#when to use jira

[riizegasm]

Blossom || M. JH

❀ pairing: crown prince!myung jaehyun x princess!reader, implied fem!reader

❀ genre: royalty!au, arranged marriage!au, fluff, minor angst

❀ word count: ~4.6k

❀ warnings: very minor royalty-typical misogyny (not from jaehyun)

❀ summary: A loveless marriage isn't high on anyone's list of desires, especially yours. However, all it takes is a certain crown prince to show you that duty and desire don't always have to conflict. With a little nurturing, love, too, can blossom.

❀ a/n: The writer’s block was so real for this fic!! Despite that, I do think it turned out pretty well. I hope you guys think so too. As always, likes, replies, and reblogs are encouraged. Happy reading!

masterlist

Dreams of your wedding day always consisted of one thing: love. Ever since you were little, you imagined being married to none other than the love of your life. It didn’t matter what dress you were wearing, be it the custom garments of your kingdom or the ornate ceremonial dresses of another, because you would be marrying someone you loved. The cake could be flavorless and bland, and the crown that you wore could be heavy or feather light. None of that mattered. Because you would be in love. 

You were not in love with Crown Prince Myung Jaehyun. And yet, you were set to wed him anyway. 

Your stomach churns as the traditional shell calls of your kingdom go off, their airy whistle signifying the entrance of your guests. As the gilded doors to the throne room open, your breath remains caught in your throat as you lay eyes on the procession of people that enter. First, an older man, dressed in bright gem tones that match the ones in his crown. Then there’s a woman, her yellow and green satin dress flapping behind her in the wind. And finally, a young man. 

You don’t know what you expected the Crown Prince to look like, only having heard stories about how charming and personable he is. But when he enters the room, you are stunned by his appearance. He is breathtaking. 

His charisma bleeds off him in waves, emphasized by the kind smile he wears. It pulls his rounded cheeks upwards, boyish dimples indenting the golden surface. His gaze betrays some of his confidence, however, pupils shaking as they take in the room around him. It is only when he finally arrives at the center of the room, standing proudly next to his parents, that his eyes land on you.  

As a child, some of the aids in the palace used to tell you fantasy stories about what it felt like to be in love. They spoke of fluttering tummies and reddening cheeks, of a smile you’re unable to fight off and a lighter feeling when you’re around them. Looking at Crown Prince Myung Jaehyun gives you one of those four sensations, but by the glimmer in his eye, you’re sure it won’t be long before you check all of them off the list. 

“Welcome to Vyrona,” your father greets. “It is a pleasure to see you again, King Jaeseong, Queen Jirae.”

King Jaeseong grins, bowing his head in greeting. “It’s an honor, Your Majesty. I am delighted to introduce you to my son, Myung Jaehyun, the Crown Prince of Nexdor.”

The man in question bows at the waist, his crown not moving from its perfect position atop his light brown curls. “It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”

When Jaehyun returns to his upright position, his eyes find yours once again, not even bothering to continue to address the man in power. You can’t help but cock an eyebrow at the bold gesture, confused on why the man would choose to focus all of his attention on you instead of the conversation around him. At your silent question, Jaehyun just shoots you a small smirk, still refusing to break eye contact. 

“Well,” your father says, clapping his hands together once. “I am truly excited for the merging of our kingdoms. My daughter, Princess Y/N, is just as excited about the marriage as we are. I hope she is to your satisfaction, Prince Jaehyun.”

“She is breathtaking, Your Majesty. I would be honored to have her as my bride.”

Jaehyun speaks with conviction, words tinged with a hint of awe. It’s as if he genuinely believes what he’s saying, as if he is truly honored to be married to a woman he doesn’t even know. You can’t say that you necessarily agree. 

“Then it is settled,” your father declares. “Y/N will move to Nexdor in one month’s time, and the two of you will be wed in three.”

“That sounds lovely, Your Majesty,” Jaehyun beams. “I am looking forward to having such a gem come join us in Nexdor. I promise I will be nothing short of an amazing husband to your daughter.”

Your father chuckles, “I can tell.”

.         .         .

Lush grasses and sprawling gardens are all you can see as you peer out from your balcony. Nexdor has always been known as the “Green Kingdom”, but you were never able to experience it for yourself until this very moment. It makes sense that Nexdorians always have a lovely tan complexion and full, rounded faces. The sun is strong and the soil is rich, leading to plentiful harvests that never seem to wane. 

The pale color of the sky is dull in comparison to the rich ocean blue that you are used to in Vyrona, making you miss your sandy shores and the permanent sound of crashing waves. The wind doesn’t have a salty smell, but instead carries the mild scent of fresh flowers. Instead of crashing waves and gulls cawing, there are the faint squeals of livestock and the occasional bark of a dog. 

Nexdor seems to be teeming with life in the opposite way that you were used to in your kingdom. But you suppose the two simply exist as opposites, land and sea, sun and moon, meat and fish. You wonder if you and Jaehyun will exist as opposites as well, or if you can find some way to overcome your innate differences for the sake of the marriage. 

“Your highness?” A voice calls, punctuated by a firm rap of knuckles against the wooden doorframe. 

A glance over your shoulder reveals Jaehyun standing there, dressed much more casually than you had priorly seen him. It’s a good look on him, looser, relaxed garments and unkempt curls. He looks youthful and relaxed, undeniably attractive in the confident set of his shoulders and the soft smile he wears. It makes you wonder why rumors always raved about his personality rather than his looks. You guess he just must be that charming. 

“Come in,” you call from the balcony, not bothering to continue to look as the man approaches. 

In your periphery, you can make out the man leaning his forearms on the wooden railing of the balcony. He seems to be taking in the scenery, much like you are, eyes fluttering shut as a warm breeze begins to blow. 

“How are you settling in, Your Highness?”

You scoff. “We are set to be wed in a few months. I don’t think we quite need to refer to each other by title, don’t you agree?”

Jaehyun chuckles, ducking his head so it hangs between his shoulders. When he straightens up, he props his head in his hand, twisting his upper body to face you. You try your best not to stare at the slope of his nose or the plush of his lips, fighting the heat that is rising to your cheeks. 

“I guess you’re right. How are you settling in, Y/N?”

The flutter through your core has you taking a deep breath to steel your nerves. “It has been fine, I suppose. It has only been about an hour, so I can’t say that I have seen much. But it’s beautiful. Your kingdom is beautiful.”

Jaehyun’s smile widens, gaze never once leaving your own. “It surely is.”

There’s a moment of silence as you turn back to take in the scenery, letting the warmth of the sun caress your face. The Crown Prince simply continues to regard you, shameless in the way he scans your face. The undivided attention has anxiety bubbling in your abdomen. Never before had you been on the receiving end of such a stare, not during the numerous balls you had attended or during any royal appearances outside of the palace. 

“Is everything okay?” You ask softly, voice shaking with uncertainty. 

“Do you like flowers?”

The question takes you aback. “I suppose I do.”

“Which is your favorite?”

“I have always been quite fond of azaleas, specifically the bright pink ones. They tend to grow on bushes not too far from the shores of Vyrona.”

Jaehyun just smiles, nodding softly. “That suits you.”

When he finally turns to look out at the landscape, your shoulders sag in relief, no longer the sole object of the prince’s attention. You wonder if he is often like this, wide eyes sparkling as they take in every detail. Do his cheeks always dimple, or is it only when he smiles on certain occasions? Does his mouth always look so plush as it parts to form slow syllables?

“How are you feeling about the marriage?” His voice is softer as he speaks this time. “I mean how do you really feel, not the answer they make you rehearse in etiquette class.”

His request for candor makes you smile. “I don’t quite know, yet. You know, as a young girl, they tell you stories about the glamor of finding a husband and getting married. But I’m not quite sure what to expect anymore.”

“Are you saying I’m not glamorous enough for you, princess?”

You can’t help but giggle as the man places his cheeks in his palms, fluttering his eyelashes repeatedly. There’s something in the tilt of his head and the fanning of his eyelashes that truly is glamorous, but you fear the result of telling him so. Instead, you just roll your eyes playfully. 

“You know what I mean.”

Jaehyun smiles, finally dropping his pose in favor of leaning back against the railing. “I do. But in all fairness, we have only known each other for mere hours. If you give me the chance, I promise I will try to make this life glamorous for you.”

You return his smile, trying not to stare too hard at the way the sun highlights his Cupid’s bow. “I’d expect nothing less.”

.          .          .

Wedding preparations are more strenuous than you could have ever imagined. Dress fittings and pastry tastings prove to be tiresome, while ballroom dance lessons leave your feet sore and aching. You spend hours per day learning about Nexdorian customs and ceremonial practices, all with the expectation of having them memorized in less than two months. 

As exhausting as it is, having Jaehyun by your side makes everything a little easier. 

You grow accustomed to the way he whispers jokes under his breath when the history teacher drones on and on about traditional wedding practices. He busts silly dance moves and makes funny faces during ballroom class, stopping at nothing to simply make you laugh. Everything he does in your presence proves to be for the sake of making you comfortable. 

You hate to admit that it works like a charm, making you smile even when you’re feeling extra homesick. Just thinking about his soft jokes and melodious laugh is enough to bring heat to your cheeks. It’s odd to acknowledge that Jaehyun is simply perfect, and he’s about to be yours. He works hard to prove himself to you everyday, as if his devotion to making you comfortable can be substituted for the lack of love. 

Maybe you can mistake it as such.

When Jaehyun knocks on your door with a picnic basket and a blanket in hand, it’s easy to mistake it as love. When he leads you out to a meadow dotted with purple and yellow flowers with a hand on your waist, it’s easy to mistake it as love. When he tucks a vibrant purple blossom behind your ear, it’s easy to mistake it as love. 

Even now, as soft winds ruffle Jaehyun’s curls as he tilts his head back, facing the sun, you wonder if this could be love. He looks extremely serene with his eyes closed and dimpled cheeks, a soft smile permanently gracing his face. You don’t think you’ve seen him frown once since you have moved into the palace, the man always wide eyed and positive down to his core. 

“You know,” Jaehyun starts, eyes still closed. “You do a lot of staring at me.”

Instantly, you avert your eyes, fighting the heat rising to your cheeks. “Consider it payback for how much you stare at me.”

Jaehyun opens his eyes, shooting you a small smirk. “Well, can you blame me? You’re gorgeous.”

“And you’re quite the flatterer.”

“I hardly think it’s a crime to compliment my fiancé.”

For some reason, the word makes you cringe, harshly gripping the picnic blanket underneath your fingers. It’s hardly the first time you’ve heard him refer to you as such, but it always leaves a stale taste in your mouth. 

“Does it not bother you?” You question. “The fact that we are set to be wed and we have only known each other for mere months?”

Jaehyun sighs. “I think the strength of a connection cannot be determined by the time spent together, don’t you?”

The implication has your heart pounding in your chest. “Are you saying that we have a strong connection?”

For a moment, there is mere silence, only interrupted by the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. Jaehyun seems calm as he begins to lean forward, only stopping mere inches from your face. The close proximity has your breath stuttering in your chest, still not used to Jaehyun’s confidence in displays of affection. 

“I feel it,” Jaehyun murmurs softly, eyes momentarily flicking down to your lips. They return to your eyes just as quickly. “Don’t you?”

A flutter runs through your core as Jaehyun’s tongue darts out to run across his bottom lip. 

“I-I do,” you whisper, breath stuck in your throat. 

With a bright smile, Jaehyun pulls away, forcing you to come back to your senses. 

“Good,” he beams. “Now let’s eat.”

It’s almost as if the man can sense his effect on you, constantly meeting you with fleeting touches and secretive grins in the coming days. After the picnic, he makes a point to surprise you with a random wildflower each day, always tucking it behind your ear as if leaving a garnish on an exquisite dish. His fingers will lightly trace your jaw as they retreat, leaving a path of flames in his wake. 

His touch emboldens you, allowing you to reciprocate his affections bit by bit. As the days pass, you begin to lean into the hands that guide you by the waist. You joke alongside him, feeling free to put on your silliest face and tell your cringiest jokes. 

It begins to feel like a relationship, one that goes beyond the simple pressures of royal duty. Smiles begin to turn purposeful instead of secretive. Knowing glances are exchanged as you both seek each other out in a crowded room. Pulses go from racing at the first glimpse of each other to mellowing out when the other finally makes an appearance. 

In a month’s time, you will be married to Crown Prince Myung Jaehyun. And for the first time in a long time, you start to believe that maybe love will make an appearance at your wedding after all. 

.         .         .

The days when Jaehyun leaves you by your lonesome prove to be the hardest. You understand, of course. He is the Crown Prince with a plethora of obligations to his Kingdom, unable to solely sit back and prepare for the wedding like you do. Ruling comes first, always, even before being a fiancé. 

It’s a particularly gloomy day when an aid informs you that Jaehyun will be in political meetings all day to address a recent conflict at the northern border. With soft rain pelting the windows, you have no other option than to explore the palace. 

Polished wood squeaks under the weight of your slippers as you roam the seemingly endless halls. Every room that you pass seems to serve a different purpose, some being bedrooms while others are studies. You even find yourself in a room lined with portraits of past rulers and their families, each one telling a little bit of the history of Nexdor. Adjacent to the portrait of King Jaeseong and his family lies an empty space, just waiting for the portrait of Jaehyun and his family to fill it. You cringe at the thought of your face permanently plastered here for any wandering eye to see. 

Further down the hall from the portrait room seems to be a series of meeting rooms, each one with a different set up. As you venture down the hall, a half opened door piques your interest. But just as you move to push the door open, a frustrated groan stops you in your tracks. 

“I promise you, Father. I’m not losing focus.” There’s a frustrated edge to Jaehyun’s voice that you have never experienced before. “I know what I need to do to rule my country.”

“Clearly, you don’t!” King Jaeseong booms. “Instead of attending to your duties at Crown Prince, you are too worried about caring for the princess. You cannot let petty feelings get in the way of you ruling this kingdom to the best of your ability.”

“Feelings?” Jaehyun scoffs. “This marriage is purely political, you know that just as well as I do. I don’t even care for her. She is simply set to be my wife for our kingdom’s gain, and that is it.”

Despite King Jaeseong’s reply, the words seem to echo throughout the empty hallway, setting off a ringing in your ears. 

You release a shaky sigh, feeling your heart plummet to the pit of your core. The corners of your eyes begin to sting with the force of incoming tears, forcing you to blink rapidly to keep them at bay. It’s impossible to tune into the rest of the conversation, your mind having shut down after hearing Jaehyun’s comment. With no other choice, you flee back down the hallway, seeking nothing more than the solace of your room. 

What feels like hours pass as you simply stare up at your ceiling, letting your emotions ebb and flow like waves against the shore. As devastated as you are, you can’t help but be upset with yourself more than anything. Jaehyun was right, after all. The marriage is simply political. There is no place for feelings in ruling a kingdom, the fairy tales you were told as a kid being nothing more than just that, tales. 

Yet another part of you aches at the thought of Jaehyun viewing you as a political move. All the jokes and smiles were nothing more than what would be displayed at a public hearing. The fleeting touches and the brushes of fingers against bare skin existed simply to placate a political tide. What has begun to feel like more has been reduced to a political pawn game. 

Your chances at being in love had been squashed. 

So, you began to reciprocate. Gone were the giggles when Jaehyun cracked a joke in history class. Attempts at getting sidetracked during ballroom dance lessons were met with a blank stare. Picnic requests were denied and touches dodged. After all, there are no feelings involved in politics. 

It seems like the change takes a while for Jaehyun to register, meeting your blank stares with concerned gazes and questioning looks. His fingers halt in midair when you flinch away from his touch, clearly still hoping to grasp onto you. Dimpled smiles turn into exaggerated pouts when you deny him time and time again. You would find his reactions cute, if not for the reason this is all happening. 

It’s all political, you remind yourself. 

It isn’t until a few days before the wedding that Jaehyun seems to have had enough. He corners you after a particularly grueling ballroom practice, grabbing you by the hand. His grip is tight enough that you aren’t able to pull away, helplessly following along as he drags you through the palace corridors. 

The two of you end up in the portrait room, with the eyes of all of the past rulers staring down at you. It’s only when you come to a stop that Jaehyun releases his grip from your hand. The man is clearly irritated, cheeks ruddy and eyes glassy. If you didn’t know any better, you would think he had been crying. 

“What is going on?” 

You fight the urge to roll your eyes. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Our wedding is in a few days and you have been ignoring me!” Jaehyun sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I just want to know what happened. I thought…I thought—,”

“You thought what?”

“I thought that you were learning to love me! I thought that you were beginning to feel the same way.”

Jaehyun’s exasperation rings loud in the otherwise silent room. His chest heaves with the force of his words, fingers twitching as they seek something to grasp. You can’t help but scoff at his demeanor. 

“Feel the same way? You were the one who said that I’m only going to be your wife for the kingdom’s political gain!” A hot feeling begins to bloom in your chest as you remember the encounter. “I believe your exact words were, ‘I don’t even care for her.’”

Jaehyun’s face falls, eyes glossy. “You heard that?”

“Of course I did,” you mumble, crossing your arms over your chest. “I was walking around the palace and I heard you meeting with your father.”

“You don’t—I meant—just…I promise it’s not what you think!”

“I heard you loud and clear, Jaehyun. You can’t take back your words now.”

“I know, but I promise I didn’t mean that.” Jaehyun sighs. “Can you follow me for a second? Please, I just need to show you something.”

Jaehyun’s hand is shaking as he offers it to you, reaching out with his last shred of hope. His eyes bore holes into you, as if looking at you can keep his tears at bay. It takes a few moments of staring at the hand, taking in its subtle tremor, before you finally exhale, letting your palm meet his. The smile that he shoots you is blinding, forcing you to look away from its power. 

You struggle to keep up as Jaehyun practically runs down the hallways, hair flapping in the wind. It reminds you of a puppy, how overeager he is, and you imagine that if he had a tail, it would be fiercely wagging. Every so often, he looks back, shooting you a smile that has a stampede running through your abdomen. 

With the speed that you two are moving at, you seem to arrive at your destination in no time. Jaehyun’s panting as he leads you to a final door, sunlight flooding your vision as he pushes it open. Trekking down a pair of outdoor steps leaves you along the eastern palace wall, the once empty space now a sight that makes your jaw drop. 

Numerous flower beds and bushes form a maze along the rich soil, some of them still only budding. Even though many of the flowers are not yet in full bloom, it’s easy to tell what they will be. A specific set of hot pink buds on a nearby bush steals your breath away. 

You release Jaehyun’s hand as you walk deeper into the garden, squatting in front of the bush to see if your eyes are deceiving you. It’s hard to be sure as you squint, but when a breeze blows, flooding your senses with an all too familiar fragrance, there’s no mistaking it for anything else. 

“Azaleas?” You breathe. “But how? They don’t grow here. The closest azaleas are in—,”

“Vyrona,” Jaehyun interrupts. “The closest azaleas are a few hundred miles away, but I had some staff travel to uproot some to bring here.”

You’re frozen in place as Jaehyun approaches, utterly breathless. “But why?”

“Because you said they were your favorite.”

As Jaehyun closes the gap between you two, you find yourself blinking back tears. This time, when he attempts to gather your hands in his, you let him, not daring to put up a fight. Slowly, he brings your left hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on your knuckles before repeating the move with your right hand. 

“Y/N, I wasn’t lying when I said I felt a connection between us. From the day I first saw you, I knew I would do anything for you, and I still will.” Jaehyun lets out a wet chuckle. “You know, if we weren’t already set to be wed I would have proposed to you again, right here in this spot. That’s how much I want to be with you.”

You shake your head, fighting a grimace. “But, your father…”

“I only said what I had to in order to appease him. He is nervous that I’m losing focus of my duties and losing sight of what I need to do for the kingdom. And honestly, he’s right. Because these days, all I can think about is you.”

The feeling is undoubtedly reciprocated, but the words to tell him such remain caught in your throat. All you are able to muster is a questioning hum. 

“You’re constantly on my mind to the point where I feel like a fool. I can’t seem to stop talking about you to anyone who might listen, my father included. Honestly, I have never experienced love before, princess. But to the extent I do, I want to experience it with you.”

You swallow the lump in your throat, trying your best not to get lost in the reflection of you in Jaehyun’s eyes. “I want to experience it with you, too.”

Dimples indent Jaehyun’s cheeks as a relieved smile crosses his face. He uses his grip on your hands to pull you even closer, causing you to stumble into his chest. Both of your hands fall to his chest to stabilize yourself, while his own fall to your waist. This close, you can see the soft shadows that his eyelashes cast on his cheeks and the sharp swell of his Cupid’s bow.

You find yourself thinking the same thing that you thought when you first saw the Prince. He is breathtaking. 

“Jaehyun…” you trail off, watching the way his tongue darts out to trace his bottom lip. 

“Will you let me love you, princess?”

A small nod is all you’re able to get out before a soft pair of lips meet yours. 

Jaehyun kisses the way you would imagine a young prince would, unrestrained and confident. He takes the lead in letting his lips blanket yours, grip tightening around your waist as he draws you in for more. It’s addicting, the way he strikes a balance between giving and taking that leaves you panting when you both pull away. 

“Let’s get married,” Jaehyun breathes out, letting his forehead rest on yours. 

You can’t fight the giggle that bubbles up in your chest. “We already are next week.”

“Oh, right.”

At his sheepish tone, you can’t help but laugh fully, throwing your head back in an unrestrained fit of giggles. The sight proves contagious, as Jaehyun’s laughs begin to harmonize with yours. It’s an addicting sensation, to hear the laughs of your fiancé while the fragrance of your favorite flower fills your nose. 

“Jaehyun,” you whisper after you are able to tame your fit of giggles. “Thanks for making this all feel a little more glamorous.”

Jaehyun just smiles, giving your waist a light squeeze. “You don’t have to thank me. I promise that I’ll do whatever I can to make each day feel more glamorous than the last.”

You nod, feeling the sun warm your lips as you smile softly. 

“I’d expect nothing less.”

.FIN.

[yourfavgaygaijingal]

GALS PET PEEVES 💢

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Also one thing I find annoying is when other gals praise reiwa gyaru and be like “you guys are setting us back in the community” “and the Jp gals accept change and they know it’s the reiwa era” “and you “guys follow rules from 2000-2016” Hate to break it to you But reiwa is boring 🥱.

It’s ok to like it like whatever you like To me what attracted me to gal was how flashy ot was how bold it was The leopard print pieces, The zebra print, The mag scans, The extreme makeup That’s what made me get into gyaru.

And why I prefer the heisei era more because I can tell they are gal because nowadays I feel like you can just put some white under your eye and some puppy liner or do douyin makeup and call it gal. But it doesn’t feel gal to me yknow??? Like it doesn’t feel bold it just feels watered down to me in a sense, But focusing on the heisei era is bringing it back today.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Like in Japan there is a rise in the heisei retro trend, shibuya 109 coming back, angeleek the gyarusa is coming back and they have an instagram account, all because people focused on that more and not the current era

(Here’s the page if ya wanna follow :3)

And I feel like As gals we shouldn’t care about what era it is Like yes I know it is the reiwa era but I want to dress and live like it’s the Heisei era I don’t wanna like water it down just cause it’s modern and it’s the current era Like does that make sense???? Cause sometimes I can’t even tell reiwa gala are gals untill I look at there accounts.

And with the bringing back of the heisei retro era, and angeleek coming back one thing my gal ass HOPES to see is GYARUSAAAASSSS!!!! There aren’t many active gyarusas in Japan from what I know I know some other ones that are active like akipoyo

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

(an isreal gyarusa) but like I’m talking gyarusas with like 100+ members, the fashion exchanges, the matching coords, kuro gals back on the rise, HOPEFULLY old gal brands like d.i.a abd alba Rosa coming back I know Liz Lisa is still around but they changed from gal to jira kei. Abd im not sure about mars im really not sure.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this yapping session lol didn’t mean to yapping so much I’m very talkative and chatty online but irl I’m super akward lol

[marvelstars]

So I was thinking about a post I saw a while ago and it made me realize that I believe it didn´t really occur to Anakin that Padme was too young as a 14 year old Queen because he was a 9 year old slave and already making adult decisions, like:

Sure, I will risk my life to give you the ship parts you need new friends.

I will sacrifice the pod I built with many sacrifices that I wanted to use to escape with my Mom once I got her and my slave chip out of her body with my self made slave chip detector.

I know exactly how to cheat on my owner, I have know him all my life actually and he loves gambling.

Sebulba, leave Jar Jar alone, you could kill me instead but then you would have to pay for me so go away.

I built a droid to help Mom around the house and I am also looking after grandma Jira here, fixing her things so the heat doesn´t get too much for her.

Do you need the droid army that is invading Naboo stopped? No problem, I will just destroy their main star chip and I didn´t even get out of place as Master Qui-Gon Sir asked me to.

Then Anakin became a padawan and was send to missions in which he had to use his lightsaber to get out of "negotiations"

So of course he defended Padme being a Queen at 14, to him her words about being happy for being relieved of so much responsibility sounded as if she thought she was doing a bad job with her planet, that´s why he told her he heard people were so pleased with her they wanted to keep her more time as their Queen. He thought she was selling herself short.

I believe the whole, "too young to be doing this" only beat Anakin in the face when he was send Ahsoka in the middle of a war zone.

I mean, he called her a "youngling" not even a padawan, he most definitely didn´t want to be training a 14 year old youngling in the middle of a war zone and he only accepted because he saw how sad Ahsoka looked when she thought he didn´t want her.

Ahsoka just had to invoke a little bit of tears and she already had him grapped around her little finger.

Anakin: Sure I am supposed to be your Jedi master and you should call me master but we are in the middle of a war zone, we both could die tomorrow, your situation sucks Snips and you are too young yet to notice it so of course you may call me skyguy to your heart content.

He is actually worse with Luke, honestly, it didn´t matter to him his little boy already destroyed the death star in ANH and his Master was calling for his head because he could become a Jedi and try to kill both of them, to Vader he was just "a boy"

In ESB Vader was at the parenting stage of thinking about Luke like, that´s my baby, nobody can touch him or his friends until I say so ok?

So he can recognize when someone was too young to be send to war, slavery or fight his Sith Master and he was right most of the time, except when it´s about himself and his perfect Queen Padme, they were veteran kids just doing their jobs.

Love him honestly :D

[gottagobackintime]

Noah Wyle as Daniel Calder The Red Line Episode 2: We Are Each Other's Harvest

"I'm Daniel Calder, speaking on behalf of my husband, and as many of you know, suing the city on his behalf. Harrison brought me here to this gala 20 years ago, and back then, when people would ask us how we met, we joked that a black man, a gay man, and a doctor walked into a bar, and I fell madly in love with him. Thankfully, that's a joke that doesn't work as well today because people can be so many things… should be so many things. But often, they… get reduced to one thing, and they could die for it. Harrison died for it. I, um… Sorry. Um, Harrison Brennan… saved lives. He saved mine. He loved me more than I ever thought I would be loved, more than I expect to be loved again, if I'm being honest. I thought my family was safe. Harrison… never made that assumption because he worked in a hospital and he saw things every day. And I thought we were safe. And now… my life is shattered and… even if the man who killed my husband is punished… there's nothing that's gonna bring my love back. I just wanna say thank you to Harrison for helping me raise my hero, Jira. As long as I have her, I have love in my life, and we… I hope we'll be okay. I… would just like to ask all of you, let's all make it harder for this to happen."

[kremlin]

I do computer work but it's not very hard and kind of boring. How do I get to do hard computer work? Do I have to go to grad school?

hi i tend to miss these because of slipshod ublock custom filters im too birdbrained to fix.

i worked for a large american technology company which sold business machines internationally for close to a decade until laid off in successful accounting fraud scheme a few years ago. started as developer, erm, pardon me, i started as

junior developer

which is a role similar to routinely-executed court jester and human meatwave conscript meant to soak up enemy bullets to cause exhaustion of enemy bullet supply and finally guy that comes in big gross truck with a pump and a tank and a big hose used to suck the shit+piss out of portable toilet/malfunctioning sewer etc. this is for when you are 20 years old or so and they hit you with this work to calm your ass down a bit. my case was cloud bullshit on ancient rickety php stack. 5% keystrokes/clicks are php, 95% remainder is jira and other members of the axis of evil. LOT of dick sucking and butt fucking. Going into men's bathroom and making eye contact with cubicle neighbor before entering stall and fearlessly making disgusting noises. microwaving fish lunch thrice daily. you get the idea. meager paycheck but six figures takehome technically

next is staff dev, wait, god damn fucking tumblr, you can't adjust fonts mid-paragraph, and Big Text is just another type of font, in case you wanted Big Specific font. fucking fuck hold on. next step is

staff developer

no effective change besides greatly increased workload (click those motherfucking jira buttons!! suffer coworker's asinine bad-faith code review comments that HE AND HE ALONE must manually accept your responses to, on HIS time, before you are allowed to click the jira buttons that start the human meat sausage factory to get your 20 line maximum change into an RC and then release and then push candidate and then prod push!! pay raise one thousand dollars annually (lol). Emails. Now you deal with project manager too. speculate as to what sorts of grievous head injuries that man must suffer daily to describe his logic. his job is like the guy from office space that brings documents from one desk to another but he randomly reorders the words on the page in-flight. make plausibly-deniable wife fucking jokes about his wife in earshot. you're almost at the top of the suffering function. next is, no fucking cute font this time, senior developer, sounds cool right, lol, lmao, "senior" "developer" is like "tallest" "midgit".

no pay increase no workload increase but now manager emails you about extremely, extremely personal issues he's facing and also makes his most difficult problems from his boss your problems. one week will pass and then they will hit you with the "we're considering you for a team lead position". answer:

NO

answer no as this is the prescribed path, you take that role, you are maxxed out in workload, you are dealing with forty employee's worth of bullshit, another one thousand dollarinos a year raise, employer has solved efficiency problem with your sanity and burnout as variables. you're supposed to quit or kill yourself within seconds of hitting 30 y/o. don't fall for tricks. say "NO" in a creative way such as "i have tabulated some data and made it into excel pie chart quantifying diff. departments work output and am considering sending it to whoever Dave is, the guy that is one or two or three report levels over your boss' head, you know, his boss' boss' boss or whatever. or say "you are harassing me sexually, racistly" that kind of shit. make threat clearly.

was worth mentioning before, throughout all of this make as many friends and as much of a splash for yourself as possible as its time to trade on that goodwill, tell your boss you want an open relationship and you're going to fuck and suck other managers, and then find the good one with the good team of old fucking geriatric guys who could never be fooled into working more than a reasonable amount daily and also can kill people with their minds since they have been sitting on the bleeding edge of computing since 1969. their boss will usually be, suspiciously, one report rank higher than everyone else. e.g. their boss has a whole other boss + his reports under him. usually small team. go to their boss, say, hi, look at me, look at my beautiful plumage and captivating mating dance, please hire me, pleassseee. his team will say no, they will say things like "I don't know about that kiddo", "That guy seems like a candy-ass", they will read your papers and look at you in the eyes and say it is not compelling, the boss will kind of hire you anyway. if he doesn't you're fucked. if he does you're now a

STAFF ENGINEER

for fifteen minutes and then

ADVISORY/SENIOR/SPECIAL ENGINEER

and the suffering is over. no code minimal jira + squad of gremlin zerglings under your boss whom you can rank-pull and delegate bullshit to, they will be mostly suckers, take advantage of this. 80% of keystrokes/clicks will be in production of beautiful wonderful lovely .docx and .xlsx's, what a godsend, only in an emergency are you allowed to fuck with your zergling's code, usually in a cool way with bullshit procedure removed.

i worked on high performance computing shit. "what the fuck do you mean 2PB or so in and out a day on flash memory", "what the fuck do you mean special infiniband intel MPI library on CD-R stored in Craig's filing cabinet???". Meetings with company people: webcams off, responses optional, snideness allowed. Meetings with client: you must have your dress shirt starched and white glove the shit out of those motherfuckers. timezones = skill issue. i don't care where germany is, i don't give a shit, wake up at 3am for a 20m meeting i take on the toilet or while eating a boiled lobster complete with cracker + lobster bib. customers countable on one hand, invoices to customers not countable with 32 bits. no fucking mistakes ever allowed except for like whitepaper drafts, you cannot fuck the pumpkin on this one, your actual job relies on your ability to hit a button and suck down a week's worth of compute and millions of dollars, boiling swimming pool's worth of TDP, one mistake that leads result data to being able to be characterized as flawed and your balls are getting ripped off. Quarterly IRL meetings = normiepilled normiemaxxing. Dress sharp. leave at 5pm on the dot, go to bar with Old Fucker coworkers, drink wrecklessly with them, have a blast, let them give you a tour of a lab you are absolutely 100% not allowed to be inside, buildings that have posted weight limits per sq. ft. exceeding 250lbs, such a blast. every paycheck a FORTUNE every dinner a banquet every meeting an email every keystroke life or death. you get to meet /lib/doug mofos too one of whom i wrote a very poor kind of poem thing about. thats about it. hope this helps

[tinderbox210]

So I've seen so many people thinking Avad and Nil are related, half-brothers or cousins...

While I see where people are coming from with them looking alike at first glance (though that's also thanks to the same style of beard and budget reasons), I don't think they actually look that much alike in build, facial structure and complexion when you actually compare them and for obvious shipping reason, I reject any headcanon where these pretty boys can't kiss each other.

I also think if Nil was Avad's brother (bastard brother and no legitimate heir to Jiran), it would have been revealed in HZD and Nil would have played a different role in the story that would have most likely let to some kind of confrontation between him and Avad (they probably would have made Nil part of the Eclipse and jealous of Avad getting the throne that's denied to Nil for being a bastard to heighten the family drama or something like that).

Personally I've really started to like the idea that Nil was related to Helis, maybe even being his son after it was put in my head by a great Nil/Avad story I read, because it would explain a lot about Nil, and maybe also related to Ligan. They all share these distinct pale greyish eyes which could be a sign that they are in some way related. Nil and Ligan even wear the same tribal markings which could indicate a family relation or at least that they come from the same region/village (like how the Tenakth distinguish their tribe heritage by painting in different colours) and Ligan could have provided Nil with the hunter gear despite Nil not being part of the Hunters Lodge.

So I headcanon Nil is either Helis' son and Ligan's nephew, or Ligan is Nil's (grand)father and Helis' his uncle. It could work both ways but Nil being Helis' son would be more dramatic.

Nil and Helis share some interesting similarities in their personality with both basically living only for blood and violence. Helis' obessive religious belief is similar to Nil's obsession with death though Helis is a lot more unchecked while Nil at least tries to stirr his worst impulses in the right direction. And they use similar prose in the way they talk.

We know Helis used to have a wife and son who died and I can see that having been some turning point for him, along with Jira slipping into madness, that could have turned him from being more or less "decent" man into the brutal fanatic that we see in the game, who probably would have had no problem with drilling his only surviving child in his image to become the same ruthless killer and deadly instrument for the mad Sun-King's bloody will. And Nil losing the rest of his family while being left at the mercy of his monstrous father could easily be the reason that sent him on his dark path.

(and they both have a thing for those fancy red feathered headpieces, so either they're related or Nil was at some point trained by Helis as a Kestrel and adapted his sense of fashion)

And if Helis' was Nil's father, it would explain Nil's stance on staying out of "politics" in a reasonable way and why he only went after bandits after his "rehabilitation" but neither joined the Eclipse nor jumped at the opportunity to kill those bastards.

Nil being Helis' son would also give Nil and Avad some nice parallels in their background and a way for them to relate to each other with both of them having had to live under the thumb of a cruel and fanatic father whose idiology they end up rejecting.

And if Nil was Helis' son, Avad would have known him personally prior to the game and would have know how Helis' mistreated him, which could be the reason why Nil got a light sentence for his confessed crimes beyond Avad just having a good heart and believing in rehabilitation of criminals.

[moonlightblueandicegrey]

Jay and Ronin headcanons and personal opinions because of my last post:

Why they could have been good friends:

• Ronin is a thief - Jay is a little bit of a pirate (Jay could have been a great pirate, you can't change my mind).

• Ronin doesn't think that stealing is a bad thing because he is a thief. I believe that Jay thinks the same way:

When the ninja wanted to take the airjitzu papyrus from Ronin's shop in Stiix and Jay became a leader, his first thought was to steal the papyrus. He also tried to make stealing sound like a nice/positive thing in that situation by saying things like: "we are stealing from a thief", "we are stealing something someone stole so we can give it back to the original owner (after using it)".

Stealing is still bad no matter the final result but neither Ronin nor Jay think that way.

Also, Jay had no problem stealing those ninja chips in skybound. He was hungry, yes, but he was still going to steal.

• Both Ronin and Jay value money a lot:

I don't know Ronin's back story so i don't know why he values money so much but he definitely does for some reason. You can see it in many of his lines and through his actions.

Jay on the other hand wanted so much to be rich in skybound. He thought money could impress the girl he loved. He was also sad and embarrassed in general about the fact that he was poor.

• They are both betraying others:

Ronin betrayed the ninja lots of times and Jay did too in Skybound

• They both use fake personalities to get what they want/they are manipulative:

Ronin manipulated the ninja in possession and skybound by acting like a nice guy to get what he wanted and reach his goals.

Jay also uses a fake personality. His 24/7 smile is fake to me. He might use it, to cheer his friends and himself up, to hide his true emotions and feelings, to hide his real and honest thoughts, to keep enemies guessing, to look innocent, weak and even stupid while in reality he isn't and probably, to seem like he doesn't care about anything or anyone (like he doesn't need help). No matter what, he still manipulates others to think he is someone else and hides his actual personality. I can see Jay wearing an invisible mask, that thing being stuck on his face, he got so used to it that now he doesn't even know who he actually is anymore.

• They are both liars:

Ronin lies a lot to everyone in order to reach his goals. I remember that time in Seabound when he made the wooden Wo-Jira.

Jay also lies, during skybound especially, but i think he also lied to the other ninja about his home (he didn't want to say that he lived in a junkyard) and about the skybound events after his last wish. I don't believe he told them the truth about Nadakhan right away. Also, he lied to Nya about the Fangpyre's bite and how he almost became a serpentine on their first date.

• Both Jay and Ronin were probably born poor (I'm talking about Ed and Edna) and abandoned by their parents (Cliff and Libber). I think Ronin was also abandoned by his parents when he was a baby.

............................................................................

So, yeah... in conclusion, i believe that Jay and Ronin could have been good friends if things were different for them and if they had met each other differently.

(Jay is so relatable to me, I'm kinda worried now)

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Year One

Part Two of Three Years

Proposal | Masterlist | Year Two

Pairing: Nathan Bateman x Reader

Rating: Explicit - 18+ Only.

Length: 3.3K

Notes: ....Hi! It's part two: Nathan Bateman boogaloo

Warnings: Cursing; angst; enemies to enemies who fuck; tech-talk; angst (I know I said it before but really); Nathan being Nathan

Summary: You settle down in one of your usual places, connecting your laptop to the monitor there and settling in. There’s a low level of nerves churning in your stomach as you get started. As you open up your calendar, you find it packed with meetings—for Q4 budgets for both Marketing and IT; for budget allocations for the following year; for marketing strategy for the following year; for a proposed overhaul of JIRA ticket rankings and escalation practices; to find a content management system to transition all of your learning and training content over to— 

You slam your laptop shut, embarrassedly ignoring the looks that a few coworkers level you. You draw in a deep breath and push it out again as you rest your head in your hands. This is going to be hell.

You have an office. 

Whenever you’ve worked at Sc(ai)le before, you’ve worked among the engineers. The workspace has an open desk policy, so you’ve just taken any open seat you could find. But now you have…An office. 

It’s nearly the same size as Jenn’s, with fishtank-like glass walls and a large desk near the back windows. You look around, eyeing the empty desk and the empty shelves. It’s too much space. It’s too much money, it’s too much space, it’s too much mandated time—

You suck in a deep breath, tightening your grip on your bag strap. 

Maybe you can ease into this. 

You shut your office door, pointedly ignoring where your name and titles are etched into it before heading for one of the work areas further down the hall. 

Communication that you would be joining full-time as part of the C-suite had gone out both internally and externally two weeks ago. You haven’t been allowed the typical onboarding period that another in your situation may be permitted. You’ve had one foot in the company for a long time. You don’t need to be brought up to speed. You need to start patching the holes and righting the ship. 

You settle down in one of your usual places, connecting your laptop to the monitor there and settling in. There’s a low level of nerves churning in your stomach as you get started. As you open up your calendar, you find it packed with meetings—for Q4 budgets for both Marketing and IT; for budget allocations for the following year; for marketing strategy for the following year; for a proposed overhaul of JIRA ticket rankings and escalation practices; to find a content management system to transition all of your learning and training content over to— 

You slam your laptop shut, embarrassedly ignoring the looks that a few coworkers level you. You draw in a deep breath and push it out again as you rest your head in your hands. This is going to be hell.

Three years? Right now, you’re not sure you’ll even make it one day. 

-- 

“Hey! I need you in here,” Jenn waves you toward her from across the hall. You curl your hands around your laptop and nod, glancing around to make sure you’re not cutting anyone off as you join her. It's been almost a full week of being asked to hop on to a call or tugged into meetings that hadn't made their way onto your calendar yet.

“What’s up?” 

“Call with Nathan.”

You clench your jaw at the sound of his name. Nathan. Since when is he ‘Nathan’? Why isn’t he ‘Bateman’ or ‘That Asshole Who Coerced You Into a Job’? 

“You good?” Jenn asks as she rounds her desk. “How’s your day been? Sorry I didn’t put this on your calendar sooner, it just came up—Hey!” She reaches out, unmuting her phone without waiting for any of your answers. “You’ve got both of us!”

“Hey hey,” Nathan’s voice comes across the phone. “How’s the newest member of the C-Suite?”

Losing my mind, you think.

“I’m great,” You answer as nicely as you can. “What’s up?” 

“...I’m fine, thank you for asking,” Comes Bateman’s smart reply. You set your laptop down in a seat and brace your hands against the back of it, glaring down at the phone. Glancing over, you see Jenn waving you toward the phone encouragingly. 

“Glad to hear it,” You offer before reiterating, “What’s up?” 

“You guys been taking the media temperature on the C-Suite announcement?” 

“It’s been mixed,” You answer. “Tipping toward the negative.”

“So you have seen it.” 

“I’m CMO now, Bateman. It pays to pay attention.” It’s a fight to keep the irritation out of your voice. You can feel Jenn glancing between you and the phone. It’s another moment before Bateman speaks up: 

“I think you ought to lay low for a few months. We’ll keep your name out of the press until the joint summit in September.” 

“That sounds reasonable.” You mean it, too. You’re more than happy to just do your job and fly under the radar. 

“Good. I’ll loop back with my CMO about coverage as we get closer to the conference.” 

“Alright.” 

“I’ll give you, uh…Twenty minutes back. Thanks, ladies.” 

“Thanks, Nathan!” Jenn chimes as you blandly offer, “Have a good one.” 

Jenn reaches out, ending the call. You reach down to take up your laptop, going still as Jenn asks, “Are you alright?” 

You glance up to find her watching you closely. You shrug, drawing your laptop up to your chest. 

“Fine. Why?” 

“You wanna do dinner at mine Saturday? No work talk, just a catch up?” 

You smile genuinely, nodding. “Sounds good. Is it eligible to be expensed?” 

--  

Jenn’s apartment has upgraded since first opening Sc(ai)le. When she’d started the company, the two of you had shared a tiny, overpriced one bedroom apartment. She had the bedroom; you slept on a lumpy fold-out couch across from the minuscule kitchen. Looking back, the accommodation had been awful, but at the time, you’d just—managed. 

You had been working freelance; Jenn had been hocking the idea of Sc(ai)le to anyone that would listen while whittling away at her trust fund. Now, you each have your own spaces. Jenn’s apartment is just a few minutes away from the office; you’re about twenty minutes from the office by car. 

Jenn’s apartment is larger than yours, but is decorated so sparsely. You can’t blame her for that. It’s no wonder, considering how much time she spends at work. Her office space is cluttered—there are notes, books, mockups and proofs scattered on every surface. Your own apartment is a different matter. You've taken the time to make it feel homey, and lived in. It's a space that you're happy to return to, and do your best not to drag work into if you possibly can.

“Wine?” 

Jenn’s offer knocks you from your consideration. You nod, shoving your hands in your pockets as you drift deeper into Jenn’s kitchen. You wait patiently as she unpacks the takeout that you ordered, fiddling with the wine glass that she fills and passes to you across the kitchen counter. 

“How’s your first week been?” 

This time, she doesn’t chase the question with two more questions before cutting you off for the sake of Nathan Bateman’s stupid voice. 

“It’s been…Alright,” You offer, peering into your glass. “Somehow more and less action than I expected.” 

“How so?” 

“You know, just more like…Telling people what to do rather than…Doing the doing.” You wince at your clunky answer. 

“Everyone has growing pains. You remember how hands-on I was when we started.” 

“I mean, you kinda had to be. There were only five people.”

Jenn chuckles, nodding as the two of you settle at her kitchen island. 

“Yeah, but you were one of them.” Jenn raises her glass, clinking it lightly against yours. “I know this wasn’t your first plan, but I’m glad you agreed to come on.” 

You can’t bring yourself to return the sentiment, and you can’t bring yourself to lie to Jenn just now. So you just smile, and take a full gulp of wine as you turn toward your food. 

“...I know we said no work talk tonight,” Jenn hedges after a moment, “But I just wanna bring up one thing.” 

“Okay?” 

“You don’t seem to…” 

When Jenn trails off, you glance over at her. Her expression is pinched; she’s toying with an auburn curl with one hand and pushing her fork into her food with the other. 

“...Jenn?” 

“Mm?” 

“Don’t spare my feelings.” 

“Why don’t you like Nathan?” 

Because he’s an asshole. Because he twisted and bent your affection and loyalty to Jenn and what she’s built to get what he wanted. 

“I dunno,” You shrug, turning back to your food. “He just strikes me as a dick.” 

“I mean, I get that, and he kinda was—at first. But…You get used to it.” 

“You got used to it. Does it really matter if I like him?” You ask, picking at your food with your fork. “I’ve worked with plenty of people that I couldn’t stand. And I know you sure as shit have, too.”  

“Yeah, but this is different. We’re working really closely with Bateman, and we’re all at the top. We need to present a united front to the company. You get that, right?” 

You want to play dumb. You want to tell her, no, you don’t get it one bit, and Bateman can ram his impromptu meetings and his bullshit business terms up his pompous, freakishly round ass.

“I thought this was a no-work-chat dinner,” You grumble. 

“This isn’t even, like, completely work. We don’t see Nathan that much.” 

“Mmm, but we’re all at the top, right?” You remind her bitterly before shoving a forkful of food into your mouth. Jenn huffs moodily, looking down at her plate and stabbing her food. You wince as a prong of her fork scrapes roughly against the plate, emitting a screech that makes your jaw clench. You lean back on your seat a little, resting your chin on your hand. You didn't think the two of you would butt heads so soon—and not over this, of all things.

“For the sake of C-Suite harmony, I will try to be nicer to Nathan,” You offer. “But I’m formally requesting that you let me work at it without too much oversight. This whole thing has been nuts for me, J. I need time to adjust.”

Jenn’s quiet for a moment. You can hear her chew, chase it with a gulp of wine—and then her pinkie is poking into your field of vision as she says, “Deal.” 

You raise your pinkie, hooking it around hers and giving it a squeeze, nodding. “Deal.” 

--  

Deal or not, you are two minutes from slapping Nathan right across the face right in front of the entire tech community.

Things have gotten better. You’ve reached a point where you don’t flinch at the sight of Bateman’s name in your inbox. You can keep a moderately cordial tone with him on the phone. But all of those things have come with blessed, much-needed physical distance.

Now, in person, you’re not sure you can manage not to slap Nathan Bateman in the middle of the joint BlueBook and Sc(ai)le summit. You just keep your gaze focused on the back wall, your hands clasped in your lap, drawing in and pushing out steady breaths. Sitting between him and Jenn has made the last hour feel interminable. You’ve only been asked a couple of questions, and you’re more than fine with that—but you would take being asked a hundred questions if it meant that you didn't have to hear Bateman's long-winded, self-aggrandizing responses.

Now and again, you can feel him looking in your direction, but it’s entirely possible that he’s looking past you to Jen. You’re not willing to meet his eyes to find out. 

“Final question,” The moderator says, knocking their index cards against their thigh to straighten them out. “This partnership is almost a year old. Any regrets, from any of you?” 

Your fingers flex in your lap, your expression carefully placid and flat as you wait for the answers around you. 

“Not a one,” Jen answers without a thought before peering around you. “Nathan?” 

Pointing the question right to him makes the attendees laugh, and you can’t help but smile a touch, yourself.  

“Whoa, put on the spot,” Bateman chuckles, too. “Um…You know, I’ll be honest, I was a little rocky going into this partnership.” 

Oh, you’re definitely going to slap him— 

“I, uh…This is the first time I’ve thrown real funding and time into a company that isn’t BlueBook,” Nathan adds, “Into something that isn’t mine. It was a new experience, being so involved with something that I'm not in control of, but…” Bateman trails off, and you can feel his gaze directed toward you again. Surely it’s pointed at Jenn this time—though you’re still not willing to check. “The partnership is solid, the team is strong…the company’s pushing forward. No regrets here.” 

It’s a relief. You have to force yourself not to sink down in your seat, to scrub your hands over your face, to groan out the, Thank fuck, that’s building up behind your lips. You glance toward the moderator as they say your name, slapping on a smile as they wait for your answer. 

“Like Mr. Bateman, I was a little apprehensive going into this,” You offer, “But I think we’re all settling in, and I look forward to seeing this company and this partnership grow.” 

It’s a safe answer, one that you’ve been practicing since you got the approved list of questions for the panel. 

The moderator smiles, thanks you for your time, and disbands the panel to a round of applause as the three of you rise out of your seats. You’re just a couple of steps offstage before you  feel Bateman’s hand land on the middle of your back. You glance down toward it, then look around to find his other hand placed on Jen’s back. 

“Let’s grab a drink, decompress,” He suggests. 

“Absolutely!” Jen chirps, grinning. When you don’t answer right away, you feel the two of you turning to look at you. In another situation, you might be able to decline, to say that it’s been a long day, that you promised someone that you’d catch up with them. You'd managed to get out of it once before, when Bateman had first gotten you in this position. But this is the first time you’ve been around him since you agreed to join the C-Suite—and you know you’ll catch hell from Jen later if you pass on this invite again. So you force on a placid smile, nod, and offer, “A drink sounds great.”

--  

A drink sounds great.

That was what you had said.

A drink. One. Singular. 

Any hopes you’d had of pounding back some champagne and exchanging short pleasantries with Nathan before relaxing alone in your hotel room are quickly dropping away. You're three rounds in, and you can’t bring yourself to argue as you all pile into the back of Bateman’s Benz. You give the driver a shaky, apologetic smile as Bateman yells the name of a bar at him before Jenn tugs the door shut. 

You raise your hand to buckle yourself in, scrunching up against the door to shove the metal bit into the mechanism, and ignoring the way Bateman watches you with amused derision. You fumble in the dark, your fingers feeling thick with your growing buzz, but you finally manage to buckle in before slouching back against the seat and looking out of the window.

It’s a mistake. Watching Silicon Valley blur together is taking your slight tipsiness and tipping it in the direction of the spins. You close one eye and draw in a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. You hone in on the music being piped through the car, and the sound of Jenn’s voice chattering on the other side of the car. It’s curious that Nathan is so silent beside you. It’s odder still that your tipsy brain is hooking into the cool scent of his cologne, and the press of his thigh against yours. Jeez, for a billionaire, you’d think he’d have a roomier backseat. 

You prop your head up on your hand, hesitantly peeking both eyes open as the car rolls to a stop at a red light. You lift your head, glancing around and trying to catch sight of anywhere familiar. You recognize a spot or two. You peer around to the other side of the car, squinting at the nearest store on that side. On your way to leaning back and refocusing out of the nearest window, your gaze catches on Nathan’s. 

It sends a shock through you, making your stomach flip, and nearly unseating every drink you’ve had so far. You turn to the window again, sinking down in your seat a touch as heat rushes to your face. 

 -- 

“C’mon!” Jenn chatters excitedly, grasping your hand and trying to pull you up out of the booth. “C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon, we’re up next!” 

“Uhhh,” You let out a shaky laugh, shaking your head. “Nu-uh. This one’s all you, kid. Go flag down Nathan, he’ll join you.” 

“Ugh,” Jenn groans, “You’re both so boring—Oh, that’s me!” 

Both? 

You don’t have a chance to ask. You can’t help but smile, leaning back in the booth as Jenn scrambles toward the ramshackle stage at the front of the karaoke bar. The decor is dated, and sort of tacky. There are Halloween-themed fairy lights that look as if they’ve never been taken down; there are knickknacks all over the fucking place, with no visible theme or cohesion. The vinyl booths are a cool glitter-laden turquoise; the seats make flatulent-like sounds whenever anyone moves on them. You glance back as you see someone walking around the back of the booth before they slide in. 

“Here.” 

“Thanks,” You mutters, taking the drink from Nathan. You expect him to settle some ways away, but he presses as close as he did when you’d all been in the car. You clear your throat after you take a thick gulp. 

“So,” You tip your head toward Nathan, eyes still set carefully on Jenn. “How do you know about this place?” 

“You kidding? This was one of my favorite spots when I still lived around here.” A pause. Then, “I own it.” 

“What?” You ask, finally stunned enough to turn to look at him. He shrugs nonchalantly. 

“It was gonna close,” He excuses. “It’s a good time.” 

You blink a couple of times before you turn toward Jenn again. The music is still starting up; the words are populating on the screen behind and in front and in her periphery. You’re not sure what to make of this information. You actually think it’s…Kinda sweet. And then Nathan leans in, adding, 

“I have a thing for failing businesses with potential.”

You roll your eyes openly then, using the dimness of the room as cover and tipping your head away from him. You shift in your seat a little, subtly creating space between the two of you. You feel it again—Nathan turning to look at you. 

“You gonna fuckin’ pout now?” He leans in to ask it, speaking over Jenn’s opening drunken yells of Ke$ha’s TikTok. 

“I’m not pouting.” 

“You’re not smiling, either.” 

“Usually don’t have a reason to when you’re around.” 

It just slips out. You only just manage to stave off a wince, your fingers flexing around your drink. And Bateman, the incorrigible shithead, just chuckles. 

“You don't like me very much, do you?” He asks. 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“You don’t have to.” It’s a moment before Nathan leans closer again, speaking into your ear. “I know I spend a lot of time with tech, but the reason I’m so goddamn successful, why my search engine works? I know how to read people.” 

“Congratulations.” 

“I thought you’d do a little more sucking up, you know?” He adds, “Considering how much my contribution has done to help your company.” 

“Jenn’s company.” 

“DON’T STOP, MAKE IT POP, DJ TURN THE SPEAKERS UP—”

Your gaze flickers to her as she jumps up and down in time to the beat, pumping up the energy of the otherwise lethargic bar crowd. Nathan’s focus seems to shift there, too, and he nods. 

“Certainly didn’t invest with her for singing ability,” He comments. You smile a little.

“No, you didn’t,” You agree, turning to look at him. “You invested because when she wants something, she throws her whole heart and fucking soul into it—” 

“Alright,” Bateman waves you off. “You don’t need to sell me when I’m already signing your checks.” He turns, giving you a knowing, shit-eating grin. You turn from him, stomach churning and bubbling with alcohol and annoyance. 

“...So what are we singing?” Bateman adds, nudging your arm with his. You scoff a laugh. 

“We are not singing.” 

“Not at all?” 

“Not a snowball’s chance in hell.” 

“Maybe next time.” 

You smile ruefully, shaking your head. 

“Probably not,” You offer, meeting his eye. “Time’s ticking, Bateman.” 

--  

You don’t have a physical calendar, so you don’t mark it outright, but when a company-wide message goes out from Jenn, congratulating and thanking you for rounding out your first year, you can’t help but grin. You’d been glib just about a month ago when you’d mentioned it to him, but time really was ticking.

One down, two to go. 

Next Part: Year Two

Tag list: @missredherring ; @fantasticcopeaglepasta ;  @paintballkid711 ; @massivecolorspygiant ; @blueeyesatnight; @recklessworry ; @amneris21 ; @ew-erin ; @youngkenobilove ; @carbonated-beverage ; @lorecraft ; @moonlightburned ; @milf-trinity ; @nolanell ; @millllenniawrites ; @chattychell ; @dihra-vesa​ ; @videogamesandpoorlifechoices ; @missswriter ; @thembosapphicclown ; @brandyllyn ; @wildmoonflower ; @buckybarneshairpullingkink ; @mad-girl-without-a-box ; @winchestershiresauce ; @aellynera ; @writefightandflightclub ; @thedukeofcaladan ; @beepboopyoda ; @foxilayde ; @revolution-starter ; @rachelwritesstuff ; @queen-of-elves

[harveybwabbit92]

[Seven inspecting Akari's map wall and notices the Black hearts camp isn't listed anywhere, he thought it was a safety thing until he brought it up to her, Akari got this oh shit look on her face; like she just remembered something and told Seven to follow her, cut to Seven, Zero and Akari outside of the bandit camp's main compound; just in time to see a Jiras walking towards the camp?! Zero and Seven made a move to turn giant when Akari stopped them.]

Akari: Wait.

Zero: But it's gonn-

Akari: Just watch.

[Seven and Zero watch tensely as Jiras got closer to compound, they could hear alarms ringing in the camp, Jiras was right at the door! When suddenly half of Jiras's head was gone and his body fell to ground dead! Seven and Zero blinked but they were sure they saw something huge and fast jut out of what they thought was a cave entrance at the far end of the giant hill the compound was situated on.

A few moments a few moments a giant head slowly poked out of the "Cave" opening to take another chunk out of Jiras the and they realized the hill was actually the back of a giant snapping turtle Kaiju.]

Akari: Dad, Zero. Meet Tortia she's an old but feisty lady. we keep her fed she keeps us safe.

[Tortia is an ancient Kaiju who shares a symbiotic relationship with the Black Heart Bandits, They make sure she always has a steady food supply of fish and other Kaiju and in return she keep them safe by constantly moving around the wasteland making it harder for enemies to pinpoint the exact location of Black Heart's base, she may seem scary at first but Tortia is actually a very gentle and friendly kaiju especially towards children (yes she's a Gamera reference).]

[exeggcute]

Can you please tell me what story points are I hear about them from tech dudes they sound so scary

oh yes lmao. let me answer this publicly so everyone can learn...

in software development there's a work allocation philosophy called agile that everyone either does or tries to do. some people just "do" agile and some people will tell you that agile is a vibe and you can only "do" subsets of it like scrum or kanban or whatever. many people use these terms interchangably and many places end up doing an unholy patchwork of various agile frameworks and hoping for the best.

(or they don't actually do agile at all but adopt agile tools and terminology anyway because that's the shit everyone knows how to use. Big Atlassian has us in their grip...)

in (some) agile work planning, each team divides their session into sprints, which is a fixed length of time for which you pre-determine what you'll be working on and any new tasks won't get picked up or really even looked at until the next sprints. from what I've seen these are usually two-ish weeks but can definitely be more or less. at the end of your sprint, you'll ideally be done with all of the work you were assigned and then get new things to work on for the next sprint.

each unit of work is broken into a story, which is supposed to be a whole anthropomorphized "user story" and not just a unit of work but I've never worked somewhere that adhered to this. sometimes people call them a ticket or an issue instead. it kinda depends on the tool you're using. right now we use a not-jira tool that calls them stories, so to us they're stories! but they're basically just bite-sized work assignments.

each story gets an estimate of how much effort you think it'll take to complete it. (not time, just effort. these are supposed to be different but no one has ever explained how in a way that's satisfied me.) those are your story points. so when you do your sprint planning every <x> weeks, you or your boss or your scrum master or whoever allocates work based on the point total of your stories. let's say that you're usually trying to hit 30-ish story points or so; you might pull in a 13, an 8, a 5, and four 1s for that sprint based on which stories are outstanding. but the next sprint might be two 8s, a 5, three 3s, and a 2.

also I love (and am mystified by??) how these tech dudes are apparently just coming to you to complain about their sprint planning all the time. but I understand. it's rough out here.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Kodama - Day 77

Race: Jirae

Arcana: Star

Alignment: Neutral

July 23rd, 2024

The deep, dark forests of Japan have some very interesting monsters that inhabit them- as most things are in mythological history, the things ones cannot explain must have explanations that are beyond that of science, after all, and the forests are as filled with spirits as they are with lush greenery. One of these such spirits flitting to and fro may curse one who fails to notice its markings, a mischievous forest-dwelling spirit who gained popularity from Princess Mononoke yet was still well known in the lush green even before. Today's Demon of the Day is an early-game demon most SMT players know well, the swirly-faced floater, Kodama.

A phenomenon observed in the past named yamabiko, being strange echoes heard throughout the forests, was commonly attributed to either the Yamabiko yokai or a set of tree-dwelling spirits known as Kodama, their name literally meaning 'Tree Spirit.' These spirits would inhabit trees, essentially turning them into their hosts, possessing them and residing within. Kodama are oddly similar to Will'o Wisps, actually, being typically seen as floating lights in the night sky in the midst of forests. Combine this with their disposition, and while they may mostly be lonesome tree-dwellers, they're easily capable of pranking and messing with people when they see fit.

However, if one is to target and chop down the tree a Kodama resides in, they will be cursed into a drought of essentials, losing almost everything needed to maintain prosperity. Interestingly, in some traditions, Kodama aren't just Yokai- they are sometimes seen, and revered as, gods of the forest. A god outlined in Kojiki, an ancient Japanese text, is sometimes interpreted as a Kodama, per instance, and in a Heian era dictionary, they list Kodama under a statement of Japanese tree gods. Due to this, and the curse surrounding these spirits, trees that have a Kodama within them are marked often with a Shimenawa rope, a kind of ritual-purification rope used to mark sacred areas. There isn't much on the Kodama, unfortunately, but sometimes, simplicity is bliss.

And that simplicity translates well into Kodama's design in SMT! It really does everything it needs to, being a unique take on the classic design of a Kodama typically seen in Princess Mononoke. Not only that, but the design, in my opinion, is utterly adorable- sometimes I wish I could just adopt one of these guys and take it home with me. Actually, that's a good idea. Jack, can you watch the computer?

Huh? Me? Hey, wait, Vee-ho, where are you going?

I'm gonna catch a Kodama!

Have fun being cursed, dips-hee-t.

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle's 2025 'Fic Plans

#ridfic schedule

Info post about my 2025 'fic update schedule & general plans. Also, showing screenshots of the new organizing tool I started using (Not sponsored) for anyone curious and/or looking for organization inspo.

If you're somewhat up to date with the series you like, there are no story spoilers, unless you count chapter titles. Light spoilers if you're early in your series read.

You can find this post again by checking my pinned post, searching the #ridfic schedule tag, or clicking the "My update schedule" link in the footers of my AO3 'fics (once I add it).

Most of this post discusses plans. Scroll to the bottom for calendars if you want specific schedule info.

Relevant Links:

FFN || AO3

FOP AU Navigation

MCYT AU Navigation

Heroes' Journey arc (WordGirl)

My Total Drama AO3 Series

#Long post

GENERAL PLANS

Prioritizing

My 2025/26 goal is to prioritize. A few months ago, I made a post where I showed screenshots of my current link sheet. I liked how it showed me lots of information with limited need to scroll, but it wasn't meeting my needs.

Ex: I kept writing more "Dreadful Burden" chapters than planned, but if I wanted to add new rows for them, I had to redo all the columns to fix gaps; it was just annoying. Once I completed the 'fic, I condensed them to a single cell on the sheet that says "Dreadful Burden x10," but it made me sad not to get the satisfaction of watching the green spread; I wanted more celebration. I can also fit full story titles nicely on ClickUp compared to the way I had my old sheet set.

Also, I have a lot of WIPs floating around that didn't even make it on the sheet. I wanted to quickly add new ideas and not worry about them taking up space or being an inconvenience to move. Preferably, I wanted to easily switch position of items if I changed how soon I wanted to work on them. I had a separate tab in this spreadsheet that was like a calendar, but since it was just rows and columns, moving items around was a pain.

It looked like this, which was fine, but it wasn't a nice calendar. Changing dates was a pain. Showing it anyway in case someone reading feels this set-up might work for them:

After checking out multiple kanban & calendar tools (Ex: Trello, Monday, Visor, KanbanFlow, nTask, Miro, Jira, Notion, the old Google calendar I tried in 2024), I opted for ClickUp (Not sponsored).

I'm really liking it- especially how I can edit the kanban board OR the calendar and they're in sync, so deadline changes reflect in both spaces. Personal accounts are free, which I'm happy with.

Here are some screenshots for fun & fellow writer inspo... Disclaimer, this is useful to me because I use Google Docs & URLs, but it might be slightly less useful to people with Word or similar files (although you CAN upload attachments).

My board:

Yes, I poured a lot of hours into putting everything I could think of on this board- There's also an "Other Fandoms" column. It was worth it.

Btw: If you want to try this tool, I suggest bookmarking your board after you make it. It's easy to lose & annoying to click around for. ClickUp is designed for teams using multiple boards, so it gets buried in the sidebar and you have to open stuff to find it. I considered making separate boards for each of my fandoms, but I'm glad I didn't. Extra context: I keep downloaded 'fics on Notion (because it lets me upload downloaded files), and it always bugs me how slow it is to scroll to the bottom when I want to add something. I like how ClickUp lets me add something new from the top, and how everything is easy to drag around. Debating making a ClickUp board for downloaded 'fics, but I have everything tagged by ship/social group on Notion, and I like how the sorting works over there. I think it would bug me to have to scroll through a ton of tags when tagging my own 'fics vs. tagging downloaded ones on ClickUp... So I think they'll stay separate for now. But you could definitely store downloaded 'fics on this.

Here is the task card for "Chalaza" - Clicking on it pulls up its title, tags, due date, URLs, etc.

Scrolling down to the subtasks I assigned, you can see my chapters:

Chapter titles, priority flags, and dates I plan to post stuff. I like it. Once you check an item off, that part of the list will collapse, but you can click a button to view them again.

You can also click on a card and then click the "assign as subtask" button. If I wanted to, I could put "Chalaza" under a card titled "Pixels Imperfect AU," which would reduce the number of cards on my board because it would be tucked under that one. I like mine the way it is, with each story visible.

Since ClickUp is a tool for teams, you'll see some features like "Assignee" by default. When you set things up, there's a setting that lets you tell ClickUp you're an individual; it will reduce some of its collaboration tools to reduce clutter, which I like, but this assignee bit stays anyway.

You can also make checklist templates (In addition to or instead of subtasks), so if you wanted to prep a list of "Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3" as a checklist and rapidly add that to cards, you can do that. I thought about it and decided subtasks are more useful for me.

Ex: When I click on a subtask, it gets its own card that can be either collapsed or expanded, and it can appear on the calendar. This is useful to me because I usually give each chapter its own document. Since the checklist is a list, the items aren't cards. You can't add links to those and they won't appear on the calendar.

ClickUp lets me link task cards together so I can see which 'fics need to be finished before I can post something else.

Ex: The reason "With Acid In Your Eyes" is on hiatus:

These are all links, so clicking the title lets me jump right to them, which is fun. I grabbed the emojis from emojipedia and they work just fine.

I have calendar screenshots at the end of this post as well (because I'm showing you guys what's scheduled for when).

The board and calendar have due dates synced, so it's easy to move stuff around (Much better than my old sheet of having separate tabs and doing everything twice).

So, that's how ClickUp works and I think it's cool; I hope you liked looking at screenshots. I spent a lot of time on it and wanted to show off what I get to look at every day :) I've been unhappy with my spreadsheets for a bit and I see myself sticking with this for a while.

I'm going back to school this fall, so I was looking for a tool that makes it easy to plan my schedule months ahead, is easy to adjust if I want to swap things around, can keep me on task so I don't write things I can't post until next year (like future chapters we won't reach in this one), and will make my docs and AO3 mystery works easy to find when I'm in crunch time. I like how even though my chapters are in subtasks, I can toggle them on when viewing the board or calendar. I like how if something on the calendar said "Chapter 5," I could click on it and it would give me the links just like the board does & would tell me what its parent task is (Ex: "Chalaza"). Yes, when I hinted previously that I'm holding onto Dreadful Burden for "a time I can't afford to be distracted," it's going up during study time & exams. The plan is that when end of semester rolls around, I won't be writing anything new and I'll only be posting, and you guys will have something nice to read before I go on winter hiatus again. I'm so glad it's DONE... I'm obsessed with it. stupid bird people; I hate them (/affectionate).

2025 Goals: Finishing WIPs

So, what does prioritizing mean to me?

Specifically, I want to finish existing WIPs and reduce the new stories I post. When I'm interested in writing an idea, I like to work on it, and then I like to post it.

I enjoy the process - I write my 'fics for fun and I like doing what I want - but I recognize this can make the timeline confusing to readers, and not everyone wants to read a timeline document to figure out if Plot Point A comes before or after B. My writing is stronger if I'm not at risk of contradicting or infodumping as well.

I want my storylines to become more approachable and easier to follow. My goal is to upload things in an order that makes it easy to follow the storyline, even if that's not the order I wrote them in. This also means trying to post all the chapters of a story in a row, without jumping between multiple stories.

Ex: Avoid posting chapters for two separate multi-chapter works for the same AU (or possibly the same fandom) in the same week. Instead, if I want two update days per week for the same AU, they should go to the same story until that story is complete. Or, I keep the days fandom-specific (My 2024 set-up).

In 2026, I might experiment with two updates per week for the same 'fic (Keeping Tuesday & Friday updates, but retiring the fandom-specific update day system). That would let me get through each individual 'fic more quickly, so it takes less time to close a project and move to the next one. We'll revisit that thought in 2026, but for now, I'm continuing the current system.

Brief overview of 'fics I hope to get done in 2025:

(More info in later sections of this post)

Disclaimer: Come What May is very on the fence as a goal, and will probably be moved to early 2026.

Some existing WIPs will not be finished this year, and while I'm eternally impatient, that's how it is.

If you're interested in a WIP I haven't updated for a while, kudos, comments, or asks saying you like it so far let me know people are excited for that one. You're never obligated ofc, but it does affect what I prioritize in the next year's schedule. I'm glad so many of you are as weird about the Clockers, galaxy duo, jungle duo, the celebrity kid quartet, and Anti-Cosmo's horrible decisions as I am, skdfjl.

Clean Up & Consistency

In the last year, I've been adding consistent headers and footers to my fics, as well as switching my spoiler dropdowns to AO3's new default one. These dropdowns contain chapter-specific warnings, and I've thus far added them to fics like Origin of the Pixies and Frayed Knots that didn't have them yet.

In 2025, I'll continue this process for Origin and probably other multi-chapters (the Knots chapter warnings are already up to date). It takes time to review existing chapters and add warnings, but I like that they're there.

By the end of 2025, I'd like to have consistent headers and footers across all my 'fics. Most of my 'fics already have them, but I want to take time for a thorough check and update. I like the "If you liked this 'fic, you may also like these" system I've been using for some MCYT 'fics. I'd like to expand that to other 'fics, plus bring that to my FOP 'fics; I just think it's fun.

One of the details I'd like to add to footers is a labeled link ("My update schedule") that opens my new #ridfic schedule tag here on Tumblr. This will allow AO3 readers to click it and check for recent posts about my update schedule.

Thus, I can make a single schedule or hiatus post on Tumblr and all my 'fics will have a link to the tag; I won't feel tempted to spend time editing author's notes on individual 'fics to announce if plans have changed… which is great for me since I have multiple WIPs open at once and am going back to school this year. Anything I can do to cut the temptation to open and read 'fics is a good thing.

I definitely work on my 'fics according to my own timeframe and inspiration, but I do like keeping people informed. Even if readers don't end up using it, I like knowing it's there if they want it. Because I jump between projects, an individual project of mine might update slowly, so it's nice to let people know it's not been abandoned.

I also need to update my pinned post with new What's Happening? info (since it hasn't been updated since late October). I'll do that soon after this post goes up so I can link to it.

Update Days

- I post MCYT fics on Tuesdays; my calendar is planned through December 16th, which marks the start of my winter posting hiatus - I post Total Drama fics (written 2013-2016) on Thursdays; calendar is planned 'til they're all up (August 21st is the last day unless I missed something)

Once Thursdays are done, they may become a general update day. This is tentative; I wouldn't mind going back to two days per week (Breathing room for readers & because I struggle to remember Thursday is an update day). We'll see what happens.

During 2025, I'm changing Friday to be a general update day. FOP works still have priority, but I might post for other fandoms.

Ex: In Feb/March 2020, I was planning to finish a Jimmy Neutron 'fic of mine, but I set it aside due to COVID and never picked it up again. It's not high priority, but it would also be cool to finish because it haunts me and I think it's neat. Admittedly, if I posted something for "T.U.F.F. Puppy," I would not be mad. I'm currently posting an FOP/MCYT crossover on Fridays. MCYT might also get extra posts on Fridays, as I'm still in the early phase of "I have a million things to say and I want to write while I'm excited."

I've got a lot of smaller one-shots I'd like to finish and post (Ex: 1 childhood piece for each Pixels character about being raised by their dragon mom). Maybe this will happen this year, maybe not.

There may be weeks with no Friday updates, as I won't be pushing myself to get something out. I'm always jumping between projects though, and if a short MCYT piece gets done, I might post it on Friday because my Tuesdays are booked. I've got a lot of multi-chapters I want to write in the future, so it's nice to post quick one-shots at a time they won't interrupt a chaptered project's once-a-week update day.

Ex: Dog's Life will go on hiatus after its current arc to prevent it interrupting multi-chapters for the rest of 2025... It's all part of the "make storylines easier to follow" plan. Trying to post stories from start to end right now.

Again, Thursday may also play this role. Just depends how I'm feeling. Expect nothing on Thursdays when the TD stuff is done, and if something goes up, it's a nice bonus.

SPECIFIC PLANS

Total Drama

Continuing from 2024, I'm still moving all my TD fics from dA and FFN to AO3. If you want to see which day a certain 'fic will post, scroll to the end of this post and look at Thursdays in the calendars.

For now, I'm not going to move Lyin' Queen, Beatin' Path, or Lions Under Palm Trees to AO3. Technically they're in my AO3 TD series, so they'll be the 3 mystery works at the end when we're done with the rest.

- Lyin' Queen - Staci-centric 'fic I scrapped because of a plot twist that turned out to be more ambitious than I thought. There are more chapters on dA than there are on FFN, but I feel like I need to scrap this whole 'fic and start over. - Beatin' Path - I honestly have a decent amount of it written, but I have other 'fics I'd like to prioritize. Like Lyin' Queen, this one had stuff I'd definitely scrap before I pick it up again. I'd also have to carefully rewatch some TD seasons to get these 'fics done and that's not in my plans right now. - Lions Under Palm Trees - My beloved… It got set aside because Beatin' Path needs to come first, and because of a plot point that I thought was straying outside the suspension of disbelief. If I never finish this one, I'll definitely post some stuff in Skeleton Train (my scraps series on AO3) because it has some of my favorite scenes. I love Leonard.

These are probably not 'fics I'll touch for the next several years; I'm pretty occupied with my current fandoms. Stay subscribed to my TD series on AO3 if you want updates for them someday - Maybe - but they're definitely not priority.

There are still two TD 'fics I don't plan to move anywhere. Bonus points if you remember them, but they were unfinished multi-chapters I no longer care to finish, so I don't want to put a spotlight on them. I had a one-shot about Noah at the library with his ex-girlfriend but ?? I cannot find it anywhere. I'm mad about it.

Old Works & ARPGs (2026 & 2027)

I've been playing with the idea of posting my old Mario, PMD-E, and PMDU works on AO3, starting in 2026 (ARPG stands for art roleplaying game; these are my Pokémon OCs in a Mystery Dungeon world). Maybe even some really old stuff I wrote when I was like, 12, haha. Maybe not.

I have not turned them into mystery works on AO3 and I have no interest in making that effort right now, but since my AO3 is multi-fandom anyway, I do think it could be fun to preserve my writing journey. Idk if that would turn followers away, but that's why I have fandom-specific series you can subscribe to, so you do you.

I'm going back to school this year, and Dreadful Burden is the story I'm posting during finals in fall 2025… I know myself well enough to know I'll be more focused on exams if I have a complete project ready to post at that time, compared to if I just said "I'm on hiatus." In other words, the main reason to move these old works to AO3 during 2026 & 2027 is to tell myself "You already have stuff you can post once a week, so don't work on anything new right now; only focus on school." It's a nice thing to have in my back pocket.

These works were only posted on dA, so most of my modern followers have probably never seen them. The PMD-E ARPG group was deleted years ago, so unfortunately the context I can give will be limited, and PMDU's story points will probably be similar (since these were dA groups that released event journals and then members posted their submissions).

I might toss in some "52 Thursdays" stuff, so you'd get to see some of the storyline I wrote about my sona Kima taking over after Riddle. Fun times.

If you like Mario and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon stories, you might find this stuff fun, and if you don't, that's fine. Again, this is a loose 2026 & 2027 plan, and only if I don't have stuff for current fandoms to post.

My life's work is split between a bunch of websites (not to mention old word processors that I can't open anymore; I've definitely lost some of my childhood writing, but I have printed-off versions of stories I wrote when I was like, 9, that I'll lose forever if I don't retype them). It honestly might be cool to use The Archive as an archive and see all my work in one place someday. My writing ages, but so do I, and I like keeping it safe. We'll see what the future holds… I've got no one I'm trying to impress and I'm not in a rush.

WordGirl

I'm still sitting on some one-shot WIPs (and Factor It In chapter drafts), but they are not my top priority. You might see the one-shots and you might not… I love the idea of the one-shots (and they have some of my favorite quotes & relationship set-ups), but I don't think I'll have the bandwidth for them and don't want to force it. If they happen this year, they happen, and if they don't, that's okay. Someday…

I started drafting Factor It In in 2018 and it is my baby. I do not plan to abandon this 'fic, but expect my hiatus to continue for a while. In 2023, I really wanted to branch into new fandoms, so I started posting both Factor and Dog's Life. Dog ended up a way bigger project than I'd outlined it to be, and it has priority now.

I did reread Factor in March 2025 (and reviewed my entire story outline), so it's still on my radar. I really like it, but I want to give it the attention it deserves, and that's not right now. If you stick with it, I hope you love what comes, and if you lose interest, that's okay- Thanks for checking it out!

If it stays on hiatus for several more years, I'll probably clean the outline and post it on Tumblr so people can see that, but I don't intend to abandon it.

For the record, I don't consider "28 Cities" (my 31-day October challenge about Rhyme and Reason) abandoned, but I did burn myself out by posting daily, so that's a project I want to take time for and finish in advance before I start posting again. Factor It In is also laying the groundwork for the lore about charm schools and things, and I consider it to have priority.

"28 Million Degrees" is a WordGirl character study series of mine, and you can subscribe to it on AO3 if you like.

Again, not top priority in 2025, but I have two drafts for it that have had their art in my Tumblr queue since 2023, so ^^; maybe... It would be nice to get them gone (Rex's life on Hexagon & Victor character study).

FOP

Sideblog Lore Posts

I feel the sideblog is pretty much where it needs to be. I still have a few draft posts, like one about the kids who are Poof and Foop's age, but it's like..... it's just a list of OC names; is that really worth posting at this point, or should I wait until they're revealed in story? I need to take the main blog's food & school posts and convert them to the sideblog style.

I may reblog a few posts from the main blog, such as my one about rich families in Dimmsdale and my 'fic guides for Origin and Knots. I'll make new lore posts if people have questions about the lore, but I'm feeling good about where the blog is right now.

tl;dr - I'd rather spend my time & energy writing 'fics than writing posts, but if y'all have good post ideas, that's exciting for me too. We like exciting things around here!

Sideblog Character Bios & Profiles

I moved from my house several months earlier than expected, and my art stuff (i.e. my art program, double monitors, custom brushes, templates, easy transparency options) stayed behind. I can't make new art for bios and profiles right now, but they're still on my mind. I'll probably work on text this year, and when I get my art stuff back, all I will need to do is the art and then we can move to having consistent bio & profile updates.

I have not been posting updates to "So, You're Studying the Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known" (AKA the place I post profiles & bios on AO3 as meta essays) because I'm trying to go in order, and that means the Fairywinkle & Cosma families are next on the list. I don't have those bio arts done, and it might be a while before I get there. I may visit home a few times in 2025, but art isn't necessarily a priority when I'm there.

- That AO3 has draft chapters of everything I want to post, so I DO know the order, and that helps me prioritize. - I can imagine myself getting my art stuff back later this year and doing bio art sketches without it being a big distraction during grad school, so who knows… Definitely prioritizing school

Wells family tree is still on hold until we know if A New Wish gets greenlit for more seasons; the Wells family is my lowest priority to write for. I've got enough on the to-do list that I'm not bugged about it.

I already have profile art & bare-bones drafts done for Poof, Foop, Hiccup, Goldie, Anti-Marigold, Jorgen, Dusty, Smoky, Sammy, Finley, and Longwood (plus I have sketches for Dev, Hazel, and Kevin that need lineart & coloring).

These are not high priority for me because I would prefer to write 'fics, but I might roll these out later this year (especially with Friday becoming a misc. update day instead of just an FOP 'fic day). No promises, but I'm still having FOP thoughts while posting for other fandoms :)

Dev's character profile will only go up after I finish the Dimmadome arc in my City Lights AU (AKA the "50 Words" works), as his profile has major spoilers on it. So, probably 2026 for him.

Longfics

Frayed Knots is top priority in the longfic field. Origin of the Pixies is still on intentional hiatus until Knots catches up. They will alternate updates when we get to the war chapters. I think I can get TO the war this year, but there's a huge chunk of the Knots timeline that I miscalculated, and that will take more chapters to fix than I thought.

Things will be easy once we're IN the war, because I've had that arc nearly done since 2016, but I've been saying that for years :P I'm working on Frayed Knots in 2025, so hopefully 2026 will be a year heavy on Origin and Knots updates.

Hoping to get some timeskip chapters in for Knots, but I'm super hesitant to do that because we're finally in the "Anti-Cosmo becomes high-rank so we align with him representing his people during the truce in 'Balance of Flour'," and that feels like something that shouldn't be skipped over. Things are coming along, but it takes lots of brainpower and that makes updates slow.

My FOP 'fics are usually written in past tense and my MCYT 'fics in present-tense - plus they have different tones/genres - which makes switching between them in the same week a struggle. Just slow, so I've been doing a lot of outlining... That's why I'm writing a lot of MCYT 'fics right now, because those are easy projects to jump between.

My policy for Origin and Knots has always been "They need to be complete before I consider doing major revisions." That still holds. I look at them and feel like my writing has improved a lot since I started them (9 years ago now!) There's a lot I could say about the things I do and don't like about them, but I won't do that in this post.

I'd definitely write these 'fics differently if I started them today- Sometimes I get stuck in my head about it, which makes updates a little slow. I do intend to finish them and I don't want to get sucked into revisions. If you've stuck with them despite slow updates, thank you! They WILL be finished, even if it takes another 5 years. Hopefully it only takes, like… 2 :')

If you're interested in my FOP work, consider checking out the new FOP/MCYT crossover I posted on April 1st (You May Rest Now; There Are Fairies Nearby). I set it up so that if you're an FOP reader of mine, you can treat it like it's an OC fic and enjoy it without knowing anything about MCYT.

If it's not your thing, totally fine, but this is the "casually introduce the lore and don't get too deep into it" style I like writing in now (compared to how dense Origin and Knots are).

I think it's a fun read with a cool focus on godparenting from a fairy's POV, and it's been a good way to remind myself that I really do like FOP lore and FOP 'fics- It's just the whole "trying to fit my current brain to my old brain on these 9-year-old projects & dense lore" bit I'm struggling with.

It's getting Friday update slots for a while, and it's there if you want it.

Come What May

When I started drafting this post, I had this on my list to finish this year- It's even on my goals card. I'd rather go all-in on Frayed Knots Act 3 and not worry about this one instead of trying to juggle both.

When you look at my calendars (at the end of this post), you'll see some weeks labeled "wiggle room." If I can fit Come What May in there, I will, but with my busy schedule, it's more likely that I won't.

I expect this will be high priority in early to mid 2026 :)

130 Prompts

I have a posting order for these I like (Refer to the 130sums page). I've outlined and scrapped the next one at least 3 times, so I've been taking a break from it.

I'd like to post several 130 Prompts this year, but I'm not going to force it. If I can wrap up the current Poof arc, I'll be content- I've put them both on the calendar for late 2025.

One of the hang-ups for this arc was the desire to write "Kisses Full of Broken Glass" (rated M) to explore Poof's struggles with The Incident event more deeply than what the strictly Gen & T Prompts project allows. I'm glad I did it so I got it out of my system, and now I feel more prepared to approach the subject in the Prompts (where he's processing things in a more censored way).

Like Origin and Knots, the 130 Prompts are a project I don't intend to abandon. It's fully outlined. When I started it in 2016, I was whipping out short pieces, and these days I like to write longer works that delve deeper into the character study side. We're halfway through!

It's slow going, but it's mine <3

City Lights AU

The plan is to get the rest of the Dimmadome "50 Words" pieces out this year, but if it doesn't happen, that's okay. Their posts are queued on Tumblr tho, so I'm itching to have them gone so I don't have to change their deadlines so often to prevent accidental posting, haha.

I have them on the calendar around November/December.

The Dimmadome arc will go up first so readers can see the shape of the AU and where we're going - it'll be obvious why - and then we'll circle back to works that take place earlier in the City Lights timeline.

I have a loose draft for Lemonade and Papercuts, which is my Dale-centric longfic, but I'd really love to get Origin and Knots finished or nearly finished before I post for that. Keep your eyes out if interested, but that probably won't be around until 2027, or possibly 2028 depending on how much buffer I want before I start posting.

Misc.

I have some Reedfilter Rules drafts I'd like to get done, but as with most FOP 'fics, it's less of a priority than Knots, Come What May, and the 130 Prompts. I'm sorry I only update this 'fic once per year. Don't look at me.

I have 1 Reedfilter chapter on the calendar in 2025.

In the background, I do have an AU called Hazel Says Hello, but that's another thing that will probably be 2027 or 2028 era… I love the idea, and you might see me doodle for it or vaguely talk around it.

I don't want to share much right now, and I don't really want to make it a priority over existing WIPs. 2025 is a year of prioritizing things that are already up, after all, but it definitely got a "washi tape art" when I was trying to guess what things I might post while away from my art stuff, so… It's up there in things that interest me.

I also have an Angela-centric draft I think is neat, and I was going to post it as a 31-days project in October, but… tbh, it's a character study/critique combo with a lot of raw emotion and personal experiences in it. It's about psych classes and the silent pain of being taught things you didn't agree with then and definitely don't now that you're older, and I think I'll keep this one For Me.

MCYT

All Tuesdays from now through December 16th have a 'fic update scheduled; scroll down to the end of this post to see my calendar. I can't promise they will all be done, but I've been pretty consistent at posting on Tuesdays since 2023, so I'm feeling good about it.

tl;dr - I'm on track to finish "Chalaza," "The Candles We Light," and "Top 10 Hanahaki Life Hacks" this year on top of my new  FOP/MCYT crossover (You May Rest Now; There Are Fairies Nearby) and wrapping up the current Dog's Life intermission arc. I'm hoping to get 3 or 4 Neighborhood Watch AU pieces out as well; expect these towards the end of the year.

I have all 10 chapters of The Dreadful Burden of Plotting Affairs ready to go, and that will be out at the end of the year. These are different AUs, so check out my MCYT AU navigation page if you want to subscribe to some things and not others.

One thing I'd love to do - but am not making a priority in 2025 due to lack of art stuff - is character bios… specifically with ref sheets for the Life Series ensemble. I like the designs I envision, but poses are hard, so… It's a dream. I might do some sketchy/messy art. I do think it would be fun.

In addition to designs, these would have info like soul temperatures, birth hubs, soul slots, camera twins, AFK server locations, orientations, and past relationship dynamics. I have some private notes, but I'd like to make something nice.

I did have plans for a one-shot collection called "Under Gravity," which was going to be 1 chapter dedicated to the childhood of each Pixels Imperfect AU major character. I've since scrapped this because I think it's smarter to upload them individually instead of as chapters in a single 'fic.

These won't get their own AO3 series since they're all Pixels Imperfect AU, so they'll just go there. If you're wondering why Pix Imp gained a lot of mystery works lately, it's largely because I split these up. It's possible some of these will post on Fridays, as that's becoming a general update day, but I also might save them to build a posting buffer for 2026. They're supposed to be like 2k or less each, so I hate restricting them to main day when I have a million plot points to hit, but...

Someday, I'd like to do "50 Words" works for MCYT duos. Since my Tuesdays are booked for 2025, this is another thing we can revisit in 2026.

I would like to get my bestiaries out this year (The only things I still need to finish for Herobrine's Guide), but there's a lot that goes into them and I need more time. RIP the bird ghast I drew that I'll probably be scrapping to make more amphibious :') I gotta scrap the whole draft for that section. Or I commit to bird biology like a NERD.

I know there's another Hermitcraft Guess the Author event this year. I have some works I started last year and didn't post. I might look at them this year (if their titles haven't been revealed in previous screenshots of my WIP spreadsheets), but it's really not my priority.

Neighborhood Watch AU

I would really like to post for Neighborhood Watch AU in 2025, as I have not posted in it for a while and I like writing for it (I'm so excited for the Cornflower Waltz subseries; you have no idea…)

I've locked 3 works down on the calendar in late 2025, and I'm not opposed to getting a 4th one out if I can. That said, expect updates to be slow.

I keep picking up "Goodchild Oscar," which I thought I'd be posting next, but it just feels clunky; I still need to flesh out & explain worldbuilding details. NW is the main series I want to focus on when I talk about "posting things in easy-to-follow storyline order."

What this means: Prioritizing early-timeline plot points like Grian's parents going red when he was 4, Grian becoming Tango and Skizz's foster child, Team Ties'g splitting up (AKA Etho going red when Grian was 7), Grian spending his summers at Oscar's manor, Grian meeting NW BigB, Martyn's failed proposal to Joel, Martyn's arranged marriage to Mumbo, Crimson King beheading, etc. These are all important plot points. I think it's smart to start from the beginning and work our way back up to where "For Sale: Bird Wings (Never Worn)" left off. Once all those early story points are complete, then we'll get back to "Goodchild Oscar." I'm excited to wrap up my existing multi-chapters ("Candles" and "Hanahaki"), but since I'm only posting once a week, they took a lot of space this year. I'll make NW AU more of a priority in 2026, assuming I'm doing all right in school and can afford to spend time on 'fics.

My longfic Arsenic Waltz will cover the Cleo/Etho marriage and divorce, so that will be in there somewhere too.

"With Acid In Your Eyes" is still on hiatus because there's a ton of stuff I need to lock down before I go too far with it... My bad. I'm facing some timeline weirdness (BigB especially), and I don't want to contradict myself later. I would be sad.

I don't regret including all those characters because it's a reference to the sleepover in Secret Life Ep. 2, where they WERE there, but BOY is that a lot of plot arcs I have to align... Trying to align BigB so he can date Cleo early on and Grian later is rough. Might need to split his character into multiple like I did for Bdubs Sr. marrying Cleo (3rd Life) and Bdubs Jr. (Limited Life) playing child role. I really want him to be One BigB if I can. Ahhhhh.

Calendars

And we made it! Thanks for reading my post :) If you want to find it again, it will be linked in my Pinned.

For those interested, here are screenshots of my ClickUp calendar- AKA, my 2025 posting schedule. Green works are complete and ready to be posted; blues are still in draft phase.

Everything is subject to change (i.e. if I don't get an update finished by the deadline), but it helps me organize and I like looking at it. This is the schedule I intend to follow if things do get done on time, assuming I have the Internet & health to post the update that day.

As always, thanks for your support in the form of views, kudos, comments, subscriptions, bookmarks, reblogs, Tumblr asks, fanart, rec posts, and everything else! I really appreciate the engagement :)

April

Chalaza on Tuesdays, Total Drama on Thursdays (Revenge of the Island arc), You May Rest Now on Fridays.

The Dog's Life chapter ("Scatter") has been giving me trouble, but I think I'll have it out by the 15th or 16th. Everything else is done; should be a good April!

May

Chalaza on Tuesdays, Total Drama on Thursdays (RotI -> Not Dead; Sleeping AU multi-chapter), You May Rest Now on Fridays.

"Night Guard" is over wordcount (23k+), but I've done some outlining and I think I can spread it over the next several chapters. Aiming for 13k to 15k words per Dog chapter.

June

Wrapping up Chalaza on Tuesdays, then entering "Top 10 Hanahaki Life Hacks" (Sour Petals AU).

Total Drama on Thursdays (Wrapping up Not Dead; Sleeping). You May Rest Now continues on Fridays. I don't expect it to end on Chapter 15, but probably before Chapter 20.

July

"Top 10 Hanahaki Life Hacks" on Tuesdays, Total Drama on Thursdays (All-Stars & Pahkitew arc).

I'm not sure how long You May Rest Now will go, so I left myself wiggle room to continue posting for it on Fridays. I did consider posting Come What May here, but I'm 99% sure it'll be postponed for early 2026.

I don't want to start posting CWM unless I'm certain I can finish it without it taking another hiatus. It's so hard to come back to every time it takes a break, so... No more breaks! :P

I'd be interested in updating Frayed Knots here if my buffer is ready, but I may also use this to post for non-FOP fandoms. I really want to wrap up Act 3 of Knots in 2025, so this space would be great for that.

I'd love to post a 4-ish chapter story called "Feeling Out Your Every Breath," which is about the Clockers [Limited Life SMP].

August

Finishing "Top 10 Hanahaki Life Hacks" on that first Tuesday. "Honey at Home" is our Dog's Life Act 2 intermission finale, and should be Chapter 50 unless I split earlier chapters.

- Dog's Life goes on hiatus from here to March 2026 (The rest of the Tuesdays go to other 'fics and then it's winter break). - We move from this right into "The Candles We Light (and Should Regret)" (Silk Plays AU) on Tuesdays. That's the Etho/Cleo Cupid/Psyche AU- Very excited.

Total Drama on Thursdays (R-Race & two post-series). That's all of them except the unfinished multi-chapters! Check the TD section earlier in this post if you want more info on those.

As I'm drafting this in April, I have no solid plans to continue updating on Thursdays. It might become a bonus update day, but I may leave it blank so it's one less day to think about. School comes first!

Wiggle room continues on Fridays this month. Would love to post Frayed Knots here, but no promises.

September

Finishing "The Candles We Light" on Tuesdays. I placed tentative things on Fridays: I locked in some Neighborhood Watch AU 'fics and some Frayed Knots updates. If I post Knots earlier, the schedule will shift forward.

"A Lord and a Baby" & "Olive Branches" are in the early NW era, where Grian is 4. Mumbo and Martyn are young and we'll follow their arranged marriage arc across several 'fics.

Possible bonus updates on Thursday. Nothing is planned.

October

"The Wax We Scrape (and Burn Away)" is the first of several sequels to "The Candles We Light." It's nearly done and is two chapters, so Chapter 2 will probably take that wiggle room slot on the 10th... which is also my birthday :) so it will be fun for me.

From there, we transition to The Dreadful Burden of Plotting Affairs, which is a Grian-centric multi-chapter I completed in February. That will take us through December! If you get nothing else during fall semester, you get that.

Posting Fairly OddParents stuff on Fridays: We've got two 130 Prompts planned (to finish the Poof mini-arc) and some Frayed Knots chapters. "Big timeskip" will hopefully be split into several chapters, which is why I benefit from having wiggle room.

"This Is Halloween" is a 130 Prompt that was posted on my FFN years ago. Since Halloween is on my FOP update day this year, it seems fun to post it.

It's 3 chapters. If my buffer isn't where I want to be in October, I might stretch updates over 3 weeks, or maybe over Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

My "Under Gravity" one-shots (The short backstory pieces for Pixels Imperfect characters) are supposed to be about 2,000 words each, so if I'm able to get the more important things on the calendar done first, it might be cool to post 5 of them on these available Thursdays. School comes first~

November

Continuing with Dreadful Burden on Tuesdays. FOP updates include City Lights AU, Frayed Knots, and Reedfilter Rules.

All of these are subject to change, but I placed the 50 Words projects here since each prompt can be a short snippet... Much easier to finish/revise during crunch time than a major 'fic.

Thursday is theoretically a bonus day, but again... No plans. I'd love to get a buffer done before we reach this point of the year, but if I don't, I'm studying for my grad classes, so I'll see you in 2026 ✌️

December

Wrapping up The Dreadful Burden of Plotting Affairs on Tuesdays and the Dimmadome 50 Words projects on Fridays. "50 Words of Dev Alone" is the arc finale, so it's the perfect stopping point.

"Hyggekrog" is a Cosmo-centric one-shot I drafted years ago, but never finished. It's low priority, so it might not be done, and "Dev Alone" might be bumped forward. I'll be wrapping up exams and enjoying the end of semester!

And that's the end of the year!

I'll be taking another winter fanfic break, which will be spent visiting family, enjoying holidays and time off from school, prepping for my next semester, and planning what's next.

Regular updates will return in March 2026. I'll see you then! Keep an eye on the #ridfic schedule blog tag for future news 💛

[slasheru]

game dev/design tips you didn't ask for, at random:

don't start by designing your game around the engine; come up with/refine/design/test your core mechanics INDEPENDENT of an engine and then FIND AN ENGINE that suits your game's purpose! (aka the Reverse Dragon Age Inquisition)

Fun Fact: The devs of Mass Effect said that, roughly, even though there's an equal amount of Paragon/Renegade (aka "good"/"evil") content in ME, 90% of players just chose all the Paragon options every time. Take this shit to heart!! Design choices that go beyond "good" or "bad". Design choices that are interesting and would make an "all good" or "all bad" etc player actually HAVE to choose between more than one option that's VIABLE for the character they're roleplaying! Like, in BG3 terms, no "tiefling village vs goblin camp" choices. I wanna make you choose between keeping Lae'zel and Shadowheart in your party permanently. Don't be afraid to cut off content that players can't all access in one playthrough, but DO hint that the other content is ABLE TO BE ACCESSED if you make different choices!

Don't forget about sound design, especially UI/UX feedback. That shit makes or breaks an environment. Never QA test with your sound off, I can feel my old boss breathing down my neck RIGHT NOW

Organize your production pipeline, no matter how small of a project! I use Trello for producer shit and Jira for my bug list. Familiarizing yourself with how to properly log your own bugs by component and priority is key, especially with more than one team member! (I might actually make a QA megapost sometime ahdjks)

When you do something in the game that you wanna reward your player for (e.g.: selecting a dialogue choice that an NPC approves of! succeeding a skill check! new DM from your crush! you just looted 1 goblin bong! etc), remember to include JUICY FEEDBACK! This is a very unfortunate industry term wherein the JUICY refers to the actual crunchiness of the feedback: A textural response from the player that Feels Good. Like, Candy Crush has the juiciest feedback. Remember: Feedback should include UI/UX/a visual element, sound, be a clear result of a player action, and give a sense of WHAT you just accomplished at the correct SCALE (bigger bang feedback for, like, killing a world boss vs opening a lockpick chest). (You can Pavlov's Dog players into getting hype at repeated sounds by ensuring your feedback retains notes of the same sound or foley, or even just using the same sound fx across different progression points. Like layering in the same chimes with a level-up noise AND when you do something that gets you closer to leveling up, like earning XP)

When designing elements, remember: What does like LOOK like? What does this SOUND like? What does this DO to the world state of the game? What else does this AFFECT? Be cognizant of how stuff can chain affect the tone of the rest of your game!! QA often!!

Achieving a balance between HIDING all the numbers/systems/guts of your game vs having the player be aware of the systems and how they work can be a tightrope to walk! I personally err on the side of Hiding Too Much, but checking in with your testers or players to see if they can "feel" how the game works, or if it makes them get too minmaxy, can be super helpful! Remember to keep your design choices in line with your "x statement" (aka one-sentence directive about what you want YOUR game to be/feel like).

Save a fucking backup zip file of your dev environment RIGHT NOW and put in a separate place from your main PC. Like right the fuck now

[deardarlinggames]

Devblog 1

Hi! My name is Wendy, I'm a software developer, and the creator of Dear Darling Games. I'm going to be using Tumblr as a more relaxed and unpolished blog. For now, because I don't know how to format a blog post professionally quite yet. Later, I'll want a break from the structure of it, and have many things I feel I can chat about.

About me! I'm currently twenty two years old, and my goal is to be a solo game developer with a heavy focus on visual novel RPGs. I have no experience, and I'll be logging and citing my entire process as I learn to the best of my ability. Even figuring out the right questions to ask has been quite the task.

Tonight, I'm starting at square one. I'm using an IdeaPad laptop, and operate on a night-shift schedule due to work and life circumstances. This means most updates will be around four in the morning for me. I'm head of household in many ways, so sometimes I will have to step away for a day or two to get my affairs in order.

Here's all I'm learning, planning to learn as of now, and what I have so far.

Planning to learn: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Godot Engine, Procreate, and Blender. 2D paper-doll animation, rigging, video editing, layering, how to use Alpha lock... Sound design - cello, violin, piano, flute, foley techniques, and general sound equipment. Navigate and create - a website, a put together GitHub profile, and my first game pair; a 2D Mouse themed VN RPG, and a 2D farming game inspired by Zombie Farm with significant changes to the storyline, main mechanics, and characters. In essence, a reworked fan remake, and it will be free to play. I will also be learning how to navigate matters of intellectual property, copyrighting, and more in that area. Finally, I'll be learning Bootstrap, Sass, and React and Redux to create Single Page Applications.

Learning now?: HTML, CSS, Godot Engine, Procreate. Foley techniques, and I've officially gotten down plucking scales on my cello. No luck with the bow yet... I'm refreshing my guitar skills, and saving for a keyboard. I'm utilizing RPG Maker to start familiarizing myself with very, very basic aspects of how to communicate with the computer. Plus, it gives fast results which help lulls in attention span for learning how to do it all myself. I am not planning on publishing a game with RPG maker for *professional* purposes to illustrate learning or ability, but it is very fun to use.

What I've got: Full storyline and pathway branching for decisions, voice bits and character voices [done by me], snacks, water, and a dedicated workspace. Character sketches on paper, most of the dialogue, a working title for both, and most of the battle and other systems planned. It feels like all that's left to do is code and Learn How to Draw Digitally, but that's sure a lot when you have to break it down into all the little steps and refocus those into groups and whatnot. I also have a GitHub profile and joined their Developer Program, I have this tumblr, a Jira account to break down tasks and to-dos in a more manageable way, and my Neocities website has officially been set up to the point of Having It.

I'll release a pinned post with my production announcements later.

fin: 4:04AM

[solariswrites]

“I think that we should absolutely move to the Jira tasking system. It will allow us to have better control over these random tasks.” Tattoo ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh as he sat back in his desk chair. While his co-worker Ash and Tor were both talking a mind a minute in his ear, Tattoo had the pleasure of watching Aran come out of their bedroom with their basket of clothes. He was wearing his at home boxers that peaked out from beneath one of Tattoo’s old thread barren t-shirts that’s way too large on Aran.

“Eh, right man?” Tor’s voice came through his ear piece. 

“Yep.” Tattoo agreed despite not paying attention.

“Really?” Ash sounded surprised.

“If we get this approved then we can come over for a celebratory dinner hosted by your man?” Tor sounded giddy. 

“Seriously?” Tattoo scoffed though he was smiling. He was glad that the co-workers do like coming over. Aran had worked hard to make sure that they felt welcome and succeeded. 

“Oh yes, can you convince him to make that spicy cheese dip?” Tattoo didn’t need to see Ash to know he was batting his eyes. 

“Ugh, yes.” Tattoo still acted put out by the request. Tor’s laughter distracted him enough that he missed Aran heading his way, carrying the now empty basket. Tattoo was about to tease them some more when Aran kissed his cheek. That was followed by a fresh, cool bottle of water left for him on his desk before Aran hurried away.

“What was that?” Tor and Ash asked in unison.

“Nothing for the two of you. Let’s get back to work so we can make this happen.” Tattoo urged his friends. He snuck a look over his shoulder with a fond smile. His boyfriend was adorable and he was lucky to have him in his life.

- Part 11/12 of Love Isn't Just Words But How You Act - Read More of My Works on AO3 - Feed The Goblin 🖤

[quillpokebiology]

Pokemom Families: Monocot

(Art by Jira (ziraiya 26)

Monocot is group name for plant like pokemon. This doesn't include all grass types, as some pokemon are grass types for their plant-like abilities. The monocot family only includes Pokemon, which are plants, or most of their bodies have extremely similar qualities of plants. So pokemon like Bulbasaur aren't in this family because the seed is planted on them by their mothers right after they're hatched and doesn't come naturally.

Appletun (just Appletun, not Applin or Flapple) were thought to be Monocots for a while. But they don't fuse with the apple that protected them when they evolve as a lot of people thought. The lower part of the apple is digested into their body through evolution, while the upper part is still used as protection for their soft head. Their body just resemble and apple enough, but not enough to be classified as a Monocot.

An important fact to know: Mushrooms are in their own family known as Agaricaceae, and are more related to mammals than they are plants! Because of this, Pokemon like Shiiinotic and Foongus have confused researchers for a long time. They are obviously grass types, and have similarities to plants, but have more similarities to mushrooms. It could've been that these pokemon evolved from ancient plants similar to mushrooms, but that's just a theory as of now. Because of this, they aren't on the list of Monocot Pokemon

Members of the Monocot family are:

Oddish/Gloom/Vileplume/Bellosom

Sunkern/Sunflora

Cacnea/Cacturne

Cherubi/Cherrim

Petelil/Liligant

Fomantis/Lurantis

Bounsweet/Steenee/Tsareena

Smoliv/Dolliv/Arbolvia

Carnivine

Gossifluer/Eldegoss

Bellsprout/Weepinbell/Victreebell

Hoppip/Skiploom/Jumpluff

Exeggcute/Exegutor

Budew/Roselia/Roserade

Maractus

Phantump/Trevenant

Capsakid/Scovillain

Pumpkaboo/Gorgeist

Bramblin/Brambleghast

I'll put the fact posts on Monocot pokemon as I make them, but I'm also going to put Appletun here, because I've talked about it a lot.