#whichever one's more accessable to me in the moment

[caccry]

watched the hobbit. I adored him.

#thorin oakenshield #the hobbit #like they really made such a great character when they made him its crazy #i missed doing these doodle pages i wanna do one for bilbo as well #i'm just very hobbit brained rn i want to draw them all #or inject the story into my veins #whichever one's more accessable to me in the moment #my art #caccry art

[tarotwithlove]

pac ⋆ assumptions people make about you

reminder that this is a general reading and messages found here may not apply to everyone. take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and don't force anything if it does not fit.

BOOK A READING WITH ME · LINKTREE · 18+ PATREON · SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC · TIPS ♡ tips and feedback are highly appreciated!

GROUP ONE

cards · two of swords (reversed), the hermit, the devil (reversed). mischief · keep your eyelids open and sight sharp as nails for there is something trailing behind your tail.

my dear group one ♡ you may be what people consider as “too closed off for your own good”. there are so many people who want to be a part of your life, who want to be your friend or even your lover, but who cannot find a way to make this happen. 

you may be extremely offline at the moment, or you may be choosing to protect your peace by turning all your social media accounts private, leading people to take any little crumb of information they can get about you and make radical (sometimes ridiculous) assumptions. 

the more that people do not have access to you, the more they need to make up reasons why this is so. the biggest assumptions that people make about you is that you are someone who has a lot of casual relationships as well as that you are someone who likes to drink and party more than anything else.

you may not post often and when you do it’s of you going out and spoiling yourself, which leads people to think that this is what you prioritise when in reality this is only a small portion of your reality. there’s a few people who even wonder whether you have a problem with alcohol, because of how “often” you post about you enjoying it. 

GROUP TWO

cards · ten of wands, two of swords (reversed), the high priestess (reversed). rebirth · there’s death in all that awakens. for it isn’t blissful nor painless; it’s a might rising, oh flame resurrected.

my dear group two ♡ you may have recently undergone a major physical transformation or you may have started doing something with your appearance that’s different from usual. be it cutting your hair a new way, bulking up, trying a new style of dressing, or whatever else.

people tend to see you as someone who is aloof and difficult to befriend and, thus, choose to observe you from afar. 

people have seen your transformation and assume that you are doing this because you have experienced some kind of heartbreak. they look at you and think something like, “who hurt them?” … 

others simply think that you are almost unrecognisable from how they remember you, sometimes having to do a double take when your paths cross. they wonder if you have been pushed into this transformation because of shouldering a big new responsibility, such as a new job or new career prospect.

honestly, whichever of these most applies to you, the assumptions that people make about you most of all come from them seeing you as intimidating—probably because they also assume you are far more mature and level-headed than them or anybody else they know. 

GROUP THREE

cards · four of wands (reversed), queen of wands, six of cups. owl · behold sight oh, ancient ones. for there is magic in the darkest of places if one dares to open their eyes.

my dear group three ♡ you may be particularly spiritual or religious. you may wear jewellery or have tattoos that denote some kind of spiritual or religious affinity, or carry yourself in such a way that makes people see you as someone with immense knowledge and wisdom, particularly because i heard the term “arcane knowledge”. 

people see you as someone inherently out of their league, assuming that you are capable of looking after yourself without the support of anybody else. this is particularly true for family members who may not know you as well as they think they do and potential romantic partners who can do little but watch and want you from afar. they assume that you have your life figured out and are rarely bothered or affected by the difficult or painful things that happen to you, or difficult or painful circumstances you find yourself in. 

romantic partners assume that once you close the door on them it’s closed for good. even if you want certain people to come back into your life, they assume you are too above them to ever give them a second chance. or, in some cases, a first chance. 

the neatest and most succinct way to say this is that, frankly, people assume you are much stronger (and, for some, much pickier) than you actually are. 

GROUP FOUR

cards · death, the tower, judgement, knight of sword. healer · listen as the medicine bleeds through her teeth, a river of mercy blessed by mother. seen only by those who hold her mirror. 

my dear group four ♡ it is in energy that’s coming through for you, as if you are on the verge of so much change while also holding on to so much of your past. i’ve started this paragraph a few different times, deleting and rewriting as i try to word the message in the best way possible, but i think the first is probably the most accurate: you are finally freeing yourself of a death and rebirth cycle.

you are coming out of a loop in which with every great high you immediately experienced a great low. and people are seeing this for themselves too. 

people have been critical about you in the past, making the assumption that you will never amount to anything, or never fulfil a goal or dream. but as you surpass every expectation that they had for you, they start to see how wrong they were to doubt you. 

and, now, rather than assume you are bound to fail, they cannot help but assume the opposite—that you are bound to succeed. 

people also assume that you are somewhat of a “king’s maker”; that even if you may never have the spotlight you can ensure that other people do. they also assume you are intelligent, and not just intelligent for intelligence’s sake but most importantly, a good teacher who can help other’s learn without feeling condescended down to. 

#** #tarot #pac #pick a card #pick a pile #pick a picture #pick a photo #tarotonline #tarotblr #tarotcommunity #tarotcreator #tarotdaily #witchblr #channeled message #channelled message #spirituality #spiritualism

[raainberry]

Nighttime Serenade

« Silly Series - 14 »

Sana x gn!reader

Fluff

synopsis - quiet nights and cuddles, doesn’t get better than this

wordcount - 664

A/N - rain got me inspired, not proofread bc its late i can literally feel the bags coming to life under my eyes. enjoy!

The slight panic Sana felt when you shifted your body on top of hers… Her sleepy eyes were suddenly wide and alert as she thought about you leaving her embrace.

It was a frightening possibility. It had barely been an hour since you’d sneaked into her arms in search of some comfort after a long day, but it was getting late. If you wanted to get to bed, she’d understand although she wouldn’t be all for it.

Your presence, the warmth and love you gave her were things she missed all day. She hated when your free days didn’t line up, leaving her alone with only thoughts and cravings with your name on them. The hours between your lips on her forehead in the morning and your soft, gentle kisses on her cheek in the evening seemed to stretch into infinity.

Tomorrow was her turn to leave you behind for the day. She liked to think your clinginess tonight was motivated by that thought. She hoped the small strokes of your palm, the delicate touches of your fingertips against her skin was a way for you to appreciate the few hours you had left in her company.

Her eyes kept looking up at the time displayed right underneath the TV, and she had to hold herself back from laughing at her own behavior. How much more obsessed could she be… You were in her arms, as close as you could be, yet she was already missing you.

Her gaze slipped away from the screen to find you every once in a while. The sight of your head resting on her stomach put a smile on her lips. She couldn’t see why nor how it could be as comfortable as you claimed, but she’d never complain. Easy access to your hair, random kisses, your soft breathing against her skin whenever her clothing allowed it… why would she complain?

A small hum resonated from your chest as her fingers gently pulled on a few strands of your hair, brushing them out of your eyes. The gesture alone could put you to sleep if she did it long enough. That was exactly what you wanted to avoid, but it didn’t mean you wanted her to stop.

So you focused on the TV, suddenly remembering about its existence.

The variety show you’dsettled on out of laziness to switch channels turned out to be more perfect than anything you could have willingly picked. Entertaining enough to share a few laughs, each other’s favorite sounds, but not interesting enough to make you forget about this moment you wanted to cherish.

Sana’s occasional giggles caused your head to bounce a few times, and as much as you loved to see her happy, came a time where your comfort just wasn’t negligible.

You lifted yourself off of her, unknowing and oblivious to her dismay as you went to find rest against her chest.

Relief washed over her when she realised you weren’t going anywhere. She bit her smile back at the familiar feeling of your hair tickling her neck, and her arms wrapped themselves around your back. A sudden surge of love pushed her to squeeze you closer, and your view on the screen was now blocked as her cheek was squished against your forehead.

“I love you.” She mumbled, her voice just above a whisper. You smiled at the words. You couldn’t get over them, no matter how much she said them. Whichever way she let them out, whenever she let you know, they seemed to have the same effect on you.

Warmth, from your chest to your veins. One that put your heart at ease. Your mind at peace.

“I love you too.” You sighed out, content and hopeful of the words making her feel the same way.

Sana smiled at the serenity you’d granted her, and pressed her lips on top of your head in a soft peck before training her eyes back on the TV.

Hopefully the night hours will take their time, stretch out as much as the day’s had.

#sana x reader #twice x reader #twice imagines #kpop x reader #twice sana #minatozaki sana #sana fluff

[redflagshipwriter]

Hi, it's Tim (just Tim) Chapter 4

Masterpost

Tim paid cash for a mid range hotel room. He had to use his ID, so the odds weren't zero that it was eventually going to be found when the hotel registered their current guests. But there was nearly infinite data out there. Not even Barbara could monitor every upload in real time.

Kon was hovering a nervous centimeter off the ground behind him when Tim swiped the door open. He flicked his eyes down pointedly and raised a single eyebrow. Subtle much?

“Thanks,” Kon said, apparently misinterpreting that as an invitation to enter first.

Ah well. Tim walked in second and surveyed the room. They'd been given a two queen setup. He gave the one near the window a disdainful look. Like he'd be caught dead directly under a viable entrance. That was just begging for some dickbag to shoot a bazooka at you, like what happened to that one mask creep a couple weeks back.

Kon plopped down on the bed by the window and posed, crossing one ankle over his knee.

“I thought you were going to get supplies so we can stay in?” Tim said, knowing he was ruining Kon’s attempt at seduction.

Kon stared blankly for a moment and then flipped up in a way a human never could. “That's right. What do we need?”

“Two boxes of poptarts, two pizzas, a pack of bottled coffee- I'll write down my preferred brand.” Tim ripped off the first page of hotel stationery and started scribbling out his list. Hmm. He looked at it and made some changes so that Alfred would be less upset at him. He wrote ‘vegetable’ before pizza and added “bottled water”. Tim looked over his list once more, frowning slightly in concentration. He was hoping to hole up here for 24 hours or until a bat came and dragged him out, whichever came first. Would this be enough food for Kon?

“How much do you eat?”

“Uh-”

“Daily calorie intake?” Tim clarified.

Kon blinked at him. “I eat until I'm not hungry, man.”

Tim sighed. “Make sure to get some things that you like too,” he prompted. He moved over to where Kon was still hovering over the bed and folded the paper into neat quarters. Kon watched curiously as Tim stepped to the edge of the bed and leaned over slightly to tuck the paper into his jacket pocket.

Then he dug his wallet out of his back pocket and did some quick calculations. “Use the blue-green card,” he decided. “PIN is 8516, if you need it. How fast can you fly without a human passenger?”

Kon rattled off numbers.

Tim nodded decisively. “Good. Can you use the card like, two cities over? Make sure to stay off of camera,” he clarified. “So my family doesn't spot you and realize it's not me.”

He took a moment to consider how Bruce would react if he thought Tim was missing and someone else was accessing his money.

Hmm. Tim frowned. “Be really careful to stay off camera,” he amended. He reached around and put his wallet in Kon’s back pocket. “I think that's all.”

He was going to have a hell of a time explaining this and paying for it. Tomorrow.

“Okay,” Kon said, strangled. He was gone in a blink.

Tim took the time to do a proper check of the room for surveillance equipment and any biohazards. It came up clean, or clean enough, considering it was a hotel room. He plugged his phone in on the bedside table without turning it on. It was just a burner but Bruce would check for it eventually. He didn't need to make it easier.

Knock knock

Tim heaved himself up silently and padded to confirm if it was Kon without a key, an assassin, paparazzi, or (worst of all) Dick.

It was Kon. He opened the door.

“Thanks man.” Kon breezed in and started unloading bags at high speed. Tim watched his teammate open up the mini fridge and start packing in coffees. He smiled. Then Kon started putting in vegetable puree style juice. Tim frowned. A bunch of bananas and “What even is that?” Tim complained. “A potato? You brought a potato?”

Kon gave him a piteous look. “It's a mango, Tim.”

Tim crossed his arms. “I don't see why we need it,” he muttered suspiciously. It still looked like a potato. He knew all about potatoes. Maybe Kon just ate raw potatoes like a- like a chicken or something.

“Why…” Kon smiled in disbelief and shook his head a little. “You don't have to eat it. You might like it, though.”

He chose to keep his thoughts on that to himself.

Kon let out a delighted laugh anyway and floated over, dubious potato still in hand. “Don't be so grumpy, baby,” he crooned.

Tim huffed. “I am not grumpy,” he lied. “I am just rightfully suspicious of unidentified produce in my vicinity-”

“I identified it,” Kon pointed out. He leaned down and brushed hair off of Tim’s face. “I promise it's a mango. Let me give you a taste?”

Ugh. Fine.

Kon rightfully took his posture as agreement. He looked under his eyelashes coyly as he peeled some skin off- and okay, that didn't look like a potato. Tim relaxed a little. Kon brought the mango up. Tim leaned towards it but Kon brought it to his own mouth and took a bite, releasing a sweet scent into the air. He swallowed. He put the mango down and crowded into Tim.

Oh. Tim realized where this was going. He smirked up at Kon and trailed his fingers up the bigger boy's biceps. God, they were enormous. When Kon leaned down, Tim lifted his face to match their lips together.

They were soft and- weirdly big. Tim wrapped a hand around Kon’s neck to pull him down more firmly so he could explore the new feeling. Was that how it just felt to kiss someone with bigger lips than yours? He licked the bottom one and dug his fingers into Kon’s scalp. Kon sighed and slid his hot hands around Tim’s back. Fuck. Tim pressed back into them. The one spanned the back of his whole waist and the other was splayed over both of his shoulder blades. Fuck.

Unfortunately, Kon took the movement as asking for an end. He broke the kiss and took a step back, eyes hazy. Tim let his hands drop to his sides. “How was the mango?” He asked, husky.

Tim had to take a moment to process. “I have no idea.” He squeezed his hands into fists. “I didn't notice that at all.”

Kon preened.

Ah. Tim frowned. He should have realized that would fuel Kon’s ego. “Are you hungry?” He checked.

Kon blinked. “No, not really.”

“Good.” Tim fisted the lapels of Kon’s jacket. He pulled in to get Kon off balance– and Kon let him. Tim pushed back. Kon went backwards onto the bed with pure confusion on his face. Tim swallowed a laugh and crawled into Kon’s lap. He knew he was making the smug expression that Stephanie had hated in bed, but Kon didn't seem put off at all. “Can I?”

Kon swallowed. “Y-yeah.”

#timkon #dc fanfic #batman fanfiction #red just tim

[onmyyan]

Okay, Hia! I’m hate to ask y/n’s friends trying to seduce Caspian! Idk if you had done this already but I was Caspian meet our friends and it’s obvious that they wanna fuck him

A/N: apologies for the wait! Loved this request bec Cas gets feral when you're relationship is tested, let me know if y'all want a smut to this!!NOT EDITED

TW'S: Yandere, cursing, horny Cas, shitty people/ friends, suggestive towards the end, Cas gets mean but don't worry never to you

You nearly buzzed in place from your ever growing excitement, not only were you about to go out looking as fine as you were, but you were going with Caspian!

A few friends of yours texted you last minute asking if you wanted to join them at the club, they asked if you could be the designated driver as they all wanted to drink and despite the small voice in your head telling you not to, that they'd only asked you to join so you could drive, the people pleaser in you won out and just like that you were scrambling to pick an outfit.

This particular group of women were more work friends than real ones, and the urge to belong was stronger than the odd vibes they gave off, this is the main reason you tiptoed into the kitchen that afternoon.

"Hi honey- what's wrong?" His tone went from joyous to concerned in a matter of seconds, he all but abandoned the pot he'd been diligently stirring for the last hour in favor for cupping your cheeks. "I'm fine my love, just- you free tonight?" His shoulders relaxed at the question, his large frame tilting down so he could steal a kiss. "For you? Always."

"Welllllll I know you didn't have the greatest time with my friends the last time we hung out with people I know but they invited me to the club- they need a designated driver see, and I was wondering if maybe you might wanna go with me?" Your nerves were apparent from the way you played with your shirt sleeve and it almost made him chuckle, as if you ever had to worry about him saying no to you.

"I'd love to go, and if you want to drink I can drive, you shouldn't have to limit yourself so others can party." He may have been smiling in the moment but his temper began to flare at the idea of you being so clearly used by people who cared little if at all for your wellbeing.

He knew how much you loved to dance and he could tell how happy you were to be apart of something so he bit his tongue and prayed to the universe he didn't loose his shit in front of you.

The two of you got ready together, the process being halted many times so he could kiss your neck or lips, whichever he had better access to at the moment the urge struck him. He made sure his outfit complimented your own, before you left he attached the prettiest necklace to your neck, making sure to leave a trail of kisses as he pulled away. The pendant was an adorable set of intertwined rose gold hearts, your initials carved in the shining metal, he giddily pulled a matching dainty chain from beneath his shirt, showing off his own.

"So we match." It was a subtle way to keep his possessive urges in check. Plus the way you lit up when he put it on was reason enough on it's own.

Caspian made a habit of racing to get out before you so he could hold the door open as you exited his sleek black car. He gave his keys to the valet with a finesse that seemed practiced and immediately slipped a large hand around your waist, his grip tightened subconsciously searched for the harpy's. The group appeared in no time squealing in what he deemed was a fake display of excitement.

"You came!! You're such a lifesaver (y/n)! What would we do without you huh?" He didn't bother listening to her name so he didn't exactly who had their disgusting arms around you despite your obvious discomfort. You giggled gently taking them off your shoulders and started to respond before another cut you off, "You didn't tell us you were bringing such a fine plus one- hi I'm Sandy." She held a hand out for him to take which he simply waved at.

"Caspian, and I'm her boyfriend actually." He didn't even try to hide his displeasure at her choice of words. "My mistake." She said in a sultry manner, her hands placed on her chest in mock sympathy.

His fist tightened before he made a move to hold your hand. "Ready honey?" He kissed the back of your hand as the group went for the door, not even bothering to wait for the two of you. "As I'll ever be." You responded, trying to breathe through the sudden onslaught of anxiety. He made sure to press kiss the side of you head as you two entered the dark club.

He fell for your kindness but damn did you give it to the wrong people.

At first things were as good as could be, you and Caspian wrapped up with each other in a darkened booth, him whispering sweet nothings against your skin, he was having a perfectly wonderful time until about an hour in, two of the women he didn't bother introducing himself to had randomly appeared out of nowhere and pulled you from his arms out on the dance floor. He pouted to himself before he caught the genuine smile on your face, he'd endure anything to keep it there. After a while the three of you trotted off to where he assumed the bathroom was, much to his displeasure. Just as he was about to whip out his phone to see exactly where you were, he caught sight of someone coming towards him.

His irritation only grew as Sandy sauntered her way up to Caspian with confidence, two drinks in hand. "You look like a whiskey guy." She slid the cup over with skill and sat on the table before him. Her finger danced around the rim of her glass and he couldn't help but gape, was this bitch foreal right now? He could laugh at the audacity but instead he pushed the drink back towards her.

"I'm not." She huffed playfully at him, as if he'd told a joke and knocked back the glass with an exaggerated moan of appreciation, knowing damn well the cheap shot tasted like gasoline. His heart began to pound in anger as he searched the crowd for you.

"Okayy well do you dance big guy?" She leaned across the table to give him a full view of her chest, the delicate bat of her lashes always got her what she wanted, so you could imagine her surprise when he stood up to his full height, nearly knocking her over with the speed. "I sure do, with my girl." He didn't try to mask his distain for the woman who claimed to be your friend.

Her embarrassment wasn't enough to stop her in her quest though, "What she don't know won't hurt her- c'mon my girls have her attention for as long as we need." She wrapped her arms around his midsection from behind with surprising speed, it felt like broken glass and salt everywhere she touched. His face twisted into a snarl as he ripped her hands from his body, all but throwing himself away from her shocked form.

"You're disgusting- what kind of woman throws herself at a taken man? Her so called friend at that?" Sandy's face fell with every venomous word he spat, not at all prepared for the man before her.

"I'll tell you what kind of person does that. A miserable one. One that could disa-fuckin-ppear and the world would be better." With every word her body seemed to shrink in on itself. "You're lucky she didn't see that shit you just pulled- if she so much as thinks I'm skeevin' cuz a cheap thing like you I swear on everything I love it'll be the last mistake you make. Are we clear? " His tone left no room for arguing, that paired with the mean ass sneer had the teary eyed nuisance nodding her head wordlessly and before she could speed walk away he grabbed her forearm in a vice, "Matter of fact this is gonna be the last time you or any one of those wastes of spaces you call friends bothers my baby again- lose her number. Fast." He made a point to wipe his hand on his pants after he released her. Cas felt somewhat better at the sight of the woman's misery but his blood was still boiling.

His eyes searched for you desperately, his pulse only calming once he spotted your happy form bouncing over to him from the crowd. "This place is amazing Cas! The bathroom was so boujie I had to take like a million pictures- I didn't make you wait too long right?" He smiled down at you, leaning against the back of the booth, he pulled you into his chest with a content hum. "You're worth any wait honey, also I want those pics, I need a new wallpaper."

The sweet moment would be ruined when he caught sight of the hag you called friend glaring at your back. His gaze would sharpen before he returned his attention to who mattered most.

He'd burn you in place with his stare, the sudden intense look had your knees shaking, you knew that look, it was almost always followed by a few rounds on whatever available surface was closest. His adrenaline still pumping, he gently grabbed the nape of your neck and pulled you into a searing kiss, the kinda kiss that was always followed by trouble.

After a few seconds you pulled back just a bit, intending to question the sudden PDA but he didn't give you a chance, after fighting his way in, he sucked long and hard on your tongue, moaning into the kiss like a pornstar, the fingers not playing with your hair snaked their way down to grab a handful of ass, grinding his growing bulge into your core had the both of you letting out the softest moans. "Fuck- what's gotten into you Cas?" You giggled against his panting mouth, visibly flustered, he licked a stripe across your bottom lip causing your exposed skin to flare with goosebumps.

"Just showing everyone here they can look-" A hand gently lifted your chin, his stare holding you in place, "but only I get to touch." He leaned down to trail searing kisses into your neck, glaring at the still embarrassed woman watching the two of you.

Like a dog marking his territory he began to nip and suck at the spot just below your neck. Your giggles and little whines being the only thing holding him back from tearing into that woman who after all she'd done had the nerve to still be in the same room as you two, you suddenly pulled away to look him in the eye.

"C'mon you horndog, let's get outta here before you try to fuck me on the dance floor." You joked tugging him towards the door.

"Hear me out-"

"Absolutely not."

#yananswers #yandere x reader #yandere #yandere x y/n #anon submission #caspian delmont #yandere oc caspian #yandere oc x reader #my oc #caspian delmomt x reader #caspian x reader #caspian demonte

[throughtrialbyfire]

Fic Author Self-Rec!

tagged by the lovely @mareenavee , thank you so much!! <3

tagging @dirty-bosmer @orfeoarte @gilgamish @umbracirrus @totally-not-deacon @v1ctory-or-sovngarde @thequeenofthewinter and YOU!! no pressure to participate, and if you haven't written 5 fics, feel free to just talk about whichever ones you have!!

Rules:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

i'm going to paste each fics summary, and then go on my tangents!

An Inner Sanctity

Two months after attempting to utilize the Eye of Magnus and gain it's power, Ancano wakes up in an unfamiliar cottage, being cared for by the very person he intended to destroy. Navigating their strange and new dynamic, the Thalmor agent finds he may be offered second chance at life, but whether or not he takes it is another story.

this fic is a huge work of exploration into what indoctrination can do to someone who has never known any different, and how that can affect things as broad as worldviews and as personal as one-on-one dynamics with people. it's also partially catharsis-fic, as giving ancano some of my own mental and physical issues and dialing it up to 10000000000% is a hell of a lot of fun. i love seeing that old man suffer and then earn his rise from the ashes. plus, using athenath in a fic where they cant rely on the other two of the trio - as this is in an AU i call the "athenath solo run" - forces me to think of how they would handle situations on his own. spoiler? not too well.

it's on a hiatus at the moment despite having a pretty long backlog, i just don't have the motivation right now to edit and write more for it, but that definitely will change in the future, because i really love exploring ancano's psyche and how he begins to grow and change.

also the fic title comes from the song "Twilight" by Bôa, while that doesnt have anything to do with the fic, i loved the line "you give me an inner sanctity", sooooo <3

The Mark You Left

Two scientists realize, upon losing contact with Dr. Richtofen, that they are truly alone in the aftermath of their actions.

i don't have 5 fics for TES, so have my singular CoD Zombies fic as well! i've had a special interest in the ultimis timeline of CoD Zombies since uhhhh 2011? maybe? sometimes it lays dormant for months and then all of the sudden i think about it daily, especially the dynamics between Dr. Schuster, Dr. Richtofen, and Dr. Groph. so, i wrote this as a bit of a loveletter to a fandom i no longer am part of, but still have a lot of fondness for. it's a quick read that hits on this concept of ultimate betrayal in the aftermath of literally betraying someone else for that person. two people dealing with that, processing that, and what they'll do in the wake of all of this.

the title for this fic comes from the song "Birds" by BENN, who used to make CoD Zombies-based songs before rewriting/redoing them for his own original work!!

Portraits Under Forgotten Suns

A collection of short one-shot fics done for TESFest 2023. A werewolf in his cage, a Bosmer alchemists' first memory, a Dunmer mage's quiet contemplation, a humble keeper's last look at the place he's called home, a sailor's fate at the wreck of the Brinehammer, and an Altmer bard's fond summer memory.

as it says on the tin! its a series of one-shots i initially published to tumblr, then moved to Ao3 to make them more accessible and have a ready archive of them! i loved working on each of these, getting into different perspectives, and figuring out how to convey the narratives of the characters i worked with. i liked writing up details of my dragonborn trio's pasts, too, and the story for "Forgotten/Devotion" was a hell of a lot of fun, getting to pull the wreck of the brinehammer into a fic!

If by Sun and Moon I Swore

With the Empire's victory in the Skyrim Civil War, Hadvar has been quietly readjusting to regular life. When an old friend turns up at his door, that quiet he'd hoped for comes to a halt.

i love hadvar/ralof with all my wretched pining heart okay. i cannot deny this pair has a vice grip on me! and working with them, two soldiers touched by war on opposite sides who once had something (in this case, used to be (and still are) in love), can be something both so tragic and so healing. pulling this pair back together, giving them some form of comfort, even if it's brief, is such a joy. i have intentions of writing more for this couple in the future, but that's likely going to be a while. still, i'll be sure to let you guys know if i do get around to it!!

this fics title is from "Like The Dawn" by The Oh Hellos! its my quintessential hadvar/ralof song for sure <3

Cycle of the Serpent

Surviving Helgen by the skin of their teeth, three elves find themselves tossed into the middle of ancient legends, a civil war, and a hell of a lot of problems. They may all have different reasons for being in Skyrim, but if they have any hope of reaching their destinations alive, it lies in learning to trust their strange new companions… no matter what. From the ruins of Helgen to the plains of Whiterun, from the seas of Solitude to the grim frost of Winterhold, and everywhere sprawling beyond, the unlikely trio will find that being chosen by Akatosh is more than they've ever bargained for. And with their own histories crawling back, and secrets slowly spilled, the trio may find that there's little they can do to escape the cycles they've made.

this longfic is… a huge undertaking. "An Inner Sanctity" focuses on two very flawed people coming to love one another. "Cycle of the Serpent" focuses on three very flawed, extremely fucked up people learning to trust one another and face whatever fate awaits them together, even when that trust is tested, even when the world is cruel, even when trauma batters and bruises them in the current and then rises up from the briny depths of the past to tug them back down beneath. it's about sustained and sometimes self-fulfilling cycles of hurt, anger, and sometimes vengeance, and it's about love and joy and companionship and friendship that lives within it all.

in short, this longfic is one of my biggest undertakings in a very long time.

i started this as a bit of a joke. the idea of there being more than one LDB was a fun idea, and then i created three elves, and those three elves gave me their family histories and their childhood friendships and their previous travels and how it changed them all prior to helgen and i went… yeah i can't just not write this and go insane about it. these three and their various methods for dealing with situations, their triumphs and defeats, and how they bounce off one another became so organic and real to me that i feel continuously pulled to keep their narrative going. this story forced me to write my first ever combat scenes (posted the snippet of my second ever real combat scene tonight!) and learn how to navigate keeping it within TES lore, while also breaking out of some of the stale writing in skyrim itself. i have plans to rewrite/overhaul entire questlines and characters to give them more life, and i've got dozens of OCs lined up - at least one of whom is hinted at within the first chapter. i have this story and these characters arcs planned out, and they do get particularly grim at points, but i never want this story to go into "there is no hope" territory. there's always hope, it just lies in learning to break your own cycles, even if it feels like it may kill you.

the title of this fic was taken from the song "Pillar of Na" by Saintseneca, i very heavily envision emeros as the first verse, athenath as the second, wyndrelis as the third, with the fourth being all three of them, and the fifth (the "eternal, eternal, eternity round…") being a sort of ensemble of all the places and people they've touched in their lives.

woooooooooooooooo!! that was long-winded. thank you for listening to me ramble on these, and thank you so much again for tagging me, mareena!! i hope everyone is having a lovely wednesday/thursday!! <3333

#tesblr #ficblr #skyrim #tes v #skyrim fic #tes v fic #tes v skyrim #ancano #ralof of riverwood #hadvar of riverwood #hadvar x ralof #oc ; athenath #oc ; emeros #oc ; wyndrelis #cycle of the serpent #an inner sanctity #if by sun and moon i swore #portraits under forgotten suns #the mark you left #bishop.txt #my writing

[river-in-the-woods]

I’ve just begun studying the Tao (as a philosophy) and I’ve had this feeling I might also need to study Buddhism as well. There’s been moments I feel like the two paths intersect, but provided different perspectives of the same, or, similar picture.

As a Buddhist practitioner, would you say Taoism and Buddhism are two sides of the same coin?

Ah, how are you finding it?

I wouldn't say they're two sides of the same coin. More like they are siblings who have shared experiences, but are also individual and complete in their own right. Both Taoism and Buddhism have philosophies that engage the intellect, as well as their respective social, political, cultural and spiritual aspects. My impression is that they tackle life's issues with slightly different mindsets. Different perspectives, as you say.

I'd encourage you to study both if you have the interest, but I do believe they ultimately lead toward the same thing. Being kind, wise, honourable and skillful, with vast knowledge of the world and deep understanding of themselves, and the will to elevate others – these are qualities of both the Taoist sage and the Bodhisattva.

The thing is, I am a practitioner, not a scholar 😄. I see the value in philosophy and lore insofar as I can understand it and put it to use. If you talk to me about philosophy, I will ask you how it can be used in everyday life.

In that regard, I would say Buddhism is a lot more accessible than Taoism. By and large, Buddhists seem to have a much greater interest in outreach, in spreading the teachings and holding events and gatherings worldwide. With Taoism, one has to invest a lot more time and resources to go beyond a reading list or making offerings at a shrine.

In any case, I encourage you to supplement your learning with action and practice, with others to guide you. These are not only philosophies to be studied, debated or understood only intellectually, but also semantically, experientially. They are meant to engage mind, body, heart and spirit, all.

What you do not learn in the textbook, you will learn from reflection, practice, and engaging with your community. Whichever you choose to pursue should be the one that inspires you to live more fully.

#buddhism #taoism #cultivation #inbox #fyrispirit

[subsystems]

Fully fused with parts?

Let’s talk about full integration / final fusion where the parts are never erased and where being a whole-yet-multifaceted person is the goal of the fusion.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone talk about this. Then again, I don’t think that there are many systems on Tumblr who are at this point in therapy with this particular goal.

Final fusion is usually thought of as the merging of all parts into one self. Before fusion, there are metaphorical walls of dissociation between you and other parts of your mind. Whichever part of the mind is active is perceived as “Me” while the other parts are perceived as “Not Me”. After fusion, those metaphorical walls disappear, allowing all parts of the mind to become “Me”.

In the past, the westernized approach to self often led to therapists pressuring fully fused systems to stop valuing (or even acknowledging) that they had parts. It makes sense to me why those older systems would often compare fusion to death. In the present day, the plurality of self is being valued more. Especially with therapeutic practices like internal family systems, it’s more normalized to acknowledge that everyone has multiple parts to themselves.

When I fused with all of my parts for the first time, we still felt each other. We were one person with full access to each other, but also somehow still parts. We were connected parts and a single person at the same exact time. I thought that maybe I did it wrong, or maybe I wasn’t fully fused yet, but my therapist (who is from a culture where having parts is more normalized) told me that this is just another way that final fusion can be experienced.

So, full integration / final fusion doesn’t mean that parts have to go away. Maybe that’s how some people want to still do it. If someone wants to recover like that, please let them. But this is a type of final fusion that I have never heard talked about before. 

I often felt alone with this experience. I felt like no one would believe me if I brought this to Tumblr, because people can get so aggressive about fusion. Something that can be so beautiful is often shoved aside and attacked. I think it’s important to talk about this, though. Hearing about this can probably really help some people.

I want to share some statements from former DID patients who have fully fused, from this professional study. These statements helped me feel less alone with my experience.

Rebecca:

“Today I feel I am fully aware and present both as the collective of parts and as any individual part. That is, even when a part of me is present, there is a collective awareness of the experience.”

Irene:

“It gradually dawned on me that I could get some relief if I paid enough attention to the voices and their pain. I understood they needed to be heard. . . . My integration is about being in control, being aware, being able to understand myself. Whenever I’m anxious and I can’t understand why, I turn inside and I ask: What’s going on? I usually get an answer that either helps me deal better with an external problem or guides me as to how to calm myself down. . . . There is a clear advantage to my situation: I have better access to my subconscious than most people do. I call this ability Creative Disintegration.”

Loraine:

“I think the best way to describe my integration process is as a progressive one. First, there were brief moments of integration; later on I was integrated during some of the time but wasn’t on other occasions. This developed into a period in which I was integrated most of the time and then, into full integration with only momentary periods of disintegration. . . . It is a process of forward and backward movement on the dissociation continuum, but the general trend is towards a decrease in dissociation. . . . once you’re integrated, you don’t feel fragmented anymore, but in emergency situations there is a proclivity to utilize the mechanism for brief periods of time to help with coping.”

Some notes from the study:

“It is noteworthy that integration was not always described in terms of a renunciation of dissociative capabilities. Rebecca, Loraine, and even more so, Irene described occasional post-integrational awareness of the old psychological entities that once formed the personality alters. . . .  Whereas Sara and Tina talked about their lives as ‘one,’ others were clearly continuing to utilize some of the advantages of the dissociative process. It is probable, though, that rather than representing ‘imperfect’ integrations this variance portrays the naturally occurring distribution of dissociative phenomena in the population. It is, perhaps, not only an unreasonable expectation but also an undesirable outcome to have a useful defense mechanism, naturally occurring in society, completely abolished in this particular population.”

I think maybe it’s important to recognize that the boundary between multiplicity and fusion isn’t as clear cut as social media likes to make it out to be.

#actuallydid #actuallydissociative #actuallyintegrated #actuallytraumagenic #dissociative identity disorder #plurality #multiplicity #fusion #final fusion #integration #parts language #sunflower posts

[ember-owlet]

hi, i'm just getting to learn about agere, and i'm a little anxious, i wanted to know if you could write something for mel as a cg?

a/c: absolutely firelight! thank you for your patience. i'm so glad you've been trying to learn more about age regression! speaking personally, it is a wonderful coping mechanism and i really hope this brings you some form of comfort on your journey. (/gen) this was an absolute treat to write and create the moodboard for as i don't see as much mel content in the arcane fandom, much less for elora in the agere tag and i hope to provide as much as i can. ʚ♡ɞ 

tw: descriptions of anxiety from reader and moments of overstimulation/overwhelm

reader is referred to as: darling, little one, sweetheart, and my love mel is referred to as mommy

dynamic: gn!regressor! reader x cg! mel medarda x babysitter! elora

----

"Now now darling I'll only be gone for a short while." Mel swept her hand across your cheek and slid down to your chin, giving you a slight tap with her slender finger to the very tip of your nose. Your caregiver had reminded you that she was going away to a council meeting for the majority of the day. "Elora will be here to provide you with anything that you'll need." Mel would look over to reveal the presence of her assistant, the woman giving you a slight nod of acknowledgment and a shy wave as to not startle you further. "You'll be a brave little one for me, won't you?" Despite the thousands of ways you wanted to beg her to stay, you knew that her work was important to her, but being without your caregiver for so long presented a new form of unease. Before you could protest further the door had already locked into place, the sound of the great marble echoing in the open air. Elora adjusted her posture before straightening once again, "I think it's quite a lovely day to go outside, don't you?" She paused, stretching beyond where you stood to retrieve your comfort plush off of the floor, eyeing the other toys and miscellaneous gifts scattered aimlessly, noting to have the place cleaned and organized before Councilor Medarda's return. "And, maybe if you feel up to it I heard there was a lovely spot near the marketplace to find a new outfit for you and your stuffie." Shuffling you weighed your options, and though it would have been wonderful on its own to stay inside and let the thoughts of missing your mommy persist, a day out couldn't hurt? The extravagant doors swung open again, much more persistent than when the two of you had exited the room moments prior. You had no idea where to go, but the overwhelming urge to curl up and cry overtook you as the room spun with you in place. You quickly launched yourself into bed, your ears tickled with the strain of picking up every beat and sound around you. Elora moved with ease throughout the room, resetting the environment to make it as quiet and calming as she physically could. Despite your best efforts, the town square was bustling with activities, unexpected noises, and situations you weren't prepared for. It was too much, and without Mel around to help it didn't take much for the churning in your stomach to become unbearable. The only other person present that brought you a sense of familiarity was now down to a side sitting position. "Hey sweetheart.." she cooed at the edge of the luxurious bed, guiding a pillow and blanket beside you, unrolling the silk should you need easy access to it. "Take as much time as you need. I let Mel know about the situation and she'll be here as soon as she possibly can." she spoke almost in a whisper, the pen in her hand being flipped between each finger back and forth. Her eyes flipped through the tiered bookshelf that rested not too far away from your bedside. "How about I read to you until she gets here. When you feel ready, pick whichever one you like while I get you something to drink." Time was lost in the countless titles that graced your collection, and through small sniffles, you gathered the energy to select a few. You draw a hand lovingly over the worn copy of The Short Tales of a Fox and Their Warren. You loved the way your mommy would effortlessly paint the images of the once lonely fox and how, after discovering another lone rabbit out in the forest, would create a warren of their own. You clutched the book tightly in your arms, another exhale to calm your restless mind. Elora poked her head gingerly into the doorway, the warm, freshly sweet scent of chamomile lingered in the air. The cartoonish mug stood tall and proud contrasted to the elegant tray. Elora bent down to hand you the heated vessel. "Drink slowly, it's still a bit hot." You took short but wide gulps of the tea. It was just what you needed and you exhaled deeply as it warmed your aching body.

Swaddled together in your bed she finishes, "And then, the once lonely fox smiled. For they knew that though this newfound family was different in many ways, they had finally found what they had been looking for: A place to belong. The End." She motioned to close the book, letting the spine crackle before it set into place. She looked down at you; rather fond of the way you clutched onto her side as you slept. Suddenly her attention was taken to the doorway, smiling at the sound of the approaching (and all too familiar) hasty footsteps. "Perfect timing. We had just finished storytime. They finally felt safe enough to rest." she greeted Mel with a gentle nod, sliding herself out of the bed to let the frazzled woman swiftly replace her position and slink into your arms. She looked around at the spotless room and sighed in relief to the peaceful atmosphere. "Thank you Elora. As always, you have done wonderfully. Tomorrow morning please have the rest of the day scheduled in my absence. I think I've had enough excitement for one day." She leans over, brushing aside the strands of hair that fell over your face. Already striking each event from the list, Elora bids the councilor a good evening and closes the door behind her. It didn't take long for you to feel the golden bangles around your mommy's waist, slowly bringing yourself to meet her gaze. "I missed you; so so much mommy." You whine, holding her tighter and burrowing your face deeper into her. She chuckles, wiping the dampness from your cheeks and placing your soft friend in your arms. "I missed you too. You did so well today, my love. Come, let's get you freshened up and ready for bed."

#cg! mel medarda #babysitter! elora #gn!regressor!reader #gn!reader #mel medarda #elora arcane #arcane agere #arcane #fandom agere #sfw agere #agere #agere fic #embers writings

[krsonmar]

Okay you know what I don't have Spotify and I haven't found a way to post fan playlists with annotations that I like yet so guess what here this is in a text post with links like how we used to roll on Ye Olde LiveJournal

This is my OFMD S1 playlist. Loosely follows the season plot. Here we go:

1.) Come Sail Away by Styx

Because duh like why have they not used this in official promos yet but also very call-to-adventure and with vibes of midlife angst

2.) Fraud by Jonathan Coulton

Every playlist needs some JoCo because there's JoCo for every occasion. Fans debate about what this song is about--I think it's very plainly about imposter syndrome as it relates to the creative process--but here I'm applying it more generally to the feeling that everyone can tell you're faking it. In other words, very early-season Stede.

3.) Royals by Lorde

INTRODUCING BLACKBEARD

(Also I did not know until looking this link up just now that Lorde is also a Kiwi! I am out of touch.) 4.) We're Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes

This song always breaks my heart (in a good way) with its sweet tale about childhood innocence and ease of making fast friends. When I was making this playlist, this track made me think of Ed and Stede's ease of "falling into friendship"...because making a new friend who gets you really can be another kind of falling, just like romantic love, can't it?

5.) My Favorite Things by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Pirates like nice things, and they don't ask for what they want...they TAKE IT!!! This is a cover of the Sound of Music song, but made appropriate for the anarchy of a raid by this aptly-named punk rock band.

6.) You're My Best Friend by Queen

I had to get some Queen in here, and this song has always hinted at a slightly-more-than-just-two-friends dynamic to me. The French talk about all kinds of relationships as involving some type of seduction, not just sexual or romantic ones, and for me this track evokes Ed and Stede falling deeper for each other.

7.) Heathens by Twenty-One Pilots OR the cover by Boston Manor

I realized when I was constructing this list to put on my MP3 player (yes, I still have one, can't you tell by now that I'm old-school) that I don't actually own a copy of Heathens by the original band (and yes, I still buy and…ahem…otherwise own copies of the music I like). I did have access to the metal cover off of Punk Goes Pop vol 7, and I think the rawness of that version fits Ed's moment to Stede of "You were always going to find out what I am" quite well. Whichever you, the listener, prefer, I think this is an appropriate spot in the playlist for Stede to be reminded that Ed does have a history, and they are all, after all, pirates.

8.) The Ship Song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

I love how we all, as a fandom, seem to have discovered this song independently of each other but because of this fandom. And what a fantastic, devastating song it is! It's not just about a relationship that crashes and burns, it's about your own ideals, dearly-held illusions, and self-respect going right along with it. And how it grows to be predictable. I don't really understand the concept of "a good cry", but if I did, I think this song would do it for me.

9.) I Crush Everything by Jonathan Coulton

The second requisite JoCo song of the playlist. This one is literally about a giant squid that hates itself, but I defy you not to be smacked viciously about the head with the Kraken vibes of it.

10.) You've Got To Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles

We've all been there. The fake-it-til-you-make-it "I definitely am doing better now :'-)" phase of a heartbreak. This is Ed's floral nightgown being hidden away and replaced by black eyeliner and kohl; this is Stede's determination to grit his teeth and return to the life he hated and now no longer can even fake his way through. The Beatles always knew what they were doing. (That said, as a note, this is about to be four kinda downer songs in a row on this playlist, and the order does matter, so since the next and last heart-wringer is about to roll up, if the tear-jerkers are getting to be too much for you by this point of the playlist, I suggest omitting this one. The Fab Four will understand.)

11.) Samson by Matthew Luke Sandoval

This is a cover I found on YouTube of the Regina Spektor song, sung with such beauty, emotionality, and earnestness by a male vocalist with an angelic voice. The cover is over 10 years old at this point, and it looks like this guy suffered an apartment fire a little while after uploading this video and ended up not getting his singing career off the ground like he would have if this world knew any sense of justice. I tracked a copy of this song down to a mostly-defunct MySpace page and if my Google-fu is accurate, Mr. Sandoval still lives in NYC and is now an accountant or CPA of some type. I hope he hasn't truly given up on his singing dreams, but sometimes doing so makes life more liveable, so I get it if he has.

That said, this song about the bittersweet regret of knowing a relationship just wasn't going to work although it was magic while it lasted seemed appropriate, especially those famous, poetic lines about "the history books forgot about us". Apply that to a fictional reimagining of a man who history knows more as legend than as flesh-and-blood fact, and his protegee, a starry-eyed would-be adventurer, and how they both went down in flames along with a golden age of rebellion against a vicious status quo, and this tender dirge for a love that couldn't be, sung with a masculine vulnerability, gains a new layer.

Yes, I am very proud of this selection.

12.) Beyond The Sea by Bobby Darin

Okay, time to scrape you up off the floor and wipe your nose. Here's a blanket and a cup of something warm. This is, AFAIK, the original version in English of this song (although it was originally written in French), and it has the right musical and lyrical cautious optimism to not only ease you up out of that Pit Of Despair I just put you in, but also to suggest the wistful hopefulness of knowing you'll see your lover again soon, it's just a matter of waiting until the tides and currents and the sea winds align to bring you back to each other. I compiled this playlist earlier this year, and as of this writing we are 10 days away from season 2 premiering, so I am of course conjecturing and self-soothing somewhat here. That said, it's a romance, we know they'll get back together!!

13.) My Favorite Things by Sarah Vaughan

I call this The "Maybe The Nice Things We Wanted Were Actually Feelings and Relationships All Along" Reprise. Another gentle healing song, one that makes me think of cautious but eager reunions and teary-eyed reconciliations.

14.) Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix

This show loves to use purple imagery to show when Ed is falling more in love with Stede, and while the show creators have said they're thinking more along the lines of Prince (and I declare, right now, before all maybe four of you reading this, that I want to bet actual real-world student-loan-paying money on Blackbonnet's canon reunion scene being set to Purple Rain, you saw it here, mark my words, etc.) if the very last scene of the show doesn't have our boys sailing off into the sunset set to the most famous misheard lyric in rock history, what are we all even doing here?

*****

Would love your thoughts or reactions, I haven't shared a fan playlist before, so I'd love any and all thoughts including things like YOU HEARTLESS BITCH NOW I HAVE TO REAPPLY MY MASCARA or anything else you please! :-) ❤

#ofmd #ofmd fan playlist #fan playlist #ofmd s1 #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #playlists #ofmd playlist #ofmd season 1 #our flag means death

[saviourkingslut]

Hi! I saw that you mentionned scrivener in your latest post and I've been meaning to try it. Is it good? I'm a one-doc-per-chapter kind of person so I wonder if it would work for me.

hi, sorry for the somewhat late reply, i wanted to include some screenshots to make my explanation a little clearer but didn't have the energy to sit down for it properly before now. if you're a one-doc-per-chapter writer i definitely think you should consider it! scrivener's most important feature, i think, is that it gives you:

the opportunity to split up your writing any way you want, whether per chapter, per scene, or even per paragraph...

...but all your writing is always within immediate reach, and you can restructure it whichever way you want.

to make that a little clearer, i've included a picture from my own work. scrivener is mostly geared towards creative writing, but i use it for my dissertation and that works very well too. this is the general interface, where you can see i've been writing an introduction:

scrivener's most important feature, to me, is its 'binder', which is this bit:

at the top, you'll see 'draft' - this is the entirety of the project you're working on. in this case, that's my dissertation. underneath, you see a little book, called 'introduction' - that's a main part of the draft. and underneath that, you can see a couple of folders and documents. that's all the different parts of my introduction. you can create as many folders and put as many different documents in those folders as you want. what i find incredible about this, is that i have an overview of all my topics, and that i can switch between all my different topics without having to open different documents OR put all my shit in one big document, which always makes me lose my way completely. and if i feel like restructuring my text? well, i can go to the binder, and drag the texts to another spot there.

since you like to work by chapter, you could just structure your binder like that in a way that works for you, but you'd still have access to all your other work if there's ever a moment when you need to refer back to it. or if you're working on multiple chapters at the same time, you can just switch between them.

something else that has helped me a lot is the 'research' part of the binder:

the 'research' part is meant for you as a writer to put down all your resources - your pdfs, your images, whatever you're using as reference while you're writing. now, because im writing an academic text and need more references than the average (fan)fiction writer, im using zotero as a reference manager. instead, im using the reserach folder to store my writing plans so i can reference and update them there. you see that 'reorganisation' folder there: it's also where i store my texts when i notice that the current structure is not working at all and i need to start over - but in such cases i don't need to write all the text itself from scratch again. this way i can keep everything within easy reach and copy-paste in the same document (you can split your screen within the program, and work in two documents at once).

what's also great are the tools. in programs like word or google docs you'll find some of these, but not all. as you can see, the first symbol leads to a sidebar where you can put a synopsis for the specific text you're working on, and it lets you add notes. the second one lets you add bookmarks to your text, like texts or references you want within reach immediately. the third one lets you add specific metadata or tags. the fourth lets you make snapshots; scrivener saves all your work immediately, but if you're about to make a big change, you can create a snapshot and roll back to that if it's not working out after all. finally, there's the comments, which speak for itself. all the way down the bar you'll also see that you can label texts ('no label' here, there's a colour system) and note what part of the writing progress this part of the text is at.

what i personally like very much is the bar at the top that now says 'opening 2.0'. you can see a light blue bar at the bottom of it: that indicates my writing progress. you can set a writing goal in number of words for your project. for my entire 'introduction', that's 8000 words, and as you can see im nearly there. if you hover over the 'opening 2.0' bar, it'll shift to show you the number of words you've written AND the number of words you've written in that specific writing session like so: 7300/8000 | 345. what i like is that it counts the actual words written - if i've deleted a sentence, my count goes down again. that's useful for me because i tend to think 'oh i've written so much today' while all i've been doing is tiny edits for 2 hours, but not actually put down more words.

there's MUCH more that scrivener offers, but i can't explain it all here. they offer a free trial for 30 days, and it comes with a practice document that explains all the features to you by making you work in the program. id recommend giving that a try if you're interested! the program is expensive (it cost me 70 euros) but it's absolutely been worth it for me. i used to have long-ass documents with half-finished paragraphs and snippets of thoughts and sentences all over, and this has helped me structure my texts more easily while also not cluttering my workspace with loose thoughts and ideas because i have more places to put them now.

#asks #long ass posts by ME feat. dumb opera shit #annotation is kinda ehh btw. like there's in-text and footnotes options but bc i use zotero they're not that great for me #there's a zotero extenstion but it's difficult to add if you're a luddite like me so i use the comments to put author and page no. instead #then i add the actual footnotes in word once i've converted the file

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2023: The Top 10

2023 was a great year for the videogames industry. A lot of great videogames were released in 2023. It was a fucking lousy year for the industry if you had a career there. It has been deeply disappointing to see record sales and critical acclaim alongside frequent layoff announcements. It feels like the pursuit of endless profit, whatever the cost. It's not sustainable and, as someone who has loved this hobby for my entire life, seeing the people who create games treated as disposable is disgusting. So, as much as this post and this blog are about YAY GAMES, there's also an undercurrent of filth that we have to keep in mind.

Apart from that, 2023 had its usual ups and downs for me. I played non-mobile games on my phone more than ever, thanks to two things: I got a Razr Kishi adapter to clamp onto my phone, turning it into a tiny Switch. Oh, and I got a pretty decent new phone. And Honkai Star Rail hooked me. That's three things.

Speaking of HSR, the ability to access cloud saves from my phone and my desktop PC was a godsend. This is true for Game Pass as well. Frequently I'd pull out my phone in the breakroom at work and pickup whichever game I'd been playing on Xbox, and it worked surprisingly well. I played a lot of Dead Cells this way, and finished Fuga 2 and Dordogne there.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that my best experiences of the year would include Baldur's Gate, a Harry Potter title, and an ALAN WAKE game, I'd have been pretty skeptical. But here we are. Also, if you're a theater kid I feel like this year had a couple of really special moments for you.

2023 also marked a return - at least somewhat - to the hobby of boardgaming. I was neck deep in the hobby from 2008 - 2015. I recently picked up Wingspan and it became a Sunday afternoon staple for myself, my wife, and our youngest child. I've missed the tactile non-digital experience of boardgames. It's nice to be back.

10. Honkai Star Rail

Well. You win universe. A gross free to play mobile game chock full of microtransactions and gacha mechanics is one of my favorite games of the year. The Genshin Impact people made a turn based RPG, see. And it's stylish as hell, and music is great, and when you get a new character from the loot boxes you get this little dopamine hit, and...

The game's events have been really surprising and well done. There's one involving staffing and stocking a museum, one involves shipping logistics, one's themed around ghost hunting. I wish I could have the $70 version of this game that isn't compromised by trying to squeeze players for money. The problem with that, of course, is that this game would not exist without all the bullshit.

But it feels good to play, it looks incredible, and I can swap between playing on my PC and my phone pretty effortlessly. So, despite the predatory MTX bullshit, I have really enjoyed my time with Honkai Star Rail this year.

I think my second biggest issue with live service games is that I don't get a sense of closure. I can't Finish Honkai Star Rail. And I'm not going to play it forever. So I get really into it for awhile (most of the year in this case) and just kind of...stop.

9. Goodbye Volcano High

This one is reminiscent of Night in the Woods; it's a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs graduating high school, with all the fears and doubts that come with that. Some folks seem to have their entire future mapped out, some are just gonna work an hourly wage job and play D&D, and your character is serious about making a career in music. More serious than her bandmates are. Also, there's a meteor coming and it looks like it might hit Earth.

This game resonated with me on a few levels. The writing is great, the characters are well written and, unlike Stray Gods, the music landed for me. It does a great job of showing us different attitudes and values clashing into one another while making each of them relatable. The hope, resentment, and willful blindness of "My friends aren't invested in this thing we're doing together as much as I am" really blindsided me. It dredged up some feelings I haven't examined in years, both for better and worse. I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this game, but Goodbye Volcano High wormed its way into my heart. Goodbye Volcano High is the game mostly likely to be the game where I look back in the future and regret putting it outside of my top 10 for the year.

Hah! Suck it, me! Top 10 babyyyyy!

8. Pikmin 4

I've never really engaged with Pikmin, but this one was a blast. It does the Honey I Shrunk the Kids thing of "tiny dudes in a normal environment so it looks all big" thing that I love. Solve lots of puzzles by throwing little plant being at them. I love that the inspiration for the series was Miyamoto watching ants carrying leaves in his yard. It still has that feeling all these years later.

It feels odd to call Pikmin a relaxing experience, as you can and will lose Pikmin. Sometimes due to the natural attrition that comes with war, sometimes when the wrong little doofuses wander into water or fire, etc. There's also a timer, which is usually a dealbreaker for me. And the story revolves around rescuing fellow space travelers who have been transforming into mute plant people on this hostile planet. In fact the whole thing sounds like a pitch for a horror game. Despite all that, there's an easy charm to Pikmin. Your little astronaut dorks keep their spirits high, and there's playful music as you explore this huge, colorful world. I found it to be a great way to unwind at the end of the day for a couple of months this year.

7. Persona 5 Tactica

Persona 5 achieved mainstream success that the games before it never reached. Atlus has been milking it for all it's worth too - Persona 5 Dancing in the Moonlight, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, and an upcoming Persona 5 mobile game. Some folks are feeling understandably burned out - I didn't get into dancing or strikers, and didn't play Royal (after putting 120 hours into Persona 5) so I was geeked when they announced a Persona 5 tactics game. On paper it's a strong pitch for me.

And in execution it's every bit as good as I'd hoped. My only complaint is the chibi art style. It isn't bad, just not to my taste. Beyond that? It's got the Persona charm, the banging music, and good solid tactical gameplay with just enough of a twist to not feel dull.

The "one more" mechanic from the series is key here, allowing the members of your 3-person team extra movement and actions. This is especially important because of the game's version of the all-out attack, which forms a triangle between your 3 party members and deals heavy damage to enemies caught inside. This makes combat an experience that rewards putting thought into. The game even has some side battles that are basically puzzles, giving you one turn to finish.

The game's new characters - Toshiro and Erina - are a welcome addition to the Phantom Thieves crew as well. I came around on Toshiro in a big way and was immediately in love with Erina. The game is about fighting against oppression and finding your courage to resist. Your friends are there for you when times are tough. It's hammy and melodramatic in the way that Persona is, and I love it. I love the game's revolutionary aesthetic, even if it's largely window dressing.

The DLC has been great so far too, starring Akechi and Kasumi in gameplay I can only describe if "What if Persona and Splatoon had a tactics baby?"

6. Diablo IV

The Diablo series has been the most consistently great video game series for me. I love the first 3 games and spent a TON of time with each. Diablo IV has the worst longevity of the series, but the best campaign. Now, I have to add a bunch of qualifiers here. The "best campaign" is a pretty low bar to clear. Diablo has always been - and continues to be - find new gear/numbers go up. The cutscenes are, as usual, top notch. While the story wasn't necessarily riveting, it was nice to have an antagonist with a personality and some ideas beyond RAWR I AM VERY EVIL RAWR. In fact, I was half-expecting the game to ask if I wanted to side with Lilith near the end, and I just might have done so. And the cinematic of the human army marching into hell while Lilith and Imperius have a philosophical discussion was incredible.

As for the replay value, maybe they'll find their way much like Diablo III did. My main issue with Diablo IV is the way new content is handcuffed to new seasons, how seasonal characters are siloed off from the rest of your characters, and how the game feels like it was built around microtransactions and milking money out of the player.

The game feels good to play. Abilities feel powerful and interesting, the loot grind is fun, and exploring the variety between the classes is a joy. Diablo IV is one of the best games released this year, it's just a shame that, like a lot of modern games, Diablo IV feels compromised, it feels like a Product in a gross way. Still, every previous game in the series has had a long tail for me, so I'm not counting Diablo IV out yet.

5. Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon is my favorite game. I have a tattoo of it on my arm. It's impossible to expect a sequel to improve on that or even meet it. Subsequent journeys into a fiction can never be special in the same way that first one is, and Darkest Dungeon II is no exception.

The game is immediately recognizable - you'll see some familiar faces lined up in a tug-of-war formation against a group of enemies. A row of skills at the bottom of the screen, a torch at the top. Artwork with thick, dark lines and plenty of shading. The moment-to-moment gameplay IS a lot like the first game, but the trappings around it are not.

Gone is the persistent campaign of the first game, replaced by a more familiar roguelike structure. You embark on runs that either end in victory or failure, unlocking new things between runs. This makes the game more approachable and forgiving, but it means the lows are less low and the highs are not quite as high. In the original title losing your veteran Crusader you've sunk hours and hours into feels like a real gut punch, but by the same token finally - FINALLY - conquering the darkest dungeon feels incredible. Those extremes are lost in the sequel, and that probably makes for an objectively better game.

It's not just the same run every time; there are 5 chapters to conquer, each themed with a personal failing: Denial, Resentment, Obsession, Ambition, and Cowardice. The game's personality is still here in full force thanks to Wayne June's narration, Stuart Chatwood's music, that incredible artwork and gallows humor that I love so much. Each of the characters is treated as an individual with their own dark backstory this time around, each crafted in loving detail and unfolding by way of cutscenes and/or interactive gameplay moments. The stress mechanism is still here but takes a bit of a backseat, while relationships between characters are brought to the forefront.

Darkest Dungeon II is just what I wanted from a sequel to my favorite game. I'm glad they didn't just make the same again but prettier, but still kept the game's bones intact.

4. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Yakuza has become one of my favorite game series over the past few years. I'm down for whatever they throw at us. Bringing Kiryu back yet again? Sure. New protagonist? I'm down. A period piece starring the cast as historical figures? Fucking bring it on.

I love the series. The melodrama that hits me in my feels, the never-ending parade of lovable weirdoes and freaks in Kamurocho, the deep well of fleshed-out side games like bowling, pocket circuit racing, and karaoke - it's all here. I'm not tired of it. I thought I would be, but I'm not.

Kiryu is a lovable, stoic doofus with a strict moral code and penchant for helping out anyone who needs a hand. This time they gave him a Clark Kent disguise after faking his death, and also a bunch of James Bond Spider-Man gadgets. Let's go.

I will never get tired of my big hearted himbo beating people with bicycles and helping out folks in need. And I got misty-eyed at the ending. I was not prepared for my stoic boy to full on ugly cry. Still waters run deep.

3. Hogwarts Legacy

In the years since JK Rowling outed herself as a human shaped pile of garbage, I've distanced myself from the Harry Potter universe. And when Hogwarts Legacy released, the game was a lightning rod for controversy. I decided to see for myself, and was treated to a wonderful, smartly written game that managed to capture the magic of the world without constantly referencing the movies and books that everyone knows. It's the same trick that Jedi Fallen Order pulled a few years ago, and it works every bit as well here.

The school feels massive and detailed, and it was a joy to explore or just get lost in. The game world outside the school was unexpectedly huge as well, and the broomstick flight felt so good and natural that I rarely bothered to travel by floo. Optional side activities like growing your own plants for your potion brewing, decorating your Room of Requirement, and breeding creatures were all pleasant distractions that served to flesh out the world of Hogwarts.

The game's cast is fairly diverse, and most students felt like real people rather than caricatures of their Hogwarts houses. Most students do have their house traits, but they're not constantly front and center. The side stories and main story kept me engaged throughout my time with Hogwarts Legacy, and I was a little sad to see it end. It's a shame the IP has JK Rowling's stench on it, and that a lot of people will miss this game because of that.

2. Alan Wake II

Alan Wake and Control are both posterchildren for games with incredible world building and lousy game play. I've started both multiple times only to end up walking away in frustration. Alan Wake 2 largely fixes my complaint with those previous games by letting me explore and become immersed in the world without throwing frequent contextless fights in my way.

Alan Wake 2's combat isn't necessarily more engaging, but there's far less of it. What you're left with is the good stuff, a Twin Peaks-like horror mystery in a small town where everything and everyone feels a little bit off. Sometimes a lot off. It's a game where the characters play everything straight, but there are plenty of winks and nods in the margins. The game is full of wonderful freaks and weirdoes, many of whom had me frequently grinning like a fool. Alex Casey. Warlin Door. The Koskela brothers. Rose. Odin and Tor. Alan and Saga. Ahti. Thomas Zane. All hamming it up in a story that gets entirely up its own ass in the best way.

The Herald of Darkness scene is one of the best things I've ever seen. Ditto for the late game scene on the lakeshore. Hell, the game had me sitting and watching a short Finnish art house film at one point. It's a game full of glee and confidence from a studio with the belief in itself and its fans that allow it to swing for the fences. Not every part of it works for me, but the parts that do are so effective that the whole experience is lifted up on high. I wish Remedy's gameplay worked for me, which is never has. But this is a terrific work of art, and the good stuff far outweighs the bad.

Baldur's Gate III

My love of Baldur's Gate and the CRPG genre was something I'd left long in the past. Despite playing excellent modern entries like Divinity Original Sin, and Pillars of Eternity I hadn't been captivated by one of these in some 20 years.

It's hard to put into words what a triumph Baldur's Gate 3 is. I can't name a single thing it really does to revolutionize the genre but Larian executed on every single element of the game. Starting with the story, they make the stakes incredibly personal on top of the usual "Oh shit the world is in danger!" thing we always see. A mindflayer puts a parasite in your brain at the beginning of the game. World saving aside, getting that out of you feels pretty important.

Or not! You can decide to lean into it, and the writers did a great job of mixing viewpoints into the story. Mindflayers are horrible monsters but wait. Are they really though? Your party members will have their own opinions on the matter, as well as their own traumas and baggage and backstories. The writing and voicework for these party members are the best part of one of the best games ever made.

The game's ensemble cast might be the best of any game. By the game's end my party was my Tav, Karlach, Jaheira, and Astarion/Gale depending on the situation. There are party members I missed, and one I may or may not have killed (I regret nothing). Baldur's Gate III's story branches in so many ways, it all feels like it's a hair away from collapsing in on itself but it never does. My friends and I were exchanging stories about what we'd seen and done in the game as we played, and the variance is impressive. Baldur's Gate III is like a dude spinning plates while juggling chainsaws, and people keep tossing stuff into the mix and you think "Well no WAY can he keep all this going!" but goddammit, it all keeps going.

The way the game rolls with whatever choices you make (or dumb shit you want to try) whether in or out of combat, is truly incredible. It feels closer to having a DM than anything I've ever played. If you want to do something weird or dumb, the game does an incredible job of yes and-ing you. And it's not without consequences, the game reacts to the wide array of shit you can do within the D&D ruleset. The game sets up storylines both big and small early on, and manages to pay them off in interesting ways before it wraps up.

The combat was a sticking point for me in Divinity Original Sin 2. It's not that it was bad, but it was overwhelming. Combat could be long and difficult, and losing after an hour only to reload a save was incredibly deflating. Baldur's Gate 3 threaded this needle almost perfectly for me. Most combats were challenging but not crushing, and did not overstay their welcome.

I kept waiting for the game to drag and lose its momentum, but it never happened. I was glued to it for the entire 100+ hours it took me to roll credits. I fully plan on replaying it one day.

#goty 2023

[swearingintengwar]

Welp, I've gotten myself emotionally invested in the silly cat game. So I wanted to take a moment to commemorate Tanglewind.

One of the first kits born into MossClan, Tanglewind was born deaf, but eventually picked up the "good speaker" skill. That's what got me invested in his story at first, and I decided that he expanded the tail signal system into a full sign language! He personally taught his sign language to the clan, and he plans on continuing to refine it in StarClan and teach it through dreams. The sign system is built with accessibility in mind - notably, there are adaptations built in for tailless cats to sign with their paws and ears. After losing a foreleg to an eagle, Tanglewind built even more versatility into his sign language, incorporating hindpaws and whiskers into the many possible variations on each sign. The language's ever-increasing complexity means it's difficult to fully master, but the basics are easy enough. Every cat ends up with their own, mutually intelligible but still distinctive, dialect of the signs, using whichever versions of the gestures come most naturally to them.

An adventurous spirit and a lover of kits, Tanglewind loved to tell exaggerated stories about how he lost his leg, wander the territory in search of inspiration for his many projects, and dote on his mate and four kits. He will be missed, but has more than earned his place in StarClan.

@officialclangen, I want to thank you for allowing me to meet this amazing cat.

#clangen

[purplesaline]

Trigger warning for medically assisted death

I learned something today. As a Canadian I'm incredibly lucky that we have access to MAID (medical assistance in dying). Not to say it doesn't have it's issues, which it does and I have no problem being very loud about those issues, but when you have a family member suffering from terminal cancer and they've exhausted all possible treatments that have a chance if prolonging their life those issues don't really come into play. That's not what I learned by the way, just a little bit of background.

What I learned is that gathering to be with your loved one while they die is very similar to a funeral. In fact, for me at least, it's more effective than a funeral.

Funerals are supposed to be a way to allow people to say goodbye to someone who has died, to get closure. More often than not there wasn't a chance to do that before the person died. It allows you to get together and remember the person and grieve, and for a lot of people that works really well. It's never really helped me much though. Between my ADHD "Now" and "Not Now" time blindness and object stasis (it's not really onject impermanence bit that's a discussion for another time), and my belief that there is no after life, we just.. end, a funeral doesn't provide me any of that closure it seems to for most people. The only thing a funeral does is cause me pain because I'm overwhelmed by seeing so many people emotionally hurting.

But gathering as a family today with my mom, getting to say goodbye to her and have her say goodbye to us, having the support of other people who loved her as much as I did while we watched her fall asleep and then stop breathing, and then going back to the house with everyone to eat and help each other co-regulate? That was as much closure as I think my weirdly wired brain is ever going to be able to get.

I don't have much experience with death. The only two people in my life who have died were very old (80+), so I didn't know how I would handle being there today. I thought it might be too hard, seeing everyone be so sad. I wasn't worried about my own grief, I long ago accepted this outcome and I'm very happy she had the option to die with dignity and go out on her own terms, but I was worried about how I'd cope with other people's grief.

It wasn't hard though, it was quite the opposite. It was one of the easiest things I've ever done. I think a large part of that was that no one was uncomfortable seeing other people upset (like they usually are), and we were all really happy for her and grateful so there was no resentment or denial, just sadness and relief.

Actually I take that back. Lance was very distressed to see so many people upset and not be able to fix it. I had him in his vest for the first time in years (mom was in the hospital and I didn't want to leave Lance in the car case while I could have managed without him it was so much easier with him there. I took a couple of decompression breaks and we went and visited some of the other patients which always makes me happy).

But other than Lance no one else was uncomfortable and it was really just an incredibly cathartic experience and I'm really glad I chose to go (mom gave us the option. She said she'd like us there but it was okay if we didn't want to be). I knew I'd regret it down the line if I didn't go, and that instinct was spot on.

I'm sure that not everyone will find the experience as positive and healing as I did, but if you ever find yourself in the position to choose whether or not to be there with someone as they die and you're one the fence about it I hope this helps you make a more informed choice, whichever option ends up being the best one for you.

For me, this experience granted me a peace above and beyond my acceptance of her death that I wasn't expecting, and I'm really grateful for that. If I was a spiritual person I'd even say I was blessed.

I love you so much mom. You fought so hard and I'm so glad that your last moments got to be peaceful ones.

#the second to last thing she said to me #was that she was sorry I hadn't found my Cinderella #but that maybe I should be looking for a pinderella instead #(paraphrased cause my brain doesn't store memories well when I'm upset) #man those palliative care drugs are wild! #I *think* what dhe meant was that perfect doesn't exist #and I shouldn't hold out hoping for it to find me #it's okay mom #I'm not single because my standards are too high #I'm single because I'm not able to really leave my house #and other people's standards sail right over me l #lol #the last thing she said was that she loved me #and there was so much unspoken in those three words #so much she didn't know how to say in that moment #and all I could say back was that I loved her #because I didn't know how to give voice to everything I wanted say either #and it was perfect #and once my brain finally catches up thay she's really gone #and not just out of sight #I'm gonna miss her so much. #I wrote a song for her and played it for her #and she really liked it and said it made her want to go to sleep #so I played it on my phone's speaker for everyone while the doctor injected the drugs into the IV #and she went to sleep for the last time #It made it feel like more of a ritual I think #I know it helped me to listen to it instead of just silence #I wrote it to say goodbye to her #I'm so glad I got enough of it done that I could share it with her

[leclerqued]

F1 gifmaker ask game ❣️ tagged by the wonderful @mickbetsch, @leclercpiastri and @iguessricciardo, thank you all for the tag, it means so much!

1. which drivers do you mainly make gifs for? Charles, Daniel and Lewis. They're my Holy Trinity <3

2. out of the above (if more than 1), who’s your fav to make gifs for and why? Ah, that's a tricky one. It really depends on what I want to gif, because I do it rarely and just whenever something really triggers my creativity. I don't think I have a favorite one.

3. link the fav gif set you’ve made and tell me a lil about it I actually have three, because I don't gif a lot and I don't post stuff unless I'm really comfortable with what I've created. The first one is a Lewis gifset and I like the fact that it's very simple and I think I've captured the beauty of this man. The second one is a gifset that I made for @c2stan-main for The Chircus Secret Santa, and it's supposed to mimick the journaling/scrapbook experience. The third one is a gifset I made after Abu Dhabi 2021, when we were uncertain about the future of Lewis in F1 and I just wanted to remind everyone of how powerful this man is.

4. link your fav gif set from another creator another tricky one! ahhh so difficult to choose. I stored some under my "fave" tag, tho.

this by the amazing @iguessricciardo who's doing the lord's work by giffing every Dan's moment;

this by the super talented @leqclerc who never fails to deliver stunning gifsets

this made by @overtake, it's amazing and I wish I had such a cool idea.

this work by @brawn-gp, the coloring is wonderful + the slowmo is *chef's kiss*

these are just a few, I can't really link all of the wonderful works made by the F1blr gifmakers, but I won't stop telling y'all how happy I am to see your creativity.

5. off the top of your head!! tell me about the most memorable tag you've received recently ah, joke's on me for not posting anything recently, but I always tear up whenever someone tells me I made a good job with the coloring or the typography.

6. which f1 media source (post race interviews, sf full accesses, no brakes, sharl’s vlogs, tiktoks, etc) is your fav to make gifs from? whichever has the best quality tbh, but mostly content posted by the original Formula 1 channel. I have giffed some moments from no brakes and charles' vlogs, tho :P

7. tag someone else!! I apologize in advance if I'm tagging people who already have been tagged x) @brawn-gp @cloudiness @yesloulou @il-predestinato @princemick @livetogether--diealone @countingstars-17 and anyone who sees this, really!!

[starlitangels]

I wanted to finally start listening to redacted but I have NO idea where to start 😭 do you have suggestions?

*sucks in deep breath* There’s a couple ways to answer this.

My first instinct is to literally just say “go to the playlist titled ‘Everything’ and start at the beginning and work your way up” because Redacted’s lore can be confusing if you haven’t heard it in the order it came out in. I listened to Geordi’s first video the day after it dropped as my first video and had no idea what was going on. Then went to Elliott’s playlist and was even more confused because that playlist is major story heavy unlike some of the others

But I understand that the Everything playlist (while most useful for lore digesting and didn’t exist yet when I found the channel and wasn’t an option for me) can most definitely be overwhelming. It’s long, I won’t deny it. But it also gives you the space to get to know each of the characters a little bit at a time

If you don’t want to go that direction though, I have two decent options:

Start with Freelancer, Season 1. You get a fairly good rundown of most of the rules of the magic system, and the difference between daemons/demons, and humans. Redacted’s d(a)emons use the word in the old, more Fae connotation than a Biblical interpretation. They’re more akin to simply supernatural magical entities rather than creatures of evil and damnation or whatever.

So Freelancer S1 isn’t a bad place to start before moving on to whichever characters strike your fancy

But the other of my aforementioned two options is Avior’s story (the playlist is now titled “Sovereign State”).

Now, anyone who’s reading this and has known me for a while is probably chuckling like “of course Star is recommending her favorite character that she never shuts up about loving” but hear me out: Avior’s story has a lot of heavy, heavy worldbuilding lore all dumped into one place for quick access, but is almost entirely separate from the rest of the world Redacted has built, so it’s less complicated than jumping right in with, say, trying to keep track of the three werewolves and how they all connect to each other but also the vampires. Avior’s story is self-contained for the moment and season 1 of it is wrapping up right now so there are going to be some resolutions to a few things hopefully

Heed my warning though: Erik (Redacted) isn’t afraid of tackling some darker topics and heavy situations. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, pay attention to the Content Warnings he puts in all of his video descriptions with applicable warnings. If you’re not into Yandere characters be mindful that he has three-ish. One of the three has mostly had his story finished but will occasionally pop up for a random reappearance. One of the three hasn’t seemed super Yandere to me yet but I’m sure it’ll get worse. The third is definitely one to be mindful of too because it’s much more magic-based.

Also Inversion and both seasons of The Imperium AU are dark and heavy so if you’re gonna listen to them you might wanna be cautious

So, TL;DR, either do the Everything playlist, Freelancer Season 1, or Sovereign State (technically season 1). From there you should have mostly enough information on the worldbuilding and such to pick and choose whatever catches your fancy from there. Though I’d recommend maybe the werewolves first after those three because they’re less story heavy and just kinda slice of life and also Milo is sexy moving on

If you have any questions about the lore or the plots please feel free to come back. I get questions all the time looking for explanations (usually from another video that the asker just couldn’t quite remember). There’s no shame in it. I’m the resident Lore Gremlin anyway and love helping people understand the world as best I know it

Erik also has a timeline (it’s in his Linktree in the video description of all his videos) but I don’t recommend reading it outright just yet. Because you will be confused and overwhelmed. Let the videos guide you first and then go to the timeline for clarifications

#answered #redacted asmr #redacted audio