#so glad my computer chugs

[mossywizard]

Sometimes a party is two clerics, and a rouge that might turn you into a bloodbag but- at least One of the clerics is consenting

[aspionagee]

Hiii! I just wanted to say im in love with a Patchwork Family, I've literally reread it 5 times and am currently rereading it again! Your writing style is amazing. I want to ask, about your sequel, can I get some info on how long it will be before uploaded, and a summary of it? Like, from where in the HP timeline will it start, and how much has been written? Don't rush pls, I'm just so in love with this fic! Once again, thank you for writing this and keep up the good work! Also, will there be Draco POV's on how he feels about harry? I love their relationship so much!

Hi, I'm glad you love the fic so much!

Sequel updates will be more forthcoming at the end of August. I'm working at a summer camp at the moment, so I won't have regular access to technology until I'm back home.

There are about 6 chapters that were fully written before I left, as well as a couple of other scenes that came to me demanding to be written. It starts the minute that Harry gets back from the graveyard at the end of the Goblet of Fire, and I am unsure of how far in the future it will extend because I'm switching up on the canon a bit :) There may or may not be a couple Draco POVs, it really depends on how things flow.

If anyone else has questions, feel free to ask! I promise that the sequel is still chugging along, in my brain if not currently on a computer, and writing will re commence in a month or so :)

[miyuhpapayuh]

9. somethin' special.

The next morning, She sits on the bathroom floor, contemplating the last twelve hours of her life.

Rod talked her into going back inside the club and after her third shot, she doesn't remember anything. She got so drunk that she actually passed out and woke up in her bed with her dress still on.

She'd pulled it off and basically crawled all the way in the bathroom. Her stomach is in the tightest and most queasy knot ever. The constant dry heaving is kicking her ass. It's a good thing she was off today.

"Tyler," she called out, as loud as her sore throat can bear.

"Tylerrrr!!” She smacks the door all the way open and glares at Stevie.

"Girl, why are you on the floor? And where's your clothes?" She throws her hands up and shrugs.

She leaves out and comes back with a tank top and some shorts, sits them on the counter, before helping Stevie up off the floor. She slowly gets dressed.

"What happened last night?"

"Oh girl, you had a good ass time. You threw them shots back like a madwoman! Rod was hyping your goofy ass up, too."

She opens her medicine cabinet and pulls out the aspirin. "Let's go this way, before I fall down."

She grabs a hold of Stevie's arm and they head into her room.

She falls back on her bed and pulls the pillow over her face.

"Did you have sex last night?" She asks.

She snatches the pillow away from her face.

"No."

Tyler jerks her head back. "Why so sassy?"

"I wanted nothing more than to have sex on my birthday and he turned me down."

"You were off your ass. Of course, he turned you down." She squints her eyes at her. "I can see if y'all had sex before, but you ain't never had no dick and he was just calmin' your horny ass down, before you did something you was gon' regret, later."

Stevie shrugs, grabbing the water off her nightstand, unscrewing the cap on it, before popping two aspirin and chugging half the bottle.

"All I know is, he got me waiting this long, it better be worth it."

"Oh, I'm sure it is."

She sits in her computer chair and finishes typing the last couple of sentences for her report.

She got so carried away last night that she almost forgot that it was due by the end of today.

And yes, while everyone is done with the semester and enjoying the summertime, Stevie had to be extra as hell and take a summer course. But on the plus side, it only lasts for five weeks.

"Annnd.... done!" She hits submit in the bottom right corner and shuts her computer down. She pushes away from the table and walks towards the nightstand and grabs her ringing phone.

"Hello," she sings.

"You sound happy." Rod's voice comes through,making her chuckle and stare out the window, watching the sun start to set. "Is that for me?"

"Mmmm.... nah. I just finished my report way ahead of time, and I'm glad about it."

"Wow, it's like that?"

"Yup,” she pops her lips for emphasis.

"Damn, I had something special planned for you, too." She rolls her eyes.

"No you didn't."

"I ain't never lied to you, shorty." She sucks her teeth.

"Rod, don't play with me."

"Aight." The line goes dead. She pulls the phone away from her ear and looks at it crazily.

"Did he ju—" she stares at her phone, closes it and opens it back, her thumb reaching for that first digit, before he's calling again.

I let it ring twice, before holding it up to her ear. His deep laughter fills the silence.

"Still think I'm playin' witchu?"

"Yo ass better be on the way to come get me, I know that much."

"I got you, babygirl." She hangs up, this time.

Quickly pulling the oversized T-shirt over her head, she heads towards the pile of clothes and pulls out the soft pink crop top that Tyler bought for her birthday, along with her favorite pair of jean shorts, they made her butt look fantastic.

She pulls out her brown sandals and applies a coat of strawberry flavored gloss to her lips, before sneaking into Tyler's room. She grabs a bottle of perfume off her dresser and sprays it in front of herself, taking in the whiff.

"Hm... smells like sin." She sprays a little bit on her neck, chest, wrists and legs. She sits it down and heads downstairs. 

She gets to the bottom of the staircase and there's two knocks on the door. She smirks and takes her time, walking across the floor.

Pulling the door open, Rod stands ready to greet her with a mirrored expression and a tulip, to her surprise. 

Her eyes darted between the smug look on his face and the pretty flower. Her lips curl up into a smile.

"You tryna butter me up, huh?"

He laughs, before linking their fingers together and pulling her almost all the way out of the door.

"Wait, I need my key." She backs up towards the counter and grabs it, heads back out, this time closing and locking it behind her.

Opening the passenger door of his Jeep for her, he helps her inside. She sits inside and twirls the flowers between her fingers, watching how the orange hue from the sky hits the petals.

Rod rounds the car and starts it up. He glances at her, smiling to himself. She doesn't know how adorable she is to him.

Pulling out of her driveway, he starts the journey back to his place. Stevie shifts in her seat and admires his side profile, like always. She even reaches out to play with his growing beard.

He caresses the side of her hand, absentmindedly turning her on, even more than she already is.

She pulls away, only for his hand to follow and land on her thigh. He gives a squeeze for appreciation.

She hums to herself, laying her head on the seat. Coming to a red light, he turns and catches her gaze.

The same hue that shines on her flower, flows gracefully over her face and the chain that he bought her.

Facing the road just in time to see the light turn green, he continues down the road for a few minutes, before turning into his driveway. He hops out and rounds the car to open her door and help her down.

A comfortable silence falls over them as they walk the short distance to his front door. Unlocking it, he allows her to go in first.

"So... what's the someth— mm." His lips find hers, as her back becomes one with the wall beside the door. He tugs on her bottom lip and pulls away.

"I'm sure you know." Picking her up, he carries her towards the stairs. Her eyes follow the rose petals on each step and she melts right in his arms.

"Oh my gosh."

Setting her back on her feet, he pushes his bedroom door open and she lets out a gasp. He takes her hand and they follow the even bigger trail of roses to his bed. The whiff of lavender hits her nose, as she looks around at the candles that somewhat litter his dresser.

Her back hits his soft gray comforter. He kneels at the end of the bed and removes her sandals, before kissing her feet. She sits up and giggles, scooting away from him.

"Come back, babygirl." He pulls her back by her legs.

She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, again. He slides his hand between her legs and fidgets with the button on her shorts.

She reaches forward and grips his shirt, beginning to pull it away from his body. He raises his arms, and she tosses the shirt. He does the same with her shorts.

His large hands push her back on the bed, while his lips trail kisses from her thighs to the hem of her crop top. Her nails graze against the nape of his neck.

"You smell so good..." he pulls the material up, revealing her breasts. He grunts, before covering her left nipple with his wet mouth. She wraps her legs around his waist and lets out a whimper.

"Mmm," the stir in the pit of her stomach grows stronger. Her back bends away from the bed, but is quickly pushed back down. He repeats the action to her right nipple.

"That feels so good." His lips leave her chest and he hovers over her. She grazes her nails down his chestnut hued abs, ending at the loop on his jeans. She gives it a tug.

He taps her thigh and she removes herself from his waist. He stands from the bed and rids himself of his jeans, revealing his impressive girth to her.

Her mouth shamelessly drops open. Her eyes darted to his and back down, below his waist. He chuckles and climbs back between her legs, hooking a finger onto the thin band of her panties.

Pulling them away from her waist, he wastes no time and sloppily dives in. Her shaky fingers find the back of his head, pulling him in closer.

"Oh shit.. ohhh shit," his tongue works against her bud, until her body shakes and she cries out, reaching her first peak of the night.

But, this time, he continues to slurp away at her.

"B-baby— wait!" She scoots back and he follows. His hands wrap around her thighs, keeping her in place. She squeezes her eyes shut, and lets out a squeal.

"Unh! I'm gonna c-cum! Oh fuckkk!" She grabs the sides of his face and grinds against his mouth. He moans at her taste, making the knot in her stomach tighten.

"Fuck!" letting out the prettiest moan he's ever heard her make, she falls back on the bed and crosses her legs. Her chest rapidly rises and falls.

He reaches across her and grabs a condom, before dropping his boxers. She opens her eyes and catches another glimpse of what's about to attempt to fit inside of her.

Rolling it onto his length, he pulls her up to fully remove her shirt. Her legs find their way back around his waist, and his hands come up to caress her cheek.

"I'll be gentle, I promise."

"Okay." She places her tiny hands on his broad shoulders, maintaining eye contact.

He pushes into her slowly, groaning at how unbelievably tight she is. Her eyes widened for a second, before snapping shut.

A hiss flies out. Her lips part slightly, letting small whimpers escape.

She feels an uncomfortable pressure, biting down on her lip and breathes through her nose.

He slides all the way in, before pulling out and repeating the action.

"Are you okay, baby?" His eyes wander over her face. She nods, keeping her lip tucked between her teeth.

He continues stroking at a slow pace, making sure she's comfortable and allowing her to get used to his size. Her hands move towards his chest.

Her left leg is now perched on his hip, as the pain and pressure starts to fade, becoming replaced by what she's been waiting to feel.

Her moans fill his ear, causing a smile to break out on his lips. Her eyes flutter closed. He leans down to brush the hair away from her neck and places kisses there.

"Oh my God," she moans just above a whisper, "just like that."

Picking up his pace, he begins to grind hips into hers. She grips his back and small gasps leave her mouth. A tingle shoots through her, causing her back to arch underneath him.

"How does it feel, babygirl?" Her eyes open up again, hazily staring into his. Her mouth opens, but her words are stuck in her chest.

"S-so goo— unh," his length brushes against a spot that makes her eyes roll back. He kisses her parted lips.

"That's the spot? Right here?" One hand grabs a fistful of the covers, while the other scratches at his back. Her moans grow louder.

"Yes...yesss," continuing to hit her spot, he presses his body against hers. Her nub starts swelling as she squeezes him, involuntarily.

"Shit... you feel so good, babygirl." He sloppily kisses her, tangling his tongue with hers. Her breathing becomes labored.

She pulls away and tosses her head deep into the pillows. Her hands push at his chest, as her peak gets closer. Increasing his strokes, his hips begin to slam into hers.

"Ohh my— fuck! I'm gonna cum, baby!"

His grunts and her moans mix. Her heavy breathing turns into panting as her vision goes blurry, her chest caving in.

"Oh my God... right there... don't st–stop! Don't stop!" His hand grips her neck, making her look at him.

"Let it go, mama."

Her brows furrow deeply, pupils dilate. The jolt of pleasure that runs through her body makes her see white. Her orgasm hitting her like a ton of bricks.

He continues to grind into her, until her hands push at his waist. She covers her face and lets out a heavy sigh.

"Just.... give me a minute," she says, breathlessly.

He presses kisses on the hand that's covering her face, before grabbing her other hand and doing the same.

"That was.... wow."

He chuckles and buries his face into her neck.

"I'm glad, I could make you feel good." Humming, she throws her arm over his shoulder.

"That's definitely an understatement." He nips at her skin and pulls away, bringing his attention back to her face. 

She giggles and places a peck on his lips. "Do it again." 

He raises an eyebrow.

"Do what, again?"

"Make me feel good." The innocence in her smile makes him dive back into her, causing her lips to part and let out his new favorite sounds.

@thegifstories @soufcakmistress @sheabuttahwrites @ghostfacekill-monger @emjayewrites @blowmymbackout @uzumaki-rebellion @trippyscotch @blackpinup22 @blackerthings @cocoa-puffs @twistedcharismaaa @nayaxwrites @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @blackburnbook @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @chaneajoyyy @unfriendlyblkhotti3

[mnemo-sick]

complaining time!

hi it's complaining time. ~drawing edition~

still can't open files from my computer in clip studio without it crashing. this means that a) I can't directly reference anything without switching tabs, and b) can't colorpick characters!

clip studio was CHUGGING today. like so slow. I'm talking literally my brush was lagging by a whole second or more. you'd be surprised how difficult that makes it to estimate where you are on the canvas -> make accurate lines (that last part is because I don't have a tablet for drawing, just one of those hand-sized square sensor pads. you can get used to it, and I'd say I am (it's all I've ever tried), but god do lag problems make it almost impossible!!)

thank you for listening. I'm glad I'm home alone since I let out some guttural yells of frustration

[bi-shop]

A while ago you had designs planned for some rtc animatics right? I think TBoJD and Sugar Cloud, and some others. Are you still planning on those? No pressure I just love your art style and we rly be needing some more rtc animatics

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED !!!!! yes they're still being worked on :-) ! actually , i've made a lot of progress with TBoJD and have been primarily working on it - the storyboard has been done for like ... a while now ? like since i've made that post . and i've done a couple of the scenes

the reason why they take so long is because so many things are taking up my free time , like even outside of school there's still something stopping me from using my computer for more than a day :-( i hope that i could get things chugging along once school is done , though i wouldn't count on it

[sonicenvy]

more reflections on new computer (MSI Delta 15)

The speakers are not particularly powerful. My macbook air from 2013 with only one functioning speaker has better sound. I think if this were my only computer, this might be more annoying, but since this is one of 6 functioning computers that I own, I can let that go. Like they're not .... bad. They're just not super great either. Then again, this seems to be a continual theme with every windows PC I've ever owned lol (this is my 7th windows pc since 2005) Somehow all my PCs seem to die after 5-6 years (excepting my last one which made it 9.5 years whooo!) and my macs are still chugging along after 10+ years (oldest mac turned 14 this year and I finally had to replace the battery. Daily driver mac turned 11)

This computer is stupid fast and that's really nice. You know having a really fast computer is something that you give up on when you live in old computer land. So like, y'all my macbook pro 2012 is not much slower than this one (owing to the SSD and the 16GB of ram that I gave it) but it still has a longer boot time than this thing. This is making me wonder if they sell NVMe to SATA adapters so I could install a 1TB NVMe in the macbook (I have a 1tb SATA SSD on board right now). The boot time on this new PC is like 10 whole seconds which slaps.

So much less heat out of this computer compared to my last one. The reviewers of this computer complaining about the heat literally did not have my 9.5 year old PC y'all. They haven't played video games on a 14 year old mac and lived to tell the tale. The heat on the bottom of the 2009 macbook is scorching to the touch after 25 minutes in on civ v, as is the heat out of the charger. The charger on this computer is still room temp 2.5 hours into a video game. That's nice.

Also, holy shit y'all just found out that I can pick WHATEVER color I want for the backlight in the keyboard. This is a pointless but very fun feature that I LOVE.

The colors are decent in the general system and good in game. They're no adobe colorspace in PS -- my mac definitely has brighter coloring in adobe software.

once again so glad that explorer patcher exists because it has made the windows explorer/start menu experience tolerable in windows 11 which the native system does not offer. if you have windows 11 and hate the windows 11 start menu explorer patcher is for you. google it and download it. (note that there is currently a bug in it where if you have it use the windows 10 taskbar that the task viewer/gestures in the system break. Still you are able to use the start menu fix, which in my mind is the best most useful feature of the patch.

[v1ralkn1ght]

Minecraft Log, ch. 1: Neighbors

I figure starting something like this will help me actually stick with a Minecraft modpack for once, and maybe someone out there wants to listen to me ramble on and maybe shout some ideas at me as we go. We're rolling in 1.16.5 because my computer begins to have major anxiety if I try to chug along in 1.20.

So, let's start with the mods. Our major stuff is the Pam's Harvestcraft for a harsher start and to reinforce my usual farming base habits, some extra mobs via Alex's and Odd Water Mobs, Apotheosis to try and give me the odd heart attack, and a funny 'lil number called Nourished End.

So hey, let's start with our home! It's been about ten in-game days, I think, and I play pretty slow, but this is nice progress for me. The stone platform used to be an entire hillside, something I'd carved into on day one to not get mauled to death. It's a work in progress, but I think it'll make a pretty sight once I start making actual stone bricks and give the wooden house part its second story and roof.

You might notice all the water caves, and I'm very not glad to say those things are all over the place, and these are the *nice* ones only because of the water. I need to fill a lot of 'em in, especially behind the house where all my main farm stuff is going to be, as I don't want to forget a hole going straight down for 20 blocks exists and break my shins.

Speaking of main farm, here's my starter. We've got wheat and barley, until I can make a kitchen with the Cooking for Blockheads mod, and I'm hoping to get a carrot and potato from the multiple hordes of zombies. I'm going to eventually have a greenhouse with all the tasty crops, but once I expand this a bit towards the camera it'll be a nice, large set of fields for all those plants that don't spoil if you don't immediately fridge 'em.

Oh, and you might notice that I marked Jim here. He spawned in a dungeon right on that birch mountain, thanks to Apotheosis, and has full enchanted armor. Thankfully, zombie piglins are still passive, so I'm just gonna let Jim have his little apartment up in there while I'm still at my tissue-papery 5 heart maximum. Won't even despawn thanks to him coming with a pre-nametag on spawning, so I can visit him at any time.

[queer-ragnelle]

I see you managed to download the English dub of the Arthurian anime from the Internet Archive. I'm so glad!

Yes, thank you! I removed that awful buzzing, brightened up the colors a touch, & cropped out the black edges. I'll reupload these to my drive asap, I'm still downloading a bunch of stuff & my computer is chugging lol

[cryptidsurveys]

Saturday, August 10th, 2024.

What was the last thing you ate and why? I'm eating a salad while taking this. My lunch is typically one of two things - a salad or mixed veggies and a sandwich - and today I chose the salad.

What was the last thing you drank and why? Water. I tend to feel a bit dehydrated after volunteering, so when I get home, I often chug about a half-bottle of water.

How many tabs do you have open and what are they? Two Tumblr tabs, a YouTube tab, and a Notepad tab.

What browser do you prefer to use? It's not really a preference. I'm just using Microsoft Edge.

What’re five random things on your desk besides any computer-related items? A water bottle, a digital thermometer, a salt lamp, a mushroom nightlight, and a penguin music box.

What room are you in right now? I'm in my bedroom.

What color are the walls and floor in that room? The walls are white and peach and the floor is teal.

What’re the items closest to you that’re red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, gray, brown, black, silver and gold? Ugh. I'm too lazy for this, lmao.

Out of all the things you listed above, which is your favorite? N/a.

What kind of chair are you sitting in? A computer chair.

Where would you prefer to be right now? There's nowhere else I really want to be right now.

Do you have any plans this weekend? I was at the animal shelter for a half day today, and I'll be there for a full day on Sunday.

Are you excited for anything this month? I'm excited for it to end. I try not to wish time away, but September 1st feels like the psychological beginning of fall and I am so ready for summer to be over.

What’s the date today? August 10th.

Is there anything special about today? Naw.

How’re you physically feeling right now? I'm feeling pretty decent.

How’re you emotionally feeling right now? I'm feeling ever so slightly down and somewhat introspective. This morning was…not terrible, but a tad awkward. I'm mostly thinking about how differently I handle things now compared to how I would have in the past.

I showed up at the shelter and Diane seemed to be in one of her moods. When I went back to cattery, she was in there chatting with Pam. Pam was saying something like, "Well, they're desperate, haha," which was probably in response to Diane saying something like, "Why did they hire these new girls?" Diane turned to me and said, "If I'm not back here this morning, make sure to tell them that they need to give these cats more blankets." She wasn't happy with how one of the kennels was set up and was going on about how awful it was, etc; but I eventually let her know that was my bad and not to blame the new hires. One of the kitties tends to absolutely trash her kennel, so yesterday I tried to keep things relatively simple with the hope that it wouldn't wind up as a complete disaster (it didn't work, lmao - she got her main blanket wet and was curled up under the litter towel).

Normally, I would have felt super stupid, incompetent, or what have you (and I still felt that way to some extent), but I think I was able to keep things in proper perspective. I was more concerned with how she was speaking about the new employees. She's that way toward all the new people and I don't know why. It's like she's been there so long that she's forgotten what it's like to be new, and she just expects everyone to know everything and do everything perfectly right from the start. And when they don't, she gets unreasonably grumpy about it.

But also…acting like they're desperate picks…? Like, come on. That's rude. Again, give people a chance to learn and adjust before you judge them so harshly…especially over something that wasn't even their fault. :') This is also one of those times when I'm like…are y'all mean or am I just naive? I think the newbies are nice and doing a good job, but are they actually not…? Also, Erika ended up not sticking around for reasons unknown to me, and Alex said she was glad because Erika was terrible. Like, how? Am I just missing something? Stop alienating all the nice people!!! D;

Have you ever traveled outside of your home country? No.

Can you speak, read and/or write in another language besides English? Not fluently.

What language course did you take in school, if any? German.

What language would you most like to learn? Japanese.

What grade are you in right now? I'm not in school anymore.

What would you like to get a degree in? Lol, idk what the degree would be called, but if I ever went back to school, it would be to become a vet tech. I would want to work at the shelter, though, not at a clinic.

What was you dream job when you were a little kid? Veterinarian. Me now: glorified kitty pooper scooper…...(close enough). ;D

What happened to that dream? I just think being a veterinarian would be too heartbreaking.

Speaking of dreams, when was the last time you had a sleeping dream and what was it about? I mostly just recall being on a hiking trail and being concerned with all the cockroaches I was seeing. I've been having a lot of buggy dreams lately, apparently.

Do you have more nightmares or good dreams? It's rare for me to have a legitimate nightmare - like, one that actually really scares or upsets me. Many of my dreams are weird, but they don't cross the threshold into terrifying.

Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? Once or twice.

Can you sleep comfortably in another bed besides your own? Probably. It's been a long time since I've done that, though.

What book are you reading, what genre is it and do you like it so far? The third book in the Dune series. It's sci-fi. I was enjoying it, but I haven't picked it up in forever. I'm probably going to start bringing my Kindle to the shelter, though, that way I can read while I'm on my lunch break.

What genre of books do you like to read? Fantasy, sci-fi, backpacking journals, and books about the paranormal (like, not fictional ones, but ones actually exploring the phenomena).

Do you prefer physical books or a Kindle, Nook or other e-reader? Kindle.

Did you ever sometimes flip through your text books even when you didn’t need to? Yeah.

What types of magazines do you read? I don't read magazines.

Have you ever ordered anything through a catalog? When I was younger.

Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game? It depends, but probably read a book or watch a movie.

What’re five of your favorite TV shows? I don't really watch TV anymore.

How often would you say you watch TV? Basically never.

Do you prefer to watch movies at home or to go out to the theater? Go to the theater.

What’s the last movie you watched at home, and what about at the theater? I don't remember the last movie I watched at home, but the last one I saw in theaters was Despicable Me 4, for my mom's birthday. I haven't seen the first three films, but it was actually pretty darn cute.

Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater? Usually a small diet Coke and some sort of candy.

What genre of films do you like the best? Fantasy, sci-fi, psychological thriller, horror…

Do you like movies based off of books? Sometimes, sure.

Do you like video games based off of movies? Eh.

What was the last video game that you played? I don't recall.

What genre of video games do you enjoy the most? Music-based games like DDR, Rock Band, and Guitar Hero. I like watching my best friend Oliver play various RPGs, though.

Which is your preferred video game system? I don't have one.

Do you like playing online with other people? I have enjoyed it in the past. Maple Story was my main fixation.

How often would you say you play video games? I haven't played any for a long time.

Now that this survey’s done, what’re you going to do? Finish my salad and go vacuum downstairs.

[blackfire-fanfiction]

Oh I'm so very glad that you liked my thoughts! I was getting kind of nervous about them. (Sad to hear about the no computer issue) I do have one more about Mikey but it is mostly a compare and contrast of the two Gremlins processes. And to be fair I don't really know Mikey that well I could be completely wrong.

—

You know how we both agree that they are very dumb? I want to specify that they are dumb in distinctly two different ways but still equals very similar results. Mikey under thinks and Raphael over think and the only way I can explain this is to think of computers .

Raphael is trying so very hard to accept complex information and to do something clever with it. he's going to explode in his effort.

Absolutely. chugging. the fans are overworking and overheating. making that washing machine noise GRAFSGGS.

And there's three things that could happen . 1 he explodes and or blue screens. 2. he gives up submises the best answer that he can come up with knows is probably not the best. 3. somebody does it for him and tells him what to do.

Mc 'does not think' Mikey would just look at the information and just 'IDK' and then toss it out' I'm not listening to anything you're saying. I know my limits.' He can give you fast answers cuz he's not checking anything. nothing is processing. There is no system

Raphael's system is failing critically and constantly produces incorrect answers. Mikey's literally prints off the first thing that comes to mind. it gives up so fast.

Oh for sure. Literally all the turtles are dumb in their own ways /aff. You described Mikey and Raph's versions of dumb in a pretty good way.

[serena-darrin]

Well. My laptop's escape key is dead. This is actually less of a problem then one might think, as usually, it's not a super common key for stuff like writing; or even most of the common keyboard shortcuts in my software for work. So for work and general internet life, it's not a huge problem. But so many of my games (including Fallen Order) use it as both the 'back' button, and the only way to access the main menu of the game. (This is how I found out about this - I went in to start a daring, 100% playthrough of Fallen Order and couldn't access the menu, which was. . . . interesting!)

So I'll be playing some of my games now with an external keyboard plugged in. /sigh/ It's a 2018 laptop, but, beyond needing a bit more RAM for some games (it does chug on Fallen Order and now refuses to load City Skylines with the newest updates/expansions but I know those are just 'needs more RAM'), it's actually pretty solid, hardware-wise. I'm glad, because I -hate- replacing computers, and I try and buy my electronics to last where I can. So I'm hoping the Escape key trouble will be fixed by a can of compressed air (I mean, honestly, I should take this machine apart and clean it anyway. I'll probably do that when I go to install more RAM into it - which will hopefully be the new year if the money situation cooperates!)

Software is a whole other matter - Windows 10 -hates- me. This is an established fact, given how many times Windows updates have either bricked my machine (thank God for backups), or have screwed up my Registry entries to the point of needing to reinstall. But that's just Windows being an absolute Butt.

[ettawritesnstudies]

I'm hoping to do a lot more book reviews this year because I didn't read nearly enough last year and I could tell that my writing quality and the productivity of my writing sessions decreased significantly from the lack of word-input that wasn't dry academic papers. Also I want to start doing author interviews again, since I stalled out on that, and start doing author biographies of my favorite writers to learn about how their lives informed and influenced their stories. Just generally trying to get back into the bookish community after being so absent with school and life business and everything!

I'm still chugging away at Runaways edits and brainstorming the Laoche Chronicles so that I can go back to working on Storge with a clearer picture of what needs to be changed, but it's been very slow and stalled out lately. I graduate in June, and so when I'm not doing classwork, I've been prioritizing spending time with friends instead of sitting down at my computer, and I'm glad I've had the chance to do that, but I'm looking back to going back to my stories too <3

etta! what's up? what kind of cool website posts are you working on tonight?

I'm working on one right now about reading (and more specifically my slacking off when it comes to refilling the creative well) and the top books on my TBR for the year. Howl is on there! I need to check your authors page again to see if there's anything I've missed and haven't reviewed yet, and I've been very behind on checking patreon for updates oops.

The other post is a review of Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman which I finished recently, and she agreed to do an interview for me, so hopefully I'll be getting answers from her sometime later this month! I had a plan for the year and then PROMPTLY threw it out the window because I had to write about this book instead lol. It's a story about two sisters on the run, and the protagonist is an autistic changeling named Seelie, and they go on a big treasure hunting adventure and I really enjoyed it!

[moxfirefly]

How about #25: can you help me with the zipper? And #35 spanking with our favorite purple genius?? Spice things up lol

👁👄👁 I am-

Y’all heathens, I’m more than happy to.

Rated Explicit (18+ only)

Stepping into the Lair you took in the serene and quiet atmosphere. It was late, very late to be honest but work parties can get pretty crazy after all. Regardless it had been fun, tiresome but fun.

Originally you were going to go home and crawl under the duvet for about ten years if possible.

But you missed Donatello.

You couldn’t drag him anywhere and while sometimes you wish you could it wasn’t best to dwell on it. Heels in hand you patted through the living room area and into his lab where you could hear him speaking. Judging by the time you figured he was doing his part time job. He had picked up the thing out of pure boredom and to actually have some income for future supplies. It was child’s play for him, with nothing too above his skill set. Usually you sat and listened to the colorful array of clients and had a good laugh while doing so.

Most times you liked just hearing him giving the step by steps of things, or how he remotely accessed the person’s computer to fix the issue himself. His distaste over viruses and worms while he angrily typed away. So what? You were hella in love, the mutant terrapin had slithered his way into your heart.

But you kinda wanted him to slide in your pants, or well dress.

You entered his room with sly smile, Donnie was bouncing a little ball while he spoke in his best ‘customer service voice’ as you liked to joke about. He gave you a tired smile, bouncing the ball towards you which you caught. “Well sir, if you in the near future receive an email stating some prince from Asia is trying to protect his rubies it’s adviced that you don’t give out your social security number” He briefly muted the microphone. “Hey beautiful” He greeted you as you wrapped your arms around his waist.

“That ruby scam is honestly my favorite of this week” Came your muffled words, Donnie chuckled and rubbed your back. “He’s called me every name under the sun, brb” He clicked a button on his headset and kept up his polite tone. Reluctantly you let go of him and placed the little bouncy ball on his desk. “Can you help me with the zipper?” You whispered at him to which he happily obliged.

Giving a set of easy to follow steps to the nasty customer, Donnie gripped the delicate zipper and gently pulled it down. His gaze followed each patch of soft skin being reveleaed to him, which he couldn’t help himself but touch. You felt the palm of his hand on the middle of your back, the sweet gentle caress made you roll your neck until it popped a few times. As he continued his argument with the customer he let both hands wander, kneading the flesh presented to him, much to your delight.

“I’m more than happy to remove those viruses but the rest has to be solved with your bank, in the mean time I’ll email you a forum to fill out about the incident while I work on this” Donnie’s voice could be described as a verbal version of an eye roll, so much sass he possessed. Again he muted the microphone and sighed. “Men truly are stupid,” He gripped the straps of your dress and pushed them aside and down your body they slid. “I’m glad that even as a large mutant man you can accept that” The two of you chuckled.

You felt his lips on your exposed back and caught the small inhale he took of your scent. “Where’s your bra?” He peaked over your shoulder and made a soft surprise sound. “The lines ruin the dress so I put these nifty little cups on” You grabbed his mug of coffee and took a generous sip.

Then you felt him tap your rear.

“You gotta learn to share your coffee, babe” You smirked at his disapproving noise, he could be quite greedy with his caffeinated beverages. “I share, but I’ve seen you chug my coffee before” He sat back down on his swivel chair and shamelessly ogled you.

Donnie’s hand landed on your rear, palm caressing the left cleft of your cheek. “Shifts would be a lot more exciting if this is what I had to look at all night” He gripped the flesh, enjoying the silky material of your underwear. Looking over your shoulder you raised an eyebrow at him, not minding in the very least his ministrations.

Not even when he let go only to smack your bottom with a little more force, enough to make you grip the table for support. “Jerk, you get handsy when you’re running on three hours of sleep” You placed your palms on the table, leaning a somewhat forward and giving him a better view of your bottom. “Five actually, managed a nap” He pulled your underwear down to your surprise and leaned in to give the reddened flesh a soft kiss.

Then he gave a series of much harder taps, nothing to brash for it to be loud but enough to make you bite your lip. “You haven’t clocked out, you know?” You wiggled your rear to tease him, enjoying the happy content sigh that escaped him. “I’m supposedly fixing the mess this guy has on his computer,” He gave your rear two more hits before gripping the burning flesh. “But this is way more exciting” The outline of his hand on your bottom made him smile, job well done in his mind.

He pulled you back onto his lap, back to his plastron and used his own legs to keep yours spread. That delightfully merciless hand of his gripped your core, the warmth making him hungrier with anticipation. “Don,” You sighed his name enjoying the lazy outline he mapped out around your core.

Then he switched the mic back on, your eyes widened. He greeted a new customer with the usual name of the company and his name just as he spread your lips. “I’m sorry to hear you’re having difficulties with your new system ma’am” You wiggled in his grasp trying to glare at him but could only muffle your sounds when said digit dipped inside. Your back arched as he thrusted indolently, enjoying each squirm and quiet gasp. “I’m goin to walk you through some basic steps if it’s alright with you” He spoke dangerously close to your ear, tongue sneaking out to lick the shell of your ear.

You almost moaned right next to the mic of his headset.

It was torturous.

The call was reaching the half hour mark from what you could see on his computer and by now he was fully rubbing your clit. You prayed the wet noises couldn’t be heard through the call. Each swipe made your toes curl, sweat had already broken out on your skin and you had bitten down on the inside of your cheek with enough force for it to throb with pain. You knew you wouldn’t last long, and the feeling of Donnie’s hard on against your rear was driving you crazy. You smacked his thigh signaling him you weren’t going to make it.

“Ma’am Im going to be placing you on a brief hold, thank you and my apologies” He muted the mic quickly and grinned when your body went stiff. “OhFUCK!” You gave a loud and lengthy shakey moan as Donnie continued to rub you through your orgasm. He pressed his lips against your cheek, tapping your sensitive nub, clearly entertained with each tremble you gave. “I think you’re the happiest customer I’ve ever had while working” You chuckled breathless, smacking his leg again.

“God you’re such a jerk! They could’ve heard me” Your cheeks flushed embarrassed. “Half the fun if you ask me” He whispered it across your skin as you felt him shove his sweats away then lift you by your thighs. Your eyes nearly bugged out, he couldn’t possibly...?

He entered you, the position making it a tight fit and causing the two of you to moan.

“Can’t make a peep, darling” He thrusted lazily upwards. “Don- theresOH- don’t switch back to the ca-“ You covered your mouth when he unmuted the call.

“Sorry for the delay ma’am, as I was explaining” He cleared his throat, feeling the effects but recuperating quickly. His hips moved lazily, hands gripping the backs of your knees firmly. You caught a glimpse of his blissed out face through the monitor, god you bit down on your bottom lip and moved with him.

You were in for a long shift.

[aching-tummies]

Quiet in the Library!

I think I lived out a kink-scenario again completely on accident today (note, this was written a couple of days before posting due to a busy schedule).

My area is currently experiencing an unprecedented heat wave. We're normally a colder climate so built-in AC units are not a thing in our area. Older houses come with ways to heat one's house, but nothing to cool it down because our climate is normally either cold or freezing. On my day off from work I decided that I wanted to go out somewhere with AC to kill time. I had some stuff I needed to work on and some things I needed to print off so I made plans to head to a public library and work/chill for a couple of hours.

I discussed my plan with family members. Some family members are going through medical treatments and stuff, so the entire household has been wary of going outside and potentially bringing germs and other stuff back home with them. I'd be going out for "recreational" purposes. We have a printer at home but it is only connected to someone else's desktop...so if I absolutely had to print something off I'd have to hop onto that computer...which I have done in the past...so the library trip was more for the idea of spending a couple of hours in a building with AC going. I wanted to let family know of my plans so that they wouldn't plan for me to be at home...and also offered the idea of someone tagging along with me if they wanted to beat the heat in the library too.

Turns out someone else was toying with the idea of going on a grocery run but they were on the fence because of the heat wave. I suggested that I'd tag along with them on the grocery trip, help them carry items and all, and then they could drop me off at the library and save me one trip on transit...I'd take transit home when I was ready. With that plan, I suggested that we eat breakfast at home because I had plans to buy lunch outside while on my library trip and I did not want to have to buy or eat two fast-food meals in one day. This was all discussed the night before my day off, fyi.

Plan made, upon waking up we worked together to put breakfast on the table. Unfortunately, my first task upon waking was to chug some ice-cold water out of the fridge. It was hot and I was sweating not even 10 minutes after waking up. The shock of cold water so soon after waking gave me cramps. Imagine how you'd react to being rudely woken up by someone dumping a bucket of ice-water on you...yeah, that's exactly how my stomach reacted. I hid in my room, doubled over with cramps, and left the rest of breakfast prep to family members.

Something went wrong with breakfast, apparently, that resulted in half of the food being inedible so I ended up eating about three mouthfuls of food and leaving the rest for other family members. The spoiled breakfast put other family in a bad mood so they reneged on our plans. Timing-wise, it resulted in a mad dash to the bus stop for me after swallowing my third mouthful of food because I had decided I'd be in the library today. The little food I had eaten was only barely enough to whet my appetite and my stomach was grumbling and snarling for more by the time I reached the bus stop. I rubbed my tummy a little to try to calm it because part of it was still griping over the ice-wakening.

When I got to the area with the library, I had a choice to make: walk further in the heat, by-pass the library, to find food at a nearby food-court first...or hit the library as intended, spend a few hours there, and then search for food hours later. The heat made my decision for me...looking for food first would have resulted in double the amount of walking in the heat because I'd be bypassing the library only to return to it after getting food. My stomach had calmed down on the bus ride (thanks to some discreet tummy rubs) and was no longer grumbling at me.

I hunkered down in the library with my earbuds in. It's been over a year since I set foot in a library due to the pandemic shutting them down for in-person services. I missed this. My favorite thing to do in the summer in previous years was to bring my laptop to a library and enjoy the ambience and the air-conditioning. It doesn't cost anything but transit fare so I did this often before the pandemic hit. I was enjoying myself. I felt a little self-conscious though because people that walked by my table gave me strange looks...and I don't know why. I had my mask on, other people at other tables were doing the same as I--had their laptops out and were working on Word-Processing documents. I'm at the age where I can totally blend in as a post-secondary student...so I couldn't fathom why I was getting strange looks and I kept on checking if my hair was out of place or if I had something on my clothes.

When I wrapped up my work, I shut down my computer and pulled by earbuds out...that's when I realized that the rumbling I felt throughout my three hours at the library was not due to my music being too loud. The grumbles had come back with a vengeance and apparently had been going for at least two and a half hours. Something about tables always seems to act as an echo chamber for stomach growls and these ones were audible...so...yeah...my best guess as to why people were giving me odd looks: my tummy was growling and they heard it.

To add to my embarrassment, a stunningly attractive person was in the table behind me. There was no way he didn't hear my growling tummy. I packed up, printed off my stuff, and left the library in a rush in order to spare myself further embarrassment.

Onto food. I stopped by a nearby convenience store to hunt for drinks. Pro-tip when eating at a food court or going to the movies or something: drinks and snacks are cheaper if you get them from a grocer or a convenience store or something than if you were to get them at the food court or theatre. I know, it's bad to do that to a theatre, but most of the people I know working in theatres tell me that they don't mind if you bring outside food as long as you don't leave evidence...don't throw out your own wrappers and zipper bags in their trash bins and don't leave bottled drinks and stuff lying around. You shouldn't do that sort of thing if you bought concessions at the theatre either...but yeah.

The convenience store here almost always has a "3 for $5" sale on drinks...it's just a matter of which brand/flavors are on sale when I go. I lucked out and it was on 500mL bottles of lemonade that day...so I trudged over to the food court carrying 1.5 litres of drinks. I was hungry and it was hot, so I ended up buying some of those premade sushi platters. It wasn't a big one...8 pieces or so. I bought a small bento box as well that basically just had some meat on top of the rice and a side of vegetables. I was hungry, so I was sure that this amount of food was alright for me to finish in one sitting. In previous trips I'd bought a 2-item large bento and the same sushi platter...I'd be able to finish the bento and maybe eat 2 of the rolls before being full in previous trips, so I was sure that what I had bought would fit comfortably in my stomach.

I forgot to factor in thirst. It was a hot day and all, so I ended up drinking more lemonade than I otherwise would have. I drank 2 of the bottles during my meal...so an entire litre of drink went into my stomach along with the food. By the end of my meal all that was left on my plate was one roll from the sushi platter. I brought it to my lips but my stomach definitely didn't want it and it was too hard to swallow.

My gut was packed. The litre of lemonade (as well as about half a cup worth of water from a waterbottle) filled up my tummy and brought me to 'stuffed' rather than simply 'full', The food alone would have comfortably brought me to 'full' as I usually only have my waterbottle with me for meals so I don't drink too much.

I was wearing a loose button-up shirt over top of a camisole and pants that day. The clothes were very flattering and highlighted my slimmer waist. I've got a higher BMI than is considered normal/healthy...but my figure is basically on the bigger end of average rather than into full blown obese territory...and most of my fat distribution goes toward my bust, arms, and thighs so my stomach was flat in those clothes. Not after lunch, that's for sure.

My stuffed tummy was aching, stretched and fit to bursting. The glut of food and drink had rounded out my stomach and I was immensely glad for the loose button-up hiding the evidence. I sat at the table for a while, unwilling and unable to stand up because my stomach felt so heavy and there was pressure at the base of my esophagus from all the food. I was terrified that I'd throw up if I moved and jostled my tummy. I spent a few minutes discreetly rubbing my tummy under the table as I flipped through headlines on my phone. I wasn't paying attention to my phone, mentally begging my stomach to start digesting so that I could finally move.

When I finally got up, I opted to walk around the mall for a bit in hopes of coaxing faster digestion. My stomach churned and sloshed the whole time. Surprisingly, there wasn't really any gas in my guts. It was all liquid and solid food. The rice must have absorbed some of the liquid because everything felt like it had swelled up inside of my belly. The stretch was intense. Thanks to my clothes, I felt like some of those "surprise inspection" fanarts I've seen floating around. If I had a partner and a discreet/private setting, I wouldn't have minded playing out a "surprise inspection" scenario. I was alone in public and terribly shy and embarrassed about my tummy though. If anyone tried to press their palm into my tummy at that moment I'm sure I would have been embarrassed and that I would have thrown up from all of the pressure in and on my tummy. I was stuffed to the point it hurt--my stomach felt like it was on the verge of a rupture.

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure (Blind Watch) - Episode 21

Okay, this episode was really good and I'm glad I made sure to watch the prequel movie before it for context. Definitely getting Dot Hack vibes, as it always felt really hype when you got the slightest glimpse into the IRL world. The art style was really nice, even though it wasn't as detailed as the movie. You don't really realize how simplistic the background/colors/lighting are in the regular setting until you see the real world and the digi world back to back.

I guess this was just a one-episode deal for now, but that's alright with me. It gives me something to look forward to for later when they return (hopefully lol).

Notes:

-So throughout the episode it's confirmed that only some people can see digimon, including the little girl at the beginning. Is it an age thing then? The magic of childhood innocence?

-I've never been to Odaiba but it looks really cool. Kinda reminded me of Yokohama. I'm definitely adding it to my bucket list.

-Lotsa food porn in this episode. It makes sense plot-wise because Taichi's been deprived of normal food for so long. Koromon chugging a coke was really funny looking.

-I found Koromon pretty annoying this episode. They made him really bratty and overly hyper-active. (I mean, I guess he is a toddler kinda). I was thinking "was he always like this?" but I guess we haven't actually seen a lot of Koromon yet since he usually evolves to Agumon pretty quickly.

-Hikari has an interesting, mysterious air about her. She's kind of has a flat affect which feels autistic to me. The fact that she still carries her whistle around is also interesting. I don't want to diagnose her with anything after only seeing her for like 2 seconds, so we'll see where they take her character. I could be totally wrong.

-So we learn no time has passed and it's still Aug. 1st 1999 (I was 7 lol). Kinda convenient for the kids. They can now live out their whole journey without worrying about most real world consequences I guess.

-Taichi really went on a whirlwind of emotions here. He's not sure what reality is anymore, he's relieved to be home, AND he's feeling guilty about his friends. Also, Koushiro tells him not to come back through the computer (at least from Taichi's POV) so yeah...talk about confusing

-They made a big deal about Koromon crapping on the table. Does that mean the digimon are crapping all the time in the digi world but it doesn't matter because they're outside? Hikari's pep talk about wetting the bed was super cute.

-How the heck was Koushiro hearing Taichi's voice. I don't remember those giant PCs having built in mics, what is this witchcraft!?

-For some reason they decided to depict the digimon with monochromatic colors IRL. It looked really cool, so I'm not complaining. Just wonder why that choice was made. I noted that Agumon is back to his smaller size for consistency purposes.

-So Agumon defeats one bad guy and they're like "whelp, our work here is done." What the heck? What about all the other digimon that have shown up around the world? Like they showed Yukidarumon in North America. Did they all get sucked back into the digi world too? Well I guess time is frozen anyway so oh well.

-I wish the narrator guy wasn't like "Don't worry kids, Hikari will be joining the party soon." Spoilers dude! Show don't tell!

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with bugs

bugs has 40 stories at Gossamer. They mostly focus on Mulder and Scully, but there are also some goodies featuring Reyes and Doggett. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her fics here before, including The Link. She also co-ran WhyIncision, a fun, smart X-Files mailing list that dissected fics like a book club. Big thanks to bugs for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

Not really. While I was still in high school, I started watching the then 20 year old OG Star Trek and became a Trekkie of a sort. Starlog magazine, James Blish novels and the other novelizations, and while I was working as a library page, I found fanfiction one day among the periodicals.  Who knows how fanfiction ended up as part of a library's materials, but there it was, this tattered mimeographed collection. The fic that had the most impact on me was one where Nurse Chapel wrestled a giant alien snake to save Spock's life.

So when I got into XF, one of the first things I did was look for fanfic, knowing somewhere out there, Scully was wrestling a big snake for Mulder.

That experience showed me the power of fandom, that even without the internet, how the second generation of Trekkies joined the original group to advocate for the franchise to be revived. I remember sitting in the theater for that first awful Star Trek movie, choked up with what we'd done.

Tragic backstory way to say, no I'm not surprised that a well-produced show like XF would beget future generations of fans, and that they'd be chewing their way through the fanfic archives still being maintained.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

I'm so grateful to the fandom. Literally formed the life I have today through the confidence it gave me. Many of my friends to this day are 'pocket friends' from the various fandoms I've been in, and the longest friendships were formed in XF. I learned how to write, both technically and finding my voice. I learned how to think analytically, more than any college courses.

The two most important things I took away were, write for yourself first and always, and shit ain't that damn important. In the end, it's a TV show.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

YIKES.  I came in at the Fight the Future summer hiatus, so the waning days of ATXC, then we moved to mailing lists, right?  Yahoo Groups was in there somewhere. Finally message boards. Live Journal rose up at the end of the run which began to fragment the fandom even before the show ended, along with the migration off our individual websites to Archive of Our Own, fanfiction.net and such. We went from group discussion platforms to 'come look at my blog for my thoughts'. It was different and I didn't particularly like it, but in the end, when I came back to fandom for a new show....I had to get a Live Journal. That's the most interesting part of fandom, that a platform doesn't mold a fandom; we use the platform and when it's no longer useful to us, we abandon it en mass.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

I've touched on that a bit, but to elaborate, I'm glad I started in the XF fandom. It had such high standards and I hope that I maintain those standards for myself to this day. These days, I don't usually have a beta reader, but that took a couple hundred posted fics to get to that point.

Having seen the same exact flamewars and divides and squabbles over and over, seen how the taste of 'fame' can drive someone to be rather unpleasant, has given me a much more 'whatever' attitude. It's sort of comforting when joining a new fandom to know what's going to happen next in its natural progression.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

There's a meme "I have a type," and XF definitely had that type, but it just took me a while to get there. I was away at college then working on the road when the show started, and wasn't home on Friday nights most of the year. My mother has always been a big sci-fi fan, so she actually was watching before me. I don't like scary things, and would leave the room if it was on when I'd visit her. I was home for Christmas when Christmas Carol/Emily aired and I remember standing tentatively just inside the room so I could flee if necessary, and watched Scully go through the wringer, and ranting, "What the hell is this? Why are they putting that poor woman through this!?" I also saw how the show was doing the big ship tease, and I was like, uh, I don't have time for this. Even by my 20's, I'd been done wrong by so many shows that I'd become bitter. But the first film trailers suggested they were actually going from UST to RST, so I figured I could give 2 hours of my time for that.  And yeah...but I was hooked, and WENT TO BLOCKBUSTER AND RENTED THE VHS TAPES TO CATCH UP....this interview is making me feel very old.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I've always been a shipper and have no shame in that, as I think forming and maintaining a relationship is the most conflict-ridden enterprise humans can attempt, and thus is the most challenging thing to write about. Like many fanfic writers, I'd 'told stories in my head' ever since I can remember about the characters from books, shows and movies. It was just a matter of then writing it down for the first time.

After I was sucked into the show and it was still the summer hiatus, I got on my first computer, dialed up that screeching modem, and went on Netscape to search for that fanfic I knew had to be out there from my Trek experience a decade ago. Like many people, after inhaling much of the delicious fics out there, I decided I can do that. I'm someone who's very methodical on my approach to something new, so I studied what worked/what didn't, the expected formatting, got a sense of the culture I was entering, acquired a critical beta reader, so when I actually submitted the first chapter to AXTC, I was calm and confident.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

I watch from the sidelines, with a vague little smile on my lips.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

Yes, I have. Battlestar Galactica had a lot of Philes, but it was still a big step away from the very organized fandom in X-Files. Plus, with so many characters, there could be lots of little groups focused on their favorites. Same in the Downton Abbey fandom. Just a different dynamic.

On the other end of the spectrum, one of my most popular fics is in the Silence of the Lambs fandom which I've never been involved with any other fans or their fandom, if it exists. It just sits out there on fanfiction.net and chugs along with the reads. My current fandom is The Doctor Blake Mysteries which is tiny but mighty--the saying is, we're six people and a shoelace. It's shown me that it's not the size, not the 'fame' possible, but the passion that makes a fandom.

Sadly, at least at this time, I don't think there will ever be an experience like The X-Files heyday. It was such a golden moment of the rise of internet and home computer use by the general public, a large generation of educated women having the time to participate in fandom, and there wasn't the amount of 'noise' that is distracting us all now. I'm so glad that you're doing this exercise to record our thoughts. We've already lost so many of the OG folks. My first beta, Janet Caires-Lesgold; Trixie, way too young; Shari, also too young; Brandon D Ray, leaving his family too soon; and many more.

(Posted by Lilydale on March 9, 2021)