#I have been drawing a lot of SK's fantasies

[the-writing-mobster]

I need to remind y'all that Frisk is a bad bitch...

[tame-a-messenger]

💙Smoshblr December Asks Day 12💛

What are your top 3 favourite animals and/or top 3 fave fantasy creatures (can be from folklore or a book/movie/video game etc 🤗)?

OOO I LOVE CREATURES!!

I love learning about different folklore and mythos! It's all so intriguing! From Celtic to Japanese, Native American, Inuit, Russian, Indian, Jewish, South American and all things in-between! (quite literally every single place on earth has their own myths and legends) I love living in a world that has so much, for a lack of a better term, magic. Having so many people that have these superstitions and how vast the differences are (things like making wishes with eyelashes, blowing out candles to make a wish on your birthday, wishbones, lady bugs being good luck, lucky pennies to name a few, are a couple of my own <3 )

It makes it hard to choose a top 3. But I'll try :)

Giants

Dragons

Sk*nw*lkers

Giants are just too interesting. They talk about them in the bible and all over the place! People that were over 10ft tall? or I've read 450 feet (140 m) tall. could you imagine? seeing that? just too wild.

Dragons have always intrigued me, mainly because of how many cultures talk about them, how can both China and Europe (and other places all over the world) have motifs of the same looking creature? why are they fire breathing monsters sometimes? if they didn't exist how do so many places have about the same descriptions? Again, just wild.

Number 3 being something that "possesses" animals and takes the animals shape and hunts you down. It's one that is really cool to me, not because of what they do (I think the big one is stealing children and killing people, not a big fan of that) more so that the belief is that if you say the word out loud they will come to you. Something about not being allowed to even say the name otherwise you're drawing them to you? scary. It's one that's pretty close to me considering I've lived in areas with lots of wildlife around and what's a better thing to tell a child not to wonder off into the woods than "there could be deer out there that aren't really deer"

I get this one^ mixed up with W*ndigos a lot though because of the whole "don't say it aloud" thing, but their probably just as interesting as each other! (and W*ndigos are maybe a little cooler to me because it's from the Great Lakes area, aka where I grew up :D ) I will say though, I've heard that it's been bastardized by non-Natives and that that's not actually the name for either, or the right Folklore for it so I'm kind of talking out of my ass about it and the people that DO know what the real name is wont say it and don't like talking about it (understandable)

[writingwithcolor]

Hello i have a question regarding a fantasy wip. The magic system i made says that everyone has a magical essence in them and if they practise hard they can harness it to become powerful and perform all kinds of magic. The elves in my wip live in a society strongly inspired by the ones seen in xianxia and wuxia novels. I have been debating having the elves actually use the words qi and cultivation and all the terminology that comes with it. Because for me problem lies in that although the magic flow in each person works similar to qi it has a different origin (i made my own deities as well and its related to them) furthermore iw ould have to think of what other people not living in their society would call it. For example, i have a human society inspired by the mughal empire. I feel like having them refer to magic as qi feels very weird but i also think finding their real world equivalent of it (if that even exists in hinduism, sikhism i’m still in the early parts of worldbuilding so i dont know). Do you think i should just not mention qi at all and have them all use original terminology eventhough people might notice the similarities or should i try to find fitting equivalent?

 Fantasy magic system similar to QI

Sikhs don’t practice magic and Sikh mysticism is somewhat closed.

Additionally, if the elves’ society is based on aspects of Sikhi, they would likely be oppressed under the Mughal inspired society - as Sikhs were oppressed by the Mughal Empire, particularly in the 1500’s - 1700’s, this is something to be handled carefully if the elves are inspired or somehow based in Sikhi.

- SK

Are the gods the same across the cultures? If so, I would definitely delve into the very different societies that emerged while still worshiping them. Take a current example: The Mahayana Buddhism that is practiced in India has distinctions from the Mahayana-based Zen Buddhism that is practiced in Japan, Thien Buddhism, which is practiced in Vietnam, which all have distinct differences from Theravada Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Each culture may have different names for the gods, for terms of religious practice, for any holy texts, etc.

Hinduism is not the only polytheistic religion in existence--rather, it is culturally polytheistic, with various schools of thought on pantheism, monism, monotheism, and atheism as well. I wouldn’t relate the designed deities specifically to Hinduism, especially if these gods take a direct influence from across spheres of influence. I would take the coding route, and either ensure the inspiration is clear and properly researched and implemented, or focus on looser connections. Many fantasy authors will use a pantheon of their own creation with influences from existing traditions, but differentiate them by declaring the magic concepts and how they affect the makeup of the world. This has its own drawbacks, but less than if you choose to design deities for a religion you’re unfamiliar with. 

How closely does this actually relate to xianxia and wuxia? This needs some more research into the cultures that these works are influenced by. If the concept works the same way mechanically, and is only differentiated by virtue of the origin from the created pantheon, then why the emphasis on the difference? I would introduce some differences into the magic system to make it clear that the concepts of qi and cultivation are inspirations, and come up with a different vocabulary that could then be related back to the pantheon that bestowed the magic upon the characters.

~ Abhaya

There are ways to plausibly create a story linking a magical concept inspired by qi to a South Asian setting. It requires a lot of historical research: think college student senior thesis level. 

How? The Silk Road and Buddhism

I’ll be discussing qi and analogous concepts, particularly their relationship with martial arts in the context of Asian history. Qi, particularly its application to traditional Eastern medicine and martial arts, draws a lot of influence from the synergy of Mahayana Buddhist principles and Chinese Daoism. In South Asia, the Sanskrit concept of prana similarly lends itself well to Ayurvedic medicine and South Asian martial arts. It’s a little obvious if one thinks about it in the context of the dominance of numerous Hindu traditions in the subcontinent for the majority of the region’s history. If you have stratified class systems tied to religious dogma (Caste) and you designate people as warriors (Kshatriya), they likely are learning martial art skills in a codified form (See the Charanavyuha).  Similarly, you will also have individuals with lower social status/ from marginalized regions who will develop their own form of martial arts to counter oppression and invasion (See Shastra Vidya and Kalari, respectively). 

In terms of well known Indian martial arts in the present, we’re mostly talking about Shastra Vidya, developed by the Sikhs in the 16th century CE and Kalari, from Kerala (11th century CE). Though Shastra Vidya is distinct to Sikhi, the preceding styles and influences for Shastra Vidya have been traced as far back as the 16th century BCE.

To what degree one credits South Asia with influencing Chinese martial arts depends on who you ask, their level of nationalism and which country they are from, but it is indisputable that Chinese and South Asian martial are linked via Buddhist influences that facilitated cultural exchange across South Asia, South East Asia, and East Asia for an 800 year period. Has anyone ever wondered why mudras (hand movements) used in classical Indian dance, Vajrayana Buddhism and Shaolin all look...pretty similar? (Northern Shaolin + Bharata Natyam here, and yes, I did). Buddhism, like Jainism and Sikhi, is as much a product of Hindu influences as it is its own religion. 

It spans over a millennium, but Buddhism is your link between Hinduism on one end, Mughals at the other, and Chinese martial arts somewhere in between. I’ll add the Mughals were a bloodthirsty lot, but they were also enthusiastic patrons of local culture, including martial arts. After all, it never hurts to have a group of highly trained warriors on your payroll. I might personally favor pulling more explicitly on the cosmopolitan aspects of Mughal governance for your Mughal coding, perhaps comparing their tactics with the Mongols for reference. There’s a world of difference between Kublai Khan or Akbar compared to Aurangzeb or Genghis Khan. I’ve outlined the broad strokes below in greater detail, but how you use this historical background effectively for your world-building, how you research, what reference books you choose and the care with which you select them: that’s all on you. You will need to use reputable scholarly resources in order to avoid the majority of New Age Appropriative Garbage that seems to jump out of google whenever one uses terms like qi or prana (See Disney’s Mulan remake and the cottage industry of alternative spiritual healers in the US). 

Over the years, I’ve noticed many Asian martial artists recognize the underlying philosophical concepts that different traditions share even if we are unaware of the history behind it all. Whether one calls it ki, qi, prana, whether we refer to the body’s energy centers as chakras, cakra, chakka or rin, many practitioners are drawing on shared complex histories, etiologies and pedagogies, albeit in ways that manifest specifically for each slice of place and time, shaped by a history of conflict and religion. 

I personally think a smart move on your part is not to ignore this shared history. Cultural diffusion doesn’t mean that everyone ends up with the same thing. Rather it means that the dimensions of a successful imported practice or concept take on characteristics shaped by unique, local cultural and political forces. With regards to terminology, see Mod Rina’s conlang guide for how to avoid using terms that outsiders often interpret like qi. You aren’t setting this story in the real world, so why use real cultural terms? 

To that end, I recommend the text show characters from different places, different ethnic groups, even different species all participating in a system that is shared, with differing terminology, applications and varying levels of mastery between individuals due to multiple aspects of life, rather than just how hard someone practices. Maybe humans have less access to your magic system because their lifestyle is distanced from the internal state that allows one to access their potential? Maybe the same can be true for elves that have strayed from these principles? I think you can do many fun things if you really treat your magic system like martial arts, where many of the limits are internal, rather than external. 

- Marika.

For the full story that Marika spent too much time on, see below the cut.

Our story starts with Ashoka Maurya in the 3rd century BCE and his conversion to Buddhism. Many desis are familiar with this part: king conquers, kills a lot of people, feels guilty, finds religion. Where things get interesting is Ashoka’s campaign to spread Buddhism via evangelism to Central Asia and South East Asia. Eventually (200 BCE to 400 CE), Buddhism becomes the defacto religion for many Central Asian kingdoms along the Silk Road and many South Asian monks make their way to monasteries founded in what is now Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan to assist with translations of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into the local language. Cue the 5th century CE and the arrival of a Buddhist monk named Buddhabhadra/ Batuo (likely from Kashmir) to present-day Nanjing to work with Chinese monks to translate Buddhist texts from Sanskrit. Buddhabhadra would end his life in China as the first abbot of the Shaolin Monastery in present-day Henan Province.*

The patron saint of modern day Shaolin, so to speak, is Bodhidarma, a monk who arrived at the Shaolin Monastery in the 5th or 6th century CE. His ethnicity is uncertain, but he was either from Persia or India. The development of Shaolin martial arts is largely thought to have started at this point in time. The utility of the Silk Road for cultural exchange well until the Yuan Dynasty under the Mongols (See Kublai Khan), would continue to allow for proliferation of martial arts and the creation of new styles including the techniques and concepts (religious or otherwise) associated with them. Keep in mind, all of this is also happening against a backdrop of the constant warfare that has dominated Asian history through the modern era, increasing incentives for military leaders to actively support the creation of new forms of military technology, but also more effective armed combat.  For your purposes, the story concludes with the Mughals, the descendents of the Mongols, arriving in India during the 15th century CE. 

*The Shaolin Monastery would also be the birthplace of Chan/ Zen Buddhism and go on to influence tae kwon do, kendo, kyuudo and eventually karate via its influence on the Fujian White Crane style. 

[supertunanana]

I’ve debated writing this for a while, because who wants to read my inane thoughts on the matter? What are my opinions really worth in the grand scheme of things? I’m not so self important to think this will be of any value. But, I’m an extroverted thinker, so this might help my brain finally shut up, and that’s worth something to me. 

The hypocrisy surrounding Jikook. 

Are they a couple? Maybe. I legitimately don’t know. I don’t default into thinking they’re straight. I don’t default into thinking they’re gay. Every member is a blob, sexually, until they define themselves one way or another. Because honestly, I don’t care. That’s between them and their potential paramours. There’s nothing wrong with either option, heck there’s nothing wrong with both or none. Live a life, man... good luck! 

And I have no problems with shipping, to the extent it is done in a sane way and fans do not impose their ships onto the actual people. What I mean is, if you think Tae and JK look good together and you want to read stories or draw art of them as a couple and you want to explore their dynamic, you do you. However, it crosses a line when fans get mad when real people or real situations do not adhere to their fantasy. When they contradict footage and quotes and the feelings of those involved because it doesn’t fit into their little shipping box, that’s when it’s a problem. Be realistic. Have distinct lines between fantasy and reality, between what you might like and what is actually happening. 

It is this reason, that I think shipping generally innocuous and indicative of the shipper more than the celebrity, that I also don’t think the celebrities in question need to be defended against shipping. Because  if it is distinctly fantasy, then unless they express an opinion on the matter, most celebrities don’t really seem to know about it or care. It’s harmless. That defense, those hackles raised, again say more about the fans than the celebrities. When Xiao Zhan’s (XZ) fans got pissed off that some fanfic writer was portraying him as trans, XZ never weighed in on it. It wasn’t until those fans, in DEFENSE of their idol reported the writer and those of their ilk to the censors in China and got AO3 blocked on Chinese internet, that’s when XZ stepped in. And not to thank his fans for defending him, but to apologize to all the innocent Chinese fanfic writers who lost their work and their sanctuary because a handful of his fans had gotten the site banned. Again, the problem here was fans imposing their own beliefs on the celebrity, in this case thinking he would be upset by this and thus needed to be defended. They ended up causing more harm than good.

So the crux of this, what’s been kicking about in my brain, was the need for the fandom to “defend” JK from “shippers” the day after “hickey gate” and why these things only ever seem to focus on Jikook moments.

First off, “hickey gate” stemmed from footage that was a full, editorial choice to be shared on the part of Hybe and BTS. It was behind the scenes, closed set, pandemic lockdown footage edited together and released as official content, not some concert fancam or paparazzo on the street catching a private moment. They chose to leave in both Jimin and Jungkook on TWO occasions addressing the bruise/bite/hickey on JK’s neck, with the source being attributed to Jimin both times. Thus, people discussing this after the fact is a natural biproduct of it being shared. Is it even “shipping” when we are given the footage and the explanation? Is it not just a strange fact? This isn’t someone superimposing a fantasy onto them. This is the boys flat out saying Jimin bit JK and left a mark on his neck. I get debate over whether it was a bite or a hickey might lend itself more to “shipping”, with the latter being more shippy, but seriously, just looking at it would make anyone to question whether the BRUISE was more a hickey than a bite mark. What it says about the nature of their relationship is a whole other animal, but the fact is, it happened. And people are going to have THOUGHTS and FEELINGS about this. And that’s obviously something Hybe/BTS were ok with to share it in the first place (seriously, we would have never known, we DIDN’T even have a whiff of this until they put the whole thing on the DVD, so they were obviously OK with this leading to speculation, because how can a member saying they BIT another on the neck not?). All the content we are given of the boys snuggling, biting, ear sucking, tenderly addressing each other, etc.. is mostly a choice. And that choice will lead to questions and debates, and they’re obviously ok with it. It’s not wrong for people to be like, “huh” when they do questionable things and choose to give us said content about the questionable things. 

But, there always seems to be this backlash when it’s Jikook. We have to “defend” JK, a fully grown man, who brought up the bite himself on camera from people talking about the bite as he himself said it was given to him. No backlash to people saying Jimin claimed doing it to cover up JK’s secret girlfriend (uhhh, when homosexuality is a no-go in SK, that seems a weird choice, but sure, ok.... like just cut it from the footage and slap some make up on like they do during the concert, since none of us noticed it then, and move on if you want to cover it up). But that’s allowed supposition despite having NO EVIDENCE to support it. And what we are TOLD actually happened is not ok and “shipping”?!? 

Worse, when days later some innocuous “TAE AND JK WERE STANDING NEXT TO EACH OTHER OMG! THEY’RE IN LOVE” trends, where is the “save JK from shipping” rhetoric? That is CLEARLY shipping. I’m not saying Jikook shippers don’t do this, too, they do. And I laugh and shake my head at every little thing being dissected and offered as “proof”, but there always seems to be this backlash when it’s Jikook. ESPECIALLY when it’s undeniably... different. Neck biting. Ear sucking. “with JK at 4 a.m.” when they found out Dynamite got number one. Golden Closet Tokyo. These things are facts. Again, they’re... weird facts that do lead me to raise an eyebrow a lot, but they are facts and they were shared by the members as facts. I don’t think it’s necessarily shipping to think weird facts are weird and may lead to conclusions that don’t adhere to the THEY ARE ALL INHERENTLY STRAIGHT manifesto so many fans seem to have (and I think “straight until proven otherwise” is a shitty perspective anyone could have in any walk of life and again speaks to inherent or unconscious heteronormative perceptions in society - hurray -_-). 

But even the dumb shippy stuff that ALL other combos have, is always an ISSUE when done by Jikook. Their bond or interactions are downplayed by major accounts. They’re an outlier. Some shippers even try to make it out like they hate each other (whaaa? HOW?!?!).  Any odd interaction that really is just odd is deemed “shipping” and cast off into the no-no void, where it’s WRONG if you side-eye it. And I know WHY. I know it’s because they ARE different and they do do stuff people just don’t want to look too closely at because it makes them uncomfortable, so it’s easier to just deem it all “other” and “crazy supposition” and get rid of it. But it’s frustrating when it’s legit and it’s stuff they’re choosing to show and give us. It’s frustrating to be told you’re not allowed to go “huh, weird” because now you’re just a crazy shipper. 

And again, I’m NOT saying Jimin and JK are in a relationship, because again, IDK, but I’m also not saying they're NOT either. I’m going to keep side eyeing the fuck out of some of the stuff they do and just enjoy that they are 100% each other’s person in the interim. And if that makes me a crazy shipper, then I guess that’s what I am. 

[amateurwriter89]

DREAM

Second part of STAY

Rated M RojasCorp Fic

She was in the midpoint between consciousness and deep sleep. The heaviness of her eyelids was the most evident signal but she refused to fall asleep even though her exhausted and sore muscles begged her to.

No, Andrea was not ready to close her eyes and put an end to that night; she wanted to stay awake so she could treasure every detail of the woman who decided to share her bed with, even for just one night; she wanted to memorize everything, the rhythm of her breath, the scent of her hair, the feel of her skin against hers.

Andrea laid on her right side, left arm wrapped around Lena’s waist, bringing her body closer to hers, burying her face into silky black hair. She inhaled deeply, the aroma was a mixture of coconut and something exotic, something sweet and alluring. It was an evocative smell because it was what she remembered, the same smell she breathed when they used to share the small bed back in boarding school, the same scent with which she felt intoxicated that New Years night when they shyly explored their bodies for the first time without clothes in between.

The latina lost track of time, she was immersed in her memories until Lena snuggled into Andrea and that unconscious movement caused her to shudder. There was no space between them, it was an intimate contact and Andrea was very aware of every inch of Lena’s bare body.

That night took a course that neither of them imagined. They were supposed to talk while drinking a couple of drinks, after all, what they wanted was to fix their friendship. Nevertheless, something in that dynamic ended up awakening a buried need, it was like a yearning to get back what they used to have that perhaps was enhanced by their loneliness. Andrea knew very well that Lena hadn’t been with anyone since she broke up with James and the same happened with the brunette and her ex. Or maybe, the mere idea of sharing that night with her friend, with her former lover, was simply inviting and impossible to denied.

Andrea felt curious. Ten years had passed since their last encounter and, of course, a lot of things had changed. Their bodies were different, they had matured; now they knew more clearly what they liked and weren’t shy about showing their passion. The brunette had to close her eyes when images of Lena in thrones of passion played in her mind. 

Gone was the shy girl who felt unsure of her physical attributes, the one who, at the beginning of her sexual awakening, asked to turn off the lights and hide under the sheets. Young Andrea never denied her anything, she respected her wishes, even though she assured her that she had nothing to be ashamed of, but this Lena was totally different. She wasn’t ashamed to kiss, touch or chase pleasure. She was an attentive lover to the needs of her partner.

That night would remain in Andrea Roja’s mind for a  very long time and, though she couldn’t speak for Lena, she tried to leave her caresses on Lena’s skin. She dug her fingers into alabaster skin with a little more force, she left hickeys on he neck and thighs that might’ve made her deserve a scolding when Lena saw them in the mirror but it would be worthy because Andrea was so lucky to witness the wonder of how Lena lost herself, on more that one occasion, in the ecstasy of sex; shel felt her clenched around her fingers, tasted her in her mouth, trembled over her.

Just thinking about what happened minutes before caused a silly smile to appear on Andrea's face and, of course, her arousal awakened once more. She become addicted to Lena’s taste, to the mix of their perfumes, to her subtly caresses.

Blue eyes looked at the dark mane of her lover. She felt restless, she felt a thirst that could only be soothed by Lena.

—Can’t sleep?

Lena’s voice sounded deeper and raspier due to her brief sleep and Andrea found it extremely seductive.

—No.

For a moment, Andrea thought that her friend fell asleep again.

—If you need to rest, I can call my driver.

Those words sounded so causal.

—It’s not that.

—Want to talk about it?

Andrea was not a shy woman at all but quite the opposite. She was direct, assertive, trained to get what she wanted and what she wanted at that moment was within her total reach.

—No, not really…

Andrea supported her weight on her right arm, so she could look down at Lena while with her left hand she invited her lover to turn her face towards her. The position was awkward but allowed them to look into each other’s eyes with intensity. Andrea took the opportunity to draw the outline of the other woman’s lips with her thumb; they were still swollen from their previous activities and that made them look even more inviting.

—Can I kiss you? —Andrea asked almost politely even though she knew she might as well steal a kiss from Lena.

Andrea expected a cunning answer, perhaps a flirty smile but Lena was known for being unpredictable and Andrea was pleasantly surprised when Lena brought her hand to her lips and kissed her palm before she wrapped her lips around her index and middle fingers, circled them with her tongue. Andrea closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of that wet tongue playing with her own fingers.

—Lena —Andrea whimpered pathetically while her hips started to move against Lena’s rear, following the exact rhythm of that gifted tongue and searching for the right angle that could help her to release the nice tension in her belly. She could feel her wetness coated her lover’s skin and, judging by the chocked groan that came from her throat, Andrea knew that Lena was enjoying the fast paced of her humping.

—Do you still want to kiss me? —Lena asked once she released the brunette’s fingers and Andrea could only respond with a furious kiss. Her mind went blank, her reactions were influenced by her primal instincts. 

The movement of her hips were limited due to the tight nearness between them and the perfect kiss that neither of them wanted to brake. Their tongues slipped and slid against each other, they danced, licked without qualms. It was erotic how their quite moans died in each others mouths.

Andrea’s skin began to sweat, she could feel her expensive Egyptian cotton sheets stuck on her body, making her feel too hot. Pushing the sheet as far as she could, she revealed the nakedness of both of them and the brunette took the opportunity to slide her hand up the soft skin of Lena’s thigh, the curve of her waist, feeling the space between her ribs with her fingertips and palming possessively her breast, just to slid down again, following back the same path.

Andrea panted against Lena’s lips as her hand worked its way between her legs, gripping her inner thigh and pushing it up.

—Touch yourself for me. —Andrea asked.

Lena let out a new groan and, with the desire to please her lover, she did what was requested of her and, although Andrea could not see Lena’s movements, she could feel them thanks to the swaying of her hips, so in sync with those playful fingers.

The muscles in Andrea’s right arm began to burn from the weight she was bearing. However, she didn’t allow herself to fall, she wanted to see the exact moment when Lena surrendered to the pleasure she gave herself, she wanted to witness the moment when every wall she built around herself collapsed, revealing the sweet vulnerability that only could come from the irrepressible lust.

The brunette’s lips pecked Lena’s shoulder and those little kisses soon became small bites while her hips kept attacking the backside of her lover without missing a beat.

—You’re so wet. —Lena mumbled, turning her face a little towards Andrea, who could see blown green eyes, overshadowed by her own arousal. 

—Only for you… always for you.

And it was true. Andrea had had several lovers, lovers who were considerate, passionate but none of them like Lena. 

For a while, Andrea supposed that the idea of her first love, the one with whom she lived new experiences in the four walls of a room, was unconsciously romanticized by herself, placing it on a pedestal, and maybe that was the reason she missed it, why she missed Lena so much and why she tried so hard to push back the fantasies she had where Lena was something more than a friend to her. Nevertheless, that night Andrea noticed that there was still an unquestionable chemistry between Lena and her; there was still a trust that let them break orthodoxies and express desire with their entire bodies.

Andrea could feel how Lena trembled, her movements  were more erratic and the brunette knew that Lena’s orgasm was closer and closer, torturing herself because it was evidente that Lena was seeking to reach the end with Andrea.

—Are you close? —Asked Andrea and the only answer she received was a furious nod.

Andrea growled with pleasure, for it was not common for Lena Luthor, always the eloquent, to have been left speechless and that was a moment that she always treasured because she was the reason for that inability, she was the woman who was stealing the most sensual moans, who was leading the black-haired woman to a new orgasm.

The beautiful latina bit her lip, she was also near to the edge, she could feel the tension in her navel, her breath was rough and the expectation of what would soon be unleashed gave Andrea goosebumps. It was at that moment her movements lacked grace and rhythm, a primal need had taken control of Andrea but something separated her from the vibrant ending.

—Andrea… I…

Lena’s voice was a trigger that tensed her entire body. Her fingers dug into her lover’s flesh and her hand was so close to her core that she could feel the heat that radiated from her and, without thinking too much, Andrea laid Lena on her back and suddenly she was over her. Her legs were entwined in an intimate embrace and, for a moment, they stayed still, absorbed in a sea of sensations that were both familiar and new.

Andrea’s eyes were captivated by the image of the woman beneath her. Lena’s cheeks were flushed and rebel locks of black hair clung to snowy skin due to sweat. Andrea was free to touch and she did it; her caress was soft, her fingertips brushed warm skin as if it was the most delicate thing in the entire world.

—You’re so beautiful. —Andrea whispered just before kissing Lena’s lips painfully slow, savoring every twist of their tongues, while the bed rocked swiftly as a result of firms thrusts.

The position was perfect for their centers to meet and melt; the oxygen was not enough and the kiss became a endless series of pants against each others’ mouths.

—Please… —Lena begged with her eyes tightly closed and raising her knees so Andrea could have better access to her most intimate parts. Her nails scratched the brunette’s back, causing a pleasant pain that would surely leave traces of that hot night on her skin—. Andrea…

Lena’s moans made Andrea’s ears tingled, they were like a symphony that reached her heart.

Andrea raised her upper body a little to have a glimpse of what was happening between her and her lover, to admire Lena’s face at the down of ecstasy, to get lost in the hypnotic sway of her breasts and palming one of them possessively, only to look down where their bodies joined.

All this felt like a dream, like everything was possible, like she could have Lena back to her life once again as something more than a friend. 

A hand climbed up Andrea’s arm, running over her shoulder and clinging at the nape of her head.

—Look at me —Lena asked and Andrea obeyed—. Make me cum, darling.

Andrea was not sure what triggered their shared orgasm, maybe it was the intense look in their eyes or the last frantic movements of their bodies, perhaps the perfect merge of both factors, either way, the sensation was blinding and she could feel how every nerve in her body vibrated with satisfaction.

The brunette hid her face in the crook of Lena’s neck, noticing that her perfume was more intense. Her heart was racing and she could feel Lena trying to catch her breath while her hands caressed her back up and down, soothing her, lulling her.

—Tired?

Lena murmured against Andrea’s temple just to plant a kiss who just nodded lazily.

Andrea still had too many doubts about what would happen the next morning but she was so sleepy that she didn’t think of the possible consequences, all she wanted was to fall asleep in Lena’s arms and keep dreaming about Lena.

[star-anise]

Hi! I know you're also from Alberta and do historical things- what Ren faires/historical re-enactments do you suggest? I'm trying to find one to bring my boyfriend to :)

Hmm, let me think… I’ll leave out things like Fort Edmonton, Heritage Park, and Highland Games, since paid interpreters and skilled competitors are kind of in a different class. Although like, I’ll definitely shout out to the Ukrainian village by Vegreville, those folks are excellent. I also know I’m missing a crapton of post-1800 stuff, both fantasy/steampunk/”whee let’s dress up!” and local history groups, since that’s not my area of interest. And I’m not even getting into science fiction/fantasy/anime conventions or LARPs. Once you scratch the surface there is actually a lot going on.

Demos and Spectating

June 13-14 2020, The Military Museums in Calgary are holding a celebration of 2000 years of military history. Which honestly I’d love to go to myself if I could get down there, since mounted combat is still pretty rare in Alberta, and they promise to have two separate cavalry units!  

June 14 & 15 - Vikings in the Streets Festival - Viking, AB holds a celebration of Scandinavian heritage, complete with re-enactors

August 1 & 2 - Days of Yore Festival - Didsbury, AB - A historical festival that draws everyone from American Civil War people to the Vikings to WWII re-enactors.

August 8-9, Brooks  Medieval Faire - Brooks, AB - the closest Alberta has to a renaissance faire where you can show up wearing whatever and soak in the atmosphere

Knights of the Northern Realm - Every so often they’ll announce when they’ll be out at a demo for things, usually in Edmonton

Early Music Voices and Early Music Alberta run concert series in Edmonton and Calgary

Starting a Hobby

Society for Creative Anachronism - Probably the broadest selection of time periods and activities, from swordfights to music, feasts to archery, etc. They’ve got branches and events all over the province; you can wander in to a weekly fight practice in your street clothes, show up to a monthly tavern night and put on a loaner costume, or go to a bigger event for the full experience

Western Martial Arts - If you want to focus on the excellence of your swordsmanship without the gentler arts, there’s a growing movement to practice historical combat as a separate athletic event. There are groups in Edmonton, Edmonton and Rimbey, Calgary, and Calgary again.

Fancier Getups

April 17-20, SCA Known World Costume and Rapier Symposium - Edmonton, AB - Alberta’s moving up in the re-enacting world! Hosting an international symposium, by god! It’ll be a weekend of classes about combat and costuming, and there’ll be a masquerade ball, and OH I’m excited.

SCA Avacal Quad War, July 31-August 3, 2020. Actually a wee bit over the Saskatchewan border in Marsden SK. This is an entire weekend of camping on a site people have been building on for 25 years, and one of the best local events to let you really forget the modern world exists and feel like you’re walking through a medieval village. Costumes necessary but they help you out.

Pride and Prejudice Ball - Several centuries later and much more expensive (baseline $120 to get in the door and you have to be costumed), BUT, kind of like a… luxury all-included re-enactment experience? This is a professional group that runs for-profit events, with very nice venues and music and food. None upcoming in Alberta at present, but in the past they’ve done events in Edmonton and Calgary.

[ankaaz]

hihi el! i was the SK anon from awhile back and decided to make a tumblr separate from my personal! i can't even begin to tell you how enraptured i was in your plot line!! the gasp i let out when i realized it was a reincarnation fic and reading from akaashi's pov? the backstory?? had me HOOKED. i absolutely LOVE the use of cycles & patterns in writing and yours is definitely one that is sticking with me <3

Oikawa looks at her, feeling conflicted. "I don't want you be lonely." She just smiles gently. "And I want you to rest." And that smile, oh that smile is familiar and Oikawa flinches as the final memories click into place. He chokes out, "I hope next time we're friends again... and that I treasure you properly."

god the way this was just a snippet and it had me choked up? i can already imagine how bittersweet it'd be at the end once akaashi realizes that he needs to stop saving her</3 what exactly inspired you to write SK and what was the planning process like? i'd also love to hear about what roles you had for the other hq characters as well! i think i remember you posting pictures of your journal of everything in SK fleshed out and i was shocked bc it seemed like you had the entire world fleshed out!

hi cherry!! sorry for the long wait, I had to dig up my notebook actually to revisit everything haha. I think I first drafted this plot in summer 2020?? so it's been a HOT minute since I've thought of the intricate details.

ahhh I'm so glad you enjoyed reading through the plot! it was so fun to make and I remember sitting on the phone with a friend for like 4 hours figuring out the different possible endings and such haha.

Oikawa and reader's slow friendship in this was def something that tugged at my heartstrings :') he was genuinely descending into madness but once he was a ghost, his mind was clear again which allowed for a bit of a new start.

hmm as for inspiration, I think when I thought of this story I was wanting to sink back into my roots of fantasy writing! most of my original works are high fantasy or urban fantasy, and while I enjoy the introspective works I do for cathartic reasons, I wanted to create a fantasy au for haikyuu! I was a huge fan of Iwaizumi and knew I wanted to write something with him, and I also liked Oikawa's character, so I thought it would be fun to do something with the two of them.

from there I knew I wanted to use Oikawa's "grand king" title and started with making him an emperor. I then wanted to draw to base everything in Japanese mythology, deep dived into it, and the ball started rolling.

the planning process was fairly chaotic. I first assigned different roles to characters, some of which changed, and then figured out some basic world building. then I created the "myth" of the pillars and started building around that, specifically the Shinigami myth and ran as far as I could. as I jotted down stuff, things started to connect, and it all eventually turned into SK! I also wanted it to be reincarnation because I just thought it would be cool to mess around with that kind of trope.

hmm I'd say aside from the characters I mentioned in the previous plot vomit, there wasn't anyone that I planned on having show up unless mentioned in passing.

I assigned roles to almost every single character in haikyuu, even though 90% of them weren't going to show up HAHA. I just write fantasy better when I know a lot about the world/outside characters because then I can slip things in, rather than going back and trying to fill in holes after writing everything.

however, when assigning roles I did take into account personalities/their schools. I also grouped schools together under the different gods. all those in Karasuno (aside from Kageyama bc he was reader's little brother) lived within Kiyoko's pillar, while all those in Inarizaki + Komori lived in Sakusa's pillar! Aoba Johsai were all various samurai or nobility, along with Shiratorizawa. Bokuto, Kenma, Kuroo, and Konoha were technically under Akaashi's care, but their pillar is the smallest because of Akaashi's detached and wayfaring nature :)