#watch when i finish this meme in like september

[tavyliasin]

BG3 2025 Creative Challenge!

Baldur's Gate 3 Fandom Artists, Writers, and Creatives!

I would like to invite you to a year of prompts to create whatever you would like! SFW, NSFW, whatever medium you would like to create in, the choice is yours! The idea is that we have on prompt per month so it should be easier to follow along without becoming overloaded. You don't have to create something specifically for the event either - if you have a WIP or other work you're publishing that month that fits the description you are more than welcome to add that in! I'll make a new post at the start of each month with the details of that month's challenge prompt, but this will be our masterpost to start the year off with a bang. Details below the cut!

The Year Of Prompts

January - New Year New You Pick a new character, trope, or pairing. Something you haven’t tried before. Make it a challenge to do something new and different! February - Romance Novels Go for something romantic, or if romance isn’t your cup of tea try something around the Necromancy of Thay instead! March - Marching Forwards March to your goal to finish a WIP or LongFic, or March into a new world by making something in an AU! April - Fools Rush In Make something humorous, something fun, whether it’s based on a meme or a joke pairing or just something with a bit more whimsy and some laughs~ May - Maybe? What If? Reverse a trope or reimagine a part of the canon - what if things were different? 

June - June Bugs Create something centred around a game glitch or exploit, past or present! July - Why Would July To Me? A piece around lies, deceptions, and other ways the truth can be twisted or obscured. August - When In Rome… A piece themed around the customs of specific races, backgrounds, regions, or Guilds. Are they followed or broken? That’s up to you! September - Seven Deadly Sins Pick one, or more, of the classic “seven deadly sins” and see how that can relate to one or more characters or tropes. October - Days of the Dead Create something around a character death, a memorial, a lingering ghost, or find a way a character might cheat their death or be brought back from it~ 

November - Gnomevember Either create something centred on Gnome characters from the game, or the other story points around them (Steel Watch, Iron Throne, Runepowder, etc) December - Season of Giving Create a surprise gift for someone in fandom, or write a piece around a gift being given by or to a character or characters!

Rules

The rules are very simple!

Create your piece in 2025, preferably within the prompt month but if you post a little early or late that's fine too!

All pieces must be your creations or a collaboration - No AI or chatbot content

You are free to work in whatever medium you like for each and every prompt!

Set your own goal - you can do a short 100-500 word minific, some simple sketches, or write a whole 10k word one shot epic, or draw a full page comic. What matters is that it's a goal YOU want to achieve!

There will be options to submit prompts and fill prompts in the AO3 collections - this is entirely your choice! You can take a prompt if you like, work on something you had already started, or create something entirely new!

Have fun!

The Goal

The aim really is simple - to set some targets, and work on at least 12 things this year so at this time next year you can look back on your progress and celebrate your achievements. If you miss a month or turn in late, that's fine! Do what works for you!

AO3 Collections

For those of you that would like to, there will be a parent collection for the year event as a whole and some sub-collections for each month to allow us to keep everything nice and organised. It's completely optional if you would like to put your work on AO3 or not - you're more than welcome to just keep it on Tumblr or wherever you usually share your works!

This event is for you to use however you feel best, to inspire creativity, working towards manageable goals, and trying something different.

Social Media Tags

Use the tag #BG32025 if you would like to! I don't know if anyone else is using this one but I'll cross my fingers that we're the only ones~ Feel free to share the event and please do support each other through our creativity! A character or pairing or kink or trope might not be your cup of tea, but let's celebrate how it is there for someone else who might really enjoy it, and keep a positive and passionate view whilst respecting boundaries by tagging works appropriately as always <3

Thank you for reading this far and I hope to see you all through they year adding your works and creativity to our fandom <3 we have so much amazing talent here, I'm delighted to have the privilege of seeing it all~

[kalpeavaris]

Cyn's Synemy Design Playlist - Pinterest

Finished my new design for Cyn! I wasn't satisfied with the first iteration I made all the way back in September when I first released the fanfiction... so I sat down and made a new one! That reflects my interpretation of her OG personality better. B]]

Find Synemy (the corresponding fanfiction to this design) on AO3!

More info, design notes & whatnot under the cut!

This version of her is made from a backup copy the Solver kept of Cyn's "old" code & personality before it took her over as host. This code was secured within the AS' code and extracted by Nori, who then planted it into a new body to allow Cyn to live her own life.

Can either wear two braids or her hair untied (the two ties infront are always there!) her back hair reaches her legs when untied.

Imitates people's voices and takes on vocal stims she heards. Tessa loves to annoy her by showing her random memes and watches Cyn repeat them for weeks on end out of impulse

Gets along fairly well with most people. It's more of a neutral stance - the people she feels most comfortable with are Uzi, Nori and N. Isn't really on friendly terms with J or V. Tessa and her are... indifferent, but they tolerate each other and occasionally bond over shared interests such as videogames or dark humor.

Although she might look very timid und friendly upon first encountering her, Cyn is VERY capable of being the most sarcastic little shit you ever know. She doesn't have a filter and will use dark/self depricating humor.

Is contantly tired due to her faulty code & other lore reasons. :]]

Still needs to consume oil (or other drone parts) to stay within manageable temperature ranges

Has memory issues and can barely recall her time as Solver host actively, but has flashbacks and nightmares about it. Pretends to not care, but deep down these instances disturb her greatly.

Views Nori as her adoptive mom (and Nori views her as adoptive "kid")

Incredibly invested in videogames, computers and other electrical devices. Loves to take them apart and tinker around, especially when Uzi's around to teach her new stuff.

She like dinosaurs. Her favourites are Utahraptors and Parasaurolophus.

Often listens to music and will straigt up ignore everyone around her if she does. Very invested in rock.

Takes things literal, unless they're memes.

Isn't as alone as she hoped to be in her new OS.

[ranchracoon]

Into the Resident Evil Verse

Dimitrescu Daughters x  Fem Reader

Requested by: Belaluvr

*NSFW Warning: language, blood drinking*

"Come on hurry up" you grumble impatiently. 

Your foot shakes as you watch the numbers of your download slowly rise; 43% 44% 45%. You preordered Resident Evil: Village months ago and it's finally here! You can't wait any longer. The second it hits 100% and says it's ready to go you grab your controller and hit the icon to start the game. The internet has been going crazy over this new villain Lady Dimitrescu, you and your friends have come up with theories on how she's the big baddy you'll ultimately face down. You're disappointed to say the least when you find she's the first villain you face, but that doesn't damper your spirits. 

"I'm sorry" you heave dramatically as you click to shoot her in her dragon form. 

You yawn loudly and look over at your phone, "1 am?! Shit I gotta go to bed."

Needless to say the game becomes your current hyper-fixation over the next few months; it consumes all your daily thoughts even after you got all the achievements in the game and played a minimum of 15 times. You tone it down around your coworkers because they don't understand, but in the wee hours of morning you're still awake scrolling restlessly through fanart, fanfiction, and more. 

Jokingly your friend sends you a meme, "you're in the last video game you've played, how long do you survive? Send this to 5 friends or else it'll come true." you read aloud. 

You ponder for a minute, then respond "well we all know what game I played last. I'd say I would survive indefinitely using my charming good looks to seduce Lady Dimitrescu and/or her daughters, or I would die immediately by trying."

Your friends roast your answer, sending laughing emojis and more memes dogging on you, but you roll your eyes knowing they're no better than you as you shut your phone off to finally sleep. When you wake you're shivering which is odd considering it's the beginning of September and shouldn't be this cold yet. Your eyes flutter open and you find that you are not currently in your room, but a rundown shack with something oozing down the walls. You fling out of the creaky bed and hit your back against the other wall, panting frantically as you look around to get your baring. It's small that's an understatement, the bed barely fits in the room and you have to do a side shuffle to squeeze past it. There's no door, only a curtain hanging up which you push aside to reveal a small cluttered kitchen and another curtain hanging beside you. 

"What the fuck?" you mumble to yourself. 

You creep along the interior until your find a door, sliding the large metal rod out of place and pushing the wooden door open. As you do so, something glass falls on the other side and shatters igniting a chorus of blood curdling howls and howl-like screams. You startle and shuffle back through the door as the house shakes and there's loud thumping heard from outside. That definitely confirmed your suspicions. So if this is when Ethan is getting attacked, that means you should be safe for the time being, the lycans will be attacking him. 

"There's no fucking way. This has to be a dream, but if it's not..."

You look over and see one of those crates with yellow markings, but when you strike it with your fist nothing happens except a shooting pain in your hand. 

"Okay...maybe video game logic?"

Checking in the kitchen you find a knife and walk back over to the crate, swinging the knife over the box and seeing it crumble into little shards. Inside is ammo which is entirely useless to you right now, which means you're stuck with the knife. The howling outside has died down meaning Ethan must be in the next section, if you're in the game then, perhaps finishing the game will release you? But that means...

A shiver runs up your spine at the thought of facing the women of your sickest fantasies. Then again, you have intimate knowledge of this game and what occurs so maybe that can be of use to you. You leave the rundown shack, looking around frantically for any signs of lycans or worse, so far so good as you weave your way through the village. You scoff and plug your nose at the smell, you knew it would smell bad but not this bad. The rotting goat heads definitely don't help. Unlike Ethan though, you don't have to follow the main path and can actually climb and jump without going through the mental puzzles. You jump up onto a crate and climb up over a fence, landing on the other side and almost slipping in the mud. You shiver again and rub your arms for warmth, you have to get out of this cold or else you'll freeze to death for sure. 

Then a sound stops you in your tracks, a jingling of bells of some sort which if memory serves right means Mother Miranda. You look around frantically and dive into the mud behind some crates as the jingling passes by you and stops. You cover your mouth to muffle your breathing as you sit there, the cold wet soaking through your clothes and sending chills over your body. The jingling continues on and you sigh out heavily, standing up and looking around the corner not seeing her. In front of you is the maiden statue which means the gate to Dimitrescu Castle is not far, neither is the church. You run through the courtyard toward the stone wall seeing that Ethan has already placed the stone tablets and the gate is open. Good, that means he must be in the meeting with the lords and this is your opportunity to sneak into the castle. Then again, are you really safer with a bunch of blood thirsty sexy monster women?

You flick the switch to the door and look around quickly seeing scuff marks below your feet, that must be where Ethan was dragged out. The door clicks and opens to reveal the vineyard, as you step through the doors close once again with a loud thunk. That would explain why no one ever leaves. As you march through up the path you stop upon seeing the Duke's carriage, it would be in your best interest not to be caught so you go around as quickly and quietly as you can. The doors to the castle open for you but the large iron gates above do not close, so at least you can escape outside if need be. The castle is quiet, too quiet, as you walk down the hallway and into the hall of four. At least it's warm in here but now you begin to panic as you wonder where the other occupants of the castle currently are. Your question is answered upon the arrival of buzzing and flies surrounding your vision. 

"Shit."

As you turn around the formation of all three daughters appear, they surround you like sharks cutting you off from any means of escape. When you try to step back their formation blocks you and pushes you forward until one of them pushes you hard onto the ground. You grunt and catch yourself on the hardwood floor then flip over to look up at them as they giggle and look down at you. Bela leans down, making you gulp from the close proximity but also gag a little from the small of rotten blood and decay. 

"Hmmm you're not a maid" she states. 

"Another outsider? This day has become interesting" Cassandra laughs. 

"We'll take her to mother."

"No no no wait!" You plead. 

They don't listen as Bela slices her sickle into the back of your leg, you scream loudly and curse as the blade catches into your flesh and you're dragged by it. It burns and you can't help but cry and scream from the pain of the muscle being shredded from their sickle. Cassandra hooks the other leg making you scream again as they drag you to their mother, the only thought in your mind is the shooting pain in your legs. They drop you upon arrival and you whimper, looking down at your shredded legs as you sniffle and groan from the throbbing pain as you bleed out on the ornate carpet below you. 

"Mother, I bring you fresh prey" Bela announces. 

"You are too kind to me daughters, now, lets have a look at him."

Lady Dimitrescu stands and pauses upon seeing you, "well well, what do we have here? Another outsider."

You groan trying to move, gasping and flinching at the pain, Lady Dimitrescu approaches you examining you thoroughly. 

"Not who I was expecting, but you'll do fine for Mother Miranda's ceremony. Drain her daughters."

Your eyes flash open as her daughters stalk toward you, you can't exactly move but you try to anyways to get any sort of distance between you and them. 

"Wait! I know about Ethan and Rose and Mother Miranda. I can help you! Mother Miranda is only trying to kill you and wants Rose. She doesn't care about anyone else. I know Ethan is on his way here, if he makes it here he's going to kill you and your daughters."

This gives her daughters pause but only makes Lady Dimitrescu laugh, "that pathetic manthing cannot hurt us."

"He'll find out your weakness. You're going to drag him in here just like you did me, he'll be strung up and escape and Bela is going to chase him through the dungeon. His gun is going to shoot out a window and he'll know you're weak to the cold."

Cassandra steps forward, her sickle swinging in your direction but you dodge just in time before it slices open your cheek. 

"How do you know about that?!" She growls. 

"I told you. I know everything that is about to happen. I can help you."

"What are you, some kind of psychic?" Daniela asks. 

"Um..."

Lady Dimitrescu turns, "speak before I cut out your tongue! How do you know all this? Some, outsider knowing my daughter's weaknesses. I should cut you open myself."

Her claws flex out and you swallow, starring at them wide eyed then back at her, how are you going to explain? How will they understand? You have to try before she does kill you. 

"Okay okay, um I can't explain exactly how I know but I can prove that I'm telling the truth!"

"Speak!" Lady Dimitrescu orders. 

You stutter out what you can remember, from Ethan getting into the castle, to him escaping, killing Bela, and the phone conversation Lady Dimitrescu has with Mother Miranda. They all stare at you, Cassandra ready strike as she growls under her breath. 

"Are we really going to listen to this? How do we even know she's telling the truth?"

"Because Ethan will be here any minute, and you're going to string him up and he'll escape. If I'm lying you can kill me, if that's what happens you'll know I'm telling the truth."

"So you want us to let him escape?" Bela scoffs. 

"If he does, you'll chase him into the basement and you'll die. When he escapes, wait for him in the dining hall or kitchen, but if you go in that storage room adjacent to the kitchen you will die."

"That doesn't prove anything!" Snaps Cassandra. 

"I know Mother Miranda ordered you to kill all your staff. Why would she do that knowing you require them to survive? She's also wiped out the whole village with those lycan experiments leaving you nothing."

That gives them another pause, Lady Dimitrescu retracts her claws and steps toward you, you flinch and crumble onto the ground, your head getting light from the blood loss. 

"Daniela, fetch me first aid." She orders. 

Daniela is gone and back in a flash, she hands her mother a green bottle which she opens and pours onto your legs. You scream again from the burning sensation but before your very eyes the wounds on your legs heal. The pain subsides leaving your legs heathy but your pants still torn from where their sickles had been. 

"Tell me everything. Quickly."

Ethan will be here any minute, you rush through what you can, telling them about Mother Miranda's plan for Rose to bring back her daughter, and Ethan collecting the parts of his daughters from each lord. The whole reason being Mother Miranda wants the other lords dead. Lady Dimitrescu listens intently, you can see the turmoil, questioning the woman who saved her for what this stranger says, but there's enough truth to her words to make Lady Dimitrescu pause. 

"Call Mother Miranda. You'll see I'm telling the truth."

A noise captures their attention, the sound of shattered glass meaning Ethan must be in the castle now. 

"Well, we'll see if what you say is true soon enough. Daniela take her to my chambers and then bring Ethan to me."

Daniela grabs you by the collar of your shirt and drags you through the castle, you grunt and groan as your body bumps onto various pieces of furniture. Daniela tosses your forcibly into the Lady's chambers, you look around seeing the large broad windows and her vanity around you. You stand up and try the window but it's locked, you could take the key to the door and escape but where would you even go? You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. So far it appears they believe you enough to keep you alive, but this is definitely not how you planned on meeting these women. The ghost pain in your legs tingles, making you rub them and groan, you've never experienced pain like that before and you can't get the feeling out of your head. 

You have three options: escape with the key and try to find a way out of the castle, escape and bide your time until Ethan kills them, or stay put and hope they believe you. Then again, they may have hurt you but it's instinct right? They shouldn't deserve to die, but then again they do torture people, they enjoy hurting people not just out of survival. You're sitting duck at a meat farm, waiting for your turn to be slaughtered. The door slams open making you jump and flinch, Lady Dimitrescu walks through and looks down at you, her eyes narrowing. 

"I will call Mother Miranda."

Okay so she believes you.

She sits at her vanity and picks up the phone, dialing a number and waiting. 

"Mother Miranda, I regret to inform you that Ethan Winters has escaped that fool Heisenberg-"

You look toward the windows, Ethan isn't there meaning he must still be in the basement with Bela. You hope that Bela heeded your words and didn't follow him. 

"Because he has already proved too much for my daughters to handle. When I find him- yes Mother Miranda."

She hangs up the phone and brace for her to throw the vanity but it doesn't come, you open your eyes and she's looking directly at you through the mirror. 

"How?" She asks. 

You know what she's asking, but again, how can you tell her without sounding completely insane, "um, because I've done all this before?"

"What do you mean?"

Maybe you can lie a little or tell a half-truth, "all of this, where I'm from is a story told through Ethan's perspective. I'm not from here, all of this, your life, your death, is all a story. Ethan is supposedly the hero that vanquishes you, the other lords, and Mother Miranda to save his daughter."

"You're not from here?"

"This realm? No, not really. This is all a story where I'm from. I don't know how to get back."

"Yet with your knowledge you decided to come into my home and tell us our fate. Rather than let him do as was destined to do."

"I guess."

"He kills my daughters."

"Yes."

"How?"

"He figures out they are weak to the cold, then shoots them."

"Can't I kill him?"

"You probably could, but that's the thing, he's made of mold. The same mold Mother Miranda uses in her experiments, from this thing she calls the mutamycete and while that thing is alive, he'll just keep coming back."

"And he manages to kill me?"

"And Donna, and Moreau, and Heisenberg and eventually Mother Miranda. Her plan all along was to have Ethan kill you and the other lords. It all happens when Ethan faces Mother Miranda in the end. She calls you her, 'false children' and even thanks Ethan for destroying you."

Now they vanity is thrown. You shield your face from the flying debris as she stands and screams in frustration, her hands shaking violently. 

"My daughters are more importantly to me than anything. Including Mother Miranda, she may have given me immortality and this castle, but my daughters are mine and mine alone!"

"Then give Ethan your section of Rose. Let him go and face Mother Miranda, maybe even call the other lords to warn them. Except Heisenberg, he can die for all I care."

"That we can agree on" she huffs. 

"Very well" she says after a moment, "where will he be?"

"Um, after he defeats Bela he's supposed to come here and get your key so, if he didn't face Bela he might still be in the basement. All of this is new."

Lady Dimitrescu motions for you to follow her, she crouches through the doorway and you follow her, partially sprinting to keep up, back to the main hall and into the kitchen. Bela is in the kitchen and looks over at you, her arms crossed upon seeing you still alive and you hear Ethan in the other room. 

"Speak to him, I will collect the part of Rose we have. Bela will monitor."

You approach the iron gate with your hands raised up as Ethan points his gun toward you. 

"You're-you're human?" He asks. 

"Yes" you answer. 

"Where are those witches? How are you alive? Get me out of here! I need to find my daughter."

"I know Ethan. I know."

"How-how do you know my name?"

"That doesn't matter right now. Right now I'm here to offer you a deal, the lady of the castle has agreed to give you her piece of Rose in exchange you leave without harming her or her daughters."

"Piece?"

"Do we have a deal?"

"Just get me my daughter!"

The iron gate opens and he barges through to find Bela standing there, her sickle drawn. Ethan draws his gun but before he shoots you jump in between them, holding you arms up Bela growls at the motion and Ethan's gun shakes.

"Hey! Whoa! We had a deal!"

"You're with them! Those monsters! This is all a trick."

"Bela stand down."

Lady Dimitrescu's voice booms down the hallway, Ethan turns his gun in the direction of the hallway to find the Lady standing there with the yellow jar in hand. Ethan looks at the jar, then you, then back at the jar, lowering his gun slowly as the Lady holds out the jar. He slowly approaches and takes the jar, looking it over confused then back at you before he shuffles around the lady, waiting for her to strike before he runs off into the direction of the hall of four.

"Go out the way you came, the gate will be open for you to leave."

Now Bela and the lady look down at you, "now what?"

"Now he'll go to Donna's erm...Lady Beneviento's and the other lords. He'll kill them. Then he'll face Mother Miranda and destroy most of this village in the process."

"So, we're doomed either way. We just let him escape, and Mother Miranda ordered us to kill all of our food source. You've doomed us from being killed quickly to being killed by starvation" Bela snarls. 

"Unless we can more people to move to this village. You have vast wealth don't you? You alone could rebuild this village and bring people back, but you would have to stop torturing people."

"What?!" Bela snaps. 

"Bela, get your sisters. We have work to do. As for you" she looks in your direction, "you will tell me everything you know in great detail."

*          *          *

True to your word, Ethan does exactly what he did in the game; he faces Donna, Moreau, and Heisenberg, and eventually Mother Miranda. The village is consumed in mold and explosions can be heard outside the castle walls, you bunker down in the library with Daniela. Weirdly enough, she's not how you assumed to be at all; she's very sane albeit a bit eccentric to have an outsider to ask all her questions. It helps distract your mind from the chaos that happens outside, until the mutamycete explosion shakes the entire castle, Daniela is the first to grab you when the glass ceiling shatters from above. She's much heavier than you expect too, with her already freezing from the building up snow that crashes down into the library, you have to drag her out the door near one of the statues. 

There's a heater there, you know this area leads to the bell room as you look over at the statue of four women and the mask still adorned to it. The door to your left leads to the main hall where you hear more commotion happening as you sit Daniela in front of the heater. 

"Stay here."

You rush out to the main hall, seeing the fire out in the main hall and part of the wall crumbled in. Lady Dimitrescu storms out from beneath you, coming from the courtyard screaming for her daughters. Cassandra would be closest in her armory. You run across the banister to the portrait of a woman with the colorful glass eye, you push it open and run up to the iron door. Ethan never got the key to unlock it, but luckily for you, it's unlocked. The door opens and you groan at having to crawl through but you do so anyway, crawling underneath the opening in the wall then up the stairs to find Cassandra huddled in one corner. 

The cracked wall is broken with the bookshelf blocking it, laying in tattered pieces on the ground. You approach Cassandra who swing her sickle at you, barely missing you in the process as you grumble and try to lift her. She's heavier than Daniela but you manage to drag her to the opening in the wall that you have to crawl underneath. 

"You gotta help me a little here Cassandra."

"I can't" she mumbles. 

You look around then run back into the armory finding one of those weapons with a large hammer like head. You lift it, struggling to carry it down the stairs and swinging it at the opening in the wall to widen it. The bricks crumble like dust, giving you enough room to drag Cassandra through the opening and down the hallway to where Daniela is. The closer you and her get, the more movement she has, slowly warming herself the further from the cold you two get. Once you arrive to Daniela, Cassandra is able to move around and huddle with her sister for warmth. You sigh heavily and heard another commotion in the main hall, you open the door to see the Lady and Bela walking up the stairs. 

"In here!"

You motion to the door and the Lady bends in, setting Bela near the last remaining heater, they huddle together for warmth and you look up at Lady Dimitrescu. 

"So this is it? This is what we're reduced to."

"It'll get better."

"Says the psychic" she retorts.

"Mother Miranda is out of the way, that means you're in charge and can do what you wish with the village."

"If we survive long enough for that to happen."

"Well, I'm sure you could drain all that blood in the basement. If you're really desperate."

"How do you know about that?" Daniela asks. 

You raise an eyebrow at her and she looks away, "right" she mumbles. 

"We could eat you" Cassandra growls.

"Then you'll be back at phase one, with no food source."

Lady Dimitrescu sighs, "you have a point. I will see what I can salvage, from the wreckage."

The moment Lady Dimitrescu leaves, the daughters surround you, their hungry eyes looking over you. 

"We need blood" Bela groans. 

"Shit" you mutter.

Without asking they grab you, their teeth finding any exposed flesh they can find. Bela and Cassandra attack your neck, Daniela finds your arm and they bite down simultaneously. You choke out a scream, unable to fully scream because of Bela and Cassandra choking you. The pain burns up your body, you wiggle and squirm only to have them hold you down onto the ground as they take their fill. Eventually your head spins, you groan weakly and they drop you, fresh blood coating their mouths as you flinch from the air hitting your open wounds. Their eyes glow in the dim light of the heater, you look up at them and swallow thickly down your swollen throat. 

"You know, we never did get your name."

"Y/N" you mumble out. 

"That's a nice name" Daniela compliments. 

"We'll keep you alive. For now."

*          *          *

The days melt into months, Lady Dimitrescu kept you alive and it seems the girls have started to grow fond of you. When they start getting antsy or bored, wanting to tear into your flesh, you tell them a story from where you're from. Usually about another video game that you can remember, or things about your life. That keeps them entertained enough not to kill you or harm you, but it doesn't stop them from feeding off you. All of them take turns, and you're running dangerously low on that magical health cure, eventually you won't have any means of healing yourself. 

Lady Dimitrescu did exactly what you suggested, she turned the village into a prime tourist villa, giving tours of the historic castle and offering packages of fishing in the bay. As far as her food source, no one notices a couple drunkards or thieves missing here and there. Her daughters make themselves scarce during the tours, and she employed you to giving the tours. Not wanting to draw any more attention than necessary. 

After another long day of walking, you sigh and crash on a nearby couch, wanting nothing more than to wash and go to bed. You have to admit though, it's still better than your old life. You're surrounded by attractive women, and word has it they've grown rather fond of you too. Daniela is the first one to initiate anything, grabbing you by the shoulders and kissing you after a successful day of hunting a petty thief throughout the castle. You kissed her back of course, and that only sparked the other two to lay claim to you. 

Masterlist

Part Two

[serendertothesquad]

The Ultimate Serendipity-Odd Squad Lore Post

Because you people keep asking for my entire story.

No, no, not my life story. Christ sakes, we'd be here until Gen Z'ers died off if I had to reiterate my whole life story.

No, I'm talking about my entire Odd Squad story. You know, how I got here to begin with, how I rose to fame, and how I am objectively still a god without a religion, a cult, or a religious cult. That story. You all want to hear that story.

If you're an oldie, you've probably already heard my tale at least once. If you're new here to the funny kids STEM show fandom, then damn boy howdy are you in for a wild ride.

Get a snack and a drink, pop below the break, and let's begin.

Allow me to take you back to the year 2014. I was the ripe young age of 15, finishing up my sophomore year of high school, and suffering from undiagnosed depression of the "I'm trapped in my own home" variety. We didn't have cable, and so stuff like PBS Kids, NBC Kids, and 4Kids were the only things I watched on a regular basis. In the online space, I was largely chronline to the tenth degree (and note the "largely", because, y'know...school). The Internet, and spaces like Tumblr, served as escapism, and I spent a lot of time particularly in the Wild Kratts side of things.

I had first heard of Odd Squad through PBS's own upfront, the PBS Annual Meeting, that was held in May (though the show was, as I would find out much later, officially announced back in January at that year's TCA Winter Press Tour). It was the network's first live-action show since The Electric Company reboot in 2009 that got swiftly cancelled, which was already enough to get me interested because PBS hadn't taken a chance on live-action stuff since. The premise, as well, was charming and incredibly interesting -- a secret organization that solves problems using math sounded a little saccharine and thus perfect for PBS Kids, but since it was live-action, I figured it could bring a little spice to the network in a way that not other kids shows of the modern network era (read: 2013 onwards, past the network redesign) did. The fact that PBS was willing to go all-in on the show, up to teasers, previews, even having two new games available for fans to play before its premiere, was practically the cherry on top.

Fast-forward to around September. By this point, teasers and promos were already coming out for the show that showcased Olive, Otto, Oprah and Oscar in action. And by this point, I was absolutely invested. On a whim, I decided to take my Sony camera and record a reaction video of me watching it. Was it weird? Yes, but I had no money for a laptop that wasn't a decade old and didn't run about as well as a computer from the days of yore. You make do with what you have.

Needless to say, when the first episode "Zero Effect" premiered, I was having a whale of a time. That's...pretty much all I remember. Aside from the swearing. Lots and lots of swearing.

(...Look, it was 10 years ago. My brain can only go on a decline after being fully developed. And the depression has been eating away at me for that long. When astrophysicists perfect the art of the time machine, call me.)

I uploaded it to my YouTube channel the day after the show premiered. No editing, just a straight-cut video of my reactions laid on the table. I figured, "Okay, so this would be nice to look back on and laugh, maybe."

And then, a month later, I got a PM from Joshua Kilimnik, the actor who plays Season 1's big bad Odd Todd.

Before I get into that, though, a bit of backstory for my channel is necessary.

I had made my channel in 2011, when Wild Kratts premiered. At the time, it was mostly hosting Wild Kratts content, mainly Top 10 countdowns of fan videos I stumbled across on Tumblr or elsewhere as well as Sparta Remix-related stuff. (Yeah, remember that old meme? That isn't as dead as you think it is? Yeeeeeeah.) Around the middle of 2015, it unfortunately got struck down pretty hard when PBS began to go Nintendo on it, viewed fanworks as threats to their IPs, and decided to rip down my videos from the 'Net in three easy strikes -- and with it, my entire channel. It stung, to see my relatively hard work go down the drain. I'd be lying if I said I had wanted the channel to stay up just so I can look back on it in 5 years and cringe at how juvenile it was. Christ sakes, I even had MLP stuff up there at one point. Why? Don't ask me. I wasn't even watching the show at the time. I truly got into it when Season 5 began airing.

But back to the PM. You know, back when YouTube gave you the option to PM people.

Getting the PM from Joshua, I was, naturally, suspect. Celebrity impersonators are all too common, and as I would later come to find out, Odd Squad was not exempt. I had to laugh, because an autistic nobody like me getting a PM from a child actor who was in the industry long before Odd Squad was like Ariana Grande up and inviting me to have dinner with her because I made a few comments about her diction. It's a miracle, people. Miracles that only happen to those with life-threatening illnesses or those who have done good for the community. I had neither of those. Unless you count me going to high school as doing the community a service, in which case I have one of those things.

I read the PM again. And again. And again. And something in me thought, "Maybe...just maybe...this guy is actually legitimate. Maybe he's telling the truth about the entire Season 1 cast and the show's crew members, creators included, seeing my video. I mean it's 2014, what creator wouldn't look to the Internet for first reactions on their show?"

Fuck it. iBalled. I went for it. I reached out to Joshua.

And by God's oddness-laden utopia, am I so happy I did.

We immediately hit it off, taking our conversation from YouTube DMs to Twitter DMs (no, my current Twitter is not that ancient -- my time on birdsite-now-saltyman-hellhole is a whole different story) and discussing our hobbies and what we did. Joshua confided in me that he helped disabled kids, which, honestly, is a green flag in my book off the bat as someone who is, in fact, disabled. I told him about my animal shelter work and how I loved the show.

At the same time, I had posted on Tumblr about the show. Don't ask me what the post was about -- I honestly couldn't tell you, and combing through the tag is something I'd need a hell of a lot of motivation for -- but it somehow, by some astronomical means, took off. People came in like a small trickle. It was small, but over time, we built a strong community. I didn't exactly know how big my impact on people was until I read "how I got into Odd Squad" stories and saw my name pop up enough times to the point where I could safely say I was an inspiration to more than one person.

At some point in 2015, I had created a Wiki for the show. Fandom -- or Wikia, as it was called back then -- wasn't exactly new territory for me, as I had visited other show Wikis before. However, my Odd Squad Wiki didn't take off, and someone else ended up making another one that became far more successful.

...Yeah, you're surprised, aren't you? Figures. But not even I can lay claim to everything.

When the other Wiki took off, Joshua decided to dive right into the fire and engage with the fandom directly. Now, for any big-name fandom, this is everyday normalcy. The My Little Pony fandom has fans directly engage with cast and crew members who answer their questions, for example. But for small fandoms of niche IPs -- and oh believe you me, Odd Squad was incredibly niche back then -- a cast member interacting with fans was a huge deal. The hype only increased when Joshua was named an administrator, along with a few others, myself included.

Needless to say, Joshua being involved boosted the fandom's activity exponentially, and not just due to his spectacular acting on the show. Fanfics, fanart, fan videos...it was a bustling time of fan content. I can recall some of the most notable works just off the top of my head. The fandom got to be so busy that I made a news blog just to cover every bit of news, shifting away from my Wild Kratts news coverage to focus on a different show instead. I enlisted a few old friends to help me out, converted them to be oddballs (which, I will say, was a stroke of luck), and put them on the "staff team". My aim was to create something akin to Equestria Daily, but on a smaller scale. We did editorials, episode followups, and scoured the Internet for any and every bit of Odd Squad news we could find. It became a reliable source for many, especially considering PBS's horrible track record with even the most basic of news -- cancellations, renewals, and other such announcements. Not to brag, but I like to think I did a better job than them at actually giving news to fans who deserve it. (Hell, I still do. My hunger for even small crumbs of news is very strong indeed.)

I can easily recall when Season 2 was announced. Me and my friends were ecstatic. For me, I never thought Odd Squad would get a Season 2, and the Season 1 finale -- affectionately named OINFO (don't confuse it with "O is Not For Old", that's a different rodeo; this is "O is Not For Over") -- made sure of that. Originally, it was set to air in May, before it got shifted to June to coincide with Season 2's premiere.

And even long before that, the movie being announced blew our minds. I genuinely couldn't believe this niche little IP, birthed only several months ago, was getting a movie. And not even one of those specials that PBS markets as a movie as a ratings stunt. No, no, this was a full-blown theatrical movie. With A-listers to boot! And it was a damn good movie!

(...Okay, unrelated, but man, I'm reading through all my old posts and comments on the Wiki and cringing. God, did I really type like a 10-year-old back then when I was in high school? Egh gross cringe. The "let her say fuck" was strong with me back then.)

Of course, as most actors do, Joshua largely moved on from the show as the years went on. Most long-timer fans stuck around until the end of Season 2 before either other interests caught their eye or real life just got in the way too much. A majority of these fans dropped off the face of the Earth like an introvert who suddenly disappears mid-conversation, though they still popped into the Discord server a few times and I reconnected with one or two on Twitter. Hell, some of them even made a "hey, I'm back, and here's what's up" post on Fandom that made me ask if their accounts got hacked.

As a result, when Season 3 premiered, the fandom had slowed down to a crawl. Anyone who's bore witness to it, whether an episode or a nugget of criticism, can probably guess why. (And anyone who hasn't can feel the wrath of my "trust me bro" card, thank you.) It was like I willingly leapt off of the boat, it sped away without me, and I was trapped in the middle of fuck-all nowhere with sharks. So, you know, like Open Water if it was actually good. But the point stands in that I was pretty much all alone. I couldn't crawl to anyone for the sweet release of death after seeing just how hard S&P tried to avoid The Shadow's very obvious murder attempt by way of hacking into a car to make it fall into a lake of green goo. All I could do was scream and cry into a mic, edit, upload to YouTube, and let all the unsupervised kids looking for free episodes come to me in droves.

Oh, and post to Odd News. Until I accidentally deleted the account.

By that point in time, my old friends had all left due to real life commitments, and only one, Angelica, remained. But even she drifted away, and I was stuck running it all alone. So, I made the difficult decision to let it rot, and frankly...I haven't touched it since. Largely because I left Tumblr entirely and only just now came back. On the news front, I expanded my coverage to PBS Kids as a whole network, just as I do on Twitter.

It wasn't until the back half of Season 3 premiered that the fandom slowly but surely began to grow from planted roots, and I could connect with people again. Seeing people flood the Discord server and Tumblr, sharing art and news and theories, was amazing. Not for Season 3, though -- it was because of the past two seasons. Honestly, to say there's been more talk about Otis and Odd Todd than about any other character in the entire franchise is a hell of an understatement, because it dominated pretty much 98% of the fandom.

From there, new fanworks, fanart, and other pieces of fan-created media were created, and many still continue to be created to this day. Though hyperfixations can be yoted off the cliff and die in an instant (with deepest apologies to Shroom), it's great to see a burst of activity in such a small fandom. Hell, it even got big enough to where we had a Secret Valentine's exchange a couple months back, which was a real joy because it gave me a chance to flex my writing chops even if it did leave me on the verge of a third panic attack. And...the fandom being revived did land me a solid interview for a college assignment. Which, to me, is my own equivalent of getting a dedicated panel at a convention.

But this isn't a whole entire story about fandom lore. It's a story about me.

And honestly...I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little tired with Odd Squad myself.

Between the choking responsibilities of adult life (yay work), the state of my mental and physical health (yay depression and anxiety), and the franchise being fucked over sideways to Pluto and back by numerous entities (yay TV industry), I really can't just focus on Odd Squad anymore. Now, I'll give a fair warning to you and tell you to make no mistake -- my enjoyment of the franchise will die with me and my entire bloodline if the franchise itself doesn't die first. But I've found other special interests and hyperfixations that have grabbed me more than the funny kid agent franchise has. I derive more joy from binging the 90s Frasier series, Pretty Cure, and Neighborhood Wars than I do with the funny kid agent franchise.

Now, does this mean I'm leaving the fandom? God no. To do it on the verge of the franchise's 10th anniversary would be utter blasphemy. And I do plan on weaponizing this blog for more Seren's Studies, including episode reviews and character analyses I can't do with the limited resources I have. But the drive for Odd Squad is just...no longer there for me. I did not, unfortunately, get the "Odd Squad forever" autism. I got the "childhood is hell, but okay, sure, I'll make you a functioning competent adult to a certain degree" autism.

Maybe one of these days, amidst the countless new pieces of media that keep releasing, I'll be able to rewatch Odd Squad. It's worn out its welcome nostalgia-wise, but I find it to be a pretty enjoyable view when I take off those glasses and put on the "my God is an awesome God and that's why I try to attend church every Sunday" ones. I'm still making crossover fan projects to other IPs like MLP, Super Monkey Ball, and Precure. And of course, I'll be seated for Odd Squad UK to see if it's good or not -- I'm more than happy to take the bullet for people who don't want to see it for whatever reason, just as I did for the back half of Season 3. But for now, the drive is pretty much gone.

I will admit, I'm likely missing some stuff. My memory is absolutely terrible, and I had to go fishing for a lot of stuff to refresh it (one of the reasons why this took so long to release in the first place). But this is what I can dredge up.

I'm honestly proud of the little fandom I birthed. I could work a hundred jobs in my lifetime and still say that founding the Odd Squad fandom is by far my greatest accomplishment. I've met so many amazing people, seen so many amazing things, and really, I'm hoping to see more people in the years to come. If the aim is to introduce Odd Squad to new generations of kids, teens, young adults, and adults alike, then I'm all for it. Expose them to goodness. None of that Cocomelon shit.

Thank you for reading, and to all of the people in the fandom both old and new, thank you for touching my life in ways I never thought of. If you've got any further questions about my story, send 'em my way; I'll be glad to answer 'em.

See you all in the next Seren's Studies, whenever that may be.

[loftec]

Weekly Wednesday Saturday tag

Thanks to my pals @the-rat-wins @deedala and @wehangout for the tag! I had to wait until I got home from a work trip to do this, so I wouldn't go insane trying to format this beast on my phone <3

Name: Lofty

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (or you): Sweden

Ok, so this week we are going to snoop into your google search. Type in each phrase and tell us what the first suggestion is that google gives you!

What is the best way to… lose weight (not me.)

Where can I…watch (haha I ruined this one by accidentally googling "where can I watch" two seconds earlier because I thought it was part of the prompt)

How old is… Eminem (pfffh not me.)

How long does it take…to learn Japanese! (I don't think I've searched this because I know the answer (your whole life lol) but at least it's relevant to my interests).

How many… seconds in a day (interesting but not me.)

Who set the record for… the fastest time to reach one billion views on YouTube? (Extremely not me.)

When did… Russia invade Ukraine (...okay, also not me.)

What does it feel like to… be in love (actually not me.)

Can you… run it (What does this even mean? Not me.)

When you… say nothing at all (Not me, but now I've got this song stuck on my mind.)

Why do… es Sweden have so many islands? (Do we have an abnormal amount of islands? Not me.)

Is there a way… to save Karlach (whomst??? Oh, from the video games. Not me.)

How old do you have to be…to play fortnite (most definitely not me.)

Where do the… sturniolo triplets live (now you're just making things up, not me.)

What is the best time to… post on instagram (I might have searched this for work but not on this computer.)

And to finish us off…What comes up when you type in Shameless?Shameless cast (not me!) (Whenever I search Shameless things I always write [thing] shameless us, as in: "Ian Gallagher shameless us" when I need a reference image or something.)

Wow okay I think what I've learned today is that I never search things using standard question formats, so here are 10 random searches from my history, for free:

vermillion

off centre chau gif

is this a butterfly meme

sue charlton

Average temperature chicago september

farenheit to celcius

pysgod wibbly wobbly

running through a field

daffodils svenska

loftec cake potato

The few times I google as a question look more like this: WHY THE FUCK DOES IT SAY MY POST IS MADE WITH AI ON INSTAGRAM AND HOW DO I REMOVE IT?????? (recreation of a thing I actually googled yesterday) (answer was I probably accidentally ticked the AI box myself but also fuck off fuck off fuck off)

Not tagging anyone because it's Saturday, but also tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[likesdoodling]

It has been a while since I started digital art,

Quite a while.

So here is a 'progress over the last two years' since I gained access to a drawing tablet.

:D

This is my first ever digitally illustrated piece- compared to my latest one-

So, a little bit different.

I do think my art took quite a jump around June 2022, when I took a break from my Steve comic strip, (for obvious reasons- it was about Technoblade's polar bear so...) and decided to try practicing gesture drawing to see if it helped my general anatomy knowledge. This is before,

And this next one is after.

The most obvious change here is that I switched to using thinner lines. There is a gap of about two months between these.

This was when I realised that you could improve art by practicing it (mind-blowing I know), and then started to do just that. Some other notable jumps forward would be when I discovered the airbrush-

Well, discovered a new method of shading with it anyway.

Then after that I had a few pictures that I actually still like, despite them being pretty old at this point, the one below is actually from September of 2022-

I mean, the hands are a bit iffy, but the rest looks alright. This was when I was going through a bit of a melanie martinez phase-

This next one was from January of 2023, I'd only just gotten into bungou stray dogs via some random memes on pinterest about this weird brown haired guy who had lots of bandages and who had this running gag with wanting to die- I actually looked him up at one point, but that didn't really explain much. The main one that I remember was 'life is short, so make it shorter, shorter than chuuya~'

Which at the time was just kind of confusing,

Then I watched the show and it made perfect sense.

I'd discovered ascendance of a bookworm in like, 2021, but I hadn't really been doing fanart of it since I was mainly doing dsmp related stuff and I kind of assumed nobody would know what on earth I was referencing. Turns out tumblr has a lot more bookworm fans than I orignally anticipated. Instagram still has no clue. I think maybe one person out of my followers on instagram knows what I'm on about-

Then we've got these two which I am still proud of btw-

The first one is from a dystopian/time travel fanfic called viridian.

The second one was after I learned about rim lighting. It was inspired by a song actually, 'crash' by noevaii. (and yes I found that song from a sad-ist animatic, it was cool) The character isn't anyone in particular. They're both from February 2023.

Then there's probably my most liked picture on instagram, (not tumblr, since tumblr knows about bsd and bookworm, but y'know. This was even sadder than I originally intended since the last half of my comic strip was finished AFTER everything happened)

Then the final conclusion of my Steve comic strip in May of 2023.

I don't think my art really changed much in between those, but eh.

Then I switched to doing a bunch of ascendance of a bookworm stuff to see what would happen and turns out there are way more fellow fans out there than I anticipated-

Then I guess my next breakthrough in tumblr popularity, (even if it might not have been a breakthrough in art skills necessarily) was when things went DOWN in the bsd fandom with chapter 109 and I did probably one of my most liked tumblr posts I have ever done-

If you want to see the rest of that, feel free to scroll down on my tumblr page, the original's like eight pages long-

This was before anyone knew what was going to happen btw.

I still think it's hilarious that I put in chuuya having contacts. My reasoning being, they're on a film set,

It was a pretty interesting exercise in shading in monochrome.

Then I started a 30 day art challenge in October that I didn't get past day six of, but it was still pretty fun. This is the best one of those-

After that I spent most of my time studying for the jlpt n5, so I didn't really do that much art related stuff,

This is one of the two non-commission related pictures that I finished over the two months after I kind of gave up on the art challenge. This one's from November,

Then I finally finished an art commission I'd been working on for the three months prior, as well as studying. Here is an example of the type of pictures I was doing for that,

Then I was occupied with christmas and birthday presents for my siblings, both my little sisters are into ascendance of a bookworm- (completely my fault I am proud to say) so I was able to do stuff related to that, here's a couple of snippets, but you guys don't get the colour version hehe

And one of them has also read the entire fma manga just like I have so-

Anyway, it's been quite a progression since I resolved to master digital art in 2021.

I reckon I've come a fair way since then. I mean. My art skills in general are way better than they used to be. The last two or three years have been pretty interesting.

Also-

Just had to include this one, I'm gonna do a more detailed version but still-

I think it's funny so I'm posting it here. Even if it's not really related to art progression-

[celestie0]

Hello queen, you just answered my ask about the Rolex watch worker gojo and Victoria secret reader, and I saw the Noni come up right when I was reading kickoff for the first time and OMG. soo I just binge read the whole series and OMG!?!?! 😈🤭 it was 4:01 AM when i caught up with the most recent chapter, and heheheh🤭🤭 this is gonna be long.

Okay so first, I LOVE THAT ITS FILM MAJOR AND SOCCER RELATED! I played Soccer in middle school and was a defense player, and I was considering being a film major, I love theater and have taken lots of theater classes so theater and film were some of my top choices for university (however I major in something else but that's unrelated to this post) so like yessss the film and soccer themes are just so 🤭😈😍 oh my I was having so many flashbacks to when I participated in those activities and it made me very happy because I really enjoyed those moments of my life.

2nd. so I first actually came across kickoff in September, before chapter 12 was posted. Like literally 1 or 2 days before it was posted ( i didn't realize it had been updated right after I added it to my lists) but it's been reblogged on my profile since then in my to be read lists. And I'm reading like 12 on- going gojo series at the time and still currently (13 now) so when I first saw it had said 11/18 chapters posted - I was like "hmm ima just wait until it's finished since it's close to being done. And with 12 other stories it's a bit hard to keep track of all the notifications and stuff" AND THIS HAD BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO BECAUSE EVERY WEEK I WOULD JUST HOVER OVER THE FIRST CHAPTER AND FOUGHT URGES TO READ IT LOL😭

Anyways then I saw that you were sick and had not been writing for a while, so I just sort of pushed it back more, because again keeping track of a lot of stories at once is a bit hectic. (I did not realize you had the story on A03 yet). But anyways it kept floating up in my mind every time I craved new gojo content 😭 but I was fr fighting these urges like "I need another story I'm reading to finish before I start a new one" anyways so this kept going on, I read some of your other one shots and drabbles, and like everyday these urges to read kickoff just grew more and more 😭💀. It also wasn't helping that the authors of the other stories I am reading were recommending kickoff so these urges really grew.

I actually like 2 weeks ago posted on my blog about how I fight urges to read new fics because I have so many at the moment😭

But about a month ago, I was like "hmm, it wouldn't hurt to just take a peak at the first few paragraphs of chapter 1" so what was was supposed to be a peak of the first paragraphs, turned into me reading the whole first chapter. And then I was like "frick now I'm really interested" I mean the last line of the first chapter had me like 😏 😏 when reader said "terms and conditions" I was like woah, what could this possibly be. I was about to click chapter 2, but then was like, "noooo I can't yet, I need another story to finish before I start this one" BUT I WAS SO INTRESTED THAT I CLOSED THE APP AND WENT STRIAGHT TO INSTAGRAM TO TEXT MY FRIEND ABOUT THE FIRST CHAPTER OF KICKOFF, like literally I could send u the ss. LMAO and after I read the first chapter I kept telling my friend about how I'm fighting urges to read the whole series.😭 like I'm not even joking, I think I mentioned it like 5 times 💀 anyways I saw that you said u were gonna be starting the next chapter soon so I quite literally did the sonic meme face😭 the one with the smirk, tongue, and hair being pushed back😭

Soooo yesterday, I was like really craving some new gojo content and finally gave into my urges, I clicked the master list and re-read chapter 1 and then read the whole series and OOP🤭🤪 I was so invested I LITERALLY SKIPPED DINNER AND SKIPED MY UNI WORK BECAUSE I COULD NOT PUT THE STORY DOWN FOR MORE THEN 5 SECONDS😈😭. (I'm so hungry but it's currently 4 am 💀😭) BUT OH MY GAWDDDDDD, as soon as I finished chapter 12 I went back to my messages with that same friend and was just going on and on about the whole series and how I'm currently in a choke hold over it, and then I literally face palmed myself and was like "I'm so dumb why did I wait so long to read this😭💀" (again I could send u the ss of it and me just ranting in the chat LMFAO.) And then I got to the bottom of chapter 12 and saw that you had a A03 for kickoff and I face plamed myself again because with tumblr I'm always jumping between all the authors accounts to check the updates and its hetic like i mentioned above, but with A03 I would have gotten the emails and I'm like "Brooooo I'm so dumb I would have read this a long time ago if I knew that" LMAO

Butttttt Kickoff is so yummy, I love this take on Gojo, probably one of my favorite takes of gojo in a fic, he's so silly and sexy at the same time, when he started to strip I was like "omg when will this type of love find me?!?!" I was giggling kicking my feet when he did all that, then I remembered he had SpongeBob boxers and had a little visual imagine of him doing this with the SpongeBob ones LMAOO. Anyways the way he helps her out in the film event and got more people to go just to make her happy🥺🩵 and then walking with her and telling her to call him when she got home so he would know that she was safe my heart literally was like 🥺🥺🥺🩵 the way he teases her in the earlier chapters and gets like sexual with her before he realized he had feelings for her was so delicious😩😋 the car accident when he showed up and stayed with her🥺, his possessiveness with her is so sexy like I need him bad, reader better then me cuz I would have slept him so long ago LMAO. Also the way he's so supportive of her and her dreams 🩵, and the way he praises her when she tells someone off, is yummy 😏😈 andddd the way she walked off when they were about to do sexy time in the bathroom, reader is a baddie 🤭😈

But yessss I literally love this series! I feel so slow/dumb for waiting so long to read it😭 2 and a half weeks into 2025 and I already have my biggest regret which is not reading kickoff earlier💀😭 I subscribed to it on A03 so now I won't miss an update! But Omg I'm literally in a choke hold over it, it's so good 🩵 I'm so excited for the last batch of chapters 🩵

Oof this got so long, but yes I needed to tell you my rant? (Idk of this is the correct word for this) basically my rant on how im a dummy for procrastinating this series is what im trying to say Lol. But ahhhh I hope you got a little laugh outta this as well 😅😂 ily, sorry this got so long! It's currently 5 am and I will gts now 😂🩵

Me while reading kickoff !

hi love! thanks so much for your ask and i'm so sorry for the late response :'') it's hard for me to respond to everything here but i appreciate you lots for interacting w my works! and i'm so happy you enjoyed kickoff :)

HAHAH wow 12 ongoing series is roughhh idk how you manage that xD if i were you i would not have read kickoff LMFAO. it's funny cuz i'm a long fic writer who hates getting pressured for updates but waiting for a long fic to update is tooorrtuuurrreeeee

oh myyyy i'm so glad it had you investeddd :'') you're so sweet! and the fact you couldn't put it down haha that's the highest order of compliment for an author <3

i'm so happy you enjoy my take on gojo! kickoff gojo is so dear to my heart even though i've been heavily neglecting him recently loool. i adore the little things that he does to make sure she feels seen and safe :) but then he ruins it all by doing something dumb asf LOL.

ayyy its okkk kickoff will always be there and would've always been there had you wanted to read it later :''') but i'm so happy to have you along for the ride now!!! much love <3 hope you were able to get good rest!

[avopumpkin]

You are a nice mutual to have :3 It feels like we've been mutuals for quite some time (if I'm not mistaken, since September?), and I feel that I've got to know you a little bit because we interact more. And I'm glad that we do <3

I think you are very sweet person and I like reading your posts/reblogs/comments. They have a certain warm vibe in them. I agree with many of your thoughts, I like how considerate you are of characters and their motivations. I think you are kind and understanding person, because even if characters are fictional, our understanding of them is real. Sadly I don't know much about Naruto since I've watched only 6 episodes so I can't talk about it now but maybe one day I'll watch it and discuss it with you (I'll admit Kakashi is handsome). I think it would be interesting

Also I remember that time you drank rosehip tea with Goldy while watching the movie (who is anonymity? I don't know her lol). It felt as if I really was there sitting with you, sipping tea

Last but not least, I hope you got/are getting better <3

~Anonymous~ (yeah like absolutely, I wonder who that might be~)

Aaaa this message is very, very sweet. <33333

Your message made me really, really happy now!! <33 I'm also really happy that we interact more and more, it's really fun with you. :3 And I'm really happy to know you see me like this in general!! 🥺 <3

I understand the thing about Naruto because I also don't remember much anymore and I'm on the journey with watching +1000 episodes of One Piece right now, so it might take a while for me to rewatch Naruto again (it's been over 10 years since I watched some episodes of Naruto and Naruto wasn't finished when I stopped watching, so I also lack a lot of knowledge. But some day I hope we'll be able to talk about it. <33 (But rn let's hope for the best that a new chapter of YTTD will be released asap lol) (and I'm happy you think so about Kakashi, I'm always internally screaming from happiness whenever someone says something nice about my faves 😎<33)

Watching weird ass movies with friends and anons is always the best, so even if you were not there, you were there anyway <33

Thank you Anon for your really kind words, I may not know who you are, but you are the best <33

And answering the last, I'm feeling much better, thank you for the concern. <33 Yesterday I visited my mom and I was finally able to walk without feeling like I'm going to collapse. Having the flu sucks, but I'm finally healthy, yay. <33

*Throwing a meme at you, respectfully*

[walkingstackofbooks]

For the writer’s end-of-the-year ask meme: 13, 14, 22, and 24!

(From this ask game)

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

I don’t really listen to music while I write. But I did write some of my own, and my song “Magnificent” – a tribute to Jadzia Dax, from the POV of the crew grieving her – did inspire me to then write Perfect Recall, and it's definitely one of the things I'm most proud of creating this year.

(To those who haven’t, I’d love it if you gave it a listen – it’s really very special to me <3 My sister cried when I played it to her, and she's never even watched any Trek!)

(original post with lyrics here)

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write

If you told me last January that I’d managed to finish Vision Awry, let alone write any other fics, I would have been extremely surprised – although I’ve written a sporadic few over the years, and always had many ideas, I’ve never been able to focus in the way I have this year (thank you, meds!) So – all of them, really!

Gonna say Sleep Paralysis was the most surprising though – a 3 day, 13k, 5-chapter writing blitz that fell upon me like nothing else. (I miss you, random energy, come back plss!!)

22. events you participated in this year

None, I don't think…? I do have a prompt saved from the Sloan Fuh-Q Fest (and, if I’d known about it earlier, I’d probably have written Sleep Paralysis for it!), and that’s one of the most likely fics I may get around to before the end of the year, but yea, no, I haven’t got involved in anything. Unless the Trick or Treat I started counts :P

(Mostly because I have too many ideas already to go after any more, and also deadlines are my enemy and I never want writing to get unfun…)

24. favorite fic you read this year

If I have to choose a favourite, it’s got to be Serakit’s (@kittenwriter) Escapees or Exiles series. (click the button! it's so good!!)

I’ve been reading it since September 2023, avidly looking forward to each update, and every minute of it is SO enjoyable. I think about this verse a lot. Every character really feels like themselves, the OCs blend seamlessly into the world, and the world-building is simply phenomenal. And, of course, there's so much beautifully written Julian pain and angst and hurt and comfort and it's simply to die for. I'm constantly recommending this one to anyone I can!

[naniskys]

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you meme!

Thanks for the tag @fiercynn !! This is a really lovely idea :)

note: i consider "fanworks" to pretty much everything people create related to a fandom, including but not limited to meta/analysis/discussion, gifs, fanvids/edits/fancams, filk, fanart, fanfic, fan food, fan crafts, etc. please include this note with the meme unless you have a different definition!

name and whatever you want to share about yourself hi i'm mars, i use she/her pronouns, i live in australia and i've been into thai/asian bl for a little over a year now. i mostly just lurk and mass rb on tumblr lol, but i'd definitely like to get to know more people !!

when did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom? I was actually trying to track down the exact date recently (i failed), but i watched it for the first time around mid-september 2022, ended up binging it in a day and been a part of the fandom since

favorite ship(s) patpran <3

favorite character(s) pat !! he's one of my favourite characters from any media ever. I just love how selfless he is and how he transforms through the show, and how bright he is but knows when to stand his ground. i could wax poetics about him fr <3

favorite episode(s) Whenever i watch/rewatch bad buddy i tend to binge it so i can never distinguish betweens episodes lol. In general, ep 12 is definitely one of my favs because i feel like it ties things up nicely and i like seeing them happy :) i can probably give a better answer for favourite scene...

favorite scene(s) ...which is why it's great that this is the next question!

In no particular order: the staircase proposal scene, the bus stop roleplaying scene, the post-curtain bench hand holding scene (specifically that one face pat/ohm makes which imo is the single most most heartbreaking frame in the entire show), the ep 12 post-credits scene (wait was it actually post-credits, i don't remember ajksdjf), the screaming on the rocks at the zero-waste village scene, and the rooftop kiss (ofc)

Basically i just like to see them happy (most of the time) :)

one thing you would change about the show if you could the whole making-it-up-to-wai arc was not it for me. WHY was pran the one apologising and going after him??? still makes me mad to this day, but i think i'd have a lot more animosity towards wai if ep 12 didn't exist (also all the wai redemption arcs in fanfics have made me warm up to him :P)

what are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people? ahhh so many!! joy of stanning a show that's finished is that it stays going through fanworks, but also now there's too many that i absolutely adore to remember in the moment, sp here's some:

we both know you're my only dream (fic) by @fiercynn: one of my favourite fics ever that i constantly go back and reread whenever i'm having a bad day (or not)

yield strength (fic) by @dulosis: the physics analogies do something to my brain /pos

10 things i hate about you (fic) by @nobodynobodyno: this one's so cute and i reread it all the time

this fmv to tujh mein rab dikhta hai by @transpat: desi moots, iykyk. but fr this holds such a special place in my heart, the lyrics are so patpran and the editing and clip choice is just *chef's kiss*

this fmv to dandelions: IT'S SO GOOD. all the parallels, the dialogue overlaying is just perfect, and the TRANSITIONS (the one at 1:28 especially)

every single one of @hereforlou's art: i'm literally obsessed, i don't always see everything on my dash so i'll literally check their tumblr every couple days. is this stalker behaviour? possibly, but if you've seen their art i think you'd understand.

Also special mention to this one gifset of the staircase proposal scene which was my first ever exposure to bad buddy, it made me watch the show to begin with, but i didn't rb it when i first saw it so now it's lost to the times 😭😭

I have an insane amount of fanfic i wanted to put here but for the sake of length of this post, i restrained myself ajskdjf

(if you create fanworks) what are your favorite fanworks that you’ve made? i do not (yet 👀)

a song that makes you think of bbs (the ones in the show don’t count lol) pretty much every fmv/edit that i've rewatched a couple times set to a song will make me thing of bbs lol, so some are tujh mein rab dikhta hai and dandelions from above, emily by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler because of this amazing fic, and gorgeous by Taylor Swift because of this gorgeous edit (y'all please go watch it it's amazing).

idk anything else you want us to know? It's the perfect timing for this because these are my nails right now ):)

honestly not super sure who of my mutuals are bbs moots so i'm just gonna tag some people, feel free to ignore this if you've already been tagged/don't want to do it! :)

@nobodynobodyno @dropthedemiurge @justafriend-ql @cornflowershade @hometothecanyonmoon @7nessasaryevils

If you see this and you want to do it, this is is me tagging you as well !!

[somethingboutafic]

Favorites (under 100k)

14/09/2019 by MediaWhore (G) word count: 3,925 In mid-September Harry comes home. A Tired Tired Sea Coda

It's My Pleasure To Introduce You by LoadedGunn (E) word count: 8,284 The AU where Louis is the most helpful sex shop salesperson in the history of sex shops, and Harry really was just looking for a vibrator with simple instructions (yet ended up getting a hands-on demonstration).

It's Thursday, Let's Get (un)Dressed by bananaheathen (E) word count: 9,117 When Louis is peer-pressured into downloading TikTok over the holidays, he fully expects to hate it. And he does hate it. All of it. Well... except for aspiring OOTD influencer, @ harrystyles.

Keep Driving by dead_tobeginwith (M) word count: 11,726 Louis works as a driver contracted through the local cancer institute. All of his clients are associated with the hospital—mostly patients and their families heading home. One rainy afternoon, he picks up Harry.

Talk Dirty To Me by BriaMaria (E) word count: 13,112 The one where Harry is absolutely terrible at dirty talk so he asks his best friend to teach him. And the one where Louis knows it's a catastrophically bad idea but agrees anyway.

Meet Me In The Hallway by bananaheathen (E) word count: 15,846 The sequel where we find out what happens in the New Year after Harry and Louis' one-night stand in It's Thursday.

To Be the Friction in Your Jeans by orphan_account (E) word count: 19,541 Harry is an exhibitionist. He gets up to shenanigans. This is a fill for this prompt at the kink meme: Harry really, really likes to be watched. When they're all lounging around watching TV he'll start kissing Louis and he'll take it as far as he can until Louis makes him stop because the other boys are in the room or drags him away to finish in private. He'll do it wherever - at home, on the bus, in the car, backstage in the dressing room. The boys maybe kind of secretly wish Louis would stop stopping Harry, and maybe one night when they're drunk he does. Except. It got really, really out of control.

Checking Them Out?: How To Use Your Library Science Degree To Get An Alpha by InsightfulInsomniac (E) word count: 19,965 When a flirty, attractive alpha patron checks out an entire shelf of literature on omega behavior and omega rights, Harry can’t help but wonder why the man is so interested — is he a really attentive partner, or is he just a creep? It doesn’t help that this alpha visits weekly to exchange his books… and that he smells absolutely divine. Whether he likes it or not, Harry has a crush.

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by fairytalefemme (E) word count: 25,896 In 1949 Harry left his bride at the altar, running away from the only life he'd known. When a kindhearted farmer offers him a ride in his truck and a place to sleep the two find themselves inexplicably drawn together. Isolated on Louis' farm with nobody but a field of dairy cows to intrude, the men are finally able to explore the parts of themselves they've spent their lives hiding away.

heroes of the orange skies by queenmcgonagall (NR) word count: 30,656 Louis likes bathroom walls and Sharpies, Harry likes metal, Zayn likes Liam and Liam likes Zayn, Niall is wise, and they all go to the zoo.

Listen To Your Heart by lovelarry10 (E) word count: 35,019 Louis has always been comfortable being Harry’s one and only. When Harry starts to branch out, Louis has a hard time letting him go. Harry is very lucky to have someone who listens to what he has to say, despite the fact that he’s deaf. He’s finally feeling like he’s coming into himself, but Louis seems bothered by his newfound confidence.

Bug Boy by FitzAndLarry (M) word count: 36,630 Or the one where Harry is obsessed with bugs and Louis can't wait for them to be Alphas together.

Quiet People Have the Loudest Minds by 2tiedships2 (M) word count: 38,065 The one where Louis is a nonverbal omega who has accepted the fact that he will never find an alpha that will treat him as an equal. On the other hand, he’s never met anyone like Harry.

You're Not My Type (still I fall) by Imogenlee (M) word count: 38,825 His mum is going to kill him! Well, not kill him. Just give him a right telling off, make him admit she'd been right, then try to confine him to his room until they found a hefty Alpha to look after him and rein him in or something. She wouldn't manage, of course. Harry is only twenty-four and has no inclination to settle down at all, especially not at the behest of an Alpha. But, as his mum would point out, that was the same stubborn attitude that got him here: in his car, in a thunderstorm, on the side of a forsaken lane of some little countryside town in Yorkshire. His mobile's got no signal, his GPS isn't working, and he's running low on petrol, so he can't even use the heater. Oh, and most importantly, his car is stuck in the mud, so even if the GPS was working and he knew where to go, he wouldn’t be able to. He's been in stickier spots; he reminds himself. Way stickier. This is just a bit of rain; it'll blow over. Then Harry will just... well, alright, he isn't entirely sure what to do when the rain stops because he'll still be stuck and lost. But, hey, there won't be any rain, which is something to cheer about.

bruise you like a peach by falsegoodnight (E) word count: 40,695 There’s two reasons Harry despises Econ. The first is that it’s boring as fuck. The second reason is a bit more personal, a bit more focused in a way. As in it’s focused on one specific thing, or in his case, person.  His name is Louis Tomlinson. 

Home calls the heart by Itsmotivatingcara (M) word count: 44,091 A series of unfortunate events lands Louis Tomlinson in the heart of Texas. After running from his life in London and a performative marriage, he leaves a scandal in his wake. Home calls the heart, as his Nana always said. Though her words couldn't be truer when he decides to take up her offer to watch over Hyacinth ranch while she travels abroad. He figured the worst he'd have to deal with would be the meddlesome goats, some repairs and an errant spirit or two. That is, until the gorgeous Cowboy next door makes his presence known. or a romcom au.

Faking It by TheCellarDoor (M) word count: 46,173 Harry pretends to date his best friend to escape unwanted attention from a too insistent classmate and hopes it won’t blow up in his face. Featuring embarrassing dildo accidents, awkward boners, longing, first times, late night conversations, emotional discoveries and Niall as the exasperated friend with bad advice.

Core 'ngrato by Velvetoscar (NR) word count: 49,626 It's been over a year since Louis broke up with Harry and Harry still believes in forever. And maybe the world does, too.

every universe but ours by 28finelines (E) word count: 49,843 louis and harry have been friends with benefits for going on nine years, until a woman claiming to be louis’ fairy godmother decides to send him into a variety of alternate universes to help him find his soulmate.

Homegrown by casuallyhl (E) word count: 51,406 A gardening AU where Harry is new to town and the newest volunteer at the local gardening club, Louis is the attractive grandson of one of the members, and the nosy volunteers hatch a plan to get them together.

with blood and soft stitches by bravestyles (NR) word count: 57,714 After a failed suicide attempt and a three month long coma, Harry wakes up.

Little by Little by nonsensedarling (E) word count: 65,589 Harry Styles is an omega who works at the London Planetarium, has lived in the same flat for ages, and is happy enough on his own. When he gets home from his first (horrible) attempt at dating in years, a new pregnant neighbor knocks on his door after smelling his cooking. He and Louis quickly become close, but their friendship gets complicated when Harry begins questioning who he is and what he likes. Or Harry discovers figuring out who you are is more complicated than a potato metaphor.

sleeping on our problems by falsegoodnight (E) word count: 67,429 Louis sleeps with Harry and they have more than just catching feelings to worry about.

Chasing Empty Spaces by Lis(domesticharry) (E) word count: 79,028 The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

Atlas At Last by louisandthealien (M) word count: 83,037 Maine to California in ten days. In which Zayn’s an open-shirt hippie they meet somewhere in Ohio, Liam’s the pastor’s son running away from home, and Niall’s the number they call on the bathroom wall. It’s 1978. Harry and Louis are just trying to get to San Fran in time for the Queen concert.

we are ghosts amongst these hills by orphan_account (M) word count: 84,172 Harry spontaneously buys a house in Yorkshire because the universe, or fate, keeps leading him to it. What he didn’t know, is that his new house comes with a past that seems to be mysteriously tied to his own life. Before he knows it he finds himself travelling back in time, stuck in the middle of a century old love story. Featuring Louis as a farmer with a passion for gardening, Zayn as the heir to the local manor, Niall as a pub owner with a secret, and a truly underappreciated Liam. Based on Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

knock knock, i love you by beautlouis (E) word count: 86,066 Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy.

Home For The Holiday by Larrysmomfics (M) word count: 86,791 A "The Holiday" inspired AU where Harry meets Louis after agreeing to swap houses with a stranger on the internet for three weeks over the holidays.

Switch Out The Batteries by istajmaal, LoadedGunn (E) word count: 88,302 Two years after meeting in a sex shop, Harry's just returning to Louis from a month-long tour in the States, and they come up with a wholesome bonding exercise.

Stranger Than Larry Fiction by Larrysmomfics (M) word count: 90,736 A canon-divergent AU where Louis and Harry read Larry Stylinson fanfiction.

You've Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by lucythegoosey (E) word count: 95,417 Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

Red Brick Heart by hazmesentir (E) word count: 98,194 Uni AU. Harry had turned up at the halls of residence expecting fun, new friends, and maybe a life experience or two. What he doesn't expect is a surprise roommate who's loud and dramatic and obsessed with tea and is maybe, actually, all he's ever wanted.

[echo-lover]

Behind every girl who is obsessed with Star Wars, is a girl...

who's dad introduced it to her at a young age and she become randomly obsessed with this wonderful world.

My connection with Star Wars began in early childhood. I still remember when I was a little girl, sitting on the sofa with my dad and watching the Original Trilogy on TV. At first I didn't understand what it was about, I just liked lightsabers and always said I wanted to be a Jedi. Then I ran outside swinging a long stick around and pretending to fight with a lightsaber. I was no older than 6, haha. My dad was always there. Since then, I have become more and more immersed in the world of Star Wars. I took my dad to the cinema, to see every new movie that came out. We both laughed at the memes I showed him. We were both fans of the Prequels the most. He showed me the whole story of the Clone Wars! I think he wasn't prepared for me falling crazy in love with clones (I had a huge crush on Cody in this time). I told him so many theories and thoughts... no matter how stupid they were, he always listened and laughted at me when I was so hyped, hah. We even started watching The Mandalorian together... sadly we didn't finish...

In September, it marked a year since my dad passed away. A year in which I immersed myself even deeper in the fandom, maybe I was looking for some comfort, kind of safe space... The Star Wars world reminds me of the bond I had with my dad, I find comfort in characters I love so much. A year passed, during which I finished watching The Mandalorian, alone; a year during which I cried at the Bad Batch finale and was so happy to finaly see my beloved Ahsoka in her own show. Today I'm rewatching Revenge of the Sith - my favorite episode - and I'm thinking about all the happy memories I have in my mind, connected with this movie.

I thought that without my dad I wouldn't be able to look at Star Wars the same way, that I wouldn't be as happy... but I was wrong. Of course, I still have my mother and younger sister and I love them so much, but it's not the same... they never liked fantasy and Star Wars. I was different. I always found similar hobbies with my dad...

The "new start" was very difficult and sometimes it still is, but we have to move on. Mourning will remain in my heart probably for the rest of my life, but that's how it is... Part of the journey is the end.

I am forever grateful for this fandom and amazing people here. We are connected, even if we live in the other parts of the world. Sorry, I am a little bit emotional today and wanted to show you a part of myself💕

[alleyskywalker]

2024 Fanfic Year Wrap-Up Meme

Number of Fics: 38 Number of Unique Fandoms: 6* (ASOIAF, HOTD, IWTV, Harry Potter, Romeo and Juliet. Dracula) Number of Unique Pairings: 37 (repeat ships: Loumand [4], Alicole [4], Tris/Sansa, Tycutio, Briennsa, Sansa/Jeyne P [2 each])** Total Number of Words: 77,553

*Counting ASOIAF and HOTD as different fandoms because that’s kind of how I’ve been doing it when tagging and stuff.   **Only counting ships which were primarily featured as a focus of the story. Often times ships would hover in the background but weren’t counted. # Gen: 18 # Het: 7 # Slash: 12 # Fem: 6 *Some stories fall into more than one category.

# PG: 20 # PG-13: 15 # R: 2 # NC-17/Explicit: 1

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?. Less. I mean, it shouldn't be as surprising as it kind of war, because well. I wrote less for battleships, I didn't do Heart Attack, I didn't write treats for Yuletide or write for Theon Exchange... But somehow when I saw the actual number, it still surprised me at how much lower both the number of fics and word count were than last year.

Where did you publish/archive your stories? AO3 with some cross-posting to Tumblr. What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? So, IWTV and Loumand happened to me in September. No way I culd have predicted that last January lmao. Did you take any writing risks this year? Nothing crazy this year, but starting to write in a new fandom/ship that's a new primary/co-primary and not a one-off is always pretty anxiety-inducing. Do you have any writing goals for the new year? I always do and then I never accomplish them. But well...I still have a throbb WIP to finish (*sob*), I want to get comfortable writing Loumand/IWTV, I want to write more this year/hit all my caps in Battleship. What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. Hmm, probably either Grace or To Watch My Love In Peaceful Slumber's Bed. Okay, NOW your most popular story? Going by kudos, Be (Not) Afraid (Of the Dark). Story of yours most underappreciated by the universe, in your opinion? I would say Bride and Defiance. Defiance didn't even do badly for an ironborn gen fic, but I guess that's the thing. ironborn fics should be more popular; gen fics should be more popular ;) Story that could have been better?

There’s always a few, especially with Battleship. Most fun story to write? Mmm several were in their own ways, but like...anything loumand really. It's the joy of a fresh, new OTP. Story with single sweetest moment? I mean, look, post-Paris loumand will always have at least someeee angst probably, but Baby, It's Cold Outside is literally just there to be sweet fluff, mostly.

The story that made you cry? I don't think I had any this past year.

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story? Hmm I don’t think there was one this year? Sexiest story? I feel like I have to give it to the one Explicit fic I wrote, especially given that it's 4k of mostly softcore porn with feelings: His Alicent. Hardest story to write There’s always several fics that are difficult in different ways/different types of painful and it’s hard to compare sometimes. I kindddd of want to say the Dracula fic I wrote for Yuletide? In the end the fic got written pretty fast but I stewed on it a lot and felt pretty anxious about writing for this fandom/these characters.

Easiest story to write? I can't really pick because there were a few really short, no-brainers last year but also some fics that technically took more work but were a pleasure to write. So...*shrug* Most unintentionally telling story idk, really. But I guess the loumand I've produced tells you the kind of loumand shipper I am, which is not the kind of loumand shipper most people are, I think... Story you haven’t yet written, but intend to *sight* Look. There are so many, not just ideas I've been marinating but with a new fandom....

[myspacedotcumdumpster]

12/15/2024 1:58pm

God, I love reading AND I love writing. I love feeling known. I love letting people know me. I love experiencing joy through connection. Something I've been trying to let go of is the inevitable end.

I forgot to take my meds yesterday (oops) and I fell asleep with trying to eulogize my (very much alive) dad. I have so many things I wish to say about him, I cried thinking about a world where he is no longer here. Which brings me to this: I think I have OCD, I have so many rituals and superstitions and how if I think good thoughts then good things will happen. I do not allow my brain to wallow in the unknown or allow comparison to thieve my joy, that just ISN'T fair.

Also, I wish to touch upon how bad ai (Grammarly) is. It keeps suggesting corrections which sound stupid. I hate how our technology keeps evolving into something worse.

I miss 2009 internet. I miss 2019 internet.

2024 to 2025 is about to be a very dark place, algorithmically speaking. Souce: I feel it in my heart.

I've been toying with the idea of writing publically on substack but I fear that my takes aren't important or even worthy of being published on there. What kind of takes does a baddie from Framingham Massachusetts TRULY have? But this begs the question of "are people who post from major cities really able to command our culture?" to be answered. I think in a way, yes, but on the flip side there are so many of us, posters, from metropolitan suburbs, farm towns, and isolated rural landscapes who have voices to share. However, the algorithm is keeping us all apart, so that we may not mobilize.

With the death of the UHC CEO we are all being shown to each other, the algorithm shows similar posts to the ones a user has liked or interacted with, so we are now seeing more takes on the hot issue of obliterating our dying nation's oligarchs from posters far and wide.

When I got up this morning, after one day of missed prozac, I was able to feel the muscles in my core, something I haven't felt or engaged with since getting back on my meds in September. I miss working out. I miss the rage. I miss moving in a way that makes me feel like a weapon. I saw earlier on my timeline that the biggest "fuck you" we can give to our oppressors is being in fighting shape, so that we are clear and aware of what is being done to us as the working class.

As soon as I took my dose this morning, I felt myself slip back into the soft and docile state that it has me blanketed in. I felt myself lose the rage. I felt myself become muted.

Every Sunday I post a "Sunday Slay" video on my ig stories, showcasing my Sunday Best outfit for my shift at the museum. I took one take and I started off with "I'm feeling depressed and wearing muted colors, very proletariat coded, the wealthy class wears white because they can afford to fuck up, whereas someone like me can't" I deleted it. Who the fuck starts a fashion video like that? Then I posted the next version where I convinced myself to be more animated to spread joy to those I know watch my stories for this weekly segment. I didn't want to let them down. I didn't want to call a spade a spade. We all know what kind of broken system we live in and under and by me, a whimsical little bitch, saying so unfortunately makes it real. I must continue to curate a weird and zany little dream world for those who follow me to visit, so that there is some solice to be found online.

I was talking with my friend and lover, Majid, today about posting, he is also a poster, but has declared that I post so frequently on many different apps and always seem to get at least one like, I said to him "it's because I allow myself to be seen" or at least what I want you all to see. I am very precious and kind and funny, and I love sharing that online, and aways have. I have been online since before my frontal lobe was finished growing and I will be on here until I get demented and start regurgitating posts from the decades of memes I have witnessed when I am in the nursing home. A part of me thinks I will be dead before that chapter in my life. Maybe all of us will be? But that's bleak. Who knows what the future has in store, all I know is that in the present I will remain effervescent in order to spread that energy to others.

Anyways, that's all I have to say for right now. Who knows what I will say next?

[coldgoateeluminary]

Hell's Kitchen: What an interesting combination of Cooking and Drama!

After spending hours binging on the reality TV show "Hell's Kitchen," I've got to say, the drama was surely intense, and the dishes, well, they had their highs and lows. To begin with, "Hell's Kitchen" is a high-octane reality TV show hosted by the fiery chef Gordon Ramsay, where aspiring chefs compete in intense culinary challenges to impress and survive the heat of the “Hell’s Kitchen”. Watching the show sometimes made me feel like I am in the kitchen myself too, Chef Ramsay's fiery temperament sets the tone for the whole show. What is more, personally, this show gave me a feeling of being on a rollercoaster - it's thrilling, nerve-wracking, and honestly somewhat hilarious due to the amount of "cursing" used by Chef Ramsay.

From the saying "Where's the lamb sauce?", the signature "It's raw!", or the infamous "salmon smash" which has become memes, each episode is a rollercoaster of emotions. You can't help but get invested in the contestants and root for your favorites. The challenges are nail-biting, and I found myself holding my breath during those intense dinner services. It’s real high-stakes cooking, it’s like watching the Super Bowl of the culinary world.

And now let's talk about the Chef himself – Chef Ramsay doesn't hold back, and watching him taste the dishes is exciting. The highs when he enjoys a dish are electrifying, and the lows, well, when he is furious about the food, that's the part where I found the most entertaining.

The stakes are high, and the drama is even higher. You've got to admire the passion and hard work that goes into running a successful kitchen. It's fun to watch the competitors grow and evolve, and honestly, the occasional drama brought that extra spice. Plus, the show is not just about the cooking, it is also about the stories and backgrounds behind each contestant, making you want to root for them even more.

In the end, "Hell's Kitchen" is a wild ride from start to finish. Personally, this show has brought me a ton of different emotions from each season. So if you're into cooking shows, drama, or just some quality reality TV, I would recommend "Hell's Kitchen".

REFERENCES

Sheehan, P 2019, “GoldDerby,” GoldDerby, 27 September, viewed <https://www.goldderby.com/article/2019/hells-kitchen-return-season-19-start/>.

Hell’s Kitchen 2023, “15 times Gordon allowed chefs to keep their jackets | Hell’s kitchen,” YouTube, Video, viewed <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JnKmQxKbRs>.

[dollycas]

Sunday Salon / Sunday Post – A Week in the Life of Dollycas – Weekly Rewind – New Arrivals

The Sunday Salon is a Facebook group that has become an informal week-in-review gathering place for bloggers. It is also a place to share our thoughts about things of a bookish nature. You can also link up weekly on Readerbuzz. The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE! It was a typical week around here of reading, writing reviews, and organizing book tours. The grandchildren had some fun this week. While Charlotte didn't enjoy playing soccer, and I thought she had quit, her parents made her complete the season and she looks pretty darn happy to get that medal and cookie. We will have to see what next year brings. While the game was going on it looks like our new walker/climber Athena did some exploring. Never fear, Daddy was nearby. Friday night Kaden had a home game and he had all kinds of family there to watch. Thomas was so excited to see his cousin Kaden play. He even leaned over the fence to talk to a couple of other players. Charlotte was a little social butterfly making friends with others in the stands. It was another blowout 57 - 13 raising the team's ranking to #1 in their conference. The other team's scores came after the starters were taken out. The clock also doesn't stop after 1 team is more than 35 points ahead so it was a fast game. Kaden was double-teamed any time he was in the game. I love the pictures Mr. Dollycas and his dad took showing that old intensity is back and hopefully, the concussions are in the rearview mirror. Then on Saturday, we were out the door to go watch Remi play at home when I took a little tumble. Sorry if you felt the earth move. My face/head made contact with the lowest step and my bad knee took the brunt of the fall. Thankfully, I didn't break my glasses but the bridge of my nose hurts along with my knee. I have a scratch on my face and may end up with a black eye. The only blood seen was from one of my fingers. I will probably have aches and pains this week but I will be ready for more football by the weekend. Thanks to Remi's dad I did get some pictures. They won 34 - 16. Per his dad, the whole team looked great and Remi made some nice tackles. Remi always wants to play more but with the combination of the 6th grade with the 7th grade team, the older boys do play more, plus they have several more games to play. I spent yesterday here at my desk but am looking forward to finishing this post and relaxing with a book. How was your week?  Weekly Rewind - September 16 - 21, 2024 Monday - My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #38 – 2024 Tuesday - Special Guest – Michael Rands – One of the Authors of Crime & Culpability: A Jane Austen Mystery Anthology #AuthorGuestPost #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour Wednesday - Cozy Wednesday – Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery) by Darci Hannah #Review / #Giveaway @authordarcihannah @KensingtonBooks Thursday - Halloween Parade Peril: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @victoriataitauthor Friday - Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket (A Jaine Austen Mystery) by Laura Levine #Spotlight / #Giveaway @KensingtonBooks @LauraLevineBooks Saturday - Apple Dumpling Murder: Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Christmas Catastrophe Mysteries) by Trixie Silvertale #Spotlight / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @trixiesilvertale I haven't checked in the books that arrived this week yet. I will share them next week. Happy Reading! Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent Read the full article