#also the time i posted this is the last 2 digits of the year their respective games came out: 2012 and 2015!
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oh it's wild looking at the stats for jatp fics these days huh
#like i had no expectations of this fic. and i also know i always post at a weird time but it's wild seeing things with so few hits#after like 12 hours when even this time last year you could normally manage at least 3 digits over night#jatp fandom truly burnt bright for 2 years and burnt ourselves out on fics huh#anyway! glad the people who read it have enjoyed it <3
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TW: Chemical w-rfare, Ab-rtion
Urgent Ask to evacuate Nara, a 🍉 disabled woman with MS who also has pancreatic cancer due to chemical w-rfare.
Support by financially contributing to her @FedUp4Palestine vetted funhnd-raizer (that I personally vetted): givebutter.com/NaraMedicalAid
+ resharing/ reposting this post!
I, Sky Cubacub- a Fed up 4 Palestine team member, have been in direct contact with Nara to get to know her and her story more over the past few days. We have become fast friends due to so many overlapping symptoms of our disabilities. Nara’s story caught my eye because I have post-viral ME/CFS which many times is a precursor to MS. I really want my disability community to show up for her to get this campaign funded that is so close to my heart so that she can continue medical treatment.
We have chatted extensively! During our chats, I found out from Nara that she had not previously had health issues until she was exposed in the white phosphorus attack in 2008. The long lasting damage and effects of phosphorus continue to compound and become more and more disabling to this day, even after 16 years.
Here is her story in her own words (edited for clarity):
“Hi I'm Nara,
I'm a cancer and multiple sclerosis patient. I need treatment, examinations, and follow-up on a regular basis, but the hospitals in which I used to follow up were bombed and the other one was turned into military barracks. All I need now is to leave Gaza for treatment, preserve my life, and live with my family in peace.
We're a family of 4, including my 12 and 7 year old children.
I had been diagnosed with a tumor in the pancreas as a result of inhaling phosphorus in a previous war. A couple years after being exposed to phosphorus, I became pregnant, and the fetus was pressing on the tumor, which drew the doctor’s attention to the cancer. My fetus was emergency aborted, and the spleen, 80% of the pancreas, and part of the small intestine were removed. I complained every now and then of a lot of pain as a result of the removal of part of the pancreas. I was having follow up care in the Turkish Friendship Hospital for hematology and tumors. But since the beginning of October, I have not been able to follow up because the hospital has turned into a military barracks.
The remaining part is talking about multiple sclerosis:
In 2018, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I had many complications, such as inflammation of the seventh nerve in the eye, the inability to walk with balance, movement with difficulty, and many symptoms. I was then required to take 12 injections every month and many medications and vitamins. I was following up at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, but unfortunately the hospital was out of service due to the war. So for a long time I have not received any injections. MS is truly difficult and it controls my life completely, and the attacks occur in many and varied ways.”
A note about her breathing apparatus:
Because people in displacement have to wait in long queues and pay to use the bathroom, Nara had started to restrict her water intake because of a UTI she never has been able to heal from. This has created a problem with raised levels of potassium, so doctors have placed her on oxygen for fear of the potassium affecting her heart.
Goals
she needs at least $15,000 to evacuate
2 adults at $5,000 each
2 children at $2,500 each
this price is subject to increase due to the cost of registration for evacuation continuing to go up
The other money will go to the cost of treatment and living costs.
Nara chooses to stay anonymous because she has had to mask her disabilities so much that only her family knows about her MS and Cancer, so we have not linked her instagram, but we are in direct contact with her and can verify that she is who she says she is! Because of this, she cannot promote her own fundraiser, so it is our job to collectively do it for her!
[Image Description: a digital illustration by @k8deciccio of Nara, a Pal-eh-stienian woman wearing a black hijab/outfit with purple highlights. She has a breathing apparatus that is bulbous that goes in her nose. Text Reads: Help Narawith Cancer and MS Treatment, She Must Evacuate with her family of 4. $30k goal givebutter.com/NaraMedicalAid . There is a QR code in the bottom right corner that goes to her support link. The @FedUp4Palestine logo is in the top left corner.]
#gaza genocide#gazaunderfire#stand with gaza#news on gaza#war on gaza#gaza strip#free gaza#gaza#gazaunderattack#save gaza#mutual aid#i personally vetted this fundraiser#disabled and cute#disabilityculture#disabilityarts#disabilityjustice#multiple sclerosis#cancer#pancreatic cancer
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What all roleplaying games have you worked on?
I'll try to name them all here but there are a lot and some of them are pretty small so I may miss a few by accident.
Epochrypha (2018) by Skerples was both the first piece of paid work I did and also the first game supplement I worked on. This is so old I was still inking digitally.
I also provided illustrations for Magical Industrial Revolution and The Monster Overhaul by the same author.
Monster Overhaul was neat because I did interior illustrations in early 2020 but didn't do the cover until 2022 so you can see quite a stylistic evolution.
From 2018 to 2020 things were pretty quiet for me until I worked on The Shifting City by Dank Dungeons. People really liked the cover for some reason and that basically created a career for me. I still get people asking me to basically recreate this cover a few times a year:
I did a handful of illustrations from 2020 to 2022ish for Ukuwa Station that ended up in The Field Guide to Mfecane, a third party afrofuturist Lancer expansion.
Our Vale of Discontent was a small game I worked on in 2020:
Mycosis is a Mork Borg dungeon I worked on around this time, which notably marked my first attempt at doing some goofy black metal title font.
I did most of my illustration work for Desert Moon of Karth by Joel Hines in late 2020 and early 2021:
The sequel, Tide World of Mani is still being worked on. I just finished my last interior illustrations for it a month or two ago.
AZAG by Dank Dungeons was a game I worked on throughout 2021 that was a blast and I think more people should know about.
At some point in 2021 I did a bunch of pieces for Lore & Legacy although I don't remember exactly when. These never got posted but the book's been out for a while now so maybe I'll show them off later.
Late in 2021 was when I started doing illustrations for The Electrum Archive by Emiel Boven (I think issue 2 is out soon).
Early 2022 I did a bunch of character illustrations for some Victorian horror fantasy game that I don't think ever actually came out (commissioner never responded to me when I asked about it at least) which is a shame because I'm proud of these. At least I got paid!
This was another one for a game that I don't think ever came out:
I did character designs for Nebula Chaos by Polyhedra Games in 2022:
Then Neon Saber by Olivia Miller
Then some pieces for If Worlds Collide:
Then Critters & Companions by Pearse Anderson:
Ran out of space for images, I'll finish this in part 2...
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Piecing together: The current timeline in Reverse 1999
CN SPOILERS up to Chapter 5 and Interlude. Long post.
The new Chapter 5 and Interlude for Reverse 1999 has shed some light on the Storm and its timeline. With all the new info, I've tried to piece it together as accurately as possible. Here's the timeline I have put together:
Let me break down my findings.
First of all, let's look at the IDM Computer with 37's Mother's prediction.
37 mentions "From 1999 to 2007, the emanation has taken place seven times". Here's how I interpret what the years mean in the Phenomenal column. It's like calling the effect of the Storm: for the first row, the 1996 Storm reverses the era 1999 to 1996. So the "1996 Storm".
The IDM only shows 6 Storms, so the 7th is the Storm that reversed to 1929. I wonder why she didn't include the 8th Storm (1929->1913), but that could be because it was the anomaly 2-day emanation that ruined the model prediction.
Here's a table I have made attempting to fill in the blanks of the IDM computer.
Let's analyze it Storm by Storm.
The 1st Storm (1999 -> 1996)
When: 23:59. December 31, 1999
Reverses to: 1996
Many sources for this, from the IDM showing 1996 to Greta, the writer of the letters in the interlude, mentioning it in her letters.
The 2nd Storm (1996 -> 1985) [Original: 2000]
When: 1996-1997.
Logs don't explicitly say when, but from the IDM we know it takes place ~1 year after the first Storm.
Reverses to: 1985.
We know this from Greta.
"Things remained unclear until time was reversed again. This time, we all witnessed that rain in the 80s. That was 1985."
She was safe in the Headquarters, witnessing the Storm reverse.
The 3rd Storm (1987 -> 1976) [Original: 2003]
When: On a 27th evening, 1987.
Greta: "The Storm in 1987 was predicted.
"…but the prediction was not accomplished by LAPLACE. The captive from Manus Vindictae names the precise date of that Storm."
In Chapter 3, we learn the Foundation captured a Manus Vindictae member who gave them the date of the next Storm. Greta also mentions a captive from Manus predicted it.
Thus, this is the Storm that took place in the breakaway incident, where Vertin was 12-years old and witnessed the Storm for the first time.
Reverses to: 1976
Greta: "Finally, I made up my mind to write to [37's mother]... ... ... She died. On the same day, the first and only timekeeper who just took office, the 12-year-old child returned alone from the Storm. She told us the time in the outside world at that point."
"...The last two digits in the number of the year after that Storm were exactly her name and her number: 77".
This was a bit hard to understand. I concluded the year it reversed to was 1976, as Greta said "the year after the Storm" was 77.
Original Year: 2003
Two years has passed from the 2nd Storm (1985) as this Storm took place in 1987. This fits with the year 2003 in the IDM computer. Also, when Sophia talks to Sonetto at the geometry graveyard:
Sophia: "Four years ago, my father was restored to a geometric body on his way back to the island. So was 37's mother who was also on that ship".
We know (or can at least assume) 77 is 37's mother who perished in this Storm. The current time is 2007, so four years ago is 2003.
The 4th Storm (~1976 -> 1930s) [Original: 2004]
When: 1976~1977/78
Reverses to: Some year in the 1930s
Original year: 2004
37: "In the initial four years, the emanation [Storm] has a pattern. First it brought us back to the 90s, then the 80s, and then the 70s. After that it suddenly leapt to the 30s."
When is the initial 4 years? 1999-2003, and this fits with our current pattern thus far from 90s -> 80s -> 70s. So the 4th Storm takes us to the 30s.
Sophia: "We miscalculated the impact area of the emanation. We thought the ships would be safe in the [...] current."
This confirms the Storm has a limited area it affects, where places hit by the Storm reverses to that particular year. The timeline of R1999 isn't going backwards linearly. This opens a lot of possibilities and eras we could visit.
The 5th Storm (~1930s-> 1912s) [Original: 2006]
When: Sometime in the 1930s
Reverses to: 1912
Original: 2006
37: ".... After that it suddenly leapt to the 30s. In the subsequent 3 years, [the emanation] took place twice."
When are the three years? The Storm that took us to the 30s was 2004. So the subsequent 3 years 37 refers to are: 2005, 2006, 2007.
The IDM jumps from 2004 to 2006. You can (very vaguely) make out "1912" from the year 2006. At least I think it's 1912. So the 5th Storm takes us from the 30s to 1912.
The 6th Storm (~1912s-> 1966s) [Original: 2007]
Here's where it gets interesting, and where I start to theorize things because there isn't much info yet about this Storm.
When: Theorized: 1912~1914
Reverses to: 1966
Original year: 2007
In 2007, there is a 6th Storm. This is likely the Storm before the beginning of R1999, which takes us to 1966 where Vertin meets Regulus.
Here's why I think this Storm fits with the IDM model and happens in 1912~1914, more possibly 1914.
In Chapter 1, Vertin lists down people she has met to Regulus.
Regulus: "Huh? It's Lewis. I know him!"
Vertin: "Yes. I took this photo several days ago. He was selling the Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaners in the West End, and thought photos would help his business, so he gladly took this."
Regulus: "Why did you take a photo of him? How's he..."
Vertin's response is to take a deep breath.
This interaction was very interesting. Why is Regulus so surprised Vertin took a picture of Lewis? "How's he..." How's he what? Alive?
Now I'm not very familiar with historical figures named Lewis, so I could be very (and hilariously) wrong, but after researching who could be related to a business involving Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaners, I speculate Lewis is John Spedan Lewis. His father, John Lewis, founded John Lewis, a British brand of high-end department stores.
In 1914, John Lewis hands Spedan Lewis control of a store named Peter Jones. Where is Peter Jones located? Sloane Square, London, which is in King's Road.
Vertin: "Yes. I took this photo several days ago."
This fits with the London location and timeline we know so far. So a few days before Vertin met Regulus, she was in an area of 1914s where she met Spedan Lewis trying to get his store [Peter Jones] going.
Judging from her reaction, he got reversed by the Storm that took them to 1966. Spedan Lewis died in 1963, which is why Regulus is confused why Vertin has a picture of him taken several days ago, and why a wealthy Founder of high-end luxury stores needs a photo taken to help his business.
I thought this was a nice clue that Vertin was in ~1912s era before the 1966s, though this is all just speculation. Feel free to add your own theories who Lewis could be.
The 7th Storm (~1966s-> 1929s) [Original: 2007]
When: June 3rd, 1966.
Reverses to: February 14th, 1929.
Takes place in Chapter 0, where Vertin and Sonetto meets Regulus.
The 8th Storm (~1929s-> 1913s) [Original: 2007]
When: February 15th, 1929.
Reverses to: 1913
Takes place in Chapter 2, where Vertin meets Schneider, Druvis, and Sotheby. Manus Vindictae escalates the Great Depression to cause an earlier Storm. This era only lasts for two days.
These two Storms are straightforward since we witnessed them in game. I won't go into details about them. We're still in the year 2007 according to 37.
The Current Year in Ch 5: 1914 [2007]
Chapter 4 takes place from August 26th to October 10th 1913. The new Chapter 5 begins in 1914.
Eight storms have taken place thus far. Here's a summary with the timeline for reference:
1st Storm (1999 -> 1996)
2nd Storm (1996 -> 1985) [Original: 2000]
3rd Storm (1987 -> 1976) [Original: 2003]
4th Storm (~1976 -> 1930s) [Original: 2004]
5th Storm (~1930s -> 1912s) [Original: 2006]
6th Storm (~1912s -> 1966s) [Original: 2007]
7th Storm (~1966s -> 1929s) [Original: 2007]
8th Storm (~1929s -> 1913s) [Original: 2007]
The Current Year in Chapter 5: 1914 [2007]
Random thoughts:
I hope this post helped paint a clearer picture of the Storms and the possible timeline! Cause, whew, the reason I made this whole timeline was to make sense of it myself. So much lore was dropped in the new chapter.
A question that remains unanswered:
How do people predict the Storm? How can they tell the time in the outside world?
Moissan: "Since Timekeeper hasn't reported the time of this era to the Foundation, you two, as the Foundation investigators, shouldn't know what year this is."
We know 37's group predict them through patterns and math, but what about the Manus Vindictae and Vertin? Vertin just seems to... innately know through her pocket watch and Storm countdown timer on her bracer, perhaps related to her great sense of arcanum. I'm really curious about that.
Biggest Takeaways:
The Storm isn't going backwards linearly and it has a limited impact area. So that means some places not hit by the Storm remains untouched, while others get reversed to whatever era the Storm brings. The first Storm probably had the widest impact.
This means an era in the 1912, for example, could be "reversed" to 1966 if it was hit by the 1966 Storm. That's what I'm getting from all of this. Anyone in the Storm impact area just... poofs, and arcanists/humans in that time era spontaneously appear with the buildings and such. I really love this idea-story wise we could jump around eras.
Then we have places that are completely immune like the Headquarters, Suitcase, and 37's island. They are the only ones who can consistently keep track of time as they're unaffected like spectators viewing the outside world. For the Foundation, Vertin is their way of tracking time in eras: what era did a Storm reverse a place to.
Again, some of these are just speculations and my theories. If you noticed any information I missed out or a mistake, feel free to let me know whether through tags, reply, or even my asks if you're shy. Or if you would just like to talk theories or about Reverse 1999 I'm more than happy to :>
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Day 1: Age gap + Impregnation with Chan.
Wordcount — 2,406 words.
Includes — Age gap (male character is at least 10 year's older than reader, who is described to be in her mid twenties. No exact ages are discussed). Babysitter!reader, single dad!Chan, use of the word "daddy" once but it is not used as a petname nor it's part of the dynamic between reader and male character, dirty talk, oral sex (m. receiving), penetrative sex, unprotected sex, impregnation kink, creampie, themes of pregnancy.
Author's note — If you have been following me for a while, you know this is one of my most dominant kinks. So I just had to! The wordcount is longer than it should be, but I hope that's not an issue! Also, I know this was supposed to be day number 2 instead of 1, but I had my reasons to reschedule 😭 I will be posting mirror sex + praise kink with changbin later on though!
“This is wrong,” Chan mutters through gritted teeth while his eyes are all over you, admiring the way your tongue swirls around his hard and veiny cock. You suck on it like it’s your
favorite candy, like you have been craving it for ages.
Truth is, you do have been craving it ever since you met him.
“Is it?” you ask him, pulling his cock out of your mouth with a lewd sound. The drool on your chin and the string of saliva connecting your swollen lips to his reddened cock is making him rethink his last words. Is it really wrong? How can it, when it feels this right?
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he replies. Ironically enough, he does so while guiding your lips back to the tip of his cock, pushing your head down on it. “You shouldn’t be doing this”.
Your teary eyes look up to him while having his cock deep inside your throat and the filthy image makes Chan’s heart race. He keeps your head in place for a couple of seconds before allowing you to gasp for air, coughing when you are finally able to breath.
“Do you want me to leave, Mr. Bang?” you query, feigning innocence. Your eyes are wide open and clouded with tears, there’s drool on your chin and the way you mockingly smile while asking such a question, all-together, makes Chan even harder.
He doesn't answer, but his cock twitches visible in front of your eyes. It’s hard not to notice when all you can do is stare at it; it’s thick, reddened and there are several, prominent veins that start at the base and fade away near the tip.
He really is nothing like the men your age you’ve fucked before.
“You know what I want,” he purrs, caressing your hair while you are still kneeling in front of him. “But I don’t think it’s right”.
“Why not?” you pout. “Because I’m too young for you?”
Chan shouldn’t feel aroused when he is reminded of it, but he does. You are a legal, independent adult, old enough to have a job and a place of your own —still, you are too young for someone like him. You should be fucking men your age, dating them and having all these sort of experiences Chan lived a while back.
But men your age are not really something you are into these days.
“Don’t do this to me,” he hisses, pushing a few strands of hair away from your face. “Don’t tempt me”.
“You did this to yourself, Mr. Bang,” you murmur, eyes fixed on his. “Had you been a decent man, none of this would be happening”.
He knows you are teasing him, as the bratty woman you are, but he can’t help but feel anger lingering inside his guts. Is he really the only one to blame? Had he minded his own business and stopped staring at the young babysitter that works for him in a perverse way, would things be different?
“Had you not offered yourself to me so easily, none of this would be happening,” he corrects you, cupping your cheeks with one of his hands. “Talking about decency as if your cunt isn't dripping every time I am around”.
He forces you to stand up from your knees, still cupping your face with his hand harshly. He sneaks the other one between your thighs and underneath your skirt, scoffing bitterly when the tip of his digits touch the wet patch on your underwear.
Far from making you feel embarrassed by proving his point, you come up with something to tease Chan even more.
“It’s just human nature,” you whisper, licking your lips when you feel him lazily tracing your slit. “You have something I need, and I am capable of giving you what you want in return”.
Chan’s breath hitches when you say that.
“I know what you want,” he murmurs, his eyes fixed on your parted lips. “But what is that thing you can offer me?”
You wrap your arms around his neck and smile when you feel his toned body tensing at your touch. The amount of power Chan has over you it’s pathetic, but neither of you can deny that you have equal or more power over him.
“Remember that time you invited Mr. Kim for dinner?” you query, brushing your lips against his without actually leaning forward for a kiss. Chan is taken aback from the unexpected topic of conversation that is rising, but he follows you.
“I do”.
“You two were drunk and making a lot of noise,” you continue, your hands caressing his neck. “Little Chris was sleeping soundly and the last thing I wanted was for him to wake up in the middle of the night, so I tried to ask you to lower your voice”.
“What does that have to do with this?,” Chan clears his throat, his heart racing at a thousand miles per hour as memories of that night make their way to his mind.
“You don’t remember what you told Mr. Kim?” you ask him, tilting your head while your gaze flutters between his eyes and lips. “About how bad you wanted to be a father again?”
His insides sink when he hears those words falling from your lips, and your initial proposition now makes sense: He has something you need, and you are capable of giving him what he wants in return.
“I don’t know why, but I haven’t stopped thinking about that ever since,” you confess, pressing your body tightly against his. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you filling me up with your cum, every hour of every day”.
It’s impossible, but Chan can’t feel himself growing even harder at your words. His cock is brushing against your body and, although you are not touching it, the simple brush of it against your skirt is enough to have him on edge.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about letting you fuck me raw, especially on days like these” you breathe, “because that’s what you want, right?”
You know you have found his weakness when his jaw tenses and the sentiment in his gaze drifts from guilt to lust. The arm he had around your waist pushes you into the bed and, only then, you can truly admire him —he is still wearing his buttoned white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his belt unbuckled and his pants are lowered enough for his cock to be out. It doesn’t seem like he has any interest in removing his clothes, but neither do you.
You are both too aroused and desperate to pay attention to such details.
“Just an advice,” he mutters, positioning himself on top of you. His hands lift your skirt up and he loses no time in ripping your panties off, throwing the remains of them to the side and leaving your pussy exposed for him. “Next time, watch your words when I am around you”.
The teasing smirk in your face fades away completely when his dick stretches your cunt without a warning, feeling the pressure between your legs escalating as he pushes himself deeper in you.
“Chan!” you gasp, your hands gripping the sleeves of his white shirt while he bottoms out.
“Are you sure you can give me what I want?” he groans through gritted teeth, controlling himself from blowing up the minute your walls clench around him. “You can’t take my cock without whining”.
“It has been a while since the last time I fucked,” you cry out, digging your nails in his biceps. You are sure you want him, but you perhaps underestimated how rough and painful taking someone as big as Chan could be.
“I can tell from how fucking tight you are,” he hisses, thrusting his hips slowly but harshly inside you. “Your body is practically begging for me to fill you up with my cum”.
When his hips acquire a pace of their own, his hands push your legs further until your knees are almost sided to your breasts. The position you are in now, if anything, only allows himself to go deeper inside you, which is exactly what he wants.
“You know, I haven’t come in a while either, didn’t want it to go to waste by jerking off,” he groans, words coming out faintly broken as he pounds your pussy mercilessly. “You can just imagine how badly I need a release”.
Chan’s words make the tension on your tummy unravel while the tip of his cock hits that sweet, perfect spot inside your walls. The hidden promise behind his words, that he has all of his cum saved up especially for your sweet cunt, drives you to the edge.
“Are you going to give it to me?” you sob. Far from sounding cocky or teasing, your voice has a tone of despair that makes Chan fuck you faster. He knows you aren’t asking that to provoke him, but because that’s exactly what your body and mind need.
“If you beg for it,” he grunts. “If you prove to me you deserve it”.
The dirty talk does wonders on you and he notices it when his cock slides perfectly inside you. Your cunt is wet, and warm, and so slippery that Chan utterly believes your body is begging for him to impregnate it.
“Please,” you cry out, your trembling hands trying to grip anything from him but failing because of how numb they feel. “Mr. Bang, please!”
When you moan his last name, Chan’s movements become rougher.
“I know you can do better for me,” he murmurs in your ear, a few strokes away from blowing up but still determined to make you come first. “Don’t make me think you don’t want it”.
“No, fuck! I-,” you try to form a coherent sentence, but the way he is thrusting his cock inside you doesn’t help. “I need it, I really do”.
“Do you really need to please me this badly?” he moans. “Willing to let me fill you up until I get you pregnant?”
“Please!” you whimper and, judged by the way your walls spasm around him, Chan quickly realizes you are about to come. “Please, please, please”.
“Make me come then,” he growls in despair, “show me how much you think you deserve me to make you a mother”.
It’s that last sentence that pushes you to your orgasm. Your hands are glued to his white shirt, gripping it while waves of pleasure wash up over your body with no end.
“Right there,” you moan, eyes white and lips parted, allowing the lewdest of noises to fall from them. Chan doesn’t slow down, and that causes your body to tremble and your legs to try and close together, but he is quick to keep them in place.
“Keep them wide open for me,” he hisses with broken words. “Don’t want my cum dripping out of your pussy because you are closing your legs together, do you?”
You shake your head enthusiastically, albeit your body feels weak. The climax is still wreaking havoc inside you, but you know the painful stimulation won’t last long —you are just a few seconds away from getting away with what you have been craving for months.
“Let me feel you,” you beg when he presses his forehead against yours. You are both sweaty, and the clothes aren’t doing you any favors, but wearing them still makes the two of you feel even filthier —him in his office clothes while you are wearing a short skirt and a top that traces the silhouette of your breasts perfectly. “Come inside me, I promise I won’t waste it”.
“I know you won’t,” he grunts, his hitched breath caressing your face. “I’ll make sure of it”.
He kisses you sloppily, tongue sucking on yours while his hips lose their acquired pace. All the ounce of control in his body vanishes once his orgasm is approaching, and you can tell by how he turns ten times more primal than he already is.
“Then come inside me,” you whimper, breaking the kiss just for the sake of hearing him moan. “You are going to come a lot, right? Make sure you milk yourself inside my cunt?”
Chan, who had been carrying the dirty talk up until now, doesn’t answer. And not because he doesn’t want to, but because he can’t —you and your words are overwhelming him to the point of losing his senses, the only thing in his mind being fulfilling his natural desire to leave his seed inside you.
“Fuck-” his voice quivers and your insides sink —he sounds needy and desperate to come like it’s the thing he craves the most in the world.
“I’m ready,” you purr, hissing in overstimulation. “I promise I’ll be really good. I’ll carry your baby and will make you a daddy again, don’t you want that?”
The dirtier you talk, the louder he growls. And the more you tease him, the more he loses control.
“Please,” you murmur in between moans, “you know how fertile a woman in her mid 20’s is, Mr. Bang? I bet you would only need to fuck me once for me to get pregnant, that’s how good I could be for a man like you”.
A warm sensation quickly floods your lower abdomen and Chan’s movements slow down gradually, accompanied by guttural, quiet groans he emits every time he feels the spark of overstimulation.
His dark, lustful eyes are fixed on you and, suddenly, you run out of words. You are both panting, trying to recover their sanity and breath, hearts racing at a thousand mile per hour while he is still deep inside you, cock softening as the seconds go by.
Chan, once again, pushes your knees further and fixes the position you were in, exaggerating it a bit by lifting your hips up even more —although he pulled his cock out of you, his semen isn’t dripping out of your pussy and you quickly realize that he is putting you in that position to prevent that from happening.
He leans down and kisses your forehead, leaving you to stare at the sinful sight: your swollen and wet cunt up in the air, in an awkward position that it’s as filthy as the words that you both shared a few moments ago.
“I guess we would have to see if you are right about that”.
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🌊Digital Detox + Egyptians lucid dreaming method 🌊
Idk what to put on the title of this post so I wrote digital detox and I have copy pasted the main lines.
In the ancient Egypt the Egyptians use to have lucid dreaming alot and it was extremely easy for for them not just Egyptians but it was also mention ancient Indian scriptures.
You’re probably wondering ‘what’s the secret’?
The real problem is often NOT your technique.
It’s actually another issue that no amount of techniques, articles, reality checks, supplements or uncomfortable masks is going to fix.
It’s your ‘inner game’.
Specifically, your subconscious motivation and reward circuits, and ‘dopamine cycle’.
Travel in your mind for a second, to ancient Egypt.
There were no smart phones, internet connections, computer animated action movies or virtual reality headsets.
Your brain back then would have produced a healthy amount of dopamine as a reward for pretty basic things like eating, working, exploring, and taking some time to relax or meditate
Now our average attention spans are literally less than 7 SECONDS.
It’s probably a lot lower than that, and It’s declining every single year with the rise of new, highly addictive and stimulating social media apps and platforms.
When was the last time you meditated for over 90 minutes?
Have you ever?
I’m not saying you have to do that to lucid dream, but this sort of practice was very common 5000 years ago. In fact, it was weird NOT to do that.
And herein lies the main problem.
Your brain is ‘fried’ with an overly stimulated dopamine pathway.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that stimulates the feeling of WANTING to keep doing something.
It’s the reason you keep scrolling through Instagram, or keep refreshing your Facebook feed to see if there are any new comments or notifications.
But it’s also the SUBCONSCIOUS reason you aren’t able to lucid dream easily.
In the last decade especially, there have been billions of dollars spent by big tech to essentially ‘addict you’ to their platforms.
Why?
Money.
The more time and energy you spend on platforms like that, the more money they make. So the task has been given to artificial intelligence.
The AIs often just get trained and told a few basic things:
1: Get people to spend more time on the platform
2: Get people to keep coming BACK to the platform as often as possible
The ‘AI’ pays almost NO attention to what that would do to your mental health, attention span, motivation, emotions, or really anything else.
Much LESS attention is paid to the effect it has on your ability to focus, or do things like, say, lucid dream.
Now, the ‘dopamine cycle’ is one part of the problem, but it’s actually pretty easy to fix.
There are several little pieces to what I call the ‘modern brain puzzle’.
Things that just weren’t a problem 5000 years ago.
You can see some of this playing out in children today.
On average, children or people under the age of 15, find it MUCH easier to lucid dream than adults do. It’s because at that age, their dopamine system has not been damaged too much.
This is of course changing now, as more and more children are having access to smartphones, but it’s an interesting point.
In fact not only does the dopamine problem affect your ability to lucid dream, it also affects your ability to WANT to lucid dream (consciously and subconsciously).
Specifically I’m talking about your motivation and focus.
And you guessed it, there’s your number one cause of problems when trying to meditate, practice techniques like the WILD, or recall your dreams.
After reading this paragraph or stanza whatever,I noticed something,as a kid I had lucid dreams alot with just putting intentions.
My first lucid dream was at around 7-8 years old,and I was sinking when I realised I was dream and I tried controlling my dream and even succeeded,and I was probably there for about 10 minutes playing with underwater creatures and mermaids.
And till 7 grade I use to have alot of lucid dreams but after that I was allowed to use phone and so I was always invested in phone like all the time. By the way lucid dream was pretty normal for me and I pretty much forgot about it and never really paid attention to lucid dreaming. And then I rarely had any lucid dreams, probably 4 times ever since 8 grade and I've noticed every time I lucid dream it's always whenever I don't use any social media.
In 9 grade my phone was taken again because my mother noticed my social media addiction. And after few months I again start to lucid dream for fun easily and effortlessly but during COVID I was again allowed to have my phone and then a new laptop so now my life was revolving around social media again and for the past few year I only lucid dream whenever I don't get to use my phone more then 2 days.
Idk bout y'all but I wasn't allowed to use phones or laptop till 8th grade so the only thing I knew was TV which I only watched after coming home so like my mind was most of the te bored because I didn't had anything to keep it entertain which made it easy for me to observe around looking for things to do.
So how can you reverse the ‘dopamine problem’ and several of the other issues modern life has created?
By the way:
This is NOT about destroying your phone and going back to live in a cave.
There are actually several powerful habits you can install, that will let you KEEP using your phone, laptop etc, but without these harmful effects.
Here’s the simple solution to more lucid dreams:
1. Reverse engineer your life and remove distractions, manipulation, ‘dopamine hijacking’ and harmful blue light exposure from your daily routine (along with some other ‘problem patterns’)
2. Get inside your subconscious brain and rewire yourself to WANT to practice lucid dreaming, and to effortlessly do reality checks at the right time, without even trying
3. Learn powerful ‘all day awareness’ and ‘lucid living’ techniques that give your brain superpowers in the fight
4. On top of THAT foundation, learn the most effective techniques and concepts, use our tools to stay motivated, and experience lucid mastery within 14 days.
Let’s dive a little bit deeper:
First, you have to ‘reverse engineer’ the problem.
This can be complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing, but we’ve laid everything out step by step for you.
If dopamine addiction is part of the problem, we have to break that addiction first.
Then comes your mindset, and your motivation pathways.
You need to actually feel GOOD when you practice these things. I see so many people saying they’re struggling to remember to do reality checks, or they just don’t want to wake up at ‘weird times’ to practice.
Don’t worry, you won’t have to.
It will feel good, and you’ll ENJOY practicing these things.
Next, your subconscious mind. It’s SO important to fix your internal beliefs about lucid dreaming, because the chances are you have ‘internal blocks’ about becoming lucid.
They’re easy to pick up, but a bit harder to ‘unlearn’. The system shows you how to ‘unlearn’ them, and install new, powerful and self affirming beliefs into your mind. This gives your brain lots more motivation to keep trying.
Now, one of the most common things I hear people say is that they can’t REMEMBER to keep doing reality checks. It’s linked to the dopamine problem we mentioned earlier, but it’s also connected to a few other psychological principles that we’ll get onto.
We’ll give you a new framework to ENJOY reality checks, remember them without any annoying reminders, and actually get them to SHOW UP in your dreams, 9 out of 10 times.
And then finally, we’ll build the most effective techniques, methods and concepts on top of that new, strong foundation. Of course, I’m simplifying this here, but that’s the outline.
Here are some videos that may help.
youtube
youtube
If you want to know more about it or get the steps to lucid dream you can buy the book or go through a long step to get it for free but the procedure is very long and probably only for Iphone user.
You find some good articles ways to do the 'reverse dopamine' thingy.(I donot trust my research on this topic cuz I got confuse)
You may use Adambja's tape to reprogram your subconscious and this hacking the matrix tape the comments under the video was so good and I found this tape on someone's success story. You can use this two tapes to reprogram your subconscious and of course psych-k.
This is pretty much all you need digital detox,observing your surroundings and subconscious reprogramming to change your belief or assumptions.
And this will make you even more motivated that you are working on your goals as many of us have the access of devices it's hard for us to keep up with all this method and it's not like we are always busy if we are we wouldn't be scrolling through Tumblr and Pinterest all the time. If you read the the copy pasted part you'll see what I mean.
Edit: I forgot to mention it 🥲 if we follow do this we CAN HAVE lucid dream everyday.
Egyptians lucid dreaming tea
This will be quick,so I went to my aunt's place with my mother and my aunt's ran out of tea powder/leaves so she used her daughter's blue lotus tea and after getting home I took a nap and I HAD A FOKING LUCID DREAM,so basically I didn't knew that it was the tea until I was doing some research on LD and found out that in ancient Egypt they use Blue Lotus tea and I found some review about it on YouTube and people had very vivid dreams aswell. This tea basically put you in REM which y'all probably know about.
But I don't like tea😐,so if anyone have interest you can try I honestly want to but my hate for tea is on top on the list of top 5 things I hate,you can find them online people even use Blue Lotus in vape😐not encourageling y'all to smoke but if anyone does you can.
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15 questions, 15 people
Thx for the tag @marauders-everything2
Starting a new post, it was too long. Slightly modified some questions.
1. Are you named after anyone?
Nope.
2. When was the last time you cried?
Don't remember, probably yesterday.
3. Do you want to have kids?
No thanks :)
4. What sports do/have you played?
My parents tried putting me in a bunch of shit when I was younger so I've done: swimming (for some years, still not great at it lol), surfing (quit after like 2 months), kizomba dance (hated it), another type of dance, contemporary dance (I liked it but the place closed), and we went skiing several times (which I love). If horseriding counts, I did that for a year. Currently not doing any.
5. Do you use sarcasm?
Yeah, sometimes. But I'm also quite direct and straightforward. Only "straight" I am.
6. What's the first thing you notice about someone?
Their fashion style. I love going up to strangers to compliment their outfits!
7. What's your eye colour?
Dark brown.
8. Movies with sad or happy endings?
I love movies with uncertain, ambiguous endings, in which the meaning is up for debate (like Inception).
9. What talents do you have?
Fast at absorbing information (sometimes), hypercreativity, great at bullshitting in academic tests/essays, good at making accents and voices, ummm... Can't remember more.
10. Where would you like to live?
New Zealand. It's pretty and one of the least problematic English-speaking countries (wanna live somewhere where English is the official language).
11. What are your hobbies?
Writing fanfiction and original stories (more like my passion), playing The Sims 4, drawing digitally (haven't in a while though), singing?
12. Do you have any pets?
My parents have 3 dogs (no breed) and koi fish. I want a cat :')
13. How tall are you?
165 cm or 5'5" for the Americans.
14. Favourite subject in school?
At college. Don't really like any of my current classes. Ig English C1.2 because we studied the Broadway play Hamilton. Although I haven't learned anything new.
15. What is your dream job?
Writer/author, would also like to do voice acting. Maybe a psychologist too, haven't decided if I'll take a second college degree.
No pressure tags: @siriuslystarbucks @starsandmoonys @whoopsiesnodaisies @star4daisy @starchaser-lily @half-cold-coffee @cazzythefrogking @starsarestories @my-beloved-fandoms @my-castles-crumbling @reggiecantswimm @artbyace @literallytoogaytofunction @rosemelodyshah @theres-an-endless-starry-sky
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2023 𝗩𝗦 2021!
At the end of October it will be exactly 2 years since I started self-training in digital art, and back in the middle of this month #redraw my first art 🗓️:)
I love that this is the very first and very last art from my phone xD I mean, after draw it last time, I got a new, more powerful device and new artworks started coming out a lot better. That's also the reason why I posted this art today instead of October 28, because this one doesn't show the full evolution 🥲
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Friends, Romans, Tumblrites, lend me your reblogs.
I'm Xel and I live in a society! I think there's a solid chance you do also! So you may relate to the profoundly crappy thing that happened to me and that I once again need a community assist.
I lost a temporary job that was supposed to turn into a permanent job in June because no one there felt safe enough to retire. Only two of us in the apartment were under 50. One of the crew was over 70. Three were chronically ill/disabled. No one felt safe enough to leave in order for me to stay, so I was trained for basically 6 months for nothing.
I have survived on savings from that job until this point, but I'm at the point where I cannot pay rent. I'm looking into getting help from sources more local to me but the internet has always felt like people who cared about me more than the people I share DNA with, really.
Many of the social services that I was signed up for expired the day that I was supposed to be told that I would be a permanent hire, and since that didn't go down, now I have to start it all again from the beginning, and there are gaps in my security net.
I tell you all of that just to say that I am actually trying to do things, I'm not here to just beg and coast along on some sort of lavish lifestyle where I, uh. Keep living in this dodgy apartment with my cat.
I don't want to bore you with an itemized list, but like 2,000 US dollars would get me through September and October without being worried about it like every 3 minutes. My rent is 700 and change, if you would like to know that. So I'm looking for like September and October rent and money to renew my driver's license, pay a few utility bills, buy a bag of cat food, and refill my medications.
If you have the notion to toss help at an internet pal or the extended reblogged acquaintance of an Internet pal, as is more likely the case, probably, that would be super rad of you.
I'm an artist! You could get things with images on them from me! I sell buttons, prints, and commissioned illustrations if that's your thing. My commissions are going a bit slow as of late - I only recovered from being not really able to walk like 2 months ago, and so I'm doing a lot of catch up like everywhere else in my whole life and trying not to spend too much time at a desk since it aggravates the spine thing that was the problem in the first place.
To be honest, it would be a greater help to me to just receive some Aid rather than full-on commissions, but I completely understand feeling fishy about people getting something for nothing and also feeling bad for being a charity case on the internet, so I'm not opposed! If you want to chat about that, I have a commissions post on the side or top of my blog depending on where you're looking at this!
Ko-fi contains my buttons and is a good place to toss digital dead American presidents if that suits you. I will get hit by some PayPal fees in this process but, I'm willing to call that a call for help on the internet tax.
I promise I'm a real person and not a bot who has made up a cat and is pretending to have interests. My blog has been here since 2010! I've met people on this website in person and everything. I've had embarrassing obsessions no bot would bother coming up with. Speaking of:
Similarly to times before, I would like to be able to do something in order to feel like I have earned some kind of support, and as of my birthday last week I have resolved to try very hard in the next year to conquer my fear and absolute mortification about many of the things I make, so I will once again go digging into my archives for things I can post for you to enjoy as thanks and tribute! I also have a poll running right now to see what kind of buttons people want!
Thanks for taking a look! Be nice out there, take care of your spines!
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03/04/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; Cast&Crew;WJW; Con O'Neill; David Jenkins; Bumbles; Rhys Darby; A LeagueOfTheirOwn Watch Party; Wrecked WP Continues; NewarkNewark WP tomorrow; Fundraiser Statuses; SchadenFreude; Fan Spotlight; Podcasts; LoveNotes; DailyDarby/Tonight's Taika
== Cast & Crew Sightings ==
== Wee John Wonday ==
Today's Wee John Wonday featured our Pirate Queen Ruibo Qian! Please check the video out on Kristian's Instagram!
Don't have time to watch? There are some highlights below the pic!
Some Highlights:
Anapela couldn't make it tonight sorry!
Ruibo is really into perfume like Kristian
Ruibo and Anapela really clicked on set!
Ruibo still has hope regarding s3!
“DO I wanna smell like a haystack with a cow dung hidden inside of it?” - Ruibo
Ruibo would be interested in polycule, Zheng may not be
Kristian has an announcement coming out tomorrow - 📚
Apparently the last episode, when they were all walking out in the colonial outfits, it was SUPER LONG and a lot of it was cut.
Qian means money = so Ruibo is literally the Money Bitch
== Con O'Neil ==
One of our wonderful crew-mates was out and about and ran into none other than THE Con O'Neill! Thank you so much for sharing this meet up with us @queerjolras!
Con also posted a picture of himself and his pup Cooper on IG today!
== David Jenkins ==
Our friend @cosmosart-s posted a lovely picture of David for the 2 year anniversary OFMD anniversary and David ran it on his IG Story!
One thing I've noticed a few people mentioning was the "3" hearts. Not to clown/honk too hard, but just something to think about <3
== Rare Bumbles Sighting ==
Many of you know of Rhys and Rosie's cat Bumbles, but we don't get to see Bumbles too often! Rosie uploaded an adorable photo of one of the Darby Feline-Fam.
== Rhys Darby ==
Are you in Aotearoa? Stop in to seen see Rhys on Wed 3 Apr 2024, 8:00pm–10:00pm at the Wild Estate in Auckland!
New Cryptid Factor Episode!
89: #089 The 2nd First Issue!
Spotify / Podfriend / Apple Podcasts
== New Watch Parties ==
= Mar 3 - Mar 7 A League Of Their Own =
Join us this week starting Monday, March 4th for a multi-fandom watch party! Each day will have different games and polls! (Sorry this is a bit late, I didn't get it until today!)
Where: Amazon Prime
Time: Every day 1 PM EST / 10AM PT!
Day One, March 4th: Pilot episodes for both series with tweeting predictions for the rest of the seasons.
Day Two, March 5th: Bingos! Live tweet your reaction and share your filled out bingo cards!
Day Three, March 6th: Polls! Live tweet your reactions and share your thoughts on the shows so far!
Day Four, March 7th: Caption the screencaps from the shows: Wrong answers only!
Day Five, March 8th: Finale time! Share your predictions for the next seasons with the hashtags.
Watch Party Hashtags:
OurFlagMeansBaseball,
SaveOFMD
SaveALOTO to join the event!
== Watch Party Reminders! ==
Mar 4 - Mar 8: Wrecked Season 1
Wrecked is no longer on any streaming platform, and it is not available digitally on US sites. (Apparently, it is available on German Amazon?) There are sources being passed around. If access is an issue, DM @iamadequate1 on Twitter or Tumblr
Season 1 watch from March 4th to March 8th.
Season 2 watch from March 11th to March 15th.
Season 3 watch from March 18th to March 22nd.
Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST. Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each. Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.
Hashtags:
#WreckedPirates
#SaveOFMD
#RhysDarbyFaction
= Mar 5: NewarkNewark with @adoptourcrew =
Please join @adoptourcrew for a @NewarkNewark watch party on March 5th at 10 pm GMT/ 2pm PS / 5pm EST!
== Fundraiser Statuses ==
= Underground Ads =
The Final Stage of the Save OFMD Crew fundraisor for the underground ads is still going! If you're so inclined, feel free to donate or share around! Ko-Fi Link
= In Soup Now =
Wow! Only 24 hours open, and already at 10%! Great job all!
== Schaden Freude ==
Thanks @iamadequate1 for catching the very sad times WBD Inc is experiencing on the NASDAQ
== How to Help ==
Another Ranker Poll! Feel free to hop in and bump OFMD up. You can rank shows up AND down so make sure to rank other shows as well.
Ranker Link
== Fan Spotlight ==
Our lovely crew-mate @melvisik is back again, this time with our favorite Captain Rhys Darby as part of the Crew Cards <3
== Podcasts ==
@fandomthingpod on Twitter did an episode on the OFMD Renewal campaign and interviewed our esteemed crew-mate @lcwebsxoxo! They gave lots of kudos to the @saveofmdcrewmates and @adoptourcrew and the recaps got a shout out too! (Ty for the mention LC!)
The Campaign To Save OurFlagMeansDeath
== Love Notes ==
Hello lovelies :) It was an action packed day for sure (as Mondays usually are). That being said I took some time to do some stuff today I've been meaning to, so I apologize for not taking more time on love notes!
Please know me and your crew-mates are thinking of you and hoping for all the best things for you in the upcoming days.
I know it's short but here are some reminders / love notes in other people's words for today/tomorrow. <3
Stay Strong Lovelies! Whatever you're up to, you're gonna make it through, I believe in you!
== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==
Yeahhhhh no gifs tonight luvs, I am running late and I can't stop looking at these still pictures anyway, so here you are <3
Taika Src / Rhys courtesy of Prim on Discord!
#daily ofmd recap#daily ofmd recaps#ofmd daily recap#ofmd daily recaps#ofmd#our flag means death#david jenkins#rhys darby#ruibo qian#taika waititi#love notes#watch parties#fundraisers#kristian nairn#bumbles#con o'neill
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The internet is not a (link)dump truck
Monday (October 2), I'll be in Boise to host an event with VE Schwab. On October 7–8, I'm in Milan to keynote Wired Nextfest.
The second decade of the 21st century is truly a bounteous time. My backyard has produced a bumper crop of an invasive species of mosquito that is genuinely innovative: rather than confining itself to biting in the dusk and dawn golden hours, these stinging clouds of flying vampires bite at every hour that God sends:
https://themagnet.substack.com/p/the-magnet-081-war-with-mosquitoes
Here in the twilight of capitalism's planet-devouring, half-century orgy of wanton destruction, there's more news every day than I can possibly write a full blog post about every day, and as with many weeks, I have arrived at Saturday with a substantial backlog of links that didn't fit into the week's "Hey look at this" linkdumps.
Thus, the eighth installment in my ongoing, semiregular series of Saturday linkdumps:
https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/
This week, the miscellany begins with the first hesitant signs of an emerging, post-neoliberal order. The FTC, under direction of the force-of-nature that is Lina Khan, has brought its long-awaited case antitrust case against Amazon. I am very excited about this. Disoriented, even.
When was the last time you greeted every day with a warm feeling because high officials in the US government were working for the betterment of every person in the land? It's enough to make one giddy. Plus, the New York Times let me call Amazon "the apex predator of our platform era"! Now that it's in the "paper of record," it's official:
https://pluralistic.net/ApexPredator
Now, lefties have been predicting capitalism's imminent demise since The Communist Manifesto, but any fule kno that the capitalist word for "crisis" also translates as "opportunity." Like the bedbugs that mutated to thrive in clouds of post-war DDT, capitalism has adapted to each crisis, emerging in a new, more virulent form:
https://boingboing.net/2023/09/30/bedbugs-take-paris.html
But "anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop" (Stein's Law). Perhaps our mistake was in waiting for capitalism to give way to socialism, rather than serving as a transitional phase between feudalism and…feudalism.
What's the difference between feudalism and capitalism? According to Yanis Varoufakis, it comes down to whether we value rents (income you get from owning things) over profits (income you get from doing things):
https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital
By that metric, the FTC's case against Amazon is really a case against feudalism. Through predatory pricing and acquisitions, Amazon has turned itself into a chokepoint that every merchant, writer and publisher has to pass through in order to reach their customers. Amazon charges a fortune to traverse that chokepoint (estimates range from 45% to 51% of gross revenues) and then forces sellers to raise their prices everywhere else when they hike their Amazon prices so they can afford Amazon's tolls. It's "an economy-wide hidden tax":
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/the-ftc-sues-to-break-up-amazon-over
Now, feudalism isn't a straightforward proposition. Like, are you sure you mean feudalism? Maybe you mean "manorialism" (they're easy to mix up):
https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/
Plus, much of what we know about the "Dark Ages" comes from grifter doofuses like Voltaire, a man who was capable of dismissing the 800 year Holy Roman Empire with a single quip ("neither holy, roman, nor an empire"). But the reality is a lot more complicated, gnarly and interesting.
That's where medievalist Eleanor Janeaga comes in, and her "Against Voltaire, or, the shortest possible introduction to the Holy Roman Empire" is a banger:
https://going-medieval.com/2023/09/29/against-voltaire-or-the-shortest-possible-introduction-to-the-holy-roman-empire/
Now, while it's true that Enlightenment thinkers gave medieval times a bum rap, it's likewise true that a key element of Enlightenment justice is transparency: justice being done, and being seen to be done. One way to distinguish "modern" justice from "medieval" trials is to ask whether the public is allowed to watch the trial, see the evidence, and understand the conclusion.
Here again, there is evidence that capitalism was a transitional phase between feudalism and feudalism. The Amazon trial has already been poisoned by farcical redactions, in which every key figure is blacked out of the public record:
https://prospect.org/power/2023-09-27-redacted-case-against-amazon/
This is part of a trend. The other gigantic antitrust case underway right now, against Google, has turned into a star chamber as well, with Judge Amit P Mehta largely deferring to Google's frequent demands to close the court and seal the exhibits:
https://usvgoogle.org/trial-update-9-22
Google's rationale for this is darkly hilarious: if the public is allowed to know what's happening in its trial, this will be converted into "clickbait," which is to say, "The public is interested in this case, and if they are informed of the evidence against us, that information will be spread widely because it is so interesting":
https://www.bigtechontrial.com/p/secrecy-is-systemic
Thankfully, this secrecy is struggling to survive the public outrage it prompted. While the court's Zoom feed has been shuttered and while Judge Mehta is still all-too-willing to clear the courtroom during key testimony, at least the DoJ's exhibits aren't being sealed at the same clip as before:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23892215/google-search-antitrust-trial-documents-public-again-judge-mehta-rules
In 2023, the world comes at you fast. There's an epic struggle over the future of corporate dominance playing out all around us. I mean, there are French antitrust enforcers kicking down doors of giant tech companies and ransacking their offices for evidence of nefarious anticompetitive plots:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/28/23894863/nvidia-offices-raided-french-competition-authority
As ever, the question is "socialism or barbarism." But don't say that too loud: in America, socialism is a slur, one that dates back to the Reconstruction era, when pro-slavery factions called Black voting "socialism in South Carolina."
Ever since, white nationalists used "socialism" make Americans believe that "socialism" was an "extremist" view, so they'd stand by while everyone from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump smeared their opponents as "Marxists":
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4066499-trump-paints-2024-campaign-as-righteous-crusade/
As Heather Cox Richardson puts it for The Atlantic, "There is a long-standing fight over whether support for the modern-day right is about taxes or race. The key is that it is about taxes and race at the same time":
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/american-socialism-racist-origins/675453/
The cruelty isn't the point, in other words. Cruelty is the tactic. The point is power. Remember, no war but class war. All of this is in service to paying workers less so that bosses and investors can have more.
Take "essential workers," everyone from teachers to zookeepers, nurses to librarians, EMTs to daycare workers. All of these "caring" professions are paid sub-living wages, and all of these workers are told that "they matter too much to earn a living wage":
https://www.okdoomer.io/praise-doesnt-pay/
The "you matter too much to pay" mind-zap is called "vocational awe," a crucial term introduced by Ettarh Fobazi in her 2018 paper:
https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/
Vocational awe is how creative workers – like the writers who just won their strike and the actors who are still fighting – are conned into working at starvation wages. As the old joke goes, "What, and give up show-business?"
https://ask.metafilter.com/117904/Whats-the-joke-thas-hase-the-punchline-what-and-give-up-show-business
In this moment of Big Tech-driven, AI-based wage suppression, mass surveillance, corruption and inequality, perhaps we should take a moment to remind ourselves that cyberpunk was a warning, not a suggestion. Or, more to the point, the warning was about high-tech corporate takeover of our lives, and the suggestion was that we could seize the means of computation (a synonym for William Gibson's "the street finds its own use for things"):
http://www.seizethemeansofcomputation.org/
We are living in a lopsided cyberpunk future, long on high-tech corporate takeover, short of computation seizing. This point is made sharply in JWZ's "Dispatch From The Cyberpunk City," which is beautifully packaged as a Hypercard stack that you run on an in-browser Mac Plus emulator from the Internet Archive:
https://www.jwz.org/blog/2023/09/neuroblast-dispatch-from-the-cyberpunk-city/
Cast your gaze ahead, to the near future: Public space has all but disappeared. Corporate landlords use AI-powered robots to harass the homeless. The robots, built slick and white with an R2-D2 friendliness now most resemble giant butt plugs covered in graffiti and grime.
Science fiction doesn't have to be a warning. It can also be a wellspring of hope. That's what I tried to do with The Lost Cause, my forthcoming Green New Deal novel, which Bill McKibben called "The first great YIMBY novel":
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865939/the-lost-cause
Writing a hopeful novel of ecological, social and economic redemption, driven by solidarity, repair, and library socialism, was a powerful tonic against despair in this smoke-smothered, flooded, mosquito-bitten time. And while the book isn't out yet, there are early indications I succeeded, like Kim Stanley Robinson's reaction, "Along with the rush of adrenaline I felt a solid surge of hope. May it go like this."
And now, we have a concurring judgment from The Library Journal, who yesterday published their review, which concludes: "a thought-provoking story, with a message of hope in a near-future that looks increasingly bleak":
https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-lost-cause-2196385
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/30/mesclada/#melange
#pluralistic#antitrust#amazon#opacity#impunity#vocational awe#cyberpunk#dystopia watch#hypercard#jwz#holy roman empire#voltaire#enlightenment#dark ages#history#eleanor janega#linkdump#linkdumps#the lost cause#science fiction#books
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OKAY SO
I have made decisions.
A follower on Instagram suggested I make June 16th Robyn's birthday (because the comic he was literally born in was posted on June 16th last year).
Approved. How can I, a June baby, NOT agree to make my blorbo a June baby too? (Also I need to push the Gemini agenda. We're hated too much 😤)
But if Robyn has a birthday I thought it's unfair my other blorbo with freckles doesn't have one. I always said Micah's younger than Robyn by about 2 months.
If Robyn's a June baby and 2 months older than Micah, then Micah must be an August baby.
I can't explain it but his birthday being in the first two weeks of August doesn't vibe right with me. I vibe more with a 2 in front for him. It's my favorite number. But I can't decide on the second digit :(
No see results this time >:(
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The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 2 Review
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus. If you haven't seen the episode, please skip this post and watch the episode before reading this post.
This post also contains critical commentary about Vivziepop. If you're a Vivziepop stan, please do not interact with me. Critical fans and antis are welcome to interact. Reblogs on this post are turned off to prevent Vivziepop stans from interacting with me.
If you're a Vivziepop stan and try to interact with me by sending a PM or tagging me in a post, you'll be instantly blocked. Any asks sent by Vivziepop stans will be deleted.
I didn't find out that TADC had another episode out until Saturday night while I was preparing for my morning shift at work. I decided to watch the new episode before bed and wasn't disappointed at what I watched.
The episode starts with Pomni having a nightmare before Ragatha woke her up. Poor girl can't catch a break after what she went through in the first episode.
And now, for the main event of the episode. Caine assigned the crew to a mission to return the maple syrup that was stolen for a candy kingdom by a small group of gummy gator bandits. I also got some nostalgia feels for the episode as I grew up watching Adventure Time, and the candy themed kingdom reminded me of the Candy Kingdom from Adventure Time.
The chase scene was extremely hilarious, and I felt bad that poor Pomni had to try to keep the bandits from going away. If only Jax actually did something instead of antagonizing her. Gotta say that Jax is one lovable prick.
It made me sad that after Pomni and Gummigoo had their little bonding moment, Caine was like, "nope" and Thanos'd Gummigoo from entering the circus. But after that episode, I wonder what Gooseworx has planned for Caine. Will he end up being the big bad guy in the show? His role is to be some sort of ringleader, after all. I'm looking forward to the future episodes to come.
To end my thoughts about the new episode, I did like that the ending shows Pomni slowly starting to get comfortable with the others. I know Gooseworx said that she doesn't plan on shipping the characters, but maybe she might reconsider it with Pomni and Ragatha. But either or is fine. Gooseworx has the right to do whatever she wants with the show.
I've also mentioned at the very beginning of the post that I will add some critical commentary about Vivziepop. So I might as well address everything now.
I believe I've said this in my post about my thoughts on the first episode about The Amazing Digital Circus, which is that Gooseworx doesn't rely heavily on excess amount of swearing to make her content funny. I still got a good laugh out of watching the new episode. I also like how Gooseworx hired indie voice actors for the show, and it shows that you don't need voice actors who have been in the industry for years to get people to consume your work. Also, last time I checked, the new episode got over 30 million views on YouTube.
Another thing is that I really like how the characters are designed. I'm curious if there is any significance for the roles the TADC crew will play during the future of the show. For example, Pomni is in a Jester outfit, and I'm curious how it will affect her role in the show. And it's obvious that Caine, being the ringleader of the crew, by having him wear a suit and top hat to show that. Meanwhile, Vivziepop seems to rehash similar character designs for the rest of her characters, which, in my opinion, makes her characters look dull looking. Viv has the potential to create really well designed characters as shown with her past work. And I wish she could improve that in the future.
Lastly, the writing. I know The Amazing Digital Circus only has two episodes, but the writing is far better than Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss combined. The Amazing Digital Circus stays consistent to the plot by showing the crew going to various parts of the universe they're in to complete their missions. I will admit that the plot of Hazbin Hotel is somewhat consistent as it shows Charlie trying to redeem sinners on top of the threat of Heaven. My biggest concern with Hazbin is that whenever Season two comes around, I'm worried that Vivziepop will sideline Charlie's mission to redeem sinners and help maintain the population of hell to either filler episodes or deter the main plot by focusing heavily on heaven or things that are not significant to the plot of Hazbin Hotel.
And then there's Helluva Boss. The show was promoted being about a group of imp mercenaries doing kill jobs. It wasn't until Viv decided it would be a "brilliant" to show that the main plot aside to focus on Stolas and Blitzo's "relationship" (even though I don't consider that a relationship due to how predatory Stolas is towards Blitz and something similar to Angel Dust and Valentino).
To close this post, I would like to say that The Amazing Digital Circus is what both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss could be, despite TADC only having two episodes. If Vivziepop hired indie voice actors, worked more on her character designs, rethink how she writes both Hazbin and Helluva Boss, and works on giving her female characters the character development they deserve, then maybe I'll rewatch them in the future. However, the problem is that Viv doesn't really handle criticism well and relies on her fans to protect her. She's a grown woman, and she doesn't need other people to fight her own battles. If she can't handle that as a content creator, then maybe she should either step down from her position as the lead of HH and HB or consider taking a hiatus and have her work on herself.
But anyways, that's was I gotta say. The second episode of TADC was a fun watch, and I'm looking forward to what Gooseworx has in store for her viewers.
#the amazing digital circus#tadc#gooseworx#anti hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel criticism#hazbin hotel critical#hazbin hotel critique#anti helluva boss#helluva boss criticism#helluva boss critique#helluva boss critical#anti stolitz#anti vivziepop#vivziepop critical#vivziepop criticism#vivziepop critique
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19 Reasons (Tim Drake x Reader)
It’s Tim’s birthday in my timezone, so I’m writing my first ever DC Comic post- yes- fiNALLY-
Summary: You said you wished your turning 19 year old Tim “Happy Womb Escape” by presenting a slideshow titled “19 reasons why I love Tim Drake.”
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
“Guess what day it is?”
“19 July?” He didn’t even bat an eye, busy typing away on his computer without a care in the world.
“Seriously? Okay stop working,” you closed his laptop and shove it away to a corner, “you literally forget it’s your birthday today?”
He looks at you nonchalantly before crossing his arms with an eyebrow raised. “Well, it’s not that important?”
You gasped in horror, dramatically rolling up to his chest with your hand pressed to your forehead and the other clutching your heart. “ ‘Not important’? My own boyfriend saying his birthday is ‘not important’? Non!”
He rolled his eyes, playfully and lightly shoving you away as he smirked. You grinned.
“I’m going to show you why it’s important with this slideshow!” You placed your own laptop on his lap, the monitor flashing a slideshow titled “19 Reasons Why I Love Tim Drake”.
“Oh god. This is gonna be fun,” he joked.
“Before that, I would just like to say,” you started, clicking to the next slide, “ ‘Happy Womb Escape’ to you, Drake.”
“Wait wha-”
“Now first reason!” You clicked to the next slide, cutting your baffled vigilante as you cleared your throat to perform your lines.
“Number one! He’s Red Robin, Gotham’s best vigilante out there! Ain’t I ever seen another like him!”
“There’s Bruce, Dick, Jason, Cass, Steph, Lu-”
“STOP- THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOU!” You groaned in frustration, making Tim chuckle. “Yeah but I’m basically just like them.”
“I ain’t see someone who single-handedly took down the Joker? Obeah Man? Got rid of the booty shorts of Robin? That’s a crime, by the way.” You said it in a “matter-of-fact” way. He snorted.
“Secondly! He’s the most hardworking man I know! But also he needs rest so take notes. Third! He’s the biggest, dorkiest dork on earth who loves machines, science, and he googles the most random things on the internet just to give me a fun fact later on out of the blue!”
“Fourth! His hair is fluffy as hell and it makes him very nice to pat on the head! Fifth! He’s a nerd! And that’s cute! Sixth, Tim is the smartest man I’ve ever met. I bet he could find the last digit of Pi in like 2 seconds in his brain. Seventh!”
Tim smiled warmly, soon becoming smug the more you went on with your points. He looked so proud.
“Seventh, is that he’s a bisexual icon! Enough said. Eighth! He lends me his sweaters and they all smell like him which is the nice part.”
“You stole them, you mean?”
“Shhhh, let the presenter speak. Anyways, ninth! Timmy bringing me to a burger joint on our first date and he didn’t judge me for it. I’ll tell you something I didn’t until now: I was pretty scared you judged me but you didn’t. So thank god.”
“I always judge you, Y/N, it’s alright,” Tim smirked. You looked at him with a frown, not amused. “Yeah, okay never mind, I should take this slide down.”
“Hey!” He said, grinning as wide as you were. “Next! Tenth! He watches over me even when he’s on patrol to make sure I’m safe!”
“You… know? I thought I was pretty well hidden…” he blinked in surprise.
“Tim, you may be a detective and that’s exactly the point. It doesn’t take some of your skills to rub off of me,” again, you said it as a matter-of-fact.
“Eleventh! He’s a skater boy, and he’s my ‘Skater Boi’,” Tim once again snorted, much louder upon understanding that pop culture reference.
“Twelfth, he loves watching old, 80s to 90s cheesy movies and geeks out about them all the time while we’re watching! Don’t ever shut up, by the way. Thirteenth! He always fidgets with his fingers and hands when he’s bored subconsciously! That in itself is adorable.”
“Fourteenth! He’s a terrible cook, but he still tries anyways. It’s also adorable~” He rolled his eyes, folding his arms.
“Wow, I feel so loved.”
“Yesh, and I love you very much as well, Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne,” you teased. He scoffed lightly. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Fifteenth! He is the best cross-dresser. That is all. Sixteenth! HE IS THE WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE! Like he found Waldo every 2 seconds, finished 5 books of him in 1 minute,” you said, doing an amateur explosion side effect by saying “kaploosh” with your hands doing the mind-blown action.
“Again, Bruce and everyone else in my family.”
“Again, there is no one like you, Detective Tim. Seventeenth! Best photographer! Also enough said! Love everything you take, sweetie! Eighteenth! He makes using a metal stick look badass!”
“And lastly! Nineteenth! Drum roll please!” You use your knuckles to lightly drum against the wooden floors. “He’s Tim Drake! What’s not to love?” You smiled. It was so contagious that he found himself smiling as stupid and gleefully as you did.
He had always been insecure of his abilities and himself in general, so he was so flustered and gooey on the inside with how genuine you were with each point. Although, his flustered-ness was showing with pink blooming on his cheeks.
“Okay, guess I understand why my birthday’s important now.”
“Glad you understood my report, Mr Drake!” You smiled at him.
“So now I shall say,” you drum-rolled again, quickly tossing your arms around him and lightly pecked his cheek with a grin.
“I love you, Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne.”
He smiled at you lovingly, cupping your cheek as he gently brushed his thumb against it. “And I love you, too, YF/N L/N. Thanks for your birthday gift.”
You laughed sweetly. “The gift is you, technically~”
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
Reblogs help! ^^
#tim drake#tim drake x reader#dc comics x reader#red robin#red robin x reader#batfam#batfamily#happy birthday tim drake#ITS HIS BIRTHDAYYYSJAJDJJF#dc comics fluff#fluff#oneshot#x reader fluff#x reader oneshot#x reader#self insert#gn reader#love this boy💕💕#dc comics
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First off, I wanna say that I mean no disrespect to the artists who worked on Hazbin Hotel. It’s just that I’ve been seeing people make redesigns of Hazbin characters, and though I don’t usually participate in stuff like this (it seems fun, and you are all incredibly talented. I just feel kinda bad tinkering with someone else’s work like this), the show made me frustrated, and frustrated induced brain-vomit started sloshing around in my skull so noisily that it’s been keeping me up. And, well, I had to get it out somehow.
So…here ya go, I guess. It’s nothing crazy or new. It’s just a few disgustingly rough ideas for this very specific version of Charlie that I kept seeing in my head. They’re far from polished or anything, and they’re definitely missing some key details because I’ve been hyper-fixating on trying to get the face right lol. I might make a full body illustration later, but I have commitment issues so who knows how far this’ll go. That is to say, don’t expect any more of this or the other characters unless 1) my brain decides to torment me with more literal demons or 2) I, by some miracle, become a more productive person. Plus, Tumblr’s a new thing for me, and I don’t know what I’m doing with this yet other than posting art and then disappearing for years. Seriously, you have no idea. It’s a wonder that I posted for a second time.
Anyway, the direction of this design is pretty obvious. I went with the lamb/goat motif because I liked the idea of inverted/parallel symbolism. I was toying with a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” concept where they appear to be a lamb in this form but actually shift into a more wolf-like dragon sorta thing when prompted. Their wardrobe is supposed to be an extension of the innocent lamb deception as the ruffles and looseness are meant to be kinda reminiscent of fluff while communicating a sense of privilege (a white untainted by the grit of Hell… something that probably wouldn’t last long). I was also inspired by white goth and catholic goth aesthetics (I blame Ethel Cain) as well as those insanely beautiful ball-jointed dolls. I don’t know if I captured that well (to be honest, the more I look at those digital renditions, the more I hate them). I considered adding a pair of spectacles coz I thought it was cute lol, and because I thought it could be a way for them to try and seem more human.
If I were doing a rewrite (which I have ideas for, but I should probably focus on my actual original characters instead) then:
1. They would be agender and androgynous (I’d go the Good Omens route and make most angels/non-human entities largely genderless as gender is a human construction, one that most angels wouldn’t really concern themselves with)
2. They would be kinda elitist and naive but still sweet
3. Their intentions would not be entirely insincere, but they would not be acting without selfish goals
4. They would be an eldritch abomination
5. There would be possible exploration of their role as an antichrist as well as basically being a tool of war for their papa’s self-gratification
6. Their pops would suck
7. More horror
8. Like, it wouldn’t not be funny…but horror’s my genre so….
9. They would not suck at fighting, but death is traumatizing and so is being the cause of it (squeamish)
10. That being said, could make friends with Death??
And that’s all I feel like writing. Hopefully I update this lol
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Please imagine a pithy title about fresh starts here.
(crossposted from Patreon)
Coming into 2024, I had big plans for how I was going to get back on track and get back to posting once a week and yeah, obviously, that hasn’t happened.
But what I have been doing is looking at my Patreon and at my own projects and figuring out some things I need to do differently. Last April, I changed my nom de plume because I wanted a fresh start. Now it’s time to give this entire Patreon project a refresh.
Here’s what’s happened so far:
Deleted my old A.F. Linley website and gave up the domain; the cost for hosting has risen by $200/year and I wasn’t using it as much as I thought I would back in 2018. Also I kept getting spam emails through the contact page.
Took down my Smashwords account; the single title I had managed to self-publish, a short story collection called Creeps, Ghouls and Jewels, had some serious formatting issues that it was not going to be worth the time/money to correct. Plus, I’m not happy with the changes that have come since Smashwords merged with Draft2Digital. (I’m considering moving to Payhip for future self-pubbed titles but that’s a discussion for a different post.)
I’m starting the process of taking down my Redbubble shop and....Okay, actually, I might have done that already? I just went to grab a link to the site in case anyone wanted to order a Moonicorns t-shirt before I deactivated but uh, it looks like it might’ve deactivated itself? Anyway, merch isn’t the right direction for me at this time, but I’ve still got all the actual designs and I really do like the “Finishing Things is Hard” logo, so I’m definitely going to hang onto that and slap that onto some stuff at a different print-on-demand site in the future.
Here’s what’s happening next:
New posting schedule: Starting in April, patrons will receive one short non-fiction post every week (500-1k words) and a piece of fiction every month (2-2.5k words). Oddments posts will continue to be free to read, but these take a decent amount of research and will be sporadic, basically happening around patron-only posts.
Revised patron tier perks: Getting rid of physical rewards and adding more digital ones. More details to come.
Current and long-time patrons: Thank you for sticking around while I get my shit together. I say that frequently. I mean it every single time.
Potential new patrons: Hello. I have just met you, and I love you. My name is Ethan, I live in a 200-year-old house and I’m writing a novel called The Lion’s Paw. It’s set in 1925 and is about an immortal queer disaster woman and what happens when 400+ years of terrible decisions catches up with her.
(I will neither confirm nor deny that she was inspired by H.G. Wells from Warehouse 13.) (Yes I will confirm it, she totally was.)
There are séances and ghostly possession and psychics, there is historical romance, and psychological horror, there are haunted houses and artists behaving badly and a lot of ladies making out.
I post about my writing process and all the weird little historical niches that pop up during my research. Frequent topics include:
Spiritualism
Cryptids
Historical curiosities
Medical quackery
Weird tech
General oddball occurrences and serendipitous intersections of history, folklore, and culture
And sometimes when I’m really bored I write short fiction via random prompts.
If any of that appeals to you, please consider subscribing! I’d love to have you along for this journey and my caffeine habit needs all the support it can get.
=====
Banner photo by Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash.
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