#and even PSAs can be helpful/constructive

[frankierohugejorts]

i love when ppl use buzzwords to moralize their dislike of something. i just saw someone unironically call following a band's tour/going to multiple dates "stalking"

[crevicedwelling]

I’ve got tons of photos of dragonflies! Texas gets a lot of them, and my area luckily isn’t super developed or urbanized. This is Miniscule Mustard Michael, they were very small. I found them a couple nights ago confounded by our porch light(as they were actually small enough to fly up into it), but safely relocated them to our much less lit backyard and got them to perch on a stick. But they stuck around on me for a few minutes, which was neat.

Then there’s these more average sized lads. This one was on my college campus and let me gently move it away from a construction site before flying away, ironically only like 15 minutes after my economic entomology professor explained how hard it is to catch dragonflies for the collection project we had to do, and how silly folks look trying to chase them with nets. Maybe they should just try being slow and calm and they’ll have more luck, though admittedly I think it’s preferable that fewer dragonflies end up caught and pinned for displays that will end up neglected and ultimately provide little useful information about the specimens in question given the class being more horticulture based than bug research based. I ended up being given permission to do mine with pictures I took, thankfully.

This one was another individual confused by our porch that kept flying into the light and window until I intervened. It let me get some nice pictures before flying off into the night, though this one’s the only one that shows the whole fella. If I recall correctly it’s a black saddlebags— not a species I see up close very often!

This one was certified rude and interrupted my attempt to get pictures of a tiny moth that looked like a tiny dead leaf. Though, I couldn’t be too mad at it, since it did provide cool pictures itself, and looked to be near the end of its life anyways given the wing damage. Free meal for the elderly I guess.

These two polite lads let me get very close for these pictures and for that I am grateful. Even the “plain” brown dragonflies can be beautiful and have blobs of color, it’s just hard to see most of the time.

And lastly, here’s the time I found two at once(on our back porch this time, being harassed by a ceiling fan) and managed to get this neat shot before getting them out from under the roof. It’s nice to have mosquito guards near the house but it’s better for them to not have structures above them when possible I imagine. I know it wasn’t necessary and in hindsight I should have just moved them out into the yard without taking advantage of their tendency to perch on fingers, but neither was harmed or forcefully coerced into doing so at least…

And here’s a bonus large damselfly (great spreadwing I think?) that looks like it thought it was supposed to be a dragonfly. We get plenty but other than one that landed on my shirt carrying a tiny pink flower bud, most fly off when I get close. This one was trapped in the house but let me take it out after a dramatic bathroom chase and my dad getting fed up with my insect relocating antics. Chances are it only perched on me because it was tired, poor thing. I wish there was a way to tell bugs you’re trying to help.

Obligatory “don’t pick up bugs when you don’t need to do so for their benefit, it causes them unnecessary stress and exposes them to all kinds of human skin gunk, let them do things on their terms and sometimes you’ll get lucky and they’ll deem you Inanimate Object Safe For Hold On To” PSA.

an impressive collection of winged beasts

[a-student-out-of-time]

PSA TIME WITH MOD BUBBLES

//I’ve talked a lot about DRDT, and that’s because I’m honestly so blown away by how good it is and how talented the dev is as a creator. At no point have I ever meant to imply that my interpretation of DRDT or the outcome of the story is the only correct one, I’ve only been speculating on it based on the evidence in the text.

//And while I complain a lot about works from creators like LINUJ, that’s only because of writing decisions that either diminish the work’s quality, damage the story and/or characters, or harm whatever messages it’s going for. Even then, I still try to see the good in works I critique and how I think they can be improved, because that's what constructive criticism should be about. My criticisms have never been intended as personal attacks and I’ve been trying to go out of my way to ensure they remain professional and constructive.

//I really don't have a bad word to say about the creator or the fangan itself. I actually want to talk about something else here.

//To be honest, I sympathize with their feelings. The amount of times I've seen posts from people in the fandom taking the piss out of my Switch Theory, mocking it, calling it stupid and me stupid by extension, and spreading misinformation about it? It's a lot. To say nothing about my work on this blog.

//As a small creator myself, I’ve had to develop a thicker skin when it comes to taking criticism or getting hate asks. Early ones I got were pretty harsh, and it did send me into a malaise for many days or weeks at a time, and I had to learn not to try writing when I didn’t feel up to it. Now I have the confidence to challenge bad faith arguments, and I have help from co-creators and friends to improve things.

//I say this because a lot of those asks and a lot of that negativity did affect me and I had to learn to not let it bother me. I still get sad and frustrated, but it’s not a creator-killing attitude for me anymore. That's not always the case every creator, unfortunately.

//Obviously I’m not talking about every single person in the fandom, but I just want to make this clear for fans of any work: please, for the love of all that is good and kind and decent, think about what you say about creators.

//I’m not talking about calling out creators for unrepentant bad behavior, you can and should do that. I’m talking about harassment, entitlement, and even just thoughtlessness commentary that goes into things said about small creators who work on passion projects, who aren’t making money off of it and who are just trying to do their best.

//It can be easy to think your comments, your criticisms, or even your attempts to be funny will be perceived how you perceive them, but not everyone will take them the same way. Your thought processes are not universal, and something small and innocuous to you can really hit a sore spot for someone else. Some people are more sensitive than others, and that’s something you really to keep in mind.

//This is especially true if you’re saying things about a creator themselves. There’s a difference between something like “here’s where I think the creator’s work could be improved” and “the creator is so X.” You can hurt them with the latter more than the former, because that feels very targeted and personalized. Even if it's not true, some people are much more self-conscious than others.

//At the same time, the response to this sort of thing is not and should NEVER be “let’s gang up on the person who said that and force them out of the fandom.” That’s unacceptable, no matter the circumstance. I’ve blocked people who've tried to have that attitude about critics of my own story because I will never endorse that behavior.

//This isn’t meant to be a call-out post, just a PSA on why you should exercise some compassion and thought, and don’t make unnecessary commentary about creators who work hard on projects like these for no money, or for people who say things without intending to be hurtful. We creators do it because we have something we want to share, and as bad as bullying can get, comments like that are worse in their own way.

//Even if you don't intend it to be hurtful, thoughtlessness can hurt worse than open cruelty. Please keep that in mind when talking about other people, especially people you either don’t know or only know from their work or one bad action. At the same time, someone making one bad comment is not an excuse for you to declare war on them.

//Above all, just be kind to people and show how much you appreciate their work. Even small comments have gotten me through periods of bad depression, and when people need time to work on their health before they feel ready to get back to working on their projects, respect that. We aren't content machines, we're just as human as the rest of you.

//Finally, to the DT dev, I don't know if you'll see this, but I've been where you are and also had to take time off for myself. I feel lucky that I have so many kind people in my life, and I sincerely hope you do too. Take all the time you need, and know you've got my wholehearted support when you do return.

[artsy-hobbitses]

Wait, what is the advertising and pr like on the autobot side of things.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the autobots did charity as well.

That, and they film their table top rpg events live and request donations to some organizations or the autobot cause.

Who even orchestrates the advertising and pr for the autobots? Is it blaster?

Less propaganda (they’re not in the business of conquering territories), more PSAs.

There is some degree of recruitment stuff going on of course, but it tends to have the flavour of signing up for Docs Without Borders or an international NGO—it’s less ‘elite’/militarised than ‘Con propaganda and more altruistic.

While they don’t have ‘territories’, they do have outposts constructed in areas free of Con and Functionist grip, and often train people there/offer backup to help ensure their borders remain free. The idea is to let them rebuild on their own terms for their own people on the foundation that freedom is the right of all.

You’ll find care packages with booklets for war refugees/cold constructs kind of like 101 on agencies that can help them, the rights they have, and where to go for aid and the type of aid they are are eligible for.

There’s also lots of posters combating Beastman and Manual Class stigma, and breaking down how ridiculous it is to adopt the same caste system a bunch of fucking coloniser space squids first used to divide them up into slaves.

Charity work and volunteerism is very much a thing they do as well, though to a slightly smaller scale than the Cons because their funds are sort of limited and they’re just generally a smaller team (their biggest benefactor is Mirage and potentially Tracks) with less manpower. So yes the Tabletop RPG thing and music jam sessions to help raise funds is something that happens quite often.

Something that sort of becomes unexpectedly popular here is actually OP reading (think of it like Henry Cavill reading the Witcher books) and discussing books with the audience after. Sometimes he’ll take book requests so there’s a pretty large online (and on radio for those with no Net access, if you can tap in to Blaster’s channel) book club for the book of the month (there will be people saying his voice reading to them is like a very cozy ASMR). This is also novel because a lot of Manual classes especially did not have access to books outside of their class specification, and in lacking resources to get these books to all of them physically, this is how OP chooses to break that barrier/share the joy and knowledge from them with a worldwide audience regardless of caste. It’s why his moniker as The Librarian sticks in an affectionate manner for a lot of people (sometimes Megs listens in too on particularly lonely nights, though you could never pry that out of him)

OP, Mirage, Jazz and Blaster usually oversee the public relations work they do as it’s mostly a combined effort that gets input from everyone.

[ceeroosa]

i hate to be this guy

but i will, cuz i'm seeing it a lot a lot a lot lately:

i am begging people who have poor self-esteem and are extremely sensitive to external judgements (like, say, losing your absolute shit cuz someone made a mildly shitty comment in their public bookmark of your fic)

to work on that.

no, i'm not saying it was cool for them to say something mean about you in a public space where you could see it. i'm saying it's an extremely normal thing that you can't control, and you will be happier if you figure out how to focus on handling those things over trying to control other people

sure, make the PSA's reminding people that ficwriters have feelings too and demand that people stop making negative comments in public bookmarks because you're not wrong - it is a mean thing to do.

but it is also normal.

people talk about you. sometimes it's where you can see or hear it, and often it is "behind your back."

you cannot shame, demand, plead or tantrum your way out of the fact that people talk.

people talk about everything, and often in unfavourable terms. i have known people in my life who have torn themselves apart emotionally, have created such an obscene amount of stress in their lives, over the things people have or may be saying about them to other people.

"it's WRONG" they said

"let them be wrong" I said

because at some point you have to accept the way people can be. people can be cruel as much as they can be kind. they can be smart and thoughtful and insensitive and daft.

you, my little lovely darling, cannot control that and every attempt you make to try (and yes, I'm sorry, but the aforementioned PSA's absolutely count as an attempt to control)

the more stress and pain - disappointment, shame, righteousness, violation because i set a boundary why did they do the thing i asked them not to do why doesn't anyone ever respect me - you bring on yourself.

i don't want you to hurt yourself, i don't want you to suffer more than you have to. (unless you wanted to, i guess.) i don't want the things you enjoy and feel passion for to be tainted and ruined by other people.

i wasn't born thinking this way. i also went through stages (still do! often! recently!) of being frustrated that people can just go about life doing things wrong and being cruel and being stupid and i've experienced the way just thinking in that way increases my internal distress, it increases feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, of feeling like things happen to me instead of being an active participant in life.

the following skills have helped me greatly in managing these feelings:

radical acceptance: practicing accepting the unacceptable, letting it happen without fighting or bargaining or resisting, relinquishing all illusions of control over this, that, or the other thing while recognizing that the only thing we do have control over in this life is how we respond - and carefully choosing how to respond after allowing the reaction to pass.

distress tolerance: radical acceptance can be under the umbrella of distress tolerance, but this is basically anything that helps ease the sensations of a distressing experience; things that are comforting and soothing, distraction, and, yes, even avoidance can be a useful tactic in the right situation.

self-assurance: this one's pretty tough. you don't have to love yourself necessarily, but you do have to respect yourself because there will be moments in your life where it feels like nobody respects you and if you can't even retreat into the sureness of your Self...well, it's gonna be hard. humans are social creatures and reliance on others is not weakness, it is nature. however, we've constructed a society that does not serve us and hyper-individualism leaves people alone. regardless of whether or not it is fair or OK, we have to accept that possibility - and figure out how to be our own champions so when those moments happen, we can survive it by saying:

"I know who I am. I know that I am (a good writer, a kind person, capable, sexy, whatever). I do not need anyone to validate my identity as (a good writer, sexy, kind, etc) because I know that my actions align with my values as (a good writer, a kind person, a capable person). Even if someone else's idea of what is (a good writer, a kind person, sexy) does not align with mine, and they invalidate my identity based on their values, I still know who I am because of my values and actions."

or something of that nature.

AND I AM NOT SAYING THAT YOU DO NOT NEED EXTERNAL VALIDATION OR THAT YOU SHOULDN'T SEEK IT OUT! OR THAT YOU CAN ONLY RELY ON OR TRUST YOURSELF or anything else annoying and lone-wolf-y like that.

you deserve engagement - comments, likes, reblogs, general squee-ing over your work, being told that you are lovely and sexy and powerful - we all do!

give and receive as much validation as you can. pay it forward. but in those inevitable moments of lowness, of radio silence, of questioning if you really are who you think you are:

it pays to have your own back, to be able to focus on the steadiness of your feet and who you are rather than what other people have done, are doing, or refuse to do.

[trilobi-te]

I have decided to redesign my periodic table OCs from when I was 11. This is Antimony (left) and Arsenic (right), they/any for both. Idrk why 11 year old me made them twins.

Under the cut is some rambling about the universe these characters belonged to as well as their 2015 designs

I was an edgy child in the lamest possible way (aka about atoms) so most of the developed characters are poisonous, explosive, etc. They were all evil because of this. And they were all around my age (I've aged them up for this drawing because I am now an adult). A common theme for the comics I made was their lab in the basement where they experimented with poisons. The elementary school poison factory is probably the funniest thing I will ever create. I wrote a super melodramatic story about them for creative writing in 6th grade and every day I shed a single tear because I don't have access to it anymore.

One of the more interesting things about looking back at myself pre-diagnosis is how many of the characters I created that were autistic. These two were very autistic. Can you guess what their special interest was. That's right it was poison. I was a very inspired child and not at all hung up on that one trait for them.

Some beautiful art from 2015. They are going on vacation with Chlorine. For your convenience I have transcribed the comic:

Cl: What are you bringing, Arsenic? As: This bottle. Cl: Painkiller? As: No, no, it's poison. Cl: *sigh* Cl: Is that all? As: No, I'm bringing more poison, books, paper, even more poison... As: *falls over* mmph Cl: Wow. Sb: I find it necessary to bring two suitcases. One for myself, and one to help Arsenic carry all of [their] stuff.

I thought I was very funny. Also I though this was peak comic art style and would ignore anyone telling me ways to improve it. The 2023 drawing is more or less how I imagined them back in 2015 and I might have been able to draw them more detailed had I not ignored any and all constructive criticism. Do not ignore that stuff (this has been a PSA).

[psablog]

PSA: Shape yourself through self-writing online

By: SUMMER

How do we come to understand ourselves? In Theresa Sauter’s article, “‘What’s on your mind?’ Writing on Facebook as a tool for self-formation,” she talks about how self-formation practices can help shape our perception of ourselves and establish guidelines to live by. Sauter refers to Foucault, who argues that the self is fluid, ever-changing, and intertwined with other entities.

What do diaries and status updates have in common? Self-writing is a practice of self-formation that has been around forever. Something like journal writing is fully private, allowing me to organize my thoughts with the comfort of knowing that no one will ever see what I write except for me. However, self-writing can be public, too (anyone can start a blog like this one). Foucault states that "Online self-writers... write to “show [themselves],” to project [themselves] into view, to make [their] own face appear in the other’s presence." Philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, paraphrased by Abeba Birhane, offers a similar take, declaring that we need others in order to construct a solid self-image. Thus, social interaction and validation are necessary to our existence.

Sauter looks at self-writing on social networking sites (SNSs), and specifically Facebook status updates. Although her article was written in 2014, her arguments are still relevant today. She notes how communication styles in modern times have shifted, causing a lot of self-writing content online to become much shorter in length. I think Foucault and Bakhtin’s points can be used as an explanation here. Short pieces of writing, like status updates or Tweets, are easy for people to consume. Readers can immediately form an opinion and leave likes or comments. Sauter quotes Marwick and boyd, who note, "people are rewarded with jobs, dates, and attention for displaying themselves in an easily-consumed public way." We are always re-shaping ourselves based on the feedback of others; we know that the faster someone can read through a post we make, the faster we can receive that feedback.

Exposed!! Reddit is a hub for advice-seeking and confessionals online, which I was reminded of when reading Sauter’s article. I used Reddit obsessively while completing university applications a couple years ago, spending hours scrolling through “Should I study Business or Arts?” and “Thoughts on School A?” threads. Platforms like Reddit allow anyone on the internet to give you advice, though this makes it hard to differentiate between the helpful and the trolls.

Asking for advice is one thing, but it surprises me that people can admit to their mistakes (and often embarrassing or serious ones at that) online among all the trolls. I think Gen Z kids especially have a tendency to overshare on social media because, growing up with screens, we’ve gotten too comfortable online. Nevertheless, self-exposure can be a good thing for people. Users can “reveal their faults to others, engage with their conduct and thus establish ways of guiding future behaviour,” according to Sauter.

A great example of this is the “Am I the Asshole?” (r/AITA) subreddit, with over 6.3 million members. Users post about a conflict they were involved in and others let them know if they were in the right or if they were, in fact, the asshole. I guess people want feedback and opinions from people who won’t just tell them what they want to hear; I can see how that brutal honesty can be valuable and refreshing. On the other hand, when we know we're right, we might be motivated to post on a page like r/AITA to get reassurance from as many people as we can get, even strangers.

Overall, regardless of the platform we write on, Sauter states that we “form relations to self and others by exposing [ourselves] to others and obtaining their feedback.” Once we know what people like about us or what we did wrong, we are able to make the corresponding changes to our lives and continuously pick out the aspects of ourselves that we want to stand out.

So… what did you think of this blog article? Asking for a friend.

[slabcase-backpack]

Ultimate Protection: Slab Case Backpack for Your Collectibles

For collectors of graded cards, the need for a safe and reliable way to transport and store their valuable items is paramount.

A slab case backpack is specifically designed to address these needs, offering a combination of durability, security, and convenience.

What is a Slab Case Backpack?

A slab case backpack is a specialized carrying solution tailored to the needs of graded card collectors. Unlike standard backpacks, which may not provide adequate protection for delicate items, a slab case backpack is designed to securely hold and protect graded cards and top loaders.

The main purpose of a slab case backpack is to offer a secure, organized, and portable storage solution that keeps your cards safe from damage while on the go.

The construction of a slab case backpack typically includes durable materials that are both impact-resistant and waterproof, ensuring that your cards are shielded from physical damage and environmental factors such as rain or humidity

Key Features of a Slab Case Backpack

One of the standout features of a slab case backpack is its spacious interior, which is designed to accommodate a large number of graded cards.

A well-designed slab case backpack can hold up to 70 BGS (Beckett Grading Services) or 100 PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) graded cards. This capacity makes it ideal for collectors who want to transport multiple cards at once without worrying about space constraints.

Another important feature of a slab case backpack is its durable construction. These backpacks are often crafted from impact-resistant resin, a material known for its strength and durability.

The waterproof nature of a slab case backpack further ensures that your cards remain dry and protected even in adverse weather conditions.

Benefits of Using a Slab Case Backpack

Using a slab case backpack offers numerous benefits for collectors, starting with the enhanced protection it provides.

The combination of impact-resistant materials and waterproof construction ensures that your graded cards are well-protected against both physical and environmental threats.

Another key benefit of a slab case backpack is the organization it offers. With designated spaces for graded cards and top loaders, a slab case backpack allows collectors to keep their items neatly organized and easily accessible.

This organization is crucial for maintaining the condition of the cards, as it prevents them from being jostled or damaged by improper storage.

The portability of a slab case backpack is another major advantage.. The ergonomic design of these backpacks also ensures that they are comfortable to wear, even when fully loaded with cards.

Choosing the Right Slab Case Backpack

When selecting a slab case backpack, it's important to consider the specific needs of your collection. The capacity of the backpack is a key factor, as you want to ensure it can accommodate the number of graded cards you typically transport.

Security features such as combination locks are also worth considering, as they add an extra layer of protection for your valuable cards.

Finally, consider the overall design and comfort of the slab case backpack. A well-designed backpack should distribute weight evenly across your shoulders and back, making it comfortable to carry even during extended periods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a slab case backpack is an essential tool for any serious collector of graded cards. With its durable construction, spacious interior, and added security features, a slab case backpack provides the protection and convenience needed to keep your valuable cards safe while on the move.

Whether you're transporting a small collection or a large one, investing in a quality slab case backpack is a wise choice that will help preserve the condition and value of your graded cards for years to come

[sincerely-krp]

・❥・

hello, we will be monitoring the au discourse to make sure no misinformation is spread! we've already received a death threat, which is why we're drawing a line in this specific instance. there's a big line between being petty, venting, even being krpc levels of toxic or messy, and then being actively harmful to our blog (reporting us, sending us death threats, spamming our inbox with tons of spam claims to try and defame people involved, all at once consistently). this conversation started with a lot of constructive opinions and discussions, and moved into clarifying issues that were played against potentially innocent groups with communities not in our audience, and we want to keep it constructive as much as possible.

if you are submitting an anon with claims against what statement we have posted in our context as a result of our proof, it will not be posted to the blog without valid proof that accompanies it. this means that we will not post anons if we do not think the proof is valid. you are always welcome to chat with us on a spam tumblr, so we can give you feedback on why we don't think a proof is valid, etc. so you don't feel ignored! no ask is going ignored without valid reason, so we have no issues explaining privately why we did not post something publicly, especially if it will prove we are retaining our unbiased status, and only siding with the facts.

please be aware that we will still post vents for both sides, but we will provide our context to keep vents in check from spreading further misinformation.

we are making this psa to curb any future censoring accusations due to this reason! we are not intending to misrepresent any side, but we are also attempting to stick to the proof that we have in hand for conversations that involve it. again, this is grey space because sometimes asks have valid points to them without proof, often critiquing other points, and we can't perfectly gauge since we're not in the situation, but our feedback function helps us greatly fix mistakes made.

as we are balancing allowing discourse to be had and opinions and vents to be made, we may not post specific anons if we get a boatload of the same thing being said to one person depending on the volume in our box, but your point of view will be shared, and if you think you still need your anon posted, we don't mind doing so! we may also post constructive conversation on one day and vents on the next day to stagger the discussion if it gets out of hand, as this often does with au issues.

last time we had discourse about similar issues we filled pages and pages and pages with anons all saying the same thing, and collectively the rest of the blog hated it. we also received inflated asks and claims about people involved, so we will be extra careful with listening to feedback regarding anything we post about people involved.

so please use our [ FEEDBACK ] function (pinned post) during this if you have concerns about not feeling heard, or any criticisms! once again, there is a reason behind why we post or don't post things, and we are open to mending our decision with constructive criticism, and also open to explaining why we didn't post something (privately, or else it destroys the point of not making the ask public in the first place). please discuss with us before resigning your opinion of us to being scum!

apologies if this upsets anyone, feel free to submit feedback about this too! we are doing our best to be a credible source for reference, by being more mature about issues involving groups that have histories of being very passionate!

[lindajenni]

dec 1

a multitude of thoughts

"why are you cast down, o my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? hope in God; for i shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." psa 42:11

a new month is upon us and i can't help but have my mind cluttered with the many thoughts accompanying it. it's kind of like a house cleaning that's way over due. time can be our enemy or our friend. however we manage to use it, it is definitely running out. as i watched so many precious saints making their journey home, i know my own expiration date in this life is closing in as well.

what would you do if you knew you only had so many allotted days left; perhaps even hours? scripture tells us to "number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." psa 90:12 numbering our days seems to make us vigilant instead of wasteful, as so many are nowadays, marching blissfully into the gas chambers - into "their" constructed destruction. then the panic and screaming begins.

setting aside the willfully ignorant ("but if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant." 1cor 14:38), what would you determine to be the best use of your, now precious time? one might well think of the books they hadn't read, places they hadn't visited or even deeds they hadn't done. sort of a bucket list.

but all of this is still centering on the "i;" on the temporal. if we are to use our allotted time well, it would be to make those deposits that follow us where we go; the ones where, "where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." matt 6:20

as you watched them count down, you might be excited or fearful. i remember billy graham saying, "i'm not afraid of death; just the dying." yes, it seems like so many have a painful and lingering death, and saints don't seem to be immune from it. i can't say my sentiments wander far from billy's.

but let us reflect over our life - it's worth and regrets. has my existence made this place better or worse? have i done anything to make it or someone's life better. we might well ask whether we will be missed or if anyone will even know we're gone?

it is too late to change what has been done but not too late to change what might be. therefore, one also may ask, "what should be done with the remaining days to make them count?" will we fill them with regret as well, or is there still time to make a change? nicodemus asked, "how can a man be born when he is old?" john 3:4 he can't, but he can be born again. you see, God is a back-of-the-book reader.

so what is the substance of what i am saying. i guess king solomon summed it all up best. "let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all." eccl 12:13 essentially it means the greatest commandments issued by Jesus. "Jesus said to him, 'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' this is the first and great commandment. and the second is like it: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." matt 22:37-40

whatever you determine to fill your allotted time with, know that it is limited and subject to termination at any moment. will you be like the rich man, satisfied with self, saying: "'soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" but God said to him, ‘fool! this night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' so is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." luke 12:19-21

my thoughts keep centering on those i fear will be caught unaware and left behind; either though denial or subverted faith. the fool has said in his heart there is no God and is doomed already. the one who has given credence to subverted faith has perverted the gospel to be pleasing to the world. either way, they are staring at damnation only true faith can avert.

there are so many seeking these days. i can tell because the traffic to our website has doubled in recent days. i want to be a voice reaching out with an answer; with THE answer - Jesus Christ. He is "the way, the truth, and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me." john 14:6

so what is the crux of the matter? "therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 cor 10:31

Jesus gave peter the command to tend His flock three times. it must have been His heart's desire. may it be our's as well. may this new month be a new beginning as well. God bless all. maranatha!

[bangtanintotheroom]

Masterlist

All works and graphics are property of ©bangtanintotheroom. Reposting, copying and translating is not allowed. I do not own BTS nor SKZ and do not believe the subject matters of these works are 100% accurate to how the boys really are. Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome! ♥

DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME OR READ MATURE FICS IF YOU ARE A MINOR!

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The BTS Writers’ Club

ksmutsociety

Keys:

💕 (fluff) 💋 (smut) 🌧️ (angst) 🎭 (humor) 💀 (horror) 👻 (supernatural)

📖 (series) 📄 (one shot) ✏️ (drabble)

○ Wrong Place, Wrong Time (M) 💋 , 🎭 , ✏️

  »» Why couldn’t the two of you have just waited until you got home?

○ Filthy (M) 💋 , ✏️ 

  »» You were in for quite the ordeal once you got home.

○ Sore Loser (M) 💋 , 📖

  ⤿ Masterlist

  »» It was bad enough that you beat him in a cypher but then you had to rub it in his face afterwards.

○ Space Buns (PG) 💕 , ✏️

  »» You convince your boyfriend to let you indulge in his long locks before they disappear.

○ Rodeo (M) 💋 , ✏️

  »» It’s not easy being the sheriff but you’re always there to help him unwind after a long day.

  ⤿ I Like That (M)  💋 , ✏️

     »» You and the beloved town sheriff decide to have your own festivities and make up for lost time.

○ Tip Drill: The Trilogy (M) (feat. Namjoon & Hoseok) 💋, 🎭, 📖

   »» Hardline. Rap trio consisting of RM, Suga and J-Hope. Winners of multiple awards. Industry darlings. Loved by fans. Lovers of drinking, partying and fucking. These are their stories.  

○ Drink Champagne in My Airplane (M) 💋, 🎭, 📖

  ⤿ Masterlist

   »» Your  friend Hoseok decided to use his excessive wealth for good and take the  both of you on a much-needed vacation. The flight was meant to be  relaxing until he broke out one of his most expensive bottles of  champagne.

○ Dream Team (feat. Namjoon)(M) 💋, 💕, 🌧️, ✏️ 

    »» Looks like dreams do come true.

○ Tip Drill: The Trilogy (M) (feat. Namjoon & Yoongi) 💋, 🎭, 📖

   »» Hardline. Rap trio consisting of RM, Suga and J-Hope. Winners of multiple awards. Industry darlings. Loved by fans. Lovers of drinking, partying and fucking. These are their stories. 

○ Delta Disorder (M) 💋, 💀,👻, ✏️

   »»  What should have been an easy sleep becomes an ordeal that not even your wildest imagination could have come up with.  

○ Glossy Top Coat (M) 💋, ✏️

   »»  You can’t let your boyfriend go on stage without asking him for a favor; a favor that involves his fingers...

○ Distraction (M) 💋 , ✏️

   »» All you have been doing was binge-watching that damn show for the past few days; your boyfriend puts a stop to it.

○  Dream Team (feat. Hoseok)(M) 💋, 💕, 🌧️, ✏️

   »» Looks like dreams do come true.

○ Tip Drill: The Trilogy (M) (feat. Yoongi & Hoseok) 💋, 🎭, 📖

  »» Hardline. Rap trio consisting of RM, Suga and J-Hope. Winners of multiple awards. Industry darlings. Loved by fans. Lovers of drinking, partying and fucking. These are their stories. 

○ If I Were You, I’d Do Me Too (M) 💋, 📄

   »» Park Jimin had to be one of the most narcissistic men you had ever had the displeasure of meeting. And yet, you kept finding yourself at his door in the middle of the night like clockwork.

○ Let Me Love You (M) 💕 , 🌧️ , 💋 , ✏️ 

   »» Your best friend has watched over the years as you’ve loved and gotten your heart broken numerous times, leaving him to pick up the pieces. But now he doesn’t know how much longer he can watch you love someone else that wasn’t him…

○ F*ck Me, I’m Famous (M)  💋, 🌧️, ✏️

   »» You work your ass off to get your debut, only to be told time after time that you’re not good enough. Maybe you needed more practice; you knew just who to ask for help.  

○ Make an Offer (M) 💋, ✏️

   »» Money in exchange for companionship and fucking? It was an arrangement that you were comfortably taking part in with your current sugar daddy. But when you lock eyes with a stranger during a night out, you’re approached with an offer that could shake things up.

○ Picture Perfect (M) 💋, 💕,📄

   »» All you wanted to do was take pictures of yourself in this cute lingerie you bought but you just can’t seem to get any of the shots to look right. Now you’ll have to get someone to do it for you but the only person you can think of is your friend/budding photographer/crush Kim Taehyung.

○ Sorry Not Sorry (M) 💋, 🌧️, ✏️

   »» Time and time again, you found your boyfriend in the arms of another woman; so why the hell should you feel sorry when you decide to indulge in your own fun?

○ Fanservice (M) 💋 ,  📖

  ⤿ Masterlist

  »» Every Friday night at 10 PM was dedicated to your favorite camboy. When he hosts a contest and you end up the lucky winner, you’ll have to brace yourself for your unexpected debut.

○  Model Behavior (M) 💋, ✏️

  »» Helping with photoshoots brought you stress, excitement and a sense of validation. Today, you experience a new and unexpected emotion, thanks to the man at the center of it all.

○ Center of Attention (M) 💋, 📄

   »» It was supposed to just be you and your boyfriend tonight but your friends decided to come over for an impromptu slumber party. Of course, he’s not happy about it but he’ll get the attention he wants, one way or another.

○ 6:42 AM (M) 💕, 💋, 📄

  »» Jungkook is ready to kick off a new day of loving you.  

○ Spin You Like a Hit Record (M) 💋,  📄

 »» No one who’s ever stepped into this club can match your moves. No one dared to challenge you until a man with cheesy pick up lines and bulging muscles did. There’s no way this guy could impress you, right?

○ Undershirt, Underskirt (M)  💋, 💕, ✏️

»» Your boyfriend’s Lollapalooza attire leaves you wanting for him more than usual.

N/A

N/A

○ Fill the Void (M) 💋, ✏️

»» He’s always there to help you forget your troubles, even if it’s just for a few hours.

N/A

○ Birthday Licks (M) 💋, ✏️

»» What better gift to give your boyfriend something he’s always wanted, but didn’t know he needed?

N/A

N/A

○ Plug & Play (M) 💋, ✏️

»» Tonight is the night that you quit being a bystander and make a move towards the guitarist on stage with the devilish smile.

○ Make Me Water (M) 💋, ✏️

»» The most unexpected topic comes up during a drinking session with your friends, leading to one of them making a rather bold claim. You declare that they’re full of shit and unintentionally make them determined to prove you wrong.

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

○ Just Like Candy (M) 💋, ✏️

»» Following a breakup, Seungcheol is looking for a distraction for the night. You catch his eye with your red lips and the rest is history.

©bangtanintotheroom, 2024.

[ynscrazylife]

Can I please please request one where Natasha and Yelena have another younger sister (Y/N) and she gets badly injured and her older sisters are hysterical since they’re afraid to lose one they love the most

A Race Against Time | romanoff fam fic

Summary: Natasha and Yelena do their best to help their hurt younger sister.

Authors Note: Thanks for requesting!

Request to be on a taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)

MCU Masterlist #1 | MCU Masterlist #2 |  Main Masterlist

PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of these works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me first and b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.

header c @/twitalents

“Everybody alright?” Natasha asked as Alexei and Melina approached her and Yelena. The redhead herself definitely hadn’t gotten out of the whole ordeal without injuries. In fact, from Dreykov punching her to the fight against the Widows, and the fight against Antonia (not to mention the injuries from the past few days that she hadn’t taken care of), she was in some pain. However she didn’t worry about herself, she knew she’d be fine. She always was.

Natasha glanced over and spotted Y/N making her way over to them, too. From the distance, Natasha couldn’t tell that she was limping and was very hurt.

“I am clearly injured,” Melina deadpanned, causing Natasha to look back over and send her adoptive mother a smile as an apology. With a quick glance, Natasha could tell that she’d be okay, she’d just need a cast on that ankle and-

Thump.

The sound, accompanied by Yelena’s loud gasp and yelp, broke through Natasha’s thoughts and caused her to whip around suddenly. The sight her eyes landed on instantly sent what felt like an ice shard plunging into her chest. No. No.

By the time she snapped out of it, Yelena was already by Y/N’s unconscious figure, which the thump must have been - her plummeting to the ground - and Alexei was helping Melina over as fast as he could. Natasha sped past them and dropped to her knees, her brain wired to already be processing the situation and formulating a plan, while she lightly stopped Yelena’s wrist to prevent her from going to shake Y/N.

“You don’t move someone who is unconscious unless necessary - it could injure them,” she breathed out. Yelena, who could see that her older sister was in autopilot mode, sat back and let her do her thing, opting to look up at her parents, instead.

Both their eyes were glued to Y/N. Alexei’s eyebrows crinkled and, after taking a big breath, muttered (just loud enough for them to hear), “There’s blood on you.”

Natasha’s eyes snapped down and sure enough, her knees were bloodied. She quickly looked up only to see blood beginning to come from Y/N’s stomach where she had fallen on her side. Closing her eyes for a moment to allow herself to think, Natasha carefully and gently pulled up Y/N’s shirt, only to see an open gash in the shape of the Widow hourglass.

“Wha-?” She said, barely forming a word, and Yelena leaned over to see.

She immediately began shaking her head and pushed Y/N onto her back. “I-I know what this is, I think. I remember hearing about a weapon that’d leave that mark,” she rambled out.

Melina peered over Natasha’s shoulder and when she saw it, her face went pale. “That-that weapon, it ejects a blast that makes that mark when it meets the skin. It was made as a precaution in case any of the Widows went rogue - it was made years ago. But only a few were made because they were so confident in themselves. It-it goes along with a process they constructed to re-brainwash the Widows. The blast gets under her skin, in her body, with a chemical that’s in it, and that chemical starts the brainwashing process,” she explained.

A park of hope entered Yelena’s eyes. “So she won’t be fully brainwashed?” She asked.

“Not without the rest of the procedure,” Melina began, but then her eyes widened when she remembered something and horror quickly flashed across her face. “But if the process isn’t completed within a certain time period, the chemical will wear off its brainwashing effects and instead will start hurting her . . . A lot . . . But I have an antidote-” her tone sped up now, “-It’s back at the house. We need to get her there.”

Natasha and Yelena nodded, both having gone through a great wave of emotions throughout Melina’s words. Yelena, while racked with worry, still remained hopeful, and Natasha did her best to be, too, but her tears were drying and she was sniffling.

“The jet is-” Alexei began to say, when the sound of the engines of cars rapidly approaching cut him off.

Natasha looked over. “Shit, Ross,” she said, regretting even tipping him off to their location in the first place.

Melina bit her lip. “You girls go. Take Y/N home. The antidote is labelled ‘Ant-Widow,’,” she told them firmly.

Yelena’s lips parted to protest, not wanting to split up, but catching Natasha picking up Y/N out of the corner of her eye stopped her. She nodded, rising to her feet.

“We’ll distract them. They won’t want anything to do with us when they realize you’re not here,” Melina insisted.

Natasha sent her a look that she could only hope was conveying everything she wanted it to. A million thoughts whizzed about in her mind, none making room for each other. She wondered, would they leave them alone? Or would they be taken into questioning? Shouldn’t she be the one facing Ross - since she called him there? Is Y/N going to be okay? Will they get there in time?

By the way Melina looked back at her, Natasha thought that her message had been received. There was no time to go over the plan any longer, if they stayed even a couple more seconds they’d get caught by Ross, whose army of cars headed to a halt.

Natasha bolted off in the jet’s direction, Yelena quick on her heels. They rushed inside and Natasha took her time to gently put Y/N down before going to the pilot seat. Yelena sat down in the back, wanting to watch over their little sister.

Neither of them said anything until Natasha had gotten them off the ground and away from the field. Yelena could hear the engine whirring and she knew that Natasha was going as fast as this aircraft could probably go.

“Natasha,” she said, her voice small and hesitant, reminding Natasha of her own self when she was younger. The redhead braced herself for her sister’s words. “Do you think we’ll get there in time?”

Natasha let out a slow yet steady breath, fighting back the urge to tell her not to say that. She wondered the same thing, and she hated it. She didn’t answer, though, because she didn’t want to lie. She didn’t know herself, and she also hated that.

Yelena looked down in defeat when she didn’t get an answer and continued watching Y/N. She couldn’t stop herself from worrying and when she spotted the other injuries — bruises, cuts, scrapes — littering her body, she got up and went to the back.

The blonde grabbed the med kit they had stored and went back, quickly opening it up and getting everything she needed. First, bandages. Yelena put pressure on the wound even though she knew it wouldn’t bleed out, and a twinge of guilt hit her when Y/N moved and groaned unconsciously.

She then wrapped up Y/N’s stomach and tended to her other injures, every so often glancing at Natasha, who she could see by the way she was sitting up straight that she was tense. Upset. Worried. Yelena had to admit she was feeling those same things but busied herself by taking care of Y/N.

This carried on and they were about ¾ there when everything shifted. Y/N, who had been mostly quiet throughout the journey, suddenly rolled onto her side, eyes opening with a startled gasp.

Natasha frantically looked up at Yelena and the latter jumped to resolve the situation. Gently, she put her hands on her younger sister’s shoulders and tried to turn her onto her back, but Y/N fought her off and scurried back, against the wall.

“Y/N,” Yelena said, slowly putting her hands up in a “surrender” gesture.

The younger one shook her head as tears began to flow down her cheeks. “It-it hurts,” she got out, wrapping her arms around herself.

Yelena sent Natasha a frightened, desperate look and the glint in Natasha’s eyes held tears in them. “I can’t go any faster!” She cried out in frustration, her anger at her helplessness beginning to grow.

Yelena turned back to Y/N. “Take deep breaths with me, okay?” She said, and took a couple deep breaths to show her. It took Y/N a second, but she followed along. However, the pain didn’t take a break for long, and quickly came crashing back to her, like a magnet.

She let out another cry, but this one filled with that much more anguish, desperation, a pure rage from wanting it to be over, a rage that nearly caused her to vomit. Y/N leaned forward, hoping that there was something - anything - that could relieve this pain for even just a second. The warmth she was soon filled with from her older sister’s arms wrapping around her and pulling her close did nothing to soothe pain, but she found someone to have a steady grip on, someone to hold.

This continued on. In every cry let out, Yelena could’ve sworn each one was louder than the last. She didn’t know what to do so she did the only thing she could and stayed there. After  a particularly loud cry from Y/N, Yelena couldn’t stop a “Natasha!” from escaping.

“I’m trying!” She shouted over the engine and over Y/N, doing her best to blink away the tears and focus, but everytime she was on the brink of it, something tore her away.

After what felt like what could only be described as eons, Natasha managed to touch down in the same spot she had just a day ago. The moment they made contact, she leapt out of her seat, nearly tumbling to the floor, and practically fell against the door.

“Stay with her,” was all she said to Yelena before pushing all her weight against the door and breaking off into a run towards the house.

Natasha had run fast before. To escape Antonia, on countless SHIELD missions, and even to beat Sam in a race, but none amounted to this. The mountains and trees whipped by so fast that she felt like she was in a race car and it made her head spin. Nonetheless (and she thanked her extensive training for that), Natasha’s stamina held out and she ran through the house, tripping over things and knocking others over, until she reached Melina’s office.

At first, everything looked like a normal office space for a normal business woman, but the underlying science and spy secrecy that she knew had to be inside was revealed. Cabinets upon cabinets filled with vials upon vilas and files upon files. She scoured the entire room and nearly dropped the green-filled file when she saw its label. This was it.

A moment of victory passed until Natasha remembered the weight of the situation and she got back on her feet, running like the wind, and leaving behind the office looking like some raccoons had gotten inside.

By the time she reached the top of the hill, Natasha could make out the outline of Yelena carrying Y/N (who was draped over her like a curtain, by the way) toward her.

They met in the middle and Yelena put Y/N down, the older sisters kneeling beside her. Y/N was half-conscious at this point and Natasha moved at the speed of light to get the vial lid off. “She was getting worse, I couldn’t wait!” Yelena yelled.

When she got it open, Natasha pushed it towards Y/N’s lips. “Y/N, honey, c’mon, you gotta drink,” she encouraged, hand trembling as Y/N attempted to fight her off. It was only Yelena running her hands through her hair that calmed her down, and she took a small sip of the vial’s contents at first before gulping it down.

When she stopped squirming and seemed to no longer be in pain, instead falling into a peaceful sleep, that’s when both Natasha and Yelena had calmed down. It had been a rollercoaster, but they did it, and she was okay. The two held each other, relieved.  

Permanent Taglist: @natasharomanoffismywife @hehehehannahthings @paulawand @blackbat2020 @cerberus-spectre @marrymemcgrath @celestialbarnes @kathryndimitrescu @snipyloulou @big-galaxy-chaos @cc13723things @ycfwmalise14 @unexpected-character  (could not tag)  @passionswift

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[ruby-whistler]

the difference between static and dynamic characters on the dream smp

Hi, hello, it's Ruby, back with another PSA because this fandom (specifically the people on Twitter) keeps getting worse.

/dsmp /rp

Recently, people started claiming c!Techno was boring because he never had any character development.

Now, this may come as a surprise to some of you, but if you in any capacity decide to study the ins and outs of creative writing, you'd learn that characters don't need to have character development to be compelling, loved by the audience, and have a complex personality.

This is what is called a static character. Not to be confused with flat characters. What's the difference?

Most articles seem to agree on this;

"Static characters should not be confused or mixed up with flat, one-dimensional characters. Though neither changes as the story progresses, if a character remains unchanged, it does not mean that he is one-dimensional like a flat character. A static character can be perfectly interesting, like Sherlock Holmes, who is completely ingenious, eccentric, and sometimes jerky. He never changes, but the audience still loves him. Thus, a static character could be the protagonist too, and a flat character, on the other hand, only plays a side role in the story." - ( link to definition )

Static characters are ones that don't experience any personal growth during the span of the story. They're often used in writing, because they're realistic and can be interesting if well-written. This article provides examples such as the aforementioned Sherlock Holmes, Captain America from The Avengers, and TommyInnit from the Drea- [gunshots]

But in all seriousness, c!Tommy is very easily a static character; a lot of the criticism of his character is about the fact that he doesn't change. He does gain experience and new relationships, he does suffer and becomes more and more traumatized, he does make choices out of impulse or emotion, but none of that is character development - he never overcomes his character flaws, including selfishness, stubbornness, and a lack of compassion or empathy for others. And I do not blame him for it as a person, and I do not consider him a badly-written character, even if he's a little frustrating to watch sometimes.

c!Tommy has two main reasons why he remains a static character.

a) he doesn't live in a constructive environment

It is normal for boys Tommy's age to be low on empathy. It's completely normal for them to be chaotic, immature pricks, because that is part of their growth. All of this would be just fine if c!Tommy was growing up in a highschool; however, he in actuality grew up on a land ruled by politics, wars and conflict.

I do not like using the age excuse, because I do not believe it makes his bad choices any more justified, but it's easy to realize why him being in such a position could stunt his personal growth.

At that age, you need guidance, whether it be from teachers, parents, or whatever other figures you're able to find around you. Usually, it is not difficult to find good people to look up to in today's world, but for c!Tommy, that isn't true.

In the pre-L'Manberg, post-Tommy era, there was moderate peace. Yes, there were conflicts, but none of them were damaging in the long term for anyone involved, and they were chaotic scuffles more than fights of ideals.

Once c!Wilbur came along, c!Tommy latched onto him. We all know how that went.

None of the adults Tommy had looked up to were in any capacity helpful to him growing or becoming a better person. He helped lead a revolution to help Wilbur gain power, he was lead to help Wilbur lead and unfair election, and witnessed the breakdown of the man he trusted shortly after. He was subjected to emotional manipulation by Dream, and then came to the wrong person for help. None of these things are reasons for positive change.

b) it's his major character flaw

Even in the few chances he had at genuine change, at forgiveness, at letting go, all provided by the environment or people around him, he didn't take them. Tommy doesn't like change, he fights it, and that is why he always loses. He doesn't want to change for the better, and he despises himself when he changes for the worse.

He looks for peace in a lack of activity, growth, or development. He searches for happiness in not letting go of the past, but hanging onto it for dear life, terrified that the people around him might change because he doesn't want to. And that is why, as long as he keeps this mindset, he'll never find it.

While other characters, such as Tubbo, Dream, Wilbur or Quackity seek to change the world around them, for the better or the worse, to rewind or to progress, and are willing to change themselves accordingly, Tommy does the opposite, because his biggest fear is people drifting apart and leaving him behind.

Let's get back to the point, then; what makes Technoblade a static character, and a good one at that?

His motivation is simple; he is a lawful character who sticks to his morals through thick and thin, follows a strict inner code, and is loyal to people above all.

On top of that, he is given no reason to change his morals.

No one's arguments against c!Techno have ever made much sense, let's be honest, and ever since he'd entered the server, Techno's been proven right over and over and over again.

He saw Wilbur face the consequences of having power over other people and then losing it, seeing the influence of corruption on the man he worked with. He was forced by the government to kill another person, to kill an ally, to kill an innocent. He was betrayed and used by the Pogtopian revolution, which knowingly kept things from Techno and fought to seize power, rather than destroy it. He was unfairly executed without a trial by corrupt politicians just absolutely demolishing the Geneva convention, holy crap people call Techno a war criminal, just in that one stream New L'Manberg commited so many war crimes-

Point stands that people say one thing and then do the other. Talk of freedom and then force people to do things (and no, forcing people not to force other people to do things doesn't count nor does it make Techno a hypocrite, get a better argument). Techno was never manipulated or swayed to someone's side against his ideals because he's not a man of words; he believes in what he sees, not what people tell him, especially since he's been repeatedly lied to.

That is the first thing a good static character needs; a strong motivation. Through everything that's happened, I'd say without a doubt that Technoblade has the strongest motivation out of everyone, which is to emancipate people from the tyranny of their rulers - not just sing about it and then establish a dictatorship - but to in fact do it, no matter the cost.

He's a very Paragon-type character, which is a common type of static; his moral code is too strong to allow emotional change.

Another thing a static character needs is personality. And Techno - if you watch his streams, not just others' perspectives - has a lot of that. From his bond with Phil and Ranboo to fondness of animals to sense of humour, the character is entertaining to watch and follow. You know what to expect of him, you know he won't betray, and that despite the flaws he has he will not let personal issues hold him back. He wins because he trains, and he puts hours into pulling crazy stunts, and he's persistent - it's satisfying for the people watching his perspective to see his efforts pay off.

His interactions with others are characterized by an attempt at kindness, no matter how many times he might fail at separating his personal life from the ideals he's pursuing.

And that is compelling! To draw parallels to Tommy again, the kid has so much personality that other characters could borrow from him and he'd still be fun to watch!

Neither Tommy nor Techno are flat characters, and I think that is the mistake a lot of people make when misinterpreting both the characters; Tommy and Techno are amazing examples of great static characters in fiction, and I'd like to applaud cc!Tommy and cc!Techno for being brilliant writers.

[maggyoutthere]

This "Everywhere At The End Of Time" thing has been showing up on my recommendations list on youtube. What even is this thing-

I mean it sounds neat. I'm like half an hour in and I like it :/ it's so nostalgic with the static and record scratches. I'm a sucker for ambient music and these sound neat

Edit:

Reached Stage 2

What is happening why is this triggering something in me. Like I can clearly tell something's wrong. You can still hear the music but the static and record scratches are louder.

I'm kinda scared though. As much as I love listening to music I can tell when something is just more than your typical summer hit or even mental health PSA. What is this-

Edit 2

K so apparently this is an album representing various stages of dementia. That's a tricky thing to do but I have faith in music. It's a great way to express stuff so I'm very curious to what this is gonna turn out like.

Edit 3

Idk if I like where this is going.

"I still feel as though I am me" broke me a little for some reason. Idk why but it just stood out differently to me. I am very very hesitant to jump some tracks to get to hear the other stages still today. Most of these tracks transmit the same idea but I didn't want to leave out anything.

Also no I hate rb stuff to make those threads. Have the consecutive edits of this thing.

Edit 4

STAGE 3 YOU CAN'T JUST CUT OFF LIKE THAT WHAT THE HELL-

Little heart attack I just had aside, I'm liking it so far. It's starting to get very uneasy but I think that's the point of it. Goodness gracious Stage 3 scared the absolute crap out of me. It cut just like that. So abruptly and caught me off guard. Not even a fade out, damn.

Edit 5

I had to skip some tracks from the second half of Stage 3 and

oh no

Edit 6

Reached Stage 4

I am having some very visceral reactions to this. It is incredibly unnerving but I want to keep listening to it so much. I love how it’s not even music anymore, it’s just... noise. Lots of different noises all crumbled up together, unified by some vely loud static.

Might have to skip some bits here because all Stage 4 songs are 30 min long each.

Edit 7

MOMS COME PICK ME UP OH FUCK OH GOD NO NO NO NO

I HATE IT HERE BUT I LOVE IT BUT AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It’s so hard to put down what this is doing. I’m not even sorry for rambling just take this post for what it is idfk if people are even reading this but holy fuck.

The 30 minute ones are killing me from the inside out. I’m very sensitive to audio and sounds (probably because of autism) and this is just pulling all the levers in my brain. It’s so- i have no idea what to call it. Sensory triggering?? I guess???

Edit 8

Stage 5.

Oh... god. 

Edit 9

Reached Stage 6

This has no description, both in the video and in my head. The sheer nothingness something so loud can transmit; the void where something should be but you can't remember what. Blessed were the minutes when I was still listening to the first track; there was music at least. Now there's just this emptiness, this absolutely deafening silence.

The worst is that you know exactly what's going on.

Edit 10

Listening to the last track: Stage 6 - Place in the World fades away

Everywhere At The End Of Time is a series exploring dementia, its advancement and its totality.

I cannot put to words what an absolute masterpiece this is. To tackle such a serious mental illness like this one is already an incredibly hard thing to do; to make art out of it is risky, to make it work is nothing short of a miracle.

The Caretaker (pseudonym of the composer) is an absolute master of his craft. To use something so carefully constructed as music and sound to make sense of something that makes someone not make sense is a challenge to say the least. How do you even go about it? In music there are bound to be rhythms and leitmotifs and patterns: there is bound to be organization.

This is where EATEOT absolutely excels in. I don't know if this could be called of music but I'll surely call it of art; the genius of these tracks are in their editing rather than in their composition. The first 2 stages are pretty much just songs with static noises and record scratches layered on top. It gets the message across: there is still memory, it's just blurry, washed out. It's there but it's hard to see.

From then on out, everything changes. Stage 3 keeps the background noise going, now repeating certain parts of the songs or even reverberating them. The memories themselves are starting to change, not just getting difficult to access. Stage 4 sees the absolute fear and horror of realizing such thing is happening. The grasping at anything in pure terror of forgetting everything. There is no such thing as music now. It's unnerving, it's uneasing, and rightfully so. This does not sugarcoat things and I personally like that.

Stage 5 hits us with a certain calmness after the storm. Things aren't better of course, they're just quieter. Memories are starting to dissapear completely and now there is mostly only the background noises.

Then comes Stage 6. It's desolated, it's deserted, it's nothing. It's gut wrenching. I'd like to touch on the last song because I particularly liked this one. "Place in the World fades away" is, in my opinion, divided into 2 parts. In the 1st half you have static and noise. There is nothing in there. The occasional crescendo almost scares you because of how hollow the mind seems to be at this point, but it leads nowhere. Then there's the 2nd half. You start to hear music. Actual music this time. A choir of voices, still echoing from somewhere else remind you of how it first started: with the music. It puts things into perspective and signals you towards the first of this 6-part series, how far we've come. Then, as if telling what must be told, the music fades away, leaving you with a whole minute of absolute silence. No static, no record scratches, literally a whole minute of dead silence.

I found myself continuously going back to this tumblr post and to the comment section of the video; I didn't want to feel like I was experiencing this alone, and I was glad to see people in the comment section helping eachother out, talking and venting, so that was heartwarming.

I know I'm not usually very serious about things but I wanted to try and do it for this absolute magnum opus. I like to critique stuff as much as the next guy, but to be able to analyze something like this is unique. If you want something to challenge you emotionally, something to make you think and reflect on things, this is an absolute must.

Tl;dr: Everywhere At The End Of Time is a haunting representation of dementia, both in its advancement and in its totality. It's really profound and definitely worth a try if you have some free hours.

[ynisamenace]

 Party For One

Warnings: sub! Aone being a flustered mess, confident dom! Reader, nsfw kinda (grinding, not pg-13 kissing), mention of drugs and alcohol, college au! Aone.

Word count: 2.3k

a/n: ok guys this is my first fanfic so apologies if it’s not too good or if the ending is too rushed. Constructive criticism is always welcome and pls don’t forget to like and/or reblog. Thank you!

Aone was not much of a party goer. Although his friends were more outgoing, he in fact was not. He was more of a homebody, mostly leaving his shared apartment with Kenji for school, to get more ramen from the corner shop near his uni or practice with his newly-formed volleyball team; courtesy of his newly-formed friend, Kanji. Then proceeding to come home to shower, nap, wake up, struggle with his homework and then sleep till the next day. He was about to start the fourth activity of his daily routine when the sound of the doorbell rang through the apartment.

Sighing, he left his spot at the kitchen island to open the front door, then trying to close it once Kanji’s face appeared behind it.

“Woah woah if you wanted some alone time, you should’ve just said that”, the cat-faced friend exclaimed, just barely slipping through the crack in the door. Face adorned with brown freckles and a smile seemingly super glued to his face, he looked like the poster boy of golden retriever boys, “Wouldn’t matter anyway since I’m still dragging you to Sugawara’s tonight.”

Ah yes, Suga’s party, the one Aone was being forced to go to as a favour for his new friend. The white haired boy uttered a grunt of disapproval as Kanji plopped down onto his couch.

“I’m telling you man, when girls see us walking in together with my beauty and your scowl-,” he smirked while giving Aone a once over, “-they’ll come flocking like parakeets.” Aone ignored his new friend’s rambling and was about to go back to his homework when his phone buzzed. Picking it up and looking at his crush’s name made him do a double take before realizing it was from his class groupchat.

Y/n❤: Someone better come pick me up or else I’m dumping the mary jane😤

Sugawara: You live on campus, how did you sneak it in?

Y/n❤: Come pick me up and I’ll tell you

Bsf/n: I can see I’m gonna be on y/n duty tonight. I’ll come get you in 5

Y/n❤: Girl I’ll literally marry you don’t play with me

                                         -5 minutes later-

Y/n❤: Psa to everyone in this groupchat, bsf/n and I are married now

Bsf/n: As long as you do my makeup for the party lol

Y/n❤: Deal

A slightly dejected sigh left the tall boy’s lips, wishing it was him y/n would joke about marrying to the- wait party?? The realization that y/n was going to the same party as him made heart race with anticipation and although he never talked to her in any of the classes they shared, Aone developed a massive crush on y/n just by seeing the way she interacts with others as well as her personality. Her presence when she walks into a room, beautiful coily/kinky hair either flowing or in a different ‘protective style’ (which Aone ended up googling the meaning to) and her face adorned with a smile so bright, he could feel his ears getting hotter just by its look, it would be foolish to think that no other person in his uni or elsewhere had already snatched her up. Which is why Aone never felt the need to let her know about how much he was falling for her.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his roommate’s door opening, revealing a clearly tipsy Kenji trying and failing to button up the last button on his silk shirt.

“Is anyone g-gonna help or what..” he slurred, stumbling into the living room, planting himself right in front of Aone who begrudgingly helped him with the last button. Satisfied, the intoxicated boy walks over to Kanji on the couch who’s currently scrolling through his instagram feed. He gives Kenji a once over before giving a nod of approval to his outfit. He turns to the tall, white haired boy, “Aone go change, the party starts in 10 and you know it’ll take us half an hour to get there!”, he exclaimed gesturing to Aone with his hands in a shooing manner. He didn’t understand what was wrong with his gray shirt and black sweatpants but went to his room to go change anyway, returning six minutes later sporting a green and white checkered shirt with dark blue jeans and black levis. The trio hurriedly leave their apartement, Kanji practically dragging both boys to his car before appointing Aone as the designated driver as the boy was the only one who had no intention to drink at the party.

The ride to the party took much more than half an hour as Aone was forced to drive while simultaneously trying to stop the two boys at the back from drinking any more of the pregame Kanji brought as well as preventing Kenji from messing with the aux cord. In the end, both boys settled on playing Ei8th mile on repeat the rest of the drive, both alternating between rapping DigDat and Aitch’s lines. Finally getting to the address Sugawara sent to the group, the trio hopped out of the car and went to knock on the door, opening to reveal the silver haired boy in all his glory wearing a burger king crown and a drunk smile.“You guys look li-hiccup-ke you had a fun drife here”, opening the door wider to reveal flashing red and purple strobe lights, living room filled with drunk and soon-to-be drunk college students and a hiphop song playing with a loud base that almost made Aone’s teeth clink. The two drunk boys wasted no time heading to the make shift bar in the kitchen, Aone following reluctantly behind feeling quite awkward in the party setting. Even worse, he was unable to spot y/n in the crowd making his heart drop lower into his stomach.

 No no no no. 

Even though Aone didn’t think y/n would like him the way he likes her, he was hoping he could at least use this party to make himself known to her, maybe forming a friendship with her first before professing his love. Dejectedly, he trudges to the bar, sulking next to his now very drunk friends who are far more interested with the designs on the kitchen counter. 

“Dude it’s so swirly…how do they make it like that?” one of the boys asks.

“Bro it has to be like a top secret thing. Like in the dark web,” the other replied, his eyes widening as his pupils are blown out more.

Not wanting to deal with their drunk conspiracies, Aone heads to the store room in search for some water after not seeing any laid out. Finding a bottle, he quickly gulps it down, faintly hearing the song in the living room change to one with a much deeper base. Leaving the store with his thirst finally quenched, he recognizes the song as Cold by Rico Nasty, her gravely voice echoing around the living room and drowning out some of the chatter which Aone was grateful for.

Ridin’ in a Maserati

Like Scotty I’m with two hotties

I ain’t just walk in the party-

“I brought the drugs to the partyyyy”, a voice which made Aone’s heart beat faster screamed, Y/n bursting through the front door with a medium sized pack of marijuana and a tray of what he assumes are pot brownies as the crownd cheered at her arrival. Her eyes wide with excitement, hair in cute little bantu knots (which Aone noted is now probably his favourite hairstyle on her), and dazzling smile still glued to her face. Making a bee line to the kitchen to drop the stuff she was holding, she hugged and greeted the people closest to her, making Aone regret not standing closer to the front door before realizing she was making her way straight to him.“Hi Polar Bear!” her scent of f/p enveloping him as she hugged his stomach, hair right next to nose, making the boy short-circuit. Y/n is hugging me. Me. Hugging. She smells so good. I should probably hug her back. But what if that’s weird. Hugging me. I’m gonna marry her. I’m gonna throw u-

“Takanobu woohoo you good?” she whispered in neck, drawing him out of his daydream, while at the same time making blood rush to his lower region. His eyes widen as he turns to see her staring right at him, inches apart and eyes questioning.

“I-I’m doing well y/n, um you uh look great tonight”, he managed to blurt out, his compliment making her lips curve into that signature smile. He unconsciously let out a low groan as he felt his jeans tighten even more as his mind raced a mile a minute, envisioning her on top of him, smile turning into a smirk as she runs her hands over his body making him squirm. His neck, his nipples, his happy trail, his-

Once again brought out of his daydream, he looked around to see y/n already gone and dancing in the living room, her presence making her look ethereal in the flashing lights. Smiling slightly, Aone deciding to stop before his imagination made him cream in his pants, decided to go look for his friends spotting both of them laying near a potted plant in the hallway caressing the leaves and muttering under their breaths. He discreetly goes back to the store, getting two bottles of water and placing them on either side of his friends, knowing they’ll be shocked at it ‘appearing’.

Sighing tiredly, he briefly thinks of just driving back to his apartment having already seen his crush and hugged her, but decided against it not wanting to feel guilty for abandoning his intoxicated friends. He was about to go to the backyard looking for some fresh air before he heard his name being said in the crowd. Turning around too quickly he bumped into someone, gripping their waist and letting their scent envelop him before he caught a glimpse of their hair. 

Yes yes God yes

“Nobu I’m so sorry, I was trying to get your attention but you didn’t turn around!” y/n exclaimed, gripping his shirt making the boy realize his grip on her waist was tightening significantly. He quickly tried to let go but y/n wasn’t having any of it and planted his large palm on her backside, squeezing a little. Aone’s face had never been as red as it is now from that simple action. Clearing his throat, he gives a tentative squeeze to gauge her reaction and seeing the smirk on her face as her pupils darken. She finally releases her grip on his hand and turns to the dance floor, Aone follow behind.

 As they reach the dance floor, afrobeats fill the air as joro by wizkid which Aone knew was one of y/n’s favourite songs) plays turning the energy of the party to a slower tempo. Y/n turns to the tall boy, once more putting his hands on her waist, before pulling him closer to her, their bodies now pressed against eachother.

Aone can feel her grinding on his pants and begs to any God who’ll listen to please not let him pop a boner right now. Her mouth comes closer to his ear and he can feel her breath making shivers run down his spine. “I could feel it you know…” she whispers as his eyes widen, embarrassment from though him as he realizes she felt the first boner he popped while hugging her in the kitchen “…didn’t peg you as the type. What a pervert you are Nobu.”   

That small gesture almost made Aone cream in his pants. Almost. If not for the overwhelming shame he would feel if someone saw him, his dick was already as hard as can be. A murmur left Aone’s lips and y/n has to strain her neck to hear him over the sound of the music flowing through the house.

“What was that Nobu?”

“P-plea-ase,” he whispers, ears a bright shade of red as y/n smirks looking him in the eye to see his pupils blown out, clouded with lust and feeling his member poking her in the thigh.

“Please what Nobu?” their lips almost touching.

“..Please kiss me”

“That’s all you had to say ya damn polar bear”, finally pressing her lips on his and making the butterflies in his stomach turn into fireworks. He really couldn’t believe it. His head felt like it was about to burst from all the blood that rushed into it. Her lips felt so much better, so much better than his imagination. Her hands sliding up to his neck and slipping into the hair on the nape of his neck, he uttered a low groan giving access to y/n to slip her tongue onto his. Aone could feel his precum dampening his briefs and hoped that a dark spot wouldn’t be visible by the end of the night. She tried to break the kiss, his head leaning closer not letting her go until she tugged hard on his nape hair forcefully, a string of saliva still connecting them.

“What a needy boy”, she smirked, letting go of him to swipe at the corner of his lips. “Why didn’t I come speak to you earlier?”, he didn’t care because for him, this really was worth the wait.

 Aone was not much of a party goer, but he’d have to thank his friends in the morning for forcing him to go to this one.

Tags: @itzgabz22

[all-an-act]

PSA

Guys. Making sprite edits is not easy. It involves a lot of layering, texturing, coloring, shading, drawing, and other functions. So when someone shows you a sprite edit, no matter how bad or good it looks, don't bash them for it. Don't bash their art style, don't bash their tactics, don't bash their choices. If they ask you for sprite editing tips, then you put in your two cents. Until then, don't.

Keep all criticism constructive, as well. It sucks to put potential weeks of work into a design or making sprites just to have someone say "he looks like a hooker" or "she looks like a loser". Believe me, I would know due to a certain sprite edit I've recently made and plan on using in a blog. Said sprite edit is slightly more revealing than what your typical Danganronpa character would wear, but still less revealing than Miu's own outfit. Let me explain.

Some creators appreciate characters that wear sultry clothing and own their sexuality. This is my category. I appreciate a character who can say "Yeah, I'm sexy, and I'm not afraid to show it". Some creators prefer that the clothing tell an unseen story, or leave more to be discovered. For example, a character wearing a black hoodie and some jeans being a hacker? It's been done to death by this point. I also fall into this category with this particular sprite.

It's one thing to offer help, resources, and constructive criticism for sprite editing, as it is very time-consuming, and I feel that most creators will appreciate something that makes the process easier. For example, if someone were to ask what texture I put over Danganronpa sprites, I would give it to them.

None of the criticism of this specific sprite edit I've made has been constructive whatsoever. I don't know what anyone wants me to change, and so far, I've heard three words describing the outfit: "hooker, stripper, and slut". Three out of four people I've shown the sprite to have said something about the way his outfit is revealing. I used beach sprites to make the outfit for a reason.

It's starting to become upsetting when people criticize my work without offering any suggestions to make it better. What do you want me to change? What could I do to make it more appealing? Saying simply "it looks bad" makes no sense to me. Okay, well what's making it look bad? The hair? The shirt? The sleeves? The fishnet pattern of this part of the outfit?

It took me six days to come up with this design, and I work on sprites all on my own. I'm the only one whose creativity is put into my sprites, although I did take inspiration from another character for this particular sprite edit, the design is all my own. And it took me quite a long time to come up with it, too. So to hear it only degraded with no solutions offered kinda hurts.

I should mention this is a male sprite edit. Meaning I could have simply left his shirt completely off, had I chosen. Revealing clothing has no issues showing skin on a guy, or what is socially acceptable, anyway. It's hurtful, it really is.

And yes, I know there's a possibility that it's just not very good, or that I just suck at sprite editing, but I was actually really proud of myself for even finishing it before those words were said. And now all I want to do is delete them all and start all over. I was excited and happy about using designs that were all mine, only to have that excitement completely broken, and now I don't even want to make the blog. Or more accurately, don't even want to start the blog, since I've had it for quite a long time already.

As of right now, it's 50/50 if I make the blog or not. I want to, I really do. I think the concept is interesting and could be a lot of fun. However, this completely killed my motivation to use the blog or concept, or even to finish the rest of the set of sprite edits. Please consider your words and keep all criticism constructive of others' sprite edits. Yes, it does hurt when you criticize without suggestions on how to improve the work.

Thank you for your time. This has been a Mod Amethyst public service announcement. ❤