#regardless an interesting and deeply inspired project

[hayaomiyazaki]

the substance

never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece

[elysiansparadise]

Hiii! So happy to see that you're back, and I hope the summer season is treating you and your loved ones well! I was hoping you would be able to give your thoughts for Neptune in the 9th House? Thank you for your time!

Hello love, thank you so much. Summer is going just fine, I wish the same for you and your loved ones. I would love to gave my take on this placement. 💖

Neptune in the 9th house 

Natives with this placement are people who are interested in topics such as philosophy, the human psyche, spirituality and some artistic branches. These people are in constant search for deeper meanings about everything that surrounds them and even life itself, in the same way they can be attracted to various philosophies and beliefs. They have an idealistic and humanitarian perspective on life and it is likely that they have had big philosophical questions since they were little. Many of these people can acquire great knowledge or even be experts in esoteric topics, astrology, some branch of art or psychology. Many of them have the ability to understand, empathize and sympathize with other cultures or people regardless of their differences. They don't like to waste time on pretentious technicalities or superficial topics, they like to delve into topics that people don't usually investigate. They have a deep sense of compassion for humanity, one that is not just limited to those close to them. Many of them may be interested in humanitarian causes and like the idea of ​​working for the well-being of others. They desire to have a deeper and more emotional understanding of topics such as their existence, purpose, ideals and beliefs.

With Neptune here, natives can seek out to visit places that inspire them and provide them with transformative experiences. Travel can be seen as an opportunity for self-exploration and spiritual growth. This placement favors trips abroad, making it more likely that the native will travel even to different continents. One of the things that is not often mentioned about this placement is its creativity, and that is that natives with Neptune in this house are capable of creating deeply beautiful and fascinating things. They have a soul that is not only curious and empathetic, but also intuitive, seeking to find beauty in those small things that people do not usually take into account. They believe that there is more than what the eyes can see, and one of their most beautiful qualities is moving and understanding between what lies on the surface. They find inspiration in content such as music, photography or things related to cultures other than their own. These natives tend to immerse themselves in a topic when it catches their attention. However, if Neptune makes many tense aspects, we can observe a tendency towards fanaticism.

These natives have a particularity, and that is the calm they project. That feeling of not only being in a safe place when they are around, but, due to their sensitive and intuitive nature, the feeling of being with someone genuine and real. Throughout their lives they develop a strong compassion for others, as well as a desire to include everyone and make them feel understood. They seek to make the world a better place, and although they know that they cannot change everything in a snap, they seek to contribute with their small grain of sand. Many of them may enjoy daydreaming or having a little place to retreat to when reality becomes overwhelming. There is a tendency to procrastinate with Neptune here, as well as getting too immersed in one project and then wanting to work on another simultaneously.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[badasgirl]

accidentally fell in love

bada lee x fem!reader

──⭒─⭑─⭒────⭒─⭑─⭒── ──⭒─⭑─⭒────⭒─⭑─⭒──

when you’re in love with your best friend who constantly goes on date after date, what do you do? what if that best friend also happens to be oblivious as can be?

genre: fluff, angst (my bad), suggestive, best friends to lovers

warnings: oblivious!bada x jealous!reader, bada calls reader her princess, some tension, suggestive with a makeout scene towards the end, no caps on purpose (booo ik terrible grammar).

author’s note: this was not proofread so please be easy on me. anyways, yayyy! i am finally back after a while 🤭 rewriting this made me cry so it took a while and the finale made me really emotional (i still am emotional LMAO) so i ended up pushing this back. thank you for being patient! i hope you all enjoy!

word count: ~3.2k

──⭒─⭑─⭒────⭒─⭑─⭒── ──⭒─⭑─⭒────⭒─⭑─⭒──

you and bada lee have been best friends since one faithful day in middle school. it was a simple mistake really, you had forgotten a pencil for an exam and the teacher refused to give you one. you had to take the exam or else you could possibly fail the class. you had began to tear up and panic as the exam was about to begin and there was no pencil insight for you. luckily amidst your panic, the tall girl behind you tapped your shoulder and quickly snuck you a pencil to use. since that day, you vowed to be by her side and be her best friend forever.

and trust me, since that day you never left each other’s sides. you two were inseparable. you both were now in your final year of university and of course you shared an apartment together. bada majored in dance and you majored in art, specifically focusing in photography. naturally, a lot of the photos you took included bada, she was like your muse. if you ever needed to do a last minute project, she was always down to help. for bada, you too were like her muse for dance, but in a different way. whenever she had difficulties creating or finishing a choreography, she had to see you. she claimed that just by seeing you, you cleared her foggy mind and gave her so much inspiration. how could someone not fall for her? you did.

unfortunately for you, you were deeply in love with your best friend. in fact, she was your lesbian awakening in high school. you knew she liked anyone regardless of gender, however she never seemed to show interest in you at all. well, never directly.

recently, she was always going on dates with guys and coming back home complaining to you. today was one of those days. you were laying down on the couch in your pajama shorts and your (bada’s) t-shirt, watching something on your phone when bada entered the apartment with a loud sigh. she kicked off her shoes and threw her bag on the floor before taking her tall body and laying on top of you, basically smothering you.

“bada, what happened? also you’re crushing me” you said as you tried to push her off you slightly. the girl just snuggled into you more before loudly whining like a kicked puppy.

“princess, it was so terrible. he was sooo full of himself.” bada said tiredly. “he acted like he was doing me a favor by going on a date! i was the one doing him a favor if anything!” she complained passionately as she finally sat up a bit, just to give you enough room to sit up and hold the big human-sized puppy in your lap.

you patted her head softly as you said “bada, i have told you to stop going on every single date that someone asks you out on. especially this guy, seojun is a literal known asshole.”

the tall girl sighed knowing you were right. “i know, but i thought maybe it was just gossip you know? god, i wish these guys were like you y/n…so sweet and caring, never full of themselves. if they were like you, they’d be perfect. i’d immediately fall for them and make them mine.”

you blushed slightly but your heart broke at the same time. you slightly balled up your fists out of jealousy, but bada didn���t notice. you honestly hated hearing about your best friend’s dates. not only did they make you jealous, but bada always said if they were more like you she’d actually date them. “what does she even mean by that?” is something you’ve always wondered. if you’re so perfect for her, why won’t she date you?

you pushed your feelings aside as you smiled at bada and tapped her thigh signaling her to get up. “bada, you’ll find someone perfect for you, trust me. you just need to give it time and going on every date possible won’t help you.” you told her sincerely as you both got up from the couch.

bada nodded in agreement with you before pulling you in a hug. she rested her head atop yours before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. “thank you y/n, you’re right. what would i do without you, my best friend.” she smiled at you before taking her bag from the floor and heading to her room to get ready for bed.

however, all you could do was just stand there in the middle of the living room. of course, you were friendzoned time and time again. you hated how bada could make you feel like you were only person she wanted or needed one second and then remind you of your place the next. you let a few tears fall down your face before quickly wiping them and going to your room to sulk over being stuck in the friendzone.

────────────────────────────────────────────

the next day was definitely one of the shittiest days you’ve had in a while. to begin, you overslept and missed your first class because you were up all night thinking about bada and how much it hurt your heart to see her with shitty people and not you. then if that wasn’t enough, you spilled your energy drink all over your computer in the middle of your second class. fortunately for you, it wasn’t damaged. however, there was nothing to clean it with in the class and the closest bathroom had no paper towels to wipe it clean with. you were running out of time to make it to your last class, so you had to end up carrying a sticky computer in your bag halfway across campus so wouldn’t be late. then to top everything off, when you finally went to one of the dining halls after your last class, they ran out of the one meal you like there. you sat in defeat at one of the tables with arms on the table and your head resting on your arms.

bada currently had 20 minutes before her next practice started up, so she decided to head to the dining hall. she figured you’d also be there after a long day of classes, she knew your schedule like the back of her hand. bada spotted you at one of the tables with your head down, she immediately went over and patted your head softly.

your head lifted up slowly and your eyes met hers. “hey sleepyhead, why are you napping here?” bada asked grinning at you as she sat down next to you.

you sighed and fixed your hair. “i’m not napping, just drained” was all you could really say. you didn’t really feel like explaining the whole timeline of events that occurred. bada nodded her head in response before giggling to herself.

you looked at her with a confused face. “what’s so funny?” you asked her curiously.

“nothing really, it’s just i’m going on the blind date later after practice and i think the guy might be daehyun! you know the guy from your major.” bada explained while chuckling about thinking of going on a date with a fairly popular guy you know due to being in the same major and working together before.

this was your last straw. not only had you had a very terrible day, but now bada’s going on another date. you guess nothing you said last night mattered to her at all. you felt as if you don’t matter to her at all. you had began to accept being friendzoned, but now she’s completely ignoring what you tell her? what will happen when she starts actually dating someone, will she just ignore you all together?

tears brimmed your eyes as you quickly got up from the table and harshly grabbed your bag. you looked at her, your voice unsteady before saying “i don’t care, do what you want. have fun on your date bada, don’t bother complaining about it to me later because i’m not listening anymore.”

you walked off before bada could register what was even happening. she stood up once she finally realized what was going on and went to look for you, however you had walked far enough away for her to not see you anymore. she immediately pulled out her phone to text you.

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you made your way back to your shared apartment, crying your eyes out on the way home. “why are you so emotional? were you too hard on bada?” were the things you thought of on your walk back home. once you reached the complex, you quickly made it to your unit and went inside. all you could manage to do was take your shoes off before slowly walking over to your room, throwing your bag to the side, and flopping face first onto your bed. you curled up in a ball and cried your eyes out again. every insecurity you had about your friendship with bada came to the surface. even if she didn’t love you romantically, how could she just ignore your advice time after time if you’re her supposed best friend. how could she not realize the right choice has been in-front of her the whole time. she wanted every quality about you in the person she dated, so why not just date you? did she find you that repulsive?

you were wallowing in your thoughts for a while before you decided to check your phone. you felt it buzz as you walked home, but you were too focused on just making it home to check. your notifications revealed 4 missed calls and 10 texts in a row, all from bada. they all happened about 20 minutes ago.

my sea 🌊

——————————

y/n

are you okay???

did i upset you??

where did you go?

are you going home?

y/n princess please tell me you’re home safely, i’m worried.

i hope you’re alright, please don’t cry anymore.

i’m sorry i don’t know what i did, but that doesn’t matter i just need you to be okay

princess?

please let me know when you see this, let me know you’re safe.

you felt like crying even more after reading bada’s texts. maybe you were the one who fucked up. you didn’t want the girl to panic too much and actually call the police, so you mustered up all your energy to text her back.

you

———————

i’m home, i’m fine.

you shut off your phone and threw it to the side as you slowly let more tears fall and sleep over take you. the day was so draining, your body couldn’t help but want to give into sleeping.

────────────────────────────────────────────

the moment bada received your text, she immediately grabbed her stuff and ran out of practice. she ran over to the nearest convenience store to grab a bunch of all of your favorite snacks and drink: fruit jellies, potato chips, and strawberry milk. she had no idea as to why you suddenly became so upset, but the only thing on her mind was to make you feel better. once she purchased everything, bada rushed to your shared apartment quickly.

after you had barely fallen asleep for maybe 45 minutes, you heard a knock at your bedroom door and someone softly calling your name. you assumed it must be bada. you sighed deeply, rubbing your eyes awake. you honestly didn’t know how to react or what to do at this point.

“princess? you awake?” bada asked softly while gripping onto the plastic bag holding the things she got for you.

“go away bada, i’m fine” you mumbled at the door praying she could hear you.

that answer wasn’t good enough for bada. she may be oblivious to a lot of things, but she always knew when you didn’t feel okay. she slowly opened the door and looked at you balled up figure on your bed. the tall girl placed the bag of snacks on your desk and went to sit next to you on your bed. you huffed, sat up, and turned to face the taller girl.

“bada what don’t you understand about “go away” or “i’m fine”?” you asked the girl next to you tiredly. “i’m so tired just leave okay?” you pleaded.

“y/n i can tell you’re not fine, don’t lie to me now. we’re best friends.” bada said seriously looking you in your eyes.

you scoffed and rolled your eyes at her statement. bada tilted her head in confusion at your actions.

“what does that mean?” the oblivious girl asked.

“bada, if we’re seriously best friends…then why do you ignore and throw away every piece of advice i give you?” you started to get worked up, tears already brimming at your eyes again. “you act like you listen to what i say and you cherish it, but in reality you never do.” you said with your voice beginning to get shaky.

“y/n what-“

you cut off your best friend immediately. “don’t ask me what i mean because you know what i’m talking about. i tell you that going on a bunch of dates won’t help you find the one who deserves your love, you agree, say you appreciate me so much and wish you dated someone like me, and then turn around a few days later to go on dates.” you said as tears slowly began to fall down your face. you could barely think about what you were saying at the point, you were just speaking. bada sat there silently in shock listening to you explain everything.

“and bada you always do this. sure, it’s my fault that i accidentally fell in love with my best friend, so yeah seeing you go on all these failed dates and you saying you wish they were like me always make me jealous. but as your best friend it breaks my heart ten times more to see you just waste your time on these losers and just tossing me to the side.” you said as you were fully crying at this point. you were so deep in your emotions you didn’t even realize you just confessed your love to your best friend.

it took bada a while to understand what you had just said but once she did, she immediately started crying with you. you were very confused to see bada cry along with you. you were going to ask why she had began crying but she had said “you’re in love with me y/n?”

you were so shocked as you didn’t even realize what you had said until she said something, you gasped at the realization and looked up at bada, now you were afraid. even though you were upset with bada, you didn’t want to lose her all together.

“bada wait i-“

“no y/n, be honest with me…are you seriously in love with me?” bada asked looking into your eyes, grabbing your hands and holding them tightly in hers.

you looked down, unable to face her. “yes bada, i’ve been in love with you for years. you were even the reason why i realized i was a lesbian, since i’m telling you everything…” you laughed slightly out of embarrassment.

bada couldn’t help but to smile at your confession through her tears “y/n- no my princess, i should have just been honest with you and myself. i also fell in love with my best friend. i thought going on all these dates wishing they were you would maybe help. i never knew you could feel the same way, i was so oblivious. i am so so sorry i hurt you in the process, i never wanted to do that. you are the most important person to me. i love you so much princess.” bada confessed to you while still holding onto your hands. your head shot up at her confession and you looked at her in her eyes to make sure she was being serious. you could tell she was being serious so you couldn’t help but cry out of happiness.

bada pulled you into her and hugged you tightly. you wrapped your arms around her waist and cried into her chest. she let her tears fall freely as well as she held you in her arms as her own.

once you both calmed down, bada pulled away to look at your pretty face and admire the girl she loved so much. she tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and smiled at you. you smiled back at bada and giggled.

“does this mean…we’re girlfriends?” you questioned shyly.

bada chuckled at your shyness before nodding. “yes, yes you’re my girlfriend and i’m yours princess.”

you giggled and placed a quick peck to bada’s lips, still holding her close. bada blushed at the peck before bringing you back into her and kissing your lips softly. you both sat there letting that kiss make up for the lost time that you could’ve been together.

when bada pulled away from the kiss, you whined and looked up at the taller girl with puppy eyes. bada laughed at your actions before smirking down at you.

“why? does my princess want more?” your girlfriend teased you while rubbing her hands up and down your sides. you nodded quickly in response before stretching your neck back up to meet her lips.

bada deepened the kiss, biting your lips softly. your kisses got messier and filled with more and more passion. you were holding onto bada for dear life as she licked across your lips, signaling you that she wanted in. you let her have access so easily, her tongue easily dominated yours as you both continued to hold each other close and make out on your bed. the whimpers and moans you both let out were swallowed by the other within your kisses.

eventually after you both pulled away to catch your breaths, you spotted the plastic grocery bag on your desk.

“baby what’s that?” you questioned softly while pointing at the bag with your finger.

bada blushed at the pet name you gave her before answering you. “it’s all of your favorites princess! fruit jellies, strawberry milk, and potato chips. i bought them earlier to try to make you feel better.”

you smiled up at your girlfriend giggling at the sweet action. “you’re perfect, oblivious as hell, but perfect. i’m so lucky” you said sweetly while getting up to get the bag of snacks.

bada watched you get up as she shook her head in disagreement. “princess, i’m definitely the lucky one, you’re the best girlfriend i could have asked for. i should have really just dated you from the start…” bada trailed off as her face turned into a pout.

you returned to the bed with your snacks acquired and kissed the cute pout off of bada’s face. after that quick kiss, she was nothing but smiles.

“now hush you big puppy, let’s not focus on the lost time. let’s just focus on us now.” you stated as you snuggled into bada.

bada held you close as you snuggled into her. she knew you were right, there’s no use in dwelling on what already happened. all she wanted to do now was create new amazing memories with you.

bada looked at you while smiling and said “so a movie and snacks?”

you chuckled and smiled back at her “you read my mind baby.”

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

So, I'm thinking of a Sabolaw actor AU!

For the longest time, Sabo's an amateur actor who does this as a hobby. He loves making short films and he loves writing, so this was an avenue of self-expression for him throughout his twenties.

One day in his late thirties, a casting director finds one short film of his and immediately hired him to be the lead of a chirpy adaptation of a YA thing.

Instant hit! People adored his good looks, his giggly laugh and bug eyes. His popularity skyrocketed and the hype sustained his career ten years later. He's just that smart when it comes to marketing!

So now, as a forty-something, he's the star of a quirky, eccentric adult film written by the enigmatic Corázon. He's interested in the script because a lot of people fancast him as the male lead and figured this would be a good project to appeal to public opinion.

This is where he meets Law, who has taken an instant dislike to him. Whatever, that happens.

Law's apparently Corázon's personal assistant but he acts more like a baby sitter. Law would light his cigarettes up for him, get coffee and even writes corrections for Corázon. They were apparently father and son and Sabo kind of envies their good relationship.

More than that, though, Sabo adores how sweet Law was towards the mute Corázon. He saw a lot of shy, reserved people—especially if they were minorities—get yelled at, berated and insulted regardless of rank. It could be straight up harassment or backhanded compliments to their achievements.

Law, in contrast, was doting, polite and even talks for Corázon, even if what he said was either "Thank you, Cora-san will think about it" or "Piss off." Sabo thought vulgarities sounded cute from his mouth.

Their first full conversation happens in a dressing room where Law was filling in for a makeup artist. Law was doing his makeup and Sabo leaned in so Law did not have to strain himself.

"You come here around, lovely?" Right, Sabo flirts with him a lot. He's kind of insane about it.

"No."

"Your words are cold but your hands are warm, darling."

Law sighed deeply. "Have you memorised your lines? You forgot them the last time."

"Oh..." Sabo did not like talking about work so casually. "Yes, yes, I have. Would you like me to recite one?"

"Sure."

Sabo did not mind that Law was ignoring him and that he was pretending to tidy up the makeup supplies. He recited a monologue, admittedly cringing slightly. He planned to negotiate a slight rewrite.

"What am I thinking of? What a silly question. I think of you when I don't think of anything in particular. I think about what you're doing now, how you're feeling, what you want to do when you come home to me. Even right now, I think of how I can love you better. I think of you all the time, even in my daydreams. You inspire me, my love."

Sabo noticed Law's ears go a little red but he kept a neutral face.

"Don't take this the wrong way but," Law paused to glance at the floor. "I'm glad you have the role. You're not the guy my dad had in mind but you fit it perfectly. Thank you for agreeing to do this."

Sabo laughed. Law was oddly sweet today.

They got a bit friendlier from that day onwards. They would talk occasionally about things that's not just work, even if Law seemed reluctant to. From the few bits of information Law gave, Sabo found himself falling for him more and more.

Law had a puppy. He liked black coffee, just like Sabo. He liked hardcore rock music, indie stuff with a splash of poppy-addictive Red Velvet music. He liked the colour yellow. He liked reading. Law wore the fluffiest, softest cardigan to work sometimes.

Law's stoic demeanor finally broke when Sabo let him infodump all about Sora the Warrior. Law speaks so enthusiastically even to someone he supposedly 'hates' and Sabo just melts. He could listen to Law talk all day. He would think of his sparkly eyes even in his daydreams. He could count the stars in them...

Today, Sabo was going to film the sex scene with his co-star and he made sure they would do it in at most five takes. She seemed willing enough and wanted to get it done in one. Admittedly, they did not get along in real life despite having chemistry on camera.

When they started filming, Sabo tried his best to be 'in love' as the script says. This was a moment where their relationship would deepen and it was admittedly the hottest moment in the film. It was fine if she hesitated, since she played a timid character. The director reminded him of this. Sabo got annoyed but he agreed to try again.

It got worse because they were both irritated. Gah! Just before Sabo wanted to take a break, he had a reckoning. He realised that her lips were pale... Sabo glanced up and saw Law pretending to look busy by tapping away at his laptop. They were pale, just like Law's. He closed his eyes and finally felt the passion he needed to make this work.

Even the director blushed at what he saw.

After the scene, Corázon taps Sabo on the shoulder without Law next to him. Sabo follows Corázon into a small, under-utilised office. He opened the window and smoked a cigarette. Here, he took his sunglasses off and Sabo sees that he's actually quite handsome with a large face, pale skin and dull blonde hair.

"Be careful, boy."

Where did that deep voice come from? Sabo was surprised to hear it come from Corázon himself.

"His heart is in pain," Corázon continued. He blew a puff of smoke out the window. "Treat him well."

"You can't cut me out of this project," Sabo reminded him lightly. Threats like this were unprofessional. "We have a contract."

Corázon smiled. He was cunning like Sabo and Sabo oscillated between liking and distrusting him.

"It's not about that. I know your type, and... Well... I'm a protective father, do you see?"

Oh, it's that kind of consequence. For the first time in his career, he stood some distance away and bowed deeply. Corázon did not expect that but he seemed to appreciate that.

Sabo knew cynicism when he saw it, however. Why won't these people just believe in him! He needed a fucking drink.

He went to the bar some distance away from the studio and wow! Holy fucking shit!

Law looked at him first. He changed out of his hoodie and now wore a black button shirt and jeans. Sabo knew he had game but damn, Law's so slim and fit and so damn sexy. Sabo ordered a drink and sat there. He stared at the wall, thinking of his work, what he had to do tomorrow, he quickly remembered his lines...

"Hey, handsome. You look like you have a lot on your mind." A slightly tipsy giggle.

Sabo looked up. Now, he thought of Law. Law had such a cute smile when he wasn't so irritable. Law sat on his lap without asking and of course Sabo let him. Law gave him fuck-me eyes and Sabo knew that was only because he was sort of drunk but Sabo just felt his heart squeeze and his dick harden.

If only Law were sober! Damn it! This would be so much better if Law wanted to seduce him. He wanted Law to look at him with those lustful eyes and mean it. Sabo laughed bitterly.

Law's legs were long and warm against his. Law held his face and tried to kiss Sabo but Sabo put his hands over Law's mouth. Law pouted and he was so fucking cute, Sabo would gladly kiss him just not like this. He tried to get Law off his lap.

"You're still the same dork I fell in love with twenty years ago." Sabo finally had enough. Law tilted his head to the side in confusion. Sabo remembered Law hated loud noises and would wear white noise-cancelling ear-plugs. Upon closer inspection, Sabo saw that it was the same pair too. Law kissed his ear and Sabo let him come closer.

"Fine, you win. I'm hopelessly smitten. I wonder, Law, I wonder where we'd be if you believed in my feelings towards you? If you listened to me that day..."

Also, did I mention that they were (very bitter) exes? Yeah, that's a thing that happened a long ago...

[theplumbobguide]

How to Make Your Game More Interesting:

you're so... ~interesting~

Intro: Hello all, Really quickly, I'd like to introduce myself. I have been playing the sims 2 since release when I was quite young, and still play 20 years later. In playing for 20 years, I have read the prima guides like they were the guides to my personal religion. I have deep dived into all the lore, and gone through more than a person who is not a dev should in this game. I've played too much. I've done too much. I also regularly peruse sims 2 subreddits, watch the sims 2 on youtube and generally seem to have made the sims 2 my life (writing this out, I'm feeling a little sad but... worth it). The main thing I see REGULARLY when reading comments and posts on reddit or the youtube comment section is that people generally don't know how to make their game interesting. Why? Well, it seems like generally people get very attached to their sims (same tbh) and don't want to cause chaos, or don't know how to cause chaos. My fun fact: I used to be just like you. Yes you, the person reading this is who is stuck in the loop of creating one perfect family after another and getting bored. I chronically made families of sims with the LTW of Fortune and Family who loved each other deeply, who had perfect A+ children, who succeeded in everything they did... sims who became stale. (how boring!) That was until I decided to use the skills I have learned through reading books, watching soap-opera-y shows, intense movies, and attempting to write my own novels to good use. This is where we come to part of what you came here for. Golden Rules: Rule #1. No good story has a main character who isn't flawed. Creating flawed sims is my main rule; if you had to leave this blog with one thing it's this: make flawed sims. Now, this doesn't mean all sims should be Romance sims or have a Romance secondary aspiration, but rather giving your sims "human qualities". Example: A sim with "anger issues", a sim who always chooses the wrong type of sims to date, a sim who is struggling with their sexuality, AN EVIL SIM. The list can go on. You can do this with your imagination and interactions in-game. You can also download wonderful mods like: Traits Project. This mod will help you create more dynamic sims without needing to think too much about it (OR thinking a lot about it, and adding the traits manually to really build your character). As you can see, there are tons of ways to create flawed sims. I ask you to be inspired by characters from the entertainment you enjoy consuming. You'd be surprised in how many little ways you can make a sim interesting and build a story around them. - A side note in this section: never underestimate a good "mid-life crisis". Quitting a job, gambling addiction, a new romantic interest, shopping addiction, arguing with a partner etc. The possibilities are endless. Rule #2. When in doubt, don't be afraid to take a sim out. No, I don't mean for a night out on the town... Here's the thing, sometimes your sim rolls boring wants regularly, seems to serve little to no purpose, and gives you the general feeling that there isn't much going on behind those pixelated eyes. Regardless of whether or not you like the sim you're thinking of in this moment, it's time to use them to drive the plot or create character development for your other playables. *Grim enters stage left* Never underestimate the storytelling tool that involves making your sim a ghost. Now, with that being said - we all enjoy occasionally letting the intrusive thoughts win when it comes to introducing your sim to the grim reaper; but we can't forget one of the main rules in storytelling plot drivers. You cannot off a character "just because". We must have reason, and this is where we can get really creative. Maybe your sim secretly really dislikes their so-called "perfect life". Maybe they just happen to hike in the desert, during the summer, with their needs really low... Maybe they fall asleep while making family dinner... MAYBE they take a little nightly swim while tired and seem to forget where that pesky pool ladder went.

There are tons of ways you can use these ideas and use it to drive your plot forward. Subjecting their loved ones to the reprocussions of their loss. It is here that I can't fail to mention that while random death can be important; as well as heart breaking. Here are a few ways I make random death possible in my game that I think are great: - Death By Childbirth - More Dangerous Fire - Real Sickness

The big thing I would like to reiterate, is to make sure that if it is not random, and completely your choice as the player, either send them off to the simulated great beyond for passion or pleasure. *Passion would be to move a plot forward, cause chaos, create a character arc for a sim or family, etc. *Pleasure would be just because it makes you happy to have more graves in your cemetary. you're a tad evil aren't you, you little minx. Rule #3. You Can't Always Get What You Want... but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find *you get what you need* Now, as you might have guessed: I am a semi-wants based player. You may be wondering "what that means?" What that means indeed, little friend. Semi-Wants Based Playstyle essentially boils down to: I try to achive almost everything my sim wants to do - but only if I like it for them. Also, sometimes your sim may not "want" something per se, but you've decided that you want to do it and don't want to wait for them to tell you they want to do it. This means, if my family sim decides that maybe they are more or just as attracted to their neighbour as they are their spouse and run a want to flirt with them... we may ruin a marriage or keep a deep dark secret, OR I will feel like it is too far out of left field for this particular sim and chose to ignore it completely. I go off ~vibes~ and suggest you try that too. Story time: I have the "Death by Childbirth" mod in my game. Two of my sims that we're romance sims lived together as a polyamourous couple sharing the sims they brought home. One day the female and male sims did an autonomous woohoo (thank you ACR), and fell pregnant wups. During that pregnancy, though, I noticed them be cute and close and... not have wants for other sims? I thought it was interesting and intended to maybe make them secondary family sims... until my female sim died during childbirth. Now, I could have gone two ways: 1. let the game be as it was and have the male sim be a single dad, or 2. use some cheats and get the resurrect o nomitron. The female sim who died was in the paranormal career, so I figured "why not! DO IT FOR THE PLOT." I resurrected her and decided that both sims underwent such a significant change that they may have also changed their outlooks on life, and changed their LTW. However, I always made it part of their story that while at first things would be good... at one point they would begin to feel like maybe family life wasn't really what they wanted or thought it would be. 3 children later (he wanted it), my female sim is going stir crazy; just wants to make friends and go to work and find the *more* that she knows is out there; my male sim is feeling very alone and like his wife isn't really there for him and his eye is beginning to wander... Who knows what will happen. What I'm trying to (and hopefully) get at here is this: The sims is YOUR game. Your sandbox. While it is fun to create chaos for chaos' sake, don't be afraid to do what YOU want. That's what makes the game enjoyable overall. So yes, maybe something bad happens to a sim, you have the complete ability to turn it around, as long as it what? Say it with me kids: "PrOgReSsEs ThE pLoT." That is what makes interesting gameplay/storytelling. you can really tell my creative writing teachers drilled something into my brain... but what was it? Rule #4. Jump Around! I know not everyone is a rotational player, nor is playing rotationally for everyone. I do, of course, think it's great (however you do it). I don't think it's a *must* to enjoy the game, though. I do stand on the hill that believes that some amount of "changing it up" is important. Once again, everyone is different, so find what you need or speaks to you in this section; but here are some things I do to make sure that I don't get burnt out.

Part 1. "Traditional" Rotational Gameplay: I play for the full EA/Maxis length season (5 days) with each family. You can do more or less. I also play in a pretty regular rotation that only gets changed based on circumstance. For example, if the family breaks apart, the moved family gets played after the original family.

Part 2. I build and/or upgrade all my lots slowly. Whenever I get the itch or inspiration to build I run with it. I usually get the feeling when it's beginning to be necessary in my game. Sometimes you need a coffee shop for a date… then a restaurant… then you think: wow my sims can meet more people at a bar. I build based off my wants and my gameplay needs. With that being said, I also love making my own hoods and slowly building up the town are more sims join the rotations (kinda like a BACC, but not really).

Part 3. I am never opposed to moving sims into a different house/location or simply sending them off on a vacation. Maybe even making sure they leave the house for more mundane reasons. When was the last time you took your kid to the park, you monster? You'd be surprised on how refreshing it can be. Also, how realistic. Gone are the days where your sim lived in the same home from College to Elderhood. Gone are the days where your sim never used their vacation days. Gone are they days where your sim only ever knew the four walls you built around them. Hopefully with doors and windows... but maybe not.. Rule #5. Remember Who You Are, SIMba. Keep in mind that the sims truly is your game. Your imagination. Your little world. You can make it as perfect or as chaotic as you want. As someone who's roots are in "the perfect sim/family" type gameplay, I always allow at least 1 if not 2-3 families who fit that bill somehow, to keep my little heart happy. (Another great idea for you comes from the movie "Don't Worry Darling": think of a town where everything is the 1950's vision of perfect - but everyone *is* happy... until... and fill in the blank as you go.) I digress, you can try out any/all these rules. You can even take inspiration from my game or ideas I layed out in this first ever post here, but at the end of the day, you will always be you. The Sims will always be your game. Don't be afraid to try things, don't be afraid to be your real and truest self. For some of you that means a town of insane sims wearing chicken costumes, and for others that might be trying to actually create the perfect town/family (I challenge you to make sure they have not 1 bad memory). Either way, and all the ways, I hope that this post at the least gave you joy and at the best gave you inspiration. More to come in the future! Have an exellent day, meaghanplumbob xox

[mykpopwire]

exclusive interview: BANG YONGGUK shares moments from 'III' US TOUR 2024, challenges, future plans and more.

Q: Congratulations on completing your ‘III’ The US TOUR 2024! How did you feel to successfully wrapped up a full month of concert?

I want to say thank you so much to the fans who gave me so much inspiration and love. Without them, I couldn't carry out the schedule. It felt like we performed together in every performance.

Q: What was it like during the tour? Any moments that you want to share with fans?

I sang all the songs on my new album live. It was just released, and it was really special that so many people sang it together. These were moments where I felt deeply in my heart how much they loved me and my music.

Q: You’ve been to Europe, Asia, America, almost all over the world. Did you perform differently each time or did you try to convey the same experience?

Usually, I make one chapter of setlist for a tour. I think I naturally take the ending and encore songs according to the atmosphere of each city or country. After a year-long tour, we prepare a new set list from the next year. That's why I think I put a lot of time and thought into making a set list for the tour.

Q: Can you describe the atmosphere and vibe of your tour that will make people want to attend again and again?

It's hard to fill up the entire 2 hours by myself. I think it's a special moment that the fans fill the empty space on the stage together. I'm not a good speaker, so I'm going to sing at least one more song live rather than a comment. I feel like I'm performing together with the fans. I think that creates an atmosphere where my performances become special.

Q: Performing every other day must have been challenging for you. How do you keep your energy and voice healthy throughout the tour?

It's not easy. This time, there were performances that I was not in good condition, and there were moments when I blamed myself. I refrain from going out as much as possible and stay inside the hotel only before the performance. I only take a light walk when I go outside. It's important to save energy and prevent other illnesses. Sometimes, my manager comes to check if I'm alive, and I think it's the only time I've met someone. Unfortunately, that's how I keep myself in good shape and protect myself throughout the tour. (laughs)

Q: What should we look forward to from your next plan?

I'm preparing for a new project in summer, and I've been planning it slowly since the U.S. The moment I came back to Korea after the tour, I haven't had a day off yet.

Q: In the future, when people look back at Bang Yongguk and the music you’ve made, is there a certain way you would like it to be seen or remembered?

I like to hear that Bang Yongguk's music is like Bang Yongguk. If people remember me as an artist who has his own style, regardless of the chart rankings and album sales, I think my career has succeeded just by hearing that. That's why I make music.

Q: To all your fans and listeners who wants to know and learn more about Bang Yongguk, what is the best way for them to do so?

I hope you listen to my first full-length album, "BANGYONGGUK." I think you'll know more about me. And I don't think I'll be able to make an album like that in the future. (laughs)

Listen to Bang Yongguk's "BANGYONGGUK" here!

Q: Thank you so much for spending some time with MY K-POP WIRE! Any last words to your fans?

I would like to express my love and respect to the fans who always give us a lot of love. Please continue to show your interest and support for that way I will show as an artist,  Bang Yongguk. I will be back. Thank you.

*photo courtesy of YY Entertainment

Don’t forget to like, follow and subscribe to MY K-POP WIRE for more K-Pop interview, debut, comeback and event updates!

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[helgahaze]

Astrology of Tarot Practice

Tarot, astrology, magic, spiritual, meditative, energy practices, and even some areas of psychology basically operate on the fuel of outer planets: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

In the birth chart of a person deeply interested in such activities, these planets are highly likely:

Related to the 1st house,

Are strong, dominant planets,

Have aspects with the Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, or Mars.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto provide a specific background in worldview and personal vibe, which inevitably reflects on the style of practice, regardless of whether tarot is a simple interest, hobby, or professional activity.

Below, see how it works for each of the outer planets.

Pluto

A brilliant analyst and researcher. Digs deep. Feels relations and connections. Understands how to manage them. Naturally senses vulnerabilities, flaws, and bugs. Works quietly and secluded, then produces results all at once. Ignites from the excavation of everything shadowy, repressed, unconscious, dark, and magical.

Pluto is like a cat who proudly lays out a dead mouse right in front of you. Mercilessly and frankly, in plain sight.

The closest character in tarot court cards: Queen of Wands.

Ideal tarot activity: digging out the causes of problems, picking through trauma, magic, shadow work, tarot as a tool for transformation.

Uranus

A detached genius engineer. Needs to make calculations and then produce the result. In its own unique style, with a focus on the future. Builds multidimensional information models and masterfully navigates them. Goes from the general to the specific.

Has intuitive intelligence. Processes information with lightning speed. Finds connections and parallels that carry the essence. An excellent forecaster and strategist.

The closest character in tarot court cards: King/Knight of Swords.

Ideal tarot activity: planning and forecasting, developing paths to goals, cause-and-effect relations, tarot as a tool to clear the mind and untangle.

Neptune

Works as a translator. Relies on intuition. Feels the world as a whole living, breathing organism. Sees and understands reality through metaphors, images, and symbols better than directly. Loves to solve mysteries and riddles.

Creates an atmosphere of magic, a soft, enveloping, polyphonic vibe of meanings, in contrast with the dead mice of Pluto and the mathematical structure of Uranus.

The closest character in tarot court cards: Queen of Cups.

Ideal tarot activity: self-help, self-discovery, spirituality, search for inspiration, meditation, intuition development.

These examples were written with a focus on tarot reading, but you can easily project these key style patterns of each planet onto other spiritual or magical practices.

[blade-that-was-broken]

I’m still stuck on your idea that John Dory is like influential enough to the pop genre of music composition and song writing that his work is analyzed in college level music composition and music theory classes. Cause it’s like one thing if every song he ever wrote is in the top of the charts but it’s another thing to get featured as a person of interest in a music composition class and it feeds so well into my theory that JD spent the 20 years he was traveling on Rhonda and not really working living off of royalties cause he could have been writing textbooks on song writing and shit. He could have been like contacted by colleges and asked to give Ted talks and guest lectures on how to blend multiple voices into a near perfect harmony.

John Dory is like the Lady Gaga of the troll world not in the sense like their music is remotely similar but because they both view music as art and are perfectionists with it. Because they hold their work to the highest standard and make sure it’s the highest possible quality. Which I think is like partially the root behind why JD went so perfectionist with the band in particular. Regardless of why it started and why it ended JD cared deeply that every aspect of their performances were revolutionary, were perfect. People compare jds perfectionism and demands of his brothers to velvets demands of vener and desire for fame. But they really could not be more different in reality because as their songs reveal JD cares about perfection he will not cut corners with his work with his performances. He wants his art to be 100% flawless and be a revolutionary work of art because he is an Artist and performance is his canvas. I don’t think that JD cares about being famous or making money beyond enough to support his family and invest in his art. Velvet is fundamentally different. She doesn’t care about the quality of her and veneirs work, doing any of it herself or her fans at all she just wants to be rich and famous.

Kinda getting off topic here but anyway I think JD would be delighted that people are analyzing his art and being inspired by it because he put hella work into it. Brozone was his passion project that combined his two favorite things his family and his art and he definitely loves his family more than his art and he doesn’t really care too much about hitting the perfect family harmony anymore beyond saving Floyd but I still really do think he is proud of the work he put into brozone despite hating the way it ended and would be so flattered that other are dissecting the meaning and depth behind his word choices and music composition. And I also think if the troll world had like Broadway JD would love musical theatre so much. Anyway this is my official take on why I see jd as a music/art/theater snob.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk

One: I love when people do the whole "thank for coming to my ted talk" it makes me laugh and I love to laugh.

Two: I think it would be so FUNNYYYYY. Even more so if John had absolutely ZERO clue about what was happening. There is SO much he could have done but like, naw, he's just gonna become a perpetual camper/survivalist and have virtually nothing to his name that HE knows of. Like, one of those famous rich hermits except he doesn't know he's famous or rich. I'm sorry, just way too funny.

I love the idea that JD puts so much thought and care and study/hardwork - along with his natural talent - into his music. Like, sure, it probably helps that he's naturally good at it but I think he really tries to do the best he can. And I think Brozone would be very limiting in certain areas. Like, yes, there is his whole blending of individual parts as a whole, harmonies, and group work. But Brozone is probably meant more for entertainment than much else. It's a performance. When he leaves and if he keeps writing, I think he'd expand in the things he does. Or whatever. I've got too many thoughts and feelings haha lol

OOOOHHHH I kinda like that thought. I don't know much about Lady Gaga or really listened to her music but I understand the perfectionism thing. I always used to say practice makes perfect (and more recently, practice makes progress) so I think I can understand the concept alright. I think it's so interesting people compare him to Velvet sometimes when honestly, they seem like polar opposites. Velvet doesn't want to work at all, she doesn't care for her craft, she doesn't want to practice, she has no talent or even tries to work up to having talent. JD on the other hand, worked too much, put everything into his craft and probably practiced too much. He's got the talent, sure, but he also WORKED for it too.

I think a part of him would be delighted because - HOW COOL - and a part of him would be like but... why??? I know people tend to see him as egotistical or whatever but I think he really loved what he did and he put a lot into it. Idk how much his family really cares about their music, especially anymore, but I think JD would still be proud of it and guess what? He should. It was popular and people liked it. He should be proud of what they accomplished, even if nearing the end things got out of control. it couldn't have always been that way.

Agreed. JD loves his family more than anything. I have a feeling he wouldn't have let 20 years pass if he knew they were alive. It's one of the lines in the movies (I found out you were still alive) that really hits me home for that. He was also the only one who came back soooo there is that too. And yeah! He literally straight up FORGOT about the Family Harmony until Floyd told him that was what was needed. And even after twenty years, he still whole heartedly believes in his brothers that they can do it (if we just practice a little) like that sweetie. Running on worry, adrenaline and lack of sleep, that dude just wants to save his brother.

AWWWW JD loving theatre would be so CUTE! Except I would love to see him both go to Broadway things and Children's plays. Like that would be funny! Here is this dude who goes to these serious broadway type shows but then he turns around and the next night he goes to some local kids Seussical or something.

I just love this so much haha

Okay also another thing...

Okay, I do think it would be funny if for those twenty years, what JD did for "work" was just sell the rights to songs he wrote on the road to other artists/trolls he came across. Like, as he is traveling and is writing different types of music, musicians be like dude this song is amazing and just my style and JD be like... I'll sell it/trade it for (insert whatever here). Like how funny? And then the radio is just flooded with songs that JD wrote, many of which people have NO idea he wrote.

Like could you imagine a song comes on the radio and Floyd being all like "I love this song!!"

And JD like oh yeah, I traded that song for a machete and two chickens. Awesome deal, I love my machete. Comes in handy.

Like could you imagine? I don't know why but I find the concept SO FUNNY

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Of Kisses and Treasures

I meant to post this weeks ago.... Oh well lol. Here's part 2 of my 12 ship fics for 12 years of friendship project! @risingfire17-the-weeb-trash, here, you can finally share my Amuto trash on your blog lol. ❤

Posted on: AO3 Fandom: Shugo Chara! Pairing: Amuto (Amu/Ikuto) Word Count: 2,609 Rated: K+ Genre: Romance & Humor Setting: Post Shugo Chara! Doki Warning: Dubcon kissese (at first)

Disclaimer: Yes, this fic features Amuto. I am deliberately vague about their ages, so you can imagine them as closer-in-age teenagers, if you wish, but their dynamic is still inspired by canon. This fic was written out of love for my best friend, who adores this ship and has every right to. Don't like, don't read.

With that out of the way... Enjoy!

~~~

The showdown and aftermath of the final battle against Easter was so swift and confusing that Amu Hinamori collapsed on her bed in her clothes, finding it impossible to motivate herself to change. The revelations of everything, from Dia’s reappearance to Ikuto’s freedom from the corrupted violin, to the boss’s motivations…. It was all too much! 

Sitting up in bed, groggily kicking off her socks in a half-hearted effort to at least start getting ready for bed, Amu tried to wrap her mind around every major revelation. 

“This is all too much for my mind to hold in….” she grumbled without thinking. 

Luckily (and rather uncharacteristically), Amu’s three Guardian Characters intuitively understood her meaning. The three nodded to each other and flew to their Bearer, each with their own methods of helping her cope. 

“No worries, Amu-chan! Su will go fix you a nice, warm cup of tea!” Su squeaked cheerfully. She flew out of Amu's room (Amu didn’t bother closing her door, she was so out of commission after the battle).  Distantly, she wondered if her parents would notice floating ceramic tea cups and water boiling by itself, then dismissed it, remembering her parents were gone for the evening for their respective jobs, Ami in tow. Smiling wryly, Amu called out her thanks to Su. 

“Also, here!” Miki helpfully presented her Bearer a notepad and pencil. “Why don’t you write down everything that we found out tonight? It’ll help with the process of understanding it all.” 

“Go, go, Amu-chan! Amu-chan saved the dayyyyy!” Ran sang out in her usual fashion. 

“Thanks, Ran, Miki.” Amu sighed deeply, feeling Easter’s dismantled power and her Guardian Characters’s support lift a heavy weight off her shoulders. Regardless of how confusing the night’s events were, at least it was all over. She pulled her knees up to her chest, using them as support for her notepad, and jotted down a list: 

Easter’s “boss” was a seven-year-old boy, the grandchild of Ikuto and Utau’s stepfather

Said “boss” had been collecting shiny valuable jewels and demanded the Embryo because it looked interesting

Easter made countless X Eggs, tormented Ikuto, and nearly destroyed so many children’s dreams all for this petty reason. (That was something Amu could never forgive, but she mostly blamed the “boss’s” grandfather)

The “boss” (whose name was Hikaru, Amu needed to remember that) tossed away the long sought-after Embryo when its shine waned

Hikaru lost his own heart’s egg long ago and the “Embryo” they had spent the last year chasing was actually Hikaru’s heart egg, trying to return home?! 

Hikaru got his heart egg back and finally cried, something he had never been allowed to do since he was a baby 

Easter finally stopped all their nonsense and conceded defeat

Ran and Miki peered over Amu’s shoulder after Amu paused, pressing the eraser end of her pencil against her chin.  

“That’s a lot of information to take in at once,” Miki commented dryly. 

“Tell me about it,” Amu groaned, rubbing her other hand through her hair. “I feel like my head won’t stop spinning!” 

Her two Guardian Characters hummed thoughtfully, then Ran gasped. 

“But wait! Amu-chan! You forgot something very important!” 

“Huh? I did? I’m pretty sure I got the basics, at least when it comes to Easter-rrr….” 

But Amu trailed off as Ran took hold of another pencil and clumsily sketched out a large but distinct addition underneath Amu’s list. 

Ikuto kissed Amu-chan!! (★^O^★) 

“EHHHHHHHH?!?!” 

The notepad, pencils, and Guardian Characters went flying as Amu shrieked at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms and legs. Ran and Miki squealed in alarm as they went spinning, but Amu paid them no heed, her cheeks burning as she flusteredly snatched the nearest pillow and burrowed her face into it. 

“D-d-d-doesn’t count! He– he was only t-t-teasing me! Like he always does! The pervy cat! The stupid stray! That creepy jerk–!” 

“Now, now, if you’re gonna insult me, at least get more creative.” 

Amu froze. A shiver of horror slid down her spine. She knew that voice. She knew that voice quite, er, intimately, considering she spent many, many, embarrassingly long days holding him up in her room…. 

But that didn’t stop her from freaking out. She jerked up her head to glare at the object of her ire, mortification written all over her face. 

“IKUTO?! Wh-what are you doing here?!” 

Par of the course, Ikuto was leaning casually against her patio door, shamelessly smirking, like he owned the place! In just mere hours after gaining his long-awaited freedom, he looked healthier than he had been for months. His eyes no longer had the telltale bags underneath, and he was much steadier on his feet. In which, he was far too steady as he strode across the threshold and picked up Amu’s notepad from off the floor—

Leaping out of bed, Amu scrambled to snatch it back, but Ikuto, the cheating bastard, held it high out of reach, using his other hand to hold a flustered and angry Amu in place as she fruitlessly pushed against the palm firmly on her forehead. 

“My, my….” he purred in that despicably knowing way he always did whenever he teased her. He pretended to consult the list carefully, ignoring Amu’s shrieks and groans of effort to free herself from him holding her back. “You are such a kid. One little peck on the cheek and you added it to your special list–” 

“DON’T PATRONIZE ME, YOU-YOU-YOU SONUVA—” 

 “Ah, ah, ah, language. Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?” Ikuto was grinning openly now. If Amu had been paying attention (as if she could, through her utter humiliation!), she would have noticed that Ikuto’s eyes were surprisingly soft and tender looking down at her. 

As it stood, she was too busy blushing furiously and stammering to even notice Ran and Miki in the background, consulting with Yoru, who looked thoroughly amused. 

“I bet you’re glad you’re back with your Bearer, Yoru-kun,” Miki said. 

“Nya! Yoru is beyoooond glad-nya!” Yoru beamed happily, looking away from watching Ikuto teasing Amu. “But other than missing Ikuto, I always knew he was okay, deep down.” 

“Really? How come? You always seemed awfully worried…” Ran asked curiously, tilting her head. 

“Well, ya see-nya, if Ikuto had really gone to the bad side or had given up, I would have disappeared, right? Or at least got an X on my egg. But I didn’t! Nya, I searched for Ikuto and never once felt like I was gonna disappear or anything, cuz Ikuto is a good guy-nya!” Yoru spoke with so much pride and happiness, that even Amu was temporarily distracted from her fight for her dignity. 

“Really? You never gave up on Yoru, Ikuto…?” 

Ikuto removed his hand from Amu’s forehead, ruffled her hair, and handed her back her notepad. He put his hands in his pockets in his usual Brooding Fashion, and spoke in a would-be nonchalant manner, but his words sent Amu’s heart racing. 

“Yoru was staying with you, wasn’t he?” 

Did…. did this mean what Amu thought it meant….? Did Ikuto essentially Amu with his heart—? 

Shaking her head abruptly to get that thought out, Amu blustered and crossed her arms, putting on her Cool and Spicy act. “Well, I had no choice! Yoru is just like his owner, always crashing in my room without a word of consent from me!” 

Ran, Miki, and Yoru sighed discontentedly. Why was Amu so stubborn? 

At that moment, Su came flying up with a tray magically floating, holding several evening time snacks, a steaming teapot, and two cups, plus four miniature doll cups, no doubt borrowed from Ami’s dollhouse. 

“I heard Amu screaming and a boy’s voice and thought we must have company from Ikuto-kun and Yoru-kun!” Su announced happily to the room, oblivious to Amu’s furious blush and Ran and Miki’s giggles. “Here we go! Please, have some tea, Ikuto-kun! It’s been far too long!” 

“Thank you, Su-chan. You are far more reasonable than your loud-mouth owner–” 

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING LOUD-MOUTH?!” 

“Ugggggghhhhhh, this is getting painful….” Miki groaned, running her hands over her face. She turned to her fellow Character Guardian. “Ran, can you please do us all a favor and make Amu tell the truth?” 

For a moment, Ran blinked in confusion. Then, Su, who already set down the tray while Ikuto and Amu continued bickering, joined the conversation. “Oooh, yes, Ran! I don’t believe you ever Character Changed in front of Ikuto!” 

Something finally clicked into place in Ran’s head, and she gasped excitedly. “All right! Here we goooooo! Character Change from a Stubborn Girl to a Girl Who Expresses Her Feelings!” 

Sure enough, Amu’s hair clip magically changed into a heart shape with a cute “popping” sound. 

“Ikutooooooo, why didn’t you kiss me on the lips?! You had the perfect opportunity and you waaaaaasted it! Pleeeeeease gimme a real kiss!! Oh please! Oh please! Oh please!” 

Amu danced about the room, laughing joyfully, squealing, and running over to the very visibly startled Ikuto to lean down and give him the most eager puppydog eyes in existence. 

But of course, because her Character Change was with the enthusiastic Ran, despite her requests for kisses, Amu couldn’t stay still, hopping and jumping about the room, shouting out her love, squealing and spewing heart shapes everywhere. 

“Amu-chan….” Miki sighed. Su could only blush and hide her face in her apron. Ran, on the other hand, was so caught up in Amu’s physical hyperactiveness that she seemed to not notice her Bearer’s exceedingly bold and shocking confession, and only continued to cheer her on. 

(Yoru was busy drinking tea and munching on snacks to notice anything out of place.) 

Ikuto was the first one to snap out of it. He smirked. 

“If you insist,” he said in his usual smooth tone, standing up and catching Amu by the wrist and pulling her close…. and kissed her! 

Ran, Miki, and Su all screamed, causing Yoru to choke on his drink. 

Amu’s Character Change disappeared instantly, her eyes widening as she realized how close Ikuto’s face was to her own…. 

And wait….. was something…. against her mouth…..? It was warm and soft and….. Amu’s eyes fluttered closed, lost in the moment to comprehend anything alarming. 

The room around them disappeared, shimmering with a thousand radiant stars and hearts. Ikuto’s arm snaked around Amu’s waist and tugged her closer. Amu felt as if her legs were filled with jelly, only held up by Ikuto’s embrace. Who knew kissing would be so…. 

WAIT, WHAT?! KISSING?!?! 

Quickly she broke the kiss, gasping for breath. “I-I-I-Ikutooooo! How did — how dare you–?!” 

Further protests were smothered by another kiss. Amu’s whole body seemed to light on fire, but in… a pleasant sort of way. She only felt that way whenever Ikuto did other things to her in the past: biting her earlobe, holding her close in bed, lifting her up bridal style…. Amu whimpered against Ikuto’s lips (against Ikuto’s lips!) and found herself clinging to him, sliding her arms up his chest and clasping behind his neck as the kiss deepened, wondering how on earth she was supposed to live on knowing what this…. this…. this adult feeling was like! 

Finally, their kiss ended, and even Ikuto looked rather flushed. They stood, panting a little, gazing into each other’s eyes. 

“There. You finally came back down to Earth.” Ikuto’s tone was unusually hoarse, his indigo eyes burning intensely. 

“Th-thank you, I guess,” Amu gasped, feeling rather shaken by the intensity of his stare. Her knees wobbled heavily, threatening to give out any second. She clasped her hands tighter about Ikuto’s neck, longing to taste his lips again, but feeling far too flushed to do anything other than stare at the glistening moisture on his lips, knowing that she had caused that. “I— I don’t know what to say.” 

“If it makes you feel better, that was my first, too.” 

“Oh, was it —- EHHHHHHHHH?!” 

“Well. Only if you don’t count Utau being weird last year, which I really rather not count—” 

“W-W-W-W-WHOA WHOA WHOA, HOLD THE PHONE!” Amu shoved Ikuto away so hard, he toppled over one of her cushion chairs. 

“Your first kiss?! YOU?! Ikuto Tsukiyomi?! Y-y-you womanizing, perverted, flirtatious—” 

“Nice, insulting the guy who just kissed you within an inch of your life.” 

“---- all those times!! Flirting with me! A-a-and touching me! And m-making me f-feel things–!” 

“Oh, really? Do tell me more.” 

“SH-SHUT UP! YOU GET MY POINT, RIGHT?! How?! HOW?! Can that possibly be your first–?!” 

“Oh, just get over here,” Ikuto stood up and scooped up Amu in his arms, crossing over the room and sitting on her bed, positioning Amu so she was straddling his lap, her hands on his shoulders, looking down into his face. “Yes, you are my first real kiss, and yes, people can do other things besides kissing to know how to flirt, and I believe you are hot as hell for me right now, so why don’t you shut up and kiss me the way you want to?” 

Amu didn’t think it was possible to be more shocked, or to feel her body blaze up with that pleasant fire even more so, but gazing down at this mysterious, hot (yes, she could at least admit it now, after… everything), confusing, frustrating, lonely boy, she found herself ready to find out anything. 

“Ikuto…” she sighed, leaning down and meeting his lips, settling herself firmly in his lap as they expressed themselves at long last. 

~ 

Meanwhile, Ran, Miki, Su, and Yoru left the lovebirds alone, utterly embarrassed and unsure of how to respond. They eventually settled in the living room downstairs, hovering over the coffee table by the TV. 

Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Miki spoke first. “W-well, Amu-chan is finally being, uh, honest….” 

“Y-y-yeah! Amu-chan spent too long being uncertain and confused and now she’s growing into the person she wants to be! Hehe…. yeahhhh….” Ran said in a half-hearted attempt of her usual boisterous mood, but trailed off, blushing furiously. 

“I think it’s so romantic, having her first kiss!” Su said happily. 

(The others sweated nervously, realizing Su was the only one oblivious of just how hot and heavy those two were getting it on.) 

“Ya know-nya, this is a lonnnnng time comin’,” Yoru said at last. “Ikuto has wanted to kiss Amu since the day they met.” 

“EHHHHHHH?!” Amu’s three Character Guardians exclaimed, all rounding on Yoru. 

“And you never told us?!” 

“Imagine how much heartache we could have avoided!” 

“Oh my! A kiss the day they met! How exciting!” 

“Ha!” Yoru scoffed. “Like telling y’all would’ve gone over well-nya! Amu-chan,” he added thoughtfully, “Amu-chan is…. Ikuto’s treasure. The only girl for Ikuto. So he was willing to wait, no matter how long it took. It just so happened that YOUR Character Change,” he rounded on Ran, who babbled nervously, “sped things up and now Ikuto is gonna feel bad!” 

“Ehhhhh?! B-b-b-but Miki told me to!” 

“Yeah, cuz I expected a confession, not a make-out session!” 

The three bickered and squabbled, while Su looked up towards the stairs leading to Amu’s room. Sure enough, another joined them, Dia, who had been resting in her egg during the earlier events, now looked far too pleased with herself to be anywhere near as embarrassed as the rest of them. 

“What makes you look so happy, Dia?” Su asked, flying up to greet her. 

Dia smiled serenely. “It’s more than just kisses going on upstairs. Amu-chan is opening her heart to Ikuto, and he, in turn, is doing the same. Her radiance is healing his heart.” 

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Objectivism

Objectivism is a philosophy developed by Russian-American philosopher Ayn Rand, which emphasizes rational self-interest, individualism, and the pursuit of one's own happiness as the highest moral aim. It advocates for a laissez-faire capitalist society, where individual rights are paramount and the role of government is limited to protecting these rights through law enforcement, military, and the courts.

Here’s a breakdown of the central tenets of Objectivism:

1. Metaphysics: Reality Exists Independently of Perception

Objective Reality: Objectivism holds that there is an objective reality that exists independent of human consciousness or perception. The universe is what it is, and facts are facts, regardless of what anyone thinks or believes.

Rejects Mysticism: Rand rejects any form of mysticism or supernaturalism, asserting that reality is objective and can be understood through reason.

2. Epistemology: Reason as the Only Means of Knowledge

Rationality: Reason, defined as the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by the senses, is seen as the only reliable way to gain knowledge. Objectivism rejects any reliance on faith, emotions, or authority as a means to know reality.

Conceptualization: Human beings form concepts based on sensory input and must use reason to understand the world. Objectivism places a strong emphasis on logic and the scientific method.

3. Ethics: Rational Self-Interest

Moral Egoism: Objectivism promotes the idea of rational self-interest, where individuals should pursue their own happiness as their highest moral purpose. Altruism, or the idea that one should sacrifice for others, is seen as a destructive moral code. Rand argues that self-sacrifice undermines human flourishing.

Virtues of Rationality: Key virtues in Objectivist ethics include rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, and pride. According to Rand, these virtues guide individuals toward a life of purpose, productivity, and personal fulfillment.

Happiness as the Moral Purpose: The ultimate ethical goal in Objectivism is the pursuit of one’s own happiness, which is achieved by living rationally, productively, and in harmony with reality.

4. Politics: Individual Rights and Capitalism

Individual Rights: Rand argues that each person has the right to live for their own sake, without interference from others. The central political principle of Objectivism is that the only moral social system is one in which individuals have the freedom to act according to their own judgment.

Capitalism: Objectivism supports laissez-faire capitalism, viewing it as the only economic system that fully respects individual rights. In a capitalist society, interactions between people are voluntary, and the government’s role is limited to protecting individual rights from force or fraud.

Non-Initiation of Force Principle: One of the fundamental political principles is that no one has the right to initiate force against others. The government’s role is to protect individuals from the initiation of force by others, whether by individuals or groups.

5. Aesthetics: Art as a Celebration of Life

Romantic Realism: In aesthetics, Rand advocates for romantic realism, where art reflects what life can and ought to be. Art, according to Objectivism, should inspire and uplift, depicting the ideal man and the potential for greatness in human beings.

Purpose of Art: Rand sees art as a spiritual need that allows individuals to project their most deeply held values and to contemplate the idealized vision of life. Art is not a tool for conveying societal or political messages, but rather for reflecting the creator’s vision of what is possible and desirable.

Criticism of Objectivism:

Criticism of Ethical Egoism: Critics argue that Rand’s emphasis on self-interest as the highest moral virtue can lead to a lack of empathy and disregard for the well-being of others, which could harm social cooperation and cohesion.

Overemphasis on Capitalism: Rand’s vision of laissez-faire capitalism has been criticized for its perceived neglect of social welfare and collective responsibility. Critics contend that unchecked capitalism can lead to inequality, exploitation, and environmental degradation.

Absolutism in Moral and Political Philosophy: Some philosophers argue that Rand's moral and political theories are too rigid, failing to account for the complexity of moral dilemmas or the importance of social cooperation beyond voluntary exchange.

Objectivism offers a radically individualistic framework, emphasizing personal responsibility, rational thought, and the pursuit of individual happiness within a framework of capitalist ethics and individual rights.

[signalhill-if]

I'm averse to including any customization options that either don't contribute to the overall experience of the story/worldbuilding or restrict the player's imagination unnecessarily. I consider colour options to be both of those, at least in this game. So no

not the same anon, but im genuinely really curious as to why you think this. I think it's a really interesting perspective. i was wondering if you could perhaps expand on this. 👀 /g

i hope it doesn't come off as rude, im genuinely interested to know more about your perspective on this,only if you feel comfortable doing so ofc, if not feel free to ignore this ask. 😅

I am always open to rambling about my game design philosophy anon 😌

I am of the opinion that every single choice you make in game design must serve the game in some specific, defensible way. If it isn't serving the game, it's bloat, and it needs to be excised. The number one thing that kills a project (especially in indie) is feature creep, so for me, being conservative with game design is extremely important. This is also going to probably be in my portfolio, meaning it's especially important to show a future employer that I know how to manage a project like this, since at the kind of indie studio I want to work at people tend to wear a lot of hats.

The number one example I can give you of feature creep to explain why it's so deadly is Yandere Simulator. Funny game concept, terrible execution. Why? Feature creep. Also the dev is a creep. But primarily feature creep. The game had a whole slew of clubs you could join, a full menu of dozens of easter eggs, a bunch of carefully crafted events with placeholder characters... He was so busy implementing random crap and then fixing all the bugs he introduced that he did not implement the first rival, the purpose of the game, for like 8 years.

What the fuck does that mean? It means if you let the project get bloated, you let it get fucking bad. There is no fixing Yandere Simulator now. Those decisions have doomed it.

Tight game design, on the other hand, feels great. This is why I love Apocalypse World so much. Everything is deeply intentional and extremely tight. That kind of tight, focused game design is what I'm trying to aim for here. Everything must serve the game.

With that in mind, how about I show you how Apocalypse World handles character customization? Here's the Skinner playbook:

Mwah. Beautiful. They show you only enough to clue you in on who your character might be- showy, expressive, troubled, lush. These are playbook specific, meaning a different character will have a different array of options. It's minimalist, it's focused, and it has no fluff.

It's easy to think about character creation as "just what you need to do before the game starts," but that's a misunderstanding. Character creation is the first impression a player gets of your world and its rules. And just like you want to present yourself well in your job interview, you want to present your game well in the "am I going to bother playing this" interview.

The approach I've chosen is meant to mirror that anti-bloat philosophy. What I want to tell players is that this game is gonna be stylish, a little more mechanically involved than what they're used to, but importantly, tight as fuck. So choosing the options wisely and removing bloat means getting that message across. Colour is bloat. The game will never reference your character's skin or hair or eye colour, because that's just not really how I write. It doesn't contribute to the worldbuilding, and the player will naturally decide those things themselves regardless of whether I give them the option. So it's gotta be cut.

Does that mean this approach should apply to everything? No. You've gotta make sure it fits your game. For example, for another game technically inspired by Apocalypse World (twice removed haha), @zorlok-if does this incredibly well. It has an absolutely bonkers amount of customization, a real maximalist approach that makes a huge impact when you start up the game- it makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. And it works great, because it matches the feel of the game.

All of this is a long way of saying that you've got to be intentional with every aspect of your game design, even the ones that don't feel like they matter much.

[jmenvs3000f23]

Learning, growing, and sharing the passion🐛🦋(U10)

Reflecting on my journey of developing my personal stance as a nature interpreter, I realize my ethos is deeply rooted in storytelling. While I would absolutely consider myself smart and capable of any challenge thrown my way, I wouldn't claim to be the one to ask for a perfectly articulated summary of a concept, or a history (or stats oh gosh...)) But! I am your girl if you want to talk about animals or nature with the same excitement and perception shifts you had as a kid; when learning about something like dinosaurs or other planets for the very first time and feeling like your mind was blown, or maybe even that the person was just making stuff up because of how wild it seemed.

At it’s core, my passion sings when having the chance to discuss niche topics with open-minds that delve into things like evolution, coming from the perspective that there are so many mysteries out there that could be unraveled if you only cared to look.

Just this week, some of these topics for me and some peers have included trying to understand bird tetrachromacy (how and why they can see in UV), mammals returning to the water like whales and dolphins, or how?? Literally how??? lemurs got to Madagascar.

To me, it's not just about sharing information, but having fun in the process and getting to share what you learn about the animals and their exploits in ways that would rival the wildest fantasy stories.

[Saw-whet owl wing under UV💡 ]

[OG whale💪🏻 ]

I've been playfully dubbed the "zookeeper of knowledge" by a friend in this context, after spending far too many hours working on a project because we kept getting side-tracked and discussing things not necessarily needed, but so incredibly interesting. (And it’s probably a title I'd gladly claim if it weren't so corny to be honest.) Regardless, it summarizes my commitment to becoming a curator of the captivating craziness that the animal kingdom has to offer. With a bias but passionate zoological perspective, I strive to share my spark of curiosity. ✨

Beyond my zoology lens, I strive for a focus on eco-consciousness in the work that I do, hoping to bridge the gap between science and the public and to foster stronger connection with Mother Nature.

As for translating these passions to children, I’m a firm believer in both transparency and honesty. While it’s almost guaranteed they won’t enjoy their first climate change lesson, I think forming traits of environmental stewardship and the understanding that actions have environmental consequences in children is critical if we want our passion for nature to be held by future generations. I remember my first lonely polar bear on a drifting ice berg video, and yes I was sad….but it left a vivid mark on my consciousness, shaping my understanding of the environmental challenges we face and it very likely brought me to where I am today.

Speaking of inspiring children, I cannot hold myself back as I have to show you guys what I found last week!

[Zoologist Barbie!!!!!!!!💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗]

I'm not even that much of a Barbie fan but I think now I have to be! I would have exploded with joy if I had this as I kid! I mean, if Barbie is doing it, I can't even imagine how many little girls will now be exposed to the possibility of studying zoology or similar topics and I won't lie...I could cry 🥹 (not to mention how close the koala is to a lemur and my personal goals regarding that....interesting......verrry interesting 🔮)

Though I still think going outside with curiosity in mind is the number one way to develop a relationship with nature, I’d consider things and representations like this even more important in places like cities, where natural spaces are becoming less and less accessible due to never-ending infrastructure and the digital domination of screens and virtual experiences.

The allure of video games and online platforms often out-win outdoor activities at least in my own anecdotal experience, raising concerns about the disconnect between the younger generation and the natural world. I think environmental educators are becoming more and more important in schools, and I believe they play a pivotal role in counteracting this trend, as they offer opportunities for a child to focus on wonders within the natural world. I had a hard time myself trying to sound reasonable to many of my friends and family as a kid when saying I wanted to study animals and nature since technology was progressing so quickly and I was viewed as looking backwards.

and so I think this doll (or things similar) can reinspire or hold that flame when kids aren't yet to sure if they'll find a nice outdoor spot to explore, an educator excited to answer questions, or a community like Guelph that embraces natural sciences so much.

In my opinion, harsh climate crisis truths can surely be sugar-coated for young minds to an extent, but to completely wait until their old enough to ‘actually understand’ is just providing the perfect opportunity for a child to become a distracted or oblivious teenager or adult. Again, this is my opinion but at this point in time, in a current climate crisis with almost no signs of slowing down, being an adult in a country like Canada and purposely ignoring it is NOT cool!!

Now, we don’t have to live every moment with the weight of the world on our shoulders, and I don’t wish that on anyone! But I believe the absolute bare minimum is to consider our actions in relation to nature and provide the next generation the building blocks and exposure they'll need to make environmentally conscious choices. Concepts like reusable water bottles over disposable plastic ones, not littering, and realizing our planet belongs to others too aren’t scary things and if anything, promote cultures of care and community. These seemingly simple ideas start to lay the foundation for responsible and conscious individuals to gladly carry the torch of environmental awareness into the future!

Anyways, that's what's up with me, and so I hope you've found at least one thing on my blog that made you think about, reconsider, or learn something, and maybe even want to go hug a tree 💝🐛

Works cited

Johnson, N. A., Lahti, D. C., & Blumstein, D. T. (2012). Combating the Assumption of Evolutionary Progress: Lessons from the Decay and Loss of Traits. Evolution Education & Outreach, 5(1), 128–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-011-0381-y

Northern saw-whet owl outstretched wing under blacklight, by Seabrook Leckie, Attribution-NonCommercal-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rustyblackbird/

[laindtt]

Rebirthing

Summary: The young Rachel has finally found a place to rest with her best friend Tracey among a remote community in Montana, and is about to meet for the first time the man who will revolutionize her whole universe.

Word Count: 2563

Warnings: Mention of drugs use

Comments: A lovely fic idea suggested by @i-am-the-balancing-point: “Rachel cleaning up a little after getting away from home and her eyes gaining their sparkle back when she joins the project.” I hope you’ll like it dear ♥ Same for you @deputyash! Thank you for being interested in my writing, you’re gems ♥ 

Please keep in mind that English is not my first language, and thus be indulgent ; enjoy your reading everyone!

Soundtrack:  Skillet - Rebirthing (Acoustic)

Masterpost: Can be found under the “Masterpost” tag and here

Credits: Header by gangsterprayer, available here

“And she did not have to ask if this was right, no one had to tell her, because this could not have been more right or perfect.” - Patricia Highsmith, Carol

The water was softly running between her bruised fingers, soothing by its freshness both the pulling sensation of her cuts and her tiredness. Vagabond life was not tender for young ladies, but to be honest, life in its whole had never been merciful on Rachel, ever. What some scratches could be to a girl like her? Hand skincare was the least of her concerns, and none of the few luxuries that had brightened her days so far. Her old backpack, so worn out that she had to fix its straps multiple times along the way not to perpetually feel it falling from her shoulders on the ground, contained very few things, modest remnants of what have been left miles and miles behind. You didn’t need expensive creams when all that occupied your mind was survival. You didn’t need to pack all your belongings when your room was filled with cold and suffering. No photos, no keepsakes when family and friends were nothing but cruel ghosts. No regrets, because she had no future, no other option than an eternal run. In fact, her bag was light because it was full of so many agonizing emotions, fear, desperation, doubt, an eager need for something else, anything else. Her plan? Moving forward, as fast and as far as possible, pushed forward by this nearly overwhelming urge to escape all that she’d ever known. Running for her life, without catching her breath, had been devouring her mind with such hunger for so long that the fear of the unknown barely had a grasp on her heart.

In this restless headlong rush, Rachel had benefited from the benevolent comfort offered by her two best friends. Let’s be honest: without Tracey, the only spark of joy so far in her world, she would have never gone this far. The teenager admitted it with a gratitude tinged with fearful awe, as if showing her feelings too openly could scare away her yet bold travel partner: she would have been incapable of planning and embarking on such a runaway life. Her steps would have not crossed the threshold of her house and of her doomed existence, letting her rot there till the very last drop of life in her would have been vampirized. As far back as she could remember, Tracey had always been the more courageous of the two of them, always ready to fight back, always ready to protect her fragile acolyte. Rachel couldn’t help but never cease to be amazed by the profound differences between them, uniting them more than what could be expected at first, like two opposites attracting in a foolproof sorority –at least she was deeply convinced of this. Their friendship was her rock, as much as the driving force of their trip. She had no clue of when all of this would end, nor where they would finally settle down, but the simple thought of sharing a future with Tracey was enough for her, a comforting horizon, regardless of the struggles that they would have to overcome to reach this ideal. Oh dear, dear Tracey, her inspiring shield, her relentless compass… How devastating it was to, from time to time, catching her rolling her eyes because her protege had asked for a umpteenth break as they were walking on the side of an endless road, or begging her not to get into the truck of a driver she has a bad feeling about after hours of unsuccessful hitchhiking session. How saddening her frustrated sighs sounded when all that Rachel wanted was to live up to Tracey’s expectations.

… And that’s where cocaine came into play. Her second best friend, like a second shadow, had been following her and Tracey for quite a while, way before their great escape, another thing the young lady was trying to hide with all her strength, ashamed of always coming back in the arms of her addictions, incapable of not giving in to the siren calls for the soft comfort offered by the white powder and its sisters in arms. When the weather was too harsh, when she felt she had disappointed her role model once more, how could she possibly resist the only thing that could make her feel less useless, more powerful and capable than anything else? Even the dreadful fear of being arrested by the cops and brought back to her parents by force was not terrifying enough to overtake the despair that would be hers if once too often her weakness made Tracey lose her temper, to the point where she would just abandon her and keep going free from this burden. With a little more self-confidence, with a little more boldness and liveliness, she would surely never lose the only person that kept her on track, and luckily, the third-class gas stations interspersing their journey and groups of tramps they’ve met from time to time lacked a lot but rarely of a good soul more than willing to sell her some junk, whichever poison they had actually in store, slowly but surely consuming all the money she had stolen from her parents before fleeing. Maybe one day they would run out of cash and Rachel would feel guilty as hell for having spent so much on these delightful yet addictive sustainers, but Tracey would certainly find a solution, right? Like finding them some odd jobs offered by unscrupulous employers or any other means of subsistence; she had not the slightest doubt about her friend’s capacities to save their bacon.

This little boost was nothing but a temporary helping hand that she would drop as soon as they would have found a definitive shelter, a small secret that would hurt no one, especially not Tracey, because she was absolutely not aware of her mentee’s addictions, was she? If she had ever noticed something, she was kind enough to remain silent about it. Ignorance was bliss, as much as things left unsaid. Their next meal or the next place they would sleep at at night were enough trouble to deal with.

Reflexively, the young woman took a glance at her backpack, as her musing lead her from her pale reflection to the thought of the secret pocket where her precious remedy was hidden: checking on it, even simply by noticing that no one has touched her stuff, calmed her down, silencing her brief and irrational wave of anxiety. She had no reasons to worry at all, she thought: Tracey was sincerely convinced that giving a chance to this remote Montanan community lost in the middle of nowhere was worth it, and once more her sound decision had made their trip more comfortable. Since the day they had settled down in Hope County, Rachel had never ceased to be amazed by the warm welcome given by the group they had joined. Tracey’s enthusiasm about this little congregation called Project at Eden’s Gate had been quite a surprise for her young friend but without a doubt, she couldn’t agree more on the fact that their spirit of community made her want to permanently stay by their side –to her delight, Tracey seemed to share the feeling. No more mistrust as a protective reflex against strangers and their potential faked good intentions, no more walls to keep between them and the rest of the world, no more dangers or threats: this place was like a haven in the storm, and the two young ladies gladly savored each moment spent along with the members of the church. Their church, from now on? Rachel’s heart bubbled with joy: the followers were so kind, so generous! As if a light had been planted in their souls, radiating through their bodies like a seed growing into a beautiful and prolific fruit tree –really the last people who would rifle through her personal effects. Feeling safe somewhere, and not only by Tracey’s side, was something new but more addictive than most of the drugs that used to run through her veins.

“I brought you a towel and a few spare clothes,” trumpeted a sing-sing voice on the doorstep.

Rachel’s smile widened to greet the lady who helped the two newcomers to take their first steps into the Project and move into the dormitories of the Convent, one of the nerve centers of the teeming flock. Her host were so different from the shadows she had left behind – they all were-, a living proof that a different path was possible, not just a never ending absconding.

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome. It’s always a pleasure to integrate new novices… I’m so happy to have the chance to lend a hand, it reminds me of my first days here.”

In her eyes, Rachel could easily read that she was reliving her memories, and she wondered what it could feel like, to find so much delight in dwelling on the past. If only one day she was able to do so with as much glee as her…

“And the best is yet to come,” she assured the teen, putting her hand on her forearm. “I’ve heard that the Father himself is going to pay us a visit. How lucky we are!”

The mention of the leader of the Project made her thoughts race, spurred by curiosity: she had only met him a few times during masses, but it was undeniable that the preaching of the founder of their movement had left a deep mark on the young lady. Moved by the messages delivered during those sermons, the delicate passion he put in every intonation and the sheer emotion that ran through the audience, she hadn’t had yet the opportunity to talk to him in a small committee –something Destiny seemed to want to fix on that very same day, nearly making her hold her breath with anticipation. Rachel had never really shared the same dreams as the girls of her age, swooning at the idea of their favorite singer or actor walking into their local grocery store and falling in love with them at first sight while holding a bag of frozen peas; let’s be realistic, no one with some semblance of success would notice someone as ordinary as her. Yet, over the ceremonies, she felt connected to the others present in the chapel, overcome with the exaltation thrilling the people sited by her side, making her tangible, real. And this miracle was due to a voice, a blue stare hidden behind shades so yellow that the eyes they covered were turned green, an inspiring presence that made her discover that she, too, could feel alive in a way she had never experienced, not even with Tracey. And the man able to make this very feeling blossom in so many lost souls was about to visit them? That was all it took to color her cheek with a touch of pink that turned redder with the chuckle of her interlocutor.

“Don’t worry, dear sister. Our beloved Father is impressive, for sure, but he’s a simple man at heart, truly. And taking care of our new brothers and sisters matters a lot to him, you can believe me.”

Could a first impression not work against a poor little timid thing as Rachel? A part of her was burning with the hope that a captivating being like the Father would see something behind the vapid shell that had been her armor for so long, but that had lately started feeling tighter and tighter. Oh, to hear his words of wisdom voiced for her and no one else, some words of encouragement to praise her for all her efforts… Disappointing him during her first one-on-one would be dramatic, and thus, proportionately, her motivation to exist in his world was skyrocketing with the chance to spend time with him alone. The chance of a lifetime.

With a shy nod, she thanked her visitor before staring again at her reflection, checking the paleness of her skin, replacing a curl of hair behind her ear, barely noticing her sister leaving. Her nostalgic abandonment to thoughts chained to the past had its day, now it was time to face her future, to hang on to it as hard as she could. Even her inner voice, trying to convince not to dream too big or not to sink into self-delusion about the possibility to be more than nothing to someone as exquisite as the Father, would not silence her will to shine.

Now fully focused on what she could say and how she could act to be sure to turn this first encounter into something worth remembering, Rachel fell out of time again. For how long did she stay like this, a secret spiral, unbeknownst to the teen, beginning to wrap around her nothing less than a tragic fate? Hard to say, as a deep metamorphosis was also slowly taking possession of her, with consequences that she was so, so far to suspect ; nevertheless, time waited for no man, nor for innocent and determined damsels.

A soft greeting made her startle, promptly turning around with her hair whipping the air.

“Good morning, Rachel. I am glad to finally meet you.”

The lean figure by the door instinctively inspired her confidence: an impeccable white shirt, with a black vest and black borders, was giving him a soothing poise, and his yellow shades were the only touch of color in his outfit, but all that she could perceive in this moment was his warm smile, his presence, his intense yet gentle gaze upon her and only her. If only moments like this could last forever, so that a whole life of struggling leading to them would really be worth it.

“Nice to meet you too, Father...”

So many words were colliding with each other on her mind, on the tip of her tongue: words of thanks, of hope, of admiration, all mixed together and blocked at the gate of her lips. Fortunately, her eyes spoke for her, and a little something in his expression showed that his benevolence had turned both pleased and amused. A small laugh from him would probably have ruined it all, shattering her newborn spirit like hailstones tearing flower petals, but he didn’t mock her manners of debutante; he had so much to give, you see. So much that she wanted to take, while she also had so much that she wanted to give him freely, without any need to make any request.

All it took for that was reaching for her hand.

“Would you like to join me for a stroll?” the Prophet offered, his palm and fingers displayed like a promise for guidance and safety to come, something a fond father did for his child, something her real dad never did for her. “The place is lovely, and we could talk a bit. There are so many things about us I’d like to show you.”

A frantic nod from Rachel sealed the deal, and probably her fate: only a fool would have not let him take the lead. With complete trust, the young lady delicately held his hand and abandoned herself to the irresistible momentum they were sharing, his calloused skin feeling so pleasant against hers.

When they went out, a light breeze caressed her cheeks; the bright sunshine had her close her eyes, her free hand hiding her face from the sun.

All along, she never stopped smiling.

[mangrove-and-amethyst]

Dear MCYTblr Holiday Exchange 2024 Creator

Hello! Thanks for creating for me. I'm anticipating this letter getting quite long, so I'll put the rest under the cut. If you're looking for DNWs specifically, those are all on my actual requests.

General Likes:

2nd person POV!!

Angst

Whump

Major Character Death

Pain- physical, mental, emotional

Misunderstandings!

Time travel!! (especially Peggy Sues)

Betrayal

Worldbuilding!!!

In-universe documents!

Trust

Devotion

Characters being triggered by seemingly innocuous things

Hyperspecific Likes:

When a character travels back in time/to an alternate reality and sees someone who hurt them in the past and is terrified, but it turns out that the person who hurt them has not in fact hurt them yet and actually cares for them deeply

When people think a character has been hurt in a completely different way to how they've actually been hurt

General Dislikes (NOT hard DNWs, I can and do enjoy these sometimes, but maybe only do them if you really love your idea):

Pure fluff with no past trauma/disagreements or current conflict

Reader-inserts

Omegaverse

Opt-ins (things people often DNW that I am open to receiving in a gift):

Any and all archive warnings (again, just nothing that would be rated explicit)

1st, 2nd, and any type of 3rd person POV, I don't care

Self-inserts

Suicide

Self-harm

Songfic

Prompts by fandom (all optional, but provided for inspiration purposes)

Skyblock Kingdoms

Solo: Marma1ade

Anything with the void, her feelings about it, her magic, her past, etc.; this could be canon compliant

Or show her with any other SBKer working on a project or something

If you like holidays, perhaps you could show her celebrating one, whether it's fictional or non-fictional

Marma1ade & Rue

I feel like it could be interesting to have them arguing about Avid

Feel free to just ignore Rue's death and pretend it never happened

Or you could go for the MCD angle and show Marm grieving! That would make a really good fic I bet

Alternatively, Marm necromancies Rue

For the holidays angle, I think birthday would be an interesting one. What counts as Rue's birthday? Or, does she even know what it means to celebrate birthdays, or does she learn when Marm celebrates hers?

AvidMC & Rue

Combined with the last one, perhaps Avid and Rue both show up to Marm's birthday party and they confront each other?

Or anything where Rue meets Avid again. She should get to yell at him I think. (not that they're necessarily confident enough to do that yet)

...or go heavy on the angst and let Avid murder her

AvidMC & Marma1ade

Them just hanging out!

or arguing

or something connected to a previous prompt

or Avid Adventures connection

Or Marm tries to get Avid to celebrate a void-worshipping holiday with her!

Marma1ade & Olm

kill Olm with hammers

Or, what if Marmalade had gone into Limbo proper and gotten trapped by Olm?

AvidMC & Olm

Canon compliant exploration of their interactions

Marma1ade & Vintage_Applesauce, or Kittrix/Marma1ade

I don't have many ideas but this would be neat regardless

Witchcraft SMP

Smajor1995 & Soupforeloise & ZombieCleo

Just them hanging out and perhaps being mildly creepy to onlookers

This also works for any of the individual duo relationships within this group (including romantic El/Cleo)

And for this group + Lauren

Milo/Smajor1995

Angst? Mayhaps? *cough* alternate timeline where Milo's ghost had to talk Scott down from suicide *cough*

or other angst

Milo & ZombieCleo

They should get to interact

...birthday party for Scott?

Or a canon divergent Cleo as Supreme Witch situation

Solo: ZombieCleo

Time shenanigans! Maybe more time travel, a stable or unstable time loop, Cleo guiding her friends through time, etc.

Anything to do with Kairos. Kairos my beloved.

Or her relationship with any of the other witches, especially Prismarina (Platonic preferred in that case, but romantic is cool too)

Empires SMP (Season 1)

Solo: GeminiTay

Worldbuilding would be great! Magic, Crystal Cliffs society, Crystal Cliffs relations with other empires, etc.

GeminiTay & MythicalSausage

ANGST

This would be a great one if you wanted to specifically cater to me by forcing Gem post-torture to interact with a good Sausage. Possibly including time travel and misunderstandings

Or write about the torture itself

hatred and betrayal and complicated feelings

or you could write about them meeting as kids before everything went bad

GeminiTay & Joey Graceffa and/or GeminiTay & Xornoth

more angst but focused on the physical or magical over the mental pain of betrayal

time travel

Xornoth's perspective of getting sealed?

fWhip & GeminiTay & MythicalSausage & PearlescentMoon

Wither Rose Alliance meeting?

Or them hanging out being bad guys

GeminiTay & Solidarity

Jimmy's reaction to Gem's betrayal

Gem apologizing to Jimmy (maybe she's Jewish and it's Yom Kippur and she did some self-reflection?)

Gem doubling down on not apologizing to Jimmy

fWhip & GeminiTay

pre- or post-canon

Or combine it with Gem post-torture and/or time travel

GeminiTay & Smajor1995

Angst!

Elsa arc is a great setting for this one imo

or do it with them getting kidnapped together

Crossover Fandom

These are basically all me just being like. You two magic using characters. Go meet each other.

Time or dimension travel is great

different cultural norms

different forms of magic

Have them become fast friends! Or faster enemies...

handwaves are cool, you don't need an elaborate justification for how they meet (although if that's your thing feel free!)

[acceptingmyowncompany]

WOW... this is awkward...

My intention in coming back here was to clear this out of anything weird. Not that people would be seeking out my Tumblr if anything were to happen to me. Not to say that anything is going to happen to me. (I'm very paranoid right now). But I do think its a little embarrassing some of the things I used to put on here. People I would talk about that I've had wild epiphanies about as well. And you know... keeping those things could be a big sign of growth... like wow you really thought you felt that but you were really just projecting onto them and when you finally stopped you realized you kinda felt the exact opposite... like even more than you thought BEFORE you started projecting. Craaazzzyyyyy. A lot of has changed. This was my 2020 outlet. One outlet amongst a plethora of them. Some of those 2020 thoughts, events, and feelings I think were genuine and timeless and thus, I leave them alone, even the down bad embarrassingly horny one. The others... we can delete them. They corny af and I think the growth in THAT, is understanding where I was and why I thought what I did but knowing that wasn't me being my highest self lmao.

ANNNYYYY WAAAYYYYYYYYY, I kind of want to use this again. I wanted to start putting pen to paper again and for DEEPLY personal shit, I might still do that. But this is cool. An outlet to vent/explore thoughts without the people closest to me in life sliding thru to do wellness checks because my feelings are concerning them. Being able to again timestamp these moments in my life and where my head was at. I was rereading my trauma and I was like "COOK KING!!!!" I don't pre plan anything. I just let it free flow. I could see myself becoming more powerful in real time even as I pick apart myself and the way people hurt me. I could see myself like shedding the skin a bit you know?! I still think about those people but not in the way I did back then and I wanna say that, that post was a big moment in turning the corner you know?! And so its cool to see that. On the other hand, I have this post about doubts, and how nothing in my life has been for me and how I NEED all these things to feel like... functional and successful and good about myself and 4 years later.... I have done/achieve none of them. That kind of fucking sucks and makes me feel like, damn... what do I need to do?! how do I accomplish this thing I want. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!?!

Either way, I came here to cringe, but I kinda feel inspired. Excited a little bit. To free myself of thoughts and ideas in a concrete way that doesnt feel annoying. To do what vlogging did for me, you know?! Like give me a look back and shit that can like... feel like a hug or whatever you know?! Maybe you don't. I'm just thinking out loud. Regardless, life is ever changing. Adaptations are always happening. It's very interesting to see it at action. Maybe I can shed more skin on here. That'd be pretty dope. I haven't evolved in a long time

[kiyalearning01]

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