#mid year questionnaire

[doshiart]

F1 AU // GALLAVICH

Ian Gallagher is a racing driver, a young star of the McLaren team. Mickey is just a car technician, who only recently joined the team as a trainee.

/long read backstory below/

Okay, I've thought about this a lot. So.. Shameless US but.. huh? living in UK?

First of all, because Formula 1 is more popular in Europe. Secondly, because I want to alter the story of Mickey's growing up. Make it a story about a little boy persevering towards his dreams. And how a simple childhood passion can grow into a potential job opportunity.

If briefly, below I talk about Mickey's developmental stages, along with his final emigration from Ukraine to the UK.

I'm not going into Ian's backstory here. But I'll mention this in more detail at the very end of the post, if you get to the end. Ha ha. Have fun reading!!

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

Mickey was six, just a little boy, when he first saw a F1 race on TV. And he was amazed by how quickly the cars could go and how quickly the mechanics performed at pit stops. (Are these even mechanics? Well, they turn the wheels, dad does the same thing in the garage and considers himself a mechanic).

When the next year he went to school in his first grade, then to all the teachers' questions or questionnaires with their “What do you want to be when you grow up?” he confidently answered as clearly as his childish language could, that he would definitely become a F1 mechanic. Even though he received only gentle smiles in reaction to his naivety of being a kid, the desire took root in his little head.

---

As he grew older, he continued to enjoy racing, watching every race weekend he could. And while he was a child this did not cause any particular problems. Mom encouraged him in his interests and every New Year gave him tiny branded cars of the teams he loved. But as he gets older, the more often he hears from dad that he is interested in some stupid things. And he didn't want to hear a word about racing at all. As soon as Mickey mentioned it even once, he was cut off mid-sentence.

These are not real cars.

Real mechanics work in a garage with real cars, not kids' toys for show.

Come down to earth. It’s all somewhere far away and you never even get to one of these races in your life.

---

Well, Mickey talks less about racing out loud anymore. Especially after mom's gone.

Tiny model cars disappeared into the closet's darkness.

His dad began to drag him into their garage more often so that he would get used to work and not wander around idle, lost in his stupid dreams. He had to skip live racing broadcasts as a result. It was sort of suicidal acts to turn this on in the garage on a small TV instead of some dumb music channel with hit songs. Mickey had learnt long ago to keep his mouth shut.

Just listen. Bring it. Grab it. Repair simple details. Don't go under the hood. Don't touch this, don't touch that. And especially don't break anything. Blah blah blah.

Jesus, are you even a man? Take your gentle hands away if you're not ready to get dirty.

---

Despite everything, Mickey still had a dream. One day, he hopes to watch a real-life race. Hear the noise of wheels flying over the track, the roar of engines, the screams of a supportive crowd. He prefers to never talk about his own desire to work as a car mechanic or engineer in F1.

---

Mickey was sixteen when he left after ninth grade for a vocational college to applied mechanics specialty.

Because, well, he had good reasons for leaving school two grades early. At the very least, he was already tired of going to school. He didn't even have any friends there. Yes, he communicated with classmates, but that's not it. It's forced. Just so as not to be an outcast and maintain the status of the Milkovich family by playing dirty tricks at school and bullying others. Did he like it? Absolutely not. These guys were idiots with stupid jokes and always picking on chicks.

They kept asking if he liked any of them and talking about how they looked all the time. Mickey never liked anyone. It wasn't that the girls were ugly, he just didn't find them attractive. But he pushed these thoughts away and ignored them. Left it somewhere near to the tiny race cars in the darkness.

Also, classmates called him into fights on regularly. Not that he was against kicking someone's dumb ass, but that he would prefer better reasons than just trying to prove whose class is above.

Another reason is that, in their family, working with their hands and having a real profession are more valued than going to higher education. Because this is a job for real men. Where will all these managers, lawyers, accountants, stupid psychologists be when their car breaks down? Mechanics will always have work and profit.

As well, Mickey is deeply curious about the workings of the engine and wants to fully understand its mechanisms. He will therefore be able to study this in practice with teachers, rather than with a psychotic bastard who screams at the slightest opportunity.

The only thing Mickey truly wanted to learn at school was English. Not because he loved it. This gave him at least some hope of "breaking abroad for the sake of a good life". Perhaps the main reason for his success was that he had a really great teacher who pushed and encouraged him. Sometimes he would stick around after class and stay just to talk with her. Mickey felt parental care, which he hasn't received lately.

“I believe that you can achieve a lot, Mikhailo. Just believe in yourself.” She told him and he believed her, hugging her a little longer so as not to show his wet eyes.

And well, after leaving school, these words sometimes came to mind during the saddest times, when he returned home after a long day of school combined with an exhausting shift in the family garage. Every time he spoke with his dad, he felt terribly devastated. The dream was literally slipping out from Mickey's hands. A pipe dream, is that what they say? Well, at least he'll try to do something.

---

Mickey was twenty when he graduated and by this time he was actively saving money, hiding it in different places. Also, he planned his escape from home, considered the best routes, and looked at what things he should take with him, confused about whether he would ever return home again.

As he approached his twenty-first birthday, he finally decided to do it. With only a spark of hope, he was ready to leave for nowhere. And okay, Mickey was a realist; he was aware that things might not work out at all and that he would have to return back eventually. But he'll do anything, though, to make sure that this doesn't happen, to avoid having to meet his dad's derisive gaze once more as his goal gets mocked.

After all, a dream is a dream, right? He also had skills and language abilities in his pocket. So he's really ready to do anything to attain even the tiniest success.

---

To get to UK, Mickey had to go through a long journey of transfers from bus to train, from train to plane. He's terribly tired, but here he is. He stands and watches as the new country greets him with heavy rain.

He first found it difficult to adjust to other people's smiling faces. There were a few times when he didn't feel at home because everyone was so friendly and lovely. And these people were incredibly talkative. He'll have to get used to this if he plans to stay here.

The first difficulties he encountered occurred at the department while filling out a form for migrants.

“Mik.. Mikai.. Mikaelo?”

“Mikhailo.” Mickey interrupted.

The employee's eyes stared blankly at him.

He sighed. “Ugh.. Mickey? Yeah, Mickey.”

“Okay, Mickey. Here you are.”

---

Mickey got a job as a mechanic for a small business fairly quickly thanks to his abilities. He was so easily and warmly accepted into the friendly team. Here he first felt respect while working. Mickey got assistance from the job department in extending his visa to stay in the country. His job also provided him with a tiny apartment, deducted from his paycheck.

After a while, feeling a little more self-assured, Mickey started saving money for qualifying courses that would help him in the future.

---

Mickey was almost twenty-four when he successfully obtained all the qualifications that were necessary for the job, as well as to be sure of himself and his knowledge. During this time two full racing seasons had passed. He attended only one race at Silverstone. This was his almost full year in the UK. His skin broke out in goosebumps when he saw the track in person. It wasn't quite what he expected. Mickey literally stood in one place and once in a while cars would drive by. On TV they show a larger overview, but still. He was excited. In this grand prix, a new young racer from the McLaren team took third place for the first time. His name seems to be Ian, and he likes to take risks on the track, driving the car while presenting a strong sense of confidence. And his hair perfectly matches with the team's car.

He missed the second race due to a qualifying exam. But he's not upset. Mickey is closer than ever to his dream. If everything works out, he'll see even more racing. If not, well, then he'll continue to work repairing regular cars. Perhaps he'll be able to attend grand prix events in other countries during his holidays?

But now it's the middle of the season and he's standing in the lobby of the McLaren Technology Center. He's trembling a little and his wild eyes are scanning everything in the immediate area.

Mickey can't believe the reality of what's happening. No he didn't become a mechanic. But.. it's still impressive. He was interviewed and tested to become a temporary vehicle technician for the team as an intern. He was told something about a possible career advancement and access to other things once he completed more qualifications, but he's not sure he heard everything correctly.

Later they tested him on team tests on the track. He's surprised that he was able to concentrate on his speed and did everything exactly as needed.

He actually became… exactly the one who changes the wheels and does minor repairs. He joined the technical team and will also work on pit stops during the races. And well, okay, if everything that's happening isn't a dream, he's really happy. Extremely happy. Of course, the longer he studied, the more he wanted to do engineering and development. But that's the tiny step, right? This is already more than anything he could have imagined. He saw the race in real life from the stands, and now he got the opportunity to see everything from the staff. He'll interact directly with the racing car. He might even hear how the team interacts with racers. Unbelievable.

Through the noise in his ears, Mickey hears someone standing beside him talking in a muffled voice.

“Hey! You're a new technician, right?”

The guy had already taken off his helmet when Mickey turned around. He softly smiles while stroking his fiery red hair.

Mickey stared at him. When he was brought to the track, he thought that some tester was sitting in the car, but not their young star.

“Yeah. Hope so…” He twitched his lip and scratched nose. “You're Ian, right?”

Of course this is Ian, what a stupid question. It's too embarrassing.

The redhead smile became even larger.

“Yeah…”

And just as he was about to add something else, one of the staff called Ian to go back and he hurriedly turned to Mickey and said quickly, “Oh, uh, see ya later then, gotta go.”

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

I'm glad I finally wrote and drew this. This idea has literally taken over my head so much that I don't have the energy to write Ian's backstory in the same way. Once again I am convinced that writing is hard work. And I want to say again about my love for writers. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. For my brain, drawing is easier than writing. But it was fun!

!!!AND!!! THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! If someone suddenly wants to write a big multi-chap slowburn fic or little drabble or do anything, I'll be happy so much with absolutely anything!!

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

Let's talk about Ian now. I was actually going to write a backstory for him too. Maybe at least some minor notes, but I'm not quite sure how best to connect his bipolar with racing. Usually because racers drive go-karts from childhood, get into the junior league and generally build a racing career for years. Maybe he had a breakdown somewhere between seasons and it was quickly noticed?? I don’t know… And I think about how the team constantly checks him, which at times upsets him and forces him to prove to everyone that he is fine and able to drive the car.

Most likely, in this AU, Gallaghers are either rich, or Ian has a sponsor, if you know what I mean… From this fact, a whole lot can change in story. And the second thing seems more likely to me.

I was thinking about how Ian joined the McLaren team at the age of 21, and by the time he first met Mickey he was 22. He had been stable for a long time on medication.

So I'm also considering the possibility that somewhere between his 17-19 years he disappeared from the radar and came back when he found a sponsor who could pay for everything he needed and help him get into the F1 league. At first it was the weakest team, until his potential was noticed and he was offered to move to another team. This fact with the sponsor will probably put a lot of spokes in the wheels (ha).

Racer's body is undergoing an enormous physical strain, so they spend a lot of time in the gym. And Ian really enjoys working out with his team.

Another interesting fact: racers have a super-strong neck to be able to cope with gravitational forces during the race. Therefore, special attention is paid to neck in training. (It seems from the moment I found out this my little fixation began…)

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

I think there's a lot of pining here or something. They seem to be nearby, but due to different job responsibilities, at completely distinct levels. And I really want to read something like this with so slow burning.

So, I guess you can consider this as a big prompt for writing, if it inspires you.

Thanks for reading! <3

[nancythedrew]

I watched the Arglefumph video about playtesting ND34 so you don't have to

What I think were the main takeaways with highlights bolded and time stamps if you want to see for yourself for the stuff where he elaborates some.

He did not edit the video that HeR posted on their account but he says the full footage was more like 30+ min

He can't reveal much than what HeR has already shared

Played for 6 hours and was told he was about halfway through the game BUT also notes that when he livestreamed his first play through of MID he was at about the halfway point of MID at 6-8 hours too

Does not have a release date or estimate. Just knows he was told sorta last minute he needed to post his video on 10/13/23 and he playtested in September. Threw off his schedule for scary game videos he was gonna do in October.

Thinks the opening is better than MID because MID started out with you in a dark room that you couldn't really see. This is an improvement.

Can't talk about any unrevealed characters

Doesn't know what the completion status of the game is

4:58 "Are the graphics better?" "The graphics are definitely more consistent in terms of characters." They don't look like they're made by three different companies or with repetitive movements.

Wants to talk about the interface but isn't allowed to

Fumbles around trying to explain whether the "vibe" is similar to other games.

More upbeat than gloomy

At least one or two scary things

"Did you encounter the new second chance screen?" "There's a new second chance screen? I didn't see it."

More puzzles at the beginning than MID but not saying a lot cause MID saved most of the puzzles for the end of the game

"Can you control the time?" Wants to answer this question but isn't allowed to

Liked the "Nancy and Ned stuff"

"Concerns I have? I have an answer but I don't think I'm allowed to say."

There's the 3d spinning tool to look at objects

He gave verbal feedback as he played it and filled out a written questionnaire after

There's puzzles in the first hour of the game which is unlike the endless talking in MID

"Logic puzzles or combining items puzzles"? he isn't allowed to say

Doesn't think he can answer questions about the hint system

The cafe puzzle is fun. It's making coffee.

Doesn't think he can answer whether there's a dialogue skipping option.

Can't talk about any bugs

The characters that have already been revealed are his favorites (suggesting there are more)

Basically just sat down and was told he could play as much as he wanted for a day so that ended up being around 6 hours.

"I hope the Herinteractive PR team isn't spying on me right now"

Doesn't think he will get to test the rest of the game

Can't talk about the specifics of where he did the testing

Doesn't know the situation with other beta testers, if any

Guessing release is next year but doesn't have maybe if they're talking about testing publicly than perhaps it's closer

[glorixuspurpose]

The Missing Link

loki x black!daughter!reader

“So…all of you are Lokis? Even that one?” He asks, pointing at the girl, who scowls at him and smacks his hand down. 

“Yes…no…not really. We’re related..sort of, but obviously, I’m not him. He’s my-” She stops herself mid-sentence. “Wait, if you’re not a Loki, then why are you here, let alone with them? What was your nexus eve-”

  “Stop yelling! You’re gonna alert him!” Kid Loki shouts, pointing at the dark cloud in the sky. 

 They continue to walk until they reach a circular door in the floor, presumably a bunker. Classic Loki opens it.

 “Well?” Loki asks, still waiting on the girl’s answer. 

“I killed him.” She finally answers, as she descends into the vault. 

Something in his mind told it that it couldn’t be true. That girl looked familiar, too familiar, and he’s not one to forget faces.

“Wait, that can’t be true..” He mutters.

“Why can’t it be true?” She asks, mimicking his accent, as they all walk down to an area with a semicircle of chairs, with a small pool in the middle, probably for the alligator.

 She was starting to get annoyed. “Why not?”

“Because…er..well, what’s your name?” He asks. 

“Y/N.” She ever so quietly responds. 

“Y/N…”He repeats to himself, as if trying to memorize it. 

 “Then…that can’t be true because..I’m your father.” 

Y/N uncrosses her legs. “Woohoo. You finally figured it out. The last time you saw me was when I was more or less 5 years old, and Thor took you to see me. Honestly he was more of a father than you were, and honestly more than you ever will be.”

   (time skip bc i can barely remember this episode lol)

“Sylvie…and Mobius? You guys came here?” Loki asks. 

“Well some of us, not by choice, but for the most part, yeah.” Sylvie stays silent, then walks off.

 “And who might you be?” Mobius asks Freya, as if she were some random little kid that approached him. “Y/N.” She bluntly responds.

             (another time skip, woohoo!)

A/N: And now for the good part.

 “Why did you tell me that your nexus event was killing me?” Loki asked, as they sat in the grass.

“Quite the questionnaire, aren’t you?” You jokes, subtly breaking her ever so permanent poker face with a slight smirk. 

“You might as well have been dead anyway.” 

Loki frowns. 

“Well? What was it?” 

She fully smirks. “I don’t remember.” 

Loki’s hopeful face returns to a frown, then he creates himself a blanket, wrapped around him.  Y/N chuckles. 

“Of course you would do that.”

 Loki sighs. “Do you really not remember?” 

“I wouldn’t be a descendant of the God of Mischief if I didn’t tell a lie now and then. Of course I remember.” 

A gust of wind blows, and causes Freya to shiver, and her teeth to chatter. 

Loki alters the blanket so it’s wrapped around the both of them. 

 “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“You seemed cold.” 

“Is this some kind of stupid scheme to get me to tell you?”

“What? No!” 

 Y/N tilts her head so it’s leaning on Loki’s shoulder.

“Tell me about my mother.” 

 “Oh…wow. Okay,” Loki says, taken aback by the sudden question. 

“Well, she was a smart, strong, beautiful, and independent woman. She really never needed me. She had powers, just like mine–and yours– but she liked to use these fans with blades on them…and she liked to cut me with them.” That earned a chuckle from Freya.

 “She also loved the color purple. It was her absolute favorite, and she would wear it pretty much everyday. She also adored grilled cheeses ever since we first went to Midgard. She really could’ve had anyone she wanted.  I have idea why she chose me. Considering that, if it weren’t for me, she might have still been alive.”

 Loki subtly wipes his eyes with his shoulder. 

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“I thought I was saving her, but obviously I proved myself otherwise.” 

“Saving her?”

“Well you see, there was…let’s just say, a battle, and..she was hurt. I was out of my mind to think that this would work, but I turned her to stone. I thought that..because I did that, it would heal when I turned her back. I saw it work before..and I knew how to turn her back, but it was too late.”

 “I wish I could have spoken to her…even if it was only for three minutes. I…” She looks behind her. “I think she wants to talk to you.” She tell him, pointing to Sylvie. 

 “I think she can wait.” Y/N creates a watch and checks it. It’s only just going backwards. Really fast. 

“This watch is not useful, but I’m sure she’s been waiting long enough. I’m always gonna be here. There’s no leaving.” 

 Loki stands up, making the blanket disappear. 

“Except you can leave, because you’re coming with us.”

[boujeeceo]

Corporate Barbie Files- Begin

When I was kid I didn't know what an executive was but I wanted to be one so bad. Now that I know I've decided to aim a bit higher- Chief Financial Officer day job and small business tycoon. ✨🧿

Please do your own research, I'm no expert and I don't want to lead anyone down a weird path

Planning (business plans)

You can get an LLC for less than 200$, 500$ MAX. What makes LLC's expensive are the licenses, fees you pay when registered, and the state you register.

Sole priorerships (depending on your state) don't need to be registered but you forgo the protections that come from having a government recognized business.

Any small business template online is a great resource.

Plan it out for 3 years minimum but think of this business plan as a living document. As you operate your business it will have to change.

Business research!

You need to do your own research on each business you want to start if you want to succeed.

Topics/questions to research

Researching competitors (Strengths & Weaknesses/marketing strategy/Pricing/products and product features)

Market share

Strengths and weaknesses

Your window of opportunity to enter the market

The importance of your target market to your competitors

Any barriers that may hinder you as you enter the market

Indirect or secondary competitors who may impact your success

Customers

Who are your customers and why are they interested in buying your product or service?

What characteristics, interests, desires, pain points and needs do they share?

Where do they live?

How old are they?

What is their education level?

What is their income range?

Which types of websites do they frequently visit?

Where do they currently buy similar products?

Which languages do they speak?

What industry do they work in?

License needed

Growth projection 

Assessing the legal aspects of your industry

Can you reach your target audience? If you're selling inline skates, are you opening in an area with a population of the right age and disposable income?

Is the market saturated?

Your Brand 

Questions you wanna ask

Here are a few methods you can use to do direct research:

Surveys

Questionnaires

Focus groups

In-depth interviews

Ask potential customers 

Questions you wanna ask and answers

Demand: Is there a desire for your product or service?

Market size: How many people would be interested in your offering?

Economic indicators: What is the income range and employment rate?

Location: Where do your customers live and where can your business reach?

Market saturation: How many similar options are already available to consumers?

Pricing: What do potential customers pay for these alternatives?

Best ways to reach customers 

Suppliers, quotes and budget

Sources of funding, uses of funding

Prep

Finding funding, type in your demographic 'black woman/LGBT black woman, ect' and your state + small business funding. Apply for everything. Find space for inventory. Think up promotional material- Vistaprint is amazing for just cheapy slapping your brand on something that others want (candy, notebooks, pens, cute tote bags).

Skills you may need: Negotiation, Manipulation, Marketing, Social media handling, Emotional intelligence, Personal emotional control, Leadership and delegation, Networking, Memorization (names, position and places you met this people), Self discipline, Conversation, Communication.

Just do it

If I wanted until I felt 100% ready I wouldn't have two functional businesses at the moment.

Low risk low reward business ideas

These may not make you rich unless you market to high heaven or get lucky. But they are a great passive income opportunity/place to start.

Vending machine

ATM

Selling books on Amazon/Audible/Printing on demand services

Selling on a ready made sale site- Shopify/Amazon/Esty

Direct sales

High traffic blog for ads

Affiliate marketing blog/social media

Mid-Tier business ideas

Can be scaled up to make 7 figures but after taxes and fees will probably make a steady 6 figures yearly. (Please note that 6 figures can be any where from 100k to 999k. I've noticed a tendency to see 6 figures as only 100k.)

Cafes

Small bar

Small restaurant

Ice-cream truck

Food truck

Website with subscriptions

A clothing line

Makeup or skincare (especially if it has mostly black women in mind- think Black Girl Sunscreen or Fenty Beauty)

Natural hair wigs (as in 3b-4c pattern, its not super common and the ones that are aren't very good nor last very long)

Small hair and nails salon

Haircare product line

Do your own research please, these are just the most common and least expensive I've found entrepreneurs start. They may not work with your skills/personal brand/time constraints/experience ect.

Advice

Have a vanity business!!! A business that matters because you like it so much. One where the success is not based off just money but personal satisfaction. This will keep you from getting bored, too frustrated or purely money driven. Of course a business is money driven but at some point you look up from your work and get distressed from dissatisfaction from being stuck working for money instead of pleasure.

You should be interested in each business you make/engage with a least a little bit.

Break down how much you need to make per day and per week to get to your goal amount. This has helped me mentally, I no longer freak out about the big picture when I'm focused on the main goal of the day/week.

Have a reading list in these 5 categories: Emotional intelligence, Your field of study (finance, tech, medical, beauty), Manipulation/Negotiation, Beauty/Dating/Self-esteem, and Money.

Don't try to build up more than 2 businesses at a time if you're doing it alone. You will drive yourself insane and burn out quickly.

If you do direct sales on the streets make sure you have an incentive for people to actually stop and look at what you have to offer. Something free pretty with your logo or information and matches your brand image. It can be hand made!

Mistakes I made

I relied on one business too much when my goal isn't to scale it too big

I didn't have a workable marketing campaign. People are tired of ads. I'm tired of ads, I had to get creative or rather make the ads less invasive.

I relied too much on online sales. There is way too much competition- I now make 90% of my money from in person sales, there's a 'rush' factor because the pop up shop won't be there tomorrow, and I can make a human connection before I make a sale.

I put too much money into some businesses and not enough into others. Now I have a budget of 200$-500$ for each new business unless I'm buying large equipment that I will own (vending machines, massive printers, ect).

I didn't have enough different types of products. I need variety but I shouldn't panic and make too much or else I'll lose money and have too much inventory.

My mentor had told me to make decisions quarterly (every 3 months) rather than weekly/monthly. This has helped her build her real estate business.

My journey

My motto when it comes to dealing with my businesses is Slow Progress Is Still Progress.

I’ve always wanted to be a higher up in a company- an “executive woman”- I would eat up all the songs and tv shows made for kids about business (Biz kids, Schoolhouse rock mostly). I started my journey with my vanity business because I tired of waiting to get published by a major publishing house. Why not be a major publishing house? As I've come into my own I've realized I want more- more money, more experience, better titles, more power ECT.

My method is to work smarter and never harder: I create a company, place 100% of my attention on it and create systems that make the work I have to do minimal. 1-2hrs of work per day max. Borderline passive income. Then I move on to creating another business when I’m comfortable leaving the previous ones without my direct attention for a while. Being a CEO is all about creating sustainable systems that are efficient, reliable and profitable.

I have 2 functional businesses at the moment, they have been planned out for 2.5 years (I started them at the beginning of the year). I have two more I’m working on both in the ‘finding a reliable vendor’ stage. Once I’m past this part I’ll be ready to launch. I don’t advertise online, I work with the areas I’m in and the small businesses around me. It’s easier and more effective than to interrupt other people’s days by doing online ads. No one likes them and a lot of people will straight up avoid your brand out of spite. I’m in the middle of a rebrand and expansion so that eventually I can reach my goal of making 5k a day from my small business empire.

My journey is a work in progress.

[sloth-babied]

Love Will Find a Way

Sam Obisanya x reader

Summary: After a year of trying to get over Sam Obisanya, Colin insists you attend a speed dating event with him. 

And would you look at that, Sam’s here too. 

Contains: Drinking, light angst, and fluff. No use of y/n.

Word count: 2.8k

Notes: The fact that there aren't a numerous amount of fics about Sam is actually a crime so I had to step in.

Enjoy!

“Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life,” Colin reads the pink chalk-written words on a wooden A-frame sign in front of the restaurant. He turns to you, pursing his lip while nodding as if he were impressed. 

You simply smile and nod, indulging your friend who suggested you come here with him.

You observe the room once you two enter—the quintessential red and pink balloons at every corner of the room, including pink lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Red and pink decor are set all around the place with a banner hanging maliciously over the seating area:

FOR SINGLES READY FOR LOVE

You sigh before you continue to look around. There’s a lot of older people here; people in their mid-forties and up. Makes sense. Those around your age usually rely on dating apps, but there are a few exceptions which, you guess, is a relief. 

You’re able to identify two other young people and realize one of them is Isaac. And the other is…oh, fuck, oh, fuck, oh, fuck.

You grab Colin’s bicep, hoping to reroute your plans. “You know what, actually I think I change my mind—”

“Wait, is that Isaac and Sam?” He notices, raising his damn hand excitedly. “Isaac! Sam!” Colin places his fists on his hips, shaking his head. “Who knew they’d be here?”

You give him a hardened stare before offering the other two footballers a disingenuous smile as they walk your way, drinks in hand.

Naturally your eyes drift to Sam and you can’t resist admiring his outfit for the night. A black turtleneck and brown khakis.

This is going to be a long night.

“Wild seein’ you here, innit?” Isaac says.

Colin nods fervently. “Yeah, weird coincidence.”

Sam gestures his drink in your direction. “What brings you here?

Oh, god, he’s talking to you.

You scratch the back of your neck nervously. “Colin was nice enough to invite me,” you tell him, though ‘nice’ is not the word you would honestly use. ‘Cruel’ sounds more accurate, but you digress.

Sam smiles thoughtfully, though he can’t say he doesn’t feel as awkward as you. “I’m sure you’ll find a match. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

You ignore Isaac and Colin glancing at each other, gripping the strap of your tote bag just a tad bit tighter. “And to you, also,” you shoot him a finger-gun with your free hand. “ As well. Too.”

You’re insufferable, but Sam chortles anyway, thank goodness for that.

“Finally got Sam off Bantr.” Isaac pats Sam’s back.

Sam shakes his head. “I deleted my account a long time ago.”

And you know why. It’s hard to think about Sam’s relationship with Rebecca without feeling a little jealous…okay, a lot.

Sam sips his punch. “Isaac suggested I come here, so here I am.”

Ding, ding, ding!

You all turn your heads to a woman holding a call bell in her hand. “The event begins in five minutes!”

And so the night begins.

Each date feels prolonged despite being on a three-minute timer. Many people who are much older than you discuss topics beyond your time or too early in your longevity to experience. And when you meet people around your age, well, let's say a severe lack of chemistry is the only thing that comes into mind.

Admittedly, you debated pregaming before Colin picked you up. You decided against it until you saw Sam here, therefore during the five-minute break, you mumble, "Eh, what the hell?" to yourself before sneaking off to the bar, ordering a shot of tequila before you and Sam meet.

Liquid courage.

Sam greets you with a pursed smile, waving his questionnaire card (cutely) and taking a seat in front of you. "Hi."

“Hey.” You smile back a bit more enthused than usual. Less nervous. More loose.

“So how are your dates going?” Sam wiggles his eyebrows.

You lean forward closer to him, balancing a pen between two fingers. “Hmm. Oh, see that guy over there?”

Sam’s head stealthily turns to the man you point at—slick back gray hair with a salt and pepper beard. 

“Apparently, he owns 0.5% of West Ham.” 

Sam looks back at you, leaning closer. “Dealbreaker?”

You nod exaggeratedly, leaning away. “Very much so, Sam. You know I’m ride-or-die for Richmond.”

He pats his chest, smiling playfully. “I’m flattered.”

From two different areas of the room, Colin and Isaac are seated with their respective dates. Colin and Issac narrow their eyes on you and Sam, shushing their poor dates whenever they attempt to speak.

When you feel your neck practically burning, you swivel your stool, catching them do a questionable job at pretending they weren’t just hyper-focused on you and Sam.

Colin mouths fake words to his very confused date who will certainly write him off later. Isaac looks upward, chin on his palm, eyes squinted, and mouth parted as if he were in deep thought.

“Okay…” You murmur to yourself before facing Sam again. “How about you, huh? Meet anyone you fancy yet?”

He offers a sigh, tilting his head towards his previous date. “See that woman over there?”

You discreetly look to the left and see an elderly woman speaking with her date, a man fortunately around her age. They seem to be hitting it off.

Sam shakes his head, feigning a disappointed sigh. “I thought we had something.”

“Another older white woman stolen from you, man. You gonna take that?” You tilt your upper body towards the perhaps soon-to-be couple before sipping your ice water.

Sam’s shoulders bounce, chuckling. He turns to them. “Yes, I am.”

You also turn, feeling envious from the sight. You observe the woman’s incredibly pink face and the subtle red on the olive-skinned man’s cheeks. Mutually smitten.

You and Sam face each other in unison, both of your hands below the table as you lean your torsos against the round table. Sam’s hands clasp beneath the surface while yours continue to fiddle with your pen.

Colin hides behind his questionnaire paper below his eyes—espionage still at work—and Isaac ignores his date once again, enthralled by your date as if it were a movie. 

If only there were popcorn, he thinks.

Sam says your name, but you’re stuck in his trance, buzzed and hypnotized. His voice swims around the atmosphere he tends to unintentionally create whenever you speak to him.

Then you remember what occurred a year ago; you remember the reason why you slightly furthered yourself from him in hopes of moving on. Frankly, it didn’t work very well.

Isaac’s brows furrow even deeper than usual, and he looks over at Colin who shrugs at him, sharing the same concern as you back away from Sam. You sober your deluded mind with another drink of water, reminding yourself that Sam is just…Sam. He’s naturally kind, charming, and genuine. He gets along with everyone. You’re not special.

You hold your questionnaire out, smiling tightly. “What am I doing? We’re supposed to be asking each other questions. Uh, okay, let’s see.” You scan your sheet. “What’s your dream career?” You ask hastily. You awkwardly laugh at yourself. “That’s a stupid question.”

Sam repeats your name, but you’re too lost rambling about the stupid questions in your hand.

“Where are you from originally?” You cower behind the paper. “Know that, too. Uhm, okay, let’s see. Oh! Here, if you were an animal, what would you be—”

Sam says your name louder and places his hand on yours, lowering the paper from your face.

“A goldfish. If I were an animal, I’d be a goldfish,” he answers.

You peer down at your hands. “The ten-second memory thing Coach Lasso told you about.”

He slowly pulls his hand off yours, but it sits close by. He nods. “Exactly. There are certain things I want to forget; things I cannot change. But there are things that I can change.”

Things he can change? Where is he going with this?

He continues. “Last year when you asked me—”

Ding, ding, ding, you both hear, jumping at the sound of the call bell. Chairs scrape the red-checkered floor and the sound of shoes patter all around you. Time to go.

“See ya, Sam,” you hurry to your next date who just so happens to be the captain of the Richmond football team. “Isaac, hey.”

He simply shakes his head. 

Four more rounds pass until the host of the speed dating event gives out the last announcement.

“Alright, everyone! Whoever you scored most with is your match. Say ‘hi’ to your potential partner! And give yourselves a round of applause for putting yourself out there tonight!”

Two pairs of hands clap with her, hands belonging to Colin and Isaac. You refrain from rolling your eyes at them when the bartender approaches you.

“What can I get you?”

“Uh, a Jack and Coke please.” You face her before turning around again.

You observe Sam speaking with one of the organizers of the event. The organizer reluctantly hands Sam his score sheet with a confused expression on her face. He nearly catches you staring until you turn back to the counter.

“One Jack and Coke.” The bartender sets down your drink, but not without noticing you eyeing Sam. She smirks, wiping down a glass cup with a cloth that was previously on her shoulder. (Classic bartender move.) “Obisanya your match?”

You study the small sheet in your hand, analyzing the scores and the contact information of someone already on your phone.

“Oi! How the hell did you match with me?” You hear Isaac stomp behind you. 

You smile mischievously, gesturing your head toward him. 

The bartender nods, pouting her lower lip before finding another customer, and you use the counter to spin yourself around to your distressed friend.

“Maybe we’re soulmates,” you suggest facetiously, lifting your drink towards him.

Truth is, you might have taken a peek at his questionnaire sheet when he kept exchanging looks with Colin. His disappointment earlier combined with Colin’s invasive questions about your date with Sam after you got through all your sessions helped piece things together.

Plus, Colin’s insistence that you come to this event in the first place. 

“Get in line.” He stands with his arms crossed next to Issac.

Isaac sits and harshly waves his sheet. “Why copy my sheet when your real match is-”

Colin clears his throat, poking his elbow against Isaac’s arms.

“Somewhere in this room,” Isaac finishes.

The only one in this room who piqued your interest was Sam. Towards the end, there were potential candidates. However, neither was Sam Obisanya.

You scoff, sipping your drink. “Nice save, Lindsey Lohan. I’ve seen Parent Trap enough times to know what’s going on here.”

You wonder why they’d want to pull something like this, especially after you told them that Sam turned you down. Pestering Sam to go on a stupid date with you is not something you would ever do, nor something a normal person should do, period.

God, you hope Sam doesn’t think you did this on purpose.

Isaac continues to eye you disapprovingly before his gazes shifts upwards to a new presence behind you, this presence being none other than Sam leaning his side against the counter. And now you’re sitting between him and the other two sneaky bastards.

“Sam! Who’d you match with?” Colin reaches in front of you and snatches Sam’s score sheet. He frowns. “No one?”

Isaac yanks the sheet from Colin’s hand. “What? How’s that even possible?”

Sam plucks his sheet back from Isaac, stuffing it in his back pocket. “If it’s alright with you two, I’d like to discuss something with them.” He looks down at you. “Alone.”

Your cheeks burn up, easily. Is it the whiskey? Is it Sam? Either way, you’re taking another sip. 

Isaac gets up immediately, rapidly nodding alongside Colin, saying, “Yeah, ‘course, bruv,” before the two footballers leave, whispering to each other. 

You place your drink down and fold your arms on the counter as Sam sits beside you. 

His sweet smile doesn’t cease. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you respond sheepishly. You take a third sip before speaking again. “So no one, huh?”

Sam shakes his head. “Thought I maybe had a chance with her,” he jokes.

You find the elderly lady from earlier matched with the elderly man. He leans on his cane with one hand and his other hand snakes around his date’s arm, hooking it with his. 

Maybe speed dates work after all. 

“Who’d you match with?” He asks curiously. You hand him your sheet. “Isaac? How did that happen? Wasn’t he just glaring at you the whole date?” 

“Pretty much, yeah.” You laugh, placing the paper back on counter.

Wait a second. Sam was watching you?

You try not to look too much into it.

He reaches for his earlobe, lightly tugging at it. “There was something I wanted to tell you before our date ended.”

Oh, god. Is he going to admit how uncomfortable you make him? Is he ending your friendship right now? Yeah, you added some distance between the two of you, but in your defense, you had no intentions of actually ending your relationship.

He speaks a little louder. “Last year, you told me you liked me. Romantically.”

Fuck, you despise the recap.

“And I told you I didn’t feel the same way.”

You clasp your hand around your glass, however Sam stops you, hand on yours.

“Let me finish. Please.”

You dubiously comply, releasing your hand from the cup and nod, letting him continue with whatever gut-wrenching news is going to wreck you for the next few months.

Your head faces his direction, but you stare off at nothing in particular.

He continues. “I was telling the truth when I said I didn’t feel the same way. But as time passed, the more we got to know each other and the more things in my love life started to unravel, I started to fall in love.”

You furrow your brows, meeting your eyes with his. 

“With you,” he adds. “And I understand if you don’t feel the same way anymore. But I just…wanted to tell you how I felt.”

What the hell is happening? This is a prank, right? 

You take a look behind you, wondering if perhaps there was someone beside or behind you who he was confessing his feelings to instead.

Nope, just you. You’re barely tipsy, so there’s no way you’re misunderstanding him. 

You remain quiet, not quite sure what to say. The expression on your face worries him and he calls your name.

You softly shake your head. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” 

Now it’s Sam’s turn to internally freak out. He glances at your drink, wondering if he could ask for a gulp.

“Uh…” Sam tugs at his earlobe again and chuckles nervously. “I like you?”

Maybe two sips, he thinks. Three? No, no, that’s irresponsible, he decides.

“Can I have a glass of water please?” He raises his palm at the bartender, politely ordering to fill the silence.

You grab his wrist and lower his hand on the counter, sliding your hand over his, adding, “Make that two,” to his order, because there is absolutely no way you’re getting drunk after what he just told you.

Sam looks away from the bartender and he takes notice of your hands. His ears warm up.

“Definitely wanna be sober for this,” you tell him quietly, and the edges of his lips curve upward. Hesitantly, he entwines his fingers through yours like they belong there.

“Two waters.” The bartender drops off your drinks, glancing at your hands. She raises her brows before leaving you alone.

Sam uncombs his fingers from yours, getting up from his chair. He moves closer to you and spins you by the backrest of your chair, so your body faces him. Then he cups your face. “I don’t know if they allow PDA here, but may I kiss you?”

You gently hold on to his wrists. “They host speed dates every week. I’m sure one kiss is fine.”

He giggles, moving his face closer to yours, murmuring, “One kiss?”

You flicker your gaze between his eyes and mouth. “Or two.” You shrug. “But yes. You may.”

Sam licks his lips before sinking them into yours, and his eyes and yours instinctively shut. You inhale deeply through your nose, breathing in the person you didn’t know would expect to eventually reciprocate your feelings.

His lips are so soft, pillowy against your own. He massages his lips on yours, enveloping himself deeper against you by tilting his head. You feel lightheaded—a delightful combination of his kissing skills and the faded work of the alcohol you ingested earlier. 

Your daydreams do not serve the real thing.

You’re the first to pull away, catching your breath. “Seriously though, how didn’t you match with anybody?”

Sam smiles proudly and pecks your lips. “I asked one of the event-coordinators not to score my sheet. Told her I changed my mind.”

You stand, removing his hands from your face without letting go. “Good.”

From a distance, Colin and Isaac sit at a table, gazing at the other couple like before.

Isaac holds his plastic cup out, smirking. “Too easy, man.”

Colin clinks his cup against Isaac’s. “Too easy.”

[fellamarsh]

📣 Call for Beta Readers for Taker of the Third Path 📣

Writeblr! I am super excited to announce that I'm looking for beta readers for Taker of the Third Path! If this is your first time hearing about the project, here's the synopsis:

Directed by the voice on the wind he calls god, traveling hedgewitch Linmiru settles in an abandoned inn at an ancient crossroads to watch for the next person to follow the overgrown “third path." Ton’s prophecy is deceptively simple: the fate of the world rests on Lin meeting the taker. But as the months drag on with this mysterious stranger nowhere in sight, Lin begins to form a connection with one of the inn’s guests that leaves him questioning his devotion to destiny… And when the taker finally does arrive, Linmiru must face the realization that nothing at the old crossroads has been as it seems.

Interested? Here's the details:

Word count: ~100k (split into two approximately equal sections)

Genres: queer romance (trans MLM), fantasy, potential tragedy

Themes and motifs: fate, grief, guilt and forgiveness, the past and the future, healing and redemption, revenge, love, circles and spirals, fate vs choice, names, ghosts, home, family, threads that connect vs threads that bind, journeys and return, power

Desired feedback: Broad strokes! Right now, I'm most interested in what works and what doesn't work about the story, specifically its plot and characters. Feedback about character development and dynamics, pacing, and clarity of concepts is what is most helpful to me. If accepted as a reader, I'll provide you with both a list of specific questions and a place to leave open ended feedback. Utilize either or both!

Beta period: Four to six weeks for each half, with some flexibility. Files and questionnaires for part 1 of the beta will be sent out in mid-April 2024; I anticipate sending out part 2 beginning of June 2024. If accepted as a reader I'll reach out to you in March to confirm your participation.

Content warnings: “Off-screen” child and sexual abuse; explicit, detailed, consensual sexual content; death; threats of violence; self harm; attempted suicide; manipulation; mild hallucinations; natural disasters; forced relocation; imperialist violence. If you would like to inquire about the presence of a specific trigger not mentioned here, please do so in the optional question at the end of the form, send me an ask or DM, or reach out to me via the email in the form.

Interest form here! By filling it out, you're not agreeing to beta for this project---simply indicating your interest to do so, so if you think you might want to do it but aren't totally sure you'll have time yet or etc, you're still more than welcome to submit!

Want to learn more about Taker of the Third Path? Read the full summary (under the cut), browse my taker of the third path tag, or check out a free preview on Patreon!

Linmiru Oddatma has spent the last ten years wandering. In accordance with the agreement they made the day he cast off his childhood name, Lin trusts that Ton, the Windblown, god of things caught in the wind, will lead him to the people who most need the help that he is best equipped to render. He fully intends to dedicate his life to this work. When he pictures his future, it is a spiral widening, taking him ever further from where he’s been before.

He never imagines that Ton will entrust him with a prophecy so powerful and profound that it will change the world.

Now Lin finds himself an innkeeper in the remote Kagognair Fastness, his wandering arrested by lonely days spent watching and waiting for the one who will next travel the overgrown third path outside his door. He does not know what will happen when they meet—but he does know that failing to do so carries deadly consequences.

Thankfully, he has a few distractions to help him pass his long days besides doing divinations to better understand Ton’s instructions. The faerie village of E'Dedga, situated in the adjacent valley, is more than eager to allow him to teach its cadre of magically gifted children. Lin is especially grateful to find Rukne, a boy increasingly alienated from his peers by his start-and-go magical development, among his students. The young faerie is exactly the type of person Lin longs to help the most. Rukne, more than anyone he's ever met, reminds him of the person he lost so long ago.

Naturally, Linmiru has visitors to the inn to entertain as well. His favorite is Olma, an aging wizard who spends her stays cracking jokes, smoking pipeweed, and regaling Lin with stories from her youth. 

But not all of Linmiru’s guests are quite so delightful. In fact, his most regular visitor is anything but.

Linmiru confirmed the day he first met Gent that he is not the taker of the third path—just as he confirmed his wish that the man never come back. Quiet, impenetrable, and with a name that is not a name at all, Gent returns to the Siffsarta with disturbing frequency. Whenever he's not holed up in his room or glaring at him in hateful silence, Gent insults Lin’s religion and interrogates his reasons for running the inn. Lin can handle a bit of rudeness, but Gent’s presence sets him on edge. He seems to want something from Lin; what it is, he has no idea.

But the worst thing about Gent isn’t the fact that he might be dangerous. It’s that, despite all reason, Linmiru is attracted to him.

As the wheel of the seasons turns, Lin learns more about Gent, about the faeries, and about the Fastness—a place of deep magic with a long and ancient history. In contrast, he understands less and less about the coming prophecy. Ton's answers to his questions are vague, cryptic, or absent entirely. Lin's frustration with his situation, with himself, and with his god only grows. He begins to feel—and Ton confirms—that there is something he's not quite seeing.

He doesn’t think Ton means Gent’s attraction to him, unnoticed by Lin until the instant before he first kissed him. Nor does he think Ton means the realization, deep into the nights he spends with Gent, that he is starting not to care about the prophecy. If he could get to the heart of what has brought Gent here, of what happened in his past, and help this man who is somehow more gentle with him than anyone has ever been, he wouldn't mind if the world as he knew it came to an end. Maybe then the dreams of his past that increasingly plague him would end, too.

As winter bears down—as Lin finds Rukne ostracized by the people of his village—as he learns the terrible meaning behind Gent's real name—as the past and the future run together, compressing into the present, Lin finds himself, at a critical moment, unable to move. The truth behind Ton’s prophecy is nothing like he ever expected.

If he doesn't want everything to end when he finally confronts the taker of the third path, Linmiru will have to be like a spiral, and turn away in the same movement that he turns back.

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged on this by @unexpectedstormy ! I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to respond like it was a chain or make my own post, so I just went for it

1. How many works do you have on A03?

Two. There will be more coming, because Blood Drops on Roses is just arc one of this story, and there's a lot of snippets for Prologue floating around.

Blood Drops on Roses: Linked Universe

BDOR Prologue: The Yiga and The Sheikah

2. What's your total A03 word count?

51,493 words since mid-August, when I finally got an account XD I've been a lurker for YEARS ya'll.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Linked Universe only, so far.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

See above XD I hope to get enough fics out there that I can sort my work like that, but for now it's just those two.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, I respond as soon as I can, they are like crack to me. Maybe because I'm new to sharing my work or something, but I would die for each and every one of you that leaves even as much as a <3

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

NONE OF MY FICS ARE FINISHED YET AAAAAAAAAA. Arc 1's ending is going to be pretty angsty though.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hm, I see that this questionnaire is not meant for me. There is a Prologue section "The Trap" that I'll be putting out soon through, its ending is pretty sweet I would say.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet. I am afraid that it's gonna happen, but so far everyone has been so nice, so I hope not D:

9. Do you write smut?

Nah. Don't really read it either. Just not my thing.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I mean unless you count LU as a crossover between all the Link's respective fandoms, no

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Gosh I hope not. How does one steal a fic?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. If I ever get good enough at Spanish, I would like to take a crack at translating my own fic once its all published, but it would probably be laughably terrible. Eh, practice is practice.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet. Hey @needfantasticstories, I think Clippy Wind and Pug Sky need to go on some adventures together, don't you?

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Tbh I don't really ship. I do think Malon/Time and Legend/Ravio are cute though. I'm just not really interested in exploring the romantic side of stories, even in published literature.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Geez I hope that I finish all of Arc 2 at this point. But I may be too early into the game to answer this.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Heck if I know. I had someone say in my comment section that they liked how I characterize people, so we'll go with that.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I write too much and probably in too much detail. Sometimes it would be better to say "They crossed the bridge and set up camp" but nooooooooooo lets add 7,000 words to this already bloated fic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Italics. I was about to whip out my decade of Latin for part of this fic, but I decided against it because I'm pretentious but not that pretentious. Also because I still don't understand word order at ALL.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I have some fanfic from the dog series of Warrior Cats lurking somewhere that I wrote when I was like 12. Survivors, or something? I should probably go delete it, I'm sure it's trash. I'm scared to even look, it probably hasn't seen the light of day since I wrote it.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Well I've only got one big fic out right now so let's go with BDOR

@needfantasticstories and @somer-writes I'm kicking this your way.

[starry-miki]

Brb y’all I’m to get some milk, y’all want anything while I’m out?

(I’ll be active/reply again when I return which could be in a few days or a week or 2😘)

Update March 23!

So (excuse my language) shit has hit the fan, 2024 has not been kind to me in the health department (and for the 3rd year a row: my “annual” b-day, Curse”© has hit early🥰) so I’ll be taking a hiatus, not sure if I will be replying all that much again. Questionnaire are still going to be released on there scheduled dates, Hopefully I will be back by near mid to near end of April.

(Im honestly starting to get annoyed with all these health problems, my body acting like it lives in a country with free healthcare) 💀

[venusofsuburbia]

mid-year (ish) reading roundup

I never got how people could read 52 books in 52 weeks, but then I got a library card and downloaded the Libby app, and now holy shit I've read 52 books by August. anyway I borrowed this questionnaire from @wormwoodandhoney!

best book you’ve read so far in 2023? Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History by Richard Thompson Ford. this is exactly the kind of academic book on fashion that I've been dying for. I want ten more of these and to kiss him on the mouth.

best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023? I don't usually read series, but I made an exception for Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf, and I'm so glad I did. it took me a while to fall in love with this fantasy twist on Red Riding Hood, but once I did, I fell hard, and I'm planning on reading the sequel For the Throne once it's finally released.

new release you haven’t read yet, but want to: I don't really keep up with releases, but the new releases I've enjoyed most recently are The Guest by Emma Cline, about a low-level con woman drifting through the New York upper class, and Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, about a sound editor in 1990s Mexico who gets caught up in an occultist's plot dating back to old Hollywood.

most anticipated release for the second half of the year: this is cheating because it's coming out in February, but the teasers for Saint Gibson's An Education in Malice already have me drooling.

biggest surprise: I picked Art and Madness: A Memoir of Lust Without Reason by Anne Roiphe at random off a prop bookshelf backstage, and immediately experienced that wonderful shock you get when meet a stranger who understands you perfectly.

favorite new author (debut or new to you): Jeannette Ng, whose Victorian gothic fantasy romance Under the Pendulum Sun I devoured in less than 24 hours.

newest favorite character: a tie between Catherine Helstone (Under the Pendulum Sun) and Noemí Taboada (Mexican Gothic).

book that made you cry: The Unexpurgated Beaton. these are British photographer, designer, and former Bright Young Thing Cecil Beaton's unedited diaries from the last ten years of his life, and I knew this going in, but still, somehow, it snuck up on me that he dies in the end.

book that made you happy: Maurice by E.M. Forster! what a relief, what a joy, to know that tales of queer love could have happy endings, even in 1914.

most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): that honor would have to go to Kit Mayquist's modern gothic novel Tripping Arcadia!

what books do you need to read by the end of the year? Gods of Jade and Shadow (Silvia Moreno-Garcia), Save Me the Waltz (Zelda Fitzgerald), The Language of Fashion (Roland Barthes), and Other People's Shoes: Thoughts on Acting (Harriet Walter)

[aether-friskets]

wip questionnaire tag game yay

thanks @ap0stle for tagging me in this!! :D

The WIP im gonna talk about is uh. well it doesnt really have a name i just call it "that game i want to finish eventually" or "the survival horror game idea" lol, I'm bad with names so itll prob remain that way for a while

What's the First Part of Your WIP that You Created?

I can't recall exactly when this was, but I remember I was specifically listening to this video which, judging by its age, would've been around 2 years ago now. Something about the black and red blair witch game art used as the cover (which, i... totally legally... played that game out of curiosity later on, wasnt big on it as a blair witch fan or a horror fan in general, but you will see one little element from it as one of a few inspiration points for whats kind of becoming a major mechanic in my game at this point lol) mixed with the music itself gave me this mental image of someone driving on a road through the woods with that very black and red lighting, and i had this feeling that they were looking for someone. That's technically the very vague basis that sprouted into my game idea, which has changed a lot since then, and now I don't think a scene like that will even happen. Aside from that, my first concept that's actually stuck around, is the protag looking for their sibling (usually my brain leans sister so i may go that route, but i tend to imagine characters w/out gender in mind til later lol) and sorta ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time as a result. I have some more stuff in mind of course, but a lot of stuff is still pretty vague lol

If Your Story Was a TV Show, What Would the Theme Song/Intro Be?

Oh man this is such a fun thing to think about conceptually, I feel like the WIP is almost too much of a WIP to be sure... But it'd probably have to feel very 2000s, maybe have some kind of industrial edge? Something to capture the idea of an ordinary person descending into something they couldn't possibly be prepared for i guess loll Those things aren't necessary, but the setting is mainly going to be in this as yet unnamed city during the mid-late 2000s? I haven't settled on the exact year yet so that may not be fully accurate lol. The game probably will get some kind of intro style thing, because I absolutely LOVE that in the silent hill games (and also twilight princess had something like that!! which is very nostaglic for me lol) so I think it would be awesome to do in mine lol I feel like the closest I've heard to the vibe I imagine are like. 1. Into to The Mine from Lost in Vivo 2. Broken ALSO from Lost in Vivo (i swear something abt the music in this game just has the vibes) 3. Theme Of... by Drackfreeee I guess it makes sense because it's a silent hill inspired song that you can even hear bits from the game's intros in there but. man. it's got a dreamlike quality that fits the more surreal elements i have in mind well, plus i can totally imagine it playing in an intro thing showing a bunch of scenes from the game and setting that scene of descent When i get to that point in making the game, ill probably look back at songs like these for ideas on what'll work

What Are Your Favourite Characters You Made, and Why?

Since this thing is still so much a WIP, I don't have a tonnn figured out about the characters, so it's kinda hard to pick. But I can talk a little about what I DO have figured out! As I said previously, the protag is gonna be looking for their sibling. The basic idea being that they're visiting their sibling in this new city they've never been to before, and things go all wacky sideways real fast. I feel like I'm either gonna love 'em or hate 'em because due to the unintentionally personal nature of this story that I've been embracing more as time went on, they're probably gonna be the most like me out of the cast. I'm hoping to make them an enjoyable protagonist to play as tho, not annoying but not TOO bland or anything. The sibling is probably gonna end up reflecting a lot of my sister, cause, as i said, accidentally personal story that I'm kinda just embracing at this point lol. I wanna not make any of the characters 100% like a single person I know, so I'll probably mix in traits from other people I like lmaooo. but we'll see what they're like by the end. One thing i already DO know is I really wanna circumvent the idea of the person you're trying to find/save being this "damsel in distress" type, so I think it'd be great if when you finally reunite, they're dealing with the whole situation way better than you LMAO. or at least on par. The hardest part about that tho... Is I'll probably have to make a half-decently competent partner NPC for that part of the game... I've also had this idea for a guy based on a dream I had. I think they will be playing a part but I'm not sure yet, as stuff is still very vague at this point. The idea is of someone who is "helping" you for part of the game, only to fuck you over later on because, what can I say, I love the heartbreak of getting totally screwed over by a character you trusted sometimes :3 The idea being you'd make remote contact early on and they'd promise to help lead you to your sibling but in reality either A) they've just been trying to lead you to your death subtly lmaooo or B) more likely option, theyre tricking you into helping them instead, and then will leave you for dead once you actually help them. I feel like it'd be fun to write a guy who is a total opportunist and probably a smug asshole, idk lol There will probably be other characters? but these are the only ones I have in mind so far, and as you can tell, they arent very fleshed out at all yet

What Other Pieces of Media do You Think Your Fanbase Would Share?

Jeez, the idea of garnering any kind of fanbase in and of itself is kind of cool but scary lol I figure they'd probably like a lot of the stuff that's inspiring me in the first place, like Silent Hill (duh), Cry of Fear, Jacob's Ladder, a bit o' Twin Peaks... Basically if you like some guy going through some weird fuckin' psychological shit lmaoo More specifically, i want the vibes of stuff like. standing in a subway station at a weird hour, feeling like the only person left on the planet. Opening a door into a room that shouldn't logically connect. Cryptic phone calls and texts that don't seem like a person would make them. Desperately trying to reach someone, to find the answers, but it seems like the place itself is fighting against you. Stuff like that, I guess

What Has Been Your Biggest Struggle With Your WIP?

Man, what hasn't? I don't have much experience making games so I'm learning a lot mechanically as I go, but I also have never properly finished an entire original story before. I think the main thing, is like... I'm scared whatever I create will feel too derivative of the works that inspired me, that the thing I create will ultimately fade into the shadow of other things that did it better. So every time I have a new idea, I worry about if it'll come off too much like [x thing] and that's been making the process even slower loll Aside from that, I know the character's primary goal, and I have certain locations I think would be cool to include, but I don't know SHIT about any of the details of getting from the start to the end and what will fall in-between, which does make it tricky lol. I need to really consider what kind of path I want them to follow, and what will happen after they reach their goal, stuff like that. It's all just very vague right now and trying to work out the details is almost intimidating even tho thats the main part of making a story.

Are There any Animals in Your Story? Talk About Them!

At the moment? Not that I'm aware of. There may likely be enemies with animal-like appearances, though. I could see that being a thing I do. But I haven't really gotten into monster design just yet.

How do Your Characters Travel/Get Around?

At the moment I'm suspecting primarily on foot, however my concept for the intro of the game involves the protag taking the subway. So there may be some subway shenanigans too, idk.

What Part of Your WIP Are You Working on Right Now?

I'd say the main reason the story is still so vague, is I've been trying to get the main technical/mechanical elements set up before I get too much into the details. Or maybe I'm just stalling. So, I'd say I'm mainly working on stuff surrounding the non-story parts of the game. But in terms of the story, I want to flesh out the protag and the sibling more into proper characters first and foremost, I'd say.

What Aspects (Tropes, Maybe?) do You Think Will Draw Your Audience in?

I'll be real I got no idea but... I guess if I think about it from the perspective of what I think would draw me in from an outside view...

Use of classic survival horror stuff like fixed camera angles (plus I'm going to have both tank and analog controls so more people can enjoy it :])

Putting a guy in A Situation

The general atmosphere and setting (as I sorta said, mid-late 2000s urban enviro with weird illogical stuff happening and potentially kind of dream-like elements, i hesitate to say liminal but maybe a bit liminal? I also want to go for a ps2-ish graphics quality cause i feel like its criminally underrated lol and some people may feel like me on that part and like that)

Vaguely queer protag? like i said i dont have much fleshed out but if they're gonna be based on me at all u KNOW that bitch aint gonna feel cis or straight i'm sorry it's simply fact (also admittedly I've been wanting to make them like some kinda genderqueer or somethin because its my video game and i can do what i want, and seeing human protags that are nonbinary in some way gives me life)

Weird-ass shit??? like if you vibe with weird silent hill dialogue or the weird stuff that just. happens in twin peaks, im hoping to bring a similar energy in my own way

Possibly more stuff as I flesh things out more lol

What Are Your Hopes For Your WIP?

Honestly I just hope I make something that I feel proud of. I wanna make something that makes someone feel the same way that stuff like Silent Hill, Cry of Fear, Lost in Vivo, Twilight Princess, hell, UNDERTALE did, where that shit changes you. Where you can feel the love for the genre or medium it's based upon. But at the very least, I just hope at least one person likes it, I guess That'd be enough for me

Uhhh erm I have no idea who to tag I am so bad at this part.... If you want to do this consider yourself tagged :]

[the-starryknight]

Hey! I'm curious, pls indulge me: which book or fic that you've read in 2023 has made the most impression and why? x

Thank you so much for asking, Magpie! I never finished answering the mid-year book questionnaire so I'll ramble a little more here. I've been trying to find my way back to fiction reading this year, with mixed results -- I struggle to find the time and the focus.

The book I've thought of the most this year has to be A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland. The characters are lovable, the world-building is rich and smoothly integrated, and I loved the way the plot clicked together. Plus a fantastic representation of anxiety, unlike anything I've read in trad publishing before. I've actually already reread it this year, which is unusual for me. (Also, the audiobook narrator is a wonderful reader)

The last book that really moved me on an emotional level was one I finished right at the end of last year, The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. The world is so lush, and the characters' struggle is so thoughtfully composed.

And one that moved me because I was so frustrated about how the story unfolded is a newer book I'm anxious to put a name to here 😅

[thetreetopinn]

My ADD Medication Journey Begins

I got a physical back in early August this year. While I was there, I reminded my doctor "Hey, any chance you could maybe get me the contact details for that specialist you mentioned last year so I can get an evaluation to see if I'm ADHD or ASD?". He immediately remembered that I had asked about that last year and promised he would get me her card.

Well, it slipped is mind back then, and even though I called and emailed a few times, he just didn't seem to respond.

Oh hey, turns out HE has ADD and HE takes medication. Sometimes he just forgets because he deals with a lot of patients. It wasn't anything super hardcore pressing to me, so I just let it go after a while and decided to ask when I went in for my next physical.

When I brought it up this time, he stopped me mid-sentence, walked out of the room, and returned about two minutes later with the specialist's business card. He apologized for not getting it to me sooner, advised that I should call her as soon as I leave his office, try to schedule an appointment with her, and get an evaluation done. He said that if it turns out she thinks I am in fact ADD or ASD, that I should call his office just as soon as I get out with the diagnosis, and we would have a conversation about medication.

Well, we had a conversation about medication right then and there anyway, but it still was worth calling and talking about anyway.

I called the specialist and left a message--this was around 11am.

I got a call back from her receptionist about 30 minutes later--they have an opening that day! It's around 4 or so. I tell them "YES! I WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE TODAY IF THAT IS OKAY!"

They slot me in. It futz around that side of town because i live in a big city that is extremely car-centric (thank you good ole US of A... [sarcasm]) and show up at her office about 15 minutes early. I don't have anything better to do, so I show up that early. I also like being early to doctor appointments because you never know what the situation will be. They may have a patient cancel and you get seen earlier. It may be that the doctor is running behind so you have to wait anyway. You might have issues fighting traffic to get there (again, thanks... Uncle Sam). I just like being early for this kind of thing.

I end up waiting the full 15 minutes that I was early because the doctor was with another patient. When she's ready, she calls me back. I don't have to wait a silly amount of time, she's just ready to see me.

We have a conversation. She goes over her pre-written questionnaire. I answer the questions to the best of my ability. I try to be honest. I try to give as much accuracy as I can and confess my lack of answer when I don't have one but try to cobble something together to provide SOME kind of insight for the question.

About 15 minutes pass as we talk. She's very affable, friendly, funny, she actually laughs at my stupid dorky humor. She asks me what I do for a living, and what I've done in the past. I explain my last few jobs and how they have not gone well for me.

She looks me in the eye and says "those are all extremely detail oriented jobs... how are you able to do them?"

Half joking, half serious, I reply with "I'm not!"

The truth is, I find little hacks and tricks to try and keep myself on task, to minimize mistakes, maximize accuracy, try to maintain a calm demeanor... but that has always been a problem for me, especially when I'm under a heavy workload... or when I'm taking a hundred calls a day from people who are just looking for someone to scream at and make actionable threats against--despite the fact that I have no power over their case, I can only get them to the person who IS handling their case. I'm just a glorified receptionist in that specific role--a role I was fired from several years ago, and fuck did it knock the wind out of me.

She looks over her notes for a moment, then looks back at me and says "Yeah, I'd say you are DEFINITELY on the spectrum, and I think you might benefit from some medication. I think you should start on Adderall, low dose, see how it affects you. Have you talked to your PCP yet?"

(I had to have it explained to me to know what that means so I'm going to just go ahead and say for anyone else who might not know and is too afraid to as: PCP = Primary Care Physician... basically, the one doctor you see regularly, if you're lucky enough to be able to do so. I went YEARS without having a PCP because insurance is a fucking nightmare)

I explained to her what he had advised, that all I had to do was call him after I got out, explain that you confirmed I'm on the spectrum and that you think I should try Adderall, which is what he recommended too. We would discuss it, answer my questions and concerns, then he would put in a prescription at the pharmacy I had on file. I didn't need to go back to his office to do it. He would just forward it over.

This whole day kind of amazed me.

I had heard all manner of horror stories about how hard it is to get evaluated as an adult. Then how hard it was to get prescribed medication. THEN there's the fact that there is STILL an Adderall shortage going on. It's not as bad as it was, but it's still causing problems.

I call my doctor as soon as I'm out--he's already gone for the day but I leave a message explaining the situation. The specialist forwards confirmation of the diagnosis over to his office, it's all in order.

And then I wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. After two weeks, I try to call his office to try and catch him for a conversation. Have to leave a message. I do this every couple of weeks until about the end of September when HE calls ME back while I'm working from home and while I pace around my bedroom chatting with him about the situation, he tells me everything I want to know, what to expect, what to do if I have trouble getting medication, it's all groovy. He says he wants to have a follow-up with me--if I recall correctly it can be just over the phone, I don't need to go into the office I don't think. I'm sure I'll find out later--once I've been on the medication and have enough experience with it to see how it's affecting me, then we can adjust dosage or try something else, or maybe I'm good with the 20mg twice daily situation. He wants to follow-up and see.

He says he's going to forward the prescription over that day. And so he does.

It's a pharmacy that's in a grocery store. I've gotten one or two prescriptions filled there before. It's fine. Nothing to write home about. This grocery store I will not openly name, but it rhymes with Dom Crumb... those of you who live in the southeast United States probably already know exactly which store I'm talking about... and how it shares a name with a character from English folklore about a very tiny lad about the size of one's... well... only opposable digit on their hand.

The pharmacy does not call. I figure, okay, they just don't have any medication in stock. There's a shortage after all... all us millennials are eating it all up because holy fuck do we need some help just being able to function HAHAHAHA LATE STAGE CAPITALISM ISN'T PURPOSEFULLY OVERLY COMPLEX AND TRAUMATIZING AT ALL!!

So I wait about a week, then I try to call, but their automated system doesn't give me the option to speak to a pharmacist, a tech, a live person at all. It doesn't even let me leave a message. Fun.

I decide to go in person after work. It's just around the corner, picked because of how close and convenient it is. I shop there all the time anyway. I wait patiently behind other folks, then politely explain my situation to the lady behind the counter and she--very helpfully--starts looking up information and goes into the back to see if they have any in stock.

Alas, they do not. She also advises me that there is a hold on my prescription BECAUSE they don't have any in stock, and that there are other prescriptions ahead of me, so depending on how much they get in their next delivery, I might not be filled at that time and have to wait longer.

Again, this is no big deal to me. I understand. Supply chain issues. Greedy pharmaceutical companies not producing enough because it probably increases demand--or maybe they just underestimated how absolutely and deeply FUCKED my generation is. I tell them I'll check back in a couple of weeks.

So I wait. A couple of weeks pass. I check. Still none in stock. This repeats SEVERAL TIMES until THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING.

I remind you--I got an evaluation and diagnosis back in early August. It is now LATE NOVEMBER and they finally say they have some in stock. The lady asks if I can wait. I tell her I've got some shopping to do and I'll wander on back later.

I do my shopping. I wait patiently. I do my thing. I come back and the lady flags me down.

"We do have it in stock but... I'm afraid your prescription has expired. You'll need to get a new one from your doctor."

UGH... are you kidding me?!?

I comport myself well. I'm understanding and polite. It's been a long while, sure, and I'm hugely disappointed, but I understand. Out of curiosity, I ask when the prescription expired.

She says it ended back at the end of September.

***GIANT. FUCKING. EYE-TWITCH.***

Again, I comport myself well in public. Inside, I'm FUMING.

WHY WOULD THEY NOT TELL ME THAT MY PRESCRIPTION HAD EXPIRED DURING ANY OF MY LAST FIVE VISITS?

Whatever... whatever, they probably don't check the paperwork until the meds arrive. Fine.

I call my doctor's office, worried I'm going to have a hell of a time getting someone to help me out just like it took so long to have the convo with my doc in the first place.

I get a call back--I forget exactly when. It might have been same day. It might have been the next. It might have been a couple of days. Regardless, it's a lot sooner than I feared.

I had left a message explaining the situation and the medical assistant says "I see that you need a new prescription for Adderall. But I also see a note on the file that the doctor wants to follow-up with you before refilling, so we can schedule a time for you to get with him to have that follow-up."

"I mean... okay, if you need to have him sign off on it before you send it, I understand, but the follow-up was to check on me after I had started it and been taking it for a while to see how I was doing. I haven't even GOTTEN the medication yet. I haven't been able to START taking it yet. Is there any way you can send a new prescription to my pharmacy so I get this ball rolling?"

He realizes he misread the transcription of the message: "OOOH... you haven't even GOTTEN it yet?!? WOW... okay yeah, we'll go ahead and submit a new prescription for you."

Our communication mishap is resolved, we end the call in a jovial fashion, I'm feeling pretty mildly okay. Things have been super stressful elsewhere in life for the last several months, and have only just really gotten real bad all over again and so if this is one thing I can get settled... I'm down to clown.

I get a call from the pharmacy THAT. DAY. Not even three hours later.

Fucking baller. Love it.

The pharmacy says they can't fill my prescription.

...wat...

They cite some law about needing to be within 20 miles of the prescribing doctor's office because it's a controlled substance.

It's Texas. I 100% believe the asshat lawmakers in this state have ABSOLUTELY taken ridiculously egregious steps to limit access to legally prescribed medications for a wide variety of reasons. No doubt, the front-facing explanation is "We want to make sure no one is using it as precursor to making Meth" and sure... that's a legit concern... but it's 60 pills, 20 mg each, my first prescription. I have no history of getting this anywhere else. I'm literally new to this. It shouldn't raise any red flags.

I'm willing to bet that these same asshat lawmakers also have a pretty dim view of mental health care.

"You don't have ADD, you're just hyper and lazy and undisciplined. You just need Jesus and a boot in the ass. NOW GET TO WORK!!" or some shit like that. Not saying they all think this... but I'm willing to bet a disgustingly shocking number of them do. Don't have proof. Just have experience with how fucked up my state is, and how the dominant party has--as a matter of record--acquitted a man who is credibly accused of getting an underage girl drunk and taking advantage of her. I won't use the R word here because I know some folks are triggered by it, but yeah... that's what he did. That's the state I live in. And moving out of state is prohibitively expensive... also, I wouldn't know where the fuck to go. My job is here. I can't take it with me I'm pretty sure, despite working part of every week from home.

Anyway, getting into the weeds: shit's fucked, yo.

The pharmacy won't fill the prescription. I frantically start trying to find proof of this law. I can't find it. I go on google maps and measure. Straight line from the doctor's office to the grocery store is 16.5 miles. So that's absolute fucking bullshit--unless they're going but like... DRIVEN miles... HORRAY!! MORE LOVE FOR THE CAR-CENTRIC CITY!!!

I call up my doctor's office and leave another message. I explain that the pharmacy says they can't fill it because of some 20 mile law. It's Friday. I know the doctor isn't in the office. I'm not expecting a call back that day.

As a fact finding mission--not really expecting to get any movement or satisfying answer--after I get off work, I go over to a local Walgreens. It's literally a block from where I live, even closer than the grocery store. The pharmacy is open until 9pm. I go in, I wait in line, and then I ask the pharmacy if they have Adderall in stock, if they know anything about a 20 mile law, and explain that the Rom Bum just down the street is cock blocking me on getting my brain fixed.

He's very disappointed to hear this. He doesn't know anything about a ***20*** mile law, but he's heard of a ***50*** mile law. I try to look this up later but I can't find anything about it either. Maybe I'm not searching in the right places. Maybe it's not a law, maybe it's a store policy and the pharmacists just SAY it's a law? I don't know. The Walgreens pharmacist gives me all kinds of options to get around the Adderall shortage--because it's specifically the 20mg he's having trouble keeping in stock. He offers the suggestion of different dosages taken at different frequencies. I politely tell him "Well, this is what my doctor wants me to start on to see how it affects me. Maybe we can adjust later once we know more."

He accepts this, apologizes that I've had so much trouble at the other place, and says "Yeah, if we can get someone at your doctor's office on the phone to confirm--because it's a controlled substance--then we should be able to fill it no problem if we have it in stock."

I thank you for his help and go home. I go to bed, unbelievably livid over this whole situation. Like... all day since I got the call from Gom Rum... I'm just... infuriated. I want to scream. I actually do scream, into one of my pillows. I want to break things. So I grab my pillow and start slamming it on to my mattress as hard as I can until I wear myself out. This is the only thing I will allow myself to do because I'm not apt to break anything--and yeah... I have anger issues. I have a BREATHTAKING temper. From what I understand, emotional disregulation is another symptom of ADD or ASD so... hey, it's in my fucking wheelhouse.

I knock my glasses off in the wild swinging of my arms to get some sense of physical satisfaction in wanting to do harm. I step on them and knock a lens out. Thankfully, it pops back in, but I have bent the frame just EVER so slightly and so I'm going to have to figure out how to bend it back so my glasses are more level on my face.

This is why I need to get my shit handled. This is why I self-isolate. This is why I stay away from people. Because I do shit LIKE THIS and I just... cannot control my temper sometimes. It's frustrating and it leaves me absolutely hating myself for failing to keep it together, for breaking something, for losing my cool, for letting the mask slip and showing the monster underneath. I'm told that ADD medication can help with this.

That bit doesn't click until much, much later. At any rate, I'm absolutely exhausted, angry, depressed, and thinking I should just give up on this whole endeavor because I've got too much other shit to put up with to deal with this nonsense as well.

I hold off on making any decision on that for the moment, because decisions made while emotional are frequently regretted. Ask me how I know.

The weekend passes and I just kind of sit in a funk the whole time. Nothing seems fun or enjoyable. Nothing holds my interest. I just coast through the weekend watching Youtube mainly.

When Monday comes... there's no return call from the doctor's office all day. Tuesday, I call and leave a message again. No call back the rest of the day. That's not unexpected, but it's still disappointing and it's getting me pissed off all over again. The decision to give up is gaining popularity in my brain.

Wednesday morning, at about 8:45 am, I've only just gotten into the office, I'm setting up, my phone is set to vibrate--but stupidly, I didn't learn my lesson from the lengthy game of phone tag back in September--the doctor's office calls.

I miss the call. ...FUCK...

I see the notification pop up on the screen after the fact, saying I have a voicemail. I lock my computer and hurry off to some quiet place where I can have a phone call without disturbing everyone else on the floor. I call, expecting to have to leave another message.

They pick up.

They actually pick up. Holy shit, red letter day, I've got a live person on the phone.

They say they got my message, they ask me a few questions like "Are they just saying they need to delay? They need more time?"

I tell them, "No... they are straight up refusing to fill the prescription because of some 20 mile law I can't find on the books, and the pharmacy is 16.5 miles from your office. I don't get it. I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble. Can we move it to a different pharmacy? I'm kind of done with this place."

The lady on the phone is disappointed and disturbed by this information, so she happily lets me pick a new pharmacy. It just so happens that because of my little fact-finding mission Friday night, I have one already picked out. I give her the details, she confirms, it's all good, she says she'll send it over that day.

At least I've got the doctor's office side of this taken care of. Now we just wait to see how Walgreens decides to dick me over.

Sports-fans, you will never guess what happens next.

I have another missed call at 3pm that same day.

It's Walgreens.

I have an email from them too.

MY PRESCRIPTION IS READY TO PICK UP.

THEY FILLED IT WITHIN 6 HOURS OF RECEIVING IT. IT'S READY. I CAN GO PICK IT UP TONIGHT!!! HOLY SHIT!! OH MY GOD IT'S A MOTHER FUCKING MIRACLE!!!

Unfortunately, I have another errand to run and I don't know how long it will take to get that sorted out. I have to drop my car off to get some maintenance done on it. Something about the CV boots leaking grease on the engine... the place actually showed me photos of my car doing this when I got the oil changed a month back. I didn't have the money at the moment to take it on so I decided "Let me save up a couple of paychecks and we'll tackle it... possibly December, no later than January. I don't drive that much. My commute to work is 10 minutes on the side roads. I can wait a bit longer than most."

Well, the situation happened to yield good results, I was able to get the money I need in my bank account to pay for the maintenance. I just needed to drop the car off overnight. They'd get it fixed over the course of half a day, call me when it's ready, and I can come pick it up. They even set me up with a loaner car in the interim... and fuck did I stress the hell out about my complex possibly towing it because I didn't get back home until after the front office was closed (it wouldn't have made any difference to call ahead of time, I wouldn't have the loaner car's details to give them).

I get the loaner, I head back up towards where I work, pass it, and go the other direction towards home... fun stuff needing to go in the opposite direction of home to do something right after work. Makes everything take so much longer to get done, but whatever. I've got the loaner, my car is gonna get worked on, I'll get it back tomorrow unless there's something that throws a monkey wrench into the plan.

I head up to Walgreens, I get my prescription. I go to a bookstore to buy a physical copy of "Project Hail Mary" because the audiobook I've got is damn good and I want a physical version I can hold... just in case... you know... Audible/Amazon decides to be a colossal dick. Then I pick up dinner. Tacos, from a really good taco place. I'm celebrating the fact that this whole Adderall thing has actually finally paid off. Now I just need to start taking it to see how it affects me.

That will come in the morning.

For now, tacos and tatter tots. Oh and youtube, lots of youtube. I watch lots of stuff on youtube. And the whole Somerton situation has shaken loose a lot of videos from a lot of people talking about it. And happily, it's not just rehashing the same details. They're all looking at it from different angles. Like "Why did we fall for this?" "How do we move forward?" "What should we as leftists do to try and keep this from happening again?" "What changes can and should we make?" stuff like that. It's great. I love seeing people try to problem solve rather than just try to dog-pile on. It's real NASA level shit and I'm a space nerd so NASA is my jam--as is their approach to so much of what they do. Just ask me about how I help my mom plan to cook large meals for holidays... I call it a flight plan... and it's one, giant recipe, planning out what needs to be done in what order, starting with prep and ending with service. Love me a good flight plan.

Just almost never have the will, interest, or focus to build flight plans for other aspects of my life, so I just end up winging it a lot. It works okay, but not always.

That's one reason why I wanna try the Adderall I've got sitting on my desk staring at me while I've got a mouth full of taco.

Among other reasons. I hear it's a mild appetite suppressant, and if it helps keep me from snacking between meals, hey, I might just lose a little weight, make my pants fit a little better, get some flexibility back. But... tomorrow. Not now. Now, I need to be able to sleep.

And sleep I do, grateful that at least one major issue has finally FINALLY been dealt with and I can actually FINALLY START this journey properly.

From early August to early December. Roughly four whole months, and I am less than 12 hours away from starting a medication that may help me get my brain to act a bit better, help me focus, help me even my temper out, help me lose weight--I honestly don't know what all it might do... hell, it might not do anything. I could have no reaction. Or an allergic reaction. No way to tell. That last one is super rare, but... with my luck and my allergies... I don't rule it out and keep in mind that I might need to call for rescue if I have a problem.

That was last night.

Today was my first day on the meds.

I've started a log of what I notice while I'm on the pill.

I'm going to collect data, review it, share it with my doctor, and we can make whatever decision best addresses what I find.

So far though, I'm encouraged. I'm very encouraged. It didn't have any shocking, intensely powerful effect... it's just been one day. I'm told it takes a week or two for the dosage to build up and start showing signs.

But what I've experienced so far... I'm encouraged.

It's hard to tell if it was because of the medicine, or if it was just because I had a really good day at work, but I'm energized, I'm enthusiastic, I have energy again... and I... may have... forgotten to eat my lunch (I did a lot of training today, people learning how to do workflows that I have information on, so I didn't have much time to stop and eat). The appetite suppressant aspect kept me from feeling hungry, so I wasn't distracted by that. That was nice.

We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Let me know if you'd like to read what I've got in my log. I feel like this might be info that other folks could find helpful or useful... or maybe more experienced ADD folks on the same medication can offer advice for how I can maximize what benefits I get from this... or share things to watch out for.

I'm new to this, and I'd love feed back.

Let me know if you wanna read the log. I don't really care about being too insanely private about it--though I don't have anything too revealing in it, nor plan on putting anything too revealing in it.

Anyway... yeah... long post is long.

This is probably the longest thing I've written since... fuck... February? March? And I felt good writing it.

Again, not sure if it was just how the day went, or if it's the meds.

But I'm hopeful about finding out more.

[beardedmrbean]

Helsingin Sanomat reports that bullying has increased in Helsinki schools.

That's according to the School Health Promotion study, a biannual survey of the state of the nation's schoolchildren performed by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (Finnish acronym THL).

The survey found that an average of 9.6 percent of pupils in Helsinki schools experienced bullying once a week. That represents an increase of two percentage points on the last survey, which was carried out two years ago.

HS looks deeper into the results to see what the situation is like in individual schools in the capital.

The paper has a handy tool allowing parents to check individual schools. The data shows that some 29.6 percent of children at Tahvonlahden Primary school in Laajasalo reported being bullied once a week, the highest school-specific number in the study.

The school's rector told HS that things have improved dramatically since the survey was done, with some 68 percent of pupils saying in the autumn that they were not bullied at all. That is up from around 30 percent in the survey.

There was wide variation in the results, with Swedish-language schools in Helsinki reporting much lower prevalence of bullying.

The survey is based on questionnaires sent to 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th graders.

MPs' shareholdings

Kauppalehti takes a look at legislators' declarations of financial interests, which have been required since 2015.

The paper found some fairly lax rules on MPs' investments. Firstly, any shareholding worth less than 50,000 euros does not need to be declared.

KL looked at the shareholding registry for Fortum, the majority-state-owned energy firm. They found plenty of MPs complying with the rules, but still holding thousands of euros worth of Fortum shares without declaring that in the parliamentary register of interests.

In mid-October National Coalition MP Pauli Kiuru had some 44,800 euros worth of Fortum shares. Other Fortum shareholders included Timo Harakka (14,800 euros, SDP), Atte Kaleva (8,600 euros, NCP), Markku Eestilä (8,500 euros, NCP), and Antti Lindtman (6,300 euros, SDP).

Of those, only Eestilä had declared his holding in the register of interests.

Companies where MPs exercise significant control are another issue. They only need to declare those shareholdings if they own more than 30 percent of the voting shares.

A parliamentary working group has suggested that the threshold be reduced to 20 percent of the voting shares.

Vaccine fury

Ilta-Sanomat follows up on an Etelä-Suomen Sanomat story about angry Lahti residents causing ructions as they demand Covid booster shots.

The autumn Covid wave is in full swing in Finland, with plenty of people falling ill. That has prompted a belated rush for booster doses of vaccine, but capacity to deliver them is being tested in the Päijät-Häme region.

People have been abusive towards bookers on the phone lines, and even turned up at vaccination centres and tried to demand inoculation without an appointment.

The current vaccination programme is limited to those in risk groups, who are mostly over 65 years of age. Their behaviour has surprised health professionals.

"We're always hearing about young people this and young people that," said vaccination coordinator Henry Raita. "But there has been more disruptive behaviour from the over-65s than from the youth, which is a little strange. We are talking about grown up people who have plenty of life experience, and then they don't know how to behave."

[primepast]

task   zero  + character introduction.

⌕   . ˚   ⅋.   「   pedro pascal. forty six. cis man. he/him.  」 luca reyes  was recruited as a  captain’s crew  for the libertalia  twenty six years ago  and was given the codename:  dionysus  for their  carefree  but  spiteful  behavior, typical for  the sagittarius. while preparing for a heist they listen to  back in black  by  acdc  and don’t dare to leave without their most trusted item:  engraved pocket knife.

part one: statistics.

basic information:

full name: josé lucas reyes espinoza luca reyes.

nickname(s): lu, whatever insult is being thrown his way.

age: 46.

date of birth: december 2nd, 1976.

place of birth: santiago, chile.

nationality: chilean american.

gender: cis man.

pronouns: he / him.

orientation:  bisexual.

language(s) spoken: fluent in english, spanish & portuguese, familiar with russian, asl, & french.

accent: used to have a slight new yorker accent, not so much anymore.

family ties:

mother: maría espinoza, deceased.

father: juan reyes herrera, deceased.

siblings: has five siblings, three younger and two older.

spouse / partner: widower, currently single.

children: has a daughter named mia, in her mid twenties.

pets: has a ball python snake named ralph.

occupational information:

codename: dionysus.

meaning behind codename: dionysus, the greek god of wine ( also bestower of ecstasy / god of the drama ... fittingly enough ).

position: captain's crew.

skillset: scoped firearms / long range weapons / quick thinking under pressure / expert hand eye coordination / lockpicking / anything that allows him to stay still.

weapon of choice:  prefers a sniper rifle, currently carries a m1903 springfield.

physical appearance:

face claim: pedro pascal.

hair color:  dark brown.

eye color: dark brown.

height: 5'11"

weight: 165 lbs.

build: athletic.

tattoos: has a small clown fish tattoo on his left shoulder for his daughter.

piercings: none.

clothing style: whatever's still in his closet from the past decade, mostly old shirts with the occasional hole or stain and jeans. sometimes wears a leather jacket he found at a thrift store ... he doesn't really have a "style" just if it fits and isn't too fancy... comfortable dad attire.

distinguishing characteristics: salt & pepper hair, dimpled smile, square jawline.

personality:

mbti: estp.

element:  fire.

western zodiac: sagittarius.

chinese zodiac: dragon.

positive traits: carefree, charming, adaptable, perceptive, bold.

negative traits: spiteful, impatient, impulsive, defiant, insensitive.

hobbies: drinking, fishing, woodworking, reading, doing nothing.

character inspiration:  seth gecko ( fdtd ), the ten seconds of screentime dionysus gets in the pj movies, ron swanson ( parks & rec, this is strictly only vibes ), jim hopper ( stranger things but not the cop part acab ).

part two: questionnaire. 

001.  the professor provides every member of libertalia a unique codename that reflects their personality. each codename is derived from various forms of mythology, folklore, or literature. why do you think the professor chose that name for you? do you agree or disagree with his decision? 

the professor has always been an idol of luca's and joining within libertalia's first year is something he looooves to brag about. he was codenamed dionysus and though a bit stumped at first, he realized that the professor must have known about his sticky fingers expensive alcohol bottle collection ... or maybe he just has a sense of humor and was already well aware of luca's drinking problem. there's much more to the name than luca understands - a man of intense passion, both known for his excitable attitude and anger. either way, luca has never really cared to know, especially since he likes to imagine the professor does have a sense of humor... and for that reason, he loves the decision.

002.  gaining an invitation into libertalia isn’t an easy feat. what do you think made you special enough to get handpicked by the professor? 

luca usually chalks it up to being young and lucky enough to be on libertalia's radar early on. he hadn't planned much at the beginning and had been reckless on his heists, going into hiding after a bank robbery went wrong and he was separated from his partners. for whatever reason, he was given a second chance when it seemed like his life was over and for that, he'll always be grateful.

003.  the captain’s crew is the highest position at libertalia. do you desire to graduate to this level? if you’re already a member of the captain’s crew what motivated you to change your position? 

as a current captain's crew member, the position has been on his mind since he learned it was a possibility. he has no desire to be in a true position of leadership like the professor, but luca owes everything to libertalia and his allegiance has only strengthened over the twenty plus years with the group. he used to love joining on adventures but as he's gotten older and faced injury after injury, his focus began to shift to the potential of heist planning - whatever he needed to do to remain useful to the organization. he fears that his intelligence isn't as good as his physical skills but is doing his best to make sure no one notices.

004.  although many members of libertalia don’t know each other’s personal lives, it’s rumored that many members came from suspicious backgrounds. who were you before joining and what was your life like prior?

joining libertalia was an impulsive decision, one made without the knowledge of his wife. she was always in the dark about his thievery and criminal background, some he even completed while they were married. they'd known each other since high school and she only discovered his extracurriculars once he was already in libertalia. luca had grown up having to make his own way in the world and refused to change for anyone, but it cost him the opportunity of having the family he'd always wanted. libertalia was his purpose after that and he's refuses to think about the past anymore.

005.  what was your primary motivation for joining libertalia? was it for the riches or for the thrill of adventure? or is there something else motivating you to continue working for the group? what do you hope to achieve? 

the primary motivation had always been to see what the world had to offer. a simple curiosity of what else there could be and a desire to scratch an itch of thievery. he hadn't expected much, truthfully, as far as profits go - but once the money started showing on paper, that helped too. now that he's lost the other side of the life he had, libertalia has essentially become everything to him and he hopes to help it flourish with the years he has left. he loves the idea of passing on all the wisdom and experience he's learned, a main reason he's apart of the captain's crew.

006.  how would the other members describe you? would you consider yourself to be a team-player or do you prefer to work independently? 

never serious, always joking, mouth never not open. not usually seen without a drink in his hand. he's got a contagious laugh and that can either soften the view some people have toward luca or infuriate them. always loves to be the life of the party and at every single funeral, he's made the "i put the fun in funeral" joke to someone. doesn't know how to read a room very well but he's got the best of intentions. works well with others... but usually gives them a headache at some point.

007.  libertalia is anonymous, therefore necessitates secrecy outside of the group. how do you balance your personal life outside of this, granted you have one? is there a clear separation between libertalia and your personal life? 

luca used to be able to balance everything perfectly within the first few years of libertalia - after his wife discovered he'd been lying about a business trip and knew he couldn't lie to her anymore, it went downhill from there. after a messy separation, luca's personal life became more or less existent. his thirties were spent jumping from mission to mission, becoming almost obsessed with his work until a bad back injury made him replan his future. now he's just focused on remaining valuable.

008.  henry avery’s treasure has been lost since 1695. even with the brightest minds on the case, all leads to find the treasure haven’t turned up. avery’s treasure is the professor’s white whale and after several years of searching, many believe the treasure ceases to exist. do you believe the treasure exists? 

luca is certainly skeptical but leans toward hopeful.

009.  do you trust the professor? do you trust the libertalia? 

yes and yes - with his life.

[mahou-furbies]

Mahou wrap up 2022 survey results

Here are the results of the recent questionnaire for your Mahou 2022!

Best character:

irma w.i.t.c.h.

Myamu

Lemon Kokoa

sunday spade wild cardz

Luchia Nanami

Mew Lettuce

Cure Whip! (i rewatched KiraKira! So not really 2022? If from 2022 only, I loved Kuroe)

Cure Precious/Yui Nagomi

nanami kiryuu

Fuwa Kokone

Sayaka miki (I watched side story this year so it technically counts even though she’s my favorite magical girl ever)

Yui Nagomi/Cure Precious, Ichigo Momomiya/Mew Ichigo

Best character design:

Cure YumYum

Cure Yum Yum

Cure coral

cure flora

Cure Finale

Kome-Kome

The Hirogaru Sky silhouettes. I just know the full designs are gonna be ballin'

This is a hard one, all of the Primagi designs are tied.

kumi kumi from mgrp white is minecraft

Infinite Iroha (Magia Record)

I just love seeing designs in general

the way utena uses the transformations for symbolism and what not is super cool design by itself goes to cure summer shes great

Mew Lettuce's and Mew Zakuro's 2022 designs

Best work:

Tokyo Mew Mew New

Tokyo Mew Mew New!

care bear stars

Magilumiere

Healer Girl

....does witch hat atelier count as a mg since it's witches or it it too fantasy world to be one? either way it slaps

Ultra Maniac

Delicious Party PreCure has its moments but it's not my fav season or anything. I wish I had time for more anime this year, but unfortunately I've been working overtime.

Can I say Glitter and Guilt? Because there's published webcomic pages now

utena is the best show ive watched in a long time i love picking it apart and even tough its super dark and hard to watch the visuals and everything is amazing i love the movie the most its so surreal and dreamy this is all entirely expected bc i love twin peaks and theyre a very similar niche

I really really liked Madoka side story, but I watched yuki yuna and was really pleasantly surprised by it!

Free comment field for gushing about something that didn’t fit the other topics:

uhh watch lego monkie kid its like a magical girl show but about a boy

Keeping it to series i more or less saw this 2022 but i really wanna praise waccha primagi tho its more of an idol series than magical girl the magic is every present in the show and i love the great myamu sama the ending moved me to tears.

saint tail remaster bless discotek

Obsessed with the Shugo Chara Wonderland merch that released earlier this year.

Was fascinated how some of the dress up collection dresses made a comeback in the DeliPre series. For example when Kokone was shown wearing Rikka's blue gown.

Watching Vampire in the Garden (a non mahou show) has given me ideas for making a magical girl OC with clothes based on Imperial Russia. You can never have too many OCs!

all the merch and new content for the early-mid 2000's shows and manga has got me really excited! like, of course we got the Tokyo Mew Mew reboot, but there's been new merch and art for Shugo Chara, Mermaid Melody has that sequal series being released, and even Saint Tail has gotten some stuff. It makes me hopeful that other manga besides Mew Mew will also get the same love and attention!

power of friendship is the shit and somehow mg shows make it not cheesy but good good

The Mascots and Recipepes in Delicious Party Precure are so cute!! I also liked the addition of Rosemary and BlackPepper/Takumi.

Hmmm I really liked some magical girl webcomics I was reading, like Cloudy Wondrous and Captian Jellyfish

I love Takumi from DeliPaPre, he's such a dork and its very endearing how he tries to be a cool Tuxedo Mask type but sometimes forgets his Cool Guy persona bc "omg its yui" lol

Complaint time!

Gushing Over Magical Girls should be good. i like the designs but too horny for the age of everyone

Mew Mint's henshin was a major downgrade from the original

The adaptation of Magia Record was such a disappointment! It undid the happy ending of the game and killed of several characters for shock value!

I finally got around to watching all of Day Break Illusion and GOD it started out really cool and interesting, but than it decided to just get BAD bad a bit after the half way mark. Lots of missed potential.

WHY CAN'T WE GET ANY MAHOU MOBILE GAMES IN ENGLISH EVERY TIME I SEE GAME CHARACTERS ON MGOTD I WANT THEM BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS DISCONTINUED OR SOMETHING Also Miraculous Ladybug is a trainwreck

i watched a lot of older and darker mg shows this year and i really dont like the saturation of designs that exist now also there arent newer medium dark shows that ive heard its either for kids or everyone dies i like both but not as the only option

How easily I fall out of a Precure season. Delicious Party I think is the furthest I've ever gotten

yuis lack of a personality in delipre

The 4th cures design and general costume of delipre didnt really live up to the food theme.

Honestly I really hate how delicious party precure is pushing stress eating as a good thing.

Delicious Party Precure seemed to have TOO many themes at the same time and didn't feel as cohesive as other teams to me.

Hmm I tried watching some of the later entries in precure (tropical rouge and delipre) and I simply couldn’t get into any of them :/ I also tried watching flip flappers again and simply couldn’t get through it again -_- it was uncomfortable to watch

Mahou plans and hopes for 2023:

That the new precure series will be aesthetic af

I'm always excited for the next Precure!

im hoping this years precure has an angel theme and there will be more cyber inspired designs in general i find them fun and good for diversity also ive started the sailor moon anime i read the manga when i was a little kid but ive never watched it

To like the new season of precure and for Magilumere to keep going

Super excited for Hirogaru Sky!! And Mew New season 2

I hope the new precure season uses the duo formula again, and a more pastel color palette. Also looking forward to the new Sailor Moon movie!

I hope the next precure season is better than DeliParty, and I also hope for a Primagi season 2! Just more new original stories would be nice.

lesbians

new original series.

I'm really looking forward to Mahou Shoujo Magical Foghters and In/Spectre season 2!! Gonna watch those weekly!

Learn to take things off the backburner

God I wish I could design magical girls

Hopefully I’ll be able to get my current project going (webcomic)

More magical girl stuff in general, and less fighting among fans over ships and the grimdark vs. standard genres

Thanks to everyone who took part!

Raffle winners have been contacted. I’ll wait... let’s say a week in case people are busy doing something else over the holidays than browsing tumblr, and if there’s no response I’ll pick a different winner.

[merrock]

HAPPY FIRST OF JUNE!

Can you believe that we've reached the mid point of the year?! I don't know about anyone else, but I think this one is flying by. And as we're heading into our busy summer season in our little town, we want to take some time out, as we always do, to go over some important things happening in and around Merrock!

HAPPENING IN JUNE!

10th -- pool party! -- all day pool party for everyone, with an 8pm "adults only" after party. (ooc: june 9 - 14)

18th -- father's day! -- floats for dads. hang out at the creamery making dad a tie and drinking root beer floats!

23rd - 25th -- pride weekend! -- pride night at vibrations, a parade and a festival in the park, all to celebrate you!

30th -- carnival & summer bash -- more info coming soon! (this one lies mostly in July!)

JUNE'S MINI-EVENTS!

5th -- last day of school! -- enjoy summer, kids!

5th -- donut day! -- flour co. is doing a buy one, get one free special for all donuts today!

8th -- best friends day! -- show off your best friend, or shoot them a nice gift to say you love them!

15th -- lobster day! -- go to Sandcastles and try out the new and improved lobster rolls!

21st -- first day of summer! -- self-explanatory. just enjoy some sunshine and warmth!

EXTRA BIT OF FUN!

Since June is a rather busy month in the group, we've decided not to do a new task just yet... but to point out the ones that we think you guys would enjoy doing if you haven't! For the month of June, we've brought back our GLORIOUS SUMMERTIME questionnaire! I know a lot of our newer players haven't gotten to fill it out yet (and maybe even some new characters!), so have at it! If you want to go a little further, we also have this SUMMERTIME WARDROBE development prompt that could be fun to play around with.

IMPORTANT NOTES!

as usual, be sure you've read over our rules. nothing has changed, buuut we think it's never bad to refresh yourselves.

let's all do better with starters. get into the habit of replying either as soon as you see an alert go up for a new one if you're around, or opening the page and replying right away when you log in. without priority being put into starters, writers feel ignored, disliked -- that's not our vibe.

remember to follow the starter rules: reply to starters before creating your own (unless you're new here!), and reply back to what you are given.

since we've had some people ask: reserves last for one week. if you know you'll be applying within one week, a regular ole reserve is fine! if you think you need more time to build up activity or work on the character, extended reserves last longer. they're not infinite, though! if in a month or so, you haven't applied, we will touch base.

since we've upped our character limit to ten (and beyond if they are diverse and your activity is exemplary), I'm setting a gentle "five character" rule, where we ask that you please check in with us past the five character mark, so we can make sure you're where you need to be activity-wise and with diversity.

lastly, just a gentle reminder that while we are admins and it is our responsibility to run the group, it is on all of us -- writers and admins alike -- to keep things going and make the group what we want it to be. this includes being kind to one another in the OOC, getting involved in tasks and events, responding to plot calls, and most importantly: being active.

BEHIND THE SCENES!

we have new graphics for the summer months, woohoo! if you notice anything looking a little messy, or anything is hard to read or see, please let us know!

over the next few days/weeks, you will see all of the wanted connections re-posted, so they can be in the new post format (it's easier for me!), and they will be going into the tags to help promote them. as always, we queue WCs on our promo blog, too!

other than that, we're trucking right along. summer is always full of fun things in merrock. some fun things we have coming up include: a volleyball tournament, our annual yard sale, a biiig beach party, and... hmm... what was i forgetting?

oh yeah! a gala! these seem to be a huge hit with you guys, i think because you like picking out dresses as much as i do, but -- stay tuned. because we're going to be taking theme suggestions, and then put things to a vote.

HAPPY JUNE, MERROCKITES! ☀️