#yahoo! on the road

[warmglowofsurvival]

[burningcrab]

i love you storms i love you thunder i love you big dark clouds i love you pouring rain i love you lightning i love you fog i love you heavy wind i love you

[kemetic-dreams]

The writer, O. Dave Allen is a community activist and political commentator

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, January 25, 2022 - We the Jamaican people are at risk of becoming slaves again. We are a country with   95% African people. It’s a fact that the majority of the African population is at the bottom of the economic pyramid while the 5% at the apex are the minorities who control the economy. We all know that the economy is the superstructure that determines everything else, we also know that those who control the economy rules the country. It is time for majority rule.

When the Chinese were commandeering the local retail and distributive business, it was of little concern to the traditional moneyed class.  Their long held sense of security is now threatened by the fact that the Chinese have cornered the retail business and have accumulated untold millions, buttressed by unaccountable billions of dollars of dubious origin with an insatiable and avaricious appetite of the tiger spreading their tentacles devouring  all that is in its path.

There is an insidious war that is being waged by the Chinese business interest that will undermine all and every local Jamaican business. We are not here dealing with the compliant Chinese shopkeepers of yesteryears; but a contrived network, led by the Chinese State to dominate and control the Jamaica economy with Montego Bay as the entry point, bolstered by the powerful Association of Chinese Enterprises in Jamaica (ACEJ), a non-profit organization. 

This mega conglomerate is akin to the Dutch East India Company (The Dutch East India Company historically a military-political-economic complex rather than a pure trading or shipping company).

Can you imagine the consequences when the Chinese would have established their own bank and  formal financial intermediaries?

Recently China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), was awarded the Government of Jamaica funded US$274.5-million Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project, which includes the rehabilitation of Barnett Street and West Green Avenue, as well as the construction of the Long Hill bypass and a drainage study of the Montego Bay bypass area is also to be conducted under the project.

This catalysis project strengthens the presence of the Chinese in Jamaica and serves as beachhead in Montego Bay to supplant the hegemony of the United States of America in Jamaica and make a mockery of the Monroe Doctrine as they pursue endless war at distant shores.

The Montego Bay perimeter road is funded by the Jamaican taxpayers and as such there is no justifiable reason why this contract should have been awarded to any overseas contractors.

The government has a duty not only to provide physical infrastructure but also to effectively use our taxpayer’s money to build our social capital and to strengthen the capacity of our human resource. 

We have developers, engineers, contractors and consultants with more than adequate competencies to develop the Montego Bay Development Road.  Our local professionals have demonstrated the capacity to execute and manage major projects as exemplified by the work carried out by Jamaican professionals on the Northern Coastal Highway. 

In the recent Andrew Holness cabinet reshuffle the Hon. Homer Davis was appointed to head the Office of the Prime Minister West. This is no accident, but a strategic move to ensure the orderly integration of the Chinese into western Jamaica.

Minister Davis and Former Mayor of the City of Montego Bay enjoys more than cordial relationship with the Montego Bay Chinese community with numerous visits to China during his tenure in office.  With the support of the Chinese Dr. Horace Chang remains the most powerful member of the Holness’ Cabinet.  

While Bishop O’Neil Russell, and others may be disappointed in the reappointment of Dr. Horace Chang as Minister of National Security, they missed the bigger picture that Chang has consolidated his power base with the appointment of his Deputy General Secretary and his protégé Homer Davis as head of OPM West and the ostensible Emissary of the Chinese community, the new power base in Montego Bay.

To those who sing praises of Homer’s appointment, are living in a fool’s paradise. It is not about you, it is about the Chinese work permits and citizenship, building approvals, the clearance of their goods at the wharf and importantly their security. Homer Davis as a conduit who will ensure that the JLP is fully funded to win the next elections.

There will be a seismic shift in business activities back to the old city of Montego Bay. This regeneration started with Harmony Park, the building out of the downtown Montego Bay Waterfront District and soon the regentrification of the urban centre. 

Finally, Who gave the Chinese the permit to dump the wetland and mangrove swamp at Reading to construct the multi story, multi family, high end, Chinese enclave. According to the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation the “project will open new areas to the south of Montego Bay for development and expansion, giving access to lands for housing development.”

But will our local developers; Gore, Moe, Azan, WICHON be beneficiaries of the development opportunities.

odamaxef@yahoo.com

China's Silk Road to Montego Bay, “Turn Them Back” ! says O Dave Allen (wiredja.com)

[mutogamingco]

Yuugi kicks off his boots once he gets in the door, shaking the show off of his hair. He did not wear a hat, which turned into the regret of the day.

"Brrr...I need hot chocolate!"

[sapsolais]

-

[orphancookie69]

4/2023: Lake Havasu City, AZ!

It is that time of year again, adios california...hello arizona! Taxes are done, let’s unwind and get our farkle on! There might be some Desert Storm action going on too. What is not to love? 

For more information on Desert Storm: Click Here!

4/19 Day 1: 

Woke up early, drove 4 hours in. There were a fair amount of cops out. But we are heading into a somewhat major event in town. Came in by like 10, and chilled out for a bit. Then we went to College Street Brewery and Pub-pretty good. The beer was better than the food, but it is a brewery. There was “Krusin for a Kause” today but we did not get to it, and it did not seem like an event we could of enjoyed as much as the riders in the kruiser. It was a quiet afternoon, we did some yahtzee so that no one could have an advantage in farkle. Leave the dice unbiased. 

4/20 Day 2:

The party day! We woke up, had breakfast at Makai’s, its a cute little joint! Did some local shopping at the Harley Store and found some cute stuff this time! We caught a movie on Netflix, “We Have A Ghost”, and it was pretty good. The street party was way bigger this year. Met up with some friends who have a second place in town like us, but even just the locals are usually nice! It was hard to find a place to eat-but we ate at Legendz in downtown. Came back to the condo and just relaxed, it was a warm day and I got a little bit sunburned. 

4/21 Day 3:

Not much sleep was got these days, so we decided to have breakfast at Makai’s to see if we could feel human after. I showed my sister “Burlesque” on Netflix, she had not seen it! We met back up with friends and watched the Parade of Power, the Poker Run for Desert Storm started after that. The party was still going from the day before, they just moved to the channel and off the streets! We had lunch at Javelinas, a good little mexican place. Dinner was an amazing little italian place called Angelinas. This place you need to call ahead and make a reservation. We played some Farkle, and fell asleep after putting on “Smokey and the Bandit”. Can you believe parts of our group had not seen that either? I also brought up a new game to try: Love is Dead from Aldi, it is super fun! 

4/22 Day 4:

For Desert Storm, the last event was Shugrue’s Shootout, but we missed it. By now, we had some leftovers to work through. We were supposed to get our hair done but our hairdresser/family friend partied too hard with us and needed a rest day. We went to the channel to “put our feet in the water and our ass in the sand”, can you tell we listen to a lot of country music out there? The party in channel had died down a bit but was still pretty active. We came back, played more Farkle. We watched the sequel, “Smokey and the Bandit 2″ on netflix, that was a proper sequel! We had dinner at Azul Agave, one of the best mexican places I have ever eaten at. More Farkle, and finally started getting some sleep! 

4/23 Day 5:

Early day, last full day in town. Things outside in general quieted down as most people who came into town for the event had left that day. We went to Secrets of Beauty to get our hair done! We hung out at the shop with one another, went to the swap meet, had Red Baron for lunch, and helped around the shop! After we were all done, we went to Tavern 95 for dinner. We did a last bit of Farkle and got ready to leave early to drive home. I changed my hairstyle, and I absolutely love it! 

4/24 Day 6:

Early rising, we left around sunrise to avoid what traffic we could. Drive home had a lot of traffic, seems to be a problem that gets worse not better. Made it home in about 4 hours or so. 

It was a good trip. We are already talking about the next trip to take care of a couple of things, do some different things, and depending on who is all going-I will be back out there! Good people, good times, good spiritual talk! Family vacations, they sure are something! 

[greenboyfriend]

choose a... thing! (tarot card reading)

image source "what do you need to know?" spaghetti monster: what is that, pipe cleaner? affixed to some... nuts? hey, don't take that the wrong way. ploom the caterpillar: i don't even have the words to describe this thing. desert rain frog: ">:(" book a reading through dm/ask!

spaghetti monster・。.・゜✭

it's time to stop dwelling on the past! yes, you've probably experienced some sort of heartache, whether that be through betrayal, loneliness, or a bit of both. rest assured, in letting go, you will be off to bigger, and much better things. one of your cards is specific to this deck: the future. this emphasizes that now is THE time to move on! leave what has been hurting you behind-- it's leaving whether you want it to or not. this is a major point in your life, as signified by death and amplified by the future, which can (and will!) heed significant results. the hierophant tells you that the answers you seek will be found through joining with others, most likely an organization of some kind. you must be part of the group, working and striving with others to make the change you seek. heartache doesn't last forever, but what you're about to do with this group will. it's a long road, but at the end of it is happiness, fortune, and abundance abound!!! hey, this is a lot more cheerful than the last one! yahoo!

(the future [from the transient light tarot], 10 of pentacles reversed, the hierophant, 3 of swords reversed, death reversed)

ploom the caterpillar・。.・゜✭

another spread about letting go!!! except this one feels more pertinent. well, let's be real, the last one was pretty dire, too... anyway. my little caterpillars, your cards are less about the past or future, and more about the present. in fact, only about the present! the 10 of wands shows that you've been shouldering too much on your back, likely relating to self consciousness, some sort of inability to say "no", and/or difficulty especially in regards to living in the moment. but here's the thing... you've gotta. the hanged man puts it clearly: in order to get what you want, this situation requires you completely let go of whatever it is you've been holding onto. whether that's how you're being perceived or otherwise, it must be shed. the hanged man is upside down, able to see the world from a completely different perspective. try to change how you see things. live in the present moment and see what you notice; what changes when you give your entire attention to what someone is saying? or the thing you're doing? is everything really as you thought it was after seeing it from this new perspective? however you need to enact this change, the time to strike is right fucking now, baby. the engines are revving and ready to GO!!! don't be scared, what happens next is destiny. o_<~✭

(8 of wands, the hanged man, 10 of wands, the present reversed [from the transient light tarot.])

desert rain frog・。.・゜✭

like those who picked pile 2, the time for movement is NOW, my little froggies! you must declare yourself openly!! you are blessed to have a good head on your shoulders, being intelligent and good at handling authority. however! moving forwards, you will need to learn how to temper this energy (knight of swords). sometimes, this can go too far, where unadulterated words can hurt someone, coming across as blunt. it's true that you do know a lot about the world, but you need to let there be space for others' observations and knowledge. you can't possibly know everything! after making this big declaration, or finding this missing piece of the puzzle, you will get to the heart of the matter, to sift between what is true, what is fake, and to learn what to say-- versus what to definitely not say. a useful asset later on will be using the energy of the queen of cups, which means you must react to others through compassion and kindness, and try to be in tune with their emotional undercurrents. easier said than done, right? however, with the use of your intuition and logic combined, it will be much easier to wade through this future situation. in the meantime, i'd use that talkative knight of swords energy to propel yourself towards... whatever it is you need to propel yourself towards. here's a tip, whenever i feel a lightness in my chest, i know the answer's yes, but a pit in my stomach, be expected to plummet!!!... or, um, "no" would be the answer for that one. good luck! im also getting that some (3?) of you have some sort of.. "telepathic bond." no idea what that means! good luck with that, too, though.

(8 of wands, knight of swords, ace of swords reversed, queen of cups reversed)

[warmglowofsurvival]

[kitashousewife]

staying in

an: yahoo! it's my first piece for my cuffing szn event! im currently under three blankets AND it snowed today so i felt inspired to write

pairings: husband!nanami x fem!reader

warnings: stress mention, food/eating mention, alcohol mention, nanami is a really good husband, pet names (love, darling, sweetheart) fluff, lowercase intentional

-

every friday night, nanami takes you out on a date. some nights are small; dinner, dessert, and home right after. some are bigger; cooking classes, pottery classes, plays, dinner parties, or even catching a drink at one of the fancier bars. since it's friday once again, he spends the last hour of work deciding where to take you.

he doesn't want to give in, but a large part of him doesn't want to go out at all.

today has been freezing. the wind's been blowing non-stop, and it even tried to snow during lunch. of course, the students loved the few flakes that fell, but nanami was not as excited. snow meant dangerous roads, traffic, power outages, and that deep chill that sets into your bones.

to distract from the low temperatures, nanami scrolls on his computer, looking up different restaurants, shows, and events going on. the two of you have been busy for a while; the last two weeks of dates were spent with take out and heading to bed early. he doesn't want the same thing to happen this week.

as soon as the clock hits five, nanami walks out of jujutsu high as fast as he can. he has it all figured out; he will take you to the new restaurant that just opened up, then afterwards stop at the bar on the way home for some cocktails, and before the night is over; stop for whatever dessert you'd like.

but, with every passing minute driving home, nanami is fighting the urge to throw all of those plans out the window. it's beginning to snow again; the closer he gets to your shared home, the more the flakes begin to stick. by the time he pulls into the driveway, the roof has a light dusting of snow stuck to it.

the scowl on his face grows with each footprint he leaves behind, the crunch of his shoe against the snow tempts him to stay in. but, he won't give in that easily.

"i'm home," he announces, voice dripping with irritation as he shakes off his coat. he puts it away, along with his shoes, before walking into the kitchen. his sour mood sweetens almost immediately when he sees you, pouring yourself a cup of tea.

"hey ken, how was your day? are you loving the snow?" you grin, the last part thick with sarcasm. he rolls his eyes and you snort.

"no, not particularly. the kids enjoyed it, though," he mumbles, loosening the tie from his neck. "it's friday night."

you blink at him from the rim of your mug. 'it is indeed. what are your thoughts?"

he walks over to you, wraps his arms around you and dips you, earning him a laugh and a smile as the two of you dance.

"well, i was thinking about that new restaurant that opened last week, maybe some drinks, some dessert," he lists, dipping you further and further with each word until you're squealing. he pulls you up once more, brushing the hair out of your face. "what do you think?"

you smile and nod, but he can tell you aren't too thrilled.

"what? did you have something else in mind?"

you wince. "don't hate me, but i kinda want to stay-"

"in? me too," he sighs. "but i haven't taken you out in weeks, love."

"ken, i don't mind. let's stay in, yeah? besides," you glance out the kitchen window and smile. "everything is covered in snow." nanami groans, and doesn't need any convincing after that.

"i'm going to change, then. i'll be right back," he shuffles towards your bedroom. you can't help but smile. this week was shit, it's freezing and you would much prefer staying in than having to get dressed up. nanami works so hard, and you could tell this week was wearing on him too. you knew he was tired and wanted to rest, especially after he had a surprise mission to attend to earlier in the week.

"so," nanami's voice cuts off your thoughts. you turn to see him in what you would say is his best look: sweatpants, sweatshirt, and his round "at home" glasses, as he likes to call them. you love when he looks like this because you know that it means he is ready to spend the evening at home, with you.

"so," you mimic. he smiles.

"what would you like for dinner? we could order take out, but i don't want to make anyone drive in this weather more than they need to."

you hum and walk towards your pantry while nanami looks through the fridge. "we have pasta? but we don't have any sauce,"

"we have a bottle of wine in here, do you remember where it's from?"

you peek your head out of the pantry. "wine for dinner?" he rolls his eyes.

"okay, so no wine for you," you stick your tongue out at him and return to your search.

"it was from gojo, by the way," a small ahh comes from behind the refrigerator doors. "finding anything good, ken?"

"well we do have the ingredients for sauce. i can make it, if you would like."

"i would love that. you are the best cook in the relationship."

nanami chuckles as he grabs ingredients for the sauce, placing a kiss on your lips after he has what he needs. you watch as he goes around the kitchen, grabbing the tools needed for the job.

"darling, would you mind turning on some music? maybe even the fireplace?"

"not at all. any requests?"

he lights the the stove and turns to look at you over his shoulder.

"surprise me."

you feel very special, because your sweet husband just so happens to be very particular about his music. the vintage record player that sits in the living room is rarely touched by you, save for a few special moments like this. the vinyl sits in their cases, organized by genre of course, making it easy. you drop the needle in the groove of a slow jazz record, and nanami nods from his place in front of the stove. before joining him you flick on the fireplace and then walk back to his side.

"i have another job for you," he says, focused as he measures out another ingredient. you sigh at the smell, the sauce already looking better than anything you would've ordered tonight. "what's that?"

he stop stirring momentarily to pick you up and set you on the counter next to him. "well i need a taste tester, of course."

it's your turn to place a kiss on his lips, this one lingering for a bit longer than the last. he's made this sauce a hundred times, so you know he's just using this as an excuse to have you close by.

your hungry stomach is grateful that nanami works so fast, finishing up dinner quickly and plating it for you two at the table. he pulls your chair out for you, even pushing you in before grabbing the wine out of the fridge. before he sits down he pours your glass, then his own.

"thank you, ken. this is better than anything we could have eaten tonight."

he kisses your head before taking a seat. "we'll see about that. you haven't even tasted it yet."

the next few hours is full of laughter, mostly from you, as the two of you swap stories from the week. nanami's tales of the students have your stomach hurting just a touch, wishing you had seen things for yourself. after dinner the two of you clean up together before sitting down on the couch, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace.

"what would you like to do tonight, sweetheart?"

you nuzzle into his chest, curled up in a blanket at his side. "whatever you want to do."

he chuckles. "unfortunately i need to catch up on some new information the higher-ups sent out this week that i haven't looked at yet. you want to do that?"

"nope, i'm good," you tease. "i think i'll read while you do that. is that okay?"

he kisses your cheek before grabbing his computer. "i would love that."

you don't mean to, but the soft jazz that continues to play, mixed with the warmth of the fireplace lulls you into a light sleep. nanami realizes you've fallen asleep when he feels you lean into his side. his heart swells, looking at your beautiful face, peaceful and coated in a golden glow from the fire. he tries to be as quiet as possible while reading through, not wanting to disturb you after the week you've had.

"ken?"

"i'm sorry, love. did i wake you?"

"no," you voice is groggy. nanami finds it adorable. he shuts his laptop and pulls you close, smiling to himself at your sleepy sigh.

"ken?"

"yes?"

"i want something sweet,"

he fully laughs at that, shaking his head. you can't hide the smile playing at your lips either.

"are you really my wife if you don't want something sweet, shortly after eating?"

you sit up and gasp dramatically. "shortly? it's been," you glance at the clock. "two hours after we ate dinner! come on ken, i know you wouldn't say no to cookies."

"you're absolutely right, i wouldn't," he agrees.

"well," you say, standing up with a stretch. "i can make some cookies for us. it's only fair. maybe i'll make some for our neighbor while i'm at it," you slowly shuffle into the kitchen, grabbing ingredients of your own and turning the oven on.

while you work, nanami leans back on the couch and begins to drift into a sleep of his own.

"ken, come here!" he groans in question, and you laugh.

"i need a taste tester, don't i?"

"oh, obviously," he sits up immediately, coming right by your side with a happy grin on his face. you give him a kiss on the cheek before scooping him some dough. he eats it quickly, sighing the second it touches his tastebuds.

"i'm so glad we stayed in. best idea you've ever had," he says, words slurred lightly as he cleans off the spoon you gave him. you look out the window once more, eyes widening at the amount of snow that blankets everything outside. when you turn back and see your husband, sitting on top of the counter just like you were hours earlier, peace melts through your body.

you're glad the two of you decided to stay in, too.

[easternmind]

TRIPITAKA - the lost spiritual sequel to Cosmology of Kyoto was found

This post is a compilation of a series of tweets I have composed over a period of weeks during this summer.

For years, it was uncertain whether TRIPITAKA 玄奘三蔵求法の旅, by Soft Edge, had in fact ever been published. I remind the more absent-minded readers that this is the studio responsible for the mythical CD-ROM Cosmology of Kyoto, originally released in Japan in 1993, later published in the United States by Yano Electric in 1995. Knowledge of this their second and final production comes solely from the online CVs of producers Hiroshi Ōnishi and Mori Kōichi. No other information could be found online, and no actual copy of the game was known to exist.

Earlier this year, this disc surfaced at Yahoo Auctions. It sold for nearly $300 after 24 bids.

As suggested by its tile, which translates to Xuanzang Sanzo's Dharma-Seeking Journey, it was always assumed that the game illustrated episodes of the life of the celebrated Chinese Buddhist monk, particularly his 7th century pilgrimage to India. The captures printed on the back not only show a character highly reminiscent of the ancient scholar, they depict a variety of scenes taking place in China and India.

According to the severely incomplete archived version of PD Inc's website, the Japanese publisher responsible for this digipack, it was available for sale at museums hosting the 1999 Silk Road Journey To The West exhibition, which suitably matches the date printed on the back cover. However, this date presents yet another open question, as the Ōnishi-San and Kōichi-San bios both list it as a 1995 production.

The technical specifications may provide an enlightening clue, as they refer to Windows 95, 640x480px resolution and an 8-Bit color mode. This indicates that TRIPITAKA was indeed developed sometime between 1993 and 1995, although it was never published in the CD-ROM game circuit, certainly not in the immediate years after its development was completed. Combined with the data retrieved from the publisher's website, the edition shown here appears to have been produced solely for the occasion, as a means to diversify the museum shop catalog for this major exhibit, given the shared theme.

It would have been nearly impossible, had the program been in fact published in 1995, for a single copy to not have been spotted or mentioned online by the many Japanese collectors who have attempted to locate it for decades, unsuccessfully. On the other hand, a CD-ROM that was sold at a museum exhibit is likely to be purchased by visitors who were entirely unaware of the item's relevance as an elusive multimedia gem.

If a tangent is permitted here, both productions are inextricably linked with the museum space, and as far as I can speculate, Cosmology of Kyoto was, itself, also published with the intention of being made available in gallery stores in addition to computer game retailers. I say this because this was a production made possible by collaborative efforts including a variety of Japanese museums, to the extent these are referenced by name in the game's credits.

Considering the price at which the item was sold at auction, I was fairly certain that it was purchased by one such video game collector who knew exactly what they were bidding for. Later in July, I was able to locate the buyer and establish contact. Initially, the buyer was only able to produce this screenshot of the disc program launcher. The title reads "Cosmology of Asia", validating the claims that Soft Edge was in effect planning for series of edutainment software prior to its demise in the mid-90s.

In my second contact with the owner, I asked if he was available to produce a disc image and share it online for purposes of software preservation. The owner politely declined, stating that this was not something he was willing to do but offered to record the following gameplay video instead.

At a glance, the art style of Tripitaka is unsurprisingly similar to that of Cosmology. Most of its episodes occur during the day, whereas the latter was mostly played under the dark cover of night. The first scene depicts a dying Xuanzang reminiscing on his journeys in the company of a young chronicler. Structurally, both games are also nearly indistinguishable from one another, producing ample historical information for context, including detailed maps and chronologies.

TRIPITAKA was considered to be lost media for decades. As such, the importance of this footage could hardly be overstated. I would not hesitate to compare this development to the unearthing of Osamu Sato's Chu-Teng, the Eastern Mind sequel that was also deemed lost for many years, miraculously found during the time this blog was inactive.

I am delighted to have played a minor role in the unraveling of this thirty year old mystery, and can hardly contain my enthusiasm, as I now find myself equipped with sufficient information to produce a full post concerning a game about which I could not have written more than a sentence, just last year.

I would also like to thank the author of the @mendelpalace Tumblr for his timely alert regarding the Yahoo listing.

[bodybybane]

Is Furiosa a worthy follow-up to Mad Max: Fury Road? https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/furiosa-worthy-mad-max-fury-153054315.html

[dreadfutures]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @plisuu and @rosella-writes - and tagging the whole rest of the DA FanFic server crew:

@warpedlegacy @rakshadow @effelants @bluewren @breninarthur @ar-lath-ma-cully @ir0n-angel @inquisimer @crackinglamb @theluckywizard @nirikeehan @oxygenforthewicked @exalted-dawn-drabbles @melisusthewee @blarrghe @agentkatie @delicatefade @leggywillow @about2dance

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

49

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,645,298

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Maximum Ride, Pokemon, Spirited Away, Zelda, Pathfinder CRPGs, Elden Ring, Dishonored, and of course, Dragon Age

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Dead Pasts and Dread Futures (Dragon Age)

Hero of the Wild (Legend of Zelda: BOTW)

When the Wind Whispers (Legend of Zelda: BOTW)

The Brave Guide (Dragon Age)

Light in the Dark (LOZ)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to. I fall behind very frequently but I always try to say thank you. So many people tell me why these stories touch them, and to share that with me, is such a gift that deserves acknowledgement.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably 'The Hope of Fen'Harel' (on AO3) or the scene where Solas finds out that young Ixchel is dead (here on tumblr).

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

the road seems too wild for mixing it with blues (Dragon Age) - literally it is a Solavellan happiest of happy endings. There are brown butter donuts.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yes. Not infrequently.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sometimes! I do try to write titillating smut but if it's in my longfics, it's got to be for character reasons and serve the plot. But I have more than one smut oneshot that's just there to get people hot lol.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I have had ideas copied wholecloth.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of, but you are free to do so as long as you tag me and properly credit via the "inspired by" on AO3

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

Yes! ALL of my Maximum Ride fics were co-written. Literally sending passages back and forth over *yahoo instant messenger.* It was an absolute fucking joy. Those fics are gone now though lol.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Prooooooobablyyyyyyy Haku/Chihiro. I will read absolute drivel if it's got them in it.

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

I WILL ABSOLUTELY FINISH MY BOTW FICS I AM WORKING ON THEM OKAY?! The one i don't think i will ever do is my young!Ixchel fic. It's too fucking sad. But it lives in my head and calls to me.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dreamy prose, evocative horror, and really motivated plots.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm verbose, I have a hard time connecting scenes / passing time without it feeling like it's dragging.

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

So, for fantasy languages that you have to conlang -- I think you should just write it in English. Especially if you're not making up YOUR OWN conlang and instead relying on the work of a notorious jackass. I have taken to "[[brackets and italics]]" to indicate when dialogue is happening in Elvhen. In real life languages, such as Spanish, the current movement in ownvoices communities is to include the dialogue in its original tongue, with no italics. Readers are smart. They can look it up. And they need to get used to languages other than their own without it seeming other, alien, or magical. In my original novels, where Spanish is often used, I stick with this rule.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Maximum Ride or Spirited Away.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

it ends or it doesn't (Dragon Age), my Felassan-as-Benoit-Blanc arlathvhen murder mystery!

blank form below:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

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

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

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

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

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

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

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

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

[carmendei-agere]

Firstly I stumbled upon your blog and I love it so much. I just started getting into Genshin Impact so while I may no know all of the characters I find that the ones I do know your writing is so comforting.

Secondly I was wondering if I could request a mini fic with regressor Aether. Bit of an angst idea here, Aether overworking and over tired, regressing without realizing and it takes Venti telling him to stop and take a break and that he will look watch over him for Aether to realize just how much he needs one

OKAY OKAY OKAY

First of all- it's been a while since my last minific, I know...I've just not been fully motivated to write in general because I'm generally busy with exams this month but thank for for your nice comments !!! waking up this morning to like, 20+ notifications of one person liking my blog is GENUINELY insane so thank you hehe <3

(also yes this is an image, i could NOT find an aether gif for the life of me)

Little!Aether, CG!Venti - Aether being overworked, and Venti telling him to take a break.

"There's still a long road ahead." - Aether, "Joining Party" voiceline.

─ 𖥔 ─

With the addition of the Serenitea Pot, Aether's life should've gotten way more easier.

With Paimon out at Wanmin Restaurant for the day, and his adventures on a halt to catch his breath after saving yet another nation, it's safe to say he had nothing to do. The first few hours of his day were dedicated to cleaning. He cooked for what little people rested at the teapot the previous night, the bookshelves were clean, and he was positive that any more attempts to clean and dust would make him go insane.

He could feel a tantrum bubbling in his core- a trait which only happened when he was regressed and angry about something big. But...he felt big now. He had to be big- and being regressed was stupid, anyways.

"Yahoo, Traveller!" a cheery voice called out. It was Venti. After a few seconds, he descended the stairway, and wrapped Aether in a hug. That hug did not help him remain big. Aether hugged the bard back, albeit a bit clumsily. "How are you today? Where is your little travelling companion?"

Aether huffed, but it really sounded more like a whine. It hadn't been good. "Paimon is at Wanmin, an' i got nothin' to do..."

Venti hummed in confusion. "That sounds like a bad thing."

"It is!" Aether whined. "I wan' do stuff, but m' tired..."

"Then you should nap, silly!" Venti said. "Or...is there something else going on?"

Aether stared at the floor as if it held the secrets to giving his sister back- that's all he wanted from this world- Lumine. Sure, he had a stuffed animal upstairs called Lumine, but he still wanted the real thing back. When she came back, he'd hug her tight, and never let her go, ever.

Well, that was an exaggerated statement- restricting his sister's freedom would never happen, but he was small, and everything felt floaty and too exaggerated for him to think right.

"Small." he mumbled, wrapping his arms around him. He didn't even know if Venti knew what regression was- and if he did, Aether expected to be yelled at, and-

"Oh, you're a kiddo right now?" he cooed. "Hello, sweet thing!"

Aether glanced at Venti, gasping- almost similiar to how a toddler would. Granted, he felt younger than that right now, but still. "You know...regression?"

Venti nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "Diluc helps me be small, butttttt it seems like you need some help relaxing, yes?"

"Mhm!" he nodded. "Been workin' super duper hard!" he giggled, trying his best to stifle a yawn. "Hard to do nothin'...feel bad."

"Well, let's talk about being overworked when you're much bigger, hm?"

Aether nodded, watching curiously as Venti bent down to Aether's level. "Now, do you want to snuggle up in your room and relax-" he held out his left hand. "Or do you want to have a picnic outside?" with that, he held out his right hand. "Your decision, kiddo. You can even nap if you want."

Aether dwelled on the question. He had...an option? And none of them had him doing overwhelming combat for horrible pay? Quietly, Aether held Venti's left hand, using his free hand to suck on his hand. With a giggle, Venti lifted Aether up, letting him rest on his hip.

"Well, let's go!" he smiled. "Maybe you can introduce me to your stuffies, hm?"

─ 𖥔 ─

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

So Curse Words has a trans protagonist and awhile ago I was posting it up on Royal Road for publicity but eventually stopped because it just wasn’t bringing in enough interest to be worth the time. Anyway, recently I’ve been thinking I might try putting Time to Orbit: Unknown up there as it’s somewhat closer to what RR usually caters to, but logging into my RR account for the first time in month I see that a good half of the recent comments on my stories are like:

So... yeah. If these guys can’t handle The Existence Of A Trans Dude, somehow I think the far future with a three-gender system, an aromantic nonternary protagonist, five common pronoun sets in regular use (including the three genders) and the reader not getting to know what anyone’s genitals look like (depriving these yahoos of the ability to figure out “what Aspen really is” (ugh)) might not be the best fit for the platform. I’m staying out.