#note from curator: i've been really enjoying this show

[citylawns]

what are those websites you recommended? sorry if you already answered this but i cant find it - also! do you know the name of the docs you posted? i love the stitch detailing on them

The Docs are the Church/Monkey Boots! There will be loads secondhand, don't pay full price for them. Take it from someone who worked for that company for 4 years lol. They're my fave style of docs I wish I had taken a lifetime supply when I was there.

eBay is the best secondhand website! I use it for so many things it's really worth it once you figure out how the filtering and search system works. I love it because you get high quality for cheap and it feels like a treasure hunt :')

the next one I use is depop - it's great for curated secondhand and vintage. I look for shops that sell styles I like rather than using the search function, when you 'like' items the algorithm shows you more of that kind of clothing and there's a 'suggested for you' page that works really well. it's more expensive sometimes but it's worth it imo because you're paying for people to curate selections for you which is the labour you would do by hunting yourself, just depends on whether you enjoy that or not!

another great one is vestiare collective. some people have issues with it because they have apparently purchased fakes even though the platform has an authentication system but I'm not the kind of person who buys high resale value designer so I'm never worried about that lol. you can set up saved searches for wishlist items like 'Ann Demeulemeester Boots (filtered by size, country it ships from, colour, etc)' and then every time there's new items added you can scroll through. It works best for me when I'm looking to buy from a specific designer and get inspired rather than searching for a specific item. Here are the brands I love searching for on there:

one I would use if I lived in the USA is the real real! this is the goat. insane clothes for dirt fucking cheap but only if you live in the US because shipping and customs to the UK is prohibitively expensive, like over £100 so it's not worth it for me to buy an £18 designer dress. although I've been considering it recently for an item I'm really in love with.

the other ones I browse through but haven't purchased from yet are vinted and thred up. the search function on vinted was a little annoying for me to use but its good once you figure out how to filter out all the SHEIN and H&M and fast fashion. it's another one that's good to search by brand/designer but people can be really lazy on there and size and list things incorrectly, rip labels off fast fashion items and market them as "x style or x inspired" to put them in the mix of results when you search for a specific designer.

my personal tip is when you're out shopping and see something you like, make a note of the brand/designer. do this on depop too when browsing through shops that sell styles you like, then take that designer/brand and search for it on the other platforms. for example I found one of my favourite brands Costume National that way, so I always search for them on ebay, vestiare, etc

btw if you want a link to any of the items you see here just let me know bc I'm not gonna purchase any of the stuff I have shown

[attapullman]

Alright, I need to get this off my chest so that my blood pressure goes down and I can drink my morning coffee.

I have seen so many complaints lately about your favourite writer not posting enough or you don't have enough fics to read or you don't read anyone except the handful of writers you like.

STOP

There is so much content on this site and the writers you're exposed to are really just a tip of an iceberg. Every day I find new fics in my For you from writers I've never heard of. There is an increasing number of fics that have 63 notes and so no one reads them, but they are the most incredible reads. You love that one writer, yes, but have you expanded past the four you looked at before deciding only that writer was worth your time?

My TBR is always insanely long because I'm constantly finding something new. Even if the writing style isn't my particular favourite, the ideas and world building absolutely blows my mind. Longer fics, drabbles, even just responses to asks that show the characters in a way I am enamored with.

Instead of complaining that the exact thing you want to read isn't out yet, take some time to explore. See new ideas and styles you haven't been exposed to. You don't have to love it to not give it a try. If we all only read Jane Austen, we wouldn't get to enjoy millions of other novels that bring us joy.

Off my soap box now, but look outside that circle of curated content. It may not be for you, but at least you gave it a try and stopped complaining about something so insanely trivial.

[miso-sopas]

Hi so got any ninjago x reader recs? Ever since reading Wisps, it has affected my brain chemistry and now i crave for more ninjago x reader content but im picky when finding fics, so got any recommendations?

Hello there! I had fun sorting out my bookmarks and history so recommending fics might be a thing in the future?

Just to note, I am not sure how to really curate your taste so most of these are what I essentially enjoyed reading and been a fan of so forgive me if some (or all 😭 no hard feelings though) aren't your thing.

Let's see...

Honestly Wisps is the *best* so far in my opinion! I don't know if this is pure coincidental but I am also hunting for some ninjago fics to feel emotions again lmao! And I tried my best in remembering what I've read or interested in so hope these are all ok for you!

+ Second best in my opinion is the 'Infinity Series' by Joos according to their quotev because at ao3 it's orphaned [ao3; quotev book 1 & book 2 ]

Unfortunately, the author has stopped updating this fic but going back at it was really enjoyable like in the Wisps. The summary according to the first installment 'Infinite Serenity';

"[Name] has died and became reincarnated in a childhood TV show of hers. She is raised as the adopted daughter of Sensei Wu, training as the Master of Infinity. Once the plot of the show really gets going, a being resurfaces from her. They claim to have revived her and can help her unlock the memories from her previous life. Now, [Name] must rely on this being to help protect Ninjago, and discovers how her past connects with her present." TW: Suicide, self harm, child abuse, some gore and swearing (please pay attention to the tags)

Please please heed the trigger warning, I don't remember much from the content but I definitely recall the author tackling those tags in a respectful way. The love interests are Kai, Nya, Jay, Cole, Morro and platonic with Master Wu and her cousin Lloyd Garmadon. Again, second best recommended fic in my opinion.

+ Next one, this is not one series but user Circus4APsycho8 (they have ao3 and tumblr) in my opinion have the best x reader one-shots from the fandom! My all-time favorite work of theirs is 'Secret Someone' [Highschool AU! Lloyd Garmadon x reader]- this one is really sweet ❣️

Here's these links for their ao3 works and their tumblr ninjago masterlist. All simple yet sweet, I love their writing style.

+ The next one is purely Lloyd Garmadon x Female Reader titled 'Butterfly Effect' by samsea at ao3. I think they're still updating and I am a big fan of hero x civilian pairings and just they're cute and in love.

Summary: "If it was up to Y/n L/n, she would read the summer away, lost in history books and adventure novels, finding excitement in their written words. Meeting Lloyd Garmadon changed her plans. Suddenly, Y/n is living a life she'd only read about; summer romances and cotton candy dates. Perhaps this was a new normal she could get used to. But she's been fated - prophesied - to be with the Green Ninja. And where there's a green ninja, trouble usually follows." Warnings: "The butterfly effect has mature themes such as gore, violence, toxic friendships, sexual themes (no smut) and cussing. the butterfly effect is not intended for younger viewers. Trigger warnings will be placed on chapters as they are needed. if you have any questions or issues please contact me."

Again, heed the warnings but the writing and atmosphere overall is really sweet and for some reason all cuddly and sunny. IDK but maybe I am always soft for Lloyd lmao.

+ If you're up to reading only x reader head cannons then I recommend user mouschiwrites here in tumblr. Their requests are closed now but the head cannons they made are cute and entertaining, like I can definitely see this character doing that y'know. Here's their ninjago masterlist

+ Here's some honorable mentions, I believe they deserve some love too!

In the Shadow (Various love interests) by RoseRain at Quotev

Legend of the Lightspirit (Various love interests) by softie at Quotev

Actually, while finishing my school projects I'm also checking out from another user snazzilystoopid's ninjago recommendation. So far, I am enjoying their second recommended which is 'Element of Wishes' by yourfavoritecloud at quotev BUT this one is an Character x OC one so if it's not up to your alley they have few recommendations. Honestly, I am up to anything as long as it entertained my monkey brain.

Sorry for the long post! Hope these works are okay for your taste but the closest fic that gives off the same vibes as Wisps is the Infinite series. And these are all by my own opinions and the fics I remembered catching my eye. I am very much open to other recommendations or shout-outs.

Side note, there's not much Ninjago fics out there that I might let my monkey brain loose and create one myself LOOOL.

Again, thank you for asking ( I feel honored for being asked by this, I'm a fanfic nerd 🤓)

[phoenixwrites]

How do you keep yourself from feeling down about your haters/anti your ships?

There’s these (literally) 5 girls who think they’re the queens of my current small fandom and their hate is starting to get to me even though I try to let it roll off my back.

How do you do it, Phoenix?🥺 How do you keep the Plastics from ruining your fandoms and ships?

Oh goodness, Sass, I'm so sorry. I've been in my fair share of fandom dramas (the worst being last summer) and it's never an easy thing to deal with.

I want to gently correct you, though. The hate DOES get to me. Last summer, there were anons in my inbox telling me I deserved to be sexually assaulted as a child because I support dark fic writers. There were anons calling me a pedophile. There is a 600 note reblog going around the Stranger Things fandom claiming I was a pedophile. I was suicidal at that point, because it was triggering as hell.

But at the same time, I refused to give up MY tumblr space because of bullies. This is my blog. I've had it since 2011, it has been a space of freeverse, of gossip, of art, and of joy. I will not change that for the satisfaction of a few teenagers who think TikTok is activism.

I got through it a few ways.

Turn off anons. I am a stubborn bitch and I only turned my anon off once during that period, right after someone told me I deserved being assaulted at seven years old. I turned it off for one night then turned it right back on, because I hated limiting access to my lovely anons because of bullies--same reason I haven't privatized my AO3 account, even though AI very likely will steal my work. I hate the thought of some anon who reads my fics for comfort being denied access to them. But that's my thing. Turning off anon is the best way to shut off their power to hurt you. If you don't want to turn off anon, delete their messages. I am CHOOSY about which anons I answer. They are reaching out to me, on MY blog, it's my decision whether I deign to answer them or not. If I'm in the right mood for it, I might be trolly and snarky. If they're sweet, I love to hear from them. But I delete just as many as I answer.

Get off the internet. The internet is my space where I can zone out and do whatever I want. Sometimes that means watching a carefully curated selection of TV shows while writing fanfic. Sometimes it means doing TV show meta. Sometimes it's just goofing off. But the internet is chocolate, it's a lovely sweet treat. But if you have nothing but chocolate, you will get sick. Take walks. Go outside. Forget online drama (it's never that serious), enjoy your offline friends, snuggle your furry friends, go out for a cup of coffee and read a book.

Curate your experience. If you see someone with an absolutely RANCID take--like how Eddie wasn't flirting outrageously with Chrissy (sure jan) or Neal was a rapist, whatever. Don't engage, don't comment, don't reblog. BLOCK THOSE BITCHES. Block the people who make you feel weird. Block someone who used to be in your fandom but has moved onto reblogging something that annoys you. Block, block, block. Or use tumblr savior assiduously. When it was really bad in Hellcheer land, I watched Smallville and blogged about it until I felt ready to play in Hellcheer again.

At the end of last summer, the hate started dying off for a couple of reasons.

One, school was starting (yes, I do believe the majority of these bitchy anons are bored children, they ALWAYS have an uptick during school breaks).

Two, I got a book deal. I was too thrilled with my success and though they tried to threaten me, it didn't have much of a sting. My publisher and agent don't give a shit about the latest fandom drama. My editor LOVES horror and darklit.

Three, I fell in love. I have an incredibly wonderful partner who is a writer too (for television! I used to write fanfic for a show he worked on! :D). Autumn was an incredibly wonderful season of joy for me (minus my then-work troubles) which bled into a romantic winter, a challenging spring, and now it's becoming a lovely summer.

I had a bunch of lovely things happen to me that made me realize that the internet is actually quite small. It doesn't matter if STEDDIELOVER69 hates me or believes I'm a pedophile. What matters is that there are plenty of other folks who love reading my work, who like hearing my thoughts, who enjoy my VQ gossip, and those are the people I want to engage with.

Those folks don't know you and the joy you experience every day. Keep that joy close to your heart, as closely as they keep their own bitterness and cruelty.

You'll be all right, love. I promise it gets better.

[pastel-charm-14]

how to romanticize your life - a series - post 5 - romanticizing friendships

hello lovelies! i took a brief hiatus from my series because of finals week, but i'm back! i've also been working on a couple of bigger posts that have been consuming my time, so keep an eye out for those! enjoy!

the truth is, you can infuse a lil bit of magic into your friendships just by romanticizing. and all it takes is some simple, meaningful gestures to keep bonds strong and flourishing. so without further ado: here are some practical tips to help you romanticize your connections!

create meaningful traditions - establish rituals like weekly coffee dates or monthly movie nights to deepen your bond and give you both something to look forward to.

send handwritten notes - surprise your friends with heartfelt letters or cards expressing your appreciation for them. it's really simple, so try it!

plan spontaneous adventures - break out of your routine and embark on impromptu road trips, hikes, or explorations of your city. spontaneity is exciting!

celebrate milestones - mark important moments in each other's lives with thoughtful gestures or small surprises. whether it's a promotion at work or a personal achievement, showing your support makes a huge difference.

practice active listening - truly engage with your friend during conversations by listening attentively and offering genuine feedback. feeling heard and understood is really important if you want to build a deeper connection.

create a shared playlist - curate a playlist together filled with songs that remind you of special moments or inside jokes. listening to it can bring up memories and strengthen your emotional connection.

capture memories - take photos or keep a shared journal documenting your adventures and experiences together. looking back on these memories can be super nostalgic!

express gratitude - regularly express your gratitude for your friend's presence in your life. whether through words or actions, showing appreciation makes your friendship wayyy more meaningful.

[dreadsuitsamus]

Quiet Night In | Kensei Muguruma x Reader |

author's note: this is a little dabble into the bodyguard idea i had a couple weeks ago!

pairing: kensei muguruma x fem!reader

warnings: bodyguard au, bodyguard kensei, socialite reader, no smut but very suggestive at the end, MINORS DNI

"I thought I told you to dress casually, Kensei." The party is loud, the bass booming and the drunks singing— and he's not having a good time, judging by the bulging vein throbbing at his temple and the way his jaw looks screwed shut and particularly sharp tonight.

Kensei's silver brows are knitted together tightly and his eyes are closed as he leans against the wall, one boot-clad foot propped up against it as his large, muscled arms cross over his broad chest. "I am."

"You look like a drill sergeant!" You tug at the hem of his tank top with a tsk on your tongue, shaking your head at your dear bodyguard's inability to relax. He's got a night off at a luxurious party with food, drinks, women and more all around him, and he's sulking in the corner like he's on duty.

"I was."

You huff and cross your arms, scowling at the large man. He's never been a chatty type, not at all, but these two-word responses are annoying. "I don't think I've ever seen you with this big of a stick up your ass."

It's hardly possible, but that vein bulges against his hot skin even more as you pluck his every last nerve. "I'm only here at your request, brat! If you really think this is how I relax, you're as dumb as that guy that tried hitting on you earlier."

"You saw that?" Embarrassment flushes your cheeks with heat. He's been sulking in the corner for an hour and had his eyes closed the entire time. How on earth could he have known about that man's poor attempt at flirting??

"I see everything. Like that your shoe is untied."

A soft gasp passes between your lips, but as you catch the glimpse of the pretty pink nail polish on your toes just as Kensei starts to laugh, heat creeps up the back of your neck and you swat at his large bicep. "Asshole."

He shrugs, unbothered by your embarrassment or the way you strike him. Your touch is largely soft and he thinks babies have hit him harder. "Gotta make some fun for myself somehow."

"So your idea of fun is teasing me instead of boozing, dancing and enjoying the people around you?" Your life as a socialite is pretty much just that; you've been curated to enjoy this type of scene all your life, and the idea of something else, something far less exciting and social being fun is just odd.

"That's one of them." Kensei's fingers flex tightly around his arms, his eyes still frustratingly closed, and you take the time to hum appreciatively at how good he looks in a tank top. Normally he's dressed in a suit when he's on duty and faithfully by your side to protect you, and even now as he's meant to be off the clock, it seems he'd rather make himself available as your bodyguard still, even without pay.

He can be a bit of a jerk, but you've truly never had a better guard.

"Tell me what a fun night is for you, Kensei. I'm intrigued now."

"I'd rather show you." And it seems his back can be non-surgically removed from the wall as he pushes off, opening his warm eyes that often betray all his secrets of mirth and hurt despite the stony mask he wears.

Two of Kensei's fingers poke your forehead, knocking you just enough off balance to make your stiletto wobble and have Kensei laugh as you grip his strong forearm to steady yourself. "See what happens when you wear stupid shoes?"

"As long as I have you around to lean on, I won't fall. And besides, these shoes make my ass look fantastic."

Tch, Kensei thinks to himself as he ignores the burning warmth around his heart and walks out to the car with your arm wrapped securely in his, you don't need the shoes for that.

Kensei's apartment is much nicer than you expected, not due to any sort of financial status but rather in the way he doesn't seem like he knows what the color chartreuse actually is. A penthouse is also not at all what you thought he'd be living in, but the view of the city lights from the sectional on the balcony is dazzling as he prepares two glasses of wine inside.

"Not bad for a bodyguard, mm?" Kensei says over the rim of his glass once you've taken hold on your own. Your eyes meet for a moment as you take in the wine's fragrance, humming with approval at your bodyguard's taste.

"It's definitely not what I expected." You tip the glass and experience the wine's flavor, though your senses aren't truly tuned in to the glass. No, it's your eyes that demand every functioning brain cell you possess, and they're quite liking the way Kensei's strong fingers hold the stem of the glass so carefully and with an air of sophistication you haven't quite seen from him before. He was a high ranking officer in the military at one point, after all, and you suspect he's had his fair share of galas and dinners to attend and be presentable for. "Though you've always defied any ideas I ever had of you."

Kensei's lips curl into a bit of a smirk, one of his brows arching curiously. He takes the chance to have some more of his wine instead of responding, though the gears in his mind turn as he attempts fathoming your original ideals of him.

He loves being defiant.

"So is this it?" You hum before another pull of wine, your tongue swiping the length of your lower lip as your expectant gaze finds Kensei.

"Just about." He does, however, lean over to flick on a little radio that belts out slow jazz, which is yet another thing you didn't expect from him. You've seen him work out before, you've worked out with him several times, and it's heavy metal as expected during the grind. Something smooth and yet still powerful and even sexy… It somehow makes all the sense in the world, yet you never thought the two dots would connect.

"Hmm… It's not exactly exciting."

"You underestimate the power of the point." Kensei's warm-colored eyes roll and the way he slowly twirls the little volume knob between his fingers has a threatening haze lingering at the back of your mind that forces a light grazing of your teeth over your glossed lip. "Have you never taken time to relax?"

"There is no time to relax, Kensei. You should know! You're always with me, everywhere I go." The tight straps of your sexy heels start to ache, your poor feet ready to burst out of the stylish stilettos. And you indulge yourself, quickly tugging the leather from the loops and freeing yourself with a great sigh of relief. "There. That's relaxing for me." Your painted toes wiggle, though the strain in your calves doesn't ease up.

"And yet I bet if you got up right now, you'd fall right back down with a cramp."

"Beauty is pain." Kensei finds the way you shrug off such a stupid saying mildly infuriating, and as such he takes hold of your ankle, his strong fingers tugging your toned leg with ease to sprawl over his lap. Your squeak, not of protest but rather surprise, is quickly shushed as your guard squeezes various parts of your leg, finding the whole thing to be oddly tense. Though he supposes he's never had to accompany you to any spa, so perhaps it's not so unusual. You're quite the workaholic, despite his typical views of what 'work' is and your lifestyle not quite aligning as the same.

"You were a few steps away from a nasty charley horse." He mutters, removing his orange fingerless gloves and feeling your smooth, hairless skin beneath his palms entirely. His thumb presses harshly against the taut muscle and you flinch, kicking lightly against his thick chest. It's nothing to him though, as if you didn't strike at all while he massages and relaxes all the pent-up tension and eases you into a near-lethargic state.

Your eyelids grow heavy as a nice breeze washes over, the ease Kensei's working into your muscles beginning to develop an uneasy wetness between your thighs. Sleeping with your bodyguard is a no, surely, but the urge to defy such a boundary is only fueled by just how good his hands make you feel. Swallowing thickly, you allow a deep few breaths before you even dare to speak.

"So where did you learn to be so good with your hands?"

"Natural born talent." Hot palms graze the length of your leg, stopping just short of your rather small dress. The hammering of his heart in his chest is heavy as the scent of your pretty perfume blows his way, wrapping his head in a haze of wanting to feel more and more of your silky skin under his hands, his chest, his mouth…

Damn it, Muguruma! This is so low of you! Kensei's inner monologue demands of him, urging him to stop touching you and stop thinking about getting you naked, and to stop getting hard, little by little as you hum and groan and shift further into the cushions and that little black dress exposes just a little bit more of your glowing, pretty skin…

"Can you do this one too?" Your neglected leg is hardly up a second at all before he's wrapping his hand around your calf, using the same ministrations as he had before while you hook your other leg over his strong, broad shoulders.

"Oh!" The outburst catches you by surprise as Kensei's thumb finds a particular spot that lights up your libido just as much as your muscles. Embarrassed, you turn your head and hide in the palm of your hand. "I… didn't realize how tense I was."

Kensei's will absolutely crumbles at your sound, the involuntary mewl that escaped your lips forcing a twitch out of his cock that's starting to feel quite warmed up. His deep voice is strained, nearly hoarse now as his brown eyes flick to your direction— and he's never quite fucked up like this before, as your panties call his name in a velvety tone he can actually almost hear; he's lost his goddamned mind because of you!

"Happens to the best of us." His reply comes far too late, and he's still staring at your clothed cunt, the pervert. His flushed cheeks at least have the decency to be abashed, and those sinful fingers inch up the length of your thigh, rubbing small circles into the flesh instead of sinking his teeth into it like he would prefer. "You should stretch more so this doesn't happen again."

"Hmm… Like this?" Flexibility isn't something you lack, and it's with ease that you lean forward with a smirk on those glossy lips, touching your toes and bumping the tip of your nose against the cut of his jaw. Kensei inhales sharply with a groan, the pressure of your leg pressing right onto his erection and then he snaps— before you know it, he's bent you in half with your ankles to your ears and his bulge pressed to your sopping cunt.

"I really can't fuck a client." He hisses, the thick desire on his breath tickling your neck with goosebumps. "So stop it, brat."

Your nails play with the short, silver hair on his scalp and you merely smirk back with a roll of your hips that forces a beautiful, breathtaking, slutty moan from your bodyguard.

"Well in that case, Kensei, you're fired."

Mischief pulls at Kensei's features, his smirk up to no good and those brown eyes give away every little detail as usual: he's never been fired before, and will do anything to get his job back.

[ii-then]

Hey heey heeeey. Just checking in on this blog for any potential followers or lurkers wondering why there hasn't been any posts since last year. I didn't die lol. Have one cropped, extremely HD for no other reason that I forgot to export it in lower resolution, WoW art in the meantime while I explain why I dipped.

This blog started as a means for me to get back into art. I never intended to build any sort of following, big or small, so I didn't care about numbers etc. For years I had xkit installed and because of it, I never realised that people actually looked and interacted with the stuff I did. That isn't to say that I was ignorant, I saw that some posts got more notes than others but I just never realised at what scale since my dashboard was scrubbed from any sort of interraction. So in 2021 when I saw a notification in my inbox I was kinda like "wtf who would message me" and I opened the inbox and saw a load of inquiries about my posts from various people over a long span of time. It was honestly shocking and made me feel so bad that I'd let so many asks go ignored. I was fully unaware that people had been asking, and I still don't know how that one message got through. That's how the FAQ was born. But essentially what that realization did was make me very much aware of how people interracted with the posts I made and instead of just posting whatever I felt like, I started to curate and plan ahead of what I wanted to show. On top of the anxiety of posting things I thought people would like instead of just posting wHatEVER, the rise of AI, other hobbies taking priority, less free time in general, keeping up with the blog wasn't feasible for me anymore. And honestly, since I've started to draw again because it's fun without the unresonable feeling of "gotta have a banger on the blog because if I don't I'm a bad person" hanging over me, it's hard for me to come back. I just like drawing and enjoying it without the added pressure. And I'm very much aware that this blog doesn't have ONE MILLION FOLLOWERS so in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter that I abanodend ship. But I'm still a person who have a lot of thoughts and even leaving 50 followers without saying something would feel bad. I personally hate when people just dip online because I get worried about them and keep thinking about them years after. I felt it would be good for me personally just to write something out, even if it's just for my own peace of mind.

Take care ya'll! Maybe I'll see u here again but probably not

tl;dr performance gives me anxiety, me no post no more

[unreadpoppy]

Internet 101, Fandoms and curating your online experience

I saw some stuff happening both on tumblr and on twitter (and sometimes even on instagram) regarding some fandom stuff and I wanted to make a post about, but in more of a "How to keep your peace of mind and create a healthy space" sort of post. These are just some things that I do that allow me to have a better experience on the internet as a whole, but especially on fandom spaces, and idk, I wanted to share bc navigating this sort of thing can be hard and it doesn't hurt to try and help.

One thing that I've learned very early on by people who had been on the internet for longer than me is that you do not feed the trolls. Listen. People will post shit to stir the pot, and you giving them attention is falling into their bait.

And I get it, I'm human too, I see someone talking shit and I feel the urge to give them a lenghty reply but at some point you gotta stop and think: is this worth it? like, i'm getting mad over a rando on the internet who'll probably just laugh at me. Even if we really feel like answering, it's probably always better to let it go.

And while I'm on the topic, I also want to say the following: no matter how many good arguments you have, no matter how eloquent you are, you cannot change people's minds. I've tried it and all it did was make me stressed. And especially with regards to bigots, they will not change their minds, so don't give them your time and your peace of mind because they do not care about you or your feelings. I'm a queer disabled latina woman, I get it, it sucks and it will always suck, but people will not change what they think because of lenghy ass paragraph someone on the internet sent them, so it's better to just...move on.

And by move on, I do mean do not interact in any way, shape or form. Just...scroll past it. Because it's not worth it, it truly is not, and more likely then not, even by just giving the post or person a small bit of attention, you could cause a whole situation. Do not give people clout, because then they'll get the satisfaction of both having attention AND causing such a reaction from another person.

Like, speaking from experience here, I have received a few hateful/mean spirited anons on my inbox over the years and you wanna know something? You will not find those asks on my blog because I have a 0 tolerance for hate anons. Replying to them only generates more hate anons (trust me, I've seen that happen to other people). When you show someone that you're not affected by the shit they're saying, they'll move on because you are no longer a target. This is why is so important to know when to not interact and just continue moving on.

Still on this topic but more related to fandom. People will have different opinions then you. People will have different HCs then you. People will misinterpret your favorite character. Hell, I've seen takes on my faves that honestly insult my intellect and you know what I did?

Let it go. Just scrolled past, made a mental note not to interact with that person, because again, people won't change their minds. And people are entitled to have their opinions, and enjoy characters in a different way then you do, and the best thing to do is not give them your time. Just don't. It's much better (and probably healthier) to spend your time interacting with people you like and who you can talk to then try to change a person's opinion and pottentialy instigate a fight.

For the sake of not making the same point again and again, I want to talk about blocking people, bc blocking people is the easiest way to curate your experience. There is no morality in blocking. You're not some evil bastard or a super hero because you blocked someone, so don't ascribe morality to that. Just block whoever (and whatever, because blocking tags exist) you don't want to see and move on.

Finally, my last advice is: somethings are best kept private and by private I mean get yourself some friend who you can just talk shit about to. Listen, sometimes the urge to be like "this bitch online is an idiot" is BIG and the best thing you can do about it, in a way that won't cause a fight or whatever, is to go to some friend and say "let me talk shit for a few minutes". Trust me, IT WORKS. So many times I've been tempted to say stuff, only to go to a friend and talk about the stuff and then boom, I was done. I was okay. So yeah, there's stuff that is better to be sent in a groupchat then to be posted about.

This post is longer than I intended but I feel like we should try to just have fun? This is the internet, the good part about it is that we can choose who we can engage with and what we want to say, and it's way more productive to spend your time with people that matter, that you care about and that make you happy then stressing over people who simply do not care and who will not change.

Anyways, peace out

[thereallivingded]

8 months

Nearly 8 months have passed since I blogged. Damn.

I apologize profusely if anyone was interested in my ramblings. I have zero excuses other than life got hard. Full time job. Which I hated profusely - not that I'm not going to be working full time again soon - tends to bring on crushing depression when I feel stuck in it. Which I did, and I was. When you are paid bi-weekly and you see that entire paycheck go to your cost of living.. well. It doesn't do good things to your psyche. Energy levels get low and all that extra you had energy for before gets used up with day to day survival. Getting out of bed. Getting to work. Feeding yourself. Cleaning your house. Squeezing in workout (a thing I do now).

It's not all bad I suppose. I've finally been able to interview for and obtain a position that will not only net me a raise but be closer to home. Hopefully, that should get me more free time to pursue the things I actually enjoy.

I'd like to say that in this time I've been able to tackle my backlog of Steam games. But. Well. BG3 happened. And I spent even more time in the game than I had in early access. It's maddening how much time I've sunk into Faerun. I have no regrets though.

The only thing really that's kept me from finishing my campaign - as I am in Act 3 - is my computer. I haven't upgraded the beast since 2020 or 2021-ish. And it's starting to show. My mobo is acting extraordinarily peculiar. Sometimes I'll walk away from my computer to come back a couple hours later and find it stuck in bios. Super fun. The connection to the mobo gets wiggled a little and everything pops back on. Super. However, anything heavy to run - like BG3 - tends to get very crash-y.

Again. Super.

T.T

AND. Due to my financial constraints because of the job I recently left, I was completely unable to fix this. I'm hoping with the advent of the new job, getting a few paychecks in to stabilize, I can rectify the problems. Hopefully.

I started a couple of fanfics for the first time ever. I am ridiculously shy about them. My writing skills have become so sodding rusty. The stories came to me while I was playing BG3 and I was compelled to write them down. Note now, that the frequency of updates directly reflects the time I have to invest in them. So keep that in mind.

Be gentle on me here lol!

I have been able to get some gaming done. I have ceased playing Back 4 Blood, as it became no longer supported by its dev team. A sad move really. The gaming industry as a whole has become this parasitic beast. Devs work on a game for an extremely limited amount of time and abandon it the moment it becomes less lucrative than their board of directors care for.

There is a trend towards monetization of minutiae and online play in inappropriate genres, that has become an insidious infection in the game industry. It robs us of good game development. There's this mentality of more, more, now that's just slow poison to the whole beast. It makes everything very same-y and boring.

Which is why I strive at this point in my life, to not give money to the companies which I feel are most guilty of this. The only way to make these corporations listen is to hit them in the $. As such I will probably be carefully curating any games I discuss or mention on this blog from here on. My next post will likely be discussing a visual novel I've spent some time in that I equal parts enjoyed and became frustrated with. So that's in the pipeline. Until then keep to the lights lovies. <3

[chromatic-lamina]

fic writer asks!! i’m really curious about these three:

🤲 what do YOU get out of writing?

🌈 is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

☯️ how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

thank you!! ♥️

Hello there!

🤲 what do YOU get out of writing?

Keeps me sane. I think it's something I'm good at and something I enjoy doing, so I think I should do it if I feel driven to do it. Balance is important of course. Also, I can write, with some stuff, scenarios or character studies and relationships that I'd like to see.

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with? Let me have a look. Not really, no. For me, anyway, fanfiction is easier than original fiction. I try to write well, but I'm more likely to possibly be happy with a scene with fewer drafts than I might in original fic. I want it to be, basically, not stressful, even when I'm writing dark stuff. As a matter of fact, fanfic can be an avoidance strategy for me, so I'm more likely to write it when I'm a little stressed, than it actually stressing me. I have deleted and re-uploaded some of my dark fics (and even non-dark), a few times because I felt I didn't have enough confidence to deal with any potential backlash, and I get insecure sometimes (that was probably in response to crickets. Haha).

There are probably a number of scenes in my fics that I worked hard

at and it's good if the seams aren't showing. I don't know that anything was a struggle. I find if you're really struggling with something it's good to go on to a later scene and come back to the scene giving you trouble later (if it's a multi-chap), or write an 'and-then' draft, where you just get a big pile of prosaic sketching, really, on your page. And that's hard, cos' it can be kinda tedious, but once you've got that, you can really dive in and have fun with character, scene, dialogue, etc. I'm not discounting anyone's writing struggles. I've been there. But probably fanfiction has struck me this way.

Like, there is no such thing as a filler chapter, dudes. If you're bored with the final result, probably your readers will be too, so sometimes you've got to knuckle down, isolate, pick apart, put back together, and proceed. And nine times out of ten, I end up loving those paragraphs/ sentences / chapters. I don't think I answered the question, but there you go!

☯️ how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

Interesting question. I can only speak for myself. I joined tumblr after maybe 3 years of writing fanfic, and I wasn't on twitter or discord. I belonged to a fanfiction subreddit, but I think the sub-reddit served to make writers more nervous of social media than not.

I was pleasantly surprised. tumblr and twitter helped me to see how much of fandom occurs away from AO3 or FFN, for one (most of it). And some story links I've posted haven't done badly in notes (which, let's face it, for fanfiction is when it goes into the teens), but people have also left comments on my work saying they saw my post on twt or tumblr, and even it my post didn't get me any notes, etc., it did get me some readers who left really nice comments, which was excellent, so it served its purpose.

People must curate their own experiences. I've banked a lot of self-worth on whether I get kudos or comments, and I'll still have dips, but the thing is, that for most people (not all), getting some traction is a bit of a long slog. Like, it was probably 6 months to a year before I really connected with anyone over my fics, and lots of good stuff came well after that.

But, although I do think it's important that community members support one another if the community is to be sustainable, individuals in that community need to know what they can or can't do. And there are different personalities, so different horses for different courses. Even stuff like these ask games can sometimes do a lot. Plus, I think lots of folks in fandom have a very intense attention span of a fly. So I'd also advise not to get too attached. People come and go.

Also, I don't think it hurts to research (like, I didn't!) on the fan fiction platform before uploading. If a writer's fic is OCxOC take a look and see how the OC fics go in the fandom, and tether expectations to that. Even if someone as a reader reads outside of the box, once they become a writer, they might want to realise that if they're writing what they like to read, it's no less valuable, but it might not be as popular as the more common tropes etc.

And really, if , say, you're flooded with antis or negativity, etc., on tumblr, twitter, etc., use the block/mute button. Delete where you can, and interact with folks that you vibe with and cruise along. If the social anxiety is too high, just stick to posting fic and disengage.

Thanks for the ask!

I've answered ✨ 💫 📡 , 🤲 , 🌈 , ☯️ and I'm about to answer: 🎈💥🎀 (way-hey! They look so bright in my inbox!!). The ask is here if anyone else wants to ask!

[bulletbilltime]

Ok I need to vent about "LIKES DO NOTHING" discourse because I have had Thoughts for months now.

These are just feelings without much coherent thought put into them so lmk if I get something wrong. (LONG POST WARNING)

I'm gonna start by saying that I agree with the message that's INTENDED to be spread. Letting people know that reblogs are an important and essential part of Tumblr's ecosystem is good! Tumblr not having (much of, anyway) an algorithm is an important part to emphasize to newcomers of the website. And I know *why* people prefer getting reblogs to likes on their art purely from an exposure angle: reblogs expose the art to more people, who will themselves maybe like it and reblog it to more people.

That being said, the way people act about likes is... genuinely bothersome to me. There's a really fucking weird framing of likes as literally The Worst Thing Ever. Like you're a complete and utter monster for having the gall to show appreciation for their work. And all that really does is make ppl feel guilty about how they curate their blog. "Why would they not reblog the work then, if they like it???" Well there's many reasons! They might not want to share nsfw content to their followers. They might not want to spoil their followers with fanart of the latest episode of a show. They might have specific criteria for reblogging! Maybe they have a family member following them, and they don't want to be outed for liking queer stuff! I don't think anyone particularly owes anyone an explanation for liking only.

"Why not use a side blog to reblog then, if any of the above apply?" Because that blog won't have the followers of that other blog? Why would you want someone to reblog from a dummy account, if that account has nearly nobody following them? That would be defeating the purpose of the reblog in the first place; all you'd get out of it is an extra Note, which makes it functionally indistinguishable from a like.

Now I want to focus on the one thing that annoys me the most about the framing of this discourse: the idea that people only like because they think it'll boost the engagement. This is why I think people say ridiculous stuff like "likes do nothing". Well, let me tell you something. C'mere real close.

LIKES ARE FOR LIKING THINGS.

It's in the NAME! People "like" things to show their appreciation for a piece of art/meme/etc! I highly doubt that people who only like art do so with the delusion that what they actually help the artist get more exposure, even on other social media websites. The average layperson leaves a like to show they enjoyed a post. That's it. They don't think about The Algorithm, they just see post and hit like. That's how people act on other social media websites, and I'd wager even a good chunk of "old-hat" Tumblr users do this too.

Are they in the wrong for doing that? Well I think that varies from person to person, but I personally appreciate any interaction on an art post. Sure, reblogs get more eyes on things, and that's highly valuable to get even more likes, so I absolutely do love getting reblogs, but I'm not about to get mad at every single person who likes without reblogs. I also just think that's a very unhealthy attitude to have about art in general, which leads me to my next point:

The internet as a whole just... sucks for artists. It's an annoying and unfortunate truth, but this feeling of "oh my work doesn't get nearly enough attention as I wish it did"? I've experienced it everywhere I posted content to. Whether that was DeviantArt or Twitter or w/e, it's always been the same thing. I don't tend to accrue a lot of followers for the work I do in general, and that means that my content will only get a handful of engagements, if any at all. And I know a lot of other artists face that issue, and it's because of a very simple fact: THERE IS SO MUCH ART ONLINE. Fact of the matter is, you're gonna be fighting against others for exposure, and luck is basically the only real way people can break out of that initial circle.

And on a similar lane: fanart and memes just get more interaction as a whole because they are more "shareable". Memes are just easy to share because they're funny and very accessible to most people. Fanart isn't as accessible, but it still has a potential audience if your follower base has enough fans in it, or if you're friends with ppl who like similar things to that work. But original art just doesn't have as much of a shareability. You'd think they would be more accessible by virtue of not being tied to a fandom... but because it's not tied to something people can easily search, original art gets decimated in the interactions department, unless you have a pre-existing fanbase.

I don't think this is a problem with an easy solution. And I certainly don't think shaming people is going to be the way, tbh.

But wouldn't this be all the more reason to push back and demand that people to reblog and not just like? Well... on to my next point: The Internet at large has rarely looked kindly upon those who beg for attention and interactions. People literally make fun of calls to actions on YouTube, after all. So I fear people are going to turn on people who post things like "reblogs > likes" and whatnot. I've already noticed a good amount of people beginning to get actively mad towards this sort of attitude, and passive-aggressive polls that are like "do YOU support our reblogs in blue????". I don't think this aggressive reblog shaming trend is going to end well IMO.

But reblogs are the life source of Tumblr, right? If people don't want to reblog... then won't that kill the site? Well... I guess that's the tricky spot: for artists that need commissions to make a living, there's a genuine reason for wanting art to be shared. Exposure translates to commissions for them. And if they can't get exposure, they'll have to turn towards other means of making a living. And if a lot of artists have to stop making art or leave Tumblr... then yeah that would suck for the site. Like, don't get me wrong, as annoyed as I am towards how weirdly petty these posts are, I understand why they're made. And I'm all for encouraging more support to artists, but this ain't it y'all.

So how can we promote supporting artists without shaming? Well... here's some suggestions:

Let's stop this weird culture around shaming likes. This isn't getting anywhere and it's only gonna make people turn away from interacting with art at all. Can you imagine if YouTubers started getting angry at people who don't leave a like or subscribe? Like, genuinely making passive aggressive posts and videos about them? That would be wack, right? So let's not be like that.

Second, I think that emphasizing the GOOD that reblogs can do should be encouraged. Examples: "Reblogs get more eyes on art! If you really like an artist's content, reblog it and it might lead to that artist getting more followers! If you reblog, you're doing your part in helping an artist get exposure!" People want to feel like they're doing a good thing, so help them see the good that reblogging does, rather than lecturing on the evils of not doing so.

Third... do your part! Go look for artists who don't have a lot of interactions, and reblog their work! Spending your energy interacting with fellow artists, making connections, and supporting each other's work is going to do so much more in the long run than trying to fight a losing battle with General Internet Apathy. Besides, a reblog from asspissballs69 isn't going to have nearly as much of an impact as a reblog from someone who actually has a following. Tumblr doesn't have algorithms, but follower counts do still matter even if we can't see them.

Fourth, if we wish to actually change the hearts and minds of "Serial Likers", we need to actually understand why people like in the first place. One point I can think of is that people who come in from other social media may be afraid to spam their followers with things they like. I think that's absolutely an aspect of Tumblr that doesn't really carry over as well to other websites, and putting more emphasis on that should be done. Personally, this was my biggest obstacle to embracing reblogging fanart. So I think having more empathy and understanding of the issue, and addressing concerns these people may have would go a long way in helping us make the case for reblogging.

If you've read this far, thanks for engaging with this rambly post! If you have objections to the arguments I make, feel free to reply but BE CIVIL and constructive. I *will* block people who get aggressive or read in bad faith.

[risu5waffles]

Wintering DisconTENt

One of these finally fell on a day off. i mean, that has happened in the past too; i just haven't always seized the opportunity? i am so tired.

One of the biggest disappointments if the servers stay shuttered is that i never archived chronos' Demo series. i've got an old review of Demo (LittleBite-sizedPlanet 07/21/19 episode 144b), and we've played the three levels comprising it on stream many, many times; but i don't have dedicated LBsA episodes for them. This eats at me more than i care to admit, and i care to admit probably more than i generally ought.

As for D???, it's a very solid look at what Demo would have looked like if all of chronos' plans had come to fruition. We see a number of enemy types that come up later, and the bullet spreads, as well, will be repurposed. i really liked the way this one hits some of the main platforming gameplay biomes of Chapter Zero; it's a really neat look, and lets us see a bit more of them than we otherwise might have. i do note that we don't see Episode 0.2. Maybe chronos felt as wibbly about that one's look as i did.

And wrapping up Chapter Zero we have some cut content. It was really neat getting hands-on look into chronos' thought process wiv these. They're both pretty neat, but i can see why they eventually got scrapped. Episode 0.1(5) is just so very busy, and winds up being a lot more aggravating than fun, and while the gameplay in 0.3 is solid, it's got a poppiness to it that doesn't mesh all that well wiv the tone of the other parts of the Adventure.

i will point out, once again, that chronos has a lot of behind the scenes footage up on his YouTube

and they really make for a fascinating look into the brainmeats of an amazing creator. Am i selling chronos a little hard? i dunno. Maybe? i'll stand by every word tho'.

Ahhh LBP2, when everyone had a whole-ass passel of OCs, and couldn't wait to show them off to everyone. So... i guess tumblr wiv platforming? That probably reads snarky, and i really don't intend it to; i love seeing folx's characters, and being able to interact wiv them in the limited way that LBP provided was always a hoot.

i knew picked-punk from around this time, tho' we've long since been out of touch. My vague memories were of his being a pretty decent chap, and that i had a good time interacting wiv him. Wonder what he's up to these days. Hopefully nice things.

Awesome Gingers' Cardboard Garden (that misplaced apostrophe honestly bugs the heck out of me, but it's in the original, so i have to assume it was intended) is a fun, and pretty expansive metaplatformer(?). Maybe not meta, exactly, but directly referencing that there are Creator Curators (us) who are making all these community levels. i really liked when levels could play wiv that membrane, and still manage to pull off being enjoyable from a mechanical "i am a player interacting wiv this through gameplay mechanics" sense. i've played a lot that were just up their nose in the pretense, and kinda forgot someone would be experiencing this.

i really, really enjoyed this one; even if sometimes it could be a little difficult to track just where it wanted me to go next. Continuing wiv the conceit that this is Ginger's creation means that the level doesn't need to be completely tethered to making a cohesive environment, so you wind up wiv "realistic" setpieces strung together wiv more abstracted pure platforming bit, and that's always been a style i've enjoyed.

Fun fact, but the Yellow Sign sticker you can just see in the upper-right of the title card here? i made that. pickled-punk and i had done a sticker trade, and i used one of his stickers (now sadly lost) for a trigger in my Bloomin' Oni-ons level. i still wonder what that was supposed to get you. Probably a bunch of scorebubbles.

i am so glad i went back and grabbed this one. We'd played it on stream, and i had such a blast wiv it. Straight-forward, and not super-challenging, but extremely high on the charm scale, and all around a smooth, fun experience. Cookietovar put together some extremely solid platforming-for-platforming's-sake-but-still-enjoyable-to-look-at platformers, and i really should have given them more archive space. At least we got Roasting Oranges 2; that one was also a delight.

All three of these use a Mr Beaver Says No sticker switch, and for the life of me i could not figure out where the hell the trigger was. i'll tell you it bugged the living hell out of me, tho'. If i had to guess, and that's really all i can do, it probably triggered some form of fast travel, maybe a tetherless jetpack, to let Qugz get to the different setpieces quickly in Play Mode and making sure they were running properly. Wiv levels as expansive as these, getting to a specific point in them would be a lot; and wiv resetting logic being as fiddly as it was, Create Mode testing could be a real chore.

All the Maxed out levels are chock-a-block wiv neat ideas and mechanical bits, and really push the envelope on what we could get done in LBP1. Wiv the downside being they are fragile as all get out, and there was a lot of b-roll footage left on the cutting room floor of "ope, this bit is irreparably broken from some unexpected physics interaction, guess i'll have to play the whole damned thing over." i know we give the changes in engine and physics moving into LBP3 a lot of shite (some of it deservedly, but let's face it, the move from LBP1 to 2 didn't do a tonne of favours to some of the old levels either), but levels like these are a good reminder that things could just as easily get breaky as fuck in native LBP1; you can see how Qugz has included workarounds in the vehicles sections, so those bits must have broken so consistently that even they recognized there was a problem, but not enough of a problem to scrap the concept entirely.

We just talked about this one a couple of days ago. Are you telling me you've already forgotten a couple of days ago? i mean, fair enough. i have too. Don't feel too bad about it. But, like, do me a favour and just scroll back to Friday so i don't have to repeat myself?

Honestly? i kind of thought this one would do slightly better numbers. i know it was, by design, up for only a short window, but, like, it was on the heels of A Totally Reasonable Response (sitting at around 750-ish plays when the servers went down, and still getting plays on a relatively consistent basis). The last check put this one at something like 12, and i don't know how the LBP algo worked, clearly. Maybe it was the totally pants level badge. i was a bit pressed for time getting it published.

The fortune teller was a lot of fun in concept. i actually wrote out those kanji myself using the Move lolipop, and either my hands have gotten shakier, or it's a lot harder to get a straight line, and i just forgot. The actual logic behind it was a super pain in the arse, tho'. Originally it was set up to be just a one shot, and whatever fortune you got, that was it. The problem was, it would only show "Worst Luck;" something fucky wiv how i had the randomizer set up, i guess. In the end i had to do it so you could get multiple fortunes, and just leave it to the players' good will that they would only try it once.

i really liked the little environmental pieces, and was keeping them around to use in an actual level-level, but who knows how likely that'll be given the state of things right now.

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

So. The penultimate(? maybe?) TENspot. Some really good levels in there. It'll be a shame if no one gets a chance to play them again.

i was doing the edits for b-roll on LittleBite-sizedPlanet 292 last night, and it really started to settle in that this might be one of the last times i do that, and it made me feel all kinds of ways. Yeah, not really that much more to say about it. Or at least not anything i really want to unpack right now. Just feeling pretty bummed out.

Gonna see a friend today, and we're going to a protest, which is one of those "good things to do, but i really wish we didn't have to do it" kind of deals.

[booksandwords]

Ice Drag Queen Wedding by Tami Veldura

Series: Queenships, #1.5 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The quote: Anyone from Tsui would claim they were daughters of the stars, severing their history with Earth in order to find enlightenment, but Artio’s people knew that a person was built by what came before them, and a history only gave them all strength. It didn’t hold anyone back. — Hendrix Kelly

Warnings: None of note.

Oh man, I have one thing to say... Hendrix's outfits are clothing p*rn and I can't even with it. I just went all grabby hands over it. Those outfits were the best things in this whole story.

Ice Drag Queen Wedding tells the story of Hendrix Kelly and Kane Carter. It's an arranged marriage, enemies to lovers plot using forced proximity well. The arranged marriage is I believe managed better than most plotlines like that I've read for a while. Hendrix consented and had a hand in the negotiation of his own marriage, Kane had the option to and just didn't. Hendrix is of the lower class (in theory at least) but has ended up with quite a generous marriage contract. Both of the had to agree to the marriage but someone was a bit busy otherwise. Both of them seem to come from matriarchal lines, I am totally here for that (*insert Welsh flag here*). The story is set around a competition, loyal crews and a holiday. I like it as a story setting. I'm not going to go into this much more for the plot and characters.

Just a couple of quotes I liked.

“He’s with his squad running simulations of us already,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s been simulating Shale for a week.” The games had only started four days ago. Hendrix laughed. “That’s because he knows we’re the only competition he has. Isobel looked over her nose at him. “More like he’s as obsessed with you as you are with him.” Hendrix put a hand to his chest in mock-outrage. “I’ll have you know that my social standing is far superior.” — Isobel is Hendrix's second in command. I really like her, the rest of their crew on Shale and Keane's crew on Basalt. This conversation shows how well the two crews and especially the captains and their seconds know each other. It's only later that Hendrix's true social standing is explained, he really isn't what he appears or presents himself as. (Isobel and Hendrix)

 It was all for show. An elegant package wrapped around his body in order to please the eye and entertain. A present he didn’t need to unwrap to enjoy. There was no practical purpose for any of it and Hendrix’s sheer joy in curating every look always seemed to give Kane a stress-tic that made his eye twitch. — Omg the outfit Hendrix is wearing here had me almost want to worship at his feet. I'm sorry he really does look like a vengeful angel. But Hendrix knows exactly how to push Kane's buttons. It's the idea of a present to himself that strikes me. (Hendrix)  

“Smart pilots fly in formation with each other, like this,” Kane moved Olivier’s hands so his ships flew side by side. “Or like this,” He added his own hand as third ship, making a triangle. “Everyone flies in the same direction so we always know we won’t run into each other.” — This is such a stunning moment to me. Olivier is seven and Kane's relative. It's a demonstration of learning and a change in priorities. I'm totally here for it. (Kane)

His eyelashes glittered with frost. His skin, dusted with silver glitter. His makeup subtle underneath, but a crown of white paint across his brow gave him the look of a queen. An ice queen, about to marry his husband. — The only way this could have been better was to change husband to something else royal. Though that would be Kane talking overly highly of himself. Also, it's a lovely sentiment and suits Hendrix to a t. (Kane)

Ice Drag Queen Wedding is set in Tami Veldura's Queenships universe, the only other book in the series to date is Perihelion published in 2015. It feels like a long time to go without writing in a series. That said while this verse seems to have very good and intelligent but dense lore that really would need to be in a novel to be properly explained and understood. Essentially it's too dense for a novella. I'm trying to figure out if the story is written with the expectation that you have read the prior book or not. It just throws information at the reader, a scifi lore that isn't unique but certainly isn't common and a bit of a web of characters.

The blurb of Ice Drag Queen Wedding is so misleading. "They're stranded on an icy moon with only one tent between them. They can't stand each other. And they're getting married in two days. [...] Hendrix and Kane's rivalry has always been heated, but stranded on the moon together, it just might ignite. There's only one bed and baby, it's getting cold outside!" (I've taken out the section on the squads which doesn't tell you much really.) That only one-bed section? One chapter halfway through the book. It's an explosive demonstration of bottled-up feelings starting from a desperate need to share body heat after someone does something spectacularly stupid. While I don't dislike what we get it isn't exactly what I expected and if I was picky about my tropes I might be more than a little disappointed.

I got this free during a single day amazon sale and I'm glad I didn't pay for it. It's not horrendous and it certainly had promise in the plot but it just doesn't manage to stick the landing. Oh, and there were some flaws in the editing. Spelling mistakes, incorrect names and maybe wrong words, just clumsy editing.

[chaos-vulpix]

I posted 176 times in 2022

That's 165 more posts than 2021!

4 posts created (2%)

172 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@favoriteginger

@toastedsmoreo

@weekend-whip

@nyanbinary-87

@finalstepsoffaith

I tagged 24 of my posts in 2022

#ninjago - 7 posts

#legacyverse - 7 posts

#aftershockshipping - 6 posts

#incorrect quotes - 2 posts

#oc: jesse marvell - 2 posts

#tommyinnit - 1 post

#oc: olivia omar - 1 post

#four-eyes - 1 post

#private puffer - 1 post

#oc: jamie myers - 1 post

Longest Tag: 91 characters

#tempted to make another playlist centered on this but i dunno if i've got the material lmao

My Top Posts in 2022:

#4

Aftershockshipping Playlist

After reading Chapter 40 of @weekend-whip‘s Born to Be a 21st Century Ninja, I... managed to talk myself into making a playlist for Aftershock (Cole x Jesse)... and Ren (weekend-whip) wanted to see it, so... here it is, I guess.

Just a heads up, I don’t normally share playlists, but I just needed to showcase the vibe these two together give me. It’s mostly inspired by the events of the chapter itself & what could’ve been logically playing during Tox’s set at Rockshot, but also just general vibes outside of that setting, though some may feel like they are from a specific perspective (like, you can feel which song is Cole or Jesse), or it is completely unrelated but meshed well into the vibes so I thought “screw it, throw it in”. I’m also thinking that this could be expanded on in future, but let’s keep it “small” for now.

So, in no particular but alphabetical order because I can’t curate effectively, enjoy:

Adore - Cashmere Cat ft. Ariana Grande

All For You - Rynx ft. Kiesza

Animal - Kesha

Atic - Astrid S

Audio - LSD (Labrinth, Sia & Diplo)

Beautiful Now - Zedd ft. Jon Bellion

Blue - Bad Computer

Boom Clap - Charli XCX

Break My Heart - Dua Lipa

Call You Mine - The Chainsmokers ft. Bebe Rexha

Chameleon - Mako & Elephante

Chasing Clouds - Bad Computer & Danyka Nadeau

Chasing Fire - Lauv

Chroma - Pixel Terror ft. EMELINE

Circles - Audien ft. Ruby Prophet

Daisy - Zedd ft. Julia Michaels

Dreamin’ - Seven Lions ft. Fiora

Eyes Off You - M-22 ft. Arlissa & Kiana Ledé

FANCY - TWICE

Fly - Bad Computer

Go Bang - PNAU

Gold - Koven

Goodness Gracious - Ellie Goulding

Hearts On Fire - Illenium & Dabin ft. Lights

I Don’t Do Drugs - Doja Cat ft. Ariana Grande

I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding

See the full post

12 notes - Posted November 11, 2022

#3

Quick Legacyverse Headcanon: NEVER challenge Cole to a Just Dance competition.

That man will destroy you.

Oh? You thought you could throw him off with an Extreme routine that you recently just learned? He's already got Megastar on that.

Your only chance of surviving... is to just play the game with him on casual terms. He'll still dance circles around you, but you'll make out alive with your pride intact, I promise you.

15 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

#2

Incorrect Legacyverse Quotes

PART 1

Jesse: I need a moment with him.

Secret Ninja Force: Of course.

They leave

Jesse, leaning over Cole′s coffin: Okay, listen here you little shit. I know you’re not dead.

Cole: Yeah, no shit.

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

Jesse: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I'll wait.

Cole: You and me!!!

Jesse, tearing up: Okay.

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

Olivia: Here’s a fun Christmas idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it.

Jesse: Olivia no.

Jamie: Mistlefoe.

Jesse: Please stop encouraging them.

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

Jay: HELP! I TOLD NYA I’D COOK DINNER TONIGHT BUT I CAN’T COOK! 

Cole, pouring milk directly into the cereal bag: And you thought I could help?

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

Olivia: Let me show you a picture from last night that really upset me. 

Puffer: Okay, but in my defence, Four-Eyes bet me 50 cents I couldn’t drink all that shampoo. 

Olivia: That’s not what I wanted to- you drank SHAMPOO?!

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

Cole: I think we're missing something. 

Zane: Teamwork? 

Jay: Cohesion? 

Kai: A general sense of what we’re doing?

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

Zane, about Kai: Apparently we’re getting someone new in the group.

See the full post

30 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Kai: How in the world did you two get into an accident?

Nya: Well, we were driving, and there was a deer in the road so I yelled “Jay, deer!”

Jesse: And?

Nya: Tell them what you answered

Jay: ...

Jay: ... ”yes, honey?”

Cole: [chokes on cake in laughter]

33 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[tarotwithdanise]

A LETTER FROM YOUR PHYSICAL BODY TO YOU

a collaboration pac reading with one of the best & greatest person and reader here on this platform @alaezasmystery.

༉ ‧ ₊ ˚ how to choose a pile? ✧ . ˚

꒰⠀from left to right ; intuitively choose the pile your mind, heart and soul desire for. if you are having trouble choosing the right pile for you, here’s some tips you can do ; (1) take a deep breath (2) close your eyes (3) ask guidance from your guides (4) finally open your eyes and you can choose the right pile for you by the guidance you ask from your guides. if you are still having trouble by choosing the right pile for you let me know because i am willing to help and guide you.

1 - 2

3 - 4

rules, disclaimer and notes ☆

Just a quick disclaimer : This reading was made for entertainment purposes only. this is obviously a general reading so takes what resonates and leave when it doesn’t, you don’t need to force your energy to read this and leave such a bad comment just to say it doesn’t resonates with you at all because the answer is very obvious! WE don’t own any these pictures i collected them from pinterest so credits to the rightful owners.

Please ignore any grammatical errors on this reading since english is not OUR first language, thank you for understanding!

Third to the last one, if you are not an avid fan of this kind of readings and not totally 100% agree about the outcome of this pac please just ignore this post and don’t engaged anymore, this pac can contains harsh, hurtful comments about you or the other person that can trigger you if possible, so kindly read at your own risk and take how it’ll resonates.

Lastly, be happy and enjoy this reading and OUR work — feedbacks, comments, likes, reblogs and follows are really appreciated by the readers.

for tips, donation, masterlist and paid readings ☆

send your tips on my ko-fi account, link is here.

MASTERLIST PAID READING SERVICES

[ ♡ ] check out my second account @danisetarot .

SOURCE AND CREDITABLE : All of the pictures are collected and downloaded from pinterest , WE don’t own any of them but credits goes to the rightful owners however reading goes and belong to us. This reading is collaboration with alaezasmystery, here's their MASTERLIST and PAID READINGS SERVICES that they offer currently.

PILE ONE

made with love by @alaezasmystery

"You've closed your eyes and ears towards all the signs and messages that I've been sending out. For example I told you certain people are not good for us,I told you some food substances or foods bring us deeper down into addition and avoidance, I even send signals when you about to loose certain things in your life ( material/money). You have been too occupied with trying to survive with all the messy responsibilities in life that you do not hear anything I've said. I know that you are in a state of contemplation right now, you want to know what is the deeper meaning of all the things happenings in your life and how to make the next choice correctly. Well I can't clearly tell that you are not looking at the answers that are currently right in front of you, it's like I am right here but you're looking for me at the whole different location. Connect back to bodily sensations and instincts for clarity, for example when you see and you light up within, pay attention and follow. I am your compass."

PILE TWO

made with love by @alaezasmystery

"Oh come on, do you know how pretty we are? We are extremely,extremely beautiful, from hair to toe. Why hating us? Go and show yourself to the world. I want more people to see us. I know you are learning to shine but you have limited yourself to such a small audience. Come on, our body needs to seen !!!! You might think that we need more patience or our action /looks/ outfits etc need to be more curated or we need to add more wow factors, but love the truth is our rawness itself is a big wow. I will tell you a secret, our beauty has a purpose,it is the key to our wish fulfillment. We have the power too attract and we can use it to our things get done. I know you have a big wisdom to share, have you thought of using beauty for it ??? Some people call this manipulation but I think they are just making an enemy out of tools they are naturally granted with, kinda stupid !!! No ??? This 8s one of your powers. Me as your physical body is not born to be confined and hidden away. I am meant to be visible and in a big way."

PILE THREE

made by danise @daninixx

Dear my universe,

You didn't know how your energy and appearance are made with galaxy, from your eyes that are look like a cluster of an explosion of stardust everytime you are looking at the mirror. Like how those stretch mark similar to the our planet called venus, embrace me like how you did from your past. I know weren't perfect but when everytime I seen you it's like I'd been watched a real fantasy movie, you seems too pretty like those people we see online and magazine. Your dark circles will be a singing melody of nebula, we know you did well for yourself and future, you did very well my love, your face is the canva for making a beautiful painting of cosmos even your pimples and acnes are alike of constellations of stars. Furthermore, your uneven and not perfectly white teeth are just like our sun. Like how you smile with everyone, it shine and shone alone that make people light their world up each day and so why would you worry? Even you have a hue color of yellowish teeth — dentist said they are normal from our genetics. Your dark spots they're the one of most beautiful part for me, they are like moon giving the darkest nights light and somehow everything else is normal, they seem like they are. We are twins, we reflecting the whole universe and baby, don't forget that even we are not the same like others, we are unique, we are the real definition of a beautiful disaster. Because in the first place we are human.

With love, galaxy

channeled song :

PILE FOUR

made by danise @daninixx

To my one true love,

I hope you are doing well even though i wanted to give up, please do take care of me. I only have you in this world, when i asking you to have sleep, bring me some foods or eve drink a glass of water please do command with me, this only for ourselves and healthiness. I am truthfully in hurt right now of how you treated me, it seems like I am a trash for you? If you can only say sorry and take care of me i would forgive you. Stop comparing yourself to others, accept me as i am, i maybe not as good like others but this build makes you different from them, you have a natural beauty and body so accept it, we are precious like diamonds and pearls. Always choose to reflect your consciousness and have a commitment to self-love, if you wanted to say no to toxins foods and yes to those healthiest as much as possible, I will be glad so. You deserve to look great, and you are worth the effort, if you think you are busy enough please have some time and space for me to take care of — I know you are comparing me to others but i wanted you to know that we are all different and authentic body shapes and kind, i love you for who you are. It's time for you and this is the right time to love each other, face your fears and listen what they wanted to say. Allow yourself to be confident also take a leap of faith with this process i know you can do it. Be gentle with me, with yourself. We are the true richness and treasure here so breathe deeply let your fabulous belly to expand and feel it greatness and it will take a lot of time but make it progress so take slow down and stop hurrying. We'll wish we had loved more, lived more and been at peace in the future.

From the best version of you.

channeled song :

｡ﾟﾟ･｡･i love end#0625

ﾟ･｡･ﾟ, I may not be online when this pac reading is posted since i really sleep early and i put this on queue however i hope and hoped hard you all enjoy and loved this pac with @alaezasmystery. We put our love, effort and time to do this so please we wanted to know your thoughts and feedbacks. Also i would like to say "thank you so much" because I had finally reached 800+ followers within two months that was one of my biggest achievement here, sending you some love and positive energy.

With love, Danise.

[moonsdancer]

Really enjoy your content defending MelJay (we need more of that) and Mel (WE NEED A LOT MORE OF THAT), but I feel as if lately you’ve sometimes been a little mean about Viktor and Jayvik. I’m a black que disabled man and I would really love to hear what you think about him and his relationship to both Jayce or Mel. I like Jayvik too, but the treatment the fandom gives to all three characters makes it very difficult to feel comfortable enjoying both ships.

It’s starting to feel like you have to choose sides between your race and sexuality.

Sorry if this was offending, I’m shit at talking and I really respect your opinion in fandom so this is meant as actual interest. I’m not tryna fight or something, just asking.

Not offensive at all, friend, and I partly get where you're coming from ❤ . I think fandom is always gonna force us to curate what we engage with and that's the sad reality.

I don’t know that I'm personally ever mean to Viktor (have been shady about jayvik and certain shippers, can't lie, but I try to keep it cute) so much as making a conscious decision not to engage at all with the loud cohort his toxic fans (or their content) who continually shit on Jayce and/or Mel in some way. I was actually super fond of and engaged with Viktor in the early days (see my early adoration for Meljayvik) but once it became apparent that Mel was a nonfactor for so many, even in the triad, and that there was no one, and I mean no one making content for and about her (or meljay and to some degree for Jayce), I reset my priorities. I only have so much time for fandom stuff.

It should be noted: Viktor isn't hurting for love, he is the most popular character in this fandom besides Silco and Jinx, by far. Jayvik is the second most popular ship by far. So to be blunt, I don't really feel like I, in my insignificant corner of the fandom, need to expend as much energy on him or the pairing (which I don't ship beyond friendship) .

We know which character has been getting unwarranted levels of hate since the show aired. We know who is continually erased, rendered invisible, reduced from the story, from her own and the wider story of the show. We know who has people wishing she would die. We know which voice actress had people trying to shit on her character in a fan event. We know who is perpetually flattened, villainized and misrepresented. We know who is getting the least art or any fan content.

The answer is Mel. Not Viktor.

So while I endlessly respect everything Viktor represents, he is still not and never will be subject to the kind casually violent disregard and misogynoir that Mel is because she is Black and a woman who also happens to be Jayce’s lover. He gets some vile ableism, but we can see the treatment of these characters is not the same and that he has privilege re: fandom due to his perceived race and gender etc. Thus for me, I've decided to pour energy into fighting for Mel because few others will bother.

All of the above ramble (sorry!) to say I hope you can find a happy space to feed what you love from the show. MJV discord if you're not in it might be a good space.