#that research consisted of listening to all their new music again

[ad-astra-per-aspera-1389]

OBSESSED with the way Big Time Rush looked at the way their fanbase has shifted/changed in the last ~9 years and came to the conclusion of "ah, okay, y'all are gay seem to like the songs without 'girl' or pronouns in them" and proceeded to give us an entire album with no pronouns, and we loved it because we're all just a bunch of gay people jamming to funky music

#i did research for this #that research consisted of listening to all their new music again #the singles? some pronouns #another life is VOID my dude #still so funny to me #but also iconic

[comicaurora]

Hello! I wanted to send my appreciation to you as a longtime fan of OSP and Auroura! I am an English Major with ADHD and your content always makes me inspired and my English Lit. Brain very happy with how good your storytelling is.

My question is what stories inspire you to write or make you want to sit down and tell a story? Your content makes me want to work on my projects, but my Adhd only last as long as I am not disturbed (i.e. need to eat or get up and move). You have always been upfront about your Adhd so my second question is how do you keep focused on your story and not burn out? (Talking as someone who is writing a novel as their thesis)

You have been a great inspiration over the years and someone I look up to as a storyteller! I wish you focus and luck! => 💝

Woo! Interesting questions!

When it comes to inspiration, I haven't really found a pattern for what works and what doesn't. The majority of the time, only new experiences/stories I haven't seen or read before work for me - rewatches and re-reads, while much more comfortable for my brain, don't tend to translate into creative inspiration for me - but it's not like a specific genre, or even a specific kind of relaxation, consistently work for me.

The way my brain works is a bit "no take only throw", as it were. I want to just sit down and make solid, steady progress in a predictable environment with a routine, but what I need is to try new things, go outside, take risks - because all those things give me new material to work with and refill the creative gas tank. When I'm stuck, I can't just hit the gas and punch through the block - I need to back up and try a new angle.

The good part of all this is that whatever engine that's running my subconscious is actually pretty good at signaling what it needs. The ADHD brain will be repelled by activities that aren't working for it and drawn to the things it needs at the time, whether that's creative energy or exercise or cleaning or doodling or listening to music or suddenly binge-watching a show that's not even all that great, and once it's got what it needs out of it - whatever that is - it'll be repelled again, either spitting out a sudden burst of creative energy or retreating to its den to chew on whatever it got out of the experience for a more slow-building reward. Little bursts of motivation and creativity pop up all throughout the day, and if you can pivot to the activity in question - or at least note down the idea you just had - you'll be able to harness that pretty nicely.

This "system" really only works for me because I have an extremely unstructured schedule and nobody relying on me to be consistent moment-to-moment. If I'm following the creative needs of my inscrutable Better Writer In The Back Of My Head, I can't be worrying about things like a consistent lunchtime or classes or a 9-to-5. All of my observations are caveat'd by the fact that I am ridiculously lucky to have the kind of freedom of movement and schedule that I can focus entirely on getting to know my brain better.

When it comes to staying focused on any one project, I've reluctantly concluded that the only way to win is not to play. Creativity needs time and diversity to recharge, and when you stall out in any given work session, it's usually because you're out of gas. This is why I maintain several projects in varying stages of "for my eyes only"-ness - a sketchbook, private writing projects, patreon doodles, music practice; even in the large-scale projects like the channel and the comic I have multiple angles of attack at any given time, where I can as needed switch between scripting, research, drawing frames, storyboarding more plot onto the end of the comic's current draft and lining/coloring/background-ing the finalized pages of the comic chapters earlier. This lets me maintain semi-steady progress on average, even if any one facet of the process is left by the wayside for potentially even weeks at a time.

If you're working on one writing project, one novel, I'd recommend giving yourself some time to do small-scale side-hobbies. It won't feel like they're helping, but they are.

I've started to think of inspiration rather similarly to the way I think about nutrition and digestion. It's a somewhat arcane process that, despite being a part of me, I don't exactly understand what's going on under the hood. If you eat only one thing, no matter what that one thing is, you're going to end up sick because you're lacking all sorts of niche micronutrients. If you parcel out a specific space of the only things you're allowed to eat, you might not get sick (as quickly) but you're likely going to become increasingly miserable as you think of the things you're not allowing yourself to try, or slowly build up highly specific forms of malnourishment by avoiding certain things entirely. But if you start listening to your body and try eating what it says it needs at any given time - oh, I could go for a rice bowl right now, oh I don't think I'm feeling something sugary today, man I could really go for some grapes - you're likely to hit a broadly good balance of health because you're hitting a broad range of things your body needs, even if you don't know all of their names or calorie counts, and your body is putting those resources to good use without your conscious input. Between my brain and my stomach, I only trust one of those to actually understand what a stomach needs to do its thing - and between me and my creative brain, most of the time it feels like I just work here.

I hope there was something helpful in all this!

#asks #not aurora #writing stuff

[blank-house]

i have returned 🧍‍♀️

ok so

1. do any of the characters have any phobias?

2. will we get to play games with percy?

3. this one's probably a spoiler but, what are their ideal date locations? if not that, then their dream vacation?

4. miiight sound a bit creepy but how do they sleep at night? sleeping positions, if they need white noise, sleep with a plushie, or any other quirks? im lowkey betting cam sleeps with a frog plushie

*waves* welcome back!

Yup. One, and it's Deja. She can't deal with bugs and creepy crawlies. It's why she's so particular about cleaning, she'd pass out on the spot if she sees a roach. Everyone else has got things they don't like but nothing as extreme as a phobia. (Though he does have… I mean it’s sort of a fear… though like there’s no scientific name for it… but it kinda counts? Oh well :p)

Yes! You do in the extended demo, twice. One's in a group setting, and the other's not really a video game, but it is a game! ^^

Hmm, I don't think they're particular about where to go for a date location. Maybe this is a cop out but so long as they're with their significant other, then it's already pretty ideal to them. But pfft lemme actually give you guys something-- let's see... Cameron would be thrilled to go on a museum date. They'd poke fun of some of the pieces while appreciating them. Deja would prefer to stay indoors so actually just curling up on the couch with a co-op is good enough for her. Percy's the same but he wouldn't say no to a movie where he can pull all of the cheesy moves, like reaching for the popcorn bucket at the same time or swinging his arm around his date mid yawn. Elio is raring to go for anything and everything, so long as it's an experience. Jamie would like a casual walk instead, just taking in the sights and checking out a new store. Reynah wouldn't mind where but she would like to plan out the date. For her, half the fun is researching haha

The cast’s sleeping habits has been brought to you by members of the writing team at, once again ass o’clock. Let’s do this:

Jamie sleeps like the dead. However, if someone is around he’ll kind of drape himself over them, like a backpack! Percy can attest to this when they take their naps. Jamie is also a blanket hog— he likes to pull them up to his nose so you only see the top of his head.

Lucky for Jamie, Percy can’t sleep with blankets! He also has a bad habit of burrowing his head into his pillows so he wakes up with bed hair every time. Also Percy has a night time playlist. He doesn’t listen to it often but he’s got it if someone ever needs it.

Reynah sleeps on her back and with eye covers. Though she doesn’t need it, she’s been turning her fan on or her music app before bed because she finds the white noise comforting.

Deja’s a side sleeper. She also snores a little. It wasn’t something she thought she did until a friend told her during a high school sleepover. But other than, no other quirks!

Cameron can sleep sitting up— it’s from all the times they fell asleep in their car waiting for a class to start— but when in bed they tend to starfish and kick the covers. MC and Deja also found out that they talk a little in their sleep. Sometimes it’s incoherent mumbles, other times it’s a full blown conversation (they have recordings heh). And you’re right! They have a plushie collection but they don’t need to sleep with one, especially since they all remain in their room at home :3

Elio sleeps on his stomach and would bunch the blankets up or drag a pillow to hug in his sleep. He also… he doesn’t know why this happens, but at some point in the night he’ll just strip down to his boxers?? It’s been a pretty consistent event. Even if he were to sleep shirtless, he’ll wake up without his sweats— so yeah, boxers it is.

Haha the last question was a cute ask

#keyframes asks #keyframes vn #elio #reynah #jamie #deja #percy #cameron

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: EVERY MF DOOM ALBUM (1)

And if you can believe it, it's Doomsday once again. MF DOOM has been at the top as one of my all time favorite rappers, but I've admittedly never really delved into his discography beyond the occasional single I vibed with. So for this month this year, that changes as I marathoned most of the Metalface's career. We're only doing the solo and main collab albums this year. No EPs, remix albums or compilations, we're doing that along with KMD's works next time. Also don't expect detailed analyses of these, I'm both not a Monkey of musical expertise or actually researching anything for more than 3 minutes. We're going in chronological order, let's hit it.

OPERATION: DOOMSDAY (1999)

Prod: MF DOOM Absolute Banger Track: 'The Finest' Surprise MVP: 'Gas Drawls'

This is how you do a debut; exhibiting the best strength of DOOM's full throttle approach to verse and defining his new character as well as King Geedorah in certain tracks. It is weird hearing Dumile through the years where this and his time in KMD are when he sounds vocally younger. It's an overall consistent turn-of-the-century bop that you can feel the emcee's fire being made into this.

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER (JUNE '03)

Prod: Metal Fingered Villain, E.Mason Absolute Banger Track: 'Krazy World' ft. Gigan Surprise MVP: 'Fazers'

I'll be real, Geedorah is the weakest link persona and it doesn't help that this album, while consistent, didn't strike a chord with me. Maybe it's because I'm not a big kaijuu fan, maybe because the distinction lacks here compared to the next persona in the universe. Overall, it's still good, continuing on rampaging energy founded from the previous, but it's not one I could get into as much as I would've hoped.

VAUDEVILLE VILLAIN (SEPTEMBER '03)

Prod.: King Honey, Heat Sensor, Max Bill, RJD2, Mr Ten Absolute Banger Track: 'Vaudeville Villain' Surprise MVP: 'Open Mic Pt. 1 & 2 (Skit)'

If Geedorah showed that DOOM was more than a fluke emcee, Viktor Vaughn reset the meta and laughed maniacally while doing it. The power in this came from the story it told, more explicit than the previous, and it was a consistent banger throughout. The Viktor alias feels like a prototype for what's to come; a nasty Stagolee type that'd spit in your direction and songs like Lickupon and Raedawn reflect that. Especially loved the open mic skits cuz that was a rare time I laughed listening to music.

MADVILLAINY (MARCH '04)

Prod.: Madlib, MF DOOM Absolute Banger Track: 'Figaro'/'Accordion' Surprise MVP: 'Rainbows'

I always heard about how this was one of the greatest MF DOOM album ever, if not the GOAT of rap period. And they weren't lying, this album is fucking powerful. It is flawless? To me, no. The only real critiques I have is that '3.214' in Madvillainy 2 was 'Great Day' done better and I couldn't vibe 'Rhinestone Cowboy's instrumental. Otherwise, the synergy and nonstop lyrical power of DOOM & Madlib here is actual peak. It's I say on par with Kendrick Lamar's TPAB where every track speaks of the MC at his most motivated. I'll say if Vaudeville Villain worked with him at his nastiest, this is him at his most imposing if that makes sense. This is where I felt they were having a grand old time making this, especially considering the story surrounding its production.

VV:2 (AUGUST '04)

Prod.: System D-128, Diplo, DiViNCi, Swamburger, Session 31, DJ I.N.C., Dub-L, The Analears Absolute Banger Track: 'Fall Back/Titty Fat' Surprise MVP: 'R.A.P. G.A.M.E.' ft. Manchild, Iz-Real

I think it's no surprise to say this is the weakest album in the timeline. This definitely has an air of diminishing returns where it not only felt like Viktor was barely in it, it's like he didn't want to be in this. It doesn't help that for all the producers you see, you get a 30 minute album that feels like Viktor was in it for a third of that. The monologues feel scattershot and with more guests than favorable that barely left an impression. Dumile is good as usual, it's everything else that really bogged this down.

MM..FOOD (NOVEMBER '04)

Prod.: MF DOOM, Madlib, Count Bass D, PNS Absolute Banger Track: 'Rapp Snitch Knishes' ft. Mr. Fantastik Surprise MVP: 'Guinnesses' ft. Angelika & 4ize

When it comes to DOOM's peak, Madvillainy is the strongest album while Mm..Food is the most memorable. This is a consistently bop where the concept theme makes for a more memorable vibe. I mean if Rapp Snitch Knishes wasn't on here, I would have a hard time picking the absolute best single. One day, it's Hoe Cakes. No, Beef Rapp. No, Deep Fried Frenz. Nevermind, it'd be One Beer. Mm..Food is that album where most of the songs stick with you and that's barely getting into the fun interludes using the old Spider-Man and Fantastic Four cartoons. This feels like the flipside of Vaudeville Villain where the atmosphere's uplifting and everyone's enjoying themselves. Plus again, it has Rapp Snitch Knishes, one of the all time greatest rap songs. Need I say more?

THE MOUSE AND THE MASK (2005)

Prod.: Danger Mouse Absolute Banger Track: 'Old School' ft. Talib Kweli Surprise MVP: 'Mince Meat'

If Madvillainy was the strongest hitting, Mm..Food being the consistent bop, Mouse and the Mask I consider the most fun. This has notably been labeled the "Adult Swim album" and frankly, if it combined with Occult Hymn was all we got for a thematic soundtrack for the channel, I would've been more than satisfied. Danger Doom is great if you're familiar with early era AS and if you're not, then this'll all probably feel annoying. Otherwise, this is the most fun knowing the references and hearing many of the classic characters like Aqua Teen and Brak. I'm in a way thankful this was their only collab with Adult Swim because I don't want to imagine MF DOOM trying to make bars for Rick & Morty; that... would wound my soul.

Now I said this marathon would be chronological, but I feel I had to jump ahead to the remaining collaborative albums since I wanna save DOOM's final solo for last...

KEY TO THE KUFFS (2012)

Prod.: Jneiro Jarel Absolute Banger Track: 'Winter Blues' ft. Indigo Surprise MVP: 'Banished'

Honestly, I know now how old Gorillaz fans felt when the band went shifted to synth pop post Plastic Beach. Thanks to youtuber Absurd Existence, shoutout to them, I decided to listen to the Butter version. It did not help because I could not vibe with the more techno sounds from JJ; the beats don't have the comical fun like Mouse or the consistent DJ power that Madlib brought. Key to the Kuffs isn't bad, but while DOOM doesn't falter in the least here, it's not as strong as I hoped.

NEHRUVIANDOOM (2014)

Prod.: MF DOOM Absolute Banger Track: 'Caskets' ft. DOOM Surprise MVP: 'Om'

I mean... never think you can appreciate a king rapper until you hear from an amateur. Don't get me wrong, it must've been great getting to collab with the villain himself, DOOM taking the backseat for a possible protege, but the emcee's bars felt very basic and inexperienced to me. It doesn't help that it felt like DOOM pulled random tracks from a Special Herb volume; nothing for this had as impactful a flow as it could have while I could understand the theme thanks to the interludes. Hell the absolute banger track is the only one of nine there I really enjoyed because DOOM is featured in it and Bishop was able to keep up and it felt like his moment too. I don't hold it against Bishop, as if he was too good to work with Dumile. The album's not bad, but I was just not into most of this whether or not DOOM was producing.

CZARFACE MEETS METAL FACE (2018)

Prod.: 7L, Jeremy Page, Todd Spafadore Absolute Banger Track: 'Meddle with Metal' Surprise MVP: 'Captain Crunch'

This marks the last full album Dumile would do before his death and it feels like a match made in heaven. It's a great throwback to 90s underground and Czarface is THE go-to for nerdcore rap. Then again, this admittedly didn't have the same highs as Mouse and the Mask even when there barely exists an actual bad track on this. There were a couple I noticed done better with a remixed beat that I came across way before listening but I can't spoil here. I guess my overall beef was that I couldn't vibe as much with Czarface and the runtime doesn't help admittedly. I recognize the strengths of Czar, but it's an album I'm not as much in a rush to replay.

SUPER WHAT? (2021)

Prod.: The Czar-keys Absolute Banger Track: 'Break Into Action' Surprise MVP: 'The King and Eye' ft. DMC / 'DOOM Unto Others'

I'll say this album was just what the world needed regarding any posthumous work from the villain. I think it works better than their previous LP not only because the runtime, but the beats I enjoyed better here because it's a more upbeat bop. Just saying, The King and Eye is one of my favorite openers to an album and it's emblematic to this feeling like a celebration of sorts while still having meaningful dark themes behind the tracks, especially when it was around COVID's stronger period. I recommend this if you want to get an more digestible feel of Czarface's music because I honestly prefer it over Czar Meets Metal.

BORN LIKE THIS (2009)

Prod.: DOOM, Mr. Chop, J Dilla, Madlib, Jake One Absolute Banger Track: 'Gazzillion Ear' Surprise MVP: 'That's That'

Consider it a theory, but this felt like Dumile's genuine final solo record whether or not he was gonna live longer; a tonal inverse of Operation Doomsday where he wanted to immortalize how far he came as an emcee and producer with the album having a loop with the end and beginning. Speaking of tone, this really feels like the darkest album with DOOM at his gruffest popping off for minutes on end. I mean it has ''Batty Boyz" making this instantly nastier than I expected. The use of Bukowski's "Dinosauria, We" and taking the "MF" out his name really shows that he was serious about his skill here and this was him taking a bow in a way. An imperfect but hardknocking album to close this marathon.

Next to Kendrick Lamar, I have seen very rare artists manage to be as consistently versatile and great as Dumile. He was basically a king of underground hip-hop and I wouldn't have done this if I thought his legacy wasn't worth remembering. Not every album is flawless, but every album showcases the greatness of not just Metal Fingers but the many he's worked with. This is by no means a ranking, don't want to downplay any of them in spite of my criticisms, but I recommend the tracks I've listed for newcomers to get a feel of each album.Of course this wasn't every album, but for next year. In the meantime conclusion, MF DOOM is forever the GOAT and may he continue to rest. Thanks for reading.

#MF DOOM #Viktor Vaughn #King Geedorah #Madvillain #hip hop #rap #music #underground hip hop #reviews #Good Stuff #Long live the villain

[johaerys-writes]

Hi, I was wondering today how you stay motivated with writing? Like is there anything - you think - that you do that helps with getting the writing juices to flow? Does writing come easier for you at certain times and harder at other times?

Hello anon, your question has come at exactly the right time, i.e. when I'm really struggling with motivation and inspiration ngl 😅 Once again, life has been lifing very hard recently and I've been struggling to catch up with everything, let alone writing. I think that sometimes the best thing you can do is to let things take their course, if the words are absolutely not coming then you can't force them. Resting or doing something else until inspiration comes back is maybe what you need.

But if we're talking about general motivation and how to maintain momentum in order to finish a story, I'm afraid that I don't have any groundbreaking advice other than being consistent. So make writing part of your routine, even if it's a couple hundred words in a sitting. I regularly carve out time to write even when I'm not 100% feeling it, and sometimes that time is taken up by doing research (I will NOT call it procrastinating lmao), rearranging my playlist for the specific fic or just rereading what I've already written and making minor edits. But having this specific time every day or every few days that is dedicated to writing and writing-related things is much better for motivation than the random bout of inspiration that will make you write 5k words in a day. Those are few and far between in my experience.

As for getting the writing juices flowing when I've finally sat down and removed any other distractions: that usually differs from day to day. Most of the time listening to music, a specific song or playlist that I have associated with the story, really helps me get in the groove. For Twin Flames for instance I had the entire Blood Moon album by RY X on repeat, and I still associate it strongly with that world/story. For Disasters, I had a specific song for each chapter and that helped tremendously for getting into the right headspace. If music isn't your thing then maybe you're more of a visual type, so making moodboards on pinterest or somewhere else can really help (it can also be a huge timesuck though LOL so tread carefully). Something else I also do is reading the last chapter I've written and immersing myself into the world and the characters, and that often makes the transition into a new chapter easier.

Another thing that really motivates me is having those scenes in a story that I absolutely have to write, even if it takes me 50k to get to them lol. I think that's what usually pushes me forward especially with longer stories, having those scenes sprinkled out at various points in the story and also making sure that I have something to look forward to towards the end, so that I can make sure to finish them. (e.g. while I was writing the last chapter of Disasters, I made sure to have Patroclus fuck Achilles in a dress at the very end of the fic because it was my reward for getting myself through the absolute heartbreak that it was to finish it 😩 I'd been daydreaming about that scene for ages so I was willing to drag myself through all the rest just to make sure I got that in)

You also asked if writing comes easier to me some times rather than others, and I honestly don't think that I have a specific time of day I usually write. Basically I just write whenever I have time lol. If I have nothing else to do on that day I prefer to write in the evening when there are as few distractions as possible and it's when I'm most relaxed and ready to tackle whatever scene I have in mind. My favourite is when I have the day off and I know that I can write or think about my stories for as many hours as I want, even when I don't end up writing that many words. Writing while on the go (on the bus or the train) is what I've been doing for most of this year and the last because I have a super long daily commute, and I also used to love going to the coffee shop near my house to write, but lately I've been so burned out and struggling with sensory overload that it's been really hard to focus when there's noise or people around me even when I'm wearing headphones. So I basically live for the weekends when I can lock myself in my study and write in complete silence lol.

#on writing #writing advice #oh also i forgot to say that becoming entirely and unhealthily obsessed with a character or pairing and being able to think of nothing else #also helps #like i'm convinced i wouldn't have written a lot of what i've written had achilles not been yelling in my ear #or had patroclus not wanted to talk about achilles' hair pretty much every moment of every day

[zorkaya-moved]

happy new year from renata (pt. 2)

It's the end of the year 2022 and honestly? Fuck this year from the bottom of my heart in terms of jobs, real life, and all of that bullshit. But you know what made this year bearable and actually survivable? My friends. It's been a tough year for everyone who I've known and I want to extend my hugs, my love and my adoration for every single one of you. You're amazing, you're powerful, and I hope that your 2023 will be a fantastic year.

There are many people who I want to give a shout-out for being the amazing beans that you are. I love you all and you are absolutely gorgeous. There are some people who I want to give some heart-to-heart special messages because all of these people helped me survive this year of 2022 and I cannot thank all of you enough for this.

FUN FACT, THIS POST BROKE TUMBLR FOUR TIMES FOR ME. So this is Part 2 wit the same beginning but tumblr just denied me posting the whole post lmao.

❤ @heincus / Max — Duuuuuude, oh my god, we really just cried about Flamechasers for so long, huh? I love it. You are a creative whirlpool, Max, I admire your creativity and your passion for all of your muses. You are fucking amazing for sticking with them and developing them. And your art? Your art is so fucking good, never stop pursuing that passion of yours because it's gorgeous. Listen, you know I'm biased for Kalpas and Hokori, but in the year 2023 we better throw more characters at each other! Well, I'll throw Zarina at more of ur ocs haha.

❤ @merotm / @cryosewn / Guin — I know that I've been so all over the place when it comes to talk, but I want to tell you that you're amazing for your creativity and for your in-depth research. Be it Caiying or Yuuna, I love how you write your female characters: they are strong, vibrant, and they are unapologetic. They are also so different and I love, love, love them. I remember how we've met in the FE fandom and I'm just so glad we met again!!

❤ @eraba-reta-unmei / @maledictus-maleficus / Everi — MY MUSIC BRAIN CELL SOULMATE OH MY GOD, Everi you and I just really be sharing one galaxy brain when it comes to music, huh? I love it, I love it so much. I appreciate you so much. Be it Miya or Ayden, Zarina also adores them a whole lot even if she makes Miya sigh so many times. You are one of the people who helped me become more comfortable writing my own original oc and thank u for that. Love you!

❤ @sheyearns / Felicia — Feli~ I know we don't talk much anymore because I'm just all over the place and I just zone out a lot, but I always think of you and I'm so excited to see your twitter feed when you play games and see all of your comments. You're a sweetheart and have always been a sweetheart. Love you tons and miss you a lot!

❤ @straye / Yin — Yin, I told you how detailed you are about the social studies and your in-depth study of your characters. I love, love, love how you dive deep into your characters and how you choose your words. It's such a treat to speak with you, scream with you, and just be chill. I'm so glad that I decided to follow you because I was so nervous at first, but look at us now! We're screaming about our characters, discussing different things, and it's just sick. I hope that in 2023 we'll have even more interactions and just have a ton of fun!

❤ @lunaetis / Hina — Hina, we've known and followed each other for so long. I want to thank you for your support and your inspiration. Thank you for always interacting with Zarina and thank you for leaving such sweet comments, always. Your consistent and creative writing style is something I've always admired and the words you choose re so beautiful. I wanted to ask you how do you reach this style and what do you read, but that'll be a question for 2023, haha. Not only that, but I'm so excited about your Lumine and Zarina plots. I'll send them over and I'm just so excited to write more with you!

❤ @itorisen / Yasu — My precious Yasu, the creator of the absolute unit that is Koto Unkaku. I always wanted to tell you how colorful your muses are (just like ur amazing icons and theme). I remember how we were interacting on Cardia and you were writing Zeno, I still cry about that to this day. I also love, love, love how unapologetic Koto is about being herself: the fire, the power, the strength. I love her and I love you so much. It always makes me laugh when Koto and Zarina interact, too, it's always such a treat. ;)

❤ @al-hazen / Calis — Calis!! We've only met this year but thank you so much for being open and honest with all your opinions on the dash. I love how you write Itto, Shinobu, and Al-Haytham. You bring such a unique and different portrayal that dives so deep into each of their respective themes and you make them so different. I love it, I love it so fucking much it's so fun to read your metas and thank you for always reading my metas too. I appreciate it so much, I'm always so nervous about writing too much but thank you for always being here. Here is to more interactions in 2023!!

❤ @scarlxtleaves / Jay — Oh my god, Jay, you're an absolute unit, you know that? The amount of creativity and writing stored in you is akin to a whole universe within you. I know we haven't talked in a while, but I always think about our talks and I love seeing you on my dash. Sinrina and Ganyuha will forever by my OTPs and I really should send Zarina your other muses ways! I hope that your end of the year wasn't too chaotic and I hope that your 2023 will be a delightful time!

But that's not all!! There are so many more amazing people I've met, and I've been loving on my dash throughout 2022 and even more before that! Thank you so much for being such a bright presence in my life and thank you for being so passionate about what you are all doing. Some of you I've met at the end of 2022 and some of you I've met in the beginning of 2022, but all of you are stars and I love and I hope your 2023 will be absolutely sparkling and wonderful!

@yeonban / @kazuiji / @shadowshub / @deathleads / @dawnswine / @suiyuun / @saviata (@suender) / @lykaiia / @xamassed / @prsonatm / @aceparagon / @abyssmalice / @closedcoffins / @constellaris / @fxmiliarity / @azurescaled / @lovedloyalty / @starfallenwishes / @yagyuchan / @sekayuki / @achroanimus / @wiildcardd / @engodly / @veinblooded / @electric-ecclectic / @solaetis / @nulltune / @scarletooyoroi / @exrhlab / @pyreign / @bloodyd / @amalanexus / @cxnvicts / @gosutm / @efloresce / @aiiouros / @yoakenouta / @unmeinoniwa / @pcrdiseseekers / @femtaile / @veqva / @opalscales / @c4rdsharp and so many more of you on this amazing and fantastic dash of mine! I'm surrounded by so many talented people and just one post will not fit all of the people I'm following and who inspire me. If you're not here, please, know that I love you and you're fucking amazing. I'm just a funny scatterbrained ADHD writer who is actually crying at this point because there are so many fantastic people here and that I've known for years and who I've just met in 2022. Thank you all so much for being here and for loving Zarina.

Happy New Year! Bye 2022 and hello to 2023!

#❄ ― OUT OF CHARACTER. ╱ fun time’s passing by like river’s flow.

[mx-lamour]

my memorys super stinky and i forget who i do/dont send asks too so ignore if i did hehe; im sending asks to people with 'ask me anything' in their bio thingy; feel free to answer or not, or however youd like!

what is your favorite holiday or occasion/theme?

what fragrance/scents put you in a good mood?

what kind of weather do you love?

if you could have a dream about anything, what would you dream about?

what kind of treats do you love/make you feel happy?

what's your favorite hands-on activity (or what would you like to try)?

what kind of music are you craving/listening to right now?

what's something that makes you smile/laugh when you think about it?

I love asks! ty! ♡

Favorite holiday/occasion/theme:

Mabon and weddings.

What fragrance/scent puts you in a good mood?

Petrichor and cinnamon/pie spices.

What kind of weather do you love?

That summer thing where it rains gently but the sun is still shining and the color green gets super saturated.

The kind of still, perfect temperature where you almost can't even feel the air, and it's dark but the sky is clear and you can see the stars.

When it's going to rain, hard, but not yet, and there's the sneaking undercurrent of a breeze, too low to be wind, and it's the kind of uncanny dim where you have no frame of reference for the time of day, and everything in the world seems to be holding its breath.

I like liminal weather.

If you could dream about anything?

I have no idea how to answer this one, haha. I'm always dreaming.

Treats that make you happy?

Cheesecake is the first thing that comes to mind. I eat it very rarely, but it's delicious. The consistency is very rich and satisfying.

My mom used to do homemade cheesecake sometimes, and I have a serious nostalgia for grasshopper (mint/chocolate) in particular.

My husband and I pilgrimmage to the Cheesecake Factory around Valentine's Day most years. (I think my favorite there is the mango lime flavor.)

Oh gods. Tiramisu. I go crazy for tiramisu.

What's your favorite hands-on activity (or what would you like to try)?

A fascinating new one: I just learned how to tack up and ride a horse for the first time! I did it for research/writing, but now I really want to ride a horse again. It was very cool. I got the info I needed for my fic, but I don't think I've yet figured out the vocabulary to really fully describe the experience. Very stimmy, though; soothing and exciting. That good riding posture, man. I get it now. I get why people love horses.

Current music:

Pretty much just constantly on my D&D and fanfic playlists. Here's kind of a random selection...

"Start a War" by Klergy/Valerie Broussard is stuck in my head rn.

"Two Gypsies" by Solace is what I listen to about Ezra's mom.

"The Pines" by Roses & Revolutions is for my Immortality fic.

"Lover. Fighter." by SVRCINA has been a good all-purpose one.

"The Empire of Winds" by Alpine Universe is just a serious vibe.

"Dracula" by Bea Miller is one of my latest bops.

"No F.E.A.R." by Madalen Duke, also fun.

Something that makes you smile/laugh when you think about it?

Embarrassing old men.

(I was going to add something to that, but I literally just wrote it and busted up, so. I guess that's it. 🤣)

#ask #lamour answers #cheesecake #horseback riding #song recs #creative writing #liminal #old men

[weirdkpopgirl]

Connection | Jisung Fic #1 (p.t 1)

Title: Connection

Genre: Soulmate AU

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1793k

Author’s Note: Hi guys, this was requested by a lovely anon. I haven’t written a soulmate au in a few years, so I apologize if this one is kinda bad. There are so many types of soulmates, but I decided to just come up with my own thing. I hope you guys like it (especially the person who requested lol). There will be a part two if anyone is curious. ^ ^

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Soulmates? Destined love? Those were concepts you hadn’t given too much thought until recently. Supposedly, a person would only know about their soulmate at a certain point in their life. The earliest age was eighteen, but the timing varied for everyone.

How would they know, you may ask? Apparently, one could hear a single thought per day from their soulmate, and vice versa. Then once they met, soulmates could form a strong bond with each other.

Pretty weird, right? Unfortunately, soulmates were rare in this day and age. But that didn’t stop people from fantasizing about them anyway. After all, who didn’t like the idea of one true love?

Your eighteenth birthday had already passed, and there were no signs of a soulmate yet. Not that you expected anything at all. You had other priorities to focus on, like getting through your first year of college.

Then one day you were in your dorm room, pulling an all-nighter to get this research paper done. You sat at your desk, typing away on your laptop quietly, as to not wake up your roommate. It was late at night, and exhaustion was finally starting to seep through your brain. Just as your eyes began to feel heavy, a deep, male voice came out of nowhere.

I’m so hungry. I should ask Hyung if he can make some ramyeon.

Slightly startled, you glanced around. Of course, only you and your roommate were in the room. Why did a guy’s voice randomly appear—that’s when it hit you.

“No—no it can’t be,” You muttered, shaking your head in denial. It was one in the morning, and your lack of sleep was getting to you.

However, you heard the voice again and again as the days passed. Maybe I do have a soulmate, you thought to yourself. How was this even possible?

It took you a while to accept this new fate. Nonetheless, you tried your best to go on with your daily life. But it felt like you were going around with this big secret. Certainly, you hadn’t expected someone like yourself to have a soulmate.

Any consistency of when exactly you heard your soulmate’s thoughts didn’t seem to exist. You would be sitting through a class, or be at work when these instances occurred. What left you confused was that you had no idea of who your soulmate was or how to find him.

All you knew about this person were the random thoughts you heard every day. So far you learned that he liked dancing, playing video games, and listening to music. You had a feeling that he was around your age, possibly a bit older. He often thought about his schedule, which led you to think he must not be in college. But you weren’t sure what kind of job he had.

No matter how you tried to not dwell on it all too much, you couldn’t help but feel insecure. If you were able to hear your soulmate’s thoughts, that meant he was able to hear yours as well. Not that there was anything in particular that you intended to hide. But you were quite an overthinker and the fact that someone else could possibly hear your worries frightened you.

┈┈

Jisung instantly knew his soulmate had been confirmed when he started to hear a girl’s voice in his head. His members may think he was silly, but he had been strangely interested in soulmate bonds for some time. He used to wonder if there truly could be a person out there for him.

Yes, he was young and had his whole career planned out. But sometimes being a k-pop idol could get a little lonely, even though he was in a group with so many members. Jisung longed to have some sort of contact with the outside world, which he seemed to have left once he became a trainee.

So when he discovered his soulmate did indeed exist, Jisung felt both excited and nervous. He was so curious about who you were and what you were like.

“Did you hear anything today?” Jaemin asked him, after dance practice one day. All his members had gathered around him.

The maknae shook his head in response. “Nothing yet.”

“Have you gotten any clues of who she is exactly?” Renjun came over to sit next to him on the couch.

“It’s kinda hard because they come so randomly,” Jisung tried to explain. “And when I do hear them, it’s all so vague.”

Chenle, who stood behind him, leaned forward.“Well, what do you know already?”

Jisung scratched his head, trying to recall. “She seems to study a lot, so she’s probably in school. Oh and she likes going to bookstores or the library in her free time.”

“Ah, so she’s one of those people who actually read for fun,” Haechan joked.

The boy shrugged, “I guess so.”

“Interesting,” Jeno mumbled. “Do you think she knows who you are?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Jisung sighed in slight frustration. “This is all so weird.”

He wished he had more clues about his soulmate. From what he’s heard about her so far, she seemed like a nice person. But the longer time passed, the more discouraged Jisung felt about finding her.

┈┈

“(Y/n)-ah!” A friend approached your table, after entering the library. If you weren’t studying in your dorm, your friends were sure to find you there.

You tore your attention away from your textbook and took one of your earbuds out.

“Oh, Seoyeon-ah.”

“What song were you listening to?” She asked as she sat down in the empty chair beside you.

In response, you tapped on your phone to show her. The song was titled, “Dear DREAM.”

Seoyeon gasped, “I didn’t know you were into NCT Dream too!”

“Well, I only started listening to their music this month,” You chuckled.

Truthfully, you had to thank your soulmate for getting you into the group. Before, the only music you listened to was by smaller Korean artists, not too much k-pop. But one day your soulmate was singing a lyric to a song you haven’t heard before. Conveniently, you had looked it up and actually liked it. As a result, that took you down a whole rabbit hole of learning about the boy group.

“Who’s your bias? Mine is Chenle,” Seoyeon giggled.

You had to think about your friend’s question for a bit. You’ve barely entered the fandom, so you weren’t used to being asked about biases and stuff like that.

“I think I like Park Jisung,” You answered slowly.

Seoyeon’s head tilted slightly, “The maknae? Huh, I thought you’d go for someone like Jeno or Mark.”

“I don’t know,” You shrugged. “I just feel like...there’s this connection?”

“Ooh, does Kim (Y/n) finally have a crush on someone?” Your friend gave you a smug look. “Can’t blame you, Jisung is pretty cute.”

You blushed, wanting to defend yourself. But you weren’t sure what else to say. Glancing back down at your phone, you saw the album that was playing which featured all the members. They were all pretty good-looking, but Jisung just stood out to you for a reason you didn’t know.

Over the past few days, you watched some of their content videos. The guys were so funny and charismatic, that you found yourself laughing along with them at times. You would have to thank your soulmate for getting you into their music if you ever met him. Surely he must also be a fan if one of their songs was playing in his head.

Seoyeon gave you a nudge. “(Y/n)-ah, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, I must’ve been zoning out,” You said with a sheepish smile. “What were you saying?”

“I have two tickets to NCT Dream’s fan meeting next week. We should go together!”

Wow, that sounded like such a great opportunity. But you’ve never been to an event like that before. There would probably be crowds of fans, including screaming girls. You weren’t sure if you were up for that.

“I don’t know. Don’t we have midterms next week?” You crossed your arms.

“Yeah, but the fan meeting is on a Friday. We’d be done with our exams by then,” Seoyeon reasoned. “Come on (Y/n)-ah, you should do something fun instead of studying all day.”

Well if she kept insisting, you didn’t think it would be too bad if you went just once. Seoyeon squealed and hugged you when you finally gave in.

Next week couldn’t come any faster. You were relieved to be over with mid-terms and looked forward to going to see NCT Dream with Seoyeon. Weirdly, you were a bit nervous about going. There was no explanation for it, maybe that’s how most fans felt about meeting their favorite artists.

Luckily, Seoyeon talked most of the way there and told you what to expect. The feeling of being overwhelmed was quick to consume you when you guys entered the venue filled with so many other fans. Seoyeon had gotten pretty decent seats, where you were close to the stage. Just as you were trying to calm your nerves, several screams flooded your ears when the seven boys appeared.

Almost out of what seemed to be instinct, you looked to see your bias. Of course, it didn’t take you too long to find him. You spotted the shy smile he often wore on camera, he was standing beside Jaemin. Unexpectedly, the boy’s smile dropped when he looked at you.

You gasped when you felt a sudden jolt in your heart. It was almost as if you were struck by an arrow or something. Bewildered by this feeling, you placed a hand on your chest. But once the pain started, it quickly faded away.

“Are you okay, (Y/n)-ah?” Seoyeon put her hand on your shoulder.

“I—I’m fine,” You huffed, feeling out of breath even though you hadn’t done anything.

What is going on? Why does my heart feel so weird?

Startled by your soulmate’s thoughts appearing out of nowhere, your eyes scattered among the crowd. Maybe you were in the same place and could feel each other’s presence somehow. But there were mostly girls here and—

A mix of comprehension and fear filled inside of you. Jisung. You started to feel like this immediately after you saw each other.

That was when you dared to look back at him. His right hand was placed on his chest just as you were. He was staring at you intently, with the same look of disbelief.

“No way,” You whispered, so only you could hear. This couldn’t be possible…

Park Jisung was your soulmate?!

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part two

#nct #nct dream #jisung #park jisung #nczten #nct dream fluff #nct soulmate au #kpop #soulmate au #czennie #soulmate fic

[motownfiction]

hi!

so, blog appearance changed for november. and fiction writer better for november, too.

once again, i'd like to apologize for my relative absence during october. i'd like to say it was just because i was busy with work, and i was. lots of grading, lots of research, lots of job-search politics that i am just now getting a hold of (barely). i'd like to say it was just that.

but it wasn't.

as i've mentioned, i've been having a lot of health issues. they all came together in october. i was diagnosed with a small, benign tumor on my pituitary gland. thankfully, i've been on medication for three weeks already, and it's all covered by my insurance. however, because the tumor is hormonal, it has affected my moods, my energy level, and my preexisting PTSD. i've been too angry, panicked, and superstitious to work on my writing. and in the end, the only person that really hurts is me. i don't have a huge following, and the only way i stay in people's minds is to post. consistently. constantly. if i don't post, then i lose the very tiny following i've worked for two years to build up. and that hurts! i love my characters, my historical work, my incorporations of music into everything. but it's hard to do when you're pretty sure you'll be forgotten after a sabbatical.

this isn't me giving up on this blog! far from it, actually. this is me saying that i plan to be much more present in november, a month i have a wonderful feeling about. bring it on.

thank you to my friends for listening to this shit as it's unfolded. thank you so much to my other readers for not unfollowing even when i wasn't there. thanks to new followers who still hit that button even when it was clear i hadn't posted in forever. it means so much.

happy border between autumn and winter!

#text #Youtube

[crazyyanderefangirlfan]

Jujustu Kaisen OC

I was re-watching Jujutsu Kaisen and it sparked my creative braincells again, so here's a new oc

"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."

Name: Mayumi Fujisaki

Nicknames: Princess, Bunny, Petal (all by Megumi). Little Bunny, Thumper.

Age & Birthday: 15, April, 21, 2002

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight

Alignment: Neutral good

Habits:

Mayumi's nose twitches when something bothers her.

She taps her foot when she's nervous

Mayumi stress bakes and eats.

Mayumi sings in the shower

Whenever she sees something cute and not on a mission, she wanders off.

Blood type: A+

Mental condition: Healthy

Birthplace: Tokyo

Occupation: Student, Jujutsu Sorcerer

Grade: 2

Relationship status: Dating

Appearance: Mayumi has mid-length mauve hair tied into twin tails and fringe bangs, lime green doll-like eyes with long lashes and porcelain skin. She always wear moon dangle earring on her right her and a star on her left and black heart choker. She stands 148 cm.

Clothes: Her uniform consist of a gray half-sleeve shirt underneath is her school uniform styled into a short overall romper and black tennis shoes.

Personality: Mayumi is shown as being a quiet, honest, kind, compassionate, and extremely peaceful young woman who adores all types of flora and greenery. Mayumi, the group's healer, is skilled in brewing and producing treatments and medications from the uses of her plants because she enjoys experimenting with them. Mayumi has a great connection to nature because of her kind and compassionate character, and she enjoys being of service to others. She is revealed to have a sympathetic disposition to the extent that, when her friends or plants are in trouble, she would respond to them intuitively.

She's romantic at heart, often playing matchmaker for her sisters and sometimes for her friends. Mayumi is also very affectionate and loves to be near loved one's and spend time with them. Mayumi is constantly considerate of others, despite her tendency to be bashful and quickly agitated.

However, Mayumi is also possessive and jealous, especially if there is a person who actively tries to interfere with her relationship with Megumi. This mostly stems from her looking younger than she is.

Mayumi, on the other hand, will show no mercy in the face of curses, instead expressing such feelings in a harsh tone despite her sweet and supposedly innocent attitude. She exemplifies a tremendous deal of commitment to her fellow sorcerers. She is adamant enough to fight again even though she was knocked unconscious in the middle of the bout. Mayumi also exhibits a strong sense of family loyalty and tenacity.

Hobbies: Reading, gardening, listening to movies, watching movies, playing mystery games, creating home remedies, experimenting on different plants.

Likes: Megumi, her friends and family, Megumi's shikigami, reading, music, gardening, gymnastics (both artistic and rhythmic), karate, horror and mystery games, goofing with her friends, hot springs and baths, bubble tea, ice skating, teasing Megumi, shoujo and shonen animes, creating home remedies from plants, flower crowns, tea, anything about romance.

Dislikes: Her loved ones in danger, being compared or mistaken for a child, sexist, misogynists, cheaters, unable to protect others, her sister being overprotective and overbearing, being labeled as a damsel in distress, movies with bad or too cliché plots, being treated as a prize, creepers and perverts, people ruining her garden and research, the Zenin clan, people forcing Megumi do thing he doesn't want.

Abilities: Evergreen Paradise

Weapons: Crescent moons (Two tessens)

Description of ability: Mayumi can summon and grow all kinds of flora. It's similar to Disaster Plants except she uses flowers and vines instead of wood.

Immense Cursed Energy: Even though she isn't of the special grade level, Mayumi has a lot of cursed energy. She continually summons plants for both offensive and protection, and when fighting, she also fortifies her body with cursed energy. Due to her size, she trained her body to handle excessive curse energy as she uses to control the flora around her.

Vines: She mainly uses vines for defensive moves such as creating barriers, entangling opponents, and supporting heavy objects.

Pollen: She often uses pollen as forms of distraction such as smokescreens or pollen fogs. It can also be utilize as bombs and blasts.

Briar cage: Mayumi forms a thicket of briar that traps the opponent or retrains them.

Flowers: Mayumi's signature. She can use her cursed energy make petals, stems, pollen, and other flower components grow and bloom, move and attack, modify flowers by changing their DNA structure, and resurrect wilted or dead flowers. The flowers are used all kind of offensive attacks such as firing petals akin to bullets,

Sweet Scent: She uses the flower's fragrance as mean of distraction of lowering her opponent's guard.

Harvest: Mayumi is capable of growing fruits and vegetables at rapid pace.

Domain Expansion: Garden of Eden: A domain that covers the entire area with vegetation and blooming flowers. The fragrance the area slowly saps the opponent's desire to fight and as they finally weaken, flora start to grow within their body until they're one with the domain.

Strengths: Enhanced athleticism, tessen proficiency, knowledge on flora, gymnastics, cooking, baking, karate.

Immunities: She's immune to all kinds of poison.

Enrollment method: Her sister's recommendation.

Favorite food: Desserts and cold soba.

Least favorite food: Natto

Cause of stress: Lolicons

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #megumi fushiguro #jjk megumi #jujutsu megumi

[lyferifaes]

what's your mindset when you write something?

how are you so dedicated to something, that you devote so many hours to research and string the sentences so intricately?

how do i find that dedication and devotion?

Sorry for the late reply and thank you for asking! I guess it's just in my character to research everything. At the age of 6, I was so interested in geography I scrutinized the atlas of the world, just flipped through it all the time and knew all the contries and their capitals by heart (no joking!) Or, when I was obsessed with Tolkien, I just had to learn elvish language too. When I'm interested in something, like really interested, I tend to tune out the reality and dive headlong into this thing. I think about it 24/7, I ditch my work and studying, I basically function on autopilot, and get annoyed with anything that distracts me (which is why I'm a terrible life partner.) I need to be engrossed in it for at least several days in a row for my thoughts to start to align into something good, for ideas to be born. There's a downside, though: I burn out after a while and need to switch to smth else or to focus on real life. If I try to explain my state of mind when I write a bit further... Since I write lots of different things (or at least try to), fanfics as well as original stories in my native languge, it's like my inner world consists of many different sub-worlds, each associated with its own mindset, mood, music, even season and weather. Like, one period of time I'm in the mood for sci-fi, I think about the Universe, watch the stars through my telescope, listen to cosmic music and write my sci-fi novels. Another period of time, I turn to something historical, listen to another kind of music, read/watch smth related and write my other stories, etc, you got the idea. Music is very important for me to get into the mood. Almost all my playlists are named the same as my stories, I don't even listen to "normal" music just for fun anymore lol. Like, I have my dororo playlist which is like an instant teleport into this sub-universe, they're not even all Dororo ost but, for some reason, mostly Skyrim and other video games ost or epic instrumentals. Once I hear the first notes of "Harvest Dawn" or "Minstrel's Lament", I'm instantly there, in Ishikawa, with Dororo, Taho and Hyakki. There are times though when I'm completely unable to string words into coherent sentences and wonder how the hell were I doing it earlier ;_; In such times, I'm only able to consume information hoping the day will come when I create something again. Long story short, I'm very unstable person even with my tendency to fixate on things so strongly. Lastly, how do you find that dedication? I could have given an advice but unfortunately, you see, I still didn't find a way to tame my own qualities. If I did, I would have already published at least one book! All I have is my innate peculiarities and interest which gives me enthusiasm and workability while it lasts. Oh! And also I'm not consuming much info, unlike many other people I know. Like, I may watch just a couple anime per year and several movies, read but a few new books. You need lots of fiction while growing up (I read books in tons during my school age) but I believe not so much later. At least for me, I prefer meditating a lot on those few things I've read/watched instead of consuming new fictional stuff everyday. I wouldn't have been able to write otherwise. When I feel lack of inspiration and get stuck, only then I let into my world some new stuff.

#ask #answered #dororo fanfiction

[aaronafgash]

10 NEW SONGS - 3/29/24

Happy Beyoncé Day to those who celebrate! Posting later today because it was my last day at my current job and I was actually working/packing up/getting my shit together instead of what I normally do (pretending I’m working while I’m actually writing a long blog post and researching new music all day). 

1. BODYGUARD - Beyoncé

This is just … perfect. Feels like a breezy summer day and kind of gives me Golden Hour-era Kacey Musgraves vibes. Beyoncé nails every fuckin’ genre with such ease, I could listen to this forever. And I will!

2. JOLENE - Beyoncé

I’m generally not into covers, especially as recorded songs on an album. I didn’t feel as connected to “BLACKBIRD” earlier on COWBOY CARTER. But this? Man, this hits. I really appreciate the slight lyrical changes she made - “I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisianne”. And the “DOLLY P” interlude to lead into it? Chills.

3. SPAGHETTII - Beyoncé

Everyone talks about how they can’t wait for the third iteration of this trilogy, with the expectation being that it will be a full on rock album. I’m sure that will be great and I’m certain Beyoncé will kill it because she’s Beyoncé. But what I really want and what I’ve been craving for years is a full album of Beyoncé just straight up rapping. This, along with multiple other examples over the years, showcase how she can really spit, and I would eat a full album of that right up. Over weird, scattered Swizz Beats production, Beyoncé sounds as confident as ever. I need more of this, and it was such a nice departure from the twangier country sounds we got on the rest of COWBOY CARTER.

4. II MOST WANTED (feat. Miley Cyrus) - Beyoncé

Love how this is a proper duet and not just a guest verse from Miley. They sound great together in unison and even better harmonizing with one another. It’s giving “Landslide” and I’m here for it.

5. TYRANT - Beyoncé

I promise this is the last Beyoncé song, but it’s her week! Again, this song goes so hard, and it feels like the most ideal blend of what we think of “typical” Beyoncé production combined with some of that country twang. I’m not at all mad about how it played out, but I think I expected more of the album to sound like this. I have no words left to say about Beyoncé at this point in time. I honestly could have just picked 10 songs from the album and called it a day. Alas!

6. Money At - Flyana Boss

This duo is so sick and I refuse to let them be one hit wonders after the viral success of “You Wish”. Just a fun, bouncy ass song that makes me scrunch my face up.

7. Do Thangs - Buddy

It will get completely overshadowed by the Beyoncé release, but Buddy dropped an excellent album, Don’t Forget To Breath, today as well. Hollywood Cole provides an outstanding, groovy beat here, and Buddy absolutely does it justice. He’s really improved as a singer, too - he can comfortably hold his own on hooks and bridges. 

8. Take Me to the River - Lorde

Recorded as a cover (two covers this week after I specifically stated I’m not into covers? Who am I?)  to the 1978 original by The Talking Heads, Lorde crushes this. I’ve never really heard her over this Bruce Springsteen-esque production but I enjoyed it a lot. Feel free to drop some new music, Lorde … any day now …

9. so down for him - lil hero

lil hero has quietly been a niche favorite of mine for a year or two, capitalizing on the sound that Pinkpantheress normalized. She’s consistently dropped catchy, almost lo-fi R&B earworms. Her music sounds vintage (think Y2K) while simultaneously feeling futuristic. My short attention span appreciates how she has precisely zero songs over 3 minutes in length.

10. World on a String - Jessica Pratt

Don't know much about Jessica Pratt but I've noticed her getting some buzz lately in indie corners of the internet and figured it was worth checking out her new single; I was not disappointed! She has such a unique, distinctive vocal tone. This song manages to hold my attention despite *almost* having no drums. I can totally see this being played in an emotional scene in a critically claimed movie that I love that eventually ends up getting snubbed at the Oscars.

#Spotify

[alantea87]

First newspaper purchase in over 10 years...

Wowsa, I didn't expect that using a Nokia flip phone would lead me to newspapers, lol. As I giggled at myself in M&S today buying this, I asked myself why tf am I even laughing? It's super normal to buy and read newspapers - like we did in pre-smartphone days. Normalising digital touchscreens have obviously made newspaper sales plummet over the past decade, which I think is quite sad. And the only people I see reading newspapers are those over the age of 30. These days, I think, being seen with a purchased newsaper (not the free ones given out at tube stations) is like an act of rebelion or protest against our obsessions with screens - you included iPad! I can't help but smile at those who clutch a newspaper while drinking a coffee on a London street (not literally, as I would have had the police called on me). All I think is: "Gosh darn it, go you! Defy those big tech companies! No cap!)

Gen Z's obsession with screens have enabled their unbiquitous use; they blend seemlessly throughout the fabric of modern life. Which in turn has created a deep-set reliance (both emotional and phsical). Though smartphones truly do have their place in society (rapid comms, mapping, safety, for certain types of employment etc), but I do forget that once you're neck-deep as a consumer in the attention-economy... the ones who truly benefit are tech companies making money from your micro-transactions or by exposing you to endless ads. This isn't new, but I always forget this and it makes me feel icky.

I miss... 1. The tangible nature of print media that you can read without fear of anyone grabbing it and running away (London smartphone mentality). 2. Being able to read a newspaper in sunlight without the need to turn up your screen brightness, or turn it down to save battery. 3. Reading detailed, well-researched stories/reports (as opposed to breaking-news with minimal facts). 4. Being able to stuff a newspaper in your tote bag and feel a bit old-fashioned sometimes. 5. Feeling offline.

This week's updates:

I've been using my Nokia 2660 Flip for three weeks, now

I can text much faster (with the aide of predictive text, which isn't perfect but always a nice compromise with not using my iPhone)

General anxiety continues to drop (I thought social media didn't really affect me negatively, but evidentally I am wrong)

I prefer writing (with bad grammer, sorry) over posting stories on Instagram - most people know that I am quite expressive/animated in person (and I enjoy face-to-face conversations much more)

I am reading more (Kindle) and listening to music most evenings to wind down (as opposed to doom-scrolling, as I literally can't)

Sleep is deeper and more consistent, less physical tension

My mind now wonders more, especially during times where I used to use an iPhone to entertain me/stop boredom. I have in fact embraced more moments of boredom and has allowed me to absorb my environment more and what is happening around me

YouTube is still social media (my brain has decided so), thus still overstimulating and kinda exhausting to use (choice paradox all over again) - avoding it most days

General focus has improved week-on-week. I am more deliberate with my entertainment options and I am fully engrossed without the sudden urge to check my phone (because my Nokia can only call and text, lol)

Planning on getting a Zach Bryan related tattoo, cos I am crazy and a fangirl. Maybe just the title of my favourite EP of his: 'Quiet, Heavy Dreams' on my inner left forearm. Some deep meaning for me there, too. But will discuss another time

Invisalign treatment will be complete by first week of July (just a few months to go!) After which I will recieve my retainers and will be sent away with full mouth-freedom. Queue the song: WAP by Cardi and Meghan #sideeye

Speak soon.

Love, Alan. x

#dumbphone #nokia #offlinelife #socialmediabreak

[daquanshell]

History Lessons

When I first got into consulting I was still fairly deeply into my alcoholism so I wasn’t really able to realize my potential, despite the opportunity I had both at the first major client I worked for (a now bankrupt company) and the first major agency I worked with.

Working at that agency, I both learned, and gained experience in everything that I would need to either succeed on my own, or to create my own consulting company and succeed as a business owner.

A Day in the Life

With the exception of The Pandemic, my time in the military, and for a brief period of time once I got out of the military (when I worked at a gym) I’ve worked primarily in the consulting industry, although I’ve changed agencies, compensation plans, and markets fairly often.

Usually, without fail, all of my days looked like this:

Suit up and travel to the office

Client Builder Meetings and Photo Ops

Traveling to the Field (usually I change)

Meals and Prospecting

Social Events (usually wearing a suit again)

Traveling Home

Put on Pajamas and Listen to Music

Of course, after the pandemic, pretty much every worthwhile agency has transitioned to remote does change much, although it increases the overhead of the agent who, like me, refuses to really create content or engage in creating photo or video content at home. I don’t mind writing, texting, or being on the phone, but the idea of taking pictures or doing video calls from the comfort of my own home looks, sounds, and feels wrong. It’s extremely invasive.

Honestly, I miss the office, but it's still a little too early into my career to move into an office on my own, while at the same time, I'm now fully aware that opening my own office is an inevitability. The crazy part was that at the beginning of my career, that was always the dream, yet I somehow expected someone else to pay for it. I'll blame it on the alcohol, but I genuinely thought that I would be able to make more money without having to spend more, in addition to the fact that I was unable to see the actual benefits that could come with spending more.

The New Big Picture

It's not all about money, but the big picture is about increasing and maintaining a certain quality of life while growing my practice. Moving to fixed and billable rates in addition to supplementing my income with merchandise, publishing, ticket sales, memberships, wholesaling, affiliate products, and of course, insurance products.

I've been either too lazy (or too distracted) to create new worksheets for my day-to-day work, but that's something I should be able to finish over the weekend. That's probably the highest priority task of this weekend, after completing the research and report for the actual launch of my consulting agency.

In addition to the launch of my consulting agency, I can't forget to launch my career as a financial representative, independent of my career in consulting and my circle of friends.

Speaking of my circle of friends, a new friend made a new group and I'm really excited about it, although I don't have the energy to think about it at the moment, I've really got to do a better job and getting consistent sleep.

#marketing #entrepreneur #finance #baltimore #business #management #vlog

[ahopkins1965]

How come the internet is Satan’s Playground?

Let’s have a good look at this for a moment. What we mean by a playground is this? A playground consists of a very large space that is filled with equipment and activities for children to play inside of it. When it pertains to Satan we all have to be extremely careful. This playground can hinder us in various ways. For instance, it can prevent anyone from serving the Lord. 1st Thessalonians 2:18 in the New International Version says for we wanted to come to you-certainly, I Paul did again and again, but Satan blocked our way. This means that Satan prevents us from performing certain tasks for God.

He also keeps us from reading the Word of God, which is the sword of the spirit. Another way of looking at this playground that belongs to Satan is the way it causes billions of people to get addicted. A person can get easily captivated through the women who are online wearing certain apparel, or the music that we listen to on a daily basis. Some of it is demonic. For example, there are certain beats, lyrics, and tunes that easily captivate our minds and draw us into the music. There is an inner voice that communicates to each and every one of us. It is Satan using the internet as his playground. His purpose is to deceive the nations worldwide. The internet has been around for over 40 years.

The internet did not become available for public use until 1996. However, this major search engine and tool has changed so much over the past 20 years that it has caused millions of people to break up their marriages, relationships, and families. This is simply because of its graphic content that it contains. James 1:14-15 indicates that but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death. This means that we must pay close attention to all of the things that we are doing behaviorally, psychologically, and socially, so that it pleases God.

It is not easy because we are in a constant battle with our flesh each and every single day. It is a war that is going on inside of the mind itself. Satan captures your mind and draws you completely away from what you are supposed to do for God. The Playground that I am talking about right now consists of not only the internet, but music, nightclubs, as well as other churches and occults. The internet is emphasized at this time because it is the main thing that people are using right now for research and entertainment.

There are more women online than men. There are more children between the ages of 12 to 30 online more than ever before. This is the main reason why parents need to start paying attention to the activities that each of their children is doing each day. James 1:21 says therefore get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you. This means that we must get rid of anything that contaminates our minds and accepts God’s word as a seed and allow it to grow inside of us. Also, we must get rid of anything that goes against God. Psalms 119:89 states that Your Word O Lord is eternal: it stands firm in the heavens. This means that God’s Word is the only thing that will remain on earth. The internet itself will dissolve just like the heavens and the earth. Technology is something that will not last forever. It is only a trend or fad. Trends and Fads are temporary and this is something that only last for a very short period of time.

This also includes the internet if it is a major problem for you. The internet as a playground is very serious. It is technology, which is true. Matthew 24:35 says that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Jesus told His disciples this information while He was reading the End of Times. Jesus also told his disciples in Mark 13th chapter to watch because you do not know when the world will come to an end. Watch therefore watch!! Satan’s playground consists of many places. These places where Satan is deceiving the nations are everywhere. The internet itself is propaganda that is either positive or negative. The internet is also filled with images that are capable of causing the conscious to erode.

Therefore, causing billions to become addicted and there is no way out of it. This addiction is just as bad as smoking cigarettes. How come the internet is Satan’s playground? This is a very good question because there are things that go on regularly that causes everyone to panic. This is especially when there are hacking incidents that are going on worldwide. This is a major threat to national security. We are have to realize that this is very serious and we have to pay attention to what is going on around us through the use of our eyes and the rest of our 5 senses.

[kosmicmuses]

Character: Nyx Starchaser

Full Name: Nyx’tjeli Mrri’sil’vri

Nickname(s): Nyx Starchaser, Nyx

Age: Adult, 26 Earth years

Gender/Pronouns:  Nonbinary, Xey/They/She/It

Sexuality: Demi-Omniromantic, Demi-Omnisexual

Species: Esuvaren Synth

Hobbies: Listening to music, exploring, learning, trying new things

Occupation: Multiverse Explorer and Researcher

Height: 6 ft, 182 cm

Weight: 250 lbs, 113 kgs

Eye color: Yellow

Dominant Hand: Ambidextrous 

Posture: Robotically perfect

Health (disabilities, illnesses, conditions): This Robot is Autistic as Hell

Equipment (on person): Small Phaser (literally just the one from star trek), Small Hologram Emitter [x5], Nanomachine Swarm (stored inside chassis), basic Tricorder (another star trek steal), Programmable emergency beacon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ More Under Cut \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backstory:

Nyx was created in one of the many Synth manufactories, and was soon after placed in one of the learning facilities specifically built to house and teach newly created Synths and other sapient robots. Xey lived a fairly mundane life, with few notable events, before xey joined the recently-established MODE training program. 

Nyx spent the next 4 years in the MODE training program, alongside many others who hoped to explore the multiverse. Xey were one of the highest scoring students in xeir classes, and xey were quickly chosen by one of the first multiverse explorers, Az’lier, as his apprentice.

For the next year, Nyx was taught everything Az’lier had learned. A few months into xeir second year under Az’lier’s tutelage, Nyx, Az’lier, and a couple other mentor-trainee pairs visited a previously contacted world, in order to teach the students things they could only learn from experience. During their descent towards their landing area, they were shot at from below, damaging most of the ships. Az’lier’s ship was hit directly inside of one of the engines, causing a catastrophic chain reaction throughout the rest of the ship. It happened far too quickly for Az’lier to escape. The rest of the group managed to escape with only minor wounds.

The group returned, shellshocked, to MODE’s headquarters, and reported what had happened. They were all given an indefinite break from training whilst the incident was investigated. After a few weeks of investigation and paperwork, it was announced that the ones that had fired on the training group were a newly amassed group of xenophobes, and that said xenophobes had all been captured and were being dealt with. MODE provided free therapy for the training group, and were told they could leave the program if they wanted to. Nyx was one of the ones who decided to finish their training, and explore the multiverse no matter what.

Appearance (physical features, style, etc.): 

Xey are a synthetic robotic being made out of materials and alloys unique to xeir civilization. 

Xeir chassis is made from alloys composed from Aether, Etherium, and Mithril. This makes xeir chassis very durable, and capable of surviving in a complete vacuum, and under up to roughly 450 Earth Atmospheres of pressure (equ. to being roughly 4,000 meters underwater). This causes xem to be nearly immune to many weapons, such as guns, blades, and hammers. Lasers, magic, and certain other weapons are still effective, though. Xeir chassis is a simple gunmetal grey in color.

Xeir chassis is covered in layers of other materials in order to better mimic organic beings, and for personal expression. The near-white areas are covered in a 2  inch thick layer of padding, which is then covered by a quarter-inch thick material that mimics skin. The next shade of blue consists of slightly thicker padding, as well as the skin-like material. The third and fourth shades of blue are, again, thicker and softer than the previous areas, are covered in the skin material, and are the softest and most flexible areas on xeir body, other than xeir joints. Some areas are colored yellow instead of blue, but still have the same composition as the rest.

Xeir visor is made out of a unique material called Holonium, which was created by the Esuvae to act as an extremely durable, flexible, moldable, and transparent replacement for the old glass and plastics used on computer screens. Underneath the holonium visor, xeir “face” is made up of extremely complex digital arrays (aka I don’t know what), as well as a swarm of nanomachines. Despite xeir “eyes” appearing in only one area of the visor, the entire thing acts as one big eye, giving xem an extreme range of vision. 

Xeir mouth is just a synthetic replication of an organic mouth. Xey can create an analogue of saliva, taste anything they eat, can eat in the first place, and anything else an organic’s mouth can do. Xey lack lips, though. Xeir mouth also does not contribute to making expressions much, as most of xeir expressions are made with xeir visor display body movements, and sounds.

The smoke-like stuff along xeir head, neck, and tail is actually a mix of the byproducts created by xeir power core, and a dense swarm of nanomachines tasked with purifying these byproducts. The nanomachines also take some of the usable byproducts and transforms them into energy that they then use to continue their job for longer before having to recharge. The appearance is a side effect of this process. The smoke is emitted from exhaust ports hidden between xeir neck and tail plates.

The two trios of dots on xeir face are extra exhaust ports, in order to help avoid overheating. The smoke emitted from these ports can change in appearance depending on how dense it is. It only matches xeir “hair” if it is extremely dense.

Xeir clothing is primarily made out of a nanoscopic weave of Aether and a material similar to a mix of cotton and wool. The Aether in the fabric causes it to have a subtle iridescent sheen. The belt buckle and pin are both made out of a simple Aether and steel alloy. The pin shows the symbol of the organization Nyx works for, MODE (Multiversal Omnipurpose Discovery and Exploration). Xeir belt buckle shows the flag of The Esuvae Collective.

Xeir wings and jets are a separate set of equipment that xey normally keep stored in xeir ship. The majority of the jets, and the arms of the wings, are both made out of a Duranium and Etherium alloy. The wings provide no propulsion, and are only used to control flight movements. The jets provide all of the thrust. The jets are powered by Nyx’s power core, but they utilize the power differently, causing the output to look like a pastel rainbow. The wing arms emit hard-light constructs.

Personality (positive and negative traits): 

*Note: Please excuse the fact that this is just a list of words, I always have trouble turning these things into sentences. I'll update this bit if my brain ever cooperates.

Pos: Adventurous, analytical, intelligent, alert, warm-hearted, passionate, live in the moment, most comfortable when socializing w/ close friends, enjoy relaying knowledge, ambitious, resourceful, cheerful, loves freedom and hates limitations, courageous, wanderer, adaptive, optimist, bold, enthusiastic, friendly, benevolent, loyal, vivacious, hard-working, rational, generous, well-read, selfless, tolerant, resourceful, forgiving, responsible, loyal (eventually), brave, intuitive, polite, compassionate, kind, protective, pioneering, spontaneous, trustworthy, reliable, honest, passionate, determined, idealistic, perceptive, affectionate (eventually), persistent, brave, energetic, open-minded, enthusiastic, logical, caring, fearless, self-confident, daring, helpful, patient, affable, sincere, disciplined, eager.

Neg: Can be rather cocky and self-assured. Worrywort towards anyone xey see as needing protection, can be too excitable, emotions can change quickly, can have a quick temper, will passionately state xeir opinions or principles in the moment, yet reserve the right to always change xeir mind, stating just as passionately xeir new views later on, can seem unpredictable or unreliable, can be non-committal when it comes to plans, as xey also reserve the right to change xeir agendas with xeir mood, can become so enamored with xeir ideals that xey become very ungrounded and unrealistic, finding regular life and its limitations to be inconvenient as well as disappointing, can sometimes seem condescending, can be impulsive and impatient, inconsiderate, disobedient, stubborn, blunt, disruptive, biased, opinionated, calculating, gullible, impulsive, ignorant, nosy, obsessive, vague, self-indulgent, when xey get upset, they can become dishonest, agitated, restless, aggressive, petty, and isolative.

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Extra Images:

#character intro post #original character #characterintro #multimuse roleplay blog #multimuse roleplay #multimuse rp #fandomless rp #kosmicmuses #kosmicart #nyx starchaser #longpost #text heavy