#you won't miss me's weekly choice

[yeswearemagazine]

You Won't Miss Me's Weekly Choice #3

Untitled © Zsuzsy Nagy aka Zz A Photo A Day :

[jinwoosbabyboo]

"Love and Deep Pockets"

Our LADS Men are financially stable we know this however.....what kind of provider are they? Walk with me....

Zayne

Type: Head of Household

I see Zayne as the traditional head of the household type of man. However he respects you and understands that if you want to work you're free to do so. Just know that all the money you make is yours alone.

MC: Let me pay for something! Zayne: Just let me take care of you

If you really insist on paying he will let you if that's what will make you happy/feel better. Otherwise he's covering all the bills, dates, trips, etc. the only thing that gets split 50/50 are household duties and even then you have to strong arm your way into the kitchen or into doing any of the cleaning.

Zayne is incredibly self sufficient; he's clean and orderly. He is used to keeping his house clean and his clothes washed, pressed, and folded. He's almost unreal with how perfect he is.

The only time you really spend your own money is when it's a surprise for him or when you're alone. He enjoys taking care of you because he absolutely adores you. You're a dream come true and he'll do anything to keep you happy.

Rafayel

Type: Head of Household, False Sense of Independence Provider

If you want to be spoiled he's perfectly fine with that. He's rich and you're his babygirl as long as he can see that smile and be around you he's a happy camper.

Now if you are hell bent on splitting 50/50 Rafayel will let you think you two are splitting bills and things 50/50 meanwhile all the money you send him for half of anything he's putting it into an account that's just collecting interest. He will let you pay for anything and everything you want but best believe he's reimbursing you behind your back.

He'd laugh when you figure it out and try to cuss him out.

MC: I gave you that money to help with the bills Rafayel: and it did help .... it helped me giggle while you thought I'd actually let you pay for anything.

Xavier

Type: Head of Household, No Argument

Xavier is also traditional in a way I mean he's a prince. He is definitely providing everything with no argument. The day you decided to move in with him your bill paying days were over. He let you have your independence when you lived alone, but now you're in his care.

MC: I could've paid for it Xavier: I know but now you don't have to

You can go shopping, buy groceries, buy lunch .... if you're by yourself. If he's with you expect him to already be sliding his card into your hand or directly into the card reader before you can even pull yours out. You have to damn near fist fight this man to pay for anything.

Sylus

Type: Sugar Daddy, Head of Household, Spoiled Brat

SYYLLUUUSSSS. I need him in ways that are unhealthy. This man is spoiling the absolute FUCK out of you. He gave you his black card like it was nothing and asking to spend his money is a 'trivial matter'

You had a bad day? Deposit. You had a good day? Deposit. He misses you? Deposit. Just because? Deposit.

Don't even think about trying to pay for something with your own money. He's the type to hide your cards and slip his into your wallet just so you have no choice, but to spend his money.

MC: I have my own money you know Sylus: Im more than aware kitten I just dont care

Whats his is yours and what's yours is yours. That’s his mentally all he wants to do is make sure you want for nothing and you have the most comfortable life with him.

Don't worry if you still want to work he wouldn't stop you, but those weekly or biweekly checks are just going to be collecting interest because it won't be touched.

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Clean up changes + New CG💙

Helloo guys and welcome new followers, here's how the game development is going so far!

A very big thank you to the recent influx of interest and comments stemming from my last game development post! I will try to get to everything when I can! :]

Important notice towards updates about Trembling Essence:

For a good while I've been able to post updates about the game's progress weekly! Now that it's getting closer to fall and spooky month(Yay! :]) I am going to continue to be busy so I want to let you guys know that future updates will be irregular. Game development posts will be every 1-4 weeks depending on how things go. :[]

I spent the first few days continuing off from the previous development post by going through the last of The Swamplands and patched some things up! Towards the end of that week however, I got very busy and didn't get a chance to get to the cabin section or much else which is why this was delayed by an extra week so I appreciate the patience! :]

New CG:

I drew up a new CG that you can get depending on your choices when talking to Noah. My play tester saw the first version I colored up but unfortunately the perspective was really off and his shoulders were too wide. I was given a couple of tips and pointers so I redid it and here's how it looks for right now. I couldn't do much else after that. :,,,]]]]

Last bit of clean up changes:

Intro:

When it came to the introduction of Noah, the new parallax effect I added created a small glitch where the HP/COLD indicators were still shown behind CG's during a screen transition. There was some minor dialog adjustments, mainly describing certain situations a bit better. The moments where Noah talks to the player(Y/N) have been tweaked, not by too much but just enough to fill out this section of the game a little more. While I was going through the choices, I came across new dialog I added at some point and never came back to so I fixed it up just a little too. :]

Before:

After:

I altered the choice text for this since the previous wording was a little confusing from my play testers perspective. A good portion of the dialog was fixed and there was going to be a timed situation later on but I decided not to add it since this is a fairly straightforward path.

Chasm Ending:

This ending got expanded by a fair amount mainly because the end is awkwardly abrupt and I didn't like that. I corrected it but the CG you see at this part didn't match the text so I went back one last time and a added visual effect. Overall, this part is done! :]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] and the March 2023 demo on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

To know and understand Noah through Asks and random posts about lore, they'll be under #Get to know: Noah ! :]

**Some asks won't be answered if it contains spoilers but I do appreciate what I receive. :,,]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer them right now since I practice drawing for responses but do know that I've seen them!

This update is getting fairly long so I'll stop here. Again, thank you to everyone for your continued support and influx of interest! I really wasn't expecting any of it since I got very busy towards the end. While I continue working behind the scenes on the game I'll try and respond to stuff/comments I missed! :,]

[mamisfavmosher]

I love your writing

Can you write about reader having a fight with the judgment day about something that happened like they were partying and some people couldn’t stop flirting with reader but they were feeling uncomfortable for example but reader was in the right but they wouldn’t believe them so that lead to a huge fight and reader feeling completely alone until someone realised they made a mistake and try to convince reader to take them back please?

thank you!

tainted trust // poly!judgment day x fem!reader

warnings: angst, yelling, insecure!jealous!judgment day, argument, language, etc

Readers POV

"You're pathetic, you know that?!" Rhea bellowed as soon as she slammed the front door shut. "You think you need to flirt with every man who gives you the slightest bit of attention! Are you that much of a whore? Huh?" Her aggression and anger were the most apparent out of the four of them.

Rhea's insults cut into me like knives. "I didn't flirt with him! I already told you that!" I defended. The Judgment Day and I had gone to a bar with some coworkers after the weekly show had ended and at some point throughout the night, the four gothic members had left my side for a few short moments. Enough time for some creep who had kept his eye on me to make a move.

*Back at the club

"Hey, beautiful! Let me buy you a drink!" The man shuffled toward me and attempted to grab my hand.

"No, thanks. I'm not interested." I tried to keep my voice blunt and void of emotions in hopes of turning the man away. As I took my eyes off of him to search for my partners in the crowd, his hands gripped my waist and pulled me into him. "Get off me!" My hands pushed at his chest until he released me.

"Relax, babe. I'm just having some fun!" He gave me a gross smile and ran his hand down my arm. I shoved his hand away and scanned the crowd in a panic. The four of them weren't hard to miss. Where could they be? "C'mon! Let's go dance!" The man forcefully grabbed me and pulled me along with him to the dance floor. He turned me around and tightly held my hips against him, preventing me from pushing away. As I worked on slapping his hands off of me, I noticed a tense energy surround us. I looked up to see the four members of the Judgment Day fuming with anger.

Damian shoved the man away from me while Rhea grabbed hold of my wrist and dragged me out to the car. The car ride back to the house was insanely tense and silent.

*Back at the house

"Bullshit! You weren't even doing anything about it! You just let him put his hands all over you!" Rhea shouted back.

"That's not true! Guys? You saw me trying to get away, right?!" I attempted to get backup from the boys, but to no avail, they looked equally unhappy.

Damian threw his keys and wallet down on a side table before looking over at me with a glare. "Don't try and act dumb. We all saw what you were doing." His tone gave it away that he wasn't on my side.

"But I wasn't doing anything! I was trying to get him off of me!" I was exasperated at this point.

"We won't tolerate lying, and we definitely won't tolerate cheating. Either admit what you were up to and explain yourself, or find somewhere else to stay tonight." Finn sighed in disappointment and crossed his arms, waiting for my response.

My jaw dropped at his ultimatum. "What? You can't be serious-"

"Dead serious. You heard the man. Make your choice." Rhea cut me off and seeped her words with poison. I looked at them all, trying to determine if they were being literal. They definitely were. I shook my head in frustration, snatched up my bag, and stormed out the front door. I don't know if Liv is back from the club yet, but I'll wait on her front porch until she is...

Liv had actually gotten home only five minutes before I arrived at her place, and she immediately brought me inside and had me tell her all about the drama that just ensued. To say she was angry was an understatement. She was completely dumbfounded at how they had treated me.

The feisty blonde sent a lengthy text message to the group members about how they were in the wrong, I would never do something like this, how blessed they are to have me, and then followed up with some threats if they didn't apologize. She insisted we have a fun sleepover to forget the fight, and I couldn't say no.

***next morning

A harsh pounding on the front door woke the both of us up and Liv hurried to go see who it was. I heard her mumbling before she quickly came back to me. "They're here." She gave me a look of reassurance and allowed me room to walk past her.

I took a deep breath before opening the front door.

"Hey. We need to talk." Rhea demanded and motioned for me to step outside. I obliged, closing the door behind me. She sighed and raked a hand through her dark hair. "Tell us the truth. Were you flirting with that guy?" She asked, her face wore an expectant expression.

"No! I told you guys that last night, but you didn't believe me!" I was quickly becoming defensive, ready to pick up the argument where it had left off.

"We believe you, honey. Liv sent us a long message and helped clear everything up." Damian stepped in. "We're sorry. You tried to tell us and we wouldn't listen to you. It's our fault." He apologized.

I took a moment to think to myself, contemplating how easily my forgiveness should be handed out. I mean, they kicked me out of the house without even letting me explain.

"So," Finn interrupted my thoughts. "Are we forgiven, love? You ready to come home?"

I let out a huff. "I'm not happy about the situation and how I was treated last night, but I'm content for now. I can't forgive you all so easily right now. My feelings are hurt and I don't really feel like everything's okay yet. I just think we still need to talk about it a bit more when we get home?" I looked around to gauge their expressions.

"Sounds fair to me." Dom smiled.

I grabbed my stuff from inside Liv's house and headed to the car. While Damian loaded my bag into the trunk, Rhea gazed at me in the rearview mirror.

"Baby..." Her eyes flicked away, instead turning her body to face me. "Are we gonna be okay?" She motioned between us and then to the boys outside of the car.

I nodded with a small smile. "We'll be okay, Mami. Promise." Seeing relief flash in her eyes, I quickly kissed her cheek. "Everything will be perfectly okay."

[palepinkgoat]

weekly tag game Wednesday!

thanks for the questions @heymacy and thank you for tagging me!

name: Karen pink

pronouns: she/her

what year did you graduate high school? Before you did probably! I'm old.

tell me where you live without telling me where you live: it's been shouted out in approx 800 hip hop jams

tell me what you do for work: I am mentally ill but people still trust me with their children

caffeine source of choice: hot coffee, but I'll also slam an iced latte with oat milk in the summer.

do you have a skincare routine? here's something about me: I have really "good" skin. Most skin care routines make my skin mad, so like 92% of the time I use water on a washcloth and then a tiny bit of moisturizer. Also sunscreen if I'm being smart.

how often do you do laundry? four people in my house means I am doing it constantly. I'm so grateful to have a washer and dryer in the house!

favorite flower: lilacs, followed by yellow tulips

your go-to karaoke song: I sang "Tainted Love" at a place last year and realized it basically just sounded like talking.

what kind of phone do you have? a yellow iPhone

do you wear contacts/glasses? glasses!

what color is your hair right now? dark blonde. It was very light blond (naturally) for most of my life and then suddenly got way darker when I turned 30. Weird!

you’ve just been handed $10,000 cash, what are you spending it on? Debt payoff and savings. I'm such an adult. But maybe a new couch. Also adult.

how many pets do you have? 2. My cat went missing in June. I'm refusing to not count her even though I'm pretty sure she won't be back. :(

have you ever been on a train? I took Amtrak to see my girlfriend in Montana when I was 19 but she dumped me a week before, so it was a painful trip, but I still went like an idiot. As far as public train transit yes, lots.

and finally, tell me something about yourself people might be surprised to know: I'm legally blind in one eye! tagging @transmurderbug @deedala @mybrainismelted @thisdivorce

@wehangout @francesrose3 @energievie

@michellemisfit @jrooc @blue-disco-lights @ms-moonlight-inn @crossmydna

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it. Also there are too many shows on and something is always finishing or starting so a month is a lot.

BL - Currently Watching

1000 Years Old [2/12] - It's silly, and entertaining and makes me laugh. The friend group is delightful and I'm having a good time watching them. Was excited for a minute when Yo suggested a haircut for Pun because I cannot handle that wig. 🤞

Anti Reset [5/10] - This is one of the most frustrating shows I've watched in a while. The show doesn't seem to settle on what is actually trying to say about the AI of it all, and when it says something I'm not crazy about it. Why is it so frustrating? Because they are so fucking endearing when they're together on screen. I wanna love this show so much.

Cherry Magic Th [11/12]– I love them so much. I'm fascinated by the choices that the show is making. As a big fan of the manga and the jbl I came into this with reservations and this show is just blowing my mind. This was the best episode 11 of all time and Tay/New are delivering. My heart is so full with this.

Cherry Magic Anime [7/12]– Another helicopter ride! Yay. The date song was hilarious. We're now getting to the point where they are dating and Adachi is feeling guilty for lying so I'm curious how the show will adapt the next phase of the relationship.

Dead Friend Forever [10/12]– Glad to see we are all on board with Tan's murderous impulses. It's been so much fun having more people join in on the fun. As for me, I NEED White to stay alive. That's really all I want. Getting curious about how Perth factors in to all of this.

My Strawberry Film[2/8] - I feel it coming. I see sadness in my future. But I'm bracing because I'm loving the look of this show. And pining boys are my favourite type of boys. I'm ready.

Ossan's Love Returns [8/9] - The videos messages destroyed me but then that ending made me annoyed. I don't know what to expect in terms of Kurosawa but I hope he's not actually dying and there's a really good reason for all this. Medical mal practice might be the thing. Although as @twig-tea pointed out to me, since it was said in show it might not actually happen. I want happy for the ending anyway.

Perfect Propose [5/6] . Why must I only have them for 6 episodes??? I need more. Kai is everything to me, and that back hug followed by that smile melted by cold heart. Hiro's boss needs something heavy to fall on him from a great height. And please Hiro,sweetie, I need you to eat better and sleep.

Although I Love You, and You? [7/10]- Sakae is letting me down. And by that I mean, the show is letting me down. Sakae needs to put his foot down with Mizuki and go back to being a fool in love with Soga.

To Be Continued [1/8] - It's not amazing. but I'm a sucker for second chance romance and there are two couples so there's a 50% chance I will like this. We'll see. Also, they need to start hiring younger actors for the high school flashbacks. This goes for A Secretly Love too. Having 27 year olds and up playing ten years younger just won't do. It's terrible.

Unknown [2/12] - I'm intrigued. Not completely sold yet but I'm liking it so far. Also nothing would keep me away from watching Sam Lin again.

Also watched the first episode of A Secretly Love and caught up with City of Stars but it's on the 'I need to shut of my brain' schedule so I'm not necessarily watching to weekly.

BL - Finished

Cooking Crush - I will miss all of them. I loved it so much. The whole cut/uncut version thing was annoying and the editing was weird at times but overall this was wonderful. Communication done right. Relationships and character growth was stellar and both couples won my heart. Aungpao really surprised me, considering he was surrounded my pros on all sides. Dynamite was a joy to watch. And OffGun delivering with all the kissing. Everyone should watch this.

The Sign - I mean, what they did to this show is absolutely insane. Not airing the finale like the rest of the show. Having to pay extra for happy ending is ridiculous (although I kinda predicted this and @lurkingshan is my witness. I said as a joke and it turns out reality is a joke.) Then waiting 2 whole weeks for whatever that was. Just the most unsatisfying experience. Go read this from Shan because I agree with everything said there. Also @bengiyo final thoughts here really echo how I felt about this show overall.

Happy Ending - 20 minutes split in 3. Why? No idea. Was it a happy ending? I think so. Was it cute? Sure. Was it great to watch Seong Hyuk again? You betcha. But I didn't love it. I need Choco Milk Shake S2, like, TODAY.

Playboyy - It ended.

Rose Watches OJBL - I feel bad about this. I didn't watch any of the ones I planned to. This might seem like whatever but I've been trying to catch up with awards season films, because since uni, me and a couple of friends always do it and finish it by watching the oscars together and so ojbl was were I dropped the ball. Gonna restart soon though.

Not BL - Watched this month

Night Has Come Death's Game Shop for Killers

That's it for right now. As usual my ask box is open for gif requests and any other questions. All my gifs are under #rosygifs.

Have a good week💜

[crimswnred]

LOVE ISLAND THE GAME TEMPTING FATE: WEEKLY THOUGHTS

ready to be loyal 💜

drag Jack for me, Tyler

you literally can call those PJs, Claudia, you're walking in underwear

I wanted Jin's hot chocolate :(

OH MY GOD IT JUST HIT ME HOW SIMILAR EMEL'S SPRITE IS TO CHELSEA'S

dates! dates! dates! vs girls on tour! girls on tour!

yes Sophie please dump Jack we've been all waiting for it (it's volume III)

I mean, Jin is hot so I won't be holding it against you, Soph but you're on my watch list

Oakley's eggs are only on Emel's basket? that's a lie because he was kissing me just the day before

Blowing kisses to my man so he knows I don't intend to cheat!

someone said Tyler was Gary revamped and they were so right

MOTORBIKE GANG. MEMBERS: TYLER AND LUCAS

lmao Jin jumping and saying IT'S OVER and my mc going WHAT DO YOU MEAN???

"Oh no sorry the sparks weren't flying" / "You're not sorry/ / "No, not sorry at all" HEYY MAYBE FUSEBOX ACTUALLY KNOWS HOW TO WRITE FUNNY CHARACTERS?

me 🤝 Tyler hating Jack

why would I spend 17 gems on helping a blonde man and betray a red head girl, tell me fusebox

anyways girls' choice 🥱 I wish we could've been chosen too it would make me feel better

Jin what the hell? why are you talking to boys when you could be talking to ME.

nevermind, me and Sophie will be catfighting in a second WATCH ME

what a silly challenge jesus fucking christ

Tyler err... leave me alone? omg

Jin and I are too strong to be broken up by a motorbike gangster and a dumb red head

"MC IS MY PARTNER. I'M INTO HER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY" and that's on what? THAT'S ON PERIOD.

oh wait why was the mocktel making scene the best scene we ever got

WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE JIN AND TYLER ARE GONNA ASK ME FOR A THREESOME

I'm sorry Jin but although you're literally the best thing that's ever happened in this Villa you also had your head turned TWICE so chill out

he is so cute oh my god stop making me laugh I'll fall in love with you

are we surprised Claudia wants me like I treat her way better than her man!

watch me flirt with Theo just for the hell of it 🙏

IF SOPHIE PICKS JIN ISTG

she didn't pick him which was for the better but also what is the point of having a bombshell and then having them out on the same volume??

and Sophie is now my #1 enemy sorry

every scene with Jin is so cute :/ I wish we could have more moments where we casually kiss or hold hands or touch or anything is the only thing I'm missing

anyways, it was a fun volume! Tyler bored me to death and I really thought for a second him and Jin would ask me to have a threesome but unfortunately this is a family friendly game now! and what do we think that the iSpy challenge is about??

[tgrailwar-zero]

For those that follow me outside of here, you may have been present for my waffling as to whether to continue a few weeks back. And I've made a decision.

THGW-Zero will be continuing!

And while I don't play FGO anymore, I'm not against shamelessly using their assets for this.

Of course, there's a bit more than just that, so let's get into it!

'Major updates' will occur weekly. They won't be just prompts for polls, though. Rather than somewhat-daily polls with a limited amount of options, the main posts will put into consideration as many of the asks, comments, and suggestions sent in throughout the week as possible- and the characters will respond. And then, generally at the end of the post there will be a poll pertaining to a major choice to vote on.

However, smaller one-day polls will occur during the week (mainly pertaining to item usage or smaller interactions). They'll also serve as ways to steer the narrative in the 'main post', giving players a chance to nudge things in either a more or less favorable direction. For the sake of simplicity, I'll probably give them a name like 'mini polls', or something.

(This means that some asks will show up during the week before the 'main post', and some will only show up when the 'main post' happens)

So, more akin to this. But hopefully with a better outcome.

This will be the main factor of story progression, and gives people more of a chance to think about what the next desired outcome is rather than feeling like you have to catch everything day-of in order to follow along. So, a 'main post' will be uploaded, a week will pass to discuss, send in asks to learn more about the situation, or give suggestions about what to do for the next 'main post', and then there will be a update a week later (give or take a day to write and gather responses). The day being a chance to gather together people's responses and write the next part of the story. This should help make things both less stressful (both for me and you guys), and easier to keep up with. No more accidentally missing a week and then suddenly everything's changed.

We'll call this a test run. If it doesn't work, we can always go back to normal!

The HP/MP system is going to receive a facelift, as well as the 'success' system. I think a more overt 'gamification' ended up causing more undue stress, so I'm going to try forgoing that for a more narrative approach. Every action will have set pros and cons, some of which will be clearer than others. I want to prompt more exploration and communication, rather than simply 'get the most votes here and everything will be safe and fine forever'.

There will be stricter moderation regarding inter-player discussion. Doing some backreading, there were a lot of moments where I could have put a heavier hand down and cut things off before they got too intense.

And, considering how a recent Grail War got, in a word, 'nasty'- I'm not fond of recreating that. If you're displeased with a situation, then you can make that known without being condescending and unpleasant to other people- and if you're going to do it via anon, then be known that I'm not obligated to post it.

And… that's about it! Keep a lookout for a new 'Main Post' that'll briefly recap the details and push things forward! Hope you all have a good week!

[texasthoughtsaboutnothing]

Weird Question.

What does a good Limbus Company Tier List look like?

[Warning: Long]

Gacha games are, at least in part, games about optimizing limited resources. There is a daily stamina limit, and weeklies and dailies that you need to feed that stamina into. In turn, you receive an amount of rewards that need to be spent to acquire and upgrade units. Limited rewards. And you need so many just to upgrade one unit. Decisions need to made, resources allocated. You only have so much, you want to get and use the right stuff without wasting anything on someone you find out is trash 90 levels in. Right?

This is an aspect of Gacha that is often missed in discourse about pngs of anime waifus: the emotional and intellectual labor of investing into a unit, the constant worrying about if you are making the most optimal choices, and the satisfaction of planning well. How a lot of attachment to a character can stem not from their design or personality but just because they're all you had that countered this boss node and lord almighty they clutched out the win with 0.1% HP after you dumped all you had into raising them. I could talk about it all day, it' super interesting to me. But to refocus, the major consequence of this kind of game design are tier lists.

Tier lists will tell you, at a glance, what units are worth investing in and what's worth avoiding. Good tier lists will provide comprehensive explanations and guides for each unit to contextualize their placement. Bad tier lists won't. They can be the combined knowledge of an entire community for a game, they can also be an edict laid down without compassion or transparency. Again, absolutely interesting. And again, to refocus, Limbus doesn't really have one.

Ok, there are Limbus tier lists. Esgoo has great tier lists on which IDs and EGO you should prioritize when considering Uptie 4. Obviously those are his opinion, all Tier Lists are at the end of the day, but he has a whole hour of discussion covering the why's and hows of each category. There is a Prydwen tier list for units, but its rarely shown to new players in any of the PM communities I'm in and is instead largely chastised to my knowledge. I've seen Sinner tier lists, meme tier lists, so on and so forth. None of these are the Tier List.

Maybe its just a sign of the times, but I remember when Gachas had the Tier List. Community vetted, moderator approved, above any all all others. Offered freely to newcomers and watched feverishly by veterans after a new unit is released. Nowadays I feel like I rarely see them.

Limbus doesn't have the tier list. You may wonder if it even needs one and I think you'd have a point. Boiling an entire ID's value to a letter grade might seem unnecessary, especially as Limbus is a bit different as a Gacha. IDs are easy to get, and though the level cap continues to raise (in a way many others find alarming and I'm inclined to agree) it's still less than a week's effort to max one out. I've played games where it took a month of currency to get a single Unit useable. THere just isn't as much drive to worry about leveling the wrong things, investing incorrectly because basically anything works.

However.

There still are obvious differences in the strengths of each character ID. True, most if not all are "useable", but you're probably better off leveling Pequod Yi Sang than Seven Yi Sang. You are definitely better off leveling Pequod Ishmael than Sloshing Ishmael. Its fair to want a quick cheat sheet to communicate those ideas at a glance, with explanations for those who want to delve a little deeper.

But I ask again, what would it even look like?

By what categories and traits do we subdivide these IDs? How can you convey that W Ryoshu is a self sufficient DPS monster tahat requires no synergy to be good while Maid Ryoshu has AoE built into her kit as well as strong poise gen that also does good damage at a glance? Put one in an AoE group and the other in DPS? Is that truly accurate when part of attack weight is that it's great against Abnormalities, the most common type of one-on-one encounter?

I ask the question "what would it look like" because I truly don't know. Limbus is a complicated, evolving game. I don't think that makes it special or standout in any particular way, but for an example it could be that Seven IDs are top tier next event because of temporary buffs and that throws a whole tier list on its head. I don't know of many Gacha that do stuff like that.

That's kinda the end of the thought. The best I can come up with is a list consisting of three tiers: "great, good with the right team comp, and don't. Further explanation available upon request." That's not very helpful, is it?

[albertasunrise]

Only You - Bad Timing

Masterlist

Summary: Having spent most of your life in relationships that went nowhere. You struggled to trust that this man… this ray of sunshine… wouldn’t leave you eventually. (18+)

Relationships: Reader x Ben Miller

Warnings:Like AO3, I choose to give none. Read at your own risk. 18+ (Eeeek… shits hit the fan people! Enjoy 😘)

Series Masterlist - Part 1, Part 2

A smile graced your lips as memories of last night flicked through your brain. Everything that had happened had felt so right. It had felt like you'd finally found the missing piece of the puzzle that was your life. Your fingertips grazed over your lips as you remembered the fervent kisses that you'd shared with Ben. Then your mind wandered to the choice he'd left you with last night.

Him or Mike.

The choice was easy. It was him. Twas always going to be him but you knew you had to tell Mike face to face. He deserved that at least. You picked up your phone from your bedside table and noted you had at least seven missed calls from Mike. Your heart started to race as you then read through the frantic few messages that filled your inbox.

Call me back as soon as you can x

Please answer the phone, it's urgent x

Why won't you answer?

My mum's dead.

Your stomach sank as soon as you read the last message. You quickly called him back, heart racing as you waited for him to pick up but instead, he just hung up and you then felt sick to the stomach. That feeling soon shifted when you heard the front door open and close and you quickly pulled on a shirt and some shorts before sprinting downstairs to greet a wrecked man.

"I'm so sorry." You choked before sprinting to him and throwing your arms around his shoulders "My phone was on silent and so I didn't hear it ring... Shit Mike, I'm so sorry I-"

"It's okay." Mike interrupted before placing a sweet kiss on your lips and you didn't hesitate to return it "I'm just so glad to be back." He choked and you nodded before pulling him into a tight embrace again.

You held him until you felt him calm down a little and then you led him into the kitchen where you helped him sit before preparing a coffee. He sat at the table in silence whilst you worked, small sniffles being the only sound to come from him till you placed a steaming mug in his hands. You then proceeded to make yourself one before joining him at the table, taking his free hand in yours and giving it a gentle squeeze as you waited for him to ready himself to talk.

"She uh... She had a stroke." He started, his voice shaking as he spoke of his heartbreak "She was out for dinner with some friends last night and apparently it just happened. She was dead before the ambulance arrived." He sobbed and your heart broke for him.

You too had lost your mum to a stroke. She'd been out doing the weekly shop when it had struck her out of nowhere. She had lasted a little over a week before the doctors had advised that it was best to turn off life support. It had broken your father's heart to do it and he'd followed her shortly after. The idea of living without her was too much for him to bear.

"What can I do?" You asked softly, eyes locking with his as he looked up at you with a tear-stained expression.

"Just be here... With me... please." He pleaded and your stomach twisted in knots.

You noted a message from Ben light up and your heart shattered. There was no way you could leave Mike right now and you certainly couldn't tell him that just last night you'd cheated on him whilst his world fell apart. You felt like the worst person in the world. Yes, Mike had made similar mistakes but two wrongs don't make a right.

He didn't deserve this.

"I'm right here." You promised as you gave his hand a gentle squeeze "We'll get through this."

Mike gave you a weak smile before letting his head drop and he sobbed, his hands shaking so much that the coffee in his mug sloshed around violently. Taking the mug from him, you placed it on the table beside yours and pulled him into your arms, holding him as he fell apart all over again.

This was a mess.

Talk about bad timing.

...

Ben was on cloud nine as he sat drinking his coffee whilst Frankie gushed about how he was sure the baby had said Dada that morning.

"I swear to god man... She looked right up at me... Smiled, then said, Dada!"

"Yeah, that's uh... great." Ben mumbled as he stared out the window, mind elsewhere completely.

"Hey... Earth to Ben." Fish clicked his fingers in the younger man's face to grab his attention and finally Ben looked at him "Where'd you go? You're not listening to me."

"Sure I was." Ben grumbled, "The baby smiled or some shit."

"What's going on with you?" Frankie asked as he eyed the man suspiciously "You got laid!" He stated as his eyes widened "You're only ever this brain dead when you've gotten your rocks off..."

"Ew." Ben grossed, smirking at his friend as he shrugged and nodded.

"So who was she?" He asked and Benny sniggered at his friend's question "Come on, tell me!"

"You're a worse gossip than your wife!" Ben admonished before taking another large sip of his coffee "If I tell you... You gotta promise to keep it a secret!"

"I don't follow... Why?"

"It was, Stitch." Ben stated and Frankie's eyes grew even wider.

"But she's-"

"Engaged to Mike I know but I went round hers last night to confess how I felt about her and well... One thing led to another and..." He didn't need to finish. Frank knew.

"So she splitting up with Mike?"

"I think so yeah." Ben replied "Basically said she needed to make a choice. Me or him."

"I'm happy for you brother." Frank stated as he leaned over to give Ben a friendly pat on the arm "Drinks tomorrow night is gonna be interesting."

Ben chuckled before downing the last of his coffee and motioning at the waitress for another. He eyed his phone, waiting for a response to his message. When your name lit up he felt his heart speed up and when he opened it, it started to pound

Mike's home. I need some time. Talk soon x

Ben's brows furrowed as he read your message. He was sure you'd said that Mike wasn't due back for another few days but he shook his concern off. Mike being home meant that you'd be forced to make your decision quicker. He just hoped you chose him.

...

You walked out of the bedroom, purse in hand as you eyed Mike who was sitting on the couch with a beer in hand.

"I can stay home." You said as you gave him a concerned look "The guys would understand."

"No, go." He said with a smile "You shouldn't have to give up your plans on my account.

"Okay." You replied, giving him a weak smile.

"Go, have fun." He said sweetly as he took your hand and gave it a squeeze "Not too much though." He said, giving you a wink that brought a smile to your lips.

"Don't wait up." You said sweetly as you leaned over to peck his lips, gasping when he pulled you onto his lap and deepened it.

"See you later." He then said as he let you stand, his eyes dark and you felt yourself shiver.

"See you later." You replied before grabbing your phone and making your way out, stopping just before the door "Or you could come with me."

You glanced at your phone and noted the group chat had been busy whilst you'd been getting ready.

On my way! You typed as you noted your Uber waiting at the end of your drive.

Your stomach sank when your phone lit up and you saw Ben's response.

♥️.

You knew you were going to have to talk to him tonight about what was going on. You hoped he'd understand that you simply couldn't leave Mike right now. Not with everything that was going on.

Tonight was going to be a long night... You could see it now.

...

Ben was practically buzzing from the moment he saw your message letting everyone know you were coming. He was desperate to kiss you again. He craved your taste. Was haunted by the musical moans he'd pulled from you the other night. It had only been a few days but he was already desperately craving his next hit.

You arrived around ten minutes after you'd texted and the sight of you took Ben's breath away. You were wearing a pair of navy blue jeans and a beige linen shirt, a change from your usual oversized t-shirts and leggings. To anyone else, it would have been a pretty bland outfit but to him, you looked like an angel sent from heaven. You smiled and waved at everyone the moment you spotted them and swiftly made your way over. Ben grinned as he got up to greet you, only for his face to fall when Mike stepped into view.

You spotted this immediately, heart, shattering when his gaze drifted to yours again and he gave you a look that could only mean one thing. Why? You shook your head slowly, brows pulled together and Ben could have sworn his heart was reduced to nothing more than dust. Frankie noted Ben's change in demeanour and grabbed the man's wrist, giving it a friendly squeeze. He was telling his friend that he was there for him and Ben loved him for it. He wasn't sure what he was going to do otherwise.

"Mike, we weren't expecting to see you." Piped up Will as he stood to shake the man's hand "Good to see you bud."

"Yeah, last-minute invite." Mike chuckled nervously "Fiancée felt sorry for me I guess."

"Well, it's my round!" Frank piped up when he felt Benny stiffen beside him "Beers?" He asked as he looked round at everyone "Great! Ben, give me a hand?"

Ben didn't say anything. He just nodded and followed his friend to the bar, glad of the moment away from you and Mike. Frankie gave the bartender the order before turning to face his friend, noting how Ben's usual bubbly energy had all but fizzled out.

"Talk to me, Benny." He pleaded and Ben just sighed.

"I honestly thought she'd choose me." He choked, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to will away the tears forming.

"There could be more going on here." Frankie stated and Ben scoffed "She loves you and you love her... There's got to be a reason why she's not left him yet."

"Frank..."

"Just hear her out brother." Frankie pleaded "We both know she'll explain herself to death so just let her."

Ben nodded, before grabbing the bottles of beer Frankie couldn't manage and following the pilot over to the table. The group gave their thanks before Will started to talk to Mike, pulling the information Ben needed in order to understand why you'd not left him.

"So you said Stitch felt sorry for you." The older Miller started, pausing to take a swig of his beer "Everything okay?"

"My uh... Well, my mum died a few days ago." He stated and Ben's jaw figuratively fell to the floor "Stroke. Real sudden. Hit us all pretty hard."

"Shit man that's awful." Said Will as he have the man a friendly pat on the arm "My condolences."

"Thanks, man."

Frankie gave Ben a look and the younger man nodded. This revelation made sense. There was no way you'd leave him when he was going through something like this. Even so, it hurt him that you'd brought Mike along and that you'd not prewarned him that things weren't over yet. His eyes drifted up to you and your expression destroyed him. He could see the guilt and the want sparkling in your eyes. He yearned to pull you into his arms and tell you it was going to be okay. But he couldn't. He could only look away and fight the urge to claim you as his.

An hour into drinks, Ben was finding the whole situation stifling. So he stood and excused himself, stating he needed some air before walking off in the direction of the smoking area. Stepping out into the smoky air, he almost wished he'd taken up the habit. At least that way he would have something to distract himself from the turmoil brewing inside of him.

"Ben?"

Your soft voice made his heart skip a beat and he shut his eyes for a moment to compose himself before turning to face you and his heart broke all over again when he saw how wrecked you were.

"I'm so sorry." You sobbed and he simply shook his head and pulled you into his arms "I just... I can't leave him right now-"

"I understand." Ben replied as he pulled back to look at you "Bad timing."

"Story of my life." You chuckled, wiping away a stray tear before moving to perch on the bench that lined the wall behind you "I should have told you but I just... I didn't know what to say."

"I get it." He replied, shrugging before sitting down beside you "It's a shitty situation.

"I'd made up my mind." You started "I was going to choose you... But then he came home with this news and I just... I realised that I was being selfish."

Ben's stomach sank at the tone this conversation had suddenly taken.

"What do you mean?"

"Mike and I are engaged, Ben." You stated simply "I agreed to marry him and I think I need to see that through. He does make me happy and I know we'll have a good life together." You paused to let out a choked sob, eyes drifting to your hands in your lap "Besides, you'd get bored of me quickly."

"What?" Ben's biting tone caught you by surprise and you were startled a little when he abruptly got to his feet.

"I mean, look at you." You scoffed "You could have anyone you wanted. You'll soon realise that there are better women out there. You think you want me but-"

"Why don't you trust that I love you?" Ben growled, cutting you off "Why can't you trust that you are the woman I picture spending the rest of my life with."

"Because!" You rushed out "Men like you don't end up with women like me." You got to your feet and angrily wiped away your tears "With Mike I have a chance at a life where I'm not alone."

"Even if he's off screwing other women on the side?" Ben scoffed and your anger started to bubble.

"He made one mistake Ben!" You snarled "We did one better to him."

"You're ridiculous." Ben grumbled and your furry came to a head.

"Excuse me?"

"You're so blind to the truth." He yelled "I love you... I am in love with you and I want to marry you and have babies with you but nothing I can say is ever going to convince you of that so I give up!"

"What?" You squeaked, hands shaking as your anger turned into fear.

"I am done waiting for you to see the truth of things." He elaborated "Go marry Mike... I hope he makes you happy."

"Ben."

He left you standing there on that balcony, tears streaming down your cheeks as you played what he'd said to you over and over in your head. He was done with you... and it hurt like hell.

You slipped to the bathrooms when the tears finally stopped, and after doing your best to straighten yourself out you made your way back to the table. Noting that the younger Miller was gone.

"Where's Ben?" You asked as you looked over at Frankie.

"He had a headache so he left." The pilot replied and you nodded, knowing he knew the truth.

He was the only one at that table that knew how you and Ben felt about each other and you knew he'd take that secret to his grave. You took your seat again and smiled when Mike took your hand but it didn't reach your eyes. You'd made your choice and you had to live with it.

You just hoped you could.

2 months later...

You'd not seen or spoken to Ben since that evening. Your texts and calls had gone unanswered after eventually you got the message and stopped trying to contact him. Your heart was hurting. You were withdrawn and Mike noticed. He couldn't be sure what was getting you so down but he was sure it was something to do with that night. He knew something had happened and but he hadn't pushed you on it. Something you were glad of.

However, things had been set in motion now that would force you both back together whether either of you wanted it or not. Shit was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Mike's mum's funeral had come and gone and slowly but surely the man had started to come to terms with his mother's sudden death. He started talking about the wedding plans with you more. Something that you'd placed on the back burner two months ago but he seemed keen to start firming things up and you weren't sure how you felt about that.

Your heart was still aching over the loss of Benny.

It wasn't in it and it showed in everything you did. Right down to the sex you two rarely had. Mike knew he was losing you and he had no idea what to do about it but you'd decided to stick by your decision to marry him no matter how much it hurt.

Still, fate had other ideas.

...

Ben watched as his latest one-night stand grabbed the last of her things. She gave him a seductive smile which he returned, getting up to kiss her before walking her to the door.

"I had a great time." She purred, lacing her fingers through the hairs at the base of his neck "And I know you said you're not looking for anything serious but if you wanna do this again sometime, here's my number." She finished, handing him a card before taking a step back so that he could open the door for her.

They both jumped when they found you standing on the other side, fist raised, ready to knock on the wooden structure.

"Shit, uh... sorry I hadn't realised you had company." You stuttered as lowered your hand and looked at them awkwardly.

"That's okay, I was just leaving." Piped up the woman at Ben's side and you watched her as she turned to give him one final kiss "Think about it." She said with a wink before stepping out the door and passing you, leaving you to stand there in awkward silence.

"What are you doing here?" Ben grumbled when he couldn't take it anymore and you jumped at his question.

"Right... Yeah... Um... Well, I kinda need to talk to you about something." You fumbled out, heart clenching when Ben rolled his eyes.

"So talk?"

"Not something I really want to discuss with you in the hallway of your apartment building." You growled, eyes boring into Ben and making his heart, ache. "Can I come in?"

He shrugged, opening the door wide enough for you to slip through before shutting it behind you. You padded across the room and perched yourself on one of his couches. Watching him as he made his way over to the kitchen side to pour himself a coffee.

"Want one?" He asked and you shook your head "Suit yourself."

When he finished preparing his drink he made his way over to you and sat on the other couch, as far from you as he could manage. You couldn't help but study him. He looked tired. Strung out and there was still a sadness in his eyes that made you ache. The ray of sunshine that was benjamin Miller was nowhere to be seen. Instead sat this broody grey cloud. A man that you knew was of your making and it hurt you to see how much you had hurt him.

Suddenly you were terrified to tell him what you'd come here to say. But it had to be said so after taking a few steadying breaths you spoke.

"I know I am probably the last person you want to see sitting here right now." You started, fighting hard to keep your voice from wobbling "But there's something I need to tell you."

"If it's that you're getting married in a few months, save it." Ben scoffed "Frank told me and if I'm being honest I don't care."

"Ben-"

"I told you before that I was done." He growled "Done hurting over you. Done pining over you." He snarled "I thought you were my redemption. The moment I laid eyes on you I thought I had found the woman who..." He trailed off "I wish I'd never met you." He choked, eyes glittering with unshed tears "I wish I'd never laid eyes on you because all you have done is hurt me... all you have given me is pain."

"Ben!" You said more firmly and the man groaned.

"What?" He snapped and you knew it was now or never.

"I'm pregnant!"

All of a sudden Ben was lost for words. His eyes drifted to the test that you now held, unsure of when you'd pulled it out. Leaning forward he took the stick of plastic from you and stared at the little screen.

"I'm pregnant Ben and I'm pretty sure that it's yours."

Next

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[violyane]

Hello Minasan I KNOW I said that I'll be more productive now BUT I had an internship to finish for my uni which took me a month and even though it wasn't very hard I was still too exhausted to do anything after work hours so sorry BUT now, with the last day of the internship remaining, I can turn all my attention to writing again. I decided to set a goal during this holiday and return to work on Master Plan again. I decided I would write every weekend, so hopefully there will be weekly chapter updates on that one. So I highly recommend rereading the first chapter (it's mostly an introduction so you didn't miss much). If you are more curious about what it will be about, I'll try to write down the most important aspects below :)

Kaga x Megami — this fanfiction is about Kagami. It's going to show the development of their relationship through the good and the bad. The story will mainly focus on Kaga; I want to show how his perception of Megami changes over time. There will also be secondary characters who are close to the two of them (student council, science club, club leaders, Midori, etc).

Pre-canon — the story starts before the main story of the game (which means it takes place before Ayano finds her Senpai). In the first chapters, Megami is in her first year and Kaga is in his second year. But the fanfiction will consist of the main story lore… just later :)

From loose chapters to something more intense — since we know almost nothing about the year before the main game story, I decided that the pre-canon chapters will be looser. They will look more like one-shots than a linear story, but their main focus will be to show Kaga's feelings towards Megami and how they change slightly from chapter to chapter. The story will get more intense, I promise ;)

Canon differences — this is actually the main reason why I postponed writing this fic, because I really don't want to mess with the storyline. But you know… If I have to wait an indefinite amount of time for Megami's Week to be released (who is the tenth rival, and we are still at the second one), it would never come to life. So I have to come up with my own ideas for her week. And as much as I don't want to, I have no choice. The pre-canon events will also affect the main story, but I think it would at least be justified, considering we'll be going through them with every chapter.

OOC — I didn't want Kaga and Megami to be out of character, but I think I screwed that up lmao. I think Master Plan will portray Kaga (and maybe Megami too??) as much more romantic than he should be, so I'm sorry about that, but I just can't help myself when it comes to fluff. Mostly I'm changing him from a gremlin and freak to a charming and manipulative gremlin and freak.

Unlikable? — The characters may be a bit unpleasant at first (especially Kaga), but this is necessary for their character development. Basically, I want to show how Kaga sees Megami from "a tool to help him take over Saikou Corp" to "a beautiful and stunning woman living under the shadow of responsibilities and a traumatic past". So in the first chapters, Kaga might seem like a total asshole (which I think is somehow canon??? idk). Saikou Corp / Saikou Family — One of the motifs of the story is Saikou's unhealthy family relationships. It's mostly used to justify why Megami acts so cold and distant. There won't be much about them in the beginning, but they will be important in the canon part of the fic. (I'm already thinking about a sequel that would focus more on Kagami and SaikouCorp/the Siakou family, but that's waayyyyyyy too far in the future, so I won't talk about it now teehee).

I think that's all I have to say. I hope nothing will interrupt my plans as always and I'll finally write the fanfiction that I had planned since 2016 (yes it's been in my mind for 8 years)

See you soon :)

[yeswearemagazine]

You Won't Miss Me's Weekly Choice #2

An Uncertain Future © Peter Bendheim :

[thepodcasthoard]

How to Start a Podcast: Step-By-Step Guide- Castos

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l Part 6 l Part 7 l Part 8 l Part 9 l Part 10 l Part 11 l Part 12

The thirteenth article Sydney gave me is from Castos, which is a hosting site.

Castos lines out six steps to start a podcast.

Plan

Define goals. Why are you making this podcast?

Choose a topic. Castos suggests thinking about if you can talk about the topic you're considering for hours. Yes. Plural. If not, then it's not the topic for you. What makes your podcast different than similar ones? You also might want to consider future monetization if that's something you're after. The article I linked suggests twenty five broad topics to get you thinking (such as your trial and errors, and yourself narrating something).

Define your audience. Make a listener persona or avatar.

Choose a format. That article lists pros and cons of each, with examples of established podcasts.

Choose a name. That article goes over the camps of naming- yes, the descriptive, clever, and brand- and a few other things, like how saying the name out loud will help.

Choose who's going to conduct the podcast. If you're doing it solo, it's a no-brainer. But if you have a team, there will have to be a discussion.

Write a description. This article says that out of 780 people surveyed by the podcast host, most of them judged whether or not to listen to a podcast by their description. I included the first article because it has other useful stats. You should write it to be engaging to the human readers, and search engine optimized for the algorithm. If you get stuck, Castos helpfully provided three templates to chose from and tweak as you need.

Choose categories. Most people (from the podcast host data) find new podcasts via the search function in their app or site of choice. The categories are how your listeners will find you. One broad category and two sub categories are allowed, so choose wisely.

Decide on a length to shoot for. You won't hit it to the second, but having a general guide will help. Your episode length can be a unique selling point- if every other podcast in your niche is over an hour, your fifteen minute podcast will be interesting. And the opposite is true. But don't pad out the episode with fluff to make it longer for the sake of it, and don't cut any useful information to make it shorter for the sake of it.

Decide on a publishing frequency. Whatever you choose- weekly, fortnightly, monthly- be consistent. If you miss an update, you might lose listeners because they don't feel like they can expect the episode reliably.

Name episodes. Consider the episode name like the headline of an article. You want to get the broad view across while also enticing people to read. Or, in this case, listen. Use at least one or two keywords naturally to make it so when people search for a solution to a problem, your episode has a better chance of popping up. Podcast apps tend to cut off episode titles, so make sure the most important words start the title. If you have guests, include their names, but leave off your podcast name. It'll already be in your feed, so there's no need to reiterate.

Consider monetization. While monetization is most likely far in the future, think about any ideas now. For example, merchandise you can sell, or a subscription tier system.

2. Recording equipment

They included a handy infographic, but really a microphone, pop filter, headphones, and the computer you already own will do fine to start. When you're ready to expand, they have more equipment recommendations.

Have a recording space. You don't need a fancy studio, but it should be a quiet place with little background noise.

Set up equipment. Make sure everything works and is recording. Then- this is just an aside from me- make a test recording. Make sure it sounds how you want it to.

3. Editing software

A lot of times, your recording software can also edit, but in case it doesn't Castos provides some options.

Remote recording software is different, and you need it if you have guests that aren't physically present in the same room as you.

4. Record your first episode

Don't worry if you don't have a workflow yet, that will come.

Write a script if you're nervous.

Check out some microphone techniques to build good habits.

Castos has general tips here

They also have a video tutorial and article here.

5. Edit

Add intros and outros. According to NPR, 20-35% of listeners will only give your podcast five minutes. To avoid this, Castos has a guide on intros and outros.

Music. It's nice to have, and makes your podcast sound more polished. Castos collected sites to get affordable royalty-free music.

In general, there are three things to do when editing- removing things you don't like, adding things that make the episode better, and fixing audio mistakes like background noise.

Castos put together a video and article on editing here so you can take some of the guesswork out.

Export your final file. There's some technical jargon here, but basically there's a preferred file type and a way to adjust your sound so that the episode is the same volume throughout the one episode and between episodes. Castos focuses on how they expect files to be- they are a hosting site after all- but I feel like maybe other hosting sites would encourage this. The best practice is to check out the guidelines on your hosting site and follow them.

6. Launch

Choose a podcast hosting site. As I've said in previous posts, you need an RSS feed to give podcast directories before people can listen. Castos does a good job explaining it in this infographic.

When choosing a hosting site, consider a few factors: storage, website, analytics, and marketing.

Artwork. Castos recommends that the font is clear and easy to read, and there aren't too many diffferent fonts- two max. Keep your topic in mind as you design or have someone else design the artwork for you. Contrasting colors and 'empty' space are your friends- they bring attention to the podcast and gives the name room to metaphorically breathe. They also included a handy site called the podcast artwork check to see how the artwork looks across sites and apps. Castos also has an in-depth guide with examples of artwork.

Submit to directories. Now it's time to get ears on your podcast and get it out there. Check out the list of thirty different directories to submit to.

Build a website. This is a permanent home for your podcast, just in case anything disastrous happens to any directory.

Add show notes and transcriptions.

Strategies:

Make a trailer.

Release three episodes on launch day.

Network with other podcasters. You can offer to cross-promote, which means that if they feature a snippet or description of your show on theirs, you'll do the same with theirs on yours. Make sure your niches are linked, though- no one wants a comedy podcast in a true crime one.

Be active in online communities related to your audience and topic.

Don't be afraid to self-promote. Word of mouth has to start somewhere.

7. Promote your podcast.

Don't be afraid to reach out to your audience. They're listening to you for a reason, and they'll probably gladly spread the word if they haven't been already.

If you mention any brands organically, shoot them a message and tell them. They might feature your episode on their social media.

Guest on other podcasts. Be nice here, no one likes someone constantly nagging about when they're going to be on their podcast.

Advertise on podcast apps. Just make sure you're actually listed on their app before you buy the ad.

Castos also has social media and email list guides.

There are a few resources listed at the bottom of the article, including a facebook group and their podcast about podcasting.

[zombeebunnie]

Game development Trembling Essence update:

Hi guys and welcome new followers, I hope you all had a great and awesome spooky month! :] This update is a bit late because I wanted to give my mind some time to adjust back to working on the game since everything was fairly scattered around last month. This will be slightly long but I tried to condense everything. :]

In good news, another route into day 4 is now 95% done! Both of my play testers went through it and gave a good amount of advice/guidance but overall enjoyed the additions I added to it along with a new CG! I won't show it right now but to give a little back story, It's actually a redraw of an old scene I was trying to create in the early part of the summer. At that time I was trying to strictly keep things updated weekly and rushed a certain angled CG pose so I could have something new to show and not reuse the same CG thumbnails over and over. I tried to make it work but i secretly didn't like it and eventually deleted it since it looked so awful. I rewrote the entire scene recently to fit the new CG that's there now and in a way, it brought everything together a lot more now then it did before. :]

I've also been going through and fixing up a lot of the volume differences within the game. There were times in the game where certain SFX's were too loud and not adjusted well to whatever song/ambiance was playing at the time. I'd say more of the commonly used SFX's are all fixed but I'll keep looking through and hopefully catch any of the ones I accidently missed.

There were also a few more adjustments done in the start of Day 3 when you enter the cabin most of which were quality of life changes ranging from simple dialog fixing to alterations depending on your closeness with Noah.

I also tested adding a small animation to see how it would play out and I do like it but I still need to learn a bit more about it before adding it in.

I also fixed more transitions since some were outdated and I missed a few of them.

Along with this, one of the choices you could make towards the end got a drastic change. The reason being is that the reaction from this was too similar to another option you could make. I was originally going to cut this choice out entirely since I was having issues with how the story would progress from it. Changing it kind of gave me an idea on how I could make it work without it feeling forced. This is still up in the air though and I can't guarantee anything for it right now. :[

Lastly, I've been looking at one of the endings you could get in Day 3 and I came up with another idea for how it should end. I'm still coming up with CG ideas but I think the new ending will fit the theme I'm going for a lot more which will make it fairly long, some time in the future I'll come back to this. :]

With all that being said, I think that's everything I have to share right now! Thank you guys very much for all your support and appreciation for what I'm working on! :,]

[master-amaris]

Blood Bond - A Naruto Fanfiction

|| Multi Chapter || Uchiha-centric || Canon Divergent AU || Alternate Storyline: Uchiha coup d'état instead of massacre || featuring OCs || Angst || Light Gore || weekly updates since I already finished writing this fic || author's Note at the end of the chapter

Itachi and Shisui fail to stop their clan. Instead, Fugaku follows through with his coup d'état and brings Konoha to its knees in a single night, changing the fate of his clan, his sons, and the entire ninja world forever…

Chapter One Before You Start a War, You better Know what You're Fighting For

"This is the point of no return, isn't it?" Mikoto asked when she saw his hands dripping with blood. "Yes," Fugkau replied, pulling the door shut behind him. Her arms tightened their grip around Sasuke's body, who slept on her lap with his cheek against her chest. "All of them?" "Almost." She watched her husband rubbing the damp red from his skin with a white towel, leaving dark edges under his fingernails. "Danzō is still missing." "And… Itachi?" Mikoto only managed a whisper. "What about him?"

No answer. She assumed that spoke for itself, and the conclusion filled her eyes with tears.

"Please, Fugaku." She started to shiver. "If he-... Or if you-... I just want to know if-..." A first tear ran down her cheek, allowing her to see clearly for an instant before her vision blurred again and cleared up once more as the second tear beaded from the corner of her eye. "Is he all right?"

Fugaku put the towel aside. "Don't worry, he's alive. We confronted and arrested him near the Nakano River."

Her heart was pounding so frantically that she feared it might awaken the boy in her arms. "And what will happen with him?"

Fugaku brushed the blood-soaked shirt from his body. A fresh one lay ready for him to unfold. "That's yet to be decided. But treason is treason, Mikoto."

Mikoto brushed the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I see..."

Silence. For minutes. But Mikoto had this feeling that even without words, Fugaku could hear what she was thinking anyway.

"I'll do what I can," Fugaku said eventually. "But I don't know if I can help."

"You must try." Mikoto could barely speak, trying so hard to hold back the tears. Her voice sounded painfully harsh. "Itachi is our son, despite everything. Please don't forget that. I don't want to lose him!"

"We already have." Fugaku stood with his back facing her; that way, she couldn't see that his eyes were also starting to glisten treacherously. "Itachi picked his side. Even if I succeed in convincing the others to spare his life, it won't change anything. He made his choice, and he won't change his mind. He's gone, out of reach." Fugaku's shoulders trembled. "It would be less painful if he... If he was..."

"If he was dead," Mikoto whispered. She lifted Sasuke a few inches, pulled her legs out from under his body, and carefully bedded him back down on the tatami mats. "Yes, it would be," she continued as she rose and walked toward her husband. " Being allowed to mourn our son's death would be less painful than having to despise him for his betrayal."

Eleven steps separated her from Fugaku: ...nine. Ten. Eleven...

Mikoto wrapped her arms around his stomach and nestled her chin against his shoulder, kissing his neck. With a sigh, Fugaku let his cheek sink against her hair. "I never will."

"Of course not," she mumbled, "He is your son. You will always love him." And you'll never recover from losing him. It will always hurt. "Just never let anyone but me know how you truly feel. They would misunderstand your pain and lose faith in you."

Fugaku turned around in her embrace. I know, the bleak expression on his face declared, and Mikoto's heart wanted to break when she saw his bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks.

She sobbed, digging her fingers into the folds of his shirt. "Yet, if they insist on his execution, you mustn't hesitate. Just do it." She shivered again. "Do it yourself and make sure it's quick. Don't let our son suffer."

Fugaku raised his left hand, grazing her temple with his fingertips, brushing her jaw and cheek, and finally stoking her lips before touching them with his. "I won't," he whispered into the kiss.

Heaving a sigh, Mikoto wrapped both arms around his neck and snuggled closer into his arms as a knock tapped against the door behind them.

"It's time, Commander. We're ready to go."

Mikoto felt the Fugaku's reluctance as he broke away from her lips. "In a minute," he answered through the closed door. The sudden harshness in his voice gave Mikoto's heart and stomach a twinge. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Copy that."

Mikoto wavered while listening to footsteps echoing away. Then, she brushed the tears off Fugaku's face. Despite her own, she forced a smile. "Are you ready?" "Determined by all means."

Fugaku took her hands in his and blew them a kiss before carefully pushing past her to walk the eleven steps to the sleeping Sasuke.

Mikoto remained in place. Fresh tears filled her eyes as she watched her husband kneel down beside the child, stroking back his black hair to kiss his forehead. "I love you, son," Fugaku whispered. "When you wake up, it will be over. Everything will be all right at last." He kissed Sasuke a second time. "I promise."

"Have you ever put your hands inside a human's head?" Natsume asked.

His right pointer and middle finger lodged in a young unconscious Uchiha's eye socket, gushing more blood than it could hold.

Satoshi scrunched up his nose. "No."

"You won't be able to make that claim in a few seconds anymore. Come here."

Reluctantly, Satoshi drew a few steps closer and settled on his knees in the grass next to Natsume. The pressure of his knees squeezed seeped blood from the ground. It welled to the surface and soaked the fabric of his gray pants.

"My fingers are plugging the wound he's bleeding from," Natsume explained. "I can close it, but I need a minute or two to prepare the jutsu. You need to keep the pressure in the meantime to make sure he doesn't lose more blood."

Satoshi gulped. "Are you serious?"

"I rarely joke about people bleeding out, you know." The unconscious Uchiha under Natsume's hand twitched. "Come on, go ahead - before he comes around."

"Do I disinfect my hands first?" Satoshi asked, his gaze glued to Natsume's hand; the upper thirds of his pointer and middle finger disappeared between eyelashes and lids.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "What do you think, huh?"

"Sorry." Satoshi cleared his throat, "I've never done anything like this before."

A small plastic bottle of disinfectant was lying in the grass beside the unconscious young man, whose black T-shirt was decorated with the Uchiha emblem. Satoshi's hand trembled as he picked the bottle up and pressed its beak-shaped cap down several times.

Fine spray wetted his skin and gathered into a thin film, which Satoshi carefully rubbed on both hands. The smell of alcohol burned in his nose, and the hairs on his arms erected - partly because of the cool disinfectant spray, partly because of the thought of poking a bleeding eye socket. He reached out for the fleshy cavity but hesitated at the sight of his fingernails: all at once, they seemed like claws.

"Baka!" hissed Natsume as Satoshi, without warning, put his hand in his mouth in a swift motion to nibble his fingernails down to the tip. "Now you can disinfect your hands again! Why don't you do that before?"

Satoshi picked up the disinfectant spray a second time. "Sorry," he repeated, spitting out the thin scrap of horn he had plucked off his fingernails. "I've really never done anything like this before."

"Trust me," Natsume sighed, "I can see that: you don't have to tell me every few seconds."

"Very helpful, man. Really. Thanks."

Natsume clicked his tongue. "Now, put your fingers in there already!"

Satoshi floundered as he carefully dipped his pointer into the puddle of red, with his middle finger following.

That's just a jar of strawberry jam that's been sitting in the sun too long, he implored himself. That's why it's warm. That's why it's sticky. Because it's melted strawberry jam, not blood: sweet jam that attracts wasps and molds if you don't put it in the fridge.

The blood smacked as Satoshi's fingers displaced it from the eye socket. It spilled over the rims and ran down Uchiha's pale face: over his temples into his ears; over his cheeks, chin, and neck into his clothes; over his brows and forehead into the roots of his black, shaggy hair. The socket wall felt like the sludge of rotten fruit, and the blood felt even stickier, slimier, than expected. More like syrup than jam. Scraps of coagulated blood floated in the pool, and Satoshi had the impression that they had a life of their own, actively wrapping his fingers.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." he muttered. His wrist bumped against Natsume's as they got in each other's way in the narrow eye socket.

"You got it?" Natsume asked.

Satoshi's fingers slid to Natsume's spot. Something pulsed against his skin, and he felt like tearing into a squashed slug, yet he bravely swallowed his nausea. "Got it."

Had Tetsuka Amaya not dislocated her left shoulder during a mission two weeks earlier, much would have ensued differently that evening. She probably would have been with Natsume and Satohi instead of hovering over the sink at home, burying her face in the red pulp of a watermelon. With each bite, drops of the sticky juice dripped down her fingers and splashed into the drain with hollow "plong!" sounds.

She stood in the kitchen barefoot, wrapped in a white towel with dark blue spots. Little beads of sweat glistened on her deep brown skin from the hot bath she had taken a few minutes ago, with her hair still damp from the shower she had taken before climbing into the tub. Coiffed into a bunch of neat twists, the strands stuck to her shoulders and her back. Little drops of water ran down the lengths of her dense, violet curls and settled in their tips until they grew too heavy and splashed on the white floor tiles.

A fresh breeze blew through the open kitchen window, carrying the words of a harsh voice from a distance: "All villagers, retreat to the evacuation tunnels immediately! This is an order from the Hokage! Konoha is in danger! Keep calm and look out for each other!" Amaya heard the call but did not perceive it. It was yet too distant, too muffled to stand out; just one sound among many alongside birdsong, the tinkling wind chimes outside the window, and the barking dogs of the Inuzuka whose estate was across the street. "All ninja assemble at the 34th training area! Wait for further instructions!"

Amaya let the gnawed melon rind slap into the sink and licked the sweet juice from her fingers and lips before reaching for the next piece. A few brown-black seeds plopped onto her bare toes as she bit from this second slice but didn't lean forward over the sink fast enough. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Smacking her lips, Amaya squinted at the clock above the stove.

About an hour too early, claimed its hands.

Amaya put the nibbled piece of melon back on the plate and wiped her mouth and fingers with a checkered dish towel. "Not ready yet, Anko," she shouted, advancing to the house entrance, slurring her words as she used a toothpick to pick pulp from her teeth. "But there's some sake in the fridge if you want to wait until I-"

Amaya broke off because she was close enough to the front door now to see that two people were waiting behind the sliding door: between the bars, their bodies cast crooked shadows on the cream-colored rice paper. A fist pounded against the wooden frame.

"Open up!" "There's a problem!"

Amaya tucked the towel neatly under her armpits because, judging from the voices, the shadows outside the door belonged to two men. Cautiously, she pulled the door open, a small crack to peer outside, facing two pairs of blood-red Sharingan eyes. "Yes?"

"We're here to see Tetsuka Jun," said one of the two men, a balding giant. He towered over Amaya by two heads, his companion still by one." He is to report to the conference room of the Hokage residence immediately. Sandaime's orders."

The sun was already hanging quite low over the horizon, casting its light on the Tetsuka house at a steep angle, blinding Amaya. She had to shield her eyes with her hand to keep from blinking. "My father is on a mission," she explained, "I don't know when he'll be back."

The men exchanged a quick glance. The bald guy shrugged.

"What's your name, girl?" the other asked. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Amaya.

She pulled the towel tighter. "Tetsuka Amaya."

"Tetsuka Amaya," he repeated, nodding slowly. Amaya suddenly remembered very clearly how she had seen a hissing rattlesnake by the roadside for the first time many years ago. Its eyes had sparkled in a way similar to his. "Then you will attend in place of your father. No one will mind. As long as the Tetsuka clan is represented..."

Amaya shook her head. "Represented at what? What's going on?"

"All villagers, retreat to the evacuation tunnels immediately! This is an order from the Hokage! Konoha is in danger! Keep calm and look out for each other! All ninja assemble at the 34th training area! Wait for further instructions!"

Instinctively, Amaya turned her head in the direction from which she suspected the call. This time, she perceived it: during the past few minutes, it had moved from the center of the village closer to the district in the south where Amaya lived with her father. Her heartbeat quickened.

"What's going on?" she asked again. Her voice started to tremble.

The guy with the sparkling eyes waved her off, "You'll find out soon enough." "Just hurry," his companion added. "Remember, come to the conference room of the Hokage's residence. It is very urgent."

Without another word of explanation, the two men turned their backs on Amaya and strode down the three steps of the staircase that connected the front yard and porch. The Uchiha crest emblazoned the backs of their gray shirts.

Amaya remained in the doorway, perplexed, watching the two men with a thumping heart and an unpleasant tug in her lower abdomen as they took the narrow gravel path through the front yard, past the yellow chrysanthemums, the purple-speckled toad lilies, and the golden-orange azaleas. The gravel crunched under their feet until they passed the brass gate in the garden fence, overgrown with ivy.

Dust swirled from the road as the two Uchiha crossed it in a diagonal line. They stopped in front of the wooden gate to the Inuzuka estate.

On the gate was a sign showing a black dog with ruffled fur. The animal wore an eye patch over its right eye, and its left ear was missing. The retracted chaps exposed yellowed fangs. "I need five seconds to get to the door," red characters informed. "And you?"

Undeterred, the bald Uchiha's fist pounded against the wooden gate. "Open up!" And the other added, "There's a problem!"

Behind the wall, a storm of growling, yapping, and howling erupted, punctuated by hissing "Shhh!" sounds or shouts of "Off! Off!" before the gate swung open. Kiba, a little boy with brown hair and fair skin, appeared. On his head, he carried Akamaru, his white puppy.

"Yes?" Amaya heard the little boy ask. "We're here to see Inuzuka Tsume." "'Mom! Here's a baldie who wants to see you!"

Amaya took a deep breath and retreated into the house to get dressed. She began to understand, The Hokage is gathering the clan leaders. Whatever's happening, it's bad.

She had no way of guessing that the Hokage was already dead.

Dividers by @/ohmarigold

Autor's note: I'm so happy and excited to finally share this fic after putting so much time, thought, and passion into it. This project started with the question, what if Fugaku's coup d'etat had been successful? As I began to imagine this alternative scenario, I also tackled the question of how the Uchiha would've pulled that off and found that this was an entire story on its own. And I can already promise a lot of angst as it gets pretty gritty :D

Thank you so much for sticking around to the end of the chapter! I really hope you liked the kick-off. If so, please consider reblogging, and if you take the time and energy to leave a comment, I'll be forever grateful.

[regarding-stories]

Roundup of the backlog...

I realized I watched more stuff than I even can keep up with writing about. So let's do a speedrun...

given ("Can't Say Goodbye, I'm Still Drifting With Your Echoes")

So, I got into this one because it was about musicians and being in a band. It also seems to be a boy-on-boy love story... as such, I don't mind. The characters are all drawing me into the story. And as a musician I can't resist the loving attention to detail - as an aspiring guitarist you could learn some things from this show. I certainly didn't know more than this as a teenager myself...

I'm just a few episodes in, and I like what I see.

TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You

An unlikely beginning - a boy promises a girl to marry her. Once he's of age, she shows up on his doorstep, ready to go. From this premise unfolds an incredibly cute story of two people figuring out life and romance together. She's probably a legendary character from a Japanese story, too. These blushing newlyweds are simply adorable.

Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro

A loner artist second year runs into a gaggle of trendy first year girls - and one just won't leave him alone. I gave it a chance because I was curious, and I don't regret it. Frankly, what happens in the first episodes would probably count as bullying, but very soon it becomes clear that there is something between especially these two characters, and Nagatori-san is not nearly as cool or experienced as she wants her Senpai to believe. Over time he also becomes friends with the whole gaggle. The show is changing from funny to cringe to adorably cute constantly. It's certainly entertaining.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999

Girls gets dumped for another girl, gets drunk, runs into young hot dude (who doesn't say much) and realizes he's the popular streamer her ex adores. Ends up passing out on his bed, too. She joins the MMO where he hangs out with his friends. Initially a very one-sided crush, but as the cast expands it becomes a rather chill and nice story about misunderstandings and friendship, plus a slow-burn romance. Airs on Crunchyroll once a week - and I find I look forward to every episode.

Tomo-chan Is a Girl!

Oh, I'm definitely sold on this one! Tomo is a high school girl that confesses to her childhood friend, except he doesn't seem to understand and only see her as his best friend. Over time both cast and backstory expand so by the end of the series you will understand why things ended up this way. Very satisfying, doesn't overstay its welcome, supposedly better paced than the original web manga. Wraps up in a single season.

First show where I recognized a Japanese voice actress again. The boyish Tomo has the same one as the not-very-girlish Anzu from Romantic Killer. Just listen when she is surprised or weirded out - you can't miss it.

Skip and Loafer

Very nice coming-of-age story, airs weekly. Girl from remote rural community joins Tokyo high school to realize her ambitious plan to become a public servant. Ends up being friends with laid-back guy whom all girls adore. Frankly the first episode is some of the best-paced funny stuff I've ever seen. The show then grows its cast organically and settles into high school life, plus it's a love story, of course, but not in a hurry.

Waiting for the next episode is hard...

To Every You I've Loved Before

Without knowing I watched a sequel! A very satisfying story on its own, this one is about parallel worlds and how we constantly skip between them. A boy is the son of the guy who's researching how choices create parallel worlds, and the first major branch in his life is when his parents divorce. Continuously throughout his life he is confronted with the impact of his choices as his life unfolds together with a girl that he ends up marrying and growing old with.

A story about love, loss, choices, grief, happiness... Very satisfying, told at the right pace, always engaging, and not afraid to go in a new direction even in its last half hour.

As I said - the story of a boy who makes a choice. But guess what? There's another movie, "To me, the one who loved you". Telling the story of the same boy, but making the other choice. I haven't watched it yet. Maybe I have spoilered myself by doing this in the wrong order. But even if only this movie existed, I would have been very happy with it. Fun detail: It may be sixty years into the future with pocket watches that measure parallel universe shifts and holograms everywhere, but apparently people still do the thing where they wear "belly pouches" diagonally over their chest. I guess they didn't make up a "future look" for all the filler pedestrians...

Alya sometimes hides her feelings in Russian

This was a chance buy - it's a light novel series. High schooler sits next to very pretty "solitary princess" - the platinum blonde Alya who's half-Russian. And sometimes she says the most outrageous things to him, thinking he does not understand - yet he does.

First novel was rather good, but then you can tell the author tries to drag it out. Protagonist ends up knowing all the most pretty and popular girls in his elite academy... yawn. Still, the story is at times rather charming and funny. Too bad it tries to keep the cat in the bag - it didn't have enough substance for what we're getting. Stuffed to the hilt with light novel tropes... she's probably secretly his childhood love he got separated from and learned Russian for in the first place, his sister has the hots for him (they grew up separate after some family fallout), student council this and that, let's obsess about girl's exact bust size, hints of harem, the works... and the artwork does not do a good job of keeping some of the girls apart except for the title heroine. Also, outrageously dumb hypnosis scene?

Still, the author can write and largely delivers an entertaining story with that nice little twist. I started disliking the protagonist because of his habit to prank Alya... not charming. Usually he's a very upright and forthright guy, and completely oblivious of his feelings for Alya.

Not exactly recommended, but readable.