#. some new icons. a new banner maybe

[stcries]

fiddled around a bit, but i managed to cook up this new ask banner, what we thinking?

[reginrokkr]

Strangely enough, today I feel in the zone writing-wise so I might try my luck at emptying my inbox completely now that I'm sitting on just 5 asks! I might also continue with the AQ post series for Dain and finish Requiem of the Echoing Depths and post more memes if I do end up writing those 5 asks left. Feels good to be productive again.

[obeymeow]

being neurodivergent is all fun and games until you remember those hourly quote bots on twitter and think well maybe I can't make a bot anymore but I could schedule a few quotes a day, that shouldn't be hard. it sounds fun to have a bunch of quotes of my favorite character Thirteen from hit mobile game Obey Me! and its sequel Obey Me! Nightbringer. and then you think about how arduous collecting the quotes is going to be but she's only been in the games for maybe a year and a half with little screentime and you love collecting things so you start but then you remember that you love collecting things so naturally you have ALL of her screentime in the game and suddenly you have 45k characters of quotes and are several lessons into season 4 (which is truly a trial in and of itself) but not nearly close enough to the end but you refuse to just stop collecting the quotes and make the account with the EXCESS of what you have already because you literally only have season 4 to get through and if you don't do it just seeing the bot (because now you've been informed you can make tumblr bots instead) will haunt you with that knowledge even if nobody else would ever know. this is a general anecdote of a situation that could easily happen to anyone though and not in any way related to my life

[charliesinfern0]

I need to redo my list of f/os and ocs

[thetonethetollandthethunder]

Heh heh i have new ideas for a banner and icon!!!!

[fryknave]

desperately need to update every single blog i have on here theyre all so boring and same-y looking

[threewaysdivided]

New Desktop Dash, No Bueno

Okay so, new dash layout on desktop.

As seems to be a common reaction: not a fan.

Let's talk about some of the issues:

1. Really visually cluttered

The new sidebar crowds out the dashboard content and the bright blue popup notifications (now at the side AND top) and create-post bar pull your eyes in different directions. There is no space for the eye to rest on anymore - it's all noise. The end result is that everything flattens - there's no focal point anymore.

It's also pretty overwhelming - even for someone like me - so I can't imagine it would be very user-friendly to someone who was photosensitive or struggled with visual overload (especially when paired with the high-contrast 'true blue' default site palette and animated icons for the changes-on-tumblr/staff-picks/trending buttons).

2. The activity pop-up now covers dashboard content

This is really bad from a usability standpoint. In the old layout the activity pop-up used to drop down over the recommended blogs sidebar. Now it actively gets in the way of looking at core content. The dash is why we are here, burying it like this is baffling.

The search bar now drops down over the recommended blogs banner instead, but where the old design had non-critical space on each side of the dashboard to visually allow both features to pop in, this new layout is way worse for efficiency. And for what? Having a rarely-used former drop-down menu now permanently active? The old banner with quick-links for the key use-features (notes, messages, askbox) made much more design sense.

It also means that the activity pop-up gets now completely covered by the blog pop-up that opens when you click the notification, so double demerit there. 0/10.

3. It's harder to navigate to the activity page, and the new page-stretch means you can't see new notes without scrolling down

That first bit is kind of a nitpick but cramming the 'See everything' link down at the bottom of a browser window isn't a great navigation choice. (Again, the visual signifiers and eye-direction in this new design are incredibly poor.)

That the main activity page now requires you to scroll to even see the top note due to the new display ratio is really egregious. It makes another key site feature just slightly less convenient and accessible in a very irritating way. Bad choice.

4. The new ratio pushes the Radar and Main Sponsored slot completely off-screen

This one is directed the tumblr staff: that's also a bad choice, guys. That's your main ad-slot for people loading into Tumblr so hiding it is going to hurt both your ad-impressions and your ability to promote the ad-free option. The new layout ratio also means that the in-dash ads are going to be a lot more invasively screen-filling - and let's be real most users will either add-block or leave before purchasing ad-free. I have no idea what the new layout is trying to achieve but if ad optimisation is the goal then this ain't it, chief.

To be honest I cannot comprehend the rationale for this change. I guess it's visually a bit more like Twitter... but that site is currently being demolished from the inside by poor management decisions so maybe it's not the best aesthetic to be aping.

Well then, what do?

Okay so, new dash bad. And so, in true Tumblr spirit: we complain. However, to get results we must deploy the art of kvetching productively.

If you want the old dash back (or at least, a better new-dash design that corrects some of these big weaknesses) what you should do is head over to https://www.tumblr.com/support and lodge a feedback ticket pointing out the problems. The more users who do that, the more likely you are to see an effective response.

Remember, tagging @staff and @support in posts won't fix this. There's no guarantee they'll see it among the notes barrage.

Also: please don't be rude or abusive when you lodge tickets. Whoever is manning those blogs and inboxes probably isn't the person who forced through this change. Save an intern, be polite.

Go forth in disgruntlement to keep this hellhole a hellhome.

[bairdthereader]

Charlie Spring, An Appreciation: Part 1, Courage

Nick Nelson gets a lot of love, and justifiably so; I'll be the first to admit that he's amazing (see my many Nick-related posts as evidence). But I hear all too often that Charlie is leveling up by being with Nick, or that Nick is too good for Charlie. I beg to differ—vehemently—and here's why, part 1 (of 3, maybe?).

I often find myself in awe of Charlie during some of the quietest and least dramatic parts of the Heartstopper show and comics, because his bravery, resilience, and tenacity are displayed in ways that seem inconsequential, but are actually incredibly meaningful and telling. This boy has a thread of steel running through him, whether it's obvious at first glance or not.

We see this almost from the very beginning, when Charlie is assigned to a new form and told that he'll be sitting next to Nick, "one of the rugby boys," and, "I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly." Here is not only Charlie's worst personal nightmare, but also a teacher who is blithely unaware of the terrible position he's just put Charlie in--being placed in close, daily proximity to the type of person Charlie associates with the darkest time of his life. But we don't see fear on his face, or even that much dread—this tells us so much about him in just a nanosecond. There's resignation and bitterness, yes, but Charlie knows he can withstand this, because he's been there before and survived. This is borne out in later conversations with Nick where Charlie assures him that "I'm used to it." This is a horrifying injustice, one Nick rightly calls out, and it shows Charlie's resilience in the face of a degree of cruelty that many people never experience.

This little moment outside of the changing room is another revealing scene. Charlie knows exactly what he's walking into, exactly the kinds of comments and sly bullying he's going to experience in that room. He knows he will have to have his guard up every second, that he will have to prove himself to this group, even though he shouldn't have to. He also knows he'll be fighting his own self-doubt, and so this experience will be a battle on two fronts. (Three fronts, if you include trying to hide his feelings for Nick.) But he does it anyway. Sure, you could argue he's doing it solely to be near Nick, but I think this is also his way of making sure that those boys don't dictate his actions or his life. This is Charlie taking a stand. And this is just one example—he does this over and over and over again, in many different settings and situations.

Case in point, calling it off with Ben. Charlie has been the victim of what is essentially brainwashing and abuse from Ben for months. Ben has told Charlie verbally and shown him physically that Charlie means less than nothing to Ben, and that Charlie can never expect anyone to ever want him or care for him. And Charlie often, tragically, believes him. That Charlie is able to break free of this vicious cycle and take the steps to distance himself from Ben shows his immense inner strength. You can see on Charlie's face (thanks to Joe Locke's inimitable talent) that he can't even believe he's done it. And we have to keep in mind that this happens long before Nick is a real possibility, so we can't say Charlie does this for Nick. He does it for himself.

I do have to include one of the more iconic scenes, because this ⬇️is Charlie's clarion call, his hope, his banner, for the rest of this story. He knows he has a lot of problems to work through, that he's complicated and sometimes hard to interpret, so it's easy to see this scene and think Charlie's words come from a place of insecurity (and of course that is some of what's happening here). But he's strong enough to both acknowledge it and ask honestly that Nick not let those parts of Charlie become the focus of their relationship. He requests, even during this moment of almost brutal honesty and vulnerability, that Nick see him completely, as the whole person he can be, because Charlie knows that person is there inside himself. The self awareness and bravery this takes is enormous.

There are a million other moments like this that I could write about, both big and small:

But I'll end this already lengthy post with this: When one considers the amount of sheer courage Charlie has to exert just to live his daily life, it almost defies understanding. Charlie Spring is a gladiator of the mind and heart, completely worthy of any good thing.

[simplydnp]

honestly I was thinking the same as you RE rebrand but it did seem weird that he just said "here at dan and phil" and not "dan and phil games" idk maybe I'm reading too much into it lol but the obviously scripted that whole thing so it could've been a deliberate hint? and obviously the glitching like it's disappearing?

oh anon you've opened a can of worms

to me, the way dan said 'here at dan and phil' came across more like poking fun at it rather than it happening.

many months ago i had discussions about if dapg would rebrand, and i said dan would rather die than rebrand to 'dan and phil' because it comes with different expectations. it reads like a family vlogger channel name. it loses the 'games' plausible deniability that they sit so comfortably in. it's a big step to shed it. the audience knows that they're in for low-effort games with more of a focus on banting on dapg. even if most of what we want is to put dnp in a situation and go from there. specifically changing to 'dan and phil' would feel almost more invasive--like it's inviting that--and i don't think either of them want that. they're happy to do domestic content when it suits them--on dapg or phil's channel--without it becoming what they are and what's expected of them.

nora also brought up that it's a big commitment, especially for dan. a years long kind of thing. and i'd argue that's not even far enough. once they go fully 'dan and phil', there's no going back. there's no pretending it didn't happen, there's no undo, there's no hiding what it means. when people refer to it, it will no longer be their gaming channel, but their joint lifestyle channel. i genuinely don't know if they're ready for that, or if they even want it. it would also be a pain to refer to, for both them and us. they could say 'our channel' sure, but how do we refer to it? the dnp channel? like it's some tv channel 😂 dap? where we have to learn a cool handshake? their joint channel? i'm sure you see the issues here.

further into the logistics--they'd need new logos and banners and such, but the two of them have really stuck to classic youtuber formulas, especially with their intros. the gaming channel intro is iconic, to the point phil's done it on his own channel before by accident. so what happens to it? phil opens every video saying 'hello dan and phil'? what happens to the traditions that we just got back? it's not to say they can Never play games again but it would feel so strange. especially with how casual they've been about other content appearing on the channel. i ask, what would be the point?

to me, a rebrand would signal a change. a big one, too. it's more than shaking up the status quo by reviving a channel and allowing different types of content to appear on it. it's not impossible, especially with the way they've been teasing the upcoming project. but i don't think it's likely. i don't think it's what we've been 'manifesting'.

but prove me wrong! i will gladly eat my words. i just want them happy. and if it is a rebrand i'll still be excited

[wihellib]

12 Wants For WHB

Disclaimer: This is completely my opinion and you are free to disagree. I am also not a game dev, so I do not know how easy or difficult these things would be to implement in game. Though, I have played a lot of gacha games, and many of the things I want do feature in other games, so I don’t think anything I say here is too unrealistic.

With that out of the way, here are some things that I want added or changed in WHB in no particular order. This is not an exhaustive list, but still ended up being way longer than I initially thought it would be.

Will edit parts as green if they are added into the game at some point.

Text Messages

I would like the bug that makes chats disappear to be fixed.

Chat replayability. You can already replay L Card chats, so I don’t think it would be too hard to implement that for regular chats.

Change chat time gate so that it works when the app is closed. Currently, you can only get a new text message after you spend 30 minutes in the app. I find this very annoying. I’m fine with waiting 30 minutes but I want to be able to close the app in the meantime. So, my idea is, once you log in for the day, the countdown starts even if you close the app, then once you open the app after 30 min you can read the chat, then the next countdown starts and so on and so forth.

Voice Calls

We don’t have these currently in the game, but I think any gacha game with a phone feature should have them included. This could implemented in a few ways. They could tie them to L Cards. Or it could be we get a new call like once a month or something. Then, maybe, some calls for special occasions like your birthday, his birthday, the launch anniversary, etc.

Home Page

It would be nice if we could change the expression on the demon’s face that we put on the home page. We can unlock expressions as we increase likability for the demons, so I’d like to be able to see those expressions on the home page.

They said at one point they’ll allow us to change the Satan icon on the Secret Club to different demons, which will be nice and I hope they implement that soon.

Artifacts

Better organization. I want to be able to organize by the same artifact, so I can easily see how many I have of each specific artifact.

Increased storage. Let us store more than 200 artifacts. I like to have lots of artifacts for fodder for other artifacts.

Weekly achievement. I think the achievement of raising artifacts by 20 levels each week is excessive. I keep having to raise artifacts that I’ll never use just to complete this achievement and it’s wasteful. Either reduce the number of levels needed or get rid of the achievement and replace it by an achievement for playing panty party or something like that.

Gacha

They recently changed it so you have a slightly increased rate for the demon that you pick on the gacha screen. This is nice, but I would prefer it if the increased rate was like 5% because the current 1% really is a negligible difference.

I would like banners of general pool L cards that use red keys, not solomon seals. Maybe they last a week twice a month or something like that. For example, Attacker Levi could be featured at the start of the month. That card and his artifact are the only L items that can be pulled from that banner. Using red keys, after 110 total pulls, you are guaranteed his artifact and, after 220 total pulls, you are guaranteed his card. This banner lasts a week. Then there is no banner for a week. Then, for example, Attacker Beel has a banner the third week. Then no banner, etc. I would also like the pity to carry over between these theoretical red key banners.

Currently, we can skip the entire gacha animation and pulled character showcase, if we didn’t pull an S rank or above. I want to be able skip it no matter what, unless I pull an L character.

Currently, the gacha animation flashes gold when you get an L Card or L artifact. I would prefer for the L artifact to flash a different colour, like pink for example. I’ve gotten my hopes up too many times seeing gold, thinking I got an L card, and then being disappointed as I instead got Satan’s hair for the 20th time.

Action Power

I would like to be able to come back at certain times of the day, for example, 12pm and 6pm, and get like 50 AP each time. This is a feature in many other gacha games.

I would also like the ability to watch ads for more AP. I know some people are against this type of thing, but I really don’t mind it as long as it’s not mandatory and is non-intrusive.

Translation

The translation is very poor compared to most other gacha games. There’s odd English syntax, a lot of typos, and seemingly missing words. I don’t even know what the characters are trying to convey at times and it really takes me out of the story. So I want them to hire some good English translators. If I could only get one thing on this list implemented into the game, it would be this.

Also I want them to do better about making sure to use the correct pronouns for the MC.

Panty Party

I feel like this feature could be improved a lot. Bring back gold panties in every level. Remove gold from the item list. Gold panties can give you advanced candy choice chest, whole pie choice chest, red keys, or solomon seals. Normal panties can give you beginners / intermediate candy choice chest, slice pie choice chest, pretzels, and gold keys. Also if you fail a level, you can choose to watch an ad to continue from that level if you want.

Events

I’m glad that they added quick plays to events.

The event tab needs to be separated from all other tabs, to always be easily able to select it. It was cumbersome when the Leraye event tab was combined with the limited achievement tab, lucifer gacha tab, and event replay tab. It would constantly switch between each tab, and you’d have to take extra time to switch back to the event tab.

For event replays, currently they cost a small amount to buy to replay. But as more and more events are added, that will be unsustainable. I think if you play an event, then for a certain amount of event currency you can purchase an event replay ticket to be redeemed later. If you didn’t play the event, then there can be other ways to get event replay tickets.

They should allow us to access the event shop for a couple days after the event ends. Just so we can focus on the event and then spend all the currency we earned after it ends.

I do think it is a good idea to use events to flesh out the universe and tell important stories pre-MC to not bog down the main story. However, I would like it if some of the events were MC focused. I would love to know more about how we’re adapting to Hell and interacting with others when we’re not being constantly forced to keep moving forward by the main story.

Pies

We need to have a way to farm pie slices and whole pies. I’m surprised the game has been out this long and they still haven’t introduced a way for us to get them more easily.

The amount of pie slices we need to increase a characters skills from level 4 to level 5 is 60, which is beyond excessive. I also don’t get why the jump between the amount of pies needed is so large. Going from needing 0 pies at level 4 to 60 pies at level 5 is odd game design. So, I think it should be reduced to 30 pies slices at most. For level 8, it should be 60 whole pies at most, not 160.

Characters

Another odd game choice is that the S characters need the exact same amount of materials to level up as the L characters. This doesn’t make sense as the S characters are generally less valuable gameplay-wise than the L ones. So why would I waste my precious resources on them, when for the same amount I could raise a much better L unit. Having S characters cost less than the L ones gives incentive to level them up.

This one is the least likely to ever happen, but I’d like for the A+ characters to have likeability rewards. It’s really nice being able to hear voice lines, change the expressions, and get some info on the S/L characters. I’d like to be able to do that for the A+ characters. Yes, it has been confirmed that A+ characters can get L versions, so then they would have expressions/voice lines available in that case. However, there’s no guarantee every single A+ rank will get an L version, and even if they did that could be years in the future. So I would like A+ characters to have a likeability section, but, to balance it out, the item rewards you get from them could be half of the S/L characters. For example, instead of 50 gold keys for a node, you get 25.

Miscellaneous

When they conduct maintenance, I’d like for them to give us more than just some AP. As an example, if they did maintenance for 2 hours, they should compensate us with 2 red keys, or 20 solomon seals.

I’d like to be able to quick play battles in the story chapters. If not unlimited, then at least 5 quick plays a day.

There’s a bug that places me at the beginning of a story chapter instead of where I should be at the end (the node to farm the candy chests). Then I have to scroll all the way to the end which actually takes quite a bit of time. I don’t know if this is affecting anyone else but it is affecting me and it’s annoying so I want it fixed.

When promoting a character or levelling up their skills above level 4 or completing a node on the unholy board that requires Solomons tears, pies or candies, I would like a window that pops up that asks if we’re sure that we want to consume those materials. I misclicked a few times, and that is a lot of resources to waste by accident. So I would like a pop up window to help prevent this.

With all that said, I truly like the premise of this game, the character designs, the VA performances, the art by Nori and the fact that this is an 18+ game aimed at men-loving people, which is a very rare thing. So I am glad it exists and hope that it succeeds. The wants I’ve listed here are just things that would increase my enjoyment even more.

[multi-fandomsfreak]

Movie!Knuckles reaction to having a crush on you

(Movie!Knuckles x reader)

This was written during my movie!knuckles obsession phase ~ Blaze/Dawn

Notes: I just realised that I’ve got the first half of the fic and not the rest so if it looks different to what you remembered that’s why

Pronouns: they/them

Warning: ⚠️spoilers for Knuckles backstory in the movie + slight spoilers for Sonic Movie 2⚠️

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Knuckles + Sonic + Tails + Maddie + Tom + mentions of Dr Robotnik/Eggman

Proof Read: ❌

Credits: Icon by bellcastillo118 on Pinterest + Banner by solita🎧. on Pinterest

————————————————————

- if you’ve watched the second movie it’s known that knuckles lost his tribe at a very young age and was lonely for most of his life so when he first met you during the period of the second movie I’d imagine it would taken him a while to trust you, mostly because of robotnik betraying him combined with what happened to his tribe. He didn’t want to go through something like that again so he isolated himself from you

- Eventually after some help from people like Sonic, Tails, Tom and Maddie he eventually decided to give you a chance and chat with you. After spending some time with you he eventually found out that you were much better than he thought you were going to be and eventually decided to become your friend

- Can we all agree that this man will do his absolute best to make sure you are safe and happy. It’s like having a personal bodyguard with you. Remember that meme that's like ‘excuse me they asked for no pickles!” Just imagine that but with you and knuckles:

+ “How dare you leave pickles in their burger even when they said they didn’t want any!”

+ “Knuckles it’s fine I’ll still eat the burger” you smiled trying to convince him not to fight the employees

+ “They need to make you a new burger [NAME] since they clearly don’t know how to make one” knuckles put his hands on your shoulders while trying to justify beating up the employees

- it took all the strength and patience just to convince knuckles to not punch the employees

- Knuckles would literally sacrifice himself or possibly someone else just to keep you happy, as long as you're happy he’s happy

- Now onto the crush part of this!

- As much as I love him he’s very clueless when it comes to stuff like this, he does stuff that others will think is him expressing romantic feelings while he might see it as nothing but a friendly gesture or maybe as a fighting technique

- Eventually it comes to a point where sonic has to tell him about having crushes and how he is clearly showing signs of him having a crush but of course knuckles denies this because he is a ‘warrior’ and he just sees you as ‘just a friend’ like sure knuckles ‘just a friend’

- After a lot of convincing from sonic that yes you do like them knuckles and that it’s alright to have these feelings he asks sonic what he should do sonic just tells him to ‘just be honest and tell them’ to which knuckles surprisingly goes along with trusting sonic and went up to you

- When he does come to ask you out well attempt to at least it can be slightly awkward at first since you have no goddamn idea on what he is trying to do until it hits you

+ “um knuckles?”

+ “Yes [NAME]!” Knuckles said now alerted

+ “Are you trying to confess to me” you said confused

+ “Yes?” He also said confused then a wave of embarrassment just hits him like a truck

- That’s when knuckles went defensive mode and immediately started to blame sonic afraid you were immediately disgusted like ‘blame sonic he was the one who told me to do it’

- That’s when you brought him into a hug stopping his rambling and returned your feelings. As soon as you brought him into a hug knuckles felt some sort of calm flowing through his body. He couldn’t help but notice that his heart was beating a bit faster and he felt his face heat up. "Is this what love was?” Knuckles thought to himself. That’s when he finally melted into your touch and accepted that yes he was in love.

- Alright let’s get on with it. Knuckles is definitely both protective and clingy without him realising it. Of course he understands if you can do something by yourself he’ll let you do it but he can’t help it especially since what happened between him and eggman he just doesn’t anything bad happening to you.

- Carrying on from the previous statement this man definitely takes loyalty to another level. He’ll pretty much do anything for you no matter if he’s already doing something or not, it doesn’t matter if he’s already in the middle of a task if he hears that you are in trouble he drops everything and immediately tends to your needs.

- His behaviour change is definitely noticeable. I mean come on how could you not. Everyone knows how soft knuckles is for you. Tom and Maddie weren’t really paying much attention to it. They're just happy for both you and knuckles. Tails does notice a change; he doesn't want to bring up the fact in case he’ll get it wrong from him. Sonic on the other hand will tease the hell out of him no matter how many times knuckles tells him to quit it sonic still finds a way to tease him.

- Speaking of Maddie and Tom, knuckles definitely asks for some advice considering you know they are dating. Despite the slight teasing from Tom and Maddie telling him to stop, they do give him genuine advice about how to make sure you're happy.

- Overall although a bit clueless he’s definitely the best

————————————————————

[siconetribal]

Put it on My Tab (19)

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!reader

Warning: Frustration, Online Gaming, and Revelations

A/N:

Please comment/like/reblog. If you’d like to be tagged moving forward, please let me know! I’d also greatly appreciate it if rebloggers remember to add the tags (or some at least).

As always, a huge thank you and shout out to @harlequin-hangout for the amazing banners you made for me.

If you’re new to the story, please check out the master post for the rest of the chapters.

All occupants of Wayne manor knew Jason was in a sour mood. To what extent or why was not clear, but it was obvious in his lack of snippy banter and increased silence, and when he did respond, it was sharper than usual. It was as if he was regressing back to the days when he was still finding his footing amongst them. He and Bruce never had an outwardly discussion clarifying everything, but there was something that was done to help build a new foundation, regardless oh how shaky that was.

They tried to approach the second Robin in a variety of ways, trying to unearth the reason for the sudden slip into anger. Some thought Bruce and him had an argument, while others thought there may be trouble in the Outlaws. Neither was able to confirm their suspicions, and any attempt to do so was met with aggression and deflection.

Annoyed by all their brown nosing, Jason left the manor and spent the next couple of nights at his own apartment. Of course, I’d have no privacy in a house full of detective vigilantes. He rolled his eyes as he rolled out of bed and made his way over to his computer. Plopping onto the chair, he let it wheel backwards before pulling himself forward by the desk. He stared at the game icon on his desktop for what felt like the umpteenth time today. His fingers drummed just below his keyboard as he eyed his mouse, which rested only a couple inches away. I can’t just log on and act like I haven’t been gone in forever. She’s probably pissed that her online buddy has been MIA for so long. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back, the chair reclining with his weight. This is my only way to even speak to her, though. I cleared up the bill crap, maybe I can meet her again through here? Fake that I didn’t know who she was? Not like she’d ever know that I knew anyway. Pursing his lips to one side, he intensely stared at his ceiling, as if it held some sort of secret that would aid him in his decision to long on or not. 

“Fuck it, I’m logging on!” The seat swung forward with him as he sat up and logged onto the game.

Arkam_Knight has logged in. The italicized text popped up on the screen, much to Y/N’s surprise. Her character was currently standing in the town square looking at the request board for something that was easy enough for a solo hunt. Seeing the name of her dearly miss comrade was an answer to her desperate pleas for some miracle because there was no mission that allowed solo entry. She eagerly opened the chat box and began to type.

<Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes! Where have you been?! I would’ve called the police for a wellness check, but I don’t have a clue on where you live.>  She watched the ellipses bounce then vanish repeatedly for a couple of minutes. The longer he took to reply, the more concerned she was becoming. An unknown weight slowly creeped onto her shoulders. Anxious thoughts spun around in her mind. The distant ding of his response was able to rip her from the thoughts.

<Yeeeaaah, my bad. Work was crazy and shit had me all over the fucking place trying to clean up. I can’t go into detail, a lot of confidential crap.>

<Yeah, I figured. So, I know you can’t tell me what you do for a living, but I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re working as a high level officer of some kind. I won’t ask you what branch, but sounds like you do work city wide, which I have no clue how you handle that.>

<Someone’s gotta do the dirty work, right? It ain’t for everyone. It just so happens that I’ve got a knack for it.> He added a little proud sticker. <You’ve been MIA yourself, I’ve logged in a few times and saw you hadn’t been on in a while.>

<Where do I even begin? Life has been kicking both of us in the asses, it seems.> She sent an exhausted sticker. She paused for a few minutes, staring at her blinking cursor. How was she going to explain it all to him? Would it even be believable? She, herself, also found it hard to swallow was true. From dealing with Waynes to meeting two of Batman’s partners to being part of a claim investigation because of the collateral damage to the building.

I thought dealing with snobby rich kids and wild Karens was as crazy as my life was going to be. Who knew I’d be entangled with crime fighters and a Trust Fund kid. She slumped in her seat, slowly tapping at the space bar to let him know she was still there. Erasing the long gap of emptiness, she sat up once more.

<Give me a sec, gotta organize my thoughts on this.>

<Damn, that much? Take your time, I’m here.>

<Thanks.> She smiled at the animated thumbs up sticker was sent. At least I still hot my friends.

Jason sank back into his computer chair, rocking back and forth and swinging side to side as he awaited for her response. Watching the symbol of her typing appear and disappear multiple times was far more torturous than he anticipated. He knew what she was going to tell him, he was there with her. She did not know that, and he did not know how she took any of it. The only thing he could rely on were the facts, but that did nothing for his nerves.

If someone told him that he would wake up one morning in a hotel room next to a stranger, who knew how to get under his skin and take over his thoughts, he would have laughed at them. If they told him she was his online gaming buddy as well, he would have scoffed the added detail and never spoken to the person for being out of their mind. And yet, here he was, months later, talking to that very strange woman, battling between keeping in touch and cutting all ties. 

If things could just go back to when we didn’t know each other, it could just be simpler. I can’t even game with her without feeling some sort of way. He rubbed his chest as that uncomfortable weight sank onto his heart. I should’ve just paid the bill and let it be. Why did it matter if she knew me or not? I knew she got screwed over because of me, I should’ve just ended it as soon as I found her. His irrational actions bothered him. He was a cold and calculating vigilante that played by his own rules. He even ran the crime world for a time when he was completely at odds with Batman and was blinded by his heightened rage. He survived death and a beating from the Joker. Handling a hotel bill for a girl should not be this difficult, and yet here he was stuck in quicksand. He glanced at his computer monitor and his eye twitched at the site of the dots vanishing again. “What is she doing, right a novel?!” He threw his hands up and heaved a heavy sigh.

He swung his chair straight at the ding and leaned in close to the monitor, skimming the paragraph before forcing himself to read from the start.

<Ok, Dickens, you didn’t tell me you were publishing a novel! Lol, give me a sec to read all this.>

 It started off as he expected, she mentioned their first few meetings and how she fumbled with trying to hide herself. He could not help the snicker that came at her admission of being angry at him, but a grin quickly took over when she confessed that she found him good-looking. 

“Damn right, you did! I’m fucking handsome!” He boasted, puffing his chest with pride before diving back into the text. I came that night and those pricks were there, ok, Nightwing and Red Robin came crashing through the window, fine, so then-wait, what the fuck! His gaze snapped back to the two mentioned vigilantes and the incident he was not aware of at all. “When the fuck did this happen? Did Dickhead do this on purpose?! I’m going to enjoy getting answers out of him later.” He cracked his knuckles as a wicked smirk took over. He carefully read through the incident and soon realized that this was in fact a coincidence, but his ‘darling’ older brother failed to mention it to him. At least they left her a tip.

Pushing forward, he read about the following insurance claim filing that was on going to prove that this was not something staged. Then there were her concerns about a particular caffeine addicted young teen who was another Wayne with another name. His mind instantly flashed to the memory of Tim’s coffee cup.

Don’t tell me he’s in on it too! Nosy assholes, Jason was ready to flip his computer table but kept his composure. No, he can’t be. He hasn’t been asking me shit or tailing me in any way. That means this is just his need for coffee, and she makes damn good coffee. He reasoned himself back into a state of calm to read onwards. The name of the detective in charge of the claim has him seeing red. He paced the length of his bedroom to avoid breaking his only means of communication with her. “Oh, I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him the next time I see him! That was on purpose, he chose to take the lead on this because I told him her name. Dickhead is in for a world of pain.” His voice rumbled in anger as he expended the rage through physical activity. 

He sat back in his seat when he felt he was calm enough to, and continued to read the rest of what she had to say. She finally got to their last evening together. He made her brownies and she was really touched by it.

<I was purely joking about the brownies, but he actually went through with it! I don’t think I’ve ever dated a guy who made me brownies, and he’s a stranger! It’s insufferable just how perfect he is for dropping such a huge bill on my head!> She punctuated with angry stickers. <I didn’t want to eat them, though. I wanted to keep them forever, like a memento since-well, I’m getting a head of myself.> She dove into the details of their diner date. He remembered that night, they talked for hours, but it felt like hardly any time had even gone by. <I hated asking him to pay, but I had to. It was getting to be too much for me and my roomie. He was great about it, a real gentleman. I said to just help with what was left, but he paid me the whole thing! I really had him wrong in my head. We ended up staying out late, talking. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an easy conversation with a guy before. When the diner had to close, he took me home and even waisted until I got through the front door. But now I don’t have any reason to talk to him, and he hasn’t made any effort to reach out to me either. Which loops back to the brownies. I wanted to keep them as a memento because it looks like that chapter is closed. But all of his efforts would’ve gone to waste. They were really good, which sucks. Now he’s even more of a jerk wad because it’s not fair! My roomie has plans to celebrate my freedom, but I’m not so sure. I want to, but it involves the tip from Nightwing and Red Robin. Would that be considered evidence or something I should hand over to the detective at my formal interview?>

The infamous Red Hood sat there, speechless, with his head swimming from his and her emotions. She clearly wanted to keep up their friendship, and he did too, but it was not safe. She was already linked to two of them, which was bad enough. He knew he was the worst of them to ever be associated with, and that made this more irritating for him. He muttered profanities as he slammed his fist on the desk. If only he could untangle himself from all this, everything would be fine.

<Shit, you really were busy. Glad to hear he paid his dues like a man. But if he’s so hot, why not just ask him out yourself?> He suggested. He needed to act like any other citizen. He needed to distance himself from himself in her mind. <Did you really serve Nightwing and Red Robin while they were on a mission? I definitely wouldn’t have thought about giving them coffee in the middle of all that. Though, he sounds like a weirdo saying your name so many times. I doubt he was threatening you, maybe he’s got some weirdo fetish? I’d say keep away from him. As great as he is, a masked guy flipping through the Gotham night in spandex must have some sorta thing.> He insisted. That’s what you get, Dick-wing. He smirked. <The tip is yours to keep, you served them, and they gave you a tip. Unless it had some secret message or some sort of flash drive, cash isn’t going to be a dig deal. Plus, they didn’t ask you about the tip though they saw it on camera, you’re good. It’s yours, use it.>

<Yeah, she said the same thing. Said it was a gift from the heavens and I shouldn’t be so paranoid. Also, no way in hell am I asking him out! He’ll think I’m some gold digging hussy! The guy paid for dinner and the hotel bill, I think I’m the last person he wants to see again!>

<Listen to me, I’m a guy, trust me. If he thought you were a gold digger, he would’ve ended shit right away or left you at the diner. The guy made you brownies! I think you can give him some slack and think that maybe, just maybe, he likes your company too?>

<If he liked it so much, why hasn’t he texted me?>

<Because he’s a bigger dumbass and overthinks like you? Thinks you hate him or that you don’t want anything to do with him because he landed you in shit?> He countered. <You don’t have to do anything, I’m just saying thinking about it. Whatever you choose, just don’t abandon me again! Solo raiding was horrible!> He added a few tearful stickers to gain sympathy.

<You think? Alright, alright, I get it! Sheesh, I just told you, I didn’t vanish on purpose! I promise, I’ll keep in touch as best I can! I don’t have to OT anymore, so that’s promising. Thanks for listening. Now, let’s go kick some monster tail!>

<LOL, anytime! I thought you’d never ask!>

Tags:

@vbecker10 @wordsfromshona @harlequin-hangout @harpy-space @tild3ath @gone-batty-fics @princessbl0ss0m @dakotall @antiquecultist

[lacefuneral]

ok i've seen some posts about the tumblr alternative cohost but none that were actually helpful so!

(disclaimer: i am very new to this website. users who have been there longer can and should chime in with additions and/or corrections)

Cohost Introduction Post

What is cohost?

Cohost is a fledgling website that is essentially a tumblr clone, but with its own culture and site-specific features. It is also very much a work in progress. You are encouraged to talk in the cohost forum to suggest changes for devs, report bugs, and upvote other people's suggestions. This website WILL grow and change over time. And as such, I do not know if/when the information I share here will be outdated. Edit: To answer an ask I received, anyone can join cohost without an invite. It used to be invite-only. It is not this way anymore.

Is "adult content" allowed there?

Yes. Cohost is not on the app store, meaning that it is not subject to Apple's specifications. You can post illustrations, writing, and photographs (cohost does not support any video formats at this time, just gifs). Cohost has an elaborate filtering and trigger warning system (moreso than tumblr), and you can disable adult content for your entire account or for individual tags. I actually don't engage with the adult content at all on there. Visual CSEM (both real and fictional) is specifically forbidden (although frankly I think the guidelines could be stricter wrt written content. Still, does seem to handle this better than AO3 does, going as far to say that written content about real minors is forbidden.)

How are minors protected?

The minimum age to join cohost is 16, and requires proof of parental permission to join. Users who are under 18 are automatically age-gated and cannot view adult content.

If cohost isn't on the app store, how is it used?

You can, of course, use cohost on a computer, but it is designed with mobile in mind. Opening the website on any IOS browser, clicking "share", and then "add to home screen" will install an app for you to use. The same can be done on an android. There is a guide here.

How does cohost work?

First, you create an account. Then you wait for approximately two days (read: weekdays) for the account to be activated. This is done to prevent spam bots. In the meantime, edit your profile. List some interests, your pronouns, your other social media links. Give yourself an icon. Note: icon and banner file sizes are small. You may need to shrink and compress images.

After the two days are up, make your first post! Write a basic introduction (with what you feel comfortable you feel sharing) and list some interests you like, maybe some hobbies, media, etc. And then tag this post with "#welcome to cohost". This will let existing members know that someone new has joined, and they may initiate conversation and/or follow you.

Next, go to the search and type in "The Cohost Global Feed" and click on the tag. Bookmark this tag. This is essentially one giant community space where you can find random users. (There is currently some discourse on the website as to whether this tag existing is a "bad thing" or not because "cohost isn't supposed to have a global tag". Just ignore that lol). Next, go back to search and type in things you like. TV shows, maybe. Video games. Music. Anything. See if people have posted in the tags. Follow them. Comment on their stuff. Click "like" to bookmark the post if you want to.

Most crucially, make sure that you bookmark the actual tag so you can look in that tag again later without having to manually type it each and every time. Also, you get a feed called "bookmarked tags" which allows you to scroll through all of them at once, which replaces the "for you" feature other websites have.

You can "share" a post (called "rebug" in user slang) which serves the same purpose as a reblog on tumblr. In a rebug, you can add your own tags or comment in the body of the post. Cohost users do not talk in tags as much as tumblr users - they tend to prefer to speak in the body of a rebug, or in the comment section (replies). At this time, you cannot view all reblogs. But you can view all comments in the comment section. Any post that is rebugged will preserve the tags of the OP, with any additional tags added being attributed to you. Rebugs are named after the website mascot Eggbug, a purple bee-like insect.

Posts are called "chosts" - and shitposting is called "shitchosting." Two examples of global shitposting tags are "#css crimes" - which is when a person does goofy things with the HTML/CSS editor to make colorful text, fake chat windows, and such - and "#shitchosting" which is a general shitposting tag. I've also seen people use tags like "#random".

If a post makes you laugh, check out the OP's profile. See if they post frequently, and if you have any common interests. If you realize you want to block or mute someone instead, you can.

You can send asks just like on tumblr, but your inbox must be manually opened first. So remember to do that.

How do I look at my own blog?

This is one of my gripes about the UI. You would think, intuitively, you would click here (at the top of the screen). But you would be wrong!

It is ACTUALLY under the sidebar menu, called "Profile." And I'm not the only one to to complain about this. (To get back to your dashboard, by the way, you click on the cohost logo.)

Are there sideblogs?

Yes! Each sidepage (sideblog) has its OWN set of likes AND followed pages (blogs). This allows you to easily switch between multiple sets of dashboards. A lot of users use this to have a SFW dashboard and an adult content dashboard. But it works like tumblr, too. You can have a side page/dashboard for whatever you'd like. Maybe one of your pages is for programming. Maybe another is for photography. You switch between your pages by clicking the arrow next to your icon/username at the top of the screen. ("Ohhhhh.... THAT'S what that's for.")

What's the userbase on there like?

Mostly programmers. Trans people. Furry artists. Plural systems. Furry trans plural programmers. Certainly a lot of shitposters. The website is trans-run and, as such, has zero tolerance for TERFs. Everyone seems pretty friendly from what I can tell. And there's very much a culture of "follow someone randomly based on their vibes" that doesn't happen as much on tumblr. Tumblr is more like "I really like this TV show, I'm going to follow 40 blogs about just this interest." Because the cohost community is so much smaller, there is a lot less content overall, especially fandom content. You can't follow 40 fandom pages because your fandom tag has a total of 3 posts, all made by one person approximately a year ago (well. for me anyway).

Cohost, then, actually has much more in common with real-life socialization. You seek out people with interests that may be very different from your own, and to find a common interest is very exciting! Unlike tumblr, you are encouraged to tag as much as possible. This allows your posts to be seen, to find common interests. And, of course, don't forget to look in "#Welcome To Cohost" too! You may find some new friends there.

What file formats can I post in?

Currently, I am aware of basic image formats working (like jpeg, png) animated gifs, and mp3s. You currently cannot upload videos to cohost. I believe the reason is not related to server costs, but rather as a way to curb the uploading of copyrighted content.

How does cohost make money?

There are no ads, and yet, as far as I am aware, cohost is operating comfortably. There is, however, an entirely optional "cohost plus" that is $5 USD a month. Currently, there are a few perks, but not enough to convince me.

What if I think something about cohost should change?

Cohost has a forum where users can submit ideas for features and other users can discuss/upvote those ideas.

Here is a list of posts made for newcomers to read:

[freakartack]

HOUSEKEEPING THINGS

1. MESSAGE TO OLD FOLLOWERS: so sorry that took so damn long. Normally i try not to treat this blog like a job but that was kind of ridiculous so i feel like an apology is in order. I fully overestimated just how much stuff i wanted to draw for this bit and i did not expect my blog to be held ransom by cartoon characters for two months but here we are. Thank you guys for being cool and patient about my hubris! I hope it was worth the wait. And if not, here is your money back. (placing imaginary money in your hand)

2. MESSAGE TO NEW FOLLOWERS: hi. Welcome to my blog! Thank you for taking an interest in my jokes. Because my blog has been held ransom by cartoon characters for two months i should probably emphasize that this is not an ask blog and is in fact just a regular blog, that happened to be held ransom by cartoon characters for two months. I do still draw wario comics though! A lot! So if you're into that, then you're in the right place.

3. THE ASKBOX SITUATION: So prior to mona stealing my login info this april you may have noticed that i shut down my askbox and turned off the lights. There was a couple reasons for that

3a. I accidentally got addicted to the internet

3b. I accidentally got so addicted to the internet that tumblr thought i was a premier hashtag super mario poster presumably solely based on the fact that i did not shut up for five days straight and so for several weeks it redirected every new person that said they liked mario to my blog and i thoguht they were all spam bots so i freaked it

4. WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW

4a. Freak it

4b. Just kidding

4c. WARIOWARE CAMPING!!! Currently I am in a tight spot Schedule wise however the next page is well on its way (had been put on pause due to april fools fiasco) and so it should be ready soon. If nothing else this experience has taught me how to pump out a fucking lot of comics so although i intend to make these drawings much higher in quality i will do my best to get the ball rolling!

4c. RANDO DRAWINGS: Also soemthing that I have to work on is not dropping off the face of the earth when I don't have a comic to post so I will be posting some fun little extras in between comics. I sometimes feel guilty when i do that cause i'm like "that doesn't count as a post" which is kind of dumb if you ask me. So i will be posting some art on my art blog going forward

4d. THE ASKBOX SITUATION: THE SQUEAKUEL: So you see my issue is I don't want to get addicted to the internet or overwhelmed or attacked by droves of spam bots and/or innocent civilians BUT i still want to have asks open because i like talking to you guys and i miss it. SO, i will compromise by opening my askbox on weekends, so that way i can have the best of both worlds. Maybe i will expand the ask window later on if i can behave myself but we'll see how it goes.

4e. FIXING MY BLOG THEME: Idk if i'm going to change it back to the pitcher plant pic but i do want to make it not be this. I might make a slightly updated theme that matches my content better so i might put a different warioware banner up there but idk i feel bad kicking out the plant. How are we feeling. The brave little toaster thing in my icon is staying no matter what though sorry.

5. OK THAT'S ALL BYE: Bye

[voidcenturyseashanties]

Testing some new banners. Do we like them? Hmmmm. Only tested them with primary muses and Neela for now. Maybe I should use colored manga icons... hmmm.

Artwork for Neela's icon part of a commission. Artwork by Kuring_k6 Font can be found here. Manga Temple by Blambot from DaFont.

[thenameswinterfics]

Just an introduction post.

I just realized I haven't made an introduction post yet. How silly I am...

Well... Greetings, beautiful people!

Few things to know about me: I'm Winter, I'm 25 years old and I'm from Italy. I'm studying Graphic, Visual and Multimedia Communication at the univeristy and I'm currently in my final year. I'm an INFP, my zodiac sign is Pisces and I'm bisexual.

For a long time I was always on the silent side of fandom, in constant lurking mode. If you see a silent shadow watching over your work, that's basically me.

This is a short list of the fandom I'm in (most actively): The Last Kingdom, Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla, The Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones (with A Song of Ice and Fire content), House of the Dragon, The Witcher, Shadow and Bone, Spartacus, ATLA (the cartoon) Legend of Korra, Merlin, Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate.

In my spare time I also play a role-playing game called "Dungeons and Dragons". I'm mostly a player, although I'm thinking about planning my first campaign as a Dungeon Master. My favourite thing is writing backgrounds for my OC's, maybe I can share them with you in the future.

Just for your personal information, this is exclusively a writing blog. If you want to see my ramblings about fandoms, you can find me on my main blog here (I know, it's quite messy but... hey! That's me, a messy girl!)

A special thanks to my beloved @zaldritzosrose for the icon, banner, mini banners, personal dividers and headers and dividers for my current and future fics! 💜

FIC SECTION

I'm currently writing for Sihtric Kjartansson, a character from the Netflix and BBC show The Last Kingdom. It cannot be ruled out that in the future there may arrive fics from the other characters from the show, as well as from other characters from different fandoms.

I will cross publish my fics on AO3, you can find the links below.

Due to university and personal commitments, and the fact that I'm a terribly slow writer, I haven't planned a regular posting schedule.

If you want to be tagged in my taglist, just send me a DM or leave a comment!

English is not my first language. You may find some grammar and vocabulary mistakes. I'm sorry for this, I swear I'm practicing!

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON X READER

THE BLUE BUTTERFLY || Words: 4K || Warnings: Fluff, missing scenes, mention of word "whore" || AO3 LINK

After returning from Datchet, Sihtric spends some free time with you, and a group of blue butterflies catch your attention.

VISIONS OF HELHEIM || Words: 6,1K || Warnings: Fluff, angst, missing scenes, mention of past abuse, mention on non-consensual relationship (not described in detail), mention of character death, mention of graphic violence (not described in detail). || AO3 LINK

Sihtric has never forgotten his mother, whose presence continues to haunt his dreams. And as the Battle of Dunholm draws to a close, you help Sihtric mourn her.

HEARTS OF STEEL, LOVE OF SILK || Words: 3,9K || Warnings: Fluff, domestic fluff, smut, bad smut, very very bad smut, p in v sex, fingering, oral (f receiving), breeding kink, Daddy Sihtric is a warning itself. || AO3 LINK || 18 + MINORS DNI

While you and your children enjoy a peaceful, domestic life in Rumcofa, Sihtric comes up with a pleasant surprise for you.

BOUND TO YOU || Words: 4,6K || Warnings: SMUT, mention of death, monsterfucking, oral (m receiving), fingering, p in v sex. || 18 + MINORS DNI

Since becoming the new lord of Dunholm, Sihtric has ruled alone, with no woman at his side to call "wife". Things begin to change when you begin to appear in his dreams, a human so perfect that he believes he has finally found the one, a blessing from the gods. Little does he know that behind your appearance lies a devil in disguise.

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON X OC

Coming soon...

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON CROSSOVERS

Coming soon...