liketwoswansinbalance

[liketwoswansinbalance]

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you go??

Another English-speaking country, probably. (England to be near the Globe or Stratford-upon-Avon? Hmm…) Not sure which since I haven’t thought it out fully and would need to research, but it would have to be something above the equator because I think I would suffer in a place with too much heat (or humidity, which, personally, I find disgusting, but that’s perhaps just because I dislike any type of stickiness, including fruit or candy with the quality of stickiness. No offense to anyone. I just think I would, for lack of being used to certain climates, be driven mad by, idk, sweating from being stationary and doing nothing if that is what happens? Occasionally, I can already feel that in my place on the globe).

If language were not a problem, maybe Spain (at least I’m kind of used to it already. I’m just not as adept with Spanish as with English, so that would put me at a disadvantage since I literally feel like my “currency” is language). Alternatively, Italy—except it would have to be somewhere not too hot, hopefully? Florence or Rome?

Indeed, “could” implies I’d spontaneously gain the ability to live somewhere, I think, which would include language? Hypothetically, I’d like to visit the Hermitage Museum in Russia (and see the cats), but would I want to live there? Honestly, I don’t know. It feels like a risk to pick. Another Slavic country? Possibly, but again, the dual problems of adjusting generally and language are still ever-present?

I’d like to visit Germany or Japan, for instance, but would I want to live there? Again, I’m doubtful.

As long as the architecture weren’t absolutely ugly, the place were not too hot, there were not a high crime rate, and other things were fathomably familiar, I think I’d be relatively content in a new place. (Except, what about new things to expose my immune system to over the long term? That’s unresolved.) Overall, I don’t have the urge to move at the moment.

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Hi! Don't know if you can see this, but half of those messages are from me regarding your potential Hunger Games Fic.

Wow, I'm shocked that I can actually answer this ask at all. I'd tried creating posts before, but this may actually work when I hit post. However, no, unfortunately, I can't see messages. I'll respond if my tumblr gets fixed though. (Too bad... I wanted to know what the messages were. I also cannot follow up on anything in the comments since tumblr won't let me comment.)

Actually, I'm going to use this post to say: I might answer asks I have then! I will just be unable to respond in other ways for the time being, so two-way conversations are currently not possible.

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Kiss Marry Kill:

Rafal Mistral

Skye Penderwick

Artemis Fowl

I think this must be the strangest ask I’ve ever gotten. It supersedes the old, that’s for certain. (You’ve dethroned the old strangest ask!) I was also stuck on it for a while because there are few “safe” options even available, and I can’t believe I’m actually going to answer this—

Kiss: Rafal

But perhaps the better option is Kill because he could kill me. I would consider Marry, but he’s unstable and I would feel too guilty if I had to commit war crimes for his love. However, I suppose he might appreciate my semi-recent Google search on “what happens if a person has their tongue cut off” enough to let me be.

Marry: Skye

I’m not attracted to girls, so we could get a divorce, and she canonically did not want to date anyone (including her would-be love interest) for the majority of the series. Thus, I think I would get out alive.

Kill: Artemis

Let’s face it: I would be killing Butler, not Artemis, and that’s assuming I could even fell Butler (difficulty level: near-impossible). Or, if it had to be just Artemis in combat, I’m quite sure we would just be taken to the hospital, unless it’s later chronologically and he has actually exercised. He is also ingenious enough to tamper with the universe/time in order to evade death, so maybe his death wouldn’t be final and I could trust that he would return and fix whatever reliant-upon-him scheme I messed up by killing him. I would love to outwit him, but I’m not sure I could.

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How do you feel about people constantly asking you personal questions?

Aha. Yet another personal question. Joined the other inquirers, have you, Anon? It certainly looks like you've joined their ranks. /j

Actual answer ->

Originally, I was mildly surprised to get any personal questions, but now they entertain me enough that I don't mind them at all (in the majority of cases)! I can decide how to respond after all. And, I could always choose not respond if I thoroughly don't like a question. Still, I wonder how it's been this long, how people still haven't run out of things to ask, or why they have actually kept it up... let's say, sometimes, I could be as intrigued by you as you might be by me because you ask. But it's ultimately (mostly) futile to try to figure out who the askers are.

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I really, really love this premise! I once had a similar thought (different/weak plot), but I love the leg injury/brace idea here in particular because it feels canon and the consequences actually are permanent. I think it practically is canon/parallel to canon, even if Fall results in only a limp for Rafal.

I also had a few thoughts, if you want to use any of them (I don't know if they would fit your plot, so feel free to ignore them!):

Rafal uses the cane to adjust student's posture/stances. (Maybe he hasn't touched anyone since his last dance partner, including Sophie for a long while?) He occasionally hits the students with his cane, but never hard enough to injure them. (Actual "evidence" to Agatha to hate him aside from just bad vibes.) Also uses it on the floor for the counts of the music.

(Is Agatha a dancer in this AU? What country is the school in?)

Another reason for Agatha to find him suspicious: He could wear sunglasses indoors because he's under fluorescents (in studios?) and gets stage lights beamed on him along with the students all day everyday, so he needs something to dampen the strain.

Third reason for Agatha to find him suspicious(?): He wears three-piece suits no matter the weather. Personally, I think conductor-like coattails would be cool. The slacks could cover the leg brace because he wouldn't want to be pitied or immediately recognized for the injury over his competence/reputation otherwise?

I think he would use reverse-psychology on students, or at least, say discouraging things, knowing they'll have the opposite (good) effects.

If his injury doesn't involve Rhian, maybe he could injure himself in a strangely selfless (out of character?) way, by taking the brunt of a fall while doing a lift with a dance partner. The partner is able to dance because he spared them by softening the landing. He is not. (Too bad this could not be Sophie, probably. I don't think it would work for this chronology.)

If he's young in order to settle the age gap, he could be a choreographer-in-training, if he doesn't qualify to be an instructor at his age. (If not for the injury, he could've been the youngest dancer to make Company. Thoughts? I just think he would try to show up Rhian in some way, and if not that way now (post-injury). Also, choreographers have the potential to gain fame as well and be highly sought after, perhaps for longer than a ballet dancer's short career.)

Despite being young, he could favor the baroque style of ballet over contemporary ballet. (Old tastes. Therefore, something to add to his mystique? Or Agatha's suspicions?)

Side note: the baroque style of music would've been from a time with no pianos (and no pedals on pianos to extend sound). So there would've been staccato and trills (flourishes) to mimic the sound of sustained notes which could not be produced at that time.

He still uses opera glasses. Sophie thinks they're worth something because they seem "older than vintage!" and wants to get the metal cleaned/burnished. He doesn't care about the tarnish. To him, they're solely functional. He has box seats. Perhaps... his favorite ballet is The Firebird. Except his favorite character is unironically Koschei the Deathless, the immortal, evil sorcerer. (I know the plot vaguely for one of these stories, but not all, so I may not be able to fill in many blanks if you'd like context.)

Okay, so hi, hi, hello. I got inspired with a photography channel on youtube who does ballet shorts, and while I'm still working on making Rhian as dragon-y as possible without making him an actual dragon, I've managed to put thoughts into words for a thing I've thought of for a while. So.

We're starting off Rafal-centric for once. Wow. Amazing. I can do things for characters that aren't Rhian and it's weird. But Rhian is here as an antagonist(?) maybe? Idk. Anyway. Rafal and Rhian were in ballet and then Rafal got injured somehow in a way that might have been Rhian's fault. Rafal retired because he had to, but still teaches. I am putting Rophie into this, yes, thank you for asking.

Rhian is out doing his thing. Rafal is teaching. I'm giving him a leg brace. Why? I don't know. I'd have to figure out what got injured and how, and I'm not doing that right now. I'm also giving him a cane that he only sometimes uses, and probably not as often as he should. Maybe he broke something? (Kaz Brekker is this you?) I don't know.

I'm leaning toward (a.k.a. the only idea I have) Rophie meeting in a lesson, but that brings up an age gap thing perhaps that I'm not sure that I want to touch. Immortal sorerer is one thing; modern life is an entirely different thing. But maybe also he's just her new trainer who is too young to be retired, (Ballet dancers retire in their mid to late 30s apparently) and is therefore mysterious. Then again, he might be famous so less mysterious and more handsome but grumpy. Agatha is vv suspicious of him. Fair, to be honest.

In case anyone was wondering about Rhian: he's just out there doing his dancing thing. Being celebrated by the media for being famous and openly gay (that's a thing that happens right? I think I've seen it happen.) while also framing whatever happened to Rafal as an accident that was totally not his fault.

And... I think that's all I've got for now. I know almost nothing of ballet, and this is mostly unresearched, so it's just plot bones. But plot bones are better than nothing.

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What's one thing your hilariously bad at??

The answer still might be dancing/accurate mimicry of physical instructions. Having a mirror to view myself in helps though.

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NOTE:

I will continue to be suspicious if anyone DMs me with only a greeting like "Hi"* and zero follow-up or with the fact that they supposedly "want to be my friend" because I've been getting spam of various kinds lately.

^ I'm tempted to say this is all "from now on," yet nothing has changed. I've just been getting a greater number of texts to delete and wanted to post something to dissuade people.

Please, if anyone decides to DM me, state why you have messaged or say anything else. I will not mind something utterly random! (<- This is intended to be pleasant/inviting. Apologies if it doesn't come off well.)

Yet, I will not respond if something strikes me as off or strange on instinct. That said, I usually will not block anyone, unless they say something inappropriate. No offense to anyone, but it's outright creepy (to me)** to say you want a relationship of any kind with a complete stranger.

*None of the above applies to That Person if you happen to be reading this. I'm sure you can already tell.) You know who you are, I imagine. Thanks in general. I assumed you did not want a tag. The thought of using one seemed awkward.

**If anyone thinks I ought to change my mind, tell me. I don't mind a difference of opinion and I'm curious to hear from anyone, but I might not be convinced.

If any of the above material is unclear, questions surrounding this post are also fine.

Once again, DMs are perfectly acceptable/welcome. Just think twice before soliciting/requesting anything.

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The prior scene with Elm trees and Stymph transporting Sophie and Agatha is such an amalgamation of Fertilization-Birth-Death. Elm tree's branches function as fallopian tubes to inject Agatha and Sophie upward, to fertilize the egg at the top of the tree. As they arrive at the top, the hatchling emerges from its shell and blanketing them with a “dark, yolky goo", to carry them to their representative school to be truly "birthed". However, double fertilization isn't a guaranteed. Resulting in Agatha getting "reborn" (Via School for Good) and Sophie's “death”. (Via School for Evil).

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Do you think anyone besides Sophie knows how to sew? (In clothes and/or medical settings if you want to include them. They are called stitches, after all.)

Callis: Definitely and most likely canon.

Evelyn: Perhaps.

Lady Gremlaine: Definitely. She would need to for her household position.

Guinevere: Yes, canon. She makes shirts for Lance, I think.

Merlin: Why not? He has time and learns a lot. Could’ve learnt from his hat?

Agatha: If she trained with Callis, yes? She could probably at least do practical mending if not Sophie-level creations.

Boobeshwar: Probably canon.

Tedros: Doubt it, but at Good, without servants, would he have needed to learn? Also doubt it, but possible.

Aric: For his own stitches. Not others’ likely.

Lady Lesso: Similar reasons. I feel as if she’d order clothes in a Sophie-like way and she is fashionable, but I’m not sure she would learn sewing as it is a bit Everish. Enough to tailor? Possibly.

Professor Dovey: Yes, even if only by magic use.

Rhian: Perhaps.

Kei: Perhaps and even more likely than Rhian.

Willam and Bogden: Would make sense if yes.

Gavaldon residents/most peasants: Certainly, to a degree.

Evergirls: Almost certainly, unless they outsource the work. It could be a curriculum point at Good. Princesses, even if they do not sew garments, could do other finer, more decorative needlework.

Rhian I: Probably not. Only by sorcery could be reasonable to expect.

Rafal: I think he’d have done stitches, never fabric.

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Rafal, what is your interaction with James like?

Rafal: This question does not apply. I’ve had no recent interaction with him, except as Fala.

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good evening i have a very very important question. with some engineering, japeth and aric are married on my tomodachi life island (basically a game a bit like the sims but with miis (in case you didnt know) and are having a child tomorrow or the day after (no i do not know how). I have literally no name ideas and such am asking around for ideas (preferably joke ones). any suggestions are very welcome. thank you very much

Congratulations to the “happy” “couple.” I’d like to see pictures of the child if you don’t mind. You know, this must be the strangest ask I’ve ever gotten! What a feat! (Also, which of them is the “mother?”)

Potential name ideas (mostly edgy because I wouldn’t expect anything less from the parents):

Knife

Blade

Machete

Bludgeon (“Bludgeon of Blood Brook” doesn’t sound that bad actually? Haha.)

Mace

Staunch

Clot (“Clotpole” as a nickname. Plus a reference to BBC’s Merlin.)

Haemorrhage (Can’t take this one too seriously but “Hage” is a passable nickname. “Hage the Mage?”)

Sacrilege

Mordred or Medraut (Because of Japeth’s ties to Camelot. Bad idea probably. Don’t know what would possess him.)

Scythe

Iode (Like Iodine. For the vibes/color, idk.)

Psycho #3 (And baby makes three!—like the nursery rhyme.)

A. J. (Aric Japeth. I’m sure they’re narcissistic enough. Better yet(?) A. J. R.)

Viper

Scorpion

Venom

The Antichrist

Spawn

Larvae

Future Evil Overlord of the Woods

Manichaean (Ironic?)

Ryan (To snub Rhian.)

Spite

Brimstone

Bloodstone

Venous

Bubonic

Mars/Ares

Clarion

Klaxon

Banshee

Blitzkrieg (I don’t think the concept exists in the Woods, but why not?!)

L’Apocalypse d’Angers

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Comfort item??

I don’t currently have one.

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James, how did you feel when Rafal had tears in his eyes telling you that you were his only friend, and now that he says you’re “dead”?

Note: I've been allowing some misinterpretation of the last ask because it amused me. Originally, when I answered, I decided to chronologically set Rafal's answer during the time when James was presumed dead, post-Monrovia, pre-Vulcan encounter and Rafal's arrest, more around the time of Rafal's flight back to the School for Evil and Good. This was due to the phrasing "then losing them immediately." So, I might have misinterpreted as well, Anon(s).

⸻

James: [shrugs] I thought I would die. [He is being evasive.]

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Rafal, What’s it like finally getting a friend (James) and then losing them immediately

Rafal: [inhales sharply and flat-out lies] You cannot lose something you’ve never had, and I had more to live for than he did… Better him drowned than I. [He exits stage left, pursued by no one.]

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Do you have a favourite artist/painter?

I have several—which come to mind now—that I shall list!

Lauren O'Hara (a contemporary illustrator):

I also like the impressionist movement in general.

Similarly, J. C. Leyendecker has a more angular style with visible strokes that remind me of impressionism:

Furthermore, Edmund Blair Leighton (and other Renaissance art / from adjacent time periods—like Christ Pantocrator/Byzantine/Orthodox art with elongated proportions or any Western pieces with the gold-leaf haloes):

^I love viewing lady-and-knight paintings. One of the best "genres" of painting to me.

Last but not least—Margaret Evans. (Particularly chosen because I have a book of fairy tales illustrated by her and nostalgia. This piece is of 'Furball'/Allerleirauh):

I was looking for an illustration from "The Goose Girl," (probably with Falada's nailed, severed horse head in it) but I couldn't remember the artist I was searching for, which was probably someone other than her.

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Fine by me as long as I don't die horrendously. (Welcome herald of chaos! What do you intend to do with me?)

hi! i live

Hi! Indeed. Happy revival day!

"Uniquely you're fucked" -> This is what Yandex translates. Is this correct? If so, thank you? Based on the picture and your message, I don't think I'm meant to take it negatively.