#and if its *such* a problem. stop posting your stuff online. show it to a handful of your friends in private and thats it

[lorillee]

actually im posting this on here too since it makes me so mad. few things more annoying to me than people pretentiously saying about how everybody needs to reblog art or else theyre taking a gun and shooting an artist personally and yet the only art reblogged on their blog is by seasoned/skilled artists like... hmmmmmmmm ....... okay sure bud

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

Since this is currently my most active blog with some followers, just wanted to say a few things:

It's so incredibly depressing to see tumblr sellout to the whole AI shit and try to pacify users by the opt-out toggle option when it mostly likely won't do jack shit. Tumblr has been doing shitty things for awhile now, but out of all old social media it was a last shabby bastion for various weirdos, including a fandom weirdo like me.

I'm just an old silly hobbyist artist who badly draws fanart of old cartoons, but even the idea that my stuff will help train AI to be better to stealing desirable art of actual artists, whose work is their livelyhood is fucking maddening. Opting out won't help (Sources say data is already available to companies). Deleting stuff won't help (tumblr have access to deleted blogs and reblogs put your stuff in reach too). Using Nightshade and Glaze is not a viable option for me (my old laptop's specks is not up to support those programs, and I'm too afraid to try and accidently fry it and than all my shit would be lost) and even those doesn't solve the problems of all of my old stuff across like 7 sideblogs+my old tumblr account's 2 blogs.

Of course, maybe all hope is not lost for tumblr. There may be solutions and decisions later down the line. But for now I probably won't be posting any new stuff for a bit while I decide if I want to stay on tumblr and be complicit in feeding the insidious and insatiable AI machines.

And as alternatives, I created new account for bluesky, and consider pillowfort and cohost to share my random silly art. Even dusted out my old tapas and newgrounds accounts, and consider webtoons and comicfury to post and archive my few comics. Hopefully I will share links in my pinned post when I set whatever I decide up, even if all of it is so exhausting and depressing.

And hey, if you read this so far - just a reminder:

Opt out on that 'share with third parties' toggle like explained here! - it may do jack shit, but its better than nothing.

Write a polite disagreeing feedback to staff like suggested on this post. - remember not all staff had a hand in this, so no need to be rude, but make sure to have your voice be heard.

Use Nightshade and Glaze to poison your art - if you are an artist and are able to do it unlike me. It may not be sure proof way to stop/kill AI, but it sure shows that artists will fight back.

Use ArtShield - an online lowtech alternative to Nightshade & Glaze, puts a stamp/watermark on your art, invisible to humans but supposedly makes AI think its unsuitable to train on. (edit)

And please, take a moment for yourself. Because it fucking sucks.

So, I'm gonna go take a step back and burrow into some hole and cry for all of those who AI fucks over. I won't be gone forever, but for now I'm too frustrated and dissapointed to do anything.

and ALSO just to be fucking clear

🇺🇦 I STAND WITH UKRAINE 🇺🇦

🇵🇸 FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE 🇵🇸

🏳️‍⚧️ TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS 🏳️‍⚧️

🚫 AI CREATIONS ARE NOT ART🚫

fuck you shitty side tumblr I wish you all a fucking hammer car explosion

[meatcatt]

Hello!! I found some of your art on Pinterest so I went searching and I found your twitter which led me here! I reallllyyyy love your art!! It's so cute. Especially how you draw Shamura- They're just a little bean!!

I also adore your Redo AU! Especially how Narinder is getting babied by his siblings haha. Makes me wonder their reaction would be to Lambert (Who I feel so bad for. They did not deserve this, the poor bby)

First off I want to say thank you for liking my art work, it means the world to me that though I have left the cult of the lamb fandom behind (mostly) that my blog and the art I’ve made can still be enjoyed by fans new and old. Redo au is my baby, and I’m glad so many people enjoy it despite its lack luster writing haha…

I have struggled to answer this ask because I want to make it clear you aren’t the problem. But I also desperately need people to know.

The reason I left the cult of the lamb fandom, and for awhile tumblr as a whole, was because my art work was constantly being stolen and re uploaded despite my wishes. Even with credit. And the main culprit was Pinterest (though YouTube and Reddit didn’t help).

I want to say again that this person, or anyone who found me through Pinterest, is absolutely not the issue. I also understand that part of having popular art in fandom is that it’s inevitably going to get stolen. I understand that. But it’s just. It hurts. Every time.

I cannot describe to you the mood killer it is to scroll looking for fandom stuff and see your own art work flashed at you. No credit and sometimes your watermark purposely removed. And the fact that it’s plastered on every page I have “please don’t repost my artwork even with credit” it feels like even more a punch to the gut. Because of those I considered even credited work stolen, because it deliberately goes against my wishes.

I know some people say “it doesn’t matter because you’re getting free exposure”. And they are right. This asker is exact proof of that. But! I post art work online for likes, comments, and reblogs. I know that might seem shallow but it’s true. I want to see people like my art, I want to see what people think about it. If I don’t I just keep it to myself or just show my friends which happens to be the majority of my work. Most of my stuff has never been posted publicly anywhere! And those likes and comments drive me, they make me want to create because people like my stuff! It makes me happy. And I can’t get that if someone steals it and takes it off site.

I left tumblr for a bit after discovering my entire tumblr had essentially been re-uploaded to Pinterest by a single user (most of the time it’s only a few of my most popular posts taken). Credit removed. I doom scrolled it for hours. I had to stop when I saw someone commented on my artwork saying “I love this art but who’s the artist, I can’t seem to find them anywhere?” I don’t know. It hurt.

I joined in stars and time fandom hesitantly, and after scrolling on YouTube got recommended a video that had my art work stolen in it. Not credit. And I’m heart broken. Maybe this shouldn’t hurt me so much. But it does.

[niktoes]

₊˚♡˚₊ word salad headcanons for könig as your best friend ₊˚♡˚₊

♡ just konig things. prematurely posted by accident last time, so if anyone saw that, no you didn't ♡

♡ on this blog, könig's name is otto ♡

Tags: headcanon, silly platonic friend stuff, best friend könig, reader insert

♡ Otto is a man who makes the best of friends. As an adult with a busy life, making friends is hard. Plus, he's acutely aware of the fact that he can be awkward when he's first meeting someone, and because of that he generally isn't the easiest man alive to make friends with. Most of his friendships happened because something just clicked, and everything worked from there. When it happens, the easy chemistry that lets conversation feel effortless and him feel understood? Yeah, cherished doesn't even begin to cover how close to his heart he holds your friendship. Any of hid close friendships, really, are things he values deeply. If what you need is a ride-or-die kind of guy, that is exactly what he is.

♡ This friendship looks like a relationship from the outside. Sometimes his being playful can come across as unintentionally flirtatious (wanna talk abt the 'they're dating' rumours every set of best friends has? yeah, it's like that. And he, for one, thinks its hilarious), but it's all just in good fun.

♡ There are several ways that he might approach you having a rough time in life, whether that's due to your work or issues in your personal life. Mans is spiteful. That's just a facet of himself that can't be removed or avoided if something really rots his fucking socks. And by spiteful, I mean he's the kind of guy that'll stop in the middle of a crosswalk to very carefully tie his shoelaces if a driver's impatient and pushing the boundary on the pedestrian crossing light. Malicious compliance is his cup of tea, too, if it applies. He's been alive nearly forty years, man, so no matter what problem you're dealing with, his plots for petty vengeance come naturally and he and is not shy about sharing them with you for the sake of justice (or catharsis- that too).

♡ This could just be a him thing, but if he's your friend- like, really good friend, he fully backs you no matter what. If you're out here being confidently incorrect about something debatably unimportant, he'll agree with you until he's blue in the face out of respect. It's in private that he'll let you know how much of a hilarious dumbass you were back there, arguing with so and so about 'insert topic here' when he knew- and for that matter, he's pretty sure you knew too, that you were HEINOUSLY incorrect. It's a perk of being friends with him, but also? It's kinda... just really funny to him, and his sense of humour is catered ENTIRELY towards himself.

♡ Your interests are, to some extent, his interests by proxy. He expects pretty much the same in return where your friendship is concerned. If he hears you going on about something you're pretty interested/invested in, he's gonna put in a bit of effort to learn about it so he can hold good conversations and support the things you like. That said, again, he's gonna expect the same outta you, and a lot of his hobbies are fairly active. If you can't participate, that's fine, but showing a bit of interest goes a long way. He likes reading and cooking, too, so listen to him word vomit over books he likes and be a guinea pig when he wants to try this daring new recipe he found somewhere online. If you can participate in his active hobbies? He's dragging you along when he decides to hit the slopes and go skiing- if you've never done it before, even better, because he'll get a laugh out of you fighting for your life on the bunny hill.

♡ Otto makes some decent money, and has spending money to throw around thanks to his decorated career. Because of that, and the fact that he likes to treat himself to nice things and fancy places when he feels the vibe for it, if you're cash poor and he wants to do something with you, he's gonna pay for you. He's gonna crack jokes about it, not unkindly, but he is a bit of a shithead when he's properly comfortable with someone- and as his best friend, he is very comfortable with you. So don't worry, Daddy Warbucks has you when your wallet doesn't. Time to get culturally enriched, 'cause he wants to check out a museum or attend a concert. No, he's not gonna let you feel guilty about it, because he really enjoys taking care of the people he values when he gets the chance. You can cover lunch or something next time he feels like a day out, or something.

[heyharoldsboo]

Hey everyone, Im gonna assume mama duckling has been getting some very depressive asks lately. Where is Percy, why is Percy not posting, we need to see Percy?!

I understand all of you so much. He has remained silent and as we have discussed many times why, that was the right choice. But I know probably everyone would like a bigger sign of life and would like for him to go out there and pretend like nothing happened. I too think its time for him to "rip off the bandaid" as we speak and face the music. But the truth is that no matter what we believe, what matters is what he feels.

Let me put it into a list for everyone to see. This boy has : been the victim of an online smear campaign, got called a rapist a pedo and a groomer when we all not know he is not one, got made fun of for his appearance. Nude pictures from when he was a legit child, 13 years old, leaked and were shared online and people made fun of his body... he became a victim of sexual abuse himself, do you all realize how messed up that is? people (in the hundreds probably) send him message to kill myself, how his mother should have aborted him and how he is a waste of space and should die. His entire social media likes and history got microanalyzed, so many things he has said or done got twisted into horrible things. His friends and family got harassed. There were petitions to get him fired. Did I miss something? I missed a lot I'm sure.

It has been 3 months, thats it!!!! Some people need a lifetime of therapy to get over what I just listed. Think about it, how would you feel if it happened to you? Would you be ready to face the world so soon? From experience, he has had it rough mental heath wise, no way around it! But slowly, it gets better. What he needs now is support from his fans, friends and patience. GIVE HIM TIME! wtv time he needs. Please dont loose hope and dont be negative. The wait will be worth it, I am sure of it.

And as for duck mom, please don't flood her asks anymore with negativity. Send in positive messages. Im sure she has her own life, work, family, problems to deal with. She's human like all of us! But she's still here supporting Percy whenever and however she can, probably more than any of us do. So be kind to her please, she has done so much! Stop with the gloomy depressive asks and also the asks about Percy's personal stuff. I think its pretty obvious none of his defenders are in the business of spilling his personal info that they most probably don't even know.

be kind and positive everyone please! This will be over at one point and there are many great days ahead! trust that please!

And thanks Ana for all you do xox

Percy is who is important in this story. How he is feeling and how we can better support him. Not us.

We all miss him like crazy because he CHOSE to share his life with us before.

Let’s celebrate him. Show him the love. It’s what I have been trying to do.

And yeah, I’m not in the business of spilling his info. I have shown this day after day here, that if somehow I have information, it won’t leave my hands. It’s a promise I make to everyone who comes to my inbox messages, to every anon that asks me not to share. And it wouldn’t be different with Percy.

So yeah. Thank you duckling. Truly, thank you for your words.

[emiliosandozsequence]

Appreciation message incoming: You are one of my favorite users here. I’m not into some of the stuff you post (ie incest shows) but I appreciate your blog as some place where all that can be freely talked about. Like no discourse, it’s just nice to follow you and know there’s safe spaces on here for all types of fiction. I’m very tired of all posts discussing media starting with ‘so I know xxxxx is bad and I would never condone xxxx’,I just like being around users that aren’t afraid of strangers online thinking they were ‘problematic’. In short, your blog feels like a safe place to appreciate ALL art and its subjects

oh this is such a sweet message anon 🥺💕you're an angel 💕💕and i'm so so glad that's how you see my blog because that's exactly how i want to be!! i think the reason people get so caught up in what is and isn't problematic is because people on this website think that you cannot be critical of your interests for some reason anymore. i've gotten to the point where i realize that no matter what i do or like, there is always going to be someone out there that thinks what i enjoy is bad and that me enjoying it makes me a bad and terrible person...and that's their problem not mine!! i also don't feel the need to caveat every "problematic" media i enjoy with "but actually this is bad!!!! we shouldn't like it!!!!!" because....obviously it has bad elements and if they think i can't see that, then they don't know me and, again, that's their problem, not mine.

also, so much of the things people consider "problematic" are not affecting the world at all because they're the problems of fictional characters and fictional stories which literally are just pixels and words on a page, which you cannot physically hurt at all whatsoever because they're not real. i also don't understand the "well a predator could use this media to hurt kids" argument because predators will use anything and everything to hurt kids; they'll use minecraft to hurt kids. and banning minecraft, or any of the problematic media i'm into, isn't going to stop that (it's also not the responsibility of the content creators to keep predators from being themselves by writing things that the general public will find more palatable to begin with because, like i said, predators are going to be predators no matter what).

all of this to say that this website (and the internet in general) is so much more enjoyable when you stop giving a fuck and learn to curate your experience and it's so baffling to me that so many people on the internet as a whole have such a hard damn time doing that when countless free tools exist now to make this possible.

anyway, you're very very sweet anon and ily lots and i hope you have a beautiful day 💕🥰

[go-learn-esperanto]

Hi there! I know that this is really out of the blue but im asking for a favor or some help w/ my cats current medical needs. Please if you have an extra time to boost/share it for us so that we could get some traction or it could reach more people, it would definitely help a ton! I understand if its not okay, Im so sorry for taking some of your time and I wish you to be safe and healthy always, xx.(Please considering answering my ask privately or probably hit me a msg if its fine! 😭🙏

Hi! I will choose to not reblog it and I will give exactly the reason why so in case you are a genuine person you might get the problem and be able to address it and give a reason as to why you just have a blog that is just like any other scam asking for help.

You have posted the post about your cats on February 3rd

Nothing strange there.

Now your blog is very bare bones. It doesn't even have the custom Tumblr URL showing up. No theme. Just an icon, banner and description.

Again... Not that strange on it's own. But! You have archive disabled.

Which seemingly stops me from checking when your first post was created. But in the end that's not necessary because scrolling down a bit makes me able to find it easily. Too easily.

Posted on... February 3rd. The exact same day the post asking for help was created. In fact not even an hour before your asking for help post. And this is not a side blog. You sent me an ask after all.

You know how many scam financial aid stuff I get in my inbox? I reblogged stuff that ended up being a scam before. At this point I only reblog after doing a bit of a check.

Because you know, there are real people in need of help, people I will look and have old Tumblr blogs with posts of their own and clear interests. Not some reblogged posts of what's on the popular tags and suddenly a post asking for help.

Your blog looks like many scam blogs exploiting the kindness of people who want to help. Why would you have a need of making a whole new Tumblr account with a new email, reblogging some random posts before posting a post asking for monetary aid not even 20 minutes later?

And you only want people to answer to your ask privately. You don't want it to be known you asked for it. Because if I just reblogged your post it would seem more trust worthy. I reblogged a post from the source. "Maybe they even know the person" my followers might think. You even followed me because I will be so much more willing to reblog it if it means I get a new follower who's definitely interested on hearing me talk about Minecraft YouTubers on the daily.

And I'm sorry if you're telling the truth and I sound cruel (And I hope your cat gets well soon if that's the case) but... I don't feel well making my followers possibly giving money to a possible scam because I promoted it. You have to prove to be an actual blog, genuine person, for me to actual consider reblogging a post asking for money.

And in part I am answering this because your post seems ok. Believable. But I also know the ability of Tumblr scammers I have fallen for some beforehand. Because even though your cat pictures seem to have originated on your post that doesn't really change much because I could share a photo that I took of a cat last week, that was never on the internet, and do this

I am so sorry to have to ask for this but my cat, Plinko, had to go to the vet because he was breathing weird.

Now the doctor has said we need to do more tests and with possible medication it can be quite a lot of money.

I am asking for $300 for now but things might get worse. :(

So please if you can help (you don't have to) it would be really appreciated if you helped with the costs. 💜

Ca$happ: xxxxxxx

It's not difficult. The certificate you showed? Not difficult to make in Word. There's not a single signature from a veterinarian (which you could fake anyway), neither a stamp (more difficult to fake)

This logo is available online in a transparent format.

So is this one...

[davekat-sucks]

After reading your recent posts about wanting to distance yourself from homestuck eventually makes me feel bad too send asks because it means more homestuck is being streamlined to you

About a year ago i dropped homestuck after losing interest once again (this happens on and off) and only got into it recently because i currently can't really play video games at the moment so i ended up returning to homestuck. I think a big reason why i can get back into it so easily is because its FREE all you need is an internet connection and you get the massive amount of content from the comic and fandom, there's just soo much too engaged with even if it's not all good. Despite all my problems with Homestuck i still do like it but one thing i wish is What Pumpkin would just let it go, HS2 and Hiveswap are dumpster fires. It feels like they're milking a dead cow, this series would be better off if the poor decision making stopped at the comic itself. I just want it to be left untouched by a company and have it be supported by the love of the fanbase. I'm homestucked out but i like the character enough and shipping them as well will probably keep me hooked for awhile.

I guess I'll throw in what i was originally going too say anyway. I think homestuck took a massive drop in writing quality after murderstuck. Like why is everyone just standing on the meteor? You guys aren't going to get more serious after all that? Was there any reason as to why no one could've texted John or Jade while separated? I genuinely don't remember there being a reason. I thought Kanaya coming back to life was stupid, the Gamzee and Terezi thing gross, Rose being an alcoholic then drunk making out with Kanaya also being gross, Karkat and Dave being bystanding asshole during all this, Wayward Vagabond being practically a stuffed animal, like what is this? After murderstuck you could definitely feel the decline but there where some decent moments spread out afterwards with Caliborn being the main one stealing the show. I think Hussie really liked Caliborn, you can tell he had so much fun writing him. I like to believe Hussie went wild with Caliborn because he could get away with all the edgy stupid stuff with him because he's a villain, Hussie had obviously gave into the demands of the fans and i think even he got tired of it, Caliborn was the perfect blank slate for him to have some real freedom in writing again, Caliborns character is really in line with Hussies older sense of humor. Despite still giving into demands every other time, Caliborn got too be want Hussie actually wanted. Oooh Caliborn how you almost saved Homestuck, at least you get to be the best character in the end.

It's fine to still send asks about Homestuck here. Moving on doesn't happen overnight and I'm often sticking around more to speak out about the flaws. From the series itself, the fandom, or the current culture that surrounds it. It can be applied to other groups like those who like anime, comics, video games, etc. Homestuck is just one niche I focus on because I'm familiar with it. There are many other people online that talk about these similar topics that do it better than I ever could. But I agree that WhatPumpkin should just let the base webcomic end just there. No need to focus more on Epilogues, Homestuck^2, or Homestuck Beyond Canon. Let people interpret their own endings. Homestuck may not have been able to leave a mark in media history like what Undertale or FNAF did, but it's better to let it end there as it is. The story really felt going down after Murderstuck. Cascade was probably the only greatest thing left behind. Then Act 6 kicked in. There are many plot holes and questions to be raised about it. From things like why can't Dave/Rose or the other living trolls on the meteor use Trollian or any of their communication devices like they had before? There's nothing said about their travel to the Alpha Session will block communication between the two parties. I hate how Dave and Karkat stood on the sidelines as Rose/Kanaya and Gamzee/Terezi go through hell with their problems. Why wasn't Wayward Vagabond doing more to try and communicate with the others? Can Town and being a mayor is his dream, but we have seen him become a leader of his own to his own people. WV had communicate with John to act as his Exile, so why not the same with Dave, Rose, and the other living trolls? Where was he when the others went into the Dream Bubbles? Carapacians are not allowed there? Is still on the meteor to 'protect' the base? Was that the only time they left him alone like he was some housepet? Wouldn't it be better to have Wayward Vagabond that's now revived, stay on the Prospitian ship that John and Jade were on so that they could be with Dave and Rose? Wayward Vagabond would have a better time to try and get all the Carapacians to be ready when they arrived in the Alpha session. Where were the Carapacians by Post Retcon and Collide? By Post Retcon, the ones on the Prospitian ship and those with Roxy should be alive by then. Casey also was there to summon undead consorts during Jake vs The Felt fight. Wouldn't that mean the other consorts were still there Prospitian ship that John and Jade were on, could have joined the battle? There are too many plot holes and vague answers still around because of Act 6 and Post Retcon that it makes people question the quality and how the story was leading up to this. I do believe as well that Caliborn was the only way for Hussie to let himself use his old edgey humor. Dave and Dirk were there, but those two had their character development and he needed another being to stand in his place. Other characters that fit would have been dead and he had to come with some bullshit reason to bring them back. So it's better to make an original OC than to reuse another character. Caliborn really was the best as he really made lots of changeups and excitement to the series. If not only in narrative standpoint, but also in meta in the sense that he was able to change the website readers would be on. You had to be there with old flash to see him banging on the console that the link and panel you were trying to read, shook with every hit and everything gets scrambled and falling apart. Calliope hasn't done anything like that despite that we are suppose to root for her as the good guy that will join the heroes. Caliborn is just that amazing. Act 6 may have been carried by people like Dirk and Roxy, but Caliborn flexed it up high like Atlas did with the World.

[danganwlw]

Angie, Tsumugi and Maki (for the ask meme)

Yippie! Can do!

Angie

Sexuality Headcanon: Pansexual! It’s the color scheme.

Gender Headcanon: She’s got somethin genderfunky going on for sure! Probably uses some neopronouns fr good for her.

A ship I have with said character: So genuinely, Shironaga(Tsumugi/Angie) is the only v3 ship I have any strong attachment to. Artist girlfriends with so many problems with accepting and letting themselves participate in reality,,,

A BROTP I have with said character: I think she and Gonta could’ve been friends. They’re both silly guys. Smarter than they look. Will do anything for what they consider the good of everyone.

A NOTP I have with said character: Not to be controversial but I’m not a big Himiangie(?) fan. I don’t like Hate It though ofc lol.

A random headcanon: Not a headcanon necessarily but I simply cannot stop thinking about a world where Angie was just really autistic about Sanrio. I think she deserves it. She can be a Pompompurin fan.

General Opinion over said character: Girl you’re so fascinating but your writing is unforgivably awful.

Tsumugi

Sexuality Headcanon: Pansexual also!

Gender Headcanon: I think she’s cis but like Cis+ yknow. She thought about it long and hard. She experimented. Good for her.

A ship I have with said character: Shironaga yet again! Though Kaemugi is fascinating as well.

A BROTP I have with said character: Can I say Gonta again? Can we talk about how she was the only bitch in that game to consistently stand up for him? BUT ALSO Hifumi. Chronically online tumblr mutuals. ALSO RANTARO but in a fun tense way.

A NOTP I have with said character: Hmm. I can’t see her romantically with Rantaro, but that’s the case for everyone. I suppose her and Kiibo? Not a fan.

A random headcanon: I’m sorry besties but Tsumugi would for sure unironically call her tumblr followers tumblrinas. She also would write the longest meta posts about her favorite shows.

General Opinion over said character: In terms of potential, I like her maybe even more than Junko. Too bad v3’s execution of its twists was so completely botched.

Maki

Sexuality Headcanon: An aroace lesbian fr.

Gender Headcanon: There’s def some gender stuff going on but I don’t think she’d bother to really think about it much. She just vibes.

A ship I have with said character: Tenkaemaki! All three of them can kiss and hold hands.

A BROTP I have with said character: I think. She and Mukuro and Peko should all be friends. Maybe kiss also but that’s not what this is about lol. If we’re talking pure nonshipped friendships, then her and Kirumi I think! Unless,,, (Training trio also but that’s obvious).

A NOTP I have with said character: Sorry training trio polycule enjoyers I just don’t see Maki with either of those boys romantically.

A random headcanon: I think Maki would really like baking if she took the time to do it. It’s nice to have something less physically intensive to do sometimes.

General Opinion over said character: One of the better parts of v3. I’m sorry for my Kokichi stanning era, queen. I’ve learned and grown since then.

[peppertaemint]

I don't know if you've seen the new pic Kibum posted, but if you're online I'm sure you've seen the drama about it now...

I don't get it though, usually Key will say himself when he posts something if it shouldn't be shared, so I wonder if even he didn't see a problem with it at first? Why is one picture such a problem? Is Taemin not allowed to exist in public while enlisted?

This isn't a dig at Baekhyun cause I'm glad he was able to do these things, but didn't he have youtube videos coming out while enlisted? And I know he was all over his verified twitter all the time? How is just one picture different than that? Is it cause of the platform? Even though its not Taemin's bubble and he makes no money from it? Would their be so much drama if it had been posted to instastories?

I saw people saying there were articles, but there were articles written when Taemin went to Keys show?

I dunno where I'm getting with this, other than enlistment is confusing, I hope Key and Taemin in particular are okay, and I can't wait for this overlong awful enlistment to be over...

Hi Anon.

I have Bubble so I received the scolding directly via text! That was a shocker, lol. I'll give you my unvarnished opinion on this but as a warning, I'm going to be brutally honest about all of it. You're asking completely legit questions here.

The situation is nuanced, and I think for a lot of fans just the idea that they did something Kibum didn't like and felt the need to tell everyone off about was enough to either upset them or make them scared and 'fall in line." I deleted the posts I made and then I reflected because I never share Bubble content. But this time I made an exception — why did I do that? Because EVERYONE did.

So this is my opinion (don't take it as gospel because I have no access to anyone's thoughts). I think Key misjudged the reaction to that photo and how berserk everyone would go. He sees Taemin all the time; we haven't seen his entire face since his birthday in 2022 (lol). And, we've had virtually no communication from him in almost two years. "We" went nuts. Can anyone blame us? No. But Bubble is a paid service, and Kibum always reminds us not to share his shit. I never share anyone's shit publicly anyhow, but again it was ubiquitous, so I joined in. See the problem?

He had every right to get mad and remind of his boundaries and Bubble policy (there are financial penalties you can face for sharing stuff too btw). I also think he probably felt remorse over sending it in the first place since he likely misjudged what would happen. Is it all about breaking Bubble policy? No. And I don't think it's all about him being annoyed at fans breaking his trust either.

Baekhyun did have a personal YouTube account that he setup himself to use to communicate with fans during enlistment. It's my understanding he did this as a way to keep in touch without it having any links to promo/work. But, do you remember how he had to delete it all, and then he came online to tell us it's okay etc? I think that SM caught wind of extra scrutiny on people doing civil service enlistment, and it was a precaution. I also think this is why they've cooled it on Taemari, and it could be one of many reasons why Taemin stopped doing any posts at all. I'm not saying it's THE reason, but I think it's likely a factor.

There is a lot of criticism of celebrities who do civil service enlistment, and that criticism was present before the investigation involving Ravi and others came to light. People have been criticizing the option for years, saying it's how celebrities get out of doing "actual" service (let's put aside arguments about why that's wrong/insane, etc). Instead, put yourself in Taemin's shoes. He started service one way and is finishing it another. Wouldn't you want to avoid public ire and scrutiny over how you're spending your time in enlistment, ie. "living it up" etc. In my opinion, that's the worry over the photo being everywhere and now in news articles.

Why is the concert different? He went with Lee Soo-Man on the non-Beyond Live day as a private citizen, he kept his face covered the entire time—he even dressed low key. I have the same shirt that he wore (lol, imagine my surprise) except it's the branded version. He wore the non-branded version. Though he did have a Prada bag so maybe my argument falls apart but it wasn't like, in your face, was it? Anyhow, I hope you'll see my point. When he went to that soccer game, Jimin and Sungwoon were also there but they were in a fancy box. He did not sit in the box - he was just with the regulars in the stands. It wouldn't look so good to be in a fancy private box when you're supposed to be serving in the military, would it?

When Minho served, whenever he called Taemin he said he could never show his face. He was allowed to call him on VLives (or comment, lol) but he said specifically he can't show his face. They even argued about it. To bring this full circle, Bubble is a paid promotional, parasocial service. Even though for Kibum, sharing the photo is "private," it's still part of his work as an idol. So technically Taemin was in paid content. Is it a big deal? I really don't think it is (also is he definitely not discharged already?! o.O) so no one should feel sad or bad or whatever. Next time anyone shares anything on Bubble, I know it won't get shared. That's just how the fans roll. There's a level of respect here that is a breath of fresh air tbh.

Why is Baekhyun on Twitter whenever he wants but we don't hear from Taemin often? Personal choice. And that's a choice to be respected. It's not our business unless he chooses to share. Existential perspectives aside, we're part of "work" and the man is not in work nor getting paid for it right now, so he doesn't need to do shit. lol.

[sweetbabyrayray]

i know youre going through a hard time with what happened with your ex but keeping a 40 page document of his stuff wont help. ranting online wont help. ive been through what you have and trust me the sooner you realize that you arent innocent and need to work on yourself as well, and to just leave him behind, the happier you will be. hes just some guy hes nothing, live life for YOU! genuinely hoping you the best, i believe in everything youre capable of and forget about him. im also very sorry about your neck. wishing you all the best, truly and fervently. it all gets easier with time.

oh shit did i have a queued post? my bad, gamer.

i genuinely have been trying to think about other stuff these past two months. i started the document two weeks before we broke up because it documented how i'd perceived my experience this year while recognizing both my failings as a friend and partner AND his. i wanted to show it to him so i could get my feelings across, because he kept saying his autism made it so he had a hard time considering other people's perspectives. obviously, he didnt care, and i havent looked at or thought about it in a bit. two weeks, maybe. i like having the documentation though, since my memory is shit (depression reasons, and hitting my head in 2021). i tend to write things down to help with that.

also, i know im not innocent, dont worry. i have always been willing to consider my actions and apologize for the mistakes ive made. i apologized any time he told me i'd done wrong and worked hard to consider how i could do better. thats what the document was for too -- to better clarify for him that i recognized i had failed too, since my previous attempts hadn't been enough. the problem that keeps coming back to haunt me is how he refused to do the same and pretends he's blameless. he accused me of manipulating him into believing he had done me wrong. he compared me to my manipulative, abusive mother, who he knows abused me heavily growing up. he tried to claim our relationship had never been as serious as id thought so i should just get over the break up and treated me like shit for being hurt, even though he tried to propose to me late last year and said that moving in with me had been something he always planned for and wanted. he cheated on me and then broke up with me for trying to talk about it, absolving himself of responsibility while also saying nasty things to me and making me feel stupid for trying to set boundaries in the first place. i try not to think about it, i distract myself with video games and hanging out with friends, its just nights that are the hardest, yknow. he said some incredibly shitty stuff to me at the end, and lied to me so so much all year, and it really got in my head. im working extremely hard to move past it, because its fucking me up.

i really want to live for me now. the situation im in ( having no money, no job, no car, no home, and being disabled) doesnt make it easy, especially since he directly is responsible for me being in this position. i really really want things to get better so i can stop being reminded of the shit that got me here. i hope it gets better. i really do.

[kalianos]

A rant of the last two months.

So I looked at a lot of my draft posts. The ones for the last month and a half were kinda Venting about the new corp I joined in Eve Online.

To be fair, I learned a mutual friend who has a habit of starting things then just...not taking control as a leader and lets things die as a result was starting it.

soooo yeah. That happened. Only one logging in now. ~_~

"It'll be great Kali! Getting back into Eve Kali! We should try doing FW and small gang pvp! Hey isn't it weird how you are the only cis guy in this corp?" yeah sure, except one problem. You dragged a bunch of newbies who never played before into it. As all Newbies tend to do, they are for some reason scared of pvp and losing ships. HELL ONE OF THEM THINKS THAT DOING PVP WAS THE SAME AS HARMING SOMEONE AND COULDN'T BEAR IT!

So we ended up turning into a Mining and Industry Corp. Except I was one of the few paid accounts. So I was the only one who could reliably skill into to building things. Okay I still can't get over the lack of wanting to PVP in the game built on it.

...a bit fucked up way of thinking but there was always mining and industry I guess? no. I spent, hundreds of millions on BPO's and started doing research material and time development which takes ages. We do a mining op, they manage to...somehow not know how to read? "Oh the sleepers are back!" Well I already took care of them in an Orca. Do it again!

No they are Drifters. Webbed, scrammed, disrupted. Trapped and couldn't warp off in an extremely large bulky slow ship. -_- 2.5billion down the drain. It was cool seeing the explosion though. Then slowly everyone started petering off one by one.

Our scared to pvp person went exploring in the pvp areas and was shocked that..they were attacked and managed to escape with their pod. They felt sick at the idea of shooting at a player. V: like...no seriously wtf? This is EVE. Everyone Vs. Everyone. Market pvp, Industry pvp, MINING PVP. Yes Mining pvp is a thing. Its called putting on the highest yield risk mining crystal and just sneaking into enemy territory asteroid field and just going to town destroying their asteroid resources so they can't build ships!

The Hauler did two contracts for us, and dipped. ...best fifty mil wasted?

Two of our number thought it was weird that the game didn't just automatically played itself? Like auto-target and then auto-fire? ...those modules exist but thats too much.

the lead and their girlfriend don't show up anymore so. Its just me in this corp? AFter spending so many skill points and isk in industry since "You are now the industry lead!"

Back on track learning how to pilot Triglavian ships and Edencom stuff since thats what I wanted to begin with.

Now I am in a dead corp with nobody logging in and my isk and LP is being taxed heavily to a corporation that no longer even functionally exists. Except as a blackmark in my job history in the game as "Why were you in this Corp. for only a few months after leaving your starter corp after nearly 14 years?"

BEcauseI got tired of helping people out in the newbie corp and wanted to hang out with friends! ....who immediate flaked out and left. And my other MMO friends won't touch EVe with a ten foot pole. "We don't understand it." -_-; Game is so much easier now than it was back then.

I wish....I wish I could just clone myself and have mini-me's running around non-stop. ....actually thats a bad idea. I don't understand Reactions in industry too well and I've only just started doing PLanetary industry setup after years of having the skills trained.

MAybe it would just be nice if people logged the fuck in and we could hang out. "My new job doesn't fit in with the weekly group up so I won't log in at all" >:V oh fuck off.

Screw this, I'm going into Wormhole space and find a Wormhole crew living in that insane spaghetti mess of systems and run C3's to earn enough isk in a couple days to buy a month of game time in game.

Or Join Faction Warfare and do the same but also have constant pvp.

Viva la Caldari / Guristas

Or constantly run Abyssal dungeons solo.

I am tired. At least there are a lot of new players coming into the game now? Its refreshing.

[the1975attheirverybest]

yeah i think i agree because i feel like the concerts i have enjoyed more are the ones ive filmed the least i guess it just makes me a bit sad both having the need to film something because of the pressure from social media and then also being judged for it especially when its primarily young women like not to sound preachy or acuse you of being judgemental because youre not but i feel like there is a bigger problem to address? - 🐸

i guess let me ask you this: do you watch them back afterwards? cuz, for me, I don't. which is why I guess I stopped filming. I saw Harry Styles at Maddison Square Garden a couple of years ago and felt like a place as iconic in music history, and this being my first concert since covid lockdown, I NEEDED to film some stuff. So, I did. But it just lives in my phone now and will occasionally pop up when iPhone does those "on this day in 2021" or whatever, memories thingy...and seeing it makes me sad cuz all it does is remind me of the gig and makes me miss it/ wanna go back hahahaha. but I feel like if you watch the shows on your phone after maybe its different?

I don't think it's right to judge because I don't really think it's an individual thing. It's our entire culture. nobody is immune from it. Like, whenever I see my dog doing something cute, my impulse is to pull out my phone and snap a picture and put it on insta stories, haha. or like with anything else....It's not like certain people are making an active choice to reject reality and only experience it online. it's simply the state of our relationship to the internet.

I wonder if it's a generational thing too? Like, maybe boomers are so judgey about it because their experience of "real life" was pre-social media. And elder millennials were the lassstttt generation to have that shift happen in their lifetime, so they remember a pre- and a post- internet? but then younger millennials and men z and anyone who comes after isn't really even gonna have that as an active thought. cuz its the norm now? maybe thats where the judgement comes from? idk im just rambling now lol sorry.

[loiswolf]

Day 8 June 3 Beaver Creek- Discovery Yukon Lodgings 55kms

This place isn’t even a town so its probably not on your map. There’s only one road from Beaver Creek and this is 55kms along.

So last night I had to go for a wander back along the road a bit to the gas station so I could borrow someone’s phone. It’s impossible to book accomodation without a phone around here. None of the places are on the usual booking sites and they don’t always have email addresses. Twice the websites have said places are booked out , then when I ring or email they do have vacancies.

I chose the Fas Gas place up the road last night because it think it’s a franchise and the place I want to stay tomorrow night is also Fas Gas. The man there was quite happy for me to use his phone and I booked for tomorrow without any problem.

I had noticed two loaded bikes outside the gas station and assumed they must belong to the two cyclists we had driven past earlier today when I was getting a lift with Martin and Caroline ( feeling rather guilty when I saw them pedalling up the hills). After my phone call I went over to the restaurant and found Gus and Lucas, two German boys who are cycling from Fairbanks ( probably the most northern town in Alaska) right down to the tip of Argentina. Good luck guys!

I felt a bit better when they admitted that they didn’t start cycling until 11:30 yesterday and only did about 80kms. They had camped somewhere between Tok and Beaver Creek.

Without Shirley I am not really recognisable as a cyclist but they quickly realised I was the Australian they had heard about. We cyclists like to know whom else is out there doing it tough.

Today was a short day so I really took my time getting ready. I managed to not be ready until 10am and then doubled back to the Fas Gas to buy some overpriced fruit and cake.

It should have been easy today but the road wasn’t always great, there was often a headwind and the first half was a gradual uphill. However, it was also incredibly scenic again.

Just gorgeous

The snow covered mountains in the background don’t show up well in my photos but they are always a stunning backdrop during the entire ride.

I stopped a bit before halfway and sat on a structure under a sign for a campground and ate a disgusting chocolate thing I’d purchased earlier.

Another few kms on and there was a fantastic downhill run where Shirley and I reached speeds unprecedented on this trip. Right at the bottom was a very strange animal in the middle of the road. It was a porcupine!

More and more beautiful scenery

Until I came to White River.

This was just 800m from my destination. I was early again ( a bit before 2pm) so I’ve been sitting out on my deck reading in the sun.

Yes, it’s really warm! I packed Pinkie away this morning for the first time since halfway through day 1.

This place is by far the nicest campground I’ve seen. It’s also very expensive! Because it’s so remote, there is no wifi in the cabins so I have to do all my online stuff over in the main building. Everything else is pretty good and there’s a lot more space for Shirley than at Buckshot Betty’s where I had to move the furniture around.

Time to go post this…..see you tomorrow!

[lunachocolate24]

Welp, I got nothing to lose if I posted all my rants from my phone onto here, so internet enjoy my rage!

Sorry for any spelling mistakes!

I'm the one who causes problems even though I don't mean too.

When I'm referred to as "special" in my mind that's another word for stupid or retarded

Memory problems are a bitch

A is the smart one of the friendship

Makes me feel like I can't rant to my own family even though she rants to hers without repocution

When I'm sick I'm still expected to go out and work but when A is sick she stays home and lays in bed all day

When I'm talking to my friends online A dosnt see how happy it makes me and says their fake

Says that i like girls even tho I don't, she says it makes more sense because I seem to be a masculine lesbian

Talks shit with everyone around me but when I do it God forbid

I know I'm bad with money but I'm trying

Makes me feel like I'm less of a person compared to her

Makes me rethink the friendship alot

Tries to keep my best friend O away from me saying she's toxic and a bad friend

Keeps on saying she'll win in a fight against me, and threatens that she'll beat me if I tell anyone a piece of info she doesn't want being known

When I tell her I'm depressed her imitate reaction is "everyone has depression, your just saying that for attention."

When I cut she says I can go to her but when I do she says I don't have anything to cut for and doing it for attention even though I'm not

My depression has gotten worse since she's been my roommate

Thinks that she's all mighty and shit but she's only human too

She always gets front seat even though I'm in the back trying not to get sick

She asks me what I want but makes it to her preferences and not mine and when I say something I'm immediately ignored

Says I am more interested in girls because I have a hard time talking to guys, she dosnt have a say on who I like

When I'm sick I'm still supposed to do shit but when she's sick everyone feels bad for her and let her be lazy all day, double standard

Says the app I talk to my friends with is just a stupid fantasy game and says their fake friends

You always blame your problems on Me because you say it's easier to put it the blame on me

She throws me under the bus pretty much any chance she gets

Says everything stressed her out but when I get stressed I'm being annoying or too exited

She says moms driving is bad when she drives the same way

She's allowed to bring up the past but when I do it its the worst thing in the world

She shouldn't have a say in my sexuality if it makes more since then not I don't like girls I can find them attractive but not pursue them romanicly

Sooo I have no say on how long we do door dash with jeri and she says "we have nothing going on" You may have nothing going on but I do

Says I shouldn't be on my phone as much ok im sorry that most of the stuff you talk about is ether a You problem or not interesting at all

When I Show her I have an issue with my phone she thinks in just being stupid and wasting time, I don't want to dash with her anymore if she keeps this shit up.

She knows my phones fucked up

When I try to explain to her something she dosnt listen at all but I'm supposed to listen to her like that nah she can go screw herself

I'm not allowed to explain why I did something because she keeps on saying "stop talking"

Stop Being in charge of everything in my life and get out of it

Apparently I'm not allowed to talk maybe I should go mute or something because all I do is cause issues

When I have to do something I have to do it right away but when she has to do something she's able to take her time because she's in a bad mood.

A is so bad with road rage she almost caused an accident when K and I both told her to slow down

I'm a bad driver if I miss a turn but if she dose it its fine Even if she dose it multiple times in a row

She said she'll take me home at 830 but I'm not sure if she's telling the truth

Gets mad at me for the dasher app being stupid and bitches me out for it

I get blamed for all the disgusting sounds even though I have no idea what they are and A makes me cry alone in a dark bathroom because she can't sleep

A makes me the villen in every situation even with O.

At least I have respect to tell people discreetly instead of making them feel bad for what I hear,

She didn't even let me explain myself but if it was her she expects me to be respectful

She has a major victim complex

I'm supposed to deal with her being bitchy but I'm supposed to stop right away if I'm being bitchy

Double fucken standards

Stop telling me that you think I'm a lesbian because i give off the vibes

You don't have a say in my sexuality

Mom and dad favoring A over their own daughter

Mom always being on A side for everything

Telling our mutual friends that I have a p*rn addiction even though I don't, why would you say that? If I was in you shoes I would keep my mouth shut with that kind of shit.

Why would you show my own mother a tictok about me biting my lip, I didn't even know it was seductive I just found that out today.

I wish you weren't coming with us to the new house.

You say I'm not paying attention but your the same way you bitch your ignoring me when I try and tell you something then yell at me when I do the same thing.

Your such a bitch to me today for the same shit we did last year but when it comes to me it's the worst thing in the world

You can talk about anything that I'm uncomfortable with but as soon as I say a word your not comfortable with I'm the bad guy

In stressful situations she laughs but when we almost got hit I laugh but I get yelled at by her

Calls me odd for talking in a mirror fucken bitch

Most of not all of the money we make gos to her own wallet and stuff she needs to pay for not shared but when I forget stuff I'm told to remember stuff that she should take care of. She keeps calling rosey HER cat and MY car HERS I'm done with her she can dash on her own

How was I supposed to know telling the truth was going to lead to an argument

Everyone is saying it's my fault

No one wants to hear my side of the story only hers

She's causing more problems then there needs to be, she's the issue not me

She is blackmailing me

I don't want to alive anymore because of her she acts just like her parents

I'm do close to telling mom everything but knowing her she'll make herself to be the victim

Says I'm addicted to my phone when she's in the same boat I'd not worse, she also text while driving.

The music is so loud I can barely hear myself think but when I try to turn it down I get yelled at. It's not my fault that she's deaph

Tried to tell mom and dad whats going on but as soon as angel came out I'm called crazy, I already know as soon as we're alone I'm goin to be bitched out by her. She can go to hell

Makes fun of me when I accidentally cut myself and say "why don't you ask for help?" I did you just chose to ignore me and instead talk shit about me to my own parents.

It honestly feels like they much rather have you as a daughter then me.

I get blamed for everything even if I wasn't involved anyway shape or form

Mom and dad are more leaninant with her then me I want to spend 30 dollers she wants to spend 60 but I get told no

Say all my online friends are fake but mom and A are the same way their hipacrets

A Ecen admits that I get bitched at for no reason but still switches sides constantly choose a side

She tells me I'm lazy and everyone has depression but if I say anything to her I'm an asshole

Her needs and wants are always put before mine even if it's a day about me

She calls me spoiled but she grew up in money

When talking about the past she says she was abused but in different ways so was I but I I try to say anything I'm insensitive to her and get yelled at.

When I try and talk to you about the work schedule and you say ya sure we can change it only to immediately keep it the same before the conversion because you don't want to get up earlier in the day

You say is a me problem but you involve me in your problems but as soon as I try and back out I'm the ass hole.

I constantly get questioned from everyone in the family why I'm in a bad mood, I'm sorry I didn't realize I had to be happy all the time.

When I cry I get yelled at and told "that didn't work out for you did it?" As soon as you do it and I say the same thing I'm the asshole

She tells me I'm just like dad even in bad situations because I'm always the last one to be told things.

Church gives me bad juju

I want to talk to sister about the list but if I do that I'll be called out about everything I think about A.

Your music isn't as good as you think it is.

I apparently have to tell A when I get new headphones because I can't be trusted with them

Mom, sister and probably dad are on my side and A got butched out by mom, and now she's pissed that she got bitched out more then I did.

It's your way or the highway your alot like mom and dad, your no better then they are.

If you make us lose our job because you bitched out anyone I will never forgive you

I sigh one time and you bitch me out like I've heen doing it all day, leave me be God dammit

If you think I'm fat just say so don't beat around the bush

Why would you tell me to get rid of my vr headset and stop vr, it's like me telling you, you can't go to movies or watch TV because you watch merder shows and that's weird.

Stop bitching me out like I'm a child dad didn't ask for help from me so it's not my problem, so shut the fuck up and go suck a dick or something

When I was in the shower you were calling for me to ask me a question but I didn't answer you because I was in the shower a d couldn't hear you over the water and fans going then tou knocked on the door and yelled "Do you know where the glaze is for the ham!?" I said 'no, I don't,' and you proceeded to say,"I called your name three times. What the heel were you doing!?" And I told you," I was in the shower?" with a towl wrapped around my head. So before you yell make sure I'm in the shower or not before you get bitchy

And let's not forget only one of us kissed multiple girls multiple times so it would make since if you were bi and I wasn't but that's only me since God forbid you be a little fruity. But you can repeatedly tell me that "it makes sense if you're bi and not ace. Because if you're not 100% on the label, then it doesn't apply to you." Just say your homophobic and be done with it, and it's not the first time either.

[jimbleswrites]

Pantheon 2022

Chapter 6: Housekeeping & Looking Forward

A/N: I’m going to start putting the first paragraph outside the keep reading bumper. I mostly kept it under that so anyone’s dash wouldn’t be bogged up, but i think having one out shouldn't be too intrusive. other than that, writing has slowed a bit because i am training a new guy at work, but i’m still writing when i get time!

It had been a few days since my last mission, where I handed off the info leaks to Dan & Pat. Their online site, the Weekly Eagle, had posted the articles, showing GIPA’s unverified info and stalking some people for unknown reasons. This was edited from the true version of Project Olympus, cutting out the godly aspects and just leaving the version showing GIPA as invasive and controlling. I exchanged info with Dan & Pat, with them ecstatic to have a new member of their small news site, and took my leave. Today, I had decided to train with Mrs. R again, slowly working on my aura control. She had come over to Vida’s plane and we were training by the shoreline.

“You can construct almost anything with your aura, you just have to focus on it.” she explained. “Now you try it.” She formed a large boxing glove around her hand. “Try to make a glove like this.” I focused and a golden glove formed around my hand, just like hers. She smiled. “You’re getting the hang of this. But it’s not all combat-focused.” She closed her eyes and a blue energy formed nearby, making a bench and sitting down. She motioned to the seat next to her. I sat next to her, facing the eternal sunset. The bench was a bit stiff but Mrs. R seemed comfortable. “But you’re doing good with your powers, how about your personal life? Adjusting well to being a champion?”

I stared forward. “I think so. I’ve been trying to balance being a champion and living on earth. It’s a little weird though. Like I got a drink from a bar the other day without realizing I had no money. Luckily a person I knew covered it.”

Mrs. R laughed. “Like you left your stuff behind? I’ve left my bank card in Mr. E’s plane before too.”

“Bank card? Do you have a job?” I was a bit confused when she said that.

She looked just as confused as me. “No, you know? The Heavenly card?” I shook my head. Mrs. R laughed again. “I’m surprised Vida hasn’t brought this up with you yet, but even gods aren’t perfect.” She stood up and a doorway popped up next to her. “Come on, I'll set you up with an account.” I stood up, her bench disappearing as I walked with her through the doorway. As I stepped through after her, I found myself at a corporate office. It was a very open-concept, with fewer cubicles and more common areas. I blindly followed Mrs. R through several different halls as she strode forward to a small desk with a person sitting behind it. She stopped just short and turned back to me. “Just let this guy know you need to see Caitlyn about making an account. I’m going to go catch up with a buddy of mine here.” She then walked off, and I cautiously stepped forward to the desk.

“Excuse me? I need to see Caitlyn about making an account.” I politely asked the gentleman. He nodded and picked up a phone.

“Ma’am, someone is here about a new account.” A pause. “Yes ma’am. Of course.” He put the phone back on its receiver and looked back at me. “She’ll be with you shortly, have a seat over there.” He pointed towards a few seats next to a large office door. I thanked him and went to sit down. My phone beeped and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a message from Dan, asking about a new project. He wanted to get info about a rival news site but had no luck getting in the building. The two reporters had asked a few times about help with various pieces they had, and so far I had been busy enough trying to work on my powers that I didn't get involved. Maybe after this meeting I could head back to New York and see what the problem was. I was still waiting to hear from Vida about the history lesson or any new missions.

I heard the door open and out stepped a shorter red-headed lady. Unlike Vida’s vibrant hair, hers was a deeper tone, tied back into a bun. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with black plants, with simple suspenders. She adjusted her glasses and looked over to me.

“Come on, new guy. Don’t have all day.” She waved at me and walked back inside her office. I stood up and walked after her. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor as she walked ahead. Her office was filled with large screens showing stocks, graphs, and other various charts. She sat behind her desk. “Come on, big fella, I've got other things ta do today.” She spoke with a demanding Irish accent. I sat on the other side of the desk, watching her type quickly into a desktop computer. “So, you need a Heavenly account? I’ll be needing some info from ya. Let’s start with ya name, lad.”

“Robert Paladin.”

“An’ who do you work for?”

“Vida.”

The woman groaned once she heard the name. “Of course Vida would be runnin’ late with a new arrival. She loves throwin’ wrenches in my plans.” She finished typing and looked at me. “You look like a lost sheep, lad. You haven’t got the faintest idea what’s happening, do ya?” Her voice was almost patronizing, like a grade teacher who hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

“Not really, I just mentioned that I didn’t have a card to Mrs. R and she pulled me over here.” I was a little confused about it all, but I was under the assumption that this was a bank for gods. However that would work.

“I see, normally I get to set this up within a few days of you being enlisted, but Vida loves to mess with me schedule. Since champions interact with the mortal realm, i set up a banking system so you wouldn’t have ta worry about money.” she explained, still typing away.

“Is this just a thing you do for niceties? Or is this helping you somehow?” I asked. The dynamics of the gods and how they interacted was still something I wanted to know more about.

“Smart lad. I help the champions of all gods with money, and in return I calls em from time to time. Money, favors, information are all things I want, and the Heavenly Credit Union enables that.”

“So that makes you the goddess of…”

“Business. Caitlyn.” She stopped typing and pulled a card out of a drawer. She slid it over the desk at me. I picked it up and saw my name printed onto it. It was a credit card for Heavenly Credit Union. As I looked it over, she continued. “That’ll be acceptable at any location and any amount, and of course you agree to the fine print and terms & conditions by accepting this.” She pulled out a hefty packet and tossed it at me. It thudded loudly on the wooden desk. As I glanced through it, It was full of small text and felt purposely hard to read. The last page had a spot for a signature.  I decided to sign, even if Vida hadn’t expressly set it up, it would be very useful. I finished signing my name, and the packet flew over to a filing cabinet and put itself inside. “Alright, you’re done. Get outta here.” Caitlyn pointed to the door and it opened. She turned her chair around, kicking her feet on a smaller table, and started looking at the screens. I awkwardly turned away, walking out and the doors closed between. I instinctively reached for a wallet, before realizing I didn't have one. I slid the card into my pocket, making a mental note to go shopping and grab some new clothes and essentials. I liked the yellow jacket Vida gifted me, but it wouldn’t hurt to grab more clothes.

I saw Mrs. R. was chatting with someone in an office nearby, and walked over. Mrs. R was happily talking about her day, while the person in the chair smiled gently. I stood at the door and knocked gently.

Mrs. R whipped around. “Finally! Robert, this is Banks! We were just catching up!” I waved hello to them. They seemed very reserved, barely registering my presence while continuing to type away. They wore a small pin with ‘They/Them’ written in cutesy writing.

I made a mental note of this before speaking. “Nice to meet you, Banks.”

They simply nodded, then began moving their hands rapidly. I guess they spoke sign language? I looked at Mrs. R for help.

“They’re asking who you are the champion for. Normally gods will make this a priority for new champions.”

“Oh, Vida. Do you know her?”

Banks rolled their eyes, rapidly signing again. “They do know her, but… Whoa, I’m not saying that!” Mrs. R started to translate only to stop after some aggressive signs. “I forget how much of a stickler for schedules you are.” Mrs. R sighed, before turning to me. “But you have your card now, right? Let's go shopping a little! Cool off after our training!” Mrs. R never struck me as a shopaholic, but her energy was infectious. She turned back to Banks. “You can come too! It’s been forever since we hung out!”

Banks signed something else, then pointed to the clock. “OK, after you’re done then!” Mrs. R answered, “I’ll text you the details later and you can meet us.” She waved goodbye, and a door faded in behind Mrs. R, and she started to walk backwards right through it. I waved goodbye as well and quickly followed her through this new door.

I came through the door to a small hallway filled with various clothes, and some old bins. Mrs. R was already a ways ahead, fiddling with a door at the end of the hallway. I quickly jogged up, watching her quickly check the door for anyone on the other side. She motioned to me, and walked on through. I followed her and was now inside a crowded mall. People shuffled around us as I followed Mrs. R.

“We can get you some new clothes,” Mrs. R started to talk while walking ahead, “And I’ve had a new set of shoes just calling my name.”

“You know, I never took you for a shopaholic.”

“When you have a card with no limit, you tend to enjoy shopping a lot more.” She pointed to a clothing store and our spree started. This particular mall had so many shops for anything from electronics to clothes to antiques to import shops. I lost track of time as we went from shop to shop. I picked up new clothes, a wallet, a watch, some furniture for my little cabin, and some other impulse buys. Some part of me worried about the card suddenly stopping to work, but it always went though. Once my arms filled with bags, I made a portal back to Vida’s plane and put them in the small cabin. Despite the clutter, it was starting to feel like my home versus something Vida made for me. I even focused my powers and changed the floor plan to be more open, with less doors and more doorway curtains.

“Not bad.” Mrs. R approved of the changes as she flopped down onto a newly purchased beanbag. “You could always add a gym though. Keep yourself in fighting shape.”

“It’s not a bad idea.” I mused. I didn’t like the idea of having a huge house with only me in it, but maybe adding a few rooms for training would be nice. I was sorting through the bags of new items when my phone rang. I pulled it out to see Dan was calling me. I could always sort this later, and Dan had been asking about that new scoop. I answered, “Dan, I was gonna text you about that scoop-”

I was cut off by a gruff voice. “You meet me. Top of the building. Don’t try anything or your pets here get hurt.”

“Who is this?” I was confused, but found myself clenching my fist.

“We’ll talk when you show up.” The caller hung up, leaving me with a pit in my stomach.