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virtualcarrot · 8 months

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[KKIR] wherein gossiping happens and a mystery is pondered by the missions room's desk workers

(on account of a prompt on the Forbidden Scrolls of Kakairu discord about Kakashi limping and Iruka being smug over it)

None gossip more than bored customer service providers, and none do it better than the Missions Room workers. A lull in walk-ins and all bets are off: where professional staff sat there now is a gaggle of hens.

There's a certain redundancy involved but they trust the process. Jounin, for example, are a recurring topic. Their entitlement, their lunacy, their training regimen, their latest conquests and what they ate for dinner. All it takes is a rumor to give the most treaded matter a new shine. Variations on a common theme.

So when Kaoru props an elbow on her desk, they know to lean in.

''Anyone know if Hatake's been on a mission?" she asks leadingly.

With the candidness of his juniority, Kazuo picks it up and fumbles a bit. "What?" He frowns, shuffling papers in search of the answer even as he racks his brain for it, whichever comes first. The later wins and he looks up. "No, he should still be on time off.''

''Well, he was limping earlier,'' she says in a long drawl.

''Limping?"

She cocks her head by way of a nod. ''Yup.''

Kazuo shrugs. "Well, yeah, seems legit, I mean, isn't he recovering from his last mission?"

''That was chakra depletion,'' Iruka says, not looking up from the stack of school papers he pulled out when visitors became scarce.

Kaoru nods at the reminder. ''I know. And Maito Gai's on a mission. I don't know anyone else who could spare with him that hard." She narrows her eyes at the smug look Iruka doesn't bother hiding. ''You know what this is about, don't you? I bet he's told you, you and him have been getting chummy. I know you know.''

Iruka puts the finishing touches on the test's grade (''a good attempt which might be improved on if you focus more on learning the lesson than on copying your neighbor's paper") and pulls a new one to get started on. ''I might,'' he says mildly.

She groans. ''Don't do this to me Iruka, we are a brotherhood in this room, you can't keep things to yourself.''

This time he looks up, just long enough to flash her a sharp self-satisfied smirk. ''Watch me.''

"Oh shit,'' Kazuo whispers à propos of nothing, which is the sort of warning that gets them sitting straight to face the entrance like proper little worker bees.

Iruka's posture is quick to loosen.

It's nothing obvious to an untrained eye and even most shinobi wouldn't bother thinking twice about it, but it's Kakashi so everything about him has an added layer of scrutiny. True enough, as he makes his way to Iruka's desk, the cadence of his steps lags behind every other beat.

''You know what you did,'' he tells Iruka, looming over him and the desk with a scowl.

Iruka starts packing his papers because it is after all the end of his shift. ''Is it a problem?" he asks his bag.

Kakashi's menacing posture fades into an amused slouch. ''Not at all,'' he says, which prompts Iruka to meet his eye with a grin. ''You done here?''

''And ready to go,'' Iruka says, adjusting the strap of his bag after getting to his feet. ''Nice evening to you guys and good luck locking up. See you tomorrow.''

His co-workers give him a half-hearted wave, already mustering the courage to endure the rest of their own shifts without the juice of this piece of gossip.

Still, Iruka isn't a monster. Having reached the doorway, he decides to share some crumbs. He locks eyes with Kaede and deliberately moves a hand to Kakashi's lower back to guide him through.

He doesn't stay long enough to watch the reaction but he does hear the squawk.

Kakashi draws closer and puts weight into the hand Iruka has yet to take back.

''I saw that,'' he whispers low to Iruka's ear.

Iruka brushes their shoulders together. ''Do you mind?"

"Not at all,'' Kakashi replies, his voice going dark and promising.

#kakairu #umino iruka #hatake kakashi #naruto #fic : naruto #my scrawl #ficlet #kakashi x iruka

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evolutionsvoid · 1 year

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Not really sure if you could qualify this as an entry, more like a ramble or daydream. Doesn't matter, writing it anyway. I am here in the freezing north, hunkering down in my makeshift snow cave as a blizzard runs rampant outside. The wind hasn't stopped howling for days it seems, and the snow is coming down so hard that the air is just solid white. Can't get research done in this, can't even leave my shelter! Just stuck here until it finally blows over, but there is no telling how long that will take. Working on staying warm through all of this, but thankfully I got enough gear to keep myself from freezing. The unfortunate part I am dealing with right now is that the menu is a tad lacking here. I brought provisions with me on this trek, since I can't always count on hunting for food. They have done me well so far, but the days have depleted my stock and the storm prevents me from getting something fresher. Dried meats are not the worst, they just get quite samey. The good stuff has all been eaten, so I am just left picking at what remains, bland and basic it may be. Of course I got plenty of lichens collected, which means I can survive a good long while on Crust Soup, but I shudder at that thought. Rather start eating the snow then choke down that wretched sludge. Gnawing on practically frozen jerky makes my brain and stomach yearn for the foods of home, wishing I was there to scarf down an entire pantry's worth. Every miserable bite brings to mind the delectable treats and hearty feasts found in a dryad kitchen, and it honestly isn't helping things here. That is why I am going to write about them now, to try and get these things out of my head and onto paper. Maybe my idle scribbling will distract me, and I will look up from my journal to find the storm gone. Eh, probably not, but lets go for it anyway. There are plenty of plants and fungi that can be found in a dryad's kitchen and garden, so lets see what we can think of! 1. Rind Berries - One of the foods that shows the dryad way of reusing and recycling, as we find ways to get more nutrients out of the things most people throw away. To be truthful, Rind "Berries" are not really berries. They aren't even plants. They are a type of blobby mold that grows on discarded fruit shells and rinds. Once you have eaten the good parts of a harvest, take all the discard pieces and pile them onto the compost. You want to have it on top, so that the mold can properly form and that you can better harvest it. In time, these clusters will form on the decaying rinds, and you can pluck them off for one last treat! Delightfully squishy, you could eat them all day! The best part is that their flavor changes depending on what fruits and rinds they grow on, so there are so many options! Anytime I visit a shop that specially grows them, I always find new flavors and combinations to try. I have heard humans don't like them so much, as they look too close to the usual berries they eat. They say that they get fooled into thinking they are going to be eating a blackberry or raspberry, and then get thrown off by the pungent savory flavor of this juicy mold. 2. Blaze Tip - Sometimes called "Fire Arrows," these are a special pepper that get their name from their pointed shape. They are often compared to spear tips or arrowheads, especially since they are indeed sharp at the end! Their undulating fruits grow upward, forming a pointed tip that can actually break skin. This is meant to ward off herbivores, making them painful to eat, especially when you factor in their spicy juices! The insides build up reserves of the liquid, which then shoot out when the fruit is squeezed or the tip punctures flesh. This injects the spiciness right into their foe, and is quite the shock for those trying to eat them! However, we have found this defense mechanism to be quite tasty, and a great way to add a spicy flare to a dish. By plucking one of the peppers off and jabbing them into a hunk of meat or vegetable, you fill it with that invigorating heat that will perk up any diner! Oh, they are just perfect combined with a big juicy grub! Fill that larvae with spice and pop them right into your mouth. That will get you going for sure! If you are planning on consuming the whole pepper or chopping it up to add to soup, be sure to remove the pointy end. Dinner ain't the same when you stab yourself in the mouth. 3. Noodle Trees - Not exactly a tree, it is actually a fungus, but it still is delicious! Grows long stringy strands that were meant to help produce and spread spores, but now are grown to make something similar to noodles. Just cut them off when they reach the right length and add it to whatever dish you want. It is important to keep these fungi properly trimmed, though, even if you aren't planning to eat them. They were bred to constantly grow these strands, even past their natural limits. If left to grow out too long, they tend to rot or can even smother the fungus under their sheer weight. So shear them off, toss them onto a plate with sauce and grubs, and enjoy! 4. Honey Bottles - Here is a plant that every dryad knows from the day they first emerge from the soil. Honey Bottles (or Nectar Pods) are what every sapling is raised on in their early days, until their stomachs properly grow in and can handle more solid foods. As with pretty much every plant and fungus on this list, dryads have selectively bred and grown this species over time to get them to the point they are now. Honey Bottles form these large pods that are filled to bursting with sweet nutritious nectar, loaded with everything a sapling needs to grow big and strong (but of course they still need plenty of sun and soil)! If any household has saplings or are expecting one, it is guaranteed that this plant will be in their gardens or homes. You want plenty on hand, because the little ones are a hungry bunch! Thankfully, these plants are pretty hardy and are easy to maintain. And when it is time to eat, all you need to do is pluck a ripe pod off, bite off the tip and let your hungry little sapling drink their fill. Of course, honey bottles can be used for other things, not just feeding the young. Their sweet nectar can be used as an ingredient for baking or cooking, and tends to show up in a lot of dessert recipes. Some folk whip it up into a wonderful frosting for cakes and other treats! Some add the sweetness to some more basic dishes, especially with young ones at the dinner table. The one drawback to having honey bottles be the perfect food for saplings is that they get a love for sweets and have a hard time trying other things! So sometimes a little dab of nectar is needed to help expand the palate.

5. Weeping Citron - A citrus fruit that gets its name from how the juices drip from the ends of its tendril-like growths, and also referring to what people do when they get their first taste of its sour flesh. Weeping Citron can be eaten as it is (for those able to handle the flavor), or added to juice drinks and recipes, but it shows up in dryad kitchens a lot for another reason. A thing I feel I should mention to my non-dryad readers is that dryads do not normally cook with fire. Dryads and fire are things that have not mixed well in the past, and the element can be dangerous to our homes and beloved forests. This means that fire is not a thing normally present in our day to day lives, thus we aren't used to handling it. Does that mean any dryad will run screaming at the slightest flame? No. Dryads are not deathly terrified of fire, we are just very wary of it and don't have a lot of experience with it. I am quite comfortable with the element, as I make campfires, but there is still some unease. But even if a dryad was fully capable of working with fire, there is a high chance their home is not. Obviously, dryad houses aren't built with fireplaces, or areas where a cooking flame can be lit, thus we cannot use it. We do have dryad bakeries and restaurants that utilize flame, but they were specially built to harness and contain this element. So in the end, this means a lot of our food and dishes are served at room temperature, as there is no flame to cook or boil. While our stomachs can handle rawer food than humans can, breaking down tough meats and vegetables makes digestion much easier. This is where the Weeping Citron comes in. Its highly acidic juices can be used on meat to break it down and make it easier to eat. All one had to do is rip off a tendril of the fruit and squeeze out the fluid into a container. Then you add the flesh and let it soak, giving time for the acid to eat away at it. I have heard that some humans use this cooking method as well, so perhaps this concept is a familiar one to you. However, I am sure most humans are used to dishes being served piping hot, which is one of the major differences between dryad and human cuisine. It certainly takes some getting used to for both sides, but once you figure that out, there is a whole world of delicious foods to try! Believe me, I am always sure to try out the local cuisine wherever I go! Makes me wish I was researching food right now instead of this... 6. Clutter Stalk - I swear this fungus was called a "Cluster Stalk," but I keep seeing it be written as "Clutter." Could it be a regional thing, or did I just make that up? No clue. Anyways, this fungus is known for its CLUSTERS of harden spore pods that are meant to be eaten and dispersed by animals. The spores within are able to survive the digestive process and then are deposited with in a healthy load of feces. I am sure that probably spoiled some appetites talking about that, but that is just how the fungus starts. The rest of its growth process relies on regular soil nutrients, and thus poop is no longer in play here. When it starts to fruit, it forms these CLUSTERS which we harvest and eat. Taste good on their own, or add them to a soup! If you are giving them to saplings to eat, best serve them in a bowl. Poor coordination with a fork will send these things flying everywhere, which is messy enough when done by accident. The little ones find it quite fun playing with these things, using them more as toys than food. Also, humans seem to always make comments about this fungus, referring to its peculiar appearance. Some would say this is noteworthy, but I honestly feel they have these jokes or "observations" about practically any plant or fungus. Yes, they look weird and resemble certain somethings, but when you say that about everything it is hard to take seriously. They say similar stuff about us too! You wouldn't believe what I have heard them say whenever they see small dryad effigies... 7. Climbing Eyes - When in their natural state, the name probably doesn't make sense to people. Red fruits on a vine, where does the "eye" part come in? When these fruits grow ripe, though, that is when the answer reveals itself. They will begin to swell and the crimson shell will crack open, revealing white flesh beneath. With a darkened pit in the center, ringed by the pale meat, the fruit takes on the appearance of eyeballs. It gives quite the look during the growing season, with vines of eyes clinging to the trees! When ripe, the fruits have a tart, refreshing flavor, lovely as a snack or turned into juice. They also can be heated up, which causes the flesh to rapidly expand and turn into a large spongy puff! We call them "Eye Poppers," and we can make them without fire by simply roasting them next to a Heat Cage. Humans like to call these plants "Dryad Eyes," and joke that these are where our eyes are, which I personally don't get. Why do they keep up with this odd prank, acting like they can't see our eyes? It's bewildering. 8. Tarwood - The fruits and nuts of plants aren't the only things we eat, as the Tarwood tree shows. This tree is known for its extremely sticky bark, which traps and kills insects and other critters. This is meant to secure the species more nutrients, and protect it from parasites and herbivores. The combination of crisp bark and sticky fluids, though, cannot be passed up. Since the tree grows this bark in thick, shaggy strips, one can peel off pieces without causing too much damage. Careful harvesting keeps the tree healthy, and results in a bunch of gooey bark laden with bug treats! You can snap into this bark as is, or crumble it up and sprinkle it on a salad or other dish. Glue on your own insects and pieces to personalize the flavor! It is a fun snack for saplings, as they can decorate the bark with a variety of bugs, nuts and seeds. Art you can eat! 9. Gall Candy - Not really a specific species to this one, but they do fare better with the more brighter and colorful ones. Everyone knows how galls can form on plants, be it by insects, parasites or disease. In most cases, these are problems (especially if the plant they are growing on is you), but some of them can have their uses. If you get the galls that are formed by insects laying their eggs in them, then you got the start of something tasty. Have that plant swell up into a big ball, and then pull it off. What you get is a crunchy treat with a surprise in the middle! Add a candy coating or a dip into honey, and you got yourself some Gall Candy! Some you crunch down on in one go, while others you suck on to enjoy that sweet flavor. If one looks to grow and sell these, best find a species that makes real colorful galls, as those are the ones that catch the eyes of saplings. 10. Fly Traps - "Fly Traps?" you may ask, confused by their addition here. "Aren't those just used for pest control?" Indeed, we grow these in our gardens to help feed on any invaders or pest that may try to damage our crops, but we always find extra uses for things. It is the dryad way! Their sensitive hairs help them detect bugs landing in their maws, which then snap shut and coat them in digestive fluids. This makes a good meal for the plant, but we found them to be pretty tasty for us too! Ever had a Fly Wrap? You take a big trap on one of these plants and then drop a bunch of meat and ingredients into its waiting maw. Let it close on this morsel and begin to digest it. This breaks it down into a nice gooey sludge, mixing it all together. You then snap the trap off after a certain amount of time has passed, depending on how crunchy or gooey you want the wrap. The sealed maw makes the perfect shell, holding in all the goodies for you to take a bite out of! Obviously, there are countless recipes for these, but I am still a fan of the original Fly Wrap. Get some big bugs and stuff them in, then give it a minute to just start the digestive process. You want it to still have that crunch to it, where the shells aren't completely dissolved. I feel it adds a nice texture to the meal, as a wrap filled with only goop is a little too samey for me. 11. Marsh Squidhorn - Not to be confused with an actual animal, this fungus gets its name from its appearance and preferred habitat. Long crimson tendrils coated with a pungent slime, called gleba, that is used to attract scavenging bugs for spore dispersal. The "marsh" part also refers to this gunk, as the smell is quite potent and very "swampy." The tendrils themselves have a nice meaty texture to them, and work great when slapped onto a bun! The slime atop them makes the perfect sauce, though that depends if people like the earthy, swampy flavor it has. It is definitely a polarizing taste, either people love it or hate it. Very potent, even in small doses. Critics of it describe the experience as "eating a handful of bog mud." I enjoy the flavor, though it is one I couldn't eat every day. Makes a nice spread, and works great on sandwiches. 12. Black Umbrella Cap - Mushrooms weeping goo is not an uncommon thing but, like the Squidhorn, some of them are specially bred to make that goop tasty! The black slime leaking from the Umbrella Cap is meant to disperse spores, but this is now used as a popular spread and condiment, often called Ink Sauce. It has a bitter, meaty flavor to it, which works well when paired with sweeter dishes or breads. Harvesting the stuff is simple, just take a cup or bowl and scoop up one of the hanging droplets. It's like a natural dispenser! I did have a jar of this stuff packed for this trip, to help add some flavor to my blander rations, but that is long gone. I licked the container clean two days ago, but I may be tempted to see if I missed any. 13. Garden Pot - Another example of us finding an extra use for pest control plants. The Garden Pot is like a vegetable cauldron that lures in bugs with an irresistible scent then drowns in them digestive fluids. Certainly a good way to catch insect invaders before they start chewing on your plants, and also a great way to make some delicious broth! It makes some tasty soups from all the bugs that fall in, or you can add your own ingredients! The digestive fluid breaks down a wide variety of meats and foods, so you can melt up a wonderful broth and then ladle it out into bowls. Garden Pots are pretty much outdoor kitchens, and are excellent at making a meal out of unwanted crops. Whenever you get fruits or fungi that are damaged or too far gone, just toss them into the Garden Pot to add some flavor to your next broth! Of course, always leave some of the soup in the plant so that it can eat too! 14. Puff Loaves - An absolute staple for any dryad kitchen, Puff Loaves are pretty much our version of bread (though we totally still make and eat bread). Soft spongy fungi that you can use for practically anything! Slice it open and stuff it to make a sandwich! Scoop out the insides and fill it with some delicious buggy broth! Drizzle warm honey over it and enjoy it as is! Slice it up and add the spread of your choice! The possibilities are endless! Ooooh, what I would give to have some right now. Two slices of Puff Loaf with a big slab of honey beef right in between! A little drizzle of fly sauce and oh I can't keep talking about it! I will go crazy! 15. Sky Fans - A brilliant blue shelf fungus that grows on tree trunks, the color and shape makes it seem like a piece of the sky fell down. A hard skin hides a soft inside, which makes a pleasant texture when biting into one. Just snap them off a tree and use them in a variety of recipes. The spongy flesh within wicks up fluids nicely once the skin has been cut open, so soaking them in juices adds to the flavor. Even as they are, they are quite tasty. Slice them into triangles and dip them in some honey or ink sauce. An easy snack for when guests come over! Just prepare a bunch, because it is easy to scarf down a ton without thinking! 16. Bulawa Fungus - While its club or mace like shape gives it its name, the more known thing about this fungi is its parasitic nature. The spores infect insects, which then leads to the fungus growing through their bodies and bursting out in bulbous stalks. Bad news for insects, but edible for us dryads. The thin stalk isn't really the part you eat (though you can), it is the swollen top that has the real flavor. Crunchy shell outside, with powdery spores on the inside. The dust has a nice mellow flavor, and kind of leaves a tingle on the tongue. Usually dipped in various sauces or coatings. It can either be snack or a dessert depending on what you cover it with. Word of advice that may seem obvious: don't feed these to any pet bugs you may have. They are tasty treats for sure, but I don't think you want to be picking them off your dead friend. And I think that is enough for now because I am about to eat this journal entry, as it seems way more appetizing than Crust Soup... Chlora Myron Starving Natural Historian -----------------------------------------------------

“Flora and Fungi of the Dryad Kitchen”

Weird writing about all these fungi to eat while I am not even a fan of mushrooms on pizza. Truly a fantasy world, I guess! Which ones would you eat?

#plant #fungus #fungi #art #drawing

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gggoldfinch · 1 year

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Hi yes obligatory personal update for those of you who follow me for Ghost content!!!:

I’m posting this as a preemptive apology, as Cemetery Gates chapter uploads will become sparse and/or cease for the time being. This is happening for several reasons, the primary of which being, I can feel myself losing motivation to continue writing it. I’ve learned the hard way not to force content when I’m no longer motivated to write for a specific work, so I’m not gonna risk fumbling something as dear to me (and many of you) as Cemetery Gates. It’s a shock I even got this far, considering there’s no definitive plot. Admittedly I also feel my hyperfixation focus shifting, as it usually does every 5-6 months after a seriously long period of fixation, like I’ve had with Ghost. It’s a cycle that I can predict now, which is slightly bizarre, but I’m getting off topic. This doesn’t mean I’m not still a diehard fan of Ghost/ won’t interact with your content anymore! I’m just not hyperfixated like I was in previous months, and may drop off in as active of engagement/ will start posting more multifandom geared things. Idk why I’m explaining this, y’all know how it works.

I’m also currently going through a very difficult time with school, so my emotional/ creative energy has kinda been rerouted, which sucks a lot (tldr: my school is going under and is currently bulldozing my department as a result, I’m actively losing staff support because the profs I’m very close to were fired, and I am fighting tooth and nail to graduate early and get the hell out of dodge). As a result of this my mental health has also been teetering on the edge of not great, so I’ve been taking comfort in older interests and fresh exciting things. Anyway— I say my creative energy has been “rerouted” and not “entirely depleted,” because I do feel some minuscule spark of creativity left, but it’s not focused on Cemetery Gates, unfortunately. Though, I don’t imagine I’d have a lot of time to write much of anything this semester either way, considering how loaded my academic schedule is.

Anyway, I just figured I’d update you all on where I’m at rn, and apologize to those of you who are readers of my darling little Cemetery Gates fic and were looking forward to more. I’m not saying this is the end of it—though if it were to be the end, I think I left it off on a fairly satisfactory note—just that it may be going on a little hiatus for now. At least until I get my juices flowing again, or until my brain decides to revert back into a hardcore Ghost hyperfixation again. Or, if it’s eons from now and the motivation never returned, then I’ll wash my hands of it and mark it finished. Such is the life of a fanfiction author I suppose.

Love y’all, thank you for the continued support— and as always, feel free to shoot me an ask about whatever!

#i knew i had to make this post when I changed my phone wallpaper this morning. that’s always a sign of the times #goldfinch writes #cemetery gates fic

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kaykay-13 · 2 years

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Chongyun's good boy through and through... honestly who would not love him?

I think OG chongyun's character development went like this, 'no thoughts' to 'one (1) thought: FL'

As for more ideas...hm.

You asked for it. Prepare for a long-winded speech.

What if... Xingqiu thought the change in chongyun's behavior was brought upon due to a positive effect caused by his encounters with the FL? That's his assumption at first.

Everyone in the kingdom thinks so too.

Love has set off the thawing out of his frozen heart! As layers of ice get chipped off to reveal the long preserved artifact from the very ice ages... His heart of gold! (This is Foreshadowing I think, read more to understand)

Chongyun in the meantime giving heart eyes at the CP.

Imagine... The Duke noticing... No, it's just one more reason to snuff him...instead, Imagine the FL noticing (at this point she likes chongyun, not the CP, changing the whole course of the game. Playing hard to get has apparently aided chongyun in many ways, both bad (FL) and good to some extent (Xingqiu))

CP's chances with the FL get foiled because now he's her love rival. Ouch.

Yes...that's what sparked the CP's hatred for chongyun...of course, the CP is oblivious to chongyun's crush on him.

Made worse if the Duke made an assassination attempt on the CP's life and chongyun's (quite shallow feelings tbh) compel him to save him only to get betrayed by the prince... When he stabs him right in the gut...

Chongyun ends up having a fever and with it a fever dream where he dreams of his previous life. When he comes to, with tears in his eyes, he comes to with a eureka!

Since he got transported here by dying (as all isekai go) what if dying in this world always him to be transported back? Or pass on at the very least.

Begin, chongyun's low-key suicidal tendencies. It's a last resort though. I think he'd be more than willing, more than happy to sacrifice himself for a loved one (Xingqiu ofc for the very climax muah) or maybe someone he sees as worth saving, someone who could change the world for the better (yunjin)

Not him, pretty ordinary chongyun. It's a good tool for angst and for xingqiu to be vulnerable with chongyun for the first time too.

Btw...does this AU include visions? If so how does chongyun's vision react when its owner changes, spiritually at least?

The current chongyun definitely does not share the same ambition as the OG... I think it would work for the first couple of days but suddenly it starts to dim and pulsate...

Chongyun now has to deal with a Sad, cryo vision that's coughing up elemental energy very sparsely, among other things.

That's when chongyun realizes he has nothing to really fight for. maybe his family but I don't think that would set off a reaction because they've been there all along (maybe OG's but not the current chongyun's ambition).

Protecting loved ones is a cliché anyway.

What if it's about his loneliness in this bizarre situation? Fighting in this cold world with no true ally.

Ambition...it seems like the only candidate is chongyun's desire to survive.

(A little boy all alone in the dark and ominous forest, big bad wolves looming over him for a taste.

Poor shepherd's boy... Went out of his usual route and got lost.

All alone in this world, he remains helpless.)

Maybe he realizes that being kind, honest and pure is a hindrance to his survivability when surrounded by all these deviously scheming people.

BUT, he refuses to part with his values, freezing them over, In casing them in protective ice for the meantime. He is not abandoning them per se, he's just setting them aside for now. (This is the foreshadowing from the very start)

I kinda dislike this one because it's syrupy... But maybe you have a better idea?

That's all I can think of right now... My brain juices have been depleted.

I consider myself to not be very creative if I'm being real here but if I come up with anything, I'll send you an ask.

I think I'm gonna retire for the night now...

But before that... Ahem... C-Can I hold you in my palm, please? I promise to be gentle.

there's no visions...... i'm sowwy........... no magic in this world either........

oh but IMAGINE. chongyun trying to work for crown prince and yun jin is very displeased. she begins to question his loyalty, and gifts him to xingqiu to prevent leaks in information, juuuust in case. that that sparks their new arc.........

chongyun changes from second male lead to first male lead by playing hard to get and that's the funniest idea i've ever thought up tbh. just be an asshole to the FL and everyone immediately roots for you

i also cannot wait for immoralqiu to show up and put chongyun through some shit which will Fuel his done-ness and inspire him to commit unalive. and bonus points with crown prince shenanigans.

y-you can hold me,,, i guess,,,,, please be nice,,,,,,,,

#isekai au #immoral xingqiu #xingyun #kk13

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jadbalja · 2 months

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On mass culture eating itself, the current creative desert, etc. (part 2) A: it's probably worth watching the UK version only A: this Roland/Dillard combo is very uninspiring for a novel of this seminal nature. I have trepidation. But then I had the same for Sandman and that turned out okay K: I confess I didn't see the US remake. John Cusack annoys me and there was no way it could live up to the original. Plus as you said, I didn't feel like watching a show about evil vaccines was comforting during the pandemic, when there was plenty of that nonsense in real life. A: the strip mining of the 80s/90s cultural landscape for material in our currently depleted creative industry continues K: Yeah, sometimes they get it right, like Sandman. K: I feel like Neuromancer could never have had its day though. For the 80's and most of the 90's, it would have been too speculative for most showrunners to portray without looking silly. Then suddenly the cyberpunk future arrived, and it wasn't quite what Neuromancer predicted, and overnight it became dated. K: Johnny Mnemonic was about as close as it came to a 90's Neuromancer. A: [..feel like Neuromancer could never have had its day though. …] though now with Musk's Neuralink, some people are thinking "jacking in" might be possible in the near future K: But I can't write if off entirely because as Cyberpunk 2077 (both the game and anime) showed, there's still juice in the genre, and depicting that kind of world. A: [Johnny Mnemonic was about as close as it came to a 90s Neuromancer …] I liked Johnny Mnemonic. And that too was Gibson K: Yes re things like Neuralink, but we're sort of 2/3's there now compared to 1984 when the book was written. What I meant was more that we know already that so much of cyber culture is going to be kind of mundane, full of grifts and so forth, an evolution of human nature rather than a revolution. Intellectual minnows like Musk look at books like Neuromancer and now try to backwards-develop their realities, rather than those books being prophecies as they once were. K: Yes there's stuff yet to come with AI and it will be interesting to see how the show portrays them. I recall the AI that got Swiss citizenship in the book, still a very fun thought experiment in ethics, philosophy, law, etc. Just a matter of time before it happens. K: But… like those robots from the 1940's who could "talk" and smoked cigarettes and whatnot, first we'll see silly things like that robot person the UAE called its first robot citizen. K: With Musk in particular it's hard to say where Neuralink is on the spectrum from making an interesting display centerpiece through groundbreaking scientific development, because he has enough money that he could conceivably hire the right people who use it wisely and make real breakthroughs. Or, it could all just be PR bluster. K: He apparently can make rockets. Can't run a social media platform to save his life. And his cars are a bit iffy. So, mixed bag. A: I think Neuralink has some way to go and he’s not the only one working on a brain-tech interface. MIT was demonstrating some such stuff a few years ago. A: To me the gap between the world in Neuromancer and the one we actually have (without a Neuralink possibility) is one of the mundane taken to its technological apex vs the human struggle taken to a technological abstraction. “Breaking ice” for hacking, artisanal objects for surfing the web, an underground ethic to the outsiders working in tech, and existential dilemmas of AI. Versus of course, today’s reality - machine computation cheapening real creativity, the web as an extension of cultural stagnation in another form, and mass produced and commodified tech interfaces. A: The 80s cyberpunk is an aesthetic state of being, I think, more than a template for a prediction. Now in nostalgia, it is a lament for what we could have had and did not get K: Yes you've summed it up perfectly.

#sci-fi #culture #Neuralink #William Gibson #Neuromancer

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nyc-uws · 1 year

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Supplements and Healthy Aging for Seniors

You might not know this, but as we age, we need fewer calories to thrive. So, it’s especially important that those calories are rich in nutrients. But here’s the challenge: According to WebMD.com, senior bodies are less efficient at absorbing key nutrients. Seniors can also lose some ability to taste. It’s why they often choose sweet or salty foods first, which aren’t as nutritious.

While food is the best nutrition source according to the National Institute of Health’s Institute on Aging, some seniors might need a boost from supplements. We’ve compiled a list of the best supplements for seniors to discuss with their physician. Together, you can decide if any or all of them would be beneficial to you.

5 Supplements Worth Discussing with Your Doctor

The following list shares five of the best supplements for seniors and also includes foods that are a good natural source of the nutrient. As with any health recommendations, be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any supplement regimen.

Vitamin B12: When it comes to healthy aging, B12 is essential for optimal brain function, and even a mild deficiency can put you at risk for dementia. Equally concerning, many older adults take medication for acid reflux or to control blood sugar, and these medications can also deplete your B12 level. For these reasons, the Institute of Medicine advises adults over 50 to get most of their B12 from supplements. Check with your physician on the recommended dosage for your needs. Also eat these foods: Fish, meat, poultry, clams, eggs, milk and milk products

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and to protect against illness and infection. It may also help protect against certain diseases like cancer, type 1 diabetes and others. Getting 10 to 15 minutes of sun can help the skin produce Vitamin D. Unfortunately, aging diminishes our ability to absorb it. What’s more, if you don’t go outside often, it’s likely you could be deficient in this important vitamin. Check with your physician on the recommended dosage for your needs. Also eat these foods: Tuna, mackerel, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, fortified cereals, fortified yogurt, fortified juice

Protein: As you age, it gets harder to build and maintain muscle mass. Why is that important to know for senior health? According to the SHIELD study, muscle mass is essential for a healthy immune system. In fact, adults ages 65+ require higher amounts of protein than young adults, and some can need almost double the amount depending on their nutritional status or if they have an acute or chronic disease. For this reason, protein powder is one of the best supplements for seniors. Adding whey protein powder into a daily shake is a great way to ensure you get the daily requirement. Check with your physician on the recommended dosage for your needs.Also eat these foods: Beef, chicken, beans, almonds

Calcium: Older adults tend to consume less calcium in natural forms like dairy products and certain leafy vegetables. Because it plays a role in maintaining strong bones and fending off fractures. It’s important to take supplements prudently, however, because recent studies by the Mayo Clinic show that too much calcium can create an increased risk of heart attack. Check with your physician on the recommended dosage for your needs. Also eat these foods: Three servings per day of low-fat milk and other dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese, kale and broccoli, and juices fortified with calcium. If you can’t consume dairy products, talk to your doctor about whether you should take a supplement.

Potassium: This mineral is essential for proper heart function and bone strength. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of kidney stones, lower blood pressure., and reduce the risk of cancer and digestive disorders, among other benefits. Many diuretics leach potassium out of your system, as does excessive sweating and smoking, among other causes. Check with your physician on the recommended dosage for your needs. Also eat these foods: Bananas, prunes, potatoes, avocadoes, peanuts, citrus fruits, milk, leafy green vegetables

The three vitamins and minerals below are also among the best supplements for seniors. Be sure to include them when you and your doctor discuss what’s best for your health:

Magnesium – helps maintain a strong immune system, a healthy heart and strong bones.

 Vitamin B6 – helps protect nerves and form red blood cells.

 Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) – some studies link ALCAR supplements with fighting age-related fatigue and cognitive decline.

https://www.whereyoulivematters.org/supplements-healthy-aging/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=owned_social&pp=0&epik=dj0yJnU9djh6b1RUbWR4RHZjSGdEWHpsRWtBNXBkcWh6M3dDVUcmcD0xJm49VXk0X1NzTG5VQUxtZXpjaFlUcmdJdyZ0PUFBQUFBR01xRlY0

Want more tips for healthy aging? Download our free tip sheet.

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pixelrender · 1 year

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Terracotta Army

I’m still not a frequent player of board games, but I’ve just watched and read some reviews of the new hot game from Dice & Board designed by Przemysław Fornal and Adam Kwapiński. Some of the reviews were just enthusiastic. That shows the game is doing something good. But more critical reviews from the Dice Tower and The Broken Meeple showed some shortcomings of the design and I would say it would be rather easy to avoid them. I don’t agree with all of the points the reviewers made and I think that for example Chris Yi wanting the game to be kinder is not the real problem, just a personal preference. But listening to all of this and observing the mechanisms I couldn’t help myself but see some of the DNA from classic games like Kiesling and Kramer’s Pueblo or Reiner Knizia’s Qin, an underrated lighter cousin of his tile laying classics. It was also interesting to look at an older Terracotta Army themed game Xi’an. That one has some very different mechanisms, but generically speaking it felt like the weight Terracotta Army should have been and as a tighter game.

The core of the problem in my opinion might be the way the game’s targeted audience. I would say all core mechanisms are solid. Limiting action selection, masters, resource management, placing statues (glorified tiles) and special statues (tiles). The problems with this game is its scoring mechanisms, which are just bloated, complicated, made the game longer, variability makes some strategies sometimes stronger and inspectors can feel mean. More than that I don’t think you need so many ways to score on top of these solid (and simple) mechanisms.

I would suggest two alternatives ways to score. The one would be to use the inspectors only for the duration of the game and score only rows and columns plus the whole board at the end. Or make the board into four quadrants and score each one at the end of the turn plus the whole board at the end of the fifth and final round. This would make planning ahead important while making intermediate decisions in each round tight. Each kind of tile would score differently. The first would score a small amount of point for each in the scoring area, the second would score majority only and the other two would be about adjacency only and adjacency plus majority. In this case the inspectors could be used for restricting placement or not used at all.

Next on, the action selection wheel. Basically, each slice can be activated once. This means you need to revolve the inner wheels to mitigate turn order and to get desired actions plus the big worker as yet another way to mitigate. Choosing the three actions you would benefit the most from might be brain burning and slow down the game, actions themselves are straightforward, tho. Basically essential actions are: 1. Collect resources 2. Place a tile 3. Activate a master

The rest is there but it could have been implemented differently or not at all. Weapons tiles are an interesting minigame and add more decision space, tho. Turning small workers into big ones is an interesting decision but having one big meeple to override full spots once every round could be enough. Masters probably should be easier to use, so engine building is more viable strategy. In case weapon tokens are removed, one or more of the masters could be used to build them. My first idea was to remove one of the rings, but at the end I find extra decisions weapon tokens can add quite juice and I probably would leave them in. Also, they are not the brain burning part of the triple wheel. So, maybe some slight adjustments to the system and make masters more balanced and equally satisfying to use. I was thinking about turning this more into a proper roundel but I think that the worker placement and depleting of the pool of possible actions gives rounds nice framing and it dictates the pace of Terracotta Army. I also like the mechanism of the clay drying out.

Special tiles I like. I think that my powers for them would be to modify scores for adjacency, manipulate the board (moving tiles around), horses are cool as they are and maybe turning points into resources? When it comes to normal resources, I like all players having a common limited pool of them. It makes it visible for what strategy other players are going in terms of placement and you might either compete or go for a different strategy. I would try to come up with different ownership solutions than these plastic base frames, but I guess tiles and putting some kind of wooden token on top would change the theme. On the other hand this solution would offer even more options for the ways you use and fight over space in the mausoleum. With a limited amount of player tokens, it would be more about grouping and maybe even dominance over other players. Something like conflicts in Tigris and Euphrates.

Coins are a clear tie breaker here.

That’s about what I wanted to write. I think that Terracotta Army might be a first step towards a less bloated classic feeling game with its interesting action selection mechanism and cutthroat “area control.”

All the pictures used are from the official Board & Dice site and can be found here. I also found them at BGG and the credit there goes to Sonia Ociepka.

#terracotta army #board & dice #board games #board game design

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lostribbon · 3 years

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this one's called weird teeth guy.jpg

#art #drawing #sketch #doodle #digital art #original art #brain juice has been depleted #diamonds #card #teeth #creepy #dude

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beammetothemoon · 6 years

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My desire to paint vs. my exhaustion: Fight!

#it's personal #i really want to art guys but #the brain juice has been depleted #11:25PM? Perfect time for watercolors

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ryukatters · 2 years

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The Feels

A/N: My brain has been running on empty for MONTHS, depleted of brain juice. This is all I can offer for AOT pt 2 coming back. I’m just happy to see all my babies once again. They gave me the strength I needed to finish this in two days.

Credits: Gege Akutami because I slapped Eren’s face on top of that one Yuuji panel, also shoutout to my baby @alert-arlert for the inspiration! Please read her work that inspired me here! Also check out this by @lacheri. Also shoutout to Cherry for beta-ing this, ily.

Summary: In which one simple question alters the course of you and Eren’s friendship. Alternatively, “it started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?”

Content/warnings: modern! AU, fluff, this turned into smut really fast, k*ssing, friends 2 luvers, Eren’s kind of awkward, slight jealousy on Eren’s part, teasing, nipple play, dry humping, slight humiliation, cunnilingus, facesitting (eren’s a strong boy don’t worry), damn I just realized this bitch talks a lot, Eren...finishes in his pants, no penetration (aside from tongue and fingers hehe), mentions of overstimulation

Pairing: Eren x Fem-bodied! Reader

Word count: 2.7k

“Have you ever wondered what it’s like to kiss one of our friends?”

You look up from your phone to stare at Eren, his expression unreadable. He’s not looking at you at all. His sharp profile punctures your field of vision. He’s sitting on the floor, shoulders hunched, while idly scrolling through some online shop on his laptop.

“N-no, at least I don’t think I have.” You watch his brows furrow, unsure if it’s because he came across a pair of kicks that he likes or because of your answer. “Do you mean in a romantic sense? Like if I’m interested in them?”

“No, like. Just out of pure curiosity.”

“Pure curiosity?” You stare at him, deadpan.

“Yeah.”

Silence fills the room. Eren has no idea why he asked that question in the first place. It’s a stupid question. Did he accidentally speak his thoughts? Maybe. And sure, he’s wondered what it would be like to kiss you. Plenty of times. Even things that went beyond the scope of kissing. More than he’d like to admit. But you don’t have to know that. Not right now, at least.

Eventually, he gathers up the courage to tear his gaze away from his screen to meet your eyes. He’s not sure what he expected to see, but seeing you try and read his expression made his heart race in his chest. Did you know what he was thinking? Are you thinking about what it’d be like to kiss one of your friends? Eren doesn’t even want to begin to think about the implications about the fact that he was one of your friends. He can’t believe he’s set himself up for failure with such an incriminating question. Eren wishes he can crawl under the couch and wither away.

You bark out a breathy laugh, catching Eren’s steady gaze. You pretend to mull over the question a little longer, but eventually ask:

“You think Jean would be a good kisser?”

“Jean?” Jean? Out of all the people you could’ve chosen, you chose Jean?

Eren would have let it slide if it was anyone else— Armin, Mikasa, Connie— okay maybe not Connie. But Jean? Please. Catch him on another day, then maybe.

“Eren?” Oh shit. Has it been that long since he said something?

“Yeah?”

“Something wrong?”

“What? No. Everything’s fine. I’m fine,” he chokes out the last part. “And to answer your question— no, I don’t think Horseface would make a good kisser. I mean, look at him, he probably drools a lot when he does.”

“That’s rude, Eren.”

“I was just kidding,” Eren assures. A pause. “Half-kidding.”

You give him a non-committed nod and hum before cocking your head to the side. “How about you, ‘Ren?”

“Me? What about me?”

“Have you ever thought about kissing one of our friends?”

Eren chews his bottom lip in thought before nodding. “Yep,” he sighs, popping the “p.” He finds himself shutting down his laptop and getting up from his place on the floor, stretching out the kinks in his muscles. He chooses not to elaborate intentionally.

“Who have you thought about kissing?”

“Why do you wanna know?” He takes a step and plops down on the couch beside you, arms spread on the back of the couch. Your brain short-circuits when you feel his bicep flex at the nape of your neck. You take a deep breath.

“Because! It wouldn’t be fair if I told you and you didn’t tell me. Besides, you were the one that brought it up in the first place.”

“Mm, yeah,” he agrees, stretching beside you lackadaisically, having no regard for how much of your personal bubble he was taking up right now. “But ‘m tired. Maybe I’ll tell you some other time,” he yawns, leaning back on the couch as he closes his eyes.

You smack his chest lightly to grab his attention, trying to ignore how firm it felt beneath your touch. Your hand lingers there for a moment, and you can see the beginning of a smirk appear on Eren’s lips. His warm hand wraps around your wrist before you can pull away. His calloused hand feels slightly rough against your skin, but strong.

“Fine,” he sighs dramatically, guiding your palm to rest right above his heartbeat. He presses his hand on top of yours, enveloping it.

“You really wanna know?” When he opens his eyes, his viridian stare is glazed over, and the timbres of his voice sink an octave lower, sending tingles down your spine.

“You wanna know who I’ve been thinking about all this time?” He asks again, this time bringing his face just a feather’s width from yours. His breath tickles your lips, teasing you.

It’s always been a game of cat and mouse between the two of you. One always has to chase, and one always has to be chased. Yet neither of you have been caught. Perhaps, then, it should be likened to a game of ‘chicken.’ Always skirting around each other, politely. Lingering touches, stolen glances, secret memories for you two to share. Getting closer and closer to one another, but never actually reaching that point of impact. When it comes to that final moment, the endgame, both of you swerve away from each other.

You wonder how long it’s going to be this way. Eren’s gotten more and more insistent, and you can only keep your walls up for so long. How much longer were you going to ignore the obvious elephant in the room?

You and Eren, Eren and you.

What would it be like to just give in?

“I do.”

Those two words seal your fate. Eren doesn’t wait to close the gap between you two, pressing his lips against yours firmly. Your whole body feels like it’s on fire. Eren feels like the gasoline fueling your desire.

It’s you who pulls away first, feeling like you’ve had all the oxygen deprived from your lungs. Eren kisses you once, twice, three times before he gets sick of your fleeting taste in between. He guides you over his lap, your thighs on either side of his, straddling him.

You make a conscious effort not to sit on his hardening length that was slowly starting to press against the inside of your thigh, tantalizingly close to your liquid heat. Eren seems to have other plans as his hands grip your hips to sit you down.

Any attempts at self-preservation are thrown out the window the moment Eren feels your hips slot against his. You two just fit so perfectly together, he thinks, like you were made for each other. You were just so utterly intoxicating that it made Eren want to drown in you, for all of his senses to be filled with you. It’s here that he realizes what he feels for you encompasses so much more than just simple admiration, it was a type of longing that was enough to make a man feral when given even just a small taste.

He captures your lips once more, his tongue darting inside to mingle with your own as he grinds his cock against your clothed heat. He swallows your moans greedily, like a man dying of thirst.

“You like grinding on my cock like that, baby?”

Whatever you were going to say gets stuck in your throat as he bucks up roughly, hitting your clit directly. It’s all coming too fast, too hard— Eren has a way of making you lose yourself in the pleasure that you can’t even think. He has you falling apart and you two have barely even done anything.

“Yeah, fuck— that’s it, keep grinding that pretty pussy on me.”

The way you swivel your hips makes Eren’s head swim. He wants nothing more than to devour you, taste everything you have to offer. The hunger that’s been slowly consuming his being— his want, no— his need for you has unleashed itself in its entirety, and he lacks the self-restraint to keep it contained any longer. He wants everything you’re willing to give him. Your voice, your body, just you. As he rips off your shirt and your pants, leaving you hot and needy in your bra and panties, Eren thinks he’s officially in love with you.

With shaky, adrenaline filled hands, he unclasps your bra and tosses it aside, forgotten in some corner of his living room.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he sighs as he takes one nipple in his mouth, sucking and nipping purposefully. His other hand snakes up from its place on your hip to pinch the other one, areola hardening between his fingertips.

Your moans ricochet off the walls, filling the room with saccharine euphony that only deepens Eren’s desire for you. He drinks in every sound, filing it in a special place in his brain for future use. He finds himself getting closer and closer to his own release, and he can tell you are as well from the way your cries have become more incessant and whiny.

All at once, your delirium is quelled when Eren stops his ministrations. The look of confusion on your face makes Eren chuckle, but you can’t even find it in you to be embarrassed for being so desperate.

“What’s wrong, princess? Were you close?” He coos when you nod your head yes, giving you another searing kiss as a sort of consolation prize. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you feel good again.”

“I want to taste you, will you let me?”

“Taste me?”

“Mhm,” he hums, lowering himself down until he’s on the floor, in between your legs. You’re still in a similar position, but now you’re gripping the backrest of the sofa, knees sinking into the plush fabric on the cushions. “You’re so fucking wet. You’re dripping through your underwear.” To prove his point, Eren drags his pointer finger along your slit, using the pad of his fingertip to rub circles on your clit.

“C’mon,” you feel him nip at the meaty flesh of your thighs, then sucking hard enough that you know there’ll be bruises blossoming tomorrow. “Ask me to clean your sloppy little pussy up.”

“I- Eren, I can’t.” It’s too much, what he’s asking for. It’s so embarrassing that you don’t even want to think about it.

“Why not?” You can feel his hot breath fan against your quivering heat, drenched with desire for him. You subconsciously arch your back further, close to suffocating Eren between your thighs, which is exactly what he wants. “C’mon,” he insists, wrapping his arms around your thighs, pulling you down just a breath’s width away from his face, “ask me to eat you out. And make it pretty.”

It’s now or never. You want it so, so badly that you’re practically shaking with anticipation. You swallow your pride, and feel the shame rise up to your cheeks as you speak, voice barely above a whisper, “Eren, eat me out. Please?”

“Oh god,” you hear him groan breathlessly between your legs. “Yes, I’m gonna make you feel so fucking good, baby, ‘swear.”

Eren slides your panties, wet with your slick, down and off with ease. The cool air hitting your labia makes you jerk up a bit, making Eren growl with annoyance.

“Sit on my face,” he demands, sinking you back down. He’s far too strong for you to escape his grip, so you push down slowly until you’re lightly pressed against his face. He gives your clit a nice, sweet kiss, causing you to gasp from the sudden jolt of pleasure. He lets go with a wet ‘pop’ that reverberates around the room.

“C’mon princess,” he gives your thigh a reassuring squeeze. “You nervous or somethin’? I thought I told you to sit on my face.”

“I’m just,” you swallow thickly, trying to recollect your thoughts, “what if I suffocate you?”

Eren gives out a hearty chuckle, and you can feel it vibrate throughout your entire body. “I’m not gonna break. ‘Sides, I think I can die happy here. You just taste so damn sweet.” And as if to prove a point, he pulls you back down again, except this time without reservation. You sink down on his face completely. He licks up and down your slit, sucking on your clit. Eren’s tongue laps up all evidence of your arousal before wriggling itself inside your tight hole. His fingers replace his tongue, skillfully pressing up into that special spot that has you seeing stars. Your brain practically turns to mush. You start grinding down onto Eren’s face, knuckles turning white as you continue to grip the couch for support. The way you roll your hips has your clit rubbing perfectly against the bridge of Eren’s nose, causing your eyes to find purchase in the back of your skull.

Eren, on the other hand, can’t help the way his hips thrust up into the air with every squeeze of your thighs around his head. His cock was struggling against the confines of his pants, but even the slightest pressure was met with tremendous pleasure.

This was definitely going to be a lightbulb memory for him. Nothing, no one, could ever compare to this.

He doesn’t even want to stop for air.

“Oh god, Eren— don’t stop, please. I’m so fucking close,” you gasp.

He doesn’t stop. He moans as he sucks even harder and thrusts his fingers in and out even faster, the lewd sounds of your combined sin filling up his apartment.

You feel yourself begin to ascend to release, but you need some sort of anchor to ground you, to connect you even closer to the man underneath you. One of your hands snakes down in between your legs to grab at Eren’s brown locks. Your fingers twist against his scalp and you pull as you plateau, your juices being expelled each time your pussy spasms, effectively coating Eren’s face and hand.

The mix of pain and pleasure Eren feels from you pulling his hair is enough to send him over the edge, groaning and whimpering as hot, sticky cum coats the inside of his boxers. He continues to lap at your pussy, with less fervor this time, enjoying the way you tremble above him from overstimulation.

You both stay unmoving for a short while, panting as the two of you try to regain some semblance of composure. Eren taps at your thigh, signaling you to get up. You practically collapse on the couch, sighing as you stretch out the kinks in your muscles.

“Good?” He asks, bemused.

“Better than good, that was the best I’ve ever had,” you reply earnestly, sitting up with a newfound sense of determination. “Now, let me repay you.” You begin to get up before Eren shakes his head in the negative.

“You- uh, don’t have to.” Eren rubs the back of his neck, the tips of his ears slightly tinged with red.

Your eyes dart down and see the wet patch right below his waistband. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, bending over slightly to give you a kiss on the forehead. “Just means that I enjoyed it, and your pussy was that good.”

The post-orgasm clarity is in full effect now, and before you have a chance to gawk at his statement, Eren is already making his way out of the living room. “Stay there, I’ll be right back.”

He leaves for a split second before coming in a new pair of pants, with one of his shirts and a water bottle in hand.

“Arms up, c’mon.” You do as he says, and your senses are met with the smell of laundry detergent and Eren’s signature sandalwood scent as he puts his shirt on you. “Drink.”

He lays down, head resting against a throw pillow nestled against the arm of the couch before patting his abdomen, telling you to lay on top of him. You oblige, arms wrapping around his neck, and his finding their way around your waist instinctively.

“Eren— uh, my underwear?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he sighs contently, rubbing circles up and down your back. “You’re not going to need them.” You blanch and he laughs, one hand traveling up to grip your jaw so he can give you a kiss.

“And just for the record,” he pulls away a bit to brush some stray strands of hair out of your face, grinning widely. “I only wonder about kissing someone if I like them— in a romantic sense.”

Work belongs to @ryukatters. Please do not repost or share my work on Tiktok.

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tibbinswrites · 3 years

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Day 9 - Body Mods

Cas walked in wearing an earring. And yes, that was all the warning that he got too. It was a very simple, very small gold hoop, cupping the earlobe and somehow making his jawline look even sharper.

“What’s that?” He asked, as Cas opened the fridge and began to rummage around inside.

“Orange juice.” Cas answered, pulling out the carton and pouring some into a mug. “Want some?”

“Not the OJ, Cas, on your ear.”

“Oh.” Cas turned towards him, lifting his free hand to the newly decorated ear, a small hint of a smile on his face. “Do you like it?”

Dean felt like that question was a trap so he spluttered around a little before landing on, “why did you get it?”

“I wanted to try something different and this option was less permanent than a tattoo if I ended up not liking it. I couldn’t think of a design for one anyway.”

Dean’s mouth went dry as a sudden image of Cas with a sleeve featuring roses and black feathers was injected into his brain.

“And you didn’t think to mention it to me or Sam beforehand?”

Cas’ head titled and the florescent light of the kitchen gleamed off his shiny new addition. “I don’t need your permission, Dean.”

“A heads up would have been nice.”

“I honestly didn’t think you’d notice.” Cas said, grabbing the two glasses of OJ and placing them down on the table, picking up Dean’s crumb-littered plate to add to the sink before sitting down himself. “And if you noticed I didn’t think you’d care.”

“Of course I noticed.” Dean grumbled. “And of course I care.”

“Does it bother you?”

“It bothers me because it’s unlike you, Cas. Since when are you into body mods? You’ve had exactly one haircut since I’ve known you and that was for a case.”

Cas fell quiet for a few moments and sipped at his orange juice. Dean recognised that this silence was thoughtful, not dismissive, so he let it be.

“It has only been recently that this has felt like my body to modify.” he said eventually. “Jimmy has been gone for a long time but even so, it felt… disrespectful to his memory to change too much. But through Claire’s acceptance, of her seeing me as a different man than her father, and the fact that my powers are more or less depleted, I finally feel like I’m human enough to take ownership of it, and that I can do with it what I wish now. It’s my body, not just my vessel, and coming to terms with that has been a long process, I think.”

Dean nodded and took a swig of his own juice. He let the silence sit for a while and it was comfortable, contemplative.

“It looks good on you, Cas.”

#suptober21 #supernatural #day 9 #body mods #earring #castiel #fanfic

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lightdash · 2 years

Note

Hey OP, just wanted to say that your writing is amazing and i hope you have a lovely day! <3 Any tips for a struggling writer/roleplayer?

FIRST OFF: This has been sitting in my inbox for awhile now and I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to reply?! It got gently buried in the depths of my drafts... but I really do appreciate the sentiment so much, and thank you for the kind words! ♡

The best ‘advice’ I can really give is to just get out there and do what makes you happy! Writing (at least for me) is all about inspiration, so if you have an interest in a particular thing, series, or character, just run with that and have fun. Roleplaying is all about fun at the end of the day — the reason I’ve stuck with Sonic for as long as I have is because not only is he my favorite character in... anything ever, really, but he’s also a joy to explore in writing. Silly little man.

In regards to the more technical aspect, if you mean reaching out and getting your blog off the ground (if you write on tumblr), don’t be afraid to toss a bone to other writers you may enjoy! Or if you’re too nervous to plot and such one on one, do some dash commentary, or an open starter. Dash memes! Stuff like that... it’s gud for generating activity, whether you want something heavy or light.

Last thought on the whole struggling thing, but when my brain juices are depleted and I just can’t form a coherent sentence to save my life, I usually put on some lofi or even like... Ambient Instrumental Inspiring Music Royalty Free For Writers on youtube LOL. Background noise (especially if it’s thematic or whatever) helps, but I can’t do lyrics, so I settle for this type of beat! I use calmlywriter as well, it helps me focus a lot!

Thanks again for the ask, and good luck writing. <3

#◜✰ ◞ ‣ 𝐎𝐎𝐂. — let's show them the real super power of procrastinating! ❜#◜✰ ◞ ‣ 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐁𝐎𝐗. — carried by the wind. ❜#ALSO I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A LOVELY DAY TOO WHEREVER U ARE... :pleading_face:

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passivenovember · 3 years

Text

Enclosures.

Harringrove April, Day Ten : Peaches.

Steve's gig at White River State Park is, more a less, glorified babysitting.

The hiring manager insisted that the Indianapolis Zoo was in the game of education first, and even though Steve would be working with kids between the ages of four and eleven, escorting them around the park and providing answers to stupid questions and Band-Aids for skinned knees, it wouldn't be juice keggers with kids all year.

Because during the off months, when the city scape was covered in layers of snow, Steve would get to wander the grounds with his favorite activity bag, post up under a shady awning in the jungle, and feed the fruit bats.

So that's why he took the job.

Zoo Academy Monday through Wednesday and vibes on December weekends. Moments of solitude doing the job every keeper wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

That was the deal.

Written in stone, as far as Steve is concerned. This is what he was put on this Earth--

“You’re doing it wrong.”

Steve nearly drops the slice of mango in his hand, starling when that deep, husky voice cuts through the air like a machete in the jungle.

“Fuck.” Steve wipes his hands on his pants, turning to face.

A new keeper.

Dressed in standard fatigues. Tan overalls and goulashes, ham radio crackling like desert heat against his waist.

New Keeper points to the ring of wire in Steve’s hand, mimicking the way he’s been feeding slices of fruit over thick, unruly steel. “Takes too long if you do it that way,” He says.

But, listen. “I’ve always done it this way.”

“So?”

“I was taught to do it this way.”

New Keeper shuffles up to the cave entrance, leaning his forearms on the steel barrier that keeps Steve’s bats from dive-bombing kids and grandmas.

He’s wearing aviators, so Steve can’t see his eyes, but. New Keeper gives him the once over--

Steve is 85% sure--

Before spitting a wad of saliva on the ground next to Steve’s boot. “Who taught ya to string the fruit like that, pretty boy?”

“I’m not.” Steve shouldn’t be flushing deep red. He shouldn’t be salivating. “I’m not--”

“Was it Rachel?” And New Keeper says it with so much malice. Like, “None of these keepers are worth the paper their degree is printed on, I swear--”

“It wasn’t--”

“Y’know I caught Travis in Rhino Valley trying to give food as positive reinforcement?” New Keeper shakes his head, neck muscles chording dramatically. “Everyone knows they take better to physical affection as a reward, alright?”

“Yeah, I mean--”

“Everyone knows that.” New Keeper concludes, watching as Steve’s head bounces around frantically.

“Everyone knows that.” Steve agrees.

Fucking idiots.

New Keeper’s mouth ticks up at one corner, almost like he could laugh if he wasn’t busy dealing with his own body. Ripping biceps and pectorals that should pop the seams on his overalls when New Keeper rolls his spine.

“They told me you’re in charge of the bats.” Steve feels those eyes on him again, head to toe and back up again. “That true?”

Steve shrugs, fiddling with his name badge. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Don’t sound so sure.”

“Yeah, well, I mean.” He gestures to the line of steel rings that have been there, permanently, for as long as anyone can remember. “If I’ve been doing it wrong the whole time I don’t wanna claim ownership.”

New Keeper grunts, like.

The salt of the earth, red blooded American asshole he is. He tips the aviators, letting them slide down his nose until blue eyes. The bluest Steve has ever fucking seen, pin him in place.

“You’re not a keeper, are ya?”

Steve tries not to get lost. “Well. No, I’m--”

New Keeper turns to face him, clasping his wrists together and allowing his chest to. Puff. Distract, holy shit, when his biceps follow suit.

Steve tries to tear his eyes away.

Fails.

“What do you do then?”

Steve watches a bead of sweat trail from jawline to collarbone, just. Ruining his life. He blinks owlishly. “Sorry, what?”

New Keeper is almost smiling. “Your job. What kinda.” His tongue flicks out to wet. Pretty, red lips. “Services. Do you provide.”

Steve realizes, distantly, that they’re flirting.

And.

He’s familiar with the concept, alright, but. Steve’s never flirted while wearing hiking boots covered in goat shit, so.

He gestures to his name tag.

The goofy, pixilated staff picture of him and a title beneath that reads; Zoo Academy : Supervisor. Steve wonders if it’s obvious that he works with kids, given the plethora of googly-eyed animal stickers covering the majority of his name tag’s plastic casing.

New Keeper whistles low, removing his aviators entirely, and.

Tugging.

Steve forward by his title. Eyes glowing bright.

“Kinda training you get over in the Education Department teach you anything about fruit bats, princess?”

Steve sorts through the absolute trough alphabet soup flooding his brain. Opens his mouth and closes it again, when. New Keeper rubs the pad of his thumb along the largest, most gaudy of the animal stickers.

New Keeper raises his eyebrow and Steve.

Jolts into motion. “No. Um. I have CPR training, and. First aid training.” Steve lets himself be tugged forward again. Just close enough to smell the mix of Earth and Hay that all the keepers have clinging into their skin, and.

Cologne.

Heady and sweet, underneath all that. He blinks again, trying to clear his head as New Keeper smiles at him.

Really smiles.

For the first time.

Steve nods. “I work with shitheads.”

He isn’t expecting it, when. New Keeper laughs. Loud and sudden, and. So warm. Startling the fleet of bats that have come by looking for their afternoon peaches.

“Tell me about it. They stick you on Bat Duty without any training?” New Keeper nods, finally, finally, releasing Steve from the weird spell he’s put him under. He turns, gesturing to box of fruit at their feet. “I’m gonna have to remedy that, pretty boy.”

Steve nods, like. “Steve.” Before sticking his hand out.

New Keeper nods it away. “Billy. Your training starts on Friday.”

Billy puts his aviators on and.

Starts to walk away.

Kicking up a cloud of that woodsy, delicious scent. Steve scrambles after him. “Okay, training. Friday.”

They round the corner into the section of the jungle that houses a waterfall. The biggest, most breathtaking in the Midwest.

New Keeper keeps on walking. “Yup, see you then.”

“Yeah, listen Keeper Man--”

“Billy.”

Steve runs into a wall of muscle, shying away from the pair of hands that steady him.

He nods. “Billy.” Cheeks flaming bright red as New Keeper smiles, soft and sweet. Steve runs a hand through his hair. “Don’t take this the wrong way, and like. I totally want to do what’s best for the animals, especially the fruit bats, but. I don’t think I need any training.”

Billy looks him over again. Up and down. “I beg to differ, Bambi.”

“Yeah, I--”

“Won’t have any untrained preschool teacher working with my animals.” Billy says. Matter-of-fact, like, “No matter how annoyingly cute they are.”

Cute.

It hits Steve like an under-ripe peach to the back of the head. He shuffles, nervously, before puffing out his chest, and. Deflating again, when Billy raises his eyebrows.

“Just what am I doing wrong, exactly?”

Billy removes his sunglasses, rolling his neck. “You got an hour?”

Steve smiles sharply. “Gimme the basics.”

“Alright, pretty boy.” Billy stars listing things on his fingers. “Well, first off? You don’t need to peel the fruit. Bats get a lot of their nutrients from the rinds that come on the fruits themselves. If we deplete those nutrients they gotta be replaced another way and I don’t exactly have the time to administer vitamins to four hundred fruit bats, two hundred flying foxes and a handful of pissy vampire--”

“Alright, got it.” Steve sucks his teeth, because. The fruit comes like that. Ends up in the box, along with the steel wire and the gloves he’s supposed to wear but never does, just like that. Sans peel.

Billy grins at him--

Looks him up and down. Steve wishes he’d stop doing that--

Before pointing at his feet. “Doc Martens are not work boots.”

Steve looks down. Around. “What’s wrong with my docs?”

“Nothing,” Billy shrugs, like, “They’re fine if you spend all day dragging screaming brats around the zoo. Answering questions and painting booger-stained cheeks, but. They aren’t work boots. Aren’t keeper boots.”

Steve doesn’t understand. “I’m not a keeper,” He says, because. As much time as he’s spent in the jungle. Learning about the animals and feeing his bats, Steve.

Isn’t.

He wishes he could be, but.

Billy shrugs again, massive shoulders drawing Steve’s attention. “No, you aren’t a keeper. Not yet, anyway.”

Steve turns the words over in his mind, trying to discover the meaning.

Billy tugs on Steve’s nametag again. “See you Friday, pretty boy.” He drawls, and then.

He’s gone.

Steve makes a note to stop at Cabella’s on his way home.

#harringrove #harringrove april #day ten #peaches #LISTEN #i worked at a zoo for two years #I was in charge of zoo academy #and i miss it so much #miss my lil fruit bats #aah #billy wasnt there to flirt with me though which #fucking sucks

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dinosaurtsukki · 4 years

Text

orange popsicles | kenma x f!reader

i wanted to write something cute also i really love kenma (i feel like i don’t talk about him enough but trust me i love him very much). also i miss summer and going outside

kenma doesn’t necessarily like summertime. he doesn’t like the sweltering heat that makes his hair stick to the back of his neck. he doesn’t like the annoying mosquitos that somehow buzz their way into his room even when he keeps the windows shut. he doesn’t like the fact that the days are much longer and the sun rises way too early in the morning.

but he just uses ‘doesn’t like’ instead of ‘hate’. for kenma, hate is a bit too strong to describe how he feels about summertime. he does like some things after all: the summer break, the fact that some of his favorite video game sequels are released during the season, and you.

if kenma was going to be particular about things, which he usually was, he likes that he knows you would be coming over to the smoothie shop he works his part-time summer job at, before you even text him. kenma likes when he looks up from behind the counter to see you stepping into the shop. he likes that you always wear the same white shirt over your bright, red swimsuit along with your denim shorts.

“kenma!” you call to him.

he likes the way you say his name.

you always linger where he is, arms crossed and placed on the counter with you leaning forward, going on about the kids who’d ignore the ‘no running’ pool signs and young ladies who were always waiting for you to leave because the ‘hot lifeguard’s’ shift is after yours. kenma always has a glass of water, ice-cold, ready for you to drink. his shift always ends at around the same time you arrive and he hopes that it’s intentional.

the two of you walk slowly down the streets outside. the pavement is hot enough to fry an egg on top off but kenma ignores the heat seeping in through the soles of his sneakers. instead, he pays attention to the warmth of your skin when his arm brushes yours as you walk, side by side.

“another day, another orange popsicle,” you grin, walking beside kenma out of the convenience store, wielding the wrapped popsicle in the air.

“maybe this time you’ll be able to break it evenly down the middle,” kenma says frankly, recalling yesterday when you accidentally broke the other popsicle half horizontally down the middle.

“you do it then,” you pout, handing him the popsicle as you two leave the convenience store. kenma smiles and grips both sides of the popsicle before breaking it cleanly down the middle. he hands you your half and the two of you lick your popsicles contentedly. the dessert is ice-cold, sweet, and acidic. it tastes like the orange juice you always had in your lunch box ever since you were in elementary. kenma knows that it must be why you always buy the same flavor of popsicle. he just chalks it up to one of the reasons why he likes you.

despite how regular your meet-up routine is, the day always manages to take you two somewhere else in the city. this time, kenma finds himself walking past children squealing and playing tag in one of the city’s many playgrounds. you’re popsicle had long been eaten and you wave the stick in the air as you practically skip over to the jungle gym. you sit on one of the lower rungs, swinging your legs in the air and kenma feels as if he’s sixteen again.

“you’re so slow at finishing your ice cream,” you tease him, pointing at the half-finished popsicle in kenma’s hand.

“my teeth are sensitive,” he grumbles, sitting beside you on the bar, digging his feet on the ground to keep balance. your hair is still slightly damp from your shower and kenma reaches up to curl a strand around his finger.

“that’s why you’d always drop your ice cream when we were little,” you laugh. “remember that time we were having a contest to see who could climb up to the top the fastest?”

kenma nods. “i remember,” he says, but lets you tell the story.

“you were so slow at finishing your ice cream but you ended up climbing with the both of us. and, just like i predicted, your popsicle dropped of your hand,” you snickered. kenma watched the crinkles forming on the corner of your eyes.

“kuroo and i felt so sorry for you, we ended up buying you a brand-new one!” you continued. “and you still took forever to finish that.”

“i wasn’t even particularly upset over my ice cream falling,” kenma mumbled, licking what was left of his popsicle. “but, you were always quick to help others. that’s just the kind of person you are.”

at that, you turn to smile shyly at the ground. “and you’re the kind to always notice and pick up on things.”

kenma knows that many things are just the way they are, that the external world is almost always out of his control unlike it is in games. he can’t help that the summer heat makes his hair stick to the back of his neck. he can’t help that mosquitoes are tiny enough to find their way into his room even after he closed all the windows. he can’t help that his side of the earth is more angled towards the sun, making the days even longer.

and kenma can’t help that he’s fallen in love with his best friend, nor can he stop his hand from reaching out to where yours is resting on the bar, slowly closing the space between you two. the look on your face is inquisitive enough for him to reconsider his next move, but to kenma’s surprise, you edge closer to him.

“kenma?”

he likes the way you say his name. kenma blames the summer heat for depleting his brain functioning, thus causing him to be slightly bolder, but he doesn’t completely hate it. especially not when you lean in closer to him. kenma knows that you don’t dislike the way he can read you so easily.

so kenma leans in too, his lips meeting yours and his eyelids fluttering shut. he can feel your fingers threading through his and the brush of your eyelashes on his cheek. he can smell the chlorine and sunblock on your skin. his other hand is still holding the popsicle and he swears he can feel it dripping on his sneaker but he doesn’t care because your lips taste like your favorite orange juice.

when you pull apart, kenma knows that he has found another thing to love about summer.

“kenma.”

“yes?”

“guess what?”

“what?”

you grin and point to the hand by his side. “your popsicle fell again.” kenma looks down and finds that what was left of his ice cream was now an orange puddle on the ground. he can’t help but smile.

“will you buy me a new one then?”

“if i have to,” you smirk, taking his hand in yours as you resume your walk, this time returning to the convenience store you came from, matching clean popsicle sticks dangling from your hands.

taglist (still open to anyone who wants in!): @montys-chaos @miyumtwins @strawberriimilkshake @pocubo @sugawara-sweetheart@akaashisbabydoll @laure-chan@therainroguefanfiction@atetiffdoesart@stephdaninja@oikaw-ugh@charliefredb@dramaqueenweeb1469@tremblinghearts@applepienation@doodleniella

#haikyuu!!#kozume kenma #kenma x reader #hq x reader #haikyuu!! drabble #haikyuu!! fanfic #haikyuu!! one-shot #haikyuu!! fanfiction #kenma x f!reader #i don't completely hate it rn #but let's see if i do tomorrow

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jebazzled · 3 years

Text

it ain’t your muse! (shut up & write, ft. rihanna)

You nerds are always talking about your muse. My muse this, my muse that, I have no muse, my muse went the way of the dinosaurs, if my muse comes out of its burrow and sees its shadow I won’t be able to write for six weeks.

Shut up about your fucking muse!

It is true that you might go through periods where it is hard to find time and energy to write, or negative experiences in a writing community might leave you with anxiety surrounding writing. But by and large, writers block is something you can overcome!

Please, for the love of god, let me help you.

Writing is a muscle, and you’ve got to exercise it if you don’t want it to atrophy.

This tutorial is a bit of tough love about y’all and y’all’s diddly-darn muses, and some advice for snapping yourself out of it!

So here’s the thing about writing, my loves. You have to actually do it.

TERRIBLY inconvenient, I know.

I’m not here to tell you how to manage your work-life balance or how to manage your time. If you’re not writing much because you straight up don’t have time to write much, my advice is simple: pare down on your characters, focus on the plots that matter most to you, and spend some mental health juice on reminding yourself that there isn’t an RP Prom Queen, and even if there were, it’s better not to live or die by that bizarro crown.

But if you’re having trouble writing because of Your Muse... I’m cracking my knuckles.

We’ve all written with folks before - or been that folk before - who need a very specific set of circumstances if they’re going to write: they need time to Pinterest, need to listen to a specific playlist, need to get in the mindset, need the thread to scratch a very specific itch and need all of it to come together before the moon passes out of a waxing gibbous. As a fellow dev ho, I understand the appeal of writing to suit a mood, of vibing to a playlist, of prioritizing the stuff you’re going fucking feral for, of having the stars align while you do the thing. But if you’re like this when you’re writing for other people -

well, you’re making things difficult for both you and your writing partners! We can’t control the external constraints on our time, e.g. work and school, and we can’t always control the nonsense our psychology spins to keep us from writing. But some things are within our control, and by god, if there is any control to be had in the year of Mother Sappho 2021, don’t you want it?

At least some of your writers block is probably dumb as hell. So let’s beat the shit out of that part.

Anyway, if you’re yakking on and on about how your muse demands a bottle of red wine and a scented candle and fairy lights and soft socks and the blood of the servant, willfully given in order to spit out 200 words, or whatever...

it’s not that fucking deep.

Writing is a muscle. It’s like any other muscle: you need to exercise it.

If you’re training for a 5k, you don’t sit on your couch listening to “Eye of the Tiger” until race day. You get your ass off the cushion and pound the pavement. You probably start by alternating walks with short bursts of running. You probably don’t work your way up to actually running 5k at a time for a few weeks. And once you’ve run that first 5k, you don’t go sit on your couch to listen to “Eye of the Tiger” until the next race. You keep running to stay in shape for the next race.

Writing is like that.

What you write does not have to be perfect.

You can work on the post for six weeks and there will still be things you could change. You know what change your writing partner would have appreciated most? If you’d posted it for them three weeks ago. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Cut yourself the same slack you cut for your writing partners. Do you yearn to keelhaul them if their reply isn’t worth a National Book Award? No, because you’re not an asshole. They’re also not an asshole. Everyone is reasonable here. Write something that responds to what they gave you and that gives them something to work with. Not every single post has to be capital-I Inspired. ✨

What you write does not have to be a vibe ready for the Goop newsletter.

I was a creative writing major in college, and I was always having to turn stuff in for class that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to work on: a short story set in another country when I just wanted to write a play with puppets, an essay about food when I would rather write one about a weekend drive, etc.

Sometimes, you write what you write when you write it not because it’s getting you hot and bothered but because you’ve owed a reply for A While and you feel bad about keeping someone waiting. It will still be fun, because you chose to do that thread with your character and someone else’s character for a reason, and that reason stands, even if your monkey brain is yearning to play with that slime that makes fart noises when you put it away.

(Pro tip, here: don’t do threads you don’t actually have any interest in writing! It is less awkward to tell someone, “I am not interested in my character weed whacking your character’s lawn” than to waste their time with 10 posts of it before telling them, “I am not interested in my character weed whacking your character’s lawn.”)

The more you write, the easier it is.

Let’s talk about running again. A couple of years ago, I went on a bit of a kick with the running. I ran at least three times a week. I would bring my running shit with me to work so I could run in the park near my office. I would make running dates with friends. I would reward myself with a bagel from my favorite cafe if I did a run. And you know what? Once I got myself past the hurdle of pulling on my running clothes and lacing up my shoes, I enjoyed myself. When I ran 5k without slowing to a walk, I was proud of myself. When I told myself, “let’s do another loop at the park!” and stopped to take a photo of the sunset, I enjoyed myself. I would not have enjoyed myself if I hadn’t hit the goddamn pavement.

Put your ass in your fucking chair. I don’t care if you don’t have the right scented candle. Write 50 words. Right fucking now. I’ll wait.

Write another 50.

Now write another 100.

How long did that take you? Some days, it might take you 90 minutes to write 200 words. But that’s 200 more words than you would have written in 90 minutes of browsing Pinterest waiting for an angel to come down from heaven and write this post for you.

All that bullshit you do to Feed Your Muse? It’s stalling, you idiot.

The more you make yourself write instead of just thinking about writing, the easier it will be to actually fucking write.

I used to sit and stare at posts for hours and hours and hours before submitting them, so worried about the post being good enough. When I moved to a neighborhood with an aboveground train line, I was able to write on my morning commute, and writing every morning - even if only the 200 words I could crank out on mobile in 30 minutes before work - got me out of my weird writers block crutches and security blankets. It didn’t take as much effort to write, anymore. I wrote over 200,000 words in 2019, and over 300,000 words in 2020, when I had barely any commute at all to use on writing. I didn’t magically have endless hours of free time. I just wasn’t wasting my free time pretending that being on Tumblr counted as writing.

Tough love: doled out. And now:

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BEATING “””Writers Block”””

Stop acting like Writers Block is real. It’s not that it’s not real, but by telling yourself that you have Writers Block, you’re making it worse for yourself. You’re making excuses for yourself. I used Writers Block to stall writing my Topics in Creative Writing: Folktales portfolio for 3 months, and you know what happened? I still had to turn in the fucking portfolio, because the person I was writing for didn’t fucking care about my fucking Writers Block. And you know who had to sit her ass in a chair and write 30 pages of folktales in a 24 hour period? Me. It’s almost like my Writers Block was just PROCRASTINATION.

Set a timer. If you’re looking at your list of replies owed and you’re feeling like it might be easier to “do character dev” and “build a playlist” than to write your posts, break the task into smaller pieces. If your server has a sprint bot, use it. If not, set your own timer. Organize your list of threads with the ones you’ve owed replies on the longest at the top. Set your timer for 20 minutes and see how much you can write for the oldest post you owe. Not done? Set the timer for another 20 minutes. Keep setting that timer until that post is done and you can drop it in the tags channel. Now do the same for the second oldest. CRANK! THEM! OUT! If you find that it’s depleting your creative energy, that’s not unusual! When I get to this point in my own posting habits, my oldest replies owed are usually for Albus Dumbledore, a character I write specifically because I hate him. It is often easier to knock out all his posts in one chunk rather than shift voice, so this ends up working out nicely.

Don’t indulge your stupid stalling tactics. Do you typically get sidetracked by Pinterest? Put your phone away and close that tab. Do you get absorbed in lining up the perfect music for writing a post? Write in silence, asshole. Do you need to be in your favorite chair with the right lighting? Go sit on a park bench and write on mobile. It’s nice to write in idealized environments. I rented a treehouse last summer to write 10k on a novel! I get it! But you absolutely can write in other environments, if you have to. And if you can get yourself to write on a dark skin on your iPad at an airport in the Midwest while waiting for a flight - well, shit, think of how much you’ll be able to write on a laptop when your diva ass demands are properly met!

Don’t take on shit you don’t want to write. I fully admit that these tactics feel a bit like homework/chores/a to-do list for what is of course a fun hobby. You know how they say “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life?” If you don’t take on plots, characters, and threads that don’t have a lick of interest or excitement for you, this shit won’t feel like a hassle.

Hope this whips all you little miscreants (myself included) into shape! Now quit your yapping and start writing.

#rp guides #resources #writing resources #on writing #stop trying to make writers block happen. it's not going to happen.

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