#Golden ribbon

[nei-ning]

I went to bed at 10:30pm - 11:00pm and woke up after about 4 hours nap. I slept so well! I stayed awake to 5am, going back to sleep, leaving my phone play some underwater music which is meant to help release anxiety, sleep better etc. Very lovely music in my taste!

Now I slept 1,5 hours. During this time I dreamed. In the dream I was in old looking Finnish house, maybe from 1970 or so. I was looking outside through window since I couldn't sleep. My, adult, little brother just didn't let me sleep. I had to share a room with him. Whenever I JUST had fallen asleep, he came to poke me once very painfully.

I saw mom and sis coming home, mom having new (still used) red Volvo. Maybe from 1980's or 1990's. I stared at them angrily, not being pleased they had go and change mom's current car, which is in my name, to this without asking or informing me. Sis told me mom needed newer and better car (and still they changed it to older).

I didn't care so I just laid on my face on the bed, ignoring them. Sis kept asking why I didn't answer, didn't I hear her, had I fall asleep etc. My brother, who now was in another room with mom, door being open between these rooms, started to mock me. I don't remember anymore all those things he said, but they made me angry so I started to yell back at him. I told him if he's such a dick, he should get fucked. I laid down on the bed, he still mocking me to mom while sis near me said something so I snapped back at her angrily: "He won't let me sleep! When I just, JUST, have fallen asleep he comes to poke me, awakening me!"

I pulled blanket over me, curling under it. I kept talking about him to my sister some, so hard trying not to cry, but there came sniffs, then louder sobs and then full - out loud - painful cry. That kind of cry when you've lost someone dear to you in real life. I cried like that over a year ago when I suddenly lost my girl cat after 14 years.

My sister then said something to my brother who, with amused voice while smirking, said: "If you really are like that, then you really deserve a guy who punches you in the face."

I heard my mom gasp, maybe even call my brother by his name, but at the same time I was literally pouring all the pain, hurt, exhaustion, lack of sleep out.

Then I ended up observing, with sis, Molang bunny with his friends. I'm not sure was it a cartoon or were they really there living in their own small but old looking mansion. Anyway, there was Molang with his friends. Around 10 of them in total. They went from another room (view from above them) in a fireplace room which had middle sized round table with clean plates, forks, glasses abd big beautiful bouquette. There was specific shaped empty spot on the table.

One bunny placed huge shiny yellow ribbon on it's shape spot, another got huge golden egg on it's spot and then 3 or 4 rushed behind old couch to dig out golden gift box under it to put on the egg. In other words, they were putting together a present! My sister stood by my side watching them and I either faintly heard her or sensed her thoughts for me: "This is a gift for you (from them)."

Then, all of the sudden, I woke up on me crying. And no, it wasn't my typical "crying", just having one tear at the corners of my eyes. I had streams of tears on my cheeks, my nose was running and I was sobbing fast out loud while being curled under my blanket, hugging my pillow - just like in my dream. I even worried Verti, my boy cat, who slept next to my head on another mattress. He instantly made asking meow sound, making sure am I okay.

So that music what I mentioned, in some level, really helped me release some 20+ years old shit. I also need to mention that my brother and I are now between our 30 to 40 and we have NEVER fight, argue, bicker each other, not being jealous to each other etc. Nothing what people consider as "normal sibling behavior". To us all that has never been normal! It's unnatural, stupid and horrible to us. We always have got along so well!

It's weird that in the dream my brother represented all those negative things but maybe it was the "safest" way because, in real life, I know my brother isn't like that at all. If it would had been my father, well, then I would had known it in real life that that's how he truly is.

But then we get to those Molang bunnies. They were making me a gift, all golden / yellow. And it was the last part in the dream in beautiful old mansion (I love old mansions!). So I take it as: After I have go through all the shit from the past, release it / let go, I will be rewarded with something wonderful and surprising! I'm actually quite eager and excited about that already, ahah! :D

[rosanacafe]

Cookie cuter por Rosana Por Flickr: For Looking close... on Friday: "Gold & Silver (color)"

[sigulary]

February Commission

Illustrations requested by @artypurrs

For more information about commissions, see here

[ddarker-dreams]

All of your mc's needs a group therapy session together

i keep meaning to write this dumb idea where all my MCs are stuffed in a room and can't leave until they answer some Very prying answers honestly. it would be a mess, having them all compare notes on the lives that they lead... i wanted to write it similar to a play, since no exit by jean-paul sarte is the inspiration behind the concept.

SR reader would summarize it well.

"alright, so. in another life, you're telling me i could've been running around with swords, a psychic from outer space, a literal god, or a teacher at some top secret magic school? man... i can barely afford my grocery bills..."

some other highlights would include:

HWR reader giving a mini lecture on the ars goetia upon everyone else going ??? at her pointing out the connection upon hearing god darling's name.

SR reader encouraging nexus darling to blast blade out into outer space 'like that scene from alien,' to take care of the pesky immortality issue.

unrelenting tension between god darling who condemns HWR reader's blasé attitude toward the value of human life. HWR reader in turn points out that this benevolence didn't do them any favors. it is painfully quiet after she says that.

nexus darling genuinely unable to decide if she'd rather continue putting up with blade or this horror known as 'gojo satoru.' gg mc unintentionally painted a questionable image just by describing him honestly.

gg mc threatening to spoil the finale of the soprano's if SR reader makes one more obscure pop reference.

if they had to choose between staying in their respective universe or swapping with someone else, the decisions would be as follows:

SR reader -> HWR reader. she likes the idea of wearing armor and summoning weapons from 'a cool little portal thing.'

god darling -> gg mc. god darling's parental instincts kicked into high gear upon gg mc's description of her students. these kids do not sound alright. they need all the solid adult figures in their life that they can get.

HWR reader -> says she'd stay in her universe, but later admits that nexus darling's situation intrigues her. she'd want to test just how far immortality and infinite regeneration can go. she's also curious how she'd fair in a fight against blade.

gg mc -> would stay in her universe. her husband might be weird and her former best friend a cult leader, but hey, things could be worse. if she had to pick, she'd swap with SR reader. a humanoid spectral creature yelling the same word while pummeling something sounds like a sight to behold.

nexus darling -> begrudgingly admits to swapping with HWR reader. she's been forced to live a heavily restricted life, constantly weighed down by the expectation of others. from that perspective, having the power to do almost anything you want sounds appealing.

[honeydots]

im SO glad l!xander's abyssal accessory was this cute..... my laslow has been wearing this for over a year and will be for the rest of his life 🌟

[auroravsnow]

[miroyuuu]

These elegant golden ribbon pearl earrings are up for sale on my Etsy shop!

[seanoridraws]

Fingon in Valinor

[jsmithcameronx]

J. Smith-Cameron attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 07, 2024, in California. 

[starstruck358]

The supernova at heaven

Unfiltered:

Does anyone have an idea for what her 2 phase boss music sounds like? Its kinda like a little chiptune or 8 bit music. With a little girl power

[dress-this-way]

~ The Art of Gifting ~

[queerasian]

since we’re on this topic, jeremy strong, sarah snook, and brian cox are the main succession cast members who publicly called for a ceasefire in gaza last year (along with a painfully short list of others in the industry). here's brian cox reading "If I Must Die" by Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer who was killed Dec 7.

so if we must spend time on celebrities’ voices (+ disproportionate cultural influence) on the current crisis we should at least elevate the right ones.

[backscale-pivot-queen]

Stiliana Nikolova of Bulgaria became the all around champion Grand Prix Marbella 2024

📸 by Ulrich Fassbender

[ddarker-dreams]

which least to most of all the main mcs are: “They should be at the club!!” to “needs to be at their bed, tucked away and sleeping”?

now this is what i call important character exploration. let's get into it .

SR reader 🎀

GIRL KNOWS HOW TO HAVE A GOOD TIME !!!! dance is her whole thing. even if ballet has been her primary focus, she's played with hip hop styled dance for funsies. she's got this natural charisma to her movements that brings in pairs of eyes like magnets. zero inhibitions, just vibes.

nexus darling 🥀

born to club, forced to bear the burden of supporting her planet's economy 😔 she's got the confidence necessary to get out on the dance floor and do whatever. unfortunately, she's never gotten the chance. had she lead a normal life, she would love the high energy. her and nona would egg one another on until lear steps in, ever the mother hen. nexus darling might not be confined to the LOTUS-EATER anymore, but there's zero chance blade is letting her go to an establishment like that. kafka might try and pull some strings to make it necessary for a job, as she lives for drama...

gg mc 🌻

satoru caught her practicing perfume choreography one time and has never let her live it down. that's about the extent of her dancing, aside from some simple swaying when listening to music by herself. she'll go if shoko asks, otherwise, it isn't really on her radar. she isn't the type to go out there and dance by herself, she needs a few drinks in her system first. is more open to the idea once buzzed. she prefers dancing with shoko over dancing with satoru, finding how handsy he gets embarrassing. the man does not leave room for jesus. he is a fun dance partner though.

HWR reader ⚔

she wouldn't be a fan of the club. she doesn't like crowds, doesn't drink, and would consider dislocating anyone's wrist if they so much as brush against her. she speedruns any job that takes place at a nightclub. HWR reader is something of a neat freak, being near a bunch of sweaty bodies would make her eyes twitch. similar to chrollo in the sense that she can do ballroom dance but if you made her freestyle she'd be at a loss.

[manicpixieangelxox]

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

hello my darling lin 💞 i'm afraid i can't keep it to myself any longer, i must know all about your character tags, they're simply too intriguing 👀.

Ahhh, my loveliest Lizzie! Thank you so much for sending this ask my way, it was such a lovely and generous surprise to find in my inbox today! 🥹❤️ I have a lot of different tags for five separate works so, please, bear with me as I briefly try to elaborate on all of them skdskfjsksfjsk. I apologise beforehand for my seemingly endless rambles, though I hope it will turn out to be interesting nonetheless! 🥰✨️

VOIEVOD:

The majority of my tags come from my medieval magnum opus sksksk because numerous distinct characters are already detailed and elaborate in my mind — let’s dig into them! I do have to confess that some of these tags have yet to make a proper appearance, but I have prepared them in advance, just in case.

( oc: if i cannot move heaven i will raise hell ) — Vlad Dracula. This phrase is a well-known quote from Virgil’s Aeneid: “Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.” I have always felt that it perfectly encapsulates Vlad’s entire life — he is quite the prototype of a Machiavellian ruler willing to resort to more violent methods if needed (which we know very well from history, after all). Throughout the works, he repeatedly acknowledges his belief that he is destined for hell and expresses his willingness to sacrifice his soul for the greater good of his people. And he is also a very strong-willed and stubborn person who will always find a way to achieve his goals, whatever it costs him.

( oc: sanctuary ) — Cătălina. At first, I greatly hesitated to use this symbolism as I truly believe this remarkable woman is defined by much more than her role as the royal mistress and the mother of the voivode’s sons, and I try to depict that individuality of her character. However, this role does significantly influence her life and defines many of the decisions she makes. Throughout their relationship, Vlad sees Cătălina as his sanctuary because she accepts him as he is, loves him despite his perceived defects, and offers him a sense of belonging and peace. Sure, he loves that she keeps him on his toes, but this acceptance and the notion of having a kindred spirit give him the feeling of healing and safety. He can take off the many masks and let himself be exposed as he is, deep down. She also serves as a sanctuary for their sons, acting as the family’s anchor since they spend most of their time with her.

( oc: golden child; lion boy ) — Mehmed the Conqueror. His tag comes from the beautiful poem written by madzieloss on Tumblr, with the whole quote going, “Golden child, Lion boy; Tell me what it’s like to conquer.” I initially tried to use one of Mehmed’s poems from his diwan to make it a bit more personal, but this particular poem works perfectly because it encapsulates Mehmed’s whole essence — the Sultan of the Empire, the gifted child, the great conqueror. I also love using the recurring theme of gold and sun for his character. Gold represents the splendour of the Ottoman Empire, as well as his personal visuals (a lot of rich clothes and jewellery, the gilded Ottoman armour, his ginger hair and beard). Sun is the lovely little dichotomy seen in his character as it is both radiant and invigorating (his manners, generosity, education, intellect, aspects of rule), and merciless and blazing (his cruelty and the destructive sides of his politics towards other countries). Like the sun, he can either help grow or burn everything down.

( oc: the dragon ) — Vlad Dracul. I hate admitting that I could not come up with anything even remotely unique for Vlad’s dad as his moniker Dracul literally means “the Dragon” skdhskfskdks. However, the nickname was used for a reason, and we do not fix what isn’t broken in this house. The dragon’s role in medieval symbolism reflects a complex interplay between themes of heroism, morality, and the battle between light and darkness — on the one hand, the creature is seen as a protector and symbol of power, strength, and courage, but on the other hand, a dragon also represents a cunning and dangerous figure. He is called “the Dragon” both by people who admire him and despise him, so it shows the double meaning and the complexity of a ruler’s nature. At the same time, the meaning also spills over to his private life as he is both a figure of protection and (unwilling and unintentional) destruction to his family.

( oc: of burning martyrdom ) — Mircea Dracula. The eldest sibling is without a doubt the most tragic figure in the entire story, and I wanted his tag to reflect the tragedy and inevitability of his fate. He was killed at nineteen at the hands of his father’s enemies and in the cruellest way imaginable, and the “burning” part hints at some of the circumstances of his death. In his own way, he dies as a martyr because he dies refusing to give up his beliefs — and he is a martyr figure because the majority of his short life is marked with great struggles.

( oc: keeper of secrets ) — Alexandra. This tag is supposed to represent all the inner turmoil and complexities fighting one another inside Vlad’s younger sister. Because the two siblings share most of their personality and physical traits and are also close in age (there is a three-year gap between them), Vlad has always had a fond spot for his little sister and always considered her his little confidante — hence the meaning of keeping secrets. In return, Vlad has always been the brother who has granted Alexandra the most freedom and experience. She also keeps many secrets because there is a lot of her she has to repeatedly suppress inside of her — as I have mentioned, Vlad and Alexandra are quite alike, but Vlad’s personality tends to be accepted more while the same traits in Alexandra are often frowned upon.

( oc: cel frumos ) — Radu Dracula. My laziness shows here once again as that is Radu’s moniker, meaning “the handsome” or “the beautiful”. Radu has been given a fair share of horrible portrayals in media over the years, so I aim to further develop his character and show the varied aspects of his personality that are frequently overlooked. I initially tried to find something that would suit his complicated character but eventually settled on the nickname itself as it nicely shows the irony of his life and the most defining issue of his life — always being disregarded and reduced to only a sliver of his being.

( oc: cel mare ) — Ștefan the Great. (Or, as I like to call him, Fane.) There is no possible tag that would fit the famous Voivode of Moldavia and Vlad’s cousin (Vlad’s mother was a Moldavian princess) more than his own nickname, “the Great”. He is considered a national hero in both Romania and Moldova and undoubtedly earned his monicker through his actions.

OPEN HEART:

( c: i rise with my red hair and i eat men like air ) — Laura Levchenko. Her tag comes from Sylvia Plath’s poem called Lady Lazarus and, although I wanted to find a fitting quote from Lesya Ukrainka to represent Laura’s roots (that form a great part of her being), this one has the right amount of sharpness and edge fitting for my darling spitfire. Her fiery hair is undoubtedly one of her trademarks, and the quote also represents an independent spirit that will not be pushed down by being seemingly “inferior”. It also shows her own stance towards men, beginning with the painful experience with her dad and marking her whole life, as well as people who look down upon her.

( c: veni vidi vici ) — E.R. This is incredibly embarrassing because I was desperate to find something better for Ethan, something more fitting for his character… but there it is skdksfksldls. I do not think this quote even needs any introduction, so I will mention instead that “I came, I saw, I conquered” expresses the way Ethan achieves everything he sets his mind to, as well as the ferocity with which he pursues all his goals. When we compare his character to Laura’s, it might also imply the briskness with which he achieves certain things in life as a straight white American man — as opposed to Laura who is not only looked down upon for being a woman but also has to face a lot of xenophobia in her life. (You also want to re-enact the Ides of March on him sometimes but… I digress sksksk.)

CRIMES OF PASSION:

( c: this ghost sitting year after year upon my heart ) — Milena Rosa. This quote comes from Federico García Lorca’s play Yerma, in Spanish being, “este fantasma sentado año tras año encima de mi corazón”. I have to admit that I have yet to get myself familiar with Milena and craft her character in detail the way she deserves, but we know from canon that Jimmy’s tragic death greatly defines not only her own inner life (because she battles with all the demons his loss has inflicted upon her) but also the trajectory of her future career and the purpose she finds in her mission.

( c: bleeding sun ) — T.T. Trystan’s tag is from Lucie Thésée’s Poem, and the full quote goes, “Handsome as life and poison. Sun-blood handsome. Bleeding sun.” This was an instant fit because Trystan is undoubtedly the product of the environment he grew up in — Drakovia is both a place of beauty and vibrance, but we know its regime is bloody and deadly. Trystan will also never suppress the essence of who he is, and his character is both full of life and somewhat fierce (sometimes even violent) in nature. A lot of my worldbuilding for the story comes from my own experience as an Eastern European, and this little corner of the world is brimming with endless contradictions, so I tried to come up with something that would evoke that as closely as possible.

THE WAYHAVEN CHRONICLES:

( c: i am the sea and nobody owns me ) — Kimberley Cunningham. Kimble is my TWC newborn that I have only recently crafted into a character she should have been from the very beginning. Her tag is actually the legendary quote uttered by Pippi Longstocking which, apart from its fierceness, also fits Kimberley’s playfulness and carefree approach to life. She is a rebel through and through in every aspect of her life, which stems from the disastrous nature of her relationship with Rebecca. Her main objective in life is to do the exact opposite of what she is told, and she enjoys shocking people around her. But, just like the sea, she can be tempestuous and unpredictable, and some of her decisions can be quite destructive. Kimble ends up in the love triangle which kind of mirrors the rest of her life — initially harmless fun turns complicated and messy.

( c: a ribbon of loneliness ) — Sydney Brannagan. My poor baby Syd has been characterised through his melancholy since the very first moment, so I needed to find this little nugget that would instantly evoke his inner world. Then I found this quote by Jenny Slate that goes, “I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that there will always be a ribbon of loneliness running through who I am.” Loneliness runs through Sydney not only in the sense that he is such a sorrowful soul, but also because a part of him always feels so detached from others. All his life, he has felt like he has to prove his worth to his mother to feel accepted, and he also unconsciously builds a wall around him as the time goes by. In the professional setting, his personality does not stand out in any particular way — he is diligent and polite, some might even consider him a bit bland.

BLEEDING HEART:

I do feel like I need to give a bit more context for this interactive fiction beforehand, especially because there is only Chapter 1 out so far. The story is a retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula through the point of view of Mina Murray, and the first chapter already explores several wonderful themes I cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on! I have a very clear idea of who I want Mina to be, how she struggles in the setting and society she lives in, and how her personality drives her emotions and decisions. I do not know if my personal HCs will align with the story as it progresses, but there is nothing this user cannot tweak to her liking skdhskfjfksks.

( c: growing fruit around cyanide ) — Wilhelmina Murray-Harker. Mina’s tag is a part of a poem from a collection called Swallowtail by Brenna Twohy and goes, “Peach pits are poisonous. This is not a mistake. Girlhood is growing fruit around cyanide. It will never be your for swallowing.” Essentially, it encapsulates the conflict between who Mina seems to be on the outside and who she truly is on the inside. I have always felt like the Victorian times were one of the most suffocating periods for a woman to live in, and Mina always has to suppress a huge part of herself to somehow “fit the mould”, hence how she grows fruit around cyanide. Just like the society, her relationship with Jonathan also suffocates her — her engagement is a choice made out of reason, but she does not feel fulfilled with him in practically any way, which ultimately drives her into the arms of Dracula.

( c: the master of the night ) — Count Dracula. His tag is just the tweak of the quote from Bram Stoker’s Dracula: “Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” Since he commands all the creatures and phenomena of the night, I have changed the bit to the “master”. I wish I had anything interesting to add to his character but, so far, I am waiting to see what he turns out to be like in Bleeding Heart — I know we are able to make him be the big villain or give him redeeming qualities, so I will wait and see which route will seem more fitting to me though I do play around with the idea of making Dracula more redeemable and a different character more villainous). Also, Count Dracula the Vampire has absolutely nothing to do with Vlad Dracula the Voivode in my fictional world — I know merging the two into one character is very popular, there is even one novel that did this that I absolutely love, but… not happening here lmao.