#trying this tumblr blaze thing why not | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

phantomrose96 · 1 year

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I'm thinking about Tumblr Live again and ruminating on WHY it's such a huge flop and I think I've figured it out: They've completely refused to make it a tumblr feature...

By which I mean (begrudgingly goes to unsnooze Tumblr live) this:

^This is meant with zero insult or derision to the people above, but these are absolutely not Tumblr users.

Every single thumbnail I've ever seen for Tumblr live seems to say "This is for clout!" "This is for a thirst trap!" "This is for influencers!" "This is for Tiktok wannabe stars!" "This is for showing your pretty filtered face and reaping what people on Instagram and Tiktok are desperately chasing!"

I'm remembering that Reddit has (or had) livestreams you could tune into like this. I've tapped into some. Ones I remember offhand include:

a guy just wandering around downtown in his city silently showing people the streets and stuff

a guy streaming his attempt to beat the last level of Celeste

a guy streaming his dog he was petting

And that, that was Reddit. That was undoubtedly just regular Reddit users going "oh stream feature? yeah okay. here's my dog." "here's my video game." "here's my street corner in Prague."

And when I think of all the recent successful Tumblr features, they're all things that correctly tapped into actual Tumblr user interests. Blaze had people go "haha yeah here's my dog." "here's my advertisement for a horse lawyer (lawyer who is a horse)." They let us buy crabs because, fuck it, crabs. The blue checkmarks were funny. Polls turned into the fandom brackets people have desperately wanted to make for a decade+. I'd wager the merch that calls on old Tumblr memes is at least decently successful.

If Tumblr Live wanted the chance to be successful, it should have been angled toward Tumblr users. "Here, you can livestream your cat if you want." "You can livestream yourself working on some fanart and chatting." "You can livestream yourself going bird watching because birds are your hyperfixation and you can identify them all by their song to all your followers who want to tune in for bird facts."

But Tumblr Live has never tried to be that. It ONLY seems like it wants to be a Tiktok-clone, Instagram-clone, clout-chaser baited-hook trying to pull converts over from Tiktok/Insta/etc who are trying to grow their influencer brand, which Tumblr is lethally hostile to.

(And ALL of this is only touching on the concept behind what's happening here. I haven't even touched on the third-party streaming service and questionable data protection.)

Like fine, I guess I get it from a business model of trying to grow your userbase--since catering to your existing userbase doesn't pull in new meat. But this will not work. Because anyone, tumblr-native or not, trying to grow themselves as an influencer will NOT find success here. This place is not a place of honor. No highly esteemed deed is commemorated here. Nothing valued is here. What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us. We will not watch your Shein haul stream.

#chrissy speaks #tumblr live

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damazcuz · 2 years

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One more question(for now) why do people on tumblr use tags to talk #like this #about whatever they think of the post, instead of just commenting on the reblog😭 Is there an etiquette I'm missing?

short answer: yes.

long answer, there is an etiquette to it, and I think it's a longstanding thing that just ended up ingrained in a lot of users, which comes off as cold/shy/outlandish or maybe even standoffish to people from other sites and apps. there's no be-all end-all of how to act online or on here but i think in terms of most* people (*speaking broadly, making this up) who've used tumblr for a while it feels like this:

tumblr is a theater, the dashboard is a stage, each post is a performance. (a joke, a dramatic act, a story, a movie, a picture, etc.) you have a variety of ways to interact with the performance, but some of them are going to be more frowned upon--based purely on how the long standing visitors of the theater are used to acting, honestly.

likes are a polite applause, but they don't show anyone outside of the theater that you enjoyed yourself, or what you enjoyed. the performer appreciates the applause but does not garner any new viewers when you only like a post, btw.

silent reblogs mean you exit the theater with merch or a leaflet and go show it to other people. look what i saw on the stage, don't you want to see it too. this shows the performance to a new variety of viewers, who might then also show it to others.

replies and reblogs with content are often seen as """"rude"""" because they're like standing up at the end of the performance and loudly saying "that was okay but I think MY take on things makes it just a BIT better." people are more forgiving of this when it's something universally true or acceptable, or when it's very funny. if it's not (and even if it is, sometimes,) there'll potentially be a reblog down the line making fun of it (and this is another person in the theater standing up and making a fart noise, regardless of how tasteless or rude.) it's never actually "wrong" to add comments on a reblog unless you're being intentionally hurtful, and it's normal to add commentary to a friend's post, but even then, people seeing this from the outside may see that as obnoxious and impolite and try to call you on it anyway. (people are very weird about enforcing what they see as a universal rule of etiquette, when this is admittedly the only site where you'll be punished for adding to the discussion.)

and again, this is an absolutely arbitrary rule because what one person finds universally true and hilarious, another will find trite and stupid and too niche. the polite thing to do in the case of the latter is just reblog from further up the chain than the commenter, but people aren't always nice when they're annoyed.

getting to your actual question now, comments in the tags are a way to leave remarks that you DON'T want to shout to the whole theater. these are you whispering to yourself or your friend, or writing in a guestbook on the way out. people can see/hear it if they go looking for it, but you're not shouting over the performance to get your piece out. it's polite because it's unobstructive and doesn't take up space, and if your tags don't make sense to someone else or seem too niche, they don't have to share the post with your commentary attached.

adjacent to this, "peer review" or screenshotting someone's tags to insert them in the post is like if you did whisper to your friend, then your friend wrote your comments on a whiteboard and held it up for others to see. as this is a form of commentary within the reblog, it's again subject to an arbitrary universal/niche rule. just because a tag gets peer reviewed doesn't mean it's beyond reproach by strangers.

also in line with this general line of thought experiment, blazing a post means that between acts, you run up on the stage and start shouting your piece. it is, once again, going to be more acceptable to strangers to see you do this if it's something universally funny, true, or cute. this is why niche fandom posts, vent posts, and self promotions get ignored or booed down, while pet birthday photos and silly jokes get blazed and get a lot of notes regardless.

lastly, a kungpowpenis is when twelve+ individuals from the audience get up and beat the shit out of the person performing on stage and leave their corpse on display in the town square.

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inthisuproar · 1 year

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Was going to write this as a reply to something but realized it needed its own post.

The tl;dr is that, from the looks of it, Automattic absolutely has every intention of turning Tumblr into a marketing media platform.

I work for a marketing company. I build websites.

Specifically, I build websites on Wordpress.org, which is operated by the Wordpress Foundation.

The Wordpress Foundation is the non-profit counterpart to the for-profit company Automattic.

Automattic, as we know, is the company that currently owns Tumblr.

Now, the thing about Wordpress.org (not to be confused with Wordpress.com) is that it's very, VERY popular amongst small businesses. Not only can you build a fully-customizable website with relative ease, you can also add an online shop using another Automattic product: Woocommerce.

Not too long ago, I noticed a new feature was added to Woocommerce: A button next to each Woocommerce product which allows you to Blaze them to Tumblr right from the comfort of your dashboard:

This is what I get when I click that little "Blaze" button...

As someone who understands these tools, I understand the potential implications of these features:

The Blaze feature is basically an up-and-coming ad campaign system that's directly integrated with Woocommerce websites, which I think is the first ad marketing system of its kind. You don't have to log into a social media account to advertise your products, use a second-party integration, or even pay another service to manage your social media ads. It's all baked right into your business's website.

THIS is their planned money-maker, folks, not the rainbow checkmarks or crab armies. And the reason why Automattic would do this kind of thing is simple: Businesses are wealthier than individuals. By implementing a B2B service, Automattic can make more money off of Tumblr than user subscriptions and shoelaces will ever provide.

It's all the same song and dance. Businesses can now shove more ads into your face in a new, convenient fashion. It'll be ads that don't look like ads disguised amongst ads that do look like ads, just like it is with Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and literally every other marketing media service that calls itself a "social" media.

(Tumblr's new video feature? My guess is that it's there to prepare for video-format Blaze campaigns. Influencer-style videos are the only kind of ad format Gen-Z is receptive to, which is why you're suddenly seeing videos on every platform.)

All they really gotta do now is make Tumblr look appealing to the normies so they can draw in a userbase that isn't trying to escape the onslaught of commercialism that plagues other sites.

Tumblr is one of the last true social medias we have; a place where content is made purely for the sake of talking about it. But given the writing on the wall...I doubt it'll stay that way.

#yells

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sunshines-legacy · 4 months

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Pining in the Undercroft - Sebastian Sallow

Pairing - Sebastian Sallow x Female MC

Word count - 2.3k

Warnings/tags - Smut, female masturbation, neck kissing, cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, All characters are 18+, NOT PROOFREAD

Summary - Sebastian finds his best friend moaning his name in the undercroft after an argument.

A/N - AAAHHH this is my first time posting my writing here on Tumblr!! What a momentous occasion <sparkles> The character in this oneshot is my MC, Sunshine Sparrow! I've been working on their lore and in trying to figure out her character, I've ended up writing so many smutty oneshots TvT Anywayyysss I hope you like!!

divider credit

Today had been a horrible day for Sunshine Sparrow. The hufflepuff had been scolded by her professor (for something entirely out of her control), her friends had been particularly more harsh than usual, and to top it off, she and her best friend, Sebastian Sallow, had a nearly friendship-ending argument.

She would never admit it but she was worried that her ongoing crush on the Slytherin boy was driving a stake into their friendship. She tried so hard to not let it impact their dynamic. But sometimes, Sebastian did things that made it hard for Sunshine to keep her cool. He loved to tease and flirt with her just to get a reaction. Whether it was her flushed cheeks or defiant response, he loved the way she reacted to him.

Lately, however, Sunshine was responding differently to Sebastian’s false advances. Instead of throwing back her own mock flirtations, she would jerk away and laugh off his words. This happened earlier today when Sebastian whispered a flirty joke in her ear, an almost daily occurrence, but today he was just a little too close. His voice was just a little too low, and his cologne just a little too strong.

Sunshine had flinched away, cheeks blazing, and tried to laugh off her own behavior. She couldn’t think of a way to excuse her odd reaction because she couldn’t think. The smell of him encompassed her whole. When he had backed away enough that she wasn’t so overwhelmed by him, she realized that she should have returned his joke to best keep up appearances that she wasn’t totally and absolutely in love with him.

She couldn’t even remember why they were fighting. All she could think about was how his shirt stretched over his chest and strained against his biceps as he lifted his arm to push his hair back in frustration. The way his tongue darted over his lips and they way his dark eyes scrutinized her very being. She vaguely remembered being mad at the beginning but now, as she lay alone in the undercroft, all she could remember thinking was how much she’d like to ravish him.

The undercroft was dusty and stale when Sebastian had first shared the chamber with Sunshine. Since then, she’d added a much needed feminine touch. The secret room now had a warming charm and two couches she had transfigured from two empty crates. She transformed the usually cold and harsh room into a cosy nest of comfort.

Even now, with all she was risking by being there, the brunette girl felt surprisingly at ease as she held back soft moans. With her back against the couch cushions and her leg thrown over the back of the couch, her hand worked feverishly at her core.

Picturing Sebastian in her mind, she bit her lip and tugged at her own nipples. She imagined his eyes, deep and beautiful, gazing into hers. His mischievous smirk as his hands wandered her body. His freckles shining like stars as a thin sheen of sweat dripped off his warm skin.

She imagined grabbing his soft hair, tugging it until it resembled more of a mane than hair. She imagined kissing his soft lips, feeling his tongue on hers. She imagined that it was him rubbing her clit and fondling her breasts. Her head fell back as his name slipped from her mouth. Her fingers work faster, dipping into her pussy before returning to the bundle of nerves just above. The squelching of her slickness alongside her trembling whimpers echoed softly through the chamber.

She imagined Sebastian’s big hands on her hips, pounding his pulsing cock in and out of her. His lips attached to her neck, his hair tickling her cheek. His moans and grunts rumbling in her ear as he brings her closer to the edge.

His name slipped past her lips one last time before her hips bucked up into her hand and she let the wave of pleasure flood her senses, leaving her gasping for breath. She kept her hand moving slowly in and out of herself, bringing her back down from her high.

As she caught her breath, the hair on the back of her neck raised. She was being watched. Bolting upright, she quickly covered her naked form with a nearby blanket. The singular lit brazier wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the shadowy figure standing next to the door but she recognized him quickly enough.

Fuck.

Anxiety stabbed through her gut and wrenched up her throat. Involuntary tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she hung her head low, avoiding his gaze. Her wobbling voice called out. “What are you doing here?”

She couldn’t bare to look at him knowing that she took the risk and her friendship is now over. A tense silence clung to the air before Sebastian stepped closer, into the light.

“I came here to think,” he answered truthfully, lessening the gap between the two. He kneeled in front of the couch and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. His hand gently moving her head to face him, enticing her to finally meet his gaze. The blush blazing on his cheeks was nearly as hot hers as his lips twitched up into a nervous smile.

“There’s no reason to cry, Darling,” He whispered, using the same damned nickname he would use when teasing or flirting with her. The very name that made her week in the knees when rolled off his tongue. “Now that it’s clear that you fancy me...Are you perhaps worried I don’t fancy you back?”

She couldn’t help but frown at his words. Even at a time like this, he was teasing her. Despite her frown, her cheeks blazed as he acknowledged that he did in fact see and hear her previous activity. She pulled away from his hand, bashful that he finally knew the extent of her feelings.

“You have nothing to worry about, Princess. I’ve fancied you since the moment you bested me in Defence Against the Dark Arts.” He grabbed Sunshine’s chin and turned her head to face him, quickly planting a long anticipated kiss upon her lips. She leaned into him, the guilt and regret slowly dissipating while butterflies erupted from her gut and fluttered through her chest, threatening to burst.

The two pulled away to catch their breaths, resting their foreheads together. Sebastian’s gentle hands stayed firmly planted on her face, hesitant to explore. Sunshine, however, was unsatisfied with this. She released her tight grasp on the blanket around her and let it fall around her legs. Sebastian opened his eyes upon hearing the material ruffling only to be met with the view of bare breasts. His breath caught in his throat and he forced himself to look away. After having a few seconds to process what he saw, he finally let out a slow, shaky breath.

“It’s okay. You can look,” She whispered, wanting him to look, desperate for his eyes on her body. He returned his gaze to her own, fighting the urge to look before double checking.

“Are you sure?”

Sunshine nodded confidently, and Sebastian wasted no time granting his eyes a feast of female flesh. He licked his lips as he pushed her back until she felt her skin connect with the cushions under her. He sat up, watching the way her sweat-sheened skin twitched under his scrutiny. She fought the urge to cover herself under his dark gaze.

After committing the image to memory, Sebastian leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before trailing down to her neck. He spent what felt like hours hunched over her naked form, painting her skin red and purple with his mouth. When he was finally satisfied with the blossoming swirls of color adorning her pretty skin from her neck to her chest, he at last connected his lips to her eagerly awaiting peaks.

He fondled her right breast as his lips locked onto her left one. As his teeth grazed her nipples, she bit her lip to muffle a moan as she arched her back, pushing her breasts more into his face. Her hands raked through his hair before grabbing a firm fistful, desperate to hold on to any part of him. Sebastian spent quality time with each nipple before even considering to move on. When he did, he trailed open-mouthed kisses down her abdomen and pushed her legs open. Since their argument was during dinner, Sebastian hadn’t had a chance to eat but now he had the opportunity to dine like a king.

He gazed at the sight for a long moment before he couldn’t restrain himself any more, his hunger making him dizzy with desire. Starting with her thighs, Sebastian kissed and licked her soft, supple skin. He would trail slow, tender kisses towards her heat, getting close--so close--but not close enough. He would tease her like this until her desperate whines echoed around them.

She tightened and loosened her grip on his hair repeatedly, letting out her frustrations as she tugged lightly. Sebastian responded only with a low chuckle, his warm breath fanned over her sweat-cooled skin, sending shivers up her spine. Quickly after, he ghosted a kiss directly on her clit. Her hips bucked but barely moved thanks to Sebastian’s strong grip holding them down.

“Sebastian, please!” She had handled so much teasing from him so far that his fake kiss deepened her desperation for the direct contact he’d been depriving her of.

“What is it, Princess?” He cooed, knowing exactly what to say to make her flush. His lopsided grin, accompanied by his lust-drunk eyes made for an expression that she couldn’t take her eyes off despite her embarrassment.

She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn’t actually make her say it but when he didn’t move and just stared at her with that arrogant look on his face, she knew he would.

“Use your words, Darling. What do you want me to do to you?” Sebastian cooed, tracing shapes on her thighs, his breath hitting her exposed cunt with every word.

“I.. I want you to..-” She paused and looked away, her inner modesty refusing to let her say such words. But she managed to say them, even if in a whisper. “-to eat me out.”

Sebastian chuckled, clearly enjoying her red cheeks and flustered expression. He would have asked her to repeat it louder, if only to tease her more but he decided she had done well enough. So he rewarded her. “Good girl.”

His appraisal filled her with warmth as she nearly purred. He quickly got to work leading chaste kisses from her inner thigh to her clit. And as he finally pressed his lips to the bud with full force, her hips reflexively tried to jerk up but once again, his hands kept her firmly in place.

“Now now~ Settle down,” he said promptly before licking a strong stripe up her folds. She shuddered and gripped his hair tighter, letting out a quiet moan. He pressed his tongue flat against her pussy lips before dipping it in as far as it would go. She tugged on his hair again, earning a deep groan into her pussy. Her legs squeezed around his head as the vibrations zapped her nerves. Sebastian had to pry her legs open to keep her from exploding his skull with the sheer strength of her thighs. He brought his hand up to her clit and rubbed harsh circles. Her hips jerked hard at the sudden stimulation as a whine escaped her throat. His fingers and tongue manage the intense pace as they quickly coax her to the edge.

“Sebastian! I’m so close-” Sunshine whispered through moans and Sebastian sped up his already dizzying pace. His other hand rounded and easily slipped two fingers in, finding and abusing her G-spot. Her moans turned into high pitched whimpers and whines as she’s thrown over the edge and plunged into an ocean of mind-numbing pleasure.

Sebastian’s fingers and tongue slowed but kept a steady pace to ride her through her high. When she opened her eyes, and her body stopped spasming from the intense orgasm, she tried to slow her quick and shallow breaths. She let out a hum of approval, as she finally lifted her head to look down at the boy still lapping at her liquids. Sebastian’s eyes flicker up to hers before pulling his face away from her sweet, sweet pussy. He licked his lips, smiling smugly as her juices dripped down his chin.

Sunshine returned the smile, hers more blissful than anything as he slithered up her body and pressed his wet fingers against her lips. She quirked a brow, hesitance written on her features before obediently opening her mouth when his gaze hardened. His fingers slid over her tongue, the taste of her own pussy an unfamiliar one as she cringed at the flavor. Sliding back and back until until his fingers hit her throat, her brows drew down, tears pricking her eyes as she willed herself not to gag.

Sebastian’s tongue swept across his lips at the sight, not missing the way her eyes flickered to his lips. His fingers pulled out of her mouth, leaving a string of saliva. He let out an amused huff before crashing his lips onto hers and plunging his tongue into her mouth. She moaned into him as his hands roamed her naked body, sending shivers down her spine. His hands made their way up her arms and locked with her hands in his hair. He managed to pry them off before pinning them above her head, holding both her wrists in one hand.

She gasped and pulled away from the kiss. She watched his hungry eyes as his free hand tugged off his tie and wrapped it tightly around her wrists, securing her arms in place. The view of his tousled hair, wrinkled clothes and the thin sheen of sweat on his skin was to much for her. She couldn’t stand having him right here, so close yet not close enough. She needed him inside her. And so she caved. She said the one sentence she has been so desperate to say.

“Sebastian.. Fuck me..”

Read part 2 here

#sebastian x mc #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy sebastian #hogwarts au #hogwarts legacy smut #oneshot #light angst #smut #hufflepuff mc #hufflepuff x slytherin #sebastian sallow smut #sebastian sallow x f!mc

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phoenixyfriend · 2 months

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A lot has been happening today that rep calls could affect. UN vetoes, KOSA, Julian Assange, UNRWA's funding crisis and Israel's demands that it be completely dismantled, the large number of bills we just learned are on the docket for the coming week, and even the good news that is recent successes by the BDS movement.

And like... I care about this stuff. I want to talk about it. But it takes an emotional and mental toll to do it, and it takes time, and... there are two reasons to write up reference, update, information posts:

Compensation. I'm not a journalist, but if I were, I would in theory be getting paid for the information I collect and share to my audience. However, I am not, and am doing this for free. I have gotten maybe $5 in donations since I started this project, and while I recognize that this is probably because people are (quite rightly) donating instead to Palestinian charities or local campaigns or something, it's a basic fact that I am not actually being compensated for this work.

Promoting change and activism. This is in fact my main goal: to have a positive impact on current events by giving people a guide on the news and politics because there's so much happening that's hard to keep track of, and if I'm already doom-listening to half a dozen political podcasts, I might as well save other people the trouble, right?

The thing is, like... most of the reblogs on my guidelines and helpful posts are from me, to me. I am the one reblogging. I am desperately trying to get these things to circulate so I can make a difference, but... no dice. Some of the posts are admittedly pretty long (my 'how to call your reps, here's some verbiage' post is 3.4k words), and I can imagine some people are saving it for later, and then maybe forget, or they don't want to share something controversial, and like... I do get that. I do.

But it does mean the posts aren't circulating, and thus they're having less of an impact, and I can't help but feel like there are other things I could be doing to help that would be more effective. More bang for my buck, except it's my time and effort instead of my money. Like, maybe it would have more an effect if I hunted down a wider variety of elected officials I could bother instead of instructing other people on how to bother theirs? Maybe going to protests (which would be a huge commitment due to distance) would be more effective than trying to help ensure that the effectiveness of "I actually have a vote and you are losing it" of calls has the weight of numbers behind it.

Especially since I did try to blaze it, and tumblr mods rejected the post. I don't know why. It's not against ToS, since none of it was disinformation or election interference, which is the only reason given on the FAQ for why things might not be approved for blazing, but who knows.

Maybe tumblr just decided the possible blowback on them for blazing a pro-ceasefire post would be too much.

I don't know. I just... it's just really disheartening to try to help and it gets stymied because, as much effort as it might be, it doesn't reach more than a (comparatively) tiny audience, especially when my relatively low-effort polls and shitposts get easily ten times as many notes with way less energy put in.

EDIT: This is not a post that I need to have reblogged. this is just me bitching. This a vent post. What I am asking people to reblog is my activism posts that I spend hours on to try and help nudge things in a better direction. Please reblog THOSE. This one doesn't need reblogging unless you have an actual comment. Reblogging this post just to reblog, with neither useful comment nor encouragement, is not helping me with my issue of 'not paid, not making an impact' or helping with any important causes.

#personal #vent post #phoenix politics

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incorrectbatfam · 1 year

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Batfam having tumblr.

🔥 Sponsored with Blaze

official-batman

I don't care what the media has told us about antiheroes, but there is absolutely ZERO excuse for taking another human life and if you do then you're no better than the thing you're trying to stop.

redrobin ⇌ official-batman

op is a furry

official-batman ⇌ redrobin

Firstly, I don't fit the definition of a furry since I do not wear the suit for recreational purposes nor is the design remotely in vein. Secondly, you shouldn't be ridiculing people's interests. As I was saying, there's a plethora of scientific evidence showing that while humans have killed in certain instances, we are biologically wired to be altruistic people and shouldn't give into moments of anger.

thatpurplething ⇌ official-batman

"Just don't murder" wow way to oversimplify a broader systemic issue AND minimize the trauma murdered people experience

notmysecretanimeblog ⇌ thatpurplething

Not to derail because it's a good point but user @/thatpurplething endorses unethical consumption by having chicken nuggets in her profile picture.

i-am-darkness-i-am-the-light ⇌ notmysecretanimeblog

Actually those are bofa

dickwings ⇌ i-am-darkness-i-am-the-light

bofa deez updogs

your-tired-librarian ⇌ dickwings

Going back to OP's point, there is a lot of debate around the biological killing instinct. As an example, some animal species cannibalize themselves, even within the same families. Sometimes it's out of desperation or an attempt at protection, but other times it's overt hostility. Even at the cellular level, microorganisms can absorb and break down their own kind. There's a great book from some Ivy University professors talking about the self-destructive programming found in nature. #op being a furry is still a massive oof

orphanized ⇌ your-tired-librarian

the cain instinct

bluebirdz ⇌ orphanized

Me when my brother falls down the stairs and tells me he's been Destiel Superhelled

local-zombie ⇌ bluebirdz

Me when my brother

kitty-central ⇌ local-zombie

What is happening?

pennyworthy ⇌ kitty-central

Batblr's splendid work as usual.

lesbian-premium ⇌ pennyworthy

why was i blazed this post

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donnerpartyofone · 2 months

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Tumblr is a funny thing because I think we each have some kind of generality about the character of this platform that we assume is universal, which it really isn't. The other day someone I follow said something about this being the social media site where everyone has tech jobs, and I thought Oh huh, I thought this was the chronic unemployment website! Then I saw a post where someone was saying that she didn't believe that anybody REALLY ruminates on embarrassing experiences forever, she thinks that's a completely made-up unrealistic emo pose and in real life everyone just gets over all their shit in a matter or days or weeks, and several of that person's followers piled on in agreement, and I was like...I mean not only is neurotic ruminating a real and common mental problem, but I definitely thought "everyone on Tumblr" ruminates on their humiliating experiences forever! I thought this was the clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder website.

But anyway this thing happens where you join Tumblr and you follow whoever looks good to you, and then after seeing that cohort's reblogs and interactions with strangers for a while, you can start to forget that almost everything you see is in some way triggered by your own editorial choices, even if indirectly. It can start to feel like what's on your dash is "everything", it is representative of the entire usership of Tumblr. And then one day you find yourself criticizing this conceptual monolith you created, and you start using that hostile, performative Tumblr "y'all" to address the crimes of a mass of people who you imagine to be simultaneously a) attentively following your blog, and b) in opposition to everything you stand for. You think to yourself People on Tumblr are fucking crazy, why are they all like this?, forgetting entirely that the whole thing is chiefly defined by your choices and you are in no way experiencing objective reality.

This diatribe has been brought to you by a blazed post I just saw featuring a wedding photo of a guy in USMC dress blues, where the guy is saying that he wants to make Taylor Swift say hi to his wife for their 10th anniversary but he doesn't know how to get in touch with her, so he has come to Tumblr where he thinks there are people who know how to get the most famous person on the Planet of Earth to do personal favors for randos. This was so divorced from the reality I'm familiar with on every single level, I just sat there staring at the post for minutes trying to pick a reaction to it. And then after that I saw another blazed post of a girl taking a selfie in a fancy hotel, and I found that her entire blog was just stock photos of hot rich people gently making out in luxury settings. And I remembered, ah yes. This, too, is Tumblr.

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crustaceousfaggot · 1 year

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Why you should give Text Adventure games a try (and how to do so)

There is not nearly enough love for Text Adventure Games here on Tumblr. Or anywhere really. But especially here, I feel like you guys would really get a kick out of them. Here's why:

(quick note, I'm gonna be using the words Text Adventure and Interactive Fiction pretty interchangeably here. Technically that's not perfectly accurate, they are technically different things, but I don't care to explain the difference Just roll with it.)

Do you like weird short stories told through unconventional mediums? That's most of what Interactive Fiction is

You like story based video games but hate the finicky combat? Congrats, there is literally no combat skill required beyond the ability to type "hit guard with crowbar"

Blind or visually impaired? Since these games are (with a few exceptions) entirely text based, they work great with a screen reader!

Sick of profit motivated AAA titles with no creative integrity? Well, these games are almost always produced by a single nerd (usually a horrid amalgamation of computer geek and literature geek) with no budget and no responsibilities of the product they're making. And they're usually not paid, since these games are free. Text Adventure is a labour of love, and in most games you can feel the care and effort the creator has put into the game.

Sick of spending $20-70 on a video game? Lucky you, I've been playing TA for years and I have not spent a cent in doing so (Fallen Londen will try to make you pay. But Fallen Londen sucks and is run by bigots. Fuck Fallen London.) Games are either available free on a browser, or as free, small downloadable files (most of which can be played using the Parchment Interpreter)

Wish you read more, but reliant on the quick dopamine of digital media? Well now you can read while also being an active participant in the narrative.

Bad at puzzles? Me too! Games from the 80s and 90s, as well as more famous newer games, have walkthroughs and hints easily available online. Newer games tend to either have a "hint" command, or come with a walkthrough file.

Do you like weird surrealist horror? Well there's... A lot of it.

Okay, but where do I start?

So there are two types of text adventure. The one you might be more accustomed to, and which sees more modern use, is called Hypertext Interactive Fiction. The other is called Parser Interactive Fiction, it's generally seen in older games, as well as games that are larger, feature more puzzles, or involve more exploration.

Hypertext games

Basically, the game will give you a scenario, and then a list of options (hypertext links) to click on to decide what to do next. These are usually more beginner friendly since you don't need to fiddle around with parsers, but personally I find them a bit limiting. Nonetheless, if you're new to Text Adventure, they're a good place to start.

Some of my favourites hypertext games (summaries in green)

My Father's Long, Long Legs is an interactive horror story about family, unease, and loss. Really more of a story than a game, but still good. Very nice use of sound. It does have some visual aspects, so this one might not work with screen readers

Scene Kid Simulator is pretty much what it says on the tin. A cute, nostalgic, coming-of-age slice of life story from the POV of a 2000s scene preteen. Nothing special, but a fun time.

The Uncle Who Works at Nintendo is a strange, unconventional, witty, and heartfelt horror game. Your friend has an uncle who he says works for Nintendo. You're about to meet him, or so he says. A fun and spooky look at childhood, childhood friendships, and childhood lies.

16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonald's is... A joy to play. The name says it all honestly. Witty, charming, tense, engaging, and emotional when it wants to be. I actually found this one through a lucky Tumblr Blaze, which makes sense since this is perfectly suited to Tumblr sensibilities. This one has more puzzle aspects than most hypertext games, but it's still relatively easy and beginner friendly. You're a vampire hunter. It's your night off, and you go to McDonald's. But there's something wrong with the customer sitting beside you...

Toadstools is a game about hunting mushrooms. You have trespassed in a national park and you are wandering blindly through the woods looking for rare fungi. Good luck :)

Parser games

Okay these fuckers are where I really get excited. These games have the classic flashing cursor line where you input text like "go north", "search bookshelf", or "kiss my husband", and the game's rudimentary AI parses your input to decide what happens next. These are my favourites. They really allow you the feeling of exploring the game world, immerse you in the protagonist and the story, using just text on a screen and simple inputs. This does make them considerably more difficult, since a) you need to decide the right way to phrase what you want to do, otherwise it won't work, and b) more possibilities means more chances to mess up and miss things. Unlike video games, your cursor won't light up when you see something important, you'll have to search stuff and work things out on your own But, in my opinion, it is so, so worth it. Summaries in red

The first text adventure game I ever played was One Eye Open. It's an extremely graphic and gory medical horror game (although I would consider it tasteful medical horror, in that it never derives horror from medical procedures, disability, or ooOoHh gross scary sick people) You play as a volunteer test subject for a medical research facility, having to unravel the mystery of the hospital's bloody past. It's good. It's fun. It's tense. It has some really dumb mechanics. Don't play if you're sensitive to descriptions of gore, death, or corpses. This one doesn't have a walkthrough, but I've played it enough times to know the puzzles by heart, DM me if you need help.

Anchorhead is possibly my favourite piece of interactive fiction I've ever played. It's incredible. You play as a newlywed woman, moving to the small seaside town of Anchorhead after your husband Michael inherited a mansion from some distant relatives. There's something wrong with the town though. There's definitely something wrong with your husband's mysterious ancestors. And you're starting to think that there might be something strange happening to Michael. Get ready for some wonderfully atmospheric and immersive Lovecraftian horror, action sequences that are incredibly vibrant for Text Adventure, and a super compelling mystery that the game lets you work out on your own. The puzzles here are hard. I'm not gonna lie, I used a walkthrough at several points during this game. But my god it's worth it. Big massive huge content warning here for mentions of incest, sexual assault, and pedophilia. Not in excess, and nothing explicit, but it will be mentioned as part of the story.

Little Blue Men is a short, strange, sci-fi-ish horror-ish comedy-ish game by the same author as Anchorhead, though the two games are wildly different. You are an office worker. Cope with it. Take The Stanley Parable, Stella Firma, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, mash 'em together, and you have Little Blue Men. It's bizarre. It's evocative. It's pretty darn good.

Coloratura is a strangely beautiful sci-fi story. You're a weird little alien blob. You've been separated from your home and are trapped aboard a human spaceship. You need to get home, need to make the humans understand in the only ways you can: color and song.

Slouching Towards Bedlam is a brilliant little steampunk game about language, choice, cults, Armageddon, and triangles. This game has multiple endings. It's neat in that none of the endings are really "good" or "bad". Rather, you need to decide where you stand, and act in the way you think is best.

The Lurking Horror is the grandparent of horror interactive fiction, released in the late 80s. You're a tech student in university. Something more than electricity is powering the school's computers. Find it, but don't die along the way. Besides the comically archaic descriptions of computers, this game doesn't feel all that dated. It's tricky, puzzle-heavy, and charmingly surreal. (Fun fact, this game and another old TA game called Zork inspired the "darkness kills you" mechanic which would later be popularized in Don't Starve!)

Nine Lives is a very short, very weird, very cartoony game where you play a cat that is very bad at staying alive. Cw for non-graphic but repeated cat death.

Spider and Web is one of the most ingenious uses of Text Adventure as a medium I've ever seen. It's famous for having one of, if not the singular best puzzles in video game history. It's tense, it's fast-paced, it introduces you to mechanics slowly and then lets you test them out on your own. I won't spoil too much, but you play as a very badass spy, reliving your brilliant heist during an interrogation. This game even features a character destined to be a Tumblr Sexyman. It really has it all.

If anyone actually read through all this, and has even considered playing any of these games, I'll be a little surprised. This post turned out a lot longer than I wanted it to be. It was meant to just be "hey interactive fiction is a cool and underappreciated medium, go check it out", but this is my special interest, and not one I often get to talk about. I guess this was me infodumping to the only place that will listen, the empty void of the internet. But these games are fun. And they do not get enough love. Text games are a dying genre, if they're not dead already. Give them a chance, show them some love.

#video games #games #text adventures #interactive fiction #horror #horror games #lovecraftian horror #anchorhead #if #decided not to mention Cragne Manor #because that's a beast all it's own #and it isn't really worth reccomending unless you're already an Anchorhead fan and seasoned IF player #swarm's nonsense #gaming

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theriu · 1 year

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Dear @staff ,

I must respectfully yet with restrained Millenial rage request you please put the “My Blog” button BACK at the bottom-right of the app and put the new Tumblrmart button at the top, because accidentally clicking into the Mart while trying to look at my own blog makes me actively disinclined to buy anything in the store. And I RESPECT that ya’ll need to make money! But this feels like the kind of underhanded trick other social media sites hit us with, and I am so, so irritated about it.

And it’s not even just the marketing ploy, it’s the sheer inconvenience! Before, I could switch easily from my Notifications to my Main Blog; now, my Main Blog isnt even ACCESSIBLE while I’m in Notifications, adding more clicks. You took a very convenient app and made it less convenient. I am so freaking aggravated that every time I go to look at my own dang posts, I feel like I’m barely avoiding being tricked into visiting the store, making the whole process of using the app less enjoyable. You already ate one of the prime buttons with Tumblr Live, why did you need to do THIS?

In summary, please just switch the current locations of these two buttons; the Mart would still be visible on the app, and this unnecessary annoyance would be rectified. I wish to remain respectful and reasonable because I value being polite and I appreciate a lot of things you all are doing to keep our beloved dumpster fire (affectionate) of a site funded and running, but I also confess a deep, admittedly childish desire to throw things and flail angrily.

And to show my passionate sincerity in this endeavor, yes, I AM Blazing this post because I’m so determined someone actually see this that I’m willing to throw money at it. Thank you in advance for any acknowledgment of my mightily restrained ranting.

Sincerely and cordially (and irritably) yours,

A Tumblr User Of Like 12 Years, For The Love Of My Sanity Please Fix This

#tumblr #tumblrmart #staff #respectfully #I could ignore the tumblr live button but I use the my blog button a lot #and now I feel tricked and I do NOT APPRECIATE IT #this is probably not gonna do any good but MAYBE?

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thegirlmirage · 2 months

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Whatever I personally think about a user isn't super important but just to throw in my review of transphobia I've received on this site:

- I got so many death threats from asking for money for my HRT that I had to shut down my campaign. No bans made that I'm aware of.

- more than once a post of mine has been picked up by TERFs or other open fascists who have collectively harassed me and sent death threats - no bans - I had to rally my own response to that

- attempted to blaze a post for my transition fund and it was blocked despite earlier posts making it through

- I've watched many important posts for the trans community, especially depicting transition, real or artistic, get flagged

- the "porn ban" that is actually a sex ban. Gender and sexuality are often crossed together and they knew that when they banned it because that's what they've been chasing down since. If I want to talk about the sexual changes I've been experiencing with HRT there's a strong chance that'll be two reasons why my post and potentially account will be banned because I've seen it happen countless times

- TERF is such a protected status on Tumblr that they have their own circles, their own tags, and it's pulling in children to that ideology which on the surface should absolutely be against site rules. The fact no action is taken is the most absolute clear indication of this sites support of fascism and hatred of trans people

- the big fucking wizard hat when the transphobic game was being released. What the fuck was that?

Anyway there's more I'm sure but I've been called a lot of things on this site that I've not been called anywhere else. The Queer solidarity that should exist on this site is constantly under threat because of how much fascist ideology is allowed to spread and how much anything else is ruthlessly policed. Even if that's somehow an accident it's still having an incredibly noticeable effect. The persistent feeling from me and other trans people is that this site has been trying to remove us entirely for some time. But trans people have always existed and always will

#tumblr trans #car and a hammer #tumblr staff #transphobia #queer discourse #harassment #staff lies

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merinsedai · 2 months

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Dreamling Abbey

My fic for the @the-centennial-husbands-bigbang !!

No lie, guys: I decided to do this after coming out of a heart scan at the hospital on the sign up deadline. The thinking being: I could have a dicky ticker here, why not try something new? And this was perfect because if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I need a deadline.

And so here we are.

I am MOST affronted by how hard this was?! And how bloody long it took me (mostly because I spent a lot of time staring into space or relentlessly googling 'did they have xyz in Edwardian England) All you wonderful, talented writers have made it look so easy that all that effort came as somewhat of a shock. Honestly, I am deeply saddened that the copious amount of Dreamling fic I have voraciously consumed in the past 18 months has not magically made a fantastic author out of me. Why does osmosis not work for writing?

If you read, I hope you enjoy!

(The ticker's fine, by the way. Not dicky at all.)

Art by the fabulous @lalaithquetzallicaresi Thanks for squeezing me in there, lovely! ❤

Pairing: Dream/Hob

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 50k

Warnings: Rape/Non-Con elements

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Downton Abbey Fusion, look it's Downton Abbey but Dreamling omegaverse. Sorta. If you squint, I'm not sure Julian Fellowes would approve, If you haven't seen Downton it definitely won't matter, because I've unashamedly just stolen bits and pieces and thrown the rest to the wind, Attempted Sexual Assault, Rape/Non-con Elements, Non-Consensual Kissing, Pining, period typical attitudes to gender. If you reframe gender to include alpha beta omega dynamics, omega rights paralleling the suffragette movement in England, Minor Violence, lots of vague references to classic cars, mention of unethical medical procedures, Time and Night are bad parents, Omega Dream of the Endless, Alpha Hob Gadling, Hob Gadling Loves Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless│Morpheus Needs a Hug, Unbeta'd

Read chapter 1 on ao3

Fic Summary: Lord Morpheus is the eldest child of the Earl and Countess of Endless, an ancient family hiding huge debts behind a fine name. As an omega, Morpheus cannot inherit his father's title or the family's ancestral home. His function is simple: secure a match that is both socially advantageous and financially viable, thus securing the future of the estate and the title of Earl of Endless for his offspring. The family believe that their troubles are solved when Morpheus dutifully (if reluctantly) becomes engaged to his wealthy cousin, Patrick. However, all their carefully laid plans are thrown into chaos when Patrick drowns on the ill-fated Titianic.

Now Morpheus is navigating treacherous waters of his own and discovering how tight the ties of family loyalty bind him. Will the charming and handsome Duke of Crowborough prove his saviour? Or will the wealthy yet odious Sir Roderick Burgess ensnare Morpheus in plans of his own?

Meanwhile, the family’s new chauffeur, one Robert Gadling, is muddying the waters of Morpheus’s existence even further- where is the line between a servant and a friend? Can Hob help Morpheus see that life exists beyond the confines of family and function?

Chapters below the cuts and in subsequent reblogs, should you wish to read it here on tumblr.

Chapter 1: Complications with the Great Matter.

April 1912.

The papers had been late this morning. Not that Morpheus notices their tardiness. Serious daily newspapers are the preserve of his father and since Morpheus has little interest in the society gossip that proliferated on the pages of The Daily Sketch, the only periodical he is allowed in his room, he rarely bothers to glance at it. However, the large photograph blazing across the front page is so arresting that he finds his eyes drawn to it immediately, ignoring all else on his vanity to take the paper and read. It is bad news of course, the papers rarely print anything but. ‘DISASTER TO TITANIC ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE’ boldly proclaims the headline, beneath which is black and white image of the doomed liner, adjoined by one of her seemingly also doomed captain, John Smith. Morpheus’s eyebrows draw down as he reads the brief article: so many presumed dead, so few saved. They would know people, of course. His mother knew the Astors, and they had dined with Lady Rothes only last month. Still, the privilege of first class likely meant they would be amongst the survivors. Those below decks… on their way to a better life, well they would not have been so fortunate. What a tragedy, Morpheus sighs and closes the paper. This news rather put his own woes into perspective-

The door bangs open and Desire flounces in without so much as a by your leave, as is their way.

“Dream!” they shout without preamble, then glance at the newspaper in his hands with a slight moue of disappointment. Being the bearer of bad news is something Desire takes a measure of delight in, “Oh, you’ve seen already, Huh,” They shake their head, before bending over Morpheus to look more closely at his paper, hand gripping his shoulder. This close, the smell of the perfume Desire favours- a rich and spicy aroma deliberately chosen to overwhelm their natural omega scent- makes him wrinkle his nose and move his head away. Desire’s fingers tighten on his shoulder and they huff in amusement. They are not strictly allowed to wear perfumes but Desire goes their own way with everything. “When Jessamy told me, I thought she must have dreamt it!” Desire continues in a low tone, meeting Morpheus’s eyes in the mirror. “To think, we were just talking about that ship the other week. Remember how excited old Lucy Rothes was? Supposed to be unsinkable- ha!”

“Every mountain is unclimbable until they climb, so every ship is unsinkable until it sinks,” Morpheus responds neutrally, putting the paper down and shrugging Desire’s hand off to stand. Desire moves with him, smoothing their hands over the non-existent wrinkles on the shoulder of his jacket before adjusting his already meticulously placed tie pin. Morpheus endures the attention for a moment before once again moving away. He does not enjoy this close scrutiny and Desire knows it, but it is always a delight of theirs to make him feel uncomfortable.

“Hm” Desire hums then shrugs, “Come on, now you’re all sorted, lets go to breakfast. Aponoia said she saw the telegram boy come by. I want to find out if there’s any more news. Won’t it be something if someone truly important drowned? Gossip for weeks.”

***

The papers always print bad news. Of course they do. But that news is viewed through a detached lens. Shocking, of course, but not too close to home. Telegrams though- that’s different. They take that news and make it personal.

Breakfast had proven to be a fraught affair. Their father had been away from the room when they first arrived, speaking with their mother so they were to learn, but he had soon been back and imparted the news of their family’s misfortune to his children with unusual brevity. Then he had left without saying anything further, leaving the three of them to process the news alone: the news that Patrick Endless, their wealthy cousin and Morpheus’s fiance, had been aboard the Titanic with his father, James and neither were listed among the names of the survivors. Morpheus had not felt like eating further and had removed himself back to his rooms with his siblings following uninvited (though not strictly unwanted). He had wanted to think but he also knew the danger of getting lost so deeply in his mind, so Desire’s sniping and Aponoia’s quiet presence would be… grounding.

The stupid thing was that Patrick was not even meant to be on that cursed ship; he and his father weren’t expected in New York until May. Why? He thought Why did they go? And without saying anything? Perhaps Patrick had planned to telegram from New York- a boast and a surprise.

“Turns out that the lure of the Titanic’s maiden voyage was too strong.” Desire says as if reading his mind, and with a hint of mischief in their golden eyes. They lounge dramatically against the doorframe whilst Morpheus stands and stares out of his window, gazing at the grounds below. It all looks so quiet, so normal. Why doesn’t he feel sad? Desire continues, “They wanted to be part of history and now they are history.”

“Desire,” Morpheus chides half heartedly. It is a crass statement but he can’t find it in himself to react more strongly. Maybe they are looking for a reaction from him, or maybe this is now how his sibling processes strong emotions. It certainly seems in character. Aponoia has not yet spoken. She just sits unmoving, staring vacantly ahead, toying with the ring on her finger, turning it over and over. He himself feels oddly disconnected from the news. How is one meant to react upon learning that their intended had been so suddenly and shockingly killed- drowned in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, their frozen corpse not even recovered, just left to sink and rot in the sea. Dream blinks slowly, probably not like this, he thinks vaguely. He feels there should be some weeping and wailing involved at the very least.

But there is only numbness.

***

“Uh, I detest black,” Desire flounces into the room the next morning whilst Morpheus is busy writing in his journal. He enjoys writing, it helps to order his often scattered and rebellious thoughts.

Jessamy, the maid he shares with his siblings, has just finished fixing his hair and is busily setting his bed to rights, plumping the pillows and smoothing the coverlets. Desire regards themself critically in Morpheus’ tall mirror, turning this way and that. Aponoia trails after them silently. She is also dressed in black and it makes her look even more wan and washed out than usual. As for Desire, their outfit may have been the requisite black, but it still looked to Morpheus to be sufficiently rakish as to raise their parents’ blood pressure. Hardly proper mourning material. “At least going into mourning won’t ruin your aesthetic, Dream dear,” Desire stretches languidly and collapses back on the just-made bed, smiling thinly. “Always a silver lining somewhere.”

“Full mourning still seems a lot for a cousin,” Morpheus replies vaguely. He tries to pay little attention to his siblings, bent over his journal and writing quickly. The habit of diary writing was born of necessity: a strategy to help quiet his mind, he’d been told, but now it is a pleasure.

“But not for a fiance,” Aponoia’s voice is quiet. There is no accusation in her tone, only the retelling of fact.

Morpheus huffs slightly. “He was not really a fiance.”

“No? I thought that was what you call a man you’re going to marry?”

“I was only going to marry him if nothing better turned up,” he turns the page and continues writing.

“Morpheus! What a dreadful thing to say!” Desire looks simply delighted. “Poor dear Patrick was absolutely besotted with you. It was quite pathetic to witness really- your indifference and his lovelorn obsessiveness,” they shudder theatrically. “Perhaps it’s a good thing he drowned; saved him from a miserable life with you as husband.”

“You dare suggest I would have been a poor husband to him?” Morpheus demands, slamming his diary closed and rounding on his sibling. Desire shrugs insouciantly, fiddling with a diamond earring.

‘“Well you didn’t love him. Barely liked him. And he wasn’t the cleverest where you were concerned, but he would have seen it sooner or later, and hated you for it. Of course, I could wish an unhappy marriage upon you, dearest brother. But Patrick? He deserved better.”

‘Better?’ Morpheus raises his eyebrows. Desire’s words were often full of spite towards him but this was such a quick switch around from mocking Patrick to defending him. Was there something here he had never seen? Never bothered to look for, in truth. “You would have considered yourself a better prospect, my sibling? Taken what I would have discarded?” He raises his eyebrows in challenge and they glare at each other for a moment, then Desire drops their gaze.

‘Yes,’ they say softly, vulnerability etching their features momentarily. “Would that I were eldest and not… as I am. Then I would have taken him like a shot.”

They stand, shields quickly going back up. “Well,” they sniff pointedly, looking away from Morpheus and towards the door, “It’s not so bad I suppose. Mama says we can go into half mourning next month, then full colour by September. A shame we have to spend the summer so drab- and miss the season down in London!- but at least we’ll be ready for shooting parties in the autumn. Come on Appy, let’s leave his lordship alone. He clearly craves solitude. To think,” they sneer, “and write in his stupid diary.” They flow out the room without a backwards glance, Aponoia dutifully trailing in their wake.

Morpheus sighs and turns back to his journal, opening it and staring at the blank page but not picking his pen back up. Desire and Patrick… not that he thought Patrick had returned any sort of affection to his younger sibling but still, had he really been so blind?

“I was so terribly sorry to hear the news, my lord,” Jessamy offers quietly into the silence of the room as she finishes adjusting his bed again. “You say these things but I know you are sad. Whatever you say.” “You are a dear,” Morpheus murmurs. “But I do not feel as badly as I should. I do not really know… what I feel.” That is probably a bad reflection upon me, he thinks. The truth was that beyond the normal amount of grief that came with the sudden and untimely passing of an acquaintance, Dream felt nothing. Patrick had hardly been a grand passion. They had known each other since childhood but had been thrown together through circumstance rather than any actual attraction and they had barely anything in common. So no, he was not as sad as he should be and that was what was really making him sad. This marriage would have been a thing of duty. Their family was old, old enough indeed to have had plenty of time to rack up considerable debts. A lack of money hidden behind a fine name. Morpheus’ marriage to Patrick would have secured the estate’s future, shored up its ailing finances and kept the title very much in the family. As an omega, Morpheus would never have been able to inherit his father’s title but his children could, if they were alphas. And now, there was no marriage, no money and a very uncertain future ahead of them. Morpheus’s one duty, his one function in society, was to secure a good match and that duty lay so heavily upon his shoulders. If only Olly had stayed- but no, there was no use in dealing in ‘if onlies’. Practicalities only, and practicalities meant marriage. And soon.

#centennial husbands big bang #centennial husbands big bang 2023 #centennialhusbandsbigbang #mr sadman #centennial husbands #dreamling #the sandman #the sandman fanfiction #the sandman fanart #a thing I wrote

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