#feel free to add you’re own silly ideas in the comments or tags or something I wanna hear them

[ac3id]

bnha: tomura shigaraki x fem! reader

warnings: suggestive themes

word count. 1k+ 

a/n: based n this req:

i was gonna keep it short but then i went over 1k words so here it is 😽

tagging: @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love​​

navigation

“Hey.” Dabi’s rough voice cuts through the air drawing your attention to him almost immediately. He takes a seat beside you on the bar counter of the league’s dingy hideout. Another voice greets you; this time it’s cheery and girlish. You turn to your right seeing Toga take a seat beside you too. It doesn’t take a genius to know you are trapped. “The mission went well, huh?” Toga asks, eyeing your drink, there was nothing special about it other than the fact it was free. Whenever someone returned after a successful mission, Kurogiri always took it upon himself to make them a free drink in a form of praise. “Yes, it went well.” You replied avoiding eye contact with either of them. You knew what they were doing, they did this often. They liked to corner you and make you do things you didn’t like, they liked teasing you until the point tears were pricking the corner of your eyes. Their reason to torment you was always the same, they were taking a test to see how tough you really. A little different from the rest of the pack of criminals, you were a little timid and soft-hearted. Your meekness often perceived as cowardness of fear made Dabi and Toga think you were not the right fit for the group, maybe your quirk was strong but that was all the pros of having you. They’d repeatedly remind you but you knew better, they bullied you just because. The degenerates were no better than highschool bullies, maybe even worse.

“Good to see you are actually making yourself useful,” Dabi remarks abruptly making you shrink in your seat. You want retort but you have to say, he’s right. The majority of your mission ended badly, you were a new villain with no experience, it was not all your fault. “Oh, forget that!” Toga chirped, pulling you by your shoulder, forcing you to face her. “Do you know Shigaraki Tomura?” she asks. You look at her dumbfounded, not believing her question. “You know, the leader? With hands all over his body? Handsy freak?” Dabi encourages making you scoff. Were they seriously serious? Did they just ask you whether or not you knew your own leader, your employer? Of course, you did!

“Really!? I have never seen you talk to him, you always seemed to avoid him. So, I thought you didn’t know who he was,” she pouts explaining herself, “Are you scared of him or something?” Scared? Of Tomura Shigaraki? Of course, you were. You were terrified of everyone in the league but Tomura stood out the most. With his rude and cold demeanor, he intimidates you. The cold, pale hand which sticks to his face at all times adds to his eerie appearance, his vermillion eyes glowing from underneath it, sending death glares to everyone. A glance towards his direction is enough to tell you he's someone you don't want anything to do with. His quirk, his personality all adds to it. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to anyway, your shyness and fear of rejection would never let you open up to anyone else other than your friends. You don’t answer Dabi’s question, “I will take that as a yes,” he smirks cruelly. You try to retort but before you can say anything, he changes the topic.

“Tell me,” He calls out your name grimly, “are you a pussy?” What? “I don’t understand,” you ask nervously. The perplexed expression which scans your face makes Dabi cringe, he clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth before speaking, “It’s a simple question. Are you a pussy? Or you got balls?” You are still confused but get the basic idea, they were here to bother again. You have a bad feeling about this. You know what you should do; give him a reaction he does not want so he can leave alone and stop bothering you but you also know your pride won’t surrender that easily. There is no way you would ever admit to him that you are a weak, pathetic coward. So naturally, you make the wrong decision. “No I am not a pussy,” the word almost feels wrong when you say it out loud. It's not as degrading as when Dabi had said it, the need to drag it down the dirt and toss it back up is missing when you say it and Toga notices as she snickers. Dabi quickly catching on sends you a devious smirk, “Atta, girl!” he pats your head jokingly, you push his hand away annoyed. They liked sending you praises as one would to a kid, you found it revolting but they enjoyed tormenting you. “We have an important job for you,”  toga begins, flashing her taunting canines at you making you shudder. Oh, this was up to no good.

“So here’s the thing,” Dabi begins, “Boss has been kinda’ very annoying recently, if you talked to him you’d understand,” eyebrow twitching at the comment you wonder whether it was necessary. “And it gets hard to work with him so would you mind helping out, ya’ know what I am saying?” You look at him still confused while he just gives you an oblivious look, what was he on about?

“Helping out?” you quote, curiosity ridden in your eyes. Toga snickers before leaning in towards you, her breath fawns over your ear as she whispers a dirty, little secret. “You know, get him all hot and bothered. Help your leader out here,” you almost choke at her words. There was no way in hell you would ever do that! You never even want to stand closer than three feet from your boss, what Toga is asking for is downright atrocious. You push her away from you, creating a safe distance. You feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment before you start speaking, “There is NO way I am going anywhere near that man!” you exclaim confidently. Dabi looks disappointed but he’s not given up yet while Toga pouts, “What!? Why not?” she asks and without giving you a chance to speak she continues, “I always catch you staring at him! Do you not like him? I thought you did, so we asked you,” her tone is apologetic but she is not wrong. Often you would find yourself zoning out and staring at your leader. Shigaraki always attracted your eyes. He was like a mystery, there was no wonder you wanted to know more about him. About how he thinks, lives you want to know so much more. Your curiosity about it unfortunately gets pulled out by your fear of him, you can’t imagine staying in the same room as him. Too conscious about his judgemental eyes ghosting your figure and searching for flaws which would make him want to leave you.

“I don’t like him, though.” You finish. At this point, you believe that you have beaten Toga and Dabi at their own game as you watch their faces fall. You feel pride enveloping you for the second time that day knowing that you had the crazy duo speechless. “Okay then,” Dabi still has to say. He throws a  devious smirk, “It’s a dare. I dare you to seduce Tomura Shigaraki.”

You are speechless. “C’mon, you’re not a chicken are you? You do this and I’ll do a dare you give me,” was he really ‘daring’ you to seduce the most dangerous man you have ever met for fun? “I- How would I even do that?” You ask. Your experience in the field of ‘seduction’ was absolutely zero. You couldn’t just walk up to someone and ask them to sleep with you. They have to be mocking you, right? This was a joke- a silly little prank, right? “Aw, c’mon! You don’t even have to go all the way, just kiss him maybe a hand job or something then leave! Shouldn’t be that much of a problem.” Toga spoke sending you puppy dog eyes making you cringe, “You are not going to do it?” Dabi ponders his brow raised, his eyes wait patiently for your answer. You think for a moment if you say no to them; you know for a fact a nasty rumor about you will go around no doubt ruining your reputation and if you say yes..well, you get to kiss your boss and as Dabi promised: you could ‘dare’ him to do anything. Maybe you will make him dance around naked.

“Fine, I will go..” The way their faces light up sends a cold shiver down your spine and your gut kicks in telling you it's a bad idea, but you cannot take your word back now. You reluctantly head into the dark hallway to your leader’s room where he had been locked in since the morning. Probably playing games or making plans for the league, you couldn’t care less. You knock on his door, fidgeting with your fingers while you wait for him to open the door, you didn’t want to barge straight in. It would be very disrespectful to your leader and you’d die before you know it. “He is not going to open the fucking door! Just go in.” You hear Dabi’s faint voice, guess they have been counting your steps. You hesitate a moment before reaching out to the doorknob, you twist it and it unlocks. A nervous sigh leaves your lips as you push the door ajar, stepping into the room and closing it behind you gently, trying your best to not make noise. You find Shigaraki adhered to his devices, his focus is completely planted on the game he plays. The bright screen deceiving shots of violence while he grunts and curses into his earphones. You stand there, next to the door, taking in his entire and it’s a mess. The lights are out, the only source coming from the iridescent screen of Shigaraki’s gameplay. There’s trash everywhere, his bed hasn’t been made. The covers and blanket almost fall off his bed, there are a desk and chair in the room which hasn’t been organized either.

Damn, he really be living like this.

You wait for Shigaraki to notice and you presume he won’t be noticing you until you let him know you are there but you are proved wrong as he glances in your direction, the most astonished expressions falling on his face. Shigaraki sits without father covering his face so you can see his features. Little scars are running everywhere, two significantly larger ones stretching across his left eye and lips. He scans your body head to toe as you shirk back under his heated gaze, “What the fuck are you doing here?” he asks and honestly you wonder the same. You don’t answer his question but move forward towards him changing the subject entirely, “Mr. Shigaraki, there’s something I need to tell you…” You stand right in front of him, your knee touching his as he is seated down on his gaming chair holding his control with his pinkies lifted. Your face heats up in embarrassment as you stare down at him with glassy eyes, your heartbeat picks up with him looking back at you with those murderous, red orbs confusion still written all over. You can get that he has picked up the slightest idea about your here as his cheeks pinken the closer you move to him. Your hand slides up his tight slowly, settling close to his crotch making him grunt. You lean down until your face level with his, “Shigaraki…” you utter softly before connecting your lips with his. The action catches him off guard as his pinkies fall on the controller turning it into dust within seconds, but he lets himself get lost in the feeling of your lips squished against him. Honestly, he has no idea what’s gotten into you but he is so glad he’s getting to experience this. Your lips are soft, and warm against his cold and chapped ones. The comfort he feels when your lips mold against him sends him into heaven, it’s a feeling he could use too, a feeling he wants to keep to himself. As you keep him hungrily, he takes the pleasure of running his hands over your body. With his pinkies raised his hands map across your curves, ass, and end upon groping your tits making you gasp into the kiss. Shigaraki takes this as his chance and nips at your lips, drawing a pained moan from you before pushing his tongue into your mouth. You let out choked gasps as his tongue licks away into your mouth greedily, you try to put up a fight but it’s no use. Your leader is much rougher, he kisses you like it's the end of the world. He is almost feral at the way he used your mouth leaving you no place to strength making you submit to him. When he pulls away from the kiss to regain his breath, he wastes no time in throwing you on his dirty bed and climbing over you. You look up at him, his cheeks flushed, eyes dark and clouded with lust, you remind yourself to thank Dabi and Toga later.

#shigaraki tomura #bnha shigaraki #shigaraki imagine #shigaraki x reader #shigaraki smut #shigaraki x reader smut #shigaraki x y/n #mha shigaraki #shigaraki fanfiction #my hero academia #my hero academia fanfiction #my hero acdemia x reader #bnha fanfiction #bnha smut #bnha #bnha x reader #bnha yandere #bnha manga #smut writing

[supertunanana]

Saw this in the Jikook tag and thought I'd add what I have seen. What I've seen isn't that people think they're fighting or broken up even though I'm sure there's a lot of that going on but for some they now believe Jikook were never a couple and are just close friends and they feel foolish for buying into blogs that have their own theories that Jimin and Jungkook are an actual romantic couple. Not entirely sure why this NY trip and middle half of 2021 in general have people changing their minds but I guess only they know. It happens every so often but this time I've seen people make permanent changes to their accounts whether it's on here or another sm platform. I just know some are comparing those blogs to the one who shall not be named in the other toxic shipper base. It's not that they see Jikooker blogs as toxic and horrible as that other person but that these Jikook blogs offer their own brand of manipulation only this time using facts instead of lies. No idea if that made any sense lmao How do I put it? Like taking events that have happened and making them out to be a bigger deal than they actually are which in turn gets other people to go "Really? I didn't see it that way but these people are older and wiser and maybe see things clearer than I do" then gifs or clips are usually provided and it all becomes pretty convincing. The thing is no one knows if they're a couple. Could they be? Yeah sure. Could they just be close friends with their own set of personal boundaries? Absolutely. When someone tries to offer up that suggestion to many Jikook blogs, they don't want to discuss that most of the time. Personally I've seen anons suggest a close friendship and are met with comments that that anon must not be experienced enough or anyone who can't see that Jimin and Jungkook are in a relationship must be blind or are choosing to ignore what's right in front of them. That's messed up. That's acting as if the opinion that they're dating is no longer just an opinion. I can see how that can be a mild form of toxicity in itself. Nobody has the right to belittle somebody because they share a different opinion. Even after this NY trip, I've seen many Jikook blogs erupt in anger, calling anons stupid and ridiculous for having doubts or changing their minds and coming to their own conclusions that Jikook aren't a couple but close friends. It's odd to see "Why does no longer car sharing convince you they're not dating?" When actually we've never known if they are to begin with so someone changing their minds over something that's never been confirmed in the first place isn't a problem or "stupid". Maybe the reasons for changing their minds might seem a bit hasty but they're still allowed to change their minds. So yeah I see people are feeling foolish for believing these blogs who hold the opinion they're dating and I think in time the negative feelings will fade away and I have already seen some move on from those types of Jikook blogs and make changes. Perhaps they'll be able to enjoy BTS content without worrying about Jikook's status? As for me, I've never believed they were a romantic couple to begin with but their relationship whatever it is in reality has me aww'ing so that's why I follow Jikook tag. Their interactions are very cute. Sorry for rambling on so much!

You're good, Anon. And I agree with most everything you've said! However, I'm not so convinced they aren't a romantic couple, but then again, I'm not convinced they are. As I told a friend, I'm pretty agnostic about this (and as an actual Agnostic in the religious sense, that's on brand, lol). I'm pretty bad about seeing things in black and white. I used to, but then law school happened, and I've mellowed out a lot (which is ironic, because I think most of my fellows only got stronger in their opinions, lol! IDK I think my ENTJ is slowly dying into an ENTP; the world has beaten me down into seeing the gray). But I don't really worry too much about it. I did at one point, simply because I think it's human nature to want absolutes, to want labels and definitions especially when something is "other" or "unusual", but I got over it. Do I think they do some suspicious things that make me raise an eyebrow and question them? Yes. Does this definitively make them a couple? No. Will my world fall apart if they are just friends with weird boundaries? No. I understand those blogs that are CONVINCED seem a bit dismissive of doubts, and I envy their conviction. I think they feel they are seeing a truth and supporting/defending a truth that is screaming to break free. That Jikook ARE IN FACT a couple, desperate to be seen as such, but muted by their careers and the socio-political climate of where they live. And I am sympathetic to that. It's why I cannot simply dismiss Jikook as NOT being a couple or forcing heteronormative expectations on them. If they are, I do indeed see signs, and I support them if it's true. BUT, that often leads to looking at a lot of what they do with confirmation bias. That is, you believe your hypothesis "they are a couple hiding in plain sight", so everything they do or say supports this hypothesis, and I find that equally faulty. I see some Jikookers who get just as silly about Jimin and JK being near each other or looking at each other as Taekookers. Sure, they'll spin a more eloquent web using those odd and unusual things that make me side-eye ("SE") to support this, but it often boils down to the same thing. Not everything Jimin and Jungkook do equates to some magical, romantic relationship! I get that they are often trying to cite patterns of behavior (eg JK gravitates towards Jimin) which could be seen as innocuous and BFF stuff and then couple it with "SE" stuff (eg JK sucks on Jimin's ear) to give more meaning to the former as being more romantic and legit than a Taekooker possibly citing similar, but it's not. Not fully. I know the BEST romantic relationships have partners who are BFFs, but that doesn't mean that BFF behavior equates to a romantic relationship. Or even the "SE" behavior equates to a romantic relationship (as you said, it could be BFF's with weird boundaries - I've made out with a few of my friends and I was in no way attracted to them physically or romantically). It's not the transitive property of relationships here. So, that's where I see more wiggle room, that's where I think a lot of people question or have doubts, but that's where these blogs are so convinced. I don't necessarily think they're trying to be rude (but they can be and that sucks), but I think they're just stuck in their confirmation bias loop. They are convinced and they use the strength of that conviction to put emphasis on a lot of things. I don't think they're trying to manipulate anyone, because they genuinely believe it, and that's where they can be dismissive when questioned. And again, I don't think they're inherently wrong, but I also don't think they're inherently right, either. I will say, that if ANY pairing in BTS were to be legit, Jikook have the strongest argument, but it doesn't mean they are (but it also doesn't mean they aren't). And that's ok, to me at least. I'm fine living in the gray and seeing Jikook as each other's person, regardless of what that fully entails. They have a beautiful relationship, they make each other better people, and as my double biases (Jin is my bias wrecker - my chaos trio!), that makes me happy.

#ask #this is me #jikook

[tatertotthethot]

The Doms Next Door 2.0

THIS IS A TEMPORARY REUPLOAD FOR THIS CHAPTER CUZ TUMBLR IS RAN BY A BUNCH OF BOTS. 2.1 HERE

Warnings/AN: frequent, casually cursing; comical, gay Jimin; insecure reader; steamy flirting; tattoo/sexualized Tae 🙃. Enjoy~ (TAEKOOK EDIT ABOVE IS ARTKOOK DONE BY NONCONMAN ON INSTAGRAM)

copyright © 2018 all rights reserved

_________________________________

Your tires came to a stop outside of the tattoo shop you've seen online— a brick building, covered in spray paint and street-style art. A sign buzzed over the awning of the entrance doors, with the built-in UV lights and graffiti-styled font displaying the name of the place in neon-red letters. Kink For Ink! The name alone was what first caught your attention last week, when you Googled "Tattoo shops near me" and it pulled up a list, with "Kink For Ink" being the first option. It just seemed so uncanny and fitting at the time, considering the previous run-in you just had with the sex-crazed neighbors a couple nights before. You couldn't help but to click the link to their Instagram.

A profile came up with 53.4k followers, which immediately blew your mind... but you quickly saw why. Every tattoo and piercing, no matter the body-placement, skin-type, or quirky design, was vividly appealing— certainly done by the articulate hands of certified experts. Even in the comments of the piercings that were posted, people were praising them for the "minimal" amount of pain they experienced, despite the fact that some of piercings were done in places you couldn't even fathom the thought of having a needle jammed through.

It said in the bio that the shop is owned by the two artists that work there— Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. You couldn't find out much about them, all their pictures showed was their work. You even went back to search for a personal account of their own, but nothing came up. You then went back to the bio and clicked a link to the official website, hoping to find out something, but you were met with a disclaimer rule at the top that automatically deemed your chances of even getting your piece done by them, slim-to-none.

• No walk-ins allowed.

• Every request/idea must be sent in through the DMs of our Instagram page. You will only be accepted only if it spikes our personal interests.

Yikes; You were instantly discouraged by this. The piece you wanted was something so common and cliché, that you actually got the image out of a child's coloring book.... It was the cartoon layout of the glass vase and enchanted rose, from the Beauty and the Beast movie. Cheesy, yes. But it was something of personal, nostalgic value. You remember when you were little— roughly around 3 or 4 years of age— when your parents started fighting and would spend all day screaming and throwing things at each other, putting you in a constant state of anxiety. But then you'd go to bed at night and pop the VHS tape, and the movie never failed to put you in a peaceful state of mind— a hopeful one. It's remained as your all-time favorite love story throughout the years. Which, is ironic, considering that the relationship itself was different, but almost as dysfunctional as your parent's. However, the fact that even the Beast was capable of change, and everything wound up so perfect and happy in the end, makes your heart happy. And even now, at age 19, it still puts you in your feelings. The previous remake of a movie is what actually inspired you to get the enchanted rose as a tattoo, after seeing it in 3D not too long ago. But you're only willing to shell out up to $200 for it, at most. You've just started college, and even though Jimin's parents own the house and let the two of you live there, rent free, you're still responsible for half the utility bills from month to month. Blowing every bit of money you have saved up, right at the start of the semester, would just be irresponsible. But $200 was manageable, and you're looking for anything that'll give you a little extra "oomph" to break you out of this introverted shell you've always known. Pushing it off would just delay it, and you were ready for change. The nose piercing you want is just a small little thing that'll hopefully add a bit of flare to the features of your face. These two guys could probably do the piercing/tattoo with a blindfold on and a hand tied behind their back. So, if it meant that you'd be able to get these things done in confidence, without having to worry about the outcome, you figured it wouldn't hurt for you to at least ask, even if they straight-up ignore you. So, after spending an unnecessary amount of time overthinking the wording of your text, you finally constructed a message in your notes and DM'd it to business page, after sending them a small, simple outline of the cartoony rose, and pressed send.

• You: Hello! I've been wanting to get this tattoo done for a very while now, and was hoping one of you will be willing to do it for me... along with piercing my nose? I know it's a very mediocre and cliché piece, and a nose piercing can be done anywhere. But I'm new to the area and I've never gotten a tattoo/piercing done before and I haven't really checked out any other places either because I found this page first. And from what I can see, you guys are pretty efficient and CRAZY talented. So, I trust it'll get done right.... only if you want to! I'm willing to pay $200 for this, but if it costs that much for just the outline I've sent then that's fine as well. But I understand if neither of you want to do it cuz that is really cheap compared to the ones I've seen lol. But either way, thx for ur time 😁

A few minutes went by and you had just unlocked your phone to check the message again, when the word "seen" popped below the message. You held your breath for a second— but seconds turned to minutes, and time went by with no reply, what-so-ever. You figured maybe you sounded a little too immature to take seriously; kind of like a prepubescent 12-year-old asking someone out for a dance... and you blew it. Which was disappointing, but predictable. So fuck it. Maybe it's a sign; you shouldn't get it after all.

11pm rolled around, many hours later. You were now hiding beneath your covers, beginning your "amateur threesome" exploration on PornHub. You were ready to see what this whole "2 guys, 1 girl" thing was all about. But just when you were about to type it into the search bar, you were interrupted by an Instagram notification dropping down from the top of your screen.

"KinkForInk sent you a message."

You audibly gasped, eyes turning to saucers as you clicked on the notif and switched over to the Instagram app.

• KinkForInk: Hi (Y/N). This is Tae, one of the artists of the shop. The tattoo you sent in is worth roughly $100... but I want to run an offer by you in hopes that you'll be interested.

— Your brows scrunched in oddity, stomach fluttering. An offer? For you?

• You: Okay, sure. What's that?

• KinkForInk: I've been looking for someone willing to showcase the custom design I've come up with, specifically for a much more... exclusive version of the Beauty and the Beast tattoo you sent. And if you'd be down for letting me and my partner put it on you, it'll be free. No charge. BUT you'll also have to sign a contract saying that you'll do a little bit of modeling for us once it's done. You think you'd be in to doing something like that, even if you get it?

— Your head spun for a second, reading the message over and over again until you could fully wrap your mind around what he was saying.

• You: Hold on... YOU wanna put a tattoo on ME so that I model for you? And it's FREE? Are you sure about this? I'm not even model material lol.

• KinkForInk: Yes, yes, and yes, you are. You'd be perfect for this.

• You: How do know that? Is it a face tattoo? Cuz I only have 6 selfies on here and you can't see anything past my shoulders.

—"Seen" came up as soon as you hit send, but a couple of minutes rolled by with no reply to the message, nor was he even typing. Maybe you came off a little rude. But it was already sketchy and it was a logical question.

— An image suddenly popped up: a screenshot of your Facebook profile. Then another— and much to your horror, it was the photo Jimin tagged you in last week, when the two of you were swimming at a local community pool. You were wearing a simple two piece, sitting at the foot of the lawn chair Jimin was also sitting in, as his legs were visible on either side of you and his lap was practically framing your ass. The photo was at an upward angle and looked so scandalous— but really, you had just asked Jimin to put sun screen on your back and he didn't want to stand up because the pavement was too hot against his bare feet. But you actually liked the picture at the time; it was just a silly joke and your ass actually looked quite nice from that angle. Plus, everyone knows nothing sexual actually goes on between the two of you, for obvious reasons. But Taehyung doesn't, so you couldn't help but dreadfully cringe when you saw the caption of the screen shot.

"Babymama 💦🍆"

• KinkForInk: Is this you??

• You: Yes, that's me. The caption is a joke tho... pay no mind to that. But this is like, really happening? You really think it'd look good on me?

— Why that picture though? You couldn't help but wonder.

• KinkForInk: Yes. Like I said, you're perfect for this piece. Are you down to at least see what the tattoo will look like? We don't expect you to be experienced with modeling or anything, but if you listen to us and cooperate, you'll do just fine.

• You: Yes I wanna see, and I'll do the best I can if I decide to get it... I'm just a bit shy, is all.

• KinkForInk: You'll be in good hands. I promise.

• You: Okay... are you going to show me??

• KinkForInk: Can't send it over a message, I don't want it plagiarized or the concept stolen. But the piece itself isn't necessarily crazy or anything, just more creative. I'd be more than happy to show you at my shop some day this week, if you'd be willing to swing by.

• You: Yeah, I can do that. When should I come?

• KinkForInk: Are you available after 5 tomorrow?

• You: I am, I get off at 4:30.

• KinkForInk: Great. Be here by 5:30, and make sure you've eaten in case you like the piece and wanna get started. It's pretty big for a first timer and gonna take a lot of time and patience. It'll have to be done in sessions but I hope you have a fair enough pain tolerance to at least get the outline of it done first.

— It can't be any worse than a bikini wax, you thought, shivering at the memory. That a story for another time. You decided on an alternative scenario.

• You: I give blood from time to time... but that's easy and doesn't really hurt that much. I think I can handle it though... maybe. I honestly don't know lol, I'm sorry 😣. But I can try my best. Can I ask where it's supposed to go?

• KinkForInk: That's okay, I'll work with you. It's supposed to go down the middle of your back. Starts between the center of your shoulder blades, and trails down the length of your spine to your lower lumbar. You'll see how it looks once we transfer a template on your back. But if you don't like it, there will be no hard feelings from my end. I can still do the tattoo you want if that's the case, free of charge just for your time.

• You: Oh no, you don't have to do that! I'd still pay!

• KinkForInk: Not if I don't accept your money. Trust me, I'm not worried about it. The nose piercing is gonna be $30 regardless, though. JK isn't so lenient.

• You: Of course. Will I have to take my shirt and bra off for the tattoo?

• KinkForInk: Yes, and for the pictures once it's done.

— Your mind blanked at that; thumbs froze over the keypad. He was typing again.

• KinkForInk: Don't let that discourage you. Again, you're in good hands. You can bring something to cover your chest. And the pics will be if your back as well.

• You: Okay, I can handle that. So 5:30 tomorrow?

• KinkForInk: Yes, please don't flake on us!

• You: Lol, I won't. I'll be there.

"They're gonna knock us the fuck out and sell our organs to the black market," Jimin declared. He had parked next to you outside of the shop, and was now sitting in the driver seat of his car with his door locked and windows all the way up, refusing to get out. You were standing right outside his door, still having to talk on the phone. "And is this Tae-guy an AllState representative or something?"

Jimin is petty. You wanted him here for moral support— which he's usually reliable for— but this time, he's just plain salty right and doing everything he can to remind you of that. Reason is, he's been begging you to get a matching tattoo with him ever since your 18th birthday, and you've always refused because of what he wanted to get.

Cupcakes. Jimin wanted to get matching cupcake tattoos... in honor of Cupcakke the legend. Sorry, but H E L L no.

You rolled your eyes, growing frustrated. He only has enough time to pop in and confirm that these two aren't gonna kill you, and then he's gotta head home to get ready for work. You were already supposed to be in there. It was 5:33pm, 3 minutes past the time.

"Jimin, you're the one that insisted on coming along! And now you're making me late!" you ranted. "I'm going in without you."

"Hold your horses, hoe! I'm finishing my blueberry slushie," He retorted, sassily bringing the straw to his mouth and loudly slurping it into the phone. He then abruptly flinched away from the straw with a disgusted expression, nostrils flared, body locking up; lips drawing into an air-tight knot that was so extreme and unnatural, it caused an ugly snort to break out of your nose.

He smacked his lips in exaggeration to the taste, face falling back into stone as an eyebrow arched over the top of his aviators; unamused and saltier than before... Like you were at fault for that, too.

"Or... Blueberry-ass, I should say."

That forced another giggle out of you as Jimin stiffly rolled his window down, phone still pressed to his ear and eyes still scowling at you behind the inspector shades. He bit down on the straw and withdrew it with his teeth before dumping the dark-blue contents of the drink out of the window, making it a point to shake the styrofoam cup empty of every drop before tossing it over his shoulder and into back seat. He then spat the straw out of his mouth with an audible "PLUUUUH!" of a French accent, and waited until the window rolled all the way up again, just so he could hang up the phone. You scoffed at this as you shoved your phone back into your pocket, scornfully watching Jimin exit the car and slam the door behind him. He snatched his glasses off his face as his cotton-candy hair swayed in the breeze, revealing his scornful eyes right back at you as he gestured for you to lead the way in exasperated manner— as if you were the one wasting his time now.

"Go on, lead us to the grave," He shooed, a snippy little shit. You sauntered away, walking up the side of the shop, then paused just before reaching the glass entrance door, when you remembered how much of a coward you are. You've never even stepped into a parlor before, and supposedly, this was a famous one. Which makes it more and more surreal when you think about it.

"Are we doing the mannequin challenge now? Is that what we're doing?" Jimin sardonically inquired.

"You go first, I'm nervous!" You whisper-hissed.

"You don't want me to go in there first— I'll show out," he reasoned, simply stating a fact.

"Please don't," you whined.

"Then, again, I'll show out?" He reiterated, as if to say duh. "How else am I supposed to break the ice? I look like Timmy Turner's Fairy-Gay- Parent."

You gave him a wary look... he's right. You sighed, slightly kicking your foot in distracted defeat. Fuck, you hated making an entrance to new places—

"Hold up— is that Drake?" Jimin suddenly blurted, holding his hand up to silence you. You honed in on the muffled track playing from behind the glass door, and Jimin's face soon light up like a Christmas tree before he spun around you, unstoppable.

"Jimin, NO—!"

"KIKI, DO YOU LOVE ME—?!"

It was already too late. The door was flying back behind him as he Milly-Rocked his way into the shop, leaving you no choice but the chase in behind him.

"—ARE YOU RIDING? SAY YOU'LL NEVA-EVA LEAVE FROM BESIDE ME— hello there."

You were panting, coming to a stop right behind Jimin, where you instantly latched on to the back of his shirt as you met the face of the man behind the studio counter. And, as corny as this is gonna sound: the world actually stilled for a solid beat... or maybe you were in the verge of cardiac arrest.

A pair of glossy-Black eyes looked up at the two of you; A series of silver-studded earrings trailed along the outer cartilages, peaking out beneath a head of soft, layer-swept hair. It was a Carmel-tinted blonde in color— thick and shaggy, and neatly spilling in waves around a headband that proudly sported a high-dollar brand-name you've never seen anyone wear in person before. G U C C I, it read— Meaning that the headband alone was probably worth more than some of your college text books, put together. It sat just a few inches above a pair of dark brows, that oddly brought out the shape of his cat-like eyes— irises like polished marbles. His ample lips had a sharp, well-defined Cupid's-bow, and a natural shade of pink that fit the porcelain appearance of his melanin-kissed complexion, to the finest degree.

And here you are, looking like an actual bum. You had just enough time to clock out of work and head straight over here to make it in time. You didn't even have any makeup on, and the only thing hiding your raggedy hair from those captivating eyes is your old baseball cap from high school. It took a second for him to take the bold presence that was Park Jimin— who was also frozen to the spot as he openly checked the guy out. He was hunched over the counter, a v-neck hoodie covering the rest of him with a thin, loose-fitting material. It was Black and allowed a full visual of his tan neck, and prominent collar bones. And it certainly didn't hide the fact that he had a pair of wide-set shoulders, either. A pencil sat in his hand— one that was laced with masculine veins, and lot of decorative ink. There was a silver ring on his thumb.. and a very heavy-looking Rolex watch.

The man cracked a grin at Jimin— a boxy one that dimpled in at the corners.

"Love the hair," he humorously began, twisting a quirky eyebrow at Jimin. You subconsciously snagged the bill of your hat as your eyes went a little wide at how mature the man's voice was.

"Love the watch," Jimin retorted, then reached around and gripped you by the wrist before pulling you into full view beside him. "You wouldn't happen to be Taehyung...?"

"Mhm," the man hummed, absentmindedly moving his wrist at the mention of his watch. His eyes cut over to you, and you swore you could see a minuscule reflection of yourself in his eyes, before they flashed back at Jimin and blinked. "You must be the babydaddy?"

Blood rushes to your ears. It's really him... a guy who looks like a high-dollar model himself, asking you to be his canvas model. Your own conscious didn't even know what to say right now. So you stayed quiet and still as Jimin took charge... which was a mistake.

"She wishes, but no. I'm the best-friend— and a gay one, at that," Jimin replied, and you knew he did that for his benefit. Thot. "I'm just here to make sure you're not gonna sacrifice her to Satan, or anything of that nature. I need her around in case I ever forget the Netflix password."

Taehyung chuckled at that, mouth opening to reveal a row of teeth shinier than Chip Skylark's. But then, you caught something behind his teeth that caused your gut to leap. A silver ball... a tongue ring. Your thoughts clouded over for a second.

"Well, I can assure you, she's safe with me," he said, looking over at you again. You blinked, nothing more. His brow arched at your lack of response, but this time, it was done more handsomely as he was still smirking at you. "Still, you don't look too thrilled to be here... You sure you wanna do this?"

"She's just nervous because you're really fucking hot," Jimin announced, unyielding. "You should feel how sweaty her hand is."

"Don't listen to him— I'm gay too," You lied in panic, trying to defend yourself from the absolute truth Jimin spoke just then. You snatched your hand away from him and jutted a finger at the door, eyes beading and lid twitching as your nerves ran amuck. "Goodbye, Jimin."

"She's a lonesome hetero," Jimin told Taehyung, assuring him with a face that showed no bluff. "One look at her camera roll, and you'd see for yourself—" You were yanking him away by the arm now, in a tug-of-war game that Jimin obviously could've won if he really wanted to. But he figured you suffered enough and eventually let you drag him out of the shop, waving bye to Taehyung before turning to look at you with beading eyes.

"I think he wants to fuck you— text me as soon as you can," Jimin uttered with unmoving lips as before he walked to his car. You stopped for a second, noticing he was actually being serious. How could he possibly think that he wants to fuck you, just from that small encounter? And what is the odd sensation currently coiling in your stomach? Things grew awkward again when you re-entered the shop, coming to a stand at the same spot... only alone now. He was still amused, it seemed. And so calm and cool despite this odd, intense look in his eyes. It gave him a Casanova effect, where all he had to do was give you that look and it'd instantly make you blush.

"He seems like a fun person to be around," he noted, somewhat honestly, but more so making fun of the red-hot appearance of your face.

"He's a pain in the ass," you muttered, trying to conjure up a smirk but hardly even able to speak properly from how dry your mouth was. It felt like there was a white-hot iron expanding in your throat. "I'm really sorry about him."

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're here— thought you'd chicken out." You nervously wiped your clammy palms over the back pockets of your jeans as Taehyung got up from the barstool behind the counter and approached you on the other side of it, a whole head-and-a-half taller than you. He was wearing black cardigan jeans and matching combat boots.. his headband and jewelry the only thing not black on him. And oddly enough, he made it look fucking fantastic.

"Mh-mm," You hummed, not trusting your voice. You've never needed a sip of water so bad in your life— he even smelled expensive.

"Well, It's very nice to meet you," he formerly began, and you mustered up the normality of placing your (dried) hand into his much larger one, as he held his out to you in greeting. And boy, was he close. So close that the heels of your spine itches to lean back from the proximity.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm really sorry if I'm acting weird. I'm just nervous." — Your mind struggled to stay focused on your words, arm tensing at the skin-to-skin contact. You were extra-effected by the firmness in his grip. You really wanted to look down at all the bold ink you saw dashing across the veiny surface of his tanned hand, or see if those were images or scripted letters on the knuckles of lengthy fingers... But you were held captive by those God-blessed eyes... And that fucking tongue ring. It was infecting your head in ways that weren't necessarily healthy for your current state of mind, as you saw it peering in and out at certain words.

"And physically shaking," Taehyung pointed out, brows twitching down at your trembling hand in his as if he was concerned for it. But his smirk gave off an odd sense of fascination to the involuntary symptom, like it was cute or something? Hm. He glanced back up at you, causing your dehydrated throat to bob as his other hand came to clasp over the rest of yours, swallowing it completely from the wrist down. "Intimidated?"

"V-Very," you spluttered, a small slither of saliva copulating down your throat as you looked back up at him. He absentmindedly rolled his tongue ring over the button row of his teeth as he watched you with tainted eyes— undoubtably getting cocky with that damn grin of his and proudly teasing you about your reaction to him. It gratified the effortless sex-appeal he had. You were even beginning to imagine that tongue ring elsewhere, and you literally just met him. Then, as you felt the band of a ring move along with the pad of his thumb as gently ran it across your trembly knuckles, chills shot up all the way to your shoulder. Oh... oh wow. You glanced down at his knuckles on reflex this time, and saw a four-letter word scripted in black ink across the bottom row of his knuckles, and another word scripted on the middle section of his fingers. A silver band on his naked thumb. STAY TRUE, it said.

"And why's that?"

"I.. feel like you're a celebrity," you sheepishly admitted, your other hand wedging into your back pocket as you had to stop yourself from reaching for the bill of your hat again. Is he flirting? The words seem too innocent for the way he was making you feel. It was getting so hot in the oven of his massive palms, and he wasn't even squeezing you hard enough to cut off any circulation, but yet your fingers were beginning to tingle.

"Mm, no. Just a little popular, really," he granted, teetering his head a little as he pondered the thought. You could see his vocal chords contract in his sleek neck as they project his smooth, pungent voice. "You still trust me?"

"Mhm," was all you could muster. He'd gotten even closer, to where his hand had gone into a prayer stance around yours. You were aware of how wide your eyes had gone from the awe you... you knew this was just the beginning. He was going to be very handsy throughout this whole process. But in a very twisted way, you were more than okay with that. Even if it meant you were at risk of fainting from actual dehydration. Maybe you were in over your head. But you couldn't will yourself away from this now. And then, just as a wide, heart-stopping smile edged out on that mind-numbingly handsome face, the door at that back of the room swung open, and heavy-metal rock blasted through the quiet vibe of the scenery and caused you to jump a little at the disturbance. Taehyung shot a wicked smile over his shoulder, and his next words nearly knocked you out right then and there as you beheld yet another, breathtaking sight.

"Oh, there you are," Tae eagerly acknowledged, one hand still holding yours as he walked around to grab your with the other, presenting you to the.. hulking presence in the room. "This is (Y/N), our next little experiment."

[equalstrashflavoredtrash]

Standing Offer

a/n: this was a written as a surprise for the lovely @whenimaunicorn because she’s the best and has put up with me annoying her for two years now, but the thing is, she usually beta reads for me but did not this time since it was a surprise, SO please don’t hold grammar mistakes against me. also shout out to @cptnbvcks for helping me when i was stuck and @no-droids​ for the initial story inspiration 

warnings: PWP, oral (male receiving), some praise kink, and mutual pining if you squint

word count: 1616

Din Djarin x gender neutral reader//The Mandalorian

(gif by @fluffyapplecat)

The Mandalorian heard you approaching but stayed silent, facing forward and waiting. Your fingers came to rest on his elbow as you said, “The child is finally asleep.” 

He sighed at the weight of your hand atop the canvas fabric of his sleeve. It was a small gesture—something he knew you did out of mindless habit and not affection. He’d seen the way your people interacted, hands always making contact with whoever was being spoken to, a courtesy that no one thought twice about. He’d come to look forward to these small moments of touch. He also knew you usually refrained from touching him so casually—but still sometimes you would slip up, times like now when you were tired from rocking the fussy green child to sleep. 

“He misses you when you go out on jobs,” You continue, hands brushing his forearm as you settled into the co-pilot’s chair next to him. “Sometimes the little guy will stand at the bay door for hours, watching the horizon for you.” He tried to focus on your words but his mind was distracted. 

“Do you remember Coruscant?” He asks abruptly, turning his head slightly to look back, watching your expression. 

Your head dropped to the side, studying the emotionless helmet, “You mean when I got drunk?”

“Yes,” The mandalorian replies, his tone coming out curt through the distortion of his modulator. His grip on the armrest tightened, your fingers were still tapping idly against him. “And that night, when I—when I tried to get you to go to sleep, you—,”

“I remember,” you cut him off, your touch going stiff as you pulled away to nervously rub your palms together. Honestly, you had dearly hoped he’d never bring that night up—you’d behaved a bit too brazenly while drunk and were certain you’d offended him. Your hangover the next morning was one of the worst ever, not due to the head ache but because even though you couldn’t see his face you knew he was avoiding looking at you.

“Were you serious?” He asks, his chair now turned halfway around towards you. The Mandalorian could see your confusion and tried to clarify in the most tactful way possible. “The offer you made that night, does it still stand?” 

The dawning realization of what he meant, what exactly he was asking you, is clear in your expression—he wasn’t mad at you. 

“Nevermind, forget I said anything,” He reverts before you have a chance to reply, dashing the idea as he turns around. 

“No Mando, wait,” you reach out, grabbing at his bicep and stopping him before he can fully move away. “Do you,” you hesitate, watching the solid beskar of his helmet for any hint of a reaction. “Do you want me to go down on you?” 

He’s silent for a moment, stiff as a board hoping you can’t hear just how hard he’s breathing. “I wanted to that night,” he began, watching you from the corner of his eye, “but it didn't feel right. You weren’t—,” he trailed off once he saw the grin that spread across your face.

Without hesitation you sink to the ground and edge forward, maneuvering your way between his knees.

“Wait—,” he blurts out, starting to panic at the idea that this is actually happening, and reaches out to grab your shoulders before you can get closer. “You don’t have to do this, there’s no obligation.”

“Mando,” you interrupt, looking up at his visors as you grab his wrists, moving his hands away before resting your own on either of his thighs. “I want to, I promise I do.”

He practically melts at hearing you say that, relaxing into his seat as you make fast work of his belt. You struggle with the locking mechanism for a moment before he brushes your hands away and unclasps it himself. Fumbling slightly, he rushes to lift his padded shirt, giving you full access to the zipper on his trousers. As you peel away the layers you can tell he’s already hard, seeing his bulge straining against the fabric of his underwear. 

You can hear him sigh through the modulator when you pull back the waistband. Wrapping your fingers around his cock, you finally get a good look and let out a soft, “Oh my.”

This catches the Mandalorian’s attention. You spot the movement out of the corner of your eye, his chin dropping forward to look down at you. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” you’re quick to reply, eager to to assuage any fear he might have. “You’re just bigger than I was expecting.” He doesn't respond and so you add on as an afterthought, “Mando, that’s a good thing.”

“Oh,” his voice is so soft you almost don’t hear his response. 

Refocusing your efforts, you squeeze your hand, wrapping your fingers around his length and giving a few test pulls before leaning in. You look up at him through your lashes, watching where you think his eyes rest behind the dark visor before dragging your tongue from base to tip, wetting the underside with the breadth of you tongue before swirling around the head. You can hear his helmet clink—falling back against the headrest—as he lets out a low grown. 

“Fuck,” he hisses as you take him past your lips, teasing at the tip of his cock with your tongue. “Your mouth is so warm.” You hum in response and then pull him out with a pop. Gathering the saliva in your mouth you spit, letting it drip from your lips onto his cock before spreading it further down the length of him with your palm. 

“Keep talking,” you request as you stretch your lips around him again, seeing just how far into your mouth he can reach before you start to gag. Your jaw strains as you fit him in, breathing through your nose while you try to sup around his girth. You can feel the tip of his cock tickling at the back of your throat when his hand jumps to the crown of your head. His fingers dig into your scalp, messing up your hair, holding you still. Unable to move, you choose instead to hollow your cheeks and suck.

“Mm, you feel s’good,” he moans, tugging at your hair now to guide your movements. You continue to stroke the base of his cock that doesn't fit with your hand, fingers bumping against your lips as you bob up and down. “I’ve wanted this for s’long, since—since before Coruscant.”

A heat in your chest blooms at his comment and you suck harder, warmed by the thought that the Mandalorian actually wanted you. The knowledge that your silly crush wasn’t one-sided urges you on, taking his length further towards the back of your throat. 

Rearing back for a moment to catch your breath while bringing your other hand forward to scoop his balls out from his underwear. You’re too focused on the newly revealed parts of his skin to notice the noises he makes as you do—but once you draw one between your lips, there’s no missing the loud grunt from above you. 

When you return to his cock, there’s a bubble of precum leaking from the tip that you eagerly lick up before taking him into your mouth, humming at the salty flavor. You continue to bob your head and suck, feeling his hand in your hair, tugging along and letting him guide your moments.

“Just like that,” he hisses, encouraging you to keep up the pace as your hands glide over his cock. “Fuck, you’re doing so well,” the words tumble from his mouth without thought, “You’re too good—fuck—t’good to me.”

Your free hand moves up to roll his balls in your palm as you hollow your cheek and give a hard pull—this is what seems to tip him over the edge. He goes rigid and his fist on your scalp tenses, holding your head down as he finishes. You try to swallow the load but he cums more than you expect. Pulling away, you bring a hand to your mouth to catch the overflow that follows with his cock.  

Swallowing what’s left in your mouth you notice the way the chest plates of his armor rise and fall with his heavy breaths. Your eyes travel further up to his dark visor, finding it trained on your face. Giving him a teasing smirk you stick out your tongue and lick up his cum pooled in your palm. 

The hand resting on your head flexes quickly as he watches you clean off your skin before dropping to cup your jaw, his thumb rubbing gently across your cheekbone.

“How was that?” you ask in a light tone, shifting to rest on one hip instead of your knees while leaning into his touch. 

“Better than I imagined.” His words fanned the flame in your belly from before and you could feel your cheeks heating up. “Thank you,” the Mandalorian sighed more than spoke, his voice still breathy through the modulator.

“No thanks needed, the pleasure was mine.” You can’t help but giggle at him, one hand idly rubbing his thigh before you add, “If you ever wanted to return in kind though, I wouldn’t complain.” 

“Give me a minute.” There’s a hitch in his voice that could almost be mistaken for a laugh and you wonder if he’s smiling under the helmet. 

You pause for a moment, gathering the nerve before asking, “Is there anything else you imagined?” 

“Maybe,” he teases, his hand shifting to slide down the side of your neck, coming to rest along your collarbone where his thumb hooks into your shirt. “Take this off and I might show you.” 

---

tagos: @whenimaunicorn @fat-zygerrian @cptnbvcks @no-droids @laketaj24 @tiyetiye @grungyblonde​ 

 I do expect to write more abt our favorite Mandalorian, so if you want to be tagged leave a reply on this saying so 

#the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #mandalorian smut #pedro pascal #gender neutral reader #my writing #fun fact the working title for this was 'sloppy top in the pilots spot'

[autumnslance]

how do you get into roleplaying on a ff server? like how do you do it and how do you know if your character is lore compliant? ;A; pls youre a big inspo to me

*Hugs Nonny* Getting into RP on a FF server can vary; I don’t actually RP much these days, outside of some friends I already have connections to--and that in itself can be difficult just due to Life! It can take time, and patience, and some fits and starts.

And this gets...really really long, so buckle up and go below the cut, please. :)

The cut got broken by an edit. Sigh.

In game there’s always the RP status tag, and just doing RP with folks in public spaces. There may be trolls now and then, but they can be ignored. I personally find Balmung’s Quicksand area too busy and anxiety inducing and not actually all that conducive to actual RP, even “meet at a tavern” walk-up type. But unless you already have a ready-made group of friends/FCmates willing to RP more than some random walk-ups with you, it may take some legwork to find folks you can and want to write with.

Social Media There are a couple of RP community blogs, like @mooglemeet​ and @ffxiv-crystal-rp​  and plenty of server-specific ones. There’s also some Discords for these communities. They host and advertise events and reblog people who are looking for RP contacts. Some of them have running gdoc calendars and in game linkshells and fellowships as well.

Shofie has a good post about Tumblr/social media RP blogging.

@shofie-ffxiv

It’s a fact now that social media outside game is a way to make contacts, or even a medium for RP itself. There are few centralized websites/forums for server RP communities anymore. Making connections over your social media, like Tumblr and Twitter, can help find RP. You can’t just throw your own character info out there or reblog prompts hoping others bite, though; you have to put in some work and show interest in others, too. This can be difficult and even scary. That’s OK.

RP is about collaboration and creating with other people, which means finding folks you can write with, and who see you as someone interesting but also interested in them and their OCs. If you want to keep it a solo endeavor focused on your own OCs, write fanfic (which I’ve actually made friends and gotten RP interests that way too through comment interactions, so hey).

If you reblog a prompt from someone, see others on your dash reblogging prompts, if people reblog that prompt post from you? Send them asks! Alternatively, don’t wait for prompts, just send asks, comments, or chats saying hello and things you notice or like about their blog/character/posts they make. Try to form connections with people you think are genuinely interesting and might be fun to talk with. Social media should be, well, social.

BUT respect boundaries, too. Don’t try sarcasm or jokes with people you don’t actually know, it tends to go over poorly. Unless someone’s specifically posting a naughty meme/prompt, keep stuff you others send clean and polite, especially if it’s unsolicited and you’re not already friends (doubly so if you don’t know how old they are IRL, there are laws you do not want to break). Respect if people aren’t open to random asks or chatting with new followers, or say “no” to RP, and know it’s not personal--it’s just what they have time, energy, and emotional/mental capacity for. Don’t give up on other people, though. This stuff can take time and effort to find those you click with.

Respect and communication with RP partners is pretty key.

Do curate your feeds and don’t be afraid to unfollow/mute/block folks, either. I’m selective in who I follow and remove as needed, too, for my own mental health. I miss so much of the discourse and drama and that’s fine by me. Also it costs nothing to not step in on a lot of the drama when it does pass in sight.

Profiles I have static RP profile pages for my girls here on Tumblr (and a lot of other static links and pages, but I’m weird about organizing like that). This way, if people want to write with me, send me prompts, if I sent them prompts, or they want to otherwise interact with my characters, the information is handily available. For some folks, this makes all the difference in who they choose to interact with: how easily can they find even basic info about your OC?

Some people make Carrds. Some folks have gdoc links, or use Dreamwidth, etc. Just keep the links in the blog’s sidebar menu, and/or in the blog desc so people can see ‘em on mobile. There are templates out there, or you can make your own. Feel free to snag mine if you’d like. A lot of times people also copy their profiles to rebloggable posts when looking for RP contacts. Profiles are a good way to let folks know just the at-a-glance basics about your character(s).

I picked a simple theme with a simple layout that makes it easy to add and show off links. I put them in the blog desc to make them easy to find on mobile, too.

[Images: links from my blog sidebar menu showing how over organized I am]

RP, Stories, Lore Post some stories or RP logs (with permission of others involved) or even just random little blurbs and headcanons, as well as any screenshots, art, aesthetic posts for your OCs. Have something of interest to show for your character, too, so some of those folks your interacting with have something of their own to see and ask about!

If possible, try some light RP with friends and FC Mates who are amenable. Go to events, even if just to lurk at first. When you do get up the nerve to talk to people, don’t try to throw a character’s entire backstory at them, or try to steal the limelight--RP is collaboration, back and forth, and a lot like real conversation. Maybe come up with little light things to talk about if asked; a recent adventuring job, a silly shopping incident, etc. They can break the ice or just give you something to reply with for a few minutes.

Lore Compliance is Variable. Some people really want lore compliance, others are OK bending it here and there, while still others throw it out the window entirely. If you want to be super lore compliant...read. There’s a LOT of information, in game and out, for finding lore; from official publications and website material, to tools like Garland Tools site, to compilation blogs like @mirkemenagerie.

Note what’s important for your concept. Narrow it down. Characters aren’t going to know or be or do everything, so only worry about what’s necessary for the base idea. And be flexible; it’s SE’s sandbox, we just play in it, and they can change things any time. They usually do it in the guise of characters not knowing/having all the correct information, at least, but also some places just don’t exist in game yet so we don’t have info.

I’m unspecific about a lot of elements of Aeryn’s childhood, for instance, other than “traveling merchants near Thavnair.” I don’t have to be super specific. I can keep most details vague, and focus on her family and those relationships.

Dark, as my first character, has a fairly simple backstory that I’ve expanded on and adjusted over time as I learned and came up with new info. I also bet no one remembers I originally said Dark was from the North Shroud. I’ve changed things (now from East Shroud, due to the proximity to Gyr Abania and its Hellsguards) as I learned more about the world and my character. You don’t want to change things willy-nilly, but sometimes being flexible and smoothing down some rough edges and making small changes can be fine, especially as one gets more lore over time.

Iyna has a pretty detailed backstory, that came from a basic idea, and checking dates in the pre-Calamity timeline. I based her being taken and trained the way she was not only on what info we have about Garlemald’s imperial practices with conquered provinces, but borrowed a bit from real life and the re-education schools many Native Americans were forced into (though I haven’t gone into detail on that yet, either). I tied the turning point in Iyna’s life to a major event that wasn’t the Calamity, and have left plenty of space in between for me to fill in as time goes on and I learn more about her and the world.

The world isn’t static, and is bigger and more diverse than what can be shown in the game. There’s space in the margins for plenty of weird stuff and contradictions or unusual cases. So read up on what you can, ask questions, and then find where in those spaces your OC fits. Then, find people who enjoy similar tastes in lore compliance (or non-compliance), and who enjoy playing with you and your OCs, and not worrying about the rest. Can’t please everyone, nor get along with everyone, so don’t try; just find what works for you, and who works with you, and don’t police anyone else’s pretendy fun times, either.

There’s no magic answer on the “right” amount of lore compliance, or how to quickly and easily find RP partners or break into the broader RP community.

I hope this helps at least a little bit! Good luck in finding your niche for RP, and maybe I’ll see you sometime at an event :)

#roleplay #blogging #writing #social media #long post #nonny got me thinking #some links #hope this helps? #Anonymous

[festfashions]

5 Festival/Rave Inspired Things to Do at Home

If you’re like me, you’re either finishing your semester at home, or working from home because of COVID-19 precautions. While the last two weeks were pretty rough to see event after event (through May) be cancelled, it’s important to realize that there’s still a lot we can do at home to feel inspired and creative.

So I wanted to share a list I came up with of 5 things you can do at home that are inspired by our scene. Things to keep you connected to others and things to keep you excited for events once they come back!

It’s not about working out and getting in shape, it’s about moving your body and feeling good! One of the best parts about festivals and raves is dancing the night away! Send all your friends a calendar invite for a dance party! Facetime everyone in and blast a favorite song and just laugh at how silly the whole thing can be.

I have a friend who is a workout instructor and she had to cancel her classes for the unforeseen future. I suggested that during this time perhaps she does some classes live via Instagram. We did the first one Saturday AM and it was SO much fun! She has great energy, and it was cool to see people on the live stream together doing the workout and commenting along! Her instagram is @SydneyBenner if you care to join for the next one! She’s doing a 7am PST Wednesday 30 min class and a 10am PST Saturday hour class for us. Besides Sydney having great energy, her class is a mix of workout and dancing, so it’s a great energy booster, and really something that I think the ravers/festivalists can have fun with!

I also am a HUGE fan of the FItOn app. It’s a free app with tons of workouts in it. They vary in level, and class style. You can also virtually join friends in classes on this too, so it also has a sense of community! If you want to join my group on FitOn, use this link to download the app! If you join me, I encourage you to post a pic after each workout like I do! It’s a fun way to connect!

Break out that box, section of your closet, drawer, wherever you’re storing all you rave and festival clothes and dump them all in a pile. It’s time to organize.

Some of us (me) hoard a ton of clothes. Some of the pieces are sentimental, some pieces are ones you wear over and over again, and some just float to the bottom of the pile and deserve a second life. Now is the time to clean out the clutter and feel good about your wardrobe when it’s time to get back into festival season!

Once you’ve dumped it all into a pile, I’d suggest doing a few things. First, pick out items you’re over that you’ve worn (or not) and sell them to someone so that they have a second life! I use Poshmark, and I suggest selling that way too. It’s the most secure, sends you a label you just have to print out, you can use any box, and you don’t have to meet anyone in person, you’re guaranteed to get paid etc, etc. Use my link to sign up and enter my code FESTIVALFASHION to get $5 to spend on your first order (right now it’s actually $10 which is an amazing deal…). Plus, I’ll make a post for all FestFashionistas to comment on so that we can all follow each other’s closets and share all our amazing pieces for sale.

The second idea once you have everything out is to plan some outfits! Find ways to mix your rave or festival pieces into everyday looks! We might be able to head outside to brunches and lunches before festivals and raves are back on, so why not have some looks prepped with some festival flair! Make a cute Mary Kate & Ashley dressing room montage for your Instagram! Tag me in your posts and I’ll share my favorites on my story! Use the hashtag #FestFashionsEveryday

You’re like wait, didn’t you just say get up and move? Yes I did, these are two totally different things! I wear contacts and at minimum mascara every day to work. This means my eyelashes, skin and eyes are exhausted! Let your body rebuild in this time at home!

Wear your glasses when working from home so that your eyes can rest. Staring at computer screens is definitely damaging, and contacts typically dry eyes out more than usual. Having a week off, or even a few days will give them long deserved rest!

If you wear make up every day, take a break from wearing it and let your body relax! Keep your pores open and your eyelashes clean! Do some masks at home and let your skin do the rest. Don’t forget to let your hair rebuild too! If you’re just staying in, swap the blow dryer out of your routine and the curling iron or hair straightener. Do some hair masks even. Basically, let your body rebuild itself! In a few months we’ll be back to our wild looks!

Ah, the long forgotten art of Snail Mail! Why scroll Instagram all day when you could write a wonderful note to a friend to brighten their day! Perhaps include a fun drawing, friendship bracelet or photo. 

One of the things that I love about festivals/raves is the community, and connecting. So take this opportunity to connect with your friends and family in a fun way for both of you.

Add some fun festival/rave vibes by recounting one of your favorite event memories in the letter, and let them know how you can’t wait for the next one. Send photos you took too! Use an at home printer, or a digital one to have images mailed to you! You’d be surprised at how cheap it can be to print photos, and how much it means to have them on hand!

Our community is all about being unique. And while we love to follow style trends, we also love to stand out. Sewing is an important skill to learn to take your outfit from one level, to the next! If you’ve added details yourself to your look, you’re guaranteed to be unique!

I’ve done a few DIY tutorials in the past, so I’d suggest checking those out, and then practicing some sewing on your own! Especially since you’ll also be clearing out your closet, you might find some pieces that just need a little sprucing up before they can be worn again!

Here’s some of my articles from the past for Inspo:

DIY: Embellished Fishnet Tights

DIY: Customize Your Rave Bottoms

DIY: Take Your Keyhole Halter Top to the Next Level

DIY: Distressed Denim

DIY: Frayed Denim Shorts

Tag me in all the fun you’re having at home, and I’ll share you on my stories! Don’t forget to also join my new Facebook group, FestFashionistas where I’d love to see you post what you’re doing as well! I’m really hoping that can become a place for community and discussions!

I’ll also have some more fun surprises to keep us entertained during the weeks, so stay tuned!

#words #text #covid-19 #work from home #wfh #rave things #Rave life #EDM #EDM community #plur #rave vibes #rave style #EDM style #festival fashion #festival news #coachella #edc #ultra #lightning in a bottle #burning man #burners #EDM life

[eleanor-writes-stuff]

slide into my DMs [ficlet, i/iii]

Rey has an problem. Ben has a solution. Twitter brings them together.

OR: in which Ben shoots his shot - in the sweetest, most respectful, no-pressure way possible, because this is Ben Solo we’re talking about.

PART I: SHOOT YOUR SHOT | PART II | PART III

Update from the hell that is writer’s block: I’m still incapable of writing my usual proper one-shots. Instead, here’s yet another mini-fic that no one asked for - this time featuring social media, because I’m hip with the kids.

Also available on AO3.

Rey has been locked in a staring contest with her shower head for about five minutes now.

It’s been two hours since she got home from her shift at Maz’s, and she would like nothing more than to wash off the lingering smell of fried food and spilled beer. But fall has finally arrived and brought with it even-colder-than-usual ice water, and Rey can feel her lungs shaking at the mere thought of the shower that awaits her.

“Fuck everything,” she huffs, backing away from the shower for the fourth time in thirty minutes. Her phone sits on the countertop, lighting up every so often with notifications from friends tweeting about their super fun Friday night at the latest culinary hotspot or sharing bathroom selfies from fancy clubs Rey wouldn’t even be hired to work at, let alone be allowed into. Ignoring all of her classmates’ posturing, she quickly types out a tweet of her own.

endless pit @reyofsunshine

day 51 of ice cold showers because my landlord is a fucking cheapskate who refuses to fix anything

Bitching about her situation on social media won’t magically heat up her water, but it’s better than glaring at the cracked tiles of her bathroom wall. Even scrolling past everyone else’s over-the-top pictures seems preferable to a shower at this point, and Rey finally gives up – for now – as she trudges back into her bedroom and perches on the edge of her bed while she scoffs and laughs and shakes her head at her friends’ antics.

Finn, Rose, and Poe are at that weird new edible flower café, and based on their pictures she can tell Rose is about as baffled by the menu as she had been.

Jess and Kaydel finally managed to get a table at Coruscant, but they don’t seem that impressed by the itty-bitty portion sizes and the comparatively monstrous price tags.

Hux is in his usual Friday night hangout spot, spamming everyone’s feeds with bathroom selfies featuring the tacky gold wallpaper that’s unique to Finalizer, the most overpriced club in town. And judging by the way his cheeks match his hair, her least favorite classmate is already drunk as a skunk.

“Fun,” Rey mutters to herself as she navigates away from the app and moves to set her phone aside. It buzzes just before she can put it down, and a quick tap at the screen reveals one unread message from–

Rey tilts her head as she considers the sight of Ben Solo in her notifications. Have they ever even interacted on Twitter? They’ve traded messages on Instagram, mainly just snarky replies to each other’s stories, and they talk all the time in the group chat Poe added them to at the beginning of the semester, but this… this is new.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant I’ve got a great shower.

endless pit @reyofsunshine how nice for you

Rey replies almost immediately, rolling her eyes at Ben and his trust fund apartment in the nice part of town. Forget hot water; the guy probably has actual water pressure and one of those fancy massage shower heads.

He sees her message, and then takes his own sweet time writing and deleting, writing and deleting until–

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant And a really comfortable bed too. In case I wasn’t being obvious enough.

“Oh,” Rey says out loud, and somehow that single, dumbfounded word appears on her screen a second later.

Ben’s… her friend, in a way. More Poe’s friend than hers, but they still interact often enough that she counts him among the ten or so actual friends she’s made in her two years at college. He’s nice enough when he’s not giving her a hard time, but then again she’s always being an ass to him in return; it’s not like they even mean anything by it at this point, it’s just their thing.

Which makes this conversation all the more bizarre and unexpected, given the usual tone of their friendship.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant And a fully-stocked fridge.

Rey laughs despite her confusion.

endless pit @reyofsunshine next time lead with that

Next time? Next time?

Ben replies before she can freak out and rush into damage control mode.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Noted. So… Wanna come over?

She snorts at her phone and replies with the first thought that comes to mind, guiding them back to familiar ground.

endless pit @reyofsunshine wow you must be desperate bit of a dry spell, Solo?

But Ben’s always been stubborn – just as stubborn as her, according to Poe – so it comes as no surprise when he refuses to be herded back to safety.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant It doesn’t have to be like that. I just thought it’d be nice to spend time with you.

endless pit @reyofsunshine spend time with me? is that what they’re calling it these days?

Rey smirks as she watches the telltale dots appear and disappear, trying to picture Ben’s reaction on the other end of the conversation. Whether or not he meant it that way, she’d bet a good chunk of this month’s paycheck that he’s already blushing. It gives him away every time, even when he manages to bite back a smile and maintain intense eye contact – which he does with her a lot, now that Rey thinks about it.

Maybe she should’ve seen this coming.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Rey. I’m serious.

He’s got his serious face on, then – the one he wears in class, the one she occasionally sneaks glances at because the focus in his eyes is… admirable. His attention span in a class full of kids who are half-asleep is admirable, that’s all, and it’s not like she sometimes wonders what it’d feel like to have him look at her with that kind of single-minded focus.

endless pit @reyofsunshine so you’re asking me to go over for a free meal and a hot shower and then we’ll just… what, cuddle up in front of the TV?

It’s a cozy little scene right out of the domestic daydreams Rey tells herself she absolutely doesn’t have, but this is college. And Ben, decent though he may be, is still a college boy. Maybe he has a TV in his bedroom. Maybe this is the part where he not-so-jokingly suggests that they Netflix and chill.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant If that’s what you want.

Rey blinks at her screen and waits for him to add to that, to pepper their chat with increasingly suggestive alternative options for the evening.

A full minute later, it finally dawns on her.

endless pit @reyofsunshine wait oh my god you’re serious you actually mean that

She’s so caught up in her own thoughts that she fails to realize just how insulting her disbelief might be until Ben opts to ignore her in favor of cutting straight to the chase.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Yes or no, Rey?

He’s probably pacing the length of his apartment now, running one hand through his hair while he scowls at his phone, berating himself for even trying–

It’s an oddly displeasing image, especially when accompanied by the realization that there’s no reason for him to be so agitated – not when she’s surprisingly keen to say yes. But…

endless pit @reyofsunshine i’m carless this week and you’re way too far for me to walk

It seems like a poor excuse even to her, but Rey crosses her fingers and bites her lip and hopes Ben takes it as anything but, hopes he can tell how much she actually does want to spend the evening with him and his hot shower and his full fridge.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant I could go pick you up. If you want to come over.

Despite her relief, Rey finds herself staring at his message.

endless pit @reyofsunshine seriously???

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Sure, why not?

endless pit @reyofsunshine let me get this straight you’re gonna drive twenty minutes in the dark to pick me up take me to your place, feed me, and let me use your shower no funny business and you’re totally fine with that??

His reply comes not two seconds later, and sweeps away the last of Rey’s hesitation.

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Sounds good to me.

This man is not real. This man cannot be real.

But Rey’s been through enough crap in her life to know when something good is in front of her, and this could definitely be good. Great, even.

endless pit @reyofsunshine okay then let me know when you’re here

Ben Solo @accidentalgiant Will do, sweetheart. See you soon.

Rey stares at that message until her screen goes dark, and then it’s a mad rush to empty out her backpack and repack it with her nicest sleeping clothes.

Ben might not be planning on funny business, but she’s reasonably sure he wouldn’t object to it.

This is at least 60% DMs because I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing anymore - other than clearing out my dusty WIPs I thought I’d never write folder, apparently.

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you gained at least some entertainment from this silly little thing. Please don’t hesitate to like/reblog/leave a comment!

UPDATE: somehow this has spawned a second chapter and a tiny epilogue.

AO3 | Ko-fi | Twitter

#reylo #rey x ben #kylo ren/rey #rey/kylo ren #rey/ben solo #star wars #rey #ben solo #kylo ren #ficlet: slide into #series: ao3 reblog #my fics

[sherokutakari]

My 2 cents on this whole Issue

Yeah it can be annoying to not get reblogs on your art instead of likes (especially from followers who have expressed a similar opinion that reblogs are important for artists!!) but calling them out doesn't do crap but alienate them.

"Then I don't want them following me!"

Well then they probably won't, with that attitude, and then where will you be? You catch more flies with honey; yelling at your followers to reblog your stuff doesn't magically make them do it and grow your audience overnight. Try getting your point across without swearing or threats bc y i k e s. "Hey guys, likes are appreciated, but reblogs really help me out!"

"What incentive do I have to keep drawing without feedback?!"

Well as much as feedback is nice, it literally can't come from nowhere, and just throwing a tantrum and demanding feedback isn't just going to make it suddenly start flowing in. Maybe even incentivize your audience! Make like a simple giveaway, with the rules being like 1. Follow me and reblog this post, 2. Go through my art tag and reblog your favorite piece(s)! 3. 1 entry for each piece reblogged, no giveaway blogs! 4. Bonus entries up to X number for every comment on your reblogs telling me what you like about it.

People like free art, and doing something like this spreads your art quickly, because it's one of the requirements to get said free art. In the meantime, now your art has reached a much wider group than before, and might draw in customers. Plus!! It's planted the idea in anyone who has entered's minds that hey, this is art I want, and if they don't win, they're basically twice as likely to look into commissioning your than they would have been otherwise.

Literally ANYTHING is better than screaming at your followers because you don't know how/maybe want to generate your own buzz, or look for commissions yourself.

"I'm only going to put forth minimum effort before I post my art, bc no one cares anyway!"

Okay I see where this idea comes from, but honestly if you're not turning out something pleasing to look at, why WOULD someone reblog it? I do this to myself on accident all the time, where I'll post a WIP, get minimal feedback, and either get discouraged or go "eh, good enough." and never go back to it. Doing this INTENTIONALLY just GUARANTEES getting stuck in a low effort, no feedback, why try, low effort, et c. loop, and *still* no one is going to reblog your work. Try to turn out a finished piece once in a while. It doesn't have to be a 100% rendered, hyper realistic, full background, multi character masterpiece, but just polish it up a smidge. Just a sketch? Do a few more and make it a character study or sketch page. Sketch or lines with flats? Clean up the lines a little, maybe add details to specific things like eyes or nails or the blade of a weapon - something to make it stand out. Make a bust with no background and push the emotions. Draw a dragon doing a silly dance with highlights from the moon or his own flames or w/e. Try with your art, even if it feels pointless sometimes, bc no one's going to care about art you don't care about.

"Artists always say 'draw for yourself' but that only works for teenagers and hobbiests'!!!"

Look, if you don't have enough passion for art that you want to draw for yourself, I don't know what to tell you. It's not up to others to kindle your flame. Your fire should burn bright enough that it brings people in to feel your warmth, and to watch you glow. There's a reason the saying "draw for yourself," exists and is so widespread. It works. When you're passionate, it shows, and it makes your work shine.

I have no conclusion. Just draw and stop thrusting blame and responsibility into the arms of strangers, who owe you absolutely nothing. Yelling "BUY MY PRODUCT" from the top of your soap box isn't going to do diddly if your crowd has already left.

#Flight Rising #FR #artist problems #art talk #I had more opinions about this than I realizedhshf been gk #seriously though reblogs are better than likes #hands down #but come o n

[ficsxreaderr]

Are you gonna break my heart? [5]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Based on (but now it’s taken a wrong turn and it no longer is like it): To all the boys I’ve loved before.

A/N: Part 5 is here. Last time I said that part 4 was the last one before the epilogue, but inspiration kicked in and I wanted to write this, even if Christmas is more than gone. Now, this is the last one before the epilogue!

Feedback is always welcome, on comments, reblogs or my ask. Feel free to say anything about this fic and the others, and if you have questions or requests, I’m more than willing to read it all. Tagging for every fic and for a permanent taglist is open!

Complete Masterlist | Part 4

The Christmas decorations are all up, and the whole compound smells like cinnamon, scented sweet candles, and from time to time, like Wanda’s homemade hot cocoa. She’s made it so many times this month, she’s more tired of doing it than the whole team of drinking it. You love having your own lights set up in your room, and some candles that you’ve bought makes it feel cozier. Thankfully, Tony’s set heaters in every single room, so everyone can enjoy this season at the temperature that fits them. Much to Bucky’s disagreement at first, you bought a couple of matching sweaters, nothing cheesy, cliché, or too extravagant, they’re plain knitted thick dark green sweaters that are too comfortable for him to refuse wearing his almost all day long. Another perk of the season, is seeing how Bucky grows his scruff a little bit more than usual to keep his usually pink cheeks warm, the constant taste of Wanda’s chocolate in his lips when you kiss him, the way he presses his body even closer to yours when the temperature drops at 2 AM.

There was only one little problem with Christmas approaching…what on Earth will you give Bucky as a gift? You’ve never had a relationship and you didn’t expect to have one with someone as peculiar as Bucky, you’re not sure if he even likes presents—well, everybody likes them, right?—and even if that’s the case, you’ve never taken him as someone who holds objects dear to him, so buying him anything will definitely be a challenge.

You take a walk outside of the compound, on your own, waiting for inspiration to strike you and finally figure out what the perfect gift for Bucky is. He’s a lot of things, and one of them is quite reserved, opening up to you has been a huge step for him, it’s something he didn’t think he could to with anyone but Steve, but here you are, as his girlfriend, the perfect girlfriend, according to him.

You’re driven out of your reverie, when you feel Bucky’s hands over your shoulders, luckily, you weren’t so startled by it, and you turn around to see him.

“What are you doing out here so lonely?” He asks before kissing you.

“I was just…enjoying the view.” You shrug. “And thinking about you.” You bring your hand to his cheek and caress it with our thumb.

“About my Christmas present you mean?” He asks, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Maybe.” You capture your lip between your teeth as your lips creep up in a smile.

“Well that’s great because I have yours all figured out.” You gasp and chuckle, staring at him as if he’s the only one in the whole world right now.

“That’s not fair, you can’t tease me like that!”

“Relax, I just said it’s figured out, I still need time.” He takes your hand and you both start walking together.

“Well, more of a reason not to tell me!” You exclaim, earning a heartfelt laughter from him.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I hope I don’t put pressure on you.” He glances down at you, running a hand through his hair to keep it out of his face. Of course he did, but you’re not going to let him know. You want it to be the perfect gift, something that is right for him.

“No, come on, what matter is that I’ll have yours ready for Christmas.”

/

“So, are you ready for your first Christmas with Barnes?” Tony asks as you’re, once again, helping him in the workshop, your ability is quite useful for him.

“Not really, I mean, I have no idea what to get him, and I don’t want to ask Steve, I’m sure he’s just as lost as I am.”

“Well, I don’t know much about him, but I’m sure something that has to do with the 40’s would be nice.” He shrugs, but he can’t take his eyes off his work.

“That’s not bad. He liked drawing…and dancing.”

“The lounge is available, if you would like to, you know, use it for something.”

“Oh, thanks.” You reply, not putting much thought into it and continuing with your task. “Wait,” You add, realizing how dumb you are for not thinking about it before. “You know what, I will use it.”

“Did you think of something already? Wow, you’re fast.”

“I could turn the lounge into a ballroom, set a dance floor, and some tables around for ambiance, make it look just like in the 40’s.” You say, leaving what you’re doing for a moment.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.” Tony replies, glancing at you. “If you need anything just say it.”

/

“No, Y/N, you don’t have to worry, okay? I had it all set up and all you have to do is make sure Barnes doesn’t see it and to surprise him, I had everything ordered just the way you wanted it.” Tony tells you as he grabs your upper arms and looks at you with a reassuring stare.

“Alright,” You take a deep breath and nod. “I’ll go look form him.” He nods and you can’t help but smile from ear to ear. “I owe you so much.”

“Oh, dear God, don’t say that, I just want to help.” He says as he shakes his head and smiles right after.

You unavoidably release a screech of excitement and walk away still hearing Tony’s chuckle in the background; he really was looking forward to this, maybe as much as you were. Christmas is two days away but this was too great to wait for that day. You make your way along the halls and when you get to his room, you knock twice, as calmly as possible so you don’t startle him. He opens the door and lets you in, he’s just taken a shower and you’re thankful you came right this moment to catch a long stare at his bare torso.

“Hey, babe.” He smirks at you and catches you in a soft, long kiss.

“Hey,” You whisper, beaming up at him as he rests his hands on your waist. “I have your present ready.” You bite your lip to suppress your excitement, and you place a hand on his warm chest, feeling how his heart beats rather fast at your touch.

“Well, how about that? Yours is in this exact room.” You reach up to kiss him and capture his warm, wet lips with yours. “And it’s not me.” He adds right after, with a hoarse voice and a gentle shake of his head.

“That’s a bit discouraging, but you should get dressed, then, you need to get out of the room to see what I have for you.” His eyes glisten, and you adore how his cheeks slowly turn another shade of pink at your words.

“Give me a minute.” He pecks your lips yet again, and sit on his bed while you wait for him to dress up. After some moments, once you’ve amused yourself browsing through the sketchbook on his bedside, he walks out the walk-in closet wearing a black button up, with a black tie, and a pair of black jeans that hang low at his waist and cling to his thighs in the most delicious way. You don’t realize how your jaw drops at the sight of your model-material boyfriend, until he chuckles and says, “Honey, be careful, you don’t want to swallow a fly.” He dares to look at himself in the mirror, knowing he’ll turn his broad back and his perfect super-soldier butt to you.

“Have you no shame?” He chuckles yet again and finally strides towards you, bending over to kiss you, and you release a low growl that he quickly swallows before pulling away. “I have no words for the way you look in those clothes.” You add in a murmur.

“Ready for your present?” You nod maybe too eagerly, and he strolls back into the walk-in closet to come out of it with a big rectangular white box in his hands. You can’t help but frown at him, at how he smiles at you as he places it beside you, and you glance quickly at it in curiosity.

“Before you open it,” he speaks, making you look up at him. “Remember when we were talking about life in the 40’s? When you said you loved women’s style back then?”

“Oh,” You say, the memory slowly coming back to you. “Yeah, I remember.” You nod, still a bit confused.

“Great, now open it.” He bites his lower lip and you place the box on your lap as he sits beside you. You take off the thin paper you find once you open it, and find a dress with polka dot print. You gasp to yourself and seem unable to take your eyes off it. You take it out of the box and put it away, extending the dress in front of you. It’s just how you imagined it, clingy before the waist, with a lose and straight skirt.

“It’s perfect.” You murmur and glance at Bucky, who’s already staring at you. “I love it, and I love you.” You shake your head in disbelief. You stand up and walk to look at yourself in the mirror as you smooth the dress over your body and admire it for a moment. You smile at the sight of Bucky behind you, as he puts his hand on your waist and gently turns you around to face him.

“You know, I thought it was silly at first because I had no idea when or where you would wear it, but I knew it would make you happy so that beats everything.” The broad smile he’s wearing warms your heart and makes you mirror him.

“I think it’s time for you to see your present, but I have to put this on first.” You reply, holding up the dress, and he instantly frowns in confusion. “Don’t ask, just give me a moment and I’ll be ready.” You head to the closet and put on the dress, staring at yourself in the mirror for a moment, convincing yourself that you deserve a boyfriend like Bucky.

You walk out and he immediately stands up when he sees you, he’s love struck, his eyes gleam, and his heart threatens to burst out of his chest, it’s like when he started to fall for you all over again.

“So?” You ask before turning around so the dress twirls, making him chuckle.

“Doll, you’re stunning.” You giggle in the most childish way as you walk to him and place your hands at his nape.

“You’re amazing, did I ever tell you that?” You feel how his chest rumbles against yours as he releases a low chuckle.

“Only every single day.” His eyes crinkle when he smiles at you, his cheeks blushing once again.

“Now come, you need to see your gift.” You put your hands down and take his, leading him out of the room and to the lounge where his surprise, and maybe yours too, is waiting.

Said and done, the lounge is a time travel machine the second you finish setting everything up, and you owe it all to Tony, he arranged for the chairs and tables he ordered to be exactly as they would be in a big gala back in the day, the wooden dance floor, the old-fashioned chandeliers he ordered especially for this occasion, he brought the piano to make the place look even better; there’s no trace of modern life in the whole room. Except of course for the music which will be played through the speakers because bringing a band would’ve been a complete headache, but everything else is just how you pictured it, and even better. And as beautiful as everything looks, nothing can beat Bucky’s expression when he sees it. He widens his eyes as he scans the whole room, his lips are parted in awe, and you can hear the sharp breath he takes before look down at you.

“I don’t believe this.” His watery eyes glisten as they stare at you, and a smile with a trace of adoration creeps up on his face.

“So, you like it?” You intend to joke as you frown, waiting for his answer.

“I love it, doll.” He slowly places a hand at your waist, and pulls you closer to him so your chest is against his, and you can feel how his heart beats faster and faster, and it’s all for you. “And I love you.” He murmurs as he lightly bends down to rest his forehead on yours, and your noses bump for a second.

“Now, are you going to take me dancing?” You say with a smirk, making him chuckle and pull away from you, holding on to your hand.

“Good evening, would you do me the honor of being my partner for tonight?” He says as he gestures to the room with his free hand. You’ve never seen Bucky act so boldly, even if he’s just mocking you, and you can’t help but wonder how wonderful it would’ve been to meet him back in the day. But the way he looks at you, with utter admiration and love, makes you realize that you wouldn’t trade this moment for the world, that you wouldn’t have this any other way.

“It would be my pleasure.” You reply as you bow rather clumsily, making Bucky laugh in response. You stride along the room and get to the wooden floor set for you to dance, and in cue, F.R.I.D.A.Y starts playing the music that will make your evening one you could live forever.

He rests his metal hand at the small of your back, and right after, you place a hand on his shoulder. You clasp your free hand together with his, and hold it up at shoulder’s height, just like he’s taught you numerous times before. You sway to the rhythm of the music, but he can’t take his eyes off of you, and it seems like the smile he’s giving you is the only way he can find tonight to tell you he loves you.

“Tony didn’t say anything about this, did he?” You ask after a moment of silence, when you’re resting your head on his chest, soothed by the beat of his heart.

“Of course not, didn’t you see my face at the door? This was the last thing I could’ve imagined as a gift.” You chuckle and you’re thankful he can’t see how your cheeks catch on fire when he kisses the top of your head.

“I wish I could stay like this forever.”

“I know, baby, me too.” He almost whispers as he presses your body even closer to his, and caresses your back up and down, the sound of his arm oddly soothing your soul.

Epilogue

Taglist: @softie-barnes @flowersandvibes @stay-wokke @lilypalmer1987 @m-a-t-91 @lynnskata @ria132love @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @mybloodtypeiscoffee @frnkensteingrl ​ @inlovewith3

#bucky barnes #mcu #ca:cw #ca:ws #captain america #sebastian stan #ca:tfa #james buchanan barnes #winter soldier #tatbilb #lara jean #peter kavinsky #tj hammond #lance tucker #carter baizen #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader #chase collins #infinity war #avengers: endgame #avengers #tony stark #steve rogers #wanda maxmoff #sam wilson

[virxle]

Questions for the mun: 1,3,7,9,10,11,13,14,18,21,22,24,25

Under the cut because as much as I

1. What made you decide to roleplay this muse?

I was reading the All Soul’s trilogy and I really resonated with a few of the characters so as I looked into tons of mythology and stories I just got really excited and full of ideas and out birthed the muse you see here today... after many bumps in the road lolol

3. Are there other characters you’re interested in rping or wish to?

I actually have two muses I’m not using that I’m really interesting in rping but I prefer to stick to one muse at a time because of how deep I go into their world and thoughts. Aside from that I don’t have faces I want to use, the face gets put to muses after I create the basis of them.

7. Do you overthink your tag descriptions or keep it simple?

Pretty simple. I tried to be fancy once but I’m not all that creative lol

9. Favorite three icons of your muse.

I wish I could show you but my computer fried, they were some I had edited for my muse specifically that I was waiting to use, can’t get to them now though.

10. How do you feel about the interpretation of your character vs the fandom?

To each their own? I don’t know lol I don’t have any particular feelings about it.

11. What’s a thread you’d like to do in the near future?

 I’d actually really like to do a few past threads to flesh out my muses history, maybe some to expand on his magic ability or how he punishes himself daily which is something no one knows about him. I also secretly really want a Stockholm syndrome thread and just let my muse go in on torturing someone~

13. Three of your favorite threads

This is sad to say but I don’t think I even have more than 3 threads going right now LOL at least none active? So... no comment.

14. Would you get along with your muse?

Nah we’d fucking hate each other. I think hes pretentious and he thinks I’m a waste of oxygen lolol maybe a sibling love to hate to love each other feeling could happen?

18. Your muse’s theme song.

As of right now, he’s feeling very Amber Liu “Borders”

21. Three big no-nos to do or say to your muse. (their ‘berserk button’)

- Breaking his trust and loyalty to you or making him feel like you don’t deserve him. - Not showing the proper respect he feels he’s owed, especially since he to some extend always shows respect to others regardless the situation.- Capturing him, and restraining him somewhere damn and dark where he’s unable to break free or preform magic. (Triggers past traumas)

22. Three interesting little tidbits or facts of your muse.

Likes the feeling of someone smaller in his grasp, it boosts his confidence and calms him when he has someone tucked under his arm or in an embrace that he cares for.

Prefers to eat by feeding from blood but frequently doesn’t eat due to how busy he is and his yearning for more from life. Due to this he doesn't sleep well, is usually always in pain and is considerably weaker than normal.

Despite living for so long and knowing as much as he knows, he still has hidden boyish tendencies which show themselves when he doesn't feel his age and is allowed to just exist without thinking of all the possibilities and strategies of life and dealing with others.

24. Send ✍ for the mun to take a crack at imitating your muse. Can be a small silly reply or a more in-depth take. ( Add + plus a scenario or who they’re talking to if you’d like to be more specific)

Quickly as small feet trample the ground, mel runs the length of a great grassland. Her lungs feeling like fire and skin sticky from sweat, but this was life. This was how to live, with the sweet smell of nature fresh in her nose and the heavy sun beating against her back. As she reached the top of a small hill, she bellowed with the sweetest sounding laughter as her pups ran after. (a herd ok) They weren’t nearly as strong as their mother yet, didn’t have her experience or endurance but she could already see the potential inside their tiny frames as they collapsed to her one by one. Arms swinging around her waste and each other, mirroring her joy and sheer love of life.

She smiled widely as she hugged them all close and stared off to the bright sky, wondering... if only for a moment, if this is what heavy would be like.

25. Send ☝ for the mun to give a word to your character on the muse’s behalf. Any advice? A secret the the muse is hiding? Do tell.

... staph having babies xD

#sentimentalscientia

[asklotarasarrin]

Getting Started Role Playing

I’ve had a number of asks on this topic over the years, and rather than retyping the same thing repeatedly, I’m gonna try and collect my thoughts on how to go about this. All of this is assuming you’re on desktop; mobile makes some things a little more difficult. Feel free to add to this; I’m sure there’s things I’m forgetting.

Warning: Long Post!

First things first: Preparation

Get your blog in order

Create a character bio - This should include character name, a description, and a background. If your character is a canon character, then it’s not so bad to forego this, but I think it’s a good idea even for canon characters, as not everyone is going to be familiar with every single character in a universe.

Put a short explanation of the blog in the blog header - This is like a pitch or an introduction to what your blog is about. This should indicate you’re an RP blog, who you RP(if you have multiple muses on the blog, I think it’s okay to just say ‘multiple OCs’ or ‘multiple muses’), and maybe the universe your muse is from. Some blogs also include if they’re selective or not, multi-ship or not, open to cross-over/multiverse or not, etc, but not nearly as necessary.

Rules page - not necessary, but sometimes helpful if you have any particular things, such as being unwilling to RP smut, or you have some triggers/sensitive topics that you aren’t will to do, etc.

Make sure your inbox is open - Seems silly, but I forget this one frequently when I’m making a new blog. Check other blog settings as well- (submissions, anon, etc)

Follow other blogs - This seems obvious, but it is key. Follow other blogs you want to RP with! Find others from the universe your muses are set in. Do take the time to read their bios and rules pages, if they have any.

Write an Introduction post - Not everyone does this, but I think it’s very helpful. It should be a SHORT post, in or out of character. Many blogs are disinclined to reblog long intro posts because people instinctively skip over walls of text.

Reblog RP memes - The Intro post will help generate interest, the RP memes make it easy to break the ice.

Next Step: Getting Out There

Provided you have taken the time to read other people’s rules and bios, reach out!

If they’ve reblogged memes you are interested in, send an ask with that meme - These are GREAT icebreakers so you can get started with relatively low effort. Friendly reminder: Read the meme carefully. Typically the meme has some form of explanation or instruction in it, and it is very frustrating when someone sends in a meme when they clearly did not bother to actually read what it’s about.

Use the messenger to ask to plot - Sometimes blogs don’t post memes often, or they reblog memes that don’t quite work for your character. Politely ask to plot. Try to come with ideas. It can be frustrating when someone comes to you wanting to plot but has NO idea about what to do. I personally will frequently take premises from memes I like and adjust them as necessary.

Open starters - Alternative to memes, sometimes blogs will post ‘open starters’. These are usually open ended in-character posts that other role players can reply to. It isn’t a bad idea to post your own open starters either, if you’re feeling up for it. Note: Generally speaking, open starters once taken by someone are not available for additional role players unless otherwise noted in the tags. If you like an open starter that has already been taken, you can also use the messenger to ask if you can also get in on that. Many RP bloggers use thread trackers, so the starter would need to be copied to a new post before beginning RP.

Important Notes: Etiquette

There are a number of rules and behaviors that are important to keep in mind, some obvious, some not so much. In no particular order.

Patience - This is my number one thing. RPers come from all walks of life- full-time students and career people, big and small families, personal struggles, different time zones, language barriers abound. And Tumblr is not a well programmed website, so notifications don’t pop up, or get buried under other things. So don’t panic if people don’t immediately reply. Don’t be rude when following up after a reasonable amount of time has passed. Give people the opportunity to measure their replies to you.

Try to keep your In Character and Out of Character clear/separate - Some RP blogs are actually a mishmash of personal and roleplay. Many blogs indicate in the tags or with markings of some form(the most common being ‘//’ slashes or () parentheses). It can be confusing for people without these markers.

Do not reblog RPs you are not involved in - This is a personal pet peeve. RP posts are often only snippets of the overall story, and when reblogged it is taken out of context. The other problem is it adds notifications to a thread that aren’t from the partner, and can be confusing. RPThreadTracker doesn’t have a problem with it, but other forms of tracking can struggle.

Respect and ‘Don’t like Don’t follow’ - universes big and small, OCs and Canon Characters over the top and from humble beginnings, we’re all here to have a good time. You’re not going to like every mun or muse you come across. Not every other blog is going to like you or your muse. People talk shit about self-inserts, teenage OCs, people who like to RP almost exclusively smut, and myriad of other things. But those muns are doing things that make them happy. And you don’t get to control what other people do. If you don’t like it, don’t follow. Don’t RP with them. Let it go.

Self Care - This is part of a larger topic and related to the above bullet point, but important to at least touch on. Not everyone who RPs is well or good. This is meant to be fun. So if you are stressed out or overwhelmed by an RP partner or thread for whatever reason, talk to your partner about it. If they do not respect your requests or needs, then it would be better to not RP with them. There are people who struggle with a myriad of health and situational issues. You will at one time or another meet people who will insist you cater to their every whim, try to control you and your muse. Block these people.

Read tags - This may not seem like an etiquette thing, but this is important. Some people communicate extensively this way. It will help to prevent communication errors.

Read More - use the read more function for NSFW threads. It’s the [...] at the end of the options bar

Tagging - Tag NSFW, triggering content, and anything else you think appropriate. I also try to tag my different verses, my in character and out of character posts, etc.

Trim Your Posts - This is hard to do on mobile, but necessary. When a post has many reblogs, it can be tedious to scroll past. Trimming them/cropping them makes a big difference. [Link here for a tutorial on how to trim - Browser]

Mun and Muse Knowledge [Meta Gaming] - There maybe things your character does not know, and cannot know, that you know. Remember to keep the distinction. Nothing kills my desire to RP with someone than their character somehow reading my character’s thoughts.

Controlling other Characters [God Modding] - You control your character. Your partner controls theirs. You don’t control if they get hit by a punch, if they dodge, if they punch back. It’s part of the give and take.

Drive the Story - Role Playing is joint story telling. Don’t put all the burden if directing where the story goes on your partner. Give your partner something to react to, to build on. If you only ever give one sentence replies, it’s going to get tedious fast.

Other Tips and Tricks

I am a big fan of XKit, a browser addon that makes Tumbling much easier for RPers. [Link here!] The specific functions that are most helpful are Editable Reblogs and One Click Reply. Editable reblogs makes it far easier to trim in post. One Click Reply makes it possible to reply to comments and other notification forms.

In addition to those two, I also like to use the Blacklist, and Post Block functions. Some RPers or topics I particularly cannot stand, so I use Blacklist to keep them from my dash. Post Block is great for those discourse posts and individual RP threads that just squick you out for whatever reason.

I also am easily lost and confused by the innumerable notifications I get on the daily, so it became very important for me to use a website called RPThreadTracker. I highly recommend it, as I occasionally have threads that don’t get replied to for weeks. They also have an add-on button so you can click to add a thread to your list quickly and easily.

Terms

There is a bit of a jargon with this. Sorry if it’s been confusing thus-far!

Mun - the writer behind the blog

Muse - the fictional character, the character

IC/OOC - In Character / Out of Character

OC - Original Character

Thread - the roleplay, the chain of posts making up the story

Selective/Semi-Selective/Private/Mutuals Only - This is often in a blog header - indicates how picky the mun is about selecting RP partners and threads. Read their rules. Respect their decisions to RP or not to RP.

Multi-verse - Indicates the blog is open to threads outside of their designated universe. (IE, my Warhammer character being willing to RP with an Overwatch character). It is advisable to message the mun to hash out the details.

DM or PM - Direct message or private message. Both indicate the tumblr message system.

AU - Alternate Universe. Indicates a deviation from the traditional universe.

#tutorial #long post #how to get started RPing #out of command

[lunamanar]

I Needed This

This is something I posted a month or two ago, but it was then pointed out that almost all of the links were broken...and at the same time, tumblr enacted their new restrictive linking policy. Meaning almost no one it was directed at actually saw it. I haven’t had the chance to correct the problem until now, and in that short time, the post referred to has climbed to over 14,000 notes. Like...what? Holy crap. Okay.

I wish I could sit down and reply to everyone who responded to the post, but at this point that’s just impossible. Just know, I do see the notes, and I’m grateful for every single one.

Below is the fixed post, as it was supposed to appear in April. If you’ve already read it, feel free to disregard this and scroll on by.

So...I’m gonna do one of my weird things. This isn’t really to do with FFVIII, but...I feel like I owe people this. Because I’ve been watching this silly little writing power build and build and snowball, and...it just seems...so counter to the situation of the people I seem to be reaching, that I can’t just let it sit there and rack up “points” in the form of notes without taking a moment (well, a few hours at this point, but I had the time, and this is what I decided to do with it) to at least acknowledge the response. I’ve received messages from people, a flood of kind comments and tags, I’ve watched people reach out to one another to support them in their writing endeavors. Most of it has been outside this fandom, so...I apologize ahead of time if this is somewhat off-topic.

I really don’t know how to begin talking about this, because I’m terrified it’s going to sound like I’m trying to call as much selfish attention as possible to a viral post I made by total accident. That’s not what I want to do at all, here, and please believe me when I say that I don’t think I did anything to deserve thousands of notes on what amounts to a “top ten” post of personal writing philosophies. When I posted it, I thought it might be helpful to a few very specific people in my immediate fandom circle. I never thought it would escape that circle, much less become the...giant ball of positivity that it has. Not that I’m complaining! I’m so beyond floored that it reached as far as it has, I don’t even know what to feel about it, anymore. I certainly don’t feel like I wrote anything brilliant. More than anything, I’m just...puzzled. And flattered, by how many people have been leaving kind tags and notes for me.

The other thing that I feel about it, though, is...sadness. Sadness that so many people feel such anxiety over their writing abilities. So many personal things have been said on this post, by total strangers, about their struggles with anxiety, depression, trauma, alienation and isolation when it comes to their writing. Some people write thousands of words and post them with bated breath, only to be met with a few hits and no comments. Some people are so certain that they have nothing of value to add that they can’t even bring themselves to start. Some think they’re too old to start now, that all their peers of the same age are so far “ahead” of them, they’ll never have any hope of “catching up.” Some are embarrassed to be writing at all, then they’re unemployed and feel like they should be looking for a “real” job instead of indulging in hobbies. There are so many hundreds of ways writer’s block and blues affects people, and the reality of it is, well...I wish they would all go through the hundreds, even thousands of tags and replies simply so they could see how not alone they are in their struggles. Maybe they could even find other people who would be up to being their reading partner, so they could have someone to trade stories with. So many people posting to a void, and it’s hard to see that it should have to be that way.

So...I mean, I don’t know what this will do, if it will do anything. This makes me feel nervous in itself, actually, because I’m not only reaching out to strangers, I’m going to be tagging people who aren’t even a part of the pleasant little community that is FFVIII. A lot of them. And maybe I’ll screw up...maybe I’ll tag someone who doesn’t want the exposure. I tried to comb through bios and take out anyone who explicitly said they were selective about who they talked to. If I tag you here, and you want me to delete your name, please send me a message and I will do so as soon as I see the request.

But at the very least...I do want everyone I ping in this post to know that someone--me, at least--saw their response, and felt it, too. I want their stories to be written and I want them to find the audience who enjoys those stories. I’m here saying, “hey, I see you. I give a shit.” Even if I don’t know anything about whatever fandom you’re in, or if you’re writing a completely original story, or whatever...it’s important. There is nothing more tragic to me than a story aching to be shared that never sees the light of day.

I also want to acknowledge some potential mistakes I may have made in writing that post (and this one). Few people had anything bad to say about it--and thank you all, for such tolerance of my rambles--but I am certainly not perfect, and I want to try to improve my communication where I can so I do ever less harm.

...I guess I’ll start, then.

Tumblr is chock full of “don’ts” when it comes to writing, and it’s my opinion that there’s just not enough love out there for the simple act of writing, itself a massive investment of time, energy and brain cells. Not every piece you write will be a success, but there is much to be said for the energy it takes to carry a story in your head, let alone take that and translate it into words so others can share the meaning it holds for you.

So, take a look at this. I posted that list sometime in...October 2016? I think? And in 7 months, 11,000 people either liked or reblogged it, and most people who reblogged it left a tag or two. By far, besides your generic “writing” or “writing advice,” the most common tag of note was this:

#I Needed This

...or something to that effect. I tried to find and count as many as I could. And I really want people to see just how many accounts out there who just happened to see a single writing tips list felt that they needed the encouragement. And those were the ones who were able to work up the nerve to say so in the comments or tags. I’m sure many more were too shy (and that’s OK).

@finduilasnumenesse @amid-a-lightless-place @phan-band-fandoms @powerfulweak @kayteonline @anotherwinchesterfangirl @blue-phoenix-tears @requiemforthewolves @indi-flying-with-dragons @puppytoast @bxanxgtan @mcfuzzy20 @hexthespectre @purple-and-red-ribbons @fromotterspace @burn-it-slow @tehartmonkee @dutifullymadameashley @killiandameron @captainpoopweinersoldier @artlessictoan @purrtlepuff @chocolatebunnycake @argent-gale @nothingtoleave @nightmare-fantasia @midniallsnack @andromedas-daughter @my-write-mind @different-principles @tangeythetangerine @c-e-gold @random-alefiasolar @ellebeedarling @droid-to-the-world @xpress--urself @closeonmarksnosedive @thinkblueandr3d @novemblu @leopoldfitz @tonks42 @seraphim-of-the-finale @dragonshost-fanfiction @poketin @ofcoursetheymind @author-of-sins @peetaspikelets @officialao3fandomlastforever @randomfangirllaughs @thereddestglass @gaybirdkid @sailorgreywolf @strangesorceries @thecorruptedquietone @melifair @ganbareno @peanutbutterflutist @bi-antagonist @preciousgaby @atomicpen @mariamagica @comebacknow @reconfemmandoforares @happiestastronaut @marmaladephan @ayumichan46 @sergeantrooper @weldlys @bearlytolerable @thatnewcarsmeli @rozenly @notori @mymomthinksimfunny1 @sylvesterelle @edwardsisland @be-kita

@welkikitty

...I know people tend to not like vertical lists of @’s, but I just...want to illustrate that each of these tumblr names is a person who has a story to tell, is in some way struggling with their confidence level, and often, that lack of confidence is due to obscurity. Frequently, feeling intimidated by the work and popularity of one’s peers is just as pen-stopping.

But just by skimming each of their blogs (which I did, individually--this has taken hours of my time), I can say with certainty that none of these writers are bad ones, and I wish I had the time to sit down and read everything they all had to offer, not just to make them all feel better, but because I am sincerely curious! Look at all the fandoms! Look at all the genres here! This is a veritable cornucopia of colorful ideas and potential. Most of these people are relatively unknown. If you’re in one of the fandoms you see here, aren’t you curious about what you’re missing? Goes double for people who have original novels they’re working on, but have no one to read over their script and help them with it. Seriously, isn’t there something that can be done about that?

The second most popular tag was some variant of “thank you.” Which is very sweet, but I really don’t read that as indicating any virtue of mine so much as just another indication of need, someone who needed to read or hear that their situation isn’t hopeless, they don’t suck, and they can write that story they’re struggling with. They don’t hear anyone else telling them that on any sort of regular basis. Especially for someone who’s still trying to find their footing/niche as a writer, that’s a toxic, tragic state of being if writing is something you love. And for the record, I don’t buy for a second that love is enough to keep someone writing if no one is there to read it. Not for struggling authors and people just starting out. Silence is just as bad as, if not worse than condemnation for emerging writers. It’s one thing for an established writer to let a quiet, or disappointed crowd roll off their backs; they have the experience to know and trust in their own skill, and--largely because they already have a support network--can get back on that horse and keep writing even if they produced a lemon or two. Someone without that experience or support? Silence and strict criticism, more than anything, tends to cause a shutdown. (Yes, I’m aware there are exceptions, but in general, it’s true, and I’ve seen it again and again: “My writing doesn’t meet x standard, so what’s the point in even trying?”)

The point is that you usually have to walk before you run, and you can’t even get that far without support, encouragement, praise and redirection. You don’t even have to be an established mentor, you can be a passerby--hey that’s a nicely worded metaphor, good job...you misspelled “principle,” there--and you cannot understate just how helpful even that little interaction can be, if you’re positive about it. Even if you were flying at one point, it’s possible to fall, and if you do, you’ll need some help picking yourself back up. So when I say “don’t write in a vacuum,” that’s what I mean: even if you don’t show your work to anyone until you finish it, just knowing that there is someone out there waiting to see it, and anticipating it, willing to help you with it if you need it, and cheering you on all the while, is empowering. Isolation, on the other hand, not knowing who if anyone will even care to read your work or like it once it’s done, breeds blank pages and brain fog. Much of creativity is about communication. If there’s no one to communicate with, creativity suffocates. Unless you are a particularly talented introvert, you can only carry on a conversation with yourself for so long before all the words start to sound the same.

So, to @castiel-comatose, to @satari-raine, @referencesforpiamio... to

@blue-phoenix-tears @mama-sally @indi-flying-with-dragons @acidmatze @vanillaroses @fromotterspace @pristinepastel @blankinsidecards @nynynightmare @ruminationandtea @chocowl @chiyala @mag-i-cal @andromedas-daughter @megatraven @the-real-inu-girl @remsyk-blog @universe-apart @xmayleensyo @ellipsesarefun @internallydeceased @kigamin @sweeneymads @wepush @heartofpages @lauralot89 @franzwantscoffee @loveablelevi @poketin @maginpui @richard-of-windoor @yuri-on-ice-ice-babyyyy @azurethoughts @thunderstormsandcuddles @bekasyura @contentmintdraws @kurosakiami01 @strangesorceries @brynnmclean @howtotrainyouragents @lumierc @spywerewolf @yourcouragetothestickingplace @heuvelliedje @kateandtheuniverse @weeardo0 @ayumichan46 @silverbuttercups @rozenly @heartofwriting @darthshizuka @guardianmantis @gladnis-trash @firstorderelite @amiitens

...You’re welcome for the post, but it really was just...that sometimes, *I* feel isolated, and I feel like my writing is shit and no one could possibly care. But experience has taught me that there are so many reasons that’s simply an illogical sentiment, and those ten-ish items help me remember why it’s far more reasonable to assume I’m a good writer who faces the inherent difficulties of publishing in a vast sea of other writers on the Internet. In many ways, including with the list itself, I got lucky, got noticed by other people who already had a lot of followers, and through them I found people who were interested in my work, not because I’m some amazing writer (I’m not...just look at this structural disaster of a post at 5-something in the morning), but because I bothered to reach out in the first place. I’ve made similar posts several times in the past, and they didn’t go anywhere, but this time, I just ran into the right people at the right time. So it got to you, and you commented or tagged, and now you’re on this post with a bunch of other people you probably don’t know. Keep trying, and it happens, eventually. You will be seen.

That’s the real tragedy of all this...your ability to be seen and heard is attributable as much to chance as it is anything else. And you can’t really start to make your own luck until you have some social capital. I have a few followers, and so I hope that posting this can facilitate at least a little bit more luck for everyone I mention. So don’t be scared to respond (reblog--more people see that than when you comment), and say what you’re working on that you want people to see, or that your afraid won’t be finished, or won’t turn out right. Start a conversation about it. Say what about the story is important to you. Reach out. Let people know you have a story you want to tell, one that really matters to you. Maybe give a brief synopsis--you’d be surprised how that can pique someone’s interest. Really, anything. Just keep trying. Over time, people will find you.

Either way, point is, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but just because you left a tag on a post that helped you, someone saw you, liked you, and has every confidence that you have beautiful stories in your head that you are more than capable of putting to the keys. Whatever else you do with that information, please do not stop writing, and if you need help, maybe look through some of the people here who are or have been feeling rather invisible--there’s likely someone who shares your interests. Or just reblog, or message me, or message someone you know who maybe you haven’t thought to ask before, whatever it is you feel brave enough to do. If you want to, that is. If you don’t want to, that’s alright. I just...wanted to give everyone I saw a chance, a platform for it.

If I have one thing to add to my list--a #11--it’s that if you have a lack of support, encouragement and visibility in your writing life, you should probably treat that as a primary obstacle to your writing, before you blame yourself or your abilities. Beating yourself up for not being able to grab people’s attention without a preexisting network isn’t fair to you, although the inclination is understandable, given the expectation people tend to have for writers to do exactly that. But the truth is, you owe it to yourself to reserve judgement on your own work until you’ve seen what you can do with that support.

Now that I’ve spend entirely too many words explaining what’s probably a very simple concept, there were a few responses to the post that I felt...like I should answer, specifically. This isn’t because these people are better than anyone in the lists above (in fact many of them are in those lists), it’s simply because they said something I happened to have a specific response to. So...here goes nothing. Making friends, I hope!

@night57byrd

replied to your post

“Things I Try to Remember When I’m Nervous About Writing”

Thank you for this advice and wisdom. I have long harbored dreams of writing but have allowed my inner inner critic hold me back. This posting has given me a tremendous boost. Thank you for the gift.

This was one of the most heartwarming comments I received, and it showed up on my dash on a day where it seemed like everything was just falling apart around me. I should thank you, for giving me the synergy boost to soldier through the rest of a very difficult day. Knowing that at least I’d done something that had helped someone that much helped me make it through without breaking down. So thank you, for your gift of strength to me. I sincerely hope you enjoy getting into the wonderful, if often stormy world of writing (and I hope you’re able to get another season out of Pitch--I’ve been meaning to give that show a shot, along with Southside With You, but it just hasn’t happened for me, yet).

@wtf-and-shit

replied to your post

“Things I Try to Remember When I’m Nervous About Writing”

I really needed this cause I’ve been in a slump of sorts. Even asked myself “what do others want to read?”

And @whenimaunicorn has similar woes:

sometimes i lose my own voice trying to please the whole crowd but i'm just writing 'my' story not 'the' story i gotta remember that

Asking what others want to read (or conversely, what other want you to write) is a nasty trap I’ve fallen into multiple times. It’s not even conscious, half the time, you just start worrying if the words you’re putting on the page are just going to be too weird, to boring, or just not what people want to see. You start tweaking things to better reflect what you think others want to see, and before you know it, you’re writing something you really just don’t care about at all. I really sincerely believe that the best way to keep a story from falling over dead is to be continually invested in the content, even if that means changing the story to accommodate you when your interests change. That can sometimes lead the story in strange directions, but better a story be strange than incomplete, I would think.

Several people commented about calling themselves names:

@freestridingprinces said:

One of my very cute kouhais tagged me in this. I have a terrible habit of doing all of the negative things on this list. I’ve called myself boring many times. I will stop. I would never call anyone else who I’ve ever spoken with boring. So, I’m working on staying positive and nice to myself along with you all. Thank you for being kind to me when I needed it.

while @thecrimsonarcher is similarly inclined:

#10 is my biggest issue. Honestly, judging by the lack of feedback from my writings, I have come to the conclusion that my writings lack creativity because I am unable to hold anyone’s attention. My story is a mixture between Lovecraftian horror, psychological horror, and Southern gothic. Nobody wants to read that during this day in age.

and further notes the difficulties of competing with erotica (sorry, I switch the order of paragraphs for effect):

It’s made worse when no one gives me feedback or likes the post. Was my story really that bad? Did it suck so bad it didn’t warrant a response? More often than not, I find myself deleting my progress that I post on Facebook or Tumblr. If no one will give it the time of day, why even post it? What’s the point? The only way you’ll ever get recognized for writing on Tumblr is if you do fanfics, especially erotic fanfics.

I suspect one of the reasons fanfiction is as popular as it is, is that you automatically have something of a fan base right from the getgo, because the material in question is...well, by definition, a product of fandom. It’s also just a fact of life that people love smut, and often they love it for smut’s sake, rather than paying much attention to the quality of the writing. And that’s fine! But it does make things complicated when what you write is not smut.

One thing I would recommend is looking up some good Genfic groups. Even if you’re not planning on writing exclusively sex/relationship-free stuff, they might be a good place to start with short stories, just to build an audience and start working in the right direction to find more people who are looking for more than just getting off.

@dust2dust34 chimed in,

i've been very unkind to myself lately with blood hands     very unkind  

and @headphonesandbackpack also gives themselves a hard time,

#i need to keep that in mind #also i tend to hate my writing style #i think it's incredibly boring #i bore the shit out of myself while boring #but my french teachers seem to love what i write??? #and when i read it like a year later i think it's not that bad #i guess i need to believe in myself

There’s a lot of people out there who beat themselves up over their percieved skill level:

@lechatrouge673: I HAVE A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEKAND I FEEL LIKE AN UTTER FRAUD

@ishipmyselfwitheveryone:  +sometimes i call myself 'useless sack of severed cocks' when i won't write good  +maybe that's part of my problem

(Well...tbh, yes? haha, I can think of several politicians who are far more deserving of being called that right now...*ahem* ANYWAY...)

@dragonsinparis has some strong feelings (that I agree with) while falling to #10 even in tags:

#i'm a lazy enough writer that i only actually get off my ass if there's a story i desperately want that I can't find  #(hence state of grace and this isn't what we meant especially)  #but what you're looking for that you can't find can be as simple as a style or an aspect or a moment or a choice  #which means that it is still rooted in your voice  #ANYWAY EVERYONE KEEP WRITING  #STORIES BUILD COMPASSION AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE NEED MORE OF IN THE WORLD IT IS THAT

So the self-berating issue seems to be pretty common, if completely unnecessary. Again the ability--or inability--to be able to get the words out perfectly is held as a measure of one’s talent or potential, and frustration with that and/or a lack of feedback leads to self-abuse--or it seems that way to me, correct me if I’m wrong, or want to add to this analysis. I’m no expert...but I remember that’s kinda how it worked, for me. I thought I should be able to just be better, and additionally, I didn’t want anyone to think I was stuck-up or pretentious about my work, so I said a lot of damaging things about myself and my writing, just to keep my expectations down so I could avoid disappointment. Problem was, the more I said it, the more I believed it, and the harder it was to actually feel like writing was worth the effort. It wasn’t until very recently I found enough support for that behavior to change, and I’m much less likely to put myself down nowadays.

Several people were just happy that kindness showed up in their feed:

@litwww:  Thank you, kind person who randomly appeared on my dash ❤

@letspartyrightnowplease:  I really needed this right now as I’ve been struggling and stressing the heck out

@zodiacdog101:  Thanks dude this helped through the slump I’m going through

@classicbkrder815:  Reblog. Thanks i needed this today. Lol I’m going to read it everyday to inspire myself.

@orcaspanielmermaids:  These are some of the kindest words I’ve received all week, after struggling with RL issues on top of fighting to get out of the corner I’ve written myself into. Thank you, OP. <3

@gymleader-nick:  You have no idea how bad I needed to hear this right now.

I swear I’m not including these to fan my ego, I was just very surprised how many people seemed surprised to find something encouraging on their dash. I am very happy that the list helped! I hope it continues to. But as @dragonsinparis opined above, encouragement and compassion in the writing world appear to be in lamentably short supply.

Guilt over breaks, unfinished work and asking for attention also seems to be a big culprit of empty-page syndrome:

@beqm:  I love the ‘You’re allowed to take breaks.“ Because right now I feel like I’m being a horrible slacker. I want to write but everything else seems to bee getting in the way.

@perpetuallyfive:  #the guilt is what makes writing the hardest for me? #any time i'm struggling with something and think ''maybe switch to another piece for now'' i feel bad #any time i ask someone to look at my stuff #anytime i want to say i'm trying to write a thing and i worry i won't finish in time and then all i can think is that i never finish in time #i sometimes try not to even post a thing until another thing is half finished because there are those times when no one cares #about that last thing you posted and it's SO DISCOURAGING #like you accept that you just write for you but it makes it hard to continue the next thing when you can't stop thinking you know #maybe you're not that good anymore #maybe you never were maybe it was just the fandom you were in was fucking thirsty #writing is the worst honestly except for those limited few times when it's the best #(i've been trying to write lately. if you couldn't tell.) #anyway i'm going to reread this list a lot right now.

@icybluepenguin: #I wish I were better talking about my stories with other writers #It always helps #But I always feel so guilty

@woodlandcrowns: I'd love to have a support circle of [fanfiction] writers--or even for original stuff at timesbut I believe I'd be a bother

@effinunicorns: I need to work on the 'talking to people about my fic' thing more but it feels so awkward

#7 of the list is a quick reminder for me that however many unfinished works I have that I never tell anyone about, there are just as many behind all the finished, polished stories I see on the AO3 pages of my friends. And hey, some people are simply more prolific than others, and that’s all right. Has no bearing on your worth as a writer if you cannot churn out chapter after chapter. Focus on what you want to do, what’s exciting for you to write right now. Then go for it. At some point, you’re going to get absorbed in one of those projects until it’s finished. It might take a while, even years, but it will happen, and you’ll find your groove along the way.

I should’ve made a 7.1: the number of finished works is not a measure of whether you’re a good writer. It’s worth considering that the purpose of writing, as an art, isn’t always to follow a story all the way to completion. If writing is a sort of “zen” thing for you, something you do to explore ideas for yourself, communicate them to others, and just enjoy and grow as a person through the process, it really doesn’t matter if the stories go unfinished, as long as you benefit from the exercise. Writing can be as much akin to meditation as it can be a job that you live off of. If that’s how it works for you, it’s still legit and you can still be extremely good at it. Even if you never finish a single piece, if it’s making your life better, don’t sweat it. Enjoy your talent for what it is. You can always hone it, but if the process of trying is both failing and causing you to lose confidence or self-esteem, maybe your writing pattern and skill is just different from that of the typical “career writer.” Maybe not, but it’s worth thinking about, and if that’s how it is for you, don’t let anyone tell you that you suck just because.

A lot of people are scared/already convinced that nothing they produce is any good and no one wants to read it:

@formsans96:  I just feel that no one does like them that much. Even my finished works.

@canadian-buckbeaver:  I keep looking at the views and kudos of other stories and it immediately affects me. “Why am I not that popular?” “Am I not that good?” But then I read everyone’s comments… immediately feel better.

@noodle-dogs:  #I HAVE LIKE....3 BIG PLOTS IN MY HEAD RN #BUT IM JUST SCARED MY WRITING WONT BE GOOD ENOUGH

@decembercamiecherries:  I get really nervous when writing WTWFI'm scared it won't turn out good and pple will be disappointed

@talentlessandoptimistic:  #the downside is I'm literally the only person who wants to read it #which is why I don't share it

@sandrasr91:  sometime I want to write but I don't know if it'll be any good

@itsactuallycorrine:  # i keep telling myself i just need to put words on the page # but i'm at the halfway point and doubting everything

This is writer anxiety #1, and I’m 100% convinced that (in addition to the effects of more uncontrollable factors such as clinical depression and other intrusive MI in some individuals) it results from a lack of support. If no one ever reads your stuff or says anything good about it, how are you supposed to know if it’s an effective piece of writing or not?

That’s another way of combating writing anxiety: Don’t judge stories in terms of “good” and “bad.” I tend to think of most stories as “good,” even if they’re poorly written. We all wrote crappy stories before we wrote “good” ones, but it was still good that we went through the experience of writing the crappy ones, and old stories still have a certain charm about them.

Rather, I try to look at stories in terms of their effectiveness: did they reach the reader on a personal level? Did I communicate what I wanted to say? If so, then the piece was a success, was effective. If not, it was an ineffective piece, and I’ll just have to work on making sure the next one comes across more clearly.

But nothing, no philosophy, no reminders, no lists can substitute for friends and writing/reading buddies. It’s so important to establish those, or you’re likely to feel isolated and distraught when you post your blood sweat and tears to a brick wall and receive nothing in response for your efforts.

If you’re not writing fanfiction, there is a group called Critters (critters dot org) that I cannot recommend highly enough. They call themselves a “workshop,” but really, they’re a fantastic resource for submitting manuscripts for (gentle, but useful!) critique. There’s a very reasonable, common-sense but quite in-depth etiquette for critting others’ work (people tell you when you do something RIGHT, too!), and you are required to critique a few short stories before you can submit your own, but it’s not hard, and gives you a lot of great practice on both giving and receiving writing assistance.  I used this group for a few years while I was unemployed, and the people there are wonderful and helped me a great deal. Do give it a look if you’re having a hard time finding anyone to read your work. You’ll make some friends!

There was one comment that caught my eye on this note:

@mamakat926:  All good things I need to remember when I’m struggling to write my first fanfic…

I wish you the best of luck! The first one is always hard. And even though you’re writing fanfiction, it’s worth having a look at Critters (critters dot org)! There’s so many resources there to help you get off the ground with your first attempts.

Of course, I have to mention the lovely @lidicores, who translated the entire post into Portuguese. I can’t read a lick of it, but that was awesome, haha!

I needed this right now. I’ve been lacking drive to write since last november. The emptiness is excrucianting. Then a week ago a friend asked me about the story and I suddenly started to think about it again. I even reread some chapters… hopefully I’ll be back soon. Hopefully…

Oh, English is not my first language, so, don’t you worry, I’m not this bad writing in Portuguese. LOL

Having two or more languages under your belt already gives you a leg up on most writers. I hope you’re able to get back into it, soon.

Several people expressed concern about coming back to writing after a long hiatus:

@mxrdins: #i wanna start writing fanfics too :( #i mean long ones in englisn #but am i too late with it #after all im 18 lol and there is a looooong break behind me in writing

@sazula:  I haven't written anything in so long but i want to

@arie-172:  # i need to remind myself of so many of these# idk but it's been so long since i've written something that i had forgotten what it was to feel this way# you know the way in which you kind of second guess everything

@dragontameroutofcharacter:  mmmmm i feel like this is · why i can't write lately tho · there isn't · anything i want to read · like honestly lately i just · want to sleep · i work and i come home and i try to stay awake until evening · i've got books i was so excited to get · that i'm still not reading · haven't even started · i miss writing ·

Just like when you’re first starting out, getting back into it is a question of connection and support, knowing who and what your resources are, and using them. And patience with, and compassion for yourself. You can’t expect the first thing you produce to be as clean as the last thing you wrote before your hiatus, so avoid comparing them. Maybe you want to try a new style or a different perspective, just for fun or to keep the results from being comparable in the first place. I really hope all of you are able to dive back in, though. And 18 is not at all too old! I skipped 3 years of writing between 16 and 19, and it didn’t take me long to get back up to speed.

One person expressed skepticism at the implications of needing/taking writing advice from a tumblr post:

@epherians:  #I DON'T FEEL SURE WHEN I HAVE TO FIND COMFORT IN WRITING ADVICE POSTS…

I understand and even share this sentiment, and of course you’re perfectly welcome to throw all this out the window with no resentment from my end! But...I’m curious, have you ever seen the movie, Adaptation? If not, you really should. Even though it has Nick Cage in it. Or because it does, depending on your persuasion.

Now, to a few slightly more personal responses. The first is more of a question, because I spotted this tag in one of the reblogs:  ableist language ...I wanted to ask, @arathergrimreaper, was this meant to note that I used such language in my post? If so, please let me know where I messed up so I can fix it! And I’m quite sorry if I injured anyone with some bad wording in there.

@theladyjanes used the tag  such powerful words for the post, and that...I dunno, it just hit me hard. Thank you. Powerful is not often a word that is used to describe me or what I say, so I appreciate it, a lot.

@americannoteven said,

#I've reread this about 15 times now #each time feels more and more personal #bc fuck #I should... stop being so hard on myself

Yes, please...if you can manage it, give yourself a break. I hope that the list helped you, and I hope you work through your writing struggles soon. My message and ask boxes are always open, to everyone. =)

@xbean wrote,

#It's taken me a while to get back into it especially when someone you called your best friend read one and made you feel like shit after the

Okay so this messed with me, because...well, because this happened to me several years ago. And I’m sorry, so sorry that that happened to you. It’s a horrible, awful feeling. I hope you can get back into the swing of writing--and if you have to, use spite and resentment to fuel your determination to write, no matter what anyone thinks about it. It’s yours. Do your thing! The best antidote for the shame and hurt is to just keep writing, and when you finally get through the pain, you will have leaned an incredible amount about what parts of your writing are yours and how to discard the pieces you put in there simply to please others. Be strong, you can make it through.

@bamfcoyotetango raged,

FUCK IF I DIDN'T NEED THIS AFTER THE SHIT SHOW THAT GREETED MY LATEST CHAPTER

29 HITS FOR A CHAPTER NEARLY 2K LONG

Another awful feeling, working especially hard on a story or chapter, only to have no one comment, and hardly anyone even look at it.

It likely isn’t that your writing is bad or even ineffectual, though. It could have been a bad time of day to post. Your normal readers just might not have been available. Did you let anyone know that the chapter was up? Try pinging them, if not. In any case, don’t immediately think that silence means it sucked and no one liked it, or that it was too boring for strangers to notice. True is, it’s really hard to make a title that gets people’s attention without designing it as pure clickbait (and if you’ve avoided that nasty habit, good on you!).

I hope your next chapters garner more interest. Out of curiosity, what’s the story about?

@takemeawaymothman said, this last one really like? got to me 

-- and it seems like, while #1 (write what you want to read) was the most popular/cited, #10 (don’t call yourself names) had the strongest reaction...a few tags suggesting it pulled some tears. I’m a little curious as to why that is...is it really so rare for anyone to tell you that you are not stupid? Gosh...I want to give all of you hugs, haha!

(also, cool account name!)

@bastian-casillas-fussballgott (omg, I spelled it!) simply said,  this means a lot to me. This seems like one of those quiet, but profound statements, and I’m happy that this little list was so meaningful. I hope it helps.

@fireferns said,  

#making a bunch of these things stuff i think and believe had helped my writing more than anything

And I wholeheartedly agree that...nothing on that list really does anything to help if you do not internalize it. It has to be something you’re just as willing to tell other people. And it’s not comprehensive! Nor is it for everyone. Many people mentioned that they actually do write better without any outside interference. That’s great--the list was just my list, and I think everyone would probably benefit from making their own, tailoring it to what works best for their writing style.

@infinitelystrangemachinex echoes my feelings:

#I am nervous about writing 100% of the time#It is the most stressful and unforgiving thing I have ever done and ever will do#but I also love it more than anything

Yes, yes! Even writing this, I am constantly thinking about how it all can go wrong, how people might be mad at me for @’ing them, or think I’m creepy for having gone through all the notes and read them...but, I just have this thing I have to get out, you know, and as terrifying and sometimes heartbreaking as it has been, nothing has ever been more rewarding to me, or caused so much positive growth in me, than my writing. And if I don’t constantly defy my anxiety, it takes hold of me and paralyzes me. So, writing is not just important. To me, it’s necessary. I imagine it’s that way for many other people, too.

@pandora15 had a conundrum:

#this is giving me inspiration to work on my clone wars fic

#but like

#i have an exam tomorrow

#so i shouldn't

#ugh but I WANT TO

#this is hard

I have to know...what did you choose?

@thetamburlaine got excited about their AU plotbunny--er, porpoise?:

this actually got me writing right away after a few weeks slump the two first points did it i think anyway for future encouragement free willy au here i come

WOW, I’m glad it helped that much--and also, wow again, a Free Willy AU? I’d never have imagined there would be fanfiction for that movie, but now that I think about it, it kinda makes sense. I’m very curious!

@irresistible-revolution said that  #i might be crying #the blogger had an emotional day y'all  and I really hope that wasn’t a bad thing. I don’t want my post to have made things worse! I hope you’re all right.

And finally, @positivelycurious writes  #needed this as I'm attempting to finally write a memoir -- A memoir, really? That’s awesome, I’ve never met anyone who’s written one, before. Good luck!

Um...okay, I think that’s all. I know that there will be more notes after this date (05/07/2017), but unfortunately it will be very hard for me to separate old from new comments and tags, so I may never be able to get to answering any more. Sorry about that, but please know that I read everything, even tags, and this post has just gone on an unbelievable journey through so many people, if only briefly. I appreciate all the feedback and hope it continues to help others get out of their writer’s block.

I also apologize if this post is in any way out of line or uncomfortable to those I’ve tagged in it. I mulled for a long time on whether or not to do it this way, rather than just sending individual messages to everyone I mention here. Again, if you want to be removed from this post, tell me and I will do so immediately. The reason I made this post is at least partially based on a post I made about two years ago, where I called out as many of my followers as I could to tell them how and why I was thankful for them. Really, that’s what I’m trying to do here, too. Although most of you do not follow me, and honestly, you probably have no reason to start, just being aware of you and your writing troubles, and the fact that I may have helped them just a little bit, makes you all very important to me. There’s so much creativity out there and I hate to see it bottled. Your gratitude and thanks have been a constant stream of comfort during a terribly stressful time in my life, and for that, I really cannot thank you enough.

Even though we’re complete and total strangers, I know you matter, and so do your stories. Do not give up on them. The world is better if they’re written, that they might fall into the hands of someone who needs them.

-Luna

#misc #writing #writer problems #response post #long post #longpost #stories are important #please tell yours #even if it's fiction #there is nothing fictional about the comfort of fictional things #not video games #essay #okay #this is my last attempt #if tumblr breaks it again...oh well #we'll see

[ttstranscripts]

Transcript of The Talk Show Episode 3

Title: Email, Spam Filtering, Digital Photography

Hosts: John Gruber, Dan Benjamin

Release date: 17 July 2007

Description: We discuss John’s obsession with spam, and spam filtering techniques, and broach the subject of digital photography.

Dan Benjamin: You were obsessed with the iPhone, you got the iPhone, and now you’re obsessed with email on the iPhone, specifically we’re talking about spam. So somebody like you, you get a lot of spam. A lot of spam.

John Gruber: And you don’t?

Benjamin: I get a little bit. I don’t get — I mean, I guess the encoder may have helped because where I have publicized the email address, it’s been encoded, so it helped a little. But I mean, I still get a decent amount. Nowhere near what you get, I’m sure.

Gruber: I think I get around 500 or 600 spams a day.

Benjamin: A day? Oh my gosh.

Gruber: It depends. Somewhere between 300 and 600 typically.

Benjamin: I don’t get anywhere near that many. So what was your solution to handle this?

Gruber: Well, we should say what the problem is.

Benjamin: What is the problem?

Gruber: The problem is that for years I’ve relied on client-side spam filtering with C-Command’s SpamSieve, which is a Macintosh program, it integrates with every Macintosh email program that I know of.

Benjamin: The best, I think, easily the best client-side anti-spam application that exists for the Mac. They should be a sponsor of this show.

Gruber: Well, everybody should be a sponsor of this show. Who shouldn’t sponsor, who wouldn’t want to sponsor this show?

Benjamin: I can’t think of a single company that wouldn’t benefit from that. That’s kind of silly.

Gruber: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I can’t think of one either.

Benjamin: But of all of them right now, I think SpamSieve should be the number one guy on the phone. When we put this out there, the phone better ring. That’s all I have to say.

Gruber: [laughs]

Benjamin: But go on, go on. All Mac clients...

Gruber: For years I’ve managed it and it’s — how much spam I get hasn’t really been a problem because SpamSieve’s been running at somewhere around 99.8 or 99.9 percent accuracy for years for me, literally, I think since 2003 or something like that. But the problem is, because it’s client-side, the spam filtering happens, your client checks for mail, and before mail gets into your inbox, it passes it off to SpamSieve, and SpamSieve says “good”, “good”, “bad”, “bad”, “bad”, “bad”, “bad”. So when you check mail with your iPhone, without any kind of server-side spam filtering, all the spam is still there in the inbox, which for me would literally be hundreds of spams a day. It would honestly make using the iPhone for checking my email impossible. So the obvious option would be to — if you wanted to just do the simplest thing possible — would be to just set up a computer with SpamSieve on it and have it check mail continuously, never go to sleep. That doesn’t really work for me because my only computer that I use is a laptop, which I take with me places, so it’s often sleeping. I do put it to sleep at night. In theory, I wouldn’t necessarily mind leaving it running all night, but when I’m actually taking the notebook with me, or I’m traveling, I’m in an airport, and it’s in my backpack — that’s not feasible. So I could set up an old computer here in my home office and have it set up to run SpamSieve continuously, but that seems wasteful to me to have an entire — my own computer set up just for — my own personal spam filtering computer.

Benjamin: So what are the other solutions? You came up with one, a free one, that’s actually kind of — I think it’s interesting, it’s a neat idea, but I think it’s just a cut above having your own dedicated Mac in a corner running SpamSieve all the time.

Gruber: Right. So what I’m doing is — what I’ve long done is set up my email so that all of the addresses I use are really forwarders to another account that’s using an address that I never publicize, never give anyone, just to have the flexibility that I could redirect the mail somewhere else before it goes to that mailbox, and then I just set a Reply-To: header so that the mail that I send looks like it’s coming from the forwarding address. So what I did is I changed all the email addresses I use to point to Gmail accounts and then back to — so it goes from a forwarder at my domain, the address I want at daringfireball.net, goes to Gmail. Gmail is set to automatically forward back to my real mailbox name at daringfireball.net. And a lot of people, a lot of the stuff I’ve read said Gmail spam filtering is pretty accurate, and my results after doing it for about a week is that, yeah, it’s really, really good. It catches at least 99 percent of all spam. And more importantly, it doesn’t catch false positives, it doesn’t flag good mail as spam. Funnily enough, the two messages that it did that I caught just by looking through the Gmail spam mailbox were from you.

Benjamin: [laughs] That’s great.

Gruber: But one thing you can do is you can upload your contacts, your address book, export it to a comma-separated value file, upload it to Gmail, and it will automatically whitelist anybody in your address book. Now, the downside of that is that one time only you can upload a file, it doesn’t automatically — there’s no way to sync it. But so far, after a week, it’s a very good solution.

Benjamin: Well, that’s actually — it’s a neat idea, I think it’s a great idea if you already have your email set up, if you’re already doing the forwarding thing. I have a few aliases that I use, but I try to limit that. So the company that I use for my email services is Webmail.us, they’re great, and I like having things hosted there just because if I decide to switch hosting companies or if I have multiple domains or whatever, it’s — and I think it’s like $10–12 a month for pretty much as many email addresses as you’d ever want. Yeah, I mean, you can get free email hosting, and you can do the Gmail thing, which I’ve tried, it just never really worked for me. I don’t like using a web application as my primary email client. I tried it, I couldn’t get used to it.

Gruber: But that’s the thing with Gmail, I actually don’t use it.

Benjamin: You’re just using the forwarding, purely forwarding. But for me, what I like — Webmail actually has a really, really good, in-built spam filtering process that’s very customizable, you can have it put it into a separate spam folder, you can have it preface the subject line with “spam”, there’s all kinds of things that you can do and it’s sort of built in. I still am using SpamSieve, but I turned on this spam filtering option for the times when I knew I’d be checking with the iPhone to see how it would do, and it’s actually done a really, really good job. But I mean, this is to me, I think the people who are in the job of doing spam filtering should be thrilled about the iPhone.

Gruber: Oh, definitely.

Benjamin: Because more than any device I think it necessitates the fact — now you have to have spam filtering. And I don’t really anticipate that Apple’s going to put spam filtering into the iPhone mail app. That doesn’t seem like their priority.

Gruber: No, I don’t think so either. Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. Obviously, the desktop mail client has junk filtering. But I’ve never been particularly impressed — and I only recently switched to Mail, so I can’t say that I really tested it extensively, but I have tried it.

Benjamin: It’s nowhere near as good as SpamSieve. It doesn’t even get close. It does okay for the most obvious spams, and it has a lot of incorrect positives where it tags things that aren’t —

Gruber: That’s what I always found was that even when — I think there’s an option to say, you know, “people in my” — I guess what the problem was, it was often catching — because I get a lot of email from readers who aren’t in my address book, and it would often catch — because I’ve tried using mail for IMAP before for some of my email, and I never thought that the built-in junk filtering in Mail was accurate enough. The one thing I really wish that the iPhone mail client supported that it doesn’t, is flagging.

Benjamin: Yeah. I saw that tweet and I commented on that. To me that was something that it didn’t occur to me until I was actually really using the iPhone for email, when I was spending more than just — I wonder if I got a new email, oh yeah, okay — but actually using it as a device to read and reply to email for more than a few minutes, that was the first thing that occurred to me. Because I flag email all the time that I want to — something I want to come back to, something I need to respond to, but I can’t get to it right now, or I need to investigate it before I can answer. And not having — that’s a huge, huge thing on the wish list right now. I think a lot of people have to be feeling that way.

Gruber: I love the idea of flagging because it’s one of those things where it’s like the 80/20 rule, where the simplest possible thing goes 80 percent of the way to solving what you need. Because you can always say, well, maybe you want some kind of full — you want labels, or tagging, or all sorts of stuff that you could do with messaging to say, this message is part of the project, I want to put tags on it, blah blah blah. Really though, just a simple flag, which is supported on a lot of IMAP clients, to say “This message is flagged”. At least from the iPhone’s perspective where you really can’t add a lot of stuff like tagging, and full labeling interface really wouldn’t fit in with the minimalist UI. Flagging really would. The way that you can mark a read message unread, there’s like a little hide/unhide details, and then there’s a thing you click that when you’ve read a message, you can mark it back to unread. Right there, I would love it if in addition to being able to mark it read, if you could mark it flagged. And when you hide that, you wouldn’t even have to see it. But the reason I need it, here’s typically — when I read email on the iPhone, there’s messages that I’m done with, that I can either respond to or just leave it marked as read because I don’t ever need to see it again, but then there’s a lot of times I’ll get messages where I can’t deal with it now because I’m on my iPhone. Because maybe I need to write a real reply, so it’s going to wait until I go back and I have my real keyboard and a real mail client. Maybe it’s because it’s something that requires me to do a lot of work on. Something I need to come back to. But I’ve already read it. So what I have to do now is mark it unread, so I know I’ll come back to it. But that’s sort of abusing unread.

Benjamin: So we need that. We’ve got to have that.

Gruber: Right, because I like to use unread to mean new.

Benjamin: Unread means “I haven’t seen this”. There’s one more topic I want to talk to you about. And I think the best way to bring it up is to completely change subjects and start talking about what you were doing in San Francisco that was weird. I liked it, I thought it was cool, but it was pretty weird. You would take your... [a noise is heard in the background] I don’t know if you guys can hear this, do you hear the thunder in the background here? [rain drums in the background]

Gruber: I thought that was your dog.

Benjamin: I don’t know if it’s going to come through on the mic, but I mean, it is crazy storming out here.

Gruber: Yeah, it did.

Benjamin: Another thing we need to do once we have a real website is we need to have a section for links, things that we talk about. [loud thunder in the background] Could you hear that?

Gruber: Yeah, I could.

Benjamin: So that I could, like, link the picture of what I’m seeing outside the window. It’s torrential, it’s like — Noah saw something almost like this. Anyway, so we’re in San Francisco and we’re hanging out, we go to these different places, and you’d pull this little camera out of your pocket, and you’d put it on top of your beer glass, and you’d have this weird look on your face, you’re sort of staring at whoever you’re trying to take a picture of, but you looked really creepy when you were doing it, and then the camera would kind of — I guess it would go into an autofocus sort of mode where it would try to gauge the right focus and everything, and it would flash the light repeatedly really, really fast, sort of blinding the person. And some of the pictures actually came out pretty good when you were doing that. But the reason I mention this, you’ve taken some really cool pictures with this new camera that you’re using, and it was sort of a disappointment to me to see you switch to this new camera after you’ve been using the Canon Digital Rebel for so long. Right after I get my Digital Rebel, you show up with this little — was it a Ricoh, is that how you say it?

Gruber: Right, a Ricoh — actually, I’m not 100 percent sure if it’s R[i]coh or R[ai]coh, I don’t know. I think it’s R[i]coh, I always say R[i]coh.

Benjamin: “Ricoh” like “vista”.

Gruber: Right. Ricoh GR Digital.

Benjamin: And it does an awesome job, and I’ll see one of these pictures, and I’m new to the digital SLR world, you’ve given me a lot of great advice about — you and James Duncan Davidson and a couple of other people guided me on lens purchases and stuff. So as soon as I go out, I get the camera, I get a couple cool lenses, now in my mind I’m thinking, okay, how do I take that kind of picture. So I’ll look at the picture, I’ll click the “More settings”, and I’ll learn, oh, this is the kind of lens he used, this is what the aperture was. And now you’re walking around with this Ricoh camera, which is irrelevant to what I’m doing. What’s up with that?

Gruber: Well, it’s a point-and-shoot, so the difference is that I can put it in my pocket as opposed to an SLR. But Ricoh is a Japanese company, I don’t know, are there any camera companies that aren’t Japanese? But they don’t really have a North American presence, they don’t officially have any kind of North American retail presence because they sort of see the North American market as being obsessed with things like how many megapixels and what length the zoom is on the lens, you know, people just go into Best Buy and pick the camera with the most megapixels and most zoom in the lens.

Benjamin: Didn’t you order this one from overseas too?

Gruber: Well, I didn’t get it overseas, I got it from a place called Popflash, which is a camera reseller. I guess they call themselves a camera broker where they sell cameras that aren’t officially sold in North America. There’s another place called Adorama in New York that sells the Ricoh GR or other Ricoh cameras. But the thing with the Ricoh, and people are always so surprised when they hear it, it’s $600, it’s a $600 point-and-shoot.

Benjamin: That’s essentially almost the same price as getting a Digital Rebel XTi body.

Gruber: Right, pretty much. And they say, well, how much zoom does it have? And the answer is none, it’s just a fixed length, 28 mm lens. And people are like, “Well, why would you spend $600 on a camera that doesn’t even have a zoom?” And it’s like, because a non-zoom, a prime lens has better... [a phone rings loudly] What the hell is that? Jesus.

Benjamin: That’s my iPhone. [laughs] Hold on.

Gruber: [laughs]

Benjamin: [on the phone] Hello?

Gruber: Patch ’em in!

Benjamin: [on the phone] What time do you guys close?

Gruber: Ask them if they want to sponsor a podcast.

Benjamin: [on the phone] All right, I’ll be there, thank you. [to Gruber] Hey, John, my glasses are ready.

Gruber: Excellent.

Benjamin: My new glasses. I’m very excited. All right, please continue with what you were saying. I’m not going to edit that out. No editing.

Gruber: Oh, why would you want to edit that.

Benjamin: Did you hear that ring? See, that’s one of the things I like about the iPhone, yeah, you can’t use any sound that you want for your ringer, but you can pick a really cool sound that will not only go through the entire house and be heard anywhere but would scare the crap out of you in the process.

Gruber: You use the old-fashioned phone ringer. I’ve kept mine on Marimba. Because I want people to know I have an iPhone.

Benjamin: [laughs] Right.

Gruber: Hey, do you do the thing where you assign different people their own custom ringtones?

Benjamin: Can you do that on the iPhone?

Gruber: Yeah, you just go into contacts and assign a ringtone.

Benjamin: Oh, I’m going to do that now.

Gruber: Or maybe you go into ringtones and assign to contact. I think you do it by going into the ringtones and you can say “Assign to contact”.

Benjamin: I’m going to do that. I haven’t done that, but I will do, and I’ll assign Marimba to you. So, continue.

Gruber: But anyway, learning everything there is to know about photography is an enormous amount of work, and I certainly only know a very, very small amount of it. But it’s another instance of the 80/20 rule where you can learn the 80 percent of the basics, the fundamentals of photography very, very — it’s all very simple. You really can learn it very quickly, and then the other 20 percent will take you forever, and it requires, like, an encyclopedia.

Benjamin: So you’re saying, you can go and drop $600, get a 28 mm point-and-shoot from overseas, put it on a beer glass in a pitch black restaurant, and take some good pictures?

Gruber: Well, one of the advantages to a fixed, a prime lens, a lens that doesn’t zoom, is that typically it has better optical quality. It’s sharper, it gets better color saturation, and often it’s faster, faster meaning that it works with less light.

Benjamin: You can still take a decent picture inside without a full sun.

Gruber: Right. I almost never shoot with a flash. Even to the point where I end up not being able to even get an exposure.

Benjamin: You’d rather not take a picture at all as opposed to taking one of those deer-in-the-headlights, washed out, ghoulish-looking flash pictures?

Gruber: Right, because really to take a good-looking flash picture you need a real flash, an expensive external flash that gets mounted on top of the camera, and you need to know how to do things like bounce it off the ceiling.

Benjamin: When I was speaking at Rails conference, there were all these strobes going off, flashing all over the ceiling, and afterwards I asked Duncan about it and he’s like, “Yeah, yeah, that’s how I use the flash”, because he had this elaborate rig set up so that the flash never actually — it was always indirect light.

Gruber: So, like, Duncan with a very, very nice and very expensive equipment can take tremendously, just beautiful photographs that are actually lit by flash or partially lit by flash. But using the on-camera flash, even on an SLR, it’s almost always going to look bad. So I just try to do whatever I can not to. So resting the camera on something like a glass or resting it on the table, it’s just a way to keep — if there’s not enough light to take a long exposure, if the camera is going to — if you have to take a long exposure, if it’s going to be opened for a fifteenth of a second or a twentieth of a second, which is too long to hold the camera steady by hand, do something to stabilize the camera.

Benjamin: It was pretty weird. But it was neat, it was kind of neat. I mean, you looked really crazy when you were doing it, you’d look really suspicious when you were doing it. I mean, it’s all right, I’m just pointing that out.

Gruber: I don’t think it looks nearly as suspicious as if I tried doing it with an SLR-sized camera.

Benjamin: [laughs] Right. And for the record, you’ve given me a lot of advice about the lenses to get, and I have two of the same lenses that you have. A 50 mm one, a 28 mm, same two type lenses that you have. Another friend of mine has a 35 mm. I’ve seen his pictures, it’s taken some great pictures. Both of them are prime lenses, meaning they don’t zoom. And it’s great because in a way it forces you to rethink what you’re used to. Instead of just being able to zoom in on something or zoom back from something, you actually have to sometimes physically change your relationship to whatever you’re taking a picture of. So I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting where I’ll take a picture of something with a 50 mm then I’ll pop the other lens on without really changing where I am, and you’ll get a completely different kind of picture. It’s really cool. We could talk an entire show, I think, about just this.

Gruber: Here’s one simple, basic rule of thumb. And of course, there’s dozens of exceptions and there are scenarios where it doesn’t apply, but just as a basic rule of thumb for someone who’s learning to take pictures, just wants to take better pictures, is an amateur. The closer you are to what you’re trying to photograph, the better. So in terms of using a fixed lens, a prime lens that doesn’t have a zoom, you say, well, what if I want to make it bigger? Well, just get closer. And it’s almost always possible to get closer, especially if you’re shooting people. Obviously, if you’re at the zoo and you want to take a picture of a lion, yeah, there’s only so close you can get, and you want to have a nice long focal length lens, something with the zoom, or a 300 mm lens, or something like that. But for just shooting people in your house or shooting people you know and you go out to dinner or something like that, just get as close to them as you can to fill the frame with an interesting composition.

Benjamin: You sound good, John.

Gruber: Thanks. I got a new microphone.

Benjamin: What kind?

Gruber: Samson PS01.

Benjamin: All of our equipment is Samson stuff. Ira is responsible for that. He just sends stuff. “Oh, I got a new microphone, I’m going to send one out to you.”

Gruber: Yeah, I don’t understand how it happened, all of a sudden — I didn’t even ask for it, and he was nice enough to send me this as a sample.

Benjamin: You’ve got the USB one.

Gruber: Right.

Benjamin: And I’ve got one that — I don’t know all these terms, but it’s a regular microphone, and it plugs into a preamp, and I’ve got optical compression and all these boxes. Whereas yours is just plugged right into the USB port on your PowerBook. But it’s amazing how much better you sound. It’s a great mic that I actually started out — I did most of, maybe all but the last couple of Hivelogic podcasts with the mic that you’re using. It’s amazing how much better you sound through a good microphone.

Gruber: I don’t know what to say about that.

Benjamin: It’s true. You sound more like yourself. Like, when people —

Gruber: Dan, you’ve got to stop, you’re choking me up here.

Benjamin: Oh yeah. No, I mean, when people —

Gruber: Dan, stop.

Benjamin: — hear your voice. Just hear me out, when people hear your voice and you sound all tinny and crappy over your little crappy headset, people think it —

Gruber: [in a mock teary voice] Dan, this means so much to me.

Benjamin: Say what?

Gruber: This means so much to me.

Benjamin: Yeah, okay. I’ll edit that out. When they hear you over that little microphone, you sound so — everybody would email me and say, “Hey, Dan, new podcast sounds great, you sound great. WTF with Gruber?” Because the microphone was crap, you sounded like crap.

Gruber: Even on the first episode?

Benjamin: Especially.

Gruber: No, the second one was the one where I was recording on the PowerBook’s built-in mic. First one, I had a USB headset.

Benjamin: I don’t think there was a difference. I think they both sounded bad.

Gruber: Hm.

Benjamin: And people would literally write in and say, “He needs a new mic.”

Gruber: It’s like the podcasting equivalent of top-posting. Just poor form.

Benjamin: Using a bad mic.

Gruber: Right, right, right. It’s embarrassing. It’s like having dirt under your fingernails.

Benjamin: I was embarrassed. I’m embarrassed at the website now. But we’re going to get that fixed, we’re going to get that redesigned.

Gruber: We have top men on it right now.

Benjamin: Actually, we do. Actually, as of yesterday, the 11th, a new entity is in place on an issue.

Gruber: Top men. We get a lot of unsolicited suggestions.

Benjamin: Yeah we do.

Gruber: And that is very sweet and thank you to everybody who has sent in their own design suggestions for what it looks like. We definitely appreciate the sentiment.

Benjamin: We do.

Gruber: But top men are on the case. As for why it looks the way it does now, the question was do we wait until we have a good website to start recording and doing this show, or do we start recording.

Benjamin: Do we start recording or do we spend six months trying to make it look good, neither of us really being fantastic designers. So here’s the thing, we’ve got some interesting things from people. Like, more than one person I think has sent in music that we’re supposed to use, pictures, designs have come in. So it’s obvious to me that, number one, we obviously need some kind of a jingle, or an intro, or something.

Gruber: Nah, we don’t need a jingle.

Benjamin: We need a jingle, we need some kind of 1950s chewing gum jingle, I think.

Gruber: [laughs]

Benjamin: So if you want to send something in and it’s good — if you can get a barbershop quartet together and sing something, we will air that.

Gruber: We could definitely air the best submissions that people send in.

Benjamin: Yeah, send us stuff. Maybe that’s what we ought to do, we ought to say, if you have some ideas for a jingle, or music, or something — but don’t send us something that we could — if I can do it myself with my Casio keyboard in my basement, then don’t send it to me. If it’s genuinely good, if you play an instrument, or have an amazing voice, or something legitimate — send that. But if it’s something that I could do with a Casio keyboard, don’t send it. I don’t know how I could be more clear, John.

Gruber: All right. What’s your problem with Casio?

Benjamin: No, I like it, it’s good. Infinite time. So that’s it, we’ve got to wrap, we’ve already gone — you just messaged me “40m”. So I’m going to have to cut this again, but at least you didn’t curse. I just want to say for the record, why do people have to curse on their blogs? You curse on your blog, and now Craig Hockenberry who is, by the way, where has he been for the last 10 years on the blogosphere, because he’s awesome. Furbo, furbo.org, he now owes us for advertising, I think. But, amazing writing, he’s a great guy, he’s actually shorter than I am, which you would never know because he looks really tall in the pictures. But, amazing writer, really good writer. Now he’s cursing, now he has an adult blog, now I can’t link to it.

Gruber: But you link to me.

Benjamin: Well, I have no choice, I have to do something.

Gruber: Because we’re partners in the show.

Benjamin: You don’t realize when you start working with somebody, now all this crap you have to do to keep them as your friend. What’s the next show going to be about?

Gruber: I don’t know, we should do more on the camera stuff. I think we really gave it short shrift.

Benjamin: If we’re going to do that, we need to get Duncan on the show though.

Gruber: Yeah, that’s what we should do.

Benjamin: He’s not going to come on the show, he’s too busy, he’s in Portland, he’s in San Francisco, he’s all over — but he would be — I had him on the Hivelogic podcast, but it was more of an interview. He should just come on here and just talk.

Gruber: You know what, I had a good idea for someone else we should get on the show. I’m not going to say names because I don’t want to put him on the spot, put all this pressure right on somebody —

Benjamin: Why not? Come on.

Gruber: You know, there’s a lot of people who listen to this show. You’ll know who I’m talking about. I haven’t said this to you, but I’m just going to say one word to you, “Newton”.

Benjamin: Oh yeah, of course.

Gruber: You know who I’m talking about. Now, we get him on this show, and we’ll talk Newton, we’ll talk iPhone, we’ll talk about — and you know what the problem is going to be with getting him on the show. The problem is that he’s Canadian.

Benjamin: Oh, that’s right. I don’t know if we should have him on the show.

Gruber: I mean, that’s just...

Benjamin: What kind of show would we become if we had him on the show?

Gruber: Right. But we’ll see, maybe we can make it work. I think that’s what we should shoot for next week.

Benjamin: Will he need a passport in order to be on the show?

Gruber: I don’t know. I really don’t.

Benjamin: We’ll have to see. I don’t want it to be an interview, I want him and Duncan, anybody else we have — not an interview, it’s like they’re guests, they show up, they sit down in the studio, they talk. That’s it.

Gruber: Right, exactly.

Benjamin: I don’t want it to be anything like an interview. It’s not Larry King.

Gruber: No.

Benjamin: Well, then that’s it.

Gruber: All right, see you.

Benjamin: We’re done.

#John Gruber #Dan Benjamin

[thran-duils]

Beauty, Reputation, and Wealth (Part 2)

Title: I Do Own You Pairing: Reader/AU!Castiel, Reader/OOC Summary: AU Castiel is part of the mob but also endowed with magic (based off of Grisha by Leigh Bardugo. So y’all, he still has his “grace”!). The reader is employed in a brothel and of course, his favorite. But, she starts to develop feelings for another… Words: 4,115 Warnings: Language, smut Author’s Note: If you want to be tagged, let me know! I’m using my regular Castiel tags but I can add to it! :)

Part 1 || Part 3 || Masterpost  || Fanfic masterpost

Oliver’s waistcoat was tailored perfectly to him, showing off his wealth. He kept it well hidden under a scummy coat he wore whenever he visited the Barrel though knowing fine clothes made him a target for a thief.

When he had walked into the parlor, it was midday or around then. There were rarely any visitors then and none of you ladies had even begun to prepare yourselves for the night. Usually men wouldn’t be allowed in to begin with at this time of day, but there were a special few who were allowed by Calista and the guards. Ones that they knew wouldn’t start trouble. Oliver was one of them.

Sam had let him by without any trouble at all. Oliver had always been kind to Sam – as well as the rest of the staff – and you guessed Sam had developed a friendly relationship with Oliver. Sam himself had run away from his family and come to the city. Something he somewhat shared with Oliver who didn’t feel a strong attachment to his family either.

Strolling into the room in front of Oliver, Sam’s eyes landed on you and he walked over. “Fancy a visit?” he asked you under his breath, trying to be inconspicuous. Although he knew you would more than likely say yes, he always liked to make sure, respecting your privacy as well as the other ladies employed there. He had a soft spot for all of you.

You nodded, “Of course.”

With a curt nod, Sam turned on his heel and walked around Oliver, leaving the room. Some of the girls were watching the pair of you while trying to remain inconspicuous. They were all interested in a man who came during the day rather than at night.

You knew the risk Oliver posed to himself by doing so considering his family’s wealth and status.

But he didn’t seem to care about that. Oliver smiled, grasping your hand. “Are you free?”

“For what?” you questioned, giving him a flirtatious smile.

Oliver shrugged, “A walk. Outside West Stave. The Lid perhaps?”

Almost blurting out a yes, you sat up in your seat. The idea of going out with him – in public – was a tempting offer. You rarely traveled outside the Barrel and cherished the times you were able to. But then you remembered what you were wearing: an indigo Lorena skirt and a black overbust corset. Your legs and arms exposed were not proper for going out of the Barrel, which was full of brothels, criminals, and others not held to quite high society standards.

You shrugged sheepishly before commenting to Oliver, “I suppose I should put something on to better block out the breeze from the harbor.”

As always, Oliver was a gentlemen, picking up on your subtle mention of your inappropriate attire. “If you wish. It is not too chilly outside, I do not think a jacket is required. But, whatever makes you comfortable. I will wait in the parlor,” Oliver informed you.

When you got upstairs, you opened your closet and bit your bottom lip. All of your clothing was, in majority, fit for your life here. What society would consider proper attire wasn’t in high demand in this place where you lived. You knew you had something though. You had bought an outfit for specific purposes such as this and it was in the back of your closet.

Pulling out your grey walking skirt and white Darlington blouse, you smiled to yourself. The fabric looked brand new, considering you had not had many opportunities to wear it. You snatched out your black, velvet belt as well to add a little more flair to the outfit and also to outline your figure without being too overt about it.

Donning your black lace gloves, you checked your hair once more before moving to leave your room. You grabbed your parasol on the way out of your room, colored black to match any outfit you were wearing.

Oliver grabbed his walking stick from beside the chair and met you when you entered the parlor again.

You noticed Calista watching the pair of you from the corner of the room. She looked wary as she always did when her girls were leaving the building without one of her own guards. You called out, “Don’t fret, Calista. Mr. Petrov has his Derringer. Hidden well but easily accessible in an emergency.” You looked at Oliver, a wide smile on your face. “Don’t you, dear?”

“Of course,” Oliver responded, giving an encouraging nod at Calista.

You also knew that Oliver’s walking stick was used for fashion as well as a weapon if need be. The handle detached, exposing the sharp dagger attached.

Calista smiled tightly. “Perhaps you should invest in a pistol, Mr. Petrov.”

Oliver didn’t take insult to this. He merely bowed his head towards her slightly. “I will keep her safe, Miss. I promise.”

<> <> <>

The cobblestones had been freshly redone by the pier and you admired the handiwork as you walked. Oliver had been making small talk, asking you about yourself, as he always did. You tried to ask him questions about himself as well but he would give you short answers and defer back to you. He did not like speaking about his father and even more so his mother, who he had once told you while intoxicated was quite cruel to his younger siblings. “Keeping up the façade of a loving, wealthy family,” he had rambled to you as you took him up the stairs to get him away from prying eyes. Most were as inebriated as him at that point but you hadn’t wanted to risk someone overhearing him for his sake. You did not know whether or not he remembered confiding that in you the next morning, so you did not bring it up again.

“A flower for the lady?” a ragged looking salesman asked from a chair. He held a bouquet of roses in his hands.

Oliver considered for a moment and flipped a coin into the man’s hand. “Yes, of course.” The coni was worth more than the man had wanted to be sure and you could tell when his eyes lit up seeing the coin. “Just that one there,” Oliver added, pointing at one on the outside of the bunch. It was still fairly closed and had time yet to bloom.

The man handed it over and thanked Oliver profusely for his generosity. Oliver looped his arm in yours once again, handing you the rose.

“That could get you robbed,” you mentioned to him as the pair of you continued your way down the pier.

“What?” Oliver inquired.

Nodding your head back at the man with the roses, you explained, “Giving away that much money for a rose.”

Oliver looked caught, a sheepish smile on his face. He nodded in agreement, “That it could. Good point, Y/N.” He paused and then added, “But, I figured it was worth it. Both for you and also for the man who looked down on his luck. You can’t always hide.”

This made you smile warmly at him. He was kind. It was one of the things you liked about him.

Suddenly Oliver looked shifty and you furrowed your brow when you noticed. “Oliver?”

This caught his attention and he looked over at you, noticing your expression. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, speaking of riches made me think of something.”

You ventured. “What of?”

“The man you were with the other night,” Oliver started to say. You inhaled deeply, knowing this was going to come up eventually. You had prepared yourself and were ready for his questions. Oliver looked hesitant as he pressed on, “I recognized him. He is one of the Bratva is he not?” The Bratva did business with Oliver’s father every once in a while you knew. His father’s record was definitely not squeaky clean. You nodded in confirmation. “He is also Grisha.”

Again, you nodded. You smiled in passing at a man, Erik, who owned a shop you visited frequently for sweets and other treats. He gave you a tight lipped smile, leaning on the wall near a window of his shop, smoking a cigarette. You had tried to tell him that that was going to kill him someday. At least he never smoked around his product, knowing that it would taint his products.

Turning your attention back to Oliver, you said quietly looking ahead, “It is why I ask you to only come on certain days. He does get jealous and likes his time with me. His temper and his… power are something I keep in mind.”

“Are you frightened of him?” Oliver asked you, the question surprising you.

Laughing a little, you responded, “No. He does not frighten me.”

“He’s married, is he not?” Oliver asked quietly.

Your words caught in your throat at the mention of Castiel’s wife. Just a couple of nights ago, you had been irritated at the thought of her and it wasn’t any different now. Swallowing sharply, you answered, “Yes, he is.” You forced yourself to throw a smile at Oliver, “And many of the men who visit our establishment are.”

Oliver’s voice was quiet, so quiet you barely heard him. “I’m not.”

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling you felt at him mentioning this, you replied airily, “I know you’re not, Oliver. Don’t be silly!”

The conversation hit a lull and the two of you walked in silence. The noise of the dock kept the surroundings alive, filling the quiet between the two of you. Seagulls called overhead, ropes creaked keeping ships in place, men shouted at each other while loading up or unloading, and the bustle of the crowd around the pair of you moved swiftly. You didn’t know where Oliver had been going with his last statement but you were going to let it rest for now. It was better for him to not speak of marriage with someone of your situation , no matter his intentions.

“Are you hungry?” Oliver asked interrupting your thoughts. You nodded and he smiled, “It’s on me then.”

You could tell that’s not where he wanted the conversation to end. But, like you, he knew it was best left alone for now.

<> <> <>

A few nights later, you sat on the chair in front of your vanity, pushing your hair over your shoulders. You were draped in your slate and accented pink rose colored Cassandra dressing gown. It was frivolous but you loved being in it. It made you feel more wealthy than you actually were. Calista forbid any of you girls who owned one to wear it outside of your rooms. Wearing an extravagant dressing gown was her trademark downstairs when mingling with customers and possible business ventures. It made her stand out from the girls who were wearing corsets, skirts, and other lingerie.

It was late and you were taking your earrings off in front of your mirror on your vanity when you heard a sharp knock at the door. Frowning you placed your earrings down in your jewelry box before turning around in your seat. You made to get up but your door opened before you could do so. Whoever was coming in felt like they did not have to wait for your response.

Castiel walked into the room, looking a little unsteady. Your heart skipped a beat, as it always did, when you saw him. His eyes landed on you before he kicked his foot back, closing the door a little harder than you were sure he meant to. He looked determined his eyes roaming you.

He must have taken his jacket off downstairs for on the top, he was only in his crimson, cavalier vest and white dress shirt. “What is with the robe?” he asked you, sauntering over towards you.

“I was getting ready for bed.”

“It is only midnight,” Castiel responded, reaching you. He reached out, playing with a string of your hair.

You nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes. It’s late. Most people have gone off home or gone to bed.”

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His eyes lit up at the mention of going to bed. Castiel leaned down, pushing his lips to yours. Your back hit up against the vanity as he attacked your mouth with his own. You felt his hand at your ear, holding your face as his tongue begged for entrance. You granted him it and his tongue swirled around your own. The kiss was hungry and desperate.

“I am here to go to bed,” Castiel breathed heavily in between kisses.

His hand dropped and he pulled himself away, his eyes running down your body. He looked pleased seeing you were already naked underneath your robe. Dragging his hand down to the ribbon on your robe, he untied it quickly. He pushed it off your shoulders and brought you towards him, letting it fall off your body.

Your breasts caught his attention and his fingers brushed across your hardening nipples as he grinned down at you. He walked backwards to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, leaving you standing.

Castiel grabbed the back of your neck roughly, shoving you down roughly to your knees in between his legs.

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You looked up at him, your face centimeters from the arousal prominent in his trousers. Playing his game, you gave him a sensual smile before reaching your tongue out and running it over his length through his pants. Castiel threw his head back, letting out a groan, his hand tightening up in your hair. You reached up unbuttoning his trousers. He let go of your hair to allow you to undress him on his bottom half, tossing his boots and bottoms aside.

As soon as you had finished he stood up from the bed. You made to put your hands on his hips, reading to pleasure him but he stopped you, grasping onto one of your wrists, stopping your movement in the air.

“Get on the bed.”

Frowning to yourself slightly, you hid your confusion well from him. Instead of asking questions, you did as he asked, pushing yourself up and crawled onto the bed, facing him. You pulled your hair over one of your shoulders, playing with it as he unbuttoned his vest and undershirt.

Castiel closed the space between the two of you, his hand reaching out and running down your face, cupping your jaw affectionately. There was something swimming behind his eyes. He had taken something downstairs but you had not smelled or tasted alcohol on his breath. It must have been a drug of some sort. They were abundant here.

He looked on at you with a – dare you say – loving look in his eye and you reached up, touching his hand softly, staring back at him. His thumb traced over your lips and you gave it a soft kiss, sucking it in softly.

This seemed to light his fire again. His hand fell quickly and he resumed removing his clothes.

Undoing his tie, Castiel loomed over you. Grasping your wrists he began looping the tie around them and then gave you a tug. “Up,” he commanded you. You immediately knew what he was going to do and you followed his order. When you were at the head of the bed, he tied the other end of the tie around the metal headboard of the bed. There were butterflies in your stomach. He did this from time to time, wanting to be in complete control and take you roughly. He yanked on the end of the tie, tightening the knot. He had left a bit of length in between you and the headboard, which struck you as odd, but you went with it.

When he was assured it was tight enough, he threw off his vest and dress shirt onto the ground next to his trousers. He climbed onto the bed, positioning himself over you.

Moving down, he laid wet kisses on your jawline and neck. He merely breathed on your breasts. Your nipples were already hard and his hot breath sent a shiver through you. He ignored them on purpose beyond that to tease you, choosing instead to trace his hand down your abdomen and in between your thighs.

His fingers dipped into your sex, rubbing you softly. You looked at him, searching his face. He was intently watching your pussy move around his fingers as he thrusted them slowly in and out. You desperately wanted him to increase his movements. You pushed your hips up slightly, trying to get his fingers to go deeper.

Castiel stopped mid movement, his fingers inside you. He turned his head to look at you, a slightly vexed look in his eyes and you bit your lip immediately, trying to look innocent. You had let your desire get the better of you and you knew he was in a mood. He wanted to control the speed at which tonight went when he was in these types of moods and you had challenged him, small as the challenge had been.

“You want it harder, angel?” he asked you in an even voice.

Part of you wanted to answer no and part wanted to answer yes. Each answer had its own benefits and consequences depending on which way Castiel decided to lean with his action.

You’d already gone this far in pushing him. What was a little more?

“Yes,” you replied timidly.

Castiel studied you for a moment before you felt his thumb move up, brushing your clit. Your breath hitched as he began to circle it slowly, his fingers beginning to move in and out again. Your eyes closed against the sensation.

Suddenly, his speed began increasing. Strangled gasps left your throat as he began fingering you with fervor. It was almost too much, too fast. Your breath was coming out in short gasps and moans, your sex wetting Castiel’s fingers.

“Mhm… please…” you got out. Castiel ignored you, continuing his focus on fingering your pussy. “Castiel, please!” you tried again, just as breathless as before. You thought he was going to ignore you again when a few seconds went by but he met your eyes, his hand leaving your dripping sex.

His mouth was on yours again as he leaned over you. He left bruising kisses along your jawline, nipping every so often. His hand snaked underneath your back, pulling you up towards him a bit, holding you close as he resumed his passionate embrace with you.

Castiel exhaled sharply before flipping you onto your stomach, – explaining the extra length to allow for him to do this without hurting your wrists. Castiel ran his hands up your ass and your back, a pleased noise leaving his mouth. He loved touching you. You felt his cock brush your ass as he leaned down, rutting against you as he pressed his skin to yours. He kissed your shoulder and giving it a light bite and you keened, moving your head to look at him.

He reached up, his fingers running along your lips before he pushed them against your lips. You let them in and you sucked on them slowly, keeping eye contact with him. His eyes were hooded with lust watching you run your tongue over his fingers and suck them back into your mouth. He groaned before pulling them out and grasping your chin, pulling you towards him. He planted a rough kiss on your lips before pushing away from you.

Gripping your hips, he yanked them up into the air before entering you with a swift thrust. You were at his mercy more than ever as he began to pound into you mercilessly.

Tears stung your eyes at the intensity of it. On one time, his cock felt amazing, heat pooling in your core and increasing quickly. But at the same time, it was painful considering your inability to adjust your position.

Castiel’s thrusts subsided and you could hear his heavy breathing over the roar in your ears finally. He slowed his pace, grunting. He needed a few moments before he could resume fucking you as hard as he had been. Reaching down underneath you, he circled your clit.

You knew he did not need to do this considering his heartrending power of controlling bodies, specifically organs. He had toyed with this before, playing with your heart and muscles. The orgasm had been intense, almost to the point it had hurt. From time to time, he would perform his skills again but more often than not, he liked to bring you to a finish without his power.

You pushed back on him, whimpering in pleasure wanting more stimulation. You heard a soft chuckle behind you. It pleased him to witness you coming undone in front of him. And you gladly would do it over and over again for him too.

His voice was low and gravely, “You like getting pounded, angel?”

“Yes, sir,” you gasped out as he increased his pressure on your nub.

“You look so delectable, baby,” he husked, his hand on your hip tightening as he let out a more powerful thrust. You bit your bottom lip, as he increased his speed, although not up to the same intensity he had been before.

Breathlessly, you told him, “I love feeling you fuck me. Use me like you own me!”

Something flashed across Castiel’s face and he swooped down, gripping you underneath the chin. Against your ear, he breathed, “I do own you, doll.” You shivered at his statement, practically melting in his hand. “Don’t ever forget it,” he added, his lips brushing your ear.

The warmth you had felt against your cheek was gone in a second and you let out a raspy breath, trying to clear your thoughts. He knew how to play you like a fiddle.

Adjusting, Castiel’s hand was on your back, pushing you down as his other hand gripped your hip to give him better control. He mused from behind you, “My little fuck doll. Let me show you how much I own you” before he slammed back in at the same brutal pace as he had been before. Your body jolted with his movements, the pleasure amplifying for you without reprieve.

He was hitting your g spot with precision and continuously. You mewled loudly, trying to free your hands from your bond to be able to get better grounding. But it was no use. You relented to lay there and just drown in him pounding into you from behind.

The heat pooling erupted in you and you cried out, crying his name. Your pussy clenched around him and you felt his fingers dig into your hips, no doubt feeling the increase in tightness.

“Say it again!” Castiel demanded over the roar in your ears.

You gasped out, still shaking from your orgasm, “Castiel!”

Castiel slammed into one final time before you felt him release, shouting as he came in hot spurts. He collapsed onto the bed next to you after a few moments, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He swallowed still trying to catch his breath, his eyes closed.

Watching him for a few seconds, you waited for him to reach over and release you. When a few moments had passed, you moved a little, shaking the headboard a bit to get it to make a little noise.

Castiel’s eyes opened and he looked over at you. You were giving him a pleading look.

“You mean you don’t want to stay there all night and think about all the fun you just had?” he taunted.

“I would like to think about it but I would rather do it curled up in your arms,” you replied smartly.

Smirking a bit, Castiel reached up and untied the tie from the headboard and removed it from your wrists before tossing it on the ground towards where his pile of clothes should be. You moved into his arms and he informed you, “I must leave soon.” Your face fell and he noticed. Sighing, he chided you, “Don’t look at me like that. I need to get home before sunrise.”

Shifting, you gave him an innocent look and tried, “There are hours before sunrise.”

Castiel said nothing and you stayed quiet as well, waiting for him to make a decision. Finally, he sighed, adjusting himself further into the bed, pulling the blankets around the pair of you. You smiled to yourself, knowing you had won. You snuggled down into his arms, inhaling his musk. His skin was still shiny from the sweat caused from your romp, as was yours. But there were few places you would rather be than there in that moment.

~~~

Castiel Tags: @peppercorn-bingbong, @splendidcas, @klaineaholic, @letsthedogpackandthecats, @alexastacio, @winchesterforever12 @seirensou

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