#writing is mt coping mechanism

[olomaya]

How do you believe in yourself when making these mods? Like how do you not give up on the project before you even start it? I just find myself overwhelmed by so many ideas and features I could add to this car project but I’m getting overwhelmed before I even start it at all, I guess my question is how do you break your projects down into sizable goals so you don’t overwhelmed?

Like the first thing I want to do is to animate the cc car doors and add the features of the fixer upper car to them, but then I just keep thinking of so many ideas I want to do for this project and I guess I get distracted and make myself overwhelmed.

But I think this happens to everyone, whether you're making a mod or a CAS item or doing a conversion. Maybe other modders and cc creators can chime in with tips as I'm sure we all have our coping mechanisms. My own thoughts are after the cut.

I totally relate to getting so swamped with ideas that you get distracted from the actual project. It happens to me all the time! But the ideas can also keep you motivated and excited about a project too.

You sound like you're on the right track already in wanting to focus on the car and the object animations. That's at the core of the mod and for a big project like this, you might want to consider it 3 separate mods. Mod 1: fully animated, TS2-style cars. Mod 2: Custom routing add-on for your custom car so they pull out of driveways. Mod 3: Third (or first) person camera mode when a Sim is driving your custom car.

For an example, I had originally planned to make the Private Clinic mod as one giant mod that had all the features. As I kept adding in more stuff, I got overwhelmed and realized what a bad idea that was so I broke it up into modules, releasing what was finished now and saving the rest for later.

For big projects like what you're describing, I usually plan them out. I write out sort of a thesis statement ("with this mod, you will be able to XXXX") and then I make a bullet point list of the key features and/or objects in the mod and what they do. I also add reference notes that I can go back to later that will give me ideas of how to make those features happen. For me, it's less overwhelming when I write it out and also more satisfying when I can cross off parts of it that are done.

To avoid burnout I don't spend more than a week working on any 1 mod. After a week, if it's not done, I'll stop and do something else to give myself a break. I find it helps to step back from big projects. Also, by working on different projects, you learn new things that can help you with your other projects. I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck on something, I leave it for a while to go work on other stuff and then from working on those other things, I figure out the solution to my issue.

I'd also recommend talking to other modders like on the TS3 Creator's Cave on Discord (MTS Modding section seems pretty dead now unfortunately) which is a good place when you're starting out. They're very encouraging and resourceful. 🙂 Or post your progress on your Tumblr.

So my suggestion would be to write out everything you want to do. Plot out what is core to the mod on one page and what are add-ons on another. I would write the add-ons on another page to reinforce the idea that they don't need to be done at the same time as the core part and so you're not constantly looking at them when you're focusing on the core mod.

As you get more experienced, you'll get more confident and a lot faster so those features that seem overwhelming now won't be later.

The above is what works for me but once you get started, you'll see what works for you and find your rhythm!

[localunovaenjoyer]

hello! ♡ my name's X or kaii, and this is my pokemon sideblog <3 here is my main.

about me:

he/they/void, genderfluid

canadian, learning jpn

yes i have adhd. yes i have autism. i know both are obvious :sob:

minor, please no nsfw

im a writer! here's my writing blog & my ao3! (theres nothing pokemon yet)

spontaneous activity, my fixation comes & goes. but my main has an updated list of my blogs if u really wanna find me elsewhere (i have too many)

i enjoy lots of other fandoms! kimetsu no yaiba/demon slayer, genshin impact, & team fortress 2 are just three of lots. (yeah ik 3 very vastly different things :sob:)

i run a pkmn rp blog! i might make more when im more comfy as a rper ^^

side note: i havent actually,, played any of the games, other than masters ex, but im reading pokemon adventures to make up for that. also i WILL talk about pokepastas here!!! so if thats not your thing this blog isnt for you!

dni: zionists, homophobes/transphobes, racists, xenophobes, anti-neoprns & xenogenders, just generally if ur an asshole. otherwise i block freely, dont take it personal

more non-essential info & credits under cut ♡

about my writing:

i write a lot of dark topics. a lot of my writing digs into mental health, psychological & body horror, as well as surrealism. big emphasis on horror. BIG EMPHASIS.

most of my stuff is fanfiction, and i try to stay true to canon, but my headcanons can & do leak through sometimes.

^ that said, i have an entire world consisted of original characters & worldbuilding that im working on. idk if ill be posting it any time soon but i think its worth mentioning ^-^

i use it as an outlet & coping mechanism, but my content definitely isn't for everyone. if youre ever interested in anything im writing, pleaseeee look at the trigger warnings because things can get heavy. theres a reason my twitter mutuals dont trust me with their faves lol

faves:

omg don't make me narrow this down..

um ok i rlly love bw and bw2. so incredibly attached. especially to black, lacktwo & n, my darlings. i have a massive unova bias ok

also calem/x (i call him calem more often) (yes i stole his name (x)) (i love bullying him in fanfics)

also red blue & green. & gold & silver. and will & morty.

GLADION

SCOTTIE, BETTIE, & PAULO. yes theyre from a spinoff game, NO i dont care!

fave pokepastas:

im saying this right now, hypnos lullaby is what got me into pokemon and you can Tell

ask any of my friends who my fave is and youll immediately get 3 words; grey & shinto.

also glitchy red, snow on mt silver, tarnished gold, lost silver, BLUE TEARS, & the vegetable moreep of kalos (underrated pasta go read it pretty pls)

you actually dont understand how much i love blue tears (im actually writing a 'parody' i guess? with my own spin) & grey

tags

♡ - [ x reblogs = reblogs

♡ - [ x's talks = regular posts

♡ - [ self-reblog = reblogging my own posts

♡ - [ pkmn posting = regular pkmn stuff

♡ - [ pkpasta posting = pokepasta stuff

i think thats it? i hope thats it! if i remember anything else ill add more! credits to cafekitsune for the dividers~! byebye ^-^

[periphrasis]

the night tiptoes quiet twinkling (in her silver stockings)

and lion-tooth tears my soul down its seam

bright metal beacon for your emotional lighting

sparks fly between us (the shocks numb my fingers)

striving to be tried and true (we end up blue and bruised)

[rubiesintherough]

.

[typical-simplelove]

possessive hand-holding from list 3 with Matt tkachuk please:))

12. Possessive hand holding

(I'm not entirely sure how to convey this in writing, but I tried my best!)

Whenever you went home for any amount of time, your family always threw a giant party. At this party, your parents always invited prospective people for you to get to know for you to marry. They always seemed to think that they knew what you wanted in a future spouse. This time, though, you were bringing Matt home. Matt, your boyfriend for a year-and-a-half.

When you told your parents you were bringing Matt home with you, they commended you. They commended you as if having a boyfriend and climbing Mt. Everest was the same thing. It isn’t.

Walking into your parents’ restaurant of choice, you held Matt’s hand tightly as you took a deep breath. Your parents knew you had a boyfriend, but you were sure that they were still going to introduce you to “prospective spouses.” It was going to take everything in you not to get angry at your parents for this.

Immediately upon walking in, you were ushered around the room greeting all the relatives you haven’t seen in a while because you don’t live close to your hometown anymore. Your mom probably didn’t want Matt tagging along, but the way you clung to his hand made Matt know that he wasn’t allowed to leave your side. It didn’t matter who you were greeting, your hand never left Matt’s. It was a coping mechanism but also a way to show people you were taken and couldn’t be set up with anyone’s single children. You weren’t going to let that happen.

Greeting and introducing all the relatives you have, your mom began to tell you about her friend Shirley’s dentists’ single son who was a lawyer. You rolled your eyes as she spoke. Shirley and the dentist weren’t invited, but the dentists’ son was? Your mom was trying to set you up. You know that this wasn’t her way of trying to break you and Matt up. She can’t help it if she wants to introduce you to everyone.

“And this is my child I was telling you about,” your mom tells Shirley’s dentist’s son. You smile at him cordially as you killed your mother with your eyes. What was she doing? Trying to convey that you had a boyfriend, you lift your left hand, the same hand intertwined with Matt’s, and scratch your forehead. In the process of itching your forehead, Matt’s hand was brought up close to your face. Shirley’s dentist’s son sees your intertwined hands and shifts awkwardly. He bought the message. You were taken.

“We’re going to get something to drink,” you tell your mom and drag Matt away. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Matt reassures. “Anyway, the look on his face when he saw our hands was priceless, so it was worth it.”

You laugh. Leave it to Matt to make a joke out of this situation.

[misssimreno]

Fine Line Legacy Challenge

Sims 4 x Harry Styles 💓 Welcome to a legacy challenge inspired by various Harry Styles songs! This challenge was created by myself and my friend Amy because who doesn’t want to see this kind of crossover? This is a 10 generation legacy challenge with a threaded storyline inspired by songs off of Harry’s self-titled album “Harry Styles (2017)” and “Fine Line (2019)”.

Basic Rules:

You can select who will be the heir for the next generation. There are no restrictions on how many children each heir can have!

Unless exclusively outlined in a generation’s rules, you can marry or divorce whomever and do so as often as you’d like.

No money cheats can be used except for when you move in your very first heir in Generation One (freerealestate on).

You MUST complete all aspects for each generation before moving to the next one.

It is up to you whether or not you want aging on or what lifespan you wish to play on (playing on the normal lifespan could be an added challenge!).

There is an optional aspiration to complete for each generation.

If you choose to play this legacy challenge, post using the hashtag #finelinelegacy for us to see! 💓

Gen 1. "Carolina"

You left your small hometown for the big city of San Myshuno. Having grown up under your grandmother's roof with few simoleons to go around, you are pining for excitement, adventure, and a chance to make it big and become a star. As a Young Adult, you packed your bags and rented a "needs TLC" apartment in the Arts District.

Traits: Ambitious, Bookworm, Creative Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity Career: Musical Genius

Rules:

Reach Level 10 of the Entertainer Career (Musician Branch)

Complete the World Famous Celebrity

Reach Level 10 of the Guitar and Piano skills

Reach Level 5 of the Singing skill

Must start in a needs TLC apartment in San MyShuno

OPTIONAL: Complete the City Native Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 2. "Kiwi"

You grew up around fame and fortune, but it has left you feeling a bit empty and unfulfilled. Determined to make a name for yourself and step out from your parent's shadow, you've decided to pursue a different craft - acting. You really love cacti and the color black.

Traits: Non-Committal, Hot-Headed, Self-Absorbed Aspiration: Master Actress/Actor Career: Actor

Rules:

Reach Level 10 of the Actor Career

Complete the Master Actress/Actor Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Charisma and Acting skills

Reach Level 5 of the Baking skill

Have at least ONE (1) child out of wedlock

OPTIONAL: Complete the Party Animal Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 3. "Sweet Creature"

After having been in the public eye your whole life, surrounded by scandal, you seek simplicity, tranquility, and a way to plant new roots for your family. Speaking of family, you feel quite distant from your parents and hope to foster a strong bond with your own children. You always put family first, though your marriage may suffer some strain.

Traits: Family-Oriented, Loner, Cheerful Aspiration: Big Happy Family Career: Education (Professor Branch)

Rules:

Reach Level 10 of the Education Career (Professor Branch)

Complete the Big Happy Family Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Research & Debate and Charisma skills

Reach Level 5 of the Logic and Gardening skills

Sustain a garden of at least five (5) unique plants of Great quality

OPTIONAL: Complete the Soulmate Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 4. "Golden"

You always knew you were destined for greatness. Your intellect has opened many doors for you, but led you to a very strange place...Strangerville. Material things mean very little to you and you love the idea of being a bit more "off the grid," and self-sufficient.

Traits: Genius, Clumsy, Maker Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast Career: Detective

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Detective Career

Complete the Outdoor Enthusiast Aspiration

Complete the Strangerville Mystery story-line

Reach Level 10 of the Fitness and Fishing skills

Reach Level 5 of the Herbalism skill

OPTIONAL: Complete the Angling Ace Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 5. "Sign of the Times"

After your parents' encounter in Strangerville, you became fascinated by aliens, space, and everything science-y. You know there is more to find out there. but first you need to learn everything you can about the unknown. A bit of an oxymoron, isn't it? When you're not fixated on the stars, you love to dance, tinker, and spend time with your many friends.

Traits: Geek, Dance Machine, Perfectionist Aspiration: Friend of the World Career: Engineer (Mechanical Engineer Branch)

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Engineer Career (Mechanical Engineer Branch)

Complete the Friend of the World Aspiration.

Reach Level 10 of the Rocket Science, Programming, and Robotics skills

Reach Level 8 of the Handiness skill

Travel to Sixam at least one (1) time using a rocket you constructed

OPTIONAL: Complete the Renaissance Sim Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 6. "Two Ghosts"

Ever since you were a child, you knew you were different. You had numerous paranormal experiences, which has led you to dedicate your life to the paranormal altogether. You purchased a haunted house to try and get closer to the "other side," however this has left you feeling a bit emotionally burdened and isolated from those around you. You're reasonably covered in tattoos and are known to always wear a simple, white shirt. You hope to one day form a "Seance" club.

Traits: Adventurous, Gloomy, Good Aspiration: Bestselling Author Career: Freelancer (Paranormal Investigator Branch)

Rules

Complete 10 "Expert Paranormal Investigation" events in the Freelancer Career (Paranormal Investigator Branch)

Complete the Bestselling Author Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Writing and Medium skills.

Befriend both Guidry and Temperance

OPTIONAL: Complete the Leader of the Pack Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 7. "Watermelon Sugar"

You are a very health-conscious sim. Due to your love of animals, you have embraced a vegetarian lifestyle. Protecting the earth and nature is your number one goal in life, aside from ensuring justice is upheld in the courtroom and you are a top tier parent. You favorite fruit is watermelon and you farm your very own watermelons!

Traits: Vegetarian, Green Fiend, Dog Lover Aspiration: Friend of the Animals Career: Law (Judge Branch)

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Law Career (Judge Branch)

Complete the Friend of the Animals Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Pet Training and Juice Fizzing skills

Reach Level 5 of the Parenting skill

Make your neighborhood's Eco Footprint Green for an entire sim year (4 seasons)

OPTIONAL: Complete the Super Parent Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 8. "Sunflower, Vol. 6"

Zen. That is what you embody. Where do you feel most zen? At the beach. This is why you live off the grid in Sulani. You practice yoga daily and find a great deal of joy in cooking homemade meals. In your spare time, you dabble in photography and painting. You love sunflowers and have them growing all around your home.

Traits: Foodie, Child of the Ocean, Art Lover Aspiration: Eco Innovator Career: Civil Designer (Green Technician Branch)

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Civil Designer Career (Green Technician Branch)

Complete the Eco Innovator Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Gourmet Cooking and Wellness Skills

Reach Level 5 of the Photography and Fabrication skills

Marry a mermaid!

OPTIONAL: Complete the Painter Extraordinaire Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 9. "Canyon Moon"

Having grown up in Sulani, you're not sure how you ended up in quintessential suburbia outside a large city with a corporate job. Life is comfortable, but it lacks the excitement it once had. You want to travel, see the world, and learn about difficult cultures! You love to document your travels and share them online. Sometimes, you can be a bit neglectful of your responsibilities.

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Childish, Self-Assured Aspiration: Archaeology Scholar Career: Business (Investor Branch)

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Business Career (Investor Branch)

Complete the Archaeology Scholar Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Selvadoradian Culture and Mixology skills

Reach Level 5 of the Media Production skill

Vacation at least once in each world!

OPTIONAL: Complete the Jungle Explorer Aspiration OR Mt. Komorebi Sightseer Aspiration

--------------------------------------------------------

Gen 10. "Fine Line"

You were definitely the class clown whilst in school. It was a way to cope with your insecurities, which you haven't been able to shake into adulthood. Nevertheless, your charm and strategic-timing have served you well in your "work," whatever that may be. You know there is always a fine line between life and death, you really live life on the edge.

Traits: Jealous, Goofball, Paranoid Aspiration: Public Enemy Career: Criminal Career (Boss Branch)

Rules

Reach Level 10 of the Criminal Career (Boss Branch)

Complete the Public Enemy Aspiration

Reach Level 10 of the Programming and Comedy skills

Reach Level 5 of the Rock Climbing skill

Graft a Death Flower to cheat death!

OPTIONAL: Complete the Fabulously Wealthy Aspiration

[theglassdragoncollective]

1, 22, 38, 39 -jekyll

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

Although we know we'll have to change it if we ever submit things formally, we do like to play around with fonts and keep different fonts for different projects. It's a great tone setter for us. We even did do a project in Times New Roman, so that font is actually established as the "Believe" font. In the past, we've even done different fonts and colors for different POV characters.

Our current project "Under Elves" is in Bell MT.

First project we ever wrote - "Marked Ones" - (which was originally completely handwritten) used High Tower but completely in Italics for the main character (we would un-italicize things for emphasis, so that was a choice), and the secondary main character full on used Jokerman. We also would change font to Matura MT for when the characters were reciting magic, and the Old English font for any written script in text (mostly book excerpts in book).

Was this basically illegible? Yes, but it was fun at the time, and it definitely set a tone.

No regrets honestly.

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

We do like having notes documents, with the "Header" function being one of mankind's greatest achievements. However things get messy just from the fact that SO many people in the system write. We also tend to organize by characters and not by plot or other story elements.

Example of our organization via heading sidebar:

[Image description: Picture of heading sidebar on a Word Doc with the overarching heading labeled "Lilly Kytchnne" followed by lower tiered headings that are almost exclusively character relationships. End ID]

(Tinder Profile is miscellaneous character info)

One of our favorite moments was when our outerworld writing partner was looking over one of our notes docs and made an inquiry,

"So where's the plot section?"

To which we realized we had none.

(We do have a plot this time, we just don't have a designated plot section)

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us?

Our currently writing process is incredibly neurodivergent and not practical at all. Would not recommend if you aren't already there.

But we've essentially zero drafted our last three projects by writing several hundred thousand word note documents, so the book practically puts itself together.

Although because of our organization, it's organized by character and not chronologically.

Under Elves: Notes Edition is 700k

Send help.

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?

It's our coping mechanism.

But besides that, we try to keep writing exciting for us, so if something's not working, we jump to another point, we give ourselves angles to work with. We let ourselves pause and go back and read our favorite things we've written/something we've felt passionate about.

We also do what we've dubbed "encouragement drafts" with our writing partner, so when we want someone to hype us up, we send over whatever we're working on with the express note of "no/little critique, tell me what you enjoy."

Which is super nice to do with an established writing buddy.

Whelp thanks for reading, hope y'all had fun.

-James/Chrellys/Telmar

[shadowlink06]

Prompto Meta/Thoughts:

Some thoughts about Prompto. This is just meta/drabble/headcanon material that I wanted to write down concerning him since I’ll be participating in a Big Bang and would like to use him as the protagonist to the story. He does have some inconsistency to his “origins” and I’d like to put my thoughts in order to make writing him more believable. Some of the HC/ideas I’m using is based on the “Scientific Discoveries'' fic I did for Verstael and inspiration from the “Parting Ways” novella. 

The basis for Prompto’s existence was to be used as an energy source to power MTs. It is not clear that if infecting a baby with the starscourge would have a better result when they are harvested in a core, or if Prompto was given an injection to make the miasma either stronger prior to the extraction process or easier to manage. In any case, he was created to be destroyed in masse. 

Verstael seems to have made several batches of clones in his first/early MT labs and Prompto was likely one of the first generations. Since it was still an unrefined practice, this may explain why Prompto is not viewed as a “perfect” clone to Verstael and why they have different attributes. 

As MTs were being replaced/add to the Niflheim army during war campaigns, the Lucian government recognized that Verstael was the main player responsible and sought to kill him to turn the tide of battle in their favor. 

A Lucian Kingsglaive unit tracked down Verstael’s lab and managed to find the nursery the babies were kept in. Although they realized that the babies were very clearly children, it was not obvious that they were clones. Confused by the sheer amount of children, one of the Kingsglaive decided to take one of the children (Prompto) back to headquarters for examination. 

When they realized that Prompto was just an ordinary child, there was concern as to what to do with him. As he had no ties to anyone of importance and he was in the nursery that had many other babies, they spared him although there was insistence on covering up his origins. Prompto was given to a prominent Lucian family that had just lost a child due to birthing complications. When he was adopted, the military commander (maybe Titus/Cor) mentioned to always have him cover up the barcode saying that it was not a detail that was worth sharing. 

While Prompto’s parents did love Prompto as their own, business within Insomnia’s court kept both of them busy and away from home. As a result, Prompto turned to food as a coping mechanism to offset the loneliness of his parents not being around and he felt isolated not understanding why he had a barcode brand by the other children around him didn’t. He couldn’t speak to his peers since he was always warned that it would cause him further issues if that topic got brought up so he could not speak to anyone about it. This is the beginnings of his self doubt and fear that he had about himself and the need to want friends but being afraid to open up to them.   

One issue that gets overlooked with Prompto’s relationship with Noctis is that it wouldn’t have really happened if Prompto hadn’t saved Pryna. Had he not done this, it is doubtful that Prompto would have mustered up enough nerve to not only speak to someone else but the Prince of Lucis. In essence, Luna led Prompto to Noctis. 

In his quest to be Nocts friend, it led him into getting into shape and taking on a more light hearted personality towards others. This change had Noctis notice Prompto as they continued to see each other in school and strike up an eventual friendship. 

When Prompto inquired about seeking an officer position within the Crownsguard, there is little doubt that someone recognized his name and knew who he was. No doubt he would have been survaled from time to time just to make sure that he wasn’t behaving suspiciously. When it was clear that Prompto wasn’t a threat, he was allowed within the Crownsguard ranks. 

Ardyn would have recognized Prompto as a clone to Verstael. Since he has a vastly different personality than his father Ardyn would have been amused if not intrigued by seeing a functioning clone next to the Prince. Further proof would have been him seeing the barcode - a feature that Verstael used on all of his clones for experimental data. 

Verstael would have been resentful to see what became of Prompto as he thought all of his clones only had one purpose and the Lucians had “corrupted” Prompto into being something that he wasn’t supposed to. That alone would make Verstael want to kill him. 

If Ardyn was saddened at Verstael’s passing, a part of him would have blamed Prompto for his death and taken it out on him during his imprisonment in Zegnautus Keep. 

Some Unknowns:

What traits define a Lucian, Tenebraen, Niflheimian, or Altissian resident? Are there specific traits that are associated with the regions or is it a cultural identity? Is it a physical appearance? Or perhaps way of speaking? How would anyone have known if Prompto was an outsider? 

The question as to when Prompto realized he was a Niflheim resident rather than a Lucian is hard to say. The timing of this event is critical in understanding why Prompto behaves the way he does around Noct and the others. His Brotherhood episode seems to imply he realized it when he was younger - well before he thought about entering the Crownsguard or even met Noct. Who told him? How did he feel being in Lucis knowing this truth? How did he feel about Nilfheim? Did he wonder about his real parents? Did he ever try to look for them to know the truth? 

If Prompto was examined and was deemed to not to be a threat, why was he so insistent with covering up his barcode? The game seemed to hint that he had always known he had been from Niflheim (or suspected it) even before he saw Verstael. 

The tattoo/barcode that he had from a child should have been warped/altered as he grew older. The skin that he had as a baby would have been stretched as he grew so the computer at the old lab being able to ‘recognize’ him after all of those years is suspect. 

Prompto could have some interesting side effects if Verstael made it so he was able to take the starscourge within his body. This can leave a lot to play around with with a Divergence piece especially if Ardyn is added into the mix.  

I don’t think it was ever implied that Aranea had completely destroyed the lab that housed all of the remaining Verstael clones. If that was the case, what would have happened to them given that they were harmless and a fully functioning human being? If Aranea did destroy the lab, what would have been Prompto’s response to seeing innocent beings killed given how sensitive he is? 

A small detail, but Prompto wore glasses when he was young but doesn’t now. Does that mean that he had corrective surgery or wears contacts?

[fukurodaze]

hi there ! this is my first time participating in one of these events so I hope I'm doing it right 👉👈. so some fun facts about me are that

1) I cut my bangs/hair that frames my face probably every two weeks because I can't decide what style suits me best

2) I tend to hyperfixate a lot even though I know that I shouldn't

3) I work at a clothing store where people bring in their old clothes and we give them a portion of the profit after we sell it. its my first and only job and absolutely love doing it.

My favorite place in the world is the bank of a creek by mt old house. its super serene and beautiful; and completely quiet. my favorite spot was a clearing in the grass where I could set down a chair and just look at the water flow by and see the crawfish swim.

Your writing is wonderful, thank you so much kskdjcid 🥺

aaaa I forgot to ask for a scenario as well in my ask (if you don't mind 👉👈)

thank you for sending this in <3 this is the last matchup of the event! happy new year everyone!

your new year’s kiss will be...

someone who’s quite observant; he doesn’t say much but he always tells you which hairstyle he’s liked the most on you, and sees your new hyperfixations a lot

visiting you at work! he loves to see you do what you like because it just brings a simple smile on his face

accommodating with your hyperfixations, but also tries to make sure you’re open to other coping mechanisms

in the comfort of your own home, just quiet and enjoying each others’ presence

hanamaki takahiro!

there is nothing that needs to be said when the sky is clear and the grass is green and he looks at you like you’re made of the prettiest and nicest smelling flowers.

you’re sat in your chair, looking over the bank of the creek, waiting for and watching the crawfish pass idly along the current. it’s a silent sight, with wind picking up underneath your fingertips reminding you of the lighter days.

your head turns to the side, and there sits your boyfriend on an identical chair, eyes already pointed at you.

“how do you like it?” you extend your hand, motioning towards all the greenery surrounding the creek by your old house.

hanamaki nods, a satisfied expression on his face, “it’s nice. serene.”

your legs fold up, and you curl up on the chair, letting the sun bask on your skin. you start telling your boyfriend a story of some thing in some place at some point in your life that he hadn’t known of before. he laughs with every comical pause and gasps at every dramatic turn of words.

he thinks you’re beautiful - and tells you.

when your stories taper into comfortable silence, hanamaki shifts in his chair, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. this way, he’s all eyes on you.

“you’re beautiful.”

with your thighs held against your chest, you turn ninety degrees in your seat, facing the man. his hair is longer, his build is bigger, and yet his forward attitude towards you remains the way you’ve always remembered it. 

“might have to double check if we know the same person you’re calling beautiful.”

he swats his hand out, “stop it. you’re hot.”

you exhale through your nose, “thanks.”

“and your hair.” he gestures lazily, calmly, yet his voice seems full of energy.

“what about it?”

“it suits you,” he states matter-of-factly.

“you say that all the time-”

“no, for real. anything suits you.”

you roll your eyes, “and what if i shave off all my hair one day?”

“i’d kiss it,” hanamaki grins cheekily, “and then rub oil on it. so it’s shiny.”

you laugh at his response, enjoying his calm presence underneath the warm sun. it’s in these times, when the world is reduced to your direct surroundings and you’re accompanied by the man you call your lover, that you fall into your romance, quietly spoken in words and in silence.

this was the last matchup for my 300 + 400 event! thank you for participating, truly <3

[nefelibata-agibilibus]

First

The first time Annabeth saw Rachel she was angry, and a little jealous; she and Percy were going to the movies, and then to the camp, have a nice summer and avoid getting killed by the titans, the last summer before Percy turned sixteen, but the pretty annoying girl was asking about the empousai, and yes, Annabeth was a little airheaded around mortals, but nobody can blame her, right? She was half god, she knew the truth about the world, the knowledge is power and she was really powerful.

Leading the quest was cool, at the beginning, years wanting a quest, and now, she was the leader, the Oracle gave her a prophecy, she was going to Dedalus’ maze, all was promising, but the labyrinth tricked her, and it was really terrifying to be in the dark, not really knowing were she was leading her friends.

In the Mt. Saint Helens, seeing at Percy eyes, she knew he would rather die than let she get hurt, in that moment, Annabeth understood she loved him, he was her best friend, and living in a world without Percy was terrifying that kind of world would kill her, afraid, she kissed him and ran away, following the spider, falling on her knees, thanks to the explosion, crying, entering Hephaestus’ forge, the god pitying her, giving the spider the order to take her to the camp.

Dirty and bloody, Annabeth emerged from the ground, crying, shaking, Quiron and Clarisse running at her place, the old centaur hugging her, carrying Annabeth to the infirmary, and hour later she calmed down, but, when an Apollo kid asked about Percy she started again.

·The first week she laid on her bed, in Athena’s cabin, listening to the whispers of her siblings, everybody thought Percy and Annabeth were the endgame, she was conscious about the running bets, when they were going to date, who will take the first step, she even thought they will end together, but, even if Percy was alive, she wasn’t really sure about them being a couple, she feel ashamed to dislike the kiss, it felt silly to think about a kiss, her best friend could be death, the fate of Olympus could be on Nico’s hand, and the boy was listening to Minos, she was smarter than a silly girl, head full of boys, she had to fulfil the mission, her love life wasn’t important.

Annabeth’s skin was aching, she felt uncomfortable near Rachel, her hair was beautiful, shiny, her skin looked healthy and soft, she was delicate, prettier than Annabeth, with her muscular arms, thanks to the training, messy hair and scarred body, her hands were soft, small, short nails, painted, Annabeth discovered, holding her hand while Percy fought, the girl shacking, the need to calm her destabilizing Annabeth.

Her voice was sweet, high pitched, like a bird song, listening her speak was good, and finding common interest, stopped the antics of Annabeth, her green eyes shining while she talked.

After the battle, Annabeth kept thinking on Rachel, maybe was a coping mechanism, better wonder about the mortal girl than all her comrades deaths, the camp, now actually conscious about the war, was less funny and summery, grim, and she wasn’t going to talk to Percy, the things really awkward after Mt. Saint Helens, they just stay at the docks, sitting in silence.

Sending letters was a tradition for Percy and Annabeth, most of them wrote in ancient Greek, the fourth letter came with photos, a second letter, from Rachel, explaining something about an exposition, models of buildings around the globe.

It became their thing, Annabeth and Rachel were pen pals, sending letters weekly, and it was really refreshing, talking to someone normal, no friendly demigods or satyrs on her school, she freely writing about the annoying monsters, the worries of school and her average live, Rachel rambling about artists she found, her father pushing her, it was really good to have a friend outside camp.

In the winter, Annabeth went to camp, and she take a day out to be with Rachel, their conversations felling warmer than the letters, the girl looking pretty all blushed, thanks to the cold, her body warm, when she hugged to say good bye, goose bumps shaking Annabeth, feeling really good on Rachel’s arms.

For the gods sake, she was in the middle of the war, she was stabbed and poisoned, and, while Percy told her about his weak point, she was thinking about Rachel, wondering if she was in the city, sleeping in the street, looking at Percy worried face, Annabeth loved Percy, her best friend, but she didn’t love him like a boyfriend, “I think I like Rachel” she admitted, “I think she likes you too” was the answer of Percy.

When Rachel’s helicopter fell from the sky, Annabeth’s instincts took the control, flying on the pegasi, maneuvered the machine and hugged Rachel, she wanted so bad to kiss her, felling terrified about the idea of losing her, she does, a little smooch on her lips, angry hot tears falling from her eyes, holding the girl.

Annabeth is holding the seahorse neck tight, worried about Rachel, wondering about the girl, Peleo, the dragon, could kill her, or she could fall on the forest, killed by the monsters, her hearth bumping on her ears, when they are on the Big House she understands, thinking about the prophecy, maybe it wasn’t about Luke or Percy, not about losing them, the love she is losing is Rachel’s.

@pjofemslashweek

[bonesthebeloved]

Writing Master post

AN: Here is all mt Sanders Sides related fic and otherwise so it’s easier to find for all of you. Happy reading!

Non fics/ prompt/ headcanon posts:

Sad Roman headcanons Masterpost

Random Creativitwins headcanons

Fluffy Logince headcanons

Fanfics:

All of these link to AO3 for now, I will link the Tumblr versions soon aswell however that takes a bit more digging.

The absence of a necessity  Summary: When Thomas stops lying altogether, Deceit and the other dark sides are quick to notice the effects. But it’s only made clear what kind of effect it truly has when it’s already too late…-or- Deceit disappears and the dark sides all grief in different ways. None of them able to accept that he's really gone

Least favourite to myself  Summary: Based on this prompt by transformationloveb:Ok I thought of some extra sad Roman angst for you- Ok, what I’d there’s a video where Thomas has the sides shapeshift as their favorite of all the sides (or, currently revealed sides at least). And the situation goes like this: Thomas: “You all change to your favorite side…NOW!” None of the sides change, cause, their favorite side is themselves……Nobody but Roman. Who shapeshifts into a side of your choosing. Thomas is a bit confused at this, noticing what happened. And decides: “Ok, second favorite side.” Everyone changes this time. But roman doesn’t switch to himself, It’s a different side again. “Third favorite?” Different side. “Fourth favorite?!” Different side. “Fifth?!” Different side. “LEAST FAVORITE?!” And Roman goes back to himself. Enjoy.

Red and green makes royalty Summary: Remus and Roman are in the middle of an argument when suddenly, King creativity shows up. An odd thing. Seeing as the two sides needed for his creation were gawking at him from a few feet away.

4 days and 4 months  Summary: After a fight, Roman goes on another quest to the imagination. After four days, Patton goes after him. Just to find that the issues might lay deeper than a simple feud

Absolutely nothing Summary: Work based on the poem 'Absolutely nothing' which appears in 'the perks of being a wallflower'. A story about how somebody can lose their grip on happiness and how their friends don't notice

When showers are no longer helpful Summary:Remus and Patton are in a relationship. Not a happy one but that’s okay. Those only exist in fairytales right?

For even if I'm far away I'll hold you in my heart Summary: King creativity knows he doesn't have much time left and sings one final song for Deceit who's much too young to know what is going on.

You did to me what tsunamis do to homes Summary: Patton and Remus fuse for an experiment. Then they fuse again. Then they stay fused because Patton wants them to. When the others finally find out how bad the fusion is hurting Remus, the damage is already done and they have to deal with the aftermath.

I'll write you bloody murder - Intrulogical  Summary: "Did you kill him, Lo?" Remus would convince himself that he had been dreaming it. Starting on a new book and buying him and Logan a puppy for their anniversary. Throwing clothes with the tiniest of blood splatters in the washing machine while acting like he hadn't seen the red splash. Like his husband coming back from work a bit too late and a bit too happy while smelling of fresh blood as he kissed him hello was something normal. Like knowing exactly which veins to hit and how long it would take for the victim to bleed out was part of the job. "I killed all of them."

What I am to you- Platonic Dukeceit Summary: Remus and Dee have been friends for so long that becoming anything else seems absurd to them.

Edward Scissorhands - Platonic Dukexiety Summary: Virgil and Remus have never been close. Could barely be called friends even. Virge wished for them having nothing in common.But when he starts to miss their ranting sessions, he goes to Remus his room to find if they still had some shared interests that Remus hadn't ruined for him.He found out that a shared interest existed. Or, more like, shared coping mechanism. But even for all the times, he wished the other to be dead, he never meant to hope for the other to self-harm. And he never hoped for him to do it for the same reasons either.

The tv-stand - intrulogical Summary: Logan imitating Remus in the bloopers video but they're gay and in love.

Tipsy - Logince Summary: It had started out like all of their unofficial dates had up until now. But this ended up being so much better.-Or-Logan gets tipsy and clings to Roman like a koala bear.

Chasing squirrels and sunspots  Summary: Deceit has a sphynx cat. She's a queen and snek boy would die for her.

Sharp edges evened out  Summary: Remus gets bullied at school. But luckily he has a very caring brother and two rats to cheer him up.

The last bird flew towards the south - Roceit  Summary: Deceit is dead. And the last leaves fall off the trees as poison drips from his fangs and the wounds on his arm. And Roman just holds him. And watched the birds pass by as he weeps. And Deceit is dead.

Loud talking, mushy thoughts  Summary: Roman, after being wronged by his 'family' one too many times, goes to live with the dark sides. Que protective instincts firing in both Remus and Deceit.

Everything stays Summary: When Remus finds the weapon that belonged to the original creativity thought to be long lost, he asks his brother for help to retrieve it. Based on a lovely comic by chronophobica on Tumblr and the song everything stays from adventure time.

Loved- Roceit Summary: Roman and Dee are married, soft, and use the same pet names me and my partner use. Also, Dee really wants one of the puppies Remus rescued.

Humming and plush butterflies  Summary: Virgil does weird stuff and Deceit records itDeceit has endearing stuff and Virgil knows about it.Logan is very confused by both of these things.-OR-I was soft for the lads and felt like shit so have my very first crackfic.

Complicated- Creativitwins  Summary: The twins have a complicated relationship with their father and figure it out through the years. >Tumblr version<

The only member Summary: Roman thought Virgil was in the fuck-Janus club too but realises he is in fact the only member.

AN: I’ll try to keep this updated so my work is easier to find.  (Hey @lance-alt , It’s nearing 1:30 am BUT I made it cuz you asked. Hope this helps. :) Love ya bud)

[comp6841]

Cryptocurrencies (3/3)

What sort of security issues do we have?

Due to the distributed nature of cryptocurrencies, we have to consider the security in a number of different areas and from a couple of different angles. In terms of looking at historical flaws and their relative impacts, I would classify them under 3 main categories:

Blockchain itself - vulnerabilities relating specifically to the implementation of the blockchain (so in the nodes, mining, etc)

51% attacks (i.e. ETC 2019)

DDoS

Doublespend (i.e. The Finney attack)

Exchanges and wallets

Phishing

Bad hashes (i.e. IOTA)

Software bugs in cryptocurrency wallets

Software bugs in cryptocurrency exchanges

Client malware (i.e. changing address in clipboard)

Smart contracts - complexity of smart contract languages leading to bugs or poorly designed contracts (i.e. TheDAO)

As per the seminar, I will summarise a specific example of each of these categories.

Blockchain - 51% Attack 

How does it work?

If you read my (1/3) article on cryptocurrencies, you will understand the process of mining in PoW and how multiple chains can form. Essentially, what we have happening in this attack is we have a miner (corrupted) with a large portion of the hash power deciding not to broadcast the block to the network when he as found a valid hash for the block. He will then continue to mine on his own chain in stealth; the original chain will continue to be built by other miners.

The corrupted miner will then spend all the bitcoin that he owns on the public chain, however he will choose NOT to do the same on his own secret chain. He will then continue to mine blocks on his own chain; however since he has majority hash power he will be producing blocks at a greater rate than the main chain. After a while he will choose to broadcast his chain to the rest of the Bitcoin network - the democratic governance process of the network enforces that the ‘longest chain’ is the correct one and the protocol will force the nodes to switch to the corrupted miner’s chain. This miner is then able to spend his bitcoins (that he spent earlier) all over again - this is why it is also referred to as a double-spend attack.

What security mechanisms are in place against it?

The main thing defending against a 51% attack is the sheer amount of resources required to perform it - on larger networks such as Bitcoin you need approximately $12.5 billion dollars worth of hardware which will cost you $8.6 million dollars per day to run in order to perform this attack. (from this site) This makes the risk associated with the costs in electricity, hardware and government prosecution not worth the reward of the attack.

Exchanges - Mt Gox

What happened in the first hack in 2011?

The computer of Mt Gox’s auditor was compromised which they then used to access the exchange and artificially modify the traded value of bitcoin down to 1 cent (i.e. by selling all the bitcoin from all the accounts). They could then buy a heap of these bitcoins at this low price (around 2000 BTC they got), and could transfer them from the exchange. As a result of the hack, Mt Gox resorted to utilising cold storage for the majority of their bitcoin - this means you cannot access a large proportion of the funds through the web server or any other computer.

The method in which this account was compromised is still somewhat debated - however it is suspected that the auditor account was compromised through an SQL injection on the Mt. Gox website which allowed the attacker to gain read-only access to the user database. The passwords were hashed with MD5 (retrospectively, we know is definitely poor) and accounts which hadn’t logged in prior to the chance in ownership of the exchange (by Tibanne Co. Ltd in March 2011) had unsalted password hashes used. You can read the Mt. Gox press release at the time on BitcoinTalk here.

How did the big second hack in 2014 occur?

In a short period of time in 2013, Mt Gox had become the largest bitcoin exchange in the world and was struggling to cope with the expansion. They had expended significant resources towards dealing with the lawsuits from former business partners (Coinlab) and investigations by the US Department of Homeland Security. We now also know from employee accounts that the security procedures were poor, the website source code was poor quality and a number of other operational issues existed.

This all led to the events which unfolded in February 2014, as follows (according to CoinTelegraph article):

7th - withdrawals frozen due to an “apparent bug” in the Bitcoin network relating to modification of transactions

17th - press release regarding a solution they had found to solve this “bug” which would be applied shortly

23rd - the CEO of Mt. Gox, Mark Karpeles, resigned from the Bitcoin Foundation and disappeared from Twitter

24th - trading was suspended and an internal document leaked claiming they were insolvent; missing 744,408 bitcoins (it was a crisis strategy draft)

28th - Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and in the US on March 9th

They haven’t been particularly transparent regarding the cause of the second hack, however some information has been pieced together. It is believed that Mt. Gox’s hot wallet private keys were stolen from a wallet.dat file near the end of 2011. Throughout 2012 and 2013, the hacker emptied the wallets associated with the private keys, however Mt. Gox’s systems interpreted this is deposits for some reason. Towards the end of 2013, the hacker had stolen over 600,000 BTC; a large proportion of this ended up on BTC-E. This exchange was essentially responsible for laundering half the funds associated from the hack; it was taken down in 2017 by the US Justice Department.

Smart Contracts

What is a smart contract?

A contract is an agreement between two parties which will be binding in some point in the future. The difference in the case of smart contracts with blockchain is that it makes the execution of the contract trustless - we don’t need a third party. Some restrictions are imposed when we make them decentralised; they need to be unable to access data outside the program (to prevent malicious activity) and they need to be deterministic (so nodes in the network can still verify blocks).

Why are these contracts so prone to errors?

The majority of smart contracts we know today are built upon the Ethereum blockchain; it uses a Turing-complete smart contract language known as Solidity. This differs from traditional contracts in the sense you are to solve any reasonable computational problem. It also comes at the cost of increasing complexity; there is an increasing number of ways the flow of the contract can occur and thus they are very difficult to get right. We already know that writing ‘secure’ code is hard, but when you have money directly on the line it becomes even more important.

What was the DAO?

The DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation) was an organisation built on top of Ethereum which ran completely through smart contracts on the platforms. In the token offering, users were able to send ETH to a particular address and receive DAO tokens in return. Anyone was able to make a pitch to the community, and people could vote with their DAO tokens whether to make an investment. If a project was successful as a result of the DAO, it would then return profits to the investors.

How was the smart contract code in the DAO exploited?

One of the developers announced on the 12th of June that they had discovered a recursive bug call in the DAO contract, however emphasised that no funds were at risk. An attacker managed to find a way on the 18th of June to abuse this recursive bug call to continuously send funds to a child DAO under their control. The process was as follows (source):

(1) Propose a split and wait for the voting period to expire

(2) Call splitDAO()

(3) Let createTokenProxy() send your new DAO its share of tokens

(4) Ensure the DAO calls withdrawRewardFor() before updating your balance and after doing (3)

(5) Call splitDAO() again with the same parameters while (4) is occurring

(6) DAO will repeat steps (3) and (4) to give you the child tokens again

(7) Go back to (5) as many times as you like

So in summary, the problem all stems from the fact that you get your reward in the child DAO before subtracting from the original balance. The stack was actually limited to 128 on Ethereum at the time, so he wasn’t able to continue these calls forever. The attacker managed to get around this by using the handy transfer() function, so he could quickly move the funds out to another account he controlled. Then he could move it back into the original account and repeat the process.

What happened after the hack?

The attacker managed to steal ETH worth up to 250 million USD; they actually stopped after draining around 1/3 of the DAO’s funds. It started a big debate among members of the Ethereum community as to how they could respond to this attack. One side fought for the immutability (’code is law’) of the blockchain and argued that we shouldn’t fork to take away the funds from the attacker. The other side wanted to fork the chain to return all the funds. The miners were divided on the proposals (a contentious hard fork) so we ended with two chains - Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Ethereum (ETH).

[mrsindywilsons]

Journaling

My therapist recently recommended that I start using a journal to help track my moods, reactions, and coping mechanisms. The goal is to better understand the healthy and unhealthy ways I cope and to better recognize the episodes I may be experiencing. All of this to help take control and to not allow my mental state to control me.

When she first recommended this, I went and bought a cheap journal from Dollar Tree. I lost it almost immediately. I decided that spending some money on a nice journal, that I could add and remove pages to, would help motivate me to use and take care of said journal.

I found this gorgeous, leather bound, hand made journal. It came with a nice pen and holder. I am very excited about it.

I have only used it for a few days, but I found that I completely ignore it on the depressed days. The thing about the depression is that I'm not necessarily feeling sad, as I'm just extremely fatigued and every responsibility feels like climbing Mt Everest. This pushes me into survival mode, so caring for my children and making meals is about all I can make myself do.

I'm trying hard to make a conscious effort to do more when I feel that way. To not let myself lie on the couch all day, which just feeds the tiredness and lack of will.

Another thing my therapist has had me do is write down everything I accomplish in a day. Not a to do list, but a list of things that I did, even if they weren't completed tasks. I have found that this keeps me motivated to do more, despite my environment not reflecting the amount of work I'm accomplishing. Putting it on paper gives me a tangible view of what I do all day.

There has been a recent increase in stress lately as my son has started school. We've been dealing with issues there, and I find this tires me out faster than any physical work I could be doing at home. Advocating for him is hard work, and I have found it's taking a lot of my time. This is part of what's causing the depression and fatigue, I think.

I'm hoping my therapist is right, and that this journaling will help me take better control. Even though I've only been using it for 2 weeks, I've already found that it's helping me better understand my patterns.

What are some things you do to help track and control your moods?

[anneimaginesundertale]

I dunno if this has been asked before. But how would sansy react if we were the ones who flirted with him?

Surprisingly, that has not been asked before. I think it depends on how you flirt with him. Therefore, I present several scenarios.

1) The Cheesy Pick Up Line

You: Hey, are you okay? Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

Sansy: Nah, cher. I clawed my way up from hell and all I got was a stupid hole in my head. *gestures to his hat* Are you okay, though? You got a little beautiful spilled on your face.

Don’t attempt this one if you’re looking to be in charge of the scenario. He’s good with lines, and he’ll charm you right back.

2) The Genuine Compliment

You: Hey Sansy! I’m really proud of you. I heard you’re trying to get back into comedy. That’s awesome! I’d go to a show if you did one.

Sansy: Thanks, cher. I’ll get you a ticket. You might be an audience of one, though.

Sansy: *thinking* Ah, they like me! They really want to hear me do a comedy show? I’m not ready for a show. Distract them!

Sansy: *proceeds to flirt more to keep you from giving more compliments*

He can be flustered by this, although I couldn’t think of a good one to really get him going. He’ll try to hide that you got to him, but if you keep trying, you might get a blush.

3) The Secret Ingredient

You: Sansy, do you want a cookie? I baked them just for you.

Sansy: *taking cookies off the plate already* I love you.

That’s right, get him with food. The way to his heart is through his stomach. (I’m pretty sure he’s said as much himself.) Combine this with compliments and being nice to his brother and you will basically have a Sansy of your own.

In all seriousness, I think Sansy uses flirting as a way to put people at a distance. He knows he can be smooth. He knows he can fluster people, and he does it in an attempt to keep them from getting too close, because if they did, they might see the darker side of him. You’ve seen him flirt to get out of answering questions from character asks. He’s gotten very good at it, but he’s not good with genuine affection. Compliments will throw him for a loop. Kindness will turn him into a puddle. He is not used to it and, unlike the Fell skeletons who have a tough reputation to maintain, he has no guard to put up other than flirting. Once that falls, he’s pretty much defenseless.

There’s a reason that I made him one of the few skeletons in my (gang? gaggle? clatter? (what is the plural noun here?) group of skeletons who is a flirt. I know Red typically is in other people’s work, and Stretch, and my Bones (MT Sans) can be a bit of one, but Sansy is the one blatant one because that is his coping mechanism. Red and Bones can be charming and Stretch will use every cheesy line in the book, but they do it out of genuine interest. Sansy is an incorrigible flirt with everyone so that no one can get close.

This was meant to be a quick answer and a bit silly, but it kind of turned into a character study. I love digging deeper into why my characters act the way they do. It helps me write them better and more consistently. That’s one reason I love the character asks. Once I clear the inbox a bit, you guys can feel free to send more of those. 😊😘

[armando-ramon-defense-squad]

OK HI I don't mean to be rude or anything, but im trying to write some fics about the ramon brothers coming back to life and all that, and I've gotten some crap about mt fics and I was wondering if you could help me understand Armando and Dante because Google isn't helping. (Sorry)

Of course! My only problem is that I don’t know what it is you’re having trouble with, so I don’t really know how to help you. I can give you a general rundown of their characters and their specific “quirks”, though, and if you like I can elaborate on certain points or answer more specific questions.

Dante is headstrong, but more importantly he’s self-destructive. How you want to show that is up to you. He doesn’t have a full-time job and any jobs he’s had are fairly low paying, which he’s secretly stressed about. He cares very deeply about both of his brothers, but he distances himself from Cisco somewhat by not talking about Armando because he feels like it was his fault that he died, since he was too afraid to save Cisco from the boom tube that Armando was able to rescue him from-the one that sucked him in and ‘killed’ him. Despite this, he would do anything for him, including potentially die to save his life. Dante has PTSD but he doesn’t seem to have any coping mechanisms outside of treasuring and carrying everywhere the soccer ball he had when Armando died, and visiting Armando’s memorial gives him flashbacks to what happened, though he seems to not care since it’s a place that used to make him and Cisco feel better when they were kids. It’s an extreme comfort object for him even if those words aren’t actually used. Dante also mishears a lot of words or forgets certain words and substitutes similar-sounding ones in (in English, not in Spanish, where he doesn’t seem to have the same problem). He wears mostly the same clothes every day, particularly the same shirt. He also admires a lot of superheroes! Cisco gets him Stargirl’s autograph and potentially others, and either him or Cisco has a big poster of the Flash hanging up in their room.

Armando has more wiggle room. What we know for sure is that he was a star football player at a high school in Detroit nicknamed “Rupture”, and was about to graduate (with lots of talent scouts clamoring for his attention) when Darkseid invaded and a boom tube opened, sucking his younger brother Cisco in (the event that gave Cisco powers). Armando pulled Cisco free but was pulled in himself, just as a Parademon came out and stabbed him. Armando was pulled into the breach, tossed through a dozen dimensions before he crashed in an unnamed one near/in the city of Piradell, close to death. Mordeth (mother of Cyn(n)thia Mordeth (the girl whose codename is a slur. Please don’t use it) and wife of Quell Mordeth/Breacher) found him and turned him into Rupture (it can be assumed he picked the name himself), and Armando, abused and gaslit by her, became her weapon of mass destruction. He has the same powers as Cisco, just advanced to their highest degree, so he can do things Cisco can’t (maybe yet, maybe not ever) like fly. Cisco managed to break him free of the brainwashing and he killed his “Mistress”, opting to stay in Piradell’s dimension and continue to fight the woman who had abused him (as well as abusing her daughter and husband). His heart is good, he’s a very kind person who was forced to commit atrocities, and while he generally doesn’t show many signs of PTSD it can be assumed he has it just like his brothers do. 

I hope this helps! If it doesn’t, feel free to ask clarifying questions.

[paulinedorchester]

So, guess what?

Mills, Jon. Within the Island Fortress: The Uniforms, Insignia & Ephemera of the Home Front in Britain 1939-1945. No. 4: The Mechanised Transport Corps (MTC). Orpington, Kent: Wardens Publishing, 2008.

I am extremely grateful to Roger Miles of Home Front Collection for putting a copy of this up for sale at a much more reasonable price than previous examples that I’ve seen and helping me through a technical glitch during the ordering process and to Ronald Thomas of the U.S. Postal Service’s Henry W. McGee Post Office for solving a last-minute delivery snafu. (Heartfelt thanks also to @peonymoss, for humoring me through my discovery of some Tumblr technical stuff that I’ve used in this post.)

This 36-page, A4-sized book is probably the closest thing we’ll ever have to an official history of the MTC. Mills has done a vast amount of research, including examining this and more than a dozen relevant files in the National Archives. He even mentions Resy Peake, OBE, the MTC’s second Corps Commandant - who died 14 years before this book was published - in his acknowledgments! Mills structures his description of MTC paraphernalia around a capsule history of the MYC itself, with the result that there is a tremendous amount to be learned about both subjects from reading this book. Some of what I’ve picked up here, though, has sent me into a bit of a tizzy. Here’s a sampling:

Lesson learned: as important as old newspapers are for historical research, they don’t always get the facts right. For one thing, a widely syndicated item from 1942 stated that the given name of Mrs. G.M. Cook, OBE, was Gertrude Muriel, while Mills gives her first name as Grace. Armed with Mills’ statement that Mrs. Cook was "second in command of the [Women’s] Legion in France during the First War [sic]” (about which, more momentarily), I was able to confirm that he is indeed correct:

I hereby acknowledge having made bad assumptions or drawn incorrect inclusions about many, even most, of the MTC uniforms, badges, etc., whose images I’ve posted here. Clearly, I need to repost them all with corrected information. (<sarcasm>Aren’t you all just thrilled?</sarcasm>)

My imaginary account of the MTC’s early history in When Thou Goest Forth to War, cooked up almost three years ago with little information in hand, is so far from historical fact that I’m now experiencing a very strong urge to rewrite that story, along with Sam’s Christmas reminiscence in Someone You Know and possibly parts of other stories as well. Here’s a sampling:

Mills explains that the MTC emerged from the Women’s Legion, whose founder, the Marchioness of Londonderry, relaunched it in 1934, to train potential officers for any such future force [of women volunteers] and to provide trained, experienced drivers for government service from its MT [mechanical transport] section. This new force was given limited recognition by the War Office. ... Mrs Grace Cook ... now set up and commanded the Legion’s MT Division in London. In September 1938 the Legion was dealt a blow by the creation of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) ... When Lady Londonderry asked if the Legion might have a role in this new War Office scheme, she was told that none existed and that she should encourage  younger members to join the ATS. Lady Londonderry wrote to Mrs Cook: ‘If we stay in the Legion there is no certainly of our ever being deployed, but you are perfectly at liberty to run an independent organisation under another name.’ Thus the MTC - originally the Mechanised Transport Training Corps - was born in February 1939.

On top of this, we learn from Mills that the MTTC was active only in and around London when the war broke out, and apparently personnel were sent to France many weeks or even months before companies were set up elsewhere in Britain. “By the end of May 1940,” Mills writes, “membership of the Corps exceeded 700 with several units established outside London.” That leaves us wondering how long before May any of those units came into existence. (May 1940, of course, is when Foyle’s War canon begins. The earliest announcement of regional recruitment that I’ve found comes from mid-July 1940, in Birmingham.) In any event, the implication seems to be that Sam would have had to go to London for MTC training, and would then have served there for some months before moving to Hastings.  

But wait, there’s more! I’ve been unable to find a linkable image of the 1930s Women’s Legion service dress uniform, but Mills includes a photo of a Legion unit on parade in 1938, and it clearly shows that their uniform - Khaki officer’s tunic, matching skirt, leather belt, and peaked cap with what I’ve been calling a “pie crust” crown - was essentially identical to that of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and was adopted more or less wholesale by the ATS (which substituted a fabric belt for the leather one) and, of course, the MTC - which likewise introduced a variation, at least for most personnel: Those who transferred to the MTTC from the Legion continued to wear the Legion’s style of cap (recognisable by the gathered material above the headband) and simply exchanged their cap badge for that of the MTTC. By early 1940 a unique new MTTC cap modelled on a ski cap and available from the London sports outfitters Lillywhites had been introduced for new members. Since Sam wears the Women’s Legion cap (much more flattering, IMHO), the implication is that she spent some time in the Legion prior to joining the MTC. This isn’t impossible: an item in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer for September 10th, 1938, notes that the Women’s Legion Mechanical Transport Section was recruiting women between 18 and 40. I’ve posited that Sam was born in 1919, so that would work. But that, too, requires a rewrite of my fic. (Seriously, I’ve been thinking about this for a while.)

Mills also tells us about the MTC’s financial crisis in the wake of the fall of France (they had to abandon a great deal of equipment during the retreat), which is something that I hadn’t come across before. He reproduces the cover of a fundraising brochure from that period; it carries a list of members of the MTC’s council, and it’s a tad dispiriting to learn that most of them were men.

He also goes at least part-way towards clearing up the mystery of why it often appears that not all MTC uniforms were the same color: beginning in 1942 large numbers of MTC personnel were seconded to American troops (who couldn’t cope with driving in the blackout, apparently), where they earned far higher pay than they could get doing anything else. Many of them splurged on new uniforms in US Army regulation olive-drab. While Mills acknowledges that many MTC members could easily afford such an indulgence, he also includes a fascinating newspaper clipping from June 1939 that I haven’s seen elsewhere, showing recruitment and preliminary training of two MTC companies in Streatham, London - not a neighborhood likely to produce many debutantes!

There are a few frustrating omissions. We read not a word here about the MTC’s crisis of August 1943. It would be nice to know more about certain peculiarities laid down in the MTC’s rules: why one’s superiors were to be addressed as Madam rather than Ma’am, for example, or why married MTC personnel were allowed to wear either wedding or engagement rings, but not both. And Mills never mentions the one-piece, apparently lighter-weight version of the uniform that we see here. (It also shows up in that 1938 Women’s Legion photo that I mentioned.) Nevertheless, this is a terrific book for anyone interested in this subject, and if you find a copy for sale I’d encourage you to go for it. (As I write this it appears that Home Front Collection has another copy for sale ... )