#Indonesian writers

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Reading

Norman Erikson Pasaribu HAPPY STORIES, MOSTLY

Translated from the Indonesian by Tiffany Tsao

[yourdailyqueer]

Megan Schoonbrood

Gender: Male (she/her in drag)

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 23 August 1988

Ethnicity: Dutch, Indonesian

Nationality: Dutch

Occupation: Drag artist, reality star, writer

Note 1: Partially deaf in both ears and requires hearing aids

Note 2: Is dyslexic

[madness-maybe-managed]

I’ll Never Die:

[Sapphic Heroine x Villain] [CW: mentions of drugs.]

[To @mirohtron and @cybelpunk: Here’s your food, ducklings. Make me proud.]

The villain, Heroine thinks grudgingly, is toying with her. Teasing her. Flaunting a distinctive Hermès bracelet that goes all too perfectly with her black turtleneck and leather trench coat, but is completely out of place because after all, Villain supposed to be hiding her identity.

It’s infuriating, really, that she’s wearing something so expensive and walking on the railings of an office building like gravity wouldn’t dare to touch her. Meanwhile, Heroine is hiding behind the electrical box, swallowing down a sick exhaustion as she grips her wounded arm.

She’s certain her injury is more than it seems. The nausea and her sudden cold sweat is proof of an assisting drug.

“I hope you aren’t making this easy for me, Heroine,” Villain calls, stepping off the railing with a clack of her Christian Louboutin boots. She laughs, loud and clear, raising her arms above her head and sighing loudly. “But then again, it’d be much better for you to just fall into my arms. Don’t you think?”

Heroine would be convinced of Villain’s insanity, only it can’t be. Villain may be teasing and sarcastic with her words, carelessly wearing designer shoes on a wet rooftop, but she’s not a fool. She’s backed Heroine into a corner more than once, has won battles Heroine didn’t even know they were fighting, and kept her identity secret, under the leather hood and behind the loud laughter. She can wear all the Hermès and Christian Louboutin she likes, because she knows Heroine can’t ever be sure of her identity despite the clues.

Villain is like the Cheshire Cat—always laughing, playing with words. She’s like smoke, vanishing and reappearing, a mirage of sparkling darkness. She’s sly and tricky, but charismatically so.

Heroine stifles a pained moan when she tries to move her arm, gritting her teeth and pushing herself off of the electrical box. Immediately, gravity sinks its hooks into her, and she staggers, throwing one hand out and slumping, crashing against the cold metal. Pain and exhaustion close her eyes as she shivers from the impact, tensing up with her arm clutched to her chest.

God. Damn. There is no way Villain didn’t hear that.

An almost disappointed sigh reaches Heroine’s ears, accompanied by the slow clicking of Villain’s boots, and followed by a mocking lament. “You weren’t supposed to surrender.”

Heroine chokes out a dry laugh. “I’m not your mouse to toy around, anak kucing.”

Kitten. Why is she calling Villain a kitten? The drug must be potent, pulling her eyelids closed and shutting down her brain enough for the word to slip.

The boots stop, followed by a rustling noise. Feather-light fingers touch the bottom of Heroine’s chin, lifting it up.

Heroine’s eyes refuse to clear, her vision cloudy with black dots.

Villain’s soft breath against her skin makes Heroine inhale sharply, but it’s futile. The velvet voice hums, “Good night, Maliha.”

━──┉┉┅┄┄┈ 🍓🥀💋🥀🍓 ┈┄┄┅┉┉────━

Heroine wakes up unable to see.

After the briefest second of panic, she realises the cause of her blindness: a silk cover over her eyes. When she reaches to pull it down, slender fingers cover hers and pull her hand away, gently but firmly setting her wrist down against cool, soft sheets.

“I’d advise against that,” a lighthearted voice warns.

Heroine picks up on the unspoken or else. It doesn’t faze her, though, and she slowly pulls her wrist out of Villain’s grip, brushing her fingertips against a ring on Villain’s left ring finger.

“What if I don’t listen to your advice?” Heroine asks softly, bringing her hand to the edge of the blindfold and rubbing it thoughtfully.

The next moment, her hands are pinned on either side of her head, her back pressed against the cool sheets as Villain’s knees press against her sides. Heroine freezes, completely thrown.

Villain’s voice is unruffled, perfectly collected. “Then you pay the price.”

Her breath tickles Heroine’s skin, their closeness making her sense of touch send firecrackers up her spine and into her brain. Despite the heated thrum, Heroine refuses to move, to breathe, as Villain slowly moves off of her body, her fingers releasing Heroine’s wrist.

Heroine’s heart is most definitely not racing, thank you very much. Her voice is not breathless when she speaks—certainly not!—simply cautious. “Why…” she inhales sharply when Villain takes her arm and rolls up her sleeve. “Why are you…helping me?”

“Guess.” Villain’s voice makes it hard to tell whether or not she’s being sarcastic, even though she’s currently cleaning Heroine’s wound.

Heroine huffs out a laugh. “So I don’t ruin your Alexander McQueen coat?” She even raises an eyebrow, though she doesn’t know if Villain is looking at her face.

Villain chuckles once, and takes Heroine’s hand, placing it on her shoulder, sliding it down to feel the buttons and belt.

“Ah,” Heroine murmurs, and a smile slips onto her face unintentionally. “My mistake. Not McQueen, but Bottega Veneta.”

“Quite right.” Villain affirms, and lets go of Heroine’s hand, which lingers in the air for a beat longer before Heroine lowers it.

There’s only another two seconds of silence.

“Is this an apology?” Heroine asks quietly.

Villain’s movements don’t slow, but her response is not immediate. She finishes wrapping Heroine’s wound and rolls down her sleeve. “It’s not,” she says, and there’s no guilt in her tone. “I have no apology to offer. I don’t think you expect one, anyway.”

Silence. Villain is right; Heroine didn’t really think this strange act of kindness was anything more than that. It makes no sense for them to apologise for each other when they will inevitably clash again. When Villain will topple another company, destroying a building or a person, will toy with Heroine again. When Heroine will fight her again, maybe salvage something, and then they will separate. That’s how their relationship works.

“What did you give me?” It was an effective knockout drug, and Heroine has no clue how much time has passed. She can barely feel the pain, now, but that could be from treatment and not a lingering side effect of the first injection.

Villain’s breath sounds faintly amused. “Do you want to hear my voice that much?” Her laugh now is different from earlier, more innocent, like they’re trading jokes. “I’m not giving up my secrets to you just because I’m healing you, Maliha.”

Heroine frowns, having expected a rejection. She raises her hand as if to wave away the question altogether.

Villain catches her hand and laces their fingers together, bringing the back of Heroine’s hand to her lips, and Heroine’s lungs contract, her heart hammering all of a sudden because god, Villain’s soft laughter even feels like velvet. She’s like a rich drink, warm and elegant at the same time, completely intoxicating.

“Pretty girl,” Villain purrs. Her lips dance over Heroine’s knuckles, and a strained whimper makes it half out of Heroine’s mouth.

God, this is worse than a drug, because of it was a drug, Heroine could easily find a stronger substance to distract herself. But this? There is nothing more overwhelming than the feel of Villain’s breath on her skin, nothing stronger than her velvet voice washing away every thought in Heroine’s mind, nothing crueler than the mad feelings churning in Heroine’s chest right. There is nothing she wants more than to pull off the blindfold and see the face that belongs to a voice capable of bewitching sirens.

“You…” Heroine can’t hear herself so much as she feels the rawness of her voice. Breathless, wanting, after the ghost of a touch from this human belladonna. “What did you give me?”

The question has no answer. Heroine has been given nothing, and she knows this. But it is impossible for nothing to have happened, and indeed something did happen.

Another battle she didn’t realise she was fighting until she lost. How easily she had let Villain strike her heart, not by a weapon, but with a few gentle words and a touch. To be shaken by her without even seeing her.

The most dangerous monster is always the one that remains unseen. No matter how pretty it speaks or how soft it acts, it is the deadliest enemy, because it is so easy to be deceived by the idea of beauty and kindness.

The Villain is like the Cheshire Cat, always speaking with two meanings. The most Heroine has seen of her is her smile, and she fears that if she sees any more, she will lose her heart.

[hypercaring5]

I used to think that Indonesian artists were only capable of creating aesthetically pleasing art. I thought we would always be the tourism capital, always creating something to please other people. It wasn’t until I studied art in earnest that I learned that there are artists out there creating works that were more than just aesthetically pleasing paintings and sculptures to be sold at auctions and galleries. There are artists like Melati Suryodarmo who create art that, at times, feels like the antithesis of beauty.

[chiizumuuuu]

Mungkin hari ini bukanlah hari untuk dia masuk ke resto kecil.

Mungkin dia terlalu muda untuk mengerti tentang soal ini. Dirinya terlalu khawatir, seharusnya hari ini dia berpikir tentang masa-masa liburan.

Mungkin hari ini bukanlah hari untuk dia masuk ke resto kecil. Namun, hati berkenan lain. Jiwa ingin mati di tempat karena hati.

Hati akhirnya menunjuk satu gambar di atas kiri kertas. Gambarnya lucu dan simple, hanya menunjukkan sepiring nasi dan mangkuk dengan kuah coklat. Lalu, ia menunjuk satu gambar lagi di paling bawah kanan kertas. Gambarnya berupa suatu kemasan bening dengan tutup biru tua.

"Rawon ama Aqua, satu!"

Bapak di depannya teriak pesanannya layaknya dia punya karyawan, padahal ia bekerja sendiri. Suara-suara kompor, piring, dan segala itu semua menjadi suara pelengkap dari tempat yang sudah sunyi ini.

Dilihat-lihat, bapak itu masih muda, namun berjenggot tebal. Mungkin beliau baru berumur 30 atau 40-an. Kalaupun beliau tua dalam umur, semua itu disembunyikan dari topi dan kaos birunya.

Satu kata tidak keluar pun dari bapak itu saat beliau mengantarkan makanan dia. Kecuali satu tawa, "Sekolah, ya dek? Padahal masih jam berapa..."

Dikira-kira sekarang masih jam 5, azan subuh jauh tapi terdengar jelas dalam kesunyian udara pagi. Masih ada 1 jam dan 30 menit lagi untuk sekolah, ia berpikir.

Jiwa berteriak, "Aku dah bilang, ngapain kita makan di resto jam 5?! Dibilang gila ama orang-orang, tau gak?!"

Makanan di rumah terlalu dingin. Dia ingin sesuatu yang lebih hangat.

Mungkin tanpa sadar, bapak itu lanjut bicara tanpa pikir-pikir, "Orang bilang masa sekolah itu masa yang paling... apa ya, menyenangkan. Apalagi SMA, aku anak SMK sudah gak bisa ditolongkan lagi."

Tawa beliau menjadi lebih... pahit. Tak ada senang yang keluar dari mulut beliau.

Matanya terseret ke bapak tersebut. Mungkin ia merasa tertarik.

Jadi beliau lanjut, "Bapak dulu SMK masuk jurusan masak kuliner, karena dikira bapak bisa... explore passion bapak. Bapak dari dulu ampe sekarang suka masak."

Mata beliau membesar, "Jadi pada saat bapak lulus... bapak pengen kuliah, lintas jurusan ke marketing. Bapak pengen buka resto bapak sendiri yang sukses gitu! Punya skill masak, sekarang yang tertinggal hanya skill marketing dan management, kan?"

Dia menaik dan menurunkan kepalanya berkali kali. Setuju, ia bilang tanpa kata.

Tiba-tiba suara beliau mendalam, "...bapak ditolak dari semua universitas di Indonesia."

Dia tergeleng kepalanya. Semua kampus di Indonesia. Ditolak.

"Tak ada satu pun dari mereka semua mau menerima bapak, kenapa?! Karena bapak punya ijazah SMK!"

Ia makin tergeleng.

Bapak itu langsung bekerja tanpa kuliah. Banyak orang langsung kerja tanpa lulus program S1. Namun, SMK dibuat agar murid-muridnya dapat langsung bekerja. Tak papa, kan?

"Kan bapak tujuannya pengen buat resto bapak sendiri, alias bikin lapangan kerja sendiri, jadi kuliah atau gak sebenarnya sudah lewat buat bapak."

"Masalahnya itu... saat orang lain buka lowongan kerja, trus syaratnya bilang 'minimal lulusan S1', padahal kerjanya cuman ngegoreng pisang di jalanan," ia melihat bapak itu menyentuh keningnya.

Ngegoreng pisang. Lulusan S1 minimal.

Dia tahu lowongan kerja seperti itu. Banyak orang promosi di sosial media, namun syaratnya banyak yang dia tak bisa capai.

Minimal sudah kuliah

Multi skill

Good looking (bonus points)

Dia tak punya ketiganya.

Dia disini untuk sarapan, bukan untuk melanjutkan pikirannya yang buat ia tak tidur tadi malam! 

Hari ini memang bukan hari untuk dia masuk ke resto kecil ini, yang orang-orang saja jarang tahu ada pun! Dirinya terlalu khawatir dengan masalah yang seharusnya ia khawatirkan beberapa tahun nanti! 

Pandangan masyarakat lemah dan kuno! Masih terpaku dengan ijazah! Ijazah lebih penting daripada pengalaman seseorang dalam bekerja! Jika masih terpaku dengan ijazah, mengapa konsep SMK masih terbentuk sampai saat ini?! Mengapa membangun sekolah SMK, kalau murid-muridnya tidak punya kesempatan yang sama untuk kuliah dan bekerja dengan murid-murid SMA?!

Ayolah, dia sudah berpikir tentang ini malam tadi. Seharusnya ia memikirkan tentang masa liburan.

Dia sudah selesai. Matahari sudah terbit. Bapak tersebut menaruh piring kotornya ke dapur.

Setelah beberapa menit, bapak tersebut membuka mulutnya, "...maaf ya tadi, adek keliatannya stress."

Dia menggeleng kepalanya. Itu bukan masalah bapak, ia berpikir. 

"Bapak sering stress mikirin masalah sekolah dulu, jadi ngelihat adek jadi... gimana ya? Bapak beneran maaf ya, masalah bapak jadi ketimpa ama adek..."

Dia menjawab, "Gak papa. Saya sebenarnya perlu itu buat... introspeksi diri."

Beliau menggeleng kepalanya, muka terkejut. Ia mengangkat topinya, merapikan rambut keritingnya, "Adek ingin masuk SMK?"

Dia itu lucu. Ditanyain serius, bahunya diangkat. Entah, ia jawab.

Tawa kembali keluar dari mulut beliau, mengangkat topinya kembali, "Bapak ngeluh tentang masa sekolah bapak, tapi gak akan bapak larang seseorang mengikuti langkah bapak dulu..."

Suara beliau mengecil, tubuh beliau mendekati tingginya, "Sukses sekarang itu tentang mengambil kesempatan. Situasi seseorang bisa buruk, tapi dengan kesempatan, ia bisa mengubah itu."

Saat dia merasa sudah siap, bapak bertopi biru tersebut bilang dengan senyum manisnya, "Ambil kesempatan itu, ya dek."

Dunia ini tidak adil, ia pikir. Mungkin dia akan menemui solusinya nanti. Mungkin pandangan masyarakat akan berubah nanti.

Sekarang dia seharusnya sudah fokus dengan ujian, hari baru jam 6. Ada waktu untuk belajar.

"Oh ya, resto ini buka cuman dari jam 9 malam ampe jam 5 pagi. Jangan ke sini kalau mau makan siang, ya dek?"

Mungkin itulah kenapa orang-orang jarang tahu resto ini. Buka hanya pada saat orang-orang sedang di alam mimpi. Lumayan, padahal.

Saat kakinya berjalan meninggalkan resto tersebut, suara bapak itu masih terdengar jelas di telinganya, "Oh ya-- maaf ya dek karena tadi lagi, hati-hati ya jalannya!"

Pfft-- Sudah dimaafin, loh. Dia suka bapak tersebut. Siapa namanya, ya? Lupa nanya tadi.

Mungkin satu saat nanti.

[friggin-tired27]

It was the first set of exams and i've failed 3 (4?) out of 5 known test scores, did a remedial test for bio and got the exact same score even though i used google's help, and i'm anticipating 2 more failed test on physics and "elective" maths. My house got slightly flooded, midterm's coming next week, and i have 0 recollection about what i've learnt so far. I still have like 4 group projects, and 5 other individual assigment due before midterm.

But hey at least i aced 1 part of the first english test.

Look at how crusty he is

[vriendenboekjes]

finally got a physical copy because im using it so much and i hate looking at screen for too long!!!!

[yukarishoodie]

When you like an author's writing style and literally nothing else about their work...

[nardo-headcanons]

Websites I use for my Naruto writing

i'm on spring break atm, that means free time, plus i am sick in bed, meaning double freetime. it was @andohmyloveiliedtoyou who asked me for more writing resources, this one will definitely be a smaller/listicle type one but i figured it might help nonetheless.

Japanese Girl Names (with meaning) Japanese Boy Names (with meaning) Japanese Unisex Names For your OCs and side characters

Family tree creator In case you want to plan/map out things

Height comparison Lets you compare heights of people (w different bodytypes) and objects

Ryo to Dollar/Euro calculator Helps you get a better understanding of the prices in the shinobi world

How to draw in the shippuden artstyle A post by yours truly, where I talk about characteristics of the shippuden art style

Timeline maker Because honestly, the timeline in Naruto is a mess Ultimate Naruto Timeline Someone's attempt to turn the current timeline of Naruto into one coherent thing

A deviantart collection of the Naruto model sheets This is just a collection, not the original artists since they're unfortunately rarely credited

Genetic trait calculator If you suck at maths like I do. Works for eyecolors, dimples, etc. unfortunately only three eye colors.

Exploring the Politics of Naruto Part I Exploring the Politics of Naruto Part II Videos from the channel "The Based Indonesian Show" about the political system of Naruto The Big Five Ninja Nations explained A video by "TheProfessorBurg" about the big five and parallels to the real world A Naruto World Map Made by the Naruto rp community, I used this one for my worldbuilding headcanons

Writers, Artists, Creatives, feel free to add more!

[onenakedfarmer]

Currently Reading

Norman Erikson Pasaribu HAPPY STORIES, MOSTLY

Translated from the Indonesian by Tiffany Tsao

[sulkybender]

Please don't string together a bunch of nonsense syllables for OC names.

Please don't string together a bunch of nonsense syllables for OC names.

The Earth and Fire Nation names in ATLA are drawn from the phonology of real East Asian languages and it's just phenomenally disrespectful. It makes it look like the writer thinks those languages are gobbledegook.

Quick guide:

For the Earth Kingdom, check out Mandarin phonology.

For the Fire Nation, names tend to be drawn from Japanese phonology. But the cultural inspirations for that region are drawn from all over East Asia, so you can also consider looking at Thai and Indonesian names, for example.

Please don't stick a bunch of z's in it and call it a day.

[northgazaupdates]

3 May 2024

Writer, photographer, and artist Haneen Salem documents the painful experience of the Al-Kahlout family in north Gaza. She writes,

In northern Gaza, the Al-Kahlot family faced tough conditions but chose to confront them. After a painful displacement journey that turned their lives into a nightmare, they returned to their destroyed home. All that remained was debris, but the family refused to give up. They decided to set up a tent amidst the rubble, turning it into their new shelter.

Before the war, the Al-Kahlot family owned "Al-Manar Studios," specializing in photography and media, and enjoyed a prosperous life. However, at the end of October, their home was destroyed, turning their lives upside down. They lost not only their home but also their company, supplies, and livelihood. They were forced to seek safety and shelter at the Indonesian Hospital after being displaced.

They couldn't find safety even at the hospital, as the occupation forces besieged it. The family endured horrific days, with some members sustaining injuries. Tragically, they lost their son, Mohammad, just moments after he distributed sweets to the wounded in the hospital. This happened following an announcement about a truce, but the hospital was bombed as a target.

[hypercaring5]

Did you know that chilies are native to the Americas? Did you also know it's considered a staple ingredient in Indonesia even though it's not native to here? I found this all to be very fascinating. There's even a little etymology fun that I learned while looking this up.

[firstaidspray]

Each version of Mr Scratch and what they smell like - Scratch and sniff, if you will.

Okay so because I am So Normal about Scratch, the other night I was wondering what he smells like, and more specifically, what each games' version of him smells like. Now the obvious comes to mind with versions like AW2, who is covered in blood and dons a biker jacket- he smells like gore and leather. But at the mall I did some literal sniffing around some different men's fragrances and have come up with a list of what each version of Scratch would smell like in terms of cologne, as well as extra scents (such as the aforementioned blood and leather). Here we go!!

AW1 Scratch

(Sorry, had NO good pics of him)

The smells, generalized: a warm and spicy cologne, freshly printed ink on paper, the woods, cold air.

We don't get to see much of Scratch in AW1, as he's introduced in the ending, but its DLCs do give us more. However that freshness, that just-created copy of Alan, makes me feel like he would not only smell like- very subtly- freshly printed ink on paper, but also whatever Alan may have worn as a fragrance combined with a genuine forest scent of pine needles, dirt, etc. as well as cold air. As for Alan's fragrance and therefore Scratch's, my cologne for AW1 Scratch is...

Gucci Guilty Por Homme. This fragrance is described in this way: A woody, aromatic, ambery fragrance that magnifies the true essence of [the fragrance's] signature. A new and intense vision of masculinity, [the fragrance] opens with a lighter, milder, and more modernized aromatic hook. The true essence of [the fragrance] is magnified at the heart with the deep ambery signature of Spanish cistus combined with the floral richness of orange flower and a spicy hint of nutmeg. Finally, the mysterious elegance of Indonesian patchouli is reinforced with the long-lasting sensation of dry woods and musks. The fragrance family is "warm and spicy," and the type is considered "woody spices."

I feel this vibe fits Alan, at least in the first game, perfectly. If you've smelled this scent, you know what I mean. It's the smell of a man who has enough money to blow on expensive cologne, yet it somehow remains a humble scent, if one can apply that word to a smell. Though this is said of Alan by Scratch in AWAN, not AW1, "you've got money, fame, but you don't know what to do with it!" In my mind, this is translating back to Alan as a successful writer but still a relatively normal dude, and this scent just fits the vibes. Like yes I have enough money to buy Gucci cologne, but I'm not gonna shove it in your face. Likely only wears it in a very very light way. And because of AW1 Scratch being a fresh copy of Alan, he would wear this scent too. He hasn't developed enough of his own self yet, not like he has by AWAN, so I imagine he smells like Alan does.

To recap: AW1 Scratch smells like Gucci Guilty Por Homme because that is what Alan wears (in my mind) and he is a fresh copy of Alan, yet to develop his own scent tastes. He smells also of the literal woods, as Alan likely does from his "adventure." The smell of fresh ink on paper refers to the vibes of being a "copy," and of words being typed with a typewriter's ink. Cold air refers once more to his freshness and lack of real self- it's like he's hollow, and when he enters the room it turns, and smells, cold, like a winter night.

AWAN Scratch

The smells, generalized: a versatile, charismatic, elegant cologne, hair gel, freshly pressed clothes, Campari.

Scratch has developed his whooole own personality by the time we see him again in AWAN, and therefore has also developed his own taste in fragrances. We know damn well this man is spending good money for good cologne- after all, it's Alan's money that he's taking and using for anything he wants, why not spend an extra bit to smell good? Also, his insanely gelled hair, he's got some hair gel smell on him too. His clothes are very nice and neat (when they aren't bloody) and he often straightens them up, so I'd assume they are freshly pressed and ironed and starched and all that, which you can smell. Campari is not confirmed to be the drink AWAN Scratch has, but considering it is the drink of Tom Zane's choice and his similarities to AWAN Scratch, let's say it is. It's the same color, anyway. It looks the same. He has a faint smell of it on him when he's been drinking. As for Scratch's fragrance, my cologne for AWAN Scratch is...

Montblanc Legend Spirit. This fragrance is described in this way: Discovering a breathtakingly fresh woody aromatic territory, this cool and confident scent blends energizing citrus with intense cardamom and lavender, settling on a sensual woody base. [The fragrance] is a powerfully modern scent designed for a passionate man who yearns to explore new horizons. The fragrance reveals a more casual side of the [designer] man while maintaining the same versatility, elegance, and charisma of the original. It's style is also said to be versatile, charismatic, and elegant.

A passionate man yearning to explore new horizons? Is that not exactly what our dear AWAN Scratch is doing? Sure, his yearning is more like obsession and his new horizons are horrifying, but it still fits. It's said to reveal a casual side but maintain the same elements of the original- Scratch reveals to us his silly, playful, campy side through his tapes and dialogue, but we must remember the original elements of him being an evil bastard. Scratch's versatility in murder and in methods of fucking up Alan's life fits that bit (I will not stoop to making sex jokes). AWAN Scratch is dictionary definition charismatic, the man could charm me out of my clothes just by looking at me. And elegant- Scratch seems to want to appear groomed, clean, neat. He dresses nice, in a suit. I suppose that's elegant enough.

The vibe I got smelling this for the first time hit me straight in the face as AWAN Scratch's smell. It's the smell of that nicely dressed, weirdly charming man you happen upon somewhere in passing. A party, a store, the street. And who knows, maybe that man is a super natural serial killer too? This is a very very charming scent, the vibes are off the charts correct for Mr Scratch.

To recap: AWAN Scratch smells like Montblanc Legend Spirit, because that is a charismatic and charming cologne if I've ever smelled one. The vibes are just off the charts Scratch coded. His hair gel is also probably fragrant, he uses so much of it you'd probably smell it if he got relatively close to you. Freshly pressed clothes get a spot as not only a vibe but a possible applicable smell, as we see Scratch straighten up his clothes and try to look put together, his clothes must be ironed and taken care of. And finally, the Campari- it's not confirmed that's what he drinks, but in my mind it is, and when he does drink, you get a faint hint of it off him.

AW2 Scratch

The smells, generalized: earthy and woody cologne, leather, blood, hotel soap.

By AW2, Scratch has been defeated once, and now, he's just pissed off and wants the Clicker. In every instance we see the man, he's disheveled, and has at least some blood on him somewhere. The other two have to do with Scratch possessing people- the leather from Jaakko's jacket, and the hotel soap as the vaguest, barely there little note you can only smell if you get close enough to, say, kiss him. Which I would. Anyways, that's from Alan freshening up at the lodge, and if we count him possessing Casey, I'm sure he's also been using that soap. I'll elaborate later on what I mean by hotel soap. For now we will see something else. My cologne for AW2 Scratch is....

Burberry Hero. This fragrance is described in this way: The vibrant freshness of bergamot is invigorated with juniper and black pepper and deepened with a heart of cedarwood—a new man, a new hero. Discover [the fragrance], the new [designer] masculine spirit that explores freedom as modern heroism. [Designer's] vision of modern heroism is challenging the stereotypes of masculinity and empowering man to transform and find the courage to embrace who he truly is—to become extraordinary. It's classed in the scent family "earthy and woody" and the scent type is "citrus and woods."

I smelled this and I immediately pictured the colors associated with AW2 Scratch- black, dark brown, deep red. I picked up on a vibe I thought fit him pretty quickly, and this was one of the last colognes I smelled, too. I thought I'd have to settle for one I didn't really think fit him, but then this one fixed that. The earthy and woody description fits for a man who crawled from a lake in the middle of a forest, and the vibes of transformation, embracing your true self, and becoming extroardinary?? All Scratch coded. He wants to transform Alan into himself, or vice versa. He really seems to embrace that raw, visceral, angry version of himself in AW2. And to have the clicker, to be God essentially, is that not extraordinary? The style this stuff goes for is what Scratch goes for. Plus my synesthesia vouches for it.

To recap: AW2 Scratch smells like Burberry Hero cologne, because the vibes are just absolutely applicable to him, and even just smelling it in person I saw his colors. He also smells like leather because, well, poor Jaakko's jacket is now his, and I know for a fact Jaakko takes good care of that leather and it smells great. Blood is obvious, Scratch is constantly covered in it, and if you've never truly smelled blood, like a room covered in it...trust me, you don't wanna. Just take my word that it smells like a sweeter version of rusty metal. And hotel soap, I will now elaborate: you know the little soaps you can get at hotels, how they all smell exactly the same?? Alan definitely freshened up at the lodge, and Casey had been staying there so he likely used it too, and I feel Scratch carried the ever so slight hint of it if you got really really close and he didn't like. Bite your face off.

SO!! That was a lot of work, research, and headaches from sniffing a bunch of cologne for a good thirty minutes. Plus some other stuff that I think fits the Scratch versions. If you have any comments or other ideas of what they may smell like, please reply here or shoot me an ask!! And yes, comments about how unhinged this post is are welcome too.

[jesncin]

Your Lois lane character i love how complex her character was and exploring her marginalized identity. MAWS when it's show coded as immigrant story yet the non white character doesn't deal with marginalization at all we see superman dealing with he's issue that is very immigrant coded. Diversity need to be stop being handle by white people ASAP

Indonesian brown skin lois lane her character are less shitty, more likable and well rounded. MAWS on other hand IT'S FUCKING EMBARASSMENT

While I get that this is a compliment comparing how I write Indo Lois to MAWS' handling of immigrant themes, I need to put my foot down. Erasing the crew members of color that worked on MAWS is not what we do here. An Asian woman directed many of those episodes. Lots of the episodes were co-written by people of color. Many artists behind the show are people of color. While diverse crew members don't absolve the show of its flaws and we have the right to be critical of the show, I disagree with being mean spirited about it.

Erasing the creatives of color on the show just to make a generalized jab about "white people" essentializes diverse talent into something infallible. Fixating over the identities of the people working on the show over the media itself is bad faith media criticism. It's not a compliment to essentialize who I am and say that being Indo makes me a good writer. Being Indonesian just gives me perspective.

It's okay to appreciate my fanon stuff because it provides something canon media doesn't. But please don't pit me and other creatives of color in the industry against each other just to praise me! Thanks and don't be mean it's Christmas

[yaoimongerer]

An extra shout-out to:

The same 3 fans keeping this ship alive

The same 3 screenshots and scenes we pass around amongst ourselves

The overlap with the KakuHida fandom

The Brazilian SasoDei fans

All the fics in languages other than English (I can't read them but you're keeping this fandom alive and I love you!!) Especially that one Indonesian fan who published 6 SasoDei fics in September.

The fanfiction.net community

The genderbenders

AU writers

Those stories where the Akatsuki all live in the same house.