#and HELP with this thing I have some experience in (albeit online but still)

[squidmaid]

sometimes I really MISS being young and feeling passionate about things like. I used to be so into writing and drawing and all these sorts of things and i could make myself work so much harder at them and nowadays I’m like. I would be content to be content at this point? like idk what I feel PASSIONATE about anymore I just aim to be comfortable but also sometimes that doesn’t feel like it’s enough. I miss that spark.

[jessejaredstories]

Twisted Wish

Matthew was an average, everyday kind of guy from the suburbs. He was the 22 year old only child of happily married parents with middle class standing. He was also in his last year of college with a major in history. The only thing that helped set him apart was the fact that he was gay, but even his sexuality didn't really matter much in a big city full of twinks like him. All things considered, Matthew was a pretty ordinary guy with nothing particularly remarkable about him.

However, just because Matthew lived a normal life doesn't mean he didn't have his own set of problems. For example, he was 22 going on 23 and he was still a virgin who has never even had a real boyfriend. Sure, he had gone on plenty of first dates, but none of them ever went anywhere beyond the first date. It was the lack of romantic and sexual experience that made up Matthew's biggest insecurities. There were nights where he would stay up wondering if he would ever find Mr. Right. But what really made Matthew insecure was his roommate Dave. 

Dave was a player. He was a lady's man through and through. In the short year Matthew's known him, Dave had already gone through 3 girlfriends and was currently working on his fourth. But that was just the girls he's dated, Dave's had plenty of side chicks too. Everytime a new one popped up, Matthew already knew he was gonna get sexiled and made himself scarce without Dave asking him to. Despite how often it happened, Matthew honestly didn't mind Dave's horny habits. Though he would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of Dave. If some frat bro like Dave could get laid anytime he wanted, why couldn't he? 

One Saturday night, while Matthew was by himself in the apartment, he spent the evening on his phone. He was endlessly scrolling through several social media sites while streaming some random movie for background noise. Matthew spent several hours online before finally getting tired of his phone. He began closing all the tabs, but during his clicking frenzy, he accidentally hit a pop-up ad. The pop-up took him to another website called "Reality Wizard." The ugly, gaudy colors of the website caught Matthew's interest just before he could exit out. Matthew took a moment to read the website’s welcome message. It read:

“Make a wish and the Reality Wizard will make it come true.”

From what Matthew could gather, the “Reality Wizard” seemed to be some online genie game. It seemed pretty straightforward albeit cheaply made. The little genie avatar had its arms open as if it was beckoning Matthew to make a wish. Something about its digital eyes made Matthew uncomfortable. He felt as if it was somehow looking directly at him despite it just being a static image on his phone. It was surreal to say the least. 

But instead of simply exiting out of the website, Matthew decided to play along with it. He didn’t have anything better to do after all, so why not play along and make a wish to a fake genie? Matthew laid back on his bed as he thought about what to wish for. Then after a minute of thinking, he typed in his wish.

“I wish I could get laid just as much as my straight roommate does.”

Matthew chuckled as he finished typing up his wish. While there was some actual sentiment behind it (he was a desperate virgin after all), Matthew found more humor in making the genie respond to something dirty and see what happens. He hit submit and waited. The screen reloaded after a second, but all that changed was the genie’s eyes were now closed. Matthew waited a while longer but nothing else happened. 

Once he was bored again, Matthew finally closed out of “Reality Wizard.” The night was still young when Matthew found himself alone with nothing else to do. That was when he decided to do what any other guy would do: jerk off! 

Matthew pulled down his sweats and let his soft dick flop out while he pulled up an incognito tab on his phone. He then went straight to PHub to find a good video to rub one out to. But unfortunately for Matthew, there was nothing worth clicking on on the home page. He then spent the next 10 or so minutes searching for a good video. By the time he found one, he had ended up in the MMF video category. Matthew didn’t mind a woman in his videos, he could just focus on the men after all. He hit play, skipped to the good part, and started jerking off.

Between Matthew and the trio in the video, moans and groans quickly began to fill the empty apartment as Matthew pumped away at his cock. Despite being a total bottom, Matthew still had an above average length clocking in at about 6 inches. Even though his dick never saw any fucking action, it still made jerking off fun as he used both hands to stroke himself. 

“Aww fuck yeah…” The trio had switched into a sandwich position with one of the men getting fucked while fucking the woman at the same time. Matthew was loving the man on man action. “Fuck that man ass! Make him your bitch!!”

While Matthew was jerking off, the wish he had just made to the “Reality Wizard” began to come true! But not in the way Matthew expected…

The genie’s magic began to take effect. Matthew was always a skinny twink, but the wish he made caused his body to change. His body was quickly gaining weight until Matthew had some heft to his figure. His arms and thighs filled in with the extra mass, as did his chest until he had big enough pecs to grab and squeeze. The same happened to his ass! Although he already had a nice, perky ass before the changes, Matthew now possessed the bubble butt of a gym rat. Even his cock and balls grew until he had an obscenely long and girthy member. His new dick was now 7.5 inches and hung low like a bull with how heavy his cum filled balls had become.

After the extra mass came the body hair. Matthew’s once perfectly smooth body began sprouting hair everywhere! His hair grew out until he had shoulder length curls like Tarzan. His face tingled as a full beard and mustache quickly grew in. His chest and midsection got covered with a fine layer of brown hair. Even his pit and pubic hair grew and grew until he had an unruly forest of hair in each area. By the time the transformation was finally over, Matthew had become an unrecognizable version of himself as he was now a testosterone-filled, hairy beast of a young man. 

But even though Matthew just went through a magical transformation, his mind was still focused entirely on jerking off to the video. The two men and one woman were still going hard at it in a line. The camera angles kept alternating between focusing on the two men and focusing on the woman getting fucked. Matt’s favorite was seeing the man’s cheeks getting clapped from behind. 

“Oh fuuuck I’m close..” 

Matt threw his head back against his pillow. He could feel the pressure building up in his throbbing cock as he was getting ready to shoot his load out. He picked up his stroking speed. He was getting sweaty and red in the face as he was getting closer and closer to finishing. 

Matt lifted his head again when he heard the woman begging for more. He kept his eyes focused on the video. The video had a wide shot which showed all three of them. Matt started with the two men, but as he kept stroking, he found his eyes unconsciously gravitating towards the woman. Matt wasn’t sure why he did that. He shifted his attention back to men, but found himself focusing back on the woman again within seconds. Suddenly, the woman was all Matt could focus on. Even if he tried to look away he just couldn’t! Even if he tried to imagine a hot man with a hung cock all Matt could picture was a woman with massive tits! Matt was panting at the sight of the woman’s tiddies bouncing up and down as she took a pounding. Her beautiful body was wet with sex sweat. Seeing her throw her head back as she let out a loud moan made Matthew tremble and twitch with anticipation. He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to burst!

Matt let out a guttural groan as ropes of warm cum shot out of his engorged cock. His hairy chest became drenched with his spunk. Even by the time he finished shooting load after load, his dick was still twitched and throbbing with how much cum he shot out. Matt sighed with relief as he threw his arms back to cool down after such an intense jerk off session. His body hair was dripping with how drenched it was with sweat and cum. On top of that, the room now reeked of a man’s sweaty musk, but Matt didn’t care. He was satisfied and content. 

Once Matt finally caught his breath, it was time for him to clean up the sticky mess he just made. His initial instinct was to gather up all his cum with his fingers and then swallow it all, but Matt stopped when he realized how fucking gay that was. He had absolutely no interest in ever tasting cum. After all, why would a straight guy like Matt want to swallow cum? 

Matt went to the bathroom and cleaned the jizz off his body. He then went ahead and changed his bed sheets too due to dripping all over them. Once that was done, Matt stood in his bedroom. He then lifted his arm up, letting the wild bush of pit hair hang free as he took a deep sniff of himself. Matt could smell some musk, but decided it wasn’t anything some cologne couldn’t cover up. 

“Yo! Anyone home?” 

Matt’s ears perked up when he heard his roommate Dave call out. He then walked out and greeted his best bud by dabbing him up. Matt and Dave were brothers from different mothers and were known for their unbeatable bromance.

“Dave, my man! What are you doing home so early!? It’s barely midnight!”

“I know, bro, but check it, Darcy just invited me to go check out this new club downtown with her. It’s hella exclusive, you gotta come with us, Matt! I need my shotgun brother there if I’m gonna club all night!! Plus, Darcy’s got a friend. Brianna, I think you’ll like her…”

“She cute?” Matt asked with an eyebrow raised. Dave nodded. “Cup size?”

“Double D’s, AND she never wears a bra when she goes out! Trust me bro, you gotta meet her, I know for a fact y’all are perfect together!!”

Matt was convinced the moment he heard “D.” He was always a boobs over ass kinda guy after all. Matt quickly got dressed, then went out to have the best night of his life at the club with his bro Dave, ending with them tag teaming Darcy and Brianna in bed. All while Matt was completely oblivious to the fact that the Reality Wizard had granted his wish. Matt definitely got laid just like his straight roommate Dave, just like he wished, although he probably didn’t expect the online genie to twist his carelessly worded wish. Not that Matt really cared about his former self, after all, he had a girlfriend with two very big reasons why he should enjoy the new reality he wished for himself.

[thesargasmicgoddess]

Today, I say goodbye to England...

**warning: emotions and ramblings ahead. 😆

I'm toasting the end of what I'm fondly calling my "2023 World Tour" 😆 I've been home for exactly 7 days since the end of May. I've traveled over 25000 miles over 7 weeks to Asia and England. I've packed and unpacked over 20 times and have been on countless planes, trains, and automobiles.

This last week, I've been overwhelmed with emotions I can't quite fully place yet--but they all seemingly revolve around an aching theme of feeling bittersweet about new and old experiences and longings.

(Well, THAT was a plot twist I didn't expect on this trip. 😂)

There are certain growths that can only be experienced through pushing beyond comfort zones. I was, surprisingly, stronger, less introverted, and more flexible than I ever expected. There were challenges and new things: the nostalgia of old friends and old haunts; the paying of respects to those that are no longer with us; the visiting of those I grew up with; the first time meeting of a longtime online friend.

As exciting as all of this travel has been, I'm ready for home. Maybe it's the absence of routine and home comforts, or maybe it's the mental shifts required for traveling this long and traveling alone, but I seem to be more emotionally vulnerable during this last week. That bittersweet feeling I've had all week hasn't wanted to let up, and I've been trying to chase down all the reasons behind this feeling.

Visiting places that had helped shape the person I am today, 22 years ago, is in itself, bittersweet. I remember 20 year old me thinking about the passions of the future and yearning for more. I've changed quite a bit, yet the buildings and memories remain. It is an odd feeling of time flying by, yet standing still.

I've pondered a lot about the magic of connections on this trip, juxtaposed with the blessed angst of being someone who feels too much. Every touch, every step, every memory, every feel--I want to capture it all like lightning in a bottle, yet it's almost too much to take in all at once some days. I tell myself to breathe, but sometimes I can't quite catch my breath because I feel so much. Wanting to live a full life can be quite overwhelming for introverted souls who feel too much, but I am so blessed to have the fortitude and opportunities to live fully--albeit sometimes a bit crazily 😆

When you think about the growth of a person throughout their lifetime and the range of intense emotions, experiences, thoughts--it's really quite amazing.

I know my blog hasn't exactly been on "fun smut" brand this last week, but I've always been authentic here. And what has been authentic this week has been....well...a lot of writing, emotions, and processing. I believe in balance-- and I believe that to each irreverent light fun side, there is a darker, more soulful, extremely sensitive side lurking right beneath the surface. I've definitely been more of the latter this last week.

If you've read this far, thank you. This was a needed catharsis for me and a step in processing everything.

So, where to go from here?

I'm not sure. It will take me a minute to mentally and emotionally decompress, unpack, and process all the experiences I've had over the last 2 months. My posts have always been mood-dependent and my moods have been all over the place so......stay tuned 😆😂

Since I can't do anything in a normal, typical fashion--I just have to go with the flow and say cheers to adventures and unexpected soul-searching vacations. I will still take living passionately and deeply over feeling nothing at all most days....

But a break for the rest of today might be a good idea. Or else I'm drinking on the plane.😂

After all this rambling, The Corpus Clock and all that it represents seems appropriate for this post 😂

Onward...

[drabblesandimagines]

Syrup

From an anon request - thanks anon! :) Pairings: Rei x reader Fluffy fluff

You’re sat up on the counter, cross-legged, staring up at the television screen suspended from the ceiling, mashing X as if that would make a difference. It’s a slow afternoon in your workplace of four years – Mr Kyoshi’s Joypad – a shop purely dedicated to video games and consoles. It’s a great place to work, combining your love of video games and recently you’d entered into repairs as a side hobby. In quieter periods, Mr Kyoshi had no issues with you passing the time by gaming yourself, as long as you still attended to the customers, of course. There were sample consoles dotted around the place with recent demos installed, but the one above the counter is where you’d mainly play to show off the most recent games.

The bell dings as you reach a critical part of the fight. If you pause, you’re going to lose momentum and you always die at this point. “Welcome to Kyoshi’s Joypad where we cater to all your gaming needs!” You say almost robotically, before adding, “I’ll be with you in just a second…”

You mash X again, hoping maybe you’ll get another attack in before the boss’ big attack but it’s not to be – your character’s HP drops down to 0 and the screen displays game over.

“Ugh!” You put down the controller and hop off the counter, before spinning round. “Sorry about that, I’ve been trying to beat him since yesterday…” You trail off at the sight of the man before you. He’s tall and lean, shaggy black hair and he looks like he didn’t sleep the night before, but you’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t admit he was attractive. He’s dressed in tight black jeans and has a blue hoodie zipped up, with a tote bag in hand.

You realise you’ve trailed off and you’re just staring at each other, so you laugh before starting over. “Er, hi! What can I do for you?” You smile, warmly. You’ve had your experience with a lot of socially awkward boys and men in your time working here – some more painful than others – so you’re aware when you might need to lead the conversation some more.

“You need to buff up your defence with iron heart when he powers up.”

“Huh?”

He points to the screen behind you.

“Oh! I’m so bad at remembering that’s a thing, you know? I just like to hit everyone with the big sword.” You scratch the back of your head – a habit when you’re nervous – and grin. “But thanks! I’ll try that next time – I’ve been stuck at this bit for ages.”

He nods and then there’s another pause.

“So, er, can I help you with anything in particular, or did you just want to browse, or…?” You could ramble enough for two.

He puts down the tote on the counter, hesitating before retrieving the contents. “I read online that you do repairs?”

“Yeah! Of course, this voids any warranty on the product, so if it’s still in that period we’d always advise going to the manufacturer first.”

“Mm. No, they’re out of warranty.” He pulls out two controllers. One looks crusted with a questionable substance and the other seems fine, albeit worn.

“Lemme guess – drift?” You point at the battered one.

“Yep.”

It’s a known problem with these controllers ��� just the amount of use over time wears them out and as a consequence your accuracy takes a hit as the joystick takes on a life of its own. It’s annoying for first person shooter games, as well as racing games – both genres you suspect this guy is into.

“And, er, what happened to this one?” You point, not quite daring to touch it yet until the mystery substance is identified.

“My daughter gave it a bath in syrup.”

“Ah.” You nod, and poke at it cautiously and find it to be horrendously sticky. The thought crosses your mind that this man looks a little young to have a daughter and there’s no wedding ring… You mentally smack yourself for prejudices.

“The other one has been drifting for a while, so I was mainly using this one until…” He shrugs.

“So, I can definitely fix this one for you.” You tap on the drifter. “Syrup one… Well, I can give it a go but I can’t make any guarantees on its survival.”

“That’s fine.”

You grab a repair form from under the counter and note down the make, model and status of the controllers. “I can do the both for 10,000 yen, if that sounds okay?”

The man nods. “Sure. How long will it take?”

“So, I do all the repair work from home where I have the proper set-up as there wasn’t any room in the store.” Mr Kyoshi was not an organized man – he loved retro games and consoles and the back room was overflowing with boxes. It wasn’t good to perform any repairs back there with all the dust, so you’d set up a dedicated space in your bedroom. “I can usually get the drift fixed in an evening, but I think I’ll need some extra time on the syrup, so it might end up being Friday. I’m probably going to have to use a combination of things to see what works…”

He frowns at the mention of Friday – probably the only controllers he owns.

“However, since we don’t want you to be without…” You crouch down below the counter and retrieve a controller from the box you keep back there for such occasions. “You can borrow this. It’s one I’ve refurbished for the shop and you can tell it’s seen a lot, but it still works great.” You slide it over to him. “And you can just bring it back when you come to collect yours.”

“Thanks.” He feels it in his hands. “Could tell I can’t wait that long, huh?”

“Hm, well, I know there’s a Morio Kart online championship coming up and that a lot of people are practicing… I might be way off here, though.”

A smile creeps up on the man’s face. “Hm. Maybe.”

You slide over the form with a pen and tap at the bottom. “Haven’t lost my touch! So, if you want to just write your name and phone number down there for me.” You grab a zip-lock bag to stick the sticky controller in – you don’t want to put that in your backpack.

“My phone number?” His face looks quizzical.

“Yeah…” You smile. “You know, so I can let you know when to pick it up?”

“Ah.” He scribbles down the two bits of information quickly.

“Great! Is there anything else I can help you with today?” He shakes his head as he puts the loaned controller in the tote bag. “Okay, have a good day.” You grin as he heads towards the door.

“Good luck,” he nods up towards the ‘game over’ screen.

--

Through extensive research (aka browsing numerous forums and checking videos), by late Thursday night you’d got the syrupy controller back to its best. It was a bit of trial and error with rubbing alcohol, a tiny toothbrush and a scraper to try and dislodge the sticky residue from every nook and cranny - the payment was probably not worth the amount of time you’d spent on the thing but you were a sucker for a cute guy. The other controller was an easy enough fix at least, one you’d done a number of times already for other clients.

You were covering the 12-8 shift in the shop on Friday – Mr Kyoshi liked to keep it open a little later ahead of the weekends, so as soon as you got in you dug out the form and rang the number the customer – one Rei Suwa – had left you.

It rang for a little too long and you were now expecting it to go to voicemail when suddenly the ringing stopped.

“Hi.” A curt greeting.

“Hi!” You answered cheerfully. “It’s Kyoshi’s Joypad here…”

A loud bang cuts you off. It sounded like a gunshot in the background. He must have one hell of a surround sound system.

“Yeah?”

“So, good news! Both the controllers are working, so if you wanna drop by…”

“What the hell, Rei?! Are you seriously on the phone right now?!” A voice screeches, before there’s another burst of gunfire. “Get to cover!”

You roll your eyes – you must’ve disturbed a Call Of Duty session with his buds.

“Thanks. I’ll be there later on today.”

“Dude!” The other voice hisses.

“Okay, bye.” But the dial tones tells you he’s already hung up. You place the phone back on the receiver, before and putting the fixed controllers underneath the desk along with the form to be collected later and get on with your shift.

--

It’s half three and you’ve been kept pretty busy. You’re sat behind the counter, finishing off the last of the stock audit when the bell rings again and you look up with your automatic greeting.

“Welcome to Kyoshi’s Joypad where we… Whoa.” You wished you hadn’t said that last part out loud.

The man standing the other side of the counter from you is in an incredibly well-fitted suit, waistcoat and red tie. His dark-hair is tied up on top of his head, revealing an undercut. His face seems similar but you can’t quite place it.

You manage to stop yourself gawking. “I mean, whoa-t can I help you with today?” You know as soon as it comes out of your mouth that it was not the smoothest save and the slight smile on the man’s face just seems to confirm it.

“I’m here to pick up the controllers…” He mumbles, and then you put two and two together. This is the same guy from the other day?! You found him attractive then, sure, but this look… Ooft.

“Oh, Rei! I’m so sorry, the suit threw me off.”

“You don’t like it?” He looks down at the fit with a frown.

“No, no! I just… It’s not what the average clientele wears in here, so I just didn’t put the two and two together. It looks good, really good…”

“I had a meeting.” That doesn’t really blend with what you heard on the phone earlier, but maybe that was a lunchbreak thing? You shouldn’t judge, you spend a good deal of your working day gaming and get away with it.

“Oh, cool. What do you do for work? I mean, you know I work here, so…”

“I guess you could say I clean up the city.”

“Ah…” You nod as if you get what he means, but you don’t. There’s an awkward silence and then you remember what he came in for. “Right, your controllers!” You bend down and retrieve them – they’re in a paper bag with the shop’s logo on. You slide the bag across the counter. “Should be as good as new.”

“Wow,” he peeks in the bag and retrieves one, then the other, looking closely. “I can’t even tell which one was the syrupy one.”

“Thanks!” You smiled. “I was pretty pleased with how it turned out too. I’ve tested them both out with a couple of games, but if something doesn’t seem right just bring them back and I’ll take a look, free of charge, of course. I like happy customers.”

“Thank you.” He retrieves the store’s controller from his suit pocket – you’re not sure how it fit in there. “And this is yours. I kept Miri away from it to make sure it didn’t come back in syrup.”

“Miri - is that your daughter’s name?” He nods. “That’s cute. How old is she?”

“Four.”

“She must be a handful.”

“Mm.” There’s a pause. “Did you beat the boss from the other day?”

“I did – thank you. Your tip did the trick. I promise I’ll remember about my status boosts from now on, or at least try.”

Someone stands behind Rei with a game in hand, ready to check out. You want to keep the conversation going, but Mr Kyoshi doesn’t pay you to flirt with handsome men – though he does bemoan why a nice young lady such as yourself is single…

Rei notices the person too. “How much do I owe you again?”

“Oh, yeah. 10,000 yen, please.” You enter the amount into the register as he passes over his card and you slide it through the machine. “Thank you. Here’s your receipt. Hope to see you again soon!”

“Thanks. Me too.” He picks up the paper bag and gives you a small wave as he leaves.

--

It’s Monday when you’re next back in the shop. The morning is very quiet and after you’ve taken the usual deliveries, you’re sat back upon the counter playing another quest when the bell rings. You immediately pause and slide off the counter, ready to greet the customer. “Welcome to… Oh, Rei. Hi!” You smile and he smiles back almost sheepishly. He’s in casual attire today and has a bag in his hand.

“Morning.”

“How can I help you today?”

“Er, I’m afraid Miri had another accident.” He places the bag on the counter and you peek inside. It’s soaked in syrup again.

“What – how?!” Your eyes widen at the sight of it.

“Blame Kazuki, he’s always giving her pancakes…”

“Kazuki, huh?” You try and ask casually.

“Yeah, my room-mate. We, er, co-parent. It’s a long story. Can you salvage it?”

“I think so. Leave it with me. It might be another two-day job, if that’s okay? I can lend you a controller again if you need two…” You grab another form and jot down the details.

“Thanks, but I wouldn’t want her to drench yours either. She can just watch me.”

“It’s sweet that you guys play together.” You smile. “Can you write your number down again for me?” You’ve already filled in his name.

“Sure.” He notes it down. “How are you getting on?” He points up to the screen.

“Mm, better! It’s my own fault – I’ll admit I like playing for the storyline more than the combos.”

“No, I can understand that.” His phone chimes with an alarm from his pocket. “Ah, sorry. I need to head. You’ll ring when it’s ready?”

“Mm-hm. Speak soon.” You watch him leave, disappointed the conversation was so short today. You let out a sigh and hop back up onto the counter, resuming your game.

--

You call Rei Wednesday morning after you’ve successfully eliminated all traces of syrup again – this time it’s quiet in the background on his side. He says he’ll be by in the afternoon and, true to his word, he appears with a little girl holding his hand.

“Hi, Rei!” You smile brightly as he heads over to the counter. Miri, you presume, is bouncing on her heels and looking around the shop in wonder, squealing as she recognizes different video game characters.

You bend down and retrieve Rei’s controller, placing it on the counter before leaning over it and grin down at Miri.

“So, syrup bandit, we meet at last, huh?”

Miri grins back up at you. “Oh, you’re the pretty lady that fixes them!” Rei’s face flushes red and he stutters, but you can’t help but find it adorable. Miri’s attention span drifts and lands on the Morio Kart display demo to the side. “Do you get to play all these games all day?!”

“I sure do! Sadly, I have to let the customers have a go too otherwise my boss gets kinda mad.” You wink. “Speaking of which, you can play Morio Kart if you like.”

“Oh, can I? Can I, Papa Rei?” She tugs at Rei’s arm again with a pleading look.

“Sorry, Miri. Papa Kazuki said we needed to be back by 4 today. How about we swing by another time, and we can play when we get home, okay?”

“Okay, Papa Rei.” She nods, though her eyes stare longingly at the demo machine.

“How much do I owe you today?”

“5,000, please.” He slides over cash this time and you ring it through the register.

“Now, young lady, please can you promise me not to cover this in syrup again?”

She frowns. “But Papa Rei told me to do it so he could come see you again!” Rei looks like he wants the ground to swallow him up in that moment.

“Oh, did he?” You laugh, feeling your own cheeks flush. “Well, here’s your receipt and…” You grab a pen and write along the bottom. “..my gamer tag.”

He nods his head frantically, grabs the receipt, the controller and Miri and speedwalks to the door. “Thank you! Bye.”

“Bye, pretty lady!” Miri beams and Rei yanks her out of there.

--

When you get home later that night, you make a quick dinner before collapsing on your bed as you boot up your games console. You logged into the network, and a notification beeped. One new request from ReiSuwa1.

You hit accept and see he’s still online, playing the game you’d struggled on the other day. Coincidence or deliberate, you muse. A few minutes later, another notification comes up. ReiSuwa1 is inviting you to voice chat.

Your stomach flips as you grab your headset and put it on, before hitting accept.

There’s a beep to show you’ve been connected.

“Don’t tell me there’s been another syrup incident.”

A chuckle fills your ears.

[paris-in-space]

I need to get the thoughts I’m having about Doctor who out because if they just stay circulating my head I don’t know if I’ll be able to get to sleep it’s been 2 hours and I’m tired but my brain is refusing to shut down.

So, Dot and Bubble spoilers beware. Also these thoughts will be in the order I think of putting them down not in the chronology of the episode.

Weird place to start but one thing I got caught up on was the style of makeup that the majority of finetime characters had, like it was heavy and unflattering but in a way that seemed like maybe they were trying to go for a more natural look. And I’m sure there is something to be taken from this about the way people present themselves online but I’m too tired to do proper analysis it just struck me early on that I didn’t like the makeup. (It did feel fitting though)

I literally went “OH SHES BEING RACIST” out loud at the end. I do admit that although I did notice the weird vibes in Lindy’s responses to the doctor I didn’t pick up the exact meaning until that last scene, but then so many things clicked into place and made sense once I understood that fully. Like when she responded badly to the doctor appearing on the screen a second time I took it as irritation at his persistence, didn’t even think for a second that she didn’t realise it was the same guy.

Lindy deserves to get eaten by a slug.

Ricky September you deserve so much better.

(Not going to lie I didn’t think he was as attractive as everyone was making him out to be no offence to the actor I think it was a case of the weird makeup strikes again)

The lack of human connection is another thing that really stood out. This is the second episode this series to feature the concept of people never being hugged, albeit in different contexts. Just everyone being so focused in on themselves that basic human connection isn’t present in their society is such a sad thought, no wonder it turns out people like Lindy with no value for the lives of others and understanding of cultural differences if she has no meaningful relationships in her life at all. Just. Hug your friends guys (as long as they’re comfortable with it I know some people struggle with being touched)

The Doctor failing is such a rare thing, like of course there are tons of occasions where the Doctor can’t save everyone but they always try and almost always save at least someone. But these people cannot be saved, and it’s not the slugs that they can’t be saved from, it’s themselves. I think the lack of explanation into the detail of what actually was going on ties into this, because this time the Doctor doesn’t get to do a little “Here’s what’s been going down I saved you look how clever I am!” Because even the Doctor, the most caring wonderful being in the universe can’t save people who refuse to change and accept his help just because he’s different. The unfinished downer feeling feels totally intentional. Like, these people suck, the Doctor doesn’t get to experience a conclusive win, so neither do we as the audience.

The fact that this episode took place in the future too, they really said, just because time passes and things look like they’ve developed, societal issues have not disappeared and are still prevalent (I am white just so you know that’s the perspective I’m coming from) I think it’s a much more powerful way to address racism by putting it in a future setting than in the past. It’s very easy with historical settings to look at a piece of media and be like okay so the racism is awful but that is how it was, it’s uncomfortable but we can sort of look around it because everyone was doing it back then. But you put it in the future and you can’t look around it anymore because it should not be happening, should no longer be culturally acceptable. I’m struggling to put into words exactly what I mean, but it’s the difference between oh times were different back then it sucks but that’s how it was and times are not that different there’s still a massive issue to address here we can’t just sweep it under the rug of the past if we actually want things to be fair for everybody. It definitely made me think a lot more than a similar situation in a historical setting probably would have (not that that wouldn’t make me think but this has more impact)

On a more lighthearted note, the Dot flying around reminded me of the baubles from Runaway Bride. This is Doctor Who you cannot escape the floating balls.

Ruby doing the hair tuck seeing Ricky… she’s so real for that.

Overall I really love the concept of everyone so caught up in their own little world that they fail to see the horrors right before them. And it all comes back to the importance of human connection and understanding.

This has got to be the most thought provoking episode in a long time, and I’m sure there’s more thoughts I’ve had that I’ve forgotten to mention here.

[rhythm-tengoku-gold]

Well, considering this post got some likes that means a few folks are interested…

So, first of all, I am a proud epileptic. If I see good rep of folks that have seizures*,there’s a damn good chance that I’m going to really fixate on that character. But I digress. So what is this theory? Well…

Was Tiffany Wright from Hypnospace Outlaw in some way inspired by/a nod to Tim Wright from Marble Hornets?

Honestly, I think I may just be looking too deep into things, but I do have some evidence. Although, they could just be coincidences.

Let’s go over the similarities of the two I’ve noticed, shall we?

• Obviously, there’s the whole name deal. They’re really damn similar. I don’t got much to say here.

• Both of them are epileptic/experience tonic clonic/grand mal (I gotta wonder why the term was changed) seizures, & these play a significant part into their respective narratives. Albeit, Tim’s is less so, but still notable.**

• Both are related to internet horror in some way. Tiffany creates ‘Scaries’, AKA the Hypnospace version of creepypastas, & Tim is from an Internet horror series, duh.

I couldn’t find a screenshot online in which she talks about her Scaries & I don’t feel like pulling up the game at the moment to grab some screenshots, I’m sorry.

Now, I’ve got another point to add unrelated to character similarities.

Hypnospace Outlaw is an homage to the ‘net. Admittedly, it is in reference to a significantly earlier internet landscape in comparison to when MH takes place. That said, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say they nodded towards one of the most influential webseries ever, right? Or is that just me?

[Edit: it appears that Jay Tholen & Tim Sutton follow each other on Twitter, but that's just me looking way into things. All of this probably is me looking way too into things. I'm autistic.]

*Keep in mind that you don’t have to have epilepsy to have seizures, & it can be caused by other conditions.

**I couldn’t help but smile at Tim’s seizure in #61- not because he was going through it, god no, but rather that it was actually pretty accurate! While I’m diagnosed with absence seizures, I have had an experience with a tonic clonic seizure (edit: I have had far more tc seizures as of late. lol.) in the past, & it was exactly like what happened to Tim. Blacking out, struggling with coordination, & crying. In my case, however, it was far more intense, but y’know, same deal.

So yeah, that was me being so normal (/sar). Goodnight everyone!

[burningvelvet]

still continuing my shakespeare journey - got halfway thru love's labour's lost 1975 but have sadly comprehended none of it so may have to restart it in another format/version.

the thing with shakespeare is that its so much better to be able to see/listen to his works since they were meant to be performed, but if you come across a lesser performance then it can really negatively tinge a piece you would have otherwise liked. conversely a superb performance can really put you on to a play you otherwise would have been lukewarm about.

and for these reasons, along with my gen z attention span, genetic adhd, & struggling sometimes with older british dialects & EME (even though i've taken classes on historical english linguistics, shakespearean studies, and renaissance literature, & have immersed myself in classic anglo lit for years, & am a native english speaker albeit an american, etc.) — my shakespeare journey has been more bumpy than expected.

but i hope it will be worth it in the end, and that by studying his work i'll improve my overall writing/reading abilities, particularly when it comes to poetry & scriptwriting, but also storytelling in general. and this, not by mere passive absorption (which i have to combat the urge toward), but by active studying, & seeking to discover what it is that has given his works their legacies in the canon, for whatever it be worth. i think tradition has its place. i believe in learning from the greats, and i agree with that quote about how one must know the rules before they can successfully break them - & would add that too many attempt to break without knowing.

i've been casually watching the famous "working shakespeare" acting workshop series wherein they assess the language. there are exercises dor actors re: script analysis, understanding the diction, etc - & i've been practicing some of that to build my grasp on language in general. some actors like samuel l jackson, toby stephens, robert sean leonard, victor garber, claire danes, blyth danner, etc. are in it - its on youtube. i'm also going to look into playing shakespeare, acting shakespeare), shakespeare in italy, and looking for richard. these are all famous films/documentaries about understanding shakespeare & his works.

it can be so overhwelming to dive into shakespeare, as i previously mentioned - but the relieving part is the wealth of information which exists to aid in the experience. i knew an actress (we did a play partly about shakespeare, lol) who had said that she found a copy of shakespeare for dummies to be really helpful, undignified title aside lmao. there are so many databases & websites & books & all freely accessible online. the sad thing is that some of the live performances are really hard to find, but that's an issue with theatre overall.

but my university's digital library (even though i graduated, i still have access) has a lot of databases including some shakespearen-centric, national theatre, & royal shakespeare theatre stuff. so if any of you are uni students or alumni i recommend you to use your lib databases to find whatever learning resources you can - you already paid for it all with your tuition money anyway!

[likebreadandwine]

Glad it was worded respectfully enough to warrant such an informative response, lol. It's just one of those cases where another person's experience is so different from my own that I honestly can't help but inquire about it and compare notes, so to speak

The way you described flirting is particularly interesting because, on the one hand, I feel like that's an approach that a lot of us take on the internet. There's a general, mutual understanding that we're all going to be more openly flirty and teasing with each other in kink spaces than we otherwise may be in other contexts, with the added footnote that it probably won't go anywhere beyond that most of the time unless there's mutual interest and actual effort involved (some of us understanding/respecting that more/less than others). And, I think a lot of us do tend to enjoy 'performing' to varying degrees, enjoying "the audience's reaction", as you put it. It's fun to feel a little thrill yourself, but it's just as fun to know you've pushed someone else's buttons too

On the other hand, flirting is often understood as the lead-in to more intimate activities, be they sexual or sensual. Though, in my book, it's hard to find satisfaction in one without the other. Sexual intimacy works for me when there's an understanding that it's supported by sensual and emotional intimacy, otherwise it feels...cheap? Not that sex is cheap or that people who just wanna fuck are lesser creatures in any way, it's just rarely something that I crave on its own because it's not the only thing I crave (even when I'm browsing kinks, I almost always gravitate towards things where two people/characters are really into each other). Likewise, while sensual/emotional intimacy is incredibly important to me, I'm wired in such a way that having no sexual intimacy behind it would be like biting into a burger and finding out that it's only buns with nothing in between. Those buns could be some 10/10 bread, but it's just not a burger without everything in between

So, hearing that a lot of this sort of stays 'surface level' for you is certainly interesting. I'm sorry that the one situation you mentioned ended so poorly (especially since feelings are definitely a lot harder to understand and communicate at that age), but that example does beg the question, have you ever looked into what demisexuality entails and do you think you relate to it in any way?

you're totally spot on re: online kink talk/flirting. we're all a bit more open and teasing here than we might be in other contexts. the confidence I've built here has also translated to my encounters offline—I've become kind of a bold flirt lol.

it sounds like sexual, sensual, and emotional intimacy are all tied together for you, which makes sense! (excellent burger analogy.) they're not linked like that for me.

to address your question: I don't identify with demisexuality, because on those rare occasions I've felt some kind of physical attraction to someone, it was immediate. I felt it the day we met, not after developing an emotional bond.

I used to identify as grey-ace, and I think that label makes a lot of sense for me: I experience some kind of physical attraction, albeit rarely, and I'm clearly pretty involved in this sexual kink space, including actively teasing and encouraging folks. I would say I'm sex-neutral: I'm not really interested but I'm not repulsed either.

so why don't I use it anymore? well, that person I mentioned—that was the most I'd ever been attracted to someone. if we were in the same room, I wanted them to be touching me (and when they did touch me, it was like warmth spreading across my whole body and sparking fireworks under my skin). plus, I was totally in love. we shared hobbies and friends and interests, we had deep conversations, we had good banter. and I still had no interest in having sex with them. not even in fantasy did I want it.

which, to me, suggests I straightforwardly do not experience sexual attraction, and the fastest way to communicate that is just to say that I'm ace. are my feelings nuanced and complicated? totally. but a more specific label isn't going to capture those nuances.

[dolleminas]

hi, my doctor has given me a tentative diagnosis of pcos and the only info I can find about it online that doesn't relate to getting pregnant is your Tumblr post. do you have any sources for the stuff about fatigue, vitamin D deficiency, etc being super common in pcos? cos I've dealt with those forever too. things are clicking into place but also with the way the NHS is I don't know if there's much point confirming the diagnosis (it's only diagnosed with transvaginal ultrasound :c) because the only treatment offered seems to be birth control and fertility treatment.

Good afternoon, nonny. Thanks for reaching out to me! And congratulations on getting a (albeit tentative) diagnosis. I know it might not seem positive, but now you know what you have and what can be done about it. At least, that is how I felt.

When I first made that post I never expected so many women to add their own experiences, talk of their their shock, their anger... or just admit that they had been diagnosed for years but that I somehow taught them things they never knew.

It's been an experience and a half. But I'm very glad that I can spread information and if that helps you, even better.

First of all, to diagnose PCOS, you need to fit 2/3 criteria of the Rotterdam concensus. Irregular periods, higher testosterone, and 12 or more follicles on your ovaries each. So, even without a hormone test you can usually tell whether someone has PCOS. Even so, I would still recommend asking for a hormone test if your health insurance covers it.

Sources

I tried looking up an English source for you since you mentioned NHS. Do keep in mind that women's healthcare is really not researched well and that there will be sources and information that will contradict one another. Here is one such article about the Rotterdam concensus.

As you can see they also mention the insulin resistance in this article, IBS, and fatigue, among other things.

Here is another one.

Here is some information about Insulin resistance in women with PCOS.

And here is some about depression.

You specifically asked for vitamin D so here is a study.

And another.

And one about fatigue.

I will however stress that these are all scientific sources and we all know that it can sometimes be biased, and again, not researched properly. My advice would always be to listen to women who have PCOS before listening to a medical source (no matter how professional it looks.)

My Own Experiences & Tips

I've not been diagnosed with PCOS long, but I have been quite thrown into studying it because it pissed me off interested me so much, and by researching (and reading a lot) here are some things that helped me, and I hope they can help you too.

Vitamin deficiencies are common in women with PCOS, especially Vitamin D. What I do is drink a glass of orange juice every morning with Vitamin D supplements. I take Solgar liquid vitamin drops, but depending on where you live they might have something of a different brand. Remember; take it during a meal.

Carbs make your sugar spike, so try to swap out some high-carb foods for lower carb. This way I have managed to lose weight, and this is often recommended for women with PCOS. And if you have a tendency for disordered eating, this will (generally) be easier than counting calories and going on a diet. After going low-carb my blood sugar level (which was high before) went down to regular levels and according to my doctor, I am now no longer immediately in danger of developing Diabetes Type 2.

Exercise! Especially weight-lifting, since it is mentioned it gives you more energy. Since starting myself, I have also noticed a difference. Here is a link for at home work-outs. Taking daily walks is also recommended for your exposure to sunlight and to help depression and anxiety.

Keep a diary of your symptoms. I have a word document with my own diary, so if anyone is interested I will be posting it. Just send me a message :)

Besides this, you do not need to go on birth control if you do not want to. My gynocologist said to me that once every three months you need to have your period. Women with PCOS can have a period 4 times a year, and that is enough! If you get your period less, then you can take progesteron pills for 7 days, and it will start your period. Again; you only need to use them for 7 days. You could do this four times a year and that would be all. Then again I am not a gynocologist so do talk about this with your doctor.

Another thing is that the fatigue could also very well be a side-effect of low vitamin D, B12, and low iron. My advice would be to get tested monthly if you can, and then try to balance your vitamins and see if this improves your fatigue.

And last but no least I recommend Meals She Eats. I made a post about it before, but even if you ignore everything else that is said (they are a bit woo-woo about organic foods and sugars) they still are very informative about the menstrual cycle. If for any reason you are unable to get your hands on the book do reach out to me in my DM's and I can help you.

If there is anything else I forgot I will reblog this and add more information, and I also will request others do too! The more we learn about PCOS and our cycle, the better.

I hope you have a nice day, anon. And I apologise if it took me a while to get to this ask!

[averyconcernedtable]

I know I was just about to go to sleep but I gotta get this off my chest first

I have never been good at portraying my feelings and emotions to other people, but I want SOMEONE to know what I feel

For about as long as I can remember, I have been very very emotionally numb, all I did was bottle up my feelings and never told anyone anything. It was so bad that if you had asked me at the right time, I would have told you I didn't have feelings anymore with full sincerity. You wouldn't have believed me tho

My household is ravenged with a hostile culture that is very hard to be earnest in. I find it impossible to tell the people I love that I love them, I CANT do it, no matter how much I want too. Its been this way for years and I haven't tried to do anything about it yet

When I first came on tumblr I was still the kind of person who could never say "I love you" to anyone. I felt like I couldn't because I felt a preconceived notion that I don't and can't love pressured onto me by my family.

But the more I stayed on this site the more earnest I became, I felt comfortable telling people... a little more how I felt, I especially want to thank @official-megumin for (albeit not intentionally) helping me through those first few steps into being ACTUALLY social on this social media platform. She gave me the little push I needed to start really speaking my mind about how I felt honestly in a way I haven't done in years.

Little by little I started to let people know how I felt, and before long, I started to let people know I appreciated them, something I might not have even done before! I told people I liked them, I told them they made me feel good and whatnot. And fast forward to today... I had finally felt open enough to tell everyone I loved them!!! I told all my mutuals how I felt, I had done what in years prior I never thought i would do! I told someone I loved them on my own. I reached out to them to let them know that I loved them without feeling the need to mask it with something. I have to thank @flurty (sorry I know you're prolly sleeping) for truly getting me to the point can tell people the way I feel, albeit just online. I feel like I might be able to make things better, i feel like i might be able to tell the people I know irl that I love them (it might take a bit longer than I'd like too though, but progress is progress) I've started thinking positively, I've started to try and rid my self of my terrible self loathing, I've started doing things that I haven't before in a positive light. Thats a new experience for me, and I have all of you to thank for it

I love you, and I thank you for being there for me, whether you knew that you were or not

Im gonna get some sleep now, but know that i love you and you and you and you and you...... and me too :>

💝

[quarantined-fics]

almost had a heart attack because i saw FaT is now by orphan_account !!

i just started reading it so thank you for not completely deleting, i do intend to continue what has been written. but whatever reason you may have had, i completely respect it and appreciate your willingness to orphan rather than delete. i hope you wont be leaving townsville all together though. your writing is phenomenal, i cant believe im just discovering your work now. i wanted to know if you have plans to continue your other fics.

and more importantly, i wanted to ask how YOU are doing. such a huge decision made me wonder if you were doing well. i truly hope all is good. lots of love 🤍

hi dearie!! first of all i should let you know how this message warmed my heart, thank you for your kind words♡

i've wanted to address orphaning FaT since i did it, but never seemed to find the strength to do it, nor the words to express why i did it/how i feel about it. now seems to be the perfect time.

there are many reasons why i orphaned the fic, most of which i'm not fully comfortable sharing online. however, i feel like a proper explanation is overdue.

you may have noticed the updates since i started writing and posting it are scarce and far-inbetween. outside of my fandom life, many things have happened and affected both my mental and physical health.

i'm sad to admit that this fanfic has gone from being an outlet and a great help to my offline stress, to becoming associated with that stress. loss of inspiration was a major factor - i began feeling like i've written myself into a wall, and writing it had begun to feel like a chore. most days i was lucky to add even a sentence to another chapter. writing it used to be fun.

another factor was the amount of research i did for it. the topics i decided to cover within the fanfic back when i started it are heavy and deserve detailed research and proper representation (neither of which i ever felt were enough in my work). though i don't think i explicitly misrepresented those topics (keyword: think - i was and still am very open to criticism), i put a big amount of weight on myself in trying to be accurate and inoffensive. i'm not saying it’s difficult to be inoffensive, i'm saying i felt inadequate to write about the issues i've never personally experienced in fanfic form, no matter how much research i did. and there is nothing wrong with writing outside of your experience. what is wrong is the amount of stress (and somewhat subconscious guilt) i put on myself in order to satisfy my overwhelming perfectionism.

in truth, part of me wanted to orphan (or sometimes, even delete) FaT for a long while, i just thought i would have finished the project by then and let it go upon completion. now that i did it, i'm slowly feeling the pressure i put on myself dissipate. i did it what i had to do for myself, albeit with a heavy heart.

i don't think i will ever return to FaT, but i can assure you i'm not leaving Townsville. the PPG fandom, the entire community, has been nothing but wonderful the whole time i've spent here, and i wouldn't let it go for the world. i just hope you can forgive me for abandoning this massive project, and embrace the other fics i am working on.

as for how i'm doing, things are looking up. having given up on continuing FaT, i've dedicated myself to The Princess and the Pirate, which brings me much more joy in being creative and writing what i've always loved - fantasy. other than that, i've made some awesome new friends, and enthusiastically entered my 3rd year of college.

thank you for your kindness and support ♡ i hope you enjoy what's left of FaT, as well as other fics of mine and of my lovely fandom friends'.

[sstwins]

You can find Galactic online here:

Instagram: @galactic_flow_draws

A03: Galactic_Flow

Wattpad: Galactic_Flow

Her featured piece is an image of Sasha and Marcy from her Steampunk AU, which is a "royal/medieval" style AU.

Please read her full answers below:

What art app do you use?:

For anyone saying you need an expensive art program to be good, do NOT listen. I've used Medibang Paint for my whole digital art experience! Albeit, when I got my own income I purchased the premium version, but that doesn't make it any less valuable as its free counterpart! And for anyone thinking I have an expensive drawing tablet or any fancy equipment; no, just my good 'ole hand and pointer finger :)

What inspires you the most?:

The shows and cartoons I've watched growing up definitely skyrocketed my love for art and animation, and the shows of today still manage to spark that kind of passion I had as a kid. Totally a sucker for Gravity Falls and if anyone asks, Gravity Falls is always going to be the show I say that probably pushed me to do what I do now, (hell, even helped create my username).

Is there a hallmark of your style that you’re most proud of?:

Hm, well, a lot of mini bits of my artstyle derive from other artists I admire, like I took a piece of them with me on my journey :) Something I developed myself and am proud of is actually my eye style. I think it's the one thing I've had most comments for other than the anatomy. I knew my artstyle was missing some sort of kick to it, I think I didn't truly find my style until I developed the one I have for my iconic eyes. They look a little dramatic at times but like art like artist, I suppose ✨️🪐

You can buy Galactic's pin here: https://igg.me/at/wmiwb

Look out for more artist spotlights every Monday and Wednesday! 🐸

[felidaequeen]

Chinatown Detective Agency [Review]

Chinatown Detective Agency is a little point-and-click game, where you (duh!) play a role of private detective, starting out and solving cases -- and amongst them, there will be a case that starts simple, but sets the path for your career...

This little game is intriguing and funny, and I loved characters and the story. And under usual circumstances it would be a five stars from me, but there are a couple of things about the game itself that, sadly, made my experiences far from perfect.

Firstly, this game leans into a concept of having to look up things online to know answers to questions in game. Now, that certainly was a thing a while back that was quite popular; and to me, personally, the time for this concept to work has passed. 

Not only did I constantly got tons of walkthrough for the game links which made it harder to go through results and figure out what exactly I need to know... on top of that, the things to look up were... very specific and rather tough to find.

Granted, the game gives you an option to call your friend / ally for help and get hint or solution which I did appreciate, but at the same time -- it’s like skipping a puzzle in a game, really. I didn’t choose to gather help because I struggled or didn’t want to try and solve the puzzle, but because solving the puzzle was time-consuming and complex to the point of it being... unbearable to me.

And, I truly hated the parts where googling things up was mixed with time limit. Now... I am going to ignore what happens when you have slow connection; however, my internet speed is decent and I still was too slow if I didn’t know anything about the topic and had to find info... It was truly annoying (especially since fail means you get yeeted back to start of the mission).

So that’s a design choice in gameplay I did not like, but I could deal with it. However, game was also just so filled with bugs to the point where simple, plain playthrough (once) through the game made me cause to even softlock it once. And little bugs that you notice but ignore were so common it really pulled me out of immersion of the game.

Those were two major issues I have. The writing certainly made it worth my time, the pixel graphics are nice and the areas are designed well -- a couple extra items to click on, but things are rather linear most of the time. The whole art design definitely was up my alley, somewhat retro-ish from my POV and made me feel nostalgic about my childhood, for sure.

The game had many great parts, the story pulled me in and I just wish it was polished just a little bit more. That being said, it is a 25$ indie game (albeit published by Humble), and I am not gonna harp too much at its flaws. I think for the 25$ you get a decent little game, an entertainment for ~10h, with possibility to replay it as at some point you do make a rather big choice (it might be fun to see where other choices take you).

So, all in all, I recommend it, but you should be aware of the couple of flaws Chinatown Detective Agency has, and it may at times annoy you. Though, if you are a connoisseur of good story, you won’t be disappointed.

[safesp4ces]

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks & Instagram?

Before we discuss whether blogging is still relevant in the age of TikToks & Instagram, we must first understand what blogging really is.

What is blogging?

Blogging, in layman’s terms, refers to a form of sharing information, opinions and research online accompanied by different forms of media such as writings and photos (Duermyer 2022).

The way it works is that the writer of the blog (blogger) can share their opinions on a certain topic and other people who read the blog can interact with the blog by commenting on the blog and sharing their own thoughts and opinions on the topic.

Blogging paved the way for many of the social media platforms that we use today because a lot of these social media practices is considered a form of blogging (Rettberg 2014).

Who does blogging cater to?

According to statistics from Finances Online, blogs are mainly curated by individuals in the 20s - 40s age group however, anyone of any age group can read, write and interact with these blogs. I mean, who is to say whether you can or can not read and write blogs right?

I think it's a great thing that blogs are open to all age groups because younger readers could gain some insight from reading blogs written by the older generation about their experiences.

Do bloggers still exist in the age of social media platforms?

Despite the current generation mainly using social media platforms to stay updated, those that still rely on blogs do exist in this day and age. They could be avid bloggers who have been blogging since before the rise of our current social media platforms, or they could be new to blogging and are interested in getting started. It's no doubt that there still exists a community for blogging, albeit it may be getting smaller as the years go on.

These days, social media has become an extension of blogs. People who publish blogs can make their blogs more accessible to more people through social media. You can just insert a Linktree into your Instagram bio and include a link to your blog so people can easily find it from your profile.

If anything, social media has actually helped the blogging community by making it more convenient to reach your blog.

References

Duermyer, R 2022, 'What is blogging?', The Balance, 13 September, viewed 1 October 2022, <https://www.thebalancemoney.com/blogging-what-is-it-1794405>.

'Number of US Bloggers in 2022/2023: Demographics, Revenues, and Best Practices' 2022, Finances Online, viewed 1 October 2022, <https://financesonline.com/number-of-us-bloggers/#:~:text=Though%20one%20would%20think%20that,19%20to%2024%20years%20old.>.

Rettberg, JW 2014, 'Blogging, 2nd Edition', Polity, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 5-6.

[divinitysheart]

━━━    𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑   .

~

name :    Eden / Doves ( I go by them interchangeably )

pronouns :    I go by any and all pronouns!! :D

pref 4 communication :    I use either tumblr IMs or discord if I’ve given it to a person! And I will admit discord is the better way to reach me overall because tumblr IMs can be pretty funky with the notification system.

name of muse(s) :    Namine and Lumine are my most active right now!! But there are more.

rp experience :    I started to roleplay in about 2019 and I’m still roleplaying to this day, which is 3 years of experience ! It’s really wild to see the changes from then to now!

best experience :    I’d have to say just meeting people here in general on this blog has been the best experience because all of my mutuals are very patient and understanding with me in which I really do honestly appreciate!! c:

pet peeves :    Not reading my rules is one way to get me a bit annoyed, I don’t have many things that get me annoyed but this is one of them, specifically because reading over a person’s rules isn’t a hard thing to do before following them especially since it’s making sure both you and the party you’re following will be comfortable with interaction by knowing boundaries.

fluff , angst , or smut :   I really love both fluff and angst SO so much, both genres are so very cool and interesting within their own ways and can make me feel a multitude of emotions. And though I will say I don’t write smut, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with the idea of writing it as of right now, and that’s for a few reasons with one of them being because I’m a minor but that’s a given.

plots or memes :   I personally LOVE both, but it can depend on a partner because while some plotting is one of my favorite things, with others I love using memes to see how our characters respond and interact with each other raw and fresh, and even sometimes I like a mixture of both!

best time to write :   It depends on if I have school and what kind of day I’m having, but mostly I find it easier to write at night because of how much more quiet it is, it helps me focus a lot better.

are you like your muse :   To some degrees? Yeah, I’d say I’m similar to Namine and Lumine despite their very obvious differences, because while like Lumine I don’t take bullshit when it’s served to me unless I have to, but with Namine I’m like her because I literally suck in a lot of social settings unfortunately due to the fact people can be scary to even utter a word to sometimes. It doesn’t come through online as much because it’s easier to be myself around people who I know won’t mind compared to people IRL who I don’t really always have things in common with. To explain it, it’s like being curled up in a shell until I’m comfortable enough to come out and be myself, because that’s what the two of them do albeit in different ways.

TAGGED BY: @makimv

TAGGING: Whoever sees this!! :D

[disdaidal]

1, 22 and 29?

I guess you mean this? Thank you! ♥

How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in. - I was around 15-16 when some of my friends got into anime, and I got introduced to stuff like Naruto, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gravitation etc. I remember googling some Gravitation/NGE fansites and that's how I basically discovered my first pieces of fanfiction. I also got introduced to j-rock (Dir en grey quickly becoming my favorite band), and you could say that that's how I quickly discovered the rps/rpf, too. So I soon started writing my own Deg fanfiction, albeit it only happened in my notebooks and I never actually published them online. And it was definitely the fanfiction written by other people that pulled me in - also because I happened to find the guys of the band very shippable heh.

22. Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to it/them? If not, are there any you've thought about doing? If not, why not? - I haven't participated in Big Bang but I tried participating in other kinds of challenges before. It all ended very quickly because a) I'm notoriously bad at keeping up with timelines, b) I tend to write long things and it can be slow progress, and c) English not being my first language, and having to double-check, sometimes triple-check my grammar really doesn't help speed things up plus it stresses me the frick out lol. Sometimes I do think about doing these '50 sentence drabbles' or 'sentence prompts' writing thingies, but only if I can do them on my own terms. Not under a strict timeline nor trying to follow a set of specific rules set by other people, because again, I'm really bad at it lol.

29. What is your current project or projects? - Ahh well... can we say they are projects if I think about them every day but I just don't write them? xD I have at least two Mungrove fics in the works, one Harringroveson fic in the works, and I think about updating my two Harringrove ao3 wips almost every second day. The best part is that I've written a lot of stuff for all of these already. The shitty part is that I can't keep my brain in one place long enough to actually finish them. XD But they're still projects, right?