#the love is in the labour

[lazylittledragon]

i will never have this attitude to anything else in any part of life but i did not down monster and coffee and sit in my university library all night and experience rollercoaster level anxiety on the countdown to last submissions just so people can write their essays with chatgpt

[hinamie]

unconditionally

[windser]

the first time sylus gave you access to his home at your leisure, his finger had curled under your chin to prompt it to raise until your gazes met. he'd told you to use it whenever you felt like it— to use it when he was gone, if you were feeling lonely or just wanted to curl up into the plush lining of his mattress and the high thread count of his sheets. but his eyes wanted most for you to stay and never leave.

you found it easier than expected to find yourself wandering back to his home. which frankly was no easy feat given that it was housed in the n109 zone. yet, more frequently sylus began receiving pictures of his refrigerator fully stocked with your favorite snacks. other times, he would receive text messages and phone calls while you were buried underneath the comforter of his bed. it was simultaneously the best and worst thing, for he knew you were okay in the boundaries of his home, but he hadn’t properly asked you to make it your home yet.

when he returned home to the secluded location, there a slow gait to his steps, but it was alright - because he was smothered in you. your arms had immediately been around him with his chin tucked into your shoulder so he could get a better grip on the scent he had craved throughout the hours you had been apart.  

it fell into a routine after that and was no longer a request that needed reminders. sylus didn’t have to ask if he needed to clear a drawer in the bedroom dresser or space in the master bathroom because you were already there nearly every night, your knees digging into his stomach while you were sleeping until he grumpily grumbled and pushed them down, your shoes left by the front door, your toothbrush lying around. mephisto's shadow edging closer by each night until he learns to sleep with the light hum of machinery above his head.

he couldn’t find it in him to complain because there was nothing to grouse about. you were in his house, your shampoo lingered on his pillow, and he could walk through the front door to find you lounging on the couch. 

“why do I always seem to find you like this, sweetie?” he asked one particular late night after finishing his affairs for the night. he let out a soft groan, a small but noticeable sign of vulnerability that was reserved just for your shared proximity as he lowered to be able to get to a height that suited your resting form. 

“mmm?” you mumbled through a cloud of exhaustion. “me on the couch?”

sylus chest rumbled softly with a chuckle, brushing the mussed hair away from your eyes. “yes, kitten, you fell asleep on the couch. come, let’s get you up." 

but you had fallen still to his advances to tuck his insistent hands despite your sluggish resistance to help hoist you to your feet. you peered up at him through blinking eyelashes, assessing his gaze while you intertwined your fingers around his. "i like the couch, sy,” you whispered softly, “i like everything about your home." 

he paused, tongue suddenly heavy with the weight of words he'd been harboring for weeks. "do you enjoy it enough to stay here permanently and bicker with me about who ate the last imported candies? or if one of us remembered to let mephisto back in?" 

”‘course, sy.“ you buried your fingers deeper into his hair and watched as his eyelids fluttered shut in relief. "i love wherever you are." 

[aq2003]

david tennant + shakespeare

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Then all those years of building - were they worth anything? Yes - they're just hoping you don't realize it.

Rebecca Sugar going in for the kill with some sketches out of absolutely nowhere. Here's my best attempt at getting an okay-ish image out of a blurry vertical phone recording of a screen. Original video was posted on the official rebeccasugar account on TikTok - a big thank you to @jeejyboard for bringing it to my attention.

[mrs-starkgaryen]

Favourite Shakespeare's Comedies

After my other poll, I am going to be specific. There shall be a battle of the favourites!!

For-

Two Gentleman of Verona (comment 🐕)

Winter's Tale (comment ⌛️)

For the love of Shakespeare, please reblog for a better analysis

[speakofshinee]

JONGHYUN - BASE ◆ 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY "Just like my body's stretch marks were a part of my growing pains, we will move on endlessly while enduring the pain, under the belief of my growth and this world's growth. Because the pain creates the room for take-off, I thank you for the "stretch" that pushed me forward. As always, I need you."

[emotinalsupportturtle]

..and he wrote them for David Tennant

[blorbocedes]

nico rosberg and jenson button flirting for 7 minutes straight

highlights include nico fixing his hair and giggling:

- "do you know what nickname you gave me?" "I gave you my fiancé's name!" (jenson's wife's name is brittny, and Nico's britney nickname lore here)

"you need to be loved" "I do, yeah."

- sharing the story where jenson got shitfaced at a bar in japan in 2013, and that nico and jenson had their longest (hour long) conversation that jenson doesn't remember

also jenson: remembers nico's first win, his first podium, what tyres he had in detail

- they both chant WE ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS

- nico wanted to do his extreme e team with jenson

- nico says he's gonna quarantine on a boat with jenson which is the most bougie thing I've ever heard

do still recommend the pod, this doesn't cover a lot of other bits like where jenson compares fernando and lewis as teammates or fernando's mind games, or brawn so if you're interested

[messrsrarchives]

we are incredibly blesseddddd in the harry potter fandom. no matter what era you are reading, there is such a wide array of fics for you to enjoy - such a multitudeeee of long-fics, aus, ships, tropes etc etc. we are so blessed to have this much to engage with.

but with that comes a lot of entitlement i feel. because there's more to "compare", there's more to call "the big fics" or "the best fics" and suddenly we're no longer blessed, because people don't appreciate fandom for what it is - a bunch of losers (affectionate) sitting in their rooms, writing fanfiction about wizards in their spare time, and sharing it with strangers online. rather it starts becoming competitive.

and 99.99% of the time, it's not the people writing these fics that start the comparisons and the competitions, it's those reading it. they'll publicly question why a fic has so many hits, they'll assume that fandom etiquette no longer applies just because a fic is popular, and they'll forget that these are people writing them, not just ao3 pseudonyms. they'll critique writing styles, get hung up on typos or grammatical errors etc etc. they'll start saying which piece of creative writing done by a person in their free time as a hobby is "worth it" and which ones aren't. and it's wild because they're the ones that have put these fics at the top. they're the ones that have decided these fics are the most worthy,,, and then they critique them?

and most of this is because of the hierarchy, absolutely. there's been a mass separation of readers-writers because people refuse to engage, and they start viewing themselves as "customers" receiving a "product" and they complain when it doesn't fit their standards. some of it is also the changing face of fandom spaces as they get big on more traction-based platforms like tiktok. all of it comes down to entitlement.

they start enforcing standards for fanfictions to live up to and start dictating what "good" writing is, as if that doesn't go against the very nature of a fandom space. a space where everybody's voice is heard and everybody has the same opportunity to create things (side tangent: this is not the time to be dictating what voices/experiences/talents deserve to be heard. free and open sources of literature are incredibly important right now. we often talk about the fact we hold fanfiction to the same standard as publit, which yes we do and that is not what we should be doing. but now we're starting to police it the same way publit is, and now is not the time. there is never a time tbh, but now when book bans are running rampant across the world? you want to decide which fics deserve to be read and which ones don't? hm).

and the worst thing is that not only are people critiquing the works we already have, but they demand more.

they'll say there's no more long-fics getting written, and then they won't go and engage with WIPs and encourage authors to continue, they won't start a fic until it's complete and then complain that nothing is complete. they'll say there's not enough fics for a certain ship, and instead of engaging with those producing them or encouraging love and engagement for them with others, they'll go into comment sections and hate on another ship. they'll say there's not enough of a certain trope and then they'll read one and go "hm. not like that" or not enough of a certain character and then go "actually i don't see them like this so this is written awfully".

most of all, they'll say that certain fics or ships have a ruined a fandom, and then they'll post things that go sooooo against what a fandom is, and just add to what is actually ruining wider fandom spaces - entitlement.

you are not entitled to long-fics, these are being written by people in their free time, and you refuse to engage with them as they're being written. you are not entitled to perfect grammar and presentation, fanfiction is for everybody and it is not a profession, it's a hobby. you are not entitled to the characterisations that you deem to be best, everything is malleable and you engage with what you like (better yet, write it yourself if you're so open to shitting on others. you do it then). you are not entitled to regular and consistent updates, you do not get a monopoly over this person's time. and you're going to see a lot less works over time if this is the way you treat them.

you are not entitled to any content in a fandom space, and no one is required to provide it for you. and most of all, your opinions and your characterisations and things you enjoy are not more worthy than anyone elses' - reading is subjective, we learnt this in primary school.

fandom is for self-exploration and it is self-curated. it's so self-curated and if you are having such a negative time in fandom because you can't find anything "good" or "worth it"? maybe there's some self-reflection to do as well. maybe you should sit and wonder why you feel entitled to things and why you feel the need to pit authors against each other or critique free works publicly, instead of wondering why other people are reading them.

we are so incredibly blessed to be in a fandom as diverse as this one with such an array of interpretations and such a wide spread of fics to choose from, but let's return to our roots and remember that - despite how many there are - everything is written by a Human Being. in their Free Time. For Fun.

and it's not fun to watch videos calling works bad get thousands of views and likes. you are not owed anything. and it is not okay to say these things just because "they'll never see it" - it says a lotttt about you as a person that there has to be some kind of impact for you to be kind.

it's like,,, would you go to a free bake sale and go "god i fucking hate red velvet!!!" and tell them they're doing a bad job, or would you pick up the chocolate cupcake you like instead and move on with your day whilst acknowledging that someone, not you but someone elseee, might like red velvet??? ykkkk??? you get me????

[lazylittledragon]

what if i broke all the bones in your legs actually

[hinamie]

completely innocuous vash sheet :) fr practice

[windser]

sylus wasn’t necessary not a morning person, sans the sunlight. there were days he pushed the threads of exhaustion a little too thinly, often drifting off on the couch when he just promised to relax. he acknowledged that your schedules weren’t meant to overlap. as much as you enjoyed the thrill of joining him on moonlight adventures, your primary calling had you up during the day to assist your hunter allies. 

so even after a long night when he desperately needed more than the brief nap he settled on, if you were present, he would entertain a few moments of rest while the clock ticked down to your wakening. like clockwork, he would rises as if he’d been next to you throughout the night, just to soak in what he could of your presence before he saw you off for the day. 

it was the best start end of his day, even for such a high-maintenance kitten as yourself.

it surprised even sylus the first time he tried to gently maneuver the sheets with his feet and slowly pry his arm from the grip you had obtained in your sleep. he would lose some of his resolve to rouse you somewhere between you sleepily nuzzling at the pillow where he once lay and the way you lazily stretched your arms above your head before settling back down and burrowing underneath the covers. he couldn’t help himself when his fingers scratched affectionately at the base of your neck while his voice softened as he reminded you of the time.

a few minutes later, he would be back in the bedroom, a mug of perfectly steeped tea would be in his hand, the steam brewing into his face as he set it on the bedside table next to you. he would lean over once more, lips pressed to your warm temple and fingers brushing against the top of your head, murmuring about how you had to get up. 

sometimes sylus' fingers would wrap around your ankles, tickling but never pulling. he had teased it many times, hands pushed against your waist and fingertips purposeful at your sensitive skin. you would always curl onto your side and your fingers tucked the comforter tighter around your shoulders. you would grumpily mumble a few choice words, trying to free your feet from his grasp, but he would eventually let go. how could he, even in all his might make you get out of bed, especially not when you breathed in the scent of his pillow and whispered something about loving him. 

"such a feisty kitten, even in your sleep," he mumbled, as his hands smoothed the fabric back over your body so you were properly warm. "claws in all.” every action of yours so sharp and deep as it dug into his consciousness. 

you took in a breath and, enamoured, sylus watched as it seeped back into your lungs. “i just want to sleep a little longer, sy.” 

sylus would falter. he always did, especially when you blinked up at him through thick eyelashes with a frown on your face. he would look towards the door while his fingers twitched, longing to reach for you again. 

"okay. slide over, sweetheart." his mouth tried not to turn upwards when you rolled back to your side of the bed to leave room for him.

clinging to him, you tucked your head underneath his chin and slung one of your legs across his. your breathing deepened into an even pitch, the warmth spreading across sylus collarbone, and he watched in adoration and awe when you tilted your head to press a loving kiss to his jawline. 

mornings always ended up like this.

[aq2003]

grabbed all of the ebook versions of the folger shakespeare library's annotated versions of shakespeare's plays (+sonnets and poems) and put them all in one place in case anyone is interested

[windslar]

MBTI Legacy Challenge 16 Generations Inspired by the 16 Myers-Briggs Types

A TS4 Legacy Challenge by @windslar

The MBTI Legacy Challenge is inspired by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – a pseudoscientific self-report questionnaire that measures one’s preferences on four dimensions of personality type. The test attempts to assign a value to each of four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. One’s four-letter test result represents 1 of 16 possible types. The underlying assumption of MBTI is that each type has specific preferences in the way they interpret their experiences.

This legacy challenge is about diving deeper into the personalities of your sims beyond the limitations of the game. Each type’s preferences underpin their interests, needs, values, and motivation. And in exploring each generation, decisions are made with that particular personality in mind. There are no backstories; rather, there are detailed descriptions and curated lists of aspirations, traits, and careers that are deliberately left open-ended so you can create unique stories. There are also scenarios and prompts specific to each type that affect the lives of your sims in relation to their career, love life, and relationship with their children. No two MBTI Legacy Challenges will ever be the same. This challenge is for players who love structure but also love the freedom to be creative in their gameplay and storytelling.

The official tag for this challenge is #MBTILC

For challenge rules, generation descriptions, and more: GOOGLE DRIVE (this link will save a copy to your drive so you can check off your choices, tasks, etc. so you can have it for personal use) GOOGLE DRIVE (this link will open a view-only copy)

[xzyumi]

heat waves 💥🫠