#finally the blog is mobile accessible...

[sofia-d-asb]

I am launching a Patreon!

Should you choose to support me, you will be getting exclusive early access to Arcadie: Cold Lands, both the PC/macOS and the mobile versions. Updates are planned once a month.

There is currently only one $5 tier. My goal is to complete and release the game by end of this year, so my focus will be 100% on that. I may add another tier with access to bonus content but only if it doesn’t take my time away from the game’s development.

Your support via Patreon will mean the difference between me being able to do this full-time or... not, but know that buying Arcadie: Second-Born, recommending it to people you believe would enjoy the game, re-blogging my posts on Tumblr, and leaving reviews also helps me more than you know.

Without further ado, in this month's alpha, you will be able to:

finally wear the crown 👑

reunite with Cyril, and much more... 💖

visit an old enemy (?) ⚔

What you will not be able to do (yet):

Will’s romance is not yet fully implemented

Playing without a romance and with your old enemy dead would lead to a very short play-through

Alpha access: patreon.com/arcadieutopie

[inhuman-obey-me]

So. The OM news.

Solmare announced on Wednesday that December will be the "final new content" for the two mobile games. Going along with that, Lesson 60 will also be the end of story content in Nightbringer.

Definitely quite some news to take in, and one that's gotten everyone into quite a tizzy, understandably.

First, a clarification: The games are NOT going into End-of-Service (not yet, anyway). Both the OG game and Nightbringer will continue on as-is, just without any new content in general starting in January. This means that we are still going to have access to all the content we've had up to this point, like the main story, Lonely Devil, Devilgrams, Time Chronicle, etc. The announcement also stated that "past events will continue to be periodically re-released," and while it's not completely clear what those re-releases are going to look like, it sounds like the apps themselves will still be around for a while.

Secondly, this is also not the end of the Obey Me franchise. The announcement specifically says, "We promise you that this will not be the end of the seven brothers, the Devildom, or of Obey Me!" It also mentions a "new era" with "new forms of content," and Solmare themselves tried to clarify this the day after too, with assurance that new projects ARE in the works. So this is not the end of our beloved boys (and Thirteen)!!

Now, we don't actually know what this "new era" is going to look like, or what specific kinds of new projects this is referring to. We have been specifically promised new in-person events and merchandise, but of course, that's not particularly promising news for tons of us in the fandom who are not in areas that usually get those events or those who cannot afford to buy the merch, which have sometimes been hard to access for those outside of Japan.

Based on a couple of the VAs' tweets, we do know that OM is specifically moving beyond "アプリゲーム" (app game) format, which means we should not expect a third mobile game anytime soon. (And honestly, thank fuck, because we think we speak for a lot of us in saying the community's trust would just be so broken at that point!) And given their involvement, there are some ideas we can probably safely strike out. But until we get more official information, anything else on this is pretty much just speculation at this point.

But hey, on this blog, we love to speculate and theorize and make wild guesses as to what's going to happen next in OM, don't we? So let's speculate!

Firstly, any kind of print format like light novels and further manga volumes wouldn't involve the VAs, so those are probably out. But we do have the manga volumes they already released, so one possibility could be making a proper anime off of the manga version of the main story! When the gag anime originally released, many people expressed interest in seeing the main story converted into an anime, so that could be an interesting avenue for them to pursue.

Another option would be for them to go down a more audio-focused route. Though we haven't gotten much Otaku FM content in quite a long time, they've only released a couple of characters for their ASMR project so far, and hopefully they will still continue it for the rest of the characters. It's possible that they could bring back Otaku FM or Boys in the House content, especially to promote other new content in this new era. And multiple of the OM voice actors are involved with the Ex and Bee, which seems to have somewhat low numbers so far but has been said to be good (though we haven't looked into it ourselves), so it could be possible for them to try out a similar audio drama format with OM, as a more established IP.

Also, while the VAs seem to be saying that app games (mobile) are done for now, that doesn't necessarily mean we couldn't get a PC or console game. This could open up a possibility of a more traditional route-based style of otome game, which could give the writers a better position at balancing romance with the larger world adventure elements, and then just extending it with things like DLCs, fan discs, etc. Hard to say if Solmare has the budget to pull off something like that, but it would probably be more up their alley as a game studio and still give their programmers things to do assuming they haven't all been laid off with the current state of the games industry.

And then, of course, we have more things like Overture, the "concert" they put on with new 3D models of the brothers. Even if they can't afford a full-fledged console game, they could definitely still use those models in other ways, but also in more Overture-like concerts. Though personally, we would prefer if they didn't -- no one got into OM to have an idol group game. There are a million idol games and franchises already, and while it's fine as extra content on the side we guess, they're not really strong contenders against all of the actual idol games already out there. But there's money in that genre, so who knows if whatever execs may continue pushing it that direction...

And finally, another possibility, though perhaps also not a very likely one, is a theater show. It's pretty common for animes and such to also have stage productions in Japan. Luke's and Diavolo's VAs in particular have also done theater, including musical theater, so it's not a foreign concept to some of the team. But given the limited geographical scope of something like that, this wouldn't really be good for anyone outside of, like, probably only Tokyo? Still, stranger things have happened, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Speculation and all aside...we've been here since basically the beginning, when OG Obey Me was released back in December 2019. The end of content in the games is bittersweet, and we'll certainly be sad after NB Lesson 60 is released. Despite all of its flaws, OM is what got us both back into writing and drawing after a very long time. We started this blog! Neither of us had ever done a fandom blog before! It's been something near and dear (if even frustratingly so) to us for the past five years, so we'll be watching for what's coming next! And in the meantime, we're still here with you all too, for however slowly we put our stuff out.

[public-relations-representative]

finally getting brave enough to use this blog. hopefully will keep using it i make 0 promises though

anyway. BEHOLD. my winston headcanon designs

more extensive thoughts/headcanons and doodles belowww

i know a lot of people dont agree but as far as im concerned, shes always been a skelecog. she was built specifically for COGS inc pretty much as is

besides the radio head. that happened later, but still before they made moves into toontown. yes hes been a part of the company that long

has actual radio functions built into them. the intent is for him to be able to tap into existing radio broadcasts as a literal live advertisement. insidious!

i dont have many thoughts on this design because this is borderline "canon" winston. besides the eyelashes. which they should give him canonically.

no i havent figured out what the dagger is logically. its just a part of her ok

i guess i could talk about personality headcanons but i wont. yet. i need some content for other posts if i want to keep this blog alive

winston is in the dungeon for a LOOOONG time. im talking over 5 years baby. id make her more visually fucked up but i dont want to make details mcgee more complex to draw

if i was powerful id make more of her visually broken and those joint problems external in some way. thats for someone else to do though

several of her other not visible functions are long broken; plenty of her internal systems have long gone non-functional, including her radar, propellor, and ability to access some of her internal databanks (ie: memory)

her balance, visual and audio processors (sight/hearing) and control of her limbs fail occasionally too. her voicebox is broken (we know this) but it hasnt entirely failed.

system errors are effectively like an abscence seizure. BSOD for robots, basically

if im being realistic the whole glitching through walls shouldnt exist with how seriously im taking him. but it does anyway because i like fun

WHEELCHAIR WINSTON

this idea has lived rent free in my head for years its about time i got round to this

anyway while shes in the dungeon they do just effectively get fired on paper after a while; so when they show their face back up for real, he does just get fired officially for reals

he ends up finding refuge with old friends; william and alton. im not getting into my awesome dynamics with them here but they were close before the dungeon happened

he gets semi-patched up by will, whos learned some level of self maintenance thanks to his horrible leaky suit. will isn't familiar with skelecog maintenance though, so he could only fix some of his simpler problems

besides the external patch-ups, shes managed to get some simpler system fixes from him, enough to at least help with the frequent system errors and the glitching problems. theyre both still present, but not as severe.

everything else is still a problem though. in fact, some of them have gotten worse, particularly with his arms and legs. theyre prone to fail on a moments notice, and she tends not to go far without some sort of mobility device after a while.

IN SUPER DENIAL ABOUT BEING FIRED. he takes up a bunch of hobbies to keep himself busy now they dont have a job and makes herself a scarf in bootleg sellbot colours so they can pretend. they have to go through an arc before getting over that sorry.

can you tell this is the thing ive put the most thought into

okayyyyy thanks everyone who actually read alla that biiiiieeeeee

[incognitopolls]

Received a question "Any tips for starting up a poll blog?". The question was off anon, but for reasons related to my final point, I've chosen not to include the asker's identity.

Keep it as simple for yourself as you can. Some general things…

If you want lots of traction, avoid putting yourself in too small of a niche. If you don't care about reach and just want to post some fun polls, go as niche as you like. There just won't be as much buy-in for a blog with an extremely narrow focus like "Do you like this food from the 1870s?", but that's fine if that's what you're passionate about.

Tags are your friends and will be one of the primary ways your polls reach people until you have a large following. Tag appropriately (don't spam tags that aren't relevant), but tag liberally.

I use xkit rewritten to add all the basic tags that get added to every poll, so I only have to add content-related tags to each one as needed.

Keep extra media, links, etc to a minimum. I don't think it's generally necessary for every post to include a photo banner* or links to submit questions, etc; the more things you add to your "template," the more work you have to do for each poll, and it adds up! Also– there was a time where posts with links wouldn't show up in searches. I don't believe that's still the case, but I tend to avoid including links anyway unless they're necessary support for the topic.

*Re: photo banners/photos in general, it is a good rule of thumb to add descriptions to all images. Accessibility is important in and of itself; it also broadens your blog's reach by enabling more people to engage with your posts. To repeat the last point, the fewer images and banners you include, the less work you have to do specifically on adding descriptions.

If it ever becomes not-fun, you don't have to keep doing it.

I would only ever recommend running a poll blog to people who plan to run it from desktop. The poll editor on desktop is much, much easier to use than the mobile one.

And finally– it may not be every poll blogger's preference, but I highly recommend maintaining some level of anonymity. You don't owe anyone any details about who you are, and it helps give you some space at the end of the day to disconnect from public perception and pressure.

[doyoulikethis-videogame-song]

was hoping to clarify something about the rule of being officially released for whenever requests open up if it’s ok

if a song was cut from a game but was officially released entirely separate of the game’s OST is that still eligible?

If it was officially released (assuming in connection with that game) I don't see why not :)

Sidenote: I'm hoping to make a proper, complete clarification on the rules very soon. I know I have said this before but I finally have an actual draft worked up that will be finalized and uploaded (likely in both a post and blog link, as I learned that mobile users have a hard time accessing those pages). Thank you for your patience!

[ladamedusoif]

able

(Joel Miller x disabled F!Reader)

Pairing: Joel Miller x Disabled F!Reader

Summary: "I just don't think she'll be able for patrol". But then it's just you, Joel, and your trusty walking stick in the middle of nowhere...

Content/warnings: Reader is disabled (she has rheumatoid disease/arthritis in addition to panic attacks, she uses a walking stick as necessary); Reader had a sister; Reader is an art teacher; strong violence; blood; description of panic attack; references to impact of chronic illness and disability; references to medication; references to disease and death; non-canon compliant; Jackson!Joel; strong language; ableist language and abusive language

Rating: Mature; 18+ MDNI

Word Count: ~3.7k

A/N: After making a plea earlier in the week for people to actually write disabled Reader fic, as opposed to forcing writers to feel they have to tag literally everything in an able-bodied Reader story, I knew I had to put my money where my mouth was as a disabled, neurodivergent writer with various mental health things going on here and there. And this one-shot is the result.

This one is a little personal. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid disease about ten years ago, and Reader’s experiences are informed by my own (though, thankfully, I haven’t had to contend with an apocalypse that meant I couldn’t access the medication that has kept me going). She’s also inspired by @agentjackdaniels, who acted as consultant extraordinaire on walking sticks and panic attacks, and suggested the Joel picture for the moodboard. Thank you, Luce, for this, for fighting the good fight for representation in fic - and for beta-ing the story. 

(A note on terminology: rheumatoid disease/arthritis are sometimes used interchangeably. ‘Arthritis’ often sounds like it’s ‘just’ osteoarthritis to people who don’t know the difference. Rheumatoid, unlike osteoarthritis (which is shitty in its own ways), is a systemic, lifelong, chronic illness and an auto-immune disorder that affects the entire body, not just bones and/or joints. So personally I use ‘rheumatoid disease’ as it conveys more of the impact of the condition. It's also often seen as an 'old person' disease but this simply isn't true - not that this stops mobility aids being modelled by people in their 80s all the time...)

Please follow my writing blog @ladameecrit and turn on notifications to stay up to date with my work.

Dividers by @saradika - moodboard by me

You weren’t supposed to make it.

Twenty-odd years in the apocalypse with your fucked-up joints and no steady supply of the meds that kept you going, pushing through the cycles of fatigue, and fighting off your own goddamned immune system as much as you were fighting clickers and raiders. 

You really weren’t supposed to make it. But you had Annie.

You were sharing an apartment when the outbreak happened, a quirk of shitty personal circumstances - she’d just broken up with her long-term boyfriend - that probably helped save your life. Annie was the all-action sister - the kind of person who thinks there’s nothing weird about spending your weekends doing triathlons and “Tough Mudder” challenges, who had a perfect bill of health your entire lives, who bounced out of bed in the mornings while you cracked and creaked and stiffly manoeuvered yourself into being. 

The good days generally outweighed the bad in the years between your diagnosis with rheumatoid disease and the initial outbreak - or maybe you had just gotten used to the aches and pains and the occasional flare-ups of fatigue. You invested in a walking stick to help on those days when mobility was particularly bad: solid, heavy, and carved in a pale yellow wood. It felt like a comfort in your hand, more a sign of strength, to you, than of weakness. 

Annie helped you through the panic attack that consumed you on outbreak day, working with you to regulate your breathing and relax your tense muscles until you could finally say what was on your mind.

“My meds. What am I going to do without my meds?”

Nothing a quick smash and grab at the local pharmacy couldn’t fix. It was the first of many, stockpiling the little yellow tablets you relied on and taking as many packs of over-the-counter painkillers as you could carry. Useful currency in the apocalypse, as it turned out.

All-Action Annie was never going to cope with life in a QZ. She got the two of you out after months of planning, nights of whispered talk about a town out west that was normal - or something close to it, anyway. She hadn’t entertained your protestations about you slowing her down, holding her back.

“You think I’m leaving behind a girl who’s so handy with a weapon?” she’d teased, pointing to your walking stick. “Be real. We’re busting out together.”

The infection took hold in her about three days from Jackson. Fuckin’ barbed wire, tearing a jagged line through Annie’s hand and leaving behind an old-fashioned kind of threat to life, the kind penicillin had mostly dealt with. But that was then. This was now. 

She died in an abandoned farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, you holding her hand until the end, talking to her about your childhoods and trying to keep smiling until she closed her beautiful eyes. 

It took all your strength to dig her grave. And then, somehow, you found more.

You weren’t supposed to make it. But you did. 

Jackson stands before you. 

He sees you for the first time in the community dining hall, talking animatedly to Maria as you hungrily devour the food set in front of you. Eyes wide, face grubby, clothes ragged. Half-wild, he thinks, like most of the new arrivals. Like him and Ellie, once upon a time. He returns to his bowl of soup and his own thoughts - at least, until he’s interrupted by Maria.

“Joel? Want to introduce a new member of the community, just arrived.”

He doesn’t quite know why he’s surprised when he realises you’re leaning on a sturdy hand-carved walking stick in a solid, light yellow wood. Maybe it’s because he knows how physically hard it is to get here. Maybe he just assumed folks who needed a stick wouldn’t have been able to manage the journey. 

For a second he can hear Sarah’s voice in his head, chiding him for focusing on what a disabled person can’t do instead of what they can. 

“Joel?”

He snaps out of his reverie and looks from Maria to you. “Uh, hi. Sorry, just…sorry. Forgot my manners.”

“I was just saying how glad we are to have someone who can offer some art education in the town, isn’t that right, Joel?”

Your eyes are warm and mischievous as you meet his gaze, silently conveying your amusement at Maria’s rather brusque manner. It’s all Joel can do not to laugh.

“Sure is. You’re an artist, then?”

You shake your head. “Not a real one. I was an art teacher, before. Long time since I created anything, though, so I hope I remember how.”

He smiles softly, his gruff exterior receding a little. “Bet it’s just like riding a bike,” he says, before his face falls as he looks at your walking stick. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean… Shit. Hope I didn’t offend.”

“As it happens, I can ride a bike, Joel. The apocalypse just doesn’t give me much cause to.”

You leave him with a smile and a wink as Maria ushers you to meet other townsfolk. He watches you as you walk away, the tap-tap-tapping of your stick beating out a new rhythm in the heart of Jackson.

You think of Annie every morning when you wake up in the little house you’d been assigned. Sometimes, as you potter around the kitchen, still revelling in the novelty of making yourself morning coffee for the first time in two decades, you even talk to her. You tell her about the town, the townsfolk, your work in the community vegetable garden, your art classes. 

“Honestly, An, you wouldn’t believe how popular they are,” you tell the Annie who, in an alternate universe, is sitting at the kitchen table with her own mug of coffee. “I’m setting up extra sessions to cater for demand.”

There’s something uplifting in how hungry the people of Jackson are to make art, no matter their experience or existing skill level. They’ll draw stuff from memory, they’ll dutifully work on a still life, they’ll even traipse outside with you, wooden sketching boards in hand, and make rapid-fire sketches of the goings-on on Main Street. 

Joel doesn’t join a class - but the teenage girl Maria refers to as “Joel’s kid” does, all potty-mouthed and enthusiastic and pretty damned talented, to boot. Ellie tells you how she’s pinned up the drawings she’s proudest of in their home, “like our own fuckin’ art gallery or some shit.” 

You pull up a tall stool and sit beside her, resting your stick over your thighs. “Joel’s got his guitar and those dumbass model figures he paints,” she continues, leaning around her easel and squinting at the woman who’d volunteered to act as a life model for this week’s classes. “But this shit? This is real art.” She adds a little highlight to the woman’s sweater and leans back to assess the work.

“You probably got exempt from patrols, I’m guessing. On account of the stick, an’ all.”

“Maria asked, and I signed up happily. I got all the way here, didn’t I? I’m sure I can manage patrols. And it’s the least I can do - they’ve even found me some of the medications I need.”

Ellie nods, somewhat convinced, and returns to sketching out the contours around the model’s jaw.

The day of your first patrol arrives. You bundle up and set out early for the stables, allowing extra time to get there on account of the flare-up you’d been experiencing the day before. 

You arrive early - just in time, in fact, to overhear a heated conversation between Joel and Maria.

“She’s doing enough, ain’t she? I just don’t think she’ll be able for patrol.”

“You’ve seen her out and about, Joel. She’s mobile. She’s competent. She’s good with the horses. She got all the way here, the last stretch on her own. What more proof do you need?”

“You’re seriously gonna send a woman with a walking stick out on patrol?”

“I seriously am. Sent you and your bad back out, didn’t we?”

“That ain’t the same and you know it.”

“Just saddle the horses, Joel. And, in case you’re wondering - yes, I paired you together deliberately, just until she gets settled.” You hear her footsteps recede as she leaves him.

You had misjudged how much your already-limited grip would be further impeded by the gloves you’re wearing. The stick clatters to the ground.

“Who’s there?”

You emerge from the shadows. “Me. Sorry.”

Joel rolls his eyes and gruffly points out the tack and supplies.

The first patrol passes in silence. You wonder what happened to the softer man you’d caught a glimpse of the first day you arrived.

On the second patrol, you ask him questions about himself. On the third patrol, he asks (fewer) questions about you. By the fourth, you’re having something approximating normal conversation. 

“Sarah loved to make all kinds of stuff,” he ventures, leading the way on his chestnut horse. “Those beaded bracelets, that girly Lego in the pink and purple, all of that. My girl had enough Magic Markers to supply a whole elementary school. Maybe two.”

You can hear him smile, even without seeing his face. His shoulders relax a little as he recalls the memory.

“So she was a creative kid?”

“Creative, sporty… she could do anything. Made the school soccer team, she was so proud. Just a…” He pauses. “A great kid.”

There’s a few beats of silence, punctuated only by the sound of the horses snickering and the steady rhythm of their hooves on the ground. 

“What about your sister, was she arty like you?”

You’d told him about Annie on the last patrol. This was the first time he’d asked about her explicitly.

“She was the sporty one. I think that’s why I survived so long, truth be told. She was so strong and fast and tough as fuck.”

He chuckles, the burr of his voice resonating in the cold air. “Sounds like a good balance, though.”

“It is - it was. Was.” Your voice grows quieter as you repeat the word to yourself, chest starting to tighten. The horse slows, responding to the tension of your body, as Joel continues to trot on, not realising you’ve come to a halt behind him. 

And then the tell-tale snapping of a twig, the sound of footsteps, and the realisation there’s someone else there, emerging out of the woods. Two someones. 

Raiders. 

The panic attack that has been building inside you gives way. An innate fight or flight response kicks in as you roar his name. 

Joel turns and charges back towards you, just in time to see you take out one raider with a crack shot from your pistol. He slows the horse and readies his rifle, staring at the other man who is now trying to haul you off your mount.

“Get the fuck off me, motherfucker!” You flail against him, desperately shifting your weight to the other side of the saddle to try to shake him off. 

Joel takes aim. 

You think you’ve kicked the raider off. And that’s when you hit the ground.

He can’t take the shot now, not with her half-hidden from his view and audibly fighting off the man who’s dragged her to the ground. Joel is still a little distance away, slightly too far to see exactly what’s happening. 

Why didn’t he hear her slowing? Why didn’t he realise she was further behind than she ought to be? Why did she slow in the fuckin’ first place?

Joel quickly dismounts, rifle in hand, moving closer so he can get a clearer shot at the guy who’s now standing over her. The horse’s elegant neck obscures the raider’s hands from Joel’s vision - he has no idea if he’s pointing a gun at her or not. 

He thinks he has a clear sight on the guy’s head, provided he stays in the same position. He readies the rifle. 

Suddenly, the raider disappears, letting out a primal roar before he hits the ground. 

“You fucking cunt!”

Joel can see she’s standing now, the man prone before her. As he rounds the horse he sees her lift her cane, hands securely gripping the pointed end of the stick. 

She brings the solid, weighty handle down on the raider’s leg with a sickening crunch. Even Joel recoils a little at the sight and the sound.

“F-f-fucking…c-c-cunt!”

Thwack. The other leg. 

Fuck. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

”Keep calling me that, and I’ll keep the blows coming.”

Holy fuck. Who is she?

”C-c-c-cripple.”

”Excuse me?”

The raider props himself up on his arms. “I said, cripple. Fucking crippled cunt.”

“You shut your fuckin’ mouth.” Joel cocks his rifle. 

The stranger sneers at Joel. “Awww, he’s actin’ the big man now. Weren’t too quick gettin’ back down here to save your cripple woman, were ya?”

Before Joel can react, she swings her stick over her head and brings it down on the man’s skull with a furious scream that seems to come from the very depths of her being. 

She screams and screams as she hits him, over and over, eyes wild in her blood-spattered face. Joel recognises this: in himself; hell, in Ellie. It’s the moment when the floodgates open and all those years of pain blend together and zone in on this convenient target, an avatar for everyone and everything who had forced loss and trauma upon you. 

He roars at her to stop, but knows she can’t hear him. It’s just her and the raider, now: her rage and fear and grief finding their expression through a walking stick turned cudgel.

A single shot ends it. She turns sharply, as if snapped out of a trance, and sees the smoke leaving Joel’s pistol. 

“Hey. Hey. You alright?” His broad hands grip your biceps as he looks into your eyes.

Yes, you tell him, yes. You’re fine. But Joel keeps asking. 

“Talk to me. Are you okay? I’m worried about you. Please, just talk to me.”

You are moving your mouth, but no sound is coming out. The familiar vice is tightening around your chest. You look down at your blood-stained hands and you struggle to breathe. 

“��M dying, Joel. Can’t breathe. All the blood. So much. Why can’t I breathe?”

Oh, he realises with a pang. She gets these things too. And I know how to help.

“You’re okay, you hear?” He’s rubbing your arms gently, keeping his gaze on you. “You’re alright. Breathe along with me, okay?”

It’s difficult to find the rhythm, at first. Joel’s hands find yours and squeeze them in time with his breath.

”In through your nose, that’s it. Slow and steady. Now out through your mouth.”

He can see your muscles starting to visibly relax. A wave of relief courses over him.

”Yeah, that’s it - you got this. You got this, good girl, you’re just fine. Gonna be alright.”

When he’s confident your breathing has settled and the panic attack receded somewhat, he gently guides you away from the body of the dead raider, one hand holding your horse’s bridle and the other holding yours. 

“Why don’t you have a seat for a minute, huh?” Joel gestures to a long, low tree trunk lying near the forest’s edge and opens his saddlebags, rummaging until he finds a cloth, a battered hip flask and a bag of dried apple slices.

”Here.” He wipes the blood as best he can from your hands and proffers the flask, settling his substantial frame beside you on the log. “Have a sip or two, just to relax you a little bit more. Got a snack, here, too.”

You flinch at the taste of the liquor, but take a second sip regardless. The apple slices barely taste of anything in the afterburn of the moonshine. Joel nibbles on some jerky and stares into the middle distance. 

You take a break from patrol, agreed with Maria, and a few days off your art classes. It was tempting to keep going, to return to the light and airy studio and to your students. But you feared a relapse.

And your body needed to recover physically, too. You ached from head to toe, fingers and toes puffy and swollen and movement seriously restricted. You ration out the supply of medication you’ve secured since getting here, and use hot water bottles and plenty of rest to try to ride out the flare in your arthritis.

Three days after the incident, there’s a knock on the door. You hobble to answer it, leaning on your trusty stick for support.

”Came by to see how you were doing. Got you some things if you needed ‘em.”

Joel is standing on your front porch, holding a jute grocery bag. He pauses, as if waiting for you to give him permission to say more.

”That’s so very kind of you, Joel. Come in, won’t you? I was able to set a fire so it’s nice and cosy.”

He watches as you lead the way into the living room, noting how much slower you were today. Guilt laps at his conscience. He said she shouldn’t go on patrol. He knew.

”You want me to bring these into the kitchen for you?”

“That would be a great help. Thank you.” He’s glad to see you smile, after the trauma of the patrol. “If you want a drink, I’ve got some tea and coffee in the cupboard just to the left of the sink.”

He pops his head back into the living room. “What would you like?” 

“A tea would be perfect. Mugs are in the cupboard to the right.”

You wrap yourself back up in your blankets on the couch, making room for Joel when he returns with the drinks and a couple of cookies, sent over by Ellie as part of his care package for you. The mug feels like a comfort in your aching hands, its heat assuaging the inflammation ravaging your joints.

He sips his coffee and you sit in silence for a little bit, watching the flames dance over the firewood. 

“Have you, uh - you been okay, doing okay, since…”

Joel stares into his coffee cup and then looks at you, a little awkward. You smile, hoping to reassure him.

”I’ve been okay. Just the physical pain and exhaustion, mostly. And - well, you saw it. The panic. It can leave you drained.”

He nods and takes another swig of his drink. “I know. I - I’ve had times like that, too. Real fuckin’ scary, when you’ve never gone through it before.”

You study his face for a moment or two, noting the little scar on his temple, the lines on his face, the stern expression completely undermined by the warmth of his deep brown eyes. For an instant, he seems so vulnerable, this strong, tough man sitting on your little couch. 

“I haven’t had an attack like that in a while. But then, I hadn’t done anything like that in a while.”

This time Joel turns to look at you properly. “Not your first rodeo, huh?”

You giggle at the turn of phrase. “Not quite. Let’s just say my stick did a lot of work over the last twenty years. He wasn’t the first to feel the brunt of it.”

Joel nods, and you feel strangely relieved that he doesn’t seem surprised. “Doesn’t get easier, though, does it?”

“It does not. Which is why it’s better to avoid having to do it.”

”I agree. Gotta say, though, I - I was worried you wouldn’t be able for patrol, y’know?”

You arch an eyebrow at him. “I know. I overheard you, remember?”

He blushes. “Aw, shit. Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I just didn’t want anything happening to you, what with your - condition, and all.”

You sigh softly, not really noticing the affection in his voice. “Most of the time, I’m fine. Y’know? I’m slower, but I do okay. I get tired more easily, but I manage. I didn’t come here to be a drain on the community.”

”You aren’t.”

”I know, but I want to keep it that way. I want to pull my weight. I’m able, Joel.”

He huffs in agreement. “Not like I’m a perfect specimen these days, either. Knees, fuckin’ back, deaf in one ear…” 

You chuckle. “And you thought I wouldn’t manage patrol? Anyway, you’re not doing so bad, are you?”

He gives you a little smile, but that constant sadness still haunts his eyes. He stares at his coffee for a moment.

“You knew what you were doing, though.”

”I did. But I didn’t feel like I could stop.” You sip your tea, swallowing hard. “And I’m scared that makes me some kinda monster. You know?”

Oh, he knows. He knows it too well.

”You aren’t a monster.” Joel resists the urge to put an arm around you. “You just… something snapped, I guess. All that - well, all that hell you’ve gone through. It… it changes you. But it doesn’t make you a monster.”

He realises you’re crying before you do, spotting the fat tears that roll down your cheeks. He finds a clean handkerchief in his jeans and offers it to you. 

Fuck it. 

“Can I - can I put an arm round you? Just for some support?”

Your eyes light up, tears or no tears, and you nod enthusiastically. Joel is warm and comforting, his broad chest and strong arms a kind of anchor in the emotional storm. You nuzzle against him, and he gives you a little squeeze on the arm.

”You’re a really brave woman, you know that?”

His voice is quieter, more intentional. You look at him quizzically from under your lashes, unused to praise of this kind. For an instant you think about asking him what he means. But the safety you’ve found in the broad arm draped around you is all you need right now. 

You nuzzle a little against his chest, and watch the fire dancing for the rest of the night. 

[eclipsecrowned]

BLOG MOVE!

Long overdue, blog has become a complete mess, Hoping to enter 2025 with some more positive energy by being able to pre-empt blocking some real freaks out there who like to lurk on my page and a better focus on ic!

What this is going to look like:

Fresh transfer to a new blog, though I will slow drip in what people would prefer be transferred over*. Mild rework of muse page to remove muses that no longer or never generated interest. A tighter focus on what sparks joy for me as much as for my partners bc tbh i got kind of exhausted being 'the x person' or not feeling that all muses were regarded as equal in different fandoms.

Timetable:

I'm going to spend the next few days I have off doing the heavy lifting of actual coding/aesthetics/test posting, and so on. Over time, I will be finalizing my carrd to have more in depth information for all muses, as well as the easy-access mobile muse page for people who just want it short or sweet. I also intend to ensure each muse has a fully functional tag system before moving bc these same named bitches w a tbt appended are killing me. Is this Charlotte from B*rserk or Charlotte from Debede? Shut up past Kadi I'm going to kill you. This hopefully means I will be fully ready to go in early-mid January if not a little sooner. For now, I will still be semi-active/lurking here just grabbing everything I need, and will let you all know when that changes.

What's coming with me:

Dynamics/Ships

Headcanons

Most of you hopefully!

Probably most muses

Most fandoms, with a few greatly expanded character-wise

Any threads people want me to transfer*

Any IC or meta asks people want me to transfer*

*The focus at the start is on just setting a new daily writing habit, which means I will likely focus on new threads and asks to start. However, I don't intend to totally abandoned some threads that have been plotted or even just interest me. The main point is that I will put those on the back burner until I can give them the focus and energy they deserve. If there is a thread or ask you want on rotation moving forward, please fill out this form so I can hold on to it :D

If you 100% want to remain mutuals the new blog like this post and I will follow you once it's identifiable as mine/not a bot.

[jaxfromthatcircus]

Finally, it's here. The randysworld2009 masterdoc.

The following odocument is covering everything that the mod of this blog could gather, along with the help of the people that spoke up and the friends and family that were affected by this dude.

I want to personally thank @sunification, @the-amazing-digital-moon and @honeylavendersweets for their help, this wouldn't be possible without them.

With no more wait, doc be upon ye.

Having read all of that, one of the main problems that people have been facing with this guy is regarding blocking, where someone does it but he keeps coming back anyways. One of the suggestions is that it's because blocking is only blog-level, and not account-level, that means that you have to block a person individually in each side blog of yours.

How do you block someone in a side blog?

WEB version

First, you need to find your blog settings. For that, click on Account -> choose the side blog you want to blog them on and click it -> View blog -> Blog settings

You'll have to scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find the "Blocked Tumblrs" part.

Click on the pencil and type the blog's @, then click on BLOCK.

And boom, immediately added to the list!

Mobile APP version

So far, unfortunately, there is not a way to block from side accounts on the mobile app yet. The way around it is to access Tumblr from your mobile navigator in desktop mode and follow the same steps as the above.

@randysworld2009

I fucked your mom.

[little-acts-of-gratitude]

Hello, Tumblr! I am incredibly excited to announce the start of my biggest project so far: Little Acts of Gratitude! It's a post-WW AU fancomic that follows a Ganondorf redemption-ish story set on the Great Sea, in which Link decides to defy fate right before the final duel and bring his sworn enemy back to the surface. But why? The comic explores the Triforce Trio and the world around them, in an attempt to solve the ancient mysteries and tie the loose ends. Suffice it to say, I have big, big plans for this story >:^з.

If you have access to desktop Tumblr, I recommend reading the comic that way, as you’ll be able to see a fancy blog theme with a comfy pagination and a banner for each chapter! But if not, there'll also be a dedicated pagination system for mobile users, like this:

(Page 0) next >

And now, FAQ/Disclaimer/whatever:

There’s no upload schedule planned as of now. I’ll try my best to aim for monthly updates and have at least a little backlog whenever possible, but more often than not I’ll probably upload the pages as soon as I am done with them. Also I’ll make sure to announce any major hiatuses if for some reason updates will take more time than planned. Just please don’t send any asks/DMs regarding this matter.

As a non-native English speaker, I’d greatly appreciate it if you guys pointed out any grammar mistakes I might make! This goes double for the instances of me using ASL for Link, as I don’t have any kind of experience with sign languages.

You may see the artifacts on the pages - this is the result of me Glazing them, just to see how that pans out. I'll... probably think of an option to show you guys the clean hi-res pages eventually.

For now, the comic will stay a Tumblr exclusive — but I am thinking of potentially crossposting it on other webcomic-hosting platforms! Once I amass a decent amount of pages and decide where exactly to upload them, I will provide links. As for the social media presence, I... don't really have anything other than Tumblr (except, well, iykyk), so no promises there.

And for, uh, legal purposes: the Legend of Zelda series belongs to Nintendo; I am not affiliated with them and do not claim ownership on anything other than the artwork itself. Not that they're currently going for fancomics, thankfully.

And... Thanks for taking time to read this! My lack of work ethics is my lifelong nemesis, but I hope that, despite everything, this comic will see the light of day, that I won’t stop working on it until I’m done, and that you will have a great time reading my silly little AU for a silly little vidyagame ✨!

[seeyouonsaturn]

Commissions Post

My cat needs her pills, plus I really want more Prowl content. Unexpected expenses keep showing up to punch me in the face. Do you have coin for me?

🪻 I'm posting these on this blog, but unfortunately I am Not Good at drawing mech, unless I have an exact reference. So basically, I can redraw a character in the exact pose of the ref you send me, but that's about it. Headshots are probably fine though!

🪻 I DO love drawing cats! Cats are my specialty, and animals (mostly cat-like ones) in general are up there too, both feral and anthro. I would love to draw your fursonas or pets, or whatever else you have!

🪻 Also I LOVE selfships and oc x canon! Give them to me!

Prices

I'm keeping my prices rather loose because I don't have the slightest idea how to price things. They're mostly PWYW with a minimum.

🪻 Headshot

12€+

🪻 Halfbody

19€+

🪻 Fullbody

29€+

🪻 Reference Sheet

33€ - 60€+ depending on what you want on it!

🪻 Fursuit Badge

15€ - 30€ depending on what you want on it!

🪻 Additional Characters

+75% of the original price as a general rule

May change on a case-by-case basis depending on size, complexity and visibility

*feral cats are -5€ because I love drawing them!

*I may charge more for particularly complex characters

Examples!

Had to make them into collages because of tumblr mobile's image limit

🪻 Payment will be via Paypal

🪻 DMs can be via tumblr or discord – you'll only have to dm me here to ask for my discord handle, as I'd rather not make it public.

🪻 Turnaround time is a week maximum, but more than likely will be no more than a day or two in most cases. I'll do my best to communicate if something delays me.

🪻 You can dm me with what you'd like (provide as many details and references as possible, please spam me with details and references). Then I'll tell you what the price would be. If you agree to it, I will start sketching! Once you approve of the sketch, you'll pay me, and I will then continue your drawing.

🪻 My art is exclusively traditional – done on paper with colored pencils. I can not provide digital art. Once you approve of the final product, it will be scanned and can be sent to you via tumblr, discord, or e-mail. I'm also happy to mail the physical drawing, if the buyer pays for shipping!

-> regarding fursuit badges, I can also laminate! However I do not have access to products such as shiny foil etc, so if you'd like your badge laminated a certain way, you'll have to do it yourself. I'll normal-laminate for free though, I have a lot of those foil pouches. So, so many. I'm drowning in those things.

-> I can write your socials on the back for free, however if you'd like more than that, there'll be an extra fee. Just talk to me about it!

🪻 I'm going to do my best to send as many WIPs as I can to ensure you get what you want! I'm also happy to do as many revisions as necessary – I want you to be happy with the outcome! However, please keep in mind that, since this is traditional art, after I begin lining and coloring, there's only so much in terms of changes I can do.

🪻 No refunds unless you have a valid reason for needing to cancel. Amount of money refunded will depend on how much work has been completed.

🪻 Once you pay and get your art, it's yours to do with as you please. I only ask that you credit me if you post it and don't claim it as your own.

🪻 Will Draw

I'm best at cats/animals/furries, but I can do humans decently enough and I'm willing to attempt other things as long as you're okay with the results not being 100%! [Remember you can always change your mind if you dislike the initial sketch, no hard feelings!]

Any character! Your pets! Fursuit badges! Your favorite ship, any ship! Selfships very much included!

I'll draw pretty much whatever you want as long as you pay me! I don't care. I don't judge. Money's money. You want your favorite character buying wonderbread? Say no more fam. I gotchu.

However I am very inexperienced at straight-up nsf.w. I'm happy to do it, but I can't guarantee great results.

🪻 Won't Draw

Complex mech. I'm so sorry. Yes I'm a Transformers fan. I suffer too. Maybe some day.

Detailed backgrounds

saliva/sweat/e.meto content as a whole. Sorry, but i have severe e.metophobia so that's an absolute no.

Excessive gore – I actually do not mind it at all, I'm just very bad at it

Real people (yourself in for example a selfship context is of course fine! I just won't draw anyone that hasn't consented to being drawn)

Hateful ideologies, offensive content. I decide what this means

H/rry Potter. I am very transgender.

TfA!Prowl ship content. As you can see by looking at my blog, we're married and I'm nonsharing.

Unsure if I'll be able to do what you want? You can always ask! I'm judgement-free and the absolute worst thing I'll say is no.

🪻 I reserve the right to reject commissions at any point and for any reason

[spnfanficpond]

Weekly Pond Newsletter

The world was very political today, and we try to be an escape from reality, so we spent the day talking and writing about our blorbos and having fun. How did you escape from reality today?

Oops. Sorry, Mary! (Also, Happy Father's Day to the dads out there, whether they are blood or not!)

Old Business:

May 2025 Angel Fish Awards - Click here for a list of awesome fic recs, and congratulations to @rusearusco for winning the raffle!

SPN Rewatch: FanFic Edition - We talked about 4.19 Jump The Shark and 4.20 The Rapture, and then later had writing sprints to write fics inspired by those episodes! One fic has already been posted by @walkingaline! Read The Rapture here!

Last week's #FlashFicFriday prompts - Gotta say, I got nothin' with this lot. Do you see something inspiring here? Tell us all about it!

New Business:

Prompted Writing Sprints - Admin Marie will host a round of writing sprints inspired by the monthly prompt at noon EDT today. Anyone who participates in the sprints and posts a fic related to the prompt wins a prize! This month's prompt is BEING SICK.

Writer's Hangout with Manta Ray Laili - Laili will be hanging out in our voice channels on Monday at 11am EDT to chat with you about all things writing! Bring your frustrations, your ideas, and your triumphs!

Manta Ray Chats - We have THREE chats coming up this week! Manta Ray Liz ( @xpurdyglambertx ) will be chatting on Tuesday at 5pm EDT. Manta Ray Arthur ( @heavenssexiestangel ) will be chatting on Thursday at 2pm EDT. Finally, Manta Ray Andrea ( @walkingaline ) will be chatting on Friday at 7pm EDT!

Fishing For Treasures - Next weekend is FFT weekend here at the Pond, and we will be celebrating fics with POC and LGBTQIA+ characters! Send us the fics you'd like to see reblogged on our blog by either submitting a link to the blog or dropping a link in the #fishing-for-treasures channel in our Discord server. The deadline for submissions is Friday night at midnight EDT!

Competitive Writing Sprints - Next weekend, on Sunday at 6:30pm EDT, Manya Ray Andrea ( @walkingaline ) will host a session of general writing sprints. Bring your WIP and win fabulous prizes! Prizes are awarded to those who win individual sprints and to whoever writes the most words over all the sprints!

(Divider by @glygriffe!)

That’s all for this week! To see all Pond events, and also other SPN-related things like conventions and online concerts, check out our Google calendar! Click here for a static view in Eastern US/Canada time (desktop only, no mobile app access, sadly), and click here to add our calendar to your own Google calendar! We try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. If there’s something you want to see on the calendar that’s not there (maybe a convention we missed, cast birthdays, or something similar), send us an ASK and let us know!

Hope you have a great week! - From your Admins and Manta Rays:

Michelle - @mrswhozeewhatsis

Marie - @mariekoukie6661

Arthur - @heavenssexiestangel

Laili - @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

Andrea - @walkingaline

Liz - @xpurdyglambertx

Mana - @manawhaat

[benthan-week-forever]

Benthan Week 2024 Themes

The votes are in! There were so many fabulous themes, both beloved classics and shiny new ideas, and the voting was neck-and-neck. See the final results below 👀🌈

Monday, August 12

Day 1: Old injury flare up

               Alternate theme: One vanishes (either of their own accord or against their will) and the other stops at nothing to find them

Tuesday, August 13

Day 2: The good ol’ Ethan sees Benji shirtless

               Alternate theme: Amnesia

Wednesday, August 14

Day 3: Enemy spy wears a mask of Ethan or Benji, the other has to notice (a “who is the real one” situation)

               Alternate theme: Unwanted sexual attention towards one and how the other handles it

Thursday, August 15

Day 4: Bickering over something, like old married couples do

               Alternate theme: Hurt Ethan and protective Benji

Friday, August 16

Day 5: Fake relationship

               Alternate theme: Getting turned on at an inappropriate time

Saturday, August 17

Day 6: Let Ethan retire/have his happy ending/walk away from the IMF

               Alternate theme: Getting frisky on a mode of transportation (boat, train, etc.)

Sunday, August 18

Day 7: Fake/Wrong date (ex. Ethan thinks he’s meeting someone for a mission, Benji thinks he’s on a date)

               Alternate theme: Going on an undercover mission, wearing costumes to blend in

We've got about two months to start creating! (Though, if you're anything like me, it'll be a panicked two AM writing sesh the night before the first day 😅) In the meantime, feel free to drop a message if you've got a question not answered by the FAQ, which you can access here, at the top of the desktop blog, or via the pinned post on mobile.

Have fun, everyone!!

[pillowfort-social]

Site Update - 2/9/2024

Hi Pillowfolks!

Today is the day. Post Queueing & Scheduling is finally here for everyone. Hooray! As always we will be monitoring closely for any unexpected bugs so please let us know if you run into any.

New Features/Improvements

✨ *NEW* Queue & Schedule - One of the most highly requested features has finally arrived at Pillowfort. Users can now effortlessly Queue or Schedule a post for a future time.  

Queue helps keep your Pillowfort active by staggering posts over a period of hours or days. Just go to your Settings page to set your queue interval and time period.

How to add a post to your queue: 

While creating a new post or editing a draft, click on the clock icon to the right of the “Publish” button and choose “Queue.” Then click “Queue” when you’re ready to submit the post.

Schedule assigns a post a specific publishing time in the future (based on your timezone you’ve selected in Account Settings). How to schedule a post: 

While creating a new post or editing a draft, click on the clock icon to the right of “Publish” and choose “Schedule.” Enter the time you wish to publish your post, click on “Submit” and then click “Schedule.” 

How to review your queued & scheduled posts: 

On the web, your Queue is available in the user sidebar located on the left side of the screen underneath “Posts.” (On mobile devices, click on the three line icon located on the upper left of your screen to access your user sidebar.)

Note: the “Queue” button will only display if you have one or more queued or scheduled posts.

A CAVEAT: It is not currently possible to queue or schedule posts to Communities. We do intend to add this feature in the future, but during development it was determined that enabling queueing & scheduling to Communities would require additional workflow and use case requirements that would extend development time when this project has already been delayed, and so it was decided to release queue & scheduling for blogs only at the present time. We will add the ability to queue & schedule to Communities soon after the Pillowfort PWA (our next major development project) is complete.

✨ End of Year Fundraiser Reward Badges: End of Year Fundraiser Rewards Badges will begin to be distributed today. We'll update everyone when distribution is done.  

✨ End of Year Fundraiser Reward Frames: As a special thank you to our community for helping keep Pillowfort online we have released two very special (and cozy!) Avatar Frames for all users. 

As for the remaining End of Year Fundraiser Rewards - we will be asking the Community for feedback on the upcoming Light Mode soon. 

✨ Valentine’s Day Avatar Frame: A new Valentine’s Day inspired frame is now available!

✨ Valentine’s Day Premium Frames: Alternate colors of the Valentine’s Day frame are available to Pillowfort Premium subscribers. 

✨ Site FAQ Update - Our Site FAQ has received a revamp.  

Terms of Service Update

As of today (February 9th), we are updating our Terms of Service to prohibit the following content:

Images created through the use of generative AI programs such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and Dall-E.

An explanation of how this policy will be enforced and what exactly that means for you is available here: https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/4317673

Thank you again for your continued support. Other previously mentioned updates (such as the Pillowfort Premium Price increase, Multi Account Management, PWA, and more) will be coming down the pipeline soon. As always, stay tuned for updates. 

Best, Staff

[fire-branded]

fire·brand noun: firebrand; plural noun: firebrands 1. a person who is passionate about a particular cause, typically inciting change and taking radical action;

Independent roleplay blog for Archduke Elwin Rosfield of Final Fantasy XVI, written by Vonny

Established June 2023; formerly @phoenix-flamed

Exploring themes such as: love and duty; honor and betrayal; falling from grace; death and rebirth; coping with trauma and survivor's guilt; reconciliation with one's past self; war for freedom and peace, and a lost soldier's return home;

Cross-over friendly. All interactions are welcome! Most information can be accessed on Carrd page for mobile users.

Carrd | About | Verses | Rules | Tags | Graphics Credit

[santae-salt]

Big tangent incoming, I'm so sorry. This website is an accessibility NIGHTMARE.

No pet site has ever put me in so much agonizing fibromyalgia pain, it's absolutely unreal. Flight Rising was already pretty bad in that regard but at least you can use multi-link opening even if staff gets a stick up their asses about it. You can't even do that on most Santae pages because of how they've coded the site.

Everything is so mouse oriented and menus can't even stay consistent between similar items, making it horrendous to navigate both physically and visually. It's physically agonizing and the site is in desperate need of keybinds for certain actions and optional accessibility toggles for things like mining to allow you to clear all the rocks in one go considering there's no gameplay mechanics to it and it's predetermined on load in.

Same shit with fishing only fishing has the added bonus of being almost impossible to see.

Speaking of impossible to see, the NPC shop index is a visual nightmare that is almost impossible to parse between the assault of colors, the font choice, and constantly moving things around and cramming in more. I have to squint for so long to find anything I want and it makes me not want to play at all.

Also the check prices link is soooo tiny and so hard to hit on mobile, which is just an insult to literal physical injury when the mobile version of the site is the only way I can play without being in physical agony.

Literally after my first day playing on PC (which was a couple weeks ago I think? Time is fake.) I had to have a three day recovery period from the pain it put me in. I know Santae is new but like. Devs have had years and years of watching other sites and the kinds of failures and complaints they face when they don't build with accessibility in mind. This is far past egregious and the fact that no one can bring up accessibility concerns or quality of life necessities without passive aggression or having to worry about being stalked and having the devs make up reasons to ban you to shut you up (which was already the FR experience) is EXTREMELY ALARMING.

We didn't need yet another pet site dev with unwarranted self importance and a supermassive ego, but here we are! I'm so tired of this age of incompetent management making themselves immune to feedback and meaningful change with intimidation, tyranny, or worse... fabricated victim complexes. (ie; FR devs claiming feedback is harassment and huwts their feewings )'': ) I'm tired. I have been around a long time.

I joined Neopets and Gaia Online when they were brand new. I watched the Sylestia shit show. I was in the FR closed Beta. I have seen just so much hubris and so many pet and doll sites burn down and it is always because of greed, entitlement, unwarranted self importance from admins, and general developer narcissism and unprofessionalism. I just want a pet site that isn't run by greedy dickheads with supermassive egos and a general lack of empathy, but that just seems like the default state of admins across the board.

Oh and?? Why is there so much LGBTQIA+ apparel for seemingly cherry picked identities but all Intersex people get is like a pin?? Incredible display of discrimination as if Intersex people don't suffer and face alienation enough. And finally I know it's been said to death but I wish people would stop giving them money until they abolish all the AI bullshit.

Anyway I appreciate this blog and the mod because it's unironically the most civil one I've ever seen and I hope it stays that way! Sorry for the tangent! Lots of love and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

☁️

[chadsuke]

post the sites!!

I’ve got quite a few!

gaylactic spectrum awards - sff + horror lgbt awards, ran from 1999-2018. I’ve linked the archived website bc their current website is broken (at least on mobile, where I’m accessing it).

otherwise award - formerly known as the tiptree award, speculative fiction that explores/expands upon gender. running 1991 to present day.

lambda sffh award - while I’m sure a million of you have heard of the lambda awards, there’s a specific section for sff + horror. 1989 to present day.

queer horror - while the site was updated in 2020, in practice most of the books are on the older end of the spectrum. there’s a section for queer horror books, queer vampire books, queer werewolf books, and queer ghost books.

lesbian science fiction - literally exactly what it says. science fiction books written about wlw or by wlw, with the occasional “badass straight woman” thrown in. has almost 500 books, still updating in present day.

queer scifi - while the site in general is worth checking out for some great reads, I want to draw special attention to the “out of the past” blog post series, which focuses on lgbt sff by decade. for some reason the first post in the series doesn’t have the tag, you can find it here.

Finally, here’s an article on feminist lesbian scifi from the 1970s.

please use this opportunity to read some older lgbt books!!! there is nothing more satisfying than reading a book older than you and deeply clicking with it/the characters. I’m throwing myself deep into this so I will be happily posting recs as I find/finish them.