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stvrniclo · 1 month

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"i don't wanna go, babe," you say stubbornly. chris had been invited to a party, and he was begging you, his girlfriend, to accompany him. you just weren't a party person though. social events were your worst enemy. you much preferred staying at home tucked warmly under your blankets with your stuffed animals watching tv, scrolling through tiktok, reading, doing whatever, as long as it didn't require you to have any interactions with anyone. except maybe your parents and chris. but that was it.

"please, honey bear," chris was trying his best to coax you, but you firmly shook your head. "i'm sorry, chris, but parties aren't my thing.."

"so?" chris spoke. "you'll be with me. you don't need to talk to anyone if you don't want to. just hang out with me."

"i'd much rather we hang out at home, love," you say, shrugging your shoulders. "no pressure, though. you can still go, if you want. i won't mind it at all, trust me."

"c'mon, you're no fun," chris says glumly.

"why, thank you, that makes me feel so much better!" you exclaim indignantly. "you're being really mean, y'know."

chris looks up at you guiltily, nervously running a hand through his hair. "sorry, ma, i didn't mean it."

"it's okay. i'm sorry, too. but i'm just tired and parties are really draining.." you trail off. chris places his hand over yours softly. "let's do something at home then, just the two of us, m'kay lovebug?" he says.

"okay," you reply. he sits down on his bed next to you, wrapping his arms around you and bringing you closer as he places soft, warm kisses on your forehead and the top of your head. "what do you wanna do?" he asks.

"mm.. i dunno, anything," you say. yours eyes light up for a moment. "chrissy, can i put on one of your hoodies first? please?"

"okay," he nods his head, smiling softly at you in adoration. you make your way to his closet, open it, and rummage through the hundreds of hoodies that your boyfriend owns. well, maybe not hundreds. but lots of them. "ugh, i can't pick! there's too many."

"want me to help?" chris enters behind you and picks out a soft grey one for you to put on. as you put it on over your pink and white striped pyjamas you can't help but let out a little squeal at how warm it is. god, it even smells like chris, a subtle mix of sage and honeysuckle.

"you look cute, ma," chris grins playfully. "shame i'll have to take that off later."

"chris!" you say, feigning a disapproving tone, as a soft giggle slips past your lips.

"i'm just sayin' my truth, princess," he shrugs and puts his hands up as if in an attempt to surrender.

"you're so cute, baby," you say while you look adoringly up at him as the two of you stand amidst all of his clothes and things.

"i know," chris says earnestly. he adds, "not as cute as you, though." he boops your nose softly and lovingly kisses the top of your head, his warm hands wrapped around your waist.

𝜗𝜚

thank u soso much for reading !! js a lil blurb for my favie ˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ live laugh love christopher owen sturniolo <3

word count : 529

// requests r always open ⋆˚࿔

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chingyu1023vick · 2 years

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Functional Lot Traits / Challenges

A pack of 22 Lot Traits/ Lot Challenges with actual game effects but no annoying visible buffs.

** Maxis-Match icons

** All my Traits Packs are compatible with any other mods.

** They are all base game compatible. No other requirement!

Provided with Lot Traits and Lot Challenges versions that can be mixed and matched to be used together

Advanced

This Lot has the most efficient furniture to lock your Sims' motives.

Airless

It is difficult to breathe on this Lot. Sims on this Lot are easier to get Dazed, have faster Energy decay, and have bad performances.

Always Jog

Sims on this Lot would always jog regardless it is indoor or outdoor.

Boring

This Lot lacks interesting details. Sims on this Lot are easier to get bored, have faster Fun need decay, and perform less fun social interactions.

Clean

This Lot is spotless. Sims on this Lot tidy up much faster.

Comfortable

This Lot is physically relaxing to stay in. Sims on this Lot have their uncomfortable buffs go away faster and all their motives decay slower.

Convenient

This furnished Lot helps Sims on this Lot to speed up their skills gain with its amenities and complementary facilities.

Cozy

This Lot has a cuddled-up vibe. Sims on this Lot are less stressed and have their relationships decay slower.

Cramped

This Lot is full of clutter. Sims on this Lot are almost impossible to move and they are slow to gain physical skills.

Dim Light

This dark Lot is not the best place for painting or photography and causes uneasy feelings.

Luxurious

This extravagant Lot is for the most wealthy Sims. Sims on this Lot no longer have their fame decay which boosts Sims' confidence.

Noisy

This Lot is not good for studying or reading activities. Sims on this Lot are more irritable and all that noise makes it hard to concentrate.

No Mean Allowed

Sims on this Lot are more peaceful and rarely get into arguments or fights.

No Mischief Allowed

Sims on this Lot are less irritating because they do fewer autonomous mischief interactions.

No Outdoor Run

Sims on this Lot never run outdoor.

No Romance Allowed

This Lot does not set the right mood for romance. Sims on this Lot do fewer autonomous romantic interactions and are hard to build any romantic relationships.

No Walkstyle

Sims on this Lot would always walk in the default walkstyle.

Social Failure

This Lot is not for social. Sims on this Lot are less friendly and they are hard to build any type of relationship.

Spacious

Sims have more personal space on this Lot. They are calmer but their friendships decay faster from being distant.

Stylish

This unique beautiful Lot gives a feeling of satisfaction to all Sims.

Thermostatic

This Lot has a central air conditioning and heating system. Sims on this Lot don't need to change clothes to adapt to the weather.

Welcoming

This is an inviting Lot that every Sim wants to spend time in. Sims on this Lot won't be considered inappropriate for doing daily activities.

👑 Full Mod Detail HERE

Download on Patreon HERE (Free)

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lannasroleplaymemes · 1 year

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Roleplay Tips: "Actionable Responses"

We have all experienced, or will at some point in the future, a thread that feels like it is going nowhere. It's that feeling of reluctance to pull up the draft, of realizing it's the third or so time of experiencing dread when you see that other person respond.

You're bored with the thread. That, or you want to continue and just can't seem to think of what to do next!

There are a number of reasons why this can happen, but one of the most common ones is a lack of an actionable response from your partner. In most cases, deciding to wrap up the thread is the best thing to suggest...but most of us are just too "polite" to do that, huh? 😉But that's a post for another time.

So, what is an actionable response? Simply put, it's a reply to a thread that manages to give direction to your partner. This has NOTHING to do with matching length of post! It's just a matter of being aware that this is a collaborative effort.

Here's an example:

Character A: "I think we should invite our friends out to a party." Character B: "That's a great idea!" Character A: "It'll be a formal party. I'm going to work on the invitations tonight. I'll really go all out and make it fancy!" Character B: "Oh, I can't wait to see what you come up with! I'll be sure to wear the red dress I got over the weekend." Character A: "I'm sure it looks stunning on you. I don't know what I'm going to wear yet. I think I need to figure out the venue and the details first." Character B: "You are going to knock it out of the park! You're always so good at organizing everything!"

So, what happened? The conversation above isn't bad! However, there was "burden" placed on the writer of Character A each time. The writer of B has responded each time in similar length, but gives A little to no idea how to continue the conversation. Each reply made it the responsibility of the writer of A to come up with the direction for the conversation. Here's the breakdown:

A: Starts with the opening prompt (the party)

B: Agrees with idea

A: Elaborates on prompt

B: Enthuses about prompt, brings up new subject (dress)

A: Compliments B, brings up new subject (uncertainty)

B: Reassures A

Sometimes your character requires noncommittal responses, and this is OK to do once in awhile! But think about this in real life: If you met someone who was only this reactive to your comments and never really asked about you or your actions... Wouldn't it get a bit exhausting to talk with them? At the very least, they would appear polite but uninterested, and interactions would tend to be short.

Here's a better example for the above, one with actionable responses from B.

Character A: "I think we should invite our friends out to a party." Character B: "That's a great idea! Which friends, though? The ones from work or school?" Character A: "Why not both? I think it'd be cool to combine our social groups. Unless you think they wouldn't get along…?" Character B: "Well, you know how wild I get around Stacy on the dance floor. I wouldn't want it to reflect bad on my performance review …" Character A: "That's true, you two can get pretty unhinged. But I was thinking of theming it up to be more of a formal party. Like, make fancy invitations and everything!" Character B: "Oh, that sounds amazing! And less likely I'll start twerking, although the possibility isn't zero. Do you need any help with the invitations? Or anything else?" Character A: "I should have the invitations under control, but I'd love it if you could brainstorm the decorations. I want to go for a vintage 1950's vibe." Character B: "I am already making a Pinterest. This is going to be great! Oh, and I just bought the cutest red dress that'll work perfectly for the theme! Do you know what you want to wear? We can go window shopping later if you want!" Character A: "That would be great! Do you have pics of the dress?"

The above interaction isn't just more equal in engagement, its flow and dialogue is far more natural and prompts more detailed responses! Here's the breakdown for this one:

A: Starts with the opening prompt (the party)

B: Responds asking for more details, prompting a new subject (guest list)

A: Answers, asks for B's opinion

B: Answers, brings up a third party that A can comment on

A: Makes a comment, but chooses not to pursue subject at length; brings up new point of discussion (formal party)

B: Gives opinion, offers help

A: Accepts help, provides further prompt details (party theme)

B: Gives opinion, offers up another subject of clothing, offers up potential next direction/goal of thread (shopping)

There is a lot more "work" involved on both sides in the above example. And this is just with dialogue alone -- using descriptors and physical actions (i.e B could pull up their phone and show A the photos of their dress, or A could have started to playfully mock imitate B's dancing) also gives the other character something to respond to. This works great for Muses who canonically don't say much or are generally quiet in certain scenarios!

The ultimate goal of writing Actionable Responses is to share the responsibility of the scene, so that one writer doesn't feel burdened with directing everything and eventually associate your threads with fatigue, even subconsciously. Communication also plays a big part, too! Your responses may be actionable, but if the other writer isn't picking up any of them, it's time to pause the thread and communicate ooc and see what's up!

"Oh no! I realized I don't write a lot of Actionable Responses! Does that mean I'm a bad writer/horrible person? Do all my partners secretly hate me? Is this why I don't get any responses?"

NO. Realizing the above only means you're learning something new right now, and it is up to you if you want to employ the above suggestions or not. This thread is not meant to shame people -- it is meant to educate, and maybe even put into words what other writers feel, so that they can share and point to it when they feel responsibility is unbalanced in a thread.

#roleplay tips #roleplay etiquette #roleplaying tips #rp psa #writing tips #admin: psa #admin: roleplay tips

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tendersky · 18 days

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hiii, do you have sources for the whole ao3 situation? where the volunteer didnt actually get kicked out for being pro palestine?

Sure! I'm getting all my information from the "official" sources that everyone is sharing, which is this tumblr post and this Google Doc. (I believe there's a "new year" Dreamwidth post that people also reference but I haven't read it so won't reference it).

First, a direct quote from the Tumblr post: "I left because I was horrified by the org and all of the racism they promised to work on but never ever did." -> didn't get kicked out, suspended, or anything from AO3, the user (Bjorn) voluntarily left the organization.

The rest of the screenshots from the Google doc are from a Slack channel you have to opt into about I/P, which is a place you are most likely to find Zionists.

I'll break down the conversation here.

Here's the first included warning:

I'm writing to you on behalf of Tag Wrangling Chairs due to a few serious issues which have been brought to our attention. A number of volunteers have approached us, either privately or through VolCom, to convey concerns regarding your behaviour in the #x-politics-society-current-events and #x-politics-israel-palestine-events Slack channels.

Our Code of Conduct,, which you agreed to in our most recent Still Willing to Wrangle, requires that all volunteers maintain a level of civility when interacting with one another. Specifically, "We never lose sight of everyone's right to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect."

The language and tone that you have been using do not convey compassion or respect toward your fellow volunteers. For example, you accused a fellow volunteer of defending murder and war crimes, and have referred to another as a "fucking asshole".

We understand that this is an emotionally charged situation, and that with so much death and destruction happening, it is easy to misdirect the anger and helplessness you might feel. However, to the best of our ability, we need to assume that our fellow volunteers are well-intentioned and speaking in good faith, and not devolve to insults or name-calling.

Please understand that should we receive additional complaints or note that you have continued to violate the Code of Conduct in your treatment of other volunteers, we Chairs may step in and remove you from certain social Slack channels, either temporarily or permanently depending on the number and nature of the complaint(s). We hope that this will not be necessary.

--> so, they're being warned for not following the Code of Conduct, which includes being civil to other people. Nothing is said about "from the river to the sea". Bjorn brings up "from the river to the sea" unprompted in their response:

Additionally, if me saying "from the river to the sea" is supposedly against the Code of Conduct and grounds for repeatedly removing me from the channel, when other people are allowed to deny genocide and defend war crimes on perceived technicalities with explicit defense from the org, I believe that reflects extremely poorly on the org as a whole. If this sentiment continues to be upheld by supervisors, that is extremely concerning. Especially since I was reported and warned for accusing someone of supporting genocide, but people are allowed to accuse me of the same thing with support from other people in the channel.

It looks like two days passed before staff responded to Bjorn, and we get this quote:

Okay. To be very clear. You are absolutely entitled to your opinion and to your beliefs, and we have zero issue with you expressing those opinions and beliefs in conversation so long as you do so while obeying both the letter and the spirit of the Code of Conduct.

Now, to the other side of this. You have been removed from the room repeatedly within the past 24 hours for Code of Conduct violations as we told you might happen, and I am now going to go ahead and remove you from the room and ask that you do not return for one week while we discuss the room in general with the other chairs.

When we wrote to you two days ago, we specifically chose not to address your Slack status "Palestine will be free" with you even though several volunteers had mentioned to us that this phrase made them uncomfortable. While the phrase did make some folks uncomfortable, it also wasn't obviously trying to be antagonistic. We are not responsible for making sure everyone is comfortable all the time. It was an expression of your beliefs, and that wasn't an issue we felt was appropriate for us to address since it wasn't in and of itself a violation of the Code of Conduct.

So: Having your Slack status as "Palestine will be free" is not a violation of the Code of Conduct.

We go on with their response.

What is a violation of the Code of Conduct is that since we notified you that folks were having a hard time with your behaviour in that channel, the behaviour has gotten worse. You've gotten into arguments repeatedly and called folks names; you've accused folks of defending murder. You've been abrasive and argumentative throughout your exchanges there.

Are you the only person who has done so? Clearly not. And you aren't the only person we've spoken to about this. If it feels like you're being singled out, I'm very sorry for that, and you are correct that you are not the only one who has caused issues. However. We do not address the behavior of other volunteers with you the same way we do not address your behavior with them.

That said, when we let you know that others were uncomfortable, instead of discussing this with us or asking any questions, you gave us a dismissive "k", and instead began relentlessly posting articles to the room and occasionally leaving long tirades about your disgust for folks who do not agree with your specific point of view. Within about an hour of our having spoken with you, you changed your status from "Palestine will be free" to "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free". And this was after we let you know that you were making folks uncomfortable and specifically asked you to be more mindful of your language and not to lose sight of everyone's right to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Basically, 'we talked to you about the code of conduct violations, you continued to specifically provoke people with your Slack status, you know how it affects people'.

You have been involved in enough conversations over the last month about that particular phrase that you knew or should have known the impact it would have on other volunteers to see that in your status given its fraught and controversial history. You were also aware of the impact it would have to use it in the room, repeatedly.

We are a volunteer organization and the use of Slack is, at its core, a way for us to be able to communicate with each other more easily to do our work. The social aspects are absolutely a lovely bonus, but they are not the point. If you can not have civil exchanges in those spaces and respect your fellow volunteers enough to stop when they ask you to stop, we expect you to remove yourself from those spaces. Just as we expect of every single other volunteer on our committee.

So: removed from the specific channel for violating the Code of Conduct and deliberately provoking other people.

I also want to address another part of Bjorn's accusation, as seen in their response to staff here:

when other people are allowed to deny genocide and defend war crimes on perceived technicalities with explicit defense from the org

if there was any explicit defense from ao3 about this I would expect to see screenshots, which I don't see

We don't know if other people in the channel also got reprimanded from AO3, because Bjorn doesn't know.

I'd love to see a comprehensive investigation, possibly with undercover volunteers, into Ao3's zionism and racism. Unfortunately, I find this to be shoddy, sensationalist journalism. Something else that puts me off of this statement is that @end-otw-racism refused to promote/work with Bjorn on this because Bjorn refused to redact names from the screenshots in the Slack, opening up volunteers to potentially being doxxed. With the past CSAM attacks happening to AO3 volunteers, I find this extremely off-putting.

#ao3 discourse #ao3 #archive of our own #end otw racism

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theresattrpgforthat · 8 months

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hello! i have been really enjoying your suggestions so far, and i have bookmarked a lot of them to try. thank you for putting them together! i do have a question/request that i didn't find an answer to after searching your blog.

i really like the strategy and worldbuilding aspects of ttrpgs, but to be honest, i think my very favorite parts are the social situations, character-building, and friendship-building. fleshing out characters by having conversations and making decisions as a team, creating vivid stories together, solving puzzles using character or team traits, that sort of thing. i don't know if that's too general of a concept for a ttrpg to focus on, since most games in general have a social aspect, but i figured i'd ask if there were any that do focus on that part, just in case.

anyways, thank you again for all the work you do! <3

THEME: Character Growth and Spotlight.

Hello, thank you so much! I am very excited to get down to this ask. I was thinking about what might scratch this itch here; I have a lot of similar goals when it comes to playing TTRPGs. Watching a character grow over the course of play and learning about who they are is so satisfying, and putting them in situations where they interact with other characters in a meaningful way has created some of the best moments in my games this year. Let’s pull from a couple of different places to see if we can get what we’re looking for.

Spectres of Brocken, by ehronlime.

Spectres of Brocken is a role-playing game about making friends and then years later going to war against them in giant mechs. Make up some young, naive, messy trainee mech pilots. Find out who you are. Find out who you are to each other. Find out what you want in the world. Years later, find each other on the field of battle, each in your own fearsome custom mechs. Find out who you've become. Find out what you've all done to get here. Find out what costs you would pay to get what you want in the world.

I was clued into this game by @monsterfactoryfanfic's video about the two phases of play replicate the transition from high school to real life, and the strain it can place on your relationships. In Spectres of Brocken, your characters are experiencing that in the context of a large war, with the possibility that they are fighting on opposing sides. This game gives you character advancement, but it’s not like the other games on this list: advancement is a phase of the game that brings you from one half to the next. The most powerful move gives your character the ability to heal from wounds from the past; it gives this game a sense of hope, and I think is perfectly reflective of the character growth that you’re looking for.

The Uncanny Adventures of Holmes and Watson, by Martian Machinery. (Requires Good Society to play)

The Uncanny Adventures of Holmes & Watson is a role-playing game about a crime-fighting, mystery-solving team. Players can roleplay their own take on the famous partnership, taking the roles of Holmes and Watson and putting their own spin on the story, or they can create original investigators and navigate either the Holmes casebook or cases of their own design.

Explore a Partnership. While the characters are tasked with solving mysteries, the partnership itself is the focus of Holmes & Watson. Is it a smoothly efficient operation, or does it buzz with chaotic energy? Are the partners the best of friends or do they just barely put up with one another? The cases they undertake together will test their relationship; it may draw them closer together or push them apart.

Good Society has a unique mechanic in its Reputation tracker that can wax or wane throughout play, and I think it might replicate the character growth that you’re looking for. What Holmes and Watson brings to this game is the intrigue and action of a murder mystery - and the teamwork built into running a detective agency. A Holmes and Watson campaign includes slowly uncovering your arch-enemy, a nemesis who is a true master of crime.

The Watch, by Ash Kreider.

…your people were semi-nomadic, living in clans with an ever-shifting network of alliances and enmities. Although one people, the clans were diverse in tradition, outlook, and custom. Those along the old border were traders, prosperous and widely traveled. Those living in the central plains were gatherers and trappers. And those living furthest from the outside world were mountain herders, solitary and secretive. And then the Shadow came.

Powered by the Apocalypse games are known for the complex relationships between characters and the moves that make your social connections a treasured resource. The Watch takes these relationships and strains them by placing the player characters into a world tainted by a chaotic, toxic force that has stoked rivalry and feud. The Shadow is a thinly veiled metaphor for patriarchy, so expect some heavy moments in this game. Your characters will be disappointed. That being said, this feels like a game where each character will have a moment to shine, using moves to evoke really powerful moments.

If you want to hear The Watch in action, you can check out the actual play podcast Trials of the Apocalypse, which has a short series of The Watch in their feed.

Alchemistresses, by Gal Pal Games.

Alchemistresses is a tabletop roleplaying game designed to let you play out a season of a magical girl anime. Players will take on the role of everyday teens going to high school and dealing with all of the shenanigans that ensue. But there is something very special about these particular teens. They are the reincarnations of very powerful magical beings from the ancient past. They are the Mistresses of the five elements - the Alchemistresses.

The Alchemistresses have forgotten who they were and what they could do. But when the world needs them again, their magic starts to return, along with tantalizing glimpses of their past lives.

Play Alchemistresses to find out: who were you then? Who are you now? What will you give to save the world? And by the way, who are you going to ask to prom?

Another game about self-actualization, Alchemistresses combines the cycle of high school with legendary adventures of mythical beings. You’ll have moments where you’re stressing over classes and crushing on a classmate, but you’ll also have moments when you’re fighting the forces of evil and wielding great magical powers.

Neon Black, by NotWriting.

Neon Black is a role-playing game about a community of poor people fighting back against tyrannical corporations and the indifference of the rich, as well as surviving in a dystopian city state. It’s like real life, but in this world you can kill the CEO’s, rob banks to pay rent, and help your friends do the same. You'll help your community, go on dangerous heists, explore artificial realities, and encounter friendly and nefarious machines. We play to find out if the community can survive amidst warring corporations, an unforgiving climate, and the negligence of the extravagantly wealthy.

Forged in the Dark games’ biggest strength is the ability to build something as you play. In Neon Black, the thing you build is a community. Your community is under threat, usually from a large corporate power, and you’ll be crafting missions to get your community necessary supplies, dealing devastating blows to corporate threats, looking for allies and in general trying to make life better for your neighbours. As a cyberpunk game, this goal is going to be a struggle, and death is looming in the background. I think that this game has a lot of potential to watch something that is bigger than your characters grow, and your characters will undeniably be changed in the process.

Additionally, there are a number of other Forged in the Dark games that will give you a chance to really revel in your character's cool abilities and the building of something great. I'm going to list a number of other games I've recommended in the past below.

Games I've Recommended in the Past

Moth-Light, by Justin Ford.

Bump in the Dark, by JexJThomas.

Brinkwood: Blood of Tyrants, by Far Horizons Co-Op.

Slugblaster, by Mikey Hamm.

Songs For the Dusk, by Kavita Poduri.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #character growth

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stuckinapril · 3 months

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i think you said somewhere you volunteer - do you have any tips on how to start doing that? ive been wanting to start both to help people out myself and to push my social boundaries but i get stuck in my head before i even get in the door somehow. do you have any tips lol? i think im overthinking this...

Hey no worries, I really like that you’re genuinely interested and trying to gather resources. I actually have some thoughts I’d like to share on this:

There are two types of volunteering: long-form volunteering and short-form volunteering. Short-term volunteering looks like participating in the occasional phone bank, helping raise donations every now and then, attending a food drive on a blue moon. Long-form volunteering is typically something like volunteering at a place on at least a weekly basis. A lot of the time that requires that the place actually train you so you’re of use to them. Before you look up places to volunteer, consider which type of volunteering suits your schedule the most. I do both, but I understand how not everyone’s workload can accommodate that.

When it comes to long-term volunteering, understand that just because it’s not paid work doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. You can’t do frequent callouts or blow off tasks because they’re not paying you to be there. A lot of the places that do social justice work—providing free food and medical care to homeless people, providing services to refugees—unfortunately do not have the necessary funding to support a whole lot of employees most times. Whatever your time commitment looks like, it remains a time commitment that needs to be honored regardless of pay.

With that said, it really is best to find something you’re actually passionate about, not something that you’re doing for the brownie points. One way to do that is to work towards a cause you have a personal connection to. For example, I volunteer weekly at a refugee center for middle eastern refugees. I also participate in a plethora of events with a view to assist Palestine in whatever ways I could. Because I’m an Arab girl, one w Iraqi heritage (also a war-torn Arab country), obviously all these things will be of personal importance to me. It’s easy for me to be incentivized to care about them, because I have this preordained connection to them. Personal connection makes it that much easier to be passionate about a cause.

But it’s equally important to mention that relatability isn’t the only way to care, nor should it be. I also volunteer at a clinic that provides service to homeless people weekly. I’m not homeless. I still care. I volunteer at my city’s Alzheimer’s research center. I don’t have Alzheimer’s. I still care. We don’t have to only associate ourselves with people we personally relate to. In fact, and this goes for life in general, you really should seek to befriend, interact with, and be curious about people who’re not like you. You should find their experiences intriguing: a window into another perspective you perhaps hadn’t thought of before. You should not always be surrounding yourself with an echo chamber of yesmen and homogeneity. Be curious about people who’re not like you. Try to put yourself in their shoes. And then learn to care about them.

It’s okay to frame volunteering as a way to benefit you too. It’s not a one-way street. There’s nothing more fulfilling than devoting yourself to something that’s solely rooted in your humanity. Not in the desire to be paid, not in the desire for acclaim, but simply in the desire to help. It makes you feel better. It boosts your self-confidence. It helps you form long-lasting connections with other people who’re also doing it out of the sheer kindness of their heart; out of the fact that they find it in themselves to care. And it reminds you of what really matters.

The biggest mistake is overwhelming yourself w 82727 resources and 72627 organizations. Start with something simple and stick with it, then go from there if you have the time to get more involved. A lot of the places that need volunteers would be happy with as little as one day a week, so long as you’re consistent about it.

It’s okay if you don’t have the time for long-form volunteering. Volunteering every now and then at one-and-done events still makes a huge difference. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking it has to either be this grand commitment or nothing. Please don’t think that way; organizations know life could be busy, and they’re happy to have you even if it’s only for the occasional event. Just make sure you’re doing something if you can.

#ok I’m done <3 <3 hope this helps #volunteering #ask

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roleplayolyhedrons · 2 months

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Where Do I Start?

Hint: It's not with D&D's 5th Edition.

If you’re looking to break into tabletop roleplaying games, you might be feeling like you’re trying to drink water from a firehose, or worse.

My recommendation?

Stay the f*ck away from Dungeons & Dragons, at least the three-volume set spanning over 1,000 pages. Instead, try something lighter.

Not convinced? I don’t blame ya.

Why lighter? you might be asking.

Lighter rulesets allow us to get our bearings, understand some fundamental concepts, and avoid being excluded long before we try to enter the hobby.

Still not convinced?

Think about it this way: When you were a kid, did you just jump on your bike, start peddling, and go a few dozen miles on

Think about it this way, too: You’ve probably played chess, poker, or any number of games. That’s great! You’ve probably played computer roleplaying games. That’s also great.

However, these aren’t the same as playing face-to-face, virtually, or otherwise, a game where you take on a single persona, sometimes more and sometimes other unusual things, interact with other players and their personas and deal with the conflicts and obstacles thrown at you by a referee, game master, or Dungeon Master.

In some roleplaying games, you might play as the player characters (PCs) and the referee. In any case, your imagination, and your ability to think through, play, and experiment is key. Some of these you’ve honed in other games. On the tabletop, you’ll bring them to bear.

These are different in that tabletop roleplaying games require players to go beyond simply clicking the right place, punching in the right combos, or laying down cards in a particular order. You need to think short- and long-term. Death is (mostly) permanent in many roleplaying games—no reloading saves to avoid death (although that should be a mechanic somewhere). You, as a player, need to rely on social skills, such as communication, playing nice, and collaboration with others. You’ll also need to think in terms of mechanics—how does this impact my play in-game, how can I use this to my advantage, etc.? You must manage resources, roleplay, problem-solve, and think creatively and critically to keep adventuring.

Roleplaying games can be easy, and they can be difficult to tackle. The best advice I can give, as an on-again, off-again player is this: Be prepared to fail, die, and have challenges. Also: Be active, negotiate, and make it an enjoyable experience for everyone by being there in the moment.

Where would I start now that roleplaying games have a bit more limelight?

I’d look for the freebies or the under $5/$10 (or whatever is cheaper in your local currency) games. The best places to start are the online quad: Itch.io¸ DriveThruRPG, Indie Press Revolution, and Exalted Funeral.

You also have Amazon and Lulu with some great indie games on those marketplaces, and you can never go wrong seeking out a local or regional game shop. With the COVID era behind us, some of these game shops have opted to sell online and deliver as well (keep an eye out for these shops).

Skim whatever you find, and then start playing with whoever is willing to go along for the ride—there are more out there these days than when I started, and it’s a great aspect of the hobby.

Need some suggestions? Here are a few to get you started (and, no, they aren’t D&D’s 5th edition):

Lasers & Feelings– Loads of people have hacked this game. The original rules are on it (click on the title for the direct link). Great for Star Trek-style games, space opera, and more. Easy to learn and play. Also: Easy to hack for homebrew games and long-term campaigns.

Breathless (Games) – The vast majority of the games built using the Breathless system are inexpensive, lightweight, super hackable, and friendly for beginners (click on the title for the whole catalog).

Cairn– For that classic D&D experience without the rules bloat.

Sherwood– A mixture of medieval fantasy, Robin Hood mythology, and arcane secrets unleashed.

Notorious — A fun science fiction game, with a recent expansion, that has you playing the notorious bounty hunters in a space opera universe similar to Star Wars.

Mothership – Uses a classic d100/particle die system. It’s a great intro to sci-fi OSR games that are easy to learn, play, and hack to meet any group or player's needs.

Ronin – An excellent solo roleplaying game.

Black Hack (Games) – Classic game hack of the original-ish Dungeons & Dragons, which includes sci-fi, fantasy, cyberpunk, and modern hacks of the original rules from The Black Hack (1st and 2nd editions).

P.S. All links above are not affiliate links. Happy exploring!

#indie ttrpg #ttrpgs #ttrpg community #roleplaying games

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a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives · 3 months

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Australian & New Zealand Author Showcase No 20 – Luke Arnold

February 9, 2024 by Charlie Cavendish

An idea squeezed into my head in 2023, after seeing so many of the book community gathering at conventions across the US and UK. And once my FOMO subsided, I got to thinking about who might be gathered together if we had similar conventions closer to home. Pending the master planning required to arrange a massive convention, I thought the next best thing might be to run an Australian & New Zealand author showcase. So, I sent out the call, with the only prerequisite for participating being the author had to have been born in either country or currently live there.

Its now 2024 and the Aussie / New Zealand Author Showcase is gathering steam again. Just when I thought it was over even more talent has emerged, at this rate its threatening to become year long event! I will continue to post their individual showcases at regular intervals. So hopefully you will enjoy these interactions with some very talented people. Please be sure to check out their work, sign up to their newsletters and follow them on their social media of choice. I make no apologies for any damage inflicted to your TBR’s!

Showcase No 20 finds me chatting with very talented Luke Arnold. Luke is the award-winning actor from projects such as Black Sails, Glitch and Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS as well as the author of The Fetch Phillips Archives; a series of fantastical detective stories which has third instalments to date.

Do you feel that being an Aussie / Kiwi (or residing there) influences your writing?

Absolutely. I didn’t leave Australia until I was in my twenties so, for better or worse, I was brought up with a distinctly Australian outlook. It’s something that can be easily mischaracterised and also requires some distance to properly understand. Being both a young and old country, we’re still finding ourselves, experiencing growing pains, and struggling with our identity.

At the same time, isolation and an abundance of natural resources means a lot of us are able to benefit from a high quality of life without working as hard as we’d need to in many other places in the world. I think a lot of Aussies know this in their bones, and it makes us nervous of “rocking the boat” for fear that we might lose the advantages we have.

This aversion to change has some embarrassing repercussions on relationships between European Australians and Australia’s First Nations People, as well as our treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers.

We have a different kind of national identity to other western countries like the USA or Britain. We’re still trying to play the underdog – the little colony down under that punches above its weight – but that persona no longer fits us the way it used to. These themes seep into all my work.

Fetch Phillips may have the outward appearance of a classic American hard-boiled hero, but he has an Australian heart. He’s someone who feels separate, a bit ignorant, reticent to become a leader, and happy to defer to those he sees as being older and more experienced. He values being humble and self-effacing, but there is safety in that identity.

It allows him to shirk responsibility and hide in the shadows, even when it should be his moment to step forward. He’s a man who didn’t grow up when he was supposed to and is struggling to come of age too late. I feel like Australia is going through the same thing.

What are some of the challenges being located so far away from the rest of the world, do have any tips for overcoming these?

When I was first trying to get published, I was lucky in that I was already working overseas and had some profile from my acting career. That’s a clear advantage I don’t take lightly. Though I’d always wanted to write, the thing that pushed me to finish my first manuscript was a desire to spend more time at home. My acting career was reaching a point where every job was in a different city, and I wanted to know that I could keep working creatively without needing to get on a plane. There are numerous advantages to being creative in Australia.

One thing that is easily overlooked is that we have more safety nets that some other countries. I really notice this when I’m in the US. It’s terrifying to have no money in America. Of course, cost of living is going up everywhere, but I still think there are more ways to find a balanced life in Australia where you can keep a roof over your head and be creative at the same time. Yes, it’s a smaller market and it can be hard to break out overseas, but if the goal is to live a creative life where you do the thing you love without panicking that someone’s going to kick you out on the street, this is one of the best places in the world to establish yourself.

Personally, I know I couldn’t have survived as a young actor long enough to build my career without the support systems that Australia offers.

3. How do you go about establishing connections in the book community? (any tips / suggestions)

I’m terrible at this. My first two novels came out in 2020 when we were all locked inside, and I’ve only met a handful of other authors in person. So of course, social media is a huge asset.

I mostly rely on creatives I’ve known for a long time. Every couple of weeks, I catch up with an author friend, Steven Lochran, I’ve known since high school, and we read each other’s stuff and discuss what we’re working on. I have a number of other people, some writers some not, who I use as beta readers when they have the time.

Finding your own colleagues that you trust and feel comfortable to share your work with is more important than trying to network your way onto tables with notable people in the industry. If you do good work, then that will happen naturally.

4. Do you have a favourite character to write? And conversely are there any of your characters that are the more of a struggle?

Fetch is fun because he still surprises me. There’s a lot of me in him, and he’s dumb enough that I can stuff my own fears and ideas into his head and have him try and make sense of things. It’s always harder when I have to write someone more intelligent – someone who might have the answers he seeks – because then I need to get ahead of my own pondering and come to some conclusions. Perhaps that’s why everyone is fallible in my world, and even those who seem to have the answers will likely fall to pieces before the end of the story.

5. So aliens finally reveal themselves to us and your work is presented to them as example of what humanity has to offer, what do you hope they will take away from this intergalactic exchange?

I hope they’d see that we’re flawed, confused, vulnerable little things, and yet we keep trying to be better. Individually and collectively. My books are noir in tone, but the point isn’t to say that we’re all broken and corrupt. It’s about celebrating the way we keep trying to be good, even in the face of terrible darkness. Even when we’ve made mistakes that should he unforgivable. Even when the pressure – both without and within – feels like it’s going to crush us. Hopefully, if they’re looking at the state of things right now, it might help them see that we’re not completely lost.

6. Tell us something about yourself that not many people know?

In this relentlessly online world, it’s hard to think of something that isn’t already out there. So I’m trying to think of something obscure. Maybe I’ll share that I play a bit of Beat Saber in VR and I’m determined get to the top of the leader board for Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever (normal difficulty). I’m broken the top 100 but I’m gunning for a top ten spot.

What would you say is the best thing about being an author and the worst?

The best thing is that your work is all yours. There are very few creative endeavours out there where you can give so much of your internal world to another person. While our editors and publishers are integral, it’s not the same collaboration as making a film or playing a song with a band. This is all you.

The worst thing is that your work is all yours. You can get feedback and guidance, but it’s only your name on the cover. You must write every word, alone, without anyone encouraging you or sharing the load. Every time I write a book, I’m struck by what a monumental act of faith it is. One word after the other, day after day, for months, hoping that by the end it will be at all interesting to anyone else. Some days I can’t write a text to someone without crumbling under self-doubt, but then I have to find the motivation to pump out a few thousand words of fiction.

And at the end of it all, when someone else enjoys the finished product, they will also be alone, somewhere far away, playing out the story in their own head, and you’ll be completely oblivious to how it’s making them feel. It requires a level of self-belief that is easier to summon some days more than others.

8. Any other Aussie / Kiwi creatives you’d like to give a shout out for? (let’s spread the love)

I’m embarrassed to say that my reading really dropped off over the last year, but if you want some more noir, this time with a sci-fi twist, the 36 Streets by T.R.Napper’s is a fantastic cyberpunk story set in future Vietnam.

And I finally jumped into Maria Lewis’s The Rose Daughter and am bloody loving it.

9. What’s your favourite quote or passage from one of your books?

Shit. The ones I love one day, I cringe at the next. The chapters about Fetch’s love interest, Amari, in The Last Smile in Sunder City still hold a special place for me though. They were the first pieces I felt confident sharing with other people.

There’s a part where Fetch just lists the days they spent together. As the series continues, I have to keep returning to it to make sure that if I allude to an encounter between Fetch and Amari, it’s related to one of the occasions included in that list. It’s simple, and Fetch doesn’t include much emotion or embellishment, but every time I go back to it, that tragic romantic melancholy gets back under my skin.

9. What’s your favourite quote or passage from one of your books?

10. What can you say about your current project or what you are planning next?

The fourth instalment of The Fetch Phillips Archives is in the editing phase, and I’m really excited to get it in people’s hands. I’ve enjoyed the fact that Fetch has not yet lived up to being either a hard-boiled detective or a fantasy hero. His guilt, self-doubt, and insecurity have taken his investigations (and in some cases the plot of the books) off the rails. That was always intentional, and I found that journey interesting to write, but Book 4 is a different beast. Fetch is still a problematic guy, but he’s put himself together enough to tackle his next case with more determination. So, for the first time, we have a more focused narrative revolving around a single string of murders. There are a lot of rewarding moments in this one for readers who were hoping Fetch might eventually catch a break.

But it’s still noir, so don’t except all sunshine and roses. Just a mystery where the main character isn’t getting in his own way quite so much.

Bonus Question: Lastly Vegemite* yes or no?

Absolutely. Thin layer with plenty of butter. It’s not something I crave when I’m away from home but get me back in the Aussie bush and I’ll be searching for a jar in no time.

* An iconic dark salty spread that (most) Australians slap on toast for breakfast (NB explanation for the rest of the world)

Author Bio:

Luke Arnold was born in Australia and has spent the last decade acting his way around the world, playing iconic roles such as Long John Silver in the Emmy-winning Black Sails, Martin Scarsden in the screen adaptation of Chris Hammer’s Scrublands, and his award-winning turn as Michael Hutchence in the INXS mini-series Never Tear Us Apart. When he isn’t performing, Luke is a screenwriter, director and novelist.

He has published three books in The Fetch Phillips Archives, with the fourth instalment on the way. He performs the audiobooks for all his works, and The Last Smile in Sunder City was nominated for Best Fantasy at the 2021 Audie Awards.

Book/ Series Links

Social Media Links

@longlukearnold on Insta, X, and TikTok

Source: FanFi Addict

#black sails #luke arnold #fanfi addict #the last smile in sunder city #the fetch phillips archives #fetch phillips #interview

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shakecup · 5 months

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I need sincere advice on jobs i could get, that would not require very much social interaction and i could be left alone for at least some of the time (at least 1/3 of a given shift i would be left alone), involving either repetitive and/or mental rather than physical tasks (either something like breaking down boxes / building displays / doing accounting or other data processes) that are easy to get. I have work experience at this point, I’m highly intelligent and efficient at things that I do, and I’m capable of navigating the normie world. The kicker is I can only successfully socially navigate the normie world at great expense to myself and can only fully mask long enough for the initial interviewing and onboarding and then I will become so exhausted that it would be best if I have seamlessly integrated into the daily repetitive or mental tasks and do not have to continue doing arduous people-facing types of things like service/retail. if I have to continue doing the people-facing kind of things I will start drafting my last will and testament.

I feel like there has to at least hypothetically be a place where I could basically thrive professionally but my current situation with the movie theater has had me in an ongoing crisis where I’m on a nightly basis seriously contemplating ending my life. In a serious, pragmatic type of way and not out of momentary emotional overwhelm. Like in a stressful moment I may involuntarily and intrusively fantasize about shooting myself in the head just to get it over with, but that’s less worrisome than the other thing that’s going on where I’m laying in bed each night trying to weigh my options between life and death and considering A Plan. I have to do something to get myself out of this crisis

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prof-peach · 2 years

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So Peach pretty clearly dislikes ten year olds going off as trainers (and people like Oak that support it). If she had a say in it, what kinda of rules would she put in place for people becoming trainers? (Minimum age, requirements, etc)

Take a test: Prove you have the basic knowledge of care, and common sense when confronted with an emergency. Do you know what to do when your pokemons poisoned? Random strangers on the street could help you sure but again, are we ok with 10 year olds talking to strangers who may not be friendly? Professors hand pokemon out, don’t think to explain the basics, and let kids loose on the world. I see so many Pokemon in terrible condition because someone trusted a literal child to care for a complex and powerful creature. Now god forbid what if the kid gets hurt? Middle of no where, what if their phones got no signal? What if they’re travelling alone? What if they’re still in a dangerous area? There’s a lot to consider, the world is big and full of things that could obliterate you for straying too close to its nest, or trying to catch one of its young.

Age restrictions: 15+. A literal child faces the fact that his rattata just got actually eaten by a wild ekans, what do they do? Thats damaging, pretty scary and often a source of trauma down the line, they may even become afraid of snake like mons. A higher age bracket means they’re more emotionally prepared to deal with the unknown. I see so many people complain that their kids Pokemon did something that scared the child, and they blame the mon, not that fact that they got their young child a wild creature to hang with. Pokemon don’t hold the same morals, the same rules or behaviours as us, and many get upset by this when confronted with it. Do you know how many times I’ve been looked at like I’m a bad person for slamming as hard as possible into a Tauros who’s kicking off? So many! But if you go about handling some species the way you’d handle humans, you’ll get hurt, you have to know how they tick, and get on their level, earn their respect in the ways they understand, do things safely and within the realms of understanding for each species. At 10, this is not easily done, you hardly know what you’re about at that age, the worlds huge and you are not as informed as you should be.

Species restrictions: people should start with species that are more simple and easy to work with, and ramp up to the more complex or dangers of Pokemon. If I had a penny for every kid with a dragon Pokemon complaining about how unruly it is, or that it doesn’t listen to them, I’d never have to work another day in my life. Yes they’re cool, yes we all want to one day see or interact with dragon types, he’ll yeah there’s plenty to love about them. But they’re also super dangerous, often come with complex needs, and very rigorous social structures that don’t reflect humans behaviour well. Start with a more common bunch, and work your way to the complex brackets. It saves the Pokemon a lot of grief, and the child potential harm. This could be age implemented, or badge relative, maybe based on skill level with more exams or whatever to prove you’ve got the knowledge to handle it. This also doubles up with physical exams, and it’s a hard truth. A frail old grandma getting her first Pokemon should not be getting something prone to thrashing, something that could break her due to being spooked or something. Same with a 10 year old. Don’t give a child a Pokemon that would literally choke them to death because in their world that’s what they do as a sign of respect or joy, and can cope, but to a human it’s potential death. There’s so many different examples of this, but Pokemon have physical needs, some need to fly, some need to be ran, some have to have a lot of exercise or they get seriously unruly. If you are not able to provide that, the Pokemon suffers. It’s just that simple; so the testing could also include a way to assess what species best fit your lifestyle, or needs.

Me personally, I don’t hand pokemon to anyone under the age of 15, and only if they’re emotionally prepared and prove their metal. Adoption assessment here is run by a number of staff, myself included. We sit the human down and chat, find out where the Pokemon will be staying, how much income they have and if it’s enough to care for that species, how much time they can give the Pokemon, what kind of home they live in and if it’s suitable for the size and needs of the Pokemon. They are asked a series of hypothetical questions, all of which show us if they’re prepared for emergency, consequence, and the care requirements necessary to keep their potential new partner healthy. If they are planning on travelling, I ask that they return with the gear they plan to bring with them on the road, and we do a mock-camp out over the course of a weekend, team brawl run scenarios, the youngsters are in safe environments but are posed with real life dilemmas, and there’s a safety net to see if they have the stomach for the real world. They do one day without their Pokemon and are tasked to survive, and another day with their potential partner, to see how they get along in these situations. It’s more like a boot camp.

If the human fails, we give them tips and tricks, and send them home to try again some other time, if they succeed, we start adoption processes. This is controversial as a lot of other professors just hand living creatures out like candy, but we don’t work that way here, and do not back down from the due process. Our concern is with the Pokemon first, they come above us, many of our residents have recovered from illness, from emotional trauma, and some have extended health conditions to think about. We cannot just let them go not knowing if they’ll be ok or not, it’s down right ridiculous to let that happen. We get parents coming in at us all the time that their precious little sonny-Jim didn’t get the Pokemon he wanted, and we have to explain that they failed the exams, or have an awful personality and would be a questionable match with a living creature, or perhaps they just weren’t emotionally ready yet, they panicked every time an emergency was posed to them. It’s tough love, but someone’s got to be honest and tell people when things aren’t right, so they can grow and improve.

I won’t go into the money aspect, that alone is a big issue for a lot of people. It’s not cheap to feed a big Pokemon. And is a trainer prepared for a species that hunts? Charmander eat meat. Little kid of age 10 ok with seeing it tear through a poliwag? Probably not. No one likes to say it, but Pokemon aren’t all happy little cute things, some have their own sets of issues and habits, it’s not always smooth sailing.

#I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this #the games are for kids so whatever #but I’m reality it would be different #prof.peach #peach talks

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kittyit · 4 months

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Hello I see that you appear to be an active member and/or contribute to women’s land communities and I’d appreciate some advice on how to share information about these communities to other women online without endangering them.

I’m a member of the female separatists subreddit and more and more members have been showing interest in learning about women’s land, however there are some users that think this information shouldn’t be posted so publicly. If there is a consensus on how to share this information form women in the communities I’d love to hear and heed what they’re saying.

there is no consensus! different lands have different policies and ideas but even those are usually loose intentions. it's hard to pin down exactly what my approach is on sharing info publicly about women's lands and events. it's an intuitive practice. i like to share just enough information that someone on anon would not be able to get the information she'd need to actually show up. i feel like the way things are (society artificially mollified by social media interaction while still starving for interaction and connection) is almost a shield between people who want to do harm to land and the land itself. the people who hate us are often lazy. going to land takes effort, how much effort that is depends on your specific situation and the specific land, but it requires a level of vulnerability, being yourself, and being willing to personally connect with other women, especially older women who don't want to just email, who want to talk on the phone or meet you. i think the details of contacting a land liaison are best shared in private groups or between two women who have some sort of personal connection, even if it's just a brief or intuitive one. i also don't believe in holding women's hands or begging them to go to land - the women who want to go to land and get connected will. encouragement is one thing, but i wasted a few years not understanding that there's a difference between women who are active and do what they want to do and women who are not in that place. it would be nice if i could make an ovarit post or a tumblr post or a facebook post and interested women would spring out of the woodwork ready for action. but unfortunately we are living in a society that drains our will, drive, and energy we need to act and do unusual and adventurous things, and our subculture of radical & lesbian feminism is not protected from or immune to that. every day i eagerly await more curious and bold women emerging from the digital shadows and treasure all the ones i already know :)

#separatism

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divinecomedyproductions · 5 months

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"Disengage the fandom and curate your interaction!" - It's not that simple.

One thing I've told about my woes about fandom is "disengage from the fandom" and not to "hyperbolize" or not "open floodgates", and be "rational" and just accept not being "serious storytelling" or else it comes of as "fragility" or I guess would be "breaking from fragility"and being "defensive" and "not touching grass"

And I know this comes from a good place and I know these people mean well...

The problem is that advice doesn't work when it comes to certain fandoms who use these labels and also hyperbolize and "floodgate", the escalation of interaction, and the "consequences" of that. At least in my past experience

The problem is when you try to "disengage with the fandom" requires you to drop social media entirely. And when it comes to pop culture and creativity and start with projects, most of that stuff now requires social media and the internet.

If you "disengage" your often just left with people you know at work who might have no idea what you're talking about and can't help you in any way.

Michael of RetroBlasting of YouTube his Unplugged Video about " 'Ignoring it' and doing nothing"

It isn't the analogue world anymore, you don't just leave a comic book shop full of jackasses and go to another one and continue your business. And toxic fandoms know this too.

In fact this video explains this kind of stuff best

And what toxic fandoms do, is they set you up into a conundrum.

In the game of The Toxic Fandom, if whatever your doing that takes elements of what you liked of safe franchise, especially out of disagreement and disappointment gets big enough, they invade your space and harass you and often resort to their own brand hyperbolizing and "floodgating" first and assume the worst reasons of what makes you happy and what you want.

If you stay composed and rational and use milder words like "disheartened" and "bummed out", accept your ideas being labeled as "not seriously storytelling", and "disengage" from where if your you put stuff out and find another platform.

They see you as a wimp and keep pushing you back because "oh he's just disheartened guys, he'll get over it, so we can keep pushing him around. What's he gonna do? Be Mildly annoyed? LOL!"

and use the fact stayed "this label" instead of changing to "that label" to screw you over because "we need to make room for real storytelling, thats the consequences sorry!" for whatever reason

And if you do anything aggressive or assertive back;

which might involve hyperbolizing and flooding gates, or at the very least get more aggressive with your tone

If you defend yourself from labels and explain why you wanted what you wanted and why it makes you happy, which is not necessarily being 'defensive'

If you do anything that isn't passive...

You "Broke" from "fragility" your being "defensive", your "not being the bigger person" and "not accepting reality"

and you need to "touch grass"

So the fandoms won't let you win

So in this context, you keep being passive and keep on "disengaging" and keep accepting these labels, the fandom will become more bold and invasive and even actively sabotage you by slandering you such as LilithFairen, KnightOfBalance, or Canonseeker does with AUs and ReWrites of RWBY and they might even falsely report too.

So instead of things getting hypothetically better in the long run, the damage gets exponentially worse

Now of course the argument can be made "well there's always gonna be haters no matter what." Of course there will be, so you might as well fight back to stop the unnecessary bleeding.

Now of course there's cases where it is the case where the person is overreacting and need to step back, but the problem is in my experience there's outsiders who don't bother to take the time time and figure out what's going on before making their judgement call because they think they can just assess the situation by just looking at it and make an assumption because they know so much.

Because the think they’re doing this

when in reality their doing this is getting in the way

Another example I can think off is the success of Kamen America which is an active disagreement with what was done with the idea of Captain Marvel, combined with other elements of course so its not a blatant rip off.

Once it got big enough, Captain Marvel fanatics began shrieking its nothing but a "Porn Captain Marvel Rip-Off" and try to reputation assassinate it, which ComicsGate tried to jump in because the "leader" has a personal beef with the creators

And these are the same people who cheer on evil superman clones like Omni-Man and Homelander or cheer on "His Dark Materials Trilogy" which was made by an author who had a big beef with The Chronicles of Narnia and CS Lewis

Because supervision/inversion is awesome when it subverts/inverts things they don't like I guess

So once again, the fans like myself had to step in and say something and fight back so those out of the loop knew what was actually going on.

Once Fandoms become invasive and are policing social media and creativity to a certain magnitude and try to throw what makes us happy to the dogs when the opportunity hits, being passive and rational might not be an option.

Sometimes it is. But sometimes it's not.

#toxic fandom #toxic fanbase #toxic fndm #rwde #insert fandom here #social media #social networks #kamen america #chronicles of narnia

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fanstuffrantings · 5 months

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Going to ramble for a bit about some alterations I made to team CRDL. I'll put it under the cut for anyone curious:

Cardin first: I wanted to bump up red as a color. I'm fairly certain brown is what they use on his wiki but since I think a Cardinal was his design bird I wanted to draw visuals from that. I didn't change a whole lot because his design is the most unique next to russels but I figured the jacket would give him a feather look. The jacket is also heavily inspired visually from 1860s military jackets which was when the Winchester gun company was founded and since in my rewrite he's the heir to an old money weapons company and I'm leaning into Winchester as a name mattering i thought it could be fun to play with. His hair was more obvious, I wanted to mimic a Cardinals head.

For anyone curious I think he like Weiss would have a genetic Semblance that allows him to lock onto someone or something he sees in a fight and know where they are at all times. But at least at the start he can only do it with one person and it requires concentration.

I think his family would be from Atlas and him and Weiss would've seen each other sometimes at the same parties. Not exactly friends but familiar with each other.

Russels design always bothered me but I couldn't figure out why. I didn't want to completely change it but I did need to alter it. So I thought why not up the punk factor and make him look more like he'd be the one surviving a rougher life style since in my rewrite he's from a mountainous town that deals with a lot of Grimm. He got freckles to match the spots on his namesake bird a long with a more pointed nose. I also altered his Mohawk to have it cover to his hairline.

His semblance was a bit trickier but I thought the ability to silence himself and the things he interacts with to make himself almost undetectable would make sense for his history.

I'd say he's from around Vale and a less notable family.

For Dove his colors were altered and since he's supposed to be the best fighter on the team I thought making him the most militaristic of the group would be a good idea. I shortened his hair to match the headshape if a bronzewing bird a long with changing his nose shape to match how it's beak is. His eyebrows were based off a picture I used for reference from the bronzewing and his heterochromia was to add in some of the rainbow colors you can find on their wings.

By the start of rwby he wouldn't have his semblance figured out yet because he'd be focused on honning his physical skills.

I'd place him from atlas and a military family.

Sky had the least character information but I remembered seeing he was more social so I figured making him a more flirtatious/showy character could round the team. His hair was once more altered a bit to match how a Skylark's feathers lift on their heads. In my rewrite I have him be from a family of musicians since larks are songbirds which adds to why his outfit would be more ostentatious than the rest of his group. His design gave me the most trouble since I enjoy designing more medival/dnd fantasy characters than the more modern that rwby is known for. As such his clothing may change.

His semblance would allow him to shake the vestibular. Which is a part of the ear that helps people keep balance. To do this he does have to sing.

I think him potientially being from a musical family in vacuo could be interesting.

#rwby #rwby rewrite #team crdl #molten rambles #molten tarts

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contentexplorer · 4 months

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Hello Tumblr

Well, I am one year old.

After watching Dragon Ball Super SuperHero and letting my curiosity lead me to this place known as Tumblr last year, I can say it has been a fun and inviting experience to be on this platform. I've never had this kind of interactive and social outlet ever in my life. My creativity and ideas developed or were expressed in ways I never thought I was capable of doing; my discovery of all these talented artists, writers, opinions, everything I find on Tumblr has me feeling excited, attentive, and more curious each time I'm online. And all the support, likes, reblogs, and comments from all you wonderful people just make it worthwhile. It truly has been a blast of a year to be on here. : )

So that's why it saddens me that I will be inactive following the new year of 2024. : (

I've been considering this course of action for a while, and I've fully decided to go through with this.

Allow me to explain: The bottom line is stuff has come up. I don't feel comfortable to specifically state what that 'stuff' is, but I can assure you all that it's nothing life-threatening or life-shattering. Situations have arisen for me, and honestly, they're the kind of problems that I could ignore and still be fine. But that way of responding just doesn't sit well with me. I have to deal with them, so the issues won't build up over time and bite me back in the future. Unfortunately, that requires of me to cut my time here.

I wish to say that I'll return and resume my activity, but even I can't guarantee that. My process, if you will, will be of me accomplishing each obstacle, but once done, they'll lead to more handling of their consequences, both positive and negative. Coming back here: I just don't know.

But in case I don't return, I want to say something: When I started my account I had no intention of making posts or interacting with anyone. I just wanted to see what you guys were writing/making about Dragon Ball (The K18 material, TBH), like it, and have some asks of my own. But thanks to the suggestions and informative answers from @fantasyrecolors / @thefantasylife (you're the best), I put more effort into distinguishing myself from a bot to an actual person.

I figured I would repost stuff I liked and write the occasional, original post about anything on my mind, never having ambitions of being popular or affecting the Dragon Ball Tumblr community. But when I posted my Android 18 Not You Meme, you guys liked it and that just made me feel so appreciated. It was just an idea I had which I wanted to put out there. That inspired me to be more involved in this Dragon Ball Community. You see, I'm a dork, but I've always been one solo. I never had anyone to ask their opinions or say to them I enjoy their fan-work about a property we both enjoy, and vice versa. But as I continued to settle and develop my blog, I just kept finding so many incredible individuals here with their fabulous art, engaging stories, intriguing takes, and hilarious jokes. And these people/you guys took time to see and support what I brought to the table. Even beyond the Dragon Ball series. I felt inspired and motivated by that to keep doing what I could to support and join this rad community.

And I mean where to start with the list of creatives here:

-Dragon Ball Meta/Ultra Dork

-SweetEscapeArtist

-LongMonthArtist

-IncognitoMan1-2-3-4

-Chestnut Island/xfadedmemoriezx

-NiccoloYo

-Certified Krillin Stan

-Neterukuroino

-Everyone's Tea Room

-FuturisticBouquetdeer-451f4dcf

-DeadlyBeautyZ

-Koine Kid

I know Tumblr isn't a perfect social media platform with all its faults, but these people and many, many more made Tumblr an awesome playground to be in.

You all made my time here wonderful and jaw dropping. You guys make Dragon Ball fun. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

I won't delete my account. I love this blog too much to see it all gone in a flash, the same unfortunate fate to fellow comrade Certified Krillin Stan. I'll just leave my blog here and step back from the Tumblr website; the most I'll do is just view (rarely) what's new. There may be a chance I could fully return when DB Daima rolls around, but no guarantees. I hope how I continue in my future will lead me back here to keep supporting this section of the DB community and any other cools guys I see here; possibly return with more resources/skills to do more for this group and my account than I could do now. I do hope so.

Until then, Keep spreading that K18 Love, Let your Creativity Roam Free, Keep Supporting Each Other, and above all else, Have A Great 2024 Everybody.

#ContentExplorer #Tumblr Milestone #Goodbye #For Now #I Hope #Have A Nice Day

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strangerwheelerthings · 1 year

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Saw your post about Nancy not being a particularly social person. I notice she's always listing off names of supposed 'friends' (sleepover at Ally's) or implying she's meeting large groups of people (S1 meeting people from school at the diner) to Karen when we never see her interacting with them. Do you think any of these friends actually existed in the first place? I noticed on Murray's board in S2 about Barb, there was an interview with a "school friend" so I wonder if Nancy and Barb were part of a larger group as acquaintances but exclusively best friends with each other? I also wonder why she feels the need to put up a front in front of Karen that she's more social than she actually is?

This is a really great question, thank you! I’ve actually thought about this a lot, especially when planning that post.

Hawkins appears to be a small town, so that is the basis of how I’ll be interpreting things.

In season one, Nancy and Barb don’t appear to be high on the social ladder, but they also aren’t low enough to be actively bullied. We know absolutely nothing about Barb’s social life outside of Nancy, but it’s very possible that Barb had a few school friends that she wasn’t as close with. If she did, I imagine that Nancy knew them, but wasn’t particularly friends with them herself. Nancy would have talked to someone other than Jonathan and Steve when she went missing, if that were the case.

Every example of Nancy specifically mentioning the name of a friend are all used in the context of a lie. None of them are ever even referenced again in passing. I��m fairly certain that Nancy is not going to sleepovers with Ally, or anyone else, after Barb. However, Nancy acts like she expects her mother to be familiar with these names. This is where small-town Hawkins comes into play. People just know each other. No matter how introverted you are, the smaller the town, the more familiar you are with All of your classmates, and the more familiar your parents are with many, if not all, of your classmates. It’s inevitable.

This leads into one of the most important points; Nancy is introverted, but not a hermit. She is NOT a social butterfly, but she is fairly socially adept. My understanding of Nancy’s social situation at school is that she is generally well-respected, but not especially close to anyone. According to Robin, she has somewhat of a reputation for being a priss because of her closed-off nature. In contrast, not only has years of close proximity forced a level of familiarity with a large portion of the school, but Nancy’s work for the newspaper has also required her to talk to many of the students. She’s friendly enough with plenty of people, but it’s different to talk to people for the sake of talking.

Season one shows us that Nancy is aware of social expectations. This may have changed a bit over the years, but these expectations matter to her on some level. She does change her behavior to be more socially acceptable, and this is something that may occasionally push her out of her comfort zone. She does occasionally go to parties and other ‘group’ things. She even invited Jonathan to the Halloween party in season 2, but as I mentioned in the previous post, if it weren’t for the trauma, Nancy likely would have spent the entire evening just sticking close to Steve and/or Jonathan. I’m uncertain how much she actually likes those kinds of group events in general. In her senior year, I imagine that she only went to activities she could write an article about. This is somewhat because she was very lonely that year, and somewhat because she seems to have matured a little out of that need to shape herself to fit the expectations of the people around her.

As for Karen, I’m not sure how much of a front Nancy puts on. Each of the lies we know about, have a valid reason for existing. However, I think Nancy is putting up a bit of a front. Nancy has been through an extraordinary amount of trauma over the course of the show. Trauma that she couldn’t tell her mother about, even if she wanted to. She doesn’t want her mother to see how much she struggles, so she puts up a bit of a happier/more social face. She also isn’t exactly close to her in the first place, so it’s easier to dissuade misplaced concern and uncomfortable conversations if she hints at having more friends than she actually does.

To circle back to your first question, I think those ‘friends’ are people she’s acquainted with at school. They’re people her mother has probably met, or knew of, because of this or that throughout the years. I don’t think they are people she hangs out with. I don’t even think I’d go as far as saying they sit together at lunch. Once her comfort people are gone in her senior year, Nancy seems more like the type to then work on the newspaper or go to the library, if that’s allowed, during lunch.

This all may be me projecting onto my favorite character, but sometimes people just don’t have friends in high school, even if they aren’t one of the bullied outcasts. Nancy genuinely seems like this is the case. She values close relationships, but doesn’t really have any. She’s lonely partially out of her own design and personality, and partially because of tragic circumstances. She retreats into herself, or into work/projects, when things get rough. She can become very driven and single-minded on an goal, making other things fall to the wayside. All this makes it difficult for her to connect to others, and probably makes her seem more intimidating to others than she actually is.

#this all also makes me appreciate Robin even more #cause that girl just checks all the perfect boxes for nancy #it also makes me appreciate jancy too #Nancy is able to understand and relate to this strange outcast boy far more than any of the popular kids like steve #nancy wheeler #stranger things #st meta #nancy wheeler meta #rae answers #hope this makes sense #but I'm not going to spend forever reworking this so have what i would blurt out if you asked me in person #this was a really fun ask tho #i could spend forever discussing this kind of thing

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