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neverpathia · 5 months ago

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"come, quench my boredom," oh, I sure will:

How about some Thorn for the character list game? >:]

FIE! HAVE AT YOU. HAVE AT YOU ALL.

I'm probably not gonna be getting at these as fast as I'd like. Clearly I had a lot to say about Para but at least he's out of the way, and now Thorn...Damn you, Everest Gale. Damn you. (I have gotten my vengeance with the Paranoid ask on you, though. My time had come.) /lh

[checks who's up next] OH COME ON BROKEN TOO?? MY THREE FAVOURITES IN THAT ORDER???

With that said. This one's probably going to be a little bit short because I've thrown out all my energy on that Paranoid post + analysis lol. Sorry, my beautiful creature plant wife, you deserve so much better.

favourite thing about them

I rummage through every facet of her character and I...don't pull my hands out from the drawer, because it's that hard to choose.

But if I really do have to pick, I'd probably go for her character development and what it represents. The Thorn, as a chapter, tells you that things don't have to end at hurt. That there's always hope, even after you act and react, and act and react, and act and react again. That pain isn't the end. That the cycle doesn't have to keep moving, because it can always be halted. That it's never too late to let go and start anew.

And that doesn't mean that the pain was insignificant, because yes, it's always been there. Inflicted, passed on, released outward, turned inward. If dismissed away, it could grow and remain forever. But it could also be dispelled, and one could finally heal.

I'll also point out that she's absolutely adorable, pretty as all hell, and just smoking hot. Because she's the fucking Thorn. And the sheer symbolism—the way the roots of the wild sprout anew and morph into prickles, contorting around herself when she directs her pain inward. The way she finally sees her poppies for the first time when you both let her recover. I'll be fucking sick.

least favourite thing about them

A single crow glides across this part of the post, idly dropping a single white splatter before fluttering away with three wing-flaps. Nothing to see here, carry on.

(I'm very lax when it comes to others' Thorn characterization, because I never really get her character right myself. But it doesn't bother me too much because I rarely post Princess content anyway. And I do think I'm improving with her writing.)

favourite line

"I'm so tired of the bad blood between us. But it's hard to let it go. You've hurt me. ... And I've hurt you."

I think this just encapsulates so much about her arc. She doesn't want this horrible cycle to keep happening anymore. And she's just as accountable as you are. But at the same time, that doesn't mean she's not reluctant. It's all she's ever known at this point, and it certainly doesn't help that the grievances between you still exist either way.

She's not letting her guard down so easily, not here and certainly never as the Witch. But she wants to try. It's hard, but she's already so resigned. And she does want it to stop.

Also she sounds so tired here and it's kind of hot but you can still hear the guilt, the grief, the single sliver of hope...Thorn I really do love you. Thorn, I love you Thorn. Marry me Thorn. Thorn-

brOTP

Thorn and Cage. They're the two most prominent princesses in my post-construct AU (alongside HEA and Razor. sorry Cheated) and they're definitely close as all hell. Both of them get how it is to be trapped in a hopeless cycle, and how it is to break it.

They're like a cat and an office lady. Thorn spontaneously finds stuff in the woods and brings, say, a dead rat to Cage's doorstep for the sake of friendship. Cage dangles a chain over Thorn's head and she gleefully swipes at it.

Thorn twirls around in a flower field as Cage sits in place and smiles, weaving stems into a flower crown. Then Thorn slides onto her stomach beside her, observing as she playfully kicks the dirt. She's a very whimsical lass.

And let's not forget the scars. Cage is always there for the sudden aches and pains, and she's always there to soothe them with some salve and bandage them with meticulous precision. As for Cage's disembodied head...Thorn did try to seal it back together with a few slivers of plant stem, but it never holds for very long. Not for lack of trying, though. They're always best friends.

Thorn is so whimsical and Cage is so stoically silly and oh my god yes. Just yes. And they're both pretty women.

otp

Cheated x Thorn. I've gone over this before but holy shit I love them. They're the ship I've probably drawn the most? I'm pretty sure. I'm definitely not projecting onto Cheated. Don't look at my current account theme.

But either way I really love them together. Just a couple of flawed, faulty people who have been hurt and chosen to hurt in turn. And yet they're changing. And yet they're recovering. They can't find much solace at all, but they're learning to find peace and sometimes that's enough. The little moments they share are few and far between but so very cute and cathartic and- squealing.

But Cheated isn't immune from Thorn's catlike, playful side either. She randomly paws softly on his coat for no reason. She sits cross-legged on his unfinished game of solitaire. And he actually isn't too mad about it, no matter what his lighthearted grumbling might suggest.

However, they both have trust issues and aren't prone to surprising each other that much. This is another one with horrible will-they-wont-they tension. Thorn eagerly brings him little gifts (some less necessary than others) and tells him she loves him so many times a day, but when it comes to actual physical affection...it takes her a lot of courage. But then she kisses him. And then he, flustered beyond all hell, completely short-circuits.

It's a bit like sunshine x grumpy, although it's also chaos x chaos. Both of them are unhinged. They match each others' freak.

nOTP

Mai (@/hello-universe-lovers) would be very disappointed in me. Dramatic drumroll: Oppythorn.

Well, this is a hundred percent attributed to how I write these fucks because, dramatic reveal: My Opportunist is gay. Achillean. MLM. Swings the other way. He's so fruity Disney-villain coded, so how could I not? (No hate to the gays, by the way. I have better gay voices.)

But my version of these two can't be left alone in a room without engaging in a silent dirty-look competition and shooting obscene gestures at each other (if Smitten is present) or devolving into a dishonourable brawl (if Smitten is absent.) He doesn't understand how Thorn's attempting to redeem herself. Thorn doesn't want to engage with him and return back to those dark times.

They hate each other, but they are mirrors. One retreating further into the dark, one letting herself reach for the light. Opportunist is everything that the Thorn wants to leave behind. They're like toxic exes to me.

random headcanon

If Witch is feral, Thorn is domesticated. She purrs when you give her back scritches. She randomly plops herself down on your table for no reason. She finds boxes and wordlessly declares them her new home. And she does not like baths (though she's willing to sit through it if she trusts you enough. And after a while, she begrudgingly appreciates how the water soothes her scars.)

Just because she's perfectly capable of sitting down with you over a cup of tea and holding a conversation, doesn't make her any less of a chaotic little creature.

At the same time, she desperately tries to be kind anytime she can. She bombards the people she likes (especially Cheated) with gifts and favours. She tries to use kind words, but sometimes she hesitates for too long trying to find the nicest thing to say. She's still trying to grapple with the notion that conversations aren't battlegrounds. No more scheming and plotting. Just words. Just people.

I also like to think that her control over the thorns is actually pretty high. As in epic-anime-fight-scene level high. Thing is, in-game she's too dejected and tired to actually excise any control over them by the time you see her, so she just sits there helplessly in this prison of her own making. She sealed herself in there. She didn't even know if she deserved to escape, and she certainly didn't think so. God. Love you.

unpopular opinion

I'll just echo what everyone else says. She's not just a softie; she still has her claws. People need to remember that she stemmed specifically from Witch.

We need more creature Thorn content.

Maybe she's deliberately trying to be more civilised and get rid of her cat-like mannerisms. Perhaps she gets a little bit embarrassed when she's caught engaging in kitty stuff, and quickly corrects herself. Or maybe she just doesn't care. Being a scrunkly little creature doesn't have to interfere with rehab, right?

song that reminds me of her

For some inexplicable reason, Sweater Weather reminds me of her. Maybe it's the voice, I don't know.

Love Like You and I'll Call You Mine also strike me as pretty Thorn-coded, though I'm frankly not that good at picking out songs for characters.

favourite image

Oh I am so glad you asked because-

LOOOOOOOOOK AT HER SHE'S SO PRECIOUS AND THOSE EYES THOSE DOWNCAST EYES THE SHEER GRIEF AND REMORSE AND THE WAY SHE'S STILL CLUTCHING AT THE KNIFE DESPITE IT ALL AND- dead.

Special mention goes to these, though.

Godddd she looks so cute and defiant in the last two, and so small, and so vulnerable, and so adorable, and so-

Yeah. I think I'll leave it here as I proceed to scream to myself about her. Just her.

#slay the princess #stp #stp princess #the thorn

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phosphorus-noodles · 2 years ago

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Hi everyone!!

Lots of people asked for the pattern I used for my Joel and Lizzie dolls, but due to my mental unwellness, my "pattern" was actually a chaotic blend of multiple patterns, as well as my own spontaneity.

Nonetheless, I am going to attempt to explain the method to my madness in this post! (Fair warning, it will get long.)

(If you actually want to try to recreate this please PLEASE reach out to me!!! I can go into way more detail and do diagrams and whatnot if you really wanna see the full idea!!!)

I'm gonna do my best to divide this up into sections based on how I made them, but because I modified a lot of things and Joel and Lizzie are clearly not the same, it may get a little muddled along the way, but here goes!

The Bodies

First thing's first, this is the link to the tutorial I used for the basic body shape. Super great video, easy to understand, fantastic starting point for any doll!! :D

For Joel, I followed the tutorial pretty exactly, minus that middle seam for a belt. I changed colors for the boots, pants, and coat and kept all the measurements the same.

For Lizzie, I modified her pattern to be a little bit bigger bc haha funny tall wife. On parts of the pattern where the stitch count stayed the same, I added a few more rows to make them longer. I added 4 rows to the legs, 3 rows to the chest, and two rows to the arms.

Like this!

listen I had to visualize it somehow-

I also did a gradient for Lizzie's arms/legs/tail! Here is the video I used to figure out how to do it (I don't have the measurements for where I changed colors I'm sorry I'm goofy </3)

Also, here is a link to a post where I half-heartedly liveblogged the early stages of making them. You can kinda get a rough idea of where I changed colors for different parts of their outfits, etc. but I only got two steps, really- oops.

The Clothes

Now, this is the part where I documented virtually nothing, but honestly, it still turned out just fine!

For Joel, I made boot and sleeve cuffs by just single crocheting a chain to fit around his arm/leg and adding a couple of sc (single crochet) rows. Then I sewed the ends together with a long yarn tail, used thinner gold yarn to add some detailing (look up backstitching! it works really well!!), and sewed the edges on.

His coat ends were made in the same way, but bigger, and instead of sewing the edges fully together, I only connected the top stitches when I was attaching it. And because I'm a messy sewer, I easily hid the seam with a black sc-chain belt :)

The gold details of his coat is also a sc-chain just sewed on. The edges at the bottom... were sorta a sc-hemming type deal-? I don't know, I winged it and I don't like how it turned out </3

The shoulder pads I actually can tell you! It's 5 sc in a magic circle, sc around, and then I picot stitched around in each stitch. Then I tied off a long tail and sewed it onto the top of the arms before I attached them. The badge/flower is the same pattern, but without the sc round in between the mc and the picots.

The sash was a little wonky doing it as a full loop the whole time, so it was basically a long rectangle and when I was attaching the ends together I did it under the shoulder things so it wouldn't be bulky and ugly on top. I think it's decently easy to understand from the pictures in the original post, but if not lmk! (if any of this is coming across at all then bless you tbh.)

The collar is just two rectangles I sewed side by side, they don't continue to the back at all bc they were ugly /lh

And this is the tutorial I used for the crown! I threaded a little piece of green yarn through to make the jewel and tied a knot in the back :)

For Lizzie, I literally made the skirt up as I went along, but it was roughly based on this video. I started with a sc chain to get the right size, then made it a rectangle for a couple of rows (maybe like four?) before joining it together. (That way, I could make the skirt separately and still be able to get it back on her when I was done without being too tight!)

At some point, I picked a stitch as my "center point" and started going back and forth from about that point instead of completing the full circle, doing half double crochets close to it, then double crochets, then triple crochets, then back to dc and hdc as I got close to it again. I think I did about 6-8 for each stitch type section? The GOAL was to make the skirt's hem asymmetrical, which worked, but it's hard to explain bc I literally made it up.

Then I made another sc chain for the belt thing after I attached it :)

The top detailing is also a sc chain, but with some joined yarn above the arms for extra color. There's also bits of yarn that are supposed to be straps, but you can't really see them in any of the pictures, so that's optional rip.

For the frilly hem, I joined the yarn at the "center point" and basically just worked around the whole hem repeating (1 dc, 2dc inc) to make it all wavy and fun!

The Hair

The pattern I based the hair off of was from this kpop star doll that I was originally going to base my entire Joel doll off of.

The difference is I changed the lengths of the strands (I did it based off looks, so all of them are slightly different in length to look more natural) and also color changed the very front few strands of Joel's hair to be green. I also put two strands in a few of the back stitches instead of just one so they completely covered the back of the head (so there are 15-16 strands instead of 14.)

To attach the hair, I used pins to mark out where I wanted to place each strand. Here's a quick progress shot I sent to my friends:

Now, I wasn't smart, and used long pieces of thread from tying off the "hair mop" to sew all the strands onto the head individually. It took forever and make it kinda messy in the back because of weird overlapping. If I could redo it now, I'd use fabric glue or something to glue each strand so it lays flat, although if you don't have it or want to avoid the potential mess, sewing it does in fact work just fine.

Extra Bits (mostly for Lizzie)

Lizzie's tail is more or less the same as her arm, but it starts thinner and goes for longer at the end. For the frilly edge, I remember using a crochet beta fish fin design, but I can't for the life of me find it in my history now?? But it was essentially joining the yarn a few stitches from the point and crocheting (hdc, dc 2x, tr, dc 2x, hdc, dc 2x, tr) and mirroring it on the other side so it looked like this:

Here's a closer view of both the tail and the skirt's hem.

Lizzie's fins were made by making a magic circle, chaining 4 and sc-ing back, and slip stitching back into the circle three times to make the three points. Then I joined onto one point with the lighter color and sc-ed along to the other point to make it more detailed.

Here's a cursed image I sent to my friends of bald Lizzie and her fins.

Lizzie's space buns were a fever dream to me because I made them at 1 am, but I did something that looks similar to this puff stitch flower with only three "petals." I attached it to the head and then used a short chain of another color to add some color and detail.

Here's a view of a bun from the top.

---

I think that's just about it! If I missed anything or want to know how I did something better, please please PLEASE reach out to me!!

I'd love to go into more depth on things, but I predict this post will top off at 5 notes so I don't really want to spend hours explaining something that'll go completely unseen /lh

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this little insight into the inner workings of my brain! Feel free to share and tag me in anything if you decide to try to do this yourself.

Cheers!! <3

#WOO I DID IT.#hope you enjoy this it took forever AHSJDSA #pho.posts #pho.doodles #<- bc it's from my project haha #when i eventually make a dl pearl i'll document it better so you can see it in action haha #empiresblr #empires smp #esmp s1 #smallishbeans #joel smallishbeans #ldshadowlady #lizzie ldshadowlady #jizzie #crochet #amigurumi #amigurumi doll #pho.crochets

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kirchefuchs · 2 years ago

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so @an-t-hiho (previously known as @/ann-aha) and I have been screaming at each other in our dms discussing a few things abt lmk

and we have both agreed that there should be an AU where Wukong doesn't completely Screw Things Up between he and Macaque and they both end up tormenting being mentors to MK

(forgive me for not knowing/maybe not remembering a ton of things abt Wukong's past bUT I heard from somewhere that in JTTW the Tang guy from the past completely tortures him with that crown thing?? hoping to use that as some sort of motivation but uhhhh hEY I do not know a lot abt JTTW so um. ahem. unless if you have some spare knowledge to give us, we're just gonna make stuff up as Ant and I hyperfixate about this soon-to-be AU we're planning on making)

bUT. but. but. we have plans™. and it's not just me this time who's thinking of these ideas (but it'll definitely just be me raising your inbox cuz Ant's still too nervous to do that) cuz now he and I are in the same fandoms for once in. like. uh. (checks calendar) ...a few months–

SO. I might send an ask again regarding our ACTUAL ideas (aaaand maybe Ant will reblog and/or add smthn a few hours after?? not too sure but knowing him he just might) AND you're gonna deal with it again /lh /silly

(I also might post about it. maybe. probably won't but just. mmmmmmaybe I dunno actually shdhdh OKAY BYEE)

(this also may or may not have been inspired by that one piece of fanart with P!Wukong saying smthn along the lines of "Do you really think you mean so little to me that I'd just kill you just like that?" and P!Macaque saying smthn in return like "You didn't exactly make it difficult for me to think that way," but, yk, I'll probably find it again–)

— 🅰️non CH🅰️Y || Oct. 20 2023

This ended up so much longer than I anticipated ( ﾟAﾟ )

Okay okay okay I need to explain a lil thing real quick. Tang Sanzang (Tripitaka) did not torture Wukong, at least not intentionally. There was a really good post about it somewhere on here, but I cant seem to find it so I'll explain what I can.

First off, Tripitaka was the main character of the story, and while he had some flaws (ex: listening to Bajie too much), he was a good man, and would never want to torture any of his deciples, no matter how annoying they'd get. He's a Buddhist monk afterall, there's a whole no violence thing.

The golden circlet/crown was given to Tripitaka by Guanyin to act as a way to punish Wukong for things he does wrong. Think about it for a moment. Remember, Wukong was just released from under a mountain after terrorizing the entire celestial realm, becoming 7 times immortal (I think it was that many), fighting all the celestial armies, peeing on Buddah's hand. After being released, Wukong promptly killed a tiger and skinned it so he could use the skin as clothes.

SO YEAH, obviously Tripitaka would take her up on a crown that would give the monkey really bad headaches!!! (Reciting a specific scripture I forgot makes the crown shrink, but it doesn't kill Wukong because he's very super immortal).

Now the thing is, yes, he did use the spell on Wukong multiple times when Wukong had done nothing wrong, but a lot of those were because Bajie told him Wukong did something wrong, or he just didn't have all the facts. Now, I haven't read the Journey to the West either, and most of my knowledge comes from the Overly Sarcastic Productions videos summarizing the story (which you should watch, btw), so I dont have all the facts, nor do I have a perfect knowledge of the parts of the story I do know, however I am confident that Tripitaka did not intentionally tourture or abuse Wukong. I mean, Wukong cut off his own head once for fun, so idk what else to say, my guy.

Do I think that using the migrane spell is the most moral thing to do? No. Was the spell the only way to get Wukong to cooperate? At the very start, very possibly yes. Later? I'mnot sure. Is Tripitaka a bad guy for using it as much as he does? No, he didn't know better. Are the Wukong girlies wayyy to obsessed with angst? Yes, so very much. I fear for them.

It was not the point of the story for Tripitaka to be abusive. The story was meant to be symbolic. Each of the pilgrims symbolized a part of a person. Tripitaka was the heart, Wukong the mind, Zhu Bajie the body, Bai Longma the will, and Sha Wujing the emotions. (There are some lovely people on this hellsite who can explain the symbolism better than me, so you can go look into that if it interests you.)

All in all, every one of the pilgrims were pretty stupid (affectionate) in their own ways, and I hate seeing people hate on Tripitaka soecifically when the story is so ridiculous a lot of the time. I just love these silly little guys, and I think we need to remember that they are very silly. Tripitaka never meant to be cruel to Wukong just as in lmk Wukong and Macaque never meant to be cruel to each other in their past. All these idiots are pretty bad at communicating, and Tripitaka is incredibly socially awkward. Man doesn't know how friends work.

I just think we should cut him some slack for the mistakes he made. Yall forgave Wukong for all his chaos and bloodshed, so I think it'd just be fair to forgive Tripitaka for not really comprehending having hurt Wukong.

Anyways, I'll shut up now. I'm excited to hear the ramblings of you two nerds ♡♡♡♡

#jttw #lmk #lego monkie kid #journey to the west #tang sanzang #tripitaka #lmk tripitaka #monkey king #sun wukong #kirche rambles #ask #🅰️non

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pennkquest · 1 year ago

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Was in a particularly musical mood the other night and had Noderum Records on my mind. I started musing over what I'd consider each speaker's "signature" song, so I present those thoughts!

Signature Song of Noderum Records Speakers

[Kordelia]

This song is especially fitting for some of her earlier audios, but I've always loved this song for Kordelia. She hides a lot of her emotions, usually for the sake of not drawing attention to herself. She doesn't enjoy the thought of masking it as anything else, even if it feels like people will leave her for being authentic.

[Dominique]

Not gonna lie, a lot of Dominique's playlist has this vibe of music, and I think that's incredibly fitting for them. This song encompasses that complex space their relationship with Sweetness exists in. Clear chemistry but blurred lines/boundaries.

[Romeo]

For those who have heard his confession audio, this song is fully in reference to that. That plus the general proximity to sun imagery makes this the perfect song for someone like Romeo.

[Solstice]

Fun fact: Came very close to choosing Dynasties and Dystopias from Arcane. But I think this better represents Sol's internal desires and motivations as a cupid. She is a being who sees love in everything and enjoys being able to witness it, even if she hasn't had much experience herself.

[Eritus]

This song went into Eri's playlist the first day I ever heard it. Y'all don't know all the ins and outs of Eri's backstory just yet, but let me tell you: This song right here? Embodies everything I adore and associate with him /pos

[Nova]

I can't even articulate the reaction I have whenever I hear this song. It always comes back to Nova. For reasons that I cannot full share. Just know it is angsty and it hurts and it's what I associate with Nova more than anything. /lh

[Jessalyn]

To anyone who knows this song: Of course it would be Jessalyn's signature song. Everything she does screams this song. Like let's be so real here— It's also no coincidence that she has Price of Perfection in her playlist as well.

[Emerson]

Settling on a song for Emerson was tough, but I think this one comes to mind first when I think about them. I associate them with academia a lot and the overall vibes of this song feels reflective of them.

[Valora]

This song was one of the first I added to Val's playlist, and the line of thinking was "This is a vibe and also definitely fits her specific style of anxiety at times". It fits even more given the recent developments with her as a Crown, and I can't help but think it's her signature song. (Denim Jacket by Sammy Rae & The Friends was a close runner-up though)

[Harley]

What better song than something that sums up the playful intimacy that Harley and Gorgeous share? Tell me this isn't their song. I'll wait. /lh

Part 2 of this post will be going up shortly!

#Noderum Records #PK Rambles #I like chit chatting what can I say? /lh #Fun fact: Mycah isn't on the list because I legit cannot think of how I'd make a playlist for them /lh #And Sol's playlist is the only one that's not publicly available!#For reasons <33 /lh

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jinkicake · 2 years ago

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HSHDHSHD HI AGAIN I JUST SAW UR CHILDE AND SCARAMOUCHE ARRANGE MARRIAGE POST AND I GO SJGNFNFNFNDNNFNDNG THE WAY U WRITE ARRANGE MARRIAGE TROPES>>>>>>/lh UR WRITTING IS SO GOOD!! I ALWAYS COMEBACK AND RE READ IT EVERYTIME AND I JUST REALIZED U ALSO WRITE FOR OBEY ME?! AND UR WRITING IS THE FIRST FEW ONES I'VE READ AFTER I JOIN THE OM FANDOM TOO?!👀💖💐

Ps. Would u mind if I request a 2nd part for the arrange marriage aus for the first fews chars (esp. Perrio👀) if nit they it's fine <33 thx u for creating such an amazing content!!💖💖

Forced / Arranged Marriage Trope

(pt. ??) Alhaitham, Dottore, Pierro, Zhongli x Reader

fem!reader bc I like the use of ‘wife’

A/N: hi anon!! thank you for being so patient w me and for being so sweet </333 T T i hope you like this~~ if you want me to do part2 for anyone else let me know!! I only did it for zhongli and pierro teehee bc i also wanted to add alhaitham and dottore (i hope that is alright~~)

WC - 3.2k

- yandere!dottore // dottore is his own warning -

NSFW // LIGHT SMUT (pierro+zhongli)

~~~

Alhaitham

“I will be home after sundown, habibti." Alhaitham places a gentle hand on your shoulder after he stands up from his chair at the dining room table. He lowers his head with a slight dip of his neck to place a kiss on the crown of your hair. “Be good today.”

And then he is gone.

Months have passed since your husband began staying late after work. You don’t understand it in the slightest, he hates doing unnecessary tasks. The entire time you’ve known him, courting and beyond, Alhaitham has always spared time in his day for his interests. One day, he even told you that his favorite part of each day was settling down to read. He likes to live a carefree and relaxed lifestyle, so staying late in the Akademiya seems like the complete opposite of that.

Regardless, you bear the weight of your suspicions and ignore it.

You focus on being the docile wife you were advertised as and focus on your housework. In truth, your arranged marriage could not have gone any better. Despite your parents parading you around, you somehow found the most laid-back candidate who suited your needs to a t. Every night you thank the Lesser Lord Kusanali for such a kind husband, who lets you come and go as you please. You would have probably hired a hit on your parents, as opposed to never speaking with them again, if they married you away to a cruel man.

However, housework only keeps you busy for so long and before you know it, it is ten am and you have finished everything that you wanted to do for the day. You could go bother your husband’s old roommate or have a meal with your friend but, you notice that Alhaitham left his lunch today. The neatly prepared and packed lunch is still sitting on the counter where you left it. He must have forgotten to grab it.

With ignorance only Alhaitham could have installed in you, a result of keeping you in the dark for so long, you head toward the Akademiya. However, you regret it once you speak with his co-workers.

“Alhaitham is not here today.”

“Your husband? He didn’t come in this morning,”

“I heard he was heading to Port Ormos after speaking with the Gauhar.”

Through your dejection, you braced a kind smile and thanked them all before heading back home. What could your husband possibly be going to the port for? He’s not a student anymore, there’s no reason for him to be going there.

Unless someone else is there.

You stubbornly try to shake that negative thought out of your head as you walk through the marketplace. As if Alhaitham would commit something of adultery, he doesn’t show interest in anything or anyone.

Perhaps, you will have to speak about this with him when he returns home.

Returning home that night was not something Alhaitham did. In fact, he did not return back to you for two nights and only appeared on the third morning of his disappearance.

To say that you were upset would be an understatement and your husband was able to see it the second he walks in through the door.

“(Y/N), I know I have been gone-”

“Where have you been?” You don’t give him the chance to begin with the sorry apologies as you cross your arms over your chest, you get straight to the point.

“It was for the Akademiya, I cannot discuss the matters with you and you know this.” He sounds sincere enough, there’s a tiredness to his words that you can’t pinpoint. “I wanted to check in with you before I returned.”

“Check in with me?” You scoff and start to look at him as if he had grown three heads. “Check in with me before returning to your mistress?”

“My mistress?” Alhaitham raises a subtle brow and keeps a straight face despite the amusement growing in his chest.

“Why else have you been gone so long? Staying out so late? I’m not a fool and personally, I don’t care about who else you see.” You lie straight through your teeth, lie until you choke. Alhaitham sighs before stepping closer toward you.

“I really cannot share the details of this assignment just yet, you have to believe me, habibti.” He gently cups your shoulders, giving the area a soft squeeze before soothingly running over the planes of your back. “Listen to me when I say that I would never think of betraying you so cruelly.” And, before you have a chance to react, Alhaitham lowers his face to brush his lips against your ear. Vulnerability spills through his every word. “Please do not act so indifferent about the matter of us, I want you to care as freely about me as I do you.”

Smoothly, his hand cups your face and tilts you his way.

“No matter what thoughts you may come up with on your own, trust the logic that I love you.”

Dottore

“The Doctor will return from his mission sometime next week, perhaps during the beginning of the new moon-”

During the message personally delivered from your husband by a trusted subordinate, you can’t help but audibly groan.

“Why must he ruin my entire week with his presence? Did he specifically plan to return on Monday? Why couldn’t he have come back the following Saturday or Sunday?” You place your pen down with great irritation and with it, the notebook you were writing in slams shut. The large Fatui soldier stares down at you, quite flabbergasted by your actions. At the lack of response from your maids, he continues.

“Well, The Doctor wanted to spend some time with you before his next mission-”

“You’re kidding?” This time, you stand up and slam your palms against the strong wooden desk. Hatred and frustration flow through your veins, nearly choking you by your throat. “When you receive word that he is on his way, within a day away from me, then you will come back here and tell me. Understand?” You and your shorter frame could not nearly pose up to the Vanguard standing before you but, given the status of your esteemed husband, you can speak with him and any other solider of your choice however you want.

“Yes, my lady.” He offers a respectful bow before leaving your office and does not flinch under the intensity of your unwavering glare.

“My day is ruined.” You hum and try to calm yourself down by rolling out your shoulders. Within an instant your close friends (the maids assigned to you by your beloved) are by your side, offering you their condolences and support. “We must prepare for the torture that his arrival is ensured to bring. Where are my earplugs?”

Each day that follows, you work alongside other members of the house to prepare the cozy home that your husband chooses to reside in. Cozy is a cute way of describing it, this castle that hides within the mountains is anything but cozy. It’s large and empty but, you rather enjoy all the empty space that provides shelter when you’re hiding from your husband.

In the midst of your breakfast later in the week, you’re interrupted by another announcement.

“My lady, The Doctor will arrive-”

“What do you want?” You scowl and push your plate away, lowering your utensils before standing up from your chair. Now, just like your week and the ones that follow, your meal is ruined too. “I do not care when that wretched vermin will arrive. Tell me when he is here and leave me alone.”

“That is the thing, my lady, he is here early.” As one of the Legionaries beside the previous Vanguard steps to the side, your husband moves in front of you. He stands tall on the other side of the long dining room table and you have half a mind to sprint for the door. “I did not have time to issue the previous warning you asked for.”

“Warning? Is that how you speak of me when I am not around?” Dottore tilts his head slightly before slowly walking around the table. You try not to shake as he corners you, hands braced behind his back. “Oh? Where has your attitude gone? Down the drain with your fight?”

He doesn’t have to remove his mask for you to see the sneer on his face, the anger that is sure to be littering his features.

“Dear,” You nervously greet him, offering a pathetic smile that does little to hide your nerves.

“Sweetheart,” He greets back just as gently but, you can see the tension in his shoulders. “I must confess that I was thinking we would spend time with one another before my next trip to Sumeru but, now I'm not so sure.”

But? You mentally pray and pray to the Tsaritsa that he changes his mind and ditches you altogether, that he leaves you alone again for months on end. Anything would be better than facing his wrath.

“I don’t think we need to see one another for a while.” He waits for you to let out the breath you were holding in, to sigh in relief, before gripping your jaw with his gloved hand. “I think it would only be fair since you’ll now be coming with me to Sumeru. We can spend the entire trip together, side by side. Finally, you’ll be able to see my work up close and not just from your timid frame in the lab doorway.”

You can’t hide the way your lip begins to quiver, eyes filling with tears. That is the last thing you would ever want.

“Aren’t you excited, my wife? You must be since you’re near bursting into tears!” He mocks you until your soul breaks, until the farthest place you could ever be from him is no longer far enough. “If this is how you act when we are apart then, you will never be from my side ever again.”

Pierro

“You are a blessing,” Pierro murmurs lowly as his hands delicately sculpt your sides, gently he presses into your skin with his thick fingers. “a divine creation.” Like this, he worships you. His lips lightly trail between the valley of your breasts as he ascends up your body. “Hundreds of years have passed since I’ve felt this alive.”

Pierro slowly drags his lips up your throat and over your jaw to hover above your lips. His breath fans your chin, teasing you with his close proximity. He laughs when you tilt your chin in an attempt to kiss him, but it fails.

Regardless of how you care for your husband outside of your shared bedroom, you always love him inside of it.

“Please,” Your quiet voice sounds like a melody to the older man and he nearly sighs at the sweet tone. This is all he has ever desired, you wanting and yearning for him. He knows his words will never be enough to get this point across, ever.

With a light hand, the man brushes any lingering strands of your hair out of your face. He stares down at you with lust-filled eyes before cupping your jaw with his large palm. Subtly, Pierro tilts your face upward and meets your lips in a passionate kiss. As he presses his mouth against your own, applying just the correct amount of pressure, his thumb gently strokes your cheek. It’s a sweet kiss, one that leaves you breathless and wanting more.

Before he can catch himself and reel in his self-restraint, Pierro cups your breast. Your arms loop around his neck, digging your fingers into his broad shoulders as he fondles and squeezes at your chest. The constant stimulation only makes you greedier for more and your hips create a mind of their own as you roll slowly upwards against his pelvis.

“My wife,” Pierro groans, pulling away momentarily to catch his breath. His voice sounds shaky as he tries to fight back the overwhelming desire to just take you right now. “enough, before you make me do something I’ll regret.”

The first of the eleven Fatui harbingers thinks he has himself under control finally, that he will be able to continue but then you glance up at him. In your young eyes, mischief shines brighter than the life in his own.

“It’s alright if I don’t regret it, don’t you think?” And then you kiss him once more. You yank roughly on his neck, catching him off guard, and pull him down again.

The growl that leaves your husband is animalistic. His sharp reflexes snap at your wrist, pinning you effectively to the bed without much room to move. The kiss of his lips, once sweet, turns possessive and greedy as he presses you into submission. With little fight, you obediently fall right into his open palms with your lips parting at the slightest jut of his tongue.

Skillful hips roll against your own, Pierro’s hard cock grinds into your clothed cunt and the sensation against your sensitive clit makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. When you start failing to kiss back, Pierro makes his attack. He squeezes your wrists and shoves his tongue into your mouth, swallowing and taking all that you will give him. Your thighs are beginning to burn against the stretch of being spread for his muscular waist but, the pain is dulled over at each slot of his hips.

Your pitiful whimper pulls him from his conquest and Pierro remorsefully separates himself from your lips.

“I need you,” Your whisper does not fall deaf on his ears, Pierro hears every single word. No matter how much you make fun of the older man, poking at his true age, he’s sharpened every one of his skills beyond their years.

“I know, my beloved, I know what you need.” His hands make you sigh out loud as they run up and down your waist, breathy moans leave your lips. “Do you understand the affection that I hold for you? Are you aware of the effect you have on me?” Pierro closely watches your reaction, stares as you keep your eyes closed and don’t so much as flinch at his words. You simply hum and lay like a blessing against his sheets. Now, the older man lowers his lips to your stomach and presses his mouth into your skin. He gently creates a path to the band of your panties with each kiss getting heavier than the last.

“One day, you will understand the true extent of my feelings.”

Zhongli

Lately, you’ve been worried about your husband. Your concerns are nothing new or anything revolutionary but, you can’t speak about it to your friends or others who are unaware of his godly status. To deal with the matter, you sought out the one person you could discuss the matter with, one of the people who know him better than you do.

“I’m worried about Zhongli,” You sit patiently at the stone table, in your husband’s seat as you confess your inner feelings to the cloud retainer.

“Zhongli?” The bird rolls her eyes, tasting the name on her tongue before it clicks. “Morax. What is there to be concerned about? Foolish girl, he adores you.” The cloud retainer raises a judgmental brow at your timidness as she pours you a cup of tea. She sits down with an elegance that makes you feel small in her presence. Still, you proceed.

If any of the adeptus are going to listen to you, it’s her. If there is a single one that you can trust, it is her.

“Isn’t that the problem?” Truthfully, you have been worried about the upcoming and unforeseen future. You’re always worried about it. Not that you will disappear soon but, mortal lives are nothing compared to that of an adeptus. How will he fare when you pass? How can you prepare him for it? “What will happen to him when I inevitably-”

The aged bird cuts you off before you can even finish your sentence.

“Speaking of such circumstances when they are nowhere in the near future will only come back to bite you.” Cloud retainer quietly sips at her drink, leaving a few moments of silence between the two of you before she sighs. “Fully cherish the time you have with him, that is the only piece of advice I can offer you.”

And that is as far as you go with her on the matter, the conversation was over.

Still, in your heart, you weren’t satisfied with the answer.

It continued to bug you even as you tried to ignore it, even as you tried to cherish the time you have with the immortal.

“How are you today, my dear?” Every single day when he returns, Zhongli finds you and presses a delicate kiss on your cheek. It’s a kind gesture that always makes you melt into the palm of his hand.

It also, more often than not, always leads to something else. Something more intimate.

“Would you forgive me if I said that I missed you today,” Zhongli’s low voice fills your senses and clouds your mind, leaving you barely unable to think. Now pressed into the couch with your husband over top of you, protectively holding your thighs over his hips, all you can do is take everything that the god has to give you. “I’m often missing you when you are away.”

His pure confessions make your gut twist in an uncomfortable way.

“Will you be okay when I am no longer here?” You whisper, letting the words spill into his ears as you hide your face in his neck.

Zhongli stops his movements. The gentle, smooth thrusts of his hips come to a standstill as his hands lower from your thighs. He places a palm beside your head and pulls back enough that he can look at you.

“I will never be the same without you.” The raw emotion in his features and the distinct vulnerability in his eyes cause tears to well up in your eyes. “But, I will continue to live. Your memory will keep me alive until we can be reunited again.” His gentle touch comes up to wipe at your tears as his thumbs brush over your cheeks. “I don’t want you to be worried about that just yet, okay, my gem?”

Softly, Zhongli presses his lips against yours and it muffles the sob that leaves your lips.

You tighten the grip that you have on his biceps, digging your fingers into his skin as your lips open for his tongue.

“I love you, I will always love you forever.” He murmurs into your cheek before kissing over your eyelids. Smoothly, his hips pick up a slow pace once more and you gasp loudly. The sound makes your husband laugh, gently shaking as he presses his forehead against your own. “If I had my way, we would have met earlier and you would never part from my side.”

In every touch, he portrays how much he loves you. There is an ‘I love you’ in the press of his fingers against your hips. There is an ‘I love you’ in the skillful roll of your hips and there is an ‘I love you’ in the gentle kiss of his lips.

Yes, Zhongli is sure he will always love you. Even through grief and mourning, he will never forget the feeling of loving you.

#al haitam x reader #dottore x reader #pierro x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin x you #genshin x female reader #alhaitham x reader #dottore x y/n #pierro x y/n #zhongli x you #yandere dottore #alhaitham fluff #pierro smut #zhongli smut #xiaos spicy almond tofu

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silvereestars · 2 years ago

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My Interests!

Here’s a list of all the fandoms I’m in/was into! (WARNING: Very long post ahead! If you want to see what fandoms I’m w/o the reading, just look at the tags!)

EDIT: NEVERMIND, THE TAG LIMIT FOILED ME /GEN /LH I am SO sorry, but the last few fandoms got cut out from the tag list! You’ll have to scroll down to the bottom to see them-

Crowned: These fandoms are VERY near and dear to my heart- and I’m ALWAYS willing to talk about them!

The Legend of Zelda: This is the fandom that introduced me to the internet back in 2019 (I’m a late bloomer, I know- XDDD), and kickstarted me making theories and analyses!

Friday Night Funkin: Hate it or love it, you can’t deny there are some amazing individuals out there! And for you modders out there, this game is actually heavily moddable- and one mod in particular was what caused FNF to blow up in the first place! This is actually the fandom I’m hyper fixating on right now-

Favorites: While they aren’t as important to me as the “crowned” ones, they still managed to hold my attention for a month or so- and that’s something to admire, considering how hyper my brain is!

Animator Vs Animation: This is the fandom that introduced me to Tumblr and AO3 back in the late summer of 2021- don’t worry, @ann-aha, you’re not alone! XDDD

Oh, and I can’t talk about “AvA” without mentioning the rest of the stick figure community! Shout out to Henry Stickmin, Rock Hard Gladiators/Hyun’s Dojo, Hyun, and Gildedguy! :D

Genshin Impact: Contrary to popular opinion, this game isn’t just for “nerds” or people who can afford to splurge thousands of dollars- I managed to complete the current (back then!) storyline as a free-to-player! While I’m not in the fandom anymore, at least give this one a chance?

Undertale: Ah yes, the funny skeleton man fandom /j /lh But seriously, this fandom isn’t all “Sans Fangirls”- just search up animations and artwork! Or, better yet- search up a full play through of the game (I recommend this order for newcomers- Neutral, Pacifist, Genocide) and let the story and gameplay do the talking! ^^

Just Shapes and Beats: Exactly what it says on the tin. Pro tip- once you’ve seen the full story mode, go check out KofiKrumble!

Minecraft: Of course I’d be into this fandom at some point, everyone will! I’m not into DreamSMP (please don’t kill me I’m just not interested in stuff like server-wide wars), but I AM fond of Hermitcraft and Empires!

Normal: I don’t really think about these fandoms too often, but they deserve a mention!

Harry Potter

Voltron: Legendary Defender

My Hero Academia

The Owl House (hey, while this fandom isn’t one of my favorites, you bet I watched the finale and cried the whole time!)

Doki Doki Literature Club (somewhat- in my master post, I mentioned I hate horror, so I avoid gameplay and stick to tvtropes/summaries- sorry- ^^;)

Kipo & The Age of Wonderbeasts

Pokémon

How To Train Your Dragon

Marvel (The Avengers!)

Mario

Splatoon

Kirby

Subnautica

Trollhunters (and the rest of the Tales of Arcadia! I LOVED that series- except for Rise of The Titans. We don’t talk about Rise of The Titans. /gen /lh)

Carmen Sandiego

Amphibia

“The Big Three”: These were the fandoms I was into as a little kid, and inspired me to start making fan fiction & headcanons!

Kung Fu Panda: Oh my god, I loved this series- and a 4th movie’s coming in 2024!

Big Hero Six: This is the OG- the first fandom I EVER got into! :D

Wakfu: Yugo accidentally inspired an OC (no info- yet! Not unless I learn how to draw!), so it’d be a crime to not include this fandom!

Well, I think that’s all- for now! If you want to learn about favorite characters, theories, head canons and the like- just ask! :D

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seelestia · 2 years ago

Note

lia playing cupid? aaa this is so interesting!! typing this out at 12 am im prepared for a headache tmrw 😼🤝

so a few notable traits of mine.. empathetic, compassionate, creative, ambitious & conscientious!! my love languages are quality time and words of affirmation <3 my hobbies/interests are dance and writing ✍️ (😧 SHOCKER WHO KNEW THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN DANCE?!) and I am an INFJ 🙏✨💗

hope I did this right, I don’t participate in events so this is my first one 🤩💛 super happy to be here hehe!

thank you so much for choosing 1-800-SEELEETIA's speed matchmaking services! the keyword: dulcet is inserted (in a follow-up ask) . . . congratulations, your result is successfully unlocked! [ submissions are closed, event post. ]

lia's note: @yoizhi YONA BELOVED! it is my honor to have this silly event be your first >:D i pick up the crown and place it onto your head gently. (/lh)

「 YOUR MATCH IS . . . KAZUHA! 」

"To feel such peace wash over you like waves of the ocean just by looking at someone is truly a fascinating thing."

T'was a curious statement that earned the wandering ronin several odd glances from members of the Crux. They know very well of KAZUHA's fondness for uttering poetry off of his lips, but what they don't know is that the statement speaks of you.

Emotions come easily to you, so do they to him — but what are emotions if not such fickle little things? Empathy and compassion come at a cost; when you absorb emotions, you risk having trouble differentiating between your own emotions and that of others as if they were two lines blurring into one.

Not just that; conscientiousness and diligence also come at their own costs and seeing you push yourself is the least thing KAZUHA wants.

But when that happens, he will be your anchor to the ground. When you need soothing words to hear, he will give them to you in the form of poems, haikus, anything at all. When you need to go somewhere to cool off your head, he'll take your hand and lead you to a spot only he knows — and perhaps, when you two arrive there, this humble samurai shall offer you his hand and a dance.

KAZUHA's touch feels like feathers on your skin as he asks, "May I have this dance?"

「 RUNNER-UPS: Venti, Xiao. 」

#i cannot help but turn my cheesy mode on when it's for yona !! (/lh)#please accept my humble offering <33 #seelestia.1k

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vanityloves · 3 years ago

Note

Two things, my dear crowned Ruffian:

May i reblog your sketch art of you? I wanted to ask first :') if not i understand and just wanted to say I really admire your traditional art so much!! I'm always excited when other people post traditional art ✨💗!!

Secondly: I am recc'ing Shane and Harvey from Stardew Valley- Shane is kinda rough around the edges but really nice when you get to know him plus he loves chickens & Harvey is a very sweet older man (late 30s), a doctor, and loves making model airplanes and also want to say Eddie Brock is DEFINITELY Jude shaped 👀

Tex @tex-treasures

hi sunny @tex-treasures !

1. ofc, i dont mind at all! i shouldve specified in the tags that it was ok to rb /lh so thank you sm for asking :] ! i havent done traditional art in a hot min n i didnt think it was anything super special (/lh) but im so glad to hear its sumn you enjoy/like seeing :D

2. i think this is the 2nd or 3rd time someone recommend shane to me 😭 /NM NM NM /POS funny enough, i used to ship w/ him in 2018/19ish when my ex buddy and i would talk ab our ships together! hes definitely My Type tho,,, the whole Unshaven, Father figure with Mental Illness,, i love this recommendation bc yall know me so well, tysm 😭😔💗💕!

ive thought ab shipping w/ harvey before but id feel so bad bc he seems so nice and gentle while im all,,, grouchy shaky chihuahua JSJSJ but yknow me and doctors *stares at medic* id be flexing for him every check up or like hey...im just working,,, working hard so i can please you *plucks weeds faster, passes out in the mines, dives into the lake to escape a single bee, sets crops on fire*

bonus: heres some old old old sdv s/i art!

3. NOW THAT YOU BRING UP...EDDIE BROCK...another unshaven bozo for me. im glad hes Jude Adjacent tho i truly know nothing ab him if im being honest, i just like that fact that hes a Package Deal - i get him but i also get the scary dog privilege of Venom

#my style used to be closer to semi realism and i just ???#actually i think the right was dmx s/i art but i didnt like it. too plain.#i almost typed ven.mo instead help #ALSO I JUST READ SUMN AND ??? EDDIE GETS PREGANTÈ??? trans rights #to.m ha.rd.y....sexy tho. like ig the other versions of eddie are ok but 😔#ask reply #tex!!!#sunny!!!#AHH TYSM FOR THE RECC THO I FELT SO 🥺 WRITING EVEN IF ITS A GOOFY RESPONSE SHDHD

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fizzy-strawb-milk · 4 years ago

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Hello!

🍰 I'm Haven! However, if we don't know each other, please call ze Fathom! Welcome to zy art blog! 🍰

🍓 Here’s some minor information about ze, just so you know how to refer to ze and what you won’t be seeing on here! 🍓

» I use he/it pronouns, as well as cro/crown. «

» I am possibly neurodivergent, so I tend to use tone indicators a lot. I ask that you do the same for ze, and if you're not comfortable with tone tags, feel free to leave. «

» I have a few typing quirks, one of which is that I use an upside down question mark instead of a regular one. I also use a first person pronoun typing quirk (ze/zy/zyself). Please don't use those to refer to ze; it always just ends up being awkward -lh-. «

» I am a part of a system, some of zy sysmates might post here too, as we all enjoy art! «

» I will not be drawing anything NSFW, nor taking any NSFW requests. Please do not request characters who are minors in borderline NSFW situations (yes, this has happened before). «

» I am in quite a few fandoms, and I simp for a lot of characters, so expect some fanart on here lmao. «

» I do not hesitate to press the block button. I’d suggest that you not waste your time here, but it’s whatever. «

» This is an LGBTQIA+ safe space! No, the A does not stand for Ally (it stands for Ace, Aro, and Agender <3), bi and pan people are lovely, neopronouns/xenogenders are 100% valid, and trans and nonbinary rights all the way babey!!! «

🍰 Now that that’s out of the way, here are the tags I use! 🍰

#havensartistry - zy own personal art

#havensocs - art of zy OCs

#havenfanarts - fanart I’ve made for fandoms I’m in!

𝕆𝕤𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪

noun

1 a: drowsiness usually demonstrated by yawns b: dullness, sluggishness

2 : the act of gaping or yawning

Thank you for visiting zy blog! I hope you enjoy!

#artist introduction #artist #art #digital art #traditional art

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primojade · 3 years ago

Note

WAIT DO YOU WANNA DO A REVIEW ON MY ALBEDO- I main him and have triple crowned him 😋

also just got on my artist grind and did a pretty scaramouche 💪

Other than that how did you start your blog? Like did you start with writing oneshots? Headcannons? The CYOA?

-✨ annon

✨ anon come here to me...

UR MY BEST FRIEND NOW :DDDDD

EVERYONE WHO TRIPLE CROWN MY BEST BOY IS MY BEST FRIEND /lh and sureee!! I would like to see ur build on him cause im such a hopeless human being scurying the husk domain until now 😭😇 and no, I still haven't got any good four piece husk for him and gorou 💀💀 So i settled for 2 petra/2 husk for now 🗿 (not to mention this domain keeps giving me dps kokomi artifacts and i dont even have her 🥴🗿)

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE UR SCARA ART LEMME NOM IT LIKE—

ehhhh i just post the masterlist of the cyao at first and im surprise many people seems interested in it already dhshs so yeah. Then i posted my pinned too along with the prologue the next day! :D

#letters for jade—!#signed by: ✨ anon

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sussex-nature-lover · 4 years ago

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Thursday 18th February 2021

Robins, Robins and yet more Robins. Part 1

This photograph was taken late afternoon last week, when the light level was low both inside and out and was captured on my mobile phone - wouldn’t you know it, the camera battery was on charge, but hey, it’s better than nothing and I have enhanced it on the laptop to check that my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

Second pane down on the left, one Robin on the Tower ‘Italy’

Third pane down on the left, four Robins

Third pane down/second pane in three Robins - one is at the LHS rear of the hanging feeder set on the ground behind the seed tray

Third full pane down on our right, one Robin on the brow of the bank.

A total of nine Robins

Now, you might wonder why I’m highlighting this poor quality photo? but it’s only in the last couple of weeks that my nature Guru challenged me to capture three Robins within the same frame. I kept talking about how many Robins we were seeing and I was quite conscious that I probably sounded like rather a windup merchant, but as you can see, even if you discount the less visible bird by the hanging feeder on the ground, a count of eight in one shot is beyond amazing really.

I’ve also reported to Guru that there is very little evidence of any aggression, the House Sparrows are far and away more aggressive at the feeders and they’re well known to be sociable and tolerant of each other, even nesting very close together. You can buy Sparrow Terraces for nesting: now that IS close.

Example design

Sociable Sparrows feeding together

By contrast, Robins, known to be the ‘Gardener’s Friend’ who will even come and take mealworms or suet from your hand, are not so friendly with other Robins. Their pretty and distinctive red breast is actually, in the males at least, a tool for their breeding capability - in terms of desirability and attractiveness - and dominance. Males can be so aggressive that they have been known to fight to the death and the reason juvenile Robins mature without the customary red plumage, is to protect them from attack by older and stronger birds.

Juvenile Robins seen in August, note the speckled head and neck and the merest flush of red breast

Here’s one that was made earlier

Dominant birds, take the highest perches, sing the loudest and have the biggest and brightest breasts. It would seem they have all the tricks.

This tail bobbing is also a territorial gesture

Because we know all these things about Britain’s (probably) most loved garden bird, then it’s all the more curious why so many would tolerate each other within one garden. I have a vague theory that the garden is extensive, both front, sides and back, with lots of hospitable habitat and of course, we have the whole of the woods beyond. I reckoned that given we provide a generous amount of food, drinking water, bathing options and potential nest sites which aren’t in close proximity, then perhaps the Robins have relaxed somewhat and adopted a ‘room for everyone’ approach. Highly unusual obviously, but perhaps not impossible. Just for reference, the width of the patch at the beginning of this piece is approx 7′6″.

The other thing I noticed is that there appear to be two distinct types of Robin, with some overlapping between them.

Here’s an example of the type of bird we’re most familiar with

What I note is a slender and sleek profile, it’s a very recognisable silhouette; the extensive deep coloured face and breast travelling down to the belly, which is a light grey colour, just paler than the grey S shape from eye level between the breast and the wing.

There are three subspecies of Robin that concern us: the British Robin (ssp. melophilus), the Continental Robin (nominate subspecies rubecula) and the Russian Robin (ssp. tataricus). It is always vital in developing skill in identifying races to get to know the plumages and movement of the local form first.

Now quite obviously in severe weather birds can fluff out their feathers to trap air as a layer of insulation and puff out their body shape quite considerably, but during the past week when it was so cold here, there was still a distinction best evidenced by these birds below and that’s even giving leeway for the difference in angles and poses.

What you can see here is a smaller but much rounder, more compact bird and whether it’s here or there, I think this shape often has a shorter tail. It’s very evident from the side profile and behind. The breast is a lighter and brighter orangey colour and much less extensive and the underbelly is a snowy white. You can see far less and lighter grey and more soft brown plumage.

A selection of different Robins last week

I needed to do some reading up around the topic and found excellent notes from the late Martin Garner.

We must consider the time of year and the tones of the plumage:

Adult Robins have one complete post-breeding moult per year, so in Autumn birds are in fresh and darker fully saturated plumage.

Spring birds will have older, paler and more worn plumage.

Females average very slightly paler on the breast than males.

First-winters average a little paler on the breast and upperparts than adults.

Thus, while the differences are subtle, adult males in Autumn are the darkest, and second-calendar-year females in Spring are the palest.

Because of high mortality in the first year of life, a robin has an average life expectancy of 1.1 years; however, once past its first year it can expect to live longer and one robin has been recorded as reaching 19 years of age - Wikipedia

NB The Woodland Trust has a slightly more optimistic c2 years estimate

We also need to consider the age and maturity of the bird. It’s not always possible to tell, although again, Autumn with fresh plumage is the best time to try. I often fall to my own flight of fancy in saying a bird or animal has ‘a young look about it’

All ages can have pale thorn-shaped tips to the greater coverts - these are the contouring feathers which cover the base of the flight feathers. Tips on adults are smaller, slightly darker orange and less obvious.

On first-winters, the buff tips tend to be large and pale, almost a round-bottomed triangle on the middle and outer greater covets.

Adults also have more rounded tips to the tail feathers, which come to a tapered point on first-winters.

Of particular note is that first-winter females often have no blue-grey in the forecrown, which is usually present in other plumages.

I’m never going to remember all that and will find myself constantly referring back.

First Winter male bird judging by the buff tips and crown?

All of these Robins, except for the juveniles of course, have been photographed in my garden within the past two weeks and believe me, I have hundreds more photographs.

It’s lunch time now and this has rather gone on a bit, I haven’t even come to the Nature Watch second theory part either, so I will eat and reflect and make a part two to the big Robin mystery entry and post other photos that I haven’t used here. Look out for it tomorrow as it needs some thought to try and ensure I don’t tie myself up in knots.

In the meantime here is my current favourite Robin, purely because it’s exceptionally easy to identify. I’ve called it The Joker.

Others in the series are Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades.

You can’t mistake the pattern on that breast can you!

Conservation of the Robin

The biggest threat to Robins is prolonged, severe winter weather. During cold nights robins use up to 10% of their body weight to stay warm. If they are unable to replenish these fat reserves, it can be fatal. Providing food on bird tables during cold weather can make a big difference to their survival.

Did you know?

The Robin became the iconic bird of Christmas in the Victorian era, when postmen were nicknamed robins due to their red waistcoats. Robins began to appear on Christmas cards to represent the postmen who delivered them.

What Did I Learn Today?

The UK Robin population has increased by 45% since the 1970s and continues to rise. Hoorah! (Probably mostly in our back garden 😊)

NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN:

Lunch is actually brunch. A bake at home baguette warm from the oven, with grilled back bacon and fresh tomato slices. The tomatoes have been cooked with a little thyme and a spot of Balsamic vinegar for extra flavour.

#Robin RobinIDChallenge snow gardens naturephotography

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arc-17 · 7 years ago

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Ultimate Choices Fandom Questionnaire

Tagged by the totally awesome @seirhukastan , thank you so much!!

Ok so... here we go:

1. Which of your MCs would win The Hunger Games?

Hmm... if Kenna counts as a MC, she would hands down, otherwise, Endless Summer MC. They are the toughest, smartest, strongest MC, because they are made from the best of each of their friends.

2. Which MC is your favorite?

Endless Summer MC!

3. If only ONE LI was transported (from any book) into your life and be your real life partner, who would it be and why?

Oh... wow... um... it'd probably be Estela, or Eva. Or Ava, but I'm not sure they'd like me, I'm... not all that like their MCs. But the reason I like them is... they are genuine, there's no hidden agendas, no secret thoughts. (Once you get past their layers of self protection) What they say and do, is what they mean. And they don't hold back on their opinions, and dont care what others think of them. They also will move mountains for the ones they love, and I relate to that.

4. To which character do you relate the most?

That would be Sean and Liam, their devotion to their family, sense of responsibility, their bad habit of taking too much upon them selves and being their own worst critic. Also the fact that they will throw themselves headlong into helping others with no thought of their own safety.... and getting into trouble for it.

5. What was the first book you ever played?

The Crown and the Flame. I saw the ads before, those humorously terrible ads, but one of them showed scenes from TCATF and... I was interested enough to dowbload it.

And the rest, is history as they say.

6. Which book have you replayed the most times?

Endless Summer, those clues were elusive at times, that and making a choice and whatching your relationship points plummet are a good reason to start over. But also for the story.

7. Would you rather have Most Wanted 2 or Hero 2?

That is a HARD choice... but Hero 2 if just because it had so many tie-ins with Endless Summer that I could hope that they continued that and maybe we'd get more history of Vaanu, or see some of the characters again.

But MW2 would also have a chance of Jake McKenzie in it, I mean, why wouldn't he go visit his little sister now?

8. Did you like LoveHacks?

Do I like LoveHacks? Duuuuuuude I loved it. It was the first pure romance book I played and I loved it!

9. Did you like Rules of Engagement?

Haven't played it yet, so cant say.

10. Which MC (in your opinion) is the most beautiful? You can also post a picture so we can all admire them.

Oh... thats hard, but I lean towards my ES and #LH MCs.

11. Which female character (in your opinion) is the prettiest?

Oh.... wow... Kenna and Michelle are near the top, also Ava, her style just cant be beat! but.... beating them all for #1, is Estela, especially at the Handfasting.

12. Which male character (in your opinion) is the most handsome?

Sean. Sean Gayle. Damn he is sooooo dashing. Also Ben and Liam, any version.

13. Which character is the most intriguing?

That would be Jake McKenzie, no one character has caused so much discussion and polarised opinions as him. And he's got soooo many layers of personality and depth of character.

14. If you could befriend any one character from any book, who would it be and why?

Estela! But if not an LI then Sean again, I wanna be just like him. Also Dom, Criag and Mark. They are like, the perfect best friends.

15. Which MC has the best outfits?

Oh dagnamit... uh... I'd say TRR has got a killer awesome wardrobe. But ES has waaay more variety from armor to historical to sexy to preppy.

16. Into which book would you rather be transported and live the life of that book’s MC?

Part of me wants to say Endless Summer because... Estela. But that also means I ain't gonna live long. Soooo I'd say Perfect Match. Cause Hayden is just.... so perfect. Plus I love anything to do with robots and I hope she wouldn't mind me tinkering with her circuits 😇

17. List five characters that you dislike the most.

Rourke, love him as a villian, hate his guts.

Blaire Hall, you dont treat your angel of a daughter like that.

Azura, because of Leon, that... felt so good to watch Kenna finally beat her.

Lady Madeleine, ooooooh she riles me so much, especially the way she treats Penelope.

Also Hex from TCaTF, I... didn't recruit her, she went too far, I'm glad she eventually saw the errors of her ways but she needs to bear the weight of the lives she destroyed.

Woooot! Wow these were a blast to do! Thank you again for tagging me @seirhukastan !

Tagging:

@bloodravenheart @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @lacksubstance @spacetravels @zahranamazis @valentinagreaves @mrswalkerwrites @theclumsyscribbler @kathleen-kitty @banischoices @avengingalec @rebelrise @aleister-rourke @kennadavenportgayle

#playchoices #choices stories you play #tag games #choices fandom

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