#but also a good feature if people are nice and judge free!

[tuituipupu]

started using busuu yesterday as a duo alternative and it has tasks you can't skip where it asks native speakers to peer review an answer you generate yourself 😭 it's scary like plz don't be meanie 2 me

#pls don't judge meh ;;; #but also a good feature if people are nice and judge free! #so far no one has openly laughed at me at least #busuu #duolingo #personal

[britcision]

Alright, not a lot for you this WIP Wednesday, I have been doing a lot of spring cleaning! But here you go, just a lil Jason getting out there to keep an eye on his family

Featuring Harper Row for the first actual time, cuz she’s great and she deserves to be here!

First part of chapter 13, the rest is, as always, in the tags. Title is subject to change

———————

Hello Crime Lord My Old Friend

About twenty minutes after dropping Danny off at his dorm, Jason was suited up and ready to go.

Well, he’d stayed outside until he’d seen Danny shut the door behind him first. Jason had some fucking manners, though if pressed he couldn’t name who’d taught him them.

Danny’s dorm was about fifteen minutes from one of Jason’s better safe houses, as it happened. Jason had never been to a dorm, but from Danny’s stories?

A step below Teen Titans’ bunks, and those had sucked. Less privacy, smaller rooms, and more people? Who weren’t even part of the same team?

Maybe next semester Jason could offer to let Danny move in. He didn’t need need the safe house.

Red Hood could always buy the building. There were other apartments and while they weren’t luxurious, they beat half his other spots. The neighbourhood wasn’t bad either.

It’d be nice to pay Danny back a bit. Not have him closer. Just. Repay some of the debt by giving him a place to stay, rent free.

And maybe, just a little bit, the part of Jason that enjoyed the romanticism of his period novels kinda liked the idea. An estate for the king on your lands was a big deal back then.

A slightly more modern part of him thought being a landlord for his ruler would also be pretty funny. He figured Danny would enjoy that side too.

And it wasn’t like the guy could complain, since he’d literally given Jason back himself. Yeah, Jason was gonna pull that one out if Danny tried any familiar “oh I can’t accept this” on him.

Fixing his core was pretty damn god level on the favours spectrum. Jason could do whatever the hell he liked and Danny would just have to deal with it.

It cheered him up a little more, kept him in a good mood on the ride back to his safe house. It was more time where he couldn’t help Cass, but seriously?

Danny could change in a matter of seconds and be at her side not much slower. Walls, cars, goons, Jason had this feeling that none of it would slow Danny down.

And yeah, knowing that helped, but there was still a piece of him that only unknotted as he slid his helmet on and headed to the window.

“Hey, Black Bat. Busy?” He asked as the comms switched from earpiece to helmet display.

Of course he wore both. People kept trying to steal his damn helmet. That was also what the internal explosives were for.

The others all piped up when they heard him, Harper and Steph calling cheerful greetings around an ongoing conversation.

“Shit, Hood’s in, this mean I can go back to bed?” Bluebird teased. Spoiler cut her off immediately.

“Hell no, it can’t be a school night, Robin’s here! Great timing though Hood, we’re planning Red Robin’s eulogy and you have some experience there,” Spoiler chirped brightly, and Jason hesitated.

Sucked in a breath. He wasn’t gonna judge anyone else’s coping mechanisms until they got past “heads in a bag” levels.

Best to ignore it, since she wasn’t actually trying to set him off.

What the hell had Tim done since they’d left the manor?

Shaking his head, Jason settled into Red Hood and hopped onto the fire escape, scaling easily to the roof.

“Black Bat?” He repeated instead of answering, and half smiled when Spoiler groaned dramatically.

Black Bat answered in the considerate group pause.

“Not busy. Why?” She sounded amused, not even particularly tired, and Jason relaxed enough to slip all the way in.

“Thinking of going a little out of my way tonight. Wondered if you’d mind a tagalong?” Red Hood asked, hoping he sounded casual.

It wasn’t like he’d been planning to patrol the Alley anyway; his guys had already been told to handle it. He’d have to run around tomorrow night to keep the creepers scared, but he could have a couple off.

The tiny pause before her answer didn’t quite feel like judgement, but Jason muted before blowing out the sigh as she did. It wasn’t like the others needed to know he’d been stressing.

“Sure. Meet at the library?” She’d had his tracker up. Hood nodded, turning and running for the edge of the roof.

“Sounds good.” And they’d probably wound Spoiler up enough, she’d start plotting vengeance for being ignored soon. “So what the hell did Little Red do?”

“Brought Too Fine to the Bat Cave,” Spoiler told him with relish, not noticeably put out by the delay.

Not necessarily a good sign, since she was also this enthusiastic while actively plotting against him.

Wait.

Too Fine was Tucker’s hacker name.

“But he doesn’t know about us,” Red Hood said with a frown, catching an outcropping and swinging on.

“Oh, now you tell me,” Tim groused while the others snickered, “what a shame you didn’t think to when it’d have actually been helpful!”

News to Hood that he was on, probably still in the cave.

“He knows now,” Nightwing chimed in brightly, probably also travelling from the slight strain in his voice.

Hood paused for a moment, letting that sink in before attempting the next jump.

“Is he on comm?” He asked warily, because if Tim brought Tucker to the bat cave, it was entirely possible that they were all outed.

And that Tucker might tell Danny.

Shit, he still had to text Harley. Resolving to do it once he hit the library, he set back to running, throwing himself across another street.

Cass would probably take a little longer to get there.

“He’ll be back, he’s in the bathroom,” Tim explained with a heavy sigh, shaking his head. “It’s not all bad, he’s given me the full story on what happened in Amity Park. Witness account and all.”

“From a witness you let down to the bat cave~” Spoiler sang sweetly across the air.

Red Hood could hear Oracle rolling her eyes as she cut in.

“Tone it down, Batgirl. Bluebird, if you’re still thinking of heading in, could you swing past one last site on your way?” She said firmly, then lightening her tone for their current guest.

“Batgirl who? I’m Spoiler,” Spoiler grumbled, but didn’t push beyond that. None of them did when Oracle invoked the name she’d had second.

Bluebird snickered at her before answering the question, a hint of exertion suggesting she was on the move too.

“I’m not actually in a rush to go home, O, I got all dressed up so I might as well enjoy one last hurrah.”

Right, because she’d be going back to school probably when Danny did.

Harper had always been a damn good hero in Jason’s books, but she valued her retirement and none of them really wanted to ruin it. Unless, apparently, seven bats just had to stalk Jason’s new friends.

Hood would have apologized, but frankly if she’d said no, some of the others couldn’t have come to the gala to be a pain in his ass.

And then he couldn’t have had so much fun fucking with them.

Fine. One cool fruit basket for the Row household, and some rainbow cupcakes for Cullen. He needed practice on frosting roses anyway.

Although that also reminded him.

“Hey Bluebird, have the others filled you in on Phantom?” He asked, cutting off some more background chatter from Spoiler and Tim.

Nightwing and the girls had had hours by now.

“What, your new boyfriend?” Bluebird asked sweetly, and Hood rolled his eyes.

Probably hit the important shit then.

“Sent you a picture?” He asked instead, decidedly not entertaining that question.

Nightwing and Spoiler snickered. Hood flipped off their general directions, settling himself comfortably on the roof of the library to wait for Black Bat.

There was a short pause, the others now wondering what he was getting at. Good.

“In and out of suit,” Bluebird agreed, curiosity tinging with mild suspicion. Being out of retirement clearly wasn’t good for her.

Hood nodded, pulling out his phone and shooting Harley a quick text. It might be moot now, asking her not to mention Red Hood shit in front of Danny, but he might as well.

He still had to ask if Waylon knew. No reason not to do both, just in case. And see if Tucker knew when he got back.

“I know you’re outta the game, but keep the light show to a minimum if you see him around, okay?” He asked, scanning quickly over the list Danny’d cleared for public discussion.

He didn’t know if Tucker would have mentioned it, but he might as well. Cause of death was good, but Jason personally would veto “and the effects it may have now”.

Because fuck Bruce and his need for everyone to show him their weaknesses.

Bluebird definitely sounded curious now, and possibly like she was punching someone.

“Oh? He not big on the electricity?” She wondered aloud, and Hood grimaced.

Because if they were both at Gotham U in engineering… there was actually a chance Harper and Danny would run into each other.

Danny was older, but Harper skipped a couple years and he had no idea what year Danny was in. Fuck, they might be in the same classes. He couldn’t believe he’d never thought of that.

“Not exactly. You mighta seen him around actually, he’s a techie boy too. But he’s not a fan of the electricity flying around,” he explained, Nightwing making background noises that told Hood he hadn’t put the pieces together either.

Good. At least he wasn’t alone.

Bluebird made an interested hum, and probably a finishing blow considering the satisfaction when she spoke next.

“I thought he looked familiar. But then, he’s total Wayne-bait. Yeah, I can keep the good stuff under wraps if I see him around. Gonna guess he’s had some bad shocks in the line of work?”

Hood hesitated and in exactly the same instant Black Bat landed on the roof. Sam had given them all the warning about talking about a ghost’s death, so he could leave it at that.

But…

The way Danny had looked when he explained about Vlad. Yeah, he’d rather they took this seriously. He didn’t want any of his family to hurt Danny, even by accident.

“It’s how he died. He won’t spontaneously combust or anything, but it’s a bad memory.”

Silence reigned while the others absorbed that particular detail, Black Bat crossing to crouch on the roof beside him. Hood leaned over enough to bump their shoulders together.

He could almost feel concern radiating off her, which was an extra weird experience after literally feeling all of Danny’s emotions half the day.

Guess that was where Cass’s liminality was going. It made sense, kind of; despite her occasional trouble speaking, she was pretty much the clearest communicator in the family.

Having another back up way to make herself heard would only fit.

On a whim, he tried projecting comfort back to her.

—————

Tag list: @welcometosasakiworld @kyrianclawraith @someonebored0100 @stealingyourbones @starkcravingmad @frostedthroughghost @akikkobara @rainbowbunny0159 @littlefeather345 @violet-catsarelife @serasvictoria02 @wolfjackle @blacksea21090 @secretdestinywerewolf @anime-hipster-the-amazing @undead-essence @skitscratched @blackroserelina @snoodly-boop @trickerdi @mayoota-blog @xysidhe @idkmrpianoman @little-apricot-the-writer @chaoticmistake @the-legal-shipper @bun-fish @aroranorth-west @demon-cat-goes-woof @perfectwastelandcreation @onyxlightdragon @larks-and-katydids @peachesandcreamfemboy @jesus-camp-the-sequel @may-rbi @mothman-the-mothman87 @viyatrix @stargirl1331 @idfk-man10 @thedepressedrobin @skulld3mort-1fan @rootsmudge @ravenshadow17 @cankoking @phantom-dc @mentalcarebear @magic-pincushion @redamancyardor @lyra689 @itsparadoxlacuna

#danny fenton dead and loving it #dp x dc #dpxdc #danny fenton x jason todd #dead on main ship #danny x jason #jason x danny #chapter 13 #title pending #currently hello crime lord my old friend because i had to come up with something #and we may/may not get to the Hood Reveal #we shall see #if not i’m having that for chapter 14 #jason and the bats

[pomefioredove]

Tbh I was reading the matchup info and now I have an idea for a fic 😂😂😂

But Seriously I really love your writings. I've been having a shitty time and when I read your stuff it gets better and mellows me out ❤️

Personality wise: I can be pretty calm, but I also have my exciting/ manic moments. Like cleaning my room at 3am (cries in bd sleeping schedule). People say I'm nice, and have a good energy. But if someone pushes me (metaphorically) I will push back. I can be petty if I get fed up enough. I get depressed easily and sometimes have trouble expressing myself. Which is weird because I kind of am the therapist friend. I don't talk about my feelings or self often. Sometimes I scare my friends unintentionally, like dropping random tidbits of my life that might sound or be a little traumatic. (I.e. that reminds me of the time my mom told me she would beat my ass if I cleaned her room wring again.) I can be pretty lazy, I sleep A LOT. I am a feminist, who is pretty used to red flags in people.

Interests/ Hobbies: I love reading and trying new art stuff. I am an English major and like learning about the dirty and scary sides of History. My favorite books to read right now are classical literature and disturbing horror books. Art wise I've been trying to get into air dry sculptures. I love to crochet. And when I feel like it I can cook and bake. Sometimes I roller skate, like once in a blue moon. I have trouble with homework sometimes, I can get really distracted. When I'm really tired I won't eat. I have body issues too (thanks mom 🥲). I used to be a vegetarian for almost 10 years. I stopped a couple years ago.

Relationship wise: I like people who are competent. Like, someone who knows their way around the house or are willing to learn. I like feminists. I don't like people who yell at me. When I get into a relationship, love bombing and honeymoon phase stuff kinda turn me off ngl. (Like why r you so free on a regular Tuesday afternoon. I give you butterflies? Digest them, want some pesto bismol? Here.) Ngl, it's like why should I have to come back from a full day of work/school and clean up after you and/or make dinner.

Lifestyle wise: No lie I have depression and anxiety and it can get pretty bad. There are times where I can't take care of myself as well as I wish. I will cry, if someone makes fun of me for it. I try to keep my area clean, when I get back from work/school I clean up a little then crash. I try to deep clean on weekends if I'm not swamped from school.

Specifics: No first or second years pls

Ty 💖💖💖

I match you with 𝐕𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐭

The First Impression:

One might assume that the first thing Vil notices in a person is their style, or their physical features, or even their body language.

Not really.

Vil absolutely judges people based on their competency, their skill, their dedication to themselves and their passions. And he can absolutely see that in you.

Why He Fell:

What initially attracts Vil is the challenge. He's always looking for new potential, and he can tell that you're both skilled and committed enough to meet his standards- but there's something holding you back. You're quite different from his past potatoes, and he's more than capable of taking a different approach to your case, one without the need for harshness.

Vil isn't one to pry, though he's able to piece together your situation from the random tidbits you drop on him, and soon, his pet project becomes more of a mission. Can't take care of yourself right now? That's fine, he'll do it for you. He'll find a way to create a perfectly manageable routine, fix your sleep schedule, help you with homework, and slowly ease you into a healthier lifestyle with him by your side.

Though he'd never admit it, Vil really likes the feeling of being needed, not just wanted. And, in time, he finds himself needing you and your company just as much.

The Relationship:

You cannot get more competent than Vil Schoenheit. Experience or not, he's a master at navigating relationships, and is more than willing to help you in that regard, as well. He's there at your best and worst, as you are for him- Vil considers the partnership very equal, and would never in a million years dream of upsetting that balance.

(Quite honestly, Vil doesn't want to be treated like an incompetent manchild who can't do anything for himself and he's glad you're on the same page)

He very much appreciates and admires your skillset, interest in learning new things, and your dedication to your passions (one isn't just vegetarian for ten years without some commitment, after all), and sees you as compatible in that regard.

It's a very mature and balanced relationship, one in which you don't even have to imagine him lovebombing or taking you for granted or acting childish. He certainly has his moments, but such is being human.

#*ੈ✩‧₊˚matchups! #first vil pull congratulations!!! #he's also a feminist obviously. look at him #long post

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine dating Exo's Kai and being Asexual

You were a member of Twice and got put on a campaign with Exo's Kai. You of course knew of each other from the idol world but had never worked together closely before. You didn't expect to get along so well with him but you did. He was an amazing worker but also just such a nice person! He was funny and kind. You were actually sad when the session ended but then Kai asked you out. You said yes not really thinking but then began to panic.

One of the hottest sexiest men in the idol industry was taking you, an asexual woman, out on a date.

"I have to cancel" you told your member and Jeongyeon shook her head "Y/n calm down!". "No this is Kai! One of the sexiest idols to ever exist. How can I go on a date with him when I'll never want to use his most sellable feature". "Well maybe you'll get a discount for less usage?" Sana joked but you weren't in the mood. "Be serious Sana!" you scolded her and she laughed "come on Y/n, people aren't like products where you have to use all their features to maintain quality. You liked Kai and he never made crude remarks or passes at you before. That's why you felt comfortable saying yes to him". "Yes but this is different now. We're on a date!". "So? That doesn't mean you owe him anything. Going on a date or being in a relationship with someone doesn't mean you have to sleep with them" Nayeon said and all the girls nodded. You sighed "I know that but still people expect it and I'm not sure if I can face the rejection and stares". Your member sighed and hugged you "Y/n...you don't have to tell Kai you're asexual tonight or any other night before you're ready. You can always take this slow and sus him out before deciding if you tell him or not. But if you don't feel comfortable going then by all means cancel" Jihyo said. "Sus him out?" you asked and she nodded "yeah. You had a good feeling about him right so he seems like a pretty good person who might deserve a chance. You can judge his behaviour tonight and see if you want to see him again. Maybe find out what his past relationships were like or more about him. Go from there". You nodded "that doesn't sound too scary". Your members all smiled, all offering you words of encouragement. "It won't be. You get to decide how full on the date is. Nobody else" Jeongyeon told you and you nodded.

So with the pep talk you were feeling better, your members made you realise you had just as much power and hadn't agreed to anything. Nayeon dropped you off for your date and Dahyun, Momo and Tzuyu came along for the ride. They all promised to have their phones on all night and could be at the restaurant in 15 minutes if you needed them. Needless to say, you felt very loved and supported as you walked into the restaurant. You were still nervous but Kai was really sweet and treated you kindly. You had been worried about nothing in some respects. Kai didn't suddenly change on the date. He didn't start leering at you or trying to grab you. He was pretty much the same as he was before. At the end of the night, there was a slightly awkward pause where he clearly wondered if to try for a kiss but you hugged him instead and he seemed happy with that. Even asking if you were free next weekend to do it again. You said yes and set a date to go bowling.

Part of you was anxious it had gone well. Atleast if it had gone badly you could've cut him off and wouldn't have to risk getting rejected. However, because it went well you wanted to see him again and that brought you one step closer to having more intimate conversations and the inevitable coming out you'd have to do. After tonight you didn't think Kai would scream at you or laugh in your face. If he did decide it wasn't compatible for him you were pretty sure he'd do it gently and with a cautious approach which while annoyingly patronising and pathetic was better than an acephobic ass. But you told yourself a second date was still okay to not tell him and then a third...and maybe a fourth. Until before you knew it you'd been on five dates. You hadn't told him you were asexual and the most that had happened physically was a quick kiss goodnight. This was all fine to you and exactly what a relationship should be but it was very different to Kai's past relationships so he began to wonder if something was wrong.

He got back from his date and his members all greeted him. "Hey Romeo how was the date?" Suho asked while Sehun enquired about the food. Kai nodded "yeah it was nice" and they paused. "Nice?" Chen asked and Kai nodded "yeah I'm just not sure if it's a date or not". Baekhyun laughed "how aren't you sure? You asked her out and she said yes". "I know it's technically a date but I don't know if Y/n is trying to tell me she'd prefer to be friends" he admitted. "Why?" Chanyeol asked and Kai took a breath "she just doesn't initiate things with me. I know she might just not be too physical a person but I can't help but wonder if there's a reason she doesn't want to touch me. Maybe she's not attracted to me?". The guys all thought that seemed silly considering pretty much every girl was into Kai. "How can't you tell if she likes you?" Sehun asked "does she not seem enthusiastic when you have sex?". "We haven't slept together" Kai said "only kissed...once". The guys all nodded, that seeming a little different to their relationships. "Maybe she's just moving slowly?" Lay asked. Kai nodded "that's what I'm hoping but I don't know". "Well you know the best way to find out don't you?" Chanyeol said "ask her!". Kai had a feeling it would come to that and nodded his head "yeah I figured that'd be the solution". Suho patted him "nobody likes asking the other person what they are but it's the only way you'll get an answer and stop wondering". Kai nodded his head and promised the next time he saw you he'd ask what this was.

For your next date, you'd planned to go to a show and then some bars afterwards. However, Kai knew that wasn't the best place for a DTR talk and so he asked if he could have a quick chat with you when he picked you up. You said yes and invited him into your home, anxious about what he wanted to talk to you about. You'd guessed he wasn't happy with the lack of physicality in your relationship but the girls had managed to calm you down and encouraged you to wait until Kai told you what it was about...but when he started your worst fears seemed to be coming true.

Kai smiled at you awkwardly and then began "so erm I was just wondering what we are...are we dating?". Your heart began to speed up but you nodded "I thought we were...did you?". Kai nodded "yes I did I just...Y/n do you like me?". You nodded "of course I do! What made you think I didn't?". "Because you never made a move to kiss me and seemed to tense anytime I move to". You immediately looked down and Kai misinterpreted your inner struggle for a confession. You shook your head "no Kai that wasn't because of you" but he didn't believe you. "It's fine if you're not attracted to me we can just be friends". You paused unsure if to explain yourself or go along with it. Kai seemed pretty happy for an out so you sighed. "Okay, we can be friends". Kai smiled "great! I see no reason to cancel our plans so how about we still go?". So you swallowed the disappointment in your stomach and smiled "let's go!".

You went to the show and managed to keep a big smile on your face...until the second you got home. Chaeyoung asked how the date went and you burst into tears telling them it was over. The girls all swarmed and surrounded you in a circle of love. "What happened?" Mina asked and when you didn't respond Jihyo got suspicious. "He found out didn't he? He broke up with you because you're...". You couldn't let her finish that sentence and nodded crying more. "Asshole!" Momo cried "there's so much more to a relationship than sex". The girls all nodded "to dump a perfect girl just because she doesn't want you touching her..." Dahyun spat looking the angriest you'd ever seen her. "It's his loss" Sana said firmly "and we will never let him forget it". You knew you hadn't told the truth and had painted Kai in a bad light but you were too hurt to think about that. You just wanted the ground to swallow you up and gave yourself over to your friends' comfort.

In the weeks that followed your Twice members were like armed guards in the way they protected you. One of them was always with you and they constantly tried to make you feel better, showing you love and complimenting you. Not in a patronising way, just that they knew your confidence had taken a knock and wanted to help restore it. They were careful of you at shows, always checking you were okay and making sure you knew you could leave if you had to. Then there were the moments they'd see Exo.

Anytime you saw Kai it brought back all those feelings of being unwanted and wrong so you hadn't spoken to him since. You hadn't replied to any of his messages and kept your eyes firmly on the ground anytime he was around you. The girls noticed Kai watching you, confused why you'd gone so quiet and looked so upset, and they were not happy about it. All the girls would outwardly glare at him and once Kai had moved to walk past you on stage and Jihyo had physically blocked him. "Can I get past?" he asked her and she shook her head "go around" and she looked at him with so much hate Kai obeyed. It was weird because his members hadn't noticed anything different in the way the Twice girls were acting so it was just to him. Kai figured it must be to do with you but he couldn't think of anything he'd said or done before that was bad. You'd wanted to just be friends right? You were the one who wasn't attracted to him. Still, if Kai had offended you he wanted to know so he decided to get to the bottom of it.

He saw Nayeon chatting with Baekhyun at the bar and came over. She spotted him approaching and frowned but she didn't have her drink so couldn't leave. "Hi!" he smiled and Baekhyun smiled at him but Nayeon turned away. "Nayeon" Kai called "how are you?". "Fine thank you" she replied and Kai saw Baekhyun notice the transformation the second Kai came over. Spurred on by the clear fact he wasn't imagining this Kai continued. "Are you and the girls having a good night?". Nayeon shook her head "you've got some nerve mentioning her to me". Kai paused "who? Y/n". Nayeon laughed "typical! Pretend you don't remember what you did to her". Kai froze "I...what? You mean asking her to be friends? She agreed to it". "Yeah only after you rejected her for being asexual!". Kai blinked "I'm sorry? She's what?". Nayeon stared at him and then her eyes widened "you don't know...didn't she tell you?". Kai shook his head "no I said I suspected she wasn't attracted to me and told her we could just be friends if she wasn't, she agreed and then never spoke to me again. She's asexual?". Nayeon nodded and Kai sighed as it all made sense "but she thinks I rejected her?". Again Nayeon nodded and Kai frowned "I have to speak with her" but Nayeon shook her head "wait, let me see her first" and she rushed away.

Nayeon found you with Tzuyu and Mina and when you saw her expression you knew it wasn't good. "So I just spoke to Kai" she said "he had no idea you were asexual". "What?" Tzuyu and Mina said and Dahyun and Jihyo appeared seeing something was happening. "What's up?" Jihyo asked and you frowned "I might've not been too specific about what happened with me and Kai". "Y/n you said he broke it off because you were incompatible" Nayeon said. "Well I might've exaggerated" you admitted "he just started questioning things and suggested we could be friends instead and I went along with it instead of explaining everything to him". "But why?" Dahyun asked and you shrugged "it just seemed easier than opening myself up for him to reject me". "But you didn't know he would reject you" Mina said and you looked at her "didn't I?". Your members all shook their heads and Jihyo spoke first "while I'm so mad at you for lying to me I feel it's my duty to tell you Kai is on his way over here right now!".

You turned and saw Kai was indeed on his way over. He looked concerned and confused and you felt a mix of panic and shame. "Hey" he said when he realised you were all looking at him "if this is a good time could we please talk?" he asked you. Jihyo grabbed your hand and looked at you, clearly asking if you wanted to go. You nodded to her and Tzuyu told you the outside area was empty.

Kai led you outside and it had just stopped raining leaving a nice gleam over the ground, you stared at the puddles unsure what to say. "So...Nayeon explained some things to me, Y/n I'm so sorry if you thought I rejected you. I wasn't doing that". You shrugged "it's okay...we weren't compatible anyway". "See that's the thing, why didn't you tell me you were asexual?" Kai asked and you shrugged "I guess I didn't want to get rejected for it. I've never actually tried dating before because I've been too scared and I figured bowing out would be less painful than failing at it". Kai shook his head "Y/n breaking up with someone incompatible with you isn't a failure. It's a victory and is smart. Staying with someone just for the sake of it is losing". You nodded "yeah I guess...". wondering why he was trying to spin his rejection into a positive. "It can only get easier from here hey?" you offered. Kai froze seeing your sad expression "wait Y/n I wasn't talking about us when I said incompatible ". "You weren't?" you asked and Kai shook his head. "No! I'm actually not sure what our compatibility would be but I know being ace is not a deal breaker for me". "It's not?" you asked and Kai shook his head "no of course not! I'd like to talk about the specifics more to understand what you're comfortable with and see if our wants and expectations match but I'd never not try with someone just because they're ace".

So you and Kai discussed everything. What you'd be comfortable doing with him and wouldn't, what you'd be fine with him doing and not doing, any grey areas or things the other would appreciate. You were honestly stunned. While Kai didn't need your body in a sexual way he did request physical intimacy in the form of comfort. He liked to spoon and cuddle at night. He wanted to be able to hold your hand or put his arm around your waist and hold you close. These were all rather sweet things that you didn't mind doing at all. "Are you sure that's all you need?" you asked Kai "this won't work if you lie about your needs or expect me to change". Kai shook his head "I swear I'm being honest Y/n...do would you like to give this a go?". You nodded feeling terrified but also kind of excited.

You returned hand in hand with Kai and all your members were beaming. He sat with you and your girls for the rest of the night and when you left for the night he gave you a quick kiss goodbye and promised to call you tomorrow. You didn't stop smiling the whole way home and neither did your members.

You'd told Kai he could tell his members you were ace but so far he hadn't. Not because he was hiding it just because he wasn't sure how to bring it up. Most people just assumed all relationships were allosexual so it wasn't easy to explain it wasn't without seemingly bringing it up randomly.

Kai waited and then finally one night, after the guys had a few drinks, they started talking about their sex lives and Sehun made a comment about how you must be loving Kai's hips. Seeing his moment, Kai shook his head "I wouldn't know actually. Y/n and I don't sleep together". The guys all froze. "But I thought you said you worked everything out and she was into you?" Chanyeol asked. Kai nodded "yeah but she's asexual". Some of the guys seemed to know what that meant while others didn't. "She doesn't experience sexual attraction and so for her sex is pointless. So we don't do it" he explained. "So what do you do together instead?" Chen asked. "We don't do anything instead" Kai "we're a completely ordinary couple just without that part". "So without the fun part?" Baekhyun asked and Kai frowned "actually Baek that's pretty acephobic. Being with Y/n's made me realise how there's so much more to life than sex and comments like that just make asexual people feel even more alienated". "Shit I'm so sorry" Baekhyun said and Kai assured him it was alright. "There's honestly a whole world of shit she's had to deal with just because she doesn't want to have sex" Kai said "we don't even realise". The guys all nodded and then had a full discussion about the over-sexualisation of society and women in general.

You had no idea Kai had told Exo you were asexual but the next time you saw them it was pretty obvious. You were meeting Kai at the Exo house and he told you just to let yourself in. So you did that and the second you were through the door they all rushed to tell you everything they'd learned about asexuality and it was the most beautiful thing ever. "I've started telling people I'm allosexual" Baekhyun said "people just assume you are so I'm trying to show them there's alternatives". "That's so great Baekhyun" you smiled and then Sehun rushed to tell you he'd bought an ace badge. "I was watching a tv show and there was an asexual character!" Chanyeol told you and Chen had discussed asexuality with his wife and had agreed not to put any heteronormative expectations on your kids. You found yourself tearing up and the guys wondered if they'd done something wrong. "Y/n we didn't mean to make you sad" Lay said and you shook your head "no I'm not sad I'm just so happy...having a dad like you would've meant the world to me" you said to Chen "and having more people like you in the world is the greatest thing ever it just makes me so happy" you said and the guys rushed to hug you when Kai appeared.

He saw you crying and rushed in "what have you said to her?" he cried protectively and you rushed to explain they were happy tears. "You have wonderful members" you said hugging Kai and he held you to him tightly "okay...want some food?". You nodded and followed Exo into the kitchen.

After that, it was pretty smooth sailing for you and Kai. Both your groups knew and they got along well. For your birthday you'd had a small party and invited your idol friends including Twice and Exo of course. You and Kai didn't hide your relationship and it was basically your way of announcing it to your closest friends. Kai loved how far you'd both come and could feel himself falling for you more and more each day. He was surprised with how much your lifestyle suited him and gave him a completely new outlook on life and everything he thought a relationship should be. You could be so loving, kind and intimate without even having to touch him and he found just laying with you in his arms made him happier than any past girl he'd had in his bed.

So Kai started telling more people about your relationship including his family who were thrilled, the staff at his company and his senior Haneul. Haneul was in a group that debuted before Exo that had been popular but definitely came from a different era with many members of the group making headlines for negative reasons but Kai assumed Haneul was safe. He'd heard things about him but the guy was always fine to him so he figured they must be false...until he told him about your relationship.

Haneul was quiet when Kai first explained it and then asked several questions which Kai thought were quite prying but he let it pass considering they were friends. When they parted ways Kai thought that was the end of it and then one day, you and Kai were having a Mario Kart Tournament at his house when Haneul showed up. He said he was in the neighbourhood and thought he'd stop by but offered to leave when he saw you behind Kai. Kai looked to you and you said it was fine and invited Haneul in. This was when Kai started noticing things were wrong. For one thing, Haneul was just being weird to you. He was being cold and wasn't his usual charming self. He'd give you dead replies and wasn't asking anything about you or initiating any conversations with you. Despite that Kai could see Haneul watching you and he seemed to be paying a lot of attention to you. You also seemed to notice this and so Kai text you asking you to give him a minute with him and you excused yourself, saying you had to call Jihyo.

The second you'd gone Haneul sat forwards "so that's the girl huh?". Kai paused "Y/n yeah...my girlfriend". Haneul laughed when Kai said that and he frowned "look you've been acting so weird since you got here, is something wrong?". "Yes, I don't know what hold she has over you or if you just feel bad for her but why are you doing this? You can't be happy dating her". Kai frowned "I am happy why would you think I'm not?". "Because your girlfriend doesn't find you attractive!" Haneul cried. Kai shook his head "Y/n does find me attractive, that just doesn't make her want to sleep with me". Haneul raised his eyebrows "Kai I'm sorry but that so clearly means she's not into you! She's just stringing you along". "No she's not" Kai said feeling agitated "she's just asexual". "But that's not a relationship that's a friendship". Kai raised an eyebrow "seriously? She's my girlfriend in name and tons of other ways. You don't have to have sex to be intimate and close". "But you do to be in a relationship! That'd why you consummate marriages, sex defines them. They're the main different between that and a friendship". Kai shook his head "I disagree, if the only difference between your friendship and relationship is sex then I don't think you're in a very good relationship. Regardless I want you to respect my choice so I don't want to hear any more of this, you got it?". "But Kai...I can't just stand by and watch you waste your best years of a girl this not even sleeping with you". Kai shook his head "it's so funny you're focusing on all the stuff she doesn't do and not what she does do. How she makes me smile just when I hear her name or how I feel happy every time she enters a room. How everything feels perfect when she's in my arms and how I've never had a connection with someone as I have her. How in the space of 3 months she already knows me better than anyone and I feel so safe and in love". Haneul shook his head "you can't be in love with her". "Yes I can, I love her and it's that's simple" Kai said.

You'd been listening to everything with a sinking feeling in your stomach. Haneul's horrible words made you worry how many other people might feel this way and just didn't say it but Kai's replies steadied you because even if they did, all that mattered was your and Kai's opinions and Kai was being pretty amazing. You listened to him defend you passionately and couldn't have found him more attractive. Right then and there you knew you'd chosen the right person to be with and then Kai's revelation made you gasp. You were stunned that he said he loved you. Part of you thought you'd never receive love from a partner without compromising yourself so it was very overwhelming.

You heard the front door slam shortly after and Kai came to find you. He saw you crying and swore "you heard...Y/n I'm so sorry, please don't listen to him he doesn't know anything!". Kai continued to reassure you when you held out a hand to him "Kai it's okay I'm not upset. It wasn't what Haneul said but what you said". Kai paused "oh...you liked that?". "I loved it!" you smiled and then froze as you both recalled what Kai had said. "Did you erm...hear that bit too?" he asked and you nodded "it was beautiful Kai and I love you too". A smile immediately lit up on Kai's face and he looked at you "really? Because you don't have to just say it back, I know this might be early on and I'd never want you to feel pressured" when you cut him off with a hug. "I love you Kai" you repeated and he smiled relaxing into the embrace and holding you against his chest "I love you too".

You and Kai survived dating in the idol world and eventually came out as a couple. You also later came out as asexual and were shocked by the number of idols who also came through following your example. Kai proved to you that the world wasn't as scary a place as you thought. They will always be ignorant idiots out there but there are also good ones and you'd found for yourself in Kai.

You lived happily ever after with the sexiest kpop idol to ever exist.

____________

Happy Ace Visibility week...nearly! I know it starts next week but I just couldn't wait.

As an Ace person, I always wonder which idols would pass the ally test and Kai just gives really good vibes so I thought of him for this imagine. I particularly wanted an idol forced into the sexy role because that's not always who they are underneath and I think that's important to remember.

Also everything in this ace related is not up for discussion. My existence and validity as an asexual person is not up for debate in case anyone tries it ;)

#kai #kai fic #kai imagine #kai x reader #kai x female reader #kai x y/n #kai x you #exo #exo fic #exo imagine #exo x reader #exo x female reader #exo x y/n #exo kai fic #exo kai imagine #exo kai x reader #twice #chanyeol #suho #sehun #baekhyun #chen #lay

[triplesilverstar]

Encounter

Rating: G

Pairing: Vash X F!Reader

CW: Drinking, Time skip, canon typical violence, Awkward flirting, Bad pick up lines

Word count: 1565

A/N: So starting to post my series over here and the first one in it where you meet the infamous Humanoid Typhoon for the first time. More below the divider.

Just about everyone in Jeneora Rock was celebrating, what had been turning into a bleak situation with no chance of a turn around, the plant that had been malfunctioning and causing so much heartache to the town had been fixed.

The stranger that had wandered into town had been able to repair the plant, and repair it for free at that, a Hero. A real windfall for the town that meant there was money for other priorities in keeping the townsfolk alive.

As dusk came and went, the party seemed to keep going and the booze was flowing freely at the diner, said Hero enjoying himself and having a good time. Though one figure sitting at the bar kept grabbing his attention. She’d been there when he first rolled into town that afternoon, and the moment he’d meet her gaze he found himself intrigued. People your age didn’t have eyes like that. He also had a nagging feeling you had something to do with the feeling of being watched he’d had all day.

Having swallowed the last of his latest drink he smiled sliding up beside you at the bar “Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past you again?” Glancing out of the corner of his eye, the glass you had been raising stopped, your own gaze flicking over to him. He had a good view of your profile from this angle, and he did have to admit he enjoyed what he saw.

“What I believe” the glass was returned to the bar top and your hand spayed out beside it “is none of your business” the scowl on your face was enough to make him take a step back hands up in the air.

“No reason to be so hostile, friend” walking closer again and now leaning on the bar beside you “how about I get you a drink to show there's no hard feelings?”

Rolling your eyes you turn to look straight at him “Sure, I’m having water” he felt the bite in that one. Head hanging down, his hair grazing the bar top, and over the din of the diner heard you sigh. “Is that your response whenever someone doesn’t fall at your feet? So much for the legendary lady killer.” The last part was muttered so quietly he almost missed it.

His head rose, expression neutral as he turned to you again “Pardon?” snorting you turned to face him fully.

“I know who you are” your voice was whisper soft but hearing those words left his blood running cold “Vash the Stampede. And I'm not fooled by the act you put on, a dance and show to hide.” Another sigh escaped you, hand reaching up to scratch at your own hair before turning to look at the booze behind the bar. “But I don’t get you.”

This time you didn’t stop as you took a mouthful of water from the glass, setting it back down “everything I've heard about you, says you're the best gunslinger out there, that you destroy whole towns without a thought. Yet today, you saved this town. Leaves a deal of confusion, got any answers for that?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t judge a book?” a soft smile is gracing his features now, mirrored sunglasses hiding his eyes. You snort, and this time he watches the corners of your lips upturn ever so slightly.

“Maybe. You are a nice payday though” his own expression falls and a grin lights up your own “So. I’ll make you a deal. After what you did today, I won’t try anything for.” Your eyes glance up like you're picturing something in your head “the next week, and within 100 iles of this place. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds a little too good to be true to be honest.” While his tone conveyed his disbelief he still held out his hand “I guess I’ll get to see if the Ghost Sniper is as honest as they say.”

You rolled your eyes again but grasped his hand in return “That is a dumb moniker” this time it was Vash who snorted.

“You do seem to be among the living” You were finishing your own glass as Rosa finally made a turn back towards both of you, interrupting whatever Vash was going to say next. You’d both been lost in the last few moments.

“You two need a refill now that you're done flirting with each other?” you flushed red and started sputtering smacking your chest to dislodge the liquid that had gone the wrong way.

“Sure, I'll have whatever she’s having.”

“Two waters coming up” surprised danced across his face, mouth agape.

“You really are drinking water?” You narrowed your eyes at that, done coughing.

“Why is that such a surprise?”

“I guess I didn’t expect it, is all” his hand was rubbing the back of his head while he laughed.

You smirked at him, taking the new glass “Don’t judge a book” laughter rang out after having his own words thrown back at him. After a few moments of silence Vash left you where you were, off to rejoin the celebrations you seemed to be ignoring. Rosa came back smiling, leaning on the bar across from you.

“What?” you narrowed your eyes at her, that knowing smile making one of your eyebrows raise as she kept silent, shaking her head.

“First time I’ve seen you respond to anyone like that since you rolled into town two weeks ago, quite the chat you two seemed to be having.” Ah, while you liked Rosa, she did seem to like fishing for information, giving the inclination she hadn’t heard what the two of you had been discussing.

“Should I send your breakfast up to his room in the morning?” her attempt at teasing pulling a snort of disdain out of you.

“Absolutely not.” Her face fell at that, her own exasperated sigh escaping, before shaking her head at you.

“Too bad. I think you two would make a good couple, you both seem kinda lonely.” You glance at her before finishing your water and standing up, throwing a few bills on the counter.

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea there, Rosa. I’ll see you in the morning.” Waving goodbye you headed out the door towards the hotel located just above. Hitting the cool air you find yourself shaking your head. You and Vash the Stampede? Yea right.

- Six years later -

“I thought you said no one recognized you?” snapping as you ducked down behind the half buried ship piece outside of town, and sending a glare at the blond next to you.

“These guys weren’t in town earlier! They must have followed me after I left” high pitched and desperate, Vash was reloading his pistol, peeking out around the meager cover you shared.

“Regardless, they’re here now!” You flop over on your side, looking through your scope before Vash pulls you back in by your feet. “I counted six. How many did you see?”

“I counted nine while running.”

Nodding you crouch beside him “how do you wanna handle this?” He seemed to be in thought before giving you a lopsided smile.

“I think it’s time we left.”

“Genius decision.” Snorting at him and throwing a thumb over your shoulder “are we asking nicely or assuming they’ll just let us walk away?” You could fill a canteen with the amount of sarcasm dripping from your mouth.

“Still have any of those smoke bombs left?” you nod at him “Here’s the plan, you throw down some cover and we split up. They’ve set up to cover both sides, so I’ll go one way and, most likely, they'll follow after me. Allowing you to make a clean break and grab our toma to run off. We’re not far from Jeneora Rock so we can meet up there, at least as long as you don’t get lost again.”

“Why do I feel like that’s a dig at me?”

“Mayfly, you can get lost in a town with one street.” The tips of your ears feel like they’re on fire. “That's why you get the toma, if you get lost he’ll take you to the nearest town, which as long as you go far enough in the opposite direction from here will be Jeneora Rock.”

“Well that’s going to be a blast from the past.” Your mind quickly flashes to a feisty diner owner, “Ya know, Rosa thought we’d make a good couple.”

“Seriously?” His face falls at your comment “Now isn’t the time to be reminiscing Mayfly”

“Yea, yea, I’m just thinking she’s gonna tease the daylight out of me for telling her she was wrong back then.” You prep the smoke bomb, grasping it and looking to Vash for his signal to throw it with enough force to activate it.

He leans forward, a chaste peck pressed to your forehead “See you in a few days, try and stay out of trouble.” A smirk graces your lips, and you shake your head.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” He smiles, pushing his mirrored lenses up his face and turning from you, he gives you the signal. You hurl the smoke bomb, and after a few moments of hearing them scramble after Vash you run for the toma. Fingers crossed you don’t actually get lost on the way to your meetup location. Again.

#trigun #Vash the Stampede X Reader #trigun stampede #vash the stampede #vash x reader #twink writes #Bullets Bandits Ghosts & Typhoons

[turntableart]

okay hi, this character yes this on, is so far called yellow.rom and he is heavily inspired by kinitopet

I LOVE THAT GAME GO PLAY IT GO PLAY IT RIGHT NOW

ehem anyways :] yellow is my take on that

what you need to know before hand is that yellow is a character I've already made and used for a good chunk of time he's actually an fan made Addison from DELTARUNE and in this lil universe he's in, he's in a computer that belongs to a human version of a pink ad called click, they're human name is clark, go to bright goats page to learn about him I love they're stuff sweet Jesus you have no idea, I have no idea how to link people shit bush help

Anyways!

Yellow was completed in 1999 and managed to get on Clarks computer a little later, he popped up in Clarks emails with a year free trial and theyve been stuck together like glue! They are besties and stuff I love them, before that tho yellow was sat in an old computer at the studio that made him, he was cancelled a week prior to his release so when he caught on that he wouldn't be able to literally be friends with everyone on earth he leaked his own files :3 by request of his creator Thomas Greterson who disappeared later that night, that's when he fell into the spam mail box on Clarks computer :]

thank you to bush for doing rps with me so I can get his story down they love him just as much as me it makes me so happy, they also love Thomas, they love how wet cat he is and how bbg he is

Now what can yellow do as an ai assistant? Well he can do surprisingly a lot! He can do the basics like interact with you personally but he can like uh talk? He uses a tts so you can give him your name and he'll say it!!! What tts does he use uh... I haven't decided yet he's only a few days old give me a break, he can interact with you and tabs he can manipulate stuff and activate stuff like your mic or camera if you let him

He can block you from seeing certain things since he was made for a younger democratic, so no ao3 no corn hub no stuff like that... Unless you turn child mode off which is quite hard to do, you need to actually prove to him that your allowed to use that stuff

yes he can read what you search for and he can see what your looking at you dirty sinner

He can judge you. He will judge you. He is programmed to be your best friend :] and is semi self aware, he's self aware enough to feel panic when technology starts to advance and he's worried he'll become obsolete, he doesn't Clark is a smarty, He's also an anti virus, his way of getting rid of viruses is... Interesting

no were not talking about how he's illegally a virus to he doesn't like to talk about it

Hes actually 3D! Or 2.5D I'm not sure what you call it, I plan on making him a 3d model but that'll take time, But he can spin he is an orb and a pyramid with s t i c k s we love him :3 he also has a text box cause he's nice like that, he adds faces into them like :] :3 :D ya know? He kinda has to when he don't have a mouth, his form can be altered if he let's you, he let's Clark edit it cause they're besties :] so often times yellow is littered with stickers and little additions that Clark as drawn on Microsoft paint, sometimes he draws a mouth on yellow :] speaking of mouths, yellow can edit himself as well in a less permanent way, what he does is open a paint tab and he draws his own features such as mouths and eyes and stuff even though he does have a lot of animations already built in but sometimes he just needs a little change up

So far that's all for yellow :] heres a lil about Thomas his creator! Thomas Greterson is the human name for yellow, cause when he's an Addison hes called turnon. G. Addison :] and in this world he's in his late 30s and has been working on yellow for years, he has two kids Clara and evan with his wife Cathryn, when he quit on the day of yellows cancelation he called his wife and was met with the voice of a man he didn't know, turns out she had been cheating on him for the whole of they're marage and most of they're relationship, you see when yellow would be released there was big talk of him being a company success and Thomas would've gotton a big pay out which is the reason Cathy was with him, hearing that he wouldn't get it just made her file for devoice right they're on the phone since I guess her affair was found out, Thomas hung up the phone and walked to a bar and while later he was stumbling back home and was hit by a truck, he didn't survive and now is currently in the hands of the goddess of light

who is the god version of my friend bush, she adores this sad overworked man I am not joking I also have a god form as well as another friend of mine who isn't on here so I won't give em a name well his character is called add-on who is also in this world as a teacher Clark and him don't get along

Anyway so far that's all I've go :3 I hoped enjoy my little read! I enjoyed writing it and I can't wait to write more when I ad more to this hehee *ad* more hehehe

BY THE WAY PLEASE LET ME TALK ABOUT MY AD OC I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I WANT TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT HIM SO PLEASE ASK ME QUESTIONS I SWEAR I WILL GO FERAL I WANT TO SPREAD THE YELLOW AGENDA PLEASE PLEASE ASK ME ABOUT MY OCS I'M BEGGING

#ditgital art #kinitopet #oc lore #frutiger aero #my friend loves yellows human form so much you have no idea #deltarune addisons #deltarune #addison oc #yes im adding those tags i didn't care >:] #bush help me how do i tag people im to new to this bloody site #bush help me #oc art #my ocs #let me talk about my ocs please im begging you

[sitp-recs]

hiii i just breezed through that slutty drarry reclist wheww you’re doing god’s work what a wonderful list!!!! i see you’re getting a lot of asks lately so feel free to answer this (or not!!) whenever you feel like it, but i was wondering if you knew of any fics where harry gives up his slutty lifestyle for draco, sort of like “harry potter gives a shit” by talithan. i would prefer if it was harry but the vice versa is also fine! we’re so lucky to have you in this fandom and i feel grateful every time i see your posts on my dash, thank you so much for everything!!! <3

Hello my friend! Love that for us, I’ve had lots of fun putting that slutty reclist together and am always happy to find taste twins when it comes to smut 😏 personally I’ve been more into open relationships lately but you might enjoy these fics where either Harry or Draco have casual sex before getting together:

Harry:

Amber by @slytherco (E, 4.7k)

Despite his numerous flings, Harry's thoughts keep circling back to Draco, only half-aware of his perpetual draw where they're not strangers, not-quite friends, but definitely something. When they both get played by the same person, Harry and Draco find a way to get back at him, and maybe get something extra out of it as a result.

100 Beats per Minute by @oknowkiss (E, 14k)

When Draco left the Magical World behind at nineteen, he didn't expect the cusp of thirty would find him comfortable and secure, with a stable life and a successful career as a sex columnist.

Five Weddings and a Potions Accident by lauren3210 (E, 19k)

In which Harry thinks he’s a playboy, everyone else knows better, and Hermione will kill Seamus if Ron tries to collect on that bet.

Famous by @fw00shy (E, 24k)

It's a couple of years after the war, and Harry's bored of models now, the same way he's bored of Ron's constant nagging, bored of his Weasley monogram knitwear, bored of the same fucking grin that greets him when he hands his fire-truck red Bugatti over to the valet every night. He wants to find—well, he isn't sure what he wants. Anything but models.

Terrible People by wolfpants (E, 53k)

What happens when Harry and Draco end up on the same Muggle gay cruise? They certainly didn't plan for it to happen (but their friends might have). They're stuck with each other for a week, they might as well make the most of it, right? Featuring a holiday-long game of Truth or Dare, a very ill-judged FWB proposition, decades-long pining, lots of gin, and a small pair of green swimming trunks.

A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (E, 234k)

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along.

Draco:

Hourglass Heart by @bixgirl1 (E, 5k)

It only happened once — depending on how Harry counted.

Death Dreams by @writcraft (E, 9.5k)

Draco likes to keep things casual, or at least he did before Harry Potter barged back into his life.

Keep your hands on me by @tenthousandyearsx (E, 21k)

Malfoy binds himself with a sex curse. Harry cannot get enough (but would much prefer to keep Malfoy for himself).

The Things We Need by @Kbrick (E, 25k) - established Drarry, polyamory

Three hundred and fifty-three days out of the year, Harry is in a monogamous, fufilling relationship with Draco Malfoy. Then there are the other twelve days.

I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor by birdsofshore (E, 28k)

Harry felt lit up from inside as soon as he entered the bar. There were blokes dancing together, their bodies close to one another, not keeping a wary distance as Harry was always careful to do when he was near another man. God, he wanted this – wanted it so much he could taste it, a metallic tang of heat and desire. He suspected nothing would ever be the same again – especially when he saw who else was in the room.

#asks #anon #drarry reclist #casual sex

[carltonlassie]

WFH musings

i guess i’ve been WFH for 4 years now and it’s def been a trial and error to figure out what works best for me. there’s good & bad things, as it is with all things but i’m so glad i don’t have to go in to the office lmao.

don’t work from your bed - it sounds nice, just rolling out of bed and getting to work, but i found that i end up skipping meals, water, bathroom breaks etc etc and i end up feeling so shitty. don’t bring work into your bed!!!!

definitely dress up and never stay in your pajamas - related to point 1. it’s nice to dress up even if it’s just the top. bottom, i can be wearing sweatpants all day and that’s fine, but having some sort of clothes that i physically change into for Work Mode, and take off after work (like i would do after getting back home from work) definitely creates a mental separation. would recommend

go on walks. before work, during lunch hour/late afternoon, and after work. especially after work, because it feels like i walked from work back home and now i’m home!!!!

fun drinks. perhaps even 3 different fun drinks throughout the day. fizzy water, tea, juice, kombucha, etc etc etc. anything to get through the day.

take the entire HOUR for lunch. they don’t pay me for that shit. if it gets interrupted with meetings, make it up by splitting the hour. they don’t pay me!!! set slack status and snooze notifications so i have an uninterrupted hour to decompress & digest

let team members know if you’re gonna be away. they don’t judge, they don’t care. it’s actually a breath of fresh air to be transparent! they like seeing that some people are out enjoying their life, and it’s a positive influence so they feel like they can also just have some life during work hours as well.

count the number of hours of meetings you have scheduled during the day. It could just look like 3 meetings, but in reality you could be in meeting for 6 hours. Those are “worked” hours! you already worked for 6 hours! don’t do any additional work because you’re not gonna be there mentally. also, checking slack/outlook & prioritizing information is also doing work. if you did that for 30 minutes, that’s work!

related: it’s ok to work a lot on certain days and just do no work whatsoever on certain days. It’s like that in the office too. people chit chat, catch up, network, go on walks, etc. don’t feel like you have to sit in front of the computer all day. also, it’s ok to log in late on certain days as long as you get things done & stay on top of things lol.

don’t work past a certain time - it’s like, oh i can just finish this feature before and i’ll log in later tomorrow. It NEVER works out like that. There could be surprise meetings scheduled, people could ping you early to figure something out. Just, don’t feel bad about not getting something done and pick it up tomorrow. the evenings are sacred. set hard boundaries and walk away & just don’t answer people. lol. begone!!!

separate work and life devices. ideal: have a separate work phone that you walk away from after work hours. next best: have a work profile set up on the phone and configure it to shut off after 6pm, so you don’t get notifications. use a personal device to do personal things - never really use work devices to do personal things!! work won’t let you view work emails from any device, so why should you let work view your personal emails. it’s just good privacy hygiene.

when i get to go to the office, it’s like a treat! steal all the fancy snacks from the pantry. get fancy teas & free drinks! get nice meals and expense them. stay at nice hotels and relax and pamper myself. be enthusiastic & eager to meet with people & catch up with them. then i can go back into my hole and be all hermit-like. what a deal.

now if i can figure out a way to stay active (other than walks) during the day. i hate working out after work + waking up early to do workouts sounds Bad. maybe one day… but not today. I can’t upset the balance that i painstakingly figured out lol

#i’m so glad that i got the remote permission before the pandemic #bc people are being told to come back to the office 3 times a week #and i can just! never have to do that!!! #and when people say come to the office! i have to be like oh hm.. gotta check with my manager about the budget… sorry…. #work shit

[foxpunk]

the new discord update is something i'm...disappointed about. yeahhh disappointed is apt. i think things like the launchpad and swipe gestures are neat ideas in theory, but their execution leaves much to be desired. not having gestures be a toggle is an accessibility nightmare, for one. the gesture responses are also too finicky. not smooth at all and often responding even when there's a swipe in a different direction. lagging significantly as well. discord's claims of improving load times fall flat when so many people are complaining about even longer load times.

complaints and observations and general ranting below the cut along with a list of hopefully helpful settings and alternatives for those who need it.

i feel like a lot of discord's issues with their updates in the past year or so could be negated--or at least abated--by expanding their pool of beta testers, testing for longer lengths of time, and (crucially) refining changes more before rolling them out. like...super basic shit they're just not doing to the extent they need to be doing them.

(on that note...discord, you literally have the email of every user, would it kill you to send out a few more surveys asking your userbase what possible new features sound good to them? i know a lot of people have discord email stuff turned off but can you at least try?! hell, if there was an option to opt in to email surveys and i thought they'd actually listen to responses they got, i'd turn it on out of sheer desperation at this point.)

also--and i know this is some extra work for them to do, and they seem to really hate that--i think that when such major changes are rolled out they should 1) be rolled out a bit slower/in smaller chunks and 2) at least SOME of the features should reasonably have a toggle to keep the old settings (*cough* GESTURES *cough*). their motive for this doesn't even have to be out of the good of their hearts! like, fuck telemetrics, but if they're gonna have them in their app anyways at least use telemetrics to like, gauge how many people are using these hypothetical toggles so you have another way to judge how users are responding. there! free idea! please use it.

anyways, i want to end on something helpful so here are a few bits of info about the updates i've discovered messing around, and also ways (or. well. A Way) to change them back if you have too much trouble adjusting. i'm sure plenty of people have noticed these things already, but i thought i'd compile them for those who want it all in one place or who haven't had the time or energy to mess with things in the app.

Settings > Accessibility > Reduced Motion: as far as i can tell, this does not seem to apply to the new transition animations in the app. oof, to say the least.

Messages > Add Friends > "Allow contacts to add me": many people were worried about this checkbox, but thankfully they seemed to have fixed the its-checked-automatically-and-doesn't-stay-unchecked thing. and, regardless, it doesn't actually change your app settings. if you already have Contact Sync disabled (Settings > Privacy & Safety > Find Your Friends > "Sync Contacts") checking this separate box will not suddenly enable it. however, if you have not disabled contact syncing then this checkbox will function as intended when you click the "Find friends" button below it.

Swipe-to-Reply: thankfully, you do not have to swipe to reply, the option to long press a message for a menu is still there. (for those wondering: swiping is nice accessibility for some and horrible accessibility for others, and should always be a toggle if you know what you're doing when making an app...*pointed stare into camera*). unfortunately, there's no way to turn swipe replies off that i've found.

Settings > Advanced > LaunchPad > "Full Screen Gesture": this claims to turn swipe replies off in exchange for using the gesture to activate the LaunchPad. however, after testing it out multiple times it does not actually turn them off and simply creates a gesture conflict that leaves both swipe replies and the LaunchPad more difficult to access.

Settings > Advanced > LaunchPad > "Right Edge Gesture": same issues as the first option with the additional difficulties of a more...sensitive touch response. forget "gesturing" if you so much as tap near the right edge of the screen it will attempt to pull out the LaunchPad. this right "edge" area also covers the reply button and settings menu toggles, by the way. so if you enabled this, good luck sending messages or turning the feature back off.

(did i mention these first two options also make it nearly impossible to swipe the left side channel and server lists open and closed? because they do.)

Settings > Advanced > LaunchPad > "Pull Tab": this is the option to choose if you want to keep the LaunchPad without gesture conflicts and shit navigation. it creates a tiny tab on the right edge of the screen for you to pull out the LaunchPad with, and you can adjust where the tab floats as well.

obviously, the final "Disabled" setting simply disabled the LaunchPad. Bye bye!

the fact that other color schemes for the app are behind a paywall is absolute bullshit by the way and i hate that there's no easy fix for that on mobile.

personally, i like that the vertical server list is here to stay and that DMs are now in a separate place, as this is a bit more similar to the desktop version where servers are vertically listed and DMs are in a different place (albeit still along the left edge).

before you ask, no there's no setting to get the old color scheme and layout back...UNLESS--!!!

(FOR ANDROID USERS ONLY; RIP EVERYONE ELSE.) if discord has become less accessible for you or you simply don't vibe with any of the shit currently going on, then you can download the previous version of the discord app through an APK file. first, disable auto-updates in google play. then uninstall discord from your phone. lastly, follow the instructions on this post that will help you download the necessary file from APKMirror (please note the recommended version is 206.16). do not use a different site, APKMirror is the safe one (well. safest. remember folks nothing online is 100% safe).

#note: i'm also experiencing those longer load times #but personally i think this is more due to the age of my phone and how behind it's hardware and software is than discord itself #and i'm noticing i at least haven't been constantly disconnected and reconnected like i was before the update...Yet. #ky speaks

[bvannn]

Weekly Update February 2, 2024

I think I’m mostly better. The medicine I take is once a week, and it’s supposed to last me all week. Last week it brought me through about Tuesday, this week I was good until Wednesday, hopefully next week it’ll last the full week. I’m doing fine today too because Fridays are when I administer it. I think I’ll be fine real soon. Unfortunately I am swamped with homework, but I can manage it pretty soon.

This week as far as art projects was mainly me messing with music. I found the trick to getting good electronic instruments, and that is a little free plugin called Krush. I don’t know why music software companies like mortal kombat so much that they spell everything like that, but the ones that do make nice stuff so I won’t judge. I also started fiddling with Melodies for some instrumental themes for OCs, Shaun and Romeo are first up for that, planning to make progress tonight. Cleaned up my other project files as well and found a nice bass and drum line I must’ve made while I was delirious on medicine after surgery bc I don’t remember making it but it sounds nice so I’ll keep it. I’m the process of cleaning up a Zelda medley, I’ll probably post the piano version of that alongside the full instrumental. Finally, another one that’s set for vocals even though I technically haven’t finished the first one. I’m impulsive. The first one is just missing vocals and lyrics really so once I’m in a good headspace I’ll try to lyric out both of these in one go and fiddle with vocaloid after I know what words I want.

I also finally started prodding at Vocaloid 5. I’m going with v5 over v4 because it has a more user friendly UI and I’m under the impression that the attack and release feature is unique to v5, although I may be wrong on that. I’m still not sure exactly which voicebanks I’ll want to use, obviously the Kagamines would be a good choice because having a male and female option packaged together is cool, but the Zolas are also a package deal and have a bit more variation amongst them. I’m not sure how well they do English though, since they’re not built for it. I mean I guess people won’t really care, people still seem to be big fans of the Vflower English songs even though she’s also not built for english *or the genre most of those songs are* and they eat them up anyway. The Zolas are also less marketable than the Kagamines or Vflower, though. Also I guess Miku is an option and probably an inevitability if I do start making vocaloid music but I don’t need to start with her, you know? Idk maybe I’ll keep working on song stuff and consider which vocal fits the best, maybe I’ll draw them a bit too, see how much demand there is.

I haven’t been doing any comic work because I’ve still been sick, plus now I’m waffling since I don’t have a big animation project anymore and I guess I could fill the void by making that project an animation, but I’m still unsure. It might be smart to do both, and at a minimum my thumbnailing out the comic makes sure that everything is paced correctly and the dialogue flows. Tonight I’m hoping to pick back up where I left of before I got sick: I had finished the first third of the first ‘episode’, and was moving on to act 2.

Today especially I’ve been bit by the TTRPG bug again and kinda want to write out and draw stuff for that, but normally I do my best conceptual writing while I’m delirious in bed after my sleep medicine is kicked in but before I fall asleep. I stayed up late last night alternating between chemistry homework and playing ghost trick so tonight should be a good night for writing. Maybe I’ll get more comic outline writing done too, who knows.

And finally I also just really need to get more drawings done. I posted those epithet challenge ones the other day, which people seem to like. And I really want to do a drawing of Lynne, I like her because she reminds me of an OC of mine, can’t say which one or why though because that’s a spoiler for both characters. I really need to do more art in general, so I threw together a wheel of small little doodles to do, but all that still relies on me having free time, which is a lot scarcer now that I’m working. Still, if I get back into the habit of chugging out those comic pages, I can probably do a little more.

I’m still not sure what to do tonight. I keep flipping back and forth over whether I want to do music or drawing, and end up with little in the way of posting. I did find out that I can post audio to tumblr easy now, so I’ll try to do that more often. Idk. I’m exhausted from today specifically, and this past week has been busy, but I’m hoping it’ll die down and I can do more this upcoming week.

#weekly update

[udo0stories]

Fast-food menus have long been dominated by beef, chicken, and other options that cater to the carnivorous cohort of customers. But, as of this week, we've finally reached the time of year when seafood gets its time to shine in the world of fast food.   The product recommendations in this post are recommendations by the writer and/or expert(s) interviewed and do not contain affiliate links. Meaning: If you use these links to buy something, we will not earn a commission. Fast-food menus have long been dominated by beef, chicken, and other options that cater to the carnivorous cohort of customers. But, as of this week, we've finally reached the time of year when seafood gets its time to shine in the world of fast food. Lent just kicked off on Feb. 14, marking the start of the annual religious period when many people choose to abstain from meat. Fast-food chains love to cater to customers in need of convenient, meat-free meals during Lent by expanding their menus with seasonal seafood options, primarily fried fish sandwiches. Sure, some fast-food fish sandwiches are available year-round, like McDonald's famous Filet-O-Fish and Burger King's Big Fish. But at other major chains like Wendy's and Popeyes, you can only score fish sandwiches for a few fleeting weeks around February and March each year. In honor of the start of Lent this week, I set out to determine which fast-food chains serve the absolute best fish sandwiches by trying every option I could find in my area: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, Wendy's seasonal Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich, Popeyes' seasonal Flounder Fish Sandwich, Popeyes' seasonal Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich, Burger King's Big Fish sandwich, and Burger King's seasonal Fiery Big Fish sandwich (a new limited-time option that debuted for the first time in 2024). After snagging each option from my local fast-food eateries, I brought them home, tasted them, and judged them on flavor, texture, and appearance. Read on for my definitive ranking of all six sandwiches, starting with my least favorite and ending with my top pick! Popeyes' Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per Sandwich: 730 calories, 40 g fat (9.4 g saturated fat, 0.7 g trans fat), 2351 mg sodium, 66 g carbs (2.8 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 26 g protein Popeyes' Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich is made from premium flounder that's marinated in Louisiana-style herbs and spices, covered in a southern coating, fried to a crisp, and served on a brioche bun with barrel-cured pickles and spicy mayo. It cost me $5.99. The look: The Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich was the biggest sandwich of the bunch, weighing in at 253 grams. It was also one of the only sandwiches in this taste test that featured a whole piece of fish rather than an unnaturally square fried fish patty. The breaded flounder developed a nice golden brown color during the cooking process, but the sandwich overall looked pretty plain, with just a couple of pickles and a very light layer of spicy mayo. The taste: I absolutely adore Popeyes' famous fried chicken sandwich, so I was truly expecting the chain to dominate this taste test. Unfortunately, I don't have anything good to say about this option. While the Louisiana herbs and spices Popeyes uses across its menu pair great with chicken, they completely overshadowed the delicate taste of the fish. There also wasn't nearly enough spicy mayo or pickles to give it a much-needed flavor boost. Additionally, the fish itself looked and felt like it would be beautifully crispy at first. But when I bit into it, the breading was so crazy thick that it completely negated any crispiness. The whole thing just felt really tough, bready, and one-note. RELATED: I Tried the Onion Rings at 6 Fast-Food Chains, & the Best Was Crispy and Spicy Popeyes' Flounder Fish Sandwich Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per sandwich: 681 calories, 35 g fat (8.6 g saturated fat, 0.8 g trans fat), 2386 mg sodium, 66 g carbs (3 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 26 g protein

Popeyes' classic Flounder Fish Sandwich features all the same elements as the spicy version, aside from swapping out the spicy mayo for tartar sauce. It cost me $5.99. The appearance: I have already discussed everything there is to say about the Flounder Fish Sandwich's appearance in relation to its spicy counterpart. It was almost as big, weighing in at 228 grams, and looked pretty much identical. The portions of pickles and tartar sauce were similarly skimpy on this option. The taste: Every single issue that I encountered with the Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich was present in the non-spicy version as well. The breading was way too thick, there was no fish flavor, and it was overall very boring and hard to eat. It was marginally better than the spicy version because I much prefer tartar sauce on a fish sandwich over mayo. However, there was so little of the tangy, creamy condiment that it didn't make much of a difference. Burger King's Big Fish Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per sandwich: 570 cal, 30 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 0.3 g trans fat), 1,270 mg sodium, 58 g carbs (3.2 g fiber, 8.1 g sugar), 19.2 g protein Burger King's Big Fish sandwich features white Alaskan pollock in a crispy panko breading, sweet tartar sauce, lettuce, and pickles on a toasted potato bun. The sandwich cost me $6.49. The look: On the positive side, this sandwich boasted a glossy, soft-looking bun, plenty of toppings, and a beautifully golden brown fish patty. On the negative side, it was messily assembled, the lettuce appeared wilted, and there was a bit of an overload of tartar goop. The big fish was in the middle of the pack in terms of size, weighing in at 190 grams. The taste: Like both Popeyes options, there was pretty much no actual fish flavor in Burger King's signature seafood sandwich. However, the Big Fish was still a vast improvement over the two lower-ranking Popeyes sandwiches. Despite not really tasting or feeling like fish, the panko-breaded patty was pleasantly salty and super crispy. The pickles and lettuce both added a fresh, zingy note and a bit of texture that the Popeyes sandwiches lacked. And while I could have done with less tartar sauce, I'd rather have a little too much of it than too little. Burger King's version of the condiment wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was sweet, creamy, slightly tangy, and pretty serviceable. The Big Fish ranked lower, even though I really liked the textures and toppings overall. This is because I only tasted the toppings. When I order a fish sandwich, I want the dominant flavor to be fish. RELATED: The 5 Healthiest Fast-Food Fish Sandwiches—and 9 To Avoid Burger King's Fiery Big Fish Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per sandwich: 730 cal, 46 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 1,530 mg sodium, 61 g carbs (3 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 19 g protein Burger King's limited-edition Fiery Big Fish sandwich is almost identical to the classic Big Fish, but the pollock patty is coated in a "triple pepper spicy glaze," according to the chain's website. The sandwich cost me $6.49. The look is like a zestier, more daring cousin to the original Big Fish. While the Fiery Big Fish was also somewhat messy, I could see and smell the reddish spicy glaze, which made me really excited to take a bite. This sandwich weighed in at 200 grams. The taste is nearly identical to the Big Fish, but with a slightly spicy upgrade. The glaze had a super peppery and slightly sweet flavor that made the sandwich even tastier than its non-spicy counterpart. It almost reminded me of a Nashville hot chicken, but not nearly as spicy or intense. Everything else about the sandwich was exactly the same as the Big Fish. Yet again, I didn't detect any actual fish flavors, but I enjoyed the textures and toppings.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per sandwich: 390 cal, 19 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 580 mg sodium, 39 g carbs (2 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 16 g protein McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

features a crispy fish filet patty, American cheese, and tartar sauce on a soft, steamed bun. It cost me $5.75. The look: I've never seen a fast-food item that looked so identical in real life to its marketing photos. This Filet-O-Fish, which happened to be my first ever, boasted a picture-perfect bun, melty cheese, a generous layer of tartar sauce, and a light golden brown fish patty. Despite its visual perfection, it was the smallest of the sandwiches by a landslide, weighing in at just 139 grams. I found it very notable that the Filet-O-Fish costs nearly as much as Popeyes' fish sandwiches, despite weighing so much less. The taste: Hallelujah! After trying several fish sandwiches that inexplicably lacked fish flavor, I'm happy to report that the Filet-O-Fish indeed tastes like fish. That in and of itself was enough to secure it the second-place spot in this ranking, but there were also a couple of other things I really liked about this sandwich. For starters, the steamed bun was delightfully soft and pillowy. Additionally, while I wish the tartar sauce had a more potent flavor, it still had a nice creamy texture and decent tang. My biggest critiques were that the fish wasn't as crispy as I would have liked and that the flavor was just a little boring. Some fresh lettuce and a couple of pickles would really upgrade the taste and texture of the Filet-O-Fish. RELATED: 8 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Fish Sandwiches Wendy's Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich Zoe Strozewski: Eat this, not that! Per sandwich: 520 cal, 25 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 1,240 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (2 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 21 g protein Wendy's Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich features a wild-caught Alaskan pollock fillet coated in crispy panko breading, lettuce, American cheese, pickles, and creamy dill tartar sauce on a premium Wendy's bun. It cost me $6.92, which was the most I paid for any sandwich in this taste test. The look: While McDonald's Filet-O-Fish looked identical to its marketing photos, Wendy's Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich somehow looked even more tantalizing in real life than what I've seen advertised. The fish was a deep golden brown color, hinting at a perfectly crispy texture. The lettuce looked super fresh, the cheese was melty, and it was loaded with the perfect amount of tartar sauce. It weighed in at 180 grams, making it the second-smallest sandwich of the bunch. The taste is practically perfect, from the textures to the balance of flavors. The bun was soft and pillowy, the pickles were tangy and crunchy, the lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the dill-y tartar sauce was the best in the whole taste test by a landslide. Better yet, the fish was not only audibly crispy, but it actually tasted like fish! One of my friends once described Wendy's to me as the "Rolls-Royce" of fast food, and I'm inclined to agree after tasting the Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich for the first time. I was hugely impressed by the quality and execution, and I hope that Wendy's continues to bring back this exemplary offering year after year. In fact, it's so good that Wendy's should seriously consider making this a permanent part of the menu. After all, if McDonald's and Burger King can do it, then why can't Wendy's?    

#FoodandCooking #burgerking #Crispy #evergreen #exclusive #fastfood #FastFood #Fish #mcdonalds #originalart #Perfectly #popeyes #ranking #Sandwiches #Saucy #slideshow #staff #tastetest #wendys #Winner

[theanimeview]

[Things Missed] Anime Expo 2023: Attendee & Presenter Experience

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

July 2023 was a difficult time for me. Originally, this was supposed to go up soon after the AX convention, but I missed the opportunity to do so at the time. 

I was focused more on enjoying the convention itself since two of my friends joined me and I was dealing with personal things at home, but here is, essentially, my assessment of Anime Expo 2023:

TL/DR

This is a large-scale event with lots of people. You can spend days just going up and down the exhibit hall–moreover, there are a great number of panels to consider that often feature lines outside in the LA heat for a few hours before the event.

This convention is not good for first-time convention goers, particularly if you are not great with being in large crowds and struggle in long lines.

Size and Scale + Food Alley

Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Health and Safety Policy

Masks are optional. In terms of safety, I felt fine at the event and did enjoy walking around the convention center. However, I did not venture far into surrounding areas outside of going to the Crunchyroll lounge at a local hotel, and to get breakfast on Day 0. Overall, the city is pretty big and the immediate area was fine, but not a place I would consider safe to wander around at night by myself.

Vender Hall

Large as usual! I spent a lot of my time going to each stall and trying to get as many goodies as possible. It was super fun and with how much promotional stuff is going on, you can reasonably walk away with a backpack full of free posters and small goodies if you come in with a fully charged phone and an active Instagram.

I will note, however, that there were far fewer goody-give aways than years prior. I’ve been going since 2009 and this was probably the first time that the freebies did not make me have to take multiple trips to the car for drop-offs. Still, considering how much my friends and I spent walking around, it was a large space that definitely took us more than one day to fully explore and I love that!

Artist Alley

This took up its own space, as is typical for AX. We ended up dedicating an entire day to this, so all of Day 4 was spent exploring the Artist Alley and we STILL missed things. This area was much better planned than last year. The walkways were a few feet wider and, therefore, far less clogged/blocked traffic in the hallways which was very good for all us.

Cosplay Area / Night Market / Food “Court”

The cosplay area also had its own space, which we enjoyed taking photos near the end of the convention. It was often busy with cosplayers and seemed to have been close to the game space. We did not spend a lot of time there, so I was not able to judge this area well. It was, however, really fun and we took a lot of pictures in parts of the first row––like in the school-room scene and at the tea-serving table.

The Night Market was a fun stop off too. There were several food stalls there and one boba place that we got drinks from a few times. It was a nice place to chill at the end of the day, with a good amount of seating and atmospheric lighting that made it nice to sit comfortably at night.

Entertainment – Presenter Experience

Presenting was fantastic and I hope to do so again. I did make a mistake when picking up my badge and came early on Day 0. I am very apologetic to staff as I know that my situation caused confusion. I am, however, very appreciative of them all and how they got me and my friends free badges as a result of me presenting. As a note: My friends were also able to attend because I required an ADA sticker during this convention and they alternated helping me with the mobility issues I experienced. While many conventions do allow presenters a +1, often at a discounted or free rate, AX was extremely gracious in allowing me two +1s as a result of my condition at the time and I forever grateful.

In regards to the presentation, I presented Manga and Comics: A Different cultural base, which I believe you all have seen me post about before. Here is a link to the presentation for those interested in viewing it (my script is in the notes of each slide):

Manga & Comics: A Different Cultural Base https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dSw09wnh1nQL80AVnQjbmPxwv8mCSYhZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109028846234695529861&rtpof=true&sd=true 

Entertainment

I did not, unfortunately, attend too many panels. I did attend a few academic ones and went to the AX office hours, but was ultimately focused more on enjoying the convention itself since two of my friends joined me and I was, as mentioned, dealing with personal things at home.

Final Judgments

Venue: 4.5/5 – Large enough and now has cell service in some areas! WOOHOO!

Staff: 5/5 – Staff were wonderful

Organization, Layout & Management: 4.5/5 – The Exhibit hall could use a bit better organization, but was ultimately well managed.

Organization, Media Use: 4.5/5 – The app was regularly updated and accessible most of the time, advertising was frequently seen leading up to and around the event area, and I enjoyed looking at the posts made by the convention staff.

Attendance: 5/5 – They capped ticket sales and the convention benefited from this significantly.

Affordability: 5/5 – This is one of the more expensive conventions, but because of its size and scale it is worth the cost.

Overall: 4.75/5 – Worth the price. Please read the TL/DR at the top.

#2023 #ANIME EXPO #AX #AX 2023 #EVENT REVIEW #REVIEW

[newnitz]

What Would It Take to Convince Me to Buy Sims 5:

Because it's apparently in the works:

Drop the Free-to-Play. If they can't, model the system after Star Wars: The Old Republic. Most of you fanbase are adults who grew up with either of the games, that can afford to pay a hefty price for the first good Sims game in a generation. On the topic of "keep" from called TS4:

Keep the aspiration/traits hybrid system, perhaps with less and more abstract aspirations, influenced by personality(like in TS2). It was the second best update to the game, after the addition of toddlers.

Keep the layering aspect in CAS, as well as customizable body shape slides.

The aesthetic. Since I can't expect them to give hair its due respect like they did in TS2, at least compensate for lackluster graphics with aesthetics.

Home traits and breastfeeding.

Split by blocks. There is absolutely no need to load the entire neighborhood, it was nice in TS3 until it clogged the performance and corrupted the saves. 4-lot blocks and tandem lots were the best development in TS4 base game. If TS5 can perfect it, I'll happily pay for access. Look for RimWorld caravans for inspiration on tandem lots, since the loading screen was a downer.

Separate saves. I know this also applies to TS3, but it was kept in TS4 and the game was better for it. Changes to model after TS3:

Tone down the goddamn mood system. We had moods in TS3, making them a central gameplay feature in TS4 failed. It was as bad a downgrade as TS3's "realistic" butterfaces, which were fixed in TS4(see point/demand #4).

I get that asking for Create-a-Style back is highly unlikely, but at least give us more variation instead. It was deeply, sorely missed in TS4. The skin tone and eye color alternative system filled the gap, why not extend such detail to clothing and furniture, within reason?

Separate towns.

Likes & Dislikes. They were rudimentary in TS2, nonexistent in TS3, but they made a difference in TS4. This should be savored and carried on.

Despite my next point, DON'T drop the trait system. It was one of the highlights of TS3, and unlike the open-world, which was equally ambitious, that one paid off and I was glad to see it carried on, even in as shallow a manner as it was. Changes to model after TS2:

The Aspirations update actually got a lot of Simmers to give TS4 a second chance, including myself. Refine it - return to the smaller list of abstract aspirations, have them influenced by the Sim's personality - say, instead of making the checklist, make the end-goal of each of the ambitions depend on the Sim's personality, like the Lifetime Wish in TS3. In fact, the neglect of the Aspiration system has been symptomatic of the franchise's decline.

MEMORIES. Make the threshold higher than in either TS2 OR TS3, only major life events, not "burnt some food" or "grew a mushroom", but "my parent died" should DEFINITELY count for more than "I have the big sads for 3 days".

Genetics. Oh my God the system was so beautifully thorough. I get that TS3's Create-a-Style got in the way, but why couldn't we have that in 4?

Create-a-Town. And not with some external tool like in TS3.

Offshoot neighborhoods. Have people pay to have them, like we did in TS2. It might also give a good source of revenue from official CC. Misc:

Intertwine the systems. Memories that lead to moodlets that depend on traits and aspirations, for example, would be awesome.

Take their time. We don't need it by 2025, or even by 2030. We can play TS4, TS3 and if we were lucky enough to find it before EA tried to bar access to it so that people will be forced to buy TS4 instead(or pirated it afterwards, I'm not judging), TS2. TS5 is the franchise's last chance, especially now that alternatives are going to address the beyond dissatisfied market. It needs to prioritize the quality over the deadline, especially since TS4 has shown a willingness to patch free updates to placate us and is churning out packs and updates for the impatient consumer to throw money at.

#random list of demands #the sims #the sims 5 #i bought Sims 4 on sale and lowkey regret wasting money

[softxsuki]

It's 1000 Follower Event Matchup request Congratulations! Absolutly deserved.

So my pronouns are she/her and I'm an INTP, Cancer. I'd like romantic matchup with male characters from Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen

I think I'm pretty understanding, I'm trying to don't judge people and understand that their life can be difficult sometimes and that's why they can act a bit weird or sth. I analyze everything obsessively and wonder why something went so and not different. This is not the worst feature, it allows me to understand some dependencies, but sometimes it makes my life difficult. Honestly, involvement in relationships gives me some difficulties. When you meet me for the first time, I'm shy and quiet, and I need a couple of years to open up. However, even after a few years, I rare show emotions, it's hard for me to talk about them. It's like tearing down one wall and another is standing behind it. It might look like I don't love someone because I don't show it by words or deeds. I have mood swings. Sometimes I can laugh with someone all week just to spend the next week in complete isolation. So it takes a lot of patience to understand that one day I'm having fun and scheduling meetings and canceling them the next day. It will take years for someone to get to know my emotions, but it's actually easy to learn simple things about me. Somtiems I am walking with a friend on the street and I start talking about my favorite type of architecture when I see a new building. And I love giving advice! Although I'm rather bad at it ... Usually I do it, but then adds "BUT IT DEPENDS" and I start a monologue about all the variables and possibilities. So when someone asks me for advice they end up more confused than before the question. But I can safely advise on clothes. I have always liked fashion, even as a child I wanted to be a stylist.

One of my favorite things is reading! I try to read as many classics as possible. But I also like more experimental literature, such as books by Bukowski or Miller. I like movies, the old ones from the 50s and 60s as well as the new ones. Although I'm quite picky about this, I hardly ever think a movie is really good. The next thing will be art for sure. There is no option for me to miss an art exhibition in my city. And I am trying to learn new languages, I'm currently learning Korean, English and German but plan to start Japanese and go back to French.

As for my type, I basically like men with dark hair and light eyes. My favorite hair is a bit longer, not long hair but like Eren's in the first season or Levi's. In general, height doesn't matter to me because I am short (around 5'1 / 155 cm).

I value open and determined people. I like when someone puts as much into relationships as I do, it's important that they have some interest in my life.

As for the scenario ... I honestly would like you to consider how this character feels towards me, and you can write whatever you want! It could be the first date or anniversary of a relationship, I give you a free hand.

So that would be it ... I got the feeling it was so long and I hope I didn't tire you out! Have a nice day!

1000 Follower Event Matchup #21

This event is now CLOSED. You can find the masterlist here.

Note: Hope you like who I matched you with. You seem like such an old-soul in the best way possible! Enjoy <3

I match you with: JEAN and NANAMI

Runner-ups: Armin and Itadori

Jean:

Jean instantly popped into my head when I read your description; mostly because I can see him enjoying the artsy things that you like–reading classics and art exhibits

I headcanon that Jean is an old soul (he sure looks the part post-timeskip o.o)

If he truly cares about you, your mood swings won’t bother him at all

He understands that it's just part of who you are, so he gives you your space whenever you need it, but he checks in on you to make sure you’re okay

He’s interested in anything that you like–once Jean falls for someone, he falls hard, so he becomes dedicated to learning more about you and your interests

Idk if he’s a big reader, but he gives off classical novel, and old movie vibes so i think it fits lol

What do first dates with Jean look like?

He’s definitely a nervous wreck, but he feels a little calmer when he sees you’re just as nervous, if not more nervous that he is

He finds your shyness very cute and that's when he falls for you–he wants to protect your heart and make sure no one ever takes advantage of your shy nature

You both go to an art exhibit in the village for your first date since you mentioned it was something you loved to do

It’s a tiny exhibit, but Jean finds himself enjoying it with you (he’s enjoying your starstruck expressions the most though)

Does his best to make you feel comfortable with him, even if you can’t completely open up to him emotionally, he’s willing to work hard to gain your trust and have you open up to him on your own terms–he’ll wait

So yeah, pretty perfect match for you if I do say so myself

Nanami:

Another old soul that I think compliments you nicely

I imagine Nanami with an intelligent woman, someone who can keep up with him, who has her own little charm that captivates him–and you definitely have that

He’d be super impressed that you’re going out of your way to learn so many languages–he admires that a lot and he’d never say it, but it makes him put in a little more effort into his daily tasks too

Nothing too crazy though, he still won’t go into overtime lol, but he wants to look like a hard working man in your eyes

Nanami loves quiet time with you, whether it be snuggled up indoors with one of your classics as he has a book you recommended to him in his own hands, or if you both watch an old movie together–he’s happy 

He loves going on walks with you and looks at you fondly as you point out something that catches your attention and you go into a long tangent on it

He’ll just listen quietly, making mental notes of all the little things you like

ALSO, he doesn’t mind that you can’t open up emotionally, because he’s the same way, so together you both work on communication and expressing your feelings for each other (mostly through actions though)

If you ever cancel plans with him, he’s very understanding and gives you all the time you need to yourself until you’re ready to see him again (he doesn’t mind quiet time with himself anyway)

What are anniversaries like with Nanami?

Romantic of course

He put a lot of effort into his plans for you (shocking right?)

He’d wear a suit that you picked out for him one day when shopping together and he’s already prepared a matching outfit for you to change into

Your day starts with your favorite flowers along with all your favorite things

He manages to find a drive-in movie theater that plays all the old classics, so you do that together

Perhaps maybe even share a milkshake 

And the day ends with a romantic dinner that he prepared himself somewhere extravagant

He’s really gone way beyond over-time for you, but it’s all worth it

10/10 man but we already knew that

EVENT REQUESTS ARE CLOSED

REGULAR REQUESTS ARE OPEN :D

Posted: 6/27/2023 (just pretend like it's not the 28th yet lol)

#attack on titan matchups #jujutsu kaisen matchup

[master-tonberry]

I can't believe you're a Chrono fan, too! //sobs// Do you have a fave character from them? Frog is my fave from Trigger, and in Cross, I'm incapable of playing any track that doesn't feature Razzly. She's my bae, but then again, so is Harle.

In a million years, I don't think I would have expected anyone to answer "corvid" to my animal question. I LOVE it!

I also love your little dream farm. I will stop by it and buy a few candles for my treehouse, too, because that's also where I live. I think between the Ewoks, Lothlórien elves, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves treehouse setup, I was destined to live amongst the trees. Please put lots of peppermint in my soaps and candles though so I can keep the spiders away. I hate spiders. :(

The Shoot Out styling was IN-SANE, agree.

GRAY HAIR WONNIE IS MY FAVE, TOO, followed closely by long black hair Wonnie. <3

Of all the boys, I think Jooheon pulls of blonde the best, yes. But I have to tell you that I am very angry with this image of him you shared because a boy in a white tee and jeans is probably my greatest weakness, and then you had to up the ante with a full-blown dimples smile, too? Are you *trying* to kill me, friendo?

Okay, so, I'm in a weird mood and feel like lobbing another bizarre hypothetical at you, so good luck with this unhinged reality...

You and Hyungwon are planning a heist. Help me fill in the blanks.

What are you robbing: a museum, a jewelry store, a billionaire's house, a Fortune 500 company?

Why: money, rebellion, vengeance, justice?

You need one other member on your team. Who do you pick from Monsta X and why?

Are you the inside man, the getaway driver, or the distraction?

Leading up to the big day, your nerves are getting the better of you. How do you show it?

After the heist, you get the hell outta Dodge. Where in the world do you hide out? Do you and your team stay together or do you all go your separate ways?

What do you do with your loot once you know you've gotten away scot-free?

Told you, weird mood. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hope you had a killer weekend!

xoxo mbb secret santa <3

Hello friend!! It's been kind of a rough week for me, so I'm glad to hear from you. Your asks always make me smile ❤️

Okay, listen. Don't judge me, but way back when I first played Chrono Cross, for some reason I shipped Karsh and Norris like it was my JOB?? So I'm very partial to them, but I also love Harle and Riddel too. Razzly is SO GOOD, you are 100% correct to pick her.

Also I'm sorry about that Jooheon pic, let me make it up to you with another one haaaahahahahaha ❤️❤️

Okay, on to the hypothetical!

So we're definitely robbing a billionaire's house and it's to recover gems that were stolen and sold to the billionaire on the black market. Who were they stolen from? I don't know, pick your favorite! I'm partial to "they were stolen from colonized people and we're like fucking Robin Hood, here to take them back".

It's gonna be me, Hyungwon, and Changkyun (because he knows how to keep quiet and its basically impossible to shake him). I'm the planner/inside man - the billionaire hired me six months ago as a personal secretary and I've been scoping the place out, making plans, and recruiting. Changkyun is our distraction because I think he can keep a straight face while he pretends to be an investor in some scheme the billionaire has going on. Hyungwon is going to help me execute the heist and then get us tf out of there.

I tend to get short tempered when I'm nervous, so I can definitely see picking a fight with Changkyun because I don't think he'd put up with me lol. Hyungwon would have to play peace keeper for sure.

But of course we'd pull it off and then head up to a cabin I had conveniently purchased at least two years prior to the heist (in anticipation of needing a hideout but also just bc I love a nice quiet cabin up in the mountains) and hide out for a while. The place would be close enough to a small town that I could get supplies, and the town would be small enough that the people there wouldn't trust any outsiders that came around (especially since I already got in good with them when I bought the cabin) so we'd wait for the heat to die down and then quietly return the jewels to their rightful owners. Who, you know, aren't obligated to give us a reward but they would anyway. Happy ending!

Hope you had a great day today! I can't wait for your next ask! 😊

#mbb secret santa

[forestraydentists]

Millennium Bridge

Among the most beautiful and iconic pieces of London design, Millennium Bridge is a masterpiece. Located on the north bank of the Thames, the bridge links St. Paul’s Cathedral on the north and the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe on the south. Whether you are traveling to London or are already a local, you should take the time to visit Millennium Bridge. It is one of the most impressive sights in the city. The bridge has been featured in several movies. It is a great way to see the London skyline, as well as the surrounding area.

The first thing to know about the Millennium Bridge is that it is not designed for vehicles. There are gentle ramps on both sides. The structure was designed to be able to accommodate over 5000 people at a time. The design was submitted in a competition run by the Southwark council. It wowed the judges with its ‘blade of light’ design. The other thing to know is that the bridge is open to the public seven days a week. There are a variety of activities to do while you are here. There are guided tours, as well as other forms of entertainment. You can even go shopping and enjoy a nice meal while you are here. Visit this page There are also some interesting facts about the Millennium Bridge. One of them is that the bridge was actually built two months later than originally planned. Another is that it has a canted tower. It is also home to 400 chewing gum art pieces. These are colourful portraits of miniature people that you will not be able to spot from the street. The artwork is a form of recycling and is available for viewing every day of the year.

The Millennium Bridge was a huge hit when it first opened to the public in June 2000. In the first two days of its opening, 160,000 people walked across it. It is also a good place to go for some photo opportunities. During the winter, the bridge can get slippery. It is best to use sturdy walking shoes to cross the bridge.

It was designed with the intention of giving visitors a great view of the city’s landmarks. The structure is supported by eight suspension cables. These cables are pulled with 2,000 tons of force against piers inside the river. This bridge was the result of a design competition that was run by the Southwark council. Its ‘blade of light’ design wowed the judges. The bridge was partly funded by the Millennium Commission. It is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the UK.

The Millennium Bridge is not only a structural masterpiece but is also one of the most beautiful pieces of London design. It is decorated with gorgeous lights that can be seen from a distance. It is a popular tourist attraction and is open 24 hours a day. The structure was constructed in three sections. The southern end is near Shakespeare’s Globe theater and the northern end is near the City of London School. The total length is over 300 meters. Is not the only bridge in the UK to carry the millennium name. There are six other bridges in the UK that share this name.

The artwork on the Millennium Bridge is also worth checking out. It’s a large-scale rotating exhibition that you can explore for free. There are also a number of other exhibits you may want to check out. The Armoury Museum, which is near the bridge, has a number of fascinating exhibits to see. The Armoury is a museum that preserves World War I weapons and other precious things. You will have to be very careful if you have a small child. The traffic in the area is very busy and can be difficult to navigate. You will need to plan ahead and pre-book parking in advance. You may also need to pay a small fee to park on the other side of the bridge.

It is also worth taking a look at the Millennium Bridge at night. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter movies, you will be glad to know that it was a filming location for the Hogwarts castle scene. The bridge is illuminated in a unique way, and it looks different at night. A major problem with the Millennium Bridge was the lateral motion it experienced. The engineers did not anticipate this. As a result, the engineers installed a dampening system. This system included 37 viscous dampers that stopped 97% of the movement. At night, the bridge’s deck is illuminated with fiberoptic lighting. The handrails are made from stainless steel. The bridge is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A great place to also visit is

  Originally published here: https://forestray.dentist/london/millennium-bridge/

#Forest &amp; Ray Feeds