#final total for the year will be 120 by the end of the day!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi, I wanted to ask if you have any tips on how to put together a time schedule for writing a book. I tried to create one several times but always ended up with task paralysis since I didn't know what to do and how to time it. Do you have any advice? One of my goals is to at least write one book next year and without a schedule, I'm afraid I will lose sight of what I should do.

Schedule for Writing a Book

There's no universal timetable for writing a book. There are a million variables that play a role into how fast someone can write a book. Their personal writing speed, their level of experience, what they're writing and how long it will be, how much time they can put toward writing, and what they're aiming for (finished first draft, polished final draft, published book...) That said, there's really no way to come up with a timetable that will be reasonable for everyone.

Plot and structure are more important than a timetable. Even if there was a reasonable timetable for writing a book, that wouldn't really help you if you don't understand how stories work. If you were trying to build a house, I could say it will take a week to lay the foundation, and another month to frame the house and install the roof, and another month to install plumbing and electrical, and another month for insulation and drywall, but if you don't know how to do any of those things, that timetable doesn't help you. You need to learn how to actually lay a foundation, frame a house, install a roof, etc. if you want to actually build the house. Writing a novel is the same way. Before you can worry about a timetable, you have to learn how stories work.

Consider utilizing a book that will teach you plot and story structure while also helping you to plot out and structure your novel. There are all different ideas about how stories work and how to best plot and structure a novel, so there are a lot of really great books and workbooks out there that will help you do this. I'm a big fan of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland is another good one, and it has an accompanying workbook. The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson is another one and it also has a workbook. You can also find printable novel planners on Etsy, often for less than 10 or 20 dollars.

If I had to give you a ballpark, totally arbitrary timetable, and assuming you have at least 3-5 hours a day to spend on writing, I would say you should probably plan to spend about a month plotting and planning, another month or two writing a zero draft or rough draft, another month or two reading through and revising that draft, another month or so with betas, another month or so revising, and another month or so editing and polishing. That gives you some wiggle room if you overshoot any of those estimates.

You can also "Weird Science" a timetable for yourself by taking a week or two to time yourself on various stages of story planning and writing. Start by finding a writing prompt that really inspires you. Then, time how long it takes (how many minutes spent) planning what you're going to write. Then, time how many minutes you spend actually writing. Finally, time how many minutes you spend editing and polishing. Now, math that out in conjunction with the length of your story. So, let's say you wrote a 5k word story and it took you 180 minutes to plot, 240 minutes to write, and 120 minutes to edit. So, for example, you plotted at 28 words per minute, so it would take you roughly 2500 minutes (41 hours) to plot a 70k word story. You wrote 21 words per minute, so it would take you roughly 3,333 minutes (56 hours) to write a 70k word story. And again, this is super rough, super ballpark but it can help give you a general idea of how long it might take you to actually do these things. But, again, it also depends a lot on what you're actually writing, what your level of experience is, etc.

My biggest tip for getting the work done is to use time blocking to help make sure you get the writing done. Essentially, each week you'll look at all your waking hours each day and block out the ones when you know you won't be able to write, such as the hours when you're at work or school. Then, schedule yourself for writing time in the available hours and make sure you stick to it. You may find yourself having to be really honest with yourself and do some serious prioritizing. For example, if you normally spend 2-3 hours a night playing video games, but you only have 3 hours of free time each night, you're not going to be able to spend 2-3 hours playing video games AND an hour or two writing.

Above all else, be gentle with yourself. Probably one of my biggest writing-related takeaways of 2023 was the brain science behind being overwhelmed by writing. So often, we put so much pressure on ourselves to meet goals, and get so frustrated with ourselves when we fail, that we end up making writing time something that fills us with anxiety. So our brains perceive that activity as a threat, which makes us want to avoid it. That said, make reasonable goals and set a reasonable timetable, but be very gentle with yourself if you struggle to stick to the timetable or meet your goals. Focus on the things you did accomplish, no matter how small and celebrate those accomplishments. Know that every little thing you do helps to move the needle forward a bit.

Happy writing and best wishes!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[cheritzteam]

[The Ssum] Ssumone “Harry” Ending Update Complete! Don’t Miss the Celebration Event♡ v2.0.6 App Update

Hello, dear lab participant!

Harry’s Ending for <The Ssum> v2.0.6 update has been completed. 

Don't forget to claim the server maintenance reward of 10 Aurora Batteries, available for 3 days! *Claim your reward by: ~ December 23rd, 2023 (KST)

[Download <The Ssum> and meet Harry] ♥ iOS: https://bit.ly/3oMM81e ♥Android: https://bit.ly/3poKHTJ

♥Harry Ending Update♥

Harry’s Full Story of 271 days has been completely updated!

What awaits our lab participant and Harry in the final chapter?

Access <The Ssum> right now to continue the story between the two of you.

From Season 1 to 11, every call now has a video call feature🎦added in. Enjoy the past stories again in a new way!

TIP 1) When you’re uploading important content, use the hashtag #TheSsum_Spoilers or #더썸_스포 to protect fellow lab participants from spoilers! If you are a lab participant who has reached the end of the story, this is also a way to find others who have finished it as well! TIP 2) This update has made Season 9-11 emoticons available for purchase at the Aurora LAB once you have finished each Season. If you’re interested, please check it out!

♥Celebration Event Guide♥

< ① X(Twitter) Repost Event >

Remember the X(Twitter) Repost Event that was held from D-7 to D-Day of the update?

As an appreciation for our lab participants’ incredible support, we will be holding an Encore Event!

This time, the limited-time prize is your Ssumone’s New Year Photo Memento Towel😍 (Try using it as a fabric poster!)

💌 How to Participate

Login to X(Twitter)🔑

Retweet @ Cheritz_DL’s Event Post(link)🔁

📆 Event Period

~ December 28th, 2023 (Wed) 9 AM KST

🎁Event Reward

Limited Time The Ssum New Year Photo Memento Towel (1 Random) + 100 Aurora Batteries (3 winners for each Ssumone, total 9 winners)

50 Aurora Batteries (10 winners)

📢 Winner Announcement

January 4th, 2024 (Thu) KST

※Please Note※ - You cannot participate with a private account. - If we do not get a DM reply within 10 days of the winner announcement, your prize will be canceled.

Disappointed because the event is only on X?

Keep an eye out for the Surprise News that’s coming out in a week (๑>؂•̀๑) 

< ② New Subscription Promotion >

For your comfortable ride to Harry’s Ending, the Aurora LAB is doing a new subscription promotion for lab participants that have never purchased a subscription!

The 1-month package, even the 3-month package — if it’s your first time subscribing, the Aurora Evolution Package is 20% off💥

Seize the perfect chance to get the benefits of the Aurora Evolution Package at the price of a Rainbow Evolution Package!

Visit the Aurora LAB right now♡

*This event promotion is for users who meet the requirements for the promotion. You can only participate once per account.

📆 Promotion Period

~ January 3rd, 2024 (Wed)

🎉 Promotion Details

Aurora Evolution Package (1 month/3 months) 20% discount

Q. What are the special benefits that only the Aurora Evolution Package has? A. That’s a great question! If you get a subscription for the Aurora Evolution Package, you can get the following exclusive benefits.

More Secondary Batteries! 104 secondary batteries are provided every day! you can also get max. 18 more after each chat thanks to eco-friendly charging!

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A More Pleasant Experience with the Infinite Universe! Not only do you get The Premium AidBot rental, but you can also experience the Emotion Incubator at its greatest potential! PIU-PIU’s Belly storage gets increased and can hold 120 items for extra comfort♪

The Bigger and Better Sunshine Shelter! The Shelter gets an Aurora Renovation which lets you take in more Creatures. Bet you can get more presents from this upgrade!

< ③ Special Lab Support >

We are providing every lab participant with Special Lab Support in celebration of the update!

Make sure to collect the items while they’re available - especially the Aurora Creature Box which can only be acquired through purchase💨

📆 Reward Period

~December 28th, 2023 (Wed) 9 AM KST

🎁 Lab Support Details

5 Aurora Batteries + 1 Aurora Creature Box

Got any questions or concerns while using <The Ssum>? 📨The Ssum Customer Support: https://bit.ly/3cPacLg

We hope you hop onto the hype for our newly released Harry Ending Update of <The Ssum>.

We will do our best to provide you with more heart-racing content in the future.

Thank you.

-Cheritz-

#TheSsum #TS #Cheritz

[forerussake]

Twenty questions for fic writers

I was tagged by the wonderful @elenothar! Thankssss❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

456.761

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for a bunch of fandoms over the years. Currently I'm most active in Guardian and adjacent fandoms, but I think I could and would still write for pretty much everything I've written for in the past. So the full list would be Guardian, the Silmarillion, QZGS, MDZS/CQL, YYM, the Rebel, DMBJ, and some RPF :D

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Counting the promises as yet unbroken (165)

A ballad of burning lungs and bated breath (125)

A hand within a hand (holding light) (120)

Kaleidoscope (114)

Crowded full of parting's feeling (99)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to always respond to comments, bc i myself really like it when an author responds to my comments, so I would be a hypocrite not to do it myself. But also I kind of enjoy that interaction. Especially if ppl have commented on specific lines or on the themes. Sometimes commenters have insights about my fics that even I didn't have myself while writing, and I like to let them know their thoughts were appreciated :)

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Well, I am an angst writer, but I often try to make the endings of my fics at least a bit hopeful :/// I think the angstiest ending to a finished fic would have to go to either Crowded full of parting's feeling, which ends with LXC being (for the first time in his life) truly and utterly alone. Kind of a bummer. Or perhaps the easy part, which ends with ZYL crying himself to sleep on the kitchen floor.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

As I said, I try to make my endings hopeful, if not truly happy, but there are a few true happy endings to my fics! I think my RPF pieces tend to be the happiest bc I am slightly less likely to put these guys through the wringer the way I do with my truly fictional blorbos. I think the happiest however is homecoming, which ends with WJX finally coming out as trans and being her best and truest self.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet??? Hopefully it stays that way! I do write RPF though, so I'm very ready for one of the crazy antis to one day drop into my inbox calling me all sorts of nasty things for *looks at writing scribbled on hand* having the audacity to put characters in fictional situations that don't hurt the real ppl that inspired these characters in any way??? yeah :PPP

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Occasionally, when the muse strikes! But my ace brain finds it quite difficult. My mind tends to trail off and scatter all over the place when I get to the actual smut, and I have a hard time reeling it back in. As a result my smutty fics often get needlessly long xD and they also get a little kinky bc my brain tries to come up with ways to stay engaged in its own writing xD I like testing the limits of how poetic I can be about smut scenes.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Almost never. I rarely enjoy reading them unless they are very well done, so I don't generally think of writing them. The only consistent exception to this rule is all the weilan derivative fics! I love those very much, even if I don't always know the characters. So i've written one of those myself: no shame in having loved, a crossover between the Rebel and Detective L, which takes Luo Fei's perspective at snapshots in the Rebel canon, reflecting on everything that Lin Nansheng learns, loses, and cannot seem to stop giving away. It's a sad one, but with a slightly hopeful ending :)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of? I don't think I'm big enough in any fandom for anyone to consider stealing my work.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I have had one podficced :D

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have not. On the one hand I think I'd love to try one day, but I'm also very particular about certain things and I fear I might get antsy. I love brainstorming about fic though! Some of my best ideas have come from talking to people.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Uhm Weilan I think? I'm not really in fandom for the shipping.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

ohh hard one. I have three, if I may:

And miles to go (before I sleep): it's a story that's still very dear to me, but it's been so long since I started it that I think I'd need to rewrite the whole thing, bc I've gotten better at writing in the meantime and the style of any new chapter wouldn't match the first ones.

First gradually, and then all at once: I wrote all of this in a single week, and then uni got in the way, and then my hyperfixation on YYM ended and since then the fic's been stuck in unfortunate limbo :(((( I really want to finish it but I need the muse to guide me

Tryptich: not yet posted, but fully planned. It's one of the toughest, angstiest, most cathartic fic plots I have ever come up with, and I really want to write it because it is such a meaningful story about mental health and loss and recovery, but it's also YYM fandom, and as established above I need to regain that hyperfixation for this to move anywhere :(((( or just have a lot of free time on my hands where I can write both the guardian fic stuck in my brain and this.

16. What are your writing strengths?

uuhm, I think atmosphere/scene setting, structure, and character study/reflection.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

dialogue tags (bane of my existence). I also think my work can sometimes drag on, I use too many words sometimes. Also I feel like I can be kind of a one trick pony xD I repeat a lot of similar lines and dramatic build-up between stories.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Can be great when other ppl do it. If it's a language I can read a little bit that's nice , otherwise including a translation at the bottom helps. I'd definitely never write dialogue in a language I'm not fluent in. That being said, I do pay a lot of attention to what language my characters are 'actually' speaking, even if I present their dialogue to my readers in English. For example if would write a phrase like "he pauses to breathe between all three syllables" (which sucks as a line, but bear with me), in an English-language fic where the characters would canonically be speaking Mandarin Chinese, then I would make sure the line that character said would actually contain 3 syllables in both English and Chinese. I do a lot of that kind of reasoning in my head. "If this line, reflecting on dialogue spoken in Y language, was transposed directly into language X that the characters are really supposed to be speaking, would the line still work like this?" if the answer there is no, then I will either change the line, or change the English dialogue until I have something that reflects what I imagine the characters would say in their native language in the way I need!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tolkien!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE??? it's probably either a hand within a hand (holding light) or kaleidoscope.

Thanks again, this was fun!!!

tagging: @pangzi @programmedradly @lunarriviera @lucientelrunya @mjsakurea @lynne-monstr @dual-domination @aredhel-of-doylkien @thedaughterofshadows if you want to :)

#tagged #my writing

[youkaigakkou-tl]

Chapter 100 translator's notes thoughts

Would be pretty bold of me to call this tl notes considering how long and rambly it got lol

First off, some news: JP volume 15 will release on June 27! It’ll likely contain ch 94 to 100 (based on pagecount). Vol 2 of yoseito also releases the same day, probably containing ch 16 to 32 (and i’ll finally be able to tl ch 16)

Also, vol 13 in english comes out July 18

Chapter Name

Honestly I could have translated it as “Hundred Demons’ Night Parade of Hyakki Academy Island” but that’s really long and doesn’t have the double “hyakki”s and also everyone knows what “hyakki yakou” is right? Right?

Anyway, the part I’m pointing out is the way it’s numbered. In Chinese and Japanese, there’s an alternate system for numbering things in a set if there’s only 2 or 3: 上-中-下 or 前-中-完结 (or 后)

上-中-下 means literally “upper - middle - lower”, 前-中-完结 means “start - middle - end” (if there’s only 2, it skips the middle)

So the fact that this is used tells that this is a 2 or 3 part arc, instead of simply “part 1” which tells you nothing about how many parts there are total. Unfortunately, simply “part 1” is also the most natural way to number things in English so it is what it is. Also I don’t know if it’s 2 or 3 parts so it’s not like I can confidently put “part 1 of 2”.

While we’re on the color spread, did you notice Seimei in the back? (With the JP he’s way more covered by the text)

At first I thought it was “gods / teachers etc / class 2-3 / family” but then I realised Principal was on the left so its actually “senior citizens / teachers etc (relative youngsters) / class 2-3 / family” (and then later noticed Seimei and karasutengu troupe behind Ranmaru)

Also Ame on the color page again!! Ame nation (population: me) being fed this year amen

Autumn Festival

The autumn festival, or aki matsuri. As the name sounds, it’s kinda vague, and from what I could find, while a lot of shrines and temples celebrate it, there’s not one nationwide date, and it happens anytime from early October to late November, most commonly around late October to early November.

(Really? Is canada really focusing on dates again? For real? Again?)

Late October/early November is probably right, given the most recent confirmed date we have (ch97, October 18th), and it’s still within 2 weeks of ch95. (And also because time travel stuff hasn’t happened yet, which also has to be within these 2 weeks where he has bandaged arms. its me, ceo of time travel truthing)

What Is Sensei Cooking

First of all, the bandaged arms, Hatanaka time travel etc etc I’ve said this a million times.

The mystery of why Ibara likes Hatanaka in the first place gets brought up again! It’s GOTTA happen it HAS TO.

That aside, this is the second time it’s brought up that the baby may be a shutendouji (the other time is ch 81) and I’m starting to think this is going to be like… real plot or something…? Eyebrow raise?

If we do the maths, ch11 (the first senseis’ sunday chapter, where we learn Ibara is pregnant) happens on May 26th (assuming my timeline is right), and it’s currently October/November, so she’s at least 5 months pregnant. It also mentions she was feeling ill, which was why Hatanaka took her to the hospital, so she may have already been a few months pregnant at that point (assuming the pregnancy is a similar length to humans’)

Well. This doesn’t really mean anything but I like putting things into perspective.

Also, I’m just realising that both senseis’ sunday chapters (11 and 81), besides being “the teachers hang out on a sunday”, are actually caused by Ibara being pregnant. What the hell why is this manga so smart (I may just be stupid)

Random misc TL notes

Late Edo period would be around 1850s/60s. For reference, Takahashi was in school 120 to 130 years ago, and the main story takes place sometime in the 2010s, so that would have been the 1890s, plus minus 10 years.

I’ve mentioned this before and it’s not really an important detail, but “temple” is for Buddhism and “shrine” is for Shinto.

“Shintai”, literally translated, means “god’s body”, is the object of worship at shrines that stands in for the god itself. It could be something small and held in the shrine like this mirror, or like the whole of Mount Fuji. The tree at the shrine Genbu recommends in ch 94 is also a shintai. I could have translated it more but if they’re going to talk about it a whole lot may as well keep it as it is.

Now “shinsen” is evidently such a rare word that sensei had to put that note there, and also my phone couldn’t type the “sen” kanji. If it weren’t for that note I totally would have just gone with “food offering” and been done with it!! (shakes fist)

The stuff on the shelf is probably what clued Principal in that Ranmaru didn’t have prizes other than candy (besides knowing what he’s like ofc). There is no way this guy owns A5 wagyu. Or onsen trip tickets. Also irrelevant but that game console says “sailor” lmao

This thing… well… the screenshots speak for themselves

Marodo Shrine

Marodo shrine has actually been shown before, in chapter 27. It wasn’t even brought up by name in any dialogue but it stuck out to me because I remember finding it weird there’s a shrine on the island and googling it to get no real answers. The name itself is pretty vague, “客人 marodo” just means guest, in this case “guest deity” (so it's not the name of any god).

But looking at it now with the knowledge of, yknow, turtle island, it’s fairly interesting.

There are a few shrines called “Marodo shrine”  but the common trend seems to be an association with Itsukushima island (also known as Miyajima) or the sea. The most famous one probably being the one in Itsukushima shrine (the shrine with the giant torii on the ocean), and the island itself is said to be the god and the object of worship. There’s a pond called “Kagamiike” (mirror pond) in the shrine, and the Marodo shrine itself worships the 5 sons of Amaterasu, which tangentially connects it to the Yata no Kagami mirror of the three sacred treasures of Japan. None of this really means anything it’s probably just happenstance. For one, Itsukushima is in Hiroshima, nowhere near the location off the coast of Tokyo that the manga shows multiple times.

But it’s not like I’m pointing this out because it’s a 1 to 1 comparison, rather it’s an interesting coincidence (probably). By the way, I think this is where the shrine is on the island (since it’s on the mountain and has steps leading up to it)

Turtle Island

Anyway. Speaking of turtle island. Wow turtle island am I right. I still have not recovered from turtle island this page is insane. I’m pretty sure this is also the first time we get a good look at the island from above. You can see the train station they’re at in ch 58 at the bottom there.

Like how principal face reveal recontextualizes every previous time we see him, this is the same thing to me.

It specifically points out that it's from Chinese mythology, which is interesting, and I wonder if there's anything more to that than just being trivia. In Chinese mythology, the spirit turtle, or just turtles in general, are a part of a set of 4 sacred/illuminated/intelligent beasts, being: dragon, phoenix, kirin and turtle. This is distinct from the other set of 4 animals that are Seiryuu (dragon), Suzaku (bird), Byakko (tiger) and Genbu (turtle + snake). But these two share a lot of concepts because they’re the sort of animals that show up everywhere in Chinese mythology anyway.

Mount Penglai (Horai in JP) is said to be an island where immortals reside and is carried on the back of a spirit turtle in the ocean to the east of China. (This will be relevant?)

Turtle Tangent

A commenter on Bilibili (the chinese tl site) pointed out, and I’ve noticed personally, that the spirit turtle of China is typically a land tortoise or freshwater softshell turtle, and almost never depicted as a sea turtle, even in the context of “carrying an island in the ocean”.

This is very irrelevant, but I haven’t seen anyone make the connection, so my hypothesis is that “sea turtles” just weren’t a known thing in ancient China. There are 5 species of sea turtles native to the seas around China, but all known nesting locations are far in the south, whereas most of the population centers throughout history have been in the north, and most importantly, inland. On the other hand, tortoise shells have been used for writing and divination since writing developed, and softshell turtles are used in chinese medicine.

Of course, that wouldn’t be the reason in the modern day, but perhaps that specific image of the “spirit turtle” has become encoded into the mythology and become a fictional creature as much as dragons or kirin.

Honestly I’ve Just Been Chasing Tangents For This Part

Another story that comes to mind when hearing “turtle” and “mythology” is probably Urashima Taro, a fisherman who saves a turtle and is carried on its back to the dragon’s underwater palace, but when he returns to land he finds that hundreds of years have passed. In an older version of the story, instead of the dragon’s palace, he is taken to Horai (aka Mount Penglai).

There’s some kind of connection here with Itsukushima shrine I think, which is said to be built on the ocean in the image of the dragon’s palace, located on and worshipping an island mountain.

None of this means anything, probably. I just want to see what sensei cooks up really

One last thing though, about Ranmaru. We get 2 pieces of somewhat-conflicting info directly from him: “this god owes me a favor so they gave me this island” and “this island IS the god, and they’ve been asleep in a mirror this whole time”. You see how this doesn’t sound good for Ranmaru right. I don’t necessarily think he’s lying about any of it since he looks too serious for that, but he’s definitely leaving out some important details on purpose.

Thing is, if the mirror has to stay in the shrine to keep the god asleep, telling the principal to make offerings to it every 3 years a pretty good way to make sure the shrine is maintained and the mirror isn’t lost to time, as well as sidestepping the problem of curiosity if he outright said “the condition is you keep that mirror in that shrine”. Actually, did the shrine and mirror already exist on the island before Ranmaru gave it to the principal? And if it didn’t, how was Reiki being kept asleep before, and who made the mirror?

In any case. Ranmaru I love you but you are going to have to explain everything. Anyway this has been 1800 words and I need to end it so I can close the 50 wikipedia tabs I have open.

#rambles #a terrified teacher at ghoul school #youkai gakkou no sensei hajimemashita #time travel truthing yet again. when will i talk about anything else #reusing the color spread clean for this post too. it took so long

[heirloomcolour]

Term

Finality is a strange beast. Perhaps one best left to make its mark. The weight of finality can be crushing. The anticipation of finality can be utterly debilitating. How do we fill the space between that anticipation and its ultimate outcome?

In its wake, I have lived what feels like an entire life. In the pure mellow dramatic delusion I have cocooned myself in, I assume it is more life than most people have lived at this age. Whether or not it actually is, I assume my therapist would kindly nod in agreement. But what has this monumental weight of anticipation impacted in this lifetime?

Over this 10 year period I have lost many unrequited lovers. I have held no fewer than 10 different jobs strung along with lengthy disruptions of unemployment periods. I have claimed healthy Covid-era unemployment benefits. I have been fired from multiple jobs and simply walked out or walked away from multiple others. I have endured the emotional taxation of working in a family business. I have lost the custody of the same cat twice. I have lost my very first cat to a preventable and treatable issue. I have lost both of my childhood, family dogs within 2 years of one another. I have lost a parent before I had time to correct our estrangement. I have lost a great many internal battles and drifted apart from most of my friends. I have smoked no less than 800 packs of Camel Turkish Royals. I have run dry no fewer than 100 disposable vapes. I have tried countless drugs, and repeated use with many. I have tried 5 anti-depressants and 2 anti-anxiety medications. I have gone through 4 therapists. I have gained 120 pounds and developed arthritis in my knee. I have acquired numerous health issues that lead to chronic pain. I have stolen money from family members and I have asked them all for large sums of money- as well as some remaining friends. I have picked up and dropped multiple hobbies and interests. I have killed hundreds of dollars of houseplants. I have never paid a security deposit for any pets at any rental. I have maxed out and charged off multiple credit cards. I have taken on over $50,000 of student loan debt. I have refused to seek the awful but necessary care of a gynecologist due to irrational fear. I have skipped countless dinner parties, birthday parties, outings, girls trips, job interviews, class meetings, and work shifts. I have avoided opportunities in the stifling fear of rejection, failure, and heartbreak. I have burned bridges with the frequency and intensity to light up the entire metropolitan area.

But do you know what else this anticipatory weight has led me to? An intensely deep and committed partner that meets me exactly where I am every day. An opportunity to adopt 6 cats in total. An opportunity to foster 2 dogs. A massive trip to Las Vegas to see Adele live in concert. A trip to the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. An opportunity to continue family traditions in taking trips to Disney World. A first plane ride and so many thereafter. A great many couples trips to cities all over the East Coast and Midwest. A variety of concerts and farmers markets. An abundance of circumstances and happenstance to meet a great many individuals that impacted my life in big and small ways. An unwavering support and acceptance from my family to live as my authentic, lesbian self. A space to explore my gender identity with myself and friends and family. A thousand glass bottled Mexican cokes. An extensive educational training on wine, spirits, and beer. A relationship with my sibling that so many would be envious of. An ending of a 12 year friendship that became overburdened with toxicity. A space to heal from that relationship. A space to write my sappy feelings on Tumblr about my life happenings. An abundant garden to provide fresh produce to my family and sweet strawberry snacks to my childhood family dog. A simply infinite collection of cherished memories with my pets, passed on and living. An Associate's Degree. A great deal of movies at the Indie theatre. An in-numerable amount of delicious meals in a variety of cities, genres, and price ranges. A few tattoos and a nose hoop. A brand new car. An abundance of new interests and hobbies that persisted. An abundance of opportunities to make priceless memories with my family and lover. An abundance of life lessons. So was the weight of finality so crippling?

So what if it was crippling? I was not silenced, I was not defeated, and I certainly will never be damned. I have rejected "no" as "final answers" long enough to know there is so often very little permanence in finality. I have beat on with such intensity for so much of the decade that I know there is very little weight I cannot manage. And I know, in this moment, one very certain finality.

This decade has offered nothing short of any of its promises. So many countless hours toiling and yearning for some finality. Some peace of mind in that I was not spinning my wheels. That I was not walking in circles. That I was not paddling upstream for proverbial "nothing". Maybe it is still too early to accept the prize, to count my chickens before they hatch. But, I think, I am nearing the corner to finality and I could not be prouder or any more exhausted.

May 19 is the final point in this particular saga. I am ready, I am done, I am, at long last, the victor.

[paigelts05]

The Haunted watch (FNAF fangame)

The Haunted Watch is a fangame made by me (PaigeLTS05) and was published on the 8th of July 2022.

Most of the art assets were made in and throughout 2021.

It follows the final 5 days of C location remaining open, and follows the story of the night guard, Phone 'Krasnyy' Guy.

The game contains elusions to heavy violence, but only one ending (and it's the fake one) actually shows any blood.

Gamejolt: https://gamejolt.com/games/thehauntedwatch/731768

Cover art: https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/The-Haunted-Watch-fangame-release-announcement-921809134

All art in this post can be found here: https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/gallery/83638855/the-haunted-watch

Most of the art assets were made in and throughout 2021.

It follows the final 5 days of C location remaining open, following the night guard, Phone 'Krasnyy' Guy.

The game contains elusions to heavy violence, but only one ending (and it's the fake one) actually shows any blood.

It’s a little thing I made in RPG maker MZ, and whilst I can code in C++ and C# and have made some things in Unity, it’s just nice to not have the weight of physics and the movement system on your shoulders so you can just focus on making a story and somehow turning what should be a simple series of ‘if’ statements into spaghetti.

Total Dev time: approx. 120 hours.

The game is called…

The Haunted Watch.

Plot:

The year is 1997.

There have been many Freddy's locations, and each tried to emulate the methods of what transpired at Hurricane, Utah.

Whilst most have closed, the location in Chicago, Illinois, is still open, despite being noted as the failure of the bunch.

With a living phone guy, a reluctant purple man who may or may not now be colluding with the police, and a focus on electrical ghosts rather than remnant, this location was quite frankly deemed a mess, and now as the 10 year anniversary of this locations missing children incident approaches, the location cannot stay open any longer.

For the last week, the night guard on shift is Phone 'Krasnyy' Guy. As it approaches the 10 year anniversary of the missing children incident, the 4 year anniversary of almost getting murdered by Vincent Taylor on his 4th night also draws close, as well as it having been a few months since the animatronics made him their ‘voice’ (which entails him having to do as the animatronics command, since the animatronics realised that having a teammate not confined by circuitry would speed up the process of finding their killer).

All he has to do is survive one new final week. But the animatronics are not trying to kill him, but instead, are intent on pushing his sanity to its limits to find out when he will break again, as they’re not letting go of their final opportunity so soon.

Characters:

Main: Krasnyy Guy (the phone guy), Philip Guy (shadow Freddy), Vincent Taylor.

Antagonistic: Gerald Taylor (Golden Freddy), Felix Taylor (Foxy), Roy (Bonnie), Celes (Chica), Ferdinand (Freddy).

Make an appearance in the true ending: Mike Schmidt, Jeremy Fitzgerald, Fritz Smith, Danielle Schmidt (OC), PT (OC)

Gameplay CG's

Well, it's not really a cg, as these were all hand drawn. but here are the CGs you will find along the way:

1PlotCG SecondStorage

A story cg you must see! Wholesome hair floofing papa and son moment.

2022 art, meaning that this was redrawn from an older piece (about a week before the games release at that)

°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•🌹•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°

1GEP_Cutscene Convo

2022 art! Another of the images I redrew a few weeks before I finished making the game. It's for one of the conversations between Vincent and Krasnyy, and it's a requirement for the good ending.

°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•🌹•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°

1ge_Final

Enjoy my file naming conventions yet? ge - good ending

The art for the TRUE ending of the Haunted Watch. Grab the plushies, talk to Vincent, and face off against the homicidal ghost of a 12 year old to truly beat the game!

2021 art.

°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•🌹•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°

Fake ending images:

The following images are for the games two FAKE endings. The endings that are not cannon. The endings that were made just cos I could do some code spaghetii (and emphasise how dangerous Gerald Taylor is, which makes the Bloodied Journals and Gardener's Dairy make more sense). The glorified game-overs.

1BadEnd1 NoBlood

Secret bad ending image for one of the three endings. Fake ending 1 - try leaving the building 50 times.

2021 art.

°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•🌹•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°•°*°

1BadEnd2 CoveredInBlood

Bad end 2 image for one of the 3 endings. Don't get closure on anything to get this bad ending.

2021 art.

Character portraits

The only portraits I used in this fangame that didn't belong to me are the two used for the arcade game characters. One came with the engine and the other was made using the in-engine character creator. But you won't see them here.

All of these are hand drawn:

Main: Krasnyy, Philip, Vincent

Krasnyy's portrait was the only one re-drawn in 2022, and he got a 'distressed' portrait to boot.

Antagonistic: Gerald, Felix, Ferdinand, Celes, Roy

Ending:

In the true ending, Krasnyy and Vincent get new portraits.

Even the characters who ONLY appear in the true ending have a portrait.

As mike appears in all endings, he also has a portrait.

And that's a wrap! I hope you play the game. It should take an hour, and DO NOT RELY ON THE AUTOSAVE (I didn't find the setting to switch autosaves OFF until after the games release and if I touch it again, it'll eat my time with overhauls).

#fnaf #fnaf renegade au #renegade au #fnaf fanart #fnaf fangame #the haunted watch #fnaf: The Haunted Watch #phone guy #fnaf phone guy

[i-am-dulaman]

Tell us about your dnd character ideasss!!

Okay SO.

The 3 ideas i have at the moment fall into 3 different kinda genres of dnd campaigns. Like one serious one for a lotr-esque game, one silly one for a monty python-esque game, and one in the middle somewhere around a thor ragnarok-esque game.

The silly one I haven't really fleshed out at all but basically she's a world war 2 nurse who has been magically transported to the dnd universe without knowing how. She's a 'proper lady' like character with all the manners of an upper class british woman of the early 20th century and takes to the rough and tumble adventuring life like a baby otter to water and all hilarity follows. Once she gets her bearings she dedicates herself to learning magic (wizard class) to get back to her true love, a sailor in the war.

The middle serious/silly one I've actually talked about on here before. I played him for like 2 sessions of a campaign (long story why we don't play anymore nevermind that). He's a total himbo, really dumb but really friendly and charming with everyone. Bisexual (obviously) and always happy to have a drink and chat with anyone at the pub. He's just an ordinary human tho, as far as he knows. Hes a potato farmer. And one day when ploughing the field he digs up an old rusty sword. When he picks it up, magic bolts fire forward from it. He thinks he's found a magic sword but actually he's a sorcerer and has been too dumb to realise until now, dismissing any magical things that's happened in his life before as something else (luck, someone else, random acts of god, etc.).

Then there's the serious one with a dark back story. I'm gonna tell this one in first person I think.

My name is Ký and 120 years ago my life ended. 120 years ago I met Betrand Dupont. Of THE Duponts. One of the wealthiest families in the kingdom. He was a young human of just 23 when we met, just married and a father to his newborn son, Jacques.

Betrand was of a noble heart and never considered me his servant or him my master. He introduced me as his friend to all his wealthy acquaintances. Imagine! Me a friend of a Dupont! He was kind and never asked anything of me that I would not offer. In fact he never asked anything of me at all. Actually that's not true. He asked One thing of me. Just one.

We met through chance, and through what I thought at the time was extraordinary luck on my part. A runaway cart hurtled down a steep road directly at me. My back turned and too focused on making my next sale, I was the none the wiser. Betrand saved me, pulling me out of the way at the last second. Looking back now, I wish that cart had flatted me into the cobblestone.

I am a Gnome of the kali culture, and when someone saves your life it is your duty to pay that debt. I dedicated myself to serving Betrand Dupont from that point on.

With his last words he asked the first and last thing he would ever ask of me. Take care of Jacques.

4 years after he saved my life I finally had a chance to repay the debt. A mugger had pulled a knife on him. Betrand was a proud man, and never one to shy from a fight. He deftly knocked the knife from the muggers hand and the two of them ended up grappling each other on the ground, wrestling for control. I picked up the knife and shouted at the mugger to let go. He didn't. So I stabbed.

The knife went in clean but not into the muggers back as I had intended. In the same instant of my thrust, the mugger and betrand flipped around in their wrestling match. The knife went straight into the back of Betrand Dupont.

How could I refuse? Why would I refuse? Not only had I failed to pay the debt of my own life I now owed him his. More than that though, Betrand was my friend and a great man I would do anything for, debt or no debt.

However i couldn't bring myself to admit to his accidental murder. I blamed it on the mugger. He was found, tried, and hanged. Another death on my hands.

And so it went, I would serve Jacques to the best of my ability to the end of my days, or his, whichever came first, humans dont seem to live very long afterall. He was a good boy in his early days. Kind and thoughtful. But the years took his toll on him. He grew arrogant first, then stubborn, and finally bitter in his old age. But he always treated me with respect at the very least.

But his kids. His grandkids. His great grandkids! The little shits. It seemed with each generation of Dupont they got worse and worse. They didn't treat me, or anyone for that matter, with respect. Corrupt, cruel, sniveling brats the lot of them.

Jacques had become the Patriach of the Dupont family, and I had become the head of his household staff. It was a large household to take care of. Jacques, his 1 surviving daughter, his 8 grandkids and their husbands and wives, and his 23 great grand kids. All in one house but it was my duty to care for them. So long as Jacques lived I owed him everything, but damn did he live a long time. He was 98 when he finally passed.

And now I was finally free. But now what? I had no where to go. For the last century I lived with and served the Dupont family. So I stayed, despite the horrible offspring I now served.

But with the death of Jacques the family seemed to become even more hostile. Gone was the respect I was shown by Jacques. After bringing Jean, Jacques eldest grandson and the new head of the Dupont family, the wrong suit jacket one day I received a beating. I couldn't walk for a week. Something Jacques would never have allowed to happen to me.

Those little shits deserved it.

Just a few weeks later while in the markets I was approached by a man. He offered me something I couldn't refuse. A way out. Enough money to buy passage home and more still to live comfortably for some time thereafter. He asked, knowing I commanded the household staff and the grounds, that I arrange for guards that night to be off duty and for the gates to be unlocked. They wanted, they claimed, to rob the Dupont household.

So. I did it.

I changed the guards schedules, and that night I fled with the gates left unlocked behind me.

As I waited at the docks to board my ship, hidden in my crude disguise of an oversized cloak, I heard it. The cries of fire.

Looking from the docks, the Dupont mansion could clearly be seen on top its hill, ablaze.

By the next evening it was revealed to all what exactly had happened.

Every Dupont, evey single one of them, was dead. Not by fire, no. The marble mansion was relatively unscathed by the fire once was all said and done. No, every Dupont was murdered in their bed, their throats slit. Even the babies.

I didn't know what to feel? Horrified? Or glee? They wouldn't hurt anyone again. Or at least that's how I justified my mixed feelings.

That night i slept on a pile of grain sacks at the docks, as all ship departures had been delayed for the time being. But i didnt sleep much, not because of a guilty conscience, no but because I was visited by the ghosts of the Dupont family. All of them. Including my beloved Betrand.

I couldn't look him in the eyes.

They all screamed at me. Their eyes were white but filled with rage. Betrand said I betrayed him.

The ghost of Jacques commanded me. I still belonged to him, he said. He commanded me to protect the one thing left of the Dupont family.

In a box, buried far underneath the mansion, was a treasure so important to the Dupont family that apparently even I, their closest servant for the last 100 years, didn't even know about it.

I was still not allowed to know about it, the ghosts told me. I was to protect the box for the rest of my life, but never open it.

So now I live in a crypt. The Dupont crypt where the family is buried. I hide the box in the grave of Betrand. The ghosts give me the demonic powers of a warlock which I used to protect the crypt at all times, usually by creating the illusion that the crypt is haunted. Which I guess it is. But it seems to keep out any curious eyes.

So this is my punishment. An eternity of living in a crypt surrounded by the hateful dead. Do I deserve it? Probably.

#i wasnt expecting that to be that long sorry #first time ive ever used the read more thingy #dnd #anyway thanks anon that was fun!!

[steamishot]

late april

last thursday and friday marked the last job interviews that matt will have before we move back. the interviews were thankfully one hour long each, and they gave a specific timeline on when he can expect to hear back. one is by the end of this week, the other is by end of next week, and last is within 20 days. this is such a good contrast to some other interviews that were 4-6 hours long and basically ghosted him afterwards.

i think the timing of everything works out pretty well, where we can make a final decision once any additional offers are received. if no other offers come up, we plan on going with west la by default. this marks 9 interviews total in 2024, 11 interviews total in 2023, to make 20 total interviews before an offer is accepted. i felt like matt was michael jordan, and i was michael jordan's mom/advisor in this job search. this process was very exhausting for the both of us. since the last year or so was dedicated to job searching, it's going to feel (good) weird that his subsequent off weeks are really off now?!

as mentioned before, we have become pretty emotionally disconnected and burnt out. it's been feeling like a lot like all work, no (little) play makes us dull boys. it's been trying to get through the work week, and then prepping for interviews, then debriefing the interview. rinse and repeat. hopefully the sacrifices are worth it and everything will be on the up and up.

matt will be giving his 120 days notice this friday, so that his last work date will be in late aug. shit is feeling real now. although there is still uncertainty, i feel a little relieved that the ball is at least rolling forward and i feel some stress trickling away. in hindsight, i suppose waiting an additional half year to get a job in LA versus accepting the redlands one was a good call.

it also worked out quite perfectly that the job search thing lined up with R&T's time here. if we had accepted an offer earlier on, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to make east coast memories together. they were there for me exactly when things started to get tough emotionally and will stick around until our move back. now that people's schedules are all over the place (matt's week on/off, T's super commuting), it's a little difficult to plan a trip, but we're aiming to go to acadia national park together in the coming months.

other events:

i've been going to a new yoga studio as well as tangerine. this new one is not heated, but the classes are longer and the cost is cheaper! instead of doing the unlimited yoga membership, i upgraded my classpass to pay about $136/mo bc YOLO. it's essential in helping me feel stabilized by doing the practice and also by having a community

we supported I in his new coffee shop opening in the UES!

R&T took us on a friend date: picnic with bagels and bike riding around central park, basketball, thai food and board games

work has been quite busy and all over the place as usual - i'm trying to manage it as best as i can. they have not hired anyone yet for my old position and i'm still doing the work for it.

matt got invited to a former co-resident's wedding in aug. it'll be hosted in boston. i'm a little intimidated because this will be my first (rich) white people wedding lol

watched ramit sethi live with R. although some parts were a little boring as he interviewed the couples (as i usually listen to his podcast while doing some other task), the best part of the show was the end where he interacted with the audience. so many people were grateful for him that he created this open space community and i too was fangirling.

edit: i was out in cobble hill today and a young white guy passing by (if i heard correctly) said "you're beautiful". i was 80% sure because i had my airpods on and was in the middle of a text. compliment by NYC strangers instance #5

[mochipon-vt]

so here's the deal...

i really really really hate coming on anywhere and fussing, ranting or lamenting about things but… i'm extremely stressed, frustrated and upset.

my main pc is fucked, apparently. for the past 3 months, i've been working off of my old, dinosaur aged pc (it's 10+ years old, barely works, has trouble booting etc) ever since my newer pc started having serious issues. over this past weekend, i was finally able to take it the shop and get it looked at. they informed me a day later that one of the ram sticks was bad (as my partner had already suspected) and i was charged 100 bucks for this discovery, that i had to borrow from my parents.

they voicemail that i had received informing me of the issues found, that if i wanted repairs, it would cost 40 bucks alone for install + whatever price i chose to spend for new ram stick(s), however, once i visited the store to actually SPEAK to someone (their phone system is trash and no one would answer/return my call), i was told any parts install would cost SIXTY bucks instead and offered new parts costing from 100-120 in range, which would ultimately make the total cost + the 100 for diagnosis, close to 200 bucks.

my partner says that's a ridiculous price to pay for something that can be popped in and out to replace but unfortunately, i'm not very knowledgeable about hardware and hardware installation so i don't feel confident in going in there myself and replacing it/them even if i got my hands on new parts and we are also long distance so he's not able to do the install for me.

what i thought should be 'thankfully', the shop took out the 'bad' stick and i was told i should be able to bring my pc home and use it RELATIVELY normally without replacing it at this time, it just would not be able to run at the same capacity as it could have if it had both sticks of ram installed. at this time, it's worked for a total of.. a day and a half normally and without issue before having the same major issues again; web browser/tabs crashing, apps fully crashing or not operating (discord is currently a blank/grey window for me right now and i have to use the browser app to even use it), inability to install anything and finally, a full blue screened pc crash; so now i'm assuming BOTH sticks were bad and the brand installed is trash. (i do not know the brand of any parts installed in my pc as my ex purchased them all months before our relationship ended)

so what's the point i'm trying to get to?

i'm in desperate need of some money. i'm a disabled, unemployed person who my parents basically resent for needing their support for survival and i've been trying VERY hard to work towards making ANY kind of income from my creative skills in order to start saving up to attempt to move out of my parents' home and across several states to live my partner as, after being kicked out and left by my ex, has landed me in yet another home that doesn't respect or treat me fairly and takes a toll on my mental health/stress and motivation/focus on a daily basis. the added daily stress of not knowing if my (EXPENSIVE) devices are reliable and functioning has made it extra difficult to stay focused and motivated to keep moving towards my goals.

i currently have no financial nor food security as my parents often (intentionally) leave me out of meals, don't allow me any cash to go shop for myself and tell me to get a job, on the rare occasions i do happen to ask for 5-10 bucks for some dinner, same as they did when i asked for them to help me repair a device that COULD be a job for me if i could just get it back to working condition.

i am VERY new to doing commissions and i understand it does take some time to establish a good work flow + trustworthy reputation as a commission artist but i am determined to work hard and as efficiently as possible to provide clients with the best possible work i can produce. i am NOT, however, new to the art market world as i've had many mutuals and friends who have had commission shops or have gone on to produce their own physical merchandise so i've had many years of observing the processes and progressions.

at this current time, i'm considering setting aside my plans for vtuber development i had for this year which would have included working on small, 'mini' debuts leading up to a larger, legit debut as i progressed to learn to make my own environment overlays and assets + relearning live2d skills to rig my own model, to solely focus on constantly making art to showcase my skills for hire. i am also considering, after polishing up my commissions page more, including smaller, bonus arts with larger piece purchases as a small thank u for people helping me gain work and funds for my needs.

i'm just.. really drained and tired of prolonged issues taking a toll on me, both general life things i've experienced most my life and now these frustrating tech problems that i hope would have been non-existent with a newer pc as i had been experiencing many troubles with my old pc for years (this new pc is only a year old). i'm ready to be able to have peace in my life and to focus on things that are fulfilling to me and bettering skills that bring me joy.

#mochi.txt #vent #commissions #commissions open #boost #signal boost

[lucigoo]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you so much for the tag @sunnyrosewritesstuff. This looks so much fun and agreat way for us to share our fics!

1. How many works do you have on A03? i currently have 120 fics

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 443,720 (not bad considering i've not quite been writing fanfic for a year I dont think)

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Hobbit (Mostly Bagginshield) and Harry Potter (Mostly Wolfstar)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Stop me Fading- The Hobbit (it needs serious reediting, just an FYI), Defying Death (or at least the ones in charge) - The Hobbit, Who's is the tie Harry? - Harry Potter, Breeding my B....  - Harry Potter (pure Wolfstar smut) and I'm coming Petite Étoile - Harry Potter

5. Do you respond to comments? I do. I tend to to wait until I have 25+ otherwise I feel a bit overwhelmed doing it every time they come in, or letting them get so many that I can't bring myself to do it. So I will anwer, just bare with me <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? ummm .... I have a fair few ....

Bagignshield wise would be The Demented King Under the Mountain Check the tags because thers NO HEA for anyone. Harry Potter wise, again I have a fair few with MCD, but I think the most emotional one for me is It's over, they're all gone , again mind the tags

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of my fics have some form of Happy Ending, or it implies they do. As for the happiest, hmmm....

Bagginshield wise id say Changeling Child Harry Potter wise, i'd say this little series (two short fics), it just hiits all my fav tropes lol. - I finally have a family and they are all here

8. Do you get hate on fics? Only ever on the Wolfstar ones. Apparantly Remus shouldnt have been taller then his little Welsh mum, someone was VERY upset about it lol.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I don't usually. I have 2 smut fics and one the was supposed to be smut, but ended up being fade to black (opps lol)

Breeding my B.... (Pure Wolfstar P without P), Are you a werewolf? (Jegulus P with P) and Wait, you're the wolf? (Is implied Wolfstar smutt but the smutt wasn't smutting that day lol)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I actually have one atm as a wip on A03. Its a Hobbit/HArry Potter crossover and im very excited for it. I want you right here, where you belong:Home with us

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I have, its linked on my "Breed my B...." fic. A wonderful person translated it ito Russian

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have not. I would love to though

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? It really is a tie betwee Bagginshield and Wolfstar, I adore both

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? So, i dont tend to not fiish wips, they just stay in my computer for a long time lol. One i am slowly (like snails pace slowly) working on is called King of Azkaban and it's a pretty dark fic.

16. What are your writing strengths? I feel like i can put the characters in any situaiton and try keep thempretty close to their canon characterisations within the sitution

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Editing!! I have a paid editing app and also run things through a TTS and there are still so many bloody typos 😭

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Do it!! If oyu can get someone from that language to help (of it's a real one). I oftne use Romani chib (I'm Roma) inmy Bagigshield focs for the hobbits and have Kuzdhul and Sinderian in there too. I also have a Wolfstar fic where I have English, Welsh, French and Punjabi in it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Were talking over 20 years ago here, but it was Wolfstar then and it's Wolfstar now lol.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I dont know 😭. Im going to put two Bagignshield ones and two Harry Potter ones as I don't have a favourite but ones I like more then others.

Heather (Wolfstar), You're Floo Was My Emergency Contact (This is my latest HP one and im so proud of it ) A heart of stone and Fire in his soul (Pre Bagginshield but this one felt so powerful to me, Defying Death (or at least the ones in charge) (Bagginshield Afterlife fic, soo pure gold to me)

I'm gonna tag @brandileigh2003, @blueberryrock @fishing4stars, @chaoticfandomtrash And of course anyone and everyone who wants to join and share their fics. Id love a tag if you want so I can admire all the fics!!!

#tag games #share your work #boost one another up

[ksplay88terdepan]

Robert Lewandowski inspired a resurgent Barcelona to a 3-0 triumph at Atletico Madrid on Sunday to keep their faint La Liga title hopes alive.

Lewandowski set up goals for Joao Felix and Fermin Lopez either side of striking himself to pull Barcelona second, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.

The Catalans, who returned to the Champions League quarterfinals this week after four years, became the first team to beat Atletico at the Metropolitano stadium this season.

Barcelona were the last team to win at Atletico in the top flight too, in January 2023, with Diego Simeone's team going 25 matches without defeat in between.

They crumbled against Xavi Hernandez's side, who now have five consecutive wins over Atletico and are unbeaten in 10 matches since the coach said he would leave at the end of the season.

Barcelona moved two points clear of third-placed Girona, while Atletico are now fifth, after Athletic Bilbao moved above them on Saturday.

"I'll push the (players) more than ever," Xavi told DAZN, refusing to throw in the towel on Barcelona's title defense.

"And now that I'm leaving, even more so — we will try to improve and compete for La Liga and the Champions League, the two most important trophies." Atletico played 120 minutes on Wednesday against Inter Milan in Europe and although Barcelona saw off Napoli a day before, it was Simeone's side who started sharper.

Pablo Barrios spurned a good early chance and 17-year-old starlet Pau Cubarsi blocked Alvaro Morata's effort.

However, Barcelona took the lead against the run of play after 38 minutes.

Ilkay Gundogan glided forward from midfield and found Lewandowski, who squared for on-loan forward Felix to turn home against his parent club.

The Portuguese striker scored the only goal when the teams met in December and again proved a thorn in Atletico's side while being whistled by home fans throughout.

Xavi was dismissed before the break for dissent but his team kicked on regardless in the second half.

Simeone sent on Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay, searching for more spark in the final third.

Lewandowski quickly doubled Barcelona's lead with a lethal finish, after Rodrigo de Paul gave the ball away in a dangerous area.

Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a superb save to deny Marcos Llorente but Atletico were starting to tire after their midweek exploits.

Lopez headed home Barca's third after Lewandowski set him up with an inch-perfect cross, with the veteran Polish striker offering one of his best performances for the club.

The goal capped a superb week for Lopez, who also scored in the win over Napoli.

"We're believing until the end, (now we're in) second place, trying to cut the points gap and fight for La Liga," Lopez told DAZN.

Atletico's Nahuel Molina was sent off for bringing down Vitor Roque late on as Barcelona saw out their impressive win, keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet in the league.

"They were superior, they put away their first chances for goals," Simeone told DAZN.

"We'll keep pushing for fourth place, it will be difficult, tricky, that's normal … we have to keep improving, a lot." Earlier Almeria ended a miserable streak by earning their first La Liga win of the season, edging Las Palmas 1-0.

The Andalusian side went 31 league games without victory stretching back to May last season, but Leo Baptistao's 14th-minute goal snapped their terrible run in coach Pepe Mel's first match in charge.

Despite winning on the road, Mel's side are still 20th and 14 points from safety with nine matches remaining.

Almeria's 31-match run is the longest winless streak in the division's history, but they are now level with Sporting Gijon's lowest-ever points tally from 1997-98.

"Winning today means a liberation (for the team) … winning three points and changing the dynamic," said Mel.

Victory ensured Almeria will not tally fewer points than Derby County's 11 in the Premier League in 2007-08, which is the lowest total across Europe's top leagues since teams started earning three points for a win.

[nicetrynicetry]

120

The final results of last year’s health MOT reveal a bacterial stomach infection. And here I was going back to therapy, thinking it was psychosomatic. Now I’m in a tug of war with a private physician who is used to catering to rich hypochondriacs. “You should have an endoscopy”, the doctor says. “I would rather this be a last resort”, I say. The standard treatment is a week of hardcore antibiotics, and I ask for these. “They’ll be horrible”, says the doctor. “I’ll take my chances”, I say. I spread the three boxes of pills out on my dining table, close my eyes and pray to the western medicine gods that they work. I do not want a camera down my throat, which in a way is crazy because I accepted a nasogastric feeding tube as a teenager with near-total indifference. I admit I did later throw the tube up when I ran some calorie maths and the notion of weight gain (without even getting to taste the yummy food I secretly craved) became intolerable. I wandered around my hospital bed with the same thin tube both snaking into my nose and snaking out of my mouth, feeling every part of the connecting tissue behind my face. I didn’t care about much back then, only the sociopolitical ramifications of MySpace’s Top Friends and remaining malnourished. But I’ve come to be quite protective of my throat - and my life - since. The only solace in an endoscopy is the promise of being given propofol, aka Milk Of Amnesia, aka what Michael Jackson used to get to sleep. But often it’s only Americans who get such a drug, the same Americans who get nitrous gas for a teeth cleaning. The British are more austere about almost everything. We believe medical hardships are to be toughed-out at all costs. Our pharmaceuticals are generic, our heating is never really on, we have no AC, we cherish alcohol

Almost in commemoration of the diagnosis, my stomach pain returns threefold. It feels like a cavern is opening up intermittently under my left rib and being filled with hot tea. Like a true Brit, I continue about my day as though it doesn’t exist, working on paintings and riding the train. Bowing my head quickly when I see an Israeli man who sends me non-violent but definitely creepy messages online. When I get home I fall down 5 stairs bringing laundry to the washing machine, landing on my ass, dirty hoodies everywhere. I take a bath and try to find the latest list of people associated with Jeffrey Epstein to no avail. I watch Dave Chappelle’s latest special, because apparently there’s no transphobic artistry I won’t consume this winter. The last one I found just barely funny enough to forgive the harmful rhetoric, but this one is a hard no. The bit is tired. I end up enjoying much more the incisive critique of Chappelle’s special by actress Trace Lysette, who I have loved ever since her incredible performance on Transparent. “So at this point”, she says to the camera, loudly chewing gum and stroking her hair, “it’s giving client. I don’t know what doll hurt Dave Chappelle, but it’s giving disgruntled client, it’s giving angry trick. It’s giving….he wanted to kiss on the mouth and she was like no I don’t do that I upcharge for that and honey his ego was bruised and now he’s going on a rampage. Who goes on to make three comedy specials about THE DOLLS!”

[spacenutspod]

Astronomy 2024 features the final total solar eclipse for the CONUS until 2044, and much more. It’s finally time. On April 8th, 2024, the umbral shadow of the Moon crosses the United States for the second time in less than seven years. It’s a big deal, for sure. But there’s lots more in store for astronomy 2024. Here’s our annual Universe Today rundown for top skywatching events to watch for in astronomy 2024, coming to a sky near you. Astronomy 2024: The Year in Brief The turn of the calendar sees us just over three months out from the April 8th total solar eclipse across North America. Many late eclipse chasers are now presented with a choice: do I head towards the better prospects for clear skies in Mexico or Texas, or take my chances with the dicey springtime skies of the U.S. northeast or the Canadian Maritimes? Top 12 Events: Astronomy 2024 Astronomy is always a paradox of knowns and unknowns. Eclipses and occultations are surefire bets in a clockwork Universe, while clear skies and whether the next touted ‘great comet’ or meteor outburst will perform are less certain. Here’s our quick rundown of the ‘best of the best’ skywatching events for 2024: -The April 8th total solar eclipse across North America -The Eta Aquariid meteor shower on May 6th, with a ZHR=50 -Mercury passes 7’ from Jupiter on June 4th -The September 18th partial lunar eclipse for the Americas, Europe and Africa -The October 2nd annular solar eclipse for the southern tip of South America -The 2024 apparition of Comet 12P (which reaches perihelion on April 21st) -The Moon occults Saturn 10 times in 2024 -The Moon occults Spica eight times and Antares fourteen times in 2024 -Solar activity ramps up ahead of the peak of Solar Cycle 25 -The Moon heads towards a Major Lunar Standstill in January 2025 -Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS may be bright towards the end of 2024 -A Leonid meteor outburst in November 2024? Catching the total solar eclipse in 2017. Credit: Dave Dickinson The Sun, Seasons and Solar Cycle in 2024 Expect the Sun to be busy in 2024 in terms of space weather and sunspots, as we head towards the peak of the solar cycle 25 in 2025. 2024 had an average sunspot number of around 120 and no spotless days, the first year since 2015 where this was the case. In fact, solar activity in 2023-2024 is climaxing well ahead of expectations, leading to a stronger than expected solar maximum in 2024. This means more sunspots, more wild space weather, and more aurorae for folks watching from mid- to high- northern latitudes. The astronomical seasons for the northern hemisphere in 2024 kick off on: Spring (northward) equinox: March 20th Summer (northward) solstice: June 20th Fall (southward) equinox: September 22nd Winter (southward) solstice: December 21st Of course, things are reversed south of the equator. Aurorae tend to pick up around the equinox due to a phenomenon known as the Russell-McPherron Effect and so does GEOSat flare season, as satellites way out in geosynchronous/geostationary orbit brighten into naked eye visibility, then wink out when they hit the Earth’s shadow. The solstice tends to see spans where the International Space Station enters reaches full illumination, favoring the northern hemisphere in June and the southern hemisphere in December. In 2024, the Earth reaches perihelion on January 2nd, and aphelion July 5th. Transits through the field of view for the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO’s) LASCO C3 and C2 imagers for 2024. Credit: Worachate Bloonplod. The Moon in 2024 The path of the Moon continues its trek towards the Major Lunar Standstill in early 2025, riding extra high versus the ecliptic and the horizon in the winter season, and low in the summer. The Moon also reaches its closest perigee for 2024 on March 10th at 356,893 kilometers distant, and is at its farthest apogee on October 2nd at 406,516 kilometers distant. We also have a ‘Black Moon’ on December 30th, with the second New Moon in a month with two. February 24th is the ‘Minimoon’ or smallest apparent Moon for the year, and October 17th is the Supermoon or largest Full Moon of 2024. The Moon also occults (passes in front of) several bright stars and planets in its passage through the sky. The Moon occults Antares 14 times in 2024, and Spica 8 times: Antares Events (note: ‘+/- denotes waxing/waning phase for the Moon, along with the percent illuminated). -January 8th for western North America (-11% Moon) -February 5th for southeast Asia (-24% Moon) -March 3rd for Central America (-51% Moon) -March 30th for the central Pacific (-77% Moon) -April 26th for the Middle East and east Africa (-93% Moon) -May 24th for northern South America (-99% Moon) -June 20th for the central Pacific (+70% Moon) -July 17th for South Africa (+84% Moon) -August 14th for the South Pacific (+70% Moon) -September 10th for western Australia (+45% Moon) -October 7th for the South Atlantic (+21% Moon) -November 4th for the southeast Pacific (+10% Moon) -December 1st for South Africa (+1% Moon) -December 28th for the central Pacific (-6% Moon) The Moon occults Spica on July 14th. Credit: Occult 4.1.2. Spica Events: -June 16th for Russia (+73% Moon) -July 14th for North America (+58% Moon) -August 10th for southeast Asia (+32% Moon) -September 6th for East Africa (+12% Moon) -October 3rd for Hawaii (in the daytime, +1% Moon) -November 27th for North America (-12% Moon) -December 24th for southeast Asia (-26% Moon) The Moon occults Saturn on September 17th. Credit: Occult 4.1.2. Planetary occultations: next, there are 15 lunar versus planetary occultations in 2024, involving 4 planets: -Mercury (March 11th) by the +3% Moon, for the South Pacific -Venus (April 7th) (daytime) by the -2% Moon, for eastern North America -Venus (September 5th) by the +6% Moon for Antarctica -Mars (May 5th) by the -8% Moon for Madagascar -Mars (December 18th) by the ~87% Moon for the Arctic Saturn Occultation Events: -April 6th by the -7% Moon for Antarctica -May 3rd by the -26% Moon for the southern Indian Ocean -May 31st by the -39% Moon for southern South America -June 27th by the -64% Moon for northern New Zealand -July 24th by the -86% Moon for southeast Asia -August 21st by the -95% Moon for northern South America and northwest Africa -September 17th by the +99% Moon for western North America -October 14th by the +89% Moon for India and eastern Africa -November 11th by the +77% Moon for Central America -December 8th by the +51% Moon for the western Pacific The path of the April 8th total solar eclipse across North America. Credit: Michael Zeiler Eclipses in 2024 Of course, the Great North American Eclipse on April 8th, 2024 dominates the year. But 2024 also features other eclipses as well spanning two eclipse seasons, including: -March 25th: an 87% penumbral lunar eclipse, favoring the Americas. -April 8th: A total solar eclipse, (maximum totality: 4 minutes and 28 seconds) spanning North America. This eclipse ‘could’ feature a rare treat, with (naked eye?) comet 12P/Pons-Brooks nearby, just 25 degrees east of the Sun. -September 18th: A 9% partial lunar eclipse favoring the Americas, Europe and Africa. -October 2nd: An annular eclipse with a maximum annularity of 7 minutes, 25 seconds favoring the southern tip of South America. 4 eclipses (2 lunar and 2 solar) is the minimum number that a calendar year can contain. The path of the October 2nd, 2024 annular solar eclipse. NASA/GSFC/A.T. Sinclair The Inner Planets in 2024 The two inner planets Mercury and Venus never stray far from the Sun. In early 2024 Venus lingers in the dawn, but does not reach greatest elongation in 2024. Instead, Venus reaches inferior conjunction on the solar farside opposite to the Earth on June 4th, transitioning from the dawn to the dusk sky. Mercury reaches greatest elongation 7 times in 2024, an extra one versus its normal six: -24 degrees west at dawn (January 12th) -19 degrees east at dusk (March 24th) -26 degrees west at dawn (May 9th) -27 degrees east at dusk (July 22nd) -18 degrees west at dawn (September 5th) -23 degrees east at dusk (November 16th) -22 degrees west at dawn (December 25th) -Venus also occults the +6.4 magnitude star HIP 86060 for India on January 18th, and the +4.7 magnitude star HIP 92111 on (February 1st) for Brazil. Mercury and Venus also both transit the open star cluster Messier 44 in 2024: -Mercury meets M44 on July 6th (with asteroid 4 Vesta nearby!), 24 degrees from the Sun. Venus meets M44 on July 18th, 11 degrees from the Sun. The Outer Planets in 2024 Saturn’s ring angle in 2024 is 2 to 5 degrees wide, as they head towards edge on in March 23rd, 2024. Meanwhile, Jupiter’s outermost moon Callisto continues to ‘miss’ Jupiter, though that’ll change as the orbital plane of the Galilean moons head towards edge-on once again in 2026. Saturn rings: from wide open, to approaching edge-on in 2024. Credit: Shahrin Ahmad. Oppositions and the best season to observe the outer planets in 2024 include: -Pluto (June 23rd) -Saturn (September 8th) -Neptune (September 21st) -Uranus (November 17th) -Jupiter (December 7th) The top planet versus planet conjunction for 2024 is Mercury versus Jupiter on June 4th 7’ apart and 12 degrees west of the Sun at dawn. Mercury meets Jupiter at dawn on June 4th. Credit: Stellarium. The top bright star versus asteroid occultation for 2024 occurs on June 29th, when asteroid 2819 Ensor occults the +3.2 magnitude star Phi Sagittarii for north Asia. The top star versus planet conjunction for 2024 is Mercury versus Regulus on September 9th 30’ apart, 17 degrees west of the Sun at dawn. Astronomy 2024: Meteor Showers There are 112 meteor showers known and recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), about a dozen of which are major annual favorites. Of course, showers are always best when the pesky light-polluting Moon is near New and out of the way. In 2024, the best showers versus the Moon are: -Eta Aquariids (May 6th) -1% Moon, ZHR~50 -Daytime Arietids (June 7th) +4% Moon ZHR~30 -Delta Aquariids (July 30th) -18% Moon ZHR~30 -Taurids (October 10th) +45% Moon ZHR~10 -Andromedids (December 10th) +5% Moon ZHR~20 Is a Leonid outburst due for November 14th 2024? The Earth may encounter the 1633 trail for source comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle… the same stream that caused the 2001 outburst. Comet 12P versus the bright star Vega. Credit: Dan Bartlett. Comets to Watch For in 2024 We’re certainly due for the next great comet of the century. Though there’s nothing amazing to see in the sky in terms of comets (yet), that could all swiftly change with the discovery of a bright new comet inbound. As of writing this in late December 2023, these are the following comets expected to break binocular visibility: -12P/Pons-Brooks reaches magnitude +3.9 at perihelion on April 21st in the constellation Taurus, 21 degrees east on the Sun. -13P/Olbers reaches magnitude +7.5 at perihelion on July 1st in the constellation Lynx, 21 degrees east of the Sun. -144P/Kushida reaches perihelion on January 26th at magnitude +7.9 in the constellation Taurus, 126 degrees east of the Sun. -C/2021 S3 PanSTARRS reaches perihelion on February 15th at magnitude +7.4 in the constellation Pegasus, 23 degrees east of the Sun. -Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS reaches perihelion on September 28th at magnitude +2.5 in the constellation Hercules, 83 degrees east of the Sun. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS at dawn in late September. Credit: Starry Night. Weirdness and More: Looking farther out afield, a few double stars on our ‘orbits with spans with short enough to live through’ reach maximum separation in 2023-2025: -70 Ophiuchus reaches a maximum separation of 6.7”; -Delta Equulei reaches a maximum separation of 0.3”; and -The ‘Pup’ of the Dog Star Sirius B reaches its maximum apparent separation of 11.5 arc seconds on its 50-year orbit. True story: I ‘finally’ got to cross the Pup off my visual observing life list in 2023, courtesy of Richard Drumm and his access to the 26-inch refractor at the Charlottesville Virginia McCormick Observatory. Also, 2050.00 celestial coordinates come into vogue in 2025 versus 2000.00, as we’ll officially be closer to 2050 than 2000… it’s strange to think, we’ve been using 2000.00 (and occasionally, 1950.00) for most of our lives. Awaiting totality in 2017. Credit: Dave Dickinson. Astronomy 2024…and a Teaser for 2025 …and as always, there’s more to come. 2025 sees the peak of Solar Cycle 25, the Moon at Major Lunar Standstill, Saturn’s rings edge on, Mars at opposition, two total lunar and two partial solar eclipses and more. Don’t miss all of these events and more in Astronomy 2024! The post Top Astronomy Events for 2024 appeared first on Universe Today.

#space #astronomy #news #science

[raducotarcea]

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 018: The Night Gwen Stacy Died (ASM 119-123)

MASTERPOST

In this batch of issues, Peter Parker made me cry.

(But first, we've got to see Ross's sublime mustache.)

A lot of things to consider, the most important being: Peter, what's with this drab outfit?

Also I don't remember exactly what this telegram means, only that it leads to a tragic outcome (but which one!), so I'm invested!

Meanwhile, Norman's back to being homophobic. Peter's afraid that Norman's gonna send him to a conversion therapy remembering he's the Green Goblin -and all that entails- so he decides to go on a trip to catch photos with the Hulk in Canada... and maybe get some answers.

YES. I REMEMBER HER. And now I remember what's gonna happen!

...But not why.

She's called "Ms. Delon", presumably to reference Alain Delon, who's a big French actor and was really hot for a long (very long) while. Go watch La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) and Plein soleil (Purple Noon, the first movie adaptation of Mr. Ripley) to see him in his full glory!

Oops. Uh, I think I found the Hulk very relatable when I was a kid.

In the letters, somebody asks if Nick Fury is going to intervene some day (since Peter's parents were spies for him), and it immediately made me think of Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Oh, honey.

Meanwhile...

Just wait for Superior Spider-Man. Just wait!

In issue 120, Harry's back on drugs, yay! That's why he collapsed.

He needed A KISS, that's what he needed!

Peter acknowledges that he's been followed by somebody since he arrived in Montreal, but that guy has actually been following him since New York! And I know what he's here for...

As I remembered, Rimbaud ends up shot, after a very enticing short appearance (he seems sweet yet strong. he's. okay maybe. maybe he's dad--).

Lindy Marie Cauley complains that MJ has no characterization and that we don't know anything about her. The answer?

Oh boy yeah.

So time for issue 121! Dear Lord, MJ has a very long neck...

Gerry Conway indicates on the first page that the actual title of the issue isn't something we'll forget any time soon--and I doubt he could know how right he was.

The drugged Harry storyline being back also means Peter's a jerk and keeps going on about how Harry's weak, which I just can't quite accept.

The sexual tension between Norman and Peter ramps up, which I'm all for.

Leaving Norman's house with his girlfriends, Peter mentions he'll buy them coke, which is great because I researched that for my visual novel (but all the files disappeared so who cares). It's nice to have a confirmation it was popular at the time. MJ eschews her usual happy behavior in this issue (just you wait girl) and that's nice to see. Development!

Finally, finally, Norman remembers his alter ego and quickly gets his equipment. It happens very fast, as everything does (once again, a lot fo complaints about TASM2 really don't hold up), but it's efficient and effective.

When was the last time we saw the Green Goblin?

His last appearance was from issues 96 to 98, which was also linked to Harry's first batch of drugs issues. HMM! So for the readers, it had been about two years almost to the month since they'd last seen the Green Goblin. That's fair. And what a final appearance... (for now)

UGH IT STILL HURTS TO SEE!

From then on, the issue is a total treat. It's outlandishly good. What a great issue. Damn.

So before we go on to Issue 122, what's my opinion on Gwen?

I think she started out fairly unlikable, which isn't necessarily bad since everybody was jerks in the early days, but she provided some nice drama (especially with Flash). I do think her role felt boring at some points, but I don't know, she was a nice presence to have, and I appreciate her strange relationship with MJ, at least what little I saw of her. I wish she was given more of a chance, though.

Oh well, we'll see her again in a bit anyway, aren't we? :-)

This is the Peter I'm used to.

Gosh, this hits *hard*. Not so much for Peter, but really for Harry. "Don't walk away, please! Everybody's left me and I'm all alone! Please, Peter, please! Help me!"

This is horrible. This is dark. This is incredibly compelling, and human. This is masterful.

Fuck.

Robertson is once again the MVP by helping Peter find Norman's hideout.

*pained sigh*

It's Harry. We know it. I do wonder how he arrived so quickly there in this state and how he could know about it. Maybe he just knew the place and researched it... I dunno. That's something I would have liked to see! Don't keep his identity concealed, show us how he arrived here and got here in time to see his father die! Show it to meeeeee!

(Maybe I should write that fanfic.)

Especially because his silhouette really doesn't fit, neither the posture nor the outfit.

Oh this such a hideous, beautiful, tragic, perfect moment. I'm not sure we could have had this in the Stan Lee era.

Look, in this single page, we get a lot of development for Peter (he shows his ugliest face, but also falls apart) AND MJ (compassion, shock, acceptance, forgiveness, grief, and DETERMINATION).

It may be the best issue until then. It's simply that good.

There's one last issue in this batch, but it feels almost futile to keep reading after such a masterpiece.

And issue 123 actually almost makes me cry, because it makes me remember that Gwen felt guilty for partly motivating (in one of the few spots where her personality shined) May to leave.

And this plotline isn't forgotten! Fuck, it hurts.

So Jameson pays Luke Cage to capture Spider-Man.

Gorgeous colors.

*sigh*

Sorry, I don't know what to say. This is all so tragic.

I wish we'd seen Norman's funerals, though. I wish we'd seen Peter apologize.

Luke Cage and Peter eventually talk about the life of super-hero and mercenary, Jameson gets his comeuppance and then...

Fuck. I'm crying. I'm crying reading a comic book I already read maybe dozens of times years ago. Fuck. It hits.

#spider-man #green goblin #gwen stacy #mary jane watson #harry osborn #norman osborn #peter parker #angst #comics #comic books #amazing spider-man

[fahrni]

Sadness and Loss

The Daily Progress

Charlottesville-based tech company WillowTree laid off roughly 12% of its workforce on Wednesday, bringing an end to years of rapid growth

Yesterday was a really tough day at work. For the first time in WillowTree’s history (at least I think it was a first?) we had layoffs. Don’t worry, I was fortunate enough to make it through but many of my friends and colleagues did not. Economic forces finally caught up to us. 😔

In total 120 trees lost their jobs. That’s about 10% of the company. If you’ve never gone through something like this it’s very surreal to hear from a friend who’s just lost their job. That immediate “NO!” Is followed by all the stages of grief. You may even get survivors guilt.

By afternoon it was over. Today those of us who remain will try to get some work done.

P.S.

I will no longer be an Associate Engineering Director. As part of the reorganization I’ll go back to being a full time Staff Software Engineer. I’ll still get to build teams and work on technical solutions for clients, I just won’t be doing the more business side of things, which is fine with me.

I hope to put together a list of folks I know, who are all extremely good at what they do, so someone looking for extremely good folks can hire them.

I’m just happy to have a job. ❤️