#it did not reverse within 24 hours

[shehsart]

I'm also pissed off at the fact that I made a purchase and they said the transaction didn't happen and asked for cash but I checked my account just now and it shows that it did :/

[drawing-prompt-s]

GoFundMe - Apartment Transfer

Really did not think that I would be making one of these again. But yours truly, Prompt Prophet, cannot catch a break. Every time that I think I am it seems to them just be ripped right back away.

Note: any further proof you require, please contact me at my main, @prophet-rebellion, and I will do what I can to show you.

$400/$400

Links:

GoFundMe

PayPal

Venmo

Please note that this following update means that anybody who wanted to send additional funds for my current roommates cat - Do Not. I want nothing to do with her. Her cat did nothing but after all this I am done. Not funds had been sent for that cat yet but they had been inquired about being a possibility.

----------------

TL;DR - my apartment that told me they were moving my nightmare of a roommate with something called a forced transfer, then apparently reversed their decision (despite documentation) and did not tell me. The only way for me to get out now is to pay a $300 Transfer Fee + Applicable costs to get out as soon as I can. Giving up the apartment I have lived at for almost 2 years now.

The full explanation I gave is under the cut.

Please note I do not want to be doing this, and as soon as I hit $400 the GoFundMe is getting closed. People are struggling enough right now and I hate asking for monetary help when I know this much.

But god, for the sake of myself and my cat I cannot do this. I can't live here with her anymore, but I can't break my lease either.

FULL EXPLANATION (copied from GoFundMe):

Many of you know me for raising funds regarding my cats, either in the search for one of them as being missing, or more recently to raise funds for the other for ear mite treatment.

We reached the full goal of ear mite treatment within 24 hours of the fundraiser being set up - and it feels wrong in a sense to add the funds to that GoFundMe. The Ear Mite treatment is still happening and I fully intend to post an update photo of her at the vet there when I can.

However, to this end, so much as I do not want to be asking for help.

Living with my current roommate is hell. Cut and dry. She is vindictive, rude, loud, and confrontational. Her own cat has a tendency to attack my own and has on many occasions. This roommate was moved into the apartment in June, I have been here for more than a year and a half.

I will save you most of the story because there is an incredible amount, honestly, and I have cried more than my fair share today. My body is threatening more tears as I work through writing this now.

Incredibly important note: one of my old roommates is moving back in, she is a good friend of mine. However, given all that my current one has done, the original roommate refuses to move back if the current one is still present. I cannot blame her as the actions of my current roommate have driven me to locking myself in my room 24/7, along with my ESA. I wish that this was an exaggeration. It is not.

The brunt of the situation comes down to this:

We had mediation, my current roommate and I, and it was about as useless as you would believe it to be.

Nothing changed, in fact any things reverted back to the way they had been or seemingly got worse.

I went to speak with the property manager one-on-one to bring the full story to light along with evidence to backup what I was saying. I completely broke down at this point in time. I cannot break my lease, I cannot escape my current roommate - I am caged.

What was decided in that meeting was that they would be performing a forcible transfer of my roommate - she would be moving to another apartment, same layout, same size room, etc. But out. We would then phase my soon-to-be roommate back in (she had not originally renewed her lease because she was going to be gone for some time). This meeting was on Friday. I was told by the property manager that the following Monday she was going to have a meeting with my current roommate and inform her of this. The whole process would supposedly take about 2 weeks. (It should also be included that my current roommate has had multiple violations of her lease which I had documented). This decision was then further documented by an email they sent to my soon-to-be roommate stating that upon her arrival into the apartment, my current roommate would be gone. So this is an actual documented decision.

The two weeks was almost up and nothing had been heard, my roommate had not packed, etc. So yesterday (October 17th) I sent an email to which I got no reply. Today (October 18th) I went and spoke to the leasing manager (different from the Property Manager, whom is ranked just above her). the LM had no idea what I was talking about. She then spoke with the PM, who I had met with and called me back.

Apparently, the Property Manager, in her meeting the following Monday decided that actually we would continue to live together. My current roommate would no longer be moved out. This sudden change was not communicated to myself or my soon-to-be roommate who was refiling her lease under the impression the issue would be gone.

No curtsey to respond to my email, no honoring a DOCUMENTED decision. Etc. Just radio silence to me.

The only two options available are this - since they are now also giving my soon-to-be (hopefully) roommate a hard time about her income.

1. Myself and my soon-to-be roommate are moved from our original apartment to a different and fully vacant apartment.

(This is the decision we are going with on the grounds that my STB roommate be accepted).

2. My STB roommate does not move in at all and cancels her lease process, leaving me along in the apartment with my devil of a roommate and her cat that keeps attacking my own.

This second option is not sustainable. I am breaking, entirly. I am so tired, and so done with this all.

I do not want to give up where I have lived for almost two years becuase the actions of a vindictive new arrival. But I cannot stay here. If I could break my lease then I would. Because the Property Manager is the highest authority present at the office there is nobody I can go to above her that will hold her to her documented word and honor it. (I did but in a request to the corporation that owns my complex to speak with them about her conduct, but I doubt anything will come of it outside of retaliation).

The reality of option 1 however, is that it is no longer considered a forced transfer. Meaning that i have to pay the transfer fee listed in my lease of $300 plus applicable fees ("convenience" fee and card transfer %). I cannot move apartments until this fee is paid.

Therefore I am setting the amount at $400 to account for the percentage that GFM takes, and the amount that the apartments themselves will be taking on.

I have no set goal for how fast this will be filled, but by God, the sooner the better. I am not renewing my lease and remaining her after it ends in June.

[sleeplesssmoll]

Do you think that the foundations staff considers vertin a bad omen (or like a omen for the storm) and do you think the foundation did it on purpose and she kinda is?

Like if you think about it how can they not? Vertin is the timekeeper, someone who can brave the storm and not be affected like at all, and every work place has gossip at least even a little and with vertin's kind of aloof or "emotionless" personality I can't imagine people who hasn't met her would have a good perception of her and even at the start of the game the female investigator says "your our timekeeper that means..." That means when vertin arrived that signals to the investors that the storm is near, and even the whole procedure of you can call for aid of the timekeeper within 24 hours of the storm honestly all of this kinda feels like it's designed to have the timekeeper synonymous with the storm because wherever she is the storm is always near, do you think Constantine did that on purpose to further isolate vertin? Honestly it feels like something she'd do

I don't think Constantine did it intentionally but it definitely works in her favor. Vertin is like an omen of death who shows up before the Storm. As an Investigator, she's the last person you want to see but it's also very important you recognize her.

Smoltin was a pain in the Foundation's butt, but Vertin is the respected Timekeeper who carries the highest authority during the Storm. Regardless of how they feel about her personally, they have to trust her or risk being Reversed if they are in the danger zone.

I can totally see unsavory rumors and gossip floating around because she started off at the bottom. She was he sole member of her department for so long which means people's imaginations have a chance to run wild.

Here's a fun game, what kind if rumors/gossip would be floating around? What are people saying behind her back?

1. "What the hell is the Foundation thinking letting her gather all these unhinged arcanists? She must have people the scenes."

2. "Why do people follow her? What is she offering them that the Foundation can't? She should be investigated. "

3. "I hear her Suitcase brainwashes anyone who steps inside to obey her."

4. "The only reason she's ranked above us is because she's immune to the Storm. She's lucky she even graduated! If she wasn't the Timekeeper, she'd probably be cleaning the Critter pens!"

5. "Does she even care?"

6. "I can't look at her. Everything I do I remember everyone else who didn't make it..."

7. "She's so touchy with all her people. Just saying, it's kinda weird. I think I saw her kiss her assistant's cheek! Isn't that an abuse of power?"

8. "The top student is following orders from the worst in the class. It's like a sick joke. If that's where hard work gets you, whats the point of trying?"

9. "I don’t even know what her face looks like because she always has that stupid hat on with that stuffy suit. She loves to show off, while we're stuck in black and white."

10. "The Timekeeper was originally a frog but she was transformed after the first Storm!"

11. "She took in Joshua? She must be facing hard times."

12. "I heard she joined Manus at one point. I don't think we should keep someone like that in charge of a literal army of arcanists."

13. "She met Arcana multiple times and lived! She could be secretly working for her."

14. "Her team of Arcanists survived the island but the human team didn't. We need to keep an eye on her."

15. "A face only a mother could love. Have I seen it? Well, no, but why else would she hide it. It's not like she's shy."

16. "What do you mean she? Isn't the Timekeeper a guy? But it's Sir Vertin, Lord Vertin, and so on! Vertin's not a girl name to begin with! Ugh these damn Arcanists always make everything complicated."

17. "I thought she was interested in me but it turns out she holds hands and gives gifts to everyone. What a weirdo! Thank goodness, I dodged a bullet–shut up, I'm not angry. Why would I be angry? She's not even my type!"

[cleolinda]

Friends, we have more neighborhood weirdness, and it doesn't even involve wet chaos or the Unnamed Internet Provider.

So I'm at home with my dog, minding my own business, and there's a loud knock at the front door. The first thing you need to know is, it's 2023 and I don't open doors. Since the advent of texting, there is zero need to open a door without advance notice of a visitation, and I stand by this. At most, someone might be unheralded, but it's a delivery I was at least expecting. Don't Open Doors 2k23.

So I wait a few minutes, and then I go to the slatted door that opens from the den out into a little front hall, so I can kind of look through a window by the front door without being seen. There is no one on our doorstep, and there is no one parked out front on the street. Sure, I gave them time to leave. Not weird.

However, as you know, an Internet Provider flooded my basement with sewage, and we have had vans and trucks for repairs at our house for a month now. I go check kitchen window over the driveway to see if there’s anyone parked there.

There is.

I did take a picture of it, but I'm not sure if I should post it. I don't know shit about cars, so I can only describe this gleaming black vehicle as CIA surplus, or maybe sport utility hearse. The windows are tinted so dark that I can't even see who's in the front seat--there's got to be someone, because I went to other windows around the house and couldn't see anyone walking around, either. Short version, it looks like an expensive car that takes you to Bad Places.

I call my mom and ask if she was expecting anyone to stop by. Delivery, home damage repair, driveway digging chaos, anything. No, no one.

I sit very quietly in the den with my dog.

A while later, I check the kitchen window again. Ten minutes, and they're still parked there. Half an hour, they're still parked there. My mom calls an hour into this, and I check again, and they're not there. So this car stayed parked in my driveway, no one knocking again or ringing the doorbell, anywhere from 30-60 minutes. When I peer out at the front door, there's a printed note stuck on the window. It reads thusly:

DELIVERY NOTICE!

Important Time Sensitive Material

Name: Mr. and Mrs. [Parents' correct surname]

Date: [Accurate date]

Time: [Not accurate time, nearly an hour early]

Please call within 24 hours to reschedule your delivery

Contact Person: [A slightly different version of a common first name, a common surname]

Phone: [A number my mom later tried to google but reverse lookup wanted money]

There is no logo or company name on the note. It looks extremely generic and "hello fellow kids, I do a business." Between this and the corporate kidnap vehicle, I am creeped the fuck out, and extremely grateful that I have the Gift of Fear™ and do not fucking open doors.

Here's the thing, though. In writing this up just now, I decided to do some due diligence for y'all and google the contact's name. The first name is just unusual enough that it pulls someone relevant up immediately, first result:

A local account executive for a rival internet provider

what the fuck, y'all

Like, I'm not saying an internet executive sat in my driveway for the better part of an hour (to deliver WHAT??), but given our travails with A DIFFERENT internet provider, does this not seem significant? MAN WE JUST USE AT&T, LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE

[snuffysbox]

I use CSP (EX) and I was wondering if you've upgraded at all recently to 2.0 and if you'd recommend it? I'm still using Version 1.3.2 and held off on upgrading because I've heard a lot of really wacky things about 2.0 so I've held off for the time being. But I was interested in hearing your take as a CSP user.

I currently use CSP EX as well, only it's a version 1.3.2 license that I was gifted by a friend after complaining to them a lot about 2.0 lol

I honestly would REALLY NOT recommend upgrading to 2.0 at this point. Celsys claimed that upgrading would be reversible, but that was not the case for me. Sure, I could technically revert back to my Pro version 1.3.2, but it still retained the framework of 2.0's new license checking system. At first it would check your license every 24 hours (meaning that if you went offline for any reason within that timespan, you'd be locked out of your license and only allowed to use a trial version in which you cannot save your work). Celsys did a bit of course correction and now the license checks happen every 2 weeks, as far as I know.

In my mind that means that 2.0 is no longer perpetual. A product that requires an internet connection and can be rendered unusable if Celsys' servers were to crash or something, is in my mind not perpetual. It's Adobe business practice bad, and it sucks. The perks of 2.0 (most of which are 3D updates) do not make up for this, imo.

My biggest issue with the whole 2.0 is that Celsys refused to be transparent about anything (they would not disclose the amount of time you could remain offline) and when I reached out to them for a refund of 2.0, I got no answer. And I wasn't the only one, they screwed over a number of people on this front.

I'll continue using CSP EX 1.3.2 as long as I can, because it's a stellar program. I just cannot endorse the company anymore.

[helenofsimblr]

Aamon: Now what?

Elita: My father took a moment to assess his options, which were left or right. You see, dad was a lot more than just a beast with great physical strength, he was tactical. Dad and Guy, were able to think like their enemies would. Dad also had a huge advantage, he knew Judith. And he knew, that even down in a stinking damp sewer, she would try to find the most comfortable spot she could. Tracking was one of my dad’s best attributes, and he had a great sense of direction too and was able to keep an image in his mind of roughly where he was going in relation to the surface…

Bob: To the right.

Aamon: How can you Jusht (just) know that?

Bob: Experience.

****

Elita: Grandpa Aamon took my father’s warning about silence seriously and followed him quietly accepting that he had his skills, and my dad had his.

Bob: Contact.

Elita: Autopilot. Dad spotted the blood on the floor, even in this dim light. Those super sharp super soldier eyes picked it out from the rest of the dank. My dad readied the sight on his gun and chambered the round, ready to shoot if he had to. Believe me, my dad came here willing to kill Judith if he had to… he didn’t want to, he prayed they could find her and capture her, maybe do something to reverse the Vampirism… perhaps if she had isotope 9 in her like Guy did then… maybe like Guy’s isotope 9 it could be switched on maybe? Bring back the old Judith… He just tried to focus at that moment and be ready.

****

Elita: My dad crouched by the blood and examined it. This was made within the last 24 hours. He noted there was a crack and broken bricks on the wall as well…

Bob: There was a struggle. 

Aamon: A victim?

Bob: I don’t think so…

Elita: My dad wondered if it was Judith who was the victim… something, or somebody got her…

Bob: I’ll open the door, be ready.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Okay so Pokémon Legends Z-A!  What the fuck!  Wow!

One big concern I want to get out of the way first: apparently the game is going to take place entirely within Lumiose City.  And I mean, Lumiose is the biggest city in Pokémon, but what about the whole rest of Kalos?  Also how will we encounter Pokémon?  Surely they’re not all city-dwellers.  I have to wonder if this was a miscommunication, but I guess we’ll see.

Anyway: YES!!  Not only are we getting a new Legends game (PLA was immediately one of my favorite games in the series), but it’s set in the woefully under-utilized Kalos region!  Kalos is a well of untapped potential, and this has the chance to be a very striking way to finally draw it out.  They knew exactly what they were doing when they let that Z linger on-screen.  AND, not only THAT, but the franchise is taking 24 off and saving this game for NEXT YEAR!  Thank God, this is great news for GameFreak’s employees, and if Pokémon of all things sets this precedent it could have a HUGE impact on the industry.

As for why it’s “Z-A”…who knows?  I’m sure at least part of it is the creators wanting to come up with a more unique name, which is fair.  The hyphen makes it seem like a range covering the entire alphabet, which could signify something all-encompassing, and reversing it to go from end to beginning likely plays into the cycle of life and death represented by Xerneas and Yveltal (in this case, death must occur for new life to take its place, or something along those lines).

I’m glad (and amused) that they specifically showed Furfrou in the teaser, as it’s currently one of the last few Pokémon yet to be available in a mainline Switch game.  After this, I believe it’s just Patrat/Watchog and the Elemental Monkeys?  Maybe they’ll toss them all in to finish rounding things out.

Part of me does wonder if the prevalence of Unown in the Presents could be significant…but probably not.  As the world’s biggest Unown fan I adored their sidequest in PLA, but Unown haven’t appeared in Kalos previously and it would make more sense to revisit Zygarde Cells for this sort of quest.

And Mega Evolution!  Honestly it feels a bit weird to say it’s “back” when it’s remained prevalent in everything but the mainline games, but I’ll get over it, I’m still thrilled!  Mega Evolutions in a Legends game!  I have to imagine we’ll get some additional information on it; there’s a good chance the game will feature Kalos’s first discovery of Mega Evolution, too.  On the chance of getting new Megas…I don’t want to get my hopes up, but it would make a lot of sense!  Though I definitely still want new regional forms too.  Maybe I’m being greedy.  But speaking of forms, if the do give new forms to Xerneas and Yveltal, I hope they look better than Dialga and Palkia’s Origin Formes, those still bother me.

I’m personally hoping this one won’t be an isekai.  PLA did end up utilizing it well enough, but I’d still prefer to stay as grounded in this particular time period as possible.  Something about giving you a magic smartphone in ye olde past just feels…I dunno, patronizing?  But since Arceus probably won’t be involved this time and I don’t see any of the XYZ trio opening time portals, I think there’s a good chance of avoiding the isekai angle.  One related thing that brings to my attention is space-time distortions; they’d probably be a poor fit here on a thematic level, so I hope they’re able to come up with a good stand-in.  Maybe Mega energy suddenly flares up in a region and affects the Pokémon?  Will we encounter wild Megas?  Wait, Alphas are still a thing, right…?

Come to think of it, how will the Pokédex be handled?  I really liked the approach of creating the region’s first Dex; perhaps it could be an element of this “redevelopment” process?  I hope so.  Anyway I could list things I want to see for hours but I think this is sufficient to communicate what sort of headspace I’m in regarding this announcement.  Hon hon hon baguette Prism Tower, everyone!

[rmorde]

With talks about RCT output and worries about Shoko getting shafted regarding her powers... let's see the rough translations.

Warning: Spoilers

Sukuna: No, when you use RCT on another person, the efficiency is usually less than half compared to when you heal yourself.

Kinda make sense? It was already established long ago that RCT is incredibly difficult to pull off.

Shoko doesn't have any Innate Technique. Since her name implies that she is not part of a clan, she likely has no Inherited Technique either. So all she has is usage of Reversal (RCT). Considering how highly valued she is by the school, she must be incredibly good at it.

Now, her feats were said to be healing and re-growing limbs. However, we saw how Toge is still missing an arm and so does Hana. Maki is also heavily scarred.

But it's not all failures tho, Shoko is the one that healed Nanami after fighting Mahito the first time and he seemed perfectly fine the next day. Another example is Geto who was severely injured in the afternoon, but was back to normal within 24 hours.

And... that's about it. We do not have any further clue regarding her powers. This is both a boon and a bane.

Let's start with this lack of info as bane.

Sukuna: Her RCT isn't even as powerful as me or Gojo Satoru

This is what people are worried about. Frankly, so do I. This devalues Shoko's skill. It is not helped by the fact there are other characters introduced already that possesses RCT.

Sukuna's observation here could be taken as Shoko being not that special after all especially since we do not really have much information about what she can truly do so far. With her confirmed heals being 2 Perfectly Fine and 3 Not Exactly Fine, it may seem Sukuna is right.

HOWEVER!

#1 Sukuna has been wrong before. He has a habit of underestimating people right until he spent a lot of time knowing them through fights.

Case in point #1: Gojo. From fish to the guy he never shuts up about, Sukuna seem to like/respect (?) him in the end. I mean, just an observation here, Sukuna tends to name drop Gojo a lot actually like with Megumi.

Case in point #2: Yuji. Sukuna is practically annoyed with Yuji because he doesn't see any value in him. Yet, in this very recent chapter, he acknowledged Yuji at last! Sukuna hates it but he admits that Yuji isn't as bad as he initially thought.

#2 Sukuna is comparing Shoko to Gojo. GOJO who is The Strongest sorcerer?! IMO, Sukuna is being extremely biased here. Like really?! What did he expect? For every single sorcerer Gojo hanged out with to be on the same level as he is in terms of everything he does?! Then again, Sukuna fucking expected Hiromi to pull off the insane feats Gojo did during their showdown (and Hiromi delivered! My beloved! He was taken away so fast.)

Therefore, Sukuna saying Shoko isn't as great as him and Gojo is not really a downgrade exactly. They're two monsters on an entirely different scale. Shoko not being on their scale is just expected.

Seriously. Wtf is up with Sukuna? He's like a heavyweight champion whining why a featherweight champion (Shoko) couldn't compare to him and his rival (aka Gojo) in punching power right after beating the lights out of a promising rookie (aka Hiromi).

#3 We still lack information about Shoko's RCT to fully judge her. So far here are the solid facts:

She can heal people and help them regrow loss limbs which is legit since they are keeping her away from any fights.

There is probably a time factor for her abilities. -> Nanami & Geto probably got healed immediately by her so they recovered 100% -> Maki, Toge*, and Hana* probably missed the time window to become 100% healed -----> *Maybe Sukuna being the one to maim Toge & Hana is a factor too.

Her power level is not Sukuna/Gojo Grade.

The new info that RCT is only 50% effective when applied on others seems to be a general fact which may or may not apply to Shoko. Maybe she is greater than 50% effective at using RCT on others provided she heals a patient within a specific time window.

This could be copium but we actually haven't seen for ourselves Shoko healing someone. What we often see is the result/aftermath of her work.

I may misremember it (if I am please tell me) but I think this is the only image we have of her actually doing RCT... until she got distracted by Satoru and Suguru's shenanigans with Yaga that is.

I just don't want my baby girl be done dirty. Shoko is THE jujutsu doctor for fuck's sake.

GIVE HER RESPECT!!!

[masterqwertster]

For the Spell ask, Modify Memory for Ashton and Orym?

This ask

Modify Memory

You attempt to reshape another creature’s memories. One creature that you can see must make a Wisdom saving throw. If you are fighting the creature, it has advantage on the saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes charmed by you for the duration. The charmed target is incapacitated and unaware of its surroundings, though it can still hear you. If it takes any damage or is targeted by another spell, this spell ends, and none of the target’s memories are modified.

While this charm lasts, you can affect the target’s memory of an event that it experienced within the last 24 hours and that lasted no more than 10 minutes. You can permanently eliminate all memory of the event, allow the target to recall the event with perfect clarity and exacting detail, change its memory of the details of the event, or create a memory of some other event.

You must speak to the target to describe how its memories are affected, and it must be able to understand your language for the modified memories to take root. Its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description. If the spell ends before you have finished describing the modified memories, the creature’s memory isn’t altered. Otherwise, the modified memories take hold when the spell ends.

A modified memory doesn’t necessarily affect how a creature behaves, particularly if the memory contradicts the creature’s natural inclinations, alignment, or beliefs. An illogical modified memory, such as implanting a memory of how much the creature enjoyed dousing itself in acid, is dismissed, perhaps as a bad dream. The DM might deem a modified memory too nonsensical to affect a creature in a significant manner.

A Remove Curse or Greater Restoration spell cast on the target restores the creature’s true memory.

Orym doesn't like letting Ashton go off, alone, with the recently found Nobodies. He doesn't like the way they eye Ashton up, measuring the genasi's combat readiness, their magical equipment.

Ashton has never hidden that there was a certain practicality to his old crew, had claimed the same of himself (and maybe it was true, once upon a time, but it's certainly not the person Orym knows these days), but that business-like evaluation raises Orym's hackles.

When Ashton comes back down into the tavern proper after that talk in one of the Nobodies' rooms, there's an unexpected, almost eerie, sense of calm to him. He easily threads his way through the crowd to the table Bells Hells is gathered around and, after taunting to withhold what happened at the group's immediate prodding, explains in a soft, amazed voice that the Nobodies hadn't meant to leave him like that, that they were sorry. It's a list of all the things Ashton had ever wanted to hear to ease the tragedy of his fall and subsequent abandonment.

And Orym can't believe it's true.

Not when he spots the Nobodies in the stairwell, assessing the Hells' table with just the slightest hint of smug or worry, depending on the individual.

Orym's not a big magic guy, just a little wind and growing flowers are all he's gifted with. But, he's heard a lot of stories from and about people who are. There's magic out there to mess with people's minds. His friends do it sometimes. Thankfully, there's magic to reverse such things as well.

It's not easy, but Orym does manage to grab FCG's attention and quietly convey his concerns to the cleric. He feels bad about distressing them when they've been so happy for Ashton, but Bells Hells' barbarian deserves the truth.

There's no satisfaction in watching Ashton stiffen, their hand held between Fresh Cut Grass's hands, eye's narrowing as they lock on to the Nobodies carousing with the Hells. The lights in the glass burst dangerously with the emotions growing inside the genasi barbarian.

"What the fuck did you do?" Ashton growls out, voice deep and rumbling as Orym's ever heard it.

The Nobodies pale and pull back, dismay and fear plain on their faces. Bells Hells tightens up, preparing to either attack alongside their friend or attempt to hold back what promises to be a spectacular explosion of fury.

___

"I'm sorry that didn't go well," Orym quietly apologizes once Bells Hells is retired for the night.

"Don't be," Ashton rumbles into the quiet. "I'm glad you figured their game out. It would have fucking sucked to think I could trust them because they planted some fake memory in my head of the perfect apology, only to find out all over again that I can't."

"You know you can trust us, right?" Orym can't help but ask.

Ashton snorts as a smile curves their lips. "Yeah. It seems like I can."

The scary thing about Modify Memory is the "its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description", so if you want to absolutely convince someone of doing something with/for you within a ten minute window, you can. They will provide the rhetoric that convinces them to help you because they're tailoring it for themself. Lucky for Ashton here, Orym is the little god of Perception, and FCG is always willing to help.

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Do you know the toy "laro-lato" in the Philippines? ITS SO EFFING ANNOYING ITS NIGHTITME AND ALL I HEAR IS THIS FREAKING TOY!

(you can search it on tiktok and you'll understand how incredibly annoying it is to the point it was banned from ever used {though the reason was entirely different})

It brought a sudden... Idea...

What if (y/n) was playing one of those and then... The strawhats' kinda liked it...? But then law was on the ship so... Wouldn't he be annoyed?

Lol

So I'd never actually heard of this toy before so I looked it up. In short videos, it's not that bad. That being said, the videos were maybe a minute long. I can't imagine listening to them constantly. Also, for this, I made the reader part of the straw hat crew. I hope it's okay.

Warnings: mentions of reader biting Luffy, annoying toys, reader 'attacking' Law

Word Count: 1210

     The crew never really minded the little toy. It made noise, it entertained you, and Luffy, but they weren’t ever bothered by it unless you and Luffy were playing with them late into the night. Heck, Usopp had even ‘reverse engineered’ more so you could play together, pulling off silly tricks, making bets on who could keep it going the longest, or just busying yourselves when you had nothing else to do. Walking down the halls, you fiddled with your toy absentmindedly. The toy was almost always on your person, often clicking as you walked around the ship. While Franky had made a few new ones with interesting additions that the crew used, the original one was your favorite, having been a gift from your family. They’d gotten used to the signature click-clack of the toy as you walked into a room, finding a certain comfort in always knowing that where they could find clicking, they could find you. Law, however, was another story. He’d only been with the crew for a few hours and he already hated the stupid plastic toy more than any other he’d ever run across. How some of the other Straw hats hadn’t gotten fed up with it was beyond him. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky he could understand, but how could Robin or Nami deal with the constant clacking?! Subsequently, he’d taken to hiding in places you weren’t. If you were on deck, he was either in the library or below deck. You were in the dorms? He was up in the crow’s nest. You were in the gym? He was in the kitchen. He avoided you and that infernal toy like the plague! While a few of the crew had noticed how he avoided you, they, thankfully, hadn’t said or done anything. 

     Today, however, seemed to be his current personal hell as the entire crew seemed to be playing with them. According to Robin, one of the crew, Law didn’t care which, had decided to start one of their challenges, prompting them to grab their various toys. Franky had one that made machine noises, Nami had one that sounded like thunder or rain, Sanji had one that contained women’s voices, something that Law found almost as disturbing as the toy itself, Brook’s played music, Zoro’s was made of metal, Robin’s didn’t seem to make much noise at all, something Law was thankful for, and Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all had plastic ones that make the signature clack that he’d come to hate. The challenge was simple, who could keep theirs going all day without any stopping. This meant that they all had to keep the infernal contraptions going until they faltered, the toy going silent and granting Law a moment of silence. Like damn near everything they did, the winner got a prize of their choice, so long as it was within reason. Had Law not despised the toy already, he might have joined in just to make everyone stop playing with them for no less than 24 hours. What was worse was that apparently, most of the crew was quite skilled with them, meaning that the sounds continued all day! 

     Luffy had been the first one out, messing up the moment that Sanji announced lunch, the rubber boy immediately dropping the plastic thing and rushing to get lunch. How Sanji managed to make lunch with that thing on, was beyond Law, but somehow the blond cook managed. Nami was the second one out, having messed up while chewing Luffy out for something, what, Law didn’t really care. Next was Zoro, the man unable to train while keeping the metal toy going at the same time. Next had been Chopper, the reindeer looking particularly sad as he realized that he’d lost, somewhat reminding Law of Bepo giving him puppy dog eyes. Usopp was forced to drop his when a sea king surfaced, scaring the young man. Sanji messed up while tripping over himself to get Nami and Robin snacks, Brook was next, Luffy demanding music, forcing the skeleton to choose between the toy or his violin. The last 3 were you, Franky, and Robin. Robin had a second pair of hands managing hers, something that Luffy, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper claimed was cheating but since no rules had been established, she was allowed to do as she wished. Franky had a weird extra pair of hands that came out of his larger hands, allowing him to work while keeping the machine like toy going. And finally, you. You who seemed to have a knack for this thing. Perhaps it was to be expected, you played with it constantly and had been the one to introduce the crew to it, so it made sense. 

     It was dinner and Law wasn’t sure how much more he could take. It was just you and Robin now, her extra hand still keeping the toy going while you just… kept going. Slamming his hands on the table, Law glared at you and Robin, his room covering the table as he shambles’d the toys out of your and Robin’s hands, replaced by the salt and pepper shakers.

     “That’s fucking enough! These things are a menace!” Law shouted, now holding the toys before slamming them down on the table. The crew watched on in stunned silence, staring at the toy under Law’s hand, almost in fear. You looked down at Law’s hand before looking back up at him.

     “Give. That. Back.” you said quietly, your voice turning dark as you returned the glare.

     “Not a chance! You can have it back once I’m off the damned ship!” Law shouted, still furious with the clacking. In an instant, Law found himself laying on his back on the ground as you straddled him, a furious look in your eyes as you held his wrist, your grip uncomfortably tight.

     “I said give it back.” you growled, surprising the young man. Staring up at you for a moment, he opened his hand, letting you quickly snatch the toy from him, holding it close to your chest before grabbing your plate and running off to the deck.

     “Oh, right. We should have mentioned. She’s very protective of that toy. It was the last thing her family gave her before she set sail. It’s the only thing that calms her down when she’s upset.” Robin said with a knowing smile, taking a bite of her food. Law stayed on the floor for a moment, still stunned before finally pulling himself up off the floor and back up to the table. 

     “The first time Luffy wanted to try it, she bit him.” Usopp said with a nod, Luffy wincing at the memory. You’d bitten into his arm when he’d refused to return the toy. He’d been fine in the end, but it had still hurt. After that, they’d asked why you’d bitten him. After explaining why you didn’t let anyone touch it, they’d all agreed to stay away from it, Usopp only asking to see it long enough to make more. Law glanced back at the door before starting to eat. It looked like he was just going to have to either get used to it or continue avoiding you until it was time to part ways.

[thisismysecondrodeo]

I love your wedding blurb so much BUT what about the angst of the roles being reversed? Ted is panicking and Roy or beard come to tell Keeley to let you know cause they don’t know what to do. When you do finally make it to him:

“Ted, honey what’s wrong? Do you… not want to get married? Are you having second thoughts?”

“Oh I don’t have any doubts about marrying you, of course. You’re the only thing I’m sure of most days. But I won’t lie to you darlin’ I am a tad bit nervous about being a husband again because I wasn’t all that good at it the first time.”

AN: Thank you for this request!! Now that I've finished Twitter Famous I have time to catch up on requests haha I think it turned out a little angstier than the first fic but I really liked this idea!

Rating: General

Tags: Keeley Jones, Coach Beard, Romance, Fluff, Weddings, Light Angst, Panic Attack, Happy Ending Wedding Day (OG) | Fic Masterlist

-

Ted wiggled his hips, dancing as usual to Easy Lover as he buttoned his suit pants and tried his hardest not to think. He had been looking forward to this day for an entire year since he popped the question and now that it was here he wasn’t less excited, but if he thought too hard…well, he didn’t want to think about thinking either. He wanted to get dressed and walk down the aisle and greet you with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes and he absolutely did not want to think. 

But as he tied his tie, his hands shook and his temples were sweaty and, shoot, he definitely didn’t want to have to change shirts even though he did have extras. He thought he was making good time, he thought he was totally calm, but all of a sudden he was on the floor. He didn’t know how he got there, but his back was pressed to the wall and Beard was in front of him, and Roy was in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed, which generally wasn’t a huge concern because Roy kind of always looked like that, but now he was self-conscious. 

“I’m, uh, my shirt,” Ted tried to say but it was a hoarse whisper and Beard wasn’t sure what he was actually attempting to communicate. “God, and my hair! I just—” 

Beard was doing his best but he was at a bit of a loss and Roy, ever the stoic, was certainly no use. “Go tell Keeley to get Y/N,” Beard said, his voice quiet to try to not send Ted further into his panic, but the other man didn’t even seem to notice. 

“But they shouldn’t see each other, I tho—”

Beard wanted to yell at Roy, wanted to point at Ted and ask, “do you really think that matters right now?” But he just fixed him with a withering look and Roy scrambled to obey. 

-

Keeley tapped lightly on the door where you were getting ready. You were glad everyone was staying on-site at the venue because it made it easy to relax as you did your own hair and makeup. You didn’t have to worry about leaving at a particular time and it was ultimately comforting to know Ted was well within reach, even though you hadn’t seen him in 24 hours. 

“Yeah, come in!” 

Keeley peeked around the corner and where you expected a gleeful grin and squeal the woman’s face was set and grim. “Ted’shavingapanicattackandwethinkyoushouldgoseehim,” Keeley said in a singular breath and you only caught “Ted” and “panic attack” but that was enough to get your pulse thundering. You stood up, throwing a silky white dressing gown over your tank top and shorts that had been a gift from Rebecca at your bachelorette party. 

“Take me to him.” 

By the time you made it to Ted’s suite, he was up and drinking water and looking a little rumpled and tired but generally okay and God, you loved him. Roy and Beard looked to you immediately as Keeley let you in the room, but you had eyes only for Ted and you knew you loved him more than he did yesterday and yet less than you would tomorrow. Ted finally noticed you and turned, his one loose tendril falling into his eyes and a frustrated look on his face. 

“Y/N you didn’t have to come, I told them I was fine—”

You ignored his protests, nodding at Beard and Ted and hooking your thumb at the door, and they quickly took the hint. As soon as the door shut, you took Ted’s hands in your own, running your thumbs over his knuckles. 

“Baby, I love you so much. More than I even have words for right now, but it’s okay if you don’t want to get married. I don’t want you to send yourself into a tizzy over that,” you meant it, you’d love him forever no matter what happened, but just saying the words brought tears to your eyes. 

“Honey, honey, of course I want to marry you! Don’t you doubt that for a single second, darlin’ I’m so sorry for scarin’ ya. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me and on most days you’re the only thing I’m sure of. I, uh, I guess I was just in here gettin’ ready and I realized that I was about to be a husband again…and I don’t know how good I was at that the first time.” 

You tugged Ted toward the bed in the center of the room, your back against the headboard, and pulled your future husband to rest against your chest. You rocked him gently, your hands wrapped around him and pressing into his chest. “Don’t you apologize for scaring me. I’m sorry you’re scared. But I don’t believe in ‘good husbands.’” 

You felt Ted tense in your arms and you tightened your grasp, pressing a kiss to the graying temples you loved so much. “Here me out,” you chuckled, “I don’t believe in ‘good husbands.’ I believe in two people that love each other committing to filing their taxes together forever.” Ted laughed lightly, relaxing into your hold. “I believe in taking turns doing the dishes and going to sleep angry if it means still sleeping in your arms. I believe people that love each other aren’t good husbands and good wives, they’re just good people. And, my love, you're the best person I know.” 

Ted hummed, surreptitiously wiping his eyes and covering his emotion with a cough, but he knew that you knew you’d gotten through to him. 

“You know what,” Ted said, bringing your hand up to his lips and placing a kiss on your open palm. “I believe you’re right.” 

“See, that’ll get you halfway there already,” you teased, kissing his ear and neck and he tilted his head to give you more space. You grinned, “I believe this part comes later. After I commit to living happily ever after with the love of my life.” 

Ted groaned playfully, but sat up and pulled you with him, “well we oughta get to gettin’ then, shouldn’t we?”

<- Wedding Day OG

[staticespace]

If you receive an ask or see a post for medical assistance by Tumblr user lucymkiraa, it is Highly Likely a Scam

Notice. They have admitted to having more than one account, so you may see their PayPal link in more than one place. Report the account in the image below to PayPal:

I became aware of them after they sent me an ask (I unfortunately don't have the image because I believe they've blocked me, removing it before I took a screenshot). In it, they claimed to be Black and disabled, unable to breathe properly, and needing money for medical attention.

When I looked at their account, I saw the following pinned message:

I reverse image searched their profile picture, which produced no duplicate results. However, I still felt unsettled.

Since I received their ask in my inbox, I began messaging them privately. I will note my personal red flags as we go along.

(this gets long, so please keep reading to view more)

🚩Excessive use of "dear"

Please note, as you see in the pinned message I've shared up above, that they have listed their income goal and the amount they presumably have. This information is completely based on their own metrics and you have no third-party method of knowing how much they actually have.

🚩"Trust me, bro, I will tell you how much I have."

🚩Constant misspelling/misunderstanding of English

Note: they do actually have the update on the account they've messaged me with, even if they have multiple accounts. Regardless, my question still stands, as any of these "other accounts" they have could list any other number or no number at all.

🚩No list of accounts they are using to raise money

Before I could continue, they quickly sent another message.

🚩🚩🚩Lying to agree with me + continued excessive use of "dear"

I intended to say "Moving on" after my message conceding that they did actually have the amounts listed on their account. However, for whatever reason, they agreed with me that they didn't actually say the information I just said they did, indeed, have. Why lie about something so easy to disprove?

At this point, I'm sure I'm working with a scammer, but I also have a tendency to not trust myself. After all, what if their fingers are too stiff to type properly? What if that really is just the way they speak? It's the heat of the moment, and I know I can be gullible and a bit too quick to act.

So, I make one last attempt. After all, it's true that I couldn't find their icon image via a reverse search. But what if they used some sort of overlay I can't see with the naked eye to prevent it from matching with the original?

🚩An excuse instead of an answer

Note: At the time I sent my initial message requesting an answer within two minutes, it was 11:45 PM in Sacramento County, California. In three hours, it would be 2:45 AM.

As noted, two minutes passed without an answer.

🚩Continued misuse/misunderstanding/misspelling of English

Although, I accidentally wrote "be" instead of "been," so that's part of the reason why I didn't immediately consider it a red flag. Continued misuse, etc., is more of a red flag than occasional or one-time issues. Also, since I have put them on a time crunch, their misspellings and such have increased. Ah, also--

🚩🚩🚩Still haven't told me any sort of time

Even if they weren't sure what it would be in three hours, why not tell me what time it is now?

🚩🚩🚩Told me an incorrect time

🚩🚩🚩Continued to tell me an incorrect time, but switched to military/international/24-hour clock

By the time of these messages, it was around 11:53 PM in Sacramento County, CA. The times they told me, as noted, were that it would be 3:44 AM in three hours (it would be 2:53 AM), then they told me it will be 8:53 PM (which is three hours in reverse despite referring to the future).

By this point, I am acting as though it is a scam and reporting their PayPal account. They continue to message me.

🚩🚩🚩Still telling me the wrong time (2 PM when it's almost midnight)

🚩🚩🚩Increased desperation

🚩🚩🚩Continued misuse/misspelling of English despite claiming to be a Black American from Sacramento County, CA (before someone says it, AAVE use would not be a "misuse" of English btw, it's a dialect)

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩Continued excessive use of "dear"

Unfortunately for them, I hate being called "dear".

I won't bother you with the extra images, but I switched gears and said I would donate to them, and they, continuing to call me "dear," expressed thankfulness. They were so thankful that, when I asked them for the email address they used for their PayPal account, they gave it to me.

As I sent my report to PayPal, they said they hadn't received the money yet, and I said I was heading to the bank. They said okay and gave me their blessings.

Thankfully, for you to send a report to PayPal, all you'll need is their link URL, this very post to show how they've acted suspicious, and their PayPal username, which is Lucymkira.

Their PayPal URL is https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9R2PJZYZXPG4E.

Remember, Do Not Donate To Them.

I attempted to send a warning not long after our conversation, but I had a feeling that they would block me before I could share it fully.

Here is where I had started:

They appear to have blocked me before I could continue reblogging with more information, so I made this separate post.

TL:DR;

Do not donate any medical expense money to user Lucymkira. Due to various red flags, I firmly believe it is a scam. Do not donate any medical expense money to anyone linking to the PayPal page with the URL "https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9R2PJZYZXPG4E".

If you click on their link, you can scroll to the bottom to "Report Inappropriate Content" or click the link here, which goes to the same page. Use their username, "Lucymkira", and a link to this post to report your findings to PayPal on their inappropriate behavior and use of their services.

Be careful of medical expense scams on Tumblr, but do not lose your giving heart. Double and triple-check whoever solicits you for help online. Ensure you have enough evidence to believe them trustworthy before giving them anything.

And if they aren't, report them to the necessary authorities so others do not get scammed.

Please reblog this post to spread the word.

Many thanks for your time.

[somediyprojects]

DIY Recolor Grout

​Project by Erica Loesing: 

I sure do love a nice, bright and clean-feeling bathroom. ​I can’t count the number of apartments I have lived in where the bathroom tile just looked really gross. And I could never do anything about it while being a renter (this was one of the many moments when I knew I was meant to be a project-doing homeowner one day!). Now I finally have a house that I adore — although not everything made the cut during our renovations. This super simple technique — of basically repainting the grout without having to redo all of your tile — came to my rescue. Read on below to learn how! ––Erica Loesing

Photography by Kimberly Murray

Tools and Materials

-Polyblend GroutRenew -Narrow paintbrushes -Toilet paper -Quite a bit of time (So, maybe your favorite show to binge-watch…)

I had previously tried everything under the rainbow to clean this grout. I think it was originally a light beige? But it had been stained and who knows what else over its years. I finally found Polyblend GroutRenew at my local hardware store and decided to give it a try.

Magic! It’s inexpensive (around $12), and it comes in a whole lot of colors. I decided to use the Bright White in the shower (really just to touch up a few spots) + glass block and Delorean Gray on the floors (in hindsight, I wish I would have gone a little bit lighter here, especially since it does dry a bit darker than when wet, but on the other hand, it will hopefully continue to look clean). The only prep work I did was to clean the tiled areas really well to assure the product would adhere, ​shake the bottle well, and then I chose to pour the paint into a little dish to avoid having to dip my brush down into the bottle.

This project is seriously as simple as painting over the existing grout and letting it dry​. ​(The bottle suggests 24 hours, so you may want to work in phases if you need access to the room you’re working on.) A good opportunity to catch up on my favorite show!

Rather than take my time painting exactly within the lines, I did each line more quickly with a little cheap brush, making sure to cover all areas, then used a tiny square of toilet paper to wipe the edges as I went. I could paint one full side of a square tile before wiping (any longer and it starts to dry). I just found this to be much more rewarding: going faster and not having to be as precise.

The GroutRenew wipes off of the tile very easily when wet, and even when it dries I could use my fingernail to touch-up if I needed. I did the same process for all areas of the tile. Keep in mind that the more contrast between your tile and paint color, the more visible your mistakes will be if you don’t wipe it clean.

I’ve seen samples​ ​where people successfully went over dark grout with white paint, or the reverse. And all of the reviews are glowing, even over time. I completed this project months ago and it still looks just as good as when I did it. Everything the product promised has rung true so far — yay!

The most dramatic change was the glass block window. The white grout had turned more of a clay color over time (so gross), so getting that back to its intended white makes such a difference. The whole bathroom just feels so much cleaner and brighter! I then even learned how to re-caulk the tub and tackled that, too. So easy!

[inamanicpixiedream]

2023

I've answered these questions on various platforms for over ten years now, I think? That's wild. There's better questions out there but tradition is tradition.

1. What did you do this year that you’d never done before?

Put on a mother-fucking Fringe show. Bought a Lego advent calendar. Got divorced lol.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?

I don't really make them any more, but I feel like I set out what I wanted to do.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yeah, a few of my good friends from work.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What cities/states/countries did you visit?

My partner finally moved here from Brisbane, but I did a couple of final trips there and we went back for a wedding. I did a whirlwind trip to Melbourne and while it was fun I found out I am not the kind of person who thrives on flying somewhere for less than 24 hours.

6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?

Money. God, I hate this is the answer, but my rent got super jacked up and my partner hasn't found a job here yet and everything is find but it's tight as fuck and I hate working so goddamn hard and feeling like I have nothing to show for it.

7. What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

February my show was performed. April my partner moved here. Two of the biggest days of my life honestly.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

The show was huge. I wrote and performed something I had written, with my own financial backing and organisation and steam, and it's something I have always wanted to do. And I just did it. I then started making more and more moves to make this my life, like asking to go part-time at work and starting my podcast again and putting together a Patreon.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I actually can't think of anything which is kind of wild. After leaving my husband last year I really grabbed a hold of my agency in my life. It's been pretty incredible.

10. What other hardships did you face?

I had a lot to grieve and process about the separation and I am very thankful to my therapist for all the work she did there.

My current relationship is wonderful but being two adults coming together is going to have more baggage and things to work through. It's so absolutely worth it.

11. Did you suffer illness or injury?

In July I was diagnosed with polycystic-ovary syndrome, which is yet another nail in the coffin of my ever being able to have children.

Along with that came a further investigation into my blood sugar and I was told I had pre-diabetes. This scared the shit out of me, cause I was really fucking close. I was also terrified about doing the work to try and reverse it, because I didn't want to get back into disordered eating territory. But I had incredible help from a dietician and I read really tempered, reasonable information, and I managed to make small, sustainable changes and turn that entire shit around. Within six months my levels were completely back to normal and all my other negative health markers were reversed. Honestly, this was another huge achievement.

12. What was the best thing you bought?

I just bought a new guitar that has become a huge joy in my life. I also got into beading when I went to see the Eras tour movie to make bracelets and I've kept it up and I absolutely love it as a hobby. Otherwise, I didn't really make a lot of big purchases. Contributing financially to helping my boyfriend move was pretty great to get him here.

13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

I am often resisting the urge to come on here and write a very gushy post about my boyfriend, but god he is great. I wrote last year that I highly recommend falling in love in your thirties. My mum commented at Christmas that it's clear how happy he makes me, but it's beyond happy - he makes me calm. Even when things are hard and messy he is such a solid presence in my life, and he is so, so bloody nice to me, and I keep waiting for it to stop feeling like a crush and exciting every time I see him but it's been almost two years and that just has never gone away. He is so ridiculously supportive of me and has worked so hard on himself and I'm so proud of him.

14. Whose behaviour made you appalled?

No names, but a few people at work made me feel like I was banging my head against the wall.

Also, fuck everyone who has been supporting Israel's attack on Palestine.

15. Where did most of your money go?

Rent and household expenses is the very boring but realistic answer.

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My show. My boyfriend finally moving here. Seeing Barbie.

17. What song will always remind you of this year?

I was so terrible at listening to new music this year. The songs that were written for my show, I guess. I listened to Peach Prc and Tessa Violet a lot, but I don't know if those songs will remind me of the year. Maybe Kitchen Song.

18. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. Happier or sadder? Happier, happier, happier!

ii. Thinner or fatter? No comment!

iii. Richer or poorer? Poorer. But I have complete control of my finances and can still cover everything and then some. Have to remind myself I'll be okay.

19. What do you wish you’d done more of? Reading! This is something I have to work on.

20. What do you wish you’d done less of? Last year I said sleeping, which is very funny to me. Mindless scrolling is the answer this year for sure.

21. How did you spend Christmas? My extended family did out potluck on the Saturday before which was lovely, and my boyfriend was nervous cause he hadn't met half of them before, and he'd never been to a big Christmas before, but it was really great. My granny is pretty far gone with her Alzheimer's though which was a cloud that hung over everything

My boyfriend's mum then flew down on Christmas Eve, and we had lunch on the day with just us and our mums, cause we're both only children of single parents, and I was a bit concerned it'd be awkward, but it wasn't, it was really nice. We cooked an amazing meal together and both our mums bought the dogs presents. and we watched Fantasia and it was great.

22. Did you fall in love this year? 

I did not know it was possible to be in love the way we are. I sold myself short for years. It feels like a waste of time, but god, I cannot believe how lucky I am to have it now.

This is what I wrote last year, at the end of a much more extended answer, since 2022 was pretty big for us. But this is still absolutely true, and I can't get over it still.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t think so.

24. What was your favorite show? God, I didn't watch much that was new, but we rewatched 30 Rock because my boyfriend had never seen it and that was great.

25. What was the best book you read? The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams. Little Weirds by Jenny Slate. What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery of the year? I went to see Stop Making Sense and it got me very into The Talking Heads. Loved finding corook's music as well.

27. What was your favorite film? 

Films that came out this year - Barbie, Oppenheimer, Across the Spiderverse,

 Films I watched for the first time - Amadeus, Stop Making Sense, Best In Show, The Great Escape, Glass Onion.

I also went to a cinema event where we marathoned all five Twilight movies in a row, and that ruled.

28. What was your favorite meal?

We've been doing a roast chicken every Sunday together which has been great.

It's what we did on Christmas too and I made a kickass pavlova. Think that's definitely been the best meal of the year.

29. What did you want and get?

For my partner to move here.

30. What did you want and not get?

To win the fucking lottery.

31. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

I turned 35. I had a work event that night so did nothing special. That was fine.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Said it before, but having more financial stability and freedom sure would be nice.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of the year?

Comfortable. Embracing my body. Showing my tattoos. As sustainable as possible.

Wrote this last year. Stand by it.

34. What kept you sane?

My dogs. My friends. My boyfriend. Writing. Podcasts. Taylor Swift's music. Going to the movies.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you admire the most?

Caroline Klidonas is an actor I follow on TikTok whose work I just adore. I also love Pip Williams' writing so much, especially after seeing the play of A Dictionary of Lost Words.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The genocide in Gaza.

37. Who did you miss? Sometimes I miss the family I lost in the divorce.

But mostly not.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I honestly don't feel like I've met many new people? Which is weird.

39. What valuable life lesson did you learn this year?

Go after what you want.

40. What is a quote or song lyric that sums up your year?

On the way home I wrote a poem You say, "What a mind" This happens all the time

'Cause they said the end is coming Everyone's up to something I find myself running home to your sweet nothings Outside, they're push and shoving You're in the kitchen humming All that you ever wanted from me was nothing

- Sweet Nothing, Taylor Swift

We live in hope--that life will get better, and more importantly that it will go on, that love will survive even though we will not. As Emily Dickinson put it, hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. And we are here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here. Sing it with me, wherever you are. Think of those across the broad and roaring seas, and sing with me. You won’t be more offtune than I am. We’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here. We’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here.

- The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green

[muddyorbsblr]

For “get to know me better”:

First, I hope you get better from your injury 🫡

Now for the questions. . .? Sorry it's a few 🗣️

What's your fav books (can be any genre)?

What's your fav tropes to write?

A trope you hate?

Thank you so much 🥹💖 I've been sleeping most of the day and the swelling's gone down to a point where I can bend my right knee again and I'm just expecting some really bad-looking but not bad-feeling bruises in the coming days 😂 The left foot however is still a wee bit swollen on the outer side so I have to be careful with it whew--

What's my favorite book…Well starting with genres, I'm really one to gravitate towards love stories or crime/mystery novels. For the love stories, my favorite as of late has been the Shattered Isle Series by Jade Presley. It's a why choose/reverse harem based off of Marvel characters. The first group that the first 2 novels and the first novella in the series focus on are characters based off of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, and Loki. The 2nd group that the 3rd novel focuses on are characters based off of Clint Barton, Scott Lang, Eddie Brock, and Bucky Barnes. The book are fast paced and the spice is to the level of the smuts we find here which is top tier, and the author herself is a real hoot on TikTok especially when she lets her Loki bias show 😂 (also fun fact, I have a mention in the 2nd book "Her Revenge" which is just absolutely awesome eep--)

Favorite trope/s to write…coworkers to lovers, friends to lovers, mutual pining, idiots in love…that's definitely my current wheelhouse 😅 Some tropes that I love to read and hopefully will be able to write convincingly one day would be: "Who did this to you?", "That's my wife/my husband", and "Touch her/him and die" (there will be a "who did this to you" in 'fitting the profile', the modern day serial killer AU for Thomas Sharpe, and I just hope that it'll be good haha)

A trope I hate…Insta-love. I haven't yet found a story that could convince me that the main characters were willing to spend the rest of their lives with someone that they literally just met that night (side-eyeing Frozen for even trying tbh), like one night stands and insta-lust I can almost get behind, but if the characters are dropping L-bombs within the first 24 hours I've disconnected from the chat. (not so fun fact, someone actually dropped an L-bomb on me 12 hours after meeting and when I tell you I immediately left the chat--). Another one I hate with a passion is those stories where they're like "I didn't know how good I had it with you until I was with someone else" and then they get back together with barely any groveling? Hard pass. DNF. I would be more tolerant with the story if they didn't immediately get back together but they had to work real hard to start building something new because they can't just start from where they left off. Like go on dates again, try giving them a reason to fall in love with you again, because if they just take the other back so quickly I'm not inclined to believe that it was because of love. 🙃🫡

send me a 'get to know the blogger' ask to distract me from my foot injury

[jaymber]

For the relationship asks! 1 and 28 for vaea, johnny and ker, 24 and 25 for flavio and silver, and 15 and 18 for gabby and royce (sorry for the spam, i just really like your ocs)

Don’t apologize, I love talking about my babies 👉👈

Gonna put my answer for Vaea/Johnny/Kerry last and add a read more, cause there are some TWs with one of the questions.

Four of Wands - Flavio/Silver

24. How did they fall for each other?

Okay, so the story went like this. (Also, @morganlefaye79 since you asked the same question :p )

In 2079, the Afterlife is no more. Mercs gather at the Atlantis now. Mr. Blue Eyes sometimes does business with them, and likes having Ghede, the AI living within Silver, around in case things go sour. That day, Flavio was also at the club to talk with Linda, his sister, who bartends at the Atlantis. They argued, as usual, and Flavio got really loud. So loud that it annoyed Ghede, who left and let Silver regain control. Since Mr. Blue Eyes suggested them to stay put, they couldn’t leave, but had to make that ruckus stop. They hacked Flavio’s holo to send him a cripted message basically telling him to shut the fuck up. Which he did.

But Flavio felt embarrassed about that message, and a little petty. He started messaging back his mysterious hacker, pretty much spamming them day and night. Silver lost patience, and decided to teach him he shouldn’t mess with a netrunner. They located his house, barged in, pinned him down and…

Fuck, what were they trying to do again? Huh? That guy’s kinda cute…

Silver pretty much fell for him here and there, so badly they forgot how to think for a sec. Same went for Flavio who could only have been described as “scared and horny”. Silver disppeared just as quickly, heart racing, and feeling so dumb they wanted to die.

Flavio kept messaging them, getting more and more openly flirty with them. Ghede eventually responded for its host, just to piss Silver off. It settled a date for them, taking over until it sat down facing Flavio. Silver had never felt more embarrassed in their life, but as the date went by, they relaxed and enjoyed the evening with that cute stranger. After their date, they stayed together a little longer (hours longer) just walking around the city, sharing mundane work stories, their interest for the stars, their grief about being orphans, ...

Silver kissed him as they went their separate ways, promising to “come by, since I know where you live”. Flavio found their promise creepy in the most endearing way possible.

25. Who said "I love you" first?

Flavio was the first to say it. They were done eating out in a dinner somewhere in Santo Domingo. They were walking back to Flavio’s truck so he could drive Silver back home, when some 6th Street gang members held them at gunpoint asking for their money and car keys. Flavio held his hands up, about to use his Sandy and bare hands to deal with them, but Silver took a step forwards and looked the leader dead in the eyes. They scanned him, making their eyes glow menacingly, and simply told them: “no.” That was enough to make them run off.

Flavio started laughing, and let out: “God, I love you.” in a tone so affectionate Silver lost their mind over it. They stumbled over their words, and hesitated between “I know” and “Thank you”.

“I - you,” came out of their mouth, which only embarrassed them more, “No, I mean. Know you (no, you). No, I- Hmm-hmm. Okay.”

And Flavio had to kiss them here and there.

Knight of Cups Reversed - Gabby/Royce

15. What habits or characteristics have they picked up from each other?

If you listen to them, they haven’t changed since dating each other. They’re too stubborn to change, too strong. But if you look more closely, Royce did pick a habit of Gabby: venting at Dietlinde. Before meeting Gabby, she was just another member of the gang, nothing more. But when things go wrong, Gabby talks to the bartender, who actually listens and gives her opinion. Royce eventually starts complaining to her as well, except her answer to him is pretty much: “I don’t get paid enough to care, Royce. You’re going soft.”

As for Gabby, he went from passive-aggressive, to just aggressive. He expresses his anger directly now, instead of using sarcasm and pretending nothing hurts him. He uses actions over words more and more, even when his family comes to visit.

18. Would they have kids together? 

Nope. They can't have kids biologically, and they wouldn't have kids willingly. And that's actually a good thing, these two couldn't raise a child properly. Royce would let them roam the Totentanz unattended and Gabby would get competitive with them over any game they play. 

Three of Swords Reversed - Vaea/Johnny/Kerry

28. How are they with money? Does one do more of the financial supporting?

In 2079, both Vaea and Johnny are legally considered AIs. Their psyches have been soulkilled and stored back in his ganic body for the first, in a synthetic body made by Lizzy Wizzy’s ripperdoc for the second. They aren’t natural people anymore, and can’t open a bank account. Kerry does 100% of the financial supporting. He paid Lizzy Wizzy’s ripperdoc for Johnny’s body. He bought Vaea’s expensive neural implant. He bought them the Atlantis. When Vaea earns anything with his programming, that money goes directly into Kerry’s account. A way to pay him back for everything. When Johnny earns money in ways he doesn’t need his inputs to know about, he asks for cash. He hates depending on Kerry likes that, and needs a plan B in case things go wrong one day.

1. What do they think of each other's family? And how does the family feel?

TW: dysfunctional families & child abuse

Just gonna start by saying: I’m gonna talk about my hcs for Johnny’s and Kerry’s family. Totally my interpretation :p

Johnny’s Family

Johnny’s family is long gone by the time Vaea sees them in his dreams. Happy memories with a grandma he wished he had met, her cat curled up on his lap as he drinks iced tea sitting on her porch. Awful nightmares after her death, going back to his dad his guts twisting in hunger and fear, his wrist still hurting from the last time it was broken. Vaea fears him, as much as he hates him.

Kerry never got such a clear picture. He’s heard of Johnny’s dad on drunken nights his best friend didn’t even know what he was telling him. Something about fearing his dad, until he got the upper hand and realized how weak he truly was. He wished he’d met the man, just to feel that weakness himself.

Both Vaea and Kerry know what Johnny’s dad would think of them. A bad influence on his son, but the words that would come out of his mouth would been much meaner.

Kerry’s Family

Kerry was pretty open about his family in his youth, but Johnny wasn’t often listening. Absent parents, distant siblings. Johnny felt almost thankful they had let their 14 yo kid live on his own, just so they could meet and form a band despite their young age. Just like everything about Kerry’s life before he became a legend, his family couldn’t have cared about Johnny.

Louise hated Johnny before even meeting him. She had heard of him, so many fucking times, always reminded she’d always be second in Kerry’s life. Her own husband kept choosing a ghost over her, over their kids. Johnny answers to anger by anger, and Vaea and Kerry had to muffle the kids’ ears when these two first met. She’s the bitch that took everything from Kerry, and he’s the asshole that couldn’t stay dead. The kids are alright, though.

Vaea’s relationship with Louise is much better. They even sometimes just call each other to talk. He thinks she’s a good mom, who tried her best with Kerry. She sees him as a friendly man, who was more patient with her ex than she was. Kim and Teddy like him as well, to the point of opening up to him about what they see as a rigid mom and an absent dad.

Vaea’s Family

Johnny could feel his blood boil when Vaea dreamt about his family. Even the happy memories disgusted him, because he had seen in his host’s mind it wouldn’t end happily. Vaea had never talked to anyone about the consequences of his parents abandoning him. Those three years stuck at a gas station that his mind mostly erased for his own good. But now that Johnny knew, Vaea started to realize he should stop blaming himself, and start blaming his parents for what happened.

Kerry was the first person Vaea willingly talked to about his family, except he omitted certain parts because he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. All Kerry understood was that Vaea’s parents could still be somewhere in the NUSA, and as a father himself, he figured there might be a chance they didn’t mean to leave him behind. He looked for them, without telling Vaea.

Vaea and his parents eventually met again, with Johnny and Kerry at his sides. They saw his inputs as responsible for Vaea turning his back to his roots with his fancy English words, his non-natural eyes, his bleached hair and his metal arm erasing his traditional tattoos. They admitted willingly leaving Vaea behind, and it took Johnny and Kerry everything they had to respect Vaea’s wish and not flatline them here and there.

28. How are they with money? Does one do more of the financial supporting?

In 2079, both Vaea and Johnny are legally considered AIs. Their psyches have been soulkilled and stored back in his ganic body for the first, in a synthetic body made by Lizzy Wizzy’s ripperdoc. They aren’t natural people anymore, and can’t open a bank account. Kerry does 100% of the financial supporting. He paid Lizzy Wizzy’s ripperdoc for Johnny’s body. He bought Vaea’s expensive neural implant. He bought them the Atlantis. When Vaea earns anything with his programming, that money goes directly to Kerry’s account. A way to pay him back for everything. When Johnny earns money in ways he doesn’t need his inputs to know about, he asks for cash. He hates depending on Kerry likes that, and needs a plan B in case things go wrong one day.