#AWS Certified Developer

[softweb-solutions]

Unlock the full potential of AWS with our certified AWS developers and consultants. From cloud consulting to app development and cost optimization, we offer tailored solutions to scale your business efficiently.

[ourjobagency]

How to Advance Your Career with AWS Certifications

In the fast-paced world of cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has established itself as a leader in providing scalable, reliable, and cost-effective cloud solutions. As organizations increasingly migrate their workloads to the cloud, the demand for skilled AWS professionals has surged. If you're looking to advance your career in the IT industry, AWS certifications can be your ticket to success. We'll explore how AWS certifications can propel your career forward and provide a step-by-step guide to achieving them.

The Power of AWS Certifications

AWS certifications are widely recognized in the IT industry and are considered a valuable asset for both newcomers and seasoned professionals. Here are some key reasons why AWS certifications can supercharge your career:

1. Industry Recognition

AWS is a trusted name in cloud computing, and their certifications are well-respected by employers worldwide. Holding an AWS certification demonstrates your expertise and commitment to staying current in a rapidly evolving field.

2. Career Advancement

AWS certifications can open doors to new job opportunities and promotions. Many organizations prefer to hire certified professionals because they are seen as more capable and knowledgeable in AWS technologies.

3. Increased Earning Potential

Certified AWS professionals often command higher salaries than their non-certified counterparts. According to a survey by Global Knowledge, AWS-certified individuals earn an average salary that is significantly above the industry average.

4. Skill Validation

Obtaining an AWS certification validates your skills and knowledge in specific AWS services and technologies. It serves as concrete evidence of your expertise in the eyes of potential employers.

Choosing the Right AWS Certification

AWS offers a wide range of certifications, catering to various roles and skill levels. Before you embark on your certification journey, it's essential to choose the one that aligns with your career goals and current experience. Here are a few popular AWS certifications:

1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Designed for individuals with little or no cloud experience, this entry-level certification provides a broad overview of AWS services, cloud concepts, and basic architectural best practices.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect

This certification is ideal for those interested in designing distributed systems on AWS. It covers topics like architectural best practices, security, and scalability.

3. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

Focused on system operations and management, this certification is suitable for individuals responsible for deploying, managing, and operating systems on AWS.

4. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

For those interested in automation, this certification validates skills related to continuous delivery, automation, and managing infrastructure as code.

5. AWS Certified Security - Specialty

For security professionals, this certification focuses on securing AWS workloads and implementing advanced security measures.

Steps to AWS Certification Success

Now that you've decided on the right certification, here are the steps to help you achieve your goal:

1. Set Clear Goals

Define your career goals and how AWS certifications align with them. Having a clear vision will keep you motivated throughout your certification journey.

2. Choose Relevant Training Resources

AWS provides extensive documentation and training resources, including online courses, practice exams, and official study guides. Consider enrolling in AWS Certified training courses, which are designed to help you prepare for the exams.

3. Hands-On Experience

Practice is key to mastering AWS. Create your AWS account and experiment with the services covered in your chosen certification. Hands-on experience will deepen your understanding and boost your confidence.

4. Study and Prepare

Devote time to study and review the certification's objectives. Use study guides, practice exams, and community forums to reinforce your knowledge.

5. Take Practice Exams

Practice exams are invaluable for gauging your readiness. They help you identify areas where you need to improve and build your test-taking skills.

6. Schedule and Take the Exam

Once you feel confident in your knowledge, schedule your exam. AWS offers both online and in-person testing options to accommodate your preferences.

7. Stay Informed

AWS constantly updates its services and certifications. Stay informed about changes and consider pursuing additional certifications to continue growing in your career.

Conclusion

AWS certifications have become a gold standard in the IT industry, and they offer an excellent opportunity to advance your career. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to level up your skills, there's a certification tailored to your needs. Remember that certification is a journey, not a destination. Keep learning, stay updated, and embrace the dynamic world of AWS to unlock the full potential of your cloud computing career. With dedication and the right certifications, you can be on your way to a brighter and more rewarding future in the world of cloud computing.

[preetsingh1p]

Real-Time Data Streaming: How Apache Kafka is Changing the Game 

Introduction  

In today’s fast-paced digital world, real-time data streaming has become more essential than ever because businesses now rely on instant data processing to make data-driven and informed decision-making. Apache Kafka, i.e., a distributed streaming platform for handling data in real time, is at the heart of this revolution. Whether you are an Apache Kafka developer or exploring Apache Kafka on AWS, this emerging technology can change the game of managing data streams. Let’s dive deep and understand how exactly Apache Kafka is changing the game.  

Rise of Real-Time Data Streaming  

The vast amount of data with businesses in the modern world has created a need for systems to process and analyze as it is produced. This amount of data has emerged due to the interconnections of business with other devices like social media, IoT, and cloud computing. Real-time data streaming enables businesses to use that data to unlock vast business opportunities and act accordingly. 

However, traditional methods fall short here and are no longer sufficient for organizations that need real-time data insights for data-driven decision-making. Real-time data streaming requires a continuous flow of data from sources to the final destinations, allowing systems to analyze that information in less than milliseconds and generate data-driven patterns. However, building a scalable, reliable, and efficient real-time data streaming system is no small feat. This is where Apache Kafka comes into play. 

About Apache Kafka  

Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed event streaming platform that can handle large real-time data volumes. It is an open-source platform developed by the Apache Software Foundation. LinkedIn initially introduced the platform; later, in 2011, it became open-source. 

Apache Kafka creates data pipelines and systems to manage massive volumes of data. It is designed to manage low-latency, high-throughput data streams. Kafka allows for the injection, processing, and storage of real-time data in a scalable and fault-tolerant way.

Kafka uses a publish-subscribe method in which: 

Data (events/messages) are published to Kafka topics by producers. 

Consumers read and process data from these subjects. 

The servers that oversee Kafka's message dissemination are known as brokers. 

ZooKeeper facilitates the management of Kafka's leader election and cluster metadata. 

 

With its distributed architecture, fault tolerance, and scalability, Kafka is a reliable backbone for real-time data streaming and event-driven applications, ensuring seamless data flow across systems. 

Why Apache Kafka Is A Game Changer 

Real-time data processing helps organizations collect, process, and even deliver the data as it is generated while immediately ensuring the utmost insights and actions. Let’s understand the reasons why Kafka stands out in the competitive business world:  

Real-Time Data Processing  

Organizations generate vast amounts of data due to their interconnection with social media, IoT, the cloud, and more. This has raised the need for systems and tools that can react instantly and provide timely results. Kafka is a game-changer in this regard. It helps organizations use that data to track user behavior and take action accordingly. 

Scalability and Fault Tolerance 

Kafka's distributed architecture guarantees data availability and dependability even in the case of network or hardware failures. It is a reliable solution for mission-critical applications because it ensures data durability and recovery through replication and persistent storage. 

Easy Integration  

Kafka seamlessly connects with a variety of systems, such as databases, analytics platforms, and cloud services. Its ability to integrate effortlessly with these tools makes it an ideal solution for constructing sophisticated data pipelines. 

Less Costly Solution  

Kafka helps in reducing the cost of data processing and analyzing efficiently and ensures high performance of the businesses. By handling large volumes of data, Kafka also enhances scalability and reliability across distributed systems. 

Apache Kafka on AWS: Unlocking Cloud Potential  

Using Apache Kafka on ASW has recently become more popular because of the cloud’s advantages, like scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. Here, Kafka can be deployed in a number of ways, such as: 

Amazon MSK (Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka): A fully managed service helps to make the deployment and management of Kafka very easy. Additionally, it handles infrastructure provisioning, scaling, and even maintenance and allows Apache Kafka developers to focus on building applications.  

Self-Managed Kafka on EC2: This is apt for organizations that prefer full control of their Kafka clusters, as AWS EC2 provides the flexibility to deploy and manage Kafka instances.  

  The benefits of Apache Kafka on ASW are as follows:  

Easy scaling of Kafka clusters as per the demand.  

Ensures high availability and enables disaster recovery  

Less costly because it uses a  pay-as-you-go pricing model 

The Future of Apache Kafka  

Kafka’s role in the technology ecosystem will definitely grow with the increase in the demand for real-time data processing. Innovations like Kafka Streams and Kafka Connect are already expanding the role of Kafka and making real-time processing quite easy. Moreover, integrations with cloud platforms like AWS continuously drive the industry to adopt Kafka within different industries and expand its role.  

Conclusion  

Apache Kafka is continuously revolutionizing the organizations of modern times that are handling real-time data streaming and changing the actual game of businesses around the world by providing capabilities like flexibility, scalability, and seamless integration. Whether you are deploying Apache Kafka on AWS or working as an Apache Kafka developer, this technology can offer enormous possibilities for innovation in the digitally enabled business landscape.  

Do you want to harness the full potential of your Apache Kafka systems? Look no further than Ksolves, where a team of seasoned Apache Kafka experts and developers stands out as a leading Apache Kafka development company with their client-centric approach and a commitment to excellence. With our extensive experience and expertise, we specialize in offering top-notch solutions tailored to your needs. 

Do not let your data streams go untapped. Partner with leading partners like Ksolves today!  

Visit Ksolves and get started! 

[gouravsapra]

Optimize your workflow with leading DevOps services! 🚀 Our solutions provide seamless continuous integration and automated deployments to boost your productivity. 💼🔧 Learn how we can help streamline your operations.

[sitp-recs]

Hello again! Thank you for your recommendations, I really liked several of them.

I wanted to tell you that I recently read Away Childish Things by Lettered and I loved it. This left me wondering, do you know of other drarrys who talk about the mistreatment Harry suffered under the Dursleys? I think it's very interesting to see the consequences of childhood abuse growing up and how someone (Draco in this case) can help heal that.

Hello friend! Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the recs. Ahh yes, ACT is so uniquely cathartic - I still remember the awe I felt reading it for the first time, the emotional depth and character development are top notch. I can think of a few fics touching on Harry’s abusive childhood:

Timeshare by astolat (M, 14k)

“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.”“Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.”

Conquering the Dark by noeon (E, 24k)

Harry's a Healer specialising in the care of children, Draco Malfoy's an expert in neuromagic at St Mungo's. A difficult case forces them to work together and, in the process, unearths some of the trauma of the past, as well as the chance for healing in the present.

The Elusive Mate by 0idontknow0 (E, 26k)

Harry had done it (a) to save lives and (b) because the idea of him being Malfoy’s mate was clearly ridiculous, but now he had to tell Malfoy.

He Who Must Not Be Normal by lettered (E, 41k)

Potter has fame and fortune and posh clothes and all he wants is a simple life. Draco has a flat and a cat and a steady job and all he wants is a complicated life. Which makes you think this story has something exciting like body-swapping, but it doesn’t.

A Piercing Comfort by talithan (T, 44k)

When Harry Potter hits the lowest point of his life so far, it is not his friends who keep him honest. With Draco Malfoy's patience and guidance, Harry learns to stand on his own. The thing is, after the fact—he's no longer sure he wants to.

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (E, 70k)

It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again. It's been nearly a year since the unpleasant business at Hogwarts, and Draco's getting on with his life quite nicely, thank you, until Harry sodding Potter steps in and ruins it all, just like always.

Harry Potter and the elusive day off by pleasebekidding (E, 71k)

Auror Potter needs a fucking break. He is wiped. He is exhausted. He probably didn't intend to put himself into a magical coma but these things happen. And who cares, really? He is comfortable in a house where he has hidden away all the shit he can't deal with.

The Ordeal of Being Known by @lou-isfake (M, 146k)

When Auror Potter is anonymously cursed with silence by being forced to hide his own voice inside his mind, there's unfortunately only one person in the country with the qualifications to fix it: Certified and Licensed Healer Legilimens, Draco Malfoy, specialist in Mind Curses and Afflictions.

[corroded-hellfire]

Pretty Girl - Eddie Munson x Reader

Note: This is for my darling @munson-blurbs 💚 I told her that if she finished the big project she was working on in time, I would write her anything she wanted. Not only did she finish on time, but she did it damn near perfectly. I am so unbelievably proud of you, Bug. I’m always in awe of your intelligence and work ethic. I hope I did justice to what you wanted, and I hope you all enjoy it as well! Also, I hope that I used the academic terms I included correctly, but if I didn’t, we’re just going to ignore that lol

Request/Summary: Eddie × Bookworm!Reader where Reader is stressed because of a massive project she has to do. And she keeps talking about all of this academic stuff that makes Eddie's head spin. So he does what he does best: fucks his smart girl until she's dumb

Warnings: smut, p in v, unprotected (wrap it up), oral f!receiving, slight daddy kink

Words: 2.4k

Eddie’s just hanging up the phone as you step into your shared apartment after a long day on campus. Letting out a huff, you drop your backpack down on the kitchen table, and books and papers come spilling out.

“Ugh,” you groan, running your hands down your face. Eddie frowns and walks over to the table as you slump down into a chair. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asks as he takes the seat across from you. 

With a sigh, you shake your head. “S’nothing.” Eddie raises an eyebrow and tilts his head. You can practically hear him asking if you really expect him to believe that. “Just school bullshit. You’d think people studying for their doctorate would be a little more serious than some people in my class. But you don’t want to hear me ramble on.”

“Uh, yes, I do,” Eddie says, leaning forward on the table. “You know I think it’s sexy when you talk all academic. My girl’s gonna have her PhD.”

The salacious wiggling of his eyebrows has you cracking a smile. Relenting, you sit up in your seat and begin to tell Eddie about the irritants you’ve been dealing with.

“So, we have to utilize these things called literacy based behavior interventions…”

Eddie rests his chin on his fist as he listens to you. He’s picked up a lot over the years and is able to identify so many more words that you say than he used to. Sometimes though, he still gets a little confused.

“Well, then that brought us to the Social Identity Development Theory…”

Nodding, Eddie is almost positive he knows what that is, but he doesn’t want to interrupt you to double check. 

“But after all this, he admits he doesn’t really understand qualitative vs. quantitative methodology! I have absolutely no idea how this man even became a BCABA.”

I know this one, Eddie thinks to himself. Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.

“Then he kept saying ‘phenomenology’ instead of ‘pedagogy.’”

Now those, Eddie did not know. He can see you getting more riled up though, so he knows it’s time to intervene.

“Baby, baby, hey.” He reaches over and tugs on your hand, nodding for you to come over and sit in his lap. “It’s okay, you just need to relax.”

Reluctantly, you push yourself out of your chair and let Eddie pull you on top of him. The way he smirks up at you lets you know he’s about to get frisky even before his large hands slide up your thighs. Rough, calloused fingers dig into the plush of your denim covered legs. 

“I think my smart girl needs me to take care of her, doesn’t she?” Eddie pouts up at you. When you nod in return, your boyfriend removes one hand from you and brings it back down to deliver a harsh smack to your ass. “Use your words, baby.”

A whimper escapes your throat as you tighten your legs around his hips. “Yes, Eddie. Need you. Make me feel better.”

Tightening his grip on you, Eddie stands up from the chair. A squeal escapes you as you tightly wrap your arms around his neck. A smirk of satisfaction on his lips, he carries you into your shared bedroom. Gently, he lays you down and lets you get comfortable before he’s crawling on top of you. Eddie tugs on the hem of your shirt, and you sit up enough for him to slide it off of you. Then he works down your body, taking off every piece of clothing in his path. Moving back up your body, he goes to press kisses against your neck, but you stop him with a yank on his own shirt.

“Me too?” he asks with a chuckle. 

“Yes.” The adorable pout in your voice has Eddie acquiescing, stripping down so he’s just as naked as you are. 

“May I continue?” After letting your eyes slowly roam up and down his bare body, you give him a nod of approval. 

“You may.”

He chuckles and leans in and presses his lips against the juncture where your neck and shoulder meet. The kisses start off soft and sweet but turn wetter and needier as he moves down to your collar bones. Moving further down your body, he attaches his lips to the underside of your breast. It’s his favorite place to leave hickies on you and from the way his mouth is moving against the sensitive skin, you’re sure that’s what he’s doing now. 

As the first moans tumble out of your mouth, Eddie switches breasts to give the other one the same attention. Your hands tangle in the curls that are splayed out over your naked chest, your fingers coming up to scratch at Eddie’s scalp as he continues his journey down your body. His kisses trail down your stomach, to your belly button, then further and further down until he stops just shy of where you most want his mouth. 

“So needy,” Eddie says with a chuckle as your hips begin to move, looking for some sort of friction. You let out a whine and give a tug to Eddie’s hair. A guttural groan sounds deep in his throat. “Playing dirty, huh?”

“Need you so bad, Eddie,” you say through a whimper. The way you look down at him with wide, imploring eyes has his cock twitching between his body and the mattress. 

“Relax, my beautiful little genius. I’m gonna help you feel better.”

You’re not given a chance to respond as Eddie moves down and wraps his lips around your clit. One of your hands comes out of Eddie’s hair to grip the sheet you’re lying on.

“Fuck,” you moan. 

Eddie’s tongue expertly works over your clit, moving at the speed and pressure that he knows drives you wild. Using his hands to spread your legs even wider for him, he nudges his nose against your sensitive nub as he licks at your entrance.

“Jesus, baby, I’ll never get used to how fucking good you taste.” It’s not unusual for Eddie to take his time when he’s going down on you. He likes to ravish you, gathering every last drop from you that he can. The only reason he pulls away from your sopping pussy is to praise you on how sweet you taste or how wet you are for him. 

Now, Eddie’s taking even more care than normal to make sure you’re feeling good. Lazy strokes of his tongue over your clit pairs with him slipping two fingers into you. The moment he curves them up inside of you, he’s hitting that delicious spot that has you seeing stars. There are few things Eddie knows better than your body—it’s the only thing he’s ever actually enjoyed studying. He knows it as well as he knows his own body and is able to bring you to the brink on his terms and in his time. 

“M’close, Eddie.”

He knows without you telling him, though. You both know that. The way your walls clamp down around his fingers, the way your breaths hitch as you lose yourself in the feeling. With one last rub of his fingers against your inner wall, the wave of pleasure crashes over you and has you whining out your boyfriend’s name over and over again. 

“That’s a good girl,” Eddie coos as he works you through your bliss. As your moans subside, he slips his fingers out of your pussy and pops them into his mouth. “Mm, fuck, baby.”

“Eddie,” you whine, trying to catch your breath.

“What, my princess?” He crawls up your body and presses gentle, barely-there kisses along the column of your throat. “You already cock drunk? I haven’t even been inside you yet, sweetheart.”

“Y’make me feel so good.” Your hands reach up, grabbing at any expanse of Eddie’s pale skin that you can.

“I’m here, baby,” he assures you, bringing a hand up to cup your cheek.

“Wanna feel you.”

“Aw, does my pretty girl want my PhD?” Eddie teases with a smirk. “My pretty huge dick?” Before you have time to respond, he leans down and slots his mouth over yours, immediately licking into your mouth. Using his other hand, Eddie lines himself up with your entrance and slowly pushes inside.

Eddie’s mouth swallows your moans as you feel him stretch you out deliciously. Above you, your boyfriend meets your sounds of pleasure with his own at the feeling of sliding into the wet warmth of your pussy.

“Shit,” Eddie mumbles against your mouth. “So fucking tight. This is all you needed, right baby? Just needed your daddy taking care of you.”

Words seem too hard as Eddie pulls his hips back before thrusting back into you again and again. You’re dissolved to whining and whimpering in response to his question, which has him smirking down at you. 

“Mm, look at that,” Eddie muses as he grips your hip. “I may not be a genius like you, baby, but this I’m pretty good at. Fuck my smart girl ‘til she’s dumb.” Not only does Eddie know what to do to your body, but he knows just the words to say to get you hurtling towards another orgasm. 

Every generous inch of Eddie moves inside of you, the ridge between the head and shaft dragging against all the spots that have you arching your back. A strong hand slides up from your hip, making sure to caress every inch of skin it comes across as it makes its way up to your mouth. 

“Open up.”

Immediately, you do as you’re told, and Eddie slips two fingers into your mouth. Not needing to be told what to do with them, you begin to run your tongue around his fingers, swirling it around the tip as you soak the digits.

“God damn it,” Eddie says with a huff of laughter. “You’re gonna make me cum before I want to. Gotta get my girl off again, first.”

A small smirk on your face, you release his fingers with a pop. He reaches down and rubs his fingers over your clit, eliciting a breathy moan from your lips.  

“That feel good, baby?” Eddie goads.

“Y-Yes,” you stutter, your eyes closing in ecstasy. 

“Want you to cum for me again, my good girl. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out. “So close.”

“Cum on my cock, baby. Want you to make such a mess of me. Cream my cock.”

“Fuck,” you groan, fingers digging into Eddie’s back as his thrusts become sloppier, a tell-tale sign he’s close as well. “Want you to cum too, Eddie.”

“Oh, don’t worry, princess,” he says with a laugh. “‘Bout to cum so hard in your pretty little pussy. Gonna fill you up so, so good. You’ll feel me dripping out of you for days.”

“Shit,” you hiss, and Eddie picks up the pace on your clit. “Fuck—E-Eddie, I’m gonna cum. Fuck, I’m coming.”

The clenching of your walls around his cock has Eddie losing his composure, groans and mutterings of your name falling from his tongue. 

“Shit, baby—m-me too.”

Your bodies move together as the two of you ride out your highs with each other. Eddie’s head drops down and buries into your neck as his body stills on top of yours. Reluctant to pull out of you, Eddie busies himself by pressing sweet kisses against your skin.

“How was that, my love?” Eddie whispers against your ear.

“Was perfect,” you tell him, a lazy smile on your face. “Don’t want you to move.”

Eddie chuckles. “Me neither. But I was thinking we could get all comfy and I’ll hold you as close as you want me to.”

“Can’t get much closer than we are now,” you point out, making Eddie laugh again. 

“Good point. I’m gonna get us cleaned up though, okay?”

Eddie forces himself to get out of the bed and brings back a warm washcloth. Gently, Eddie cleans you up before working on himself. He leaves the room to throw the washcloth in the hamper, but you figure he gets sidetracked because he takes longer than expected. When you see him balancing a bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water as he walks back into the room, you see why. He sets the snack down on the bed and rolls one of the water bottles your way.

“I was thinking,” he says, turning his back to you and walking over to the television resting on your dresser. “We should watch a movie.” It seems like he already had one in mind as he plucks one from your small pile of VHS tapes. Eddie pops the tape into the VCR and strolls back over to the bed. He holds the popcorn bowl so he doesn’t knock it over while he gets situated. As soon as he lifts his arm, you’re cuddling up into his side. Sweat sticks to both of you even after you’ve cleaned up, but you tuck yourself into Eddie’s side regardless. He places the bowl of popcorn on his thigh closest to you as you rest your head on his shoulder. The familiar sweet scent of your strawberry shampoo brings a smile to his face and a feeling of warmth and comfort settles over him. 

“Oh, you put Tommy Boy on!” Your face lights up in glee as you point to the television, as if he didn’t know that you were referring to the movie on the screen. 

“I know how much you love it,” he says, a smile on his face at how happy it made you. 

Cuddling up to his side, Eddie grabs a few pieces of popcorn and holds them up to your mouth. Giggling, you eat them out of his hand like a horse being fed hay. The two of you lazily feed pieces to one another as you watch the movie. When the bowl is empty, you nuzzle your face into Eddie’s neck. The smell of sweat, weed, and his minty shampoo floods your senses and has you more relaxed than you’ve felt in days. Only a few minutes later, Eddie can feel your breath against his neck as it comes out in long puffs. A smile grows on his face at the realization that you’ve fallen asleep.

Carefully, Eddie moves the empty bowl of popcorn to the bedside table and slowly maneuvers himself so he's laying down, keeping you held in his arms. He pulls your body as close as he can, keeping his promise of holding you as closely as you’d like.

“Goodnight, pretty girl. I love you.”

[serenastark-official]

📺 09: Why You Should Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S : A PSA From a Certified Sarcasm Connoisseur (aka Me) 🛋️

Alright, if you haven’t watched Friends yet, first of all—what are you doing with your life?! Second, allow me to present my case (with minimal bias and maximum sass) on why this legendary sitcom deserves a spot in your heart, your screen time, and your vocabulary.

1. It’s the Ultimate Comfort Show™

You know that warm, cozy feeling you get when you eat mac and cheese or wear your favorite hoodie? Friends is that in TV form. It’s the show you turn to after a bad day, during a mental breakdown, or while procrastinating every responsibility in your life. It has that magical ability to make the world feel a little less awful.

Whether it's the familiar theme song or the way you just know Chandler is about to say something sarcastic, Friends offers consistency in a world that’s anything but. The characters become your people. The apartment becomes your second home. And the chaos? Therapeutic. Absolutely therapeutic.

2. Chandler Bing Exists. That’s It. That’s the Reason.

Chandler Bing is the human embodiment of "laughing through the pain." If sarcasm were a superpower, he’d be on the Avengers lineup. He’s witty, self-deprecating, emotionally repressed in the most hilarious way, and somehow still manages to be one of the most relatable characters on the show.

If you’ve ever made a joke instead of expressing a real feeling, Chandler is your spirit animal. And honestly? Watching him stumble his way through love, friendship, and adulthood while using humor as his emotional shield is more healing than any self-help book.

3. Joey Tribbiani’s Brain is a National Treasure

He may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but Joey is loyal, hilarious, and will always share his food (…okay, no, he won’t, but still). His dramatic acting, his “How you doin’?”—you will quote him. You will love him.

Whether he’s doing a terrible audition, giving dating advice he 100% should not be giving, or yelling "Joey doesn’t share food!" he’s pure joy. You don’t watch Joey to learn; you watch him because he reminds you it’s okay to be goofy and genuine.

4. Monica Geller: The Patron Saint of Control Freaks

Monica is all of us who organize their closet by color, alphabetize their spice rack, and aggressively clean when stressed. But beneath the cleaning obsessions and ultra-competitive streak is a woman who loves fiercely and always shows up for her people.

She’s loud. She’s competitive. She’s got a label maker and a need for clean that rivals the Avengers' need for therapy. But she’s also heart, loyalty, and badassery wrapped in a chef’s apron.

5. Phoebe Buffay is Straight-Up Iconic

Who else could sing “Smelly Cat” with such conviction? Who else casually mentions her past as a mugger while giving life advice? No one. She’s weird, she’s wise, she’s a chaotic neutral goddess.

She teaches us that being different is a gift, not a flaw. Whether she’s singing, threatening to cut someone, or casually dropping a dark backstory mid-conversation, she’s the reminder we all need that life doesn’t have to be normal to be beautiful.

6. Ross Geller is... Well, He’s There.

Ross is the most academically accomplished and emotionally unhinged member of the group. He’s a walking contradiction: intelligent but clueless, passionate but petty, romantic but awkward. His dramatic breakdowns and dinosaur rants are a special flavor of chaos.

Despite all his drama (and the many divorces), he’s oddly endearing. You don’t root for Ross because he’s perfect. You root for him because he’s real in his messiness. And let’s be honest, "We were on a break!" is a lifestyle now.

7. Rachel Green’s Character Development is Chef’s Kiss

Rachel starts as the runaway bride who can’t even make coffee, and ends as a fashion icon with a career, a daughter, and her own backbone. Watching her figure out life on her own terms is equal parts relatable and empowering.

And let's not ignore the fashion. Rachel Green gave us looks. But beyond the outfits, she showed us how to grow, to take risks, and to believe in yourself even when you start from scratch. She’s proof that you can have both vulnerability and ambition.

8. The Vibes Are Immaculate

Central Perk. The purple apartment. The ugly naked guy. The Thanksgiving disasters. The wedding mishaps. The random cameos. The couch. Everything feels like home.

Even Ugly Naked Guy (yup, he’s real) becomes a comforting presence. The show builds a universe where everything is interconnected—from "The One With All the Thanksgivings" to "The One Where Everybody Finds Out." It’s comfort TV with legacy.

9. You Will Start Speaking Fluent Friends

It starts small—maybe a “Could I be wearing any more clothes?” here, a “Pivot!” there—and next thing you know, you’re responding to compliments with “I KNOW!” like you’re on a Broadway stage.

The writing is just that good. It weaves itself into your brain and sets up camp. And before you know it, you’re referencing Monica’s towel system or singing "Smelly Cat" at 2 a.m. without shame. Welcome to the club.

10. The Emotional Damage Hits Just Right

It’s not just comedy. The emotional moments hit hard. From Chandler and Monica’s adoption arc to Ross seeing Emma for the first time to Rachel’s goodbye scene—your heart will be stomped on gently, but in a good way. Like a hug that punches you in the feels.

This show isn’t just about relationships and coffee—it’s about growth, chaos, ridiculous situations, and six lovable weirdos trying to figure out adulthood. Sound familiar?

And that’s what makes the show magical. It balances gut-busting laughter with real, raw, soul-punching moments. You cry with them. You grow with them. And when that final scene fades out, you’re not just watching a show. You’re saying goodbye to six friends who made you laugh, cry, and feel a little less alone.

Bonus: Because Serena Said So.

I mean, honestly. Do you need more reason?

F.R.I.E.N.D.S is not just a show—it’s a cultural landmark. You’ll finally understand the memes. The fandom. The group references. You’ll make new friends by quoting it. It’s like unlocking a secret society.

Now go. Watch the pilot. Get hooked. Cry when the series ends. Then restart it from the beginning like the rest of us emotionally damaged, coffee-loving goofballs.

🛋️✨ “I’ll be there for youuuuuu…” clap clap clap clap! ✨🛋️

[thebirthofvenusfly]

finally finished episode 1 (and 0, before that, before you ask) of Of The Devil and as a certified american, internet user, acting (and game development) student, i felt it imperative to share my opinion of this project. im writing this at 4 am and while half-tipsy so if you see typos, no you dont.

the following includes significant spoilers for both episodes 0 and 1 of Of The Devil so if you havent played it, you might want to Not read this!

im just gonna go ahead and start with what i think overall: THIS IS A REALLY GOOD FUCKING GAME. Like, REALLY REALLY GOOD. Like, I enjoyed this more than many of my attempts and experiences to play some of its inspirations (re: ace attorney, danganronpa) which is NOT me hating those inspirations; i am saying the innovations and unique creative decisions made to set Of The Devil apart from other titles in the murder mystery genre of games has made it what i love about it.

starting with general Things I Love:

Character Writing: name one boring character in this game. (spoiler alert: impossible!) this game has mastered an art of bringing charm and whimsy to a variety of characters who vary in age, design, occupation, relation to one another--without a single stale mark among any of them. every character is multi-dimensional. yes, emma is a perpetually tired nerd, but also yes, she is a ruthless, meticulous, prompt, dedicated lawyer who has a repeated record of having beat morgan in trial several times over, and will come running at 4 am to work.

yes, morgan is a hard-ass. also yes, she is a murderer. also yes, she is a criminal defense attorney. also yes, she is the most trusted ally of david ashur--a world-renowned programmer--and has killed on his behalf before without remotely being asked to do so. yes, she has taken serra under her wing and hired her. yes, she refers to serra as it and questions serra's independent thought on several occasions. yes, she begins to accept serra's opinions, quips, and muses more, and in her mind, refers to her as spearmint (out of endearment? teasing?). hell, yes, she chooses to even keep serra in her life after opening the episode 1 case with saying once she'd fulfilled this debt to serra (and david), she couldn't care less how serra fucked off afterwards.

tl;dr: the characters feel human. even the not-human ones. and they cover a variety of personalities and dynamics that clash and harmonize in lovely ways. Dialogue Writing: insane banter, bouncing off one another, fun puns and jokes and quips to specific characters. highlighted even further by the lovely portraits that change through conversation. ISAT and OTD prove: 2D character portraits can really do it all, and beautifully portray emotion in games with no emotional vocality (voice-acting, chat,) to support them. would make a good fandub. (i know there is a jelloapocalypse one, but as an acting student, i could see this as a fun challenge myself too if i can gather a couple more friends...) The Mysteries and Puzzles: did you play the game? the mirror-bit of episode 0? the synatonin-poisoned water, kept in the body for hours, becoming deadly when mixed with alcohol, gagged back up with salt-and-water concoction to get away with a murder-designed-as-a-suicide-turned-into-murder-against-an-innocent-party? cause that was very fucking clever.

Music: banger. nothing more to say here. the greatness of the soundtrack speaks for itself.

Character Designs, Art Style, and Visual Choices:

art style: 1000000/10. speaks for itself. same with character design choices, a fine diversity of heights, complexions, ages among the cast, etc. i suppose i would like to see more black and afro-featured characters moving forward as isaac was really the only one thus far, but given how small the cast is, this isn't an awful ratio for now.

i wanna talk about the visual/cinematic decisions. i want to talk about the way we cut to type-writer font and text and cut to panels of what looks like it was ripped right out of the script; you know, the solid-colored, semi-static background stills? where the character name and dialogue line sit in the middle, in the top left corner, you'll find the location of the current scene, and at the bottom, the line number, like we're looking at the actual script on paper? i love those. they create a nice change of pace and highlight of satirical and interesting moments in conversation. same with the multi-colored text, italicized text choices, and the other cuts--where some lines would cut to a grey, new camera angle in another part of the room, with the dialogue in red at the bottom for some of the most soul-chilling realizations of the narrative? W choices.

Plot Twists and Surprising Additions: okay so actually playing episode 0 i joked it would be really fucking funny if morgan were the heartbreak killer fresh after clearing carlos' name and you can only imagine the look on my face when i clicked into the next panel to immediately see morgan in the doorway with a smoking gun in hand.

it seems like such a simple idea for a twist; let's make the criminal defense attorney, whose entire career has been responsibilities along the lines of clearing people of murder, a flat-out murderer. let's say SHE is the murderer responsible for the death of a victim whose case she is assigned to, to prove someone else's innocence for it. she goes in with full confidence KNOWING she is the one who pulled the trigger, and as such, the evidence to support carlos' innocence should be there somewhere. all while using her arguments (smell of gunpowder, for example) as ways to keep herself separated from suspicion (light a cigarette inside the interrogation room so that the smell of gunpowder potentially on her is overwritten with the cigarette scent). and then reveal those supposedly six people she's shot in the heart? yeah, they are FAR from her first victims. very far. even david's stalker was, at minimum, her 20th, maybe 30th, maybe 40th kill; she's too precise, too meticulous, too... comfortable and satisfied doing it. it cant be new. cant be a fluke hobby. its something she is consistently finding satisfaction within, almost therapeutically. why???? (let's find out.)

anyways. we WILL be tuning into episode 2. we WILL be buying any merch on the horizon, and we WILL be checking out the ao3 scene (and perhaps contributing to it...?)

thanks gamers

[daily-pat]

Local anime boy experiences dramatic loss of beans, more at 12.

Today’s contribution is made by my lovely friend and certified sweetheart @bewarebugbear!!! Beware was another person who stepped in after a few people had to drop out, and made these doodles to help keep the daily streak running! His constant enthusiasm, encouragement, and support make him one of my favorite artists to work and interact with! Aside from his incredible personality, Beware is also an extremely talented cartoonist with a knack for character design and creation. Just recently he’s been sending me his development of some OCs, and I’m just in awe of the precision and care it puts into its work!!!! Go give it a follow and be sure to keep showing some love in the notes!!!

[sweetmariihs2]

Ya have any toy story neurodivergent headcanons?

I guess.. maybe?

cute gif so that the post looks pretty

I've thought about Buzz, actually. Buzz is very good at space ranger skills like spying, fighting, strategy, but he is awful in social skills. This is canon in the cartoon Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Also, he is absolutely obsessed with his space ranger job and is obsessed with fighting Zurg, this is a topic of an episode, where he's so damn paranoid about Zurg and focused on him that he got like- crazy and overwhelmed, and had to take a vacation- only because Commander Nebula told him this was an order.

I was wondering if he might be autistic due to actions that could be seen as a special interest, an hyperfocus and bad social skills, but then I remembered that his character is supposed to be that way because he's like, a satirical interpretation of a traditional hero. It's a bit ironic because he got so focused in learning space ranger stuff that he forgot how to have like, a social life for a long time, and that's why he doesn't get jokes or subtle meanings in stuff. His collegue Warp Darkmatter on the other way only cared about hanging out, getting some girls, and doing illegal stuff for Zurg to get some money... he mocked Buzz for studying so much, but Buzz ignored it. He always wanted to be a space ranger and had like, gun toys since he was very little.

I think it's kinda open for interpretation that he might be neurodivergent. I don't think that he is, but I can see why people might think that. Never saw anyone bringing it up, but... yeah. I think he's just a certified Male Character™ (take this as a joke please lmao)

Also, I like to think that Buzz from Toy Story is just Buzz from Blosc but as a toy; if Blosc Buzz is neurodivergent, so is the other Buzz and other toy Buzzes are.

This is from the BLOSC wiki:

The Disney wiki only mentions that he's not very used to human culture, but he shows to be quite... literal? People misinterpret him for dumb because of his bad social skills and not understanding human culture very well, but Buzz is hella smart. Oh wait, another autistic trait right there...

Other characters don't show a lot of neurodivergent traits in my opinion... Jessie has claustrophobia and PTSD but this is canon. There are debates surrounding the idea of PTSD being or not being a neurodivergence, because it affects the whole structure of the brain and the way the person views the world. Buzz could develop some trauma after what Lotso did to him in Toy Story 3, but this will probably be better discussed in Toy Story 5, due to resetted Buzzes being the main topic of the movie.

Rex is anxious but this it not a neurodivergence.

[fkinkindagauche]

As Is - Chapter One

I was not capable of leaving my recent Harringrove one-shot with an open ending, so I'm going back and adding more to give these buttheads a happy ending. Here's chapter one.

Rating: Explicit | WC: estimated around 15K | CW: child abuse, period-typical homophobia include use of the "f" word by Neil Hargrove, internalized homophobia | Tags: angst with a happy ending, secret relationship, omegaverse, alpha Steve, omega Billy, top/bottom versatile Steve and Billy, post-S3, Billy lives, Billy needs a hug

Summary:

This thing with Harrington started as just a convenient way for Billy to have heat sex, since Harrington knew he was an omega now anyway. But when they start having sex outside of Billy's heats, things spiral, feelings develop, and Billy has a hard time handling it.

Read the full fic on AO3.

Excerpt below.

divider by @/saradika-graphics

"What the hell is going on with you, Steven?"

Steve shook his head, coming out a daze. A Billy-centric daze. As most of his dazes were lately.

"What? Nothing," he muttered. He pushed himself off the counter he'd been leaning against and grabbed some tapes that needed rewinding.

Robin huffed. "You've been acting weird for weeks. You keep spacing out, and you haven't asked anyone for their number in way too long. Do you have gonorrhea?"

Steve glared at her. "Gonorrhea? That would make me space out?"

Robin shrugged. "I mean, yeah, if your junk was all uncomfortable in your pants and stuff. Would also make you turn down dates."

"I don't have gonorrhea, Robs," Steve insisted with a sigh.

"Well then what is it? I'm worried about you."

Steve felt awful keeping anything a secret from Robin. But whatever the fuck was going on between him and Billy, he couldn't tell her. Because that would mean he'd need to tell her about Billy being an omega, or else she'd never understand why they'd started fucking in the first place, and he wasn't willing to break that promise for anything.

"I've just been distracted lately. Trying to figure out what the hell I wanna do with my life." He felt like such an asshole, but it wasn't a complete lie. He had been descending into the depths of despair relatively regularly while thinking about what he was going to do after Robin went off to college next year.

He'd just also been fucking Billy. The omega had been getting his weird mini-heats pretty frequently the past few months, coming by Steve's place every few weeks to get fucked senseless for a few hours, then leave.

Steve knew he shouldn't complain. What alpha in their right mind would complain about regularly getting to help an omega through their heats? But Steve was annoyingly traditional about certain things, like wanting to have at least a modicum of romance in his sexual encounters. And the omega in question was a certified asshole who was probably allergic to romance.

"You're gonna figure something out, I know it!" Robin said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "You can always come live in my dorm room. We'll get one of those trundle beds and we can roll out the bottom for you to sleep in every night. We'll have matching pajamas! And those little nightcaps like Scrooge wears, and-"

"You don't think your roommate might object to having an adult man sleeping in a trundle bed in her dorm room?" Steve asked with a laugh.

Robin made a dismissive noise and waved her hand. "She'll be fine. It will get her used to our dynamic from the get-go."

Steve knew she was 95% serious. She would let him stay in her dorm room, no matter what her roommate thought. But Steve wasn't particularly keen on the idea of squatting in a girls' dorm.

"Hopefully I'll have something a little more feasible figured out by August," Steve said.

A familiar car was parked outside Steve's house when he got home. Billy's beat-up Ford Escort. Every time Steve saw it, he cringed a little at the memory of crashing into Billy's Camaro.

Billy was still in the car, likely unwilling to sit on Steve's porch and wait for him, but he got out as soon as Steve pulled into the garage.

Steve mentally prepared himself for Billy in heat. He couldn't believe it was happening again so soon; Billy had just been here the week before. His hormones must be so fucked.

Billy seemed less keyed up than usual as he walked into the garage. He smelled different, the sharp nutty aspect of his scent coming through stronger than the sweetness. It took Steve's brain a second to catch up, but eventually he got there - Billy wasn't in heat. So what was he doing here?

"Hi," Steve said, sounding awkward even to his own ears.

"Hi," Billy replied with a smirk.

"What're you doing here?" It came out sharper than he'd intended, and he winced internally.

Billy glared at him. "Well I didn't come to chat with you in your garage, that's for goddamn sure."

Steve rolled his eyes, Billy's sarcasm putting him back on firmer ground. "Wanna come in?" Steve asked, opening the door into the house.

Billy nodded, following him inside. As soon as Steve shut the door, Billy was on him. He pushed Steve back against the door, pressing his whole body into him. Billy kissed him forcefully, shoving his tongue into Steve's mouth like this was some kind of race.

Steve wrapped his arms around Billy's waist, pulling him even closer. He felt his cock rub against Billy's through their layers of clothes. They were both already hard. Steve shifted his hips to put more pressure on his cock, rubbing himself on Billy in tiny circles.

Billy broke the kiss to fumble with Steve's belt, undoing the clasp and getting Steve's pants unzipped. Steve moved his mouth to Billy's neck, biting lightly on the skin, avoiding his scent gland which was slathered in blockers, as usual.

Billy shoved a hand into Steve's boxers, wrapping it around his cock. Steve groaned against Billy's neck and thrust up into his hand. He heard Billy undoing his own belt, then Billy's hand was wrapped around both of their cocks.

It pinched as Billy started to move. "Ow," Steve muttered. Billy let up. "Let me just…" Steve said, looking around the kitchen island. "Aha!" he exclaimed, spotting the olive oil. He pressed Billy away to grab the bottle, drizzling some on his hand.

Billy snorted, but joined Steve by the island. Steve grasped them both in hand, smoothing the olive oil over their cocks. Much better. Billy's hand joined his, allowing them to wrap all the way around both of their cocks.

Steve went back to kissing Billy as they stroked in tandem. Billy tasted faintly of cigarettes, and overwhelmingly of Billy. Steve sighed, wanting to smell Billy, too. When he was in heat, his scent overwhelmed all the blockers he took and used topically. But now, with him not in heat, all Steve could smell was sweat, and the fake alpha scent Billy used.

He was having trouble getting in the right headspace with that stupid fake scent. There was only one place Billy would still smell like Billy right now. Steve let go of their cocks and dropped to his knees on the kitchen floor.

"The fuck are you doing, Harrington?" Billy grumbled, still using his hand to fist his own cock.

Steve didn't respond, just pressed Billy back against the counter and pushed his legs apart. Billy allowed it, miraculously, and Steve dove forward, licking up the slick that had gathered around Billy's slit.

With his nose buried in Billy's cunt, Steve was surrounded only by the heady scent of Billy, no fake scent getting in his way. Steve reveled in it. He reached down for his own cock, picking back up where he'd left off now that he could focus. He licked and sucked at the skin surrounding Billy's slit, then pressed his tongue in.

He could feel Billy's hand brushing against the top of his head as he continued to stroke his own cock. Steve needed to get in deeper, to taste more of Billy. He pulled his head up for a moment, yanking off one of Billy's shoes then pulling that leg of his jeans off. He grabbed the now bare leg with his free hand and threw it over his shoulder, changing the angle so he could press in further with his tongue.

Billy groaned when Steve started to fuck his tongue into him. The movements of his hand above Steve's head were growing more frantic. Steve's hand on his own cock was flying as pleasure built deep in his gut.

A fresh pool of slick gushed out onto his tongue, sending Steve over the edge. He came with a muffled cry. After, he used his now-free hand to press two fingers into Billy alongside his tongue, crooking them forward to rub at Billy's g-spot. Billy yelped as he came, and Steve unfortunately felt sticky droplets landing on his hair.

He groaned, this time not in pleasure, and sat back on his heels. "In my hair? Seriously?"

Billy shrugged. "You put yourself in the splash zone."

Steve rolled his eyes and stood up. Billy was pulling his jeans back on and heading for the door in an impressively short amount of time.

"You're still just gonna leave right away?" Steve asked, perplexed. Billy did typically leave right after his heats broke, but Steve had hoped that maybe him coming over outside of heat meant they'd be able to do something more than just fuck.

"What, do you need me to stay for a while and cuddle you, Harrington?" Billy shot back, voice heavy with derision.

That would have been nice. Steve had always been a cuddler. But he wasn't going to say that out loud. "Whatever, Billy," Steve mumbled, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I need to take a shower anyway."

Billy's face twitched, like he was trying to keep himself from expressing something. He looked like he was about to say more, but then he shook his head, turned around, and walked out of the house.

Read the full fic on AO3.

[riddle-on-the-milk-carton]

LOST Sawyer dissertation or smth because what drugs are they putting in this show

Basically at the start of the show I really was not a fan of sawyer, he was mean, cantankerous, and he was always causing trouble from people, with his first introduction to his character being him throwing hands with Sayid assuming he was the criminal on the plane, he beat up Boone and let himself get tortured over Shannon’s inhaler (which he didn’t even have)

But when we got the him-focused episode it then explained a lot with him saying “I guess I became the man I was chasing” but the thing is he didn’t, early Sawyers whole thing was that he wanted so bad for people to think he was awful because he believes himself to be beyond saving, even his later quote of “I guess some of us are always meant to be alone” he tries to act like a monster beyond saving because he believes himself to be, but the thing is he just isn’t

his con man business too is the most likely cause of why he believes this, with his whole thing of “becoming the man he was chasing” we see that another key part of sawyers character is how focused he is on looking out for himself, he plays this up as selfishness but we see throughout is life he is normally all he has, to the point when other people show care for him he pushes them away His selfishness come from a place of survival, from looking at the area Sawyer grew up, him talking about dropping out at such a young age, and his mention on how he lived in a trailer as a kid with only one channel on the tv, we can more than assume he grew up in poverty in the south, which makes so much sense as to why he’d become a con man too, because that’s what he needed to do to survive and make his way in the world, mentioning he was really young when he did his first con We can also assume that’s where his obsession with stuff and hoarding came from, as growing up without a lot can make you have a craving for having things, because it makes you feel safe (I should know I got this lol)

And over time (even in the episode after their fight Sayid tosses sawyer a mango and he looks at him all confused about it) he becomes a better person due to learning to care about the other survivors, it’s slow but I really like the progression of it, him going from looting the dead bodies to picking up Claire and carrying her to safety, him going from a pretty xenophobic guy to laughing and hugging Jin when he finds out he’s alive, him offering medicine from his stash when Kate asks, etc.

And we see him at his most developed after the time skip, when he’s gone from a low brow con man scamming people out of money to the head of security with a loving and stable partner (who takes charge and calls him out too) and caring about the people in the Dharma initiative and his friends

He was a lone character who only valued his own survival in a show so focused on the community and the friends we’ve made along the way, he’s obviously a FAR from perfect character and has done many shit things and still has a lot of flaws and issues, being a certified Problem Causer as well, but omg he’s so interesting and I love his development bruh

Also him goingfrom being a bully to Hurley meanwhile Hurley was conning him into being nicer the whole time was incredible

Hugo Reyes is truly the Jesus Christ of lost he’s so perpetually kind and smart with his actions

I should also add Sawyer going from caring only about himself (outright admitting he wouldn’t do the same when Jack was saving his ass) and being repeatedly baffled by every time he is hurt or on the brink of death the other survivors save him and help him, like you think nobody ever cares for you and you should only look out for yourself? Wrong. Get cared about idiot.

Like I went from hoping he died to genuinely crying after he lost Juliet, because he went from having nothing to rebuilding a whole little life for himself and became a better person because of it too, he was able to have that only for it to be ripped away from him (just like when he was a kid-)

anyways sawyer dissertation the writing in this show is insane by making me more annoyed by JACK currently than that certified Plinko Horse over there

[little-paperboat]

2024 Writing Year In Review & Reflections

Thank you to @purpleasters-inseptember and @forget-me-maybe for the tags! I'm merging both games because some questions were quite similar :)

I'm a bit late but we're still in the early days of January so I guess it's fine!

Answers under the cut because it got veeeeeery long (in 2025 i'm a certified yapper). If @swordbisexual @graysparrowao3 or @diaphanouso want to participate, this is a no pressure tag for you (& sorry if you've already done it!) 🤍

Words posted: 64,060 words, of which:

16,450 words on is a heavy heart too much to hold?

47,610 words totals on the four parts of the i burned my fingers on this forbidden fire series

Words unposted: well, the content of two whole chapters that I'm still working on and didn't get to see the light of day in 2024, so probably about 6,000 according to my calculations?

Total word count: 64,060 - keeping this nice and round number of what I *actually* wrote in 2024.

Fandoms: Baldur's Gate 3 and Arcane

Highest Kudos: a mindblowing 342 on heavy heart, I'm still in awe of such a high show of love!!

Highest One-Shot Hits: n/a, I haven't written any one shot (I guess I could try but let's be honest, I don't think I'm wired to write one-shots unless they’re 3km long) but my AO3 currently registers 4,664 hits for heavy heart, which is absolutely insaneeeeee

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

Feel, probably. I'm sure there's many, many more, I just don't want to think about it too much lest it gives me more word anxiety 😬

New things you tried:

Planning a long and multi-chapter fic from start to end

Writing a x reader/you point of view

Writing smut

Writing a fight scene

Very exciting, challenging and rewarding in all cases!

I’ll also add reading stories that were out of my comfort / knowledge zone, and finding myself discovering new styles, kinks, perspectives, emotions. ❤️

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

Well, getting back into writing, for one, and (painfully) (re)learning that writing is hard. Yeah yeah I know it's my hobby and I love all those little freaks in my head, but for it to be good and satisfying, the exercise of writing really requires - for me - a structure and organisation that I hadn't really anticipated the importance of (and still haven't mastered 🫡)

also learning to accept the compliments and love (see question below :))

How has your writing developed this past year?

I focused more on writing *like me* and less trying to imitate others. It's been quite challenging, since there's always a part of me that finds other authors' styles better, more unique, or just overall nicer - and I often find myself wanting to emulate that.

But I've also learned to read, accept and really integrate all the lovely compliments that I've received on my different works, and that tremendously helped me to feel proud of my "style", which was lovingly described as "romantic and whimsical". And you know what? I like it :)

Bad writing habits?

I'm a terrible procrastinator. I spend 90% of the time daydreaming and 10% actually sitting down to write + if I get thrown off-schedule for whatever reason, it can take me weeks to get back into it. But if I don't write for an extended period of time, I tend to spiral and feel like I cannot do it anymore. So yeah, inconsistency is a big one. Add overthinking to the mix and, uh. Not exactly an ideal combination.

I’ll add that, although it isn’t exactly a bad habit, I write terribly, terribly slowly. I wish I didn’t, but it’s the one thing in my life (along with not being a morning person no matter how hard I try to re-wire my brain) that annoys me the most, and yet I am unable to change. 🐌

Fic you took the most time on: forbidden fire, between the initial concept, planning the outline, writing and editing... it's taking for everrr - and especially the current chapter 5, which is taking 3 months to come out and for what 😭

Fic you took the least time on: heavy heart, although it's starting to add up!

Favourite thing you wrote?

Ohhhh. Oh. It's hard to say! I think wild winds are death to the candle, because it was my come-back to writing fanfiction and I'm really proud of the care i put into it! I also loved the first salty interaction between Tav and Rolan. Pure spite, zero braincells.

Favourite fics you read this year?

Wayyyyy too many! I've read more fanfics this year than ever before, for so many different characters as well, mostly the BG3 characters and Jayce/Viktor from Arcane. Unfortunately I haven't always been diligent in my AO3 bookmarks and overall it's really hard to make a choice - but I had started to compile a list of my fav Rolan x Tav works, I should post it :)

If I had to choose right now, from the top of my head, I'd say:

Deeply and Immovably So by @dutifullylazybread

Magistrate's Advocate by @cinnamontails-ff

Lead Me Through the Dark by @darkurgetrash

As well as Convergence for the Arcane fandom <3

All these works have been absolute game-changers in my approach to writing, to universe-, characters- and plot-building, and I hold these works very, very dear to my heart (and I have to catch up quite a few chapters actually!)

Biggest win?

I'll steal @forget-me-maybe's words: finding my little space and community in the big bad world. These communities have been an incredible safe space for me, to explore my love for the characters, and to feel like I was part of something. 2024 has been a year of big personal changes and development and getting to find comfort and joy here has helped me in ways I cannot really put into words.

Shoutout especially to Rolan Nation because it was (is?) such a small community and it was so lovely to watch it grow and interact with wonderful people. ❤️

Finding other people who cared as much about my beloved characters has truly been a heartwarming experience. I don't often get to feel like I'm part of something, but this year, I did :)

(Writing) goals for 2025:

finish forbidden fire AND resuming the two-weeks posting schedule. I've accumulated a lot of delay but I care for it so much and I absolutely want to see it through, hopefully it'll be done by spring or early summer!

finish heavy heart: I only have two more chapters planned so this shouldn't be too much of a problem ;)

stealing word for word from dear @purpleasters-inseptember, writing a few one-shots to practice a shorter word count, but also exploring different and more characters

in the same fashion, exploring more tropes that I like

it's not a writing goal but I really, reaaaaally want to begin drawing. I so want to join in and show you all my ocs!! :)

New works for 2025:

a gale x tav fic (and hopefully an astarion x tav too) as little snippets of their adventures together

some more viktor x reader/oc and jayvik x reader/oc

and we'll leave it at that because... that's already a lot haha

What are you excited for in the new year?

Making more friends :)

Reading and writing more stories, and exploring new things in my writing

Getting to improve my writing and expand my vocabulary

Just being around for one more year of fandom shenanigans here - and maybe fall in love with new characters!

Thank you for these questions! It was long but very fun to answer :)

And a merry January to all of you ✨

[protonbits-software1]

NopCommerce for E-Commerce: How It Streamlines Operations

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[just-plumli-stuff]

People are always talking about how we baby Jean but what about Harry? I’m basically sorry cop Harry in real life, and one of the most emotional things for me in Disco is finding out HARRY DOESN’T SUCK. In fact, Harry is a certified 360 spin kick genius. I assumed we were a depressed alcoholic floating through life and just an utterly destroyed broken human being. But despite all that:

-You’re famous enough Kim knows who you are and goes with your amnesia because he thinks the famous Harry Dubois is playing a funny prank. He lets you do all this shit cause he trusts you are THE Harry Dubois.

-Jean will take you back in literally every ending. He came to the Whirling in a wig, you guys have to be on better terms than he pretends you are to do that. He’s a dick, but honestly a lot of straight male friendship is calling each other slurs cause their fathers never taught them how to express love.

-Judit is weirdly defensive of you and I don’t know why she would be unless you were a GOOD BOSS. You let a chick on your task force you progressive thinker!

-Trant has some pretty kind takes on your position and seems if anything in awe of your methods. If Harry was a total fuck up would he try to mental gymnastics there must be a reason you got so drunk you wiped your brain?

- the Unsolvable Case and the World Mural, the other two times you were drunk off your ass were recent. Harry probably always been a drinker, but it’s possible shitty Harry is a more recent development.

I just wanna imagine Harry personally changed the lives of everyone in the phone call room and that’s why these 2 IQ losers are somehow carrying Precinct 41’s closing rate. Harry is a leader of men and chicks. HARRY DUBOIS ISN’T STUPID HE’S JUST TOO SMART FOR HIS OWN BRAIN AND A LITTLE SILLY.

Edit: I FORGOT MY THESIS. Super apologetic people will apologize for shit they didn’t even do. If you, like me, woke up as Harry Dubois and assumed you are the worlds greatest fuck up you need to examine why. Harry could have been literally anyone but we assumed he/we were a bad person.