#but i don't plan quiting probably will keep reblogging stuff i like and stuff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sleekervae · 7 months

Text

So Good [0.2]

Masterlist

A/N: Heyy, how's September treating everyone? I already hate school and I've done absolutely zero drawing in two months but you know what -- it's okay. Life is full of surprises and I'm just gonna take whatever the universe decides to throw my way -- we're cool. Anyway, thanks for the reads, likes, and reblogs, always helps to save a fanfic!

Warnings: none, spoilers for Yoü & I

Purple text is Korean

Namjoon stayed true on his promise to text Kimberly after she handed him her number, and they had exchanged a few texts in the days leading up to their next show, sporadic messages mostly, but there had been a few nights were the chat ran for hours. They had a particularly lengthy conversation about how she needed a new turntable, then she told him about her most played records; what she listened to first thing in the morning, which tunes kept her going in her workouts, what she played when she took a bath and when she cooked. From there, Namjoon asked about food, what she liked to cook and confessing that he wasn't very knowledgable around the kitchen.

Sometimes though, Namjoon would take hours to respond, not on purpose, either he had forgotten or was simply too busy. Kimberly didn't mind the gaps between their messages, he'd come back and continue the conversation as if nothing had happened whenever he had the time.

In her spare time, Kimberly had done her own exploration into BTS, blown away by the scale of their music videos and charmed in their interviews. Namjoon had a spectacular, though quiet charisma to him; bespoke and concise in some takes, but he could be a complete goofball in others. And those eyes of his were incredible, she could quite easily be transfixed by his gaze regardless of whether or not he was on a screen.

At the moment she was in the middle of one of their catch-up texts, sitting off in the corner of their rehearsal space. Catch the Caper were supposed to be rehearsing for their upcoming tour, however, lallygagging and complacency overtook the energy in the studio.

What would you want to do if you weren't in a band?

Probably something in public relations or just marketing altogether

Sounds pretty smart

Lol, I guess so

You been to college?

I had plans to go to Princeton initially, but the band was the better fit

Did you go to college?

I took some courses here and there, mostly communications stuff

I took some women's and gender studies, too

No kidding? How'd you like those?

Very very eye opening

The other girls were gathered in a circle around the drum set, having one of their usual debates about very important societal topics.

"But why would an audio book be considered the same as reading?" Chloe asked.

Charlotte shrugged back, "I mean -- for one, someone had to read out the book to record it for the audio,"

"But what if you're a really fast reader and the narrator speaks really slow?" Maria replied, "That would be torture for me,"

"... But that defeats the purpose of the idea. You're not doing a read-a-long with a narrator. The platform is just listening," Charlotte added.

"But you have books on a kindle, there's not much of a step up from just listening," Maria said.

Chloe strained her head to get a look at Kimberly in her corner, "Oh, Kimberly! Care to join us?" she called.

Kimberly glanced up from her phone, "Are we starting?"

"Nope," Maria huffed, "But we really ought to,"

"C'mon, this is important," Chloe chided back, "Eva wants to get a joint Audible membership,"

Kimberly cocked her head, "So... what's your problem, then?"

"Her problem is subscribing to another digital platform that she's not going to use so it'll just keep charging her card until she remembers to cancel it," Charlotte explained.

"But if I already have the books that Audible is offering, is there even a point to getting an account? I don't know what the difference would be... other than maybe laziness," Chloe mulled.

Kimberly sighed as she stood up, stretching out the stiffness in her back, "Okay, I define reading as taking in a story, that means visualizing the story and using imagination just like you would if you had a book in front of you," she explained, "I don't think there's much of a difference, anyhow,"

"Great," Chloe nodded, "I still don't know,"

"Just try the free trial for Pete sakes!" Maria snapped, "That's why they're called 'trials', dude,"

Charlotte, quickly becoming disillusioned with this conversation, turned to Kimberly as she walked over, "What were you doing over there, anyway?"

"I was texting," Kimberly sat beside her, crossing one leg over the other, "So sue me,"

"Darius?"

Chloe cut in before she could answer, "Namjoon," she waggled her eyebrows at the bassist. Kimberly glowered at her.

"Tattle tits,"

"Wait --" Charlotte shifted closer, "The BTS guy? Really?"

"Yeah. The tall one," Kimberly replied.

"Bro, they're all fucking tall,"

"The one with the nice quads," Chloe nodded.

Maria raised her brows as well, not so much in amusement, "How long you been talking for?"

"A couple of days. He's really nice," Kimberly replied honestly,

Charlotte smirked, "I'm sure he is,"

"Get that look off your face,"

Maria scoffed, "Well, you can't really blame her. You guys were practically inseparable at the AMAs," she said.

"Right up until you dropped the big B-word," Chloe added.

Kimberly grimaced, the stunned expression on his face continued to flicker in her memory. She truly hadn't meant any harm by it, Darius had become such a natural part of her life that she hadn't felt the need to shout to the world that she had a boyfriend. Furthermore, she didn't want to brush off a potential friendship with the B-word stonewall. Nevertheless, if Namjoon had that simmering hope of maybe -- just maybe -- Kimberly was confident that she had shut that down real quick. She loved Darius, after all, she was comfortable in her relationship.

"So what?" Kimberly replied, trying not to border on defensive, "We've effortlessly proved for the last three and something years that guys and girls can be friends without romantic tension,"

Chloe scoffed back, "Two of us proved it, anyway," she glanced at both Charlotte and Maria. The former was stuck in a will-they-won't-they tension with Luke Hemmings, while Maria had been secretly dating Calum Hood for nearly nine months, now. Only three weeks ago had Charlotte, Kimberly, and Chloe found them out.

Maria screwed up her face at the drummer, "Hey! The other three are still my friends," she pointed out, referring to the rest of the boys from 5 Seconds of Summer. Charlotte rolled her eyes, not having the energy to dignify this topic with an answer.

"Anyway," she sighed, "What do you and Namjoon talk about?"

Kimberly shook her head, debating how much she should privy the girls to. Sure, they all knew everything about each other, but there were still some things Kimberly liked to keep to herself. So far, Namjoon was definitely one of them.

"Anything that comes to mind," she replied, "Music, mostly,"

Chloe scoffed, "With the schedules these guys have, I'm surprised he has the time to text you at all," she said.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked.

"You have any idea how many hours a day they go for? How do you think they move like that? Takes some fucking work," Chloe replied, "Not to mention the strict diets, the travel, the training regimens,"

"So... like our schedules, minus the dancing?" Kimberly queried.

"Our schedules... but on major roids," she replied.

Charlotte raised her brows, "That bad?"

"Depending on the label," Chloe replied, "The boys definitely have a bit more freedom than the girls do,"

"As always in a modern, sexist society," Maria sighed, hunching forward, "So, when do they have time for friends? Dating? A life?"

"Maybe when their contracts run out," Chloe replied, "K-pop idols can't date,"

Kimberly refused to let it show, but she couldn't help the nervous pinching in her gut when Chloe said that, "W-What do you mean? Like -- at all?"

Chloe shook her head, "You ever hear of fan service? The labels make their money off of these guys being quote-on-quote 'available' and 'pure'. If they stay single the younger fans are more likely to buy into their brand,"

The other three sat in a stunned silence. It wasn't the first time they had heard of management getting involved in people's personal lives, but usually it was the other way around. Hell, their own manager tried to set Charlotte up in a PR relationship the previous year.

"Ugh," Maria cringed, "Why's that giving me Jonas Brothers purity ring bullshit?"

"Okay but -- that can't be for forever," Charlotte said, "It's fucking barbaric!"

"Over here, maybe. But Korea's a whole other culture," Chloe replied, "We just don't see it because we're foreigners. They treat us differently,"

Maria cocked her head, "Chlo, how do you know so much about this?" she asked.

Chloe smiled back, sheepish as she replied, "Let's call it a 2am rabbit-hole special. I'm also just a fan. -- I'm a fan of BTS, not of the record labels,"

Kimberly scoffed, "Must be pretty fucking bleak. You're writing love songs and you can't even have a lover to write about,"

"Oh, c'mon. They're grown men," Maria said, "I'm sure they're familiar with getting business done themselves,"

Charlotte physically grimaced, eager to change the subject, "Okay! Back to work!" she announced as she stood up. The girls followed suit.

Chloe chuckled, "Aw, what's the matter, Lottie? You never wanna change the subject when we're talking about Lu --"

"Chloe!" Kim scolded, pointing a sharp, manicured finger at her, "No,"

"Maria started it," Chloe chided back.

"And I'll also end it," Maria decided, looping her guitar strap over her shoulder.

Kimberly sighed under her breath as she did the same with her bass, glancing tentatively at her friends, "So... You guys still wanna' see their show on Friday?"

"Oh, I'm definitely down," Chloe replied.

Charlotte simpered, "Yeah, I'm into it,"

They all then turned to Maria, who stayed stiffly silent at first. Call her a killjoy or judgemental, but Maria wasn't the biggest fan of machine pop music. It wasn't so much BTS she was against, but the entire machine behind them. The industry of pretty boybands and girlbands with fancy dance moves, while definitely exciting, also held many dark undertones that turned her off completely. And she knew the girls felt the same because they had discussed this at length.

Maria could think of a hundred other things she could be doing on Friday, namely one of them being with Calum, and she knew the girls wouldn't hold it against her if she didn't go. Nevertheless, there was this air of hopefulness on Kimberly's face. They loved doing things together, experiencing new music being one of them. And the guys had promised to hold some tickets for them, so that was definitely a nice perk.

"Alright, I'm in," she conceded, "Do we have to get dressed up or..."

"Girl, it's a concert, not the Met," Charlotte pointed out.

"Well, I don't know," she shrugged back.

Kimberly's phone buzzed in her pocket, her lips curved up as she found Namjoon's name flash across her screen.

Do you like TGIF or Chili's better? We're trying to decide what to get for dinner

Ooooh...

Chili's, they're chicken sandwiches are lit

She hesitated as she typed her next message, her thumb wavered over the send button as she felt that nervous pinch in her gut. She glanced at her friends, their previous teasing weighing on her a little. Nevertheless, she averted her eyes to her keyboard as she pressed the send button.

When you have some time though, maybe I'll take you somewhere better than Chili's lol

She had barely tucked her phone back into her pocket when it buzzed again, her smile grew wider, and the pinching in her gut subsided.

I would like that a lot!

Unbeknownst to Kimberly, Chloe couldn't help but take a stealthy peak over her shoulder. Her curiosity however failed her covertness.

"What would he like?" she blurted.

Kimberly jumped forward, hugging her phone to her chest, "Chloe!" and as she turned, she smacked Chloe's side with the handle of her bass.

"Owh!" Chloe faltered, stumbling back and favouring her 'wound', "She hit me!" she whined to Maria.

"She was creeping on me!" Kimberly fought back, both of them looking to the oldest member.

Maria however remained stone faced, her exasperation evident as she turned to Charlotte. The moment the mousy brunette met the fiery Latina's gaze, she couldn't help but burst into giggles.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and took her place, awaiting patiently for the other girls to get themselves together. Despite her annoyance, she couldn't help but have a little bounce in her step, excited for Friday to just hurry up and roll around so she could see Namjoon again.

BTS' Friday night concert came upon them soon enough, and Namjoon was feeling rather calm and confident about the whole affair. Perhaps because he knew he looked good, perhaps because he had put his work in all week, making sure his performance would be flawless. Or simply, his self-assured nature had peaked because they were still riding high off of their American tour, the interviews were almost over and he was living his dream, had little to no worries except entertaining the crowd and not messing up his parts.

Namjoon felt like a fool for the nervous pinch in his chest whenever he saw her name flash on his phone screen, he liked talking to her, even if the limits of texting infuriated him at times. He knew when she'd be laughing at him over messages and when he'd stumble for words at a certain question, racking his brain for the English translation, and relieved he had time to form a cohesive thought before sending the next text.

He had done his own research into Catch the Caper, easily blown away by the rest of their music catalogue. Fiery and outspoken, and Kimberly shone through every solo shot in their videos. She didn't speak much in their interviews either, but when she did she was quite soft, though she had her moments where she had a bite to her. He liked that she always spoke her mind and could be so personable outright.

Admittedly, there were times when his thumb had hovered over the call button just so he could hear her voice again, when he was tired and bored in his hotel bed, when he fresh off his workout, but it seemed too eager, too much. How would he justify that? What would he say when or if she picked up? What if she was with Darius? Ultimately, his insecurity of overstepping the barely sketched boundaries kept him from calling.

At the moment, Namjoon was in the green room; his bandmates were primping, preening, notching the final buttons to their clothes and whatnot. He was keeping his composure, nonetheless excitement bubbled in his chest at the prospect of seeing Kimberly again. He had texted her that morning with details on how to find him once she and the girls arrived but he checked his phone again, wondering if she'd text to announce her arrival, if she'd even come at all.

He stayed slumped in his chair, his image in the vanity mirror a reflection of the self-doubt flickering through his wall of confidence. He wondered what she'd be wearing, what he should say and hoped he'd keep his cool around her, prayed he wouldn't make a wrong move, but no internal preparation could have prepared him for the moment when that green room door opened.

He didn't have to wait for Hobi's joyous greeting, or Jimin to practically fall out of his chair, the moment that door opened he knew it was her. Kimberly, Maria and Chloe had filed in after their stage manager, pleasantly taken aback by the guys' boisterous welcome. Chloe and Maria started integrating immediately, speaking slow with the guys and it gave them an opportunity to reflex their English. Chloe attempted to greet them in Korean, and Namjoon would've given her a solid B- minus.

Kimberly however migrated right over to Namjoon, and he was quick to stand up and greet her.

"Hi,"

Her perfume enrobed him, kept him there as he inhaled it. He wasn't sure if he should go in for a hug but she beat him to the punch; she had to stand on her toes to reach properly and he found it so adorable. His own scent of equally dizzying to her and she breathed it in now, allowed his spicy cologne to overwhelm her, take her back to the night they'd night. Heat radiated from his touch, his lips at the side of her head and she smiled against his shoulder.

He at last let go and pulled back, he tucked his hands in his pockets to hide the slight shake in them. There was a shimmer of mischief in his eyes, the deep brown alarmingly familiar to Kimberly despite the fact she'd only met him once.

"You look amazing," he mired.

"Thanks," she smiled bashfully, "You look really cool,"

She had seen pictures of him on the tour, somehow seeing him up close in his stage fit was a little bit of a spectacle. He wore dark pants, a black t-shirt, and he had his silver print jacket hanging on the back of his chair. The choker around his neck was an unexpected, but cohesively charming touch. His hair was naturally fluffy, a lock fell over his eyes and it drew her eye to his jawline.

Everything about him exuded an abundance of collectedness but the mischief was still there, strong, bold and he seemed to be eternally smirking, the corner of his mouth pulled up and twitching as if he were about to make a coy joke. Kimberly was convinced she'd never seen a jaw that sharp and if she was unsure she'd been intrigued by him before, now there was no denying it.

"Is this the infamous jacket that's been circling the internet?" she chuckled, pointing curiously to the garment.

"Infamous?" he wondered aloud, "I suppose, if the internet says, so it shall be," he replied, his lips curling. Everything he said had a nonchalance, an effortlessness to it, but at the same time she wouldn't have been surprised should he have fallen into a fit of laughter.

"It looks cool," she nodded, chewing her lip for a split second, "You look cool in the pictures, anyway," stop saying 'cool' so much, idiot.

Namjoon's eyes trailed over her. There was a little less skin on show this time, allowing him less to study than before and he swallowed as his eyes fell on the tattoo on her forearm, peaking out under the rolled up sleeve of her velvet shirt. She wore blue wash denim jeans, baggy in the legs, scuffed white converse, and this time she had straightened her hair, tied back in a clean ballerina bun. It no doubt would've taken her a while to wrangle all those curls; he appreciated the creativity and effort she'd gone to.

"Did you miss me?" he asked with an undefeated smirked.

"Maybe a little..." she nodded truthfully, tilting her head at him and giving her best smile, "Miss me?"

"Almost forgot you were comin'..." he drawled, his lips betraying the harshness of his words.

"Oh, wow. Thanks," she grumbled playfully, "I only gave up my rare Friday night off for you, Joon..."

"Hey, I got the backstage passes for you, Kim..." he teased, cocking his head as they started for their babbling friend groups, "Speaking of, I didn't see Charlotte come in...?"

"Oh," Kimberly bit her lip, a small flush colouring her cheeks. The tone of her voice was clearly different and Namjoon raised and eyebrow in expectation, "Charlotte had something come up, so I brought Darius with me instead... I hope that's okay... he just went to catch up with the guys in the security," she gestured out the door was a particular vagueness.

Though the news was a shock to him, Namjoon nodded to feign as if he didn't care, scratched at his neck and jaw and she tilted her head to see if her boyfriend would come waltzing through the door.

"That's cool," he assured her, "He knows the security guys?"

She nodded, "He moonlights as a bouncer at this arena and at another club downtown,"

"Moonlights..."

"It's another term for 'work',"

"Right, right. Thanks,"

It seemed as though another man had appeared out of nowhere as he chatted in the middle of the group, and from the way Kimberly's eyes lit up he knew that he had to be Darius. He was tense as they approached him, even more so when Kimberly drew instantly to his side. Namjoon watched her boyfriend's hand slip to her hip and bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance.

For a second, Namjoon could only focus on her smile, the way she'd lit up even more than he thought possible at his side, but then drew his attention to Darius.

He was dressed in an obscure band tee and blue jeans, his hair tied into short dreads at the top of his head, the sides shaved down. He was a little more slender than Namjoon, nevertheless he was built similarly to Jungkook. He appeared quite friendly and his smile was genuine, the kind of smile which seemed to permanently stick even when faced with bad news. It made Namjoon realize he was probably frowning and he consciously turned the corners of his lips up to counter it.

As much as he hated to admit it, they looked good together. But at least he wasn't taller than him...

"Hey, have some water..." Jin said quickly, easily reading the tension in Namjoon's posture and quickly holding out a bottle for him.

"Thanks..." Namjoon mumbled back, drawing his eyes to the bottle. he hoped he was hiding his jealously in his expression but from the way Jin was looking at him, he figured that it was the opposite.

As Namjoon took a first sip, the condensation on the bottle cooling his clammy palm, the familiar cool liquid soothing the dryness in his throat, Chloe suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"Namjoon!" the rainbow haired drummer threw her arms around him in a hug, none the wiser to his sip. He choked back the water quickly and hugged her back, laughing quietly.

"Hi Chloe," he chuckled, "Thanks for coming,"

"Thanks for having us! Charlotte sends her best, by the way," she mired.

"Where is she?" he asked.

Chloe glanced to Maria, who glanced to Kimberly, he glanced back at him with a sly smirk. The girls had a secret between them, "Oh, she's sorting some stuff out with another friend of ours," Maria replied. It was clear by the sunken expression on Jimin's face that he was hoping Charlotte would've come.

Hobi, none the wiser to the tension in the room, unabashedly shrugged, "We send her video after," he nodded, beaming through his broken English.

Chloe then looked to Kimberly and Darius, "Oh! I know he's late, but this is Darius," she gestured to the taller gent.

Namjoon swallowed, "How's it going?" Namjoon drawled, holding his hand out as steadily as he could to meet Darius' already extended handshake, "Namjoon. Nice to meet you,"

"You too, man," Darius agreed cheerfully, meeting Namjoon's eye line directly with a confidence he prayed he was carrying off at least externally, "I'm looking forward to the show. Hey -- do you guys really move that fast on stage?"

"We definitely try," Namjoon smiled back, taken aback at how nice Darius was.

He shrugged his shoulders as an attempt to ease the tension he'd built there, stretched his neck a little. He took another sip from the water bottle to cool his nerves, relaxed his jaw and hoped it made him look much more unaffected than he felt.

Part of him wished that Kimberly's boyfriend was in any way dislikable, but he simply couldn't bring himself to hate the guy, could see she liked him and that he liked her. Darius didn't seem to be fake or forcing anything, had no features Namjoon could distinguish as better or worse than his and he made Kimberly laugh, they were comfortable together.

Kimberly couldn't help but watch Namjoon get pulled between conversations, gauging his reaction. She knew that no matter how deeply complicated that first meeting between them had been, that he'd felt something for her and as cool and collected as he was trying to seem, the effortlessness of his demeanour, his sudden focus on the others' conversations, there was an awkward reserve beneath the surface, a slight fumble for words, a general sense of fluster she could see that Jin had noticed too. She remembered the way he froze on the spot at the revelation of her having a boyfriend, how timid he'd been in engaging in conversation after her show and she hoped things wouldn't be too uncomfortable between them because of their first meeting.

"How'd you and Kimberly meet?" Namjoon asked, nodding to Darius, his voice a little scratchy and he coughed to clear it. He took another sip from his bottle.

"At my job, funny enough..." he replied, giving her an endearing side glance, "Her band had their album debut at the club I work at and, yeah... been a bit of a whirlwind but..." Kimberly turned to him and smiled brightly, "It's been an adventure,"

"Ooh, you a... dancer?" Jimin asked, the dimples in his cheeks visible. He nudged Namjoon who gave an appreciative chuckle as he wiggled his shoulders.

"Uh -- no, no. I'm a bouncer," Darius replied, "You know; security. And I'm in school in the day,"

Namjoon translated quickly for Jimin, who gave a quick nod of understanding, then he turned back to Darius, "What're you in school for?"

Kimberly watched from the corner of her eye, found Namjoon's continued curiosity endearing and his eyes lit up when he caught her gaze.

Namjoon caught Kimberly's eye and raised his eyebrows whilst the rest of his face was taught. She broke away first, looking to Darius as he began to speak and Namjoon considered it a tiny victory.

"Finances right now. I wanna' get my insurance license and go into a firm," he shrugged sheepishly, "It's not really interesting, I know. When people ask what I do, I just tell them I work in a club,"

"Hey, c'mon. Insurance is very important!" Namjoon nodded, "You're the proverbial safety net with a fire, or a car accident --"

"Or a snake bite," Darius mentioned, a quirky smile playing at his lips.

Namjoon hissed, "Ooh, ouch,"

"Nah, that's not the bad part, though," he chuckled, "The claim was filed by a guy who broke a window of this other dude's car to steal the crates in his backseat. Little did this poor guy know that the car belonged to a pest control specialist and there was a live snake in one of the crates,"

He squirmed on the spot, still visually invested in Darius' story, "No way..." he mulled it over for a moment, "Hold on though: the guy who broke into another guy's car filed an insurance claim for --?"

"Health insurance. But then the pest control guy turned around and sued him for damages. The robber counter-sued for snake bites and hospital bills, yada yada..." Darius trailed off with a shake of his head, "Welcome to America,"

Kimberly scoffed beside him, "My favourite is still Grand Theft Garden Gnome," she chuckled.

Namjoon's lips pulled into a confident smile again, his focus brimming more on him, selfishly wanting to understand more about her through him.

"Grand Theft Garden Gnome? This ought to be good,"

Darius opened his mouth to explain, though he was suddenly cut off by Jin and Maria's matching defeated cries of frustration. They were playing against Taehyung and Jungkook on the foosball table in the corner, clearly the youngest members of BTS had beaten them.

"I give up!" Jin cried, flailing onto the couch

"You guys have to be cheating," Maria marvelled at them, turning to Suga behind them, "Do they cheat a lot?" she pointed to them. Suga simply shrugged, Namjoon could tell he didn't understand what she saying yet.

"Suga!" he quickly translated for Suga, who's face immediately lit up as he glowered at the younger boys, shaking head.

"No," he spoke quickly. Hobi and Chloe began to laugh beside him, and Jimin got up from beside Namjoon to partake in the teasing.

Jungkook laughed gleefully, "You give up, yeah?" he giggled, eyes crinkled gleefully.

Maria, ever the stubborn one, glowered back at the pair with a sharp "No..." though given Jin's pouting, she was clearly without a partner.

Darius however took pity on her, excusing himself from Kimberly and Namjoon, "Don't worry Maria, I got you," he winked to Kimberly, "Show 'em how we do it on the East end,"

"Knock 'em dead," she sang back.

From his spot on the couch, Jin gave Namjoon a subtle look and a wink, continuing his pout as Darius took up his spot beside Maria. Taehyung puffed up his chest, trying to come off as intimidating.

"Let's go, let's go!" he exclaimed, and with that, another fiery game was on.

Kimberly looked across to Namjoon, who could barely contain his smile, rolled her eyes jokingly, "You might have to postpone your show. Maria's way too competitive, she's not gonna' quit until she wins one,"

Namjoon rolled his eyes and pouted a little, watching his friends go head-to-head as clearly, Darius was proving to be a tough match for them; his game was tight.

"Jungkook is equally competitive, so we might have a problem," he sighed, "We have to let him win at Mario Kart or his entire day's ruined," he smirked, keeping himself from shifting closer to her on the couch.

"Oh no," she chuckled as she looked back at him, brown eyes bright and shining.

He'd been trying not to lose himself in her too often, had purposely ignored the loose hairs falling from her bun, the way freckles across her nose stood out sweetly in the light, had willed himself to focus on the conversation each time her lips had wrapped around the bottle of her drink but now he couldn't not notice it all, admired her up close, fantasized about having her as close to him as Darius had, then bit the inside of his cheek at his thoughts. It would have been impossible.

"... You can sit closer if you wanna'," she said sheepishly, "I won't bite,"

Despite all the control he'd fought for, the arrogance and air of nonchalance he was desperate to exude, hid face lit up, he couldn't help it.

Chuckling, he shifted closer to her, "Sure,"

Kimberly smiled, glancing curiously at her soda bottle, "I... I don't suppose you have anything hanging around that's stronger than ginger ale?"

Namjoon simpered back, "At the moment -- no. We're supposed to keep sharp for the stage," he smoothed the side of his hair back with the flat of his palm. Kimberly couldn't decide if it was nerves that had prompted him, or if he was trying to keep up his act, but either way, he looked effortlessly cool doing it.

"Very fair," she nodded, "I don't wanna be a bad influence or anything, but I could go for a Paloma right now,"

"Is that your favourite drink?"

She nodded, "Mhm. Tequila, grapefruit, and lime. That's it," she replied, "You have a favourite drink?"

"Probably just soju," he said with a shrug, "The watermelon one is my favourite,"

"Soju..." she marvelled aloud, "It's like sake, right?"

"Kind of, but soju tends to be sweeter," he replied.

"Don't judge me, but I've never tried soju," she admitted with a laugh.

Namjoon's eyes went wide, "No kidding?" she shook her head, "That's like never trying water! If I had known, I would've brought some for you,"

"Hey, gimme' a break. I only turned twenty-one a couple months ago," she tucked some loose hairs behind her ear.

He cocked a brow, "But did you only start drinking at twenty-one?" he asked, bringing his voice to a lower whisper.

"Officially -- yes. Unofficially -- no comment," she sipped her ginger ale to make her point, "Were you such a boy scout back in Korea?"

Namjoon smirked back at her, leaning in close, but not close enough to make her feel uneasy. He didn't want her or Darius to detest him for anything, knew that if friendship was all he could have, then he'd take it and hold it close to his chest.

"No comment,"

12 notes · View notes

lovelynim · 9 months

Text

Thank you guys so f*cking much ❤️

Today we reached the 500 followers milestone and I, honestly, couldn't be happier. Day by day, I still question myself if people actually like my content or not, if I should keep going or not, but there is always that little note you guys left when you reblog my stuff that cheers me up and gives me the boost to keep going.

I don't mean to get emotional or anything, but I'm honestly surprised I made this far, specially when I'm surrounded by such amazing creators - which, thanks to this trashy blog, I could become friends with.

This is halfway through my life-time goal (which is 1k, heheh, maybe one day ~) and I really wanted to do something nice to play and celebrate with you guys, but the question is: what should I do?

I have asked a few people around what would be a good day and I'm not quite sure, so... could you guys help me out on this one? I plan to make this quick so we can jump into the celebrations, heheh

A little context in what each of this options mean:

3 sentences fic

I'm pretty sure everyone here is familiar with this concept already, since Ginny's game got pretty popular, buuut: basically, you guys send me a pairing + a spot and I write a 3 sentences fic based on it. If this options win, I plan to do, like, a LOT of them heheh

Speed writing drabbles

I already did this one once, but it's basically as the name goes: I'll have my inbox open for requests and try to write as many drabbles as I can. Might not take as many prompts as the option above, but they might be a little longer (and some might even turn into fics if the prompt really inspires me ~)

Public's choice

The same as my 400 milestone event: you send me a pairing and a starter prompt and I will write roughly half of it and open a poll at the end, with the second half being up to you guys decide ~

5 special fics

This probably won't be the final name, but bear it with me just while we decide, hehe. Heavily inspired on Mia's 2000 followers event, I'll prepare 5 themes (which I'll think of later if this option wins) and you guys can leave suggestions for one of them. Each theme will get its own fic later on, wrote with all the passion from the bottom of my heart ~ (why 5? because it's 500 followers, duh)

I hope it's all clear enough to understand, because it's almost 1 am here where I live and I have to wake up early tomorrow to work hahaha *gets shot*

Again, thank you guys so much for all the support (I'll go through all this rant again in the official post, but anyway) and please vote for you favorite options because I really wanna do something nice to you all ❤️

#500 followers event #milestone event

12 notes · View notes

aetherhollowarchive · 6 months

Note

Hi! I found out about your game today thanks to a reblog, and tried it out!

It's an interesting approach to the trope, since most "isekai" of this kind have the MC be killed and reincarnated, while in this case it's the other world's character who died insteand with the MC being transported to take their place. I don't think I've ever seen that configuration before!

Other than that, I can't really say much yet considering we're in early story.

But I'm grateful for the very simple approach to choices and stats. I'ts very intuitive and doesn't make me feel pressured to min-maxing stuff!

That aside, I have two small coding issues to report, as well as a question!

For the bugs or whatever: - I have picked the option "The idea of having a whole empire under your care was, at this moment, crippling" when the MC thinks about the whole empire thing, but the follow up page seems to tell the opposite (with MC being excited): "It would be quite entertaining to be the head of an empire. You imagine lavish parties, champagne flowing out of golden flutes, masquerades and, most importantly, court intrigue! This was all hypothetical, of course, as you still thought it was all some elaborate hoax. Or a social experiment of sorts." - Another one is after going out and meeting someone. When my MC came back to the chambers, I had this: "Yes, going out now would be quite irresponsible. You knew nothing about the customs of this weird place and wouldn’t even know if you did something wrong before they might strung you up and burn you to the steak, if that was a thing, you didn’t know." - it seems to imply he didn't go out at all?

And for the question, it's a bit more complicated... This is something that I have to ask every time I start an isekai themed story. You see, my biggest trigger in fiction as a whole is an isekai story that ends with the MC going back to their home world. This is something that literlly enduces severe panic attacks in me, so I have to be very careful with what I play or read in terms of isekai, and I need to keep myself informed of that aspect of the ending(s)... And so, are you planning on letting us decide if our MC wants to go back or to stay? Or are you planning multiple endings in that regard? I understand if you don't feel comfortable revealing that, but I wanted to assure this is not me fishing for spoilers. It may be the weirdest trigger a person can have, but somehow my brain works that way, it seems. If it wasn't this severe of a trigger I wouldn't ask. If you really can't or don't wish to answer, I will just wait until the story is done, probably, since I can't allow myself to get involved in case the MC going back at the end is unavoidable - but well, I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

Thank you for taking the time to read this! Have a great day!

Glad you like the concept so far! 💕 And yeah, I wanted not to pressure people into making choices just because down the line it gives an outcome they want. Besides some flavored text, most of the important decisions will be choice based, not status based. And thanks for the bugs! I wrote 1 wrong letter and 1 wrong number in each cases :)) Should would well now, only Blythe's route in the tower seemed to be coded wrong for when MC came back to the room. As for MC going back home, it's an option, but not an obligation. MC's motivation for helping/pretending to be Sovereign can be that it helps with the goal to go home throughout the game, and one endgame option is indeed to go home (unrelated to the motivation until then)... but it is not entirely a good ending. I'm basically writing it for pure angst, no matter the romance and the path MC takes until that point😅 The way I have it planned, MC will have 3-5 ending options (with some Good/Evil variables), and one of them will be to go back, but all the rest involve staying. It's definitely not a 'it was all a dream' thing. I think that's my biggest trigger :))

#3 “happy” endings #2... debatable endings #thank you so much ♥#the aetherhollow archive #interactive fiction #twine if #taa if

11 notes · View notes

callsign-bunnie · 8 months

Note

Hi, I was just curious because I didn't know if this was just my device being weird but what happened to your pfp? I didn't know if this was just me. Have a nice timeszone!

Yes, I put my PFP back to the default.

So, around 08/18, I'd resolved myself to quitting Tumblr. Nothing new that I was posting was getting the attention I'd prefer it to and it's just been getting exhausting.

Posting to Tumblr takes a lot of energy for me, and more and more it just feels like the things I want to write and post don't do well where the AUs that I don't really like do very well and it's incredibly exhausting to be stuck in that cycle.

I'm not faulting anyone, I know my tastes fall on the more niche side of things.

So, I'd just kind of decided to quit? But, then I was reminded of how many active projects that I have, so I decided not to quit, fully.

When I talked to someone else in the fandom about how frustrating the lack of engagement was, they sort of told me "You shouldn't be writing for engagement, you should be writing for you. Post it anyway." To which I will say;

I do not get paid for this. If I'm writing for myself, it's staying in Google Docs where I control every bit of formatting down to the font size. I have quite a few projects that will probably remain in Google Docs because I know they're not going to do well and I'd prefer not to waste the energy to post them.

And, again, I'm not getting paid to do this. If I was writing like one or two chapters a week, maybe it'd be different, you know? But I was doing asks and chapters and trying to consistently make tweets and chats and headcanons. And it was fun! I wasn't at risk of burning out, because I was getting interaction and engagement.

But then the fandom died and so did interaction and engagement.

So, posting became less and less worth it.

The issue is not writing, I still write plenty. Fuck, I have things that I'm actively writing, that I still plan to post! I have something that is purely Ghost centered that I've been working on in my free time, I have some stuff for the restaurant AU that I've been working on, I still plan to keep working on Regency AU. To the people still asking for Teeth and Skin, I am working on it, I just wanted to restructure some things and I plan to take a soon to be empty slot to work on the character cards and some side info, soon.

I think one of the things that also really pushed me away from wanting to keep writing on Tumblr was getting no replies/reblogs on something and so I'd quit posting it and then I'd get several asks begging for it to continue. I wouldn't need to be begged, if it was getting interaction, you know? Since I post in high amounts, if I post something and it does not good, then I won't keep posting it because I have other projects that people do like.

On top of that, several of who I considered to be friends have left COD so I don't really have anyone to talk to about it. I love my wife but we have very differing opinions on COD and the characters, so we actually rarely discuss it.

Then, of course, there's the fact that I am incredibly picky. I know this, I admit it. I'm really picky about what I write. Particularly when it comes to smut/abo. I can't really explain why, just that, for me, top/bottom and alpha/omega goes into their character traits, which generally tend to be things I don't really budge on.

I have several projects and asks that I'd like to finish and then I think I'll reassess. As it stands, I don't know if I'll be staying or quitting.

#bunny speaks

14 notes · View notes

neims-skeleton-obsession · 9 months

Note

16, 18 and 31 on Skulduggery for the ask game?

SKUG FUCK YEAH oh god these are gonna make me experience Thoughts And Feelings arent they /pos 16) deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves: oh this is. this is so evil i love you thank you im probably gonna end up spoiling book 15 be warned the first Plausible thing i thought of was that he did love china, for a little while. i hate the whole grandkids thing it doesnt make sense even chronologically but eh but no i do think he loved china for a bit, and not just because of the w. the whole her being beautiful as fuck- but because he really, truly cared about her. he probably would have felt so guilty about it if hed ever given it any thought- especially after he found out about some of her Worse Shit i think probably after wifey? like a few decades or so after wifey/the war. maybe. hm second thought: he thinks he is entirely unforgiveable. he says that he'll reclaim his family crest some day- but i do think he's lying. mostly to himself, but to val also. but realistically he has no plans to forgive himself, or accept others' forgiveness of him. he would deny that. i think. probably because admitting that to himself would make it that much harder to keep doing things- ie qquote un-quote good things. because if it wouldnt make a difference, it wouldnt change what hed done, what would be the point? 18) what they’d go to see a therapist about: i think he would have to be forced to go at gunpoint but id like to believe hed choose to go ghddgh but i think initially he'd go for. yknow how a fuck ton of characters point out him being an "angry man"??? thaaaaaat but it'd end up including his gEneral self loathing and all that traumatic sh- genuinely take a shot for every time he's been tortured and that doesnt include everything that's happened. ok. there's a lot. i don't know how if he'd actually be helped by going to therapy though. the systems arent that great for one and i think a lot of the gENeRAl sElf HatREd is. quite ingrained at this point rgyfhdgf.

31) jf they had a tumblr what would it look like: mmmm ok two thoughts: classic cars or getting into debates over true crime/crime. based fiction i dont remember what the genre is called i think all he'd figure out how to change is his pfp (probably just. set to a picture of his bentley or something oR. he'd deliberately leave it as default. or val would change it to something ridiculous and he'd give up trying to reset it), and his blog title n such. which i imagine would just be his name or, again, val setting it as something dumb and him not being able/bothered to change it erhgbegd. he'd either post an ungodly amount or very little at all (n just mostly reblogging stuff), probably the first, but he would use entirely correct grammar n punctuation, and probably correct other people on theirs in the tags. dickhead.

thank you for the ask!!! and sorry for the ramble(s)!!!!

#skulduggery pleasant #asks and answers #i just have so many thoughts about him ok #these are mostly Awful /j so ufhfg sOrry about that #bbut enjoy hopefully #an d thank you for the ask!!#i nearly typed “thank you for the ass”#good lord #neim your terrible sleep is showing /j

9 notes · View notes

humming-pokemon-helpers · 1 month

Text

A Vision in the Mirror Masterpost (OOC)

Taking the same concept from my old masterpost, this one will start out with a few FAQs and follow with a plot summary of what's going on under the cut, to keep up easily! Tags for this arc include #a vision in the mirror and for previous leadup posts, #vision prelude. Posts will also be tagged with appropriate stakes for the scene/consequences of what's going on, but on average, stuff is high stakes.

What should I know going in?

Similar to my last high stakes arc, this arc will cover some sensitive topics (all of which will be tagged alongside the arc tag and stakes)! Among them are mental health topics like anxiety, paranoia, depression, suicidality and self-injury, happenings like impersonation, defamation/blackmail, violence/death, fire (natural disaster), and general philosophizing in the "are humans and Pokémon actually equal" direction. A lot of these will largely only be alluded to on here, but better safe than sorry! Feel free to block the tag if it's not for you, I'll probably have a few lower-stakes posts somewhere in there (or maybe some ask games to break stuff up).

Also, this time, not everything is going to be RP'd live on-blog. If you're interested in seeing the behind-the-scenes you're welcome to the planning server (I can shoot you a link), but it'll be a bit heavier. The reason I'm doing this is both to reduce the intensity here, and to not flood everyone's dashboards. I'll still make summary posts of what's going on and am happy to answer asks about that! And of course, Vanilla or Cross will still be liveblogging everything crucial.

How can I participate?

Honestly, just send asks! Reblog stuff! This is pretty open, though if you'd like to be involved in anything in-person, DM me so I can add you to the planning server. I'd love to hear anyone's ideas along the way!

Know also that you can be as involved as you want in this. Some parts of this event will have wider-ranging consequences (city-wide, tops) but also, I absolutely don't expect people to get involved in that unless they want to! (If you do decide to dash-commentary things, please tag it with the arc tag so I can see it? Pretty please? And also use the appropriate stakes tags?)

Who's important in this?

(Not listing my friends' blogs in this, though they're welcome to reblog!)

Vanilla: Vanilla (26, any) is the guy on the blog, a Hisuian Zorua hybrid, and probably a bit well-known for his own good at the moment. They've currently just finished their Unovan Gym Challenge (badge-gathering), and are trying to investigate what has caused their impersonation across several situations.

Colress: Colress (39, he/him) is back from wherever he was, and certainly not better than ever. His aims are unclear, but Vanilla has been keeping tabs on him via a pager gifted by Cheri, and holds some key information from his laptop. He currently has expressed intentions to reclaim his Klinklang from Rune.

Vision: A strange being (?, ??/??) who seems to be impersonating Vanilla perfectly. Believed to be tied to Colress, but in what way? Has a soft spot for Wolfgang, and has met with Cheri and Vanilla's parents.

Cross: Vanilla's Rotom, Cross (5, she/her), is a sweet, non-battling Pokémon whose main goal is Vanilla's safety. While she's normally sworn to secrecy, she'll break that in the name of saving her "boss". She's also quite nervous, pzzt.

Wolfgang: Wolfgang, or Wolfy (27, he/him) is a Hisuian Zoroark, Vanilla's half-sibling, and the father of four adorable Zorua kits with his mate, Mozart. He's currently serving as the interim leader of the Lostlorn Zoroark pack, but he's in frequent contact with Vanilla thanks to the power of cheap cell phones.

Cobalion: One of the Swords of Justice, Cobalion (many centuries, they/he) is convinced Vanilla will one day be a worthy chosen for their aims. As it is, however, they've left Vanilla to find her own answers. Unless the answers involve using the cool sword they've been gifted, in which case Cobalion is all in.

Cheri: Cheri (28, she/her) is the perpetual thorn in Vanilla's side, who also happens to be their recent ex and current "rival" after selling them out to Colress (and apologizing endlessly after the fact). A strong battler, she gifted Vanilla Chibi (formerly Fluffybutt) the Shiny Vanilluxe, and has expressed every intention of protecting Vanilla. As much as Vanilla insists he's really fine without the help.

Aspear: Aspear (28, he/him) is Cheri's twin, also a "rival" of Vanilla's, and perfectly happy to stay out of this situation, thank you.

What's the plot so far?

(Plot kept under the readmore for previously mentioned potentially triggering content.)

Prelude: After a battle with Cheri, Vanilla was bestowed with a pager Cheri had previously used to keep contact with Colress. Over the past few months, they've heard Colress speaking from the pager, but, frustratingly, nothing crucial. Lately, though, they've been hearing strange noises much like their own voice...

These strange noises seem corroborated by Wolfgang claiming to have seen somebody who looks, speaks, and even smells exactly like Vanilla, and by Cheri's own claims that she has talked to Vanilla's doppelganger.

At the same time, Colress has begun taking action, reaching out to Rune to demand the return of his Klinklang, to which he received a solid refusal. And at the same time, the Swords of Justice seem on edge...

Main Arc: Vanilla, with his increasing concern about being impersonated, begins to lower contact with others, and eventually, decides to return to their adoptive parents' home to lay low. When she finally returns, though, she learns that Maamaa, who was in her parent's care, was taken by her copycat to some unknown location. In order to figure out where, Vanilla tries working out who they're dealing with, before finally settling on making themselves distinguishable from the copy when in-person (fun fact for the summary people: what they settled on was 'way too much body spray'). This doesn't solve their problem though, and so they finally decide to try and make contact with Colress and this mystery person via Cheri's pager.

On the other side of things, we learn that this person's name is Vision, that she seems to have some sort of high title... and that she intends to be the one to respond to Vanilla's message, it seems. But what will come of that...?

[To be continued!]

#//ooc post #pokeblogging #pkmn irl #a vision in the mirror #arc masterpost

5 notes · View notes

sunstruck-traveller · 7 months

Note

Hi, Aether mun! I hope you don't mind me asking this OOC question. Could you please provide more details on how to create an rp blog like yours? I'm interested in setting up something similar… Thank you in advance!

Oh hello! I didn't really have much of a plan going in so I don't quite know how to describe it, but I suppose I could just tell you in what order I did things? And hope it helps?

So, after having spent over a week following other blogs and sending in asks; I chose to make my own and portray Aether and Paimon. One of the reasons being that I main him in genshin and was Very familiar with his character.

Next i made a "secondary" account. I looked at how the blogs that I enjoyed a lot did things, and then use that as a guide for myself. I chose official art of Aether for both the banner and profile picture, wrote down the rules and made that my first post; which I then pinned so that it's easy for everyone to find.

Now what I've noticed from watching other new blogs pop up, is that if you can find a blog that portrays a character that Your character has relations with; it's a really good idea to simply send them asks over, reblog their stuff with your own interactions, and simply have fun. The visitors of that person's blog will then be made aware of your existence and will most likely stop by to pay a visit!

Since I was playing Aether I couldn't really do this, so every day I'd post two - four posts which basically just showed what he was doing through out the day (waking up, doing a commission, eating food, going to sleep. That sort of stuff) to keep the blog alive while mostly just waiting for any askers that might accidentally find me while going through Aether's tag on Tumblr. Oh tagging things clearly helps a lot too!

I would pay attention to the other blogs as well, seeing if there would be any posts made that I could interact with (usually not with much luck because I'm an incredibly socially anxious mess) and when there were, I'd do what I described above: interacted. Honestly not being afraid of showing others you exist is a very key part to this, I've noticed.

Oh! By the way, even if most of us mods are strangers to each other; we still try and support one another. For example say, someone starts a Nahida blog, right? They post their rules and are all ready to go. The second you happen to spot them, reblog their rules onto your blog. (And give them a follow and ask while you're at it!) It helps them get seen and hightens the chances of them getting anons. Plus it'll probably just make them happy too (I was a giddy mess when people did that with me)

But uhh yeah! Simply have fun, interact with other blogs, and be kind <:)

I really hope any of this made sense to you, for I am not really good at describing things clearly in a short amount of words ^^;;

#ran mod #this post was so much longer. i pretty much just spent over five minutes trying to shorten and clean it up so that it's cohesive hdhd #by the way! if you make your own blog #feel free to reblog my and other people's rules so that we can see/find you!#by the way what does “mun” mean? it sounds very cute /gen question

3 notes · View notes

reasonablysurmised · 10 months

Text

(re-posting a previous reblog response brain-vomit essay from this morning, because I actually care about what happens to this website and want to know if other agree I guess?)

To whatever second-tier Silicon Valley social media business consultant came up with the Tumblr Updates plan: 1) stay away from this website, and 2) the "new users" aren't gonna sleep with you.

Okay that was salty but in all seriousness: this reads like a plan by someone who came in with pre-set ideas about how social media is "supposed" to work, spent two weeks running numbers while absorbing little to nothing about what people actually enjoy about this website, and spat out a plan that could well be correct on "the numbers" but is off-target about everything else--in a way that WILL end up impacting "the numbers," because people will leave.

Ultimately, this reads like a plan to "optimize" not just this website, but the PEOPLE who make up the user base--the fundamental "problem" with the current user base is that we can't be optimized and despise all efforts to do so. Personally, I will walk away from this website in a heartbeat the second it starts to look like "optimization" is the new raison d'etre, and certainly if it starts to impact the functioning and content of the website and the interactions I have on it. I've quit Facebook and Twitter and breathed a sigh of relief over both; it wasn't difficult and I experienced zero regret.

If Disneyland stops being fun because they've started "streamlining the user experience" by mandating that you go on rides in a particular order that they've decided "maximizes fun" I WILL STOP BUYING TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND (metaphorically, I'm not actually a Disney adult, though godspeed to them as they partially enable DeSantis' demise).

"Oh but you don't actually pay for anything here anyway," okay, valid and fair; if the PARK starts introducing "helpers" who smile at me and usher me to a particular bench and say "this is the view we think you'll like best based on the data we collected on you without your active awareness, the dogs are cutest from here, the sunset looks best from here, by the way YOU look best to other users from here (but also in case you want to look better here is a company with a monthly subscription to receive the most flattering clothes for your body type!)"......I will fucking run so fast from that park. I will never come back. I will start reading more, I have a backlog that can last me for years, don't try me. If I miss the outdoors and every single public park is like this I will start trespassing in people's wooded backyards before I will come back. I believe that I am metaphorically in the majority for current Tumblr users with this sentiment.

Now it's possible, maybe probable, that the part they're not saying out loud is that 1) they know they'll lose a lot of current users but they believe the glut of new users they will allegedly get by taking these actions will offset that loss, and 2) they believe that the new users are the type who can make the website money, while the current users are, by their nature, an obstacle to this website making money--to be fair, maybe an obstacle to them making enough money to keep the lights on and pay staff, I don't know.

If this is the thinking, here is my plea to @staff, on the offchance they will ever read this:

let's start with the good stuff. Thanks, weirdly and horrifyingly, for publishing this. I hate it, but I'd rather know it's coming if this is the future (you know, so I can start packing).

IMO, changing the experience for logged-off users in order to introduce them to different parts of the website seems fair enough (although it would be great to ALSO use whatever onboarding experience you come up with to introduce them to the DIY functions and general ethos the site currently has and thrives on); at any rate it probably wouldn't impact most of the Tumblr loyalists who are still here, as far as I know. So if you want to salvage one part of the plan, that's probably it--so long as it doesn't actually affect the current "user experience" for logged-in users, and DOES point the new logged-out users in the right direction.

I know we don't make you any money. Sorry. You picked the "become ungovernable" website, so. Kinda foregone conclusion. Some of us do understand that websites need some basic funds to operate. I personally really liked the crabs and little silly things introduced over the past year or so, the ones that showed an actual interest in the absurd spirit of this website. I would in fact consider buying a color-of-the-sky mug.

Onto the bad stuff: I'm no second-tier Silicon Valley social media business consultant, but I DO NOT BELIEVE you will actually get the wave of new, optimizable, profitable users you think you will, and here is why: reputation (and actuality). Every conversation I have with other people where I mention tumblr they give me a funny, bless-your-heart smile and say things like "Tumblr, really? Why?" I describe to them what I like about it--they're nice about it in the sense that they can see I like it, but clearly not INTERESTED; the overall CONTENT is not really their thing, but neither is the IDEA (that they have) of tumblr, and that won't change. Tumblr is, fundamentally, the weird kid table, this is what the current user base likes about it, and also why the Cool Kids you're targeting will never actually sit here--even if you change things, the legacy is there and the Cool Kids don't want to seem desperate.

@staff If you read one part please read this part: Sometimes when trying to explain to people why I still use tumblr, I mention that it seems like the last place on the internet that ISN'T obsessively capitlizing on human interaction and identity, that ISN'T being algothrithm'd to hell and back, and that is the one thing that sometimes gets traction and interest instead of polite dismissal. Most people I talk to about tumblr will never sign up; the few potential "new users" I encounter in the wild are interested in the fact that it's the opposite of the "optimized" social media experience. Namely, the style of website that already exists and that your current plan seemingly aims to discard.

Just in case you believe the departure of current users won't ACTUALLY be that bad: it will. Of course it can depend on what changes you make EXACTLY, but overall if you re-tool tumblr to be Quirky Artsy Twitter, the current users absolutely will leave in droves. If you do it all at once you'll see a porn-ban-sized exodus; if you implement changes gradually thinking you can frog-in-boiling-water the situation, we'll still leave, albeit equally slowly. If you're watching other user bases from other imploding social media websites, running numbers that somehow show that THOSE implosions weren't too bad: we are not those users.

Dear Tumblr, we actually like it here. For now (but Watch Out). Your theoretical New Users do not (know they) like it here, do not have pre-established loyalty, and are at best an enormous gamble. How do you lose a userbase? You forget to cherish them. Something to consider.

#tumblr #tumblr updates #staff

3 notes · View notes

medschoolash · 2 years

Note

Tbh, I find it quite funny that Daemon is such a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy, that after a night out with Rhae he immediately decides he wants to marry her. 😂 No wonder Viserys didn't believe him. / I don't even think that he planned to take her to the brothel initially. I think it was some time after he chased her. I could be wrong, tho :) Btw, keep up with the metas. always looking forward to them :)

Daemon is King of act now think later and I swear that's part of the reason I love him lol

he's also such a badass but a simp at the same time. Man got to pet Rhaenyra ONCE and immediately decided she was his soulmate and he had to have her. Man tolerated a shitty marriage for year and one makeout with Rhaenyra had him committing murder to be free lol

I think Viscerys definitely thought he was full of shit because Daemon is always doing something ridiculous with no real thought of the outcome and because he probably thought Daemon may have been infatuated. I don't think he really understood that Daemon was absolutely sprung on Rhaenyra. Poor guy is always the last to know the tea, even when the tea involves his own family.

As far as the brothel goes I think he planned to take her there to show her what sex can be and what better way to demonstrate sexual freedom than in a whore house where anything goes but I also think there is more than one way to interpret that so your POV could be valid as well!

Thank you so much for enjoying my metas! I'm always honored when people enjoy my thoughts enough to like, comment, reblog, or send me an ask. I can't say how often I will be able to crank stuff out but I will definitely keep writing when the inspiration hits me!

#daemyra asks #daemyra #daemon x rhaenyra

19 notes · View notes

salty-stardust-burgerbitch · 1 year

Text

Why, hello there!

Pleased to meet ya, you can call me Venus— it ain't my name, but that's what makes it fun ;3

All the basic info ya need about me is on my bio; here's the quick version:

I'm a mid-20s Trans Futch Lesbian Switch, and this is my horny sideblog. Emphasis on horny— which means if you're under 18 ya gotta go.

I repeat: If you want to interact with me or my blog in any way, you must be 18 years old at least!! And by extension, that includes ageless blogs— description, bio, pinned post, whatever— just put it somewhere, 'kay? Doesn't need to be specific if you're anxious abt giving away personal info, a good ol' "18+" or "20-something" or something like that. Be a good sport, okay? Helps yourself and helps us all =D

I'm mainly using this as a way to flirt with some of the fine and wonderful people of tumblr's thirsty side without leaving an obvious trail to myself. I know, I know, it ain't a foolproof plan, but it's enough to put my worrywart mind at ease ^_^ so expect a lot of reblogs and some VERY rare idle musings via text post.

Asks are always open, but getting in my DM's will take a little persuasion... whatever that means for you, cutie~

Kinks and limits below the cut!

I'm still exploring my kinks (among other aspects of my identity), so this list is subject to change. With that in mind:

Hard kinks!

Aftercare, check-ins, clear safewords and signals, negotiations... anything to make play safer and more comfortable!

Pet names (e.g. miss(tress), mommy, daddy, toy, puppy, bun-bun, and so on. I pretty much like 'em all, so get creative!)

Mommy/Daddy (independant of MD/LG or any related dynamics)

Comforting (arguably not as a kink) (I just like making sure you're doing okay~ ^3^)

Cuddling... and cuddlefucking

Praise

Praise again (yes, I like it That Much)

Impact play

Pet play

Maids & Service

Choking (as a dom) (it's a soft kink when subbing)

Overstim

Biting & Marking

Musk!!!

Freeuse

Hypno

Dumbification

Intox (mainly 420, I'm an incorrigible pothead ;P )

Body worship

Breast play

Hucow

Cum eating

Overall cum play

And I'm not sure what to call this (or if it has a name), but my hands-down BIGGEST turn-on is driving someone else wild and lusting vicariously through them. I'm like a kink sponge, seeing something work for you will make it work for me! (So I guess I'd call it secondhand kink? Empathetic Kink Response? Whatever it is, the takeaway is that if you're liking it then I'm loving it)

Soft kinks~

Heavy degredation (no qualms as a domme, but still a little sensitve on the sub side... don't go easy, but be prepared for me to safeword if I'm not taking it well)

Bootblacking

Boot/shoe/leg worship (domme only)

Choking (as a sub) (as stated above, this gets bumped up to a hard kink when domming)

Piss (domme only)

Humiliation

Bullying (more specifically, think along the lines of Heathers)

Psst, hey! If you're seeing this thanks for being so thorough and reading all this! :)

Wrestling

Objectification

Bratting

Brat taming

Living furniture (domme only)(god, with my wack-ass spine? This fidgety ADHD lookin'-ass? I could never)

Gaping

Fitness/exercise

Eating meals cooked with love (okay this isn't really a kink, but if you cook me food I will eat it and savor every bite and treat you so so so well for it! ESPECIALLY Barbecue of any kind!! Nothing says intimate tender love quite like a warm plate)

I'm open to some MD/LG stuff but it's a new one for me and I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, so to the bottom of the list it goes

And many more, probably! Can't seeing your personal favorite here? Get me into it! Make me worse!! >=3

And now, the limits:

Soft limits.

Crying/Dacra (crying is not a comfortable feeling for me, and my mommy instinct takes over if someone else starts crying so I'll have to stop myself from trying to comfort you)

WAY TOO heavy degredation. Don't get personal and don't go below the belt. Keep it fun! Keep it fruity!

Knifeplay. I get the *aesthetic* appeal, but I've knicked myself enough to know that it might get clumsy... and this AIN'T the kink to be clumsy with.

Gunplay. See above.

*Strict* monogamy. I'm okay to be exclusive for you if that's what you need, but no matter what I'm at *least* gonna flirt with other people. I have too much love in my heart to lock it all away, and bottling that up is only gonna hurt us both.

Cuckoldry/cheating: on the exact other end of the scale! I'm 100% fine if there's someone else, but I draw the line at using that to be hurtful. Like, "they're so much more (X) than you!" is fine, but not "you're stupid to think you could ever satisfy me" or "I'm only with you because of (X), otherwise I'd be with them ALL the time because I love them and not you!!" At that point, I'd rather just go our separate ways.

!!*Hard Limits*!!

Detrans, misgendering, sissy, or any other kinks that futz with my gender against my will. It's MY gender, not yours. If I change it for you, it's because I want to, and you'd better be fucking thankful.

Scat, vomit, gore, and heavy blood. Nope. Too much. Too gross for me. Sorry.

CBT (as a sub): man that shit hurts. Like, yeowch!! No thank you!

24/7 dynamics. I'm way too young dumb and full of cum to try something with that level of commitment. A gal needs some flexibility!

Cis Men: what part of lesbian don't you understand? (Trans men are still cool of course! Just as long as there's SOMETHING goin' on with yer gender. Note: cis womanhood counts as "something goin' on with yer gender", because being a dyke counts, among other things. I don't know enough gender theory to articulate more than that)

Beastiality, Ped0, or anything that isn't consenting adults. C'mon. Get real.

Raceplay, heavy ageplay, and chasers. Get real. C'mon.

Needles! Nope! Uh-uh! Bad! Dont like!!

Weight gain/loss. I spent way too long trying to be comfortable with my weight, I'm not gonna let all that progress go to waste because you find it hot.

Aaaaaaand... that's everything! Thanks for sticking around and reading all this, cha girl can get a lil wordy when she's on her meds @_@

So now all of that's out of the way, go on and have some good ol' sexy fun!! Keep it fruity, keep it friendly, and above all, keep it real.

Remember that I love you, wholly and entirely, exactly as you are~ <3 XOXOXO

Yours disrespectfully,

~Venus

#pinned post #about me #oh and if you're down here looking for my tags good luck #it's a small miracle if I remember to tag something at all #beyond using it as a place to write my silly lil margin notes :3

2 notes · View notes