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#it's just that in addition to not being interested in it it's a lot of work
lemonzestywrites · 2 days
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moodboard monday
literally no one tagged me in this but i’ve been on another moodboard kick and now you all have to suffer with me :)
anyways here’s a little board for ch 4 (phone sex chapter my beloved!)
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“And it works?” Eddie asks, the words so low they almost come out as a whisper as if they’re having this conversation in public and not a middle of the night phone call. Buck can’t help but find it amusing.
He knows it’s taken a lot for Eddie to do this, a lot of shit that he still has to work through just to find an ache of comfortability. To reconstruct those ideals and beliefs about sex and desire. And Buck genuinely couldn’t be more proud to see his friend work through all of this.
So to see Eddie get like this, slowly begin to peel back those layers and feel secure in this-
It’s nice.
Buck’s shoulders relax further into his pillows in a deep breath, allowing calm nighttime ease to slither in and find its place in the privacy of their late conversation. “Most of the time, yeah,” he admits.
By any definition, Buck wouldn’t ever find himself classifying as a prude or some kind of moralist when it comes to sex. That being said though, even he can’t help but find the pressance of a different kind of calm settling here in this space, a different in this dynamic between him and Eddie.
Months ago, the same question would have received a more tame answer. Something easier and still a bit more technical. He probably would have mentioned how men release hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin after an orgasm, which help induce sleep.
But that was before this.
Before things changed. Altered for the better. A new additive being introduced to their friendship in a slow-growing evolution.
Buck smiles to himself, unable to stifle the sense of amusement fluttering in his system. It’s interesting how much can subtly change after edging your best friend for an hour.
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tags below the cut!!
(absolutely no pressure!!) tagging - @devirnis @eddiebabygirldiaz @aroeddiediaz @kitteneddiediaz @jeeyuns @hippolotamus @shyaudacity @elvensorceress @wildlife4life
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aita for flirting with my online friend 🌐❓
i (20s, trans man) have been getting closer to my online friend (same as me). we were mutuals for a while in what i can best describe as an online writing community but only started actually talking last year when i approached him to do a project together. we've been pretty strictly platonic for the last year but this year it's ramped up a bit (in part i think due to greater proximity)- we make a lot of sexual jokes at each other. now that's not necessarily a big deal because we do it at other male (and not male in his case) friends of ours, its just sort of how our circle interacts with each other, but it's a bit different for me because i do actually have somewhat of a crush on him. i'm not super sure of how he feels towards me, but i do think he knows at least partially how i feel and is at least humouring our banter.
now here's where i feel like an asshole. i have no intention of dating him at all- even if he does like me back, the reality is that we live on two entirely separate continents and neither of us have the financial means to go see each other. now you could suggest we date long distance or online but i've done that like 4 different times now with 4 different people and i just know it doesn't work for me, for a variety of reasons i won't get into. just trust me when i say it would end poorly. i'm not on speaking terms with any of my exes (nor do i want to be, bar one) and my friend is important enough to me that if we ended up like that then i'd be really upset about it. usually when i break up with someone or am broken up with i'm left with a lot of resentment and bitterness. plus our writing project would be tanked, which i'm not willing to jeopardise because i think it's excellent, he's a great partner.
in addition to that i'm only a few months out of a pretty rough breakup with someone i also had viewed as a close friend (irl, not online). i'm not conflating them here, because they aren't alike whatsoever, but i worry that im using my friend as an emotional rebound to cope with what my ex did to me, even if he doesn't know it. i don't want my ex back and i am honestly still feeling a lot of anger towards him, so it's been nice putting my attention and libido elsewhere. however i know how shitty it feels to be someone else's rebound guy and would hate to do that to my friend. plus i could be stunting my own healing progress?? idk
it initially was just a bit of fun but i've had to privately and seriously talk myself down from getting jealous as fuck when my friend has had other people jokingly (or not jokingly, who knows) flirt with him. i'm a pretty intense person (hi, bpd) so i've been trying to reign myself back and keep things chill and funny between us but i'm getting kind of concerned whether i should stop entirely so my feelings go away or if im fine enjoying giving and being given attention in return, even if it doesn't lead anywhere. even just liking him is kind of breaking three of the rules i'd set for myself after my last few relationship disasters (no more online stuff, no more white boys, let my brain cool down and dont be interested in anyone for at least a year) so i kind of just don't know where i should be taking this if anywhere
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odinsblog · 3 days
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“I'd say a couple of things. One actually goes directly to the comparison to the Holocaust. I think that maybe I was very focused from afar on the part of the comparison that deals with numbers.
What I think is a deeply cynical way of phrasing the description of October 7th as the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. And the reason I think it's cynical is because, you know, it does all this sort of normal, for that kind of thing, things of conflating Israel and Jews, framing the Hamas attack as an antisemitic attack, which I don't think it was. It was an anti-Israeli attack.
And of course, drawing that line directly to the Holocaust, what I think I wasn't hearing was the other part of the comparison, which has to do with defenselessness. And I was interviewing someone who said that they were watching the first videos early on October 7th and seeing Jewish people once again as naked without an army. I find that very interesting and compelling because of course, the Holocaust is not only the number of people who were killed, it is also the experience that went on for six years of a people without an army.
And if you read contemporary thinkers, like for example, Hanna Arendt, a lot of her essays written during the war were about the need for a Jewish army. So that, you know, the light bulb went off for me that, oh, this, you know, this comparison, in addition to the sort of the, what I think of it as kind of cynical dimension also has an experiential dimension. That fear of being naked without an army.
And, you know, that didn't make me change my mind about what I think of its political uses, but it made me understand better the emotional experience behind it. I think the other thing that I saw when I was in Israel a few weeks ago that I didn't realize was just the extent to which it's still October 7th in Israel, and the extent to which that helps Israelis not see what's happening in Gaza. Because of course, everything that is happening in Gaza, that has happened in Gaza, has happened in the last now almost seven months that have elapsed since October 7th.
But if you are living in October 7th, then it's not just the media that aren't facilitating you're seeing what's happening in Gaza. It's like you're stuck, the calendar is not letting you see what's happening in Gaza.
…I should have made it more clear that when I was talking earlier about not seeing what's happening in Gaza, I was referring to Jewish Israelis. I think the experience of Palestinian citizens of Israel is completely different. They're living the daily events in Gaza.
They wake up in the morning to check whether their friends and family are still alive and to read all the different telegram channels and watch Al Jazeera and really to keep following in minute detail what's happening there and add to that the growing violence and poverty in the West Bank that is also very much a part of their daily reality.
…Well, you know, you asked me about things that struck me when I was in Israel, and one thing that struck me was that even people on the left, whom I held to be sort of, generally speaking, accurate perceivers of the world, had really bizarre ideas about what was going on on American campuses, like this idea that American campuses are hotbeds of antisemitism, seem to have been very well communicated to everybody.
Ayelet Waldman discussed this, so some of this will probably be a little repetitive, but I think the points that she made were that, no, these are not hotbeds of antisemitism. They are crazies and outliers in every movement.
But very rarely do crazies and outliers in a movement, especially widespread social movements such as this one, get separate articles in the New York Times the moment something emerges. This idea that these protests are antisemitic is wrong, misguided, counterfactual, and promoted by mainstream American media, unfortunately.
But, you know, and I'm not saying that there are no antisemites in these protests. And I'm not saying that there were zero antisemitic incidents. I'm saying it's a hot mess.
And we know for a fact that there's a lot of spinning of these protests as antisemitic that doesn't reflect the bulk of what the organizing is about the views of the individuals involved and the messaging coming out of these campuses. And most of these kids, at least on a campus like Columbia are Jewish, not on a campus like City College of New York, which has almost no Jewish students, but Columbia, which has a lot of Jewish students, has a majority of protesters who are Jewish.”
—Masha Gessen, the descendant of Holocaust survivors, discusses student protests (part 1 of 3)
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inuroel · 3 days
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Stardew valley, some headcanons and just thinking about things, thoughts? Opinions? Your own ideas? I would love to talk abt stardew valley w anyone even if its just abt ur farmer (PLEASE IM BEGGING I NEED IT)(i mean whahhatttt… no im so cool and very chill..)
Anyways
thinking about Abigail and Sebastian’s relationship.. or lack their of? Anyways, i always thought it was really interesting that we only really get 1 line of dialogue with Sebastian hinting at the “crush” on Abigail. The flower festival is the only time Sebastian himself vaguely hints at liking her, “i want to dance with someone (abigail).” Or something along the lines of that and honestly? I just think everyone else DOESNT like him except for Sam and her….. both Sam and Maru hint at Sebastian liking her in their dialogue tho, and Abigail herself mentions liking him ie mentioning being close friends (although he doesn’t share the same sentiment? Only stating Sam and yourself as a friend).. PERSONALLY.. in MY opinion, i like to think that he doesn’t really like her, i understand that she hangs out in his room but also? He literally tells you that she doesn’t seem to value his time bc she interrupts his work. I really like to think that Sam and Maru, and everyone else in the valley likes to gossip and pair both her and him together because of their alternative fashion. Abigail is really friendly, outgoing, loves adventure, shes extroverted, whereas Sebastian is socially awkward, prefers being alone, and likes staying in his room. I like to view Abigail as younger than both Sam and Sebastian, around 18yrs while sam is 19 and Sebastian is 22-23. I view them as these ages bc:
Abigail: Seems to be starting college, maybe already completed a semester by the time the farmer arrives, bickers with her parents in a more youthful way, ie Caroline’s lines about her dyed hair and fashion sense. Her sense of adventure to me seems to stem from a new independence from her parents (turning 18). (Side note but i prefer to think that Pierre IS Abigail’s dad and not the wizard… instead… i like to think Jodi started that rumor)
Sam: the whole dropping egg, skateboarding, and kissing under the covers reeks of a 16yr old, but to me hes just an immature 19yr old. I imagine Jodi spoiled him because his dad wasnt around a lot but as he gets older he realizes the toll it takes on her, and to me ive always seen Sam as genuinely friendly and kind and i kinda think his behavior in these cutscenes are just bc he doesn’t want to give Jodi a hard time. He’s afraid of disappointing her and thats why the egg and blanket scenes happen the way they do.
Sebastian: Free lancer job, motorcycle owning, weed smoking, and overall he just seems like the most mature in the group. He has his moments with his mom, maru, and Demetrius but i think it’s just bc of how tense he feels with them.
Also i kinda think the reason he wanted her in the band was so he didnt have to talk to Sam that much,,
But anyways, i do like to think that Abby’s gotta a crush but its more of the “idea” of Sebastian, i like to think she’ll fantasize about him asking her to ride on the motorcycle with him and go on this grand adventure and meet a lot of people and do a lot of things, in fact i like to think that her going to his room is a new thing too! And thats why he seems “suddenly” irritated by it and neither of them mention that they aren’t that close anymore. I also like to think shes more of a new addition to their duo too, which is why she doesn’t play pool and because of Pierre’s shop, either he or Caroline mention the Yoba church being “already there” before they moved in. I think Sam and Sebastian moved to stardew when they were very little (3-4) (implied by dialogue as sam mentions Kent use to be a garbage man in Zuzu city, and i think Sebastian was born BEFORE robin built the house and maru after.)(hence why Sebastian lives in the basement) i think Abigail moved when she was around 7-8. (I think Caroline is a pelican town native tho! And just moved back)
Not an Abigail hate post btw.. i like her, but i think this is more interesting than them just having a crush on each other, i just think her liking the idea of him and him well.. i just dont think anyone really likes him bc they think hes weird T_T!!
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kingofthering · 3 days
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Read @flyingfabio's thoughts on her weekend in Le Mans and realized it could be nice for me to give mine as well. Also going to go under a read more for the sanity of everyone's dash.
context/overall things
This was my second MotoGP race weekend and my second time in Le Mans. Last year I went alone with a grandstand ticket (Zarco GS) that I bought in January kind of an on a whim. In October I had access to the presales for 2024 and I got two VIP tickets (Club Grand Prix to be exact), one of which I gifted to my dad for Christmas.
These were a hefty price (650 euros) and if I were to do it again, I would go for one of the other VIP ticket packages (probably Sunday lodge/box [can't find the right translation but the things above the garages] for 500 euros). I do realize that it's a lot of money but I'm in a place in my life where I can save money every month and afford to splurge on things like this occasionally, so, yeah. And I think that overall, the experience was worth it.
This was my first time being alone with my dad and traveling with him for 4 days. I love my dad but he's had a lot of health issues in the past years and he's done a lot of work to be better physically but he's still a little diminished now and can't walk as fast as I can and needs to take breaks every now and then. I will admit that this wasn't always easy to manage because of my excitement and my lack of patience at times but we had a good time overall. I was also stressed because I needed things to go well and I didn't sleep much (and didn't eat much because of the stress) so my dad ended up having to take care of me on Saturday night but we both survived in the end.
I will say, even if you have a GS ticket or even a GA one, a weekend in Le Mans has so much to offer that I think people should really attend if they have the chance to. In addition to the usual MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3, you also get MotoE and the Rookies Cup which means that there is always something happening on track (pretty much). The fanzone events with the riders are really nice (I didn't attend this year but I had a really good time in 2023) and the Mechanical Show on Saturday is pretty cool as well.
One thing that I will also always give to Le Mans is the access to the circuit. You have the tramway (that runs through the whole city) arriving 150 meters away from the East gate of the circuit. There are a lot of people riding the trams but it was okay, I even found the organization of Sunday afternoon pretty great (while I was stressed of being too late at the train station and I sure wasn't).
The sound of the bikes at the start might be my new favorite thing in the world. I will say, please if you come to a race weekend, have stuff to protect your ears (earplugs or headphones), you will need them (they do sell them at the track if you forget).
I knew from Thursday already that we were going to break the attendance record. The number of people on track on Thursday and Friday already were insane. Le Mans has always been a popular GP (duh, it was holding the attendance record already) but Wednesday and Thursday being holidays in France (and a lot of people not working on Friday as a consequence) definitely helped.
VIP things
Access to the stands' building : This was my favorite thing in the ticket. I could have done with just that (and the paddock visit). This building is the one right above the garages so you got the pit lane on one side (and a lot of seats you sit in in the 4th floor to overlook the circuit, the pit lane, the podium) and the paddock on the other side. You essentially get to watch things happening in the paddock and people working there and it's so interesting. When you're on the 1st floor, you have gates that riders come up to sometimes to interact with fans. This was quite eye-opening to me on how much riders interact with fans throughout the weekend (and that we don't get to see when we're at home). The one that I saw interacting the most with fans throughout my days there was definitely Marc (he's so loved but he gives so much back honestly). On the 2nd floor you had the media room where they do their rounds of media and if you were there at the right time, you could interact with the riders when they were going up or down from media center. Most of them stopped from autographs and photos all the times I was there (Thursday afternoon for the press conferences, Friday afternoon after PR, Saturday afternoon after the sprint).
Paddock tour/visit : maybe my favorite part that I want to replicate so badly. I had to pick a time among offered slots and I chose the 10:30-13:00 on Friday because I didn't want to be missing any important sessions. You're basically free to roam the paddock as you want during your time slot and I saw so many familiar faces, it was insane, even non-riders like Massimo Rivola or Jack Appleyard (from the MotoGP broadcast). The first rider I talked to was Cele and at first I wasn't sure I had recognized him and I didn't want to run so I walked fast to get him before he went into the VR46 motorhome and god, I was so awkward at first (sorry Cele) and he couldn't hear me well because the MotoGP bikes were doing FP1 at the time but I did ask him about his collarbone (and he said he was fine) and told him I was hoping we could see him back soon. He seemed shy as well but very sweet. I also got to talk to (and take photos with) Fermin, Manuel (Gonzalez) and David Alonso. After my brain remembered how to speak Spanish I congratulated David for his best rookie title last season and told him I was betting on him for this season (and wishing him luck). He was really sweet as well. On the MotoGP side, I waited an hour in front of Yamaha's side to see Fabio (also got to see Rinsy first) and well, I did see Fabio from very up close but things were very chaotic and people behind were pushing and that wasn't exactly fun but, well. In the meantime, my dad got to talk to Bezz and he told me he seemed like a very nice and funny guy (more on that story here) and I will say I got a little jealous of that. Overall a really cool experience.
Pit lane visit : I thought we couldn't do it at the supposed time and in the end, we were able to enter the pit lane around 11:40, after quali. Honestly, seeing the bikes from up close like this is so cool. Like, shit, they're so pretty it's insane. Also, I feel like the garages look much bigger on TV? It was quite cool to see. I saw Mav coming back to his garage and start his debrief with his team. Also saw Bezz in his box and I saw Mig, who I didn't get to talk to but love even more now anyway. After about 10-15 minutes we had to leave so that was quite short but cool anyway. I know they did a pit lane visit open to everyone on Thursday but there were so many people, it seemed a little scary (but probably worth it if you're ready to queue early and throw some elbows around if needed).
Club Grand Prix access : the box was on the main straight. It was quite comfortable and I will say that the access to easy bathroom and free drinks was quite nice. I didn't eat much because of the state of my stomach but people were complimenting the food. Oh and having screens in there was quite practical. As I said earlier, it's not the ticket I would book again. I was a little frustrated by the fact we were not in the open air and it took away from the race experience for me. (Still amazing for a lot of people and my dad really appreciated the comfort but I know I personally would have been better in the stands' building.)
My experience is subjective because of the times I was there but like I said before, I saw a lot of Marc taking time for fans (one time he couldn't go up to a little kid but he sent JL to give him a slider), saw Maverick a bunch of times as well, Rinsy too. I heard people say that Johann was also taking a lot of time for the fans. I saw Jack give his cap (fully unprompted) to a little kid on Saturday on his way down from media. The only time I saw Pedro he didn't have time for the fans and most people I've heard were saying that he never seemed to really be engaging with people (but I talked with a guy who fully understood it as "it can't be easy for him getting all that attention all of a sudden"). He sure got a lot of appreciation from the public in the stands, though. Bezz spent a lot of time to sign everybody's stuff on Saturday. Alex (Marquez) was the last one to go to media and I asked him for a photo right before he got in for a media and he said "two minutes" and came back 10 minutes later and immediately came to me for the photo and was super sweet about it. I already had a good experience with Alex last year and I was really happy to have another one this year as well.
the racing
I will say, I definitely need to watch the sprint and the race calmly because I'm so confused about what happened when. Like obviously I remember the last lap battle between Marc & Pecco and I remember Pecco's retirement in the sprint (even filmed him coming back to the pits) but hm, yeah, things are a big mess in my head. Moto2 was eh (filmed Tony getting to his box and being not so happy when talking to his team) and Moto3 was pretty entertaining.
People were so happy with Fabio got directly to Q2 and I was as well. Quali was fun to watch as well. I'm just sad I didn't get to see practice starts in front of me but the real starts were cool too.
We see them on TV but the sheer amount of people that are on the grid before races is insane. And the way everyone immediately starts running from the pits when the guys leave for the sighting lap? So impressive to watch. I honestly could have spent my weekend watching teams work, it was so interesting to me.
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cheemscakecat · 2 days
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A Little Emesis Blue Headcanon
I always thought Fritz’ reaction to burnt Spy was… interesting.
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Now, he’s obviously shocked to see it. But I have a theory that he wasn’t just thinking about past respawn failure victims and their injuries when he saw Spy.
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I think the plague doctor means different things to different mercs, because they’re sharing a nightmare. And in Fritz’ POV, the plague doctor is a nightmare version of his silent personality. They both move eerily smoothly, they both don’t speak, and despite the quite personality having no mask, he doesn’t emote much.
There’s a lot of fire imagery around Dr Ludwig in this movie.
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There’s candles on the casket he’s trapped in, and the Plague doctor is the only person around to put them there. The fact that he put so many on a rickety wooden casket implies that he wants the candles to burn down and set the casket on fire. Causing burns everywhere.
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Yet again, we see something evil with a mask, using fire to attack Fritz. Note how the M burn is on the right side of his face and very close to his eye.
You know who else has a mark under his eye?
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The quiet one. It’s under his left eye. Something must have happened to it, otherwise he would have equally red bags under his right eye.
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In addition to Fritz having the burn on the other side and more of his cheek, the eye injury can’t be credited to the roulette scene. All the worst carnage was on the back of Ludwig’s skull because of the placement of the gun barrel.
So what happened to funeral Medic?
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When Fritz sees the plague doctor, he’s always in the dark. He also seems capable of controlling shadows. This leads me to believe that the quiet Medic must be able to visit Fritz in his inner world.
In DID [formerly multiple personality disorder], there’s something called a headspace or inner world. Personalities can interact with each other and sometimes, the Core personality which is what Fritz probably is.
Inner worlds vary a lot in how many settings there are, if there’s fake townsfolk like NPCs, and how much the personalities can control their environment.
My best guess at the moment is that wherever Fritz was when he encountered the quiet Medic in his inner world, it was very dark and the quiet one had powers related to the dark.
Maybe most of the other personalities can’t access the part of the mind where Fritz is at, but the quiet one can. That might help explain why he thinks he’s schizophrenic and is so afraid of the personalities being evil.
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Let’s be real, funeral Medic is very off putting even to the audience; imagine that but it’s using your face. Now imagine being Catholic and believing in demons. You probably have a light in your hand, because it’s dark, right?
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I think Fritz saw this for the first time and threw a lit candle or lantern directly at his face. Leaving the red scar under his eye and making Ludwig afraid of the quiet one coming for revenge.
That would explain why Plague doctor was reaching towards his face and making smoke/shadows creep around. It would explain why Pyro chose to brand him on his face. And it would explain the look he gave burnt Spy.
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”It’s you!-Wait no, he healed.-And I don’t smoke, who’s this guy?”
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nocturnalazure · 19 hours
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Character Focus: Chikage
Chikage and her mother Tamaki Umeda were made upon my request by @yorithesims. ❤️ I needed a yakuza mother and daughter to be allies to Laurie and the gang, and I couldn't rely on my poor Sims making skills. And so the Umeda-gumi was born! Aren't they pure badassery? 😎
But because Chikage is one of the most recent additions to the story, she doesn't have much of a backstory yet.
In her very first appearance, she acts as a translator between her mother and Laurie, Omar and Romeo. Tamaki-san understands (and even speaks) English but by pretending not to, she reminds her guests of their position: they are very firmly in her territory, asking for help. Her house, her rules. Chikage and her mother keep glancing at each other throughout the conversation. There is a lot going on that is unsaid...
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The Umeda-gumi is a small, cautious matriarchal clan that had always stayed out of the syndicate. But Laurie's proposition is appealing: they would get rid of the Hei clan (their natural enemy) and would win a free seat in the syndicate.
Chikage's first mission is to find out if Laurie has a hidden agenda. Now, while Chikage seems subdued in front of her mother, whom she obeys without question, she is actually a free spirit and is obviously given free rein to achieve her clan's objectives. So she sneaks into Laurie's room at night and well... they have a rather sexy fight. ;) It sets the tone of their dynamic: a power game about who is alternatively in control.
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Following their conversation, Chikage concludes that Laurie is actually sincere and she gets curious. While Laurie finds out that the only way to truly do business with Chikage is to be quite literally naked.
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His condition that they do not kiss does not put her off but it puzzles her. When he tells her that he prefers kissing someone he actually has feelings for, she is not offended. Their intercourse was nothing more than the fun part of business to her.
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Because he's being so transparent, she decides to be clear about her clan's motives. She confesses to being the biological daughter of the one who calls himself Bao Hei and who is actually a former member of the Umeda clan and a lover of Tamaki's.
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The Umeda-gumi may be small but they have obviously their spy within the Hei clan. And when Bao Hei gets killed, they are the first informed. So they add a condition to their help to the syndicate.
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At this stage, all they know is that 1) rumor says the assassin was working for Laurie Golzine, and 2) that it was an immortal (read: a vampire). With Jie now also an immortal himself, Tamaki sees that the only way to protect her clan's interests and have an edge on the rest of the syndicate would be to employ vampires herself. Particularly a powerful assassin who has just proved that Jie could be defeated (as a human, at least).
Chikage is sent by her mother to the strategic meeting organized by Laurie between all involved parties. But the night before, Chikage and Laurie get together in a hotel room to... exchange information. This time, he lets her take the lead and seems detached from the whole process, acting almost robotically.
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To her, that's his business so she doesn't pry. He willingly agreed to those "transactions" between them and he outright told her there were parts of his life that were out of bounds. Chikage's main goal is to get information about Eloise, the supposed assassin. Laurie denies having ever ordered Bao Hei to be killed, and sees right through Tamaki's objective to hire Eloise. And he warns Chikage that things may not be as they seem.
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At this point, I think it must be said that despite her confident attitude, Chikage is not entirely comfortable with being seated at a negotiation table with the whole syndicate, vampires and who knows what else. She doesn't know the history between them all, and she's very aware of being in a position of weakness. Entering the room together with Laurie is a calculated act from both of them.
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It is an assurance that the Umeda clan is a "close" partner of the Golzines. And they want it to be noticed.
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And Chikage finally meets the so-called terrible "assassin"...
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Obviously, Laurie is withholding information. Maybe he thinks that Chikage wouldn't believe him if he told her that Eloise has a dissociative personality. And maybe he would be right. Chikage will get proof in due time... but for now, she truly doesn't understand how that harmless girl could have achieved what no one in her clan has managed to do.
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Also, in answer to doubts issued by some of the invitees about her motives, she reveals having a legitimate claim as heiress to the Hei clan.
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Chikage's caution is still very visible in the most recent scenes, when they all prepare to attack the Hei HQ. With Laurie gone, she has lost her most reliable ally who knew exactly what she was after. She clearly doesn't trust Eloise and Tristan, and desperately wants to assess Eloise's capabilities.
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Thankfully, Erik's arrival will allow her to chaperone the two vampires.
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Stay tuned if you want to know how this whole mess turns out! ;)
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s-creations · 2 days
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Fluctuates Chapter 1 - Confession
One-Shot entries for the #RadioStatic Week 2024.
Yep, I'm doing this again! I'm going to make sure that I can keep track with uploading this time. Also, I will be sticking with the Fluff path, because I need more Fluff with these two.
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Relationships: Alastor/Vox (RadioStatic) Warnings/Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Lots of Fluff because I want it, Rosie will be in this, Probably other characters not sure at the moment.
“This was a stupid idea.”
Vox felt the unease that had been bubbling inside his stomach for at least a week suddenly burn stronger. The Media Demon slinked down further into the cafe’s rather uncomfortable iron chairs as he checked his watch again. He had arrived at the closest thing to a French patisserie café that Hell had to offer about 30 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. The time he had set and told the other to arrive at. 
And for the past 25 of those minutes was spent looking like an idiot. Some passing sinners giving pitying looks as they passed. One even being stupid enough to try and offer comfort, believing that Vox had just been stood up. 
“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.”
They are now a charred mark on the pavement. 
So now Vox had to contend with the fact that he looked like a love struck idiot while also fighting the nerves down. 
Why did he have to pick such a public place? Sure, he knew the café was the other demon’s favorite. Run by a citizen in Cannibal town that made strong black coffee, best combination. But this could end poorly, leaving a bad taste in both of their mouths. Plus, if Vox was gaining sympathy without anything actually happening to him, what would occur once his world fell apart? Would he be left alone to suffer? Would they never speak to each other again?
His attention snapped up hearing footsteps approaching the table. Shoulders rising in embarrassment when he just saw yet another random sinner passing. Said demon actually raised her hand to greet someone behind where Vox sat. Allowing Vox the decency to slide down once more in defeat. 
“Of course that’s not him. You know his habits. He’ll be right on time. Appearing out of nowhere, just to freak you out, like he always does. ‘Because you look so adorable when you’re startled’. Adorable…he called me adorable. That must mean something, right? Fuck, why is this so difficult. Am I reading too far into this? Does he have a preference? He’s never shown interest in anyone before, so why in the whole of Hell would he settle for me?”
“Goodness, you’re in deep thought there. What plan are you cooking up, old friend?”
Vox practically toppled out of the chair, startled by the sudden voice so close to him. Able to reach out to grab onto the table to stabilize himself and prevent anything hitting the ground. The chatter around them died down instantly, and not from the new arrival. Instead having all attention on the awkwardly angled Media Demon. 
On his part, Vox tried to slow his breathing as his eyes flicker up to Alastor. Who offered a gentle chuckle. 
“Are we a little on edge?” The Radio Demon asked, head tilting.
“Ah, kind of…” Vox replied back weakly. Screen turned a slight pink as he tried to straighten himself quickly. Missing the way Alastor turned to the unwanted audience. Face twisting dangerously as a silent warning, to which everyone understood immediately and they turned back to their business. 
Once standing, Vox straightened his jacket, cleared his throat, and gestured to the empty chair across the table with a, “Care to join me?”
“Well, you did invite me. It would be rude to refuse after getting here.” Propping his cane against the small table, Alastor easily flipped the end of his coat back as he sat down. Legs crossing as he fixed the other with a curious look. “Your letter seemed very adamant about us meeting. I’m so curious over what you’re wanting to talk about.”
The worry of how stupid he looked instantly disappeared. Original nerves returning to full force. Causing Vox to temporarily forget how speaking worked. His mouth opened and closed a few times with small noises falling out. Alastor just watched on with interest. Ears flickering as his smile softened. 
Finally able to collect himself to some degree, Vox practically blurted out, “How about we order something first, yeah? It’s been a while since we’ve shared a meal together.”
“I wouldn’t say it was that long, it was only a little over a week ago. But if you insist on the matter.”
Vox gave an internal cheer as he was able to avert the conversation that he asked to have a little longer. The server clearly nervous as she waited on them, more than happy to pass their orders to leave them alone as quickly as possible. 
“So,” Alastor started slowly as he finished his latest bite, “now would you feel comfortable with our discussion?”
“Uh…” Vox tapped his fork against the partially clear plate as his mind scrambled to figure out what to do. 
“You idiot, you ASKED HIM TO COME! If you just say it was to just share a meal, then you’re going to piss him off. Just fucking talk to him! Just…rip it off like a band aid, yeah? Just…Just do it. Get it over with… Would you fucking say something!?”
“I wanted to talk business!” Vox and those in close proximity winced as harsh feedback sound. The Media Demon wincing again seeing how upset Alastor looked. Clearing his throat, Vox started again.
“Um, what I meant to say was… We’ve known each other for a while now, yeah?”
“A few centuries at this point, I would say.”
“And we work well together, yeah?”
“I…suppose so. I don’t believe we’ve worked together that often.”
Vox pouted a bit at that. “We’ve taken down a few competitors together.”
“Oh Picture Box, I’ve taken down far more without you. However, I will admit, having you there has been not only helpful, but extremely fun. I never thought burnt sinner meat would be so fun to watch being created.” 
“But you…still like working with me.”
“Of course, never doubt that.”
Letting out a small cycle of relief, Vox nodded slightly. “Okay, so, since we work so well together-”
“As you’ve stated numerous times.” Alastor added as he took another bite.
“Right, just to emphasize my point really. Wouldn’t it make sense that we team up?”
The next bite was paused half way up to Alastor’s awaiting mouth. Hovering there for a few seconds before it was slowly lowered once more. While his smile never left, Vox could tell it wasn’t as ‘cheery’ as before. Appearing a bit tight now.
“Team…up… As in partners?”
“Yeah, partners!” Vox agreed quickly, heart hammering from fear. Because Alastor was not as calm as he had been when he’d arrived. Meaning the Radio Demon apparently did not like whatever Vox was selling and he had to make this work. 
“Partners, business partners I mean, not like- Anyway, doesn’t that make sense? We’re powerful, even more so when we’re together. And we represent the two biggest forms of delivering information. Radio and television! If you think downing sinners is fun now, wait until we have that edge of knowing everyone’s business! Blackmailing will be so easy, which will result in more contracts, which will result in more power! So…what do you think?”
For the bravado Vox was putting out, he was shaking. His own smile strained as tries to better gauge Alastor’s emotions. The other customers nearby seemed to know the tense atmosphere as they were leaning away from their table. Some outright fled as they threw money on the table. 
On his part, Alastor seemed unmoved. Smile small as he placed his utensils down and stared off into the distance. Hands clasped together as a finger tapped on the back of the other. As the minutes passed, the more hopeless Vox felt. Wanting to say something that could save this no doubt dying relationship, but didn’t know what he could say. Even worried that uttering a single noise would result in his head being popped off. 
The torturous time ended when Alastor picked his fork back up to take another bite. “Is this just a business meeting, Vox?”
Said demon was a little off put by the question, “What…do you mean? What else would I be talking about?”
“I’ve never held a possible business meeting at a café before. Even more so, not one that’s my favorite.”
“Maybe…I wanted you to feel more welcomed to the idea?” Even Vox knew that was a stupid excuse. One that Alastor did not take. 
“You’re also nervous in the wrong way.”
“There’s a right way to be nervous?”
“I’ve had offers before this,” Alastor continued, “Those individuals weren’t nervous, they were cocky. They held the same reasoning and logic as you brought up as to why I should join them. But they only became nervous when I said no. And then began to tear them and their workers apart. Still, nerves were not present on the forefront of the matter. You, however, have been a nervous wreck from before I even sat down.” 
“Well…I’m probably a smaller business owner than those previous to me.” 
“Do you think I would hurt you?”
“No… Yes? I-I can never tell with you, if I’m honest.”
“Nothing to be ashamed about. I do have that air of mystery about me. Will I kill you psychologically? Will I actually kill you? Who knows. But if I can calm your possible fears about that. No, I would never kill you.” 
Vox’s heart skipped a beat in happiness. “Really?”
“I wouldn’t lie about that. So, if I’m going to be honest with you, why don’t you be honest with me? What’s the purpose of this little meeting Vox?”
Knowing he’d beck talked into a corner, the slouched position returned. Vox uncomfortably aware they were the center of attention still. Nervously clawing at the tabletop, he whispered out, “Are you…interested in going steady?”
“Pardon? I couldn’t quite hear you.” Alastor said with his full smile back, chin resting on his hand. 
“Do you want to- Would you be interested in dating?” 
Whelp, Vox really wanted to throw up at this point. Unable to look up as he awaited for some kind of answer. Maybe if he’s killed, he’ll be taken out fast enough to be out of this situation. Even be given a chance to reform in a quiet area so he could lick his wounds in a different way alone. 
“I suppose if I were able to give anyone a chance, it should be you.”
Vox’s head snapped up at that. Wide eyes narrowed in on Alastor, who looked so at ease for what they were talking about. “Wait- really? You…You really want to… Really? But you’ve never shown interest in anything romantic to anyone, ever.”
“Because that would mean I found them interesting, and I don’t. Unlike you. You can hold my attention for hours, and I’ve not held that for another soul in years. If you’re wanting to pursue something of a relationship, then I’m more than happy to try.” 
“Um, yes, please! That would be great!” Nerves were now replaced with giddiness to the point where Vox was worried he’d be shorting out soon. Something that Alastor caught on to very quickly. 
“Try and breathe, my Picture Box, you’re going to make yourself faint.” Reaching over, Alastor gently took one of Vox’s hands. 
Instead of helping, Vox’s head jerked to the side before the screen flickered and turned dark. Alastor was quick to react with his shadow double popping up to keep the other demon in the chair. 
Laughing softly, Alastor turned to one of the cowering patrons. “He’s going to be the next Overlord. Such a charmer, this one.”
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itstimetoghoul · 2 days
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Whenever Cirrus and Dew finally end up kissing, during sex or not (its a plus if its just romantic and they can finally have that heart to heart abt their obvious pining), just mending their little relationship ill jump for joy in my seat!!! Hearing even little snippets or piecing the art together from the past to see their dynamic makes me go oowahh!!! so cool!!! so happy!! ❤ woww!!! Love them fr Cant lie though that feud they got going is (to me at least) a really interesting way to put their relationship. I havent seen the fandom do that much with ghoul x ghoulette ships, and esp the underrated ship of cirrus x dew! You're very creative
I'm gonna preface this ramble with 'potential spoiler' warnings because I kinda get into the overall view of my character studies for these two fnsdjgndfj.
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When it comes to all the ghouls I like them being equal-opportunity relationships that could become something more in an open, poly way? Everyone is gay in some way and M/F presenting ghouls can have very queer encounters.
With Dew and Cirrus I really love the potential of their rivalry because in my eyes they are equals in their skill as musicians, ghouls, strength and so on. Cirrus performs a lot of the same feral posturing as Dew (and Swiss) does and that made me really want to write/draw the progression of playful rough housing into a rivalry- into the anxiety of potentially losing and liking it. Not because of something socially manufactured like gender difference, or one kind of elemental ghoul being inferior to another. Only losing and being forced to face the additional feelings that rise to the surface alongside the enjoyment of it.
I threw a lot of my own experiences of presenting masc when AFAB onto her and the experience of fear revolving around a creeping morph of a casual, competitive relationship and the sudden unstoppable approach of change- the oppressive lurch to confront it, confirm it, become something different- new on the other side. Born Again some might say...... B)
This is just a small expression of my own experiences, so it may be messy or uncomfortable for some people. Nonetheless, if even a little bit of this dynamic resonates or connects to those I hope it does I will be thrilled!
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How would you have handled the other miraculous holders?
I would have massively cut them down. The season two lineup was fantastic, though you could get away with two or three more. Eight really is about the max you can hit for a team before you start bloating the characters assuming that you're only dealing with one central group. If you're dealing with lots of side teams, then things get more complex.
There's a concept in writing called "Kill your darlings," which I'm only mentioning so that you have something to Google if you want to know more than what I'm about to tell you. The basic idea is this: to tell a good story, you need to be willing to cut things you like if they're detracting from your overall story.
As a personal example, I really like Juleka and Rose. I think they're cute and I like putting them together as a couple. But narratively speaking? They don't matter. You could cut them from the story and nothing would change because they're just casual friends to Marinette and Marinette really doesn't need more close friends for the stories I want to tell. Add in the fact that Purple Tigress and Pigella have awkward power sets that aren't all that interesting and, yeah, my love for these two does not override the fact that they have no place in the stories I want to tell. So I find ways to mention Juleka and Rose from time to time and I use them in a scene when I can, but most of the time? They're not in my stories because the goal of my stories is usually love square shenanigans and not showing off a cute healthy sapphic couple.
Similarly, the goal of Miraculous is the tales of Ladynette and Chatdrien, so the focus needs to be on them and these extra characters are really not needed. A fact that's super clear because of how underdeveloped the side heroes are. Most of them get a single recruitment episode and that's it. There's no build up to establish them as solid heroes, leading to them eventually being chosen. It's all shoehorned into 20 minutes and then largely ignored after that. I mean, Nino has been Carapace since season 2 and he's in a mere handful of episodes, none of which are all important character moments outside of his initial debut. The only temp heroes with anything interesting going on are Viperion, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge/Furtive.
If I HAD to include the other holders? Then I would have massively cut back the love square content and come up with ways to power up the butterfly so that the extra heroes felt necessary. I might have even brought in additional forces of evil to battle. I also would have given the various team member clearer roles and given them their miraculous full time because you really do need to make massive changes for the team setup to work.
Team shows are wildly different from dynamic duo setups. Compare Kim Possible to Teen Titans and think about how different the focus is. Kim Possible has two very clear main characters while the supporting cast takes back seats. Teen Titans doesn't have a clear main character. All five Titans are given a chance to shine as the main character shifts from episode to episode and even season to season with each Titan getting a chance to be the center of an ongoing plot. If you want to have a team while keeping Chat Noir and Ladybug at the center of the story, then you need to build that team around them which you really can't do if you have a massive team of 18. A smaller team, though? You can make that work. For example, I still think Chloe's recruitment should have been a chance to give Adrien a character arc around boundaries and trust because it's really hard to jump into parent/child conflicts. Starting with a best friend one with the same vibe is a much easier path.
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the-valiant-valkyrie · 7 months
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Tumblr media Tumblr media
comparing and contrasting them inside of my mind
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upsidedowngrass · 1 year
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yknow i wonder HOW airy found out about bryce having thalassophobia. cus the existence of the database implies that, with the computer, airy had SOME sort of access to information about the contestants, and with a record of charlotte having been briefly jailed and the fact that hes able to make a site, id imagine it probably has to do with some sort of access to earths internet. even with the more confusing things that he found, like where people lived, they can be explained as the computer simply saying a persons location, maybe? and the pictures i simply imagine are whatever record anywhere he could find of them. still though, its mildly confusing. but bryces thalassophobia is the MOST confusing thing for him to know about any of the contestants, especially since airy seems to not read other peoples fears well, so even if he couldve somehow seen the contestants in their lives somehow before he brought them, theres no way he wouldve picked up on bryce not only having a fear, but i dont think airy would pick up on it being a phobia more specifically. but then how would he have found out about it? did bryce post about it somewhere? mention it somewhere? how much DOES the computer have access to things? i dont have answers to these questions but i sure think about it a lot
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falled-over · 8 months
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since pepper was asking for it something that girls do that always makes me think 'cool gender' is not change their names despite it being historically masculine and re-defining the name through their identity and relationship to it.
#dylan mulvaney springs to mind. of course. along with some less famous examples.#shes a great example to give because a lot of things about her align with ideals of cishet feminine ideals and she could've changed her nam#to match. but chose to keep dylan. great gender moment#another thing that i always think is a cool gender is girls who understand femininity as non-necessary addition and arent afraid of#masculinity being a detractor in their appearance#this includes things like girls who talk openly about their dick or dont tuck or a girl i saw recently who rocked a full beard with#lashes a wig and a full beat#and donning a butch identity as a trans girl is always a 'cool gender' moment. especially if she feels little to no need to change much#about herself. the pressures to change yourself as even a cis woman are so high that cis women earn 'cool gender' points from other cis#women for openly combatting them by not performing. the same should be extended to trans sisters#i feel like the 'cool gender' moments most often live in autistic transmasc communities. who are more interested in the metaphysical.#(and there are less fun masculine compliments out there to give so cool gender exists to fill that hole)#but i agree with her. more trans girls and transfeminine people should be seen as people with 'cool genders'#not thinking of donning femininity when thinking of cool genders is indeed misogynistic. dare i say transmisogynistic#hope you guys enjoy me dickriding (so to speak) for the girls every few months. as pippa has pointed out to me many times its a core part o#who i am#what did she just send me hold on#'i prefer “niche enjoyer” to chaser actually'#(in response to me saying something about trans women being the niche in the lgbt im most drawn to. theres no way to say that without#it sounding weird. something something fetishisation often means genuine appreciation reads as predatory making uncomplicated love seem#impossible which further marginalises the fetishised community etc... im just chatting shit u get what i mean)#im like a platonic chaser. unless youre interested in doing something unlabelled with an emphasis on the psycho of psychosexual in the note#i would say that that role has already been filled but who is interested in upholding monogamy in this day and age
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gideonisms · 1 year
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I also think that maybe my idea of repression is a bit different than what sometimes gets presented as repressed because it's like. Repression refers to the process of holding back or ignoring things but what those things are varies wildly from person to person. For some people, if you got rid of the repression, there's a fun-loving, sensory stimulation seeking person underneath. But I think that a lot of times, what we repress has to do with what the people around us expect. sometimes what's under there is a really deep frustration, or a list of ways that the world is overwhelming and exhausting, or the realization that you've been seeking out experiences not because you want them but because they were a compromise between what you actually wanted and what you thought you could get. Anyway this post is basically the lead-up to saying that if harrow was less repressed, she probably wouldn't have metaphorically fucked ianthe in the first place. the fact that harrow isn't in touch with her feelings in htn is a big part of the reason the bone arm sex even happened
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ereborne · 1 month
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Song of the Day: April 15
"Something in the Way She Moves" by James Taylor
#song of the day#it's been two weeks + two days since the last song of the day#the issue is you see that I started the songs up again in December because my insomnia was fucking up my perception of time#and I wanted some kind of regular marker to help me keep track#and then what happened two weeks + two days ago is that I lost all track of time and subsequently the songs of the day failed#I'm gonna see if I can keep up again for a bit now that I've re-restarted without an alarm on my phone#but if I miss any this week I'll just give in and turn the alarm back on#updates from the last two weeks are going to sound so chaotic let's see#I got a new project at work /and/ I got demoted /and/ I got added to a higher access level /and/ I'm in charge of a new database#yes all of those things together. I'm to be an accountant now! not instead but in addition to my other stuff. should be interesting#I didn't get April Fools off like I was scheduled to because all my scheduled vacation got unapproved#(I was here for about twenty nonsequential minutes to boop people and I'm glad I made time for it. extremely fun to boop)#I lied shamelessly to get eclipse day off and we went on a full-day roadtrip and it was wonderful. everything I dreamed and more#I killed one of my baby succulents through clumsiness and rabbits ate my pea plants but my sage and cabbages look promising#got a massive pot of mint flourishing on my porch and the horseradish is gorgeous#got Duncan lights and plants and a filter system for his frog tank but we haven't set up the substrate yet#so there's just potted plants sitting inside a terrarium. very amusing honestly#I've been playing a little Stardew and eating a /lot/ of hot sauce and tofu#drinking tons of klass aguas frescas--especially the soursop one. holy shit is it good. the mango and hibiscus also#and these past few days I've been sleeping better#for most of those two weeks I was getting a handful of twenty-minute naps each workday and then crashing unwillingly on the weekend#I haven't read any comic books since February :'( this weekend we're going to costco and then I'm reading comics until Monday#what have y'all been up to? I've missed being around#edit: oh shit the actual song part. anyway this is James Taylor! makes me happy and helps me settle. good vibes songs#I'm half-panicked about work all the time recently and then also today was tax day (Nick's taxes. blegh)#James Taylor doing some heavy lifting round here
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waterloggedtomorrow · 2 months
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Okay so my finals are due mostly on Sunday and I am done with two of them except for some formatting + submission bc they are group projects. But I am done w them. Then I have the one paper that is done + also I should do some editing on it but it's not critical so I'm leaving that until after I have finished the Last paper which is the one I did all the other work in order to avoid + now have to Face.
I have been working on it for several hours now + am definitely making progress though I'm not yet halfway there. The other thing is that I basically know what I'm writing for the first half + have only the vaguest of ideas for the second. I think it should be pretty straightforward when I get there, but?
I am gonna eat some lunch + then finish the first section + look @ + outline the second section + then if I want to leave that for tomorrow I think probably that's fine.
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