#that is so unfair I needed to experience it at least 100 more times

[almost-daisy]

... so anyway I finally got to see Macbeth

................ I was Not Prepared for how lifechanging it would be

............................... still recovering&at a loss for words but probably going to rant about it in the next few days

[gunnerfc]

Jenni Hermoso NSFW Alphabet (18+, minors DNI!)

A: Aftercare

She’s so attentive, anything you need after sex, she’ll have ready for you

B: Body Part (their favorite body part of themselves and their partner)

Jenni’s favorite body part is her toned stomach, she’s had you get off by grinding against her abs many times

Her favorite body part of yours is your mouth, aside from the obvious reason, she loves feeling your lips on hers and her body

C: Cum (anything to do with cum)

If she’s going down on you, she’ll pull back right before you cum and switch to her fingers so she can watch as you fall apart up close

D: Dirty Secret 

You two have had many threesomes with strangers but she wants to have one with a teammate (Alexia)

E: Experience (Are they experienced? Do they know what they are doing?) 

Jenni is experienced and she’s helped you learn a lot of new things about yourself since the two of you started dating

F: Favorite Position 

She loves fucking you with a strap from behind, will bend you over any surface she can, and will roughly fuck you

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous?)

Always serious, her focus is solely on you

I: Intimacy (How intimate are they during the moment?)

Jenni is so intimate despite how rough she is with you (not that you’re complaining)

J: Jack off (Masturbation HC) 

She hates it when you do it because she wants to be the one to make you feel good and will tell you not to touch yourself

You don’t listen and when you know she’s about to be home, you’ll make sure she walks in on you fucking yourself with her strap which pisses her off and always results in a punishment

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks) 

Daddy kink, every time you call her daddy she fucks you harder

Edging, she will edge when she punishes you asking whether or not you deserve to cum

L: Location (Favorite place to have sex)

Doesn’t care, she just loves having you whining and begging, the location doesn’t matter to her

M: Motivation (What turns them on?) 

Hearing you simply say her name, she swears her name has never sounded better than when you say (or scream) it

N: No (Something they wouldn't do)

She’s open to a lot but she doesn’t want to be restrained, she wants her hands on you all the time

O: Oral (Preference on giving or receiving)

Giving, 100%. She loves how you taste and would spend hours between your legs if you would let her

P: Pace (Fast & Rough? Slow & Sensual?) 

Fast and rough, she hardly lets you catch your breath after an orgasm before she’s back to fucking you hard and pulling another orgasm from you

Q: Quickie (Thoughts on quickies) 

She enjoys them, they may not give her enough time to do everything she would like but she loves fucking you so she’ll take every chance she can to do so

R: Risk (Are they open to experimenting) 

Jenni is open to trying anything at least once as long as you are open to the idea as well. She would never force you to do something you weren’t open to

S: Stamina (How many rounds) 

Many, many long rounds. You don’t know how she can fuck you so hard for so long and be completely fine

T: Toys 

She has different straps, varying in size that she uses

U: Unfair (Do they like the tease)

Teasing you is one of her favorite things to do, she loves hearing you beg her to fuck you or let you cum

V: Volume (How loud are they? What sounds do they make) 

Her moans are quite low, you’re the louder one between the two of you

W: Wild Card (Random HC)

She convinced Alexia to join the two of you during a national team camp and you were so sore the next morning you couldn’t participate in training. Both Jenni and Alexia had smug looks on their face the rest of camp and you all decided it should become a regular thing when you were in camp

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

It’s high, she hates that the two of you can’t have sex all the time

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

Jenni only falls asleep after you, she wants to make sure you are okay and everything before she goes to sleep

[manikas-whims]

how do you manage LADS as F2P? I'm having a hard time collecting gems 😭 is so difficult compared to games like genshin

Okay so..i know it sounds difficult (IT IS) but it's not impossible.

the grind can be heartbreakingly annoying..i know! Before i used to find grinding in Genshin and HSR difficult but its..so doable and easier compared to Love and Deepspace 😭

Their constant barrage of Banner after Banner is another issue especially when they don't even run for long. FOMO gets to a lot of people who find it hard to spend due to personal reasons, which is just unfair. IMHO, every limited card banner should run for at least 30 Days.

And i think these are issues that should be thrown at the Devs every once in a while. So fill out the survey forms whenever available and list all your grievances to them. LADS isn't exactly F2P friendly.

-> However, with the launch of version 2.0, they're trying new stuff and giving out a bunch of Free 5 star memories as well as materials. So thats..something ig

It's also a fairly new game, one of a kind sorta thing..so i wanna give them the benefit of the doubt. They're still trying to find their way around things and i hope they gradually add better stuff for grinding of materials and gems. (Abyssal Chaos counts as one)

As for playing as F2P, here's how I do it..

If you can spend a little, then i suggest atleast buying the Aurum Pass (i have). It ain't much but it increases stamina cap to 170. And gives 100 gems + 60 stamina daily

only make pulls on a banner when you absolutely want that limited card

save up the red gems & empyrean wishes (blue tickets) for your bias/fav LI & make pulls only for his banners (unless you absolutely want a card of another)

Use your stamina daily. Don't let it stay full. Like expend at least 80 stamina in the morning. Then play again in the evening with a nearly full stamina cap.

Focus on one LI at a time & grind materials for him only. For example, i am a Xavier main so i expend 80 stamina for the yellow/green stellactrums (ascension material | fight Lemonette) and another 60~80 on the EXP bottles (experience material | fight Heartbreaker)

DON'T WASTE MATERIALS ON 3 STAR. You can waste them on 4 star cards but I don't suggest upgrading them more than Level 40 unless absolutely necessary (i.e. you don't have any other card options)

Fight Mr. Beanie once or twice regularly! You also need that gold to upgrade your memories.

And then of course, the achievements, completing a 5 Star memory story, tender moments and secret times also give gems.

Once a week try to grind for Protocores. Even your maxxed out 5 star memories are useless without good protocores. (50 : 100 ratio between crit. rate & crit. damage is ideal) And ofc, upgrade those protocores from time to time.

This all sounds like a lot but takes less than 20 minutes to do daily..And yes, you'll find some full length guides on Reddit & Youtube.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ANON ♡

[cherrixberri]

NSFW Alphabet (Shoko Ieri)

Minors Do Not Interact.

Minors and Ageless Blogs will be blocked.

Sexual Content Below:

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

She's great at aftercare, but a bit on the lazy side. She'd be fine leaving the clean up for the morning if you'd let her.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On herself, Shoko likes her hands. As for you, she's fond of your back.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

When she goes down on you, she isn't satisfied unless she's soaked in your release by the end of it.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

She doesn't really have one, she can be pretty shameless.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Shoko's pretty experienced and knows her way around the human body.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Anything where she's on top., she likes to be the one in control and set the pace.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

She'll make teasing jokes, but its not something she does constantly throughout.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

She tries to keep up with keeping herself trimmed, but sometimes she just gets so busy she doesn't prioritize it.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

She doesn't go all out every time trying to be as romantic as possible, but when she gets the time to she will.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

A big fan of using orgasms to relieve stress. She prefers to have sex with you but will take care of herself as needed.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

BDSM (she's a dom,) Shotgunning smoke, Marking you (mostly scratching/bruises,) Degradation, Very slight pet play (will put a leash/collar on you and call you puppy, but not much further than that.)

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

She prefers your home, but anywhere that she's sure you won't get caught she's open to.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Begging, subtle "innocent" touches through out the day you give her, acts of service (like bring her lunch while she's at work, running her a bath after a long day of work, making her coffee in the morning. It make her want to reward you.)

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Shoko's willing to try anything at least once. However trying to dom her without prior arrangement is a no.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

She likes both in equal parts. She'll ride your face then as a reward for being so good for her go down on you.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

She likes it more slow and sensual with a bit of roughness mixed in.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

She will 100% pull you into a secluded area to get her off, and then leave you hanging on purpose until you both get home.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Shoko is fine with experimenting and isn't afraid of taking risks, put she likes to try and plan for the risks accordingly.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

She has pretty good stamina, but will only go for as many rounds as you're willing to.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Doesn't mind toys and likes using them on you. She doesn't own a massive collection but does have a decent variety of vibrations and dildos.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

She loves teasing you and making you beg. When she has the time she will drag sex out for as long as possible just teasing you.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

She herself isn't very loud, but she likes to do everything in her power to make sure you are.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

She absolutely can heal all the marks she leaves on you during sex, but she won't unless you beg her to (she has a bit of a possessive streak.)

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Her labia minora are tucked neatly in her labia majora. Can also see her having a clit piercing.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Her's can be pretty high, but she won't burden you with it if you aren't in the mood.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

She falls asleep pretty quickly after.

[creature-wizard]

Sorry for taking so long. This is shy system ROMCOA anon and after seeing your response I realized I needed to write a narrative explanation of things rather then just a list of painful or difficult truths that have helped us which is more difficult then I expected. I'm going to do a bit of both I've decided. Jumping into it though, IMO simplified Narcissistic Abuse discourse can be a gateway to ROMCOA stuff when it is clear that people who hurt them aren't 100% evil monsters and another explanation is needed. I think that's how I got more interested in it. The NA explanation felt overly slanderous, plus being bitter isn't healing and is actually incredibly exhausting. The sentiments that undercut the issue of intent in a helpful way I think are these: - You don't have to know why someone did something because abuse doesn't need justified. - It is unfortunately true that love does not prevent mistreatment and abuse. - Something doesn't have to be intentional to have hurt. - It's harder that there is no such thing as someone who is pure evil and that nobody is born evil, but eventually you will find many truly kind but still imperfect people. - Intentional or otherwise, cruelty towards someone does not reflect on or diminish their inherent value.

I think people either want to absolve or hate those who hurt them because loving someone who has deeply hurt you adds an additional pain. The questions of "How could you have done that?" or "How could you not remember doing that?" tend to haunt people. Unfortunately, I also think life and trauma are often complicated in mundane ways. Nobody has to be evil or be targeting you specifically for abuse to take place, and no amount of good intentions invalidates harm done. I think this middle ground has helped me because it is tempting to imagine that my family was merely neglectful but not harmful towards me. To imagine that it was someone else with clear and bad intentions.

At the same time it is hard for others to see a middle ground where they didn't need to be evil to have hurt me. It's easier to invalidate my experiences then to own up to anything and it's hard to determine what owning up would even look like. In that regard I try to remember these things: - Everybody is affected by things differently and trauma is thus relative. (i.e. Autism made anything food related worse.) - Strong feelings do not indicate a trauma's relationship to what society considers serious, but it is no less valid to have those feelings. - "Lowercase t" traumas can stack into a bigger issue that is hard to discern the origin of because there is no clear bad thing or cause. Those seem to be the two major sticking points, intention and validity. I think they have so much sway as sticking points because if shit sucks and that's totally valid but most people and even you yourself may never fully understand it, what are you supposed to do then? It feels like a terrible hand to be dealt and an unfair game to play. While I do think the most realistic explanation also sucks ass, I also think that's not where things have to end. Some things that have helped me and system friends: - We'll never be someone without a painful history, that's ok, and it's valid to grieve. - You can't time travel, the unknowns and what if's are ephemeral so eventually the only thing left to do is make a better path forward. - Don't let the valid hurt and anger turn and bite you. If you can, use that energy to assert your value and make something better of life. (i.e. Spite is why I choose gentleness.) - Managing big feelings is a skill everyone has to learn and the process ebbs and flows, but it gets easier. - You're not alone in having complicated feelings and history and experiences. - If you can't believe the future will better, it could at least be interesting. It's worth it to wait and see.

(Please do not assume anything about me or the "level" of my trauma from this. We are diagnosed, though a diagnosis doesn't determine whether or not anyone has issues. I just gives them a name.)

(To anyone reading this: If you've heard the term "RAMCOA" but haven't heard how it originated among conspiracy theorists and was always meant to push conspiracy theories within legitimate psychiatry, further information is provided at the end.)

Oh oof I really forgot this in my inbox for over a month. 😵‍💫

And yeah, I'm not surprised that the whole "narcissistic abuse" thing can lead into RAMCOA stuff.

Like, the concept of "narcissistic abuse" is another iteration of the cultural myth that there's a distinct category of person that if we all just avoid or exclude, we can protect ourselves from abuse and toxic behavior, and it makes a pretty effective grift for people who've experienced severe abuse from people who just had zero interest in treating them well for one reason or another. The question of why anyone would engage in relentless bad faith behavior often torments people who've been through these experiences, and the concept of narcissistic abuse seems to finally provide an explanation that, while right about some things (for example,, it's true that people may lash out when their egos have been injured), is severely wrong about others (an NPD diagnoses is not a guarantee that someone will do this, and not everyone who does this has NPD). Basically, it's yet another half-assed solution to the problem of evil.

But like you say, many people have more complicated experiences with their abusers. And the alter programming conspiracy theory is absolutely a myth that seems to explain these kinds of experiences. Many people don't fully realize how someone might be handling a bad mental health day badly, or might be under some kind of stress they don't know about, or might have internalized some toxic belief that makes them act really shitty over some things, but not necessarily everything. "Your mom acted differently because she's actually a programmed multiple system, and what you experienced were different alters" is the kind of thing that makes sense when you know a little bit about DID, but not enough to understand why the idea of TBMC/alter programming is pseudoscientific nonsense.

I dunno how much you know about Michelle Remembers (the book that formed the blueprint of this mythology), but if you don't (and for the benefit of anyone else reading this who doesn't know), ritual abuse absolutely became a way to rationalize complicated relationships with parents. While Michelle Remembers didn't incorporate the DID aspect into the narrative (it just stuck with repressed memories), the short of it is that her mother was a single parent of three in the 1950's (her father basically walked out) who at least occasionally used alcohol. There's no way this lady didn't have some bad days. Plus she also died when Michelle was pretty young, which couldn't have been great on her psyche.

So yeah, it makes sense that people are getting into it today as a way to explain why their own parents were Like That.

For anyone who isn't aware: RAMCOA, which stands for "Ritual Abuse, Mind Control, & Organized Abuse" is not an innocent catch-all term for religious abuse, institutional abuse, sex trafficking, etc. It was coined by conspiracy theorists to try and make far right conspiracy theories sound respectable within legitimate psychiatry. For more information, see Cathy O'Brien - The First Project Monarch "Survivor" and Fritz Springmeier and Cisco Wheeler: Two Of The Most Dangerous Conspiracy Theorists Most People Have Never Heard Of.

[dymttz]

Ellie Alphabet (Evil Dead Rise) NSFW

A = Aftercare (how they look after sex) 

She would praise how well her pet behaved throughout the act and tell you that you deserve more rewards for it. 

B = Body part (the part of your body she likes the most) 

A barriga, ela adora deixar muitas marcas de mordidas e adora como você arqueia as costas enquanto ela faz isso. 

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

She loves the taste of it, and it shows when you melt in her mouth. 

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, their dirty secret)

 She gets so hot when you beg her for more and call her mommy. 

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they are doing?)

 Oh come on! She is an ancient entity, she already knows practically everything about sex but anything different that you can teach her is welcome.

F = Favorite position (needless to say) 

She will make you sit on her face whenever possible, but she also likes to put you on all fours. 

G = Goofy (are they more serious at the moment? are they humorous? etc.) 

She will definitely laugh at how pathetic you look begging for her touch so eagerly. 

H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) 

I don't even know what to say about this question, except that it probably keeps everything organized in there. Not 100% sure so. 

I = Intimacy (how are they at the moment? the romantic aspect) 

She lives to praise you and call you good girl or good puppy, she loves to brag about how only she can make you go to heights. 

J = Jack off (headcanon masturbation) 

She doesn't need that, she always calls you when she needs to, but secretly when you can't go to the building she takes everything into her own hands, always thinking about how she's going to fuck you up later. 

K = Twist (one or more of your twists) 

She will definitely make you step out of line on purpose just to have a good reason to punish you with no mercy.

L = Location (favorite places to do) 

Oh dear, the location is the least of her worries when she's so excited to have you again and again. But it's probably one of the rooms in the apartment. 

M = Motivation (what excites them, keeps them going) 

Looked at her for more than ten seconds? So you better be naked and ready for her! Did you do something that she didn't like? So get ready for some wild fucking! She also gets turned on when you keep running your tongue over your own lips. - I have a good place for you to put that tongue of yours - 

N = No (something they wouldn't do, hang up) 

Despite being a cruel creature she will never force you to have sex with her, she likes to see that you are enjoying every moment but would never say that out loud. 

O = Oral (give or take preference, skill, etc.)

She loves to stick her tongue in you and make you cum in her face, but on some occasions she enjoys having you pleasure her. 

P = Rhythm (Are they fast and rough? slow and sultry? etc.)

 Fast and rough! She wants to hear your screams for her at all times!

Q = Quickie (your opinions on rapidies, how often, etc.) 

Just no! She likes to make the moment last, she likes to make you breathless for hours at a time. 

R = Risk (Do they play to experience? Do they take risks? etc.) 

Oh, she sure likes to take the risk that someone sees her fucking you, that makes it all the more exciting, but the poor probe who entered the room uninvited is going to lose his mind soon after. 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they last? how long do they last?)

As long as you want, she can do this all night! 

T = Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or on themselves?) 

She was happy when you arrived in the building with some hot toys, she uses them on you whenever she punishes you the hardest. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) 

She will deny you the summit if you misbehave or don't do what she says. 

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) 

She's not always vocal, but when she is, you can hear her growls and commands that you don't stop working.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) 

She secretly misses you when you haven't been to the building for a long time, she gets almost crazy but will never say it out loud. 

Y = Desire (How high is sexual desire?)

The sky is the limit. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) 

She doesn't sleep so she'll watch you sleep until dawn, she'll be there when you wake up, but she's not very vocal in the morning so don't expect a "Good morning" from her.

(Sorry for possible mistakes, English is not my first language)

[indigosuvi]

Baraka NSFW Alphabet

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 666 / Read it on AO3 | Offline Version

A: Aftercare - What they're like after sex?

- This being his second time, he's not quite sure what to do. You'll have to tell him. He'll either be up for another round or sleep.

B: Body Part - Their favorite part of themselves/you?

- His arms or his cock. It's the least terrifying thing about him. Also, he's pretty big, and in Outworld, the bigger the better. For you, it would be your legs.

C: Cum - Taste, texture, etc?

- Salty and an almost grey color

D: Dirty Secret

- His sense of smell is great. He'll know when you're turned on and he loves that smell. From time to time, he may tell you that you smell great.

E: Experience - How much experience do they have?

- He slept with Mileena before, it wasn't a very enjoyable experience.

F: Favorite Position

- Doggy style. That way, you don't have to see his terrifying face. He will, however, do other positions if you're 100% sure and okay with it.

G: Goofy - How are they: serious, funny, etc?

- He doesn't know many jokes and probably wouldn't understand some of them. However, he's not serious.

H: Hair - shaved, not shaved, color?

- Unshaved, it's the only hair he has. He has no desire to trim it either. Black.

I: Intimacy - How are they romantically?

- Mileena's a very demanding individual, he wouldn't want to treat you and her the same. Not very romantic, as he isn't sure what to do.

J: Jack Off - How often do they masturbate?

- Whenever he feels the need. Every couple of months.

K: Kink - Their kinks?

- Breeding, that's about it since he is limited because of his teeth and he doesn't know very many others.

L: Location - Favorite place(s) to do it?

- The bedroom. He doesn't really want to do it elsewhere, especially where people may see it. However, he wouldn't be opposed to showing everyone who you belong to.

M: Motivation - What gets them into it?

- You being turned on, lingerie, and seeing you naked.

N: No - Will not do/turns them off?

- Anything that causes pain or death or involves another person.

O: Oral - Giving, receiving, skill?

- Loves giving. He does have a long tongue, so it wouldn't be a problem. If you're scared, his teeth may cut you, he's fine with receiving.

P: Pace - Fast, rough, slow, etc?

- Hard and slow, unless he's angry at something, not at you.

Q: Quickie - How often?

- Whenever you want.

R: Risk - Willing to take risks/experiment?

- It depends on what it is. He would like to discuss things before trying anything.

S: Stamina - How long/many rounds can they go?

- 4-5 for about 40 minutes.

T: Toys - Do they have any/will they use them?

- No, he's never heard about them. You can't convince him to try them. He doesn't like them, they're annoying, and he can pleasure you far better than they can.

U: Unfair - How much do they tease?

- Not a lot, he's too busy trying to not cum inside you after just getting inside of you.

V: Volume - How loud are they?

- Not very loud, but will growl and say your name. He, unfortunately, cannot moan, so he growls instead. There is a difference between his anger growls and his pleasure growls.

W: Wild Card - Something random?

- Wouldn't mind kids. Him cumming inside of you multiple times is more of a way to show people who you belong to. Although no one can see and no one may know, the other Tarkatans will, due to their sense of smell. If you don't want kids, he'll break up eventually, as he does want at least one.

X: X-Ray - Size, appearance, etc?

- 9½, slightly paler than him, darker towards the tip. Some noticeable veins, uncut.

Y: Yearning - How high is their sex drive?

- Pretty high, but has a lot of self-control. He will be in the mood when you are.

Z: ZZZ - How quickly do they fall asleep?

- As soon as you do, unless you're taking too long.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @phantomheiko, @sunmoongoddess, @thevoidwriting / To Join My Tag List Apply Here!

[batsplat]

what are your thoughts on casey’s career being regarded as a what if…..specifically when it comes to his retirement in 2012. personally, why would anyone want casey to stay knowing how his relationship to the sport was? seems like it could actually only get worse if he stayed longer. plus it’s just kinda unfair no?

yeah I think people love it because it's an interesting hypothetical, which I did explore here wrt the marc teammate dynamic... but well, my conclusion there was basically. y'know. it'd go badly wrong and casey would retire soon after anyway probably and I'm kinda glad he didn't go through that experience. I also don't think treating all of this as a straight up 'what if' is properly contextualising his career and what he went through to achieve what he did. the extensive list of physical and mental health issues, battling with chronic fatigue syndrome while being an active motogp rider, the undiagnosed anxiety disorder... it is insane that he managed to have the success that he did, even accounting for the ridiculous amount of talent he had. casey in 2012 was still of course an excellent rider in an injury-affected season, but like... he was clearly done with it. at a certain point he'd just burned himself out. it feels like it was the right time to retire

I think people are really into the romanticism of the whole thing, like it's this sort of... oh, youthful, fragile genius taken from us too soon (sometimes I can still hear his voice), if only we'd been able to see him fully spread his wings. and where it does actively begin to bother me is I feel like a few too many people are engaging with the idea of him more than they are with his actual career. like, he raced for quite a few years! he had a lot of great races and a lot of success! sure, it's a massive pity he was constantly dealing with all these hardships and were ultimately limiting him to some extent - but also, you can swing too hard the other way and treat his entire career as one big hypothetical. casey is more than his potential... he achieved that potential, he was a fantastic rider. let's talk about it! this isn't a story of unfulfilled promise, never has been

the other place where this comes from imo is that people have internalised how massively talented casey is - basically right up there with the great of greats, the valentino's and marc's of the world, if not more talented than them still... an assessment valentino at least wouldn't necessarily disagree with. and it's almost like... if he had all this talent, then surely he should have won twenty titles - so the fact that he didn't is in some way underachieving. but idk man, I just don't think that's how anything works. sports would be literally unwatchable if it were a straight conversion between amount of talent and amount of success. it gets really weird when people frame the valentino/casey rivalry as a contest between this delicate waif of a prodigy on the one hand and this cunning quasi-fraudulent brawler - one completely relying on talent and the other completely on brains (which I suppose is 100% nurture not nature). now, to some extent it's an interesting distinction they lean into themselves, as discussed here, but like. at the end of the day I'm never going to be massively into talent as a concept and a lot of this stuff mostly just annoys me. you don't deserve to win more because you're more talented, and casey was more than his talent. is it too much to ask for to simply discuss a career on its own merits without constantly measuring up to some illusory idea of how much someone was SUPPOSED to have won

so, like. yeah. he would have been miserable and I'm happy he got out. posted these quotes from journalists from the time of his retirement a while back, also this from 2014 which kinda got to me:

like, man, he's been racing since he was four years old. for most of his life it was a profoundly joyless experience. it would be far worse and far more depressing if he'd felt the need to keep going because it was the only thing he knew how to do - which is part of the reason why he soldiered on throughout this process, despite his realisation when he was still in his teens that this wasn't really his dream at all. that it was a dream others had pushed onto him, and he was now stuck with. at a certain point, you just kind of feel trapped, right? he knew the sport wasn't heading in a direction he supported... and while you can agree or disagree with his specific complaints (I think with the benefit of hindsight we can probably conclude the introduction of crt bikes did not in fact permanently ruin the sport), at the end of the day that's really his choice to make. and he had the strength to walk away. he doesn't seem to have had any regrets about it, so why should anyone else? I understand why people like the idea of watching casey and marc race - and, like, I do get it, I'm a fan of the valentino/casey rivalry which was unquestionably pretty miserable for casey a lot of the time. as a fan of the sport and of him as a rider and thinking about how much fun it would have been to see him and marc compete, of course a part of me wishes casey could have stuck around a little longer. as a fan of narratives and conflict and tension and what an interesting guy casey is when he's confronted with something he hates! as a fan of casey the rider, of course I would've liked to see more. but on a more personal emotional level, I'm glad he left when he did

[parkminijiminie]

i want to say something i’ve been thinking about for a while and figured this would be a good forum for it since a lot of people are discussing how they feel about how Jungkook has changed during this solo era. I think this is something that I thought I was struggling with alone but its starting to look like its not the case based on everything I’ve read outside of Twitter/X (that’s a whole new world these days, unfortunately).

I think what a lot of us are experiencing with Jungkook is really tied to the parasocial relationship we have with BTS, as well as cognitive dissonance. Since I became an army, Jungkook is the member I’ve least been able to connect with at an emotional level, after Tae. Ironically, we have a lot of things in common, including our intense adoration for Jimin. Despite that, I have always thought of him as someone kind, talented, passionate, and ambitious. None of those things have changed so, why is it so difficult for me to be interested or engaged with any of the things he’s doing nowadays? He is obviously the most active member right now, and everytime I go on twitter there is a lot of content and a lot of people reacting to that content. 80% of the time I feel annoyed by this and then I get this very guilty feeling of “why do I feel this way?”

I don’t know if others are like this but in my experience the more I am exposed to something I’m not that interested in the more I start to resent it. Unfortunately, I think that’s been the case with JK since every time I go online in army spaces I just see things about him and not Jimin (who is obviously my bias lol). When you add the whole pseudo bad boy schtick on top (something I’m 100% turned off by) then it starts to become really annoying to engage with his content and all of the overwhelmingly positive (i.e. horny) reactions to it all the time (on army twt that is).

Additionally, my “attraction” for BTS really was based on this perception that they are men that provide this sense of safety, unlike most other men. Their music wasnt fixated on “getting” women or bragging about them, in fact the whole opposite, there was this profound feeling of appreciation of women, among the other topics theyve discussed in the past like mental health. So now, that I’m being spoonfed this music that is exactly what I don’t like from any male artist, then there’s this sort of subconscious feeling of betrayal.

I feel like most of us are trying to convince ourselves to look past everything he’s putting out because he’s someone we’ve admired a lot. But honestly that just puts a lot of pressure on him when instead that we probably need to do is just not engage with things we’re not interested in. I know that’s exactly what I would do with any other artist so the fact that I’m trying to force him to fit into the box of “things I like” when he doesnt anymore is kind of unfair to him too.

There are many reasons that justify why he is choosing to act like this now. I’m a couple months older than he is and I’m also struggling to figure out who I really am and what I want to do with my life. I think its fine for JK to go through this journey and I get why he would need to make these mistakes in order to actually mature. I’ve just realized that the best thing for me to do is distance myself from it without feeling like a solo or an anti just bc I don’t resonate with what he’s putting out and am not interested in engaging with that all the time.

Anon, I love your mind and I think you hit the nail on the head here. In fact, you even helped me realize a few things that have been bugging me ever since Seven was released.

Firstly this: "He is obviously the most active member right now, and everytime I go on twitter there is a lot of content and a lot of people reacting to that content. 80% of the time I feel annoyed by this and then I get this very guilty feeling of “why do I feel this way?” - I have been asking myself this question for months now and you just gave me the answer.

The fact it, that while other members' debut and eras lasted a month or two at most and then sort of died down, I feel like I've been bombarded with Jungkook's content for months now, even during Tae's release. Even since Seven came out, JK is continuously everywhere - Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and almost all the posts I ever see anymore are of him, despite me also biasing Jimin. As you said, since I also don't have any interest in this "pseudo bad boy schtick", but was basically forced to consume both it and "the overwhelmingly positive (i.e. horny) reactions to it" all the time, it became tiring and annoying to me as well.

On top of that, as you wrote, BTS was a safe place for me , too. As a female presenting person, I am so tired of listening to music and consuming content about men “getting” women or bragging about them" (brilliantly said). I really felt safe and secure with BTS, as artists who respect, understand and value not just women, but all genders, and by extenstion I felt safe in the fandom. But the fandom itself changed with the release of Seven. It was never as horny, deranged or overly sexualizing, as it is now. For example, I feel like I have been literally followed everywhere by comments about "champagne confetti" and "Jungkook is a confirmer head pusher".

For me, the type of music JK does now is truly exactly what I don't like listening to from other male artists and the fact that it was coming from a member of BTS, was jarring to me. Rather than it being a "light playful shock", it really was more of "a subconscious feeling of betrayal", as you put it, and I am only now realizing it.

I am not a person to make myself try to like something I don't, but since it was Jungkook doing this music, I still subconsciously have been feeling guilty for not supporting him. Even though I don't actively force myself to listen to it, there is still this urge in me to do it, because this is BTS and I have always supported them, and yet I can't seem to do it, which adds more to my guilt and frustration.

I think these feeling really are due to our parasocial relationship with BTS and Jungkook, who for some of us have been an important part of our lives for years. But honestly, as you said, this truly isn't fair to Jungkook as an individual and an artist. Firstly, this despite JK being a part of BTS, this isn't BTS music. This is Jungkook as a solo individual artist. Whatever reason he had to want to choose this path for his career, it is his right and prerogative. It is time some of us, including me, to accept that the Jungkook we see now and his music, are simply not for us anymore and to distance ourselves from it. Even though I am a heterosexual person , exactly at the age to not mind songs with such adult themes, I actually feel too old for this type of music now. It is maybe best suited for someone in their early 20s, than in their 30s. It simply isn't for me.

We should let go of the guilt for not being able to support Jungkook the way we are used to doing for years with BTS and simply let him live they way he wants to. For his own peace, but above all, for ours.

When BTS reunite again some day, we will have our safe place again.

[sanzath]

Death's Door

In 2023, I've played and completed more games than in any other year so far. I've had many great experiences, and I thought it would be nice to write down my thoughts on at least some of them. This post may contain spoilers.

Developed by Acid Nerve. Published by Devolver Digital. Released in July 2021.

Death's Door is one of the first games I played this year. It was one of the five (5!!!!!) games I received as a gift from my Secret Santa in 2022 (you know who you are!).

The part of this game that really struck me was how it treated death--appropriate, for a game with "death" in its name.

In this game, you play as a soul reaper who is also a cute little crow, and your job is to reap the souls of the people who have lived for too long and who have become corrupted into monsters. But each time you defeat one of these corrupted souls, you are not met with a celebration of your victory. Instead, what you get is a scene much more reminiscent of a funeral. The deceased's friends and family (and enemies too) gather around, and your gravedigger companion delivers a touching eulogy. There is no gloating, there is no disdain. Despite their misdeeds, they are not a villain to be hated and forgotten; at this final step, they are treated with empathy and understanding. This is the element that really makes Death's Door stand out to me.

Moving onto the gameplay: I found each area a joy to explore, with various navigational mini-puzzles and hidden secrets littered throughout. The combat is fast and satisfying. You start out with a sword with a 3-attack combo, plus a bow and arrow; attacking with your melee weapon gives you ammo for your ranged weapon, encouraging you to use both methods of combat. As the game progresses, you unlock a few alternative melee weapons and ranged spells, and I quickly settled on alternating quick dagger attacks with arrows or fireballs. The enemies are varied with different attack and movement styles, and the encounters are often difficult without being unfair. Even dying doesn't feel so bad, the shortcut unlocks help to soften the blow and the DEATH screen is nice to look at.

As for the music. While the entire soundtrack is great--I've listened to the OST probably two dozen times--what really stood out to me was the way the Inner Furnace's moving platforms are synced to the area's music. That's just a treat. they didn't need to do it, but they did, and it makes the entire area feel so good.

What I think I enjoyed the most, though, was the final scavenger hunt of optional puzzles, secrets and challenges. I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, especially when a final reward is hinted at. And the game delivers strongly on that promise, with a cutscene making explicit the links with Acid Nerve's previous title Titan Souls, showing some of the story preceding the events of Death's Door, and if you're prone to wishful thinking, hinting at a potential follow-up game. Overall, a very satisfying 100% ending to a wonderful game.

[primeministerofantarctica]

A3! reading club: prologue

Starting off with a prolepsis is a nice technique, although I think it's interesting that only Harugumi gets spotlighted here. Probably to avoid spoilers from later troupes.... Either way, I love how Sakuya's observations serve as an introduction to the other members. Masumi's cool-headed, Tsuzuru won't rest until his scripts are perfect, Itaru's anxious about pulling this off successfully (he does care :')), and Citron's a man of mystery.

I never really thought about this before, but I like that the prologue establishes that Izumi has the experience and knowledge necessary to qualify as a theater director. She's not just diving in headfirst with no idea what she's doing.

Also, this whole "street act" thing sends me every time it's mentioned. Veludo Way has to be a tourist destination, surely Izumi's not the first person to freak out over someone faking an illness. You know those horror stories about comedians dying of heart attacks on-stage bc the audience thought they were doing A Bit; this seems like a disaster waiting to happen. What if you got into an argument with someone and a bunch of strangers started clapping.

At least Tasuku's nice enough to come over and make sure Izumi's alright. He's not going to be really relevant for a good long while, but we're already establishing that he does care about other people, despite Godza's "every man for himself" culture.

Oh, Tsuzuru, just be glad you're not a college student in the US. >_>

Sakyo, you JUST recognized the first and only person you had a crush on, the daughter of Yukio himself, and you're telling her to get lost? Why? Are you trying to save Izumi from the heartbreak of caring about something futile? Because if so, you absolutely suck at it.

Izumi's reactions are the best. Also, shout-out to Sakai-san for being able to pull off "bad at acting" without dissolving into the 100% flat monotone typical when actors try to play bad actors. You can tell Sakuya's trying, but his pauses are placed just randomly enough to be awkward. From an acting standpoint, that's got to be incredibly hard to pull off.

This makes me wince. In retrospect, it's so obvious how much Sakyo cares about this theater. He was willing to pause the demolition project for the absolutely miniscule chance that Matsukawa had somehow, miraculously, secured a bestselling performance. Of course he hasn't, but the fact that Sakyo was still willing to give him one more chance speaks volumes.

Unfortunately, he's also a realist, and he's right. People love touting "hard work" as the only thing an artist needs to succeed, but without money, most people simply don't have the financial stability to really dedicate themselves to their craft. It's harsh, it sucks, and it's unfair, but it's also true. I don't remember if we get Sakyo's backstory in the main story or a later event, but going off it it makes sense that this is the additude he's adopted.

This hits harder after finding out Sakuya basically ran away from home :(. Not like he couldn't go back to his aunt and uncle, but that's got to be crushing.

I love how Izumi is mentally pspspsing Matsukawa SO HARD to back her up, just like he did with her earlier. There is a single braincell ping-ponging between these two and Sakyo's just watching this trainwreck.

Sakuya's reaction to Matsukawa saying he cooks all the food is gold. Ofc he's too polite to say it outright, but the fact that even Sakuya feels the need to warn Izumi about Matsukawa's culinary skills is just. So funny.

Speaking of which, I think it's interesting how Sakuya's (known optimist and sunshine child) first reaction to realizing Izumi was lying is a despondent "Does that mean the troupe is going under after all?" He immediately cheers up and snatches the smidge of hope offered to him, but this little piece of character writing goes a long way in setting up his hopefulness as something that isn't based on naivety.

I'm running out of screenshots and too far in to consider making another post, but gosh. Masumi, I love you, but you are making it REALLY easy to remember why I didn't at first. I will concede that his blushing and not being able to look Izumi in the eyes is cute, though. If there was more of that and less of...this, I might have warmed up to him a lot earlier.

Also, Tsuzuru agreeing to join after finding out there's free food is an absolute Mood. Five minutes of screen time and he's already a voice for college students everywhere.

The last few minutes are pretty much what we'd expect - Tsuzuru (very conveniently) says he's a scriptwriter, Izumi eagerly accepts the free labor before he can join a union (I'm joking, I'm joking.), they run back to the theater and Sakyo says he'll give them one more chance. The conditions won't be revealed until the next chapter, but it really is a testament to Sakyo's love for Mankai just how lenient he's being. A month might be cutting it pretty close when prepping for a play, but Sakyo's a debt broker in the freaking Yakuza, and almost definitely acting as a middleman between this company and someone higher up. Ofc the Yakuza here are a lot more lighthearted than the ones in real life, but that's still got to be incredibly risky.

[cyeli-no]

Everyone in Sumeru knows Cyno is small, but he has weight from his muscles. He is, by no means, extremely light. The issue comes when Dehya, drunk, mocks Al-Haitham for calling himself a feeble scholar. In her mind, with his physical strength, he should still be capable of carrying Cyno.

Can: Tighnari, Dehya, Al-Haitham, Candace, Nahida Can't: Collei, Kaveh, Layla, Nilou, Faruzan

─── ⋅ ⋅ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Tighnari: He is an archer. He definitely has a lot of arm strength and has experience carrying dumb adventurers through the forest. I imagine he usual has Cyno on his back (piggyback), but will occasionally carry him in his arms (bridal carry).

Even before being asked about it, he probably had the most experience carrying Cyno. The first time was after a really bad mission and he could no longer walk. So, after doing emergency treatment at the outskirts of the forest, Tighnari dragged Cyno back without anyone's help because the General would definitely not want anyone to see him in such a state.

Dehya: She carries a claymore and can punch her enemies into submission. She can definitely carry Cyno, making jokes about how he is too small and she can carry more people. She would 100% bridal carry him, just to make fun of him.

(I am a fan of the idea of her having a prosthetic arm.) Imagine someone says something stupid about her arm, about how it's unfair because of course the big, metal arm can lift Cyno. So, she wraps her other arm around Cyno's torso and just lifts him off the ground. He, uncomfortable in the position, is thrown over her shoulder instead. He stops complaining once he is properly seated.

Al-Haitham: He is surprisingly buff and strong for a "feeble scholar". He throws Cyno over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

I think he would also be willing to carry in carefully in his arms if Cyno is injured. If Cyno returns to report back to Nahida and him rather than to a doctor, he will interrupt the conversation and just pick him up. He probably carries Cyno bridal style to make Cyno feel embarrassed, shaming him for not taking better care of himself. When Cyno gets more antsy at the action, risking to worsen his injuries, Al-Haitham covers Cyno with his cape to at least shield him.

Candace: She doesn't seem to be strong enough to carry him. Compared to the other three, who visibly have muscles, she is considerably more lean. But, she carries a polearm and a shield. She, similarly to Cyno, are strong despite their appearance. She carries him on her back with ease.

Candace is fully capable of carrying him through the desert by herself. During one rescue mission, she leads the group with Cyno on her back and only takes breaks because the others need it.

Nahida: It is honestly a bit surprising when she is able to lift him with her tiny stature. But, she's an archon.

Cyno is reluctant to let her carry him, almost feeling blasphemous and disrespectful. But, to deny his archon also feels the same. Biting his tongue, he lets her hook her arms under his knees and lifts him easily off the ground. I am between a classic piggyback ride or him being in front of him, upright, and being carried like that. She holds him around the knees and his arms are on her head for balance while she runs without being able to see, covered by Cyno's torso.

Collei: Even if she could, I don't think she would want to because it's too much physical contact.

Kaveh: Logically, as a claymore user, he would probably be able to. The issue is that he does not feel comfortable trying to carry him. It might be because of Cyno's own discomfort at too much physical contact or the fact that he feels nervous about it all.

Cyno insists it is not a big deal. He trusts Kaveh and feels fine with him. But, Kaveh remembers the Akademiya days where Cyno reacted very poorly to touch because of his vague childhood. For both their sakes, he will not take that risk unless completely necessary.

[tyrannuspitch]

[petty grumbling begins here]

so. i've just read loki 2019. (what is continuity? i just read whatever, whenever i feel like it.) and... it's been quite a while since i last read aoa, so i'm not 100% sure of how much of this grumbling applies there, but the basic... outline for characterisation is the same, even if the execution might be better in aoa.

and god i'm sorry but. this version of loki grinds my gears. they're so flippant and so snarky, and it's always juxtaposed with this really abstract Thematic Musing about The Meaning of Stories, and it's just like..... there's no middle ground here. there's no centre. we have the totally superficial surface, and we have the Grand Meaning, but where's the depth within the character. where's the humanity. is there anything here i can reach out and touch, anything i can connect with, anything i can put an emotional anchor in?

(aoa has some of that, but... still really not enough for my tastes. and other things such as what i've just read have practically none at all. this version of the character is so easy to do badly.)

and another way the flippancy annoys me is like... it's this quite immature method of making a villain sympathetic, where the writers feel the need to just flip things and flatten everyone else to support it. i'm so sick of hearing predictable jokes about thor being stupid. even if we accept that he literally is stupid, that's not all he is. if you want me to believe loki is complicated, then stop trying to be a comedian and complicate his backstory. or at very least, get new material.

and the frost giants, too, since they came up in this run... i know loki's had bad experiences on jotunheim, blah blah blah, but their feelings about it should still be complicated. boiling it down to a few snobby jokes is just really boring. also, you're not challenging the status quo by doing this! not in the slightest! these comics have ALWAYS flattened and vilified jotuns. "haha they're big and stupid" your humour is stuck in the 1970s.

and both of these flattenings boil down to the same basic idea. they're not even flattening people into a variety of archetypes. it's just all brain/brawn, all the time. and like, i'm sorry, but when your version of brain/brawn rivalry and underdog complex is less original and more annoying than *joss wh*don's*... don't you think it's time to try something new.

urgh. maybe i'm being unfair here. it's hardly unbelievable for these characters to keep treading the same ground, and the things i'm complaining about flattening are not the focus of the stories in question... but still. idk.

everyone wants to break free of the chains of Fate And Narrative. no-one wants to give up their stock jokes and stop treating supporting characters as one-dimensional objects. bro. you literally ARE the chains, and we've already had a whole arc about breaking them, so you could choose to just stop doing that!!

[wizardbronla]

My personal Della Duck analysis

A while ago I posted that I really didn’t like Della Duck. Well…I’ve had a bit of a change of heart, and I think I need to remedy that statement. So here’s a bit of my new opinion and analysis.

so let’s get started of why I used to hate Della so much. Personally, Timephoon is one of my least favorite episodes. I felt that Della handled the situation very poorly, and that Louie was just a victim. I was also very upset when they took his dream vacation without him. Looking back on it now, I think that episode kinda rubbed off wrong on me because of personal experiences I’ve had, and I wasn’t giving Della a fair chance.

Della Duck is a woman who has been through some stuff. She has serious trauma, which is sometimes played as a joke on the show, but is there nonetheless. So it is actually very understandable that when she saw her whole family zapped away in front of her, she would panic. I mean, she had *just* lost her family for ten years, and now all of a sudden they were gone again. I can 100% understand how that would send her into a spiral. Besides, Beakley had been hounding her for the entire episode to be stricter, and so she was just doing as she was instructed.

was the candy mountain thing unfair? Yes. was Louie entirely a victim? No.

While yes, he really didn’t mean for his scheme to go that far, it did. And it could’ve had serious repercussions. But luckily, everything turned out okay. But Louie had to know not to do something that risky again. Della did the right thing by grounding him. She did not do the right thing, however, by leaving him alone at the mansion. You can’t leave an 11 year old alone, no matter how serious the sin.

but Della had never been a mother before. She didn’t know that you can’t just leave kids alone. So the candy mountain thing was kinda mean, but she was still learning.

Now let’s talk about the season 2 finale. By that point, Della had grown so much as a mother. All she wanted was to keep her boys safe, no matter the cost. And while that didn’t turn out so great, the intention was still there, and I think that makes all the difference. Her and Louie make up, and now that parent-child bond is there. Della continues to be a great character throughout the rest of the show, but her main story arc was over.

And my final problem with Della is just that she wasn’t flushed out enough. And that’s not really her fault. The show was supposed to have more seasons, and there simply just wasn’t time. Had Disney renewed it for another season, however, I think she would have been one of my favorites.

anyways, those are just some of my late night thoughts about Della. I think she’s growing on me 🫶🏼

thanks for reading and happy new year!!

[drastrochris]

if you're going to whine about being bad at video games will you please at least not put it in the main tag for said video game. people check the tag to see posts about the thing they like, not someone crying about how """unfair""" it is. if you don't like it then stop playing

Hi!

Nope! I plan to whine my way through this entire game, pointing out all the ways they could have made the game more friendly, but didn't.

This game seriously needs a difficulty slider, so people who don't like having to hit an enemy six times can play only having to hit that enemy two or three times.

Also, perhaps you're new here, but if you need your tumblr hollow knight experience to be 100% positive, then Good News! Tumblr added the difficulty slider already, and it's called "the block button." That let's you do a cool trick where you never see someone's posts ever again! Wowee! It's like they gave you the ability to control your experience to suit your needs. Amazing!

[kneelingshadowsalome]

GIRLIE I LOVE YOUR WORK ESPECIALLY THE ONES ON AO3!!! IM TRYNAA BE LIKE YOU BESTIE, PLEASE CAN I HAVE SOME WRITING TIPS/111!!!!???

(btw i really love man-sized, just finished it a couple days ago and AAAAAAAAA ITS SO GOOD I SWEAR!!!! LIKE MARRY ME PLEASE?!!?!)

Oh my goodness. You must be what they call a pookie 😘❤️ (I will marry you or adopt you, there's no middle ground.)

Thank you so much, you're making me blush!

I'm probably not the best person to give advice because I don't really know what's going on with my writing… It's a godawful mess. But I'll try!

So, writing tips under the cut ->

1. This might be boring and said a 100 times before, but... Show, don't tell! Obviously, I break this rule all the time when I go inside my character's head and explain how they feel and not just what they see, smell, hear, and touch. But if you're writing angst or fluff like I am, I'd say you must go inside the skin to dig into the character. (Also, f* the rules 😇)

2. If you don't know where to start, start with the dialogue. Even if it's just 4-10 sentences per scene. Then you can fill the gaps with some action, emotion/sensation and worldbuilding. But dialogue is actually the heart of your story and it creates some of the best tension; treat it with respect! Also: less is more with dialogue. Not always... but usually is.

3. Write from your own experience. We all have something to draw from, even if it's something as simple as how it feels to skinny dip in a cold lake. Or a hot bathtub. How does it feel to wake up from a nightmare or kiss someone you love? Like, truly feel? Don't tone it down!

4. If you want to sound more poetic, use metaphors and symbols and mythology. If you want to sound original, use history and culture and simply anything you have up your sleeve. All the "useless" knowledge: bring it on baby! When used sparingly, these can add to the depth of your storytelling.

5. Sculpt the paragraphs, then focus on the sentences, then hone single words. Whip out a goddamn dictionary. Search synonyms online (Thesaurus etc). Work with the words until they sound right for the story you wish to tell. Choose words that are most "alive" in your story's context, words that inspire feeling and stir emotion.

6. Read your story out loud or at least inside your head. That way you'll notice the errors and can fix the flow and rhythm of the story. Everyone loves a well-paced story! Sometimes just moving a sentence to a different paragraph or deleting it entirely can resolve an issue.

7. If you write a long fic, establish a core problem in the first chapter and remember to solve it before the story ends. For example in Man-sized, I presented an issue of trust. It was heavily inspired by my own lack of trust in men and the fear of getting played. Again, don't be afraid to draw from your own experience!

8. Music can help set the mood and bring out your creative flow. I have numerous playlists for writing or create a new one for the particular story in mind. If I want to write some heavyweight yearning, I'll blast some heavyweight yearning songs while I write. I don't know if this works for everybody; some people might need silence and space for creating.

9. The most important tip: WRITE FOR YOURSELF. Write the difficult, the overwhelming, the taboo. Write the most self-indulgent, shmexy scene ever! Or the fluffiest meet-cute that puts a smile on your face.

And if you're one of those writers who are not happy with their writing... write some more. Play with it, just don't give a shit. Let the inner demons give you courage and inspiration. Write about how shitty it feels to feel inadequate. You might find you just wrote some good poetry on suffering.

It's always better to write from love and joy instead of fear and shame – besides, life is too damn short to feel ashamed! Live a little and enjoy what you do, let writing be your escape. It's supposed to be a shelter where you can flee to when life is dull and hard and unfair. If other people's writing inspires you to write, then read. If other people's writing puts you down, save yourself some heartache and don't engage: just mind your own business and do your own thing.

Hope you found some of these tips helpful 💕 Much love 🩷💋 and happy, reckless writing!