#see? even my regular tag for own posts acknowledges it!

[reblog-house]

Get to Know Me Better

Tag 9 however many people you want to get to know better.

Tagged by @cassandralie !

Three ships:

Ineffable Husbands

And the next ones are hard, since that's like. The only ship I actively read fics of now. In previous fandoms, I always had like a handful of fics to fall back on, but now...

I do like Anathema and Newt though.

... Okay, hear me out. This is where the ship dilemma I mentioned comes in. Wait actually no, i haven't mentioned it yet. I mean i have, but in the next question. I'm jumping from point to point. But anyway, the ship dilemma is the following: what even COUNTS as a ship? Because I really like this non-GO "pairing" but not romantically. In a more "they're meant for each other whether they like it or not — and they don't. They're doomed to be put in awful funny situations and make a fucking mess and blame the other and they're great friends! but also enemies" way. Honestly, the thing stopping me is that they're mcytbers lmao. Except they're not, since I couldn't care less about them irl. It's just the characters they play that make me go *chef's kiss*. If you guessed Grian and Scar. Yeah. Not Hermitcraft though. The Life series. They make each other miserable whenever they're paired up and it's hilarious. Wouldn't read a fic though.

First ship ever:

Oh this is awfully hard. You have no idea how hard this is. I don't know how to even define ship here (as you can see, this is the ship dilemma actually mentioned before). Cause I liked Pucca and Garu, but I also acknowledged Woody and Buzz, I also liked Anastasia and the baker, and I may have imagined something about Coop and Mr Kat (not even enemies to lovers, just a specific situation i can still remember to this day — and I'll just note down that Mr Kat is an alien who looks like a cat, Not a cat),  etc etc. It's really fucking hard to say only one. But if i focus on me Aware of shipping... Fuck, probably some creepypasta ship. Jane and Jeff? I didn't know she was a lesbian back then. But i may still be off by a long shot.

Last song:

Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Wives! Aziraphale my beloved.

Last movie:

20,000 Species of Bees. It was very good. And ouch. It's about an 8 y.o. trans girl figuring herself out and oof. If you don't like open endings, don't watch it. It was 2h long and honestly? I realized it was long while watching it, but not that long!

Currently reading:

I had actually meant to re-read Good Omens today, but didn't take my book with me. But i didn't, so nothing? But the last thing I read was Boethius' On the Consolation of Philosophy and I have to re-read some passages for a project so... I'll count that.

Currently consuming:

Air, barely (mask in a bus — not much air to consume (I SWEAR THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE WRITTEN THAT SENTENCE WHAT THE HELL. WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I'VE WRITTEN THAT PHRASE BEFORE)). Unless this is a general "consuming", in which case, I'm listening to the song i mentioned before (that was my last listened song before i saw this, and it made me want to listen to it again. But now the song just switched (and now nothing again, woops)).

Currently craving:

Honestly, literally any food whatsoever. I'm hungry and i won't be home for at least another hour and a half. (An hour, now. Like I said, jumping around from point to point)

Anyway. I don't really know who else to tag?

So uh. Hm.

I. Did not mean for this to be as long as it was. I can't help but ramble, as you might've seen right there.

[ilikekidsshows]

hey I figure that you’re probably tired of talking about the Sentimonster nonsense but I genuinely still can’t stand that it’s an actual thing. The wildest thing about it is that I JOINED the fandom because of the Sentimonster theory, actually got excited for it and looked forward to hints, not believing the skeptics or the salters bc it didn’t seem like such a big deal—that is until I saw with my own eyes how SO MANY FANS said with their whole chest that, in “Ephemeral” Adrien HAD to be a Sentimonster or there was no other “sympathetic explanation” for why he didn’t de-akumatize himself or fight off Gabriel.

Seeing the victim blaming in real time was such a punch in the gut—and then they just kept on coming!! It finally hit me how damaging the entire thing because for the show as a whole. If even regular fans that weren’t even known for salting could so willingly disregard and ignore genuine abuse coping mechanisms in favor of magical BS… it was such a dark time. Abuse Apologism and victim blaming in a whole package

Sometimes, when I write about Miraculous, I pretend I'm writing about a show that only had three seasons. That's what the "zagulous fandom" tag is for; it's for posts that are about the parts of Miraculous that had Zag's executive control keeping Astruc in check. I also kinda accepted long ago that my blog's kind of a support blog for people who are against the Sentihuman concept.

When I first heard of the expanded Sentimonster theory, the one that went "all the rich kids are Sentimonsters", I instantly went: "You do realize how making victims of child abuse nonhumans with questionable rights minimizes their victimhood and excuses their abusers, right?" people told me I was making stuff up and whoopsie doo, the writers did exactly that.

Neither Gabriel nor Tomoe faced any consequences for abusing Adrien and Kagami because, after all, since they're Sentimonsters, the real abuse was that they didn't have their Amoks so giving them their Amoks resolves all their problems. The only abusive parent who gets acknowledged as such is Félix's dad, who is dead by the time we hear about any of this, because we can't have abusive parents face consequences for their actions because that might upset people or whatever excuses Astruc's giving for Gabriel's vindication now.

This also minimises all the affects of the abuse on the kids, since they can be handwaved away with: "They were just programmed that way." Kagami's bad social skills aren't because her mother isolated her, it's because she forgot to program Kagami with those skills. Félix's villainous behavior isn't because his mother is overly permissive with him, he was just programmed that way (by the eeeeevil Colt). Adrien isn't a people pleaser because he's repeating his abuse coping mechanisms with his overly controlling girlfriend to keep her happy the same way he did to his overly controlling father, he was just programmed to be the perfect doting son and boyfriend.

You'll notice how neatly this ties into the crew denying that Chloé was abused in any way ever by her clearly abusive mother. Chloé wasn't made into a Sentimonster, so we can't have her bad coping with her abuse be excused by "Sentimonster programming", so now the writers are just gaslighting the audience and saying: "Chloé wasn't mistreated by her parents which caused her to act to out to get attention (which she literally stated to be her motive in season 3), in fact, she's the one who's been terrorizing her poor, innocent father and he needs to be protected from this naturally occuring evil hellspawn."

All child abuse in this show gets excused.

Of course, now the writers have an added reason to make sure Adrien's abuse gets excused in particular: because they made Marinette benefit from it. As I said, Adrien is repeating abuse coping mechanisms learned from dealing with his father to keep Marinette happy. He's always prioritizing her feelings and never brings up his own problems, and this is good for Marinette, because she can just enjoy having a perfect boyfriend who caters to her every need and doesn't have problems of his own or with the ways she treats him (for all she knows). She's even maintaining this status quo by lying about Gabriel to Adrien, so Adrien won't get upset (and have emotional needs that she would need to help him with). Either we have to excuse Adrien's abuse, or we have to admit Marinette is benefitting from the fact that Adrien was abused, and even taking advantage with the way she makes no effort to improve their communication on her end, preferring to spy on Adrien and lie to him instead of just talking to him like an equal.

The show writers are also allergic to following through on their creative decisions, is what I think. They put all these different victims of child abuse and neglect in the show, and then dehumanized these children in different ways so that they wouldn't actually need to say anything about that abuse they wrote in and they can instead pretend it was never there. This is why I also think that, no matter how much the show's defenders insist the story isn't over yet, we will never be getting a proper resolution to the Sentinonsense.

[simp4konig]

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!! 🎄🎁

°❆⛄⋆.ೃ࿔🦌*:･❄️

It's Christmas! I myself am celebrating for a three-day period with my family 😊, and I wanted to celebrate it with everyone here, too! ☺️🫶❤️

Was wary that I wouldn't write this in time, but, thankfully, I wrote it *just* in time! 🙇🏼‍♀️

I want to take the time to thank everyone for this amazing year I've had! 💫🚀✨🌠 I created this account around mid-August, with my first post being on the 17th/19th (if you can count an anonymous reblog as a post 🤭), and in less than half a year, I've made so many memories and had so many memorable interactions that I cherish and will cherish from here onwards.

Thank you to all my followers (all 412 of you!!!! 😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕💞💞💕) for deciding to follow this profile of mine.

I acknowledge updates haven't always been regular, and I know that I have not posted a fanfiction in nearly two months, but I want you all to know that with the new year, I will best this year's best and do even more of my hardest to give you regular updates. No official promises, though. I don't make promises, but I *do* give my own devotion. 🤧💔

I honestly feel so horrible for having an inactive account, and from the bottom of my heart, please accept my apology. I promise to do better, and do more for you all. 😓

Still, thank you to all of my followers that like my posts on a regular basis! I see you, and appreciate you. 👀💞

°❆⛄⋆.ೃ࿔🦌*:･❄️

And, I would like to devote an entire section to all of my mutuals. You people all mean a *lot* to me, and I thank you all for just being here 🥹🥹❤️🙏❤️❤️✨:

Thank you, @puff0o0🎅.

You were the inspiration for this account.

Had you not inspired me with your Self-aware AU series, and your COD works, I doubt I would have written anything. But it was you, your character, and your writing, that inspired me to write my own works, and I'm so happy to have you here, eventhough, I'll admit, I'm a total POS at times and tell you to kill yourself every day <33

I genuinely appreciate you so much, and I'm glad that you're not only a mutual, but someone that I can call a friend. I still remember how excited I got when you followed me back! 🥹🥹🥹🥹💓💓💕💞💞💞💞💓💓🤧🤧💕💕💕💕💕

It's an honour for me, really, and, although I'm not the best at words sometimes, please, I want you know that you've made a meaningful impact on my life.

Thank you, @simpforkonig🎄.

You were one of my earliest mutuals and I had really enjoyed talking to you.

I see you 👀, liking my fanfictions and posts eventhough some of my posts are downright unhinged. 🤗💫

I'm thankful to have you as a mutual, a silent presence that makes me smile. 🥰❤️

Thank you, @abysslovesyou🦌.

It is *ME* that loves *YOU*, btw!! 😽💓💕🙈💖✨💞💕💕

I will forever remain your No.1 Appreciator™. 🦸🏼‍♀️🦸🏼‍♀️🌠

My interactions with you always brought a smile to my face, and I will always dedicate my works to you even if you are not tagged anymore.

Thank you so much for your kind words, and your encouragement. It all has meant, and still means, a lot to me. I hope that I can get around to finish all your RQs before I am rotting on my deathbed LMAOO 💔💔⚰️🥀🧟‍♀️🪦

Thank you, @aethelwyneleigh27🍪🥛 (thank GOD🙏 even tho im atheist 🛐, that my phone had your user saved. With my dinosaur arms🦖, it'd have taken me YEARS to type your name out ☠️☠️💀).

You are genuinely one of the loveliest people I've ever met. 🥹🥹💓 You are so kind to me, so genuine, and it's not often that one meets someone like you.

I still remember how I had short circuited when, when I went to follow you, it displayed that we were mutuals and you had been following me all along, like??? 😭😭😭 What an honour????? 🥹🥹🥹💓💓💓 AND THEN YOU ADDED ME TO YOUR TAGLIST AND I WAS LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAADJDJSJSJA😭😭😭😭💘💘💘💘💘💘

Somehow, it's due to your amazing writing that I have fallen HARD for Ghost. 😓 The Dad! Simon series is one that I have been reading lurking from the shadows reading, can't believe I blew my cover my liking your post LOL 🤡. Anyways, thank you for honouring me with your follow. 🥹💓🙏✨

Thank you, @nevadancitizen🎁.

I STILL can't get over that it was ME that inspired someone to write something 💔😭😭✋💗💗💘💘💘💘.

Your fanfictions were and are great! It's an honour to have you as mutual, given your writing is a pleasure to read. ☺️☺️🫶✨

Thank you, @trepaika (no Christmas emoji because you don't celebrate it, so have a cookie 😘🍪).

You're a good friend of mine, and I appreciate you beyond words, even when you say nothing in the group chat aside from sending that GODforsaken gif of Tom Hutcherson 😘😘 LMAO 😭❌

Okay, but in all honesty, you're so lovely to talk to, and I'm glad to have you as a mutual, and friend. 🥹💖✨✨💓💕💕

Thank you, @skeletalgoats☃️, for... erhmmm?... being SO unhinged that you aren't even connected to the door frame, I guess? 💀☠️☠️

OKAY, but seriously, you're hilarious. I find your energy infectious, and even thought I do a double take when I see the stuff your little noodle has boiled, I like it this way. 🤧🤧💖

Thank you, @nightlyvoidz🍻.

I may not know you well, and you may not know me well, either, but you're genuinely the most sweet person I've met.

To me, you're wholesome, and I think you're really lovely. 😇💓

Thank you, @dobaddo🐻‍❄️.

Please forgive how tumblr wants to cockblock our conversations by refusing to send me notifications 💔💔😔🙏 That aside, I think you're really funny, and I love how we have loads in common (ehhh, stuff I won't list for obvious reasons 🥶🥶). It's a great day when we actually have the occasion to talk a little, about everything and nothing HAHA 😝🩷🩷💓💞

°❆⛄⋆.ೃ࿔🦌*:･❄️

And, finally, I would like to thank for a final time all of my followers: the oldest, the most recent, the ones that check in on me, the ones that lurk from the shadows, the ones that like my posts, the ones that reblog, and especially the ones that leave comments. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank *YOU*! for blessing me with my own little corner of the internet. 🥰🫶❤️❤️❤️🙌✨✨❤️

Have a wonderful Christmas (or, a wonderful time if you don't celebrate it💪💪😎😎💯🙌)

Until next year! 🚀

[pangolin-404]

Im honestly really worried for ranboo. Most people that get this big on the internet either get desensitized to stuff and become a bit of an asshole (or a full asshole) or get destroyed because of how much they care. Ranboo seems to be heading towards the second category and I wish for them to be okay

[post]

I really have no idea where I see Ranboo going from here. There are plenty of big creators who do good (Jacksepticeye's Thankmas, MCC charity events) and to me, the Particles for Palestine event was like that. A big creator utilizing their platform to raise awareness and charity. I... genuinely I don't see how people are so upset with Ranboo over . what? Not doing more? Not coming out with in-depth, nuanced reactions to global events? When they probably knew as much as you or I did.

Yes he broke promises, he is not a guiltless victim; he kept playing TLOU2 even after told of its inspiration, he didn't do as much charity as he said he would, and it's good he's acknowledging that, but this visceral reaction to him runs deeper than that, it looks like? I feel like he should stop raising peoples' expectations and over-promising; he's one guy, he's young.

I know it's probably mostly in Twitter--in the Tumblr tags, the worst I saw was a couple people calling them spineless (sorry Ranboo, but good lird, he is a little bit spineless for not telling people to stop idolizing him). But I can't wrap my head around the logic behind people going after his ankles.

Now, I personally can't think of anyone fitting the "get destroyed" option you claim has happened, Anon. So I'll be honest I think it's a little bit overdramatic, but I agree with you in that I'm also worried for Ranboo.

I worry that a whole nonprofit will be too much for them. That is a whole organization, and even if they have others working with them, that is a lifelong commitment. This is something he cannot back out of (or he will be making another empty promise) or give to someone else to handle (he said he would be active in it).

Ranboo has Generation Loss/Chronicle 0, White Noise, The Sorry Boys (if that still exists. please it's been months,), his usual streams and YouTube videos, and his own personal life and self to tend to. Genuinely, I worry a whole entire nonprofit organization that intends to address very heavy topics will break the camel's back. I don't know what that will look like, but I doubt it'd be great for his mental health and anxiety (and I worry talking too much about that, lest I get parasocial, if I haven't already!).

(I'll be honest, I don't expect the organization to go anywhere past its first few months of existence; if it does, it will be without their major role in it, or they'd be stretched too thin. I feel bad for saying that.)

All due respect to him, of course, but he is a variety gamer on twitch dot teevee, and I do not understand why people demand more and more charity and apology from him when his job is to play video games and make people laugh.

I get why people want him to state his stances, to be assured he supports Palestine. To be vocal about a tragedy happening. I get why people expect a charity stream during pride month, or an eventual donation to somewhere to help during a disaster. What I do not understand is how this isn't enough for some people.

to quote something I said when talking to a friend about this: I think he should tweet "yall need to respect me as a regular everyday person and stop seeing me as a paragon" and delete twitter and turn off the internet in his house

[halorocks1214]

okay so i just steamrolled thru detective pikachu returns over the past 2 days because i was sick and had nothing else better to do and right after finishing it i went into the tags and WOWIE the negative reception is very large!! i do understand and even agree with some of it but i just felt the need to get my own thoughts down (again. sick with nothing better to do) so take a peek under readmore for very typical elongated halo ramblings about his fave video game series

for the record i never played the first game (only watched a few clips of it on youtube even) but i did go see the movie in theaters. just figured i'd mention this ahead of time so my favoritism is known and to prevent myself from coming off as a perfectly unbiased reviewer

BEWARE THE SPOILERS BTW

(post-editing note: it be long under here, you have been warned)

to start off YEAG this game is not worth 50 bucks! the story's pacing is all over the place and is very basic, the graphics are not particularly well refined, the characters' expressions do not fluctuate as much as they should (professor gordon in particular ;-; i felt so bad for him), and the voice acting outside of merloch and detective pikachu himself are kinda phoned in! it felt like an early 2000s 4kids dub for real. even the gameplay aspects themselves were rather meh in presentation; the button hitboxes were annoying to deal with and as cool as i thought the "main" mechanics were they were incredibly clunky and the tension they tried to build up in the "solving the case" climaxes was just Not It. there was absolutely no reason for the loading/pauses to take that long

(the pokemon gimmicks were okay tho. i would die for growlithe)

however, this isn't a problem specific to this game. while i enjoyed scarlet it was definitely not 60 bucks material (and when i went back to it for the teal mask i even went "good lord, did it always run this badly?"). i gotta give credit to detective pikachu, at least this game ran properly for the most part and never crashed on me lmao

while that doesn't negate the criticisms i previously mentioned i simply wanted to say that this is going to be a problem for as long as pokemon keeps making money. this isn't me finger-wagging at anyone in particular (i certainly have no room to talk, i did say i liked scarlet), i just wanted to say: yeah, pokemon has been A Mess

"but halo!" you cry. "you talked like the negative reception was overblown! what gives the giant negative paragraph??"

because much like scarlet, i still really enjoyed this game sdfjnsdk. how can i say that with confidence, though, when i largely agree that there were many, many issues to be had with its performance?

the word of the day: expectations

and perhaps this is where my bias comes into it. whenever i play a spinoff game (like snap or pokepark for instance), i don't really go into it for mindblowing gameplay and stories, i do it for the same reason this series has kept me enraptured for over a decade of my life:

the pokemon themselves!!

there are SO MANY little things that the regular games don't go into, and while i have my own headcanons and OCs i can play off of, it is so much fun to see actual canon material acknowledge certain things you've only ever theorized about!!

the whimsicott were so fun to watch float around, the article asking where a furret's tail began and ended made me laugh out loud, the fact that they went hard into the "slowpoke tails are eaten as food" thing, and the "let's not get into that right now" jokes about venonat hunting other pokemon and dusknoir eating souls LIKE. i LOVE when pokemon goes into its more "serious" aspects. i know main series games do it too occasionally but outside of offhanded mentions or pokedex entries, do they go this hard into them? if they do and i'm just stupid pls tell me about it i'll eat that shit up

being reminded of less-talked-about pokemon is always a plus and how can you not pop off when you see one of your faves included in the story? (INTELEON AND WOOPER I'LL KICK THEIR ASSES 4 U) it's simply fun immersing yourself into the world of pokemon and getting a glimpse of what it would be like to have pokemon walking down the street and how that affects everyday life! maybe the story is basic, but it served its purpose and i had fun going along with it!

perhaps it's just my mental illness talking, but walking around and seeing all the pokemon and THEN doing the quiz girl's quizzes was actually kinda nice! even if the puzzles weren't that hard, i can't lie and say i didn't pump my fist when i guessed where the mystery was going like with cramorant swallowing the jewel or how the passimian statues needed to hold different berries. overall, i just enjoyed being reminded of how much i know and what i love about this series

also, the ways they incorporated the movie were pretty baller. i liked how they didn't just do a repeat of the mewtwo plot from the movie and let me tell you, even tho i called it early on, i liked that my suspicions about the aurora drop being deoxys were confirmed!! (i suppose it's not that hard to guess bcs what other pokemon comes from space, but i just recently finished playing omega ruby again and i normally don't think about deoxys a lot so LET ME HAVE THIS)

plus "i heard they made a movie about the R case" MADE ME SCREAM. i thought they were just going to ignore the movie and do their own thing but then they DID THAT. incredible. you can call my expectations low (which is valid) but holy fuck

so the TLDR for those who want this: if you want a sweet but cliche game exploring the world of pokemon with a lot of funny moments + worldbuilding, then this game is perfect for you. if you want a game with a groundbreaking story with graphics to boot, then yeah, you're not gonna find it here. i've even seen people say their own nostalgia of the original spinoff wasn't enough to get them to enjoy this game, so take my words with a grain of salt

i would say just watch compilations of the game on youtube, but not every youtuber is gonna go fully exploring the game for all of its little details, so if you care about that kind of stuff, buying the game is your best bet. also if you don't care about that kind of stuff then you should just ignore the game altogether etc etc anYwAY

as for a TLDR for the TLDR: new pokemon snap is goated and i would say a more enjoyable experience than this game esp if you didn't like it so PLEASE buy it the game's only 30 bucks and you can throw treats at pokemon PLEASE it has so many sidequests and interactions you can partake in PLEASE i prommy i won't bite PLEASE stick your fingers in my enclosure PLEASE PLEASE PLE

[omegaremix]

25 Vinyl Records That Influenced My Vinyl Collecting Habits.

‘Top ten’ lists - they were so commonplace on social media before the pandemic that half of the people you knew participated in them. Your friends involuntarily posted lists of their top ten favorite albums, songs, movies, sports moments, video games, books, or whatever came to mind. Then they’d nominate you to do the same if you even cared. All of a sudden they stopped and for a few months everyone did tournament brackets. These days no one does either. Now, tag a band and see if they acknowledge you exist, solve a simple math problem where everyone with a Facebook diploma in mathematics are out to prove you wrong, or answer some useless questions to find out what your new gang initiation name is by removing your first and last letter and any surviving vowels.

But I don’t care about childish entry-level entertainment that everyone will forget about five minutes later. I’d watch Fox News for that. Longtime Ω+ followers know our ‘top tens’ are much more than that: they are playlists, mixtapes, end-of-year finds, and best-of decade results. That’s what I’m into. I’m into what’s important and that’s identifying with people. It’s not a contest or a be-all-end-all game of right-or-wrong. It’s all fully subjective. Without personal results, how special or unique would these lists be?

The last survey I was nominated to do was from WUSB’s Mister Edison, the station’s only cylinder aficionado in its’ 45-year history: top ten vinyl records that influenced your collecting habits. I did volunteer to do it and I was halfway there, then somehow along the way I deleted it. Now, here it is. But, instead of a top ten, we’ll do a top twenty-five because I’m compulsive and 10 is not a square number. All records shown here regardless of size, speed, color, or print run are those that have changed not only my record-collecting habits but also have shaped my musical tastes to an extent.

The record that started it all? KMFDM’s “Power” 12”. It was the very first vinyl record I bought with my own money, just mere months after purchasing most of its discography in one shot at my local record store. I ordered it from the TVT / Wax Trax mail order - my very first mail-order to be exact - numbered to 3,000 copies as a single-sided etched vinyl record in a clear plastic silk-screened jacket. That also came with Underworld’s “Rowla”. Shizuo’s High On Emotion e.p. was my third. Found at what was Port Jefferson’s Music Den, that’s a record I had to have at first sight because I knew it was extremely rare. Glad I made the right call because I never saw it again. Even though I didn’t have a turntable, I bought them anyway thinking I could hold on to them until I finally got my hands on one. Turned out my ma’ and dad had one: a wooden box smaller than the records it played. It literally had no sound and was deemed almost unplayable, so a close “friend” of mine gave me his father’s 1972 Panasonic and a copy of Autechre’s We Are R Y 12”. I was now in business.

From there, another one-time pressing of theirs, the “Keynell” e.p., introduced me to the panic of now-or-never buying. Booth & Brown collectors know how insanely rare their limited edition e.p.’s are and also how they and Warp divided up their Cichlisuite and Envane e.p.’s in two parts. And that was nothing to when Aphex Twin released not one, not two, but eleven e.p.’s as the Analord series through his Rephlex label. Ten regular platters and two versions of Analord 10: either you got the Aphex logo picture disc or, if you were really lucky (we mean that in a literal sense), one that came with the Analord binder which is fetching impossible prices right now. Some of them even came with the mythical Analogue Bubblebath 5. We’re just happy to have purchased all eleven editions for regular price when they first came out. Amazingly in that same year, I did my first-ever label run and purchased $300.00 worth of vinyl and disc releases from DHR.

The first hardcore record I got my hands on - Kill Your Idols’ This Is Just The Beginning - was also the very first music purchase I made at any show. Three years after one of my close friends introduced me to Sick Of It All and hardcore / punk in general, This Is Just The Beginning flung the doors wide open for crushing similar-styled tough-guy finds. Most Long Island record stores sold them when they came in, and places like Hicksville and Centereach’s Utopia (when they did sell them) offered many easy one / two / three-dollar bargain bin purchases of many 7” records, 45’s, and 12” LPS. The Howards & Checkerboard Charlie split is one example of that and one of many local acts I possess. Jemini The Gifted One’s “Funk Soul Sensation” is the only hip-hop record on the list. Ten years ago I re-discovered golden-era hip-hop and realized there was a treasure trove of white-label and 12” singles I never heard of from that time. Those hip-hop / rap singles can be found on the cheap in the same manner as those discount hardcore records. I’ll be on a life-time hunt for them as at this point I don’t have enough of them.

It’s no surprise to see that more than half of this list is made up of Seventies’ jazz / fusion records. If not for Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling, I would not have the size of vinyl library I have now. One of our former hip-hop dee-jays at the station played “Expansions”, “Aspirations”, and “Colors Of The Rainbow” and those three cuts literally changed my life. It opened up an avenue for me to re-discover who I was and revisit a certain era of time I missed out on. From that point on, it was all about that era’s sounds, sampling, and personal favorites. John Tropea’s A Short Trip To Space, Les McCann’s Music Lets Me Be, and Roy Ayers’ A Tear To A Smile - those three records define my final years at Stony Brook. Phil Upchurch’s 1979 solo outing, Stuff’s self-titled debut, Emily Remler’s Firefly, Steve Khan’s The Blue Man, Ramsey Lewis’ Tequila Mockingbird, Eric Gale’s Multiplication, and Ronnie Laws’ Pressure Sensitive tie me in and keep me connected to those years.

Karla Bonoff’s Restless Nights and Urbie Green’s The Fox influenced my collection in an amusing way. I had no idea who both artists were until I pulled them out of the bins. What had me purchase them? I bought Restless Nights and The Fox solely based on the year of release (1979 and 1976 respectively). One listen of each and I knew I made two right calls.

Remember when we posted our entry about our close friend Syke who rescued a pile of old records from being thrown out to the curb? Of the 500+ he found, he gave us 50 and we still have most of them. We selected Pete Shelley’s “Telephone Operator” as a reminder of that free giveaway.

I could list both volumes of the original Dirty Dancing motion picture soundtrack which my ma’ had, her only surviving childhood vinyl record of Disney’s Cinderella, or The Pac-Man Album 12″ picture disc written by Patrick McBride and Dana Walden. But those three mentions aren’t influential; just early Atari-youth memories. My first-ever childhood memories I still remember (not photographed) are also vinyl-related: J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and The Cars’ “Shake It Up”; the latter which I have in my possession and are the markers of all classic rock records I own around that era. (Think Dire Straits and Donald Fagan’s The Nightfly to name a few.)

Another Atari-youth moment I remember is The Chambers Brothers’ A New Time, A New Day. My dad cut out the album sleeve and used it as a paper holder in our garage. That very record made me think of whatever few platters I remember him having before he sold his entire vinyl library and our library of Atari 2600 games…for a paltry $50.00. “He needed the money” he told me; which is always a pathetic man’s answer to everything. Had he’d seen how enthusiastic I was into music collecting, he would’ve handed his entire collection to me. Roberta Flack’s Quiet Fire, Kiss’ Rock & Roll Over, and The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Their Satanic Majesties Request were the four in his collection he parted with and I have three of them, not including The Chambers Brothers release. He tried to make it up to me, however, by bringing home two separate piles of records he rescued from the curb. One heap was full of polka records which I donated to WUSB’s resident polka lady before she died the same year. The other heap? Since you didn’t ask: loads of classic hippie rock records, showtunes, and celebrity albums. Jim Nabors on wax? Stop before I deactivate this account.

Finally, Boulders’ Rock & Roll Will Never Die. Look it up and you’ll see it’s a near total obscurity only confined to hipster circles who know what’s up. A five-track Wharf Records release picked up for less than $3.00 is the one 12" that may as well get me into the Discogs purchasing game for all rare releases (not found in stores) I’ve been looking for in the past seven years. I’ve played many of them on Omega WUSBand soon after bought a substantial chunk of their discographies in one shot (three Happy Meals / Free Love LP’s and three Black Marble discs, for example). As a nice side effect, it’ll be the the same for cassettes as well such as Believer/Law’s Matters Of Life And Death and JS Aurelius’ Machines Water The Plants Now - if the seller’s price is right, that is.

Notice how we went from KMFDM to Boulders? You can’t get any more disparate in styles and worlds between the two. The first purchases, public library finds, donations, record fairs, mail orders, samples, jazz-fusion and soul, hardcore and hip-hop buy-outs, record-store victory tours, and many other moments I might have missed…that’s 25 years of buying vinyl records spanning many different collecting eras and genres for me. That’s only one format, and also not counting acquiring music by other means such as radio and downloads which also shaped my collection. The bingo board jumble you see is only a tiny pinch of my musical tastes and not the whole story of my listening habits that’s usually broadcast on Omega WUSB or always posted here on Ω+.

After making this list, I’m reminded that I’m the most diverse person I know. I’m proud that my low-lying threshold for accepting and liking sound and concept allowed me to make that diversity into a science and have that mind-blowing knowledge I have of it. I’m as consistent, thorough, and far-reaching as I possibly can while hitting as many targets as possible. Would there be more bingo boards like this? Only if I make sure of it.

Phil Upchurch: self-titled

Lonnie Liston Smith: Astral Traveling

Karla Bonoff: Restless Nights

Steve Khan: The Blue Man

Chambers Brothers: A New Time, A New Day

Emily Remler: Firefly

Boulders: Rock And Roll Will Never Die

KMFDM: “Power”

John Tropea: A Short Trip To Space

Les McCann: Music Let’s Me Be

Shizuo: High On Emotion

J. Geils Band: “Centerfold”

Aphex Twin: Analord 10 picture disc

Jemini The Gifted One: “Funk Soul Sensation”

Roy Ayers: A Tear To A Smile

Ramsey Lewis: Tequila Mockingbird

Pete Shelley: “Telephone Operator”

Autechre: “Keynell”

Kill Your Idols: This Is Just The Beginning

The Cars: Shake It Up

Ronnie Laws: Pressure Sensitive

Stuff: Stuff

Eric Gale: Multiplication

Urbie Green: The Fox

Checkerboard Charlie b/w The Howards split

[doublegoblin]

An introduction of the re variety.

Greetings and salutations! So a lot of this will be old news to people but I've had a bit of personal growth and what was an old introduction post doesn't reflect how I feel as a person much any longer. So I am making this updated version (the old one will still be kicking around just not pinned).

So once again hello! My (pen)name is Maxwell Alabaster(he/him), Max or Maxwell is fine!

Not including the RP stuff I used to do on forum back in the early aughts, I've been hobby writing for about a year and some now. It started as a private personal thing to keep my mind occupied while I was between jobs but at some point I decided I wanted to share my stuff with people! So I did just that and made this here blog.

I would still consider myself an amateur writer, not to deflect but to acknowledge that I have room to improve. Also I am hungry for engagement (brain likes seeing the notification number go bigger) so please don't feel like you can't leave little comments or reblog. I don't have aspirations of hitting it big or publication, but, interaction is still nice and I can only share my stuff so far.

What I post on here are the first drafts of my two larger WIPS and one off stuff. I've tried my best to have all these things in their own linked pages! My style or genre usually falls under the horror or darker side of things, I'm an edgy bitch what can I say. Mostly though I just tend to write off the vibe I'm feeling for a particular one off. I don't think my stuff is particularly spine tingling but hey some people have different tolerances.

Rituals and Red Tape : Slice of life/dark fantasy story told from the first person perspective of Alex, manager of the auditing department. Set in a dream like world crafted by an enigmatic group of outer beings known as The Board. Their main duties are to stop problems before they happen that break the rules of reality, or, fix the problems if they are too late.

Abnormal Analytics Company Communications : Found footage/document style story. Very heavily inspired by things like the SCP foundation and minorly inspired by content surrounding what is known as the 411 phenomenon. This story, or rather each “case”, is experienced via the messages and emails between members of some kind of research organization. While these is no main POV character it can be assumed that most of this information is viewed through a single terminal. 

I also have a WattPad where I post the edited version of Rituals and Red Tape (if you want a more coherent and better quality version) and also the logs of AACC.

Edit 9-7: I guess I've also started doing voice work lol. I'll work on getting a section made for just the audio works at some point! I'm still learning the craft and editing stuff but it's been a passion of mine for a while and I hope to make it a more regular thing! If you think my voice would be good for your things hit me up! I can promise I will try my best =P

I am also very open to asks about my stuff, being included in tag games, and stuff like that. I can be a little slow to respond due to my limited time but I make an effort to get to things when I can! Heck even if you want to just send a random ask, I'm down for that too.

Closing words

I can't really say I'm excited to get to know people since I've already been here for a while lol. Also this blog can be very messy as I enjoy a wide swath of things. But yeah, check out my stuff, leave me words on those things (good or bad but above all helpful) and enjoy I guess?

[carnal-lnstinct]

End of Year Wrap

Another year coming to an end and another joy in working behind this blog. There has been so much good to come this year that of course I have to give the credit where it is due and it comes from everyone who follows, interacts with, and encourages the content of this blog. Thank you all! Always for the support, the idea sharing, the requests, and everything that has helped make this an unforgettable and fun experience for me. From the bottom of my heart, the love I have received has been so meaningful to me.

Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year to everyone!

Individual appreciation

For those who made this year much more enjoyable than it already was and just some kind words to those who, even without realizing it, never fails to be just what I needed at the right moment ♥

@blue-wristbands

My dearest friendo! You have been nothing less than a blessing to this blog. ♥ Always supporting my wild musings and inspiring me left and right without even trying. Plus your art is amazing and I hope we all get to see more of it in the year to come. Your kindness and friendship has been very special to me, I hope only the best for you!

@emmacornell

First off, thank you for opening my eyes to the joy of Raditz and his thighs potential. I'm thrilled that in this year I had the chance to interact with you, share interests with you, bounce ideas off you (EVERYONE THANK EMMA FOR SCOURGE OF THE STARS RIGHT NOW), and actually get to see your writing! You catch a lot of references I make in my fics and tags and that always puts a smile on my face! You are without a doubt someone who keeps me excited about writing and I need you to know your writing is beautiful and with your blessing we may see more of that in the future! And I mean be feral about it

@kayisonline

We've gotten to interact more towards the end of the year and you've really been a delight to talk to! I feel honored that you trust to speak with me about things in your life and share some of your interests with me! Especially about Gohan and Vegito ♥♥

@beneathstarryskies & @actuallysaiyan

Protect these two at all costs! I had to acknowledge you both together because I consider you guys the dynamic duo of my dash! ♥ You are more than an inspiration to me than you know and I lose my mind when you reference me in your posts. We have a lot in common which is an even bigger bonus and there are not enough words to say how great a pair of writers you are. I am looking forward to what ideas you bring out for the next year! Please always be kind and patient to yourselves, your writing is always amazing and we will always love it!

@missnebulaasnebul

fellow Vegito lover 🤝The niche you created with your blog is so special and that one VegitoxBlack!Reader fic killed me please always write more for the fusion boys. Your headcanons especially are so well versed and thought out, it gives so much more depth to fusions than "they're just goku and vegeta fused". That is love and that is care put into what matters most to you and these are so important! I'm happy to know your blog exists and can't wait to see what you make next. ♥

@miss-taura

You are very kind and have been since the first time we spoke! You have also encouraged fics for SS4 of all saiyans and that is crazy but I'm crazy with you and I cannot lie. ♥ Our interactions have been brief but always so pleasant!

There are so many people that have brought so much friendly interaction and support whether one-offs or on the regular that I can't quite think of everyone, but thank you all so, so much! You all have my love.

For the future

At this time, I'm not certain of all the events and holidays I will be participating in, but I will keep everyone updated as much as I can. Favored events will definitely come back and feel free to recommend any events you think would be a good fit for this blog. Requests will continue, but I will be using the rest of December to work on my own fics. I look forward to doing more events, get into collabs, creating new series, and, as my comfort grows with writing characters, expanding on writing requests if possible!

Lost WIPs

Can't send off the year without some writing wips that didn't quite make it, so since I have nothing better to do than to reflect on the stories and wips here's a synopsis of things I thought I wanted to write but didn't 👌🏾 (yes they are mostly dwd-related it rules my thoughts 24/7)

Neither Goku, Nor Vegeta - Vegito

Because of course I wanted a Vegito version of it! Though, I wouldn't have written him as jealous as Gogeta was rather than just obnoxiously confident of the impression he would leave on the reader. What can you do about it with his dick inside ya? Nothing, that's what!

Pouncy Super Saiyan 4s

This one was just a headcanon post for signs SS4!Saiyans give off before they "pounce" on the reader. I love an excuse to write feral, needy boys okay. there was gonna be cuddling

Toppin' Vegeta

Gotta get wasted and top saiyans, that's the key. But I got writer's block with this one and didn't go back to it.

Yandere!Goku

This one was less yandere and more of some just straight-up evil au. Like if the wishes made on the dragon balls worked like a monkey's paw or evil genie's wish. So if Goku dies and you bring him back to life, what did you bring back with him? Did you bring all of him back, or what is this creature possessing the body of the strongest warrior on Earth who fucking READS MINDS? Kinda inspired by AHS:C0ven

Hard At Work - Lifeguard!Raditz

When you go to a resort and thick-legged lifeguard keeps finding you around the beach. All from an ask I sent emma ♥ Would have been about that ONE THING I can't avoid in writing but actually on purpose.

Remaining Saiyans AU

That AU I wrote before about how surviving saiyans are basically hunted and captured as the last of their kind to be put to work or...used. And of course it would have been an au where SS4 is the default look. My dropped Vegeta fic for smu//tember would have been an introduction to it to see if I really wanted to delve into that au but I guess I didn't. Actually I might still do it but it would be a loooong time before it comes out xD

DWD Sex Pollen Trope

I didn't know EXACTLY what the SP Trope was until I looked it up and realized it was basically the Elysia fruit from DWD Valentines Day fic. I loved the idea of the fruit so much I wanted to write another fic about it where A) Chi Chi actually got Goku to grow an Elysia Fruit Tree to sell the fruit and it just fucks up the atmosphere and those around it get super horny for science or B) Kamidere goes to the planet Ambrosi to get another fruit and takes Goku and Vegeta with her.

DWD Yamoshi!Vegeta x Kamidere Reincarnated Trope

I don't fully remember, but I did want it to be like if Yamoshi was reincarnated as Vegeta and upon becoming a SSG remembers his past life and interactions shared with the God of Destruction who came to Planet Vegeta. As in Goku and Vegeta were not her first saiyans to be fond of. Also further going into the dream of the Super Saiyan God (or seer fish prediction, whichever is "canon") that is really why she went searching for him.

Divinely Favored Follow up

This was just going to be two fics, one for each pairing where Vegeta and Goku reveal what the winner wanted from Kamidere. also more threesomes with the wives because why not. It was just gonna be "normal" for the pairing now. Spice up your marriage with a destroyer god 👌🏾But I think where they ended is fine and didn't need a follow-up.

Lot of good, fun ideas with poor timing and planning put into them. Maybe they die with the year, maybe I come back to them and tweak them with a fresher approach. We will see ♥♥♥

[omegastation]

i used to react to stuff in the tag very quickly and impulsively - some of you may remember lololol - and i kinda worked on being a lot more chill and laid back (i also learned to block and not to take things too personally) but really, some people in fandoms are relentless with their bashing and hate. it's a cycle for sure & a very annoying one.

the main tag in general can be pretty wonderful and most people are as well, but the character bashing posts are so regular (like getting your newspaper every morning) and they're meant to be reaaaally unpleasant, it's not even a sort of "let's commiserate together" because the tone and the tagging make it clear what it's about. it has that edgy little way of saying that people have poor taste, like OP is going to explain life to us when in reality they're just being annoying.

and the more you acknowledge those people - like i'm doing now lololol - the more you give them reason to do it again. so every time i had a little fit because someone made a post about (topic), i just put more light on the topic. i get that now and try to counterbalance in my own little way, reblogging posts with characters people usually bash because i love those characters. getting excited about them in my tags is also a way of saying "see? not everyone dislikes them". i think a lot of us do that and it's been good to the fandom as a whole.

but yeah, i've been checking the main tag for years and i can say that it has less posts now because the franchise is where it's at, but the typical character bashing is still there, relentless like i said. i feel specifically for kaidan fans tbh and i get why we have a lot of reaction posts and defense squads.

[memoirs-of-learning-dad]

Wow, I'm such a b****. Rereading that last post, and it's almost like I'm on the brink of emotional cheating? Slandering my ally, my best friend, mother of my daughter? And for what exactly? Because she was having a rough day and didn't give me enough attention on my birthday? I mean I know I'm just here trying to put my emotions into words and it's anonymous, but all that I wrote last time is out there on the internet. And it is disrespectful to my wife and the integrity of our relationship. No, I need to correct it. To anybody who reads my posts and happens to have read the last one, about me crying like a little b**** about how I'm "giving", and the good guy, and all needy and self-absorbed and craving attention on my birthday, you have to know the other side of the story. I need to put the next part of that story out, and own up to how wrong and petty I was last time! Obviously, this one is going to be about some self reflection I guess and making things right. So please bear with me!

A big part of being a good parent is to understand and accept when you are wrong, unlearn those things and try and learn a new better way of doing that thing. Like, one example, my therapist addresses her SO as "partner" . It was new to me, and I immediately assumed she maybe had a non-straight (hope that's PC) relationship/marriage and that's why addressed her SO as "partner". Then, she talked about her kids, I thought, maybe she is actually in a straight marriage with kids! Now, that's interesting to my curious mind! English is not my first language, so I usually tend to address my SO as "wife", that's not the only reason though, is it? I grew up in a traditional family with a culturally patriarchal social system. So, there was this system of hierarchy or authority at home, an unwritten corporate ladder in a way. The father/husband/man-of-the-house was number one, the guy on top who makes the final call, who has the power to veto any other decision. Then there's the mother/wife/equally-responsible-for-proper-functioning-of-house-but-still-for-some-reason-number-2. I suddenly started thinking that, the word wife represents this outdated idea and family structure ... like it has a certain tone? or paints a certain picture in your mind? And I haven't even started talking about same sex marriages - husband and wife? Felt wrong on many levels! But "partner"? Yep that sounds perfect and complete and inclusive if you ask me. My wife/partner has an equal/a huge role to play in the proper functioning of our house, my daughter sees that, I want her to see that I see that, we need to acknowledge and appreciate it. Yes, she's my partner. We are 50-50 in everything.

Now with that out of the way, about my birthday, Tumblr gave me a nice gift on that day! Or rather the person who commented on my previous post! I am new to Tumblr and I don't know if I can tag you or something, but the person who commented on my previous post? If you're reading this one and have had the patience to read until here (lol) THANK YOU! Just knowing that someone out there actually read my long posts? AND connected and related with it, commented positive responses on it? I swear you brought a tear to my eye! Looks like I'm not absolutely alone in these day to day struggles?

Anyway back to the story, I slept after making that post, the next morning, I literally opened my eyes to my partner standing there with a big smile on her face wishing me "happy birthday". Yep, I was so happy, delighted even - but I just said thanks with a small smile and walked away, why? Obviously, the man-child in me had to throw a tantrum, and my bipolar a** had to escalate and drag the situation more than it was supposed to, right? Inevitable, no?

She went downstairs without a word, I went in for my regular read-stuff-on-phone-on-the-pot-for-40-minutes routine, and read the comments on my post. I took away quite a few things from just those few simple words, kind stranger.

you are right, about the giving and reciprocating thing being a personality trait, 100% agreed. I just made that woman joke to try and keep things light, I guess? I have been watching Bill Burr lately, maybe that influenced my humor a little, lol? Jokes aside, I agree with you, because I myself am not a very emotionally expressive person. Maybe my untreated illnesses or just being busy in the grind for making a better life and career, I guess I never properly paid attention to learning emotional regulation, healthy coping mechanisms, etc. I'm not that giving myself either - it takes me a lot to trust someone and be vulnerable with them. One week I'm all giving and all touchy and the next I'll not utter a word. But all that is changing - a combination of getting a proper diagnosis to understand my own behavior patterns, good medication, a good therapist and generally just a new perspective to life after becoming a parent, has grounded me and I'm trying to become more emotionally stable, cope better, manage expectations. With all that being said, I think I have to emphasize how kind of a person my partner is, how giving she is and how receptive she is. Yes, I was down and sad that she was distant, but it's the circumstances and not the person. There are a lot of factors for her to behave the way she did. Don't forget, she's the mother of a really hyperactive 2 year old who has serious strangers anxiety right now and is clingy to her mother all the time, until she sleeps! And over that, household chores, a high stress job, a man-child husband acting like a fool. Moreover, it's not my information to share, so to put it vaguely, her family has suffered a major trauma this year, so she still had some knowing bag days from that incident. And that kind of justifies her trying to be there for her sister. And it's not like she completely ignored my thing either. So, I guess it's ok for her to be checked out sometimes? This is on me - I knew all these facts and circumstances, but I was not consciously aware of them. That or/and me being a little self absorbed and excited in my own head about my birthday.

And yes, capitalism+job is a factor! But guess who she is working hard for? Our family. I know for a fact, that she wasn't sitting there working at 9PM after putting a 2 year old to sleep, regular household chores, because she wanted to. I wouldn't want her to quit or lose her job, I mean if she wanted to willingly quit, yes. Her income is important for us to provide the best possible future for our child. Hell I'm not even ashamed to admit, that her job, and in turn a consequence of capitalism and wealth is giving me a good life! We have both lived with literally bare necessities when we first moved to this country. We worked hard and have been tremendously lucky to be living with relative financial privilege now. She has worked really hard and deserves to be in this position, this career and she has every right to put in as much effort as she wanted and I should be supporting her, and I will! And again, selfishly admitting, her job is helping us live a better quality of life, and I like it and appreciate it.

Wow drifted away again, coming back to my birthday. After all the potty introspection and enlightenment I headed downstairs, and found her sitting on the sofa silently crying and trying to sort herself out as soon as she realized I was going to walk in. But I saw her. It broke my heart, always does. I walked over to her, and tried to console her. Over she was calm, I tried to express what I was feeling, again thanks to my therapist, I was able to have a really civil and calm conversation, express what affected me, listen, like really listen to what she had to say, her feelings and emotions, and we resolved our differences. Before therapy and medication, this was one of those situations which could easily blow up into a full blown argument or fight and me getting angry, oof! Toxic.. Untreated mental illnesses are hell, but with the right help and support and understanding people around (who love you unconditionally and support your, even though they are directly or indirectly constantly affected by the illness), everybody has a chance to live the ideal life they want to.

I asked her, if we should still go out? I mean should we just stay in and relax or something? Cool down? She said she had been planning for this day for weeks, so we got ready to leave. She asked me if she could get a hug, and I just felt like we should hold off until the end of the day - please don't misunderstand me. I wasn't being petty or mean or anything, I wanted that hug so badly. But all my instincts told me we should wait. She understood. Then we went out on this amazing drive, with beautiful scenes and sunlight and ocean breeze.. Then this hidden gem of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, with beautiful waterfront views, just special. On our way back the moment arrived which just called for a hug, and that's it felt well earned, valuable and precious. Trying to put that feeling into words is impossible so I'm just going to leave it at that.

Obviously, paapu missed out on this, even though it was our date, lovers private time, we still felt guilty. So we took her out for dinner as well, and I just had such an amazing day. Nothing flashy or fancy, no parties, no surprises, no expensive gifts. Just valuable time with my girls. Especially the big one, we needed that, we both needed that.

So what is this post really about? Am I too emotionally fragile? Am I too immature for a 33 year old father of a 2 year old? Am I bad SO? Do I trip too much about unnecessary stuff? Am I a bad person for bad mouthing my soul mate? The only person in the world who knows me? My confidante? Or is all this just bipolar disorder? Or is all just normal? We have struggled a lot to be together, struggled a lot to stay together, because of both internal and external factors. We had to pass through so many storms, we have stuck with each other, out of choice - no matter what. To the point that our interdependence has become scary even, and then without any regard for all of that, I made an angry post about some silly birthday of mine. We are still going to have disagreements, and fights even, but try not to make her cry and cut down a little on narcissism? Anyway, to anybody who's reading this, what's your takeaway? Do you feel like punching me, or sympathizing or disappointed or just feel like "this guy is just having another normal day"?

What else? Obviously, I have to talk about the other girl - that little lump of joy? It's becoming a mean little girl. She's mean, dude! Toddlers are so mean. She has started to revolt now, freaking small person! How the hell are they so emotionally intelligent yet so utterly helpless? In case it's not already clear from my last few posts, I'm the parent who says no much more, so nowadays, whenever I say a stern no, she literally looks in my eyes and does that action - like wtaf! Like, she was taking out tissues from a box, I said take out just one please? She took out one. Then she reached in to get another one out, I called out and politely said "no! Didn't we agree that we will take only one?". The little meanie, looked right in my eye, and while continuously staring into my eyes, blank expression on her face, she reached into the box and pulled out as many papers as would come out. TWICE! Everybody says parenting is hard, talk about sleepless nights, physical exhaustion, moral dilemmas. But nobody prepares you for the simple fact, that kids are proper a-holes to their parents. I sincerely apologize for saying it, but it's true. They just want to see your breaking point for every small thing. Terrible twos? Ya, just started for me, and the signs don't look encouraging, but onwards we go, learning as the challenges come. Managed it till here, we'll see whatever comes next! Until next time!

[shih-coulda-had-it]

Can you do a story well after the yoroi musha break up and the exposing Torino in all that for a undercover or regular mission the pro hero’s are split up into four and somehow yoroi musha gets paired with sakumo nana and his ex 😂 some (nanahiko x sakumo too )and yoroi is like >:c probably jealous idk just thought it would be funny for him to see that his ex doesn’t care anymore about the break up and has moved on while he’s probably having second thoughts

ohhh my god i'm sorry for writing in yoroi musha pov but that's what broke the writing block, so, you get what you get, my dude. quick summary for those who will go 'what on earth is shih doing to torino now' - Gran Torino (mid-30s)/Yoroi Musha (mid-to-late-20s) were in a relationship; YM staged a public break-up for publicity; the Shimuras swooped in to fully integrate Sorahiko into the family, along with Toshinori. AFO is... irrelevant to this situation for now.

wc: 1251 | prev | a/n: I am retconning what I typed in the tags of the previous post. Mr. Shimura is alive and as horny for his wife's best friend as she is. Kotarou is also present in the background.

//

“Seventh Wonder,” Yamamoto greeted. He took a seat across from her.

“Yoroi Musha,” she replied, ever courteous and graceful. There was a distinct coldness to her manner that Yamamoto admired. Seventh Wonder was more than a decade his senior, partnered with Gran Torino, and Yamamoto had always considered her a consummate professional. He was glad to be working with this particular member of the Sky High Agency.

Gran Torino could be so petty at times.

The mission itself revolved around a raid in a prefecture neighboring Yamanashi - in Shizuoka Prefecture, a villain had appropriated several antiques from the Tokugawa period. The government’s ministry of culture subsequently commissioned Yoroi Musha with the retrieval of the items; he had the training necessary to handle and transport these kinds of valuables.

Why Seventh Wonder had been pulled in, Yamamoto had several guesses.

Yoroi Musha had a history, albeit shallow, with Sky High Agency. Perhaps when they received the call, Gran Torino had chosen a path of discretion and asked his partner to fill in. After all, two-thirds of their three-man team were landlocked.

Speaking of. The Tracker Hero: Wolfheart took point at the head of the table, eyes glittering dark red under the fluorescent lighting of his office. He arranged the table to display a satellite map of their target’s location, a stack of papers listing buyers known to frequent the property, and more papers regarding the antiques’ appearances and preservation protocols if Yoroi Musha was too occupied to assist.

Before Wolfheart settled into his own chair, he looked at Seventh Wonder and asked, “Is Gran Torino not making it?”

“I wasn’t aware he was participating,” said Yamamoto.

“He’ll be there,” Seventh Wonder answered steadily, not even glancing at Yamamoto. “Here, too. He’s just taking care of the kids right now.”

Yamamoto blinked. Kids? Surely Seventh Wonder meant his students, and surely, Gran Torino did not perceive his class as anything more than the functional. Aloud, Yamamoto observed, “School hours have been over for some time now.”

Wolfheart nodded, but it was evidently in acknowledgment of Seventh Wonder’s excuse instead of Yamamoto’s pointed statement. The older pro-hero said, “He should trust Yagi more. Kota’s practically in love with him.”

“That’s because Yagi doesn’t know how to enforce bed-time,” said Seventh Wonder.

“A happy, harmonious babysitting relationship is something to be treasured,” Wolfheart countered, and it became abruptly, terribly clear to Yamamoto that he was missing some inside joke. That Seventh Wonder knew Wolfheart on a personal level, which meant Gran Torino was going to make Yoroi Musha feel like some fourth wheel on a job that was supposed to be easy publicity.

Yamamoto sat stiffly, silently, wondering if Seventh Wonder and Wolfheart knew some aspect of Gran Torino that he’d never been aware of, even though they’d shared spaces for more than a year. Gran Torino wasn’t soft. He didn’t care for children. He was lazy, unambitious, and mean-hearted.

“Should I call him?” asked Wolfheart.

“Who? Gran Torino or Yagi?”

“Torino, of course. Ah, hold on,” and Wolfheart retrieved a cellphone from one of the many pockets lining his flak vest. Its dial tone was a cutesy chirping phrase. Birdsong. From where Yamamoto was sitting, he could see the contact photo: Gran Torino, unmasked, illuminated by the setting sun.

Despite his adherence to tradition and cultural integrity, Yamamoto had bowed to logic at the beginning of his career and asked his manufacturers to ensure he’d still be able to hear things through the thick layers of metal that formed his helmet. He tapped into this quality now, in order to - ascertain the nature of Gran Torino’s relationship to Wolfheart.

“I’m on my way,” said Gran Torino with zero courtesy greetings offered. He sounded tired.

“Are you well? The boys?”

“Watching a movie. Gave Toshinori the reminder that if he gets Kota hopped up on sugar again, he’s on paperwork duty for the rest of the quarter.” A brief pause. “... Do I have to attend the meeting? Can’t you and Nana tell me the details after?”

Lazy, thought Yamamoto, and paid careful attention to the fond exasperation on Wolfheart’s open-book face. Seventh Wonder was peering over the table, inspecting the map. She clearly didn’t mind Wolfheart talking to her partner.

“Not in a way that’ll satisfy you.”

“I’m plenty satisfied by you two,” Gran Torino flirted, and Yamamoto itched to slap his hand on the table and demand that Wolfheart stop being so unprofessional - wait. Yamamoto glanced over at Seventh Wonder and startled back into his armor; she was gazing at him with cool disdain, a dare that read, ‘Say something. I dare you to.’

Wolfheart laughed. The warmth was genuine. The affection was genuine. The flirting was real. “So you say, but nevertheless, you had better hurry. Taiyaki stays hot only for so long.”

“You bought…?”

“A full plate. Yoroi Musha was looking at it earlier.” Conspiratorially, Wolfheart winked at Yamamoto. 

He ignored it; he was more invested in what reaction, if there would be a reaction to the news of Yoroi Musha’s presence. Gran Torino disliked emotional vulnerability. That’s what Yamamoto liked about him, when they first started that beneficial relationship (it wasn’t dating, not really). When Yamamoto saw Gran Torino’s floundering response to the dissolution of their life together, Yamamoto had only thought, ‘Well, that’s a touch dramatic.’

It had been logical to step away. Yamamoto consulted no less than three PR managers in the industry about moving his career forward, and they all suggested for him to adopt the role of a chaste, value-driven samurai.

“You called dibs for me, right?”

“Seventh Wonder is fending him off, no worries,” said Wolfheart.

“Good,” Sorahiko sighed. “I’m damn hungry. See you in a bit, Wolf.”

“Safe flight, Gran Torino.”

As the call ended, Seventh Wonder received a text. She grinned as she read the message, nodded at Wolfheart in a knowing manner, and relaxed into her chair. Yamamoto wasn’t sure what to do. Accuse them of engineering an awkward work-place situation? Remark on Wolfheart’s connection to Gran Torino?

“A few minutes more,” said Seventh Wonder.

He grunted in acknowledgment.

(When Gran Torino breezes into the meeting room, Yamamoto finds himself cataloging not the differences in appearance, but the unchanged details. The windswept hair, the unbending posture, the wicked sharp grin as he first greets Seventh Wonder and Wolfheart. For Yoroi Musha, Gran Torino gives a cursory ‘hey’ and sweeps past him, making a beeline for the platter of taiyaki still in the microwave.

Instead of taking the last chair at the table, Gran Torino leans against the table, parking his ass on the corner between Wolfheart and Seventh Wonder. Neither look surprised at this turn of events.

“Hey, can I get a tail,” says Seventh Wonder, and Gran Torino scoffs but obliges. He’d always had a soft spot for his partner.

Wolfheart’s questing fingers bump against an obstacle, thickly-insulated and sunny yellow. Wolfheart looks up at the opaque white lenses of Gran Torino’s domino mask, and his bottom lip juts out in a pout. At first, Yamamoto thinks to tell Wolfheart that it’s futile - Gran Torino has one favorite person, and that is Seventh Wonder.

Then, Gran Torino breaks a pastry in half and passes it over to Wolfheart.

Discipline, Yamamoto reminds himself, stifling the outrage. He draws himself up tall, straightening his spine and squaring his shoulders. Aloud, he says, “If we may proceed with the debrief, Wolfheart.”

Gran Torino crams one immaculate piece of taiyaki into his mouth and nods emphatically.)

[jaderimehardt]

👋🏻 So, I ended up not drawing anything for that character's birthday.

I did think of a pose about a day and a half ago but that isn't enough time for me to actually get anything drawn out and colored. I'm too slow and I set myself to too high of standards. Plus factor in irl things and my lack of motivation... 🫠 *shakes head*

If I feel bad about it, it's for a couple of mutuals who like him as much as I do, or more- even. I've kind of grown super attached to a certain B🔹L🔹E🔹A🔹C🔹H boi, to be completely honest with you (I'm bypassing the tagging system with the 🔹's).

They still draw him every year on his birthday, and one even bi-weekly almost. She has supported me every time I draw him by re-tweeting my artwork on Twitter. Probably the only person who acknowledges me like this on a regular basis. The other person supports me also on a bit of a lesser scale, and she draws him often too, but I think she struggles with confidence in her art like I do.

It's not an easy thing... "having confidence" in one's own art. And when you don't see likes or favorites on your art, that confidence drops tremendously. You feel like you've done something wrong. You try to figure out 'what' you did wrong, and when you can't find it- you just want to give up. It's a sinking feeling.

But inevitably most artists pick up the pen or pencil again and draw once more because it's something we love to do. The thing is, this time we're less likely to share it because of that lack of confidence. This is what has been happening to me slowly over the past couple of years (and to a couple friends of mine as well).

People don't seem to realize this.

"Where did all the fanart go?"

Well, you all got so picky with favoriting things, they lost motivation and stopped posting. What did you expect?

If and when I post things, I have a fear of tagging it. 💠 Well if you don't tag it, no one is going to see it- and then you really won't get likes/faves. ⚜️ Yeah no kidding. but then I have a logical reason for WHY no one likes it. Like Twitter, I get under 10-30 impressions on most my posts even with tags. At the very least if it's posted, it's on record/in my portfolio of sorts. It exists in my history somewhere.

I removed all of my stuff off of my DeviantArt a couple years ago. Now I'm sure when I post things people question if I'm genuine or not because they have no history to look at- no 'portfolio'. Though if they went to my Wordpress Blog, they'd see that I've been drawing and posting my stuff for a long time. But no one is going to go and look into me that far in-depth. "Guilty until proven innocent" means nothing when all they want to do is prove you guilty.

That makes me even more hesitant to post things- but I do have all my PSDs with individual layers, so I can always provide proof whenever necessary. And I know where my posts are, with timestamps and dates. I can defend myself. That's all that matters to me.

I made this blog to "be more creatively unhinged" and to "be ramble-y". That includes putting my thoughts out into the open, "having proof on paper", so to speak.

I also want to show people the path that I'm taking, so if they're interested in taking it- they can. But everyone learns differently. Everyone has a different style. I may absorb information one way and apply it in this manner, while someone else may learn it in a completely different way and apply it in a polar opposite format. It's all a matter of who you are, perspective and variables.

So... one day (or a string of days), I'll post a bunch of videos. I did this a few days ago actually, lol. These are learning tools. Other days I may make tutorials (I used to make a lot of these but then I deleted that blog). Some days I'll promote my Etsy shop (this might happen the most, tbh)- featuring a lot of my Resin things, and graphics I'm working on. And on rare occasion some fanart because I'm at the lowest of low with that atm.

If I do anything fanart I'm thinking my OC's... 🤷🏻‍♀️. People dislike OCs, I'm aware of that but it's not like many people (if any) like my stuff anyways. They say to draw for self-satisfaction. I think it's time to follow that.

And I 💓 H🔹I🔹T🔹S🔹U to death, but his hecking fluffy hair man 🫠. I did my best with his hair in my last fanart- spent hours perfecting the lineart... honestly I was so proud of it. But apparently it wasn't everyone's cup of tea 🤷🏻‍♀️. It is what it is. (I'm still happy with it. I love his hair, please never change it Kubo-san 💝)

I might doodle a lot of the Loomis Method heads cause I like drawing faces. Poses/bodies not so much. In time I'll work my way to the poses but I just want to mindlessly doodle. (I hate drawing hands 😒)

Btw here's another vid on that, and I like this one so much better.

I also want & need to do a full graphic image for a puzzle. My Mom and my Step Dad are really big into puzzles right now and they're just passing them around with all their friends. Like some puzzle group, lol 😅

I think it'd be cool to actually design one myself, buy it from my Partner- Printful, gift it to them, they can complete it and then they can pass it around.

Mother's Day and Father's Day isn't that far away. I just have no clue what to make the graphic, lol. All the things they like are copyright and I'm not crossing into those waters.

I need to find something generic 🤔💭

[enruiinas]

MOBILE RULES:

GENERAL/IMPORTANT RULES:

This blog is independent, private, semi-selective, and medium to low activity. IC interactions are limited to mutuals only. I will not follow back if there are no easily accessible rules on your blog or I can't see our muses interacting. AU, OC, and crossover friendly but I'm fairly selective with both.

NSFW material will be present on this blog. The mun is 25+ and a fan of angst, dark themes, spicy/smut scenarios, and more. Smut will be tagged nsfw and hidden beneath a banner and a read more; other common triggering themes will be tagged appropriately. Minors MAY interact at their own risk, but note that I WILL NOT write any spicy/nsfw material with a mun under the age of 18 and would prefer not to write ships with anyone under the age of 20 at all. Any minors attempting to engage in nsfw material or caught lying about their age will be blocked on sight.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PSA: My muse and overall activity are sporadic. Sometimes I reply to things as soon as they come in; other times it may take me weeks. I go wherever the muse takes me, am prone to hyperfixating on threads, and I openly favor interactions with my affiliates (people I frequently chat with OOC!) I rarely respond to my drafts, asks, etc. in the order they came in. I might like or post meme calls even if I owe things. I might send you memes or unprompted things even if I already owe you things. None of this is meant to be hurtful; it's just how my brain works. For the sake of my mental health and your time, please do not interact if any of these things are a deal-breaker for you.

That said, I like to think I'm a really laid-back RP partner. I'll never rush you for replies, I'm okay with dropped threads, I'm totally fine with (and encourage) you sending me memes or unprompted starters if even if you already "owe" me things... At the end of the day I'm here to have a good time and hope you are as well. Nobody should feel guilt or make others feel guilt over a hobby. If you're feeling it, DO IT - if you're not, you're not. Full stop, no explanation needed.

November 28 2023: This blog’s URL was formerly misfitsandmusings-x, a temporary blog I resorted to when my main (misfitsandmusings) was shadowbanned and subsequently terminated without explanation back in October. I did put in a ticket and am still hoping Tumblr support will eventually come through so I can recover missing tags, asks, HCs, etc. - but seeing as it’s been a full calendar month with no acknowledgement, I’m not holding my breath! Most people have been understanding about this but I wanted to put this in here so those I’m refollowing know what happened. Though the sideblogs underneath it still seem to exist and I get ghost notifications from the main one on Webhooks, I DO NOT have access to anything that was on misfitsandmusings, thebutterflymansion (my KNY multimuse) or scribbleswithsaro (my short lived meme blog; trying to recreate this at @memesbyme).

HOW TO INTERACT:

If we're mutuals, feel free to send me memes, IC asks, headcanon prompts/requests, like my starter or meme calls, etc.

I'm also really interested in chatting with my mutuals ooc as well! I know this isn't everyone's favorite, but for me I find it easier to write with people I chat with on a regular basis. I'm generally very shy, but I value this so much I am 100% willing to reach out and be the outgoing one if you're shy or don't know how. You can literally just IM me like "Hi I want to talk but I'm shy!" and I will be like -cracks knuckles- "I GOT THIS." Mutuals can add me on discord if they prefer to chat there (@ misfitsandmusings). Please just send me an IM to let me know who you are if you add me!

A note about memes and inbox spam: When I say I welcome inbox spam, I freaking mean it. You can literally send me every prompt on a meme and I will not bat an eye. You can continue sending me memes even if you owe me things or I already owe you things - if the ask box is open and you want to send a thing, do it. As long as you've read "EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PSA" in the section above and are okay with me responding to things in random order or it taking me a while to get to everything, I generally encourage and even dare you to send whatever you feel like sending. If you're a new follower I honestly prefer to receive a few memes at a time. That way if the muse doesn't come right away for one you're not waiting for me as long!

My memes don’t expire. I scroll back through them regularly, so if it’s something I no longer feel like answering I’ll delete it. If it shows up under the meme tag, ifs fair game (though I would appreciate it if you could mention what meme it’s from when you send in an ask! I like to link back to them.)

SHIPPING STUFF - some of this needs to be updated following my shift to a single muse.

The mun of this blog is shipping trash. I'm not only here for ships, but I'm not going to lie, I'm like... 75% here for ships. It's my RP experience and I make no apologies.

Ships are chemistry based and must be discussed beforehand. I will never force a ship or assume you're interested in one even if A ) our muses are together canonically or B ) I have our muses listed as a fave ship. Please don't assume or force a ship on me, either.

As a general rule of thumb, my muses are portrayed as demisexual and demiromantic. They’re way more adventure-driven than pleasure-driven and in most cases I’m going to assume they’re fairly if not completely inexperienced until proven otherwise. (But I’m also self-indulgent trash and will 100% lean into “Law’s a surgeon who’s very good with his hands/anatomy in general okay.) I'm pretty openminded with my ships. I enjoy some toxic dynamics, I'm pretty lenient on age gaps as long as both muses are 18+... I'll add more to this as I think of them but yeah. If you're shy about pitching a ship, feel free to send in an anon ask to see how I'd feel about it.

NSFW memes are open exclusively to people I already ship with. Don't send me spicy stuff unless we've agreed to explore a ship beforehand. If we’ve gushed about a ship in any capacity and are mutually “into it”, that’s good enough. I’m fine with timeline hopping so if there’s a pretty good sense we ARE going to get there, you’re welcome to send shippy/suggestive stuff.

This blog is multi-ship. I don't and will never do exclusives (please don't ask.) I'm more than open to writing the same ship with multiple people so if you see me RPing a ship you'd like to explore already, don't let that stop you from reaching out.

SHIP BIASES (added November 28 2023): My top 3 ships for Law are LawNa (Law x Nami), LawBin (Law x Robin), and LawZo/ZoLaw (Law x Zoro). These are NOT the only ships I’m willing to explore so don’t be afraid to reach out if there’s others you want to know my thoughts on! They’re just my personal favorites. Please note, however, that I absolutely WILL NOT ship Law with either Donquixote brother or any members of his crew.

Other Misc. Notes:

Affiliates are people I talk with OOC a lot! I'm always open to more of these, so if we talk regularly and it's something you'd be interested in just be like: "👀 Affiliates?" and I will be like "Affiliates. -nod nod-" (Like, I think you'll know if we have this dynamic? I'm not subtle/shy.)

I LOVE AUs and playing in each other's verses. I love intertwined muses. If you like one of the threads or verses you see me writing with someone else and you think your muse would be interested in playing / adding to that dynamic, PLEASE DO IT I WOULD LOVE IT. I'm interested in exploring multi (2+) player verses/threads as well! I love canon-divergent "What If" scenarios and building entire AUs from the ground up as well as dabbling in each others' pre-existing verses.

NOTES ABOUT MY PORTRAYAL: I’ll add links to relevant posts later regarding these things later, but the most important things to note about my particular portrayal of Law are that 1. I 100% interpret Law as autistic. He is way more socially awkward than he is bitter/unpleasant (but he does lean into his RBF for the sake of his “big bad scary pirate” persona). He’s undeniably a Little Shit and does have some sadistic tendencies but no, he’s not a bloodthirsty killer. 2. My portrayal is HEAVILY influenced by the Law novel. It features in a lot of my headcanons and Law’s introspection because the time he spent with Wolf and the boys on Swallow Island was every bit as essential to who he is as a person as his own family and Cora-san were (for its own reasons. I’ll write up an analysis on what he took from each of those sources later.) I’ll do my best to tag direct/major events from the novel as #Law novel spoilers but I’m admittedly pretty bad about remembering to do so unless someone has specifically told me they NEED me to be careful with it. Then I’ll be hyper-aware of it, so feel free to yell at me in advance if you don’t want to be spoiled to anything from it. 3. Law is a good person, even if he doesn’t see himself as such. He’s not cruel, he feels strongly about “bad adults” making children’s lives miserable, he doesn’t like killing (he 100% will to protect those he cares about but no, he doesn’t want to).

Further portrayal notes: my grasp of Wano arc lore is pretty weak because I was at the end of a speed read and just wanted to get through it, so Wano based interactions are not my favorite until I get back there in my reread. However, I am technically up to date with all Law-related events up to and including chapters 1081 & 1082. I don’t have a lot of interest in the Egghead arc as a whole, but I’m totally open to exploring the events of those chapters and potential aftermaths in threads!

[justimajin]

check in tag!

tagged by: @ggukkieland (hello!! I was tagged in this probably centuries ago and never got to complete it :’) but thank you for checking in on me, I’m back now and doing great! 🥰)

1. Why did you choose this URL?

For a couple of very simple reasons: #1 - it had to do something with writing. #2 - it had to do something with Jin. #3 - if it wasn’t punny somehow, then what’s even the point? 😂

But yeah, hope my readers can just imajin while they’re reading my stories~

2. Any side blogs? If you have them, name them and why you have them.

I do have a couple! 

@imaji-reads → this one is for my fanfic recommendations. I also have this page over here with some recs if anyone is looking for more reading material. 

@imaji-writes → this one is for any helpful writing advice I come across. As much as I love writing, I’m not an expert and always like to work towards improving, so keeping this blog around helps me alot! 

Aside for those two, I have a third blog I keep around for any funny/aesthetic posts I come across that aren’t BTS related. I’m part of a lot of fandoms, so I tend to fangirl on this blog a lot 🤭

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

February 2018! Although I didn’t start writing and officially posting until July-August.   

4. Do you have a queue tag?

I don’t have a specific queue tag for regular reblogs, but for my stories I’ll keep tags like ‘[insert story title] queued reblog’. This just helps to keep things organized and also allows me to check that I’ve reblogged my story a couple of times, because there’s moments where I can just forget 😅

5. Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog after being in the BTS fandom for a while and staying as a silent reader between 2016-2018. But in that time, I was so surprised with the different types of fanfics I came across and how good all of them were. This led me into thinking that it would be so much fun to create some of my own stories and share them as well. 

Lo and behold! I created justimajin in February of 2018. Although I created my blog at that time, I was going through some struggles (mainly medical issues) and was very close to deleting the blog in July-August. But I thought I would really regret not posting a single story so I tried my best and posted at least one of them (long story short, looks like I ended up staying after that 🤗)

6. Why did you choose your icon?

Because I wholeheartedly believe in purple hair Jin supremacy. 

7. Why did you choose your header?

The guys are laughing and smiling in it and it’s just so precious☺️ 

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

Probably my masterlist which is at roughly 1.4k. As for my stories now....I discovered the first part of A Lone Wolf’s Howl is at 1.2k notes?! 😳😳😳 Like how?!?

I guess werewolf! Jungkook really is a deal maker....

9. How many mutuals do you have?

I have a couple, but I not too sure of the exact number since they’re hidden and finding them is kind of tough. 

10. How many followers to you have?

Enough to start up a free hugs service. 

11. How many people do you follow?

Very few, but it’s a whole mix of different content creaters. 

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Nope. 

13.  How often do you use Tumblr in a day?

I try to check in daily (key word: try) but sometimes I just get too busy and have to quickly catch-up. 

14. Did you fight/have an argument with another blog once? Who won?

Oh damn 😳 I don’t really make a thing to square-up with somebody but if an argument were to break out, it would be me telling them they’re amazing and them refusing to acknowledge the truth. 

15. How do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

Eh, I can see the point in them but people can make their own choices. 

16. Do you like tag games!

Of course! But I can be a potato sometimes and answer them super late 😔

17. Do you like ask games?

Yes, I do! 

18. Which one of your mutuals do you think is Tumblr famous?

Eh...famous is interesting word choice. Do I think they’re all incredible individuals and those that create are fantastic in what they do? 100% yes. Does famous kind of make them sound like celebrities when they’re really just people vibing/doing what they love....?

You get the point. 

19. Do I have a crush on a mutual?

@army-author - I absolutely adore her fics and they’re all so comforting <3 Written on our Veins and Gamomania are amongst my favourites and they’re listed on my fic recommendations for those that want to check them out! 

Also special shout-out to @ggukkiereads ​whose fic recommending skills are top tier and the blog is always a go to when I’m looking for something to read 🥰

20. Tags? - only if you want 😊

Oof, it’s been a while since I’ve been back here but if any my readers want to do it and tag me, I’d be glad to check them out!👀

[perpetual-stories]

How To Fight Writers Block

hello, hello. hope everyone is doing well. as you can all tell, this post will be about how to fight writers block.

it’s really annoying to me when I hear people say “oh you don’t have writers block, you’re just lazy.”

first of all, yes, I am naturally lazy. second of all, how dare you. writing isn’t as easy as many think. granted, all you have to do is write down words on paper, but it’s not always easy to find the right words to express what you are feeling, or what you wish to say.

I have had terrible writer’s block for the last few days and it’s horrible! as a business owner or a small writing store, I have to be ready to write and fulfill my clients’ ideas and orders.

it’s not easy. It takes a heavy toll on my imagination, and digs me a deep pit of blockage, drowning in the lack of originality because of the constant writing and repetition or certain phrases and sentences in different projects.

i am making this post in the hopes to remind myself about over coming the dreaded and sometimes skeptically believed writer’s block.

What is writer’s block?

Yeah, I know. We all know what that is, but let me define it.

is the state of being unable to proceed with writing, and/or the inability to start writing something new

some people believe it to be a real problem, others believe it's “all in your head”

What Causes Writer’s Block?

in the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out

they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:

Excessively harsh self-criticism

Fear of comparison to other writers

Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise

Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story

How to overcome writer's block: 20 tips

1. Develop a writing routine:

Author and artist Twyla Tharp once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.”

it might seem counterintuitive

if you only write when you “feel creative,” you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block

The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends — but whatever it is, stick to it!

2. Use "imperfect" words:

A writer can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept

You can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not

You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”

3. Do non-writing activities:

one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s

Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal

immerse yourself in great STUFF and get your synapses crackling in a different way

Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty

4. Freewrite through it:

free-writing involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause — and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.

The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself — free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Here’s how:

Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.

Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)

Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.

5. Relax on your first draft:

Many writers suffer form perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft

“Blocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.” — editor Lauren Hughes

perfect is the enemy of good,” so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript

6. Don’t start at the beginning:

the most intimidating part of writing is the start, when you have a whole empty book to fill with coherent words

instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is you’re trying to write, dive into middle, or wherever you feel confident

7. Take a shower:

Have you ever noticed that the best ideas tend to arrive while in the shower, or while doing other “mindless” tasks?

research shows that when you’re doing something monotonous (such as showering, walking, or cleaning), your brain goes on autopilot, leaving your unconscious free to wander without logic-driven restrictions

showering is my favourite thing to do if I may add

8. Balance your inner critic:

successful writers have in common is the ability to hear their inner critic, respectfully acknowledge its points, and move forward

You don't need to completely ignore that critical voice, nor should you cower before it

you must establish a respectful, balanced relationship, so you can address what's necessary and skip over what's insecure and irrelevant

9. Switch up your tool:

a change of scenery can really help with writer's block. However, that scenery doesn't have to be your physical location — changing up your writing tool can be just as big a help!

if you’ve been typing on your word processor of choice, try switching to pen and paper. Or if you're just sick of Google Docs, consider using specialized novel writing software.

10. Change your POV:

great advice from editor Lauren Hughes: “When blocked, try to see your story from another perspective ‘in the room’ to help yourself move beyond the block. How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A ‘fly on the wall’ or another inanimate object?

11. Exercise your creative muscles:

Any skill requires practice if you want to improve, and writing is no different! So if you’re feeling stuck, perhaps it’s time for a strengthening scribble-session to bolster your abilities

12. Map out your story:

If your story has stopped chugging along, help it pick up steam by taking a more structured approach — specifically, by writing an outline

13. Write something else:

Though it's important to try and push through writer's block with what you're actually working on, sometimes it's simply impossible

feel free to push your current piece to the side for now and write something new

14. Work on your characters:

It follows that if your characters are not clearly defined, you’re more likely to run into writer’s block

15. Stop writing for readers:

write for yourself, not your potential readers

this will help you reclaim the joy of being creative and get you back in touch with what matters: the story.

this is something I really need to do. because of my etsy business i don't write for fun anymore, but instead as a business and a deadline. i'm going to have to pull out my old crappy wattled fanfics or write some new ones.

16. Try a more visual process:

when words fail you, forget them and get visual. Create mind maps, drawings, Lego structures — ideally related to your story, but whatever unblocks your mind!

17. Look for the root of it:

writer’s block often comes from a problem deeper than simple “lack of inspiration.” So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or competition with other writers?

Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?

Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?

Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?

Am I simply feeling tired and run-down?

once you identify what's wrong, it'll be so much easier to fix.

18. Quit the Internet:

If willpower isn’t your strong suit and your biggest challenge is staying focused, try a site blocker like Freedom or an app like Cold Turkey

19. Let the words find you:

meditate, go for a walk, take that shower

Word Palette is a great app that features a keyboard of random words, allowing you to simply click your way to your next masterpiece.

You can also try AI auto-completers like Talk to Transformer, where you can enter a phrase and let the app “guess what comes next.”

even though they often produce nonsense, it's a great way to help that writer's block.

20. Write like Hemingway:

And if your biggest block is your own self-doubt about your prose, Hemingway offers suggestions to improve your writing as you go

it's a pretty cool app if you ask me.

it highlights your sentences (if need be) and makes suggestions on how to improve them!

well, there you have it! a lengthy post on how to fight writer's block. now i just hope i can combat my own soon.

like, comment and reblog if you find this useful! feel free to reblog in instagram and tag me perpetualstories

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[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

A Lost Tomb Meta Argument for the Bond Between Liu Sang and Wu Xie

Listen. Liu Sang may get all clever and snarky at Wu Xie with passive aggressive one-liners at first (Lucille Bluth voice: good for him), but here I want to talk about how the progress of LTR and their own personalities point to them developing a really sweet friendship over the series.

Note: I haven’t read the books, just seen snippets, so I know there are things here that won’t hold up to the source text; I’m doing this meta based on the show alone, apologies for any confusion or big anachronisms to the book.

1.) They are both defensive, snarky, and wary people whose life experiences have made them this way. Wu Xie hides it far better behind his charm and smiles, plus he does usually have his iron triangle and family support to fall back on. But I like that when Liu Sang confronts Wu Xie over the whole “you’re dying and in a dangertomb dude wtf” thing, you get to see the look on his face right after Wu Xie responds being all “bitch try me I will deny everything”— Liu Sang actually looks pleasantly surprised by it, and keeps his mouth shut until the situation becomes too obvious. That face in that moment isn’t confusion or fear, that’s some straight-up recognition. Like, oh shit, he’s still annoying but it’s weird now because I totally get him and appreciate that he has a spine after all. Liu Sang is a stranger here, he just met Wu Xie like 12 hours ago, but somehow he understands him perfectly in that moment and I appreciate that acknowledgment of kinship.

2.) Beneath all the prickliness, they are both soft at heart. Wu Xie had ten years of hell to transform into a excellent liar and actor, Liu Sang’s backstory is trauma after betrayal after trauma. But we see how they are both capable of extraordinary goodness—the first time we meet Liu Sang, he awkwardly tries to help a small child he believes is in danger, and later becomes a member of the squad despite his half-hearted efforts not to like them. Liu Sang’s loyalty, once earned, is powerful and unconditional. Wu Xie’s best (and most double edged) qualities are, as I’ve discussed before, his compassion, love and loyalty, and these qualities overwhelm his guardedness over and over again in the series. Despite that coldly pragmatic Wu mindset he sometimes develops, what ultimately drives Wu Xie and what makes the show is his passion for adventure and love for his people.

3.) Xiao Ge. The Venn diagram betwixt our two foxes. There’s a reason the Wu Xie/Xiao Ge/Liu Sang tag is alive and well. Honestly though, they both gravitate towards Xiao Ge at first due to their fascination with him, but Wu Xie has had the benefit of getting to know Xiao Ge much sooner and in a different capacity and is already his boyfriend one of the very few people who’s truly close to Xiao Ge. He is himself possessive over Xiao Ge to a degree—I’ve seen some hilarious jealous-Wu Xie posts—but I think a lot of it stems from a place of long familiarity that has been hard-won. Liu Sang starts from a place of what he admits is idolization, but I think a turning point happens early on in the tombs, when he admits to Xiao Ge that he played a trick on Pangzi and Wu Xie that indirectly got them into trouble. Liu Sang’s expression shows that he knows how foolish this joke makes him look now that something bad has happened, even though they both know he didn’t mean any real harm. BUT. He owns up anyway to do the right thing. Like Wu Xie, Liu Sang is a person whose pride can get the best of him, but who is capable of casting it aside once he realizes it’s a problem. He then shifts gears and uses his ability not to impress Xiao Ge but to help save Wu Xie and Pangzi. He then chooses to follow the group at a distance from then on rather than trying to still stick to Xiao Ge’s side. I don’t think it’s really just fear of Pangzi, as is claimed by that character in the show—I think it’s more awkwardness and even some guilt. Once things change and the friendship grows, Liu Sang is no longer trailing behind. I appreciate that they so clearly come to occupy different places in Xiao Ge’s life—his soulmate and his protege—but they also come to be friends.

4. The realness of their interactions. Liu Sang is the only person in this series who meets Wu Xie for the first time as his present dying heir self, not sweet bebe Wu Xie, not sheltered Tianzhen, and he sees him as he truly is and treats him like a regular person (no disrespect to the marvelous Xiao Bai, but she does put Wu Xie on a pedestal for so much of the series until she knows better). It’s clear that Wu Xie also sees Liu Sang as he is, not just a clever tomb raiding tool or pretty-boy but instead this lonely kid who is human and vulnerable. (I have to wonder to what degree his regret over everything that happened with Li Cu influences how easy he goes on Liu Sang in the show?) He doesn’t react to Liu Sang’s initial sass on the beach, doesn’t really get mad for the trick Liu Sang played in the tomb, and (hilariously) won’t ever let Liu Sang thank him for the instinctive rescue as they are escaping the tombs—they’ve already silently jumped to “it’s cool, I gotcha” status in like three episodes.

Most importantly: I truly believe that once they meet, Li Cu and Liu Sang will form a “how did my life get turned upside down and admittedly way better in the long run due to this insane cardigan-rocking disaster and his equally insane friends” club and that they will have commiseration meetings during parties whenever Li Cu’s Adopted Dad and Liu Sang’s Idol are getting…cozy.

I also have a headcanon that during a random visit to deliver something, Liu Sang learns he now has a room that’s entirely his at Wushanju, fully soundproofed to protect his ears and located by a private door out to the courtyard so he can come and go as he wishes.