#the point is that it takes a LOT of effort and time to get my appearance to something im happy with and even then its not really enough...

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

When you point out how neurodiversity affects whole areas of the brain, not just what we see as the presentation symptoms, it seems so obvious. I've known that many neurodivergent conditions have high rate of co-morbidities, but haven't thought about what that would mean. I really liked your explanation of what else dyslexia affects, it made me recategorise some of my sister's mom behaviours. I see time blindness, some executive dysfunction, organisation difficulties and go, yup, I've got that too, it's normal, and forget that most people don't struggle with that (I've suspected I have undiagnosed ADHD for years, but never got checked for it, since I suggested it my dad freaked out, insisting there was nothing wrong with me. I really should though)

May I ask how your synaesthesia manifests for you? I'm always curious about how neurodiversity manifests in people and how it affects them, because there are so many minor and major things not talked about. I apologise if that question makes you uncomfortable, you don't have yo answer it.

Anyway, thank you for your explanation! It made a lot of things click all at once for me.

If you want lots of examples of how my synaesthesia works, I have a tag you could trawl here. But, I have a few different types; the common numbers-have-colours one, but I also get textures and sensations and feelings, and about... literally everything. Numbers, words, people's voices, names, personalities, the plots of media, images, everything.

Soooo, yeah. Sensory overload is the big impact; trial and error over the years has shown me it's primarily auditory, so if I can wear earplugs I can cope for longer in 'busy' environments. The other thing is that it really does a number on my mathematical ability, though, because, I shit you not, the colours get in the way. When I was a small child I was shown that 3 + 5 = 8, and my brain went "Yes, orange + pink = brown, got it" and ever since then if I see a 3 and a 5 together in a sum it DOES NOT MATTER what the operator is, I immediately assume the answer is 8. 3 plus 5? 8. 3 minus 5? Also 8. 3 times 5? Buddy you'll never guess. But it's 8.

It takes conscious effort not to do this T_T

The other thing is that I really, REALLY suffer from this thing where someone goes "Hey, we should watch Program X" but the problem is, you see, the problem is, I cannot stand the sensation I get from the name Program X, and therefore I will not watch it out of disgust that is totally unrelated to the actual show. This applies to all media, places, human beings, etc. (It is obviously a thing I have to be careful of when it's human beings.)

I think everything else I have is ADHD-related though, so that's probably everything I can put down to the synaesthesia.

[thebramblewood]

this is in a similar vein to an ask you got recently but do you have any tips for those who are interested in sims 4 (or even other games like ts3 and ts2) storytelling? I write fanfiction but I think making sims 4 stories could be a fun venture. Anyway, thank you for your time! I love your stories so very much they're literally my hyperfixation!

Well, that makes two of us because it's literally my hyperfixation. I think I've shared bits of advice before, so some of this might sound familiar, but here are some things I think are important to remember (and I tried to be concise, I swear).

Write the story you want to write. Obviously, it's a great feeling when something takes off and people get invested. But if you pursue an idea only because you think Simblr will like it, you probably won't be inspired for long and it'll probably show. I've been very lucky with my story, but it didn't blow up overnight. Early on, I was thrilled to get double digit notes or one reblog or comment and was admittedly disappointed when I put a lot of effort into something and nobody seemed to notice. But I kept going because I was obsessed and wanted to see it through, and that's more true now than ever.

Start with low stakes and allow yourself to evolve. Before I was on Simblr, I made Sims stories with no poses or visual enhancements or fancy editing. I wrote them for myself, and I loved every minute of it, but they also gave me a solid foundation for the kind of storytelling I do now. Even after starting this blog, I eased myself into it. I learned how to use poses and Reshade, then moved on to more advanced editing techniques, then moved on to teaching myself to make poses and very basic CC. If you try to learn it all at once, you're more likely to give up because you're overwhelmed. Take your time and make peace with the fact that perfection isn't possible. Everyone's always learning!

Take advantage of the fact that Sims is a game. Even though I've been a creative writer for most of my life, I don't come up with fully-fleshed, elaborate Sims stories from scratch. It started off with my legacy and not wanting every generation to feel the same. I thought about gameplay I hadn't experienced yet and centered each generation's story around that. Even with HZID, I just wanted to make and play with vampires! That's it! Initially, I used a lot of gameplay to convey Helena's college experiences, and I still try to incorporate it when I can. It can really be a great base to spark your creativity if you don't know where to start.

Don't have a life outside your story. I'm joking. Kind of. I'm not a very social person and I don't like leaving my house if I don't have to. This leaves me with a lot of time for working on story things. Honestly, I could probably stand to work on it less. But for better or worse, I'm doing story-related things most nights and weekends, and even if I'm not doing anything, I'm thinking about it. It's probably mental illness, but we'll just call it passion. At the same time, it's also important to take breaks! If you're feeling burnt out, step away for a while. If you can't make yourself step away completely (raises hand), just edit the script or spin your blorbos around in CAS or something rather than going straight for posing a scene.

Follow and interact with other storytellers. This is probably the most important thing, and as someone who struggles with social anxiety it was the hardest for me to do. But I try to make a point of keeping up with other stories, commenting, and reblogging. Not only will the amazing talent of other writers inspire you, but you're building meaningful connections that make them more likely to want to interact with your story. There's no denying it feels amazing to watch your audience grow. But no one's going to see you if you don't make an effort to be seen, as scary as it can be. So try to be active in the community and support other storytellers the way you want to be supported!

[timesomewhere]

in honour of the West End's next to normal closing today I've finally proof-read my 'things I noticed/general thoughts' post that's been sitting in my drafts since I saw it earlier this month. it's very long I'm very sorry.

Act One:

it was really fun watching this show in September given that there's two references to it in the first song

I adore the monologue about the pills that Dr. Fine gives during 'Who's Crazy'. it's rhythmic and funny yet also unnerving. It's such a quick and impactful way to summarise what Diana has been through for the past 16 years

Gabe does a 'one of your French girls' pose on the kitchen counter under the cabinets during 'My Psychopharmacologist and I'

Jamie Parker made direct eye contact with me during the last part of 'Who's Crazy' and it was one of the most intense experiences of my life

I might just be dense but I don't get the point of the neon sign that says 'Fine' which drops down during the Dr. Fine scene. Initially I thought that then one would drop down saying 'Madden' during his scenes to help people differentiate between the doctors but then it didn't so it just feels like a weird extra prop

speaking of random props, shout out to the iPad on the table in the opening scene which Gabe pretty much instantly takes away after telling Diana that she shouldn't obsess over tragic news stories and is then never seen again as far as I remember

Dan in the flashback scene being such an optimist about Diana's pregnancy and the future they're gonna have together... soul-crushing

Caissie Levy's 'I Miss The Mountains.' Holy Shit.

I love how Diana and Gabe are the only characters who sing on/stand on the table. it's as though it's this extra dimension of the house that only they have access to and it's a really neat and subtle way to show that they relate to each other in ways other characters don't

'It's Gonna Be Good' is so underrated. Jamie Parker's somewhat genuine optimism becoming optimism-through-gritted-teeth is incredibly acted

The way Jamie delivers the first line of 'He's Not Here' is devastating. the heaviness of that moment as you feel the audience around you realising what's just happened is something I'll remember forever

Gabe body-blocking Dan from Diana during 'I Am the One' is such good staging. People talk about how Jack Wolfe plays Gabe with a lot of layers and a lot of simultaneous contradiction and this song is one of the best examples of that. how Jack manages to project a character who is goading his father and protecting his mother at the same time is beyond me

also Jack has maybe half-an-inch on Jamie which obviously isn't something the actors control but it does makes Gabe seem just that bit more threatening when he's getting in Dan's face

for the first part of Superboy and the Invisible Girl when it's just Natalie singing, Gabe is actively laughing. He's totally unperturbed by her efforts to make herself seen to her mother. it's only when Diana replies, particularly when she says "you're our little pride and joy, our perfect plan" that you see his face drop and you see him trying to figure out a way to stop her from getting Diana's attention which then results in him kicking her off the melody in her own song

"I'll hurt you" being directed at Dan and "I'll heal you" being directed at Diana as Gabe gently touches her face gets me so bad. but the most painful part of 'I'm Alive' for me is when Gabe looks at Dan as he says "I'm the perfect stranger who knows you too well." that's the first time you realise that perhaps Gabe doesn't just impact Diana, and there's something much larger at play

Caissie and Jack W's voices harmonising on 'Catch Me I'm Falling' was one of my favourite parts of the whole show. Their voices are so magical together and their mother/son chemistry is incredible

The 'I Dreamed A Dance' into 'There's a World' sequence is one of the most tragically beautiful things I've ever witnessed. I went into the show knowing what Gabe was trying to achieve during 'There's A World' and yet Jack's voice is so beautifully haunting you totally forget you're supposed to root against Gabe in that moment

Jamie Parker's 'I've Been' is some of the best acting through song out there. Interestingly my friend and I had very different interpretation's of what Gabe's horrified reaction to the blood meant. I viewed it as him being upset about what he convinced Diana to do - he doesn't like seeing her hurt. Whereas my friend saw it as him being angry at himself that she didn't manage to follow through, meaning that he has failed to regain control over her life

'I'm no sociopath, I'm no Sylvia Plath. I ain't no Frances Farmer kind of find for you' is one of the best musical theatre lyrics of all time. I genuinely don't know why I Miss The Mountains is the 'big song' known from N2N over 'Didn't I See This Movie?', it's just so good

Natalie's 'She trusts you!' line is heartbreaking, I was basically watching that entire scene through my fingers because of how high the emotion was

Act Two:

'Pfizer's woman of the year' will in fact be peak comedy every time. Eleanor's delivery is *chef's kiss*

Gabe having just one line in 'Wish I Were Here', and that line being 'Wish I were here.' Yeah. I feel very normal about that.

Natalie's line of "Can I hide my stupid hunger, fake some confidence and cheer?" being pretty much exactly what Gabe has done throughout the entirety of act 1

"And you're not a scary rockstar anymore" got one of the biggest laughs at both of the shows I went to

Dan's desperation during 'Better Than Before.' He is simultaneously trying to cajole Diana into remembering and get Natalie to be more positive. This one song really highlights how he's being pulled in a million different directions while trying to hold it all together and Jamie portrays that so well

Aftershocks. Wow. The way the last word of each line echoes throughout the theatre is great sound design. I've been in exam halls louder than the audience during that song. Holding a room that captive as a silhouette is quite the feat Jack Wolfe you will always be famous

"I don't know where the fucking pieces go" as Diana pushes things off the table as if there's a real jigsaw there that she's rage quitting and choosing to give up on is such a nice detail

"Have you talked of your depression, your delusions and your son?" The gasp in the theatre both times was sickening

the response of "good' in reply to "name?" when technically that was part of his name as they are the "Goodmans". I don't really have a point here I just think it's neat

The 'It's Gonna Be Good" reprise was one of my favourite Dan/Diana moments. Caissie and Jamie are really pushing each other to their emotional limits and they handle it so well

The first "Why stay?" is so fragile as Diana sits against the kitchen island. Also interesting given that Dan and Gabe will also sit against there later when they are at their lowest point in the story. The idea of the characters crawling to the 'centre/heart' of the home when they are at their weakest

"This is one old game that I can play so well" is the line that has stuck the most with me throughout the show. Jack's delivery of it while striding across the kitchen table - seemingly totally invincible - is crazy.

how Caissie manages to deliver "you shrugged and said that no one really knows" with humour and desperation at the same time is amazing

When Gabe and Diana stand on the table and if they let go of one another they'll fall. yeahhhhh.....

Gabe's realisation that Diana isn't going to give up on getting better. Totally collapsing in on himself and beginning to cry. How you manage to feel bad for him after all the destruction he's caused is wild

Diana's "maybe I'm tired of the game" relating back to Gabe's "this is one old game that I can play so well"

the lyrics in 'Hey #3' clearly reflecting things Diana has done, Henry cutting Natalie off at "bleeding in the bathtub"

"I am the one who'll heal you" being said to Dan not Diana this time

"Why didn't you go with her?" is the most devastating line in the whole musical I said what I said. Jamie's delivery of it is heart wrenching

the drums and bass kicking in for the loud part of I Am The One as Gabe becomes desperate to be seen once again

Jack and Jamie's acting in this moment is so intense. there's a moment where it's genuinely feels as though only one of them can make it out of the interaction alive

Jack's emphasis on the word 'loved' in the line "I am the one who loved you" nearly killed me on the spot. how somebody can deliver a line so desperately while remaining pitch perfect is unfair

Natalie coming in to kiss Dan's head at the start of 'Light' like Gabe kisses Diana's in the first scene. I'm such a sucker for a gut punching

the "And are they real?" line about Diana's parent's from Henry gets such a loud reaction from the audience. Some people laugh immediately, some people clearly get shocked out of their sobs. so good

In conclusion, this is my favourite musical of all time and I'm going to be so annoying waiting for the pro-shot to come out

[skyfallscotland]

I also just need to add, and I hope @justallihere doesn’t mind me sharing this publicly (we all know I don’t ask for permission) but:

“i promise if it doesn't add up i've thought about it for a minimum of 57 hours and tried to make it add up”

I think people think we’re critical for the sake of being negative nancys sometimes and that’s not the case, the fact is we spend a lot of time thinking about this world and these characters and you guys know that because you benefit from it—but the flip side to that is we have already considered every possible defence for clear mistakes.

Some people act like it’s a crime to point them out, but it really isn’t. If you’re not willing to hear any minor criticism of the world building, you probably shouldn’t get to enjoy fanworks by people who are forced to consider them and run rings around them to make them make sense (in my personal, savage fucking opinion).

Like do you know how much effort goes into writing fanfic? I feel like most people don’t. I promise you we’ve thought about this world more than the average person. I spend hours of my life every week considering it, actually. So I think we (fandom creators in general) get a pass on pointing out the fuck-up’s that are blindingly obvious when we see them. It’s not like I’m talking to RY’s face.

This isn’t aimed at anyone in particular, (especially not the last post I reblogged, everyone had some good ideas there trying to explain the Lewellen-Lindell dilemma away and that’s fun and I appreciate the discourse) but I do feel like there’s been some commentary lately on here that’s felt very culty and toxic positivity vibes and I’m not about that. I get enough of that in my regular life as a chronically ill, autistic person. I’m not gonna create content for a community that takes realism as negativity.

I’m just calling it how I see it. Notice how in my last post I defended Rebecca? Very mindful, very demure, very normal. Don’t be weird 😭

[tozettastone]

I think you can sidestep most — not all, but like a lot? — of the absolutely bonkers biological implications in your Naruto worldbuilding if you couch whatever "biology" is happening in terms of yin or yang chakra releases instead.

I say this because it's pretty common for fics to discuss the biology of magical ninjas, and I appreciate their efforts, but I think most of the time, writers write themselves into a worldbuilding black hole pretty fast. It's a rare fic that attempts this without running into some kind of... fairly evident problem with how it maps ninja shit to real world biology.

I am someone who last did biology when I was 16, so I don't really want to spend an hour on a search engine, trying to remember what the heck ATP does normally and how its absence REALLY causes rigor mortis.

My take is: it's ninja magic. Sure, it's meant to be validated by cognitive logic congruent with our understanding of the setting, but it's not required to make strict biological sense.

Of course, if a fic writer wants to make it make strict biological sense then that's the challenge they've taken up and that's not my business. I just don't think getting into the woods of ninja biology is as necessary as its frequency of occurrence in transformative fandom suggests.

Sometimes the answer can just be: "It's magic because of the magic. Discussing the specific mechanism is not the point of my fanfic. Godspeed."

[trapastrology]

My Solar Return/Profection Year Experiences

*Since my birthday is approaching*

1H Venus~ I have definitely felt like i've looked the best by far this year! My style has transformed the most. I've found my signature, hairstyles, scents, and style! I've worn things out of my ordinary and they looked amazing on me and now they've become a part of my regular wardrobe! I've changed up my style a lot and realized that for the most part makeup isn't really for me. At least nothing heavy, the less, the better. I've also become more intune with my femininity. I've been more soft spoken, sweet and easier to approach from what others have been telling me. I have also been putting in effort daily to look good without being super vain. It's a great balance!

Sag rising-definitely way more adventurous and spontaneous than ever. I've gotten up so many times on a whim and just went where the wind blew me. I'd randomly get invited out and instead of thinking about the ins and outs, i'd just agree and had the best day everrrr!!!!! As a virgo sn, i say no a lot and think about the pros. Saying yes with no real plan of how I was going to get to point a and b actually did wonders! Being that My nn is jupiter ruled, i will be taking this lessen with me from now on.

6H Year-I for sure have been getting all of my ducks in a row! I've dropped a lot of bad habits and traits and pick up way better ones that have improved my overall quality of life! Yes, there was a period where I had to put a lot of work in, but it was necessary being that for my next year I can enjoy all the fruits of my labor. I've gotten a taste so far during these last few months about how my new year will be and I can say that I adore it! I have a post about what you should do for a 6H year for those of you who are interested

8H Moon-phew, this one right here has put me THRU IT! The emotional highs and lows are insane. The emotional purging? Painful, exhausting but very needed! A lot of family secrets and family members who did certain things behind my back has come to light...a lot! Seeing things & ppl for what they truly are. Recognizing my own flaws and issues that i cause/caused in all relationships and fixing them. I've been learning lessons and have stopped doing the same things expecting to get a different outcome. knowing when i have to sever ties for good. Being vocal about how I feel instead of shutting down. Actually taking charge of my life instead of just letting things happen to me

These are just a few things I've experienced so far from dec 2023-now and those things were caused by those plmts! If you like this, I'll do a part 2 in the next month or 2.

I do Solar Return and Profection Year readings so if your birthday has just passed or is coming up, get one from me to see what you have in store for your personal year! Check my pinned post to see how to book with me or just dm me!

Ty for reading if you've gotten this far, love you all!

[outrunningthedark]

I think what all the "well, Oliver can´t win" people refuse to acknowldge is the fact that the problem here is not Oliver´s being silent on SM- because he most definetly is not. If he would go comepletely silent people would probably applaud him. But he takes care to put out something Eddie, Ryan or Buddie related quite regularly and everytime someone points this out you have a bunch of people on here rushing out the "well, Buddie are friends! it´s not his problem people read into it" defence. Ok? And Buck and Tommy are dating so were are those posts? How BoBs interpret his posts is not the issue here. The issue is that a lot of people get the feeling that Oliver seems extremly concerend with not offending a certain subset of this fandom after talking a great deal right after the kiss episode aired. And his efforts to not rock the boat don´t include just not posting Buck/Tommy stuff but actively going the other direction sometimes and throwing Buddie stuff out there. I don´t understand why people aren´t allowed to side eye this behaviour?

I think the people within our own side of fandom (I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I just don’t agree.) who are making excuses for what Oliver does are trying to go out of their way not to act like Buddies or in a way that can be compared to Buddies, tbh.

I mean, we see what happens every time someone tries to make a “both sides are bad” argument - they’re comparing sending death threats with posting a screenshot because “Tim mentioned both” or BuckTommy shippers being called racial and homophobic slurs with “BoBs” (which just means people who won’t accept anything but Buddie).

So if you’re 100% in Oliver’s corner on your page? Regardless of how you may feel in private? Well then you’re not part of the problem.

Maybe it’s the fact that I remember life before social media blew up. Maybe it’s because I most definitely got exposed to shitty behavior directed at me very early in life because of my circumstances and not because I got famous.

But I have very little patience for a grown ass man in his position letting teenagers get to him.

He chooses to be on social media. He chooses to operate his own account (apparently).

Don’t make a big deal about playing a queer character (for the second time, mind you; there was an incident pre-s7 where he told a homophobic fan he’d be proud to play a gay character) if you weren’t gonna be able to handle whatever negativity you KNEW was coming your way.

You know what Tim did when the social media stuff got too toxic? He stopped looking at it. Maybe Oliver should use that whole social media manager thing to his advantage while he has it 😉

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[stevethehairington]

really fucking sick and tired of people who really fucking love the eddie book jumping on people who don't like or are even remotely critical of it's posts and like crusading their opinions around from the top of their high horses and shoving it down our throats.

if you like the book, great! that's awesome! love that for you! i am genuinely glad that you were able to find good in it and enjoy it!!

but not everyone did, and not everyone is going to agree with you. so, instead of going on some grand crusade where you find every single post that includes anything even remotely negative or negative adjacent or even neutrally critical and spending ALL this time and effort trying to provide unwanted rebuttals to every single thing, maybe you should just stay in your lane and find people who DO like the book and chat about it with them.

because i can PROMISE YOU, none of us appreciate it when you come onto our posts and start accusing us of "hating on" the author or "being rude" about her and her work and RIDICULOUS shit like that.

being critical of something and pointing out it's flaws is NOT inherently hating on it. i, frankly, do not know where people got that notion, but it's not fucking true so can we fucking quit assuming it is? and, critiquing something is also NOT the same as saying this is shit and it sucks and the author is a piece of garbage. again, where the fuck that came from is beyond me. you can be critical of something and still enjoy it. as soooo many of you love to point out, it's not perfect, why should it be perfect? so D U H. of course that means criticism can and should arise???

also. hot take (by which i mean ice fucking cold because it's NOT a fucking hot take), but going around toting FALSE facts as part of your "defense" does not make you or your argument look good. you, like the author, should maybe do a basic fact check first. 🙃

tldr, if you like the book, that's genuinely great, but stay in your fucking lane and stop seeking out posts from people who didn't like it to start shit in the notes.

[waywardstation]

PHIONE AKARI!

A lot of people have commented on the phione that Akari is holding in this post, so I thought I’d share some of these sketches that I’d been holding onto! (It is why I drew her holding one in the first place haha)

Ever since I came up with this fic concept for this, I’ve had this thought on my mind. I’m suprised there’s not a PLA fic about manaphy yet, where it swaps bodies between people and Pokémon. There’s a lot of potential there!

The concept initially had Akari turn into a buizel, but I thought a phione would fit better; its head ribbon reminds me of the back of Akari’s hairstyle!

Just like in the linked fic concept, Akari would have to make her way back from the coastlands to Jubilife somehow, and try to get Ingo to understand that she is now a phione, and needs his help getting her body back.

I’d like to write this as a fic at some point, it’s been in my head for a while!

[knightelf]

maybe i do need to go to therapy bc its probably not good that ive been living on autopilot and the last 7 years went by so fast but also bc i was deliberatly Wanting the time to go by to put as much space between me and the events of 2017-2020 as possible all while somewhat knowing my young adulthood was slipping me by and now both my teenage years and my early 20s are gone and i still feel like my 19th birthday was yesterday yeesh!!

[creativity-deficient]

Vent in tags-

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Me, at my coworker: I finished both Kyoshi novels. Coworker: Uh oh. How you holding up? Me: I thinking about walking into traffic

[ssreeder]

how are we feeling about the new netflix adaptation of avatar??!!!!!!!!!!!! the zuko casting eats and swolzai is so cool to see actually translated well (although we will see how they treat the characters in this)

HEYYYYYYOOOOO!

The only thing I’m really looking forward to from the live action is being able to gossip about it with my mutuals. I don’t really have any other opinion, I mean… it looks cool! (Sokkas hair & zukos scar bother me but ehhhh what can I do?) But I’m an animation junky, I love my anime and my cartoons (bobs burgers beloved) so I don't particularly care for the “real people actors” taking over my cartoons but I’m totally chill about it honestly.

I will ABSOLUTELY be watching it and probably will form a more solid opinion after I actually watch the show.

[loumauve]

I snapped today at work, and by snapped I mean I politely commented on a help desk ticket by summing up an mess of an (type of) issue that's come up for at least the fourth time in the 2+ months I've been managing user accounts, and asked the person responsible to fix it (himself for once) because last time I fixed his mess-up it took me two whole days to work out the details with at least four other colleagues from different departments and I really don't want to do it again. there's other shit that needs doing, I've been working 10+ hour days for most of this week already, so I need to cut down not add on more.

(good thing tho - at least we managed to fix the issue where the dataset of a newer employee got mixed up with another one of the same name and therefore wasn't able to apply for any of the access/accounts she needed. technically not entirely my area but it does impact us not being allowed to create an account for her so I figured I might as well track that issue down. took three days and at least three other people, but hey - it should all work out now. yay for that)

[dawnstarranger]

Listen everyone has their own metric for what good writing is and isn’t but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get me down a little to see one of my faves dragged through the mud by both haters and fans alike on a pretty much weekly basis