#Refurbished Notebooks

[noxexistant]

i have a new modern katherine headcanon

[elodieunderglass]

Hi! I've been loving your Killie posts, somewhat obsessively. I've talked to my husband and housemate about them, and about all the jockey info you've shared. Killie brings me great joy, and I can't wait for your book!

I also, incidentally, have been trying to write a book myself for...most of my life??

The folly inherent in this endeavor is Very High (learning disorder from hell, three children under two, computer's been broken for like two years, etc., etc.), but I keep maniacally coming back to it. I have a notebook full of notes and, at long last, a new computer coming on Friday. In short, I know this is super weird and we don't know each other at all, but if there is any way to engage in parallel play long-distance, just say the word. 😅

(In reference to Killie and the fact that he needs a book, which, unfortunately, implies me writing it.

I meant what I said! We’re being brave and doing it together! This year, okay?

I completely understand and have so much sympathy for your circumstances…. I remember when I was writing Strange Pilgrims, which is “only” a fanfic, but it’s a pretty deep and heartfelt thing in its way, and I didn’t have a computer to write it on. Buying a refurbished laptop to finish that thing felt MONUMENTAL. Enjoy the moment of the new laptop and the new chapter it will bring. By buying it in the first place, you have committed yourself to saying “yes.”

If something lights up your brain like that, it’s a gift of splendid rarity. And that kind of gift catches in other people and they can enjoy it more because of its sincerity. I firmly believe that the gift you have been given is worth accepting and honouring, no matter what form it may take in the end. You’ve said yes! You’ve bought the laptop!

One thing I’m very good at it is accountability, so what I’m going to do is schedule a reblog of this ask for one month from now, tagging you in it. And I will chase you down - lovingly, like a greyhound chasing the… er….. moon. I am going to ask you how it is going. If you haven’t progressed at all, that’s fine - you’ll get a gold star. There’s no shame in not doing anything.

If you have started to build something, get words on paper or whatever your process looks like, I will give you (slaps roof of pockets) a present. Your very own Tumblr “phase of the moon” badge. I genuinely like having one, because it reminds me to think about the moon.

And also I will give Killie one (1) egg of his very own. With the yolk in.

If Killie does nothing else in his life he IS standing over your shoulder staring at you with big dark eyes like a drowned starving cat, hoping you’ll write, so he can have an egg.

It’s a deal

🤝

[ms-demeanor]

I apologize, do you know anything about "rugged" laptops? I'm an ADHD college student who has a lot of difficulty with spacial awareness and stuff so I have trouble with delicate laptops that break if you set them down too hard and I'd like something that can handle basic coding requirements (R studio, Jupiter Notebook, etc), and preferably can stream video for classes as well, though that's less of a requirement. I emergency ordered a cheap lower-spec used rugged laptop from eBay because my laptop isn't working, but I was wondering if a.) you think the whole thing is a gimmick and there's an easier way to get what I need and b.) if it's not a gimmick which ones actually do what they need to. Thanks!

Rugged/Ruggedized laptops are absolutely not a scam, they are incredible, it's just that the ones that are actually rugged are incredibly expensive.

I have a small collection of used Panasonic Toughbooks that are absolutely positively not functional as modern computers but work great for slowly connecting to the internet and running a word processor or programming radios. They are literally used lineman's computers and are supposed to be able to survive falling off a telephone pole. They're dustproof, so they're great to use in the desert. If I tried to edit raw image files on them they would go on strike. I'm pretty sure I could use one as a hammer.

You CAN get used or refurbished ruggedized laptops that are useable; here's a site that sells them. BUT. BUT. You're still going to be paying a high price for computers that are slower and more limited than a cheaper, more delicate computer.

So basically you're combining two separate needs here and they're not playing together great. A rugged laptop can be a great thing to have if you're the kind of person who drops your phone ten times a day (me!) But it's going to be slower and more cumbersome than a lot of what is on the market and it's going to cost a lot.

Honestly in your situation I'd probably focus on getting better performance specs out of a thinner, cheaper, lighter laptop and maybe maximize performance at the lowest price possible if you know you're a laptop destroyer (there's a reason my phones are always whatever's cheapest and in a protective case; I drop them so frequently and so creatively that I can't afford to have nicer phones).

Either that or throw power into a desktop and get a chromebook or something similarly cheap to carry around campus and have your real working computer live on a flat surface that never moves.

If you're trying to find a middle ground, business-class computers can take a bit more abuse than the flimsiest cheapie student computers because they're meant to last and are expected to move around. ThinkPads are my fallback rec for a bunch of reasons, and "sturdiness" is one of those reasons, but a business desktop is not going to tolerate being dropped. So it depends on what level of sturdy you need.

From an ADHD management perspective, you might want to consider your habits around how/where the computer gets moved; don't put it in a backpack if you're likely to drop your backpack on the ground when you get to class. Don't put it on the arm of a chair if you'll forget and knock it off the chair. Don't put it on your bed if you'll forget and sit on it. Make very specific landing spaces and very specific rules for how it gets moved and where it can go (my laptop can only go in one specific backpack and only if it's totally turned off; my laptop cannot be moved when open, i need to shut it before I carry it someplace; my laptop is not allowed on the bed or the center of the couch, it is only allowed on my desk or on the arm of the couch; I tend to set my laptop down hard so I don't set it down on my desk, it gets set on a stand. Etc, etc, etc)

Hopefully that's at least somewhat helpful. I wish that real rugged computers were more affordable and had better performance specs; if you can find one that will perform to your needs and you can function with linux, you may be able to get a toughbook or something like that for under a thousand dollars but you'll sacrifice processing power to get one that old. Good luck, I'm sorry!

[lizpaige]

I really would to see more Lynch brothers/Adam interactions, if you’re up to it 🫰🏻

hiiiii anon tysm for the prompt! sorry it took a minute. i'm back at work so prompts will take me longer to get through. shameless plug once again for my fic, fáilte, which has some more lynch bros/adam interactions. but hope you enjoy some more Declan being sus of Adam! (and Adam helping Matty with his calc homework)

It was winter break and despite spending most of it in DC, they (Matthew) decided to spend a week at the Barns. Declan was only slightly surprised to see Adam Parrish's jalopy in the driveway when they arrived. He and Ronan were dating. That was also news that didn't surprise Declan... well, maybe a little.

Now, Declan sat in the living room in direct eye-line of the kitchen, where Adam was sitting at the round table with Matthew going over his calculus homework. Of course, Declan was pretending not to look, instead typing idly on his phone an email that was long overdue but his focus was on the kitchen. It started like this:

Declan found coffee in the pot early in the morning, although Ronan was not a coffee drinker. He poured himself a cup anyway, nearly jumping out of his skin when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to find Adam Parrish at the breakfast nook, coffee next to him, textbooks, pens, and an open refurbished laptop illuminating his freckled, exhausted face. He looked up for a moment, nodded to Declan, and then resumed his studying.

He wanted to make breakfast, but his stomach churned wearily. He wanted to make some toast, but the toaster always made him feel uneasy. Instead, he grabbed his black coffee, went into the living room, and sat silently on Aurora's old sewing chair, watching the doorway to the kitchen. Could he trust Adam Parrish? Maybe. Possibly. He needed more data.

Matthew bounded in sometime later, sleep rumpled and beaming. He had no qualms about disturbing Adam in the kitchen, waving and sharing a cheery "Hey, man!" before rummaging through the cupboards for cereal. Declan's coffee sat untouched and cold on the end table next to him.

"He's the worst! He gave us like 100 problems to do this break," Matthew said loudly, his mouth full of cereal. His voice always carried, even when he was trying to be quiet. In a stage whisper, he continued, "I haven't even started yet. Don't tell anyone."

Adam's mumbled reply was too quiet for Declan to hear, but Matthew's response wasn't. "You would? Gee, thanks, I completely forgot what we were learning so that would help."

Matthew left the room and came back with his calculus textbook, notebook, calculator, and pencil case. Declan narrowed his gaze and set his phone down in his lap. Interesting.

Adam Parrish seemed to be the type of person who would never do anything for free. What does he get out of helping Matthew? Points with Ronan? The better question to be asking is what does Adam get from dating Ronan? A lot. Too much. Could he be trusted? Where will Ronan end up when Adam inevitably gets whatever he needs and wants from him? Will Declan be able to pick up the pieces?

Declan needed leverage in case it came to that, but he knew very little that mattered to Adam. His family was out of the picture, Declan knew that after Ronan came to blows with Robert Parrish (and Declan's subsequent research into the emancipation case). Adam cared about Aglionby, but with the rate he was going, he'd easily make valedictorian. He cared about school; Declan heard a rumor that he applied to four ivy league schools, but he thought the number was a bit low.

Adam cared about Ronan. Or at least it seemed that way.

When Ronan came through the mudroom door into the kitchen after his morning chores, boots kicked off, mud up his forearms, his grin was shocking and foreign to Declan. His happiness was apparent and genuine and Declan could hardly remember a time after their dad passed that he saw Ronan smile like that. Ronan moved to the other side of the room and Declan couldn't see him, but he could hear the sink running as Ronan washed up before coming around to stand across from Matthew and Adam.

Adam said something too quiet for Declan to make out, and Ronan flipped him off, but Matthew laughed. Declan quickly grabbed his phone as Ronan started walking toward the door. "-fucking nerds, I'm going to shower and then make some pancakes, sound good?"

"Ooh, chocolate chip, please!" Matthew called.

Ronan stopped in the doorway of the living room, eyeing Declan for a second. Declan didn't look up, feigning focus, losing sanity. "Pancakes good with you?"

"Hm?" Declan was going to crack Adam Parrish. "Yeah, sure."

"Ooh-kay," Ronan said slowly as if Declan was the one being weird and not everyone else in this godforsaken house.

[helslastangel]

Blaming my personality on my parents' personal planets

A TRULY random "observation," if you will.

(Not to be taken seriously. If you must be serious, slither off my post before you trip and fall into a sense of humor 🙃)

As a Virgo sun, I (allegedly) aspire to be methodical, organized, and focused.

However, in practice, I am none of those things. People usually think otherwise. Why?

Well.

I'm good at making an art out of imitating life - my parents' normal lives to be exact. Lol.

My default setting is to dance around topics or agree with opposing sides of any conversation until no one knows what I am actually saying or if I am even trying to say anything at all. Libra mercury tings.

Unless, of course, I'm emotionally charged. In which case, may God have mercy on your soul because my dear Cancer Mars won't.

That being said...

My parents' planetary influence on my day to day communication is in the same house that my sun sits in, and that's...well, revealing.

I like to think our guardians help to shape our alternate selves, if nothing else.

Mom

Sun conjunct my Mercury

Sun square my Mars & Ascendant

Mars in my 3H, conjunct my Sun, trine Moon & Lilith

Saturn conjunct my Lilith, trine my Sun & Moon

Lilith in my 3H & opposite my Saturn

My ISFJ mother is one of the most organized and methodical people I know. She actually uses a planner (multiple planners, actually) from January straight to December. You can ask her for a detail from 20 years ago, and she'll go off into another room and come back blowing the dust off some old notebook. Somehow, she's got the answer in there, timestamped and dated.

Meanwhile, my ADHD-riddled ENTP ass could open a refurbished stationary shop with all the unused notebooks and planners I've collected over the years. However, having been infused for 9 months inside and 18 years beside the world's most organized woman, I CAN and often do what my mother does, though only for short periods of time. Long enough to be a means to my own ends, but too short to truly shape my character in any lasting way: e.g., making a good impression in an interview, getting through probation at a new job, attempting to fool professors, and so on.

I-

Dad

Mercury in my 3H & opposite my Saturn

Mars in my 8H, trine my Mercury, & square my Lilith

Saturn in my 12H & square my Saturn

My ENTJ dad is like an anthropomorphic university textbook. Everything he says is laid out in a coherent, well-ordered line. No shortage of words, but all of them are somehow necessary and useful. He can not only think of things to say on the spot in any situation, but he easily makes it sound like he gave it a thousand years of thought before speaking. Always gets to the point (or circles back to it quite quickly).

Mhm, here too, I can imitate my dad's ability to make perfect logical sense. By feigning concise, effective speech for just as long as necessary to swing things in my favor, I also scratch that Virgo sun itch to fit an ideal.

But, really, the only part I embody effortlessly is never being short on words. Everything else is subject to terms and conditions. Me? Get to the point? Naturally? Nyet.

I try to self-edit in real time whenever on the phone or face-to-face with someone who might question my sanity should I default to my Libra mercury + Cancer mars special combo. The one that tries to be amicable and inclusive while tiptoeing over everyone's toes, only to hesitate and end up tripping and falling and landing on all of them.

90% of anything I write has to be picked apart like a roach at a hen party and barely resemble whatever I originally wrote before seeing the light of day. Otherwise, it will read the way I talk - in concentric circles. 🙃 🔁

oop.

Lost my train of thought and found something more interesting to do.

To be continued.

Maybe.

↤ go back to the masterlist

[whichastheykiss-consume]

Act 1, Scene 8 - Kaz

“Have it your way,” Kaz said, sitting down at the chessboard. It still had the remnants of the last game they’d played, a long-drawn-out argument over refurbishing the Black Star which had ended with Wylan’s king thoroughly pinned in a corner.

“Really? Now?” Wylan scoffed.

Kaz started resetting the pieces on the board.

“You’re just wasting time we could be using to look for Inej,” Wylan said, with a face that said he knew it was a low blow but that he didn’t much care. Something—with Frank, with his father or Alys, with Inej, Kaz wasn’t sure—had set him on edge.

“Well, then...” Kaz zeroed the clocks next to the board and flipped his little notebook open to a new page. Kaz and Wylan tracked their matches religiously and despite the time pressure, this match would be no exception.

“Ghezen’s hand, the solution is not speed chess, Kaz! It’s no fucking chess at all!”

“Knight to F3.” Kaz moved his knight out and hit his clock, starting Wylan’s clock ticking.

“This is ridiculous.” Wylan dropped into the chair opposite Kaz with a foul expression. Pawn to E5. Taking the centre as usual, Wylan.

Kaz continued his opening. Pawn to G3.

Wylan cracked his knuckles, his usual habit until he got his hands on a piece he could tap obnoxiously on the edge of the table. “You’re a dick.” Pawn to D5.

Act 1, Scene 8 - Kaz coming this Sunday

read previous scenes now on ao3

[breadandblankets]

CivE Duke - inspired by this post by mysterycitrus

This was one of Duke's favorite parts of his job. Not that one, the other one, the civilian one.

"Duke Thomas," his mother had told him when he got his engineer's seal crimp in the mail. "Is every bit Gotham's hero as much as The Signal is."

Every other week it seemed he donned his steel toed boots, hard hat, and high vis and went to look at the bones of some old building.

Most days were sat at his desk in a nice comfy high rise in Old Gotham, eyes glued to the searing white of some ancient as-builts on his screen. (As-builts, especially in Gotham, were more of a suggestion than a rule, his team had started calling them "Maybe-builts" and it fit more than he'd like.)

Gotham, in Duke's experience, had good bones for the most part. Even caked in years and years of grime, asbestos, and mob snitches, there was beauty in pulling away the facade to look at all that union-made bessemer steel.

Today on the chopping block was a Park Row mid-rise, slated for either refurbishment or demolition, all depending on Duke's word.

It wasn't anything even close to the rush of saving a life, but there is a light feeling he gets, knowing that some old structure can be reused.

Duke knows its a little silly to get sad when something old is beyond saving, especially when he signs over it's death.

"It's like a forest fire," his dad had told him once, after he watched his first controlled demolition. "You gotta burn out the dead things so new things can live."

This building though, Duke has a good feeling about it. Or at least that is what he tells his trainee, Ines, while he scans the building with his X-ray vision.

Ines Borja is a bright kid fresh from the hell that is Gotham U's CivE program, she's not a Gotham native but while living here she fell in love with the city (and it's cost of living). According to her, New York isn't much worse, Gotham's just weirder.

Weird is, unfortunately, Duke's bread and butter. They pick through delapidated rooms with crumbling sheet rock with mostly intact concrete encased steel. He spots some areas with crumbling concrete that he points out to Ines, who dutifully takes photos.

"Those are areas we'll need to test for water penetration and corrosion," Duke explains.

He's explaining other testing that will need to be done, radar of the foundation, metallurgical testing, etc, when they hear yelling outside.

For a moment Duke ignores it, but the hard walls carry echos of what's being said.

"I'm not going to ask again, your money asshole!"

The flat thud of a notebook hitting the ground is the last thing Ines hears as Duke takes off like a shot.

His site walk boots are heavy, much much heavier than his Signal boots. They're for protection and insulation from the hard concrete he has to stand on all day. They're so not meant for running, he thinks as he barrels out of the survey site and around the corner.

There are two figures in the alley when he stomps into the scene, slipping his hard hat off. The mugger is on the younger end, thats about all the analysis Duke gets to do before he sees the gun.

It's nice sometimes, Duke things, as he spins like a discus thrower, to fight normal city problems. He's liable to get bogged down in big world ending shit that sometimes its just nice to save a mugging victim.

The reinforced plastic leaves his fingers in a rush, aimed straight and true, slamming into the gun in the mugger's right hand.

Both the mugger and muggee have a moment of shock before Duke slams into the first guy like a freight train, knocking him out of the confrontation and onto the ground.

"I'd advise you sit down for a moment," Duke says to the would-be mugger, flatly. He turns to the shaking older man.

"Sir are you alright," he asks politely.

"I am now," the older man, well dressed but not wealthy in the way that Duke knows people in the town are. "Thank you very much."

"Alright then," Duke says calmly, he fishes in his pockets for one of the many business cards he always keeps on himself. It's for a therapist, and a good one in Duke's opinion. A profession in too short supply in Gotham. "Might be best if you get on with your day, I'll stay with this young gentleman here."

The older man is clearly a true Gothamite, because he doesn't protest, just moves along. Probably not even the most traumatic thing the guy's witnessed in the last year.

Duke turns to young man on the ground, who hasn't moved a muscle from where Duke put him just a second ago.

"Hey man I don't want any trouble."

Ines chooses this moment to catch up, her skin flushed and she's panting, She is still carrying all the gear with her, which no doubt slowed her down.

"Bit late for that yeah?" Duke questions with a raise of his brow, he motions with his chin in the direction of the gun. It's a couple yards off, resting comfortably with his hard hat. "What's your name?"

"David sir, i-its not even loaded, just to scare people a bit," all comes out in a rush, the young man, David, is clearly terrified.

"Hey, I know, it's hard out here," Duke placates. Out of one of the seemingly endless pockets on his work pants he pulls out his wallet. Out comes two more cards and a couple of bills. "Listen, here's fifty bucks, go get yourself something to eat."

"I-"

"Hold on, I'm not done," Duke says. "This is the information for Leslie's clinic down the street, she can help you with a lot, or just point you towards someone who can. If you need anything else this is the Wayne Ent outreach office, the director there is Elaine, tell her Duke sent you."

"You- you're not going to call the cops?" David asks, bewildered.

"And have them do what? You're robbing a man for twenty dollars with a gun that has no bullets," Duke observes. "You clearly don't need jail time you need a hand."

As if to illustrate his point, Duke reaches out to help him up. David hesitates for a split second, before accepting the offered hand.

"Seriously thought," Duke continues. "Leslie and m-Elaine helped me though some of the worst times of my life okay, reach out to them, they can help, you're not in this alone."

David looked like he was about to cry.

"Thank you man, just thank you."

"Just looking out for my fellow man," Duke replies. "Now get going I got work."

David laughs a little at that before shuffling awkwardly by Ines. Duke turns to look at her.

"You are like, officially the coolest boss I've ever had," she tells him seriously.

"No way, didn't your last boss bow hunt wild boar?"

"Yeah but that's jack all compared to my Apparently incredibly based current boss."

Duke chuckles: "You don't even know about my teenage years."

"What, you were doing child anti-cop anarco-communist action?"

"More or less."

"Based as fuck," she says, amazed.

Duke just shrugs.

"My mom always said: never accept the world as it is, make it better. And so I do, so i will."

Duke turns a little, to look back at the mid-rise that will have new life breathed into it sooner or later.

So I will.

[hyper-coasters]

Reviews and Ranks #3 - Kraken @ SeaWorld Orlando

Kraken opened in the year 2000, and unfortunately, you can tell. However, my love for roller coasters started with the late 90's and early 00's B&M coasters, which means it has a special place in my heart. Big fan of coasters with specifically 7 inversions over here, haha. Two of my favorite coaster elements are zero-g rolls and cobra rolls, which you hit back-to-back on this ride. I enjoy the layout of the track overall, but it is quite the neck buster. I got off wishing I had Icy Hot, which was sad for me as this was my first coaster at SWO. I remember my first visit I had gotten to ride it back to back three or four times.

Kraken gets a 6/10 from me. According to my roller coaster tracking notebook, I originally had it listed as a 6.5, with the lack of theming in the actual ride area being the main disappointment. It's a shame to see the ride lacking the love it deserves. The queue buildings seem to have been repainted recently, which gave me incredibly high hopes. Kraken itself needs more than a repaint and deserves a proper refurbishment in my opinion.

[dame-bloodrose]

On the one hand i want to write more, with something portable. I have a laptop, sure but she's a big, old clunky thing and i don't exactly consider her portable anymore. Also I kind of want something that will only be used for writing. I could probably go the refurbished route and buy an AlphaSmart but that comes with risks. If i could write faster than i could type I'd go with a notebook. But egggh.

[crochetingcatwriting]

Summary:

Sakura decides to move out her parents house and the best option for a new place turns out to be Sai’s place.

Tags: Romance, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Eventual Smut, Morally Grey Characters, Blood and Gore, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

Rating: Explicit

Work in progress (it's almost finished in my hard drive, but I'm letting my beta to do their magic and honestly in the meantime it's still growing a bit :D)

Extract from chapter 1:

Sai’s apartment was very ample and painted of a clean white, however it was more like a big warehouse with a bathroom. The kitchen was a simple long bar with a sink and some shelves set-in on the wall to have some storage, the bathroom door was metal with granulated glass and led to a refurnished bathroom with an old iron bathtub and a white ceramic sink with iron taps. The living room was at the same time the dining room sharing the space with the kitchen, not that Sai had a dining table, guessing by the two tall stools next to the kitchen bar it was obvious the artist ate there when he was home.

    Hidden behind a folding screen made of wood and paper that Sakura was certain that Sai had made and painted himself, there was a double bed cornered on diagonal with the foot side facing the kitchen, to the left entering the aisle door, behind the bathroom.

    The roof was really high, adding more to the impression that the place was some type of warehouse or factory refurbished.

   Almost all of the walls had small windows almost to roof height and the opposite side wall was covered with several paintings, some of them already familiar to her like the one of Team 7, minus Sai and Sasuke, was on their back, looking towards the horizon. On the middle there was another stool and an old black lounge next to several different sized easels with canvas either in blank or half done, beside a small bookshelf full of notebooks and books.

   Things had sped up when she had shown up on Sai’s doorstep, who corrected her about the misunderstanding that the apartment was being rented, even if the ad said so, and that in fact what he wanted was a roommate. Sakura’s suspicion was that it wasn’t an innocent mistake on the ad as Sai tried to excuse (after all she realized now that it was Sai’s handwriting on the sign) but instead a trap for someone despairing like her.

   An unsuccessful one.

    Sai had a bad reputation in Konoha, even after being recognized by his achievements on the Fourth War, even outside shinobi circles he was still considered as a bit eccentric to put it lightly. Sakura suspected that, if someone came asking before her and found Sai, they would have excused themselves and/or run away on the opposite direction depending how well they knew him or polite they were.

    Sakura knew that it was due in part to that lack of people skills outside of missions, which Sai was still working on improving, that he got kicked out of his old house, the one close to the big tree, when he insulted unwillingly the old landlady who already wanted to kick her tenant out in order to gift the house to her grandson as a wedding gift.

    It wasn’t that long since that happened, and with her being busy between all her work in the hospital, missions and her issues at home, and with him on his ANBU missions, Sakura hadn’t had the chance to ask about his new home address.

    She wondered if she had known beforehand whether she would have discarded the idea as she did with Naruto who had offered his home just like Ino when he found out on their letters she wanted to move out but that Sakura rejected for the opposite reasons:

    While with Ino she wouldn’t be far away enough from her parents’ shadow, with Naruto she feared she would become the house mom as soon as he came back, her own methodical and clean way of doing things would clash against the messy ways of the Jinchūriki since she knew he was well beyond any fixing, and that the only way of not going crazy living with him was to take the full brunt of the domestic labor and that wasn’t in her plans with him or no one. Besides she didn’t want to be third wheel for Naruto and Hinata’s blooming relationship when he returned to the village.

    With Sai she wouldn’t have any inconvenience of that type, the artist was almost as clean and organized as her, they would get along perfectly in that regard.

    So Sakura stayed to Sai’s silent joy who had already watched others like Kiba, Shino and some other civilian practically run away when encountering him as he opened the door. That was a hit to his self-esteem but his teammate was making him forget about it quickly.

    If he had known Sakura was looking for a place, Sai would have offered immediately his place. She was someone he trusted completely, besides of being someone clean and punctual, living with her would be a lot easier in comparison to living with a stranger or someone as hyperactive as Naruto.

    Sakura entered the room with a genuine smile and after a short walk sat down in one of the stools at the kitchen bar, taking a bite of the cookies who Sai offered her hospitably with his usual gracefully stiff ways while he explained the terms and conditions like rent, that was ridiculously cheap including gas and water, coexistence (basically share house chores and don’t bring the place down while he was away) and lastly he mentioned he was a couple days away from a mission that would take him at least a week outside the village, asking her for an answer either before or after so he could give her a copy of the key.

    Sakura was aware how usual it was for the ex-ROOT, being in ANBU now, to be away for weeks regularly, which Sakura analyzed would give her some needed alone time, at least for now.

    To her own surprise, Sakura wasn’t against the idea of having her sometimes rude teammate as a roommate, but the not-as-forced-smile of Sai actually made her mind.

    That was the place she was looking for.

   

[belle--ofthebrawl]

40, 45, and 46 for the writers prompts?

40. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

Of course I re read fics, how else am I suppose to cu-

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

I don't know. I feel like I've been on a plateau ever since I started. My strong and weak points have been pretty consistent. And I feel like you can tell how much effort I put into a fic vs slapping it on AO3 and calling it good enough. What I would like to improve on is angst and negative emotions. I don't write a lot of that so the muscle is weak. But I want to grow that way.

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

Ugh, I'm always on my damn phone because it's always there. All the settings are what I want but I get tired of holding this damn thing when I'm 2k deep and no signs of stopping. I have a refurbished laptop I bought for 80 bucks that I've been taking to the library every now and then since it refuses to connect with my home Internet no matter what I do and I am able to write in a solid two three hour chunk but then I get hungry and it's not like the snacks in the library café are filling. I like writing in solitude so it's really my only option.

HOWEVER I found a composition notebook the exact shade of blue as my blog and I was struck with the thought of handwriting fics like I used to in highschool when I was sitting right up front in lecture pretending to take notes. God, when was the last time I handwrote anything besides a grocery list. Anything to get me away from screens.

[chrystallink]

I refurbished an outdated planner into a refillable task managing notebook! I really love how it came out, especially the gemstone focal point! I'd love to do more of these! It's available for sale on my Ko-fi shop Here!

[birdylion]

Looks like my 12 year old laptop computer is finally saying goodbye :(

The internal microphone has been broken for a long time, as has the wifi adapter (although that might be an OS issue since it 'broke' when I switches to linux because the new windows version was getting too heavy for my poor old computer, and also I was fed up with being forced to upgrade), one of the usb jacks has a loose contact, and the battery doesn't last longer than a single digit number of minutes.

Then lots of booting errors in the last few weeks, and now the LAN cable jack has stopped working.

Maybe I need to get used to the idea of replacing it... At least even if I buy the cheapest refurbished computers I can find, they're still going to have two times more RAM and processing power than what I have now, for half the price of what the notebook cost back then. It might be neat to have access to a windows computer too again, as wine never worked well for me. But then I'd surely miss linux. I like linux. Maybe I'll partition the hard drive?

I'm kind of amazed my laptop even made it that long. It does still work for stuff like writing, listening to my music, and it connects well to my printer via usb, so maybe I'll keep it around for this kind of stuff. But I do want a computer with which I can access the internet.

(My current backup computer is an even older tower pc with a minimal linux on it that I got for literally 10 € when my former institute at the uni threw their away their PCs because they were too slow for windows 7. So ... I can open 1 program at a time on that pc, and 1 website.)

[23-punnybee]

back at it again with another one that could be either really difficult or really easy!

what does your oc's personal space look like? this could be their bedroom (or favorite room) in a home, could be the tool shed outside they've refurbished into an art studio, their section of a community greenhouse, the upper level of a barn they've turned into a hideaway, a treehouse, etc. a space they've deemed "safe"; somewhere they might go to recharge, relax or find some peace.

does it tend to be clean, a mess, or a bit of organized chaos (looks like a mess, but they know where everything is)? if someone comes in without their knowledge, how likely are they to notice items may have been moved?

does their space have an 'aesthetic' to it, or is it more function over appearances?

how willing are they to share that space with others? are 'guests' welcome to make themselves at home, or is the space more 'look, don't touch'?

and lastly, what are three items or objects that will absolutely be in this space? (i.e. books, action figures, spell jars, art prints, a headphone set, stuffed animals, etc)

oooooh ok ok i gotchu (only doing three cuz these are the ocs i have brainrot over right now)

brooklyn

has a few due to moving back and forth a lot!

FL - her bedroom at her grandparents is in the loft of their house so it’s got a slanted ceiling and a cozy vibe to it. there’s a windowsill to sit on that overlooks the surrounding marshlands. there’s also an old cabinet where tommy’s tank used to sit but surprise! it’s not needed anymore. she stores snacks in it now (mostly for guests).

NY - back at her mom’s apartment, she’s got a bunk bed with a desk as the lower bunk, and a tiny walk in closet (curtain instead of a door). her walls are also covered in art from mikey (she writes and he draws, so sometimes they inspire each other and she puts it all up - its mostly superheroes but sometimes it’s random doodles he does (and he’s gotten a few notebooks filled with some first drafts from her)).

both her spaces are very organized with lots of books and bookshelves - most of the books are related to biology or chemistry, but she’s got a few classics like Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde, The Martian (mostly science fiction). notebooks for things she’s studying or writing ideas she has. also, tons of bags. a bag for every occasion.

i’d classify her as “organized, but a little haphazardly,” and she might not notice immediately if someone had been through her stuff. she wouldn’t necessarily invite people in unless she’s really close to them (but if they waltz in, she’s just gonna grit her teeth and find an excuse to get them to go somewhere else).

like… an “academia” aesthetic, but very loosely organized, and most of the stuff is themed after biology. especially turtles (she just leaned into it).

-

tomatillo

after getting mutated, his spot was deemed brooke’s closet and she got rid of a bunch of stuff so he could have space in there. his stuff is mostly puzzles and puzzle books, and shoes (do you know what could be on the sidewalk??) along with all his archery gear, except for his target. that goes in a nearby tunnel close to the turtles’ lair for practice. he’s also got his own music player and headphones (the model varies based on which iteration) and enjoys dancing while brooke’s at school.

he is definitely a “don’t even think about coming into my space” (except brooke, obviously) and would know immediately if someone had messed with his carefully set up system. things have a place and should stay in their place, dammit!

no aesthetics here, what’s the point if it’s not functional?

-

t’ytian

salamandrians tend to live in hollowed out logs or dirt mounds and think of possessions very lightly. your weapon breaks, get a new one. he does like to mould clay and carve wood when he has time, so he has a bunch of little statues/trinkets. without much stuff to have, it never gets cluttered.

until he gets to earth.

t’ytian joins the mutanimals after a few adventures, and i have a headcanon they have their own abandoned warehouse as a sort of home base. most of them don’t live there, they just stop in to get food, or rest, or check to see if anyone can help with this mission, etc.

t’ytian sorta claims a corner on the upper level and has all his fascinating earth things, like, scattered around the area - did you know the earthlings have a thing called a paper clip to help them keep their papers organized?? how quaint! they also seem to decorate their city with things like traffic cones, so to make his space more earth-like, he found one. they also seem make stuffed caricatures of the various beasts on their planet, perhaps as a way of proving their superiority? he has several of these plushies of his favorite earth creatures. he’s learning about earthling culture!

he doesn’t know how to organize because back home, he didn’t have to. but everyone is welcome in his space and free to make themselves feel at home - hell, if they wanna borrow or even take something, he doesn’t mind (except for the stuff he brought from home, then he minds. you’ll have to duel him for it).

no aesthetics, just a lot of chaos. he wouldn’t even notice if someone went through or took something.

[acertainmoshke]

I’m too tired to talk about how cool it was tonight but GUYS I FOUND A LOCAL TYPEWRITER SHOP IN MY TOWN and apparently they get enough regular business to have 2-3 weeks of work backed up. But I’m getting a new ribbon for mine that was my grandfather’s and getting it cleaned and fixed up a bit. And they also sell refurbished ones and some are WAY expensive but I might get a low end one (I like the ones from the 20���s-30’s with the round buttons) if I use it enough. For letters but I might also pick one story to type up instead of using a notebook

[deasbanker]

Weekend treat: make it to the last day of an art exhibition of Lautrec at Sompo Museum and pop in a Nordic festival after being disoriented in Shinjuku's underground maze!

21/9/2024

Since there is a duplicate of a poster by Lautrec on the wall of our living room, my dad persuaded me to go to an art exhibition about the painter together. We made it to the end of it just three days before. I was simply delighted to come to Tokyo for the first time in months and visit Sompo Museum of Art, which was refurbished, for the first time.

There were so many of his early sketches on display, and we could see his point of view in them. （For all his talent,）as most of them looked like children's scribbles in a notebook, I considered that anything left could become valuable objects in museums which we weren't allowed to touch nor take photos of as long as a person was notable. I mean, I recalled the 1964 essay "The Artworld" by Arthur Danto and imagined if I were acknowledged by the society, my letters to friends of mine would turn into exhibits; and pondered he must not have envisioned such would be seen by a lot of people in Japan.

Anyway, his depiction of humans was like a caricature, and he seemed to value shape of body parts in particular, I learned. Besides, I liked strong shading in his drawings of performers on stage. That succeeded in bringing an aura of cabarets.

On the other hand, most of his work is planar, so line and color shine out, which is committed well to his graphics in a modern way. Every poster looked fashionable, indeed. I took to his way of using and choosing color. Accent color in his pictures is usually in between vibrant and pale.

In my opinion, Japanese people tend to like Modern art in terms of color palette rather than religious paintings or Renaissance art. They including me seem to have a strong/subconscious desire for bright color.

Finally, the last room was the permanent exhibition dedicated to single piece of art, one of Gogh's Sunflowers. This was what I had been longing to see in person, because it and also inside this art museum actually appeared in a Detective Conan movie "Sunflowers of Inferno"（2015）. The painting was much bigger than I'd expected.

Vincent van Gogh "Sunflowers"（1888）

After this, dad and I stopped by a Nordic festival taking place in Keio Department Store, Shinjuku, on our way home. I enjoyed exploring the stands and looking Finnish kitchenware smelling the Scandinavian food cooking in the vicinity.