#I'm so scared to share this lol

[sithbelle]

Hi there. I'm going to be vulnerable for a moment. I wrote this book (working title "Synia") over the last 5 years, and finished it up back in April. Since then, I've been holding onto it, willing myself to send out queries. But the fear of rejection, and the knowledge that it's likely not a "sellable" book, has kept me back from actually sending out any letters. To force myself to do something, I'd like to share the prologue with you all. The story is about a pair of siblings who are Syniae, or creatures who have magical gifts based on synesthesia.

If you would like to know more, I'll be happy to blab on about it ad nauseam. If you know of any publishers or literary agents who are interested in such a story, please let me know. If this falls into the empty void, well...that's also feedback that I need. Thank you for reading the above, and I hope you enjoy the prologue below:

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Grey.

Everything was grey. The sky, the walls, the fog inside her head. Even her tormentor’s eyes were a piercing, unforgiving grey. It was the color that invaded her every thought from the moment she awoke until the moment she finally passed out.

Long ago, there used to be a spectrum. She vaguely recalled the melody of a forest green, the sweet sound of a tempting red, the echo of a vibrant yellow. That was an æon ago. Now, she was reduced to monochrome, the lifeless color of a rainy day.

Today, she had opted for a change of scenery. Instead of spending the entire day in bed, staring at the grey ceiling, she instead sat next to the grey-filtered transpane along one of the walls, watching the mist that enveloped the view.

Suddenly, the dreaded low, silky voice behind her called through the mental mist:

“Oh good, you’re up. I was beginning to wonder if I had finally broken you.” The disembodied tone had an air of amusement to it, as though it had told some clever inside joke.

She scowled in reply, but did not turn to search for the source of the voice. She had no words for the man. Words had color to them, and this Orb didn’t allow for that.

“I see. Just as conversational as ever,” mused her captor. “Come now, there’s no need for such reticence. We’re far beyond that. After all, we’ve both held up our ends of the bargain so far, and you can clearly see the benefits. You’re fully cooperative now and haven’t tried to escape in quite some time, and in return, your living quarters are quite generous, and I do try to make sure you’re well fed. For all intents and purposes, you are far more my guest than my prisoner at this point.”

And it was true. The sleeping room she was currently sitting in was rather large, and contained a bed, a small table, and two chairs, one of which she occupied. Attached to it was a respectable bathing room, complete with a tub. There was even a small cooking and eating room across a small, narrow hallway. She should have been comfortable. There were just two major problems: she was here against her will, and everything was that same damnable shade.

When she didn't hear the sound of her "host's" footsteps echoing away from her prison,

her curiosity and anger got the better of her. Almost subconsciously, she turned and gave the lurking man in the entryway a withering glance. To the prisoner, he was barely more than a silhouette. What little she could see was distorted into the same washed-out shade by the specially- filtered light. Slate shoes and the bottom half of a charcoal suit protruded into frame, along with a pair of ashen hands clasped in front of his sharkskin belt.

He responded to her glare by tugging slightly at the cuff of his sleeve, almost as if he were uncomfortable. It was a ruse, she knew; they had played this scenario out before. She turned back to face the table and transpane as the Grey Man strode in from the entryway behind her. His footsteps tapped a muffled rhythm on the shaggy grey carpet. In another life, she could have made a song from it. Now, it was just another sound to interrupt the monotony echoing pointlessly in her mind.

When he reached the remaining chair across from her, he paused before sitting, and instead looked down at her calculatedly for a moment. Then, he pulled her forward across the small, round table by her chin, forcing her brown eyes to meet his grey, separated only a couple centimeters. She was a bit taken aback at the action, but did not dare show it on her face. He had never been this aggressive before.

“Tell me, Synia, what makes you hate me so much? After all, you invited me. I merely gave you everything you asked for,” he purred.

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then just as quickly returned to the hostile glare she had perfected in the last year. He had just given her the ability to escape, but he didn’t know it.

Yet.

She fought to keep her thoughts from showing on her face, taking care to ensure that the mask was firmly in place. Fortunately, he misunderstood the lapse.

“Ahhh, yes. The truth is rather uncomfortable, isn’t it? Just think: if your curiosity and desperation hadn’t gotten the better of you, you wouldn’t be here, and this whole mess could have been avoided. How selfish of you,” he said, almost a whisper. The man thrust her chin away, forcing her to break eye contact and instead focus on her balance. He smirked slightly as he stood up and faced the entryway.

“Still, I must be grateful. Thanks to you, I have been given the greatest gift of all. Because of your greed, I’m free to move as I wish, and every whim I could think of is catered to my specific design!” His voice rose slightly with each sentence, as if convincing himself that it was true.

He paused and when he spoke again, his voice was back to its usual silk: “Before too long now, I'll have cracked the code, and you will truly be at my mercy. I’m getting oh so close. This last experiment yielded some remarkable results that the bots are still analyzing. And when I do figure it out, I will be able to be rid of you for good. Until then..." He trailed off dramatically as he walked towards the door. She did not turn to watch him leave.

His footsteps paused behind her, and there was complete silence for several seconds. Her curiosity once again betrayed her. As she turned, she saw him standing with his back to her, the grey fob in his hand extended to unlock the door. However, he didn’t activate it. Instead, he had waited until he knew she was watching to leave his parting shot. His voice returned to the deadly not-quite-whisper:

“Well, that’s the only reason you’re still alive.”

He activated the fob, and the door clicked open. She had already turned back to face the transpane again by the time he had crossed over the threshold. There was a sound of the electomag lock bolt sliding back into place, followed by gentle footsteps that retreated back into the silence.

She closed her eyes and exhaled softly, like she had a million times before. Only this time, there was a monumental difference: he had finally made an error. He had been so careful in the last four-hundred-and-thirty-two days, sixteen hours, and twenty-two minutes to make sure that her entire life had no color except grey. Every single surface and feature had been carefully selected to prevent her from using her gift.

He had the bots shave her head every other day or so, leaving nothing but a faint, grey stubble. Her now threadbare clothes had been carefully selected to be comfortable, but monochromatic. There were no mirrors, and every surface that could have possibly held a reflection was scratched or matted down, so she could not see herself. And her tattoos…she still couldn’t think about that, even as she subconsciously touched the scars on her left forearm where one of them used to be. She was to be as much grey as the room itself. But they could not change her eyes.

Her brown eyes.

For an instant, as he held her gaze so close to his own, the filtered light was broken by his own shadow, and his wintery stare became twin mirrors. For the first time in three-hundred-and-ninety-six days, eight hours, and twenty minutes, she saw a color. And she remembered.

She remembered what brown felt like.

That tiny glimpse was all she needed. It was the spark of hope she had been waiting for, that she had almost given up on. She had a color; a good one, even. For the first time in her life, she was grateful that her eyes were the color of cesspools, as he had once described them.

Now all she had to do was focus, plan, and wait for the perfect moment. She had all the time in the Orb. After all, he stupidly thought she was beaten.

[bunnieswithknives]

WORKING MOVING CAR IN MINECRAFT I AM SO FUKCING SMART!!!

[strangefable]

what d&d class is your oc?

tagged for this uquiz by the lovely @jillvalentinesday, @cassietrn, @inafieldofdaisies, @voidika, @josephseedismyfather, @direwombat, @poisonedtruth, and @theelderhazelnut, thank you all <3

Ranger

You are a Ranger, an explorer of dangerous territories. You are fearless and cunning, traits necessary on your travels, but you tend to be closed off from others and overly pragmatic. Your connection with nature and skill with weaponry will carry you through most battles, and your sneakiness will let you avoid the ones it will not.

There isn't any other class that suits her. She's not got the magic for druid, but her fighting style keeps her out of direct warrior/barbarian types. Archery and nature, exploration and knowing the lay of the land, and using it to advantage? That's Micah. She's at home alone in the woods, but with party members she's off her footing, unsure how to interact or engage. Trusts comes hard for her, but a fearless ability to throw herself into danger? Yeah, she's got that in spades.

Rogue

You are a Rogue, a skilled adventurer who uses guile and expertise to your advantage. You are often seen as stealthy and precise, aiming for your opponent's weakest points, but you can master various other skills to aid you on your journey. While you tend to be underhanded and greedy, you can also be daring, clever, insightful and charismatic.

Sneaky. Underhanded. Guile. Charm. Greed. Loose Morals. What else could Lil ever be but rogue?

Artificer

You are an Artificer, an adventurer who wields science in place of magic. While your foremost trait is intelligence, you're built tougher than most others who place their faith in their brains. You are inventive, curious and occasionally reckless, all traits that get you both into and out of trouble on your adventure.

I admit it, I took the quiz for her a few times until it returned the right result. Intellect and knowledge, melding science and magic, those are Bright's Things. No matter how much the quiz kept trying to make her a traditional magic user, she's just not. She's extremely reckless, but it's not out of malice or a drive for power; it's simple curiosity. And a love of shiny things. She's clever but not wise; she's quick but not strong or nimble.

Paladin

You are a Paladin, a warrior sworn to an Oath, whether it be to a god, a king, an ideology or oneself. As a divine soldier, you are well equipped to strike down evil, but must follow a code of your choosing to retain this power. While you are limited somewhat by these bonds, you are also the most driven and determined member of your group.

tbh i've never considered what would suit Lore, but honestly? yeah, she's very driven for good, for what she sees as moral and right, for the betterment of the people, though i don't know if she could be defined as a soldier or warrior. she's about practicality and function over form or style, but she'd balk at the idea of serving a god or a king. her goal is always to help people, especially those who have no voice and no power. she fights hard, but she prefers diplomacy and compromise whenever possible, to save as many lives as she can. she's one of my purest, most good characters.

i realize i'm kinda late on this one, but i'm passing on tags, anyway. (feel free to ignore me<3) @henbased, @adelaidedrubman, @v0idbuggy, @legally-a-bastard, @damejudyhench, @mars-colony, @strafethesesinners, @thisisrigged4, @mediocre-life-span, @harmonyowl, @marivenah, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @florbelles, @trench-rot, @wrathfulrook, @simplegenius042, @incognito-insomniac, @gayafsatan, @shallow-gravy, @turbo-virgins, @chazz-anova, @confidentandgood, @aceghosts, @jacobseed, @vampireninjabunnies-blog, @fourlittleseedlings, @clonesupport, @unholymilf, and anyone else who wants to do this, please say i tagged you <3

[peachyxxkeens]

Sometimes you just gotta ship your oc with Butcher

Artwork/commission from ritzel.draws

[melverie]

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh today I've been constantly experiencing the urge to un-private today-in-the-devildom & start writing for it again

[six-of-cringe]

*smashes this at your feet like a 40 and dives into a hole to rot*

[reluctantjoe]

🎶 share 5 songs you actually listen to and then tag some followers you want to know better 🎶

ooo, thanks for the tag @little-deathly-goose! apologies to those i've tagged who may have already done this. i saw i got mentioned and started my take right away! (those who haven't, please don't feel pressured to do this, btw!)

After The Storm - Kali Uchis (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)

The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Candy - Doja Cat

More Than Words - Little Mix (feat. Kamille)

I Want The World To Stop - Belle and Sebastian

I tag @baynton @goddesstonythetiger @fckedupnerd @sighingrae @the-illuminated-one @toomanyfandomsneverenoughtime @ensign-ancic

[dandyshucks]

okay i am working on ship intro posts,, but im so scared HDSGJKL I think if I paint over the details with broader strokes than I maybe normally would then I can share it without feeling like I need to go explode myself and disappear into a forest forever LMFAO

[gotyouanyway]

OKAY WELL here's my first ever publicly shared fanfic!!

just a short silly little scene where charley has a cold and the doctor is being the doctor about it <3 and c'rizz is there

[theclearblue]

2024 resolution is to spend more time in my living room/kitchen and get over my fear of being Percieved by the people I live with.

[ralseinumberonebiggestsupporter]

ok i bet you'll NEVER guess what fandom i was in before getting back into utdr

[mrfoox]

Wufjxjjsjdjd ok

[melverie]

love all these nb theories my personal theory is it’s past barbatos vs future barbatos in that he steals mc into the past to help get the brothers on dia’s side so he can cement his position & that this was always meant to happen they just cast a memory spell so everyone forgot mc was in the past & the reason barbatos is mad at solomon isn’t because of something past solomon did but because he got help with future barb to come back in time and it’s messing with all his plans

Oh, that's a good theory!!

I don't know if you've read the devilgram for 'Tea Time With You', but Barbatos mentions that he used to travel through the three realms and through space and time without thinking much about the consequences, and then admits that that eventually lead to a terrible mistake that greatly affected both Diavolo and Solomon and that he's trying to atone for now

In the og game you also have Barbatos saying that he vowed to never look into the future again and only really use his powers if Diavolo asks him to, as well as Solomon in nb telling Nightbringer in 10-A that he's the one that made him who he his today, so there definitely are connections there

I'm not 100% sure if Barbatos would do it to help Diavolo or if it's for his own personal gain again though. He did tell Diavolo back in season 3 that he at first despised him after Diavolo trapped him and forced him to become his butler, so maybe he still hates him. Diavolo's also in a vulnerable position right now, which would make it the perfect time for a revenge time. But then again, he might also be doing this in an attempt to atone for whatever his mistake was, and I haven't really sensed any malice on Barbatos' part when it comes to Diavolo in Nightbringer so far

[gaymelie]

Awww i got blocked I think that means i won the argument. I don't think they had a good comeback for "bruh I never even argued with your opinion i just said your information is wrong" and yet somehow they assumed i was the idiot here. Like is it so hard to make your point with correct information?

[26labrd]

What do you think of Jamie Bell's version of Tintin in the 2011 movie? I personally find Jamie's delievery of his lines and the facial expressions he makes to be satisfying and attractive so I love it. However, I do recognize some differences in the way movie Tintin acts compared to the comic version.

In the comics Tintin has an easygoing personality and is rarely annoyed. He's very patient yknow. While the movie Tintin looks very done with everyone lol. He's patient too, except that it's the bitch-im-this-close-to-snap kind of patience lol. I don't have a problem with it, I think it adds great comedy, plus it's a realistic & relatable reaction considering how the guy is surrounded by airheaded/distracted characters.

They got his curiosity/obsession and quick-thinking and some other tiny personality details right though. The movie Tintin doesn't feel far away from the original one, it just seems less "childish" and more relatable? Movie Tintin feels 25+ years old to me, meanwhile comic Tintin feels 15-20 years old because of how happy/energetic and "unbothered" he seems with many problems? (Although I think Tintin being 25+ makes more sense even though I know Herge thinks of him as 16-17, smth like that)

A scene I can think of where Jamie's Tintin acted so much like the comic version was when the captain asked him how much he knew about the unicorn and he replied with "Not a lot, that's why I'm asking you" he looked & sounded so cute and very comic Tintin-ish imo.

All in all I love Jamie's Tintin and ngl watching him makes me feel butterflies lol. But I can't help compare him to the comic Tintin and be reminded of their differences. I wonder if that's because of the script or just Jamie's way of portraying him?

Anyways, I wanted to know what you think. Maybe you can write a comparison post about Jamie Bell and Jean Pierre's portrayals of Tintin? Not like a "this one is better" comparison, just an analysis. Yeah just a suggestion.

Thanks for reading this far and I'm excited to read your thoughts on this topic!

sorry it took a little while for me to answer this! it was hard to organize my thoughts – which, it turns out, i have a lot of, so i’m putting this under a cut.

overall, i liked his performance, yeah! i think he’s a fine tintin. i think they did some things really well with him, like his curiosity and drive, as you mentioned, as well as his confidence and self-assuredness (the scene that comes to mind for these is the “we’ve got one bullet” scene). i know jamie bell is a dancer, too, which helped him nail the physical aspects of playing the character.

as for the differences, i think the main ones you listed – his impatience, annoyance, and less easygoing nature – just have to do with the stories they chose to adapt. in crab with the golden claws, tintin is indeed often shown losing his patience with the captain; in unicorn he gets cranky when barnaby and sakharine don’t stop pestering him, and when the woman hogs the phone booth in the rain. it wouldn’t be my personal go-to for a tintin portrayal to have these traits so forefront, but it provides more depth to his character/gives him more of a personality and makes him more well-rounded.

bc like. tintin in the comics is kind of bland LOL. which i'm pretty sure was mostly by design. we see him develop and gain more of a personality as the series progresses but for a lot of it he is kind of left blank. so the script writers had to fill in these gaps and round out the character in order to make the sort of protagonist that could carry a feature-length film. and i think they did a decent job! generally i think movie-tintin’s traits make sense and feel like a natural progression of the comics character. he is still recognizable as tintin, but just an older and more grown-up version of his comics counterpart, like you said.

that being said . there is just something about this version of tintin that is just a little bit off. and i cannot put my finger on it. this section will be more incoherent because i'm really struggling to put it into words lol. but he just doesn’t Feel like tintin to me... like. i think he’s a little too serious tbh . i wish they had let him get a little playful with it, but tonally i dont think it would have worked. and i think there’s just a lightness and a warmth that’s missing from this portrayal. not that i wanted him to be happy all the time or whatever, but he feels closed off in a way that tintin never has to me, so it feels just a little off to see him portrayed like this. like there’s a difference between closed off and reserved, and i think movie-tintin is closed off, whereas comics-tintin is just reserved. i don’t know if that makes any sense. at this point i'm just going off vibe rather than anything concrete that i can cite lol im sorry this is so nebulous

AND HONESTLY i think for me it also has to do with the fact that they made him do that posh english accent 😭😭😭 it just feels so wrong to me. like maybe i'm just too used to hearing him with a canadian accent (shoutout to the 90s cartoon) but. yeah. and i know that’s not jamie bell’s natural accent either, so it feels doubly weird

all this to say yes, i do like jamie bell as tintin and i think he did a wonderful job, and i think that this version of tintin makes sense, even though he doesn’t quite fully Feel like tintin to me

i don’t know that i'll write a comparison post, just because it seems kind of daunting and because i'm not super confident in my grasp of tintin as a character. which i know is ironic to say, given that i just wrote a bunch about tintin as a character, but this post is largely just opinion, and for something as “official” as a comparison analysis i’d definitely have to go back and reread/rewatch to be able to say anything with any confidence. it's certainly something i'd like to do at some point! i have a lot of thoughts about jean-pierre’s tintin as well and would love any excuse to talk about him. (spoiler alert: i think jean-pierre feels like tintin way more)

but anyway, thanks for your question!

[17yearcicada]

so scary when people i don't know very well start talking about religion. crossing my fingers please be normal please be normal please be normal