#...for starters lol

[gaywatch]

I need more music to listen, so unleash your reccomendations

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh dear I never get to talk about music enough so pardon me if I explode all over you

(Links are to songs that are both faves and good places for a newcomer to start.)

Taylor Swift - Yeah yeah she's a household name but no kidding, she has 10 albums spanning several genres and I can guarantee you that she has at least some songs that you will permanently add to your rotation. Google around for a good place to start and dive in (...or just ask me because I will gladly help you out).

Taemin - He's been known as 'the Michael Jackson of kpop' for years now, but what's wild is that he started at Michael and has since grown into a dancer and performer all his own. The only kpop artist I fully stan. His singles never. ever. miss.

Delta Rae - Incredible folk/country/Americana band from the state I live in with male and female vocalists. They are criminally underrated because they were liberal country artists before that was even remotely possible. Seen them live twice, met them twice, they are the most genuine people and outstanding artists.

Amanda Palmer - Originated as The Dresden Dolls, a duo that invented the 'punk cabaret' indie subgenre, and has been a solo artist for like 15 years at this point? Intense piano, intense lyrics, intense everything (the linked song is the anthem for girls with daddy issues). Objectively the most personal lyrics I've ever heard. Voice may take a second to adjust to. Not made for mainstream and doesn't want to be. One of the most important artists to me, personally.

Marianas Trench - Pop/punk perfection (but also simply genre chameleons) with a musical mastermind at its core. One of the best vocalists. Most albums end with an opus arrangement of the songs that came before and it's life changing.

Pink - People don't realize how powerful her vocals are and how incredible her lyricism can be. A pop icon. This bitch raised me, forever grateful.

Halsey - If all you know is Without Me and Closer, you haven't heard Halsey. Every album is outstanding but hopeless fountain kingdom doesn't have a single misplaced sound. It's pretty freakish actually.

Chvrches - Sheer and utter synthpop perfection, every single song. The one I linked is one of my favorite songs of all time, period.

MUNA - Queer girls making queer indie pop. Great lyrics, immaculate vibes. Recently opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, and well deserved.

The Midnight - 80s/90s synth like you can't even believe. Saxophone for days.

Imogen Heap - A genius and pop legend. Her greatest song was sampled in something god awful and got meme-d to death, I don't wanna talk about it. If a pop artist does breathy vocals, 95% chance they're doing it because of Imogen. She sang me happy birthday. Haven't been alive since.

Rina Sawayama - THIS BITCH. Falls under pop but never met a genre she couldn't master. Stayed in the game into her late twenties (which is geriatric by pop standards), when she finally blew up a bit. A variety of sounds, some of them strange, but all of them brilliant in one way or another (even if you don't personally vibe with it).

Troye Sivan - Twink icon whose first two albums were as gay as they were pop brilliance. I don't care much for his newest work, but you might.

Alice Merton - She's the girl with that Roots song from a few years back. Two albums now, both genius. Unique voice, varied sound but with a distinct Florence oomph to it.

Ava Max - UN. DER. RATE. D. Classic, anthemic pop. Vocals for DAYS. Music so infectious you have it on loop for days. So much more than Sweet but Psycho.

Kesha - I prefer recent Kesha to her classic dance pop madness, personally. She grew into an amazing artist who can blend her weird ass dance flavor with her more mature sounds in a way that doesn't really seem possible.

Bishop Briggs - Nobody has a voice like this. A sort pop/alternative vibe that can be anthemic as easily as it can be dark.

The Chicks - Icons for a reason. Their most recent album, written by the main lyricist after leaving her husband of 20 years for cheating on her left right and sideways, is one of the best break up albums of all time. Period.

The Civil Wars - They only lasted long enough to make two albums, but both are flawless. Nobody will ever harmonize quite like them. Folk/country in the most *beautiful* way possible.

Evanescence - 2000s rock with with a stunning female writer and vocalist whose melodies are simply beyond compare when we're talking about their stuff from 2003-2006. Goth, dramatic, hard hitting, cathartic.

Freya Ridings - Adele but make it a touch more contemporary. Gorgeous deep voice, lots of ballads but her up tempo stuff is just as good.

Billie Eilish - If you haven't heard her first album yet or her early EPs, you need to. Nobody that young should have that much of a grasp of music and her place in it.

Foxes - Underrated pop queen! I have yet to hear a bad song from her, but her latest album is quintessential synthpop mastery.

Jukebox the Ghost - Piano pop/rock. It's actually too much fun to listen to them, tbh.

Kelly Clarkson - Listen, her latest album follows directly after The Chicks' on the string of ultimate divorce albums we've gotten from pop icons lately. I've loved Kelly forever, but in bits and pieces. Her latest album is her strongest project to date, easily.

Labrinth - I do not comprehend what this genius does with music. Electronic, experimental, metaphorical, personal, just something else. Did the music for Euphoria, but his first solo album was an experience and a half.

Lorde - Everybody tells you to listen to Melodrama because you should.

Maisie Peters - Everybody calls everybody else 'the next Taylor Swift,' and they're wrong. It's this girl.

Marina and the Diamonds - SUCH a unique voice, lyrics that are way too smart for mainstream pop.

Patrick Wolfe - A deep-voiced violinist who released a pop album in 2011 that I still listen to because I'm a sucker for pop laced with classical instruments and it's just that good.

Owen Pallett - A higher-toned violinist with more of an indie approach, coming up with concepts and melodies that would go well with an A24 film.

Emilie Autumn - Violin-fueled industrial/pop/metal, often with Victorian leanings. Visceral lyrics on mental illness, depression, bipolar, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, sometimes with a satirical bent or through a historical lens. Voice might take a second to get used to, it's unique and she does unique things with it (including "ugly" sounds on purpose) but once it clicks it clicks hard. Opheliac and Fight Like A Girl are good starting places.

The Veronicas - Underrated (yet oddly influential?) pop icon twins from the early 2000s to now. Killer voices, KILLER pop.

[argentavis]

[8pxl]

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BLUESKY

Hiya! Curious about joining bluesky but intimidated by all the features? Already on bluesky but want to learn more? Then welcome to my quick guide on getting started and navigating bluesky!~

What is Bluesky?

it’s a social media site that’s owned by no single person or company. it's aim is to bring back the early days of twitter before bots, elon musk or algorithms took over. Personally I find the site really cozy, wholesome, and engaging. my Bluesky account for example

What’s unique about Bluesky?

→ CUSTOMIZATION: ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎your timeline is very easy to control. There’s tons of options, so be sure to go through each tab in your settings. some options include: turning off autoplay, changing the order in which threaded replies show, changing DM settings, content preferences and lots of visual app settings.

→ MODERATION LISTS: human made, mass blocklists. These are public lists of accounts that when you subscribe to you automatically block or mute everyone in that specific blocklist. A great way to avoid unwanted content, and interactions. ✦ Moderation lists I recommend will be below the cut

→ STARTER PACKS: recommendation lists on who to follow, made by users. You can even curate your own starter pack of recommendations! ✦ Starter pack recommendations will be below the cut

→ FEEDS: public timelines, basically. There are a lot of feeds you can join, or you can even create your own. I made a feed featuring just my pixel art so it doesn’t get cluttered with text posts or other photos in my media tab. ✦ I’ll post feeds I recommend below and link you to a tutorial on how to create your own feed

→ BLOCKING/MUTING: bluesky has a great blocking system. When you block someone they can no longer see, or interact with you. They also have a feature to make your blog inaccessible unless logged in. you can also mute specific people, delete post replies, and even detach your post from a reblog. You can also mute specific words, phrases, tags etc.

→ NSFW: bluesky allows NSFW content, including artwork, porn, lewds etc. They also have a great moderation page to avoid the content completely, censor the content, or show it if you’d wish. ✦ just go to settings > moderation > toggle on NSFW settings and it’ll let you heavily moderate.

→ LABELS: this is a really cool feature on the site, you can subscribe to certain pages that enable a lot of fun/useful labels that help you in different ways! (like pronoun tags, artist tags etc) ✦ Labels to browse will be posted below

→ COMMUNITIES: the vastly diverse communities really feel like the best parts of tumblr. since you can so heavily curate your experience, it can really feel like a calming oasis. Mine is mostly artists, and other creatives.

there’s also a large community of professional artists, art directors, authors, celebrities, and even the best shitposters from twitter. the app really is what you make of it but it’s thriving right now.

RECOMMENDATIONS & LINKS BELOW ⬎

→ MODERATION LISTS:

HATE SPEECH: NAZIS | MAGA | MAGAv2 | MAGAv3 | TRANSPHOBES & HOMOPHOBES | FAR RIGHT | FAR RIGHTv2 | FAR RIGHTv3 | ELON MUSK FANBOYS | ANTI-BLACK | ANTI-VAX

NFT/AI/CRYPTO: MASTERLIST | AI/NFT | AI/NFTv2 | AI FANBOYS | CRYPTO | NFTs

SPAM/SCAMMERS: SPAMBOTS | BOTS | CONTENT SCRAPERS | CONTENT FARMING

✦ to block or mute everyone in the blocklist at once, click subscribe in the top right corner:

→ STARTER PACKS:

ART: PIXEL ART | PIXEL ARTv2 | WOMEN OF PIXEL ART | BADASS DIGITAL ARTISTS | MAGIC THE GATHERING ARTIST | PAINTERS OF BLUESKY | INDIE COMIC CREATORS | LGBTQIA+ COMIC CREATORS | WEBCOMICS ULTIMATE COLLECTION

GENERAL: WOMEN OF BSKY | AUTHORS | LGBTQ NEWS

SHITPOSTERS: JUNIPER | JUNIPERv2 | MASTERLIST | SCIENCE SHITPOSTERS

✦ for more niche starter packs, use the search function. search your specific interest and ‘starter pack’ and you’ll find some!

→ FEEDS:

DISCOVER | WHATS TRENDING | MENTIONS | ART | TRENDING ART

THE GRAM: a timeline for exclusively image posts from those you follow. no textposts etc. ONLYPOST: similar to the gram, it shows a timeline of only those you follow. no reposts, just original posts. 📌: a way to bookmark posts. just reply with the pin emoji.

✦ there’s tons of others feeds as well! just use the feed tab and you can browse feeds or search for specific ones.

✦ TUTORIAL ON HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM FEED FOR YOUR ART/POSTS

→ LABELS:

SKYWATCH: most popular label. Lots of useful labels!

AI Labels: identifies AI users, can also enable hiding the posters.

Pronouns: self explanatory but useful. can add a badge with your pronouns!

✦ you can search for additional label bots on bluesky!

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

✦ EXPIRIENCE ENHANCING TOOLS RECS ✦ CLEARSKY: TRACK BLOCKS AND BLOCKLISTS ✦ SKYFEED: CREATE CUSTOM FEEDS EASILY ✦ use the block function often. do not entertain trolls or hate speech. ✦ as well as starter packs, there’s also lists! lists can be used in the same way to create curated lists of accounts. it’s a good way to keep track of specific genres of posters you’re interested in, and finding new ones! ✦ hashtags: use them! they’re beneficial in boosting your post. you can even link hashtags in your bio making you easier to find. another method of making you more visible is if you post an ‘interest’ post! basically just type things you’re interested in and it’ll help people find you / vice versa ! ✦ update your profile first thing, like bio avi etc. make a small post so people know you're real. interact and engage! the communities there are so welcoming!

I think that covers abt everything i wanted to cover! Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading lol

[atompalace-official]

[retrogamingblog2]

[busyw0man]

⋆｡‧˚ʚ💋ɞ˚‧｡⋆ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲

❝ you don’t have to change a thing. i love you exactly as you are. ❞

❝ i’m not going anywhere. ❞

❝ i see you, even when you think you’re invisible. ❞

❝ you don’t have to be perfect for me to stay. ❞

❝ it’s okay to need reassurance. i’ll give it to you every time. ❞

❝ you are enough. always have been. ❞

❝ i choose you. every day. every time. ❞

❝ there’s no one else i’d rather be with. ❞

❝ i don’t just love you, i adore you. ❞

❝ you’re not a burden. you’re my person. ❞

❝ i’m here. you don’t have to go through this alone. ❞

❝ even when you’re quiet, even when you’re scared, i still want you. ❞

❝ i know you’re struggling — and i’m still not letting go. ❞

❝ talk to me. whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. ❞

❝ i’d rather have you at your worst than lose you. ❞

❝ nothing you say or do will scare me away. ❞

❝ your feelings are valid. i’m listening. ❞

❝ you don’t have to earn my love. it’s already yours. ❞

❝ when i look at you, i see everything i’ve ever wanted. ❞

❝ i don’t want someone else. i want you. always you. ❞

❝ even on your bad days, you’re still my favorite. ❞

❝ don’t apologize for needing comfort. i’m happy to give it. ❞

❝ i love you more than i can put into words. ��

❝ you’re not too much. not for me. never for me. ❞

❝ i’d never want to wake up next to anyone else. ❞

❝ nothing could make me stop loving you. ❞

❝ i know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but you matter so much. ❞

❝ you don’t have to prove anything to me. i’m already proud of you. ❞

❝ thank you for trusting me with your heart. i’ll protect it. ❞

❝ we’re in this together no matter what. ❞

❝ you’re not alone. i’m right here. ❞

❝ there’s nothing wrong with needing me. i need you too. ❞

❝ you’re everything i’ve been looking for. ❞

❝ even when you doubt yourself i never will. ❞

❝ you can fall apart with me. i’ll catch you every time. ❞

❝ you are loved. deeply, fiercely, endlessly. ❞

❝ i’ve never once regretted loving you. not even for a second. ❞

❝ you’re safe here. with me. ❞

[parasolladyansy]

PLA Mizumi - Arrived / Friends / Healed / Burnt

Taking those first steps in the Hisuian era, Mizumi had highs & lows. On one hand, she didn’t drown, she made a new friend, & then some more friends. On the other, she was met with some suspicion in this strange era, & Lord Arcanine spared her no mercy.

Notes:

Mizumi left behind a Piplup named Dawn (I managed to get a girl!)

Zisu absolutely ate with the same gusto a certain Fire Hashira did (samurai / warrior’s habit - they didn’t know what meal would be their last, so they savored every bite).

The Pokédex was a group effort of the Survey Corps, & so the remainder starters went to Sasmu (Cyndaquil) & Professor Laventon (Rowlett).

While I didn’t die against the first couple of Lords, Arcanine killed me like 5-6 times - that’s why Mizumi got burnt. ;u;

—

🍃 PKMN Legends: Arceus - Mizumi 🍃

First / Next >>

[nrcsfavoriteshrimps]

What My Dorm is Telling Me.

………………

Shiyuu had just been minding his own business when he gets bumped into. “Ah-?!”

“I-I’m so sorry, Shiyuu!”

“Oh, it’s just you, Yuume. I—WHAT THE F{doink!}?!” Shiyuu gasps, stumbling back upon seeing what Yuume is wearing. “Why are you in an Pomefiore uniform?!”

Yuume looks confused. “B-Because…it’s the dorm that I’m in…?”

“Huh? But aren’t you…?”

“Oh, I’ve got to go! The housewarden needs me!” Yuume runs off before Shiyuu can question any further.

…

“It was so…weird?” Shiyuu recounts the events that just occurred with Mai.

“That…certainly sounds strange. Should we check up on Ignihyde, then?” She suggests, tilting her head.

“That’s probably a good idea…”

…

Ignihyde is…not doing any better. Students that were last remembered in Savanaclaw were there, and none of them remembered being in Savanaclaw!

“Okay, something is definitely wrong. We should go to Savanaclaw.”

“Indeed.”

…

Savanaclaw is filled with…octavinelle students.

“It’s so hot!” Shiyuu groans, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Seriously, how do the students here SURVIVE?!”

“Oh dear, it seems like the residents aren’t doing much better…”

“ROCKY?!”

“Ah, shit…” Rocky sighs, running over. He, too, is in the Savanaclaw uniform. “What’s wrong, Yuu? Ya look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“I—I don’t—”

“Please excuse us…” Mai smiles politely, ushering Shiyuu away.

…

Octavinelle is now filled with Diasomnia students. Wuzhi and Binx give similar responses to anyone else they question, though both seem a bit more conscious of the fact that something isn’t right. Neither can tell what, though.

Diasomnia is stuffed full of Heartslabyul students. Anya brushed off Shiyuu’s confusion, assuming he just hadn’t gotten enough sleep. “Happens to the best of us!”

Heartslabyul now has Scarabia students. Sadiya is also somewhat aware of the difference, but doesn’t know what changed.

Scarabia, finally, now has Pomefiore students. Chase and Seraph are unaware of the change.

But one thing all the dorms have in common…is that they’re STRUGGLING.

…

“Oh my sevens, what the heck happened?! Why is this happening?! What do we do?!”

“Ah, I don’t know…” Mai sighs. “Looks like we’ll need help, though.”

“You’re right…ah, jeez…”

[kamabokobun]

Look at these things. Thank you for looking at them

[fbpanimations]

common toon designs 🎉🎉

[agentc0rn]

I love this thing a bittt too much

[hugh-b-like]

Fun Image I made a while ago after I realized most of my favorite characters are green.

[console-pokeballs-rupees]

Starter Pokefusions by albert_wlson on Instagram

[noahsresources]

SWIMMING STARTERS !

for all the muses who enjoy swimming and the water! action and word prompts can be combined if so desired. for the actions, feel free to swap sender and receiver by adding a +↺!

❝ i didn't know you were so good in the water. ❞ ❝ oh my god, it's so cold! ❞ ❝ the water is so warm, it's so nice. ❞ ❝ ... i can't swim. ❞ ❝ a speedo? are you fucking serious? ❞ ❝ here comes a wave! ❞ ❝ i already burnt my feet walking across the sand! ❞ ❝ do you want me to put sunscreen on your back? ❞ ❝ are you sure you want to swim in that water? it looks kind of dirty. ❞ ❝ i'm so excited, i haven't been swimming in forever! ❞ ❝ wait, i have a swimsuit wedgie— ❞ ❝ that sunburn looks like it hurts. ❞ ❝ i bet i can hold my breath longer than you. ❞ ❝ i think the fish are nibbling on my toes! ❞ ❝ i love going for a dip at night. ❞ ❝ that swimsuit makes you look sexy. ❞ ❝ can you swim to the bottom? ❞ ❝ i'm scared of deep water. ❞ ❝ are you sure we're allowed to swim here? the whole thing's gated off. ❞ ❝ i'm more of a sunbather than a swimmer. ❞ ❝ alright, i'm ready to get out and dry off, how about you? ❞

[ JUMP ] — sender excitedly jumps into the water, receiver following suit [ PUSH ] — sender playfully pushes receiver in the water [ TUG ] — sender tugs on receiver's legs from where they're dangling in the water to get them to join them in the water [ SPLASH ] — sender playfully splashes receiver [ WAVE ] — sender accidentally splashes receiver as they dive into the water [ DIVE ] — sender shows off to receiver how they gracefully dive into the water [ GUN ] — sender starts a water gun fight with receiver [ BOARD ] — sender teaches receiver how to use a skimboard [ RIDE ] — sender gives receiver a piggyback ride in the water ... only to throw them into the water! [ TOSS ] — sender picks up receiver and tosses them into the water [ WAVE ] — sender and receiver ride the waves together [ RACE ] — sender and receiver race to find out who is the faster swimmer [ STORM ] — sender and receiver take a dip in the middle of a rainstorm [ NIGHT ] — sender and receiver take a dip underneath a starry night sky [ SUNSCREEN ] — sender slathers sunscreen on receiver (optional: specify where) [ ALOE ] — sender slathers aloe vera on receiver's sunburnt skin (optional: specify where) [ HOT TUB ] — sender and receiver spend a relaxing evening in the hot tub together [ STARE ] — sender discreetly stares at receiver's body as they take off their clothes in preparation for a swim [ MOMENT ] — sender and receiver swim to a remote part of the body of water to have a quiet moment together [ KISS ] — sender and receiver share a kiss underwater [ HEATED ] — sender and receiver begin having sex in the water

[starversresource]

when it gets hard || sentence starters.

CW for panic attacks, depressive themes

"hey. you look tired. you alright?"

"something wrong?"

"look. i can tell you're not feeling great. want to talk about it?"

"i won't leave you. not now, not ever."

"it's okay to rest. i'm right here."

"sometimes your brain will lie to you and tell you bad stuff, but it's not true. it's never as bad as it seems."

"it will be okay. i promise."

"hey, it's alright to let it out."

"you hide behind that facade so much. why?"

"you're not going to leave me, right?"

"want to do something stupid to take your mind off all this?"

"we'll live. we'll live, both of us will, please believe me!"

"don't do this. it's not good for you."

"we will survive and afterwards, we'll... get some ice cream. or go to a nice restaurant."

"i don't know if anyone has ever told you this, but it gets better. it will get better, i promise."

"do you have anyone who supports you? do you have anyone who cares about you?"

"can i have a hug?"

"maybe it's not okay right now. maybe it won't be for a while. whichever it is, i won't leave you."

"hey, stay for a while. i gotta share this popcorn with someone."

"sleep fixes a lot of stuff. it's like emptying garbage cans in your brain."

"stay with me, please?"

"follow my breathing, okay? in for one, two, three, four... hold for one, two, three, four... out for one, two, three, four."

"let's go for a walk together. where do you wanna go?"

"there - you can cry. it's okay. i would never judge you for that."

"it doesn't matter what you say or do, i won't let you be sad alone."

"i'm your friend, idiot. i'm not going to abandon you."

"don't just repress everything! that's dumb, and it'll hurt your brain."

"if you need a breath of fresh air or a change of scenery, i know a place we can go."

[retrogamingblog2]