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palimpsessed · 3 years

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So @captain-aralias did one of these and invited other writers to do the same. And I wasn't really going to because it feels a bit late now and also I've done quite a few other year in review posts for 2020. But then I got to thinking that it would be really nice to have one of these for each year to look back on and compare, which convinced me. So, here we go!

If you’re a writer, I’d also encourage you to steal this. Tag me on your post so I can see your thoughts! 🥰

List of Complete Fics for 2020 1. At the Top of a Tower, With You- General, 900 words 2. Use Your Words- Teen, 16k 3. A Man of Letters, or Five Times Baz Retreats and the One Time He Doesn’t- Teen, 54k 4. To the Manor Borne- Teen, 43k

Total: 4 fics, 113k words

Every one of these fics was written for an event, which, realistically, is the only reason they got finished. I have so many ideas I'm working on all at once, and I came into fandom with a focus on making art, so to actually find the motivation to sit down and write/finish/post a fic was entirely deadline based. And it's a technique I'm sure I will also employ in 2021.

Best/Worst Title?

Well, I've mentioned a few times before that I usually have a title before I have much in the way of a fic concept. I don't really dislike any of the my titles, because they all did exactly what I needed them to do, which was help me focus on what I wanted to accomplish in the fic. Comparatively speaking, though, I can answer this.

Best: Use Your Words - succinct, idiomatic, a book quote/motif that also has the potential to be a spell, does what it says on the tin, is probably what all of us are constantly yelling at Baz and Simon to do throughout the books and the fic itself

(Honorable mention to A Man of Letters because that title forms a perfect heart shape when viewed on mobile on AO3. ❤️)

Worst: At the Top of a Tower, With You - this is also a quote and it fits the fic perfectly, but it is a bit of a mouthful and it has a comma in the middle of it, which, while I love commas, feels a bit off-putting in terms of a title - also, it's always kind of bothered me that it's a Baz WS quote used for a CO-era Lucy POV

Best/worst summary?

Again, I don't really dislike any of my summaries.

Best:

To the Manor Borne: The gang decides to spend Christmas together at Pitch Manor. Romance, hijinks, and holiday cheer ensue.

Anything that lets me use the word hijinks is always good! - it's short and sweet - it does a fair job of setting up the premise for the fic and giving highlights, without giving anything away

Worst: A Man of Letters

I'm not going to include this one because it's so long, I had to cut down the version I posted on tumblr to fit in the AO3 field, which is really why I rank it below my others - it effectively sets up the world of Simon and Baz in Regency England prior to where the story starts, but it is prohibitively long - and it's set up, not summary, so it also loses points for not doing what it purports to do - I could have said exactly what this fic was in one sentence: "Simon and Baz meet at several Regency-appropriate venues over the course of a London season and reflect on their acquaintance in letters", but instead I did the full book jacket version because it was more interesting to me.

Best/Worst First Line?

Oh, this is interesting. I can honestly say that I have no idea where this will go. Going to pull up my docs and find out! Okay, since I only have four fics to consider, and I'm feeling split, I'm going to do two for each. I feel good about my words, but I will say that half of my first lines actually provide information, and the other half are incomplete thoughts. Those were stylistic decisions I made, but when taken alone, it does somewhat limit the effectivness of a sentence when it can't stand without the rest of the paragraph. Perhaps that decision will lure readers in for more?

Best:

In the end, we wind up at Pitch Manor. (To the Manor Borne)

I know that you won't be surprised when I tell you that I do not like writing letters. (A Man of Letters)

Kind of interesting that these both contain key words from the titles 🤔

Worst:

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this. (Use Your Words)

I love how the title seems to be answering Baz's question when the two are put together like this 😂

Strange that it should end here, where it all started. (At the Top of a Tower, With You)

The title also seems to complete the first line in this one, too. I'm learning about my writing as this goes on, so that's cool!

Best/Worst Last Line?

Hmm. Okay, again, no idea. Also, a little leery of including last lines for anyone who hasn't read the fics they're from yet. (Tho I guess it's unlikely those people would be reading this😆) But let's see what we've got.

Use Your Words and A Man of Letters have very similar final lines, and both are somewhat spoilery.

Best: The ending of A Man of Letters felt risky to me, in the way that it is formatted and changes tone from the rest of the story. It was something that happened as I wrote it and I loved it. I had no idea if readers would like it, if they would feel like it worked as an ending, but I felt strongly enough about it to let the entire fic hinge on that and I think it really paid off. So, without giving you the actual last line, which is only one word, I'm going to say that one is my best ending.

Worst:

To the Manor Borne: "Carry on, Simon."

It's not bad, it's just not mine.

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, fewer than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I did not set out to write any fics in 2020. I was supposed to be taking a break from writing. I've been an aspiring novelist for half my life now, and have been going through major ups and downs with my writing. I decided I needed to re-evaluate and figure out if writing was something that was even going to be able to make me happy anymore. The answer is: YES! Just…not original fiction. At the moment. I'm happiest when I can write for the sake of writing and not have to DO something with that writing. Which is why discovering fan fiction was AMAZING!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

To actually answer the question, yes, I wrote more than I thought I would. I also wrote exactly as much as I thought I would, simply because these were all things I signed up for (with the exception of my Countdown fic, but I committed to it as if it were something that required a sign up).

I have a lot more ideas for 2021, but I don't know how many of them will come to fruition. I'm not putting pressure on myself to have to do anything beyond what I sign up for again, because it did work out so well for me starting off.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I mean, the pairing and the fandom were in no way a surprise. 😆 They're my only ones, so those were both a given. The genre is also not surprising.

What's your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest?

A Man of Letters, without any hesitation. I adore it so much. It's the kind of fic I know I will unabashedly sit down to read over and over, even if I'm the one who wrote it. I had one reader to please and it was ME. By far, my most self-indulgent fic.

Okay, NOW your most popular story?

That depends on the metric.

To the Manor Borne leads in Comments (107), Kudos (153), and Hits (1992), and Use Your Words leads in Bookmarks (26).

But since To the Manor Borne is top in 3 out of 4 metrics, I'll say that one.

Story most upderappreciated by the universe?

I mean, the least popular by a wide margin is At the Top of a Tower, With You, but I don't know if I'd call it underappreciated. It's short, it's angsty, it's got a very unusual style, it's Lucy POV, it's the first fic I wrote and posted. I didn't really go into it with high performance expectations. I'm proud of it, I just didn't expect it to be popular. It would be nice if more people read it, but I'm not broken up over it.

Story that could have been better?

I'm not even going to touch this one. Everything can always be improved upon, but if I go down that route, nothing will ever be done. This is one of the things I have come to appreciate about traditional art versus digital. With traditional, there is only so much you can do before something is permanent and you have to live with it. It's an exercise in letting go and acceptance. Digital is flashier and more flexible, but I could (and have) spend months on a single piece and never feel satisfied, never stop tweaking. I think that's also the reason I started to hate my novels.

Sexiest story?

Based purely on overall vibes, I find the understated tension of the Regency the most appealing, so I'm going to say A Man of Letters. I didn't actually stray into sex territory in any of my fics (though Simon and Baz have had sex by the time To the Manor Borne starts, and refer to it, and probably do it "offscreen"), but A Man of Letters is the one that feels sexiest to me. Lots of thirsting!Baz and feral!Simon and sensual hand touching (how risqué!) - and YEARNING. That, to me, is the sexiest vibe of all. So. Much. Yearning.

Saddest story?

At the Top of a Tower, With You - for this one, I tagged "angst without plot" and I stand by that. It's Lucy losing her connection to Simon at the end of CO and trying to find a way to reconcile herself to leaving him alone again. I gave it as much of a hopeful bent as I could, with the refrain of Baz's spoken "love" to cling to, but it's very sad.

Most fun?

To the Manor Borne - All of my fics have their fair share of angst, but this one also has some good, silly, holiday fluff thrown in. Since I wrote it for the Countdown, each chapter was based on a different prompt, which led to this one going in all sorts of directions no single fic probably ever should. Plus, it has the most Shepard, and Shepard always makes things more fun.

Story with the single sweetest moment?

Oh my god. I don't know. No, never mind. I do. It's To the Manor Borne, but it's split between the two gift giving scenes, the Constellations and Secret Santa/Gift Giving prompts. These were private moments between Simon and Baz, sharing themselves with each other, being vulnerable, and communicating. It's the gifts they give each other, yes, but it's more so the reasons they chose those gifts, and how they show part of themselves and share their love for each other, through those gifts, that had me in tears writing those two scenes. I'm super proud of them.

Hardest story to write?

Use Your Words - it was written for an exchange and that made it really hard to write it knowing there was this pressure of making my gift-ee happy with the fic. I'm proud of it, and they really liked it, but the anxiety was too much for me.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

A Man of Letters - if there is a fic better suited to me as a writer, I haven't met it. I started writing after reading Pride and Prejudice in high school, so I started out writing Regency and I spent years and years and years of my life obsessed. When I transferred into college, an administrator I had never met before heard my name during orientation and said, "Oh, you're the Austen scholar." (It is a small, private college, and I was a transfer, so the pool of students was even smaller. But still. Many years later, I'm clearly not over it.) I also did my senior thesis on an epistolary novel (Frances Burney’s Evelina), and my English Lit emphasis was for that time period. So, I felt like I had been preparing for this fic my entire adult life. 😂

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I don't think so. I tend to let my writing be dictated by the characters, so I'm always following their lead. Sometimes they'll do or say something that surprises me and takes me down a route I didn't necessarily foresee, but I don't think there was ever a point where one of them did something that made me rethink who they are as a character.

Most overdue story?

I will say A Man of Letters, since that one felt like a culmination of my seventeen-year-old self's wildest writing dreams. But I should probably say the Scooby Doo AU I still haven't managed to finish, because that one has been a WIP since I joined the fandom. Oops. (I'm hoping when I look over this in a year, I can feel smug that it's finally done.)

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

Writing at all was a risk for me! And writing fan fic for the very first time! Writing an entire fic told only through letters. And then ending it in a completely different style from the rest of the fic. Doing a multi-chaptered fic for the Countdown, using a different prompt for each chapter, and publishing a chapter every single day for thirty days (with the exception of two days that had art). Signing up for fandom events in the first place!

What I learned from taking risks in my writing is the same thing I learned when I took risks in my art this year. I have a much better appreciation for what I've done when I push myself, I feel better about the end product, and I like it longer. I think it's really good for me to challenge myself creatively.

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it most?

Oh boy. Um. Therapy! Both Use Your Words and To the Manor Borne had their big HEA moments built around sending Simon and Baz to therapy. I don't think that's likely to change for future fics, either. I feel like therapy as the theme for 2020 seems very fitting. (Also, I think I keep sending the boys to therapy because I'm trying to get myself there…)

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

Just to write what I want to write, have fun, not put any pressure on myself, and to take risks in my writing and my art because it will help me to grow.

#fan fic year in review #my fic #at the top of a tower with you #use your words #a man of letters #to the manor borne

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billyboymiki · 3 years

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5 Works Tag Game

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and post or link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I got tagged by @tippenfunkaport and @caramelaire for this tag game!!

I’m not one to compliment myself on anything honestly. Recently I remember thinking about how I barely drew anything this year. There was a part of my brain nagging at me to check how much I had drawn last year. So, I uh did. Turns out I drew basically nothing?! I triple checked this in fact. My DeviantART, Tumblr AND my camera roll. Nothing . . . I drew 5 very basic pinback button designs and that was it. I couldn’t believe it; but, it made be feel so much better about what I did this year. Basically my whole instagram is all artwork from this year, since I am actually really new to IG. I got super close to 40 works this year!

Now onto the works! They are in order of when I drew them 😊

Glimmer Inspired Patterns

I wanted to teach myself how to make patterns on Clip Studio so bad! I watched a couple of YT tutorials, and I can’t even remember why I decided to make She-ra ones specifically; I’m glad I did though! The Glimmer one means so much to me. Just looking at makes me so happy! The fact that so many people have now called it ‘aesthetically pleasing’ makes me feel as though I actually created a work that others could relate to. That was enough praise for me; to create something for myself that everyone else loved as well 💖

Glimbow Cuddle

This was my first real She-ra artwork. When I saw there was a Glimbow Week again I knew I had to join this one. I don’t know if anyone knows this; but, drawings take me forever to make. I used to be strictly a traditional artist and still prefer to draw rough drafts on paper. I couldn’t decide if I wanted them on Glimmer’s window seat or in Bow’s dads’ library. I was afraid of doing backgrounds; so, both sounded absolutely terrifying. I decided to go for the fireplace even if it meant fancy lighting on top of the background aspect. I think I actually spent more time on the lighting that’s hitting Bow than on anything else in this picture. It was worth it though. I studied how the show did backgrounds and lighting for a while. I tried so many different attempts at how I wanted it to look and ultimately went with this one! I love it so much 🥺

Bow’s list with doodles

Ah, yes the drawings I did for Tippen’s birthday!! I knew I wanted to draw a scene from ‘Tuna Cans’, but I was worried to try something like this. You see, I’m somebody that likes to stay in a comfort zone and only uploaded fully rendered perfect artworks. This year was the first time that I let the ‘fun’ aspect overrule my perfectionism. I’m so happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone for this, because I love Chibi styles so much. I can’t even explain the absolute joy I had drawing these. I didn’t tell anyone what I was up to, so it was just me laughing at myself for being an absolute goofball. The end result and everyone’s reactions were more than I could have ever expected. I’ve decided I’m going to revive this style soon as well so please look forwards to it!!

Space Suit Squad

Okay, so I cheated a little with this one! I couldn’t just pick ONE of the squad. Honestly though, I drew these with the thought of making them into prints in the back of my mind. I taught myself how to draw a space background and I’m really proud of it! So much in fact that the one in the final pictures is the first and last one I ended up doing! If I had to pick my favorites I think I’d have to pick Glimmer, Bow and then Catra. I LOVE the way I draw Catra I don’t know why? Maybe the eyebrows I’m not sure 🤔 It took me a while to decide on expressions and poses; although, I figured these were the ones because I could look at them and go ‘yep that’s them.’

Winter Glimbow

This one took me soooo long; I actually had to tell myself that I should put my pen down because it was done and I should stop touching it!!! I was sketching pictures in my sketchbook to make more patterns for my Redbubble account, and of course I’m like 100% Glimbow brainrot. My brain went, oooo you know what would be cute? If this skate was actually Bow’s and not just generic. So, I ended up sketching Glimmer’s as well. The heart that their skates make is like the cherry on the top for me, it had to be done! I’m not sure I did the background justice on this one? It doesn’t matter to me though because the concept was worth the effort. It was snowing here and I needed this picture like I needed air, even if it wasn’t even December at the time I posted it 🤣 I liked this one so much that I have similar ideas for the other seasons sketched out as well 👀

I’m sorry that I ramble so often. I’m like this quiet person; yet, it’s hard for me to get out everything I want to say? I’m horrible at it actually my brain runs at a hundred miles a minute and I’m not good with words most of the time. This turned out as more of a thought process than my actual feelings on each one I suppose. SO, in conclusion. I drew A LOT, I stepped out of my comfort zone, taught myself digital art and patterns. I let myself come to terms with the fact that not every piece of art has to be ‘perfect’. I drew at least 5 FULL backgrounds and I never used to draw them! I’ve also always been one for simple shading and lighting, and I do think there’s a time for that type of style, while other times sometimes a more difficult one might be appropriate. I’m glad that I did both because now I know I can do both, and they each give a characteristic that I adore 🥰 Thank you to everyone that has followed me through this journey, or just anyone who read my rambling! I have an honorable mention under the cut and some originals for anyone that made it this far! 💖

I’m not going to tag anyone; but, if you want to do this PLEASE do it. It was so great to reflect on what I did this year, it really surprised me and I think what you have done will surprise you as well! It’s been a rough year, and in the end we have been here supporting each other and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of being in a fandom! 💜

Glimmer screencap redraw

Another picture where I really tested myself on drawing a background! I love it even if it killed my hand!! The background definitely took the longest on this one too. My sister literally said ‘Wait, you did the background? I thought you just drew her?!’ And that was the only validation I needed!! I ended up thinning out Glimmer’s outline so she matched the background better. If you use the vectors on Clip please use this feature! You can do the opposite as well, it’s super useful!

Oh hi! Remember when I said I couldn’t decide between the two locations? Truth is, I also couldn’t decide if I was going to make it traditional or digital. I ended up getting really mad at the traditional version unfortunately. I haven’t gotten the hang of traditional backgrounds. In the end, I should have also done it in Copic and not cheap pencil crayons 😫

Just some space friends! There is something so rewarding about traditional art. Yes, I can see the mistakes and the proportions are most likely off; yet, it doesn’t bother me? I wanted to also show these bonus drawings because nobody is perfect and I thought some of you might like to see some of my process. Being able to hold it in my hands is something I will never tire of, in a way it’s super rewarding. I keep all my art actually and sometimes I like the rough drafts more than the finished work 👀 Outlining artwork can actually ruin the charm every so often 😔 I do really love the final versions of these though!

Annnnnd the last bonus!! As you can tell the final version stayed pretty true to my sketches! I almost went with a more realistic look and made the symbols ‘stitched’ onto the skates. In the end it felt like it didn’t fit the rest of the drawing unless I wanted to add extra details to the clothing as well. The wings on Glimmer’s skates turned into ‘Shwings’ PLEASE tell me other people know what that is? I had a pair a few years ago and misplaced them. I was doing the rough draft and it popped into brain and I treated it as a joke at first, until I gave it a proper chance XD In the end I fell in love with it!!!

#she-ra #spop #fanart #tag game #billyboymiki #Miki speaks #long post #sorry #my art #I actually cried a little writing all of this 😱#the only thing I wanted to do really bad this year was make an spop amv #I might juggle art and making one so I can get one out at some point

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dear-selena · 5 years

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Sketchbook (Peter Parker x Stark!Reader): Chapter 4

Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (Female)

Summary: (Y/N) never understood science-based subjects, despite putting all her efforts into studying them. Kids at school bullied her, her father, Tony Stark, was disappointed in her, and the Avengers looked the other way. Peter Parker, her best friend, and secret crush for almost two years, was always there supporting her when she needed someone. However, since he became an Avenger and her dad’s ‘favorite kid’, (Y/N) doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be around.

You find yourself struggling to exist with everything working against you, and instead of asking others for help, you turn to your sketchbook.

Warnings: Slight angst, a very bad cliffhanger (I’m so sorry)

A/N: Hello! I’m not dead!

School’s literally been kicking my behind, so I apologize for such a long wait. I never forgot about this story, and I never forgot about you guys. Some of you have sent me messages asking about when the next chapter would come out, and I want to thank you guys for keeping me motivated to write.

I finally have a solid story planned out for Sketchbook, and I believe it will be an 8 chapter story. Once again, I ask that you stay patient with me as I continue to get all the chapters out. Feel free to send me any feedback as well, it helps me know what you guys are thinking.

Without further ado, the long awaited chapter 4!

Chapter 4: CADD

Words: 2764

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Sighing with satisfaction, you take a look at your most recent art piece.

A week has passed since your father took away your training privileges, and not only has he gotten stricter with you around the compound, but he was also talking to you less. He never spoke to you too much beforehand, but recently, he only seems to ask you questions about school.

You absolutely hate it.

At first, you would sneak into the training room late at night, and get some practice with your whip, loving the feeling of finding your perfect weapon. However, after a few nights of practice, you found your father waiting for you in the training room, sending you straight back to bed. After that, you didn’t chance it.

School life wasn’t that glamorous either. Flash remained relentless, talking to you almost everyday about your grades and questioning why you're still at Midtown. No matter how many hints you gave him, he wouldn’t stop his belittling. When Peter saw these interactions, he’d get him to leave you alone. But you hated how you had to rely on Peter to get bullies away from you. He already has enough to deal with, and you were tired of being a problem in his life.

While you spend more time isolated in your room attempting to study, life in the compound went on without you. The team didn’t really acknowledge you much unless you just got back from school or you were with Peter, and even then your father would ask his prodigy to leave you alone. Sometimes, when homework became too much (which was basically everyday), you’d sneak out of your room and watch what was happening around the compound, getting inspiration for your sketchbook. Everything was per usual, Bucky and Sam constantly duking it out, Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Thor all having their own matters to attend to, Vision and Wanda spending time together, and Bruce, Peter, and your father spending hours in the lab.

When you saw Peter in the lab, you felt a stabbing in your heart, both longing to be with him and longing to take his place. Seeing Peter so focused on building things normally gave you a sense of admiration, but for the past week, you felt nothing but envy and hurt. It especially stung when you saw your father interacting with your crush, patting him on the back and smiling at him, smiling the way he’s never smiled at you.

Life without you in it seemed rather perfect for everyone.

Trying to shake the negative thoughts out of your head, you turn back to your artwork. Your final class of the day was studio art. The art department at Midtown was rather desolate, but the few people who were taking the classes really dedicated themselves to their craft. The teacher who ran the department, Mr. Miller, was one of the more kinder ones at the school, and you could tell he didn’t care that you were a Stark, but instead cared about your work. MJ was also in this class with you, and you’d always bounce ideas back and forth. Needless to say, this class was heaven on earth.

Looking at your work, you actually feel proud of yourself for once. For the past month, you chose to focus on digital art, having already learned most of the adobe suite. In Photoshop, you created a digital painting of yourself. The image consists of you looking into a mirror in front of a counter covered in makeup, applying some red lipstick on your lips. However, the lipstick on your lips formed a perfect drool line that was dangling from your lips, looking like blood ready to splatter. The room in the image was dirty, and the clothes you wore were torn up.

A perfect representation for how you felt. Trying to be seen but never looking good enough.

“Wow, that’s insane!” You look up from your work to see Mr. Miller admiring what’s on your tablet. “May I take a closer look?”

Sending your favorite teacher a genuine smile, you scoot back from the table you were working at, and allowed Mr. Miller full access to your work. He spent the next two minutes complimenting your technique, use of certain Photoshop brushes, and story within the image. He also gave you some pointers on spots that needed a little touch up, and you wrote down his thoughts in your trusty sketchbook for reference.

“Hey, before I forget (Y/N), do you have a little time after school today?” Mr. Miller asks handing your pen back.

“Uh, I normally get picked up right away, but what’s up?”

“I’m meeting with Mr. Mortia, the school principal, to talk about some developments in this department, and I’d really love for you to be a part of the conversation. I think you’d find what we’re talking about quite interesting.”

Biting your tongue, you try to suppress the smile forming on your face. This being the first time any teacher of yours has asked to talk academics with you, and not for poor grades! Despite the excitement bubbling inside, you try to stay cautious and calm, unsure of what Mr. Miller ultimately wants to talk about.

“I’d love to be there. May I message my ride and tell him to pick me up later?”

Mr. Miller gives you permission to send a quick text to Happy, asking him to pick you up an hour after school ends instead. Happy responds immediately, no questions asked. For the rest of the class, you found yourself lost in thought over what Mr. Miller wanted to discuss with the principal, and why on earth he wanted you to be there.

Hopefully they don’t bring up any grades.

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Walking down to the principal’s office, Mr. Miller opens the door for you. Upon entering the office, a familiar sense of dread takes over your senses. Normally, you’d be sent to the principal’s when your father was asked to come in to talk about your grades. Mr. Mortia would always try to talk to you about “other schooling options”, but your father would always find a way to counter his arguments, sometimes asking you to leave the room to have private conversations. No matter what was said, you’d keep your enrollment status at Midtown.

This time however, things were different.

Glancing around, you notice Mr. Mortia talking to a woman you didn’t quite recognize. “Ah! George, I see you were able to bring Miss Stark with you.” Mr. Mortia said getting up from his desk and approaching the two of you. “It’s good to see you again.” He extends his hand to you.

Raising an eyebrow but trying to remain polite, you shake his hand. “You too sir. Is my father here as well?”

“Oh no, we didn’t ask you here to talk about your grades,” Mr. Mortia assures, giving you a sense of relief. He then motions to the woman behind him, the one he was talking to just a second ago. “Miss Stark, I’d like you to meet Mrs. Tyrance. She’s an architect, and she actually helped designed this building.”

Turning your attention to her, Mrs. Tyrance sends you a warm smile and extends her hand. “It’s a pleasure Miss Stark. You can call me Jasmine.”

You shake her hand. “Nice to meet you Jasmine. You can call me (Y/N).”

“Why don’t we all take a seat?” Mr. Mortia suggests, gesturing back to his desk. Like clockwork, everyone on the room grabs a chair, you conveniently sitting in between Mr. Miller and Jasmine. “So George, have you informed Miss Stark of what’s going on or shall I do the honors?”

Mr. Miller nods his head. “Go for it.”

Mr. Mortia turns his full attention to you. “Miss Stark, I don’t suppose you’ve taken any of the C.T.E. classes Midtown High offers, have you?”

You shake your head, feeling a little more embarrassed than before. “No sir, are you talking about the career specific classes?” Teachers have definitely talked about them in class before, trying to get certain students to sign up for classes that would appeal to them. No one’s ever recommended a class for you however. You could barely pass a regular science class. How could you pass a more advanced class?

Mr. Mortia nods. “Well, Mrs. Tyrance is here because we’ve been working on bringing some new courses into the program, and one of which would be for computer-aided design and drafting, or CADD for short.”

Raising your eyebrows in curiosity, you look towards Jasmine, who nods to confirm what your principal is saying. “(Y/N), have you done any CADD work in the past?” She asks.

You immediately shake your head. “No mam, I’ve never even heard of CADD.”

“Really?” Mr. Miller interjects, making everyone turn towards him. “I’m surprised, and not just because of your father’s industry,” Of course your father comes up, even when he’s not here. “You’re also a talented artist.”

Taken aback, you blink multiple times, wondering if you were in a dream. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m serious!” Mr. Miller says. “All the work you’ve produced in my class thus far has been some of the best I’ve ever seen. You have a very creative eye, and you definitely have the aptitude to take your skills beyond painting and sketching. When I found out about this new program, I instantly thought of you and how I feel this would be a great program for you to take and be an advocate for.”

Many thoughts start to run through your mind. On one hand, you were utterly confused. No adult in your life has ever complimented you like this on an academic level, and hearing praise like this from a teacher felt so foreign to your ears.

On the other hand though, you felt complete and utter excitement. Art was always an escape for you, a way to distract yourself from a life you felt was pointless. In your sketchbook, you felt like you could have any ideas you want with no judgement, rules, or privileges. You never really thought about how you could use your artistic skills for more than just fun. You didn’t even know that was an option.

“In the architect world, we draft blueprints for buildings on computers, and it’s great because we can get as detailed as we want, and find good structure with our design and files,” Jasmine explains. “Mr. Miller has shown me some of your work, and I have to agree with him about your talent. I want to teach a CADD class here at Midtown, and I think you’ll be very successful as my student.”

Could the smile forming on your face get any wider?

For the next hour, you spent time discussing the implications of this new program with your teachers and principal, and how it was supposed to utilize more creative and artistic skills at Midtown. It surprises you how much these three adults valued your opinion on how to bring more awareness to art and design into the school, but nevertheless, you brought up ideas that they eagerly accepted. If you’re being honest, you’d never felt this valued before, not even with your father, and this conversation brought a new sense of life into your soul.

------------

Running into the doors of the Avengers compound, you almost slam into the automatic doors. The excitement of finding a class that can help you develop skills that you’re actually good at had you bouncing in your seat throughout the ride home with Happy. Not wanting to lose the energy, you chose to wait until you saw your dad to talk about this new exciting opportunity with your father.

As you anxiously wait on the elevator ride to your father’s lab, you can’t help but wonder how he’ll take the news. Will be finally be proud of you once he’s seen the work you do outside of school and the opportunity you’ve been presented? Sure, you didn’t build a robot or cure cancer, but you found something you were passionate about that had a potential to become a great career. Hell, you could even work alongside him if you find success with CADD. You can practically hear your father saying the words you’ve always wanted to hear. I’m so proud of you.

That all changes when the elevator doors open.

Instead of seeing Bucky and Sam playing games, Wanda and Vision around the kitchen area, or even your father taking a business call out in broad daylight, you see the Avengers, in suit, gathering their things as they prepare for yet another mission. With all the hustle going on in the common room, no one seems to register you entering the room. You completely forgot that your father would be leading a mission this weekend. You knew it had something to do with a Hydra base, but due to all the studying your father makes you do and the lack of acknowledgement you get in general, you didn’t know many of the details.

“(Y/N)!” You turn to see Peter running up to you, Iron-Spider suit without the mask and a duffle bag over his right shoulder. He smiles at you as he opens his arms for a hug that you accept without a second thought.

“Hey Peter, have you seen my father anywhere?” You ask, pulling away from him and looking around the compound. With everyone running around, you couldn’t see if he was even here.

“Oh, he’s gathering stuff up in the lab before we leave,” he informs you. You grab Peter’s hand, butterflies erupting in your stomach, and start to drag him towards your father’s lab. You were practically running, and Peter was surprised that he had to keep up with you. “Well, it looks like someone’s excited.”

“Something happened at school, and it had to do with my art.” You practically brag.

Peter’s eyes widen in surprise and curiosity. Before he could respond however, the two of you make it to the doors of the lab, where you see your father gathering weapons and putting them in cases for the upcoming mission. You knock on the door and your father looks up to see you and Peter hand in hand. With his eyebrows raised, he walks over to the door and opens it. “(Y/N), Peter, I see you have something to tell me?” He gestures to the two of you.

At first you were confused, but Peter and you suddenly realize you had been holding hands the entire time. Blushing madly, you both let go immediately, practically jumping a foot away from one another. “Oh! Uh… nothing like that Mr. Stark!” Peter stutters our, embarrassment evident in his voice. You felt a pang in your chest, secretly wishing the scenario was real.

Your father simply stares the two of you down before brushing off what just happened. “Alright Peter, bring these to the team and start loading them in the jet. I want to talk to my daughter alone for a minute.” With that, your father hands Peter two black cases.

“Right away sir!” Peter chirps out. With that, he was off, leaving you alone with your father.

You shake your head, trying to snap yourself out of any bad thoughts and trying to remember the great news you had to share. “Dad! Something happened at school today and I’m actually-.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of that, I want to talk to you about school before I head out for the weekend,” your father interrupts. With that he’s walking back into the lab, putting various things away as he continues to talk. “(Y/N), you’ve been going to Midtown for almost 2 years now, and you have shown very little improvement academically.”

A sudden wave of sadness fills your mind as you were reminded of how poor your grades were. You hate being reminded of that. Especially by your own father. “I know dad. But there’s a class I’m in that I really enjoy that’s startin-.”

“Just because you enjoy a class doesn’t mean you’re doing well in it,” your father interrupts again, not realizing you were talking about your art class. “I feel like the longer you stay at Midtown, the worse your grades get. I keep vouching for you to the education board to keep you at school, but I’m just so tired of constantly doing that. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Your heart starts to beat faster. “What do you mean?”

“I’m taking you out of Midtown. For good.”

-------------

-Sketchbook Tag List-

@randomfanders-blog // @freestarlight // @depressing-as-shit // @sweetmilki // @supernerdycookietrashblr // @supermassiveblackhope // @starksthunder // @multi-fandom-headcanons // @adri1ii // @futureauthor03 // @maddie-laufeyson // @thejourneyneverendsx // @noakantor14 // @fangirlbookworm // @awesomedara // @motherhyuckerdude // @itswhiskeybitch // @kickstartmyheartmc // @deansbbysblog // @whatareyouhidingpeter // @aquaastrid

-Peter Parker Tag List-

@sweetcoffeeblandtea // @house-arya // @jovialpeanut // @bookstoreblossom // @jackiehollanderr

-Marvel Tag List-

@sammghgecko

-Permanent Tag List-

@mindset-jupiter // @romance-geek // @imcharishope // @fakindob // @cutiekoa // @wowursofunny // @cals-cigarette // @supernerdycookietrashblr // @delicately-important-trash // @unlikelygalaxygiver

#peter parker #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker x reader #peter parker x stark!reader #tom holland #tom holland x reader #spiderman #spiderman fanfiction #spiderman homecoming #spiderman ffh #spiderman far from home #marvel #mcu #peter parker x y/n #dear-selena fanfiction

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searchforthescars · 3 years

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amanda, do you have any advice for someone who's just moved out for college? i moved out 2 weeks ago (i was supposed to move in the fall when school started but covid) & idk i feel so?? lonely? or sad, i guess? i'm a freshman & i was super excited leading up to it, but i got here & i'm in an apartment with 5 strangers & i'm overwhelmed with how many adulting things i need to do, like groceries & laundry & cooking. i always thought i was pretty independent at home & i've also been away for 1/?

summer programs or events for a week, 2 months, etc. so it's not like i've never been away from home before & don't know how to cook or do laundry or stuff like that. idk. i don't get why i feel like this & so overwhelmed (also, i think now i get why most freshman move into the dorms instead of going straight to an apartment haha). my roommates seem nice too, i just don't know them that well yet. i feel kind of silly & pathetic & baby-ish about this since i know i'm so lucky to be able 2/?

to move out, but mostly i just miss home & wanna go back to my parents & siblings & cats, especially since i don't have any friends here yet & can't meet any cause of covid. i'm 18 but i feel so much younger & it's kind of hard to believe that i'm 18?? like ahhhh i'm an adult??? when did that happen?? anyway, i'm sure it'll get better (or at least i'm telling myself it will), but idk what to do in the meantime. any advice?

Hey, kiddo!!

First of all, congrats on moving out -- I’m really proud of you for taking the next right step toward your future. You’re doing great <3

Second, don’t you dare think this is something you’re alone in experiencing; although it can feel incredibly isolating and terrifying, I promise that everyone has felt this way the first time they moved out of their parent’s/guardian’s home. I sure as hell did, and I was 20 with a college degree!!! There’s no shame in it, and I’m proud of you for being able to verbalize your struggles and reach out for help.

These are a few things that helped me when I was living on my own for the first time -- if I had known all this going in, rather than learning as I went, I would’ve had a much better time of it, so I hope these help <3 But if you have any questions or thoughts, my DMs are seriously always open to you, on- or off-anon. You deserve help and support and I’m honored to be trusted <3

Get yourself on a routine. Tbh, half of the reason why things feel daunting (at least in my experience) is that they feel nebulous. To combat that vis a vis household tasks like cooking, cleaning and laundry, I’d recommend setting up a weekly or monthly schedule. Look at your class schedule and any other commitments and figure out which weekday is best for you to do laundry, which nights you could meal-prep for the days ahead, and which weeks you’ll be cleaning your areas of the apartment. Jotting those down or putting some notifications in your phone calendar will help you a) remember to do those things and b) rest in the knowledge that you’ve given yourself some structure. If you feel you’ll struggle with actually doing those things, ask a roommate to be your accountability partner! They live with you, so they likely have a vested interest in you doing those things, and will certainly be happy to help out!

Give yourself something to look forward to. Missing your family is so hard, so plan when your next trip home will be. Plan a movie night or another activity with your roommates (in my opinion, PowerPoint Night is an absolute winner -- y’all can take turns presenting about literally any topic you want and it’s a great way to get to know people and what they’re passionate about (or passionately against).)

Get a tiiiiny bit social. It’s really hard with COVID, and I know it’s also anxiety-inducing to be The New Kid, but even something as simple as attending a Zoom event hosted by a campus organization can give you a little bit of social engagement -- if nothing else, you’re hearing voices outside of your own and your roommates’! There are also a lot of Discord servers out there for video game friends, students, fandom folks, pretty much anything; the platform offers a streaming function, which many people take advantage of and can be a great way to engage with other people around something you both love. Having that little bit of enrichment is really helpful and goes a long way in making you feel less isolated.

Do something with your hands. Find a tactile sort of hobby - drawing, painting, bullet journaling, digital art, collaging, etc. - and do it regularly. I bullet journal, make stickers, and collage the New York Times Sunday paper once a week. Doing something with your hands regularly is a good way to get your creative juices going and help the time go by, and it often is therapeutic as well.

Exercise regularly. I can’t tell you how helpful it is to get moving. It seriously is good for your mind and body, and you’ll feel motivated to do other things once you work out. I didn’t exercise for the first three months I lived alone and lemme tell you, when I started again, there was a marked difference in my mental health. Go for regular walks around the neighborhood, or if there’s space in your apartment to do some simple bodyweight workouts, the Nike Training app has great free guided workouts under 20 minutes. There are also workout videos free on YouTube, everything from strength training to cardio set to popular Tik Tok songs. I like to exercise about 30-45 minutes a day but YMMV

Treat yourself. I ran myself hard and ragged when I lived alone because I didn’t have anyone to encourage me to do otherwise. Even though you have roommates, it can still be easy to feel like you’re just ships passing in the night and that the accountability they provide extends to chores or other space-sharing ventures. So hold yourself accountable for doing one kind thing for yourself every day. Eat a piece of chocolate. Splurge on a coffee once a month. Buy a book you want to read. Do little things to treat yourself because you can, judgement-free! You’re your own boss now!

I hope these help a little bit!!! It can be really overwhelming and scary to be where you are but I promise, you are farther along than you think you are, simply because you can recognize and articulate these feelings and are reaching out for help. I’m proud of you and sending you all my love -- if you need anything, you got it. I’m here for you <3

#Anonymous

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tangerinegod · 4 years

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Hello! I am sorry to bother you but I am a senior getting ready for college this year. I am in the US and I wanted to major in the same thing you did, do you have any possible tips for me? I still haven't even looked for colleges that would be best for animation majors so I figured if you were up to giving out any tips/saying any basic ideas if you wanted to/if you had the time to then maybe I'll have a better idea! I apologise for if I sound weird! I'm tried to word it correctly but I can't 😿

hi!! i’m totally down to share my experiences! someone else also had some questions so i’m going to put them all together in this post haha, hopefully this helps! it’ll get pretty long so apologies ahead of time but art school is a lot to think about so i wanna be as helpful as i can around it, its a lot of time and money. I’m gonna put it all under a read more cus it is really really long!

i wanna start off with the fact that I had the privilege of attending school in a financially stable environment, my parents were/are really supportive so w merit scholarship i only came out with around 20-30k in debt and i also had housing support my entire time in school. they were ok with me focusing on academics so i didn’t hold a retail job unless i was out of school like summer/winter break. Ofc though i regularly take commissions/do merch/cons to try and pay for all bills that arent rent cus i did want to be financially independent where it was possible. I also did try and work during the semester but everytime i did my body would deff start to breakdown from the fact that i didnt wanna compromise schoolwork with jobs.. so just read ahead know this experience is from a student who was able to attend focusing only on school work for most of the time!

the biggest thing is knowing art school is not required to become a professional in either freelancing or industry! there are a huuuge amount of online tools and classes these days that provide the exact same education and for cheaper too. i think it depends on what experience you prefer/can handle/want but it’s definitely possible to make art/animation art your living without higher education. the thing that college will for sure give you though is the ability to meet deadlines, work even when you dont want to, and connections with peers+teachers. i think the connections part is invaluable because you’re basically coming out with a network of people you already know and who know you!

also its good to know if you want to attend/can handle art school! it’s a lot of time and energy and students get burned out really fast. the best piece of advice i got before going was ‘if you draw every single day, even if its for only like 5-10 minutes or a doodle for a whole year you should be fine’ consistency is super key because you’re attending school to draw, and you’ll have to create work for stuff you aren’t excited for at some point or another. burnout is extremely real and the only reason i didn’t experience it was probably because i got super into drawing naruto fanart again inbetween sophomore and junior year! it helped give me something to draw seperated from school which is the only thing i was drawing for since i had entered rip. a heads up id also consider myself a workaholic so i fit in ok with the ‘art school’ environment but it is suuper unhealthy. if you are fantastic at managing your schedule then it’s definitely possible to take care of yourself! freshman year i got 8 hours a sleep a night and only pulled all nighters for some second semester finals at the end. sophomore year + up though i ended up prioritizing hw over sleep and like for sure, definitely shortened my life span. there’s another q down below where i’ll go more into detail but ya, be careful w ur work balance!

another tip especially for animation is knowing for a fact what type of animation you’re looking to go into, and what the school is offering. I didn’t think i’d get into art school at the time so i only applied to two places + decided if i didnt get into either id attend community to get credits out of the way while building portfolio. honestly? i did not do a lot of research LOL but like i did end up having the chance to tour and stuff! just know that each school will have a very different curriculum. The main differences are schools that prioritize 3D (cg animation, cg modeling, ect) and 2D/traditional (hand drawn, ‘oldschool’, digital or traditional based) this is a huge difference so make sure you do research for it! in most cases a 2D/traditional program will also offer 3D since it’s at the forefront of the industry animation wise rn. My school taught 2D but like hand drawn on physical paper 2D, frame by frame. while it was a good experience it’s super outdated because digital tools make it way faster + easier! i’d recommend looking for a program that is digital 2D over traditional 2D.

if after your senior year covid is still affecting campuses in the US to keep them shut down i’d recommend attending a community college to get credits and then transferring into school. one of the negatives is paying money for gened classes when ur not there for them; if you can get them out of the way sooner and cheaper there is absolutely no negative + you could graduate earlier or use the extra time for better work or to work a job!

these are all the general tips i think i’d give on like a broad basis of attending or not to think about? let me know if u have more q’s! someone asked q’s im answering below that go more into personal experiences + work culture so heres those:

- how many hours a week do u spend studying, in class, otherwise making art? like how much of ur life does it consume?

I was basically working on art.... 24/7! since i wasnt working a job at the same time i crammed as many credits as possible into my schedule so on avg i did 18 credit semesters (around 6 classes) art classes go for 6 hours and non art go for 3, so i’d spent around 30-35 hours in class a week! hw wise it varied on the class but combined it would be around 35-50 hours a week... im guessing? on average studio classes would have 8-10 hours of hw, maybe 5 for a light week, and gened classes 5 hours w them all combined. or this was probably how things were before junior year? junior+senior year i had thesis + everything else ontop.. i’d spend around 30-40 hours on thesis a week with other classes ontop of that bc my film was super long cus im a dummy!

- is it hard going to art school n realising that altho u were probably quite talented… so is everyone else? Like. all of a sudden. ur not special and everyone seems as good as u, you know? More generally, how do u deal with comparison?

kinda?? i think instead of the idea of like you vs others it feels more of like a competition at first to be the best. this varies hugely on school culture though; my animation year was really friendly with each other and get along extremely well, so my answer to this is v different than some others who attended different schools. i think that the idea of ‘comparison’ only lasts a portion of the first year because at some point you realize that it’s not a who’s better as much as its a ‘these are my coworkers’ type thing? like healthy competition 100% because we’re all working to improve but i think most of us learned pretty early on that viewing each other as peers going into the same workforce helped a lot. also at some point everyone develops their own style/starts to develop their artistic preferences so there isn’t a way to compare whos 'better’ anymore? i dont think there ever is tbh because style is appealing based off of an individuals preferences. If anything realizing everyone else is also amazing makes you wanna work harder ig? or thats how i felt! it’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who create such amazing work.

- is there a lot of workaholic culture? all nighter culture?

100000% there can be a workaholic and all nighter culture. i know people who avoided it and thats honestly fantastic because i fall super easily into that pit. sometimes i’ll pull all nighters on a personal project just because i really want to finish it... i am definitely considered a workaholic all the way through and its not healthy rip... i’d estimate at the worst i was pulling 2-3 all nighters a week and only 4-5 hours of sleep on the nights i didn’t? that was only for one year tho, after that i was like yeah ok this is really bad for my health in the long run LOL so i tried to cut it down to one all nighter a week and around 5-6 hours of sleep the rest of the week! by senior year my decision to cram in full semesters paid off and i was able to consistently get around 7 hours of sleep a night + no all nighters minus finals since my schedule was lighter despite thesis 😭 while there is that culture i don’t think people view it as like a badge of honor or something to be proud of anymore which is good, we mostly view it as a flaw of the art school system and something that needs to be fixed!!

- are you glad u did it? how did u know it was what u wanted?

i am glad i did it! i’m definitely in a limbo right now of if it was worth both my time, money, and my parents money rip but i think with what i got out of it i definitely wouldn’t be as far skill wise or knowledge wise when it comes to the art industry. i would say it was only worth it for be because i had so much support going in though so i was able to focus so much on improving. if i had only been able to put in part of the effort and not make full use of the resources provided i would honestly have a different answer..

i knew it was what i wanted when i realized i really couldn’t see myself pursuing a different profession happily! despite all the bumps and stuff im fully in love with drawing still and feel honored that it’s a field that can provide a living. my second profession choice was to go into culinary school? and third option i think going was into music cus i was also a band kid hehe.

- how do u cope with ur hobby becoming ur job? how do u deal with art going from something u do for fun to something u do on command constantly?

i think seperating work art from personal art is important! in my case im doubling naruto into being personal work so i have something to fall back onto that isn’t work related. its been a hyperfixation for 12+ years? so drawing it at this point is just like personal art imo. some people have hobbies outside of art and only draw for their job! i think after attending classes for so long the idea of hobby turning into job feels extremely natural? also i enjoy doing it so thats a huge plus!

sorry this is SO long but i hope i answered your guys’ questions! if you have more just lmk!

#anon #ask #long post #im so so sorry this is like long as shit #ill literally tell you guys everything though art school should not feel like a mystery esp if ur planning to go into it!#Anonymous

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ask-de-writer · 4 years

Text

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 25 of 83 : World of Sea

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 25 of 83

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

written 2007

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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New to the story? Read from the beginning. PART 1 is here

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Mord breathed a huge sigh of relief. Sarfin held up his hands, and the Longin’s Captain held his thanks.

“Not done yet. I know that some sailors have been telling him tales about what happened to the last two who were cast off, because he asked me if it was true that they drowned when the rafts were stored back on the bottom. I had to say yes.

“If you give the boat and all to the fleet, to give him, then when he sees where it came from, perhaps he’ll know he’s not been wholly abandoned.

“If you feel that you can’t do that because of the ‘your boats’ provision, the fleet can provide it all, but you’ll have to pay for it.”

Mord felt some measure of peace settle over him. “A good boat and all that is necessary will be delivered to the Dorton in two, or at most, three hours.”

Barad stood, delighted that, for once, all had gone as he planned. Mord pointed to him. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am to see a solution to this problem. The Grandalor stands ready to help now that I can see a way clear to do so. I will give a sun cooker and good pots to help save this young man who’s so important to you.”

Mord could only accept. It triggered a breaking wave of similar contributions. The water maker, blankets, fishing gear, including a small drag net that could be used while under way, even the provisions, and candle-lanterns with candles. All that Mord could do was accept. As Barad intended, all of the mixed gifts would serve to hide the origins of Silor’s help. The Council broke up. Relieved Captains went to their errands of mercy.

The shadows were beginning to lengthen as Silor, arms aching from being tied, watched a pile of supplies being made at the western boat landing area of the market rafts. Sailors that he recognized as being from the Dorton delivered a day-cabin fishing boat and began to load and stow the pile of things in an organized and efficient way. The little boat was being fitted for a long journey.

Captain Sarfin approached over the slightly rolling deck of the raft, and spoke to him. “Silor, lad, you ran aground so hard that you may never float on the safety of water again, but we are going to give you the chance.” Hope flared within him. I’m going to the Dorton! thought Silor as Sarfin cut his bonds with a Strong Skin tooth knife.

His hopes were dashed by the next words that he heard. Sarfin was pointing at the boat that he’d just watch get fitted out. “You’ve spoiled things here so bad that no ship will take a chance on you. The Council, however, agreed that you have done nothing to die for, unlike those two murderers before you. The Pallant fleet is about a thousand miles west. This boat and its equipment ought to get you a berth, with a clean parchment. If you are not a fool there, as you were here, you should be alright. If you are seen in these waters again, I am afraid it will not go so well for you.”

Sarfin carried Silor’s duffel, while Silor massaged the circulation back into his arms. They went to the boat. The market crowds pulled back around them, giving them space. As if I have the fire-cough, Silor thought.

Just then Kurin ran up. “Captain Sarfin, I just finished this. It is for you. I would appreciate it, if it you gave it to Silor before he goes. Thank you.” She turned on heel and ran, white hair blowing back in the wind, tears on her cheeks. She could not outrun the sorrow of losing yet another that she had known all of her young life. Even if he had not been the best friend, he had been there, a shipmate. It left a hole that hurt.

Kurin had put a knife into Sarfin’s hands, The handle, sticking up from the scabbard, was made of laminations of four different colors of nacreous shell, shaped to fit the hand perfectly and glowing with purples, reds, blues and greens in the late afternoon sun. A dot of ivory at the end of the handle showed that the tang ran the full length of the handle, making it as strong as it could be. The scabbard was of hard, pebbly, armor-scaled Wing Ray hide, finished to a high polish. When he pulled the blade out of the scabbard, it was the slightly curved, fourteen inch, naturally serrated fang of a large Wing Ray. It was the hardest, toughest material known for knives, and honed to a razor edge. It was scrimshawed with a scene of the Great Sea Dragon, Blind Mecat, helping the First Folk to build the First True Ship. On the other side was a two part scene. The first half showed Cat, in human form, preparing to dive from the Wedding Rafts, with the Dragon Moons overhead and the Great Sea Dragon, Dark Iren, waiting while his Orca Whales sported about the rafts. The second part of the scene was the same rafts and moons, but two Great Sea Dragons, the black Dark Iren, and the white Blind Mecat side by side, Orcas leaping about them.

“If you give me that,” said Silor, in a rage, “will throw it overboard! I don’t want anything that Dragon-witch has made! She’s the only reason that all this has happened to me!” His eyes were wild and there was spittle flying from his mouth as he finished. A fair sized crowd had gathered, drawn by his outburst.

Sarfin looked at him sadly. “Son, if you think that, you have run hard aground on the reef of folly and are sinking fast, but you won’t drown. Your wits are so far onto dry land that they will never see safe water again. This knife would have bought you a fleet of boats such as this, with all the gear thrown in. I’ll give it back to her. Somehow.” He heaved a sigh, and put Silor’s duffel into the boat.

As Silor got into the boat, Sarfin added, “If you really don’t want anything from Kurin then step over the side and swim. She asked Captain Mord to do something. He pulled together the Council that got you this.” He gestured at the boat.

Casting off the stern line and then the bow line, he pushed the boat free of the docking area and said, “Sail west, young man.”

One of Sarfin’s aides found him and handed him a note, explaining, “The Grandalor is going to test some new sails and rigging. They plan to sail south until moons-fall and then return. With this easterly breeze, they should have a simple reach each way. It’s just a confirmation. Captain Barad told me about it a little before this Council meeting.”

Sarfin read it, nodded, initialed it and handed it back. “File it. It’s not important. Oh, reminds me, enter this into the ledger and reserve the main square for noon, two days hence. The Grandalor’s crew wants to do something in public.” He gave his aide a small fistful of scrip.

Silor��s little boat could be seen making good time, straight west, toward the lowering sun. The sails of the Grandalor could be seen, through the multitude of masts, yards and rigging between, going away, straight south.

Chapter 8: Visits

Kurin, with the permission of Captain Mord, went to spend the night aboard the Dark Dragon. There, she got a small surprise. She found the fierce Captain Sula sitting cross-legged on a cushion in a cabin hung with tapestries and woven decorations. Like most of the crewmen and women that Kurin had seen when she came aboard, Sula was wearing a light colored hood whose eye openings seemed molded to her face, keeping them perfectly aligned. A small bump in the fabric showed Kurin that Sula’s tongue was in the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on a piece of Longin Lace, making careful notes as she tried to unravel it.

Kurin couldn’t help herself. She giggled. “You can’t do it that way. Hundreds of expert weavers have tried, and failed for something like fifteen Gatherings. Besides, that is the Iren’s Orca pattern, absolutely the nastiest one that I make.”

Sula looked up, startled, “You make this? I am the head of the Corlis fleet Weaver’s Guild, and I am amazed by it. We have nothing similar. How do you keep all of the different spacings so neatly?”

“I will show you. There are two rules. One, don’t let anyone in the Naral fleet find out how you do it and two, call what I show you, and any other patterns made by the same tools and methods, Longin Lace. Cat taught me to make it, and I don’t share it out to just anyone. In our Weaving Shop, only people who won’t marry off the Longin are taught how to make it.”

“I am honored,” said Sula, bowing her head, hands together, fingers pointing down. “Why do you chose me?”

“You are strong, in more than muscle, and not afraid to be a weaver too. You remind me of Cat. She would do any task that needed doing. Also, I want you to show me your ship, so that I can learn how it was made. I have never seen a catamaran ship before.”

“I will be delighted to show you my ship. I am proud of the Dark Dragon and would have shown you without the incentive of Longin Lace or tales of Mecat. — — So the Dragon herself showed you how to make lace?”

“That and much else. As I told you and Huld, she was my mentor for most of a Gathering.”

“So, what do we need to make this lace?” asked Sula, leaning back on a large cushion, exposing the odd scabbard on her right leg to Kurin’s view. It was still filled by the strange looking ax that Kurin had seen earlier. “I will have it brought, bought or made.”

“You will need a dozen very small netting needles, — I will show you the pattern — a cushion, firm, with a hard back on one side, longer than it is wide, a lot of bone pins, fine and polished, and writing skin —” The two women put their heads together and began to work, the sea Captain learning from the child. As they worked, Kurin told Sula of her time with Cat and what she had seen and heard. Sula listened intently.

“Sula,” asked Kurin, as they took a break to stretch fingers, stiff from the lace-work, “If you came all this way to hear these things, shouldn’t you write them down?”

“Huld does write what you say as you say it,” said Captain Sula, regarding Kurin with curiosity. “I have no need to do so. What you say is word perfect in my memory. I have never been able to forget anything that I see or hear. It is one reason why the Corlis fleet chose me to come. I will write it all down, never fear.”

Kurin nodded acceptance of Sula’s statement and asked a question that was bothering her from the time that she had seen the young sailor Lenhe respond so violently to the attempt to unmask her. “Sula, how violent are your people? You go armed everywhere and your sailors are either armed or have several empty scabbards. I saw a sailor of yours named Lenhe beat up a man far bigger than herself. He was just playing about at grabbing her mask and if she’d had her ax in the scabbard, I think that she would have killed him.”

Sula regarded Kurin carefully for a moment before replying, “I heard about that. Mistress of Armory Culark told me about it. Lenhe was fully justified in her defense against face rape but should not have gone so far out of control. She is only a tailor’s apprentice, not some skilled warrior. To any of the Winternight born, face rape is one of the few things that we will kill to prevent.

“To answer your question though, we are not a violent people. We have had to defend our host fleet in three unprovoked wars, so we do train and keep our edge. We also follow the Meditations of Dark Iren to find and hold our inner peace.”

Kurin looked up sharply at Sula and said, “You worship Dark Iren, the Dragon of Death?”

Sula made a sign in front of her face and told Kurin, “That was a smile. No, we do not worship the Dragon of Death. We follow the Meditations of the Dragon of Life. Dark Iren kills nothing but the fish that he eats. His task is to take our lives and reweave them into the web of all life on Sea. Another time I will be happy to tell you more.

“I spent the afternoon inquiring about you. You are something of a legend, yourself. You learn new things at a prodigious rate. Every Craft aboard the Longin would be willing to have you as an apprentice. Several, Clard, Master of Drums, Cirde, Master Weaver, Mistress Daeron of the Rope Walk and Juris, Master Boat-builder, have said that you are fully qualified in their Crafts.

“I wonder — Do you ever forget what you hear or see?”

TO BE CONTINUED

<==PREVIOUS NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

#SEA DRAGON’S GIFT #Part 25 of 83 #World of Sea #Written by De Writer

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zaptnews · 4 years

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NUMBERS MATTER 121

チハルMK 、おたこ、　川畑優、　AGF、　日野繭子、大西蘭子

Thursday 22 October – 9pm (UK time) | Free

IKLECTIK YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/HXFmH46kVEQ

Why numbers matter: Japan, a country with a population of over 124.2 million, is ranked at 121 in the Gender Inequality Index (GII) published by Human Development Reports 2020. Japanese women got the vote in 1946 – earlier than China (1949), Liechtenstein (1984) and Switzerland (1993).

In the ranking chart of the Global Gender Gap 2020, the top ten reads as follows: 1: Iceland; 2: Norway; 3: Finland; 4: Sweden; 5: Nicaragua; 6: New Zealand; 7: Ireland; 8: Spain; 9: Rwanda; 10: Germany. The UK ranked 21, following Albania at number 20. Though Japan falls some 100 places behind the UK, the latter’s ranking at 21 is nothing to be proud of either. Clearly there is plenty of work to be done in both countries. Hence, NUMBERS MATTER 121 features four special projects led by Japanese women: Chiharu MK, Otaco, Yu Kawabata (in collaboration with German poemproducer AGF) and Mayuko Hino.

Footnote: In the Press Freedom Index published in 2020, Japan and the UK don’t fare much better than in the GII. Out of 180 countries listed, the UK is ranked at 33 and Japan at 66. The countries listed from one to ten are as follows: Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Switzerland, New Zealand, Portugal and Germany.

Programme:

“Paramnesia 2020” by CHIHARU MK “Tomodachi” by OTACO “Hamaderea Park ” by YU KAWABATA (sound) + AGF (visuals) “Toyosu 2020″ by MAYUKO HINO

Chiharu MK is from Sapporo. Primarily trained as a composer, she studied the acousmonium, that is, the sound diffusion system, at INA-GRM studio in Paris. Since completing her studies in 2002, she has become an internationally recognised electroacoustic sound artist, either performing or creating sound installations for festival, gallery or non-concert hall spaces in Europe, Hong Kong and Japan. For Intersect 2015, she commissioned the non-Japanese artists Francisco López, Sogar and Taylor Deupree to compose sounds for a 17.1 multi Channel Speaker System (consisting of seven speakers + ten screen speakers + one woofer) in Sapporo city centre’s underground walkway. Chiharu MK has also released three solo CDs: https://www.studio-cplus.net/

Chiharu MK’s new multimedia work Paramnesia 2020 is based on her original piece for Hong Kong Art Centre’s 40th anniversary multi-channel Sound Forms festival in 2018.

This film shows her performing the piece inside Glass Pyramid, nicknamed Hidamari – Japanese for Sunny Spot, it’s the centrepiece of Sapporo’s Moerenuma Park, designed by Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988). Construction work on the park actually began in the year Noguchi died, and it opened in 2005. The film also shows Chiharu MK recording on Ishikari beach, just north of Sapporo.

Taking her name from tako, the Japanese word for octopus, Otaco is originally from Japan’s northernmost main island Hokkaido. An electronic musician and vocalist, Otaco is one of the most vibrant and engaging performers to emerge from the alternative music scene anywhere in Japan.

Now living in Tokyo, she operates a home studio set-up of a rhythm box with a synthesizer; she samples and syncs sounds into a computer, running them into real-time sequences to construct her outre pop-electronica songs and instrumentals. Her music can be heard at https://otacosan.bandcamp.com/music. Otaco also plays guitar when she leads Gotou, an occasional rock trio formed out of homage to early 1980s West Berlin groups Mania D and Malaria!. She appeared for the first time in the UK during Coding In GE 2018 festival for women and technology.

Antye Greie also know as AGF was born and raised in East Germany. She is a vocalist, digital songwriter, producer, performer, e-poet, calligrapher, digital media artist. In the last decade Greie has released more than 20 full length records and played over 300 live performances worldwide. AGF runs her own production company AGF Production – http://antyegreie.com She first worked with Yu Kawabata on her 2015 album A Deep Mysterious Tone, the third in AGF’s series of settings and poetry interpretations from different countries, this one featuring Japanese poets and writers including Noe Ito, Fumiko Kaneko, Shikubu Izumi, Blue Stocking editor and writer Hiratsuka Raicho, and more.

Yu Kawabata is a techno DJ active in Japan and Russia. This is Yu and AGF’s second collaboration. On their first, AGF set to music Yu’s reading of a waka poem, written by the 12th century court lady Yūshi Naishinnō-ke no Kii, enumerated as one of the Thirty-Six Female Immortals of Poetry. On their latest, Yu has created new music for a film by AGF. https://soundcloud.com/yukawabata

Since resuming music in 2011 after a ten year break to study Chinese medicine, Mayuko Hino has reclaimed her status as queen of noise.

A prolific live performer, Hino is best known for C.C.C.C. (Cosmic Coincidence Control Center), the group she formed in 1990 with Hiroshi Hasegawa, Fumio Kosakai and Ryuichi Nagakubo. In their early phase, the band grabbed attention by combining noise music with Hino’s sadomasochism performances using bondage ropes and dripping candle wax. Hino has since been a member of Mne-Mic, DFH-M3 and her most recent group Transparentz with Akira Sakata, who split up in January 2020.

Whether solo or in her various group projects, Hino experiments with the function of noise music as a transdisciplinary medium, in the process to breaking the boundaries surrounding performance art: urban structure against man, art against non art, activity versus rest.

In 2018 Mayuko Hino performed at Iklectic’s Coding In GE Festival alongside and in collaboration with Ramleh. The same year she released her second solo album Lunisolar. In addition to self-made instruments, Hino plays noise with her six-theremin oscillators (in bright pink), a unique device specially made for her by Ryo Araishi (aka ichion)

This year Hino had planned to resume activities with C.C.C.C. to mark the US reissue of their first four albums, but unfortunately their plans had to be put on hold because of the pandemic.

“There’s a sense of momentum to be found in Hino’s noise; it’s rarely static… At the hands of Hino it seems astral travelling is as much out-of-this-world as it is an out-of-body experience… on Lunisolar she continues with the ever evolving atmospheric and psychedelic sound that energised the noise of C.C.C.C.” (Compulsion Online)

“Hino Mayuko makes no bones about her wide-ranging noisician flexibility here, nor her honored place in the contemporary Japanoise scene… Unlike a bevy of artists who just make ear-splitting sonic somersaults, Hino’s sound is more impressionistic and staggered in its delivery, incorporating a yin/yang of the industrial and environmental.” (Tone-Shift)

RANKO ONISHI (Mne-mic): voice

Performing artist Ranko Onishi was born in Hokkaido. She moved to Tokyo where she joined Shuji Terayama’s Tenjo Sajiki theatre company in 1980. She was a second year student of dancer Min Tanaka in 1982 and became a full member of Tanaka’s company in 1984. Five years later in 1989 she performed with Keiji Haino. She and Hino work together in the duo Mne-mic, featuring Hino on electronics, Theremin and synthesizer, and Onishi on voice, water and fogphone. Their album Gulf Stream was released by Alchemy Records in 1999.

Curator Keiko Yoshida’s notes for NUMBERS MATTER 121

While researching texts for AGF’s 2015 CD A Deep Mysterious Tone I developed a profound interest in women’s history in Japan. AGF and I first met and begain talking about her project while she was taking part in my hometown Sapporo’s International Arts Festival in 2014. For the album she compiled and set to music Japanese writings and poems from the ninth century to the present day, and commissioned the female electronic musicians Ryoko Akama (UK), Kyoka (Germany), Tujiko Noriko (France) and Yu Kawabata to read her selections. She had met them at European festivals, and as she got to know them she learnt these female electronic musicians are not treated very well when they’re back home in Japan.

Indeed NUMBERS MATTER 121 took seed in these discussions on women and Japan with AGF. In some ways it’s also a sequel to “Coding in GE”, the 2018 Iklectik festival offering a platform to female electronic musicians, for which we got funding from Sasakawa Foundation UK, and in which Otaco, Mayuko Hino and AGF participated.

Another question addressed in NUMBERS MATTER 121 is the subject of decentralisation. I consciously asked musicians from outside Tokyo to participate in this project.

Currently working on a photo story book about 1980s London and Berlin.

Please support the project buying an e-ticket (#nameyourprice). ** https://buytickets.at/iklectik/439711 **

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ravenwolfie97 · 4 years

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2019 Art Summary

Once again, it is time for the annual art summary! I can’t believe this is the fifth year in a row I’ve done this, so I’m very proud about continuing to make art throughout the years and getting better at it every day. Anyways, let’s get into the good stuff!

I kicked off the year with a big inspiration from The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys comic series and made up my own original Killjoy just before the new year began. Their name is Violet Crime, and I had created an entire backstory with them being involved with the Ultra V’s, and even proposed running a roleplay blog with them and introducing story events such as meeting a pornodroid, but that never came to pass. Maybe next year I can try getting their story off the ground.

This month, I had suddenly gotten the idea for a TOME (2011) AU where the Forbidden Power slowly corrupted and altered Alpha’s model and mind, and I did a bunch of art of the different stages of corruption and drafted certain scenes that would play out if it happened in the show. I continued exploring this a little more throughout the year, and I hope to flesh it out even more later on.

This batch has an interesting background - I was taking a Religions class in the winter quarter, and for my final project we had the option of creating our own religion based on principles from those we learned about. So, since I had already made up a religion in Legends: Children of the Dragons, I jumped on that opportunity and started expanding upon it! Because of that, I started thinking about Legends a lot, and got inspired to write and draw a bunch! I worked a lot on figuring out the story’s structure and plot, since for the longest time it’s been very disorganized, so that inspiration boost was really helpful.

I didn’t draw too much this month, but I did want to showcase two more detailed drawings in particular. The first is a climactic scene from my friend Mana’s story Empire Tale: Starlight Speedway, where Argento (the character shown) finds out his friend was in alliance with the heir of his empire’s rival nation. The second was drawn for Adam Tilford, creator of the book and webseries Shattered Heaven, as part of an opportunity to feature fan art of a certain character in part of the show. I did my best to emulate Adam’s art style in both lineart and coloring, but it still definitely looks like mine, which is totally cool. Still super honored to have contributed it!

The TOME fandom is still a huge part of my life, and this month in particular was chock full of RPG content to draw. First was my own idea based on the official fanart contest, where members of my TOME Discord server paired TOMERPG OCs and drew a picture with them interacting, and my OC Circutree was randomly matched with @scribblehooves and her OC Valentina! There was also a trend (I forget who started it) where we designed our own versions of the White Hat Hacker, and since my choice was the Animalistic one, I gave it some details that more resembled my personal TOME OC / overall persona. Lastly, I just... really love Phaxal from TVTOME Adventures, and I felt an overwhelming need to make him into a TOMERPG character. He’s obviously a lot different from his aughts’ counterpart, but he’s still got that dark snark goin’ on.

June was actually rather slow in terms of art, with me being more preoccupied with binging TV shows and video games, as well as going on adventures in the outside world. However, I did make a cute piece for Mana with Lux and her girlfriend/wife Nexus from ETSS as part of an art trade. In the middle of the month, I had had a dream with a super cool character in it, and immediately I went to go and draw him, and that’s who the other character is; he doesn’t have a name, but he’s supposed to be a secret agent type of guy. Definitely inspired by Azure Striker Gunvolt, which I got super obsessed with again during that time.

I worked more on developing Legends stuff, so I wrote and drew out some more scene ideas along with various sketches. My big pieces for this month, though, were very summery and all about the TOME RPG and me and my friends’ OCs having a fun time. Not much to say other than it was really weird drawing everyone in swimsuits instead of their normal designs.

My favorite piece this month, by far, is my entry into Adam Tilford’s Shattered Heaven fanart contest. I got to draw a mecha, for goodness sake - I NEVER draw stuff like that because it’s so complicated. I’m really proud of the lighting on the piece, too. In addition to that, me and @mew-cake did an art trade of our personas! And it was super cool and fun! Friendship! :D

So, the Steven Universe movie came out this month. And that made fall super hard back into the fandom. And now I can actually draw the characters decently, which I think is super cool. Also TOME stuff continues to be a thing, and I continue to try new perspectives and poses and lighting and everything because I need to GROW and LEARN.

I participated in the actual #Inktober prompt challenge this year, and did so for a lot longer than I thought I’d be able to. I made a lot of pieces I’m actually quite proud of, and even though I didn’t complete it, I’m happy I did it as long as I did.

November was a pretty experimental month in terms of art. I tasked myself with drawing in the Pokemon and Hazbin Hotel styles, and I randomly got inspired by a color palette to do a very minimalist digital painting. In addition to all of these personal drawings, I got to work really hard as a member of my university’s fledgling Queer Art Collective (QuAC for short), and our first big project was to decorate a canvas for Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience, and I contributed five pieces to that: the trans flag with a human silhouette, the NB flag with a heart, the pastel genderfluid butterfly, the construction paper PROUD 2 B TRANS, and the lyrics to “Masquerade” by Tokio Hotel.

As the year closed, it’s been slow, with finals and holiday break and stuff. I can tell that I’m improving in my art, but there are still a lot of things I don’t know and things that I need to continue to improve upon. Hoping I can keep up the work in my last months of college and my transition into full-on adulthood.

See you all in the new year.

#my art stuff #art summary #tome #hazbin hotel #long post

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