#but please don't assume that's the only available option

[fleetsparrow]

There's something I don't like about this survey question, and I've finally figured out what it is.

The question says:

"Where are you currently in your writing career?"

With the following answers, of which you can only choose one:

Writing for fun—not interested in publishing

Intend to get published, but haven't yet

Published one or more short stories only

Traditionally published one or more books

Self-published one or more books

Mixed traditionally/self-published

All of these are perfectly valid areas to be at. That's not the problem.

I dislike how these options are being framed as part of a single "career path" that moves in only one direction: the ultimate goal being traditionally published books.

Easily, you could argue this is the most well-known path of a "writing career" (very old-school, "write every day" type mentality path). But it's not the only one.

Just to use myself as a personal example, I don't know how to accurately answer this question.

My facts:

I have not been published by a big press

I self-publish my own fanfic and original fic

I have had a story published in a kickstarted anthology press which created hard copies of the anthology

I have never completed a novel or novella

I have wanted in the past to have a traditional publishing path

I have written commissions for actual monies

I am currently writing for fun with no desire to traditionally publish at this time, even though this may change at some future point

The most accurate as in "up to the minute" answer is the first, that I am writing for fun.

But the way this question is worded suggests that I'm "just starting out". That I'm "new" to writing. I can almost guarantee the next suggested solutions will be "Writing 101" type lessons.

I also take offense at this answer option, "Published one or more short stories only", specifically because of their use of "only".

I see this a lot in writing spaces (the strongest of which is/was NaNo spaces).

The implication of the "only" is that short stories are not "real" stories. They're seen as "practice" for the "real" work of writing novels. They're seen as stepping stones on the path to becoming a Real Writer who writes Novels

Sure, you can dabble in short stories, as a treat. Maybe you can even create a collection of them once you're established. But when's your novel coming out? You know, when's your real writing coming out?

It's obviously not like there isn't a lot of crossover between short story writers and novelists. Most writers do both at times, to varying degrees.

But they're not the same thing.

Short stories aren't "novel practice" pieces. Writing a short story is a skill on its own, just like writing a novel is its own skill.

Personal example again:

When I was in high school, I wanted to write novels. I had a couple going at a time, including a large high fantasy epic. It seemed very easy, then. I almost exclusively read novels. I had a very rigid daily routine via school. I had much fewer external stresses in my life at the time.

By the end of college, my brain didn't work like a novel anymore.

During and immediately after college, however, I came to fanfic. I found the StoryADay writing community. I discovered flash fiction and micro fiction.

One of my biggest struggles in school was the mandatory 5 page essay. I could always make my point in about 2. But now... You're telling me people can tell entire stories in 100 words or less??? Sign me up!

I've never written anything novel-length since. Even the longest fanfic I've ever posted is only a little over 23,000 words, and that took me ages to put together. (For the record, it's also more like a flash novel or a series of vignettes, in that very few chapters continue the same inner story.)

So, for all that, where does that leave me on the survey?

I will, for the sake of argument, discount my AO3 works from counting as "self-published". That still leaves me having "published a short story" in someone else's book AND "writing for fun" with no intent on... I guess monetary? publishing.

Which, really, tells them nothing about my "writing career".

[14dayswithyou]

💖 Day 3.5 is now available! 💖

For the last couple of months, only Server Boosters had access to the 3.5 update... Buuuuut now it's available for everyone to play in the 14DWY Discord — and soon itch.io once I'm happy with the QA and state of the game — so please don't feel pressured to join unless you want to!!

The full devlog + even more screenshots are under the cut ^^

What's been added to the 3.5 version?

📺 Streamer Mode!

I've been told that it's difficult to stream and monetise age-restricted videos on YouTube and Twitch, so I added an option to remove the sexual content and strong language used in the demo.

Now y'all can invite Ren into your bed for cuddles without putting your streamer career on the line /silly /lh

This won't affect the 18+ rating or dark themes/elements of the game, however! Although Streamer Mode will prevent you from seeing any "gruesome" CGs in the future, most of the core elements of the game will still be tied to the choices and decisions you make. So you won't miss out on the overall experience by using streamer mode!!

⚙️ Custom Pronouns!

It only took me one entire year to get around to it, but you can finally choose your own preferred pronouns (or use a set of pronouns instead)... At the cost of being able to change them mid-game ^^;

Since the original pronoun screen wouldn't update until a new scene was displayed, I temporarily disabled the feature. But once I find a workaround, I'll bring it back!

💗 Choose how others perceive you!

You can now choose how the cast and narration perceive you! Originally, the narration was kept strictly gender-neutral (outside of pronouns and genitalia picked by the player), but this will soon change in future updates.

For more clarity: you don't get to choose the words specifically, but you can choose between masculine, feminine, and androgynous terms!

📋 Separate top and bottom genitalia!

You can now choose your tatas and pps separately! >:3

Alongside that, you can also choose your preferred body type!

I removed the "both" genitalia option because a few players still assumed it was an obscure version of "intersex". That wasn't my intention and I don't want to mislead anyone, so I took it out for now ^^;

I also didn't want to include a screenshot of the new genitalia choices in action (because it's NSFW), so y'all get the same character menu screen for the nth time instead lmao

📱 Relationship Screen Overhaul!

You can now change your own status for more immersion, and long-term Server Boosters will eventually be able to submit and use their own icon within the game as well!

Stalking finding your friends has now become easier by using "Buddy Maps"; a new app that allows you to see the location of all the cast members!

I want to offer players more incentive to check the relationship screen since they tend to miss the status updates, so hopefully this might help ;v;

It also says it "updates every few hours" so folks don't go overboard and check every 5 seconds to see where Ren is gdsghf (also keep in mind that he's a hacker lol)

🖤 Additional Scenes Update!

Day 2 received a brand new CG!!!!! Originally, I planned on only adding a few CGs sporadically throughout the game, but it didn't feel right to leave Day 2 so... empty... so I added a brand new CG to (hopefully) make things feel more balanced and natural!

If you decline Teo's offer on Day 3, Leon will now call and try to convince you to reconsider. However, players are still allowed to decline, and if they do, they'll reach a dead end.

After listening to feedback on itch, I changed some of the dialogue during Days 1-3 to make it seem more consistent! They're only small changes though, so it's honestly not worth looking for sdgjssga

🎶 Updated BGM and SFX!

I wanted to try out a different style of music to see if it fits the vibe of 14DWY more! The BGM features more acoustics to suit the "beachy" theme of Corland Bay, though I made a conscious effort to include piano elements as well to stay true to the original!!

I figured it'd be better to give players a live example before I make a poll (to see if they prefer the change or not) and publish it to Itch.

Some new SFX have also been added, though it's very minimal and honestly not that noticeable.

How to download and play the update?

(warning: clicking on the following links will open Discord!!) To download the Day 3.5 update, simply join the 14DWY Discord server, verify your age, and visit the "14dwy-updates" channel!

Alternatively, you can also wait until the update is publicly released on Itch to play it as well!! (It normally gets released shortly after a round of QA testing/getting feedback from the server, though I may release it earlier if I feel like it hehe ^^)

Enjoy!!

[figofswords]

Exciting news - based on feedback, I am opening an online shop! Since I've never run an online storefront before, this is a limited test run - that means product options are limited, I'm only accepting US orders, and the shop will close again on August 11.

Currently, the products available are:

This Dunmeshi charm:

This dunmeshi print (at 8x12 size):

And physical copies of both of my comics:

Again, options WILL expand in the future, assuming this trial run goes well. If there's anything in particular you're interested in seeing, please don't be afraid to send me an ask or respond to this post about it!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Dirty Work 7

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as bullying, familial discord/abuse, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You start a new gig and find one of your clients to be hard to please.

Characters: Loki

Note: This week is killing me.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

Sunday sees your second day in your new position. As you send off your letter of resignation to the agency, you can't help the coil that winds tight in your stomach. There's no going back now.

You close out of the several templates you Googled in your efforts. It's the one thing you know how to do. Willa, the friendly librarian who checked out the PC for you, always said, if you can Google, you can figure it out. Still, you feel like there's so much you don't know that you're not sure a search engine can answer.

You close the laptop and take both your phones with you into the hallway. You have to go check out that gazebo and figure out if you need to make a call about it. Oh, and the fridge was beeping when you filled your bottle, you have to call the maintenance number that flashed up too.

That makes you even more anxious. You've never really been the sort for phone calls. You never had anyone to talk to and everything else was easier done in person. Well, you'll have to muddle through. Work isn't supposed to be fun or easy.

As you near the staircase, your flip chimes. You juggle to answer the right phone. The slim touchscreen is set only to buzz, an option not available on the clumsy burner. You answer the call as you stop on the top stair.

The woman on the other end asks for you by name. You confirm your identity as you hear familiar noises in the background. She's a nurse from the downtown hospital.

“I'm calling to confirm your father's discharge tomorrow at noon,” she says over the rustle of paper and clack of keys, “we'll need the bed so if there is any delay, another day would be added to the invoice.”

“I understand, I'll be there, erm… noon. Tomorrow,” you don't have your notebook so you key a reminder into the other phone. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“Of course, miss, we would recommend you arrive earlier. We have some resources and counseling available on what you can expect getting the patient settled at home,” she continues, “nine would be ideal. I'll be able to add a note for the doctor to check in as well.”

“Oh, yes, I can do that,” you squeak, “thank you.”

“Alright then, I have all that logged. You have a good day.”

“You too,” you utter before the line dies.

Phone calls weren't too bad. You think you did okay with that one. Then again, you didn't think! You're supposed to work tomorrow. Mr. Laufeyson said you could take Wednesday off, and tomorrow is only Monday.

You close the flip phone and stare at it. Oh boy. You really don't want to spoil this. Just the mention of the coming invoice underlines your desperation. You need the money. Your dad needs it.

“Are you finished?” Mr. Laufeyson's timbre drawls from down the hall. You glance over as he stands just in the doorway of his study. You gulp.

“Sorry, Mr. Laufeyson. I didn't mean to disturb–”

“Yet you did,” he insists.

“I was only going to check–”

“Not my concern so long as it's done,” he waves you off, “an important call, I assume, to make such a racket.”

“Mr. Laufeyson, um,” you shove the phones away, one in each of your pockets. “I… could I have the day tomorrow? Instead of Wednesday. My father is getting out of the hospital and–”

“The day? What time?” He snips as he approaches with decisive steps.

“Well, I'm supposed to go at nine,” you explain, “I'll come in Wednesday still.”

“You will come in tomorrow, after all that,” he says. “You can work later then.”

“Yes, Mr. Laufeyson, but my father will need help getting settled–”

“Figure it out. You agreed to this schedule–”

“I did but–” you stop yourself as his eyes flare, “I will be here in the afternoon, Mr. Laufeyson.”

“You will be. In the appropriate attire, I expect,” he snarls and spins to strut back to his office, swinging the door shut sharply.

You waver at the hard slam. You didn't mean to anger him. You can't help that your father needs you. You thought Mr. Laufeyson would be more understanding, after all, he's the one who pointed out how much you needed the money.

🧹

Your father shoos you away as you try to help him sit. He lets go of the walker and flops back with a grunt, his oxygen tank clinking against the aid’s metal leg. He coughs and snatches around blindly on the cushion for the remote. You retrieve it from the folding table beside him and put it in his hand.

That agitates him further as he growls and jams down the button to turn on the television. You yawn and back away. You still have a full day left ahead of you, and what feels like one behind you. You spent the night doing some last minute tidying to make sure everything is read for your father.

“Smokes,” he snaps his fingers and hacks.

“Er,” you hesitate. You go to find the half-crushed pack you found with him on the floor. You knew better than to throw it out. You return to him, clutching the package nervously, “Dr. Shearer said–”

“Give it to me,” he demands.

You relent and obey. He’s been doubly miserable than before. You feel like an annoying gnat buzzing around his head as he tries to swat you away.

“I made you meals for the weak. They’re all labeled in the fridge–”

“I’m not a goddamn kid,” he scowls and takes the lighter from the folding table.

“I know, but–”

“But I’m home. You probably hate that,” he sneers, “you’d be happy if I died in that hospital.”

You’re taken aback by the accusation. You gasp and shake your head, “of course not, I’m happy you’re here. That you’re alive–”

“Painfully,” he snorts darkly, “the fuck you keep me here for?”

You take a breath and frown. Your eyes tinge and your cheeks pinch, “because you're my dad… and I love you,” you croak.

He doesn’t reply as he pulls out a cigarette and moves the tube from below his nose. You watch him, waiting. He lights the smoke and sucks on it eagerly. You drop your head and give a shrug.

“I gotta go to work,” you say, “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Don’t be slamming around when you come in,” he dusts ash over the freshly vacuumed carpet, “doctor said I needa sleep.”

“I won’t,” you promise and back away.

As you leave the room, your chest plummets in dread. You think of coming home, of finding him like you did before, laying on the floor, lifeless. You sniff and swipe away the speckling of tears. More than you want him to love you, you want him to love himself. You don’t just want him to want you around, you want him to be around.

🧹

You hurry up to Mr. Laufeyson’s gate with your kit and water bottle jostling. You fumble around until you find the smartphone and bring up the digits to punch into the code box. You buzz through and shuffle inside. You set off on your usual path around the back.

You stop at the rear door and try to untangle the strap of the water bottle from your kit. Your hand lingers on the front of the ballooning shirt. You still haven’t gone to look for clothes so you did your best with what you had. One of your father’s forgotten button-ups and a pair of pants that could pass in an office. It’s ill-fitting and scratch but better than jeans.

You get inside and leave your kit in the closet. Today’s a cleaning day but you have a few things to check off the schedule first. With your water bottle bouncing on your hip, you go upstairs and scurry down to the library.

As you enter, you’re surprised to discover the space less than empty. You apologise aloud and choke on the word, ‘mister’. It isn’t the house’s single resident as you expect, no, this figure could not be more different than Mr. Laufeyson. You recognise them, from the dinner.

The blond man faces you as he stands by the window, the drapes open to add the peculiarity of the situation. Like the man, the space is golden with sunlight. You lean back on your heel as you clutch the door handle.

“Hello,” he grins as he greets you in a playful demeanour. You can’t answer. You don’t know if you should. 

Is it rule one; don’t speak unless permitted; or the other rule, do not disturb my guests. You can’t figure out the riddle so you languish in perplexity.

“Aren’t you a sweet little lamb,” he muses as he steps away from the window, placing his hands on the back of the dimpled leather chair. His large hands. If you thought Mr. Laufeyson was tall, this man is even taller and twice as wide. “I remember you. The sweet maid.”

You blink. Where is Mr. Laufeyson? You can’t speak. You’re too terrified; not just of the strange man but of the one you know by name. Your employer would be unhappy to know you spoke out of turn.

“Have you seen my brother at all?” He prompts disregarding your stagnant silence. “Has he spoken of me? His brother? I'm Thor.”

You look down at your hand on the door handle.

“And what is your name?” He asks.

You don’t answer. You know it’s not right but you have no other choice. You pull the door shut and close the man in. You retreat in a half-sprint and barrel back down the stairs. You trip at the bottom and barely save yourself from stumbling to your knees.

You latch onto the banister post to keep your balance and catch your breath. You hear the door above. Oh no, would he follow you? Another door clicks and you look up to find a shadow on the other side of the frosted glass framed in the front entrance.

Mr. Laufeyson steps inside coolly, unbothered as swings the door shut and tugs on the lapel of his suit jacket. His eyes fall on you and he scuffs on his sole, tilting his head in curiosity. You didn’t realise he hadn’t even been there. You look at the ceiling with wide eyes; so how was the other man inside?

“Well, there you are,” he says matter-of-factly, “this place is sore in need of a dusting–”

Laufeyson is interrupted by a clamour of footsteps above. You let go of the banister and sidle away as his green eyes flick to the top to the staircase. You shy away and listen as the man descends in a series of thunder thumps. You turn to peek down the hall, wanting to hide in your chores.

“Stay,” Laufeyson commands. You turn back to him as he points at your feet. You stop in place and sway. He faces his visitor as he comes to the bottom stair, “brother, what is the meaning of this intrusion?”

“Can I not come see my baby brother?” The other man; the stranger; his brother, called Thor, booms.

“You may, when you warn me of it,” Laufeyson rebuffs.

“Ah, don’t be so grim,” Thor claps his shoulders and is swiftly shrugged off, “this place is always so dark. I hope you don’t mind, I opened a few windows.”

“I do mind,” Laufeyson says, “you do always presume.”

“And you are always offer such a warm welcome,” he tries to tap Laufeyson’s cheek but is batted away. The dark of the brothers backs up with a scoff. “Ah, and there she is. I was only just coming to find the little maid. She rushed off so suddenly–”

“You don’t need to bother with her,” Laufeyson dismissed with a slice of his hand through the air, “maid,” he points at you again, “back to work.”

You lean back on your heel, ready to disappear.

“Ah, don’t be so rude, brother. She is sweet. You get more bees with honey–”

“Do not tell me how to run my house,” Laufeyson growls, an edge in his voice you’ve never heard before. Dangerous and dark.

“Is she not doing you a service? A please would be appropriate–”

“You are not mother. I don’t need you to mind my manners,” Laufeyson girds and nears his brother, unflinching even as he comes up a few inches short of chest to chest, “nor do you need to worry for my staff. She does not take orders from you.”

“And I suppose that’s all she gets from you,” Thor chuckles.

You furrow your brow, stunned by their spat. You’re not quite sure what that last bit meant. You work for Mr. Laufeyson so of course he would tell you what to do. And why are they so volatile? They’re brothers. You don’t have any siblings but you always wanted one. So that you had a friend. So you weren’t alone. 

“Maid, go,” Laufeyson repeats, “now.”

Your eyes widen and you nod. You quickly turn and rush down the hall to the closet. You’re shaking as you try to sort out one phone from the other and find the old list of tasks. You can hardly steady your hands to get a pair of gloves on.

You take your time in the back of the house as you hear the men’s footfalls climb the staircase. You let your nerves settle just a little. You’re alone, for now, and your mission is simple. Clean and stay unseen.

[kitkinnie]

games w. species euphoria

please don't spoil any of the games with stories in the replies or reblogs!

Ori and the Blind Forest - felinekin, maybe some kind of fae or angel kin too ori is very good little creature design and it moves around so fluidly but there's zero customization, if you vibe with ori it's great and if you don't, might not be for you. it's a puzzle platformer similar gameplay-wise to hollow knight (but not as difficult)

Hollow Knight - bugkin, ghostkin, voidkin difficult but very pretty and atmospheric. i've played some of it before getting stuck/being unable to progress because i'm not good at video game. hard platformer with boss fights.

Stray - robotkin, catkin this is one i've been meaning to play for ages (and haven't gotten around to pirating yet, cough) Stray is a 3d game set in a cyberpunk/sci fi world. You play as a tabby cat trying to find its way back to its home and it looks stunning. I assume the story is great, too.

Roblox Creatures of Sonaria - there are so many creature designs there you're bound to find something that's youcore their colors can be customized. It's a multiplayer survival game so it's more stressful than the other games on this list, you gotta be trying not to die the whole time

Animal Jam Classic / Animal Jam Play Wild - lots of real world animals you can dress up and change the colors and patterns of your animals. ajc is in 2d and ajpw is in 3d and has more animal options, but i find ajpw really confusing personally.

William and Sly/William and Sly 2 - foxkin old flash games available as a set on steam, a quest platformer where you run around a pretty forest environment as a red fox and find various things. the music is lovely, both games have a great atmosphere, played it a ton as kid on armor games. i dont think i ever even finished either game i just loved running around as sly (in the second game there are also little kitten-fairies that you can collect and that follow you around)

Postmouse - mousekin free on steam, 3d puzzle platformer where you're a mouse that delivers letters. it can get a little obtuse and confusing at times which is why i never finished it, but it's very charming and free to play! you run around all these huge and pretty environments as a fancy-dressed little mouse .

Lost Dream 1 and 2 - foxkin abstract/stylized/polygonal walking simulator where you play as a red fox. doesn't seem to be much story and the reviews are mixed because walking sims like this need to be like, your cup of tea.

Spyro Reignited - dragonkin of course had to mention such an OG dragon game. never played it but like, it's spyro. cartoony 3d platformer in a fantasy environment.

Oneshot - catkin pixel rpg where you play as a cat child and the gimmick is that you only have one life. the steam page tags it as story rich and having multiple endings/story choices you can make, and the graphics are beautiful, the whole game seems to be made of dark colors and poppy accents

Honorable Mentions:

Way to the Woods - an in-development 3d game where you play as a deer and fawn exploring different enviroments.

The Isle - an early access survival MMO where you play as a dinosaur and try to stay alive.

feel free to add more in reblogs, i know i'm missing a lot of classics but i'm getting tired

[dcufans4palestine]

🇵🇸 Commission Sheet Guide 🇵🇸

Commission sheets should be posted on tumblr on July 20!

Necessary Info:

1. Prices!! It is completely up to the author how much you would like people to donate in exchange for your writing. There are no price minimums or maximums. Here are a couple of examples of how you could price your work for fanfiction:

Set price: $10 for a fic up to 1.5k words

Price tiers: $5 for a ficlet under 1k, $10 for a fic 1k-2k, $20 for a fic 2k-4k, etc.

Per word: $1 per 100 words (if you do this, we recommend including a max word count)

Here are some examples for how you could price your work for fanart:

Set price: $5 for a quick sketch/doodle

Price tiers: $10 for an uncolored sketch, $20 for a portrait, $35 for a full-body drawing, etc.

You may also include add-ons: $10 for rendering, $15 for each additional character, etc.

Important to note that if you are donating multiple types of work (i.e. fanart and fanfic) you should include separate pricing instructions for each, or create multiple commission sheets.

2. What DCU properties you are willing to write for (can include specific ships, characters, etc.)

3. Don't forget to tag us as @dcufans4palestine so people know to check the blog for more info on donating‼️‼️

4. Please specify if you are providing NSFW works. If you are providing NSFW works, please provide a disclaimer that only people 18+ may request NSFW works.

Recommended Info:

-> If you have any hard boundaries, please list those out.

-> If you would like people to reach out to you before sending in donations so you can confirm if you will be willing to fulfill their prompt. You can also ask people to reach out for certain circumstances (i.e. message me if you would like a fic over 5k and we can discuss pricing options; message me if you’d like a ship I didn’t list and I will let you know if I am open to that). Include the best way to contact you

-> We also recommend adding examples of your prior work. This can be links, photos, etc.

Optional Info:

-> If you would like people to donate to a specific cause, please specify that in your post. If you do not, we will assume you are okay with donors donating to any of the causes in our carrd.

-> If you have a maximum amount of commission slots available, please include that in your post and message us if you are closing your commissions before August 10

-> You can include anything else you wish to, such as specific tropes you enjoy, info on why you joined this event, or anything else!

[wolven91]

A Coiled Mind

"Desh? Can I speak to you for a moment?" asked the human on the ssypno’s door step.

"Ah Daniel, of course you can; please come in!"

The human known as Daniel was a diligent worker, but even Desh had noticed a marked change in their demeanour recently, one that had worried her. Very new to the galactic scene, the humans were industrious and quick to pick up new tasks once shown, but thanks to the chaos of a few months ago, Desh considered them fragile. 

As his direct controller, she wanted to make sure she was available for him, but hadn't pressured him to speak in case he hadn't wanted to. She wasn’t a psychologist, she had no formal training and had to rely on the official government therapy sessions given to the humans that they would be enough or catch any pent up emotions. 

He stepped into her home and stood there awkwardly for a moment, scratching at his arm. It took a moment to twig that something was seriously wrong as she made her way to get him a drink from the kitchen area. 

She stopped her short journey across the room and looked back at him, frowning and returning to the man. The large serpent lowered herself down to his level. Her length was immense and trailed lazily round the room, but she pulled herself into a tight knit of a roiling mass of scales to give the smaller human more space in her home. He had worked with her a while now, so she assumed he was fine with her, but was aware that she could still be intimidating at the best of times.

"Daniel? Is everything... okay?" She reached out a hand, but hesitated. She so desperately wanted to touch him, but was unsure if she was allowed to at this moment. Humans were one of the races to be warm blooded, but were the only one without a dense layer of fur. Thanks to this lack of insulation, they were walking, talking heat lamps to her kind. It would be so easy to hold on to them and never let go, but she mustn't, she had to give them space lest she scare him off, they were significantly smaller after all at only six foot tall compared to her forty five feet on length.

"I... I just.. it-" he cut himself off as a sob broke forth. She made the call to surge forward and pull him into a tight hug against herself. Two of her arms, the lower set grasping his back while her upper set; one hand found the back of his neck and her fourth and final hand slid through his short brown fur that topped his head. Her muscular lower body, a single thick tube of scales and muscles wound around his legs and raised him up into the air so she could hold him without stooping low.

"Hey! Heeeey, come on now... it's okay... it's okay now.. " She said, continuing to whisper sweet nothings into his ear as she propelled herself backwards into her home. To an outsider, it would appear as if she were a predator with a successful hunt within her clutches. 

She weaved and wrapped him thoroughly against herself as he quaked and sobbed against her.

Eventually he did begin to settle and started to apologise for his 'outburst'. Desh was shocked and sickened to think that he thought the need to apologise for something as natural as his reactions.

His home world was lost, he was part of an endangered species, he had every right to be upset and yet he had soldiered on for two months since the catastrophic events of the Sol System.

"Human Daniel, do not ever apologise to me for seeking me out to unwind. If you need to cry, you cry to me. If you don't want anyone else to know, then no one will know my friend... okay?"

He nodded his head, trying to wipe his eyes with hands already wet with his tears.

"If your kind are half as strong as you, then you will all be alright friend-Daniel, but I think today will be spent here, if that is alright?" He nodded again and whispered; 

"I'd like that Desh... thank you..."

Her tail began to wind and spool around his shorter legs bringing them together before it wound up further curling around his hips and stomach. She gave him the option to have his arms down or up, to which he placed his arms against himself. Her tail finished by sinching around the tiny neck that all humans had.

Feeling bold, she grasped his head in either of her hands, the deep blue scales standing in stark contrast to his skin.

"Look into my eyes dear.. look how they swirl with colours, do you see?"

His tense body within her coils started to ease. In the primitive times, this would be where she would tighten and squeeze her prey before devouring it whole.

But for now, she would luxuriate in the waves of heat he gave off. She would let him rest and sooth, while she was paid in the most intimate spar treatment she had ever felt.

No wonder she was banned from touching Humans normally, nothing would ever get done if it felt like this...

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Plan

So the poll is still running, but I think I'm safe in saying there's sufficient interest, so I'm going ahead and typing up a "how we're going to do this" thing, which I will schedule to post after the poll ends properly. As of the time I'm writing this, over 500 people have voted for the "yes I want to draw things" option, and I had been expecting to get maybe a dozen, so we definitely have enough participants. Let's get started then:

Our Source

I had originally planned to translate an Old or Middle English bestiary, but haven't been able to find a good one -- the best option I was able to dig up only has thirteen critters, which I feel like isn't enough to really have fun with. I was debating the idea of translating a Latin one -- this would have been far more time-consuming since my Latin is terrible, but also I do need to practice it, so I figured it evens out -- when I found a solution that doesn't involve me spending hours and hours on translating.

It seems that when Aberdeen University created their digitized version of the famous Aberdeen Bestiary, they released it under a Creative Commons license. (Assuming I'm reading their copyright policy correctly; I'm not a lawyer.) It does not seem to specify whether the transcriptions and translations they attach to the scanned images are also covered by Creative Commons, but since all of those are already freely available online through their website, I can't imagine they would have a problem with me posting them here as long as I provide attribution (which I am hereby doing right here on this post) and am not using it for commercial purposes (which I am not).

The Aberdeen Bestiary is missing a few pages, but there exists a very similar manuscript, the Ashmole Bestiary (they're sometimes called "sister" manuscripts), which is not missing those pages. And I happen to have a translation of the Ashmole Bestiary in hardcopy on my bookshelf, so I can just use it to fill in the gaps. Edit: whoops, the one I have is the Bodley Bestiary. They are in the same bestiary "family", though, so it still works well enough. (I think that should qualify as "fair use", since I'm only taking excerpts and not using them commercially.)

The upside of using the Aberdeen Bestiary is that it means when I round up all the art of each critter, I can include their very nice illustrations alongside the reveal of what animal was being described.

The downside of using the Aberdeen Bestiary is that since it already is free online, people might be tempted to "cheat" by looking up the entries and finding out what animal they describe. For that, please see the next section...

Guessing the Animal

Guessing what animal is being described is not the point of the exercise. (Feel free to have theories and whatnot, but please keep them to yourself so as not to influence the artists.) If you see an entry and think, e.g., "oh that's describing a raccoon"*, and then you create a picture of a raccoon... well, you could have done a perfectly good raccoon at any point and didn't need this framework to do it. So just don't worry about what animal is meant, and do your best to draw (or paint or stitch or whatever else) based on the description! You're not getting ranked on accuracy and there are no prizes forthcoming, so... just have fun with it.

*Example chosen as something that will, for obvious reasons, definitely not be in a 13th-century European bestiary.

Edit after starting to type these things up: some of these are going to be super easy to guess, though, to the point where I don't know how possible it'll be to block out prior knowledge. Sorry about that.

General Procedure

I'm going to schedule a post every Monday (I'm thinking of queuing them for 6pm Eastern Time) with a new entry. It will be the translation of an entry from the Aberdeen Bestiary with all references to the animal's name replaced by a randomly-generated nonsense word. (Henceforth to be referred to as "nonsense-names". I'm Googling* each one before using them so I don't accidentally generate one that actually means something.) These posts will all be tagged maniculum bestiaryposting, so you can follow that tag if you want to make sure you see them.'

*Later Note: Did you know that if you search dozens of nonsense words within a short span of time, Google makes you prove you're not a robot? Repeatedly?

Anyone who wants to draw the critter being described should do so. (You are encouraged to describe your thought process re: why you've depicted it the way you have.) You can put it in its own post, or reblog the description with an image, or however you want to do it. Then tag your art with the nonsense-name I've given to the animal.This will let me and others find it. (You should probably employ copy/paste there to make sure the spelling is the same, since nonsense words are hard to spellcheck.)

A week after posting the bestiary entry, I'll go through that tag and round up all of the art contributed. Then I'll put the images in a big post (or series thereof, considering how many people might participate), along with an @ and a link to your original post.

If you want...

to not have your work included in the round-up post

to have only a link to your post included and not an image

to have me include a link to your website / other social media / etsy shop in addition to or instead of your tumblr

to have other information included alongside your work

anything else along those lines

... then just say so in your post and I will follow your instructions to the best of my ability.

I will also include, at the end of the round-up post, an image of the creature as depicted in the Aberdeen Bestiary and what it is actually called.

All posts I make on this will be collected at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting so that people can look at previous ones without scrolling through the tag.

Various Notes

I'm going to trim out any religious digressions in the original entries -- bestiary authors had a habit of adding stuff like "and the raccoon is symbolic of god in such-and-such fashion, which teaches us...", and I just don't think that's relevant here.

The entries will also be presented in a random order. This is because they're sorted into categories in the original text, so if I don't change the order we're going to get stuck with, e.g., a few months of All Birds All The Time.

You should all be aware that the animals described are not guaranteed to be, you know, real. There are several entries describing animals that straight up do not exist -- some of which are mythical creatures familiar to most people, others of which are extremely obscure.

Explanations of the animal's name within the entries will be redacted.

If other animals are mentioned within the entries, they will not get replaced with nonsense-names. Originally, I was going to make the switch globally, so that if, e.g., the entry for "raccoon" read "a raccoon is about the size of a possum", and the random generator had decided that a raccoon was a balzikhear and a possum was a flunggrish, the "raccoon" entry would now read "a balzikhear is about the size of a flunggrish". However, I decided that it will cause more problems than it solves to obscure any comparisons to other animals -- so the name-switch is now localized only to the specific entry. A possum is a flunggrish only in its own entry, and remains a possum everywhere else.

I was originally going to do one post for every single entry, but there are a lot of them and they vary wildly in length & quality. So I've cut it down to exactly 52 posts, meaning that if I queue them up for once a week, this will run for roughly a full year.

Most of that cutting-down mentioned above was done by combining a bunch of the really short entries into categories -- the last half-dozen posts in this series will be group entries. You can choose to make art of any of them that strike your fancy, or do a group portrait, or just ignore them --I dunno, I'm not a cop, do what you want.

I did also directly cut some, mostly domesticated animals because there's a somewhat different approach to them based on author and audience familiarity.

So yeah, that should cover everything.

[putschki1969]

Hello dear Sarah, I hope you are well, I want to ask you a question since you are very expert on the subject, When kalafina existed (it hurts to say that😭) I was a teenager I couldn't buy their merchandise now that I can I want to know if I buy something from them, do they still make a profit or not?My friend says not anymore, if I want to support them, I better buy their materials as soloists. Please give me some advice.

Hello there!

I am so, so sorry! This reply is long overdue. I had this in my drafts for way too long. These days, I've really been struggling with summer fatigue and can't get motivated to do anything except the bare minimum. As a result, lots of asks have remained unanswered in my inbox/drafts.

Without further ado, let's get to your question〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Disclaimer: Take everything you read here with a grain of salt. Even though I would consider myself to be quite knowledgeable on the matter, I don't have all the facts.

I think your friend is correct. If you are buying Kalafina releases (CDs, DVDs/BDs/etc) or merchandise (live goods etc) right now, it is very unlikely that the girls will profit from it.

The way the Japanese entertainment industry works, idols/singers often don't have any rights to their music (especially in a case like this where they don't have an active part in the creative process). From what we know, the members of Kalafina were most likely managed in a very common and traditional "employment dynamic" with their talent agency "Space Craft" , meaning that after the label (Sony/SACRA MUSIC) got its sizeable share, the agency basically pocketed all remaining earnings from Kalafina's activities and then distributed a contractually agreed upon percentage to the members in the form of a monthly salary. As the creative force behind everything, I would assume that Yuki Kajiura probably had a more favourable arrangement with Space Craft along the lines of a client <=> management relationship and therefore received earnings directly with a certain percentage going to the agency but I'm only speculating here. Considering the amounts of money that went to the label, the agency and Yuki Kajiura, it is likely that the girls received a quite meager share compared to everyone else involved. Not saying they weren't paid decently, it was obviously more than enough to allow all three of them to live comfortably (or luxuriously in Keiko's case - keep in mind tho that her family is well-off) but certainly nothing too crazy.

After leaving Space Craft, I very much doubt that Keiko and Hikaru would have financial gains from any Kalafina-related sales. Wakana on the other hand might profit indirectly from such purchases because she's still signed up with Space Craft. Some official Kalafina merch is still available in the Space Craft online store so if you buy anything from there, the money would obviously go to the agency. All other merchandise items that are floating around online or in stores are almost certainly second-hand goods so no profit is made except by the seller/thrift shop. As for music releases from official shops or distribution partners, I'm actually not sure if Space Craft would still receive a cut from that. I guess it depends on their arrangement with the label. I definitely wouldn't rule it out. (YK is probably getting something).

Long story short, if you want to support the girls, the best option currently is to buy their solo stuff. However, that doesn't mean that you should give up on your dream to buy Kalafina releases and merch. Even if the group is disbanded, it is a good thing to signal that there is still demand for them. Also, if you ask me, nothing feels better than to own physical merch/releases. My Kalafina shrine is one of my biggest sources of happiness and pride.

[prentissluvr]

LEVEL UP, VER.3 !! — 300+ FOLLOWERS EVENT [ CLOSED ]

hello hello my sweets!! thank you all so so much for 300+!! i just finished my 200 followers event and we already hit 300!! i’m so so thankful and happy <33 please look at my guidelines before you send anything in! we have reached level 300, so you have the option to pick the reward from levels 100-300 now! pick a level and let's celebrate together! also you may have seen in my pinned that general requests are closed, but these requests are very much so open !!

౨ৎ

LEVEL 100 OR 200 to receive the level 100 or 200 reward [ drabble or relationship headcanons ] . . .

⟢ check out and follow the rules on this post! ⟢ these types of requests are still available during this event!

౨ৎ

LEVEL 300 — RELATIONSHIP MOODBOARDS to receive the level 300 reward, send me . . .

⟢ a character from supernatural or criminal minds ⟢ an aesthetic/color/concept or whatever other keyword(s) that fit your vibe or that you think would fit your relationship with that character (please limit it to four descriptors)

. . . and you’ll get a moodboard showing what i think your relationship with that character would look like and a small blurb describing it! here is an example request + moodboard!

౨ৎ

OTHER REMINDERS / RULES

⟢ you may send in one request for this event ⟢ definitely feel free to send in a request even if you just did for the last event! the more the merrier <3 ⟢ only followers can send requests for my milestone events ⟢ if you don't specify romantic vs platonic, romantic is the default and will be assumed ⟢ anon requests are allowed! it may be helpful for you to include a name or emoji, but should be fine if you don’t! (just in case i need to differentiate between anon requests for whatever reason) ⟢ this event is strictly sfw ⟢ 10 / 10 slots filled ⟢ as always, please be patient and kind <33

thank you so much !! <3

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

ok this is super half baked idea but it just occurred to me as a fun idea perhaps for next year.

concept: advent calendar. i.e. twenty-five days including the 25th of the month. could possibly be combined or connected to something with the twelve days of Christmas as well if it was wanted to go on for longer. could be modified with more traditional advent concepts (not very familiar with it myself but open to suggestions)

suggestion: a short story for each day of advent, from a combination of different authors (ideally one story per author but could be modified). either all standalone or a possible joint Christmas Day story that pulls multiple different threads together. if we got enough authors/artists together (or one or two very dedicated artists) there could be a story with an accompanying piece of artwork.

could be scheduled ebook release each day and/or posting on a website at a scheduled time each day, with possible purchase of the whole ebook or physical book in one go on the 25th / preorder so that physical media is slated to arrive at the right time.

this is kind of cobbled together but what are people's thoughts? re:word count, brief google suggests 70-90k is common as a total for the average novel, which would mean an average of 3.2k per story, or somewhere between 2000 and 4400 words if we were being a bit more loose with length.

also note that if art was involved prints could be made and shipped for a moderate sum ($27AUD at time of writing to send internationally if using a single prepaid satchel*, $3.75AUD to make 25 6"x4" prints, total cost rounds to $31AUD assuming a single satchel could be used). also possible to look at print on demand services that could cut down on shipping. (this also assumes artists would not be paid)

this is very rough in calculation ofc but what do people think about it? (frankly, it sounds like a fun sort of project for myself if nobody else wants to join me lol)

(re:financial aspect - I know in some things like audiobooks done for him my dad has paid all the costs, and any income above cost level he splits 50/50 with the audiobook reader - has a given flat rate/percentage per sale that's cost, and anything additional is royalties. unless I could pitch this to an established author or publishing house (impossible, though if there were others in on the scheme we could possibly look into the option) it would not be worth making the serial itself only available for upfront paying because I simply don't have an audience at all lol. however the possibility of making an ebook or physical book that could be sold later would have the possibility in the future to recoup costs. )

*large letter format is $15AUD but uncertain if that would be sufficient, would require more research

(trying to gauge even vague interest; if there's interest of basically any kind I can expand on my thoughts. also if anyone's interested and has discord please message me for my discord lol)

please reblog and or offer any thoughts you have!

EDIT: note that 'contributing' encompasseses both contributing and reading whereas reading does not encompass contributing

[puckpocketed]

hi!! I was wondering where or how you do you research for players and teams, and just hockey in general? do you have any favorite blogs or other resources? thank you~

okay picking thru web rot for the sharks primer has prepared me for this one lmao here's the quick answer because i really need to eat some pie and go to bed. Hockey is my all-consuming interest at the moment and I haven't watched actual television or films; or read anything non-academic that isn't about hockey in.... 9 months? If it seems like I am taking in a LOT of information in a short amount of time it's because I am. I listen to hockey things at 2-5x speed depending on if its a video on youtube (locked to 2x), a podcast (3.5x is my ideal speed), or my screenreader (5x) and often take notes, save articles as pdfs to go back to, and transcribe things for fun (only recently am putting my transcriptions as addendums to gifs... very rewarding <3). When not studying for my actual degree, I am reading about hockey or listening to something hockey related or watching hockey or writing about hockey or learning how to play hockey. i am so serious. please don't assume that this is normal, optimal, or even something I would wish upon other people. I am in Love with her in thee most wretched and irrevocable way. She's my hobby in the sense that shes my sun and im building my wax wings and looking directly at her light and thanking her for blinding me. amen.

more seriously, if I'm going down a player rabbit hole I will try many of these things - though not necessarily all of them, and not in this order (and i'm sure i've forgotten one or two things I usually try... lordy):

I go to spotify/apple podcasts and throw in player names just to see what comes up and listen to basically everything.

if they are on an NHL team, there are likely MULTIPLE podcasts dedicated to that team. trawl through their podcast archives, especially post-game podcasts where discussion is happening about their performance. sometimes there are even interviews <3

i do the same with youtube if I can...!

throw their name into reddit, tumblr, twitter and scroll. endlessly. just trawl through everything that I can possibly get my hands on. The more obscure the player the easier this is, because there really aren't that many things to find out about them and not many people are talking about them at all. <- this is how I make contact with people who are the only person that knows about this one (1) guy and then we hold fins forever. <3

find out who the teams beat reporters are. if youre looking into prospects, even juniors teams have people covering them. the writing might not be the highest quality but you WILL eventually find fun details if you go digging.

check: elite prospects articles, the hockey writers articles, find out the player's home town and see if their local paper has anything on them (basically, check any and all databases that use a tagging system or have a functional search engine)

helpful things to tack onto the end of google/youtube/database searches: "media availability" "post-game" "interview" "feature" "profile" "scouting report" "draft" "debut" "review" "highlight" "tournament"

if they're a player from a non-english speaking country it's worth throwing their non-romanized name into google to see what you can get. google translate the website // chatgpt translation are two options - not ideal and not to be trusted 100% over actual translation done by a fluent human speaker.

Instagram stories are the bane of my existence because they're so ephemeral

tiktok is a parallel universe to me. I do not have the app. any browsing I do on it is solely via googling "[team name] tiktok official" and clicking around on my desktop PC. I've only ever done this for M.Chrona's gf (who is much more famous than him) but if you're really doing down the rabbit hole of player research, some of their WAGs will post about them. <- as always, be respectful/not weird.

facebook for older stuff... genuinely makes my skin crawl so I avoid it and its a last resort LMAO but yeah teams used to post on facebook and everything!!! <- again. dont be weird and stalk peoples families or friends asjklakjl

"[player/team name] gettyimages [day/month/year]" <- substitute getty images for: flickr, hockeyshots, dreamstime, alamy

Substack is good for general hockey stuff if you can stomach the dreaded idea of subscribing via email or getting the app <3 I like: Jack Han (hockey tactics newsletter), Sean Shapiro (shap shots), Adam Gretz (adam's sports stuff), Thibaud Chatel <- for the analytics nerds, Alex MacLean <- his Scouting The Scouts series is what got me into substack in the first place, Greg Revak (hockey IQ newsletter) <- this is the one that's got me on development stuff atm SUPER rec because there's gifs and charts and many many hyperlinks included for citations <3

i should do a book rec at some point but uhhhh its getting late and im hungry <3 thank you for asking + reading if you got this far, I hope it was a helpful peek into my process?

[uroboros-if]

hello, if its okay with you, could you explain how you achieved the following in twine: when you select an eye color, having the text change according to your choice. It seems simple but I can't seem to figure out. Any help would be appreciated!

You probably mean you want to do it in the same passage. I would be ecstatic to help!! I'll be putting it into a read-more because of pictures!

Also note, this tutorial assumes you're using SugarCube. I have very little knowledge of other Twine languages.

First of all, credit to HiEv because I got the base code from them! I just can't find what thread I found it in.

Code?

First—I've uploaded the EXACT passage for eye colors from the IF (even the writing is included...) to itch.io. I've made it restricted to avoid it clogging up my list of projects + notifying all my followers. However, you can play + download it there!

Link / Password: edelle008

Feel free to copy the code exactly, but in this post, I'll be explaining every single thing if you're still confused looking at the code.

Your Passage

Make a passage for where you want the radio buttons to appear. On that passage, have this code:

Red - Make sure to have a ((silently)) macro to not create unnecessary white space. I recommend to end ((silently)) immediately before your writing.

Orange - copy the code exactly (again, I highly recommend downloading the code off itch.io if you just want to copy and paste it!)

Yellow (no yellow on mobile editor...) - This is jQuery. It detects for any "changes" in a ((radiobutton)) macro in that passage. Make sure you don't have multiple radiobutton macros in the same passage.

Green - Replace #summary with the ID you're going to enclose your radio buttons in. If you don't know what I mean, this'll make more sense later.

Blue - When jQuery detects a change in the radio buttons in the passage, it's going to execute this widget called ((eye_color)), which I made solely to check and display different text for eye_color depending on what radio button is selected. Again, if this doesn't make sense, it will later.

So this where the actual radio buttons come. Please disregard the black strikethroughs, that's the code I used to organize the radio buttons into side by side columns.

I'm not covering how you do that here because the way I do it is incredibly scuffed, and only supports three radio buttons side by side. It also only looks good if the number of choices are the same on both sides. I don't want to teach you whatever won't work flexibly.

Above the red line, make a div and assign it an ID. I called my ID #summary, which is why in the previous screenshot, I made it so that the code updates whatever is inside a (span) or (div) with an ID of #summary. Hence, please change #summary into whatever you'd like!

Now you can also style any text within the (div) to anything you want in your Stylesheet.

Inside the div, I put the widget ((eye_color)). You can change this into any text you want to display initially, and it will be updated/written over once someone selects a radio button. The reason I let this stay as ((eye_color)) is so that it first shows the text for the first option, brown eye color (I do this by initializing $eye_color to "brown" in StoryInit, or else it might not show anything when you first look at it.)

Red - Below the red line, please add your radio buttons as normal. Again, disregard the black strikethroughs.

Widget

The reason I made a widget is so that it automatically checks and updates the text depending on the $eye_color variable, or any variable your radiobutton is changing. A widget is essentially a custom macro you make.

Make a separate passage (I called mine "eye_color" for consistency), tag it with "widget". You may copy the code below exactly as base (available for download on itch.io):

Here I made a widget called eye_color. You will enclose all the code inside this passage within the ((widget)) macro.

Yellow - I would use ((nobr)) macro from the beginning of the widget to the end to avoid unnecessary whitespace. This will put everything in one line unless you use (br) to force a line break.

Orange - I made a div for the entire text. The style="(code for transition)" is how there's going to be that transition between texts so it doesn't change it immediately, but gives it that slight fade in effect as it changes. Feel free to change the transition if you know how to. I assign it an ID of #text1 because I'm uncreative, but remember what ID you assign it.

Also, maybe you could test using (span) instead of (div). I don't know why I didn't, and haven't tried it.

Pink - In between the pink dashes, you will write your if statements. This is straightforward -- write an if statement for all the eye colors you want. The (div) for Orange ends when you use your closing ((if)).

Brown - The Orange makes the text have 0 opacity. What this does is make it have 1 opacity. In English, this means the text is originally invisible and this turns it visible.

Purple - Enclose Brown in a ((timed 0s))((/timed)). Usually, Orange and Brown are executed almost simultaneously; that leaves your text invisible. What Purple does is make Orange execute before Brown, so that Brown is able to make the text visible.

Test it

I hope it works for you! Let me know if you still have any questions.

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Hamefura Pirates

(The full game title is: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ~The Pirate Who Summons Trouble)

Official Summary:

Katarina Claes was reborn as a villainous daughter in an otome game when she hit her head and regained memories of her previous life. She struggled to safely a destruction end and seize a happy future. Sure…. A romantic comedy of avoiding destruction flags is now available as an otome game. The stage of the game is the luxury liner, and the doom flag is a “pirate”?! This is the beginning of a new bad end avoidance story.

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(Spoiler Free) Luna's Thoughts

As a fan of the Hamefura franchise, most notably the anime, I felt this game fits right in! The simple cel-shaded art, while not as exquisite as is custom in many otoges, looks like the anime, and the characters blink and move their mouths when they talk, creating the illusion of an anime.

Catarina is a rare protagonist in that she's not meant to be a fill-in for the player; she's her own character with her own backstory. As such, you're not allowed to change her name, and she's fully voiced, which is a rare treat.

They do expect you to be familiar with the anime and reference events in it several times. While it's not a prerequisite, there's not a ton of expose in the beginning and you're pretty much thrown into it without any backstory. I've seen both the animes so this didn't bother me, and in fact I would have gotten bored with a lot of unnecessary background, so I was pleased with this.

If you're expecting a heavy, serious otome game, this is not it. "Pirates of the Disturbance" is light and silly, and you get the sense that nobody is ever in any real danger. With the exception of the two game-only characters, there's little backstory to uncover for the romanceable characters because, again, the game assumes you're already familiar with them.

I would actually not recommend this game for those who aren't already fans of Hamefura. The fun of this game is in watching Bakarina fall in love and choose someone, which is something that is probably not going to happen in the main series. It's not a particularly involved game beyond that.

I had some hesitation about including two new characters as romance options, but Rozy and Silva actually fit right in and I loved both of them pretty quickly. I think Silva was actually my favorite character in the game.

The game has four different ending types: doom, another, good and happy. You have to pick pretty much all the correct options to get the "happy" ending, so they're difficult to obtain first go. If you don't want to skip through a whole route again, you can go to the final chapter using the chapter menu and set affection to high, and then you'll only have a few choices to get right. Some of the good endings are on par or (imho) better than the happy endings, so definitely try to get all of them!

Overall, I loved this game! It's light, fluffy and a nice companion to the Hamefura anime.

My route order recommendation is Geordo -> Nicol -> Keith -> Alan -> Rozy -> Silva.

Please find below my thoughts on each route in the order I played them. Spoilers ahead!

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(Spoilers) Mary/Sophia/Maria Route

Okay so this isn't technically a route but it's what you get if you avoid picking a boy and just flirt with the girls and focus on eating the whole time. It abruptly ends the game pretty early on.

This was the first end I got because I wanted to see what would happen if I just let Catarina be herself. While I wish the girls had a more fleshed out route (or better yet, individual routes) I understand that Hamefura has never been a yuri series.

While I get that Sophia ships Catarina with her brother, and Maria's intentions may be closer to friendship, Mary's feelings are 100% romantic. This is confirmed in the anime and in the game, and she has always been on par with the men in the aspect of competing with Catarina's affections. So I would have liked to see Mary get a whole route for herself.

That said, I'm glad Catarina got a little time with the girls before getting to the boys.

.

(Spoilers) Geordo Route

Geordo is my least favorite boy in the main cast, so I did his route first. It ended up being a good choice, as his route was not particularly interesting.

There is a certain satisfaction of Catarina falling in love with her own fiance, but beyond that, this route isn't really substantial. Geordo confesses to Catarina, she struggles with it for a while, and then they get together. In one of the "another" endings, if you choose to avoid Geordo during a strategy meeting, he straight up kidnaps Catarina and bribes her with food and romance novels to stay with him forever lol. What trash.

Considering how tame these pirates seem to be, combined with the fact that they aren't allowed to harm the main cast, you never really feel concern for anyone in this route. You do get to see Geordo engage in a cool swordfight with Silva, and Catarina even gets to help out a little.

I think this route could have been improved with a little more angst, and the writers actually created a scenario that could have worked ... only to end it almost immediately. When Georgo confesses to Catarina, he claims that he's been pretending to like the rest of the group since childhood. This greatly upsets the pure-hearted Catarina, who just wants everyone to stay friends forever.

There were so many ways this could have provided for more conflict. Maybe Geordo had convinced himself that was the case and his friends needed to show him that their friendship was real. Maybe Geordo could take some needling to admit he likes the rest of the group. But the game just resolves it with Geordo immediately apologizing and coming clean to Catarina. It felt like they rushed what should have been the main arc of this route.

Overall, Geordo's route was predictable and standard. If you like the princely type, it might be for you, but I wasn't super excited about him.

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(Spoilers) Nicol Route

Nicol's route is immediately more involved, with the introduction of a mysterious woman. You also get a lot more intro to Rozy. Overall, it felt longer and more composed than Geordo's route.

Geordo is Catarina's fiance, so there wasn't really any conflict with him liking Catarina other than her own obliviousness. But that's not so with Nicol (or any other character) who spends most of the route trying not to act on his feelings for Catarina. This sets up some delicious angst as Catarina doesn't understand why Nicol is drifting away from her.

Add in a mysterious Catarina double and a curse and you've got a much more interesting route than Geordo's. It keeps you on your toes. The correct choices are not always obvious.

I do think the witch/curse plotline was rushed, and the way they come into the information that saves the day is a little too easy. My biggest gripe is that this route didn't have to involve Nicol at all. If the point was to make Geordo jealous because Geordo resembles the prince who slighted the witch, then it didn't have to be Nicol who was affected. It would have been so easy to have Nicol be the distant relative of the prince or something and make it a role only he could play.

I also didn't get why Rozy confessed in this route. He's so nice to you and it was really heartbreaking to have to reject him. I guess the point was to allow Catarina to realize her feelings for Nicol are special, but I don't think this needed to come at the expense of Rozy's feelings. This doesn't happen in any other route. And now I have to deal with the fact that Rozy probably likes Catarina in every route. *cries*

There is also the existential dread when you realize that Catarina's original self (before she regains her memories of a past life) might be locked away inside of her. But let's not think about that lol.

That said, this route was a good length, the pacing was alright, and Catarina actually gets to do a lot, even if the debates inside her head are largely useless. She's an idiot so this checks out.

I love the "good" ending scene with Sophia proudly declaring she will never marry if Catarina becomes her sister-in-law. The Ascart siblings are truly a two-for-one deal and I am living for it. The "happy" ending was also lovely because you get to see Geordo being nice for once, telling Nicol he's glad it was him and not some rando Catarina fell for. Also Nicol's dad loves Catarina so much — it's so cute!

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(Spoilers) Alan Route

Like Nicol, Alan is not supposed to like Catarina, but his angst is even deeper because she's his brother's fiancee AND he has his own fiancee. This is set in a slightly different timeline than the anime, but Alan and Mary still have their agreement where they stay engaged to avoid other attention while knowing they are both in love with someone else (though neither knows they have the same love interest lol) so you get some extra Mary in this route.

Alan and Mary are shown to be great friends who care a lot about each other, which is super sweet. You'll also get some extra Mary backstory and a confirmation that her feelings for Catarina are indeed romantic, and they even sort of get together in one of the normal endings. I really wish she got a proper route.

Anyway, back to Alan. He's the tsundere of the Hamefura world, so of course I was excited to play his route. And his tsundere nature does not disappoint. While his route does explore some fairly typical anime tropes, such as accidental kisses, hiding in closets together, et cetera, Alan's adorable reactions make it worthwhile.

I adore Liliana, the original character who has a super cute design. I found her faith in her husband very sweet, and she's a badass fighter, too.

Alan's route was the best paced out of all I had played thus far, and it builds up to a really nice ending scene where he asks Catarina to forget he confessed to her. Catarina, of course, refuses, and asks Alan to give her time to sort out her own feelings. It was all going so well and I figured it would all resolve in the after ending.

The Alan "good" ending is a total disappointment, so make sure you don't stop there. You find out that while Catarina and Alan have been meeting up secretly at school, there hasn't been any progress in their relationship at all. Catarina hasn't been able to end her engagement to Geordo, and neither Geordo nor Mary take her feelings for Alan seriously. Worst of all, Catarina herself isn't sure if she's in love with Alan or not.

In the "happy" ending, however, he does finally get the girl and their engagement is confirmed. Alan is still treated kind of poorly, however, as you find out Geordo and Mary, and possibly others, have been sabotaging Catarina's chance to confess. Geordo does finally relent, but not without first telling Catarina that he did truly love her. It was a sincere moment but why did it have to come during my lovely tsundere's finest moment? It was kind of a dampener on what would otherwise have been a pretty nice ending. I feel like the makers of this game might have something against Alan.

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(Spoilers) Keith Route

I left Keith's route for the last of the main cast, because he's probably got the hardest time of all when it comes to romantic chances with Catarina. While they're not biologically related, he is Catarina's brother legally, and Catarina is also the most comfortable around Keith compared to all the other characters. I figured his route would be full of sweet, sweet angst and wanted to play it later.

For storytelling purposes, I'd actually recommend playing Keith's route before Alan's. The main villain in both stories is more or less the same, but you get more on a certain character in Alan's route. Having played Alan's route already, it felt like an oversimplification because I already knew more than I was supposed to.

That said, I have very little criticism for Keith's route. It was romantic, well-paced and, unlike Alan's route, Catarina is decisively into him. She even comes to terms with her feelings BEFORE a confession or any romantic action is taken. I feel like the writers must favor Keith with how well he was treated on his route lol.

Something I really like is that Keith doesn't necessarily reveal that his love is romantic for a long time. Like, WE know it is, but you're left wondering if he thinks he's just got really brotherly feelings. But after he accidentally goes for a kiss, you get this really nice introspection where he straight up says "I've been in love with her since I was 8 years old." And you realize he's been serious the entire time and just trying not to act on it. It made my heart flutter~

I had thought him being her adoptive brother might have factored into it, but not really. Catarina isn't bothered by it. Geordo lets Keith have her, and their parents are actually thrilled that their children are marrying each other haha.

In the "happy" end, everyone is a bit mean first though. Upon seeing them together, Mary cries, Alan and Sophia are like "be happy I guess, you weirdos" and Geordo is fuming. Only Maria and Nicol are able to contain their disappointment enough to congratulate them properly. It was kind of a bummer. I actually liked the "good" ending better.

Rozy is sus as hell on this route, which made me excited to play his route next.

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(Spoilers) Rozy Route

Rozy's route confirms what was hinted at all along — Rozy is yet another childhood friend of Catarina's, and another rival for her affection.

His route was solid, but it felt longer and more like a true ending due to how far it continues past the plot contained within the other routes. I loved meeting his cousin/wingman King Albert and enjoyed how frustrated he made Geordo, my least favorite character.

I thought the final few scenes were a little rushed, and I wish we got a little more out of the endings. Their relationship is still a secret in both the "good" and "happy" endings. You do get a proposal out of the happy end, at least.

What I enjoyed most about this route was his friendship with Silva. We don't get a lot of male bonding in games like these, so I adored how much they care about each other, and how supportive Silva was of Rozy's interest in Catarina. It made me even more excited to play Silva's route.

When you play the common route after Rozy's route, you get a new cutscene where Rozy heartbreakingly reveals he's prepared to get on with his duties and disappear without ever seeing Catarina again. He's so pure T_T

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(Spoilers) Silva Route

Ahh, Silva. I surprised myself by falling in love with him quickly, even on other routes. He was my favorite character in the game, though I think Keith's route was still the best.

Though Rozy's route reveals most of the main secrets of the game, it made me really excited to play Silva's route last, as he's literally the only romanceable character who isn't already in love with Catarina. She has to earn his love by being an adorable idiot, which of course comes naturally to her.

I really enjoyed how this route utilized some very classic anime situations, only to have Catarina's ditziness turn them in a different direction.

For example, the first time she sees Silva upon entering his route, he's half naked and getting changed. Instead of having Catarina do the usual anime girl "kyaa!" and blush furiously, she instead immediately assumes Silva is a cosplayer. Similarly, he attempts to seduce her several times by coming close to her and pushing her down, but she doesn't understand he's coming on to her at all, quickly diffusing the situation. He's never had that happen before, so he takes an interest in her.

Silva's route is a classic slow burn, which I adored. The romance in this route felt very natural. Catarina realizes Silva is kind, despite attempting to appear forceful, and starts to feel safe around him. Meanwhile Silva continues to be amused by how unique Catarina is. It takes quite a while for those feelings to develop into romance.

The final confrontation with Silva's longtime enemy was a little rushed, but I enjoyed Silva agonizing over telling Catarina about his past. Rozy notices this too, and he's just as good a wingman to Silva as Silva is for him in his route. Man, I adore these two so much. Their relationship is so genuine and wonderful! Make sure to check out the memory log at the end for the backstory on the sketchbook, because it's never explained in the main game.

Silva's route was pretty solid. In the "good" ending, he never directly says he loves Catarina — only teases her and kisses her enough to make her realize it herself. The "happy" ending though ... man, Silva cleans up nicely! It was so cute seeing him in princely clothes, having officially become adopted into Rozy's family and learning high society just to be worthy of Catarina. He even breaks his composure a little bit because he's embarrassed, which is the fun of flirty characters like Silva.

Overall, Silva's route was lovely, and I think it should definitely be played last.

[nothorses]

Oh god, thank you, like if we did assume anon comes from a good place we understand where anon comes from but also like...yea nothings going to help if we don't like, Have A Replacement and you definitely know more than us about this one.

If it's alright to ask: we're wondering if you have any sort of knowledge that could be passed onto us (and others in a situation like ours) to mitigate that?

For more specific context, people definitely sing their praises to IEPs a lot and we saw someone mention them somewhere, but we have very unfortunately been on the end of it where it has been used as a vehicle for oppression and ableism anyways (WE PROMISE those twitter threads will be moved here to Tumblr we just haven't done it yet sory sksksk), because we had abusive parents who were "only" emotionally abusive if that makes sense.

We understand IEPs are helpful to lots of folks but it can be isolating as all fuck when praise is all people do rather than look at some of the tiny nuances or the ways people use it to keep the status quo instead of helping folks. Like how it was used as an extension of Autistic conversion "therapy" / applied behavioral analysis "therapy" when we had to put up with it.

Nutshell/TLDR: how do people use what they have learned to improve education when they didn't really. Learn anything. And how to bring attention to some of the things that nobody wants to talk about without sounding like we're being dismissive. We're so burnt out here when it comes to discussing any education system before university. Please share your wisdom (but only if you want to)!

I am not like, The Expert here, but I will offer some thoughts! Just take them with a grain of salt; I don't know everything, and I could always be missing things.

I will say that IEPs/504 plans are of particular interest to me right now, and imo, the problem is pretty broad and pretty deep.

My own personal context is that my brother was diagnosed with ADHD before even starting school, was put in SpEd early on, and had some pretty traumatic experiences because of that (we picked him up from school once to find him in an isolation room- a closet with one bulletproof window in the door carpeted floor-to-ceiling- because he had acted out in class. In first grade). He believed wholeheartedly that he was incapable of controlling himself, and he developed extremely low self-esteem. I don't know if no diagnosis would have been any better for him, but his diagnosis and "accommodations" (iirc he had an IEP) actively did him harm.

I, on the other hand, was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was 22, and I had to go out and do it myself. I had struggled with school my whole life, I had been in shouting matches with my mom about it, I have trauma about it, and I developed a different kind of low self-esteem around being told I was "choosing" to fail. Once I was medicated, my grades suddenly shot up, my GPA shot up, and I got into a pretty damn good grad school about it. I'm left wondering how things might have been different for me if I'd been understood as someone who was trying but struggling, and who needed support, rather than someone who was not trying at all.

I also don't think it's reasonable to expect that every disabled kid is going to be identified by the system, which is what most teachers seem to think is the issue: that they aren't good enough at armchair diagnosing 6-year-olds yet. It's just not gonna happen. Someone will be missed, and they shouldn't have to struggle alone because nobody else realized what they were struggling with.

Imo, what we need to be pushing for most urgently is universal accommodations, available without any need for diagnosis, disclosure, or anything else: Buckets of fidgets kids can grab whenever, alternative seating options, built-in breaks and frequent snacks, no penalties for late work/tardiness/absences, no graded tests, etc. (I would also like to see more project-based learning & growth-oriented grading, personally!)

As far as learning more: I can recommend some readings to start, and I'll link them here. They're also pretty dense; the grad school recommendation is to read the intro and conclusion in full, and just read the first and last sentence of every paragraph aside from that.

Here's the big folder (which I need to update) of all of the education-related readings I have ever been assigned. I recommend specifically searching "disability" and "democratic"/"democracy"; those will probably be the most relevant to what you're interested in.

Some good starting points:

Leonardo, Broderick (2011) - Smartness as Property: A Critical Exploration of Intersections Between Whiteness and Disability Studies

Carolen, Guinn (2007) - Differentiation: Lessons from Master Teachers

Alverman (2001) - Reading Adolescents' Reading Identities: Looking Back to See Ahead

Veletsianos, Houlden (2020) - Radical Flexibility and Relationality as Responses to Education in Times of Crisis

[exemplarybehaviour]

this post about tips for dealing with a heat wave has been on my dash about three times today. i wanted to comment specifically on one part (i'm not going to reblog to comment on the post itself because 1) the post is three years old, and 2) a lot of this post is not actually helpful, or actual nonsense like "shade doesn't make a difference," and i don't want to seem like i'm signing off on the entire post except my nitpick):

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

Like guys. Don't give diet advice if you don't even understand what the problem is. Fruit juice is filled with sugar.

First, unless you are doing something that causes you to sweat excessively or your biology is just iffy at hydrating you (hey! it happens), you probably only need water. Second, there are a ton of sugar-free (ACTUALLY sugar free) products available for hydration help, including sugar-free Gatorade.* Go to the "make drink from powder" section of your grocery store for more options, which will also make less plastic waste. Third, if you want to make a homemade "electrolyte drink," please google an actual vetted recipe so you don't just mess yourself up drinking salt water.

Also, fourth for my diabuddies, remember that extreme heat can depress blood sugar, especially if you'e exercising or working outside. Monitor your blood glucose closely. You might find that sipping regular Gatorade is actually helpful.

*since this entire post is about gatorade, i'm assuming a US based audience. sorry if this is not true for you :<