big after a while.. if you're having any mod issues, particularly ui ones, it's always worth deleting that to see if it helps.

Remove any saves you're not using from your saves folder, and keep an eye on save file sizes. In my experience, any saves over around 30-40mb start to get a bit laggy. Things that bump this size up are the amount of townies in game and the amount of lots/objects in the world.

Regarding the above point, I regularly bulldoze lots I don't need anymore, just to save the game from having to cope with extra shit to load in the background and reduce save file bloat.

Similarly, I delete a lot of unnecessary townies. Also, try to keep the amount of outfits on townies to a minimum, ain't no townie need four swimsuit outfits, the game will thank you..

If you have cheats enabled you can usually shift-click/delete object on things like random coffee cups or stray cupcakes sims foolishly drop around the world (or eat em.. whatever tickles ur pickle) just get rid!

Whilst we're keeping objects in game to a minimum.. I try to clear sims inventories now and then, including townies. You can do this via mccc even if you're not currently playing that household by heading to MC Cleaner -> Sell Sim Inventory/Sell Household Inventory. RANDOM LUMPS OF CLAY BEGONE!

Think of a save file like a lot.. the more objects in it, the laggier it gets! Try your best to remove anything or anyone unnecessary where you can.

Hit "Save As" instead of "Save" now and then - the more you overwrite a save, the more chance it has of going wonky, treat your game to a fresh one now and then and remove the old one from your saves folder (maybe don't delete it right away in case you wanna roll back, keep it somewhere safe).

If you can (although ik it can be a pain) set up a new/fresh save, you'd be surprised how bogged down old ones can get! For legacy players, it's usually best to do this whenever you have a small family to save yourself some pain, since you can just save the household and take em to a new save (you will lose sims inventories/household inventories/relationships with sims outside the household tho so beware! Pictures/other collectables can be saved to a lot however, and you can always cheat back relationship bits etc.. bit of a last resort but new saves are shiny and fast!)

Make sure your Screenshots/Video folders are empty - move em somewhere else, it works, trust me. If you have a lot of custom music installed try n' clear some of those out too.. the smaller that Sims 4 directory is, the better.

Delete any last exceptions/last crashes (same spot as your mod folder again) you don't need em unless you're planning to upload em somewhere for help.

Settings Etc:

If you get a bad lag spike, opening the main menu and/or saving can randomly stop this. If it doesn't, try exiting the game, clearing your localthumbcache and restarting.

Clearing all notifications from the game panel can also help.

If you can, close all other apps and background apps you don't need whilst playing, ts4 is super memory hungry so it can definitely help.

The GraphicsRules Override file by Simp4Sims can reduce lag/latency and make your game look a little better in the process!

Srslysims Simulation Lag Fix mod can help reduce lag too (if you've altered the game speed via mccc tho, don't use this unless you plan on resetting it to default).

If you aren't keen on, or barely use a pack, consider disabling it.

Not ideal, especially for those of us taking screenshots, but lowering the graphics settings whilst playing definitely helps.

If you use re/g-shade, consider switching it off whilst playing and only turn it on for screenshots.

A clean and tidy pc/laptop runs better in general. Remove anything you're not using/don't need anymore to free up space, remove temp files, clean up your folders now and again etc etc.. especially that dreaded mod folder, speaking of...

Managing Mods:

SORT OUT YOUR MODS FOLDER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.. skdsjdjs it doesn't have to be immaculate but at the very least try n' clear it out now n' then. Also try to separate your script mods/overrides from the rest, patch days don't need to be so stressful ;-;

Personally, I don't merge my mods; if something breaks it's much harder to pinpoint! It makes it easier to find/delete specific mods too.. and let's face it, there's usually one or two items in that set you could do without lmaooo.. also, don't think it helps much tbh! Yeah you could say the game doesn't have to work as hard to load merged files but that's debatable, it's still the same amount of items/polys at the end of the day ¯\(°_o)/¯

If you like merging files and/or see results from doing so, you can merge stuff you definitely know you're never getting rid of, especially CAS/BB stuff.. but steer clear of merging gameplay/script mods! If a merged file seems to be the culprit when using the 50/50 method, try unmerging it and 50/50ing it again! You might not need to get rid of everything if something's borked.

Bulk Rename Utility can be used to remove all spaces and special characters from your mod files, the game doesn't particularly like loading those so it'll thank you.

The Sims 4 Mod Manager is a great way to sort through your mods, you can easily see, move and delete files from here (not great for build/buy, poses etc as thumbnails are usually missing, but great for CAS stuff). An extra hint with this that I've noticed is that if any of my mods get renamed with [D1] at the beginning after looking through them via the mod manager, it means it's a duplicate file so you can get rid.

I also use the Sims 4 Tray Importer to help me sort through mods. Simply save a sim/lot with any cc you don't want and find it in the importer, you can then go through all the cc in the cc tab and delete/sort it (I also use this to sort cc if a bunch has the wrong tags etc, makes it easier to find in my folders by saving em to a lot or w/e - it also spots duplicates which is handy).

It's a ballache, but the 50/50 method is tried and tested if you're having issues.

I like to keep an abandoned cc folder tucked away somewhere, that way you can remove mods willy nilly without stressing about losing them. If you change your mind, you can always grab it back!

[vaadazen-codes]

How To Get Started Making Visual Novels

Wanna make a visual novel? Or maybe you've seen games like Our Life, Blooming Panic, Doki Doki Literature Club, etc. and wanna make something like that? Good news, here's a very basic beginners guide on how to get started in renpy and what you need to know going in! Before you start, I highly recommend looking at my last post about writing a script for renpy just to make it easier on you!

LONG POST AHEAD

Obviously, our first step is downloading it from their website

thankfully, its right on the home page of their site. Follow basica program installation steps and run the program. I highly recommend pinning it to your task bar to make it easier to access.

From there, you're met with the renpy app, it's a little daunting at first but let's talk about what all these buttons are for.

Projects

This part is simple, it just lists the current projects in the chosen directory. You probably won't have any in there of your own. You should still see Tutorial and The Question!

Both of those default projects are super helpful in their own ways, i highly recommend testing out the tutorial and playing around with it just to get comfortable with some of the basics.

Create New Project

The first step to actually making your game into a game!

You'll be met with a prompt letting you know that the project is being made in English and that you can change it. You can click Continue.

From here, you'll be asked to input a project name! Put in your games title, or even a placeholder title since this Information can be changed later! (this is also the title the folder will be in your file browser, be sure to name it something you won't overlook)

Now we get to choose our resolution!

If you have no idea what to choose, go for 1920x1080! This is the standard size for most computer monitors and laptops, but it will still display with moderately decent quality on 4k monitors too!

You can choose 3840x2160 as well. This is 2x the measurements of the default, with the same ration. These dimensions are considered 4k. Keep in mind, your image files will be bigger and can cause the game to have a larger size to download.

Now we get to choose our color scheme!

Renpy has some simple default options with the 'light mode' colors being the bottom two rows, and the 'dark mode' colors being the toop two rows.

You can pick anything here, but I like to choose something that matches my projects vibes/colors better. Mostly because depending on how in depth you go with the ui, it minimizes the amount of changes I need to make later.

Click continue and give it a minute. Note: If it says "not responding" wait a moment without clicking anything. It can sometimes freeze briefly during the process.

Now we should be back at our home screen, with our new project showing. Let's talk about allll that stuff on the right now.

Open Directory

This just opens that particular folder in your local file explorer!

game - is all the game files, so your folders for images, audio, saves, and your game files like your script, screens, and more.

base - this is the folder that the game folder is inside of. You can also find the errors and log txt files in here.

images - takes you to your main images folder. This is where you wanna put all of your NON gui images, like your sprites, backgrounds, and CGs. You can create folders inside of this and still call them in the script later. EX: a folder for backgrounds , a folder for sprites for character a, a seperate folder for spirtes for character b, etc.

audio - Takes you to the default audio folder. This is empty, but you can put all your music and sound effects here!

gui - brings up the folder containing all of the default renpy gui. It's a good place to start/ reference for sizes if you want to hand draw your UI pieces like your text box!

Edit File

Simple enough, this is just where you can open your code files in whatever text/code editor you have installed.

Script.rpy - where all of your story and characters live. This is the file you'll spend most of your time in at first

Options.rpy - Contains mostly simple information, like project name and version. There aren't a ton of things in here you need to look at. There is also some lines of code that help 'archive' certain files by file type so that they can't be seen by players digging in code however. Fun if you want to hide some images in there for later or if you just dont want someone seeing how messy your files are. We've all been there

Gui.rpy - where all of the easy customization happens. Here you can change font colors, hover colors, fonts, font sizes, and then the alignment and placement of all of your text! Like your dialogue and names, the height of text buttons, etc. It more or less sets the defaults for a lot of these unless you choose to change them later.

Screens.rpy - undeniably my favorite, this is where all of the UI is laid out for the different screens in your game, like the main menu, game menu, quick menu, choice menu, etc. You can add custom screens too if you want, but I always make my own seperate file for these.

Open Project - this just opens all of those files at once in the code editor. Super handy if you make extra files like I do for certain things.

Actions

last but not least, our actions.

Navigate Script - This feature is underrated in my honest opinion, it's super handy for help debugging! In renpy you can comment with # before a line. However, if you do #TODO and type something after it, it saves it as a note! You can view these TODO's here as well as easily navigate to when certain screens are called, where different labels are (super great if your game is long, and more. It saves some scrolling.

Check Script (Lint) - also super duper handy for debugging some basic things. It also tells you your word count! But its handy for letting you know about some errors that might throw up. I like using it to look for sprites I may or may not have mispelled, because they show up in there too.

Change/Update GUI - Nifty, though once you start customizing GUI on your own, it isn't as useful. You can reset the project at any point and regenerate the image files here. This updates all those defaults we talked about earlier.

Delete Persistent - this just helps you delete any persistent data between play throughs on your end. I like to use it when making a lot of changes while testing the game, so that I can reboot the game fresh.

Force Recompile - Full disclosure, as many games as I've made and as long as I've been using Renpy, i have never used this feature. I searched to see what it does and this is the general consesus: Normally renpy tries to be smart about compiling code (creating .rpyc files) and only compiles .rpy files with changes. This is to speed up the process since compiling takes time. Sometimes you can make changes that renpy don't pick up on and therefore won't recompile. In these cases you can run force recompile to force it. Another solution (if you know what file is affected) is to delete that specific. rpyc file.

The rest of your options on this right hand side are how you make executable builds for your game that people can download to extract and play later!

Sorry gang! that was a whole lot of text obviously the last button "Launch Project" launches an uncompiled version of the project for you to play and test as you go! Hang in tight because my next post is about how to utilize github for renpy, so you can collaborate easier!

[fluentmoviequoter]

A Very Handsome Boy

I used @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 's idea based on 4x05 "A.C.H"! I hope you like this!!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!reader

Summary: While you're at a party, your friends mistake a cop for a stripper. He has a way you can make it up to him.

Warnings: some stripper jokes but it's clean, fluff! spoilers for 4x05

Word Count: 1.6k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

You’ve been smiling since you walked into the party. Your friends, and the friends of friends of friends that have been invited through the grapevine, have definitely become the life of the party. The music is up and easy to dance to, plenty of food and drinks are prepared in the kitchen, and the people around you having a good time, which makes it even easier for you to have a good time.

“There you are!” your friend yells over the bass thumping through the speakers. “I thought you left.”

“Why would I leave?” you ask, raising your voice to match hers. “This is the best time I’ll have this month!”

“Now that we took the aux cord from Wade,” she agrees, laughing. “I don’t think I could take another millennial girl song.”

You laugh with her, prepared to make another joke about her boyfriend’s odd taste in music. Before you can speak, someone knocks loudly on the front door while, in a bedroom, your friend is yelled for.

“I’ll get the door,” you offer.

“I hope it’s the pizza!” Wade yells from the kitchen. “I’m starving!”

“Eat your chimichangas!” your friend jokes as she walks down the hall.

You roll your eyes fondly and approach the front door. As you open it, you’re surprised to see an attractive man in a police officer uniform standing on the stoop.

“Who called a stripper?!” a girl behind you yells excitedly.

“Oh, no,” the man before you interjects. “I’m-“

“Coming inside!” another partygoer finishes.

Several girls around you pull him inside, and though you can see his head shaking, you can’t make out what he’s saying. As you step between two people you don’t recognize to get closer to him, your eyes widen because his uniform looks too real.

You push closer to him, trying to tell everyone to back up, but they’re too busy looking at him and yelling over the music to hear you.

“Guys, stop!” you yell.

This time, they listen, but your demand is punctuated by a loud rip. You close your eyes and exhale before you look up at the police officer. His uniform has been ripped across one of his sleeves and the chest, and you don’t know whether to laugh or cry while apologizing profusely.

“He’s not a stripper!” you add as a handful of dollar bills are thrown toward him.

“Just…” the man begins, clearly annoyed and tired. “Just turn the music down.”

Someone runs to the speaker and turns the dial to an acceptable level. A couple girls apologize as they pass the police officer, but you step closer with your hands interlaced tightly.

“I am so sorry,” you begin. “There’s no excuse, but I’ll pay for the damages to your uniform, and I-“

He waves his hand gently to stop you before gesturing toward the door. You nod and follow him quietly out of the front door. You apologize again when it closes behind you and the party sounds are muffled.

“It’s fine,” he interrupts. “I’m Tim Bradford, by the way.”

You introduce yourself without giving him time to speak before you offer to pay for his uniform again.

“Actually,” he begins slowly. “There is another way you could repay me.”

You furrow your brows at his vague suggestion, and he glances toward the door when the music grows louder again.

“I’ll turn it down,” you promise.

“I was going to ask you out,” Tim corrects.

Halfway to the door, you stop. Turning slowly, you’re surprised Tim's eyes are on yours.

“If you don’t want to, I understand,” he adds. Tim has had his eyes on you since he opened the door, and despite the ripped uniform and the teasing he is guaranteed to get from his fellow officers, he’s glad he took this call. If only to meet you.

“I- I’d like that,” you answer softly.

Tim extends his phone to you and watches as you put your name and number in his contacts. Your phone buzzes in your pocket when he texts you his name, and you hold it before your stomach as you step backward toward the door.

“I’ll call you when my shift ends,” Tim says. “Keep the music down so I can wait until then, would you?”

“You got it, officer.”

Tim shakes his head before he returns to his shop. As he pulls away, you inspect the picture you took without him knowing. The ripped uniform may be bad for him, but it’ll make a great story for you, even if he doesn’t call later.

“So that’s what you look like in a shirt that doesn’t tearaway,” you joke when you open the door.

“The other one wasn’t tearaway,” Tim replies. “That’s for amateurs.”

“I really am sorry about that.”

“I’m not. Luckily, I did manage to hide the shirt and the story from everyone except my watch commander.”

Tim smiles, and you match his grin as you say, “I’m glad you can laugh about it.”

“You’ve been laughing about it since it happened.”

“I have not!” you argue. “I saved you, remember?”

“Yeah, that was really brave,” Tim agrees sarcastically. “It’s not the worst call I’ll ever be dispatched to.”

“If it was, I’d be offended.”

You follow Tim to his truck to get a late dinner, and as you talk and laugh together, you know that, without a doubt, going to that party and letting it get so loud is the best thing you’ve ever done.

A few weeks later, Tim invites you to visit him at the station and you happily agree. You’ve loved almost every moment of your relationship with Tim, and even when things aren’t as easy to love, he is.

“You must be Tim’s guest,” a woman says as you enter the Mid-Wilshire station. “I’m his best friend, Angela Lopez.”

“Right, I’ve heard about you,” you reply before introducing yourself.

“So, how did you meet my favorite no-nonsense cop and convince him to have company at work?”

“She was at the party on Halloween,” Tim answers. “Hi,” he says to you.

“Wait, you met her on a call?” another officer asks.

“These are our rookies, Jackson, Lucy, and Nolan,” Angela fills in for you. “They’re also the nosiest cops you’ll ever meet.”

“Wasn’t the party a noise disturbance?” Nolan inquires.

“It was,” Tim says. “She opened the door and then I was being pulled inside.”

“Some of my friends thought he was a stripper,” you explain further.

Jackson’s eyes widen as he slaps his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

Tim glares at Jackson as he adds, “Ripped my uniform and everything. At least they tipped well.”

“They ripped your uniform?” Lucy repeats.

You nod and pull your phone from your pocket to find the picture. After you show it to Lucy, she begins laughing so hard that she has to walk away and find somewhere to sit so she doesn’t fall. Every time her laughter slows, she sees Tim and starts anew again.

“I have so many questions,” Nolan says.

Angela and Jackson hold your phone to evaluate Tim’s stripper look. His eyes are on you, however.

“Save ‘em,” Jackson tells Nolan without looking up. “No one will ever mistake you for a stripper.”

“What does that mean?” Tim asks, turning his shoulders to face you.

“You’re really handsome,” you answer, smiling at him. "I'm sure it happens to very handsome boys all the time."

Tim shakes his head, but you can tell he’s hiding a smile. You’ve been smiling since you met him, and if he had to get his uniform ripped to see your smile, Tim would do it a hundred more times.

[grandline-fics]

If request are open, could I ask for a pt. 2 of the siren song/hearing you sing, for Law, Marco and Ace please?

DESCRIPTION: The first time they hear you sing captivates them

WARNINGS: None

CHARACTERS: Law, Marco, Ace, Crocodile, Kid

WORDS: 2,612

A/N: Thank you for this request, I'm fond of this idea so I'm glad to revisit it with more characters. I hope you like what I came up with for these guys

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

DIRECTORY | PROMPT LIST

———————

LAW

When Law begins to ponder things he’s relentless until his curiosity is sated and the answer he sought was his. Usually these pursuits in knowledge took a small amount of time to accomplish because of how driven he would be and what he needed to know would be in one of the many hefty books in his, nestled somewhere amongst the thin papers and tiny printed words. However if the clear answer wasn’t there, at the very least his books pointed him in the right direction of an island or person who could tell him what his mind was currently fixated on knowing. This current question however could not be revealed to him through books or other masters of particular fields of intellect. No, the only person who could relieve him of this question was you. The question: what did you sound like when you sang?

It had honestly been something he’d never given much thought before. The cause for the nagging question had come one evening when he’d emerged from his study one evening and came across Bepo who was in a more cheerful mood than normal. Curious about the clear change in his navigator, Law couldn’t help but ask for the cause. It surprised Law to hear your name come from Bepo’s mouth. Then the surprise became confusion, you’d been part of the crew for a while now, why would you suddenly affect him? Obviously needing more information, Bepo continued. “I heard them sing! They’re amazing, it’s put me in a great mood ever since.”

While Law knew music could affect a person’s mood, he hadn’t seen something so strong which began to stir his curiosity more. Already he wanted to hear your singing for himself, mostly to see if the change in mood was something that happened for everyone that heard it but also because on the slightly childish reason he was annoyed Bepo had heard you sing before he had. He was aware of his attraction to you and to know that you were a singer only furthered his interest in getting to know you better. However he couldn’t just order you to sing for him, that’d be overstepping things entirely and while he was your Captain, he wasn’t going to act like you were his to order about to please his personal whims. No, if he was to hear you it would have to come about naturally. 

Sadly he wasn’t able to hear you for himself right away. With the current layout of the crew’s work patterns and the long stretch of travelling through a particularly turbulent part of the sea it meant everyone was laser focussed on their tasks to ensure the Polar Tang navigated the waters safely. This meant very little time for relaxing. For the duration of the journey everyone mostly ate their meals and went to bed in the spare windows of time they had between shifts. It wasn’t until the submarine surface at the new island that everyone let out a sigh of relief. Since you were the last one on watch you wanted more than anything to go and sleep. You could explore the island later and returned to the sleeping quarters while the others prepared for disembarking. 

Law knew the island was a peaceful one so he opted to stay behind while you slept, letting everyone else explore. He’d even let the Polar Tang stay above the water’s surface and enjoyed the quiet this rare occurrence brought. Without the echoing sound of the water enveloping the Tang, without the sounds of footsteps against the metal floors and heavy doors shutting, and without the constant whirl and hum of the engines and computers, Law found himself enjoying the  peace as he lay on his sofa, eyes closed in contentment. Then he finally heard the answer to the question. 

Through the empty corridors, the song broke out and carried itself clear and alluring. Law sat upright and looked to his partly opened door as your remarkable voice practically called to him, pulling him from his seat and urging him to come closer to the source and he went oh so willingly, it was practically hypnotic. In a blink it seemed, he was standing in the doorway leading to the stairwell that would take him to the top deck. There you sat on one of the steps, singing perfectly and smiling when you saw him approach. When the song came to it’s natural end you had a look of satisfaction on your face. 

“I’ve always been curious about how good the acoustics were when the ship was silent. Definitely better than I’d hoped.” You explained. Law couldn’t help but chuckle, glad that both of you had found the answers to the questions you’d had and that for both of you it was more than worth the wait.

MARCO

Truth be told Marco hadn’t really paid you much notice when you first joined the Whitebeard Pirates. He learned your name and face at the first introduction and some of your medical history out of necessity but because you were in Izou’s division, everything else about you was a mystery and not exactly one he’d be in a hurry to unravel. For the first months of your recruitment, polite conversation only happened in the groups and parties on and off the ship. There wasn’t much one on one time between you both so you just melded into the background for the most part, only coming into view when you were needed. As long as you were loyal to the family that was the crew, pulled your weight and worked hard that was all that mattered. 

Then after a while, Marco did begin to take a slight notice. In fights you were capable and swift, able to act without hesitation while also making sure you weren’t acting foolishly and out of impulse. Everything you did had a purpose. You also had a good sense of humour and attitude that allowed you you settle in amongst the others quickly. You also weren’t afraid of voicing your own opinion and were ready to argue your point if something disagreed with you. Sometimes he’d find himself on the receiving end of that but anything you gave him, he’d return in kind. There was no real animosity between you both, any arguments between you were swiftly settled and you both returned to your own coexistence on the ship. 

Sometime along the way, Marco began to notice that Whitebeard held a certain soft spot for you, he couldn’t exactly pinpoint where it came from or when but it had left him curious about it all the same. Still, he didn’t pry into Pops’ reasoning for this. Whitebeard’s business was his own, for all Marco knew you simply reminded him of someone from his past. Knowing he’d probably never know, Marco pushed the curiosity and settled his mind on the things that were important such as the care of Pops and the crew. 

Then one night when Pops’ pain had flared to the point he found himself unable to sleep and not even the soothing flames of Marco’s Devil Fruit could remove the ailment entirely, Whitebeard asked for you. It wasn’t long before the nurse that had been sent to get you reappeared with you following close behind. With a kind smile, you approached his enormous bed and sat on the edge with enough room to ensure there was space for Pops to remain undisturbed. 

“Rough night Pops?” You asked with a knowing look. 

“Could say that, or maybe I just wanted my children to fuss over me a little more.” Whitebeard grinned, always trying to reassure and keep things light. Despite his words, he dismissed the nurses until it was just you and Marco in the room with him. 

“So what will I start with tonight?” You asked gently. “Your favourite one from home?”

“Yeah, always like that one.” Whitebeard nodded, letting his eyes close so he could focus on Marco’s flames while you began to sing. 

Marco’s eyes widened at the sound of your voice, so strong and yet so sweet, pulling his focus from Pops’ face to look fully at you. You controlled your singing expertly, the sound just as reassuring and soothing to Pops, the song one he’d known since a boy, comforting him as an extra salve to his discomfort. Another form of healing and just as powerful as the Phoenix who continued to look at you in awe, with fresh eyes and he couldn’t help but think it was such a shame he’d allowed you to fall into the background for so long. Perhaps if he’d given you more notice sooner, he’d have been there the night Whitebeard had heard your singing while you were perched up in the Crow’s Nest and understood his soft spot for you from the beginning. 

When you finished your song, Marco uttered out a single word. “Beautiful.” You whirled your head around to finally meet his stare, eyes widened and lips parted in surprise. Cursing inwardly Marco cleared his throat and quickly looked away from the force of your eyes that he now found just has much power over him as your singing did. “The song.” He added, trying to recover his brief slip, not wanting to make you uncomfortable around him. “Pops is sleeping now. You can go back to bed if you want.” 

Slowly you looked away from Marco and you smiled to see Pops’ chest rising and falling steadily, already fast asleep and thankfully looking more peaceful than he had been. Still you remained where you sat and shook your head. “Nah, I’ll stay. He might wake up again.” You explained before looking back to Marco smiling at him, trying not to seem too eager. “You got a favourite song Doc?”

“A few…” Marco admitted with a relaxed smile, glad you had decided to stay.

ACE

It took a lot to get Ace angry; unwarranted and unnecessary violence to innocent civilians who couldn’t defend themselves was one thing, disrespect to Whitebeard was another. When someone somehow managed to combine both things at once? He was beyond furious. His hands shook as he stared at the townspeople trying to help each other whether with medical aid or helping to clean up what was ruined and find what was still salvageable. Ace ground his teeth together and balled his hands into tight fists, flames rippling over his arms in growing fury. “I’ll fucking kill them.” He snarled, beginning to step forward.

“Woah, woah there hothead.” You quickly darted in front of him and stopped his advance towards the ruined town centre. “Take a breath and calm yourself.” 

“Calm?” Ace demanded looking at you in anger. “This is Pops’ territory and someone’s attacked it. Look behind you! We have to get those bastards back it and these people!” Only a small group of you had been sent out to the island to investigate reports of an unallied ship sailing close. By the time you’d arrived, they’d already docked and begun to wreck havoc. None of you could let this stand. It startled Ace to see you weren’t taking it seriously, instead you were fixing your anger on him. 

“Take your own advice, Ace and look behind you.” You snapped harshly. “These people are terrified. We need to support them first, they’ve had enough of seeing violent pirates for one day. Pops’ people are the priority.”

“But-” Ace’s mind began to clear slightly from the angered haze that had settled over his eyes when he glanced behind you to look at the civilians. He took a slow breath and sighed. “I just want to make them pay.”

“Those nobodies aren’t getting away, we destroyed their ship the second we docked. They’re trapped here and the others will track them down in no time. Come on, let’s do what we can here first. These people need to see friendly faces.”

Ace hated how you were right. Taking another breath he calmed himself of his outward fury and nodded, signalling you to start walking towards the town. By the time the both of you came into their line of sight, you saw their initial panic fall away to relief. The older members of the town recognising you immediately and hurrying over. From them you learned that those who attacked hadn’t realised the island was Whitebeard’s territory until the sound of your ship approaching reached them. When they learned of their mistake they fled into the forest and mountains nearby. While you were glad it hadn’t been intended to be a declaration of war against Whitebeard, their attack would not be forgiven and their fates were sealed. 

Still though, you and Ace kept your minds firmly on the people, first aiding their cleaning of the mess made. Your calm personality and Ace’s naturally charming nature swiftly allowed the civilians to relax and fall into conversation with you, leading those that had been hiding with the children to come out. Immediately the children flocked to you and Ace in excitement, knowing they were safe. You grinned to see the youngsters ultimately decide in unison that Ace was the perfect target to climb on and a laugh broke from your lips to see four children were hanging onto his outstretched arms for dear life while their legs dangled in the air. 

You were happy to see that the children had managed to distract Ace from his earlier anger just as much as he had served to erase the fear these people held. Already you could feel the shift in energy and just as you’d finished the cleaning, the others in your group appeared triumphant with the news that the pirates that had attacked had been swiftly dealt with. Now in the need to celebrate, food was prepared and furniture was assembled to create an impromptu party to celebrate and turn the bad day into a good one. 

When the food was served you took pity on the children who still excitedly clung and pulled Ace who while was having fun, wanted nothing more than to eat and enjoy the meals he could smell. The others in his group, his family cruelly taunted him by declaring how good their food tasted. You laughed and rolled your eyes, taking pity on him faster than the others. You approached one of the townspeople who you’d helped locate his missing guitar and sat beside him, asking him to play a song you knew. Immediately his face broke out into a grin, he played the quick and cheerful song and you started to sing. 

Like a flick of a switch all of the children and Ace’s heads snapped towards you, immediately fixated with the sound. Some of the adults had even started to dance to the song. In all the time Ace had known you, flirted with you, adventured with you, how had he not known you sang? Even more, how had he never know you sang so beautifully? Even with him now free from the swarm of children who’d demanded his attention he was following them to where you were seated and singing, unable to look away and completely lost in the power of your voice. There was nowhere else he could possibly find himself wanting to go.

From their spot at the table, the remaining members of Whitebeard’s pirates in the group grinned at Ace’s expression and utter captivation in you. Slowly they shook their head at how their Division Commander was obviously smitten with you. They were already aware of his feelings for you and that was before he’d heard you sing. He was powerless against you.

------------------------------------------------

TAG LIST (If I've missed anyone or if you want to be added just let me know) @3v37773 , @tsaaps , @i-am-all-love-puns-and-lazy , @sanemisnonexistenteyebrow , @fiery-captain-spider-santa @kabloswrld , @atanukileaf , @chaotic-on-main

[daily-podcasts]

Intro to The Podcast Directory Wiki + this blog: 🪄

This is a side-blog to share podcasts that you may not have heard of before! There will be one post per day, (hence the blog name) highlighting a specific audio drama and linking to their page on the wiki. (main blog is @james-spooky)

They’ll be themed posts aside from the daily ones but it was mainly to have a fun side hobby to get the word out there about some niche podcasts! :]

The Podcast Directory Wiki has over 300 podcasts logged, categorised into many useful groups in order to effectively find ones suited to your tastes. 😋

Detailed info below on how to effectively use the wiki👇

NAVIGATION: 🧭

As said above there are many ways to navigate the wiki and find different podcasts!

Here’s the breakdown:

Masterlist: A list of every podcast logged on the wiki from A-Z 📝

Genre/Subgenre: If you only like horror podcasts or are looking for found footage, musical theatre or something more specific like a plane crash or cryptids, all can be found as categories under these pages :] 📄

Length: By either episode length or total number of episodes for the podcast. e.g. you can browse podcasts that have under 10 episodes, or 20-29 or if you don’t like long episodes you can look at podcasts exclusively that have an average runtime of 20-29 minutes etc. ⏰

Completion Status: We’ve all been there; getting sucked into a podcast only to learn that it was never finished or you have to wait months for a new episode! 💔 And a lot of the time, we love to binge a whole series in a day… With these categories, podcasts are broken down into “completed”, “incomplete” or “ongoing”; this way you can easily dodge those heartbreaks. 😉

LGBTQ Rep: Audio dramas in general are known to have a significant amount of LGBTQ Representation within their characters and storylines. Under this category, it’s broken down into specific representation such as “trans rep” or “lesbian rep”. This way if you want to find more podcasts that represent you, you can! Be mindful that “representation” differs from active protagonists and engrained storylines to side characters or smaller roles. More detailed information surrounding this should be on the individual podcasts page! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Transcripts: Sometimes it can be frustrating to find a really good podcast but there’s no transcript available! 😓 On each Podcast page it is noted whether or not transcripts are available (with a ❌/✅) or you can browse from the category “transcripts” which includes ONLY podcasts with transcripts available to avoid getting invested in ones without.

Network: If you particularly like the work of a certain podcast network, such as QCODE or RustyQuill you can use these categories to find all of their projects! 🖊️

Prominent Podcasters/Voice Actors also have pages dedicated to them with links to their imdb, itemising all the projects they’re involved in if you want to hear specifically more of your favourite actor or writer! 🎭

Randomiser: A lot of the time it can be overwhelming with all the choice! How to choose what to listen to when your “to listen list” is miles long… With the randomiser at the top of the page, it will give you a random podcast, freeing you of the weight of choice 😅 Additionally, you can randomise a genre/subgenre if you want to see what else is out there…

These are the genres/subgenres that are covered:

PAGE LAYOUT EXAMPLE:

Each page has all the information you need, website links, spotify links, transcripts, cast etc.

Spotify linked trailer/first episode to gauge whether you want to invest!

You can easily see the genres, number of episodes, seasons and whether or not it has transcripts available. Even the combined listening time of the podcast so you know what you’re getting into!

All podcast pages have every episode linked to spotify in the collapsible tables. (Logging podcasts with episodes in the hundreds was when I started to regret this decision…🧘)

Each podcast has a small section dedicated to other audio dramas which have a similar vibe so you can find more like your faves! As there are always more podcasts to add, your help or contributions are appreciated. 💪

Take this information and fuel your podcast addiction ten fold ✨👀😏

[andrevasims]

Pretersolaria Institute: CC-Free Uni & Individual Lots

Eventually I want to share the entirety of Rhyolite Valley, but it's a bit hairy with the 47 sims & CC hood deco & the garbage data I let seep in while playing (so I'd have to remake all of that before sharing).

I thought I'd "practice" the process of remaking the hood by starting a little smaller: The uni subhood. Since I only made a handful of sims for it (which are not included... yet) and it works aesthetically without CC hood deco. Sounds simple, right? Weelllll it took about a week of near daily effort to actually do. Makes the prospect of doing the actual hood soooo much more exciting lol /s

Anyway, that's what this is: A new university subhood template that's CLEAN & EMPTY. As a bonus (or if you just don't like the subhood), I've also included individual lot packages for every lot in the subhood to use wherever you want.

The "gimmick" of this hood is that Rhyolite Valley, and by extension Pretersolaria Institute, is entirely self-sufficient & cobbled together by the local residents. Which means there's no indoor plumbing lol.

That also means simply sitting down at a computer to write a term paper isn't as easy as a regular uni. Students have to go to THE BOOKMOBILE to access computers. Same goes for the skill building required for each semester/major. You have to venture out to the relevant community lot to find the means for skill building.

I've included in the uni's photo album & the lot descriptions which skills are available to build on each lot. It'll say "+Cooking" or whatever skill(s) the lot can provide based on the objects it has.

— WHERE/HOW TO INSTALL: —————————

Place the "PRTR" folder in its entirety in the "Program Files > EA GAMES > The Sims 2 University > TSData > Res > NeighborhoodTemplate" directory. Or whatever equivalent location you have for a TS2 University folder in the Program Files section.

Mootilda's Subhood Selection Mod is required to see additional universities below the main 3 pre-made ones.

You can then select Pretersolaria Institute in the list of options when creating a new uni subhood in a neighborhood.

— UNI SUBHOOD LOT INFO: ——————————

• Dorms: 1 (Klaatu Mobile Park)

6br / 5ba | Value: §20,444 | Size: 30 x 20

• Residential: 3 (Fulquard, Mushnick, & Burson Shack)

1br / 1ba | Value: §3,816-§3,862 | Size: 10 x 10

• Greek House: 1 (Tobor Testing Bureau)

10br / 10ba | Value: §30,363 | Size: 30 x 20

• Community: 6 (Wiploc Amphitheatre, THE BOOKMOBILE, Ikron Confectioneries, Zarkov Training Center, Big Heart Dude, Krelboined Horticulture)

• Secret Society: 1 (Temple of Laganaphyllis)

Value: §56,035 | Size: 20 x 20 | Zone: Community (individual version)

— NOTES: ———————————————————

• On 2 lots (Big Heart Dude & Wiploc Amphitheatre), I used the Seasons Music career reward The Rock Hammer for speaker deco. I used MoveObjects to delete the guitar but keep the speakers.

It's possible that either A. The guitars will respawn when you move the lot in the hood, or B. Sims will attempt to play the guitar and complain about being blocked (because I purposely blocked them).

If the guitars respawn, open the lot in Buy/Build mode and with MoveObjects On use the sledgehammer tool to remove the guitar.

If sims are complaining about not being able to reach the guitar, well they're not supposed to be able to lol. If hearing them complain is annoying, you can either use this mod that makes them stop yelling when something blocks them and leaves only the thought bubble, or delete the whole object.

• The Wiploc Amphitheatre may also have some glitchy-looking ground that you can see in neighborhood view when the camera moves. This is because I shortened the lot with Lot Adjuster. I don't know how to make it stop doing that, because I've transferred the lot to other hoods, packaged the lot, Lot Cleaner'd it, Lot Compressor'd it, moved it to the Lots & Houses Bin, etc. and it has never stopped looking like that. So again if that annoys you, remove the lot I guess?

• Please let me know if there are any additional problems.

I've never done this before specifically with a uni subhood, so it's very likely I messed up somewhere.

Additional Interior/Detail Pictures

DOWNLOAD UNI SUBHOOD: SFS | MF

DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL LOTS: SFS | MF

[p-erse-phone]

Losing Focus - Ch. 4

- 04 : busy (+written)

word count: 1.2k

Riki stared up at the building, he told himself if he couldn’t find anyone today he really would give up. He had texted and asked around from people he knew, but the problem was, his acquaintances list was a bit limited because he 1. Didn’t know many people from this department, and 2. Wasn’t down to ask any ex-situationship if they would spend their time helping him. Especially when he sure as hell hadn’t given his time for any of them. His game plan was to ask the Instrument Dept. head counselor if they could think of anyone who could/would be willing to do this. He would offer money, but that doesn’t really work here, can’t really give people something they don’t need was the conclusion he came to. 

Riki sighed as he looked at the floor directory, scanning over the sign until he landed on what he needed: Counselor’s Office, fourth floor. He turned and headed towards the elevator, and as he was about to press the button he noticed the sign on the door. “Out of order.” He bit his lip and turned again to make his way up the stairs. Hands in his pockets, he made his way down the hall towards the office. He was a little bit surprised by how dead it was in all the practice rooms, but everyone was “so busy” he thought, except for one; as he moved further down the hall the quiet sound of a piano started inching closer and closer, until he was standing at a slightly open door. 

It was just the familiar sound of classical music, but it was different somehow. It wasn’t just the technique, it was something more. You could almost hear the emotion of the player through each note that escaped through the strings. It gave Riki goosebumps, which was rare. Classical music wasn’t necessarily bad, but he just found it boring. But this was different. He knew this is what he needed for his performance, who he needed. With a piano performance like this, pulling emotion from his dance would be so simple. His curiosity was getting the best of him, and he wanted a glimpse of their face while playing. Riki, as softly as he could, tried to push the door open more without having it creek. Soundproofing doors were always loud. Once the door was open just enough he peered inside. 

There she was, sitting on the bench moving along to the notes of the piano. She was very soft looking, he thought. Her eyes would open and close occasionally, but she looked like she was in a trance. Riki thought that in her own way she was dancing, giving a full performance, even if it was just for practice. Her song slowly came to a close. Once she finished letting the last note linger, she pulled back her hands and sat up straight. It was almost like she was a different person. A very small upturn appeared on her lips as she started picking up her sheet music and tucking it in a folder, and softly shutting the fallboard.

Y/N let out a small squeak as she caught eyes with someone standing in the small opening of the practice room door. “Hello? Beomgyu is that you?” She said awkwardly. Beomgyu? Her boyfriend? Riki pushed the door open, a little embarrassed that he got caught staring vs. just walking and saying hi. “Uh… Hi, sorry, I was just on my way to the counselor’s office and I heard you playing.” 

It took a second to register, but Y/N recognized this boy as the one from the pictures some of her classmates had shown her. Nishimura Riki, somewhat of a mini celebrity from the Dance Majors. Y/N was a bit taken aback that he was here watching her, and wasn’t sure why or what to do. Deciding she should say something she questioned him “Wait, you’re a Dance Major, why are you talking to my department’s counselor?” Y/N knew that her and him were worlds apart, and she knew of his “status” at this school, but to her he was just another student. If she got starstruck and nervous around every mini celebrity on this campus, she would waste a lot of time wide-eyed. It didn’t stop her from taking in his features, and his height. She couldn’t help but admire the beautiful shape of his eyes. 

“I’ve never heard anyone play like that before.” Riki said instead of answering her question. Y/N didn’t know what to do before, but she sure as hell didn’t know what to do now. “Thank you.” pushing her hair behind her ear she responded. “I’m sure you’re just saying that.” with an awkward short laugh. 

“No really.” 

“Oh uh..” before she could finish he cut her off asking her “Have you ever played for a dance performance before?”

Y/N raised an eyebrow slightly confused. “No I haven’t.” She thought it was an odd question, but before she could think too much about it, a buzz came from her pocket. “I’m sorry, my friend is on his way.” 

“Let me walk you out.”

“Oh, alright, sure.”

Riki matched pace with her the whole way down the hallway and stayed right next to her down the stairs asking her this and that about her life. What year she was, who her friends were, and where she learned piano. Y/N almost felt like she was someone else for a second, because she still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that he was asking her questions about piano and her life. Once they reached the entrance doors, Riki took a quick step ahead and pushed the door open for her. 

“Thank you.” Y/N smiled. 

“Hey, I have a question.” Riki began, “You know what I asked before? Well, I was wondering if you would be willing to collaborate with me on a project for my end of term Eval?” He asked softly. Y/N stopped and faced him “Like me, play for you? While you dance?” Y/N was stunned, she wasn’t sure what to say. She knew she was going to be very busy already and this was going to be a big project that would take up a ton of time, but at the same time, who knows who would be there at that evaluation listening to her playing. It could also be good. “I’m sorry–” before she could finish, Riki interjected.

“Please.” He spoke quietly, “It has to be you.”

Y/N’s breath caught in her throat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure getting closer. “Here.” he began “Think about it, and tell me.”

“Okay.” Y/N said, slightly dazed.

Riki nodded. “I’ll be waiting.” He smirked, turning away.

Y/N’s eyes followed Riki as she thought about the fact that she didn’t know how to contact him if she wanted to say yes, or that he didn’t even ask her name

Just then, Beomgyu approached her.

“What was that?” he said through furrowed brows.

Y/N shook her head. “Let’s go.”

End.....

previous | masterlist | next

taglist : open

@chiaki-nanami-aesthetic @gweoriz @tasnemluvs @xxxnrigi @madebylilia @ariluvssssss100

[incognitopolls]

Tag directory

#Not polls – everything on this blog that's not a poll. Includes answered asks, administrative posts, etc.

–

#Polls about the Bathroom – toilet usage, human waste, public restrooms, and other bathroom habits including brushing your teeth; many of these have the #unsanitary or #gross tags

#Polls about the Body – anatomy, physical attributes, bodily functions; many of these polls reference genitals

#Polls about Brains – mental health, neurodiversity, thinking,

#Polls about Clothes – what you wear and how/when you wear it

#Polls about Critters – pets, wild animals, bugs, etc

#Polls about Ethics – moral questions, right & wrong

#Polls about Etiquette – politeness, social rules/scripts

#Polls about Health – medical topics, medication, dentistry, illness, disability

#Polls about the Home – housing, living situations, housekeeping, cleaning, home organization, etc

#Polls about Interests – catchall tag for media and hobbies including books, tv shows, music, fanfiction, etc

#Polls about the Internet – website features, app usage, internet safety

#Polls about Jobs – work, employment & unemployment, bosses, coworkers

#Polls about Language – linguistics, pronunciation, foreign languages

#Polls about LGBTQ+ Stuff – gender, sexuality, romantic orientation

#Polls about Money – money, finances, savings

#Polls about Polls – poll meta

#Polls about Relationships – friendships, family dynamics, dating, sexual relationships, etc

#Polls about School – any and all education & learning

#Polls about Sex – sex, masturbation, horniness; most of these contain adult content

#Polls about Showers – showers & bathing

#Polls about Sleep – sleep, dreams, bedtime, bed arrangement, etc

#Polls about the World – geography, demographics, and worldwide questions

#Miscellaneous polls – anything that doesn't fit into a more specific category listed here

[heaven-s-black-box]

Notes- They Teach you to Dance Furina & more x gn!reader

Return to File

Recovery date: April 3rd, 2024

Description: Your partner teaches you to dance. Includes Furina, Ganyu, Dainsleif, Zhongli, Traveler Twins

Notes: N/a

Back to directory

Furina

The reason for these headcanons, one of her teapot voice lines is her offering to teach you how to dance

She definitely forgets to instruct you at first, she just starts leading you in a dance as she hums a tune

If you have some dancing experience, that probably won’t be a problem, if you’ve never danced before…

She definitely takes it slow, she’s just been dancing for so long she forgets to explain

She will step on your toes just as much as you’ll step on her’s because of this

She will twirl you to teach you how to twirl her, once you’ve got that down she won’t twirl you anymore

She will also throw herself into a dip, if you let her drop she will pout and sulk

The best fix for this is to pull her up and into another waltz with a twirl

Once you’ve learned how to dance she expects you to lead, even if she initiates

Loves big dances, both in number of attendees and flourish of the dance

Overall 8/10 teacher and 10/10 dance partner

Ganyu

She can definitely dance, Cloud Retainer taught her, she just doesn’t dance often

Teaching wise I think she’s a great instructor, at least verbally

In the beginning she gets so fixed on explaining and watching your movements that she trips up

Please reassure her that you’re following okay, she’s not used to being in charge

You’ll definitely learn faster with her then Furina because in teaching you she’s also reminding herself

She won’t teach you anything fancy, but if you go and learn a twirl or dip she will break

You will have to initiate any dances, unless someone has told her she should dance in which case she will ask you

Also preference dancing alone and not in a large group, sweep her away to a balcony during a Qixing event and you can dance all you’d like

Preferes swaying to music over an actual waltz

In the end, 8/10 instructor and 10/10 dance partner

Dainsleif

He can dance, he was the captain of a royal guard, but it has been awhile

Seriously, you’re basically learning together

You also definitely have to ask him to teach you, Furina and Ganyu might offer but Dain won’t

Once you start dancing muscle memory kicks in and it sort of ends up like Furina teaching you

He can’t really explain what to do, so he kind of just drags you with him

By the time he figures out how to explain you’re halfway to figuring it out yourself

If he’s teaching you to dance before the fall of Khaenri’ah disregard everything before this, he is the best teacher on this list

Prior to the fall he will always initiate dances, if he’s attending and event and not on duty, after the fall you’ll have to initiate and he’ll be a bit reluctant

Chances are you aren’t at a formal event, so he sees no point in dancing, so if you want to dance you have to ask

Before the fall it is a point of honor to ask you to dance

Will always lead, another silly point of honor

Before the fall, 10s across the board, after the fall, 4/10 teacher and 9/10 dance partner

Zhongli

Can dance, not very fluidly and it is definitely a rusty skill now but he can

During his prime he was a good teacher, just a little stiff

Now he’s kind of like Dain, the muscle memory is there but very rusty

He will, however, ask Madam Ping to re-teach him how to dance so that he can teach you

So, you might step on each other's feet a few times but he will actually teach you

He prefers to initiate dances, like Dain it’s a point of pride, but he’s always happy when you do too

Will lead or follow your lead

Hu Tao has, on occasion, meddled to get him to ask you to dance

Like Ganyu he doesn’t really like big sweeping dances, he prefers being able to sway together to the music

Definitely a 9/10 teacher and partner only because he’s a bit stiff

Traveler

They can dance, definitely, they’re usually eachother’s partner

They’re also definitely smooth, you cannot convince me they wouldn't start stomping wars when they stepped on eachother’s feet

Both twins will ask you to dance, and if they ask you to dance they’ll lead– unless you ask to lead

I mentioned the twins are usually each others partner, it worked the same way between them– Lumine has been smacked in the face by Aether’s braid while twirling him and they’ve both definitely dropped each other in a dip on purpose

The twins don’t mind waltzes that travel, but they aren’t big fans of partner swapping dances

Aether likes dipping his partner, and Lumine likes twirling hers, but they both like being twirled

Sharing a rating, the twins are 10/10 teachers and 10/10 partners

[cerulity]

Physical media seems to be making a resurgence. While I won't use full-on CDs, I'm finding it much more fruitful to use localised content instead of streaming services. I have an entire folder of BPM-sorted music that I will just go through. Today I learnt Bash to make a really simple shuffler.

This is all that's needed to shuffle a playlist. A playlist is a file that just has a list of file names.

I think Linux's environment is perfect for this. For one, Bash supports wildcards, so you can do "directory/*" to add all files in that directory to the playlist. The cat command also allows you to pass multiple files, so you can merge multiple playlists together just by passing them as arguments. Symbolic (or even hard) links mean you can have a directory of files for a collection without taking up any extra space because of duplicates. Lastly, a more cosmetic feature, unlike Windows, which discerns file types based on extension, Linux (and Linux programs) discern file types based on content, so you don't even need an extension on your files for this to work.

Other than that, I think this solution is also good all-around because you control everything. You aren't limited to what the streaming service provides. You can support the artists on Bandcamp to get .flac files, which are generally the highest quality kinds of files you can get, it doesn't need any internet, and it's completely free (barring audio acquisition). I might work on a local audio player for mobile. One probably already exists, but I'd like to take a stab at it.

[katz-chow]

cbf!gaz but i think his family was rich enough to send him abroad as a foreign exchange student. he lands in semi rural us.

it's not bad and it's not very urban either. he lands in your host family for a whole year. it starts off awkward with the two of you making small talk to each other until you take him to his first football game before homecoming.

he's ecstatic and kind of scared as you use your finger to dot on the face paint on his cheeks. It's your senior game, and i guess his too since he's part of the school and your family now.

when the two of you got there, he was busy taking in the environment of the busy bleachers, of the colors of your school contrasting the colors of the other school. the chilly autumn wind blowing through your bones and the loud music of the marching band.

your school didn't win, but the two of you still drove home with happy smiles and tired eyes. the cold followed you out into the empty fields of your house, acres stretched far and wide.

you found your parents and a few of their friends crowded outside, a beer in each of their hands. they greet the two of you as you started to end the day.

after your respective showers and a change of clothes, you weren't so tired anymore, if anything you were more refreshed.

the two of you decided to end the night outside in the fresh air around a fire pit not far from your parents' little hangout. a large duvet covers the two of you as he tells you about his life at home. and it continued to cover the both of you until you were both fast asleep, your dad having to wake kyle up and carry you into your bed.

this happens again almost a decade later after you two come back home while both on leave. a stupid "if you join, i'll join too" little thing became your lives. you trained together in north carolina, went on leave together, and learnt that you couldn't live without each other.

so both of your parents giggle to themselves as they see you on the bench a bit further out from them, the same bench that you fell asleep against each other back when midterms were still major stressors.

they whisper among themselves, probably planning your wedding for you as you lay your head on kyle's lap, large duvet over you and a fluffy throw blanket on his lap as your pillow.

"remember when you threw up from downing a buzzball after prom?'

"oh fuck off."

master list | letter box | main directory

stop by the letter box!

[plurpaws]

Here is a Pinned Post!

ℹ️ — My name is Rico! I go by he/him pronouns and I am 20 years old (march 10 2004). I am a multimedia animal artist - I have a special interest in furries/anthropomorphic animals, which are usually the subjects of my art. I also make music under the fake netlabel "PIPE DREAM SOUNDSYSTEMS" as aliases GYNX, Evenghost, and Azineo.

⚠️— Content warnings for my blog are here

❓️— Frequently Asked Questions are here

🏷️— A directory for the tags I use on my blog is here

Here is my Linktree, a nifty little directory that has all of my links, including social media, places to buy/stream my music, ways to support me (patreon/ko-fi), merch shops, and more!

I also have 2 discord servers - one of them is bigger and anyone old enough to use discord is allowed to join, but the other one is smaller, 18+ only, and each member must be manually vetted by me before being allowed to chat.

PIPE DREAM SOUNDSYSTEMS (All ages) ▒ Lucky Clover Patch (18+ ONLY)

My inbox is almost always open and I love receiving asks about my art, music, and characters, so feel free to send any questions you may have even if it's not about those things! ^_^

If you need to directly contact me, you can do so via one of the methods listed on this page (plain text, no CSS)

[block-tales-playerswap-au]

oh chaaaaatt...

welcome to the Block Tales Playerswap AU! a lot of information on this AU comes from my main blog, @inkedover! this blog will ALSO follow the timeline of the quotev PS fic, so wherever the chapter is currently stopped is where the blog is chronologically.

and the aforementioned quotev fic would be here.

Currently:

Asks/Roleplay inbox for EVERYBOOOODYYYYY are OPEEEENNNN!!! If a character isn't listed feel free to shoot an ask to/about them anyway, this is a celebration after all!!!

General Location:

Somewhere in Blackrock/The Dream World.

RP character statuses:

Player: Oh dear Roblox I just stole from a child.

Hatred: Annoyed at having to run away with its tail between its legs.

Greed: I WANT MY SHINY THINGS AFDJEIJSKSOEO!!!!!!!

Solitude: What a great way to self-isolate!

Fear: WE'RE NOT OKAY

Red Noob: Absolutely struggling right now.

Blue Noob: Frostbite. And also permanent damage due to frostbite.

Benevolent King: …does anybody have ibuprofen? My head hurts…

Rockstar: Please let this be a normal 'save the world' situation…

Mayor Thaniyel: This is the third major event this year…

Woodsmen: Wondering why music man is bringing his dad to the Sacred Hollow.

Noobador: STOP SHOOTING AT ME.

down below is a synopsis of the story and the plot so far!

this will also include currently not in use tags. actually this just includes the entirety of the tag directory now.

warning, long. .]

Something is deeply wrong.

Something is new. Something that's not supposed to be new.

Following Red and Blue, they see their Uncle Shedletsky dueling against somebody.

Right as Shedletsky gains the upper hand both kids watch in horror as Shedletsky is struck down by his aggressor. A wave of chilling malevolence washes over them as the Player leaves, leaving Red and Blue to contemplate what had happened.

…this day…Blue Noob can swear she remembers it playing out differently. In fact, she can recall the fact that this day isn't supposed to go like this at all-...

Red snaps and begins following the Player. Blue can only helplessly follow as her brother traces the bloody path of the Player, only stopping when a mysterious figure sweeps them up into a surprisingly warm embrace and brings them to safety in the Ye Olde Inn.

Meanwhile, Player is having a mental breakdown. The voices they hear in their head...they were loud. Incessant. They wanted more. They wanted everything.

It doesn't matter what sacrifices needed to be made to achieve these goals.

Aaaand story stops about here!

all tags currently:

Red Noob: #raring red (general character tag)

Blue Noob: #bashful blue (general character tag)

Benevolent King: #frigid crown (general character tag)

Player: #persistence leads you forward (general character tag)

Hatred: #the hatred from within (general character tag) and #"Builderman?" (disguised tag)

Greed: #the greed that drives you forward (general character tag) and #$hedletsky (disguised tag)

Solitude: #the solitude that holds you back (general character tag) and #Mr. Cassel (disguised tag)

Fear: #the fear that holds you down (general character tag) and #Nighteyes (disguised tag)

Rockstar: #Your Sorry Superstar (general character tag)

Mayor Thaniyel: #Guardian of the Venomshank (general character tag)

Woodsmen: #The trees are talking?! (general character tag)

Noobador: #Coming in with the steel chair!!! (general character tag)

Kyoko: #The Therapist Friend (general character tag)

Green Noob and Purple Noob: #green thug and #purple noob (general character tags)

[fluentmoviequoter]

Hidden Talents

Requested Here!

Pairing: Jim Street x fem!reader

Summary: At a charity event, your boyfriend Jim and his SWAT team learn about your hidden musical talent.

Warnings: just fluff! Duke loses his frisbee though :(

Word Count: 2.0k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Jim Street Masterlist | Request Info\Fandom List

“There she is!” Hondo yells when you walk into SWAT HQ. “I thought you forgot about your favorite cop.”

“No, I talked to Luca this morning,” you answer as he pulls you into a hug.

“I’m so glad I introduced you,” Street deadpans. “Any chance I could say hi to my girlfriend?”

“Get in line,” Luca replies as he walks to your side.

“I tried to warn you,” Deacon tells Street. “The people closest to you get absorbed into this family and you’re powerless to fight it.”

“That’s why you’re okay with Hondo flirting with Annie all the time?”

“I’m just waiting for her to come to her senses,” Hondo interjects.

“I thought you were assisting the Marshals today?” you interrupt, drawing their attention back to the fact that you’re stopping by the station in the middle of the day.

“It went better than we anticipated, so we got back early,” Street answers, finally pulling you against his side. “Don’t sound so disappointed that you get to see us.”

“I’m not,” you promise, smiling as you loop your arm around his waist. “Annie and I were talking about the charity event the department’s hosting, and I came by to talk to the community outreach officer about it.”

“Are you coming with us?” Deacon inquires.

“Yes,” Street answers for you. “Someone has to help Annie keep us focused.”

You laugh with Street’s team, your second family, and nod. “If that’s okay.”

“You’re not allowed not to come,” Hondo tells you. “We should plan to do something after, too, make it a family night.”

“Hear that, Luca? Family night means Duke gets to come,” Street points out.

“He’s not going to forgive you for losing his favorite frisbee just because you take him out on the town for a night. He’s got standards, unlike your past conquests,” Luca argues.

“I’m standing right here,” you murmur, though you know Luca is kidding.

“That’s why I said past!” he defends, picking up your hand to hold it between his. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Streeter.”

“The frisbee isn’t lost,” Street grumbles beside you.

“Guys!” Deacon interrupts with a smile.

“I really do need to go get that information,” you say. “I’ll see you all later.”

“Some of us sooner than others?” Hondo inquires.

“Absolutely,” you agree playfully. “Maybe you can help me get Duke’s frisbee.”

“Name the time.”

“Look what you started, Luca,” Street says, gesturing wildly between you and Hondo.

You raise your free hand to Street’s jaw to turn his gaze back to you and ask, “Take me to the office I need to be in because I still don’t know my way around here?”

Street nods and adjusts his hand placement to slide his fingers between yours as he leads you into the hallway and waves over his shoulder. Annie asked you to get some information about the charity event, that was true, but you’re also here to sign up to be in it.

The pediatric hospital is a charity you’ve been supportive of for a long time, and your experience playing the violin in smaller venues and for theatre productions in the past has prepared you to offer your talents in addition to your donation. You haven’t told Street about your musical talent or your passion for it, and now you’re unsure how to bring it up, so you decide to let it be a surprise. After Street leaves you to talk to the director, he’s happy to add you to the list of local talent acts performing, and he thanks you for giving your time to the cause.

Now, you must practice and prepare for your boyfriend and his entire SWAT team to find out what you do in your free time.

You’re not surprised to interrupt a conversation when you enter Street and Luca’s house before the event. Every member of 20 David squad is present and dressed in suits, and you stop just inside the door for a moment to admire Street.

“No way, the hip-hop duo that lives down the street from Rocker is going to be the best,” Hondo exclaims.

“Nah, man, that’s too interpretive,” Luca argues. “The lady from the DA’s office that always kills it at karaoke night is going to steal the show.”

“Isn’t the point of the show to raise money for the hospital, not sheer entertainment value?” Deacon asks.

“Deac,” Hondo sighs. “If we don’t enjoy it, how are we supposed to cough up cash?”

“As an excuse to leave early,” you answer softly.

The men before you turn quickly, unaware that you entered the house while they debated about which performer would be the best.

“Whoa,” Street says, looking at your outfit. “You look beautiful.”

“Who do you think will be the best?” Hondo asks, smiling as Deacon shakes his head.

“If they don’t put the audience to sleep, I’d consider it a win,” you reply.

“That’s fair,” Tan murmurs. “Doing this at night at the end of the week may not have been the best idea. Couple of my night shift buddies got roped into coming and they have to go straight to the station for patrol after.”

Deacon raises his hands in question and asks you, “Where did we lose them with the charity aspect?”

You shrug as Hondo answers, “Ten working hours ago, Deac.”

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t rope Deacon into singing,” you point out.

Hondo sighs dramatically and looks at Luca and Tan, who are equally disappointed.

“Why didn’t we think of that?” Hondo asks.

“We need to go,” Deacon says, looking at his watch. “And don’t even try, it wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

“No, you have to get Annie to ask him,” you agree as you take Street’s offered hand.

“You’re not invited to dinner next week,” Deacon tells you. “Why would you give him that idea?”

“Way ahead of you,” Hondo says, typing on his phone as he walks between you and Deacon to get to his car. “Texting her now.”

“Sorry,” you whisper.

“No, you’re not.”

Street opens the passenger door for you, and when he gets into the car beside you, he looks at you in love and admiration. “You’re beautiful,” he says again.

“Thank you. You look amazing. Thanks for letting me come with.”

Street shakes his head as he starts the engine and asks, “How else would I have survived?”

During the intermission, you look at the SWAT officers beside you, who look either bored or exhausted. Street has your arm pulled close to him as he traces your fingers, Deacon and Annie walked out when the curtain fell to call the sitter and check on the kids, and Luca and Hondo are tired enough that they aren’t discussing the rap battle comprised of compliments that they just witnessed.

You’re performing second after the intermission, so you’ll have to leave them soon. Part of you wants to tell them that you’re performing to know that they’ll be awake to support you, but then you second guess whether or not you want them to pay attention to your performance. Not because you’re not confident or nervous, but because you know their reaction will be big. And probably loud.

“Is there anything in that program to look forward to?” Hondo asks.

You shrug and answer, “There’s a reenactment of the final fight scene from Die Hard.”

“Really?” he asks, sitting up a little straighter.

“No. If you want that, you’ll have to do it next year.”

“I’m offering to work security next year.”

“There’s an interpretive dance next, then violin, singing, a comedy skit, and a local band is playing to conclude,” you read from the program.

“Sounds better than the first half,” Luca replies. “Violin?”

“She listens to violin music,” Street says, keeping his eyes on your hand as he moves his head toward you. “It’s actually pretty good. Depends on the player, I guess.”

“Speaking of how much I like violin music,” you begin, “if you’ll excuse me…”

Street nods and gently releases your hand. As you stand from your seat and walk toward the back of the theatre, Hondo calls after you to bring back popcorn, and you smile to yourself.

You take a deep breath before you walk onto the stage, smiling at the crowd before you as you raise your violin to its position. With the bow readied across the strings, your eyes find your empty seat and the men beside it. Street is leaning forward, smiling but clearly full of questions, while Hondo is adjusting to sit up straighter as his brows furrow, and Luca sends you a thumbs up.

As you begin playing I Saw Three Ships, you lose yourself in the music. You’ve never felt as though you have to perform and feel indifferent to the attention on you. You love the music enough that it’s all that matters. As well as how you feel when you put everything you are into the music you make. Throughout the song, you catch Street’s eye a few times, but never long enough to tell what he’s thinking or doing. Unknown to you, he’s falling more in love with you with every note you play. Hondo, Deacon, Annie, Luca, and Tan are similarly entranced and surprised by your talent and improved by how you make such passion and beautiful music look effortless.

You pull your bow across the strings for the last note, and as the music fades, applause erupts in the theatre. Your second family rises from their seats as they clap, whistle, and talk excitedly to one another. You smile and nod to thank the people from the hospital sitting closest to the stage, then walk behind the curtain again. With your violin safely returned to its case and ready for you to pick up at the end of the night, you return to the theatre lobby but don’t get a chance to return to your seat.

“You play the violin?” Street asks when you come into view. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’re amazing!”

“That’s an understatement,” Hondo argues. “You were the best one in there tonight!”

“That was wonderful,” Annie applauds as she hugs you. “Even better than last month.”

“Last month?” Street, Hondo, and Deacon ask together.

“I performed it for a play at a community theatre last month,” you answer. “It’s not my first time playing for an audience.”

“Then why haven’t you invited us to be in the audience?” Street demands.

“I didn’t know how to bring it up, I guess.”

“Listen, there’s a car show coming up next month,” Luca begins. “They love local bands-“

“No, no!” Street interrupts, pointing at Luca. “I get a private concert before any of you can consider getting her a stage.”

“Why?” you inquire with a smile.

Street spins to point at you as he accuses, “Because you kept this a secret from me. Not just some weird hobby or something you like, you kept a talent from me, and now I deserve to see just how good it is up close.”

“Remind me not to hide any talents from him,” Deacon mumbles.

“Luca, I appreciate the offer, and I’ll let you know if I’m interested,” you say. “But apparently I have another tour to finish first.”

“So…” Hondo begins. “If you’re done, does that mean we could all leave without question?”

“That’s your priority?” Deacon asks.

“It’s family night after this and…” Hondo pauses briefly to point at you before he finishes, “This one decided to keep secrets, so, there’s a lot to discuss.”

“Like what?”

“How long she’s been playing, her favorite song, why someone that talented is with Street-“

“I don’t think we need to discuss the last one,” Street interjects.

You laugh and wave to get their attention again. “Yes, we can leave, if you’re all ready to go. But somebody needs to go get Victor.”

“I’ll get him,” Annie offers.

As she walks away, you look to Deacon and whisper, “Would now be a bad time to bring up that Duke's frisbee fell out of the tree or that I can river dance?”

“What?!” the men around you exclaim.

“My girlfriend’s incredibly talented and didn’t tell me,” Street laments. “That’s great.”

“Isn’t the whole point of this stage to get to know each other?” you counter.

Street smiles and pulls you to his side. He whispers, “But I want to know it all now because I love you a little more with every new thing I learn.”

[reasonsforhope]

One of the things that I really appreciate about this blog is that now, every now and then, when I hear about some new awful thing in the world, it will be in the context of "and this is what people are doing to fight it". That's so much less paralyzing.

(If you have any sources to recommend for experiencing more of that, me and my mental health would be further indebted.)

Ahhh, I forgot about this message, sorry! Been a hectic couple of months.

I absolutely have more sources!

One of the biggest is the media collaboration The Solutions Journalism Network, which focuses on just that: closing the massive gap between people reporting on problems and people reporting solutions.

I have a giant bookmark list of sources for this blog, for good news stories and hope, so here's a bunch of links! Roughly in order of how good I think they are (in terms of size of stories, previously uncovered stories, good editorial standards, accuracy, detail, number of stories, etc. etc.)

We're gonna start with the ones that do good news ONLY, because sometimes you fucking need that, and then below I'll link some excellent sources that have a higher than average number of quality pieces on good news, even though they also publish other stuff too.

Good and hopeful news sources:

Future Crunch - If you only read one of these sites, read this one!!! It's a MASSIVE biweekly roundup of international good news stories with really high quality reporting--a lot of UN and WHO and major NGO reports as their sources. I cry from hope at LEAST 30% of the times I read this, and tbh it used to be like 100%, about a year ago when I started realizing that hope for the planet and for humanity was something that was REASONABLE TO HAVE.

Reasons to Be Cheerful - Fewer stories, but FANTASTIC quality of reporting, especially on fantastic local stories, many of them in international communities, that you've definitely never heard of before

Positive.News - Good coverage and especially roundups, mostly Europe-focused.

Good News Network - This one is awesome for the high number and approachability of its stories, but unfortunately also includes more "That's not news that's just a heartwarming anecdote" and "That's not good news it's actually dystopian" pieces than I'd like.

Jane Goodall's Good For All News - Really awesome focus on international issues, a lot of news from Africa, a lot of news about youth organizers and youth-led projects, and a lot of focus on how helping the environment and helping communities are inextricably connected. Yall Jane Goodall is doing SO MUCH amazing work out there even at her age, and most people also have no idea.

Good Black News - Mostly posts on music and entertainment, and doesn't post all that often, but they're great.

Good Good Good

The Good News Hub

Only Good News Daily

( ) for Tomorrow - Directory of grassroots solutions to all types of issues and "proof that no solution is too small to have an impact"

A Plus - Dedicated to uplifting stories in video form. I'm sure they're awesome, I just don't rly use them bc videos can set off my sensory issues

The Happy Broadcast - Illustrated good news tidbits! I haven't been using them much but it looks like they've (recently?) added more text and sources to each image, so I might change that. Illustrations are pretty cute tbh

Sources that publish a lot of good news, but also other not good stuff:

Euronews.Green - Environmental section of European news org

Yes! Magazine - Excellent solutions-focused journalism, excellent focus on BIPOC content and underrepresented communities

TheMayor.EU - EU-focused, discusses a lot of good projects and cool local developments/programs

Grist - Solutions journalism, fantastic corage especially on environmental issues

Mongabay - Billed as "News & Inspiration from Nature's Frontline," they are amazing and have some of the best goddamn reporting I've ever seen. They mean "frontline" very literally: there's a TON of pieces about and by and interviewing communities on the front lines of environmental conflict, especially developing nations and Indigenous communities world wide. That said there's also a lot of bad news on nature's frontline still, while they report a lot of amazing and powerful good news, make sure you're in a resilient mood when you visit this site, because some of the stories are also pretty upsetting.

Indian Country Today and Native News Online - two of the leading news orgs for Indigenous communities in the United States. Kind of like Mongabay in that they have a lot of good news stories from Indigenous communities that often no one else is reporting on, but also plenty of coverage of things that are definitely not good, so better to read when you're in a resilient mood.

If you have any good news sites/sources you'd like to add, please drop them in the replies or comments! I'm always looking for new good news sources (though I def don't always have time to use all of them, rip!). Plus, let's support these sites by giving them some traffic!

We could all use more ways to get some more good news.