#Thread Selection for Better Result

[bestskinspecialist1]

How Doctors Personalize the Thread Lift Procedure for Different Skin Types

As we age, the skin loses its natural elasticity and firmness. This often leads to sagging or fine lines on the skin. A thread lift is an excellent, non-surgical technique that tightens and lifts the skin via special threads. Before taking Thread Lift in Noida, one must understand how dermatologists customize the treatment for individual skin types. Every type of skin is different, and a personalized technique ensures the maximum outcome.

The Basics of a Thread Lift Procedure

A thread lift procedure involves inserting threads under the skin to lift and tighten areas that have begun to sag. These threads stimulate collagen production, improving skin texture and overall appearance. The procedure can be done on various facial areas, including the face, neck, and jawline. The best part is that the results are immediate and have minimal downtime.

How Different Skin Types Affect the Thread Lift Procedure

Skin types vary in terms of different characteristics, such as texture, elasticity, oil level, and sensitivity. The dermatologists consider these variables to tailor the thread lift procedure according to the patients. Let's see how the type of skin can affect the treatment.

1. Oily Skin

Oily skin is thicker with larger pores and may require stronger threads for a lift that lasts long. The level of sebum production in such skin can reduce the holding effect of the threads. Doctors will likely opt for certain special types of well-secured thread without sliding.

2. Dry Skin

Dry skin can be even more delicate and irritated. For a person with dry skin, a dermatologist will almost always suggest softer threads that do not incur a probability of scarring or discomfort. In some cases, the thread lift might be used in additional hydration treatments before or after carrying out the procedure to keep the skin moist and healthy-looking.

3. Sensitive Skin

People with sensitive skin require a more cautious approach when it comes to a thread lift. The doctor will use gentler threads and may apply numbing creams or local anaesthesia to ensure minimal discomfort. 

4. Mature Skin

Skin loses its elasticity as people age, making it more prone to sagging. In these cases, the dermatologists will use stronger threads to provide more significant lifting effects. The thread insertion may be deeper to address the loss of firmness. 

5. Young Skin

A less invasive approach may be used for younger individuals who may just be experiencing early signs of ageing. Thinner, more flexible threads are typically sufficient for creating a subtle lift. 

Customized Thread Selection for Better Results

Each type of skin requires different kinds of threads to ensure the best results. There are various options available, including:

PDO (Polydioxanone) Threads: These are commonly used for all skin types and have the advantage of dissolving over time, leaving behind collagen stimulation.

PLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid) Threads: These are more durable and are suitable for patients looking for longer-lasting results, especially in older skin.

PCL (Polycaprolactone) Threads: PCL threads are stronger and typically used to lift more mature skin or areas requiring more substantial support.

A skilled dermatologist will choose the right procedure based on individual skin needs, ensuring a natural-looking lift.

The Importance of Consultation and Evaluation

Before undergoing a thread lift procedure, it’s essential to consult with a professional dermatologist. They will assess your skin type, texture, and age to determine which treatment plan is best suited for you. This thorough evaluation ensures that the procedure enhances your appearance and complements your skin's natural characteristics.

Aftercare and Follow-Up

After the procedure, dermatologists often provide specific aftercare instructions to maximize the effectiveness of the thread lift. This can include avoiding intense facial expressions, taking prescribed medications, or using specific skincare products to enhance healing. Regular follow-up appointments ensure that any adjustments or additional treatments can be made if necessary.

Conclusion

A personalized approach to thread lift ensures that the treatment is tailored to each individual’s skin type, leading to more effective and lasting results. Whether you have oily, dry, sensitive, or mature skin, dermatologists make adjustments to the procedure to meet your specific needs. For anyone seeking professional guidance, Skinlogics Clinic offers expert consultation and personalized care. Their team of experienced professionals, including a trusted dermatologist in Noida, is committed to providing you with the best possible results.

Original Source:- https://677b8b0fc036f.site123.me/blog/how-doctors-personalize-the-thread-lift-procedure-for-different-skin-types

[martialartslover7]

Weird Wednesday Headcanon: Outside of Team 7, Neji, Shikamaru and Kiba sympathize the most with Sasuke's fall from grace after the Five Kage Summit.

Alright, this is another headcanon of mine that can be written off as "mental", but hear me out, this has so much potential.

I'd like to think that, outside of Team 7, Sasuke wasn't just closely acquainted with Naruto, Sakura or Kakashi, but also:

Neji (whom we even got a small teaser hint of a rivalry between him and Sasuke for, which sadly, never came to be, because Byakugan VS Sharingan is a question in the community, that truly needs answering)

Shikamaru (shogi rivals, nuff' said, the only guy, that managed to corner Shikamaru at his own game, I mean, Sasuke is meant to be a genius too, so, why not?)

Kiba (just being around him, Sasuke's IQ just automatically decreases, but in a fun way, like Renji and Uryu from Bleach, considering, Kiba had lived most of his life, surrounded by moody, dominating women, and he might be Sasuke's "stay-in wingman", when it comes to Sakura, or they would just talk about how tiring women can be, but they do manage to get best results out of you with their motivation, and he would be way easier to handle for Sasuke, because unlike Naruto, Kiba ain't braindead)

These are the three main players, but if you want, you can also put Choji and Rock Lee into the mix, considering that, later down the road, Sasuke's and Choji's daughter would end up becoming besties, and if Might Guy wouldn't survive the war, he and Lee can become the new Kakashi and Might Guy, the next generation, if you will. And this is ironic, because...

...just by coincidence, who else was sent to get Sasuke back, to prevent him from defecting to Orochimaru? Ah yes.

But now, I get to the meat and bones of this thread. And that being, the reason why I believe personally, it was a wasted opportunity to not give Sasuke more personal allies that sympathize with his actions, after he joined the Akatsuki.

Like, NO ONE can tell me, that the Uchiha weren't the only ones, who were under close observation within Konoha borders, by the elders. Sure, they were the biggest target, but it leaves you asking, especially in regards to those clans, who are either the strategist faction, or possess sensory type abilities: What about them? Wouldn't they suspect that something was going horribly wrong over there, at the Uchiha compound? Did absolutely NO ONE hear the screams, or blood splatters? I am just not sold on the idea that EVERYONE in Konoha blindly agreed to Tobirama's discriminatory policies, some had to know better than most. The select few, who weren't exactly fans of just distancing themselves from another clan, all because some frankly racist piece of garbage for a Hokage said so, along with the useless shitstains, that are the Konoha elders, especially Danzo.

And now, three people come to mind, where I truly felt like, they could have been there that night, when the Uchiha clan was being slaughtered, and they were either too late to stop it, or Itachi had knocked them out with his Genjutsu (which purposely contradicts Madara's propaganda about "no one in the village cared about the Uchiha, and only saw them as tools"). And ironically, they are probably the very select few of the adult shinobi, who weren't complete sub-human trash.

Hizashi Hyuga.

Shikaku Nara.

Tsume Inuzuka.

Just picture these three adults being the only ones, who caught on to what was happening, through not just the screams of terror, the smell of blood, or seeing through the walls with the Byakugan from Hizashi. But sadly, by the time they arrive, most of the Uchiha were already slaughtered. And right before they could even act to evacuate those, who may have survived, Itachi arrives, and knocks them clean out with his Tsukuyomi, not killing them, as their passing would just cause an uproar throughout the village, the following day.

And once Danzo learns, that three non-Uchiha, Leaf shinobi, were actually present that night, and they may or may not have caught a glimpse of who else was there that night, Hizashi, Shikaku and Tsume were forced to stay silent on the matter, as Danzo threatened them, through the lense of the ROOT Anbu:

"Dare to let a single word about last night's events slip, then your clans will be receiving severe repurcussions."

I mean, sure, it's kind of silly to try and silence three unrelated Leaf ninja into keeping silent, but considering how paranoid the elderly can be, especially Danzo, I wouldn't put it past him to actually go there.

And how convenient, because as the story progressed, two of these adults would wind up deceased. Shikaku died in the 4th Great Ninja war. One piece of the puzzle, gone.

Hizashi would actually be the first one to die, before all two of them, because the Hyuga clan was trying to mend their security blunder that one fateful night, when someone from Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hinata. But keeping in mind everything I just said, it just adds another layer to how corrupt this shinobi system truly is. Who is to say, Danzo basically bribed the Hyuga elders to sacrifice Hizashi, in place of Hiashi, because he couldn't possibly risk that one defiant Hyuga showing lip to the Hokage? Something to think about. Even if Hiruzen remains a useless piece of shit. You can never be TOO careful, right?

Tsume would probably be the only adult to keep on living, to tell the tale, and through her, does Kiba learn, how deep the rabbit hole with Danzo actually goes, and how Sasuke's hatred for the village MIGHT be """mildly""" justified. Especially if Neji and Shikamaru were to approach him about their own clan blunders, involving Danzo, right after his passing at the hands of Sasuke.

But especially Neji, man... If everything I said gets applied in practice, it would mean, outside of Naruto, he might also be considered worthy of facing Sasuke in battle, after the Five Kage Summit. Because, not only does he more than understand how it truly feels to lose family and loved ones, but also, how this entire shinobi system is essentially screwing over those, who were unfortunate enough to be born into families, that get treated like dirt by the government, that is supposed to protect them. Just imagine their exchange, while Kiba faces off against Jugo, and Shikamaru holds Suigetsu at bay.

"A slave to your own family... I really don't need another moral lecture from a man, who willingly decided to stick to his own kin, despite them viewing you as nothing short of cannonfodder. And yet, despite it all, you still side with them... Run, Neji. Run and hide with your insignificant existence weighing you down, before I tear you to pieces." --Sasuke

"No, Sasuke. You're wrong. If it's any consolation, I am more than able to sympathize with your current state of mind. As of recently, I had to learn the hard way, that you and I, at the end of the day, are not so different. Believe me, you're not the only one, who was royally screwed over by the same village that you once swore to protect. The only reason, why I am not defecting, is because I still have family left to protect... Which is something I cannot say on your behalf, as much as it saddens me to say this. You have every right to hate us. Especially considering, we believed the rumors first, leaving no room for you to speak up and defend yourself. I didn't come to lecture you. And I won't run... because I am going to make you listen." --Neji

Pretty epic, isn't it? I am sorry, Neji is just the GOAT to me, and anything to make him and Sasuke spiritual broskies, I am here for that. Just visualize how adrenaline-driven their encounter would end up being, if you add the Bankakyo Byakugan into the mix. This is how Neji's Bankakyo would look like (source by Aleister Brown):

And for context on what this eye gives Neji for busted abilities, which make him a more or less equal match to Sasuke, after he got Itachi's eyes implanted:

Left eye: Foresight (he can look 10 seconds into the future, to predict Sasuke's moves, before he could even pull them off)

Right eye: Timeskip (improves his Taijutsu, by basically freezing time all around himself, and teleporting, at anything his eyes can see for time)

And, to make it even, with the Bankakyo, you can even summon a chakra avatar, similar to the Susano'o called, Sarutakahiko, take a look:

And because it's me, this is the music that plays in my mind, every time I am trying to visualize their fight, with these conditions being met:

...and to end this thread on a more comical note, when I said, Sasuke's IQ lowers around Kiba, and I compared the two to Renji and Uryu, here is why. It's even more ironic when you consider, Uryu and Sasuke have the same seiyuu! Noriaki Sugiyama! Check it:

OK, OK, enough with that. Have a nice day.

PEACE.

[todayontumblr]

Thursday, August 3.

vintage ads.

Capitalism: bad. Vintage ads: good.

Or so dictates the paradoxical logic that we have decided for ourselves, and when the question is this awkward, the answer is obvious: to stick our collective heads in the sand and simply enjoy the pretty things. And goodness, they are pretty. The problems with advertising, and its seductive evils, are laid bare by this selection of ads handpicked from the dashboard. The common thread between all of these ads is that they have been produced by corporations whose end goal and very purpose is to convince you (against your better judgment, or circumstances) to spend your money (money which you need) on their products (products which you don't—and possibly can't really afford.) 

Similarly demonstrated, however, is the irresistible nostalgic glamour. Perhaps when contemporary advertising tries so hard to be a meme, or be funny, or be quirky and off-beat (or perhaps more simply put, tries too hard) there is a genuine allure in classic adverts that, even now, feel so effortlessly stylish. This effortlessness is also paradoxical because, like the products they often advertise, they are the result of hard work, time, dedication, from those at the peak of their craft. Like these products, they were made for leisurely, long-term use and enjoyment, and not to be so quickly consumed and discarded. What we're really saying, I suppose, is when #advertising is this slick, and pleasing to the eye, we must simply ask that you be quiet, promptly, and accept our money.   

And remember, folks, one eye on the pretty ads, the other guarding your piggy banks x

[axelsagewrites]

Can I request a another Ramsey x Freader we’re the reader is a servant and hates Ramsey and the two of them don’t get along and verbally fight with each other until one day Ramsey comes up with a solution by letting her have a brief moment of control over him or so she thinks and then he suddenly turns the tables on her and takes all the control back ?

and as usual can there be smut? :)

Ramsay Bolton*Servant

Pairing: Ramsay x f!reader

Word count: 3531

Warnings: teasing, Ramsay being Ramsay, f!recieving oral, face sitting/riding, soft dom reader, hard dom ramsay, marking, p in v sex, nipple play, light choking think that’s everything angst smut 18+

Masterlist here

You hated him and who could blame you? Before the Boltons took Winterfell you had met Ramsay on a couple of occasions when his father would bring him. You were a mere baker’s daughter, and he was just a bastard. Ramsay was ignored by most of the true born children and even the starks bastard did not take kindly to his fellow snow. The few times he came to Winterfell he sulked off to the kitchens, swiping food off the counter resulting in you chasing him around the castle, demanding he give the bread back.

While you scawbled at times you never hated the boy. He was only a year older than you and there was even a point you wondered if he could be more than a friend however the last time you saw him you had got in a fight. He had lashed out at you and now you couldn’t even remember why. All you remembered was when you yelled back Roose Boltons hard hand came down across your cheek, accosting your father to train you better. That was the last time you saw Ramsay.

Or so you thought until his father strode in Winterfell on horseback with Lannister soldiers riding behind him. It had already hard enough being a servant under the Greyjoy’s especially since not long before Theon left with Robb you had harshly rejected his drunken advances. However, Rooses presence did not settle you any less than his sons.

When Ramsay finally arrived at Winterfell he barely glanced towards his new squad of servants unless to bully and berate them. Lordship did not suit him well you thought. You resented him and everything he stood for. How could someone who could barely hold a wooden stick last time you saw him be in charge of the house you had called home since before you were born?

While all your fellow servants were just trying to survive you had given up. There was no stark nor snow to protect you or loyalty for anyone anymore. You did your jobs when asked and left when told. Despite Ramsay never greeting you or even using your name he had selected you as one of his main four to tend to his chambers and needs.

“you missed a spot,” Ramsay drawled as you went to pick up the mop bucket to leave. He never even looked up from his book to say it.

“where?” You asked, your expression blank as the idea of dinner was the only one on your mind. Ramsay looked up from his book for only a moment with a surprised look on his face before he pointed to a spot beside the fireplace.

You rolled your eyes, quickly moving to the spot and dumping the mop down on it before bringing it back into the bucket you had to carry down all the stairs before you could even think of eating. “happy my lord?” You asked.

“it’s still wet,” Ramsay said as he sat his book down, a scowl marked on his face.

“the fire is hot my lord,”

“I know the fire is hot,”

“then you know it will dry,”

“I want it dry now,”

“then wait a few minutes,” you said, narrowing your eyes, “goodnight my lord. I shall see you in the morrow,” you said before stalking off to leave his chambers, not bother to mop the splashes from the bucket that spilt in your haste. Ramsay stared after you as the chamber door clunked shut, shaking his head lightly but there was a vague smile on his lips.

You wished this had been a onetime occurrence but as the days and weeks went by Ramsay made it his mission to point out any missed spot, lose thread, untucked sheet that he could find. The longer he continued the harsher your snap backs became.

As you finished drawing his bath your head snapped up at the sound of fabric hitting the ground. You turned to see Ramsay stripping out of his tunic and tossing it to just beside where his dirty sheets were waiting for you to collect. “what do you think you’re doing?” You asked, venom dripping off your tongue.

“getting ready to bathe?” He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “unless you would rather assist me,” he said making you roll your eyes as you finished setting his bath.

“not even in your dreams,” you said as you stood up straight, hands on hips. “that’s not my job,”

“your job,” Ramsay said as he stripped off his under shirt, tossing it right at you. You didn’t even attempt to catch it, letting it fall into the hot water. “is whatever I say it is. Whether that be to change my sheets, undress me, or bathe me in that bath you just lovingly drew,” he said with his sweetest smile he could muster. “understood?”

While you were secretly enjoying the view of a shirtless, and surprisingly toned Ramsay, you wanted to punch that pretty face. You looked down at the ground for a moment, praying for strength not to drown this man as you walked out from behind the bath, slowly walking up to him. “if you dare take your breeches off while I am in this room,” you said as you noticed his fingers on his laces, “or try make me bathe you I will cut your cock off,” you said, less than a foot from the new lord, “and make you choke on it. Understood?” You spoke.

Ramsay let you both stew in the silence for a moment but when you saw his eyes glance down at your heavy chest you scoffed and strode off to his chamber door, “I take my leave my lord,”

“I did not dismiss you,” Ramsay called after you, loving the sight of you walking away as your hips swayed.

You ignored the washing you were supposed to collect and ripped open the chamber door, “I did not ask to be dismissed,” you scoffed before slamming the door behind you. Or as much as you could that is. Ramsay chuckled as the door closed. He had plans for you yet.

You were sat in the servants’ quarters eating your morning meal as you gossiped with one of your friends sara when Layla approached the table making your whisper hush, “his lordships sent for you,” Layla said as she dropped in the seat beside you with her own meal.

“no,” you groaned, flinging your head back, “I don’t do him in the mornings remember that’s you and Amy’s time,”

Layla rolled her eyes as she began eating her meal, “be that as it may I showed up and he practically told me to fuck off and fetch you. So, fetch,”

“I’m not a dog,” you said as you shoved the last of your food down before standing.

Sara smirked at you as she took your leftovers, “then don’t act like a bitch,” you hummed in annoyance at her, knowing if she didn’t have the best dirt in the castle you’d never speak to her again.

When you arrived at Ramsay’s chambers you opened the door without knocking, a hand still on the handle as you waited instruction, “what is it my lord?” Ramsay was sitting in a chair by his window overlooking the courtyards. His eyes lazily turned to you as you noticed he’d yet to finish getting ready. If he was going to try make you shave his stubble you wondered if you’d slip and nick his throat, “not a morning person, are we?” He chuckled as he beckoned you to come in, “close the door love, I’m getting a chill,”

“don’t call me that,” you said as you shut the chamber door behind you.

“I can call you whatever I want,” Ramsay said as he stood from his chair, “and there’s nothing you can do about it. You hate that don’t you?” Ramsay smirked as he slowly began to cross the room, “that here I am, just some bastard son who now practically runs this place,”

“you’re not lord of Winterfell,” you scoffed at the Ramsay who still wore that cocky smirk. He hadn’t been so cocky before you remembered.

“yet,” Ramsay said, now only inches from you, “and here you are. Still just some servant girl- “

“im more than just a servant,”

“are you?” He asked, brushing your hair over your shoulder, leaning his head down to have his breath fan across your chest, “I could do anything I want to you right now and no one would even try stop me,”

“I would,” you said, standing as proud as you could as you glared at the man despite the weird lightness in your stomach. Gods what was wrong with you, you wondered. “you shouldn’t underestimate me,”

“underestimate you?” Ramsay laughed, finally stepping back and slowly pacing the room, “no, no love that’s where you’re wrong. I think you’re the bravest person in this castle. You’re the only one left with any fire,” he said, a spark tinkling in his eye.

“there is no fire in my blood. Only ice,” you said, watching as he slowly began circling you like a lion and his prey.

“they tell us northerners are stubborn,” Ramsay said, his eyes raking your body, “I wonder which one of us will win out,” he said before stopping behind you. He placed his hands on your shoulders, and you shrugged them off only for him to wrap them around your waist, pulling your back flush against his chest as you tried to shove off his arms. His archery had done wonders for his muscles but that was not what you were supposed to be thinking of right now, “I have a proposition for you,”

“you said it yourself,” you said, groaning when you couldn’t shove his arms off, “I have no choice but to serve,”

Ramsay laughed, his chuckle vibrating against your spine, “normally I would agree but this time I will give you a choice. For once I will let you lead the charge, make the decisions,” he said, his nose nuzzling your ear, “in these chambers I will let you do whatever you want to me, to use me how you please,”

“you may not walk out here alive my lord,” you spat despite sudden ideas rushing to your head.

Ramsay chuckled again, wrapping his arms around you tighter, “there is a catch love,” he said, kissing behind your ear gently, “you cannot harm me. Cannot raise a weapon to me. Cannot kill me. But you can use me to satisfy any of your other needs,”

“please,” you scoffed, mocking offence to his suggestion, “you would be so lucky for me to use you,”

You gasped when Ramsay suddenly flipped you around, your chest now pressed into his and his hot breath fanning your face, his lips only an inch away, “don’t you want to feel in control for once? To order me around for once? Maybe this way you won’t be so defiant if you weren’t so tense,”

“you think fucking me will make me listen to you?” You spat your words at him, but Ramsay did not flinch at your venom as he held you close by your wrists, “who says I even want to sleep with you?”

Ramsay leant his head down closer, his lips brushing against yours, “now that I just don’t believe darling,” he said as if scolding a child, “it is wrong to lie to your lord,”

“no wronger for me to sleep with a man I have not wed,” you countered as Ramsay moved one of his hands to the small of your back, “besides I know you won’t listen to what I tell you to do,”

“I will,” he lied, “promise,” he never planned to keep it. You knew it, he knew it, the birds knew it, but that smirk on his face was making you had drunk on the idea.

“get on your knees,” you said, testing out his word. Ramsay dropped to his knees slowly, allowing his face to brush against your breasts before finally sinking to his knees, his hands resting on the backs of your knees.

“now what my lady?” He asked, kissing your knee over the fabric of your dress.

You paused for a moment; your breathing heavy as you considered your options. Ramsay’s hands slipped under your dress, slowly tracing up your calves to your lower thighs when you suddenly reached out, grabbing his hair by your hand. “I didn’t say touch me,” you said, stepping back from him slightly, “lay on the bed,”

“yes, my lady,” Ramsay said, standing as slowly as he had gone down this time his eyes glued to yours. Once he was finally stood, he lingered a moment his lips brushing yours before he turned away and stalked off to the bed. He fell into the middle of it, raising his torso up as he leaned on his elbows to look at you, “now what?”

“take off your breeches,” you said as you slowly approached the bed, leaning against the poster post to watch as he rid himself of fabric, “you listen better than I expected,” you said, a slight smirk on your lips.

“I can be good,” Ramsay said, laying back down after he tossed his last layer away leaving him bare in front of you, “when I want to,” he finished as he looked at you. You took a moment of silence to scan his frame. His stomach was toned, the ghost of abs pocking through. His arms even not flex you could tell were strong. Your eyes grazed down his body, landing on the sight of his cock. It was already hard, waiting for instruction, and red at the tip as if it was waiting for you.

You moved to sit on the edge of the bed, running your hand gently down his chest to his abs, down to his pelvis and finally trailing a finger up his manhood. You smiled when you saw him shudder at your touch. You took his cock in your hand, pumping it painfully slowly as you moved to kneel above his legs. Ramsay groaned when your hand fell away but his eyes lit up as he watched you slowly unlace your dress, discarding your own clothing one piece slowly at a time. He couldn’t rush you, not yet at least.

“anything I say?” You asked, leaning down till you could place a soft kiss to his chest.

Ramsay took the moment to appreciate the view of your ass before answering, “anything you say,”

You leant up, placing your hand on his chest as you moved up his body. For a moment Ramsay’s cock twitched, thinking in its excitement he would already receive your cunt, but he was not disappointed when you continued up his body till your already wet cunt was hovering his face. “You gonna be good for me?” You asked, reaching down to stroke his hair.

“yes, my lady,” Ramsay said, the warmth of his breath on your cunt making you shiver, “let me be good,” he said as his hands moved to gently hold your thighs, lowering you closer to his face.

Your hands took a hold of the headboard, lowering your body down the final inch till you felt Ramsay’s tongue gently lick up your folds. Ramsay held your thighs tightly, his fingers digging into flesh, as his tongue began to lap up your juices making you moan above him which only seemed to spear him on. You gasped when you felt his nose begin to nuzzle your clit.

You allowed yourself to be free as Ramsay’s tongue worked its wonders like a hungry dog. Your moans fell freely as you felt your body begin to tighten. Your hands reached up to play with your nipples over your shift, already being heard from the cold air. You could feel Ramsay’s smirk, his chuckle vibrating up your core as your body began to tense but you did not care as the pleasure bubbled and you began to ride his face, his nose perfectly rubbing your clit. You felt your legs turn to water as you rode out your orgasm on his tongue but did your best to remain steady as you dismounted him, moving back down to kneel over him just below his cock.

“someone looks happy,” Ramsay smirked as you caught your breath.

“shut up,” you snapped, taking his cock suddenly in your hand. Even Ramsay did not wish to test you when you held something so dear to him, “or you won’t like the outcome,” you said, slowly pumping his cock.

You shifted your body up, your cunt now above his cock. You slowly rubbed his tip up and down your folds making Ramsay groan, “be patient,” you are scolding with a smirk, “after all this was your idea,” you said, slowly sinking down onto his tip making Ramsay’s eyes screw shut in pleasure, “look at you,” you smirked down at him, “so desperate for me. Bet this is all you’ve been thinking of,” you said as you finally sunk all the way down, his cock now stretching you out to the fullest.

You placed your arms on his chest to steady yourself as you slowly began to grind your hips. Ramsay’s hips began to buck, desperate to speed the pace. You just tutted as your hand moved to hold his hip down, “nuh uh,” you scolded as you began to get lost in the pleasure as your own movements sped up but still not to his liking.

Ramsay growled and before you could stop him, he had grabbed your wrists, flipping you onto your back with your wrists pinned above your head with one hand, his cock still sheathed inside. Your eyes were wide as you stared up at him at a loss for words, “c’mon love,” Ramsay said as he slowly began to pull out, “you couldn’t possibly think you’re in charge,” he said before suddenly thrusting back in making you gasp, “how could you expect me to resist this,” he said, his deep slow thrusts continuing, knocking the wind out of you each time.

“such a pretty girl,” he said as he thrust in again, enjoying watching how your tits bounced, “shame you’ve got such a filthy mouth,” Ramsay said as he grabbed your jaw, sticking his thumb in your mouth to keep it open, “I think I need to teach you a lesson you see,” Ramsay said as his thrusts began to increase, the headboard slamming against the wall with each thrust, “that im the one in charge. Who’s in charge?” He asked, his lips moving to suck harsh hickeys onto your neck, moving his thumb to allow you to speak.

“you are,” you said but it came out as more of a moan. You hated him, you knew you did, you knew this was wrong, but gods how can something so wrong feel so good? “you are my lord,” you said as you wrapped your legs around his hips, allowing him to go deeper and making Ramsay groan and curse under his breath.

Ramsay let go of your jaw but only to hold your throat, squeezing the sides gently at first as you began to go lightheaded from a mixture of pleasure and pain as he left bites along your collarbone. This new position also allowed his pelvis to rub against your clit which only made your cunt tighten around his cock even more. “this is what happens when you talk back,” Ramsay grunted, his hand moving from your throat to squeeze at your breasts, pinching your nipples harshly.

“then I shall talk back more often,” you said but it was mixed with gasps and moans. You moaned even louder when your words seemed to speed up Ramsay’s pace. You couldn’t stop yourself from enjoying it even less so when you felt your body tightening, another wave of pleasure rushing over you, but Ramsay was not done yet.

You felt your body twitching, your legs staring to slip from his waist as you came down from your high, “not yet,” Ramsay grunted, shoving your legs back around his waist, “im not done with you yet,” he groaned, his head falling into the crook of your neck while his hand slipped between your body to rub sloppy circles on your sensitive clit.

You could feel Ramsay’s cock twitching inside you, but he was determined for one more show out of you and it was not hard for him to get it as he bit down on your skin one last time. Your moan was louder than all the rest as you came for the third time and finally Ramsay could no longer control himself as he grabbed the headboard to steady himself before fucking you full of his seed.

Ramsay was panting as he fell in bed beside you, both of you staring at the ceiling in silence as you caught your breath. You did not know where to go from here, but you knew one thing; you were defiantly a morning person now.

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics @nyotamalfoy

[pumpkin-chairs]

original post here

So this will serve as an introduction series to my wizards and familiars ina11 au characters. I think I'll just make this a reblog thread with new entries every so often! (If there is a better way of doing this pls let me know I had no idea what I'm doing) It will be an introduction to each wizard-familiar pair!

So who better to start out with than Endou himself. Endou Mamoru, grandson of Endou Daisuke, a wizard who changed the foundations of how familiars are treated by wizards and created the current contract system. But we can talk more about Daisuke in another post ....

Endou was born to two familiar parents and learned he had a natural aptitude for magic at a young age. With a lot of young wizards, they begin to unconsciously siphon magic from their familiar parent or sibling and may cause some accidental spells around the house as a result. Unusually, though, Endou was taking magic from both his parents and often got himself in a lot of trouble with his ability to charm people with his spoken word.

Though not the wealthiest of families, the prestige that Endou's grandfather held in the wizarding world got him admitted to the Raimon wizarding school, where he was assigned his first familiar Gouenji. And later on due to various circumstances, Kidou also becomes Endou's familiar.

Typically a wizard has one familiar. And if they have more than one, then it's set up like the familiars taking shifts instead of what Endou does: keeping both his familiars with him at all times. Normally this combination of different magics would be dangerous, but because Kidou and Gouenji are also compatible, and Gouenji's experience with medicinal magic, so far there hasn't been any adverse effects.

As stated previously Endou is a master of spoken magic he does this both intentionally and unintentionally and has a kind of natural charisma you can't help but be drawn to. Of course Kidou and Gouenji know when Endou is siphoning magic while speaking and can usually put a stop to it before anyone becomes accidentally charmed, but this also means Endou can use spoken spells to a pretty advanced degree. He doesn't need to speak an incantation or intensifiers for his spells beforehand! But this also means he sucks at most other magic. Sure he can light every candle in a room with a single word and make it rain in the middle of the classroom, but he can't mix a potion to save his life and don't ask him to help with a magic transfusion: he can't even do it for his own familiars, Gouenji typically has to facilitate any maintenance for the three of them.

So let's talk about Gouenji. Gouenji is a familiar that takes the form of a fennec fox and is the son of a wizard doctor. His father expects him to also become a doctor in the future and has made sure that Gouenji knows how to regulate and transfer his own magic, mostly for safety reasons. Gouenji's sister fell into a coma after excess magic built up in her system faster than anyone could regulate it partially because she was so young and partially because her father wasn't around often enough to help her regulate it. Gouenji feels partially responsible because he couldn't recognize the signs of magic poisoning in his sister and has studied hard to become knowledgeable on familiar medicine.

Because Gouenji's father is rich and a prestigious wizard, he was put in the selection program early on and got matched with Endou, which is seen as a pretty fortunate match, though the Endou wizards are known for shaking up the status quo. The contract they have together is pretty simple but deceptively so. All Endou asks of Gouenji is that he gives his best effort and pursues the things he enjoys, while Gouenji asks for free time during the week to visit his sister.

The following year after, Kidou transfers to their school from Teikoku because he also matches with Endou in the system and instead of declining and waiting for another wizard, he decides to meet with him instead. Kidou's adoptive father is also a wizard and adopting a familiar is seen as a disgraceful and bizarre act, so Kidou has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to become something prestigious for his family name. It's much harder for a familiar to create a name for themselves because the wizarding society is very biased towards wizards and they are seen as the main act so to speak, even if wizards can't perform magic without a familiar. Which is why he does not like Endou's friendly and carefree demeanor as a wizard. Their contract states that Endou will take his studies seriously and will decide on a branch he wants to pursue before graduation and Kidou will decide whether or not he will continue to be Endou's familiar by graduation and, of course, to find something he enjoys about magic.

Kidou's familiar form is that of a weasel and it should be stated that yes, he still wears the cape and goggles as a weasel. Even as an adult.

As they do become adults, both Gouenji and Kidou decide to remain Endou's familiars and Endou becomes a teacher at Raimon specifically for spoken magic and also just general studies. He likes to help the students with adjusting to their new environment and their new familiars while starting them out with beginner spells. Endou is .. not always the best at explaining things, so Kidou does all of the technical teaching while Endou does practical examples and helps the students. Kidou is also there to keep Endou from charming the students. Gouenji on the other hand works in the hospital on campus and often helps facilitate magic transfers between new wizard and familiar pairs, and those who have no formed their pairs yet. He will occasionally give lectures on how to do this safely on your own during the start of the term, but those who are unsure or have never done it themselves with someone other than a family member, are welcome to come by the infirmary for assistance. This helps prevent any accidental magic discharge or overload the wizard or familiar systems.

I'm sure there's other things I can expand on for them but Kidou doesn't mind being in his familiar form and Gouenji would prefer not to be if he can help it. The students love his fennec fox form though and always ask to see it if he comes to class.

Umm I don't think I have much else to say about these three but if anyone has any questions I can probably answer them !

[cha-melodius]

Firstprince, and look don’t ask me why this is what my brain came up with but: meetcute at the STI clinic

(OMG, I love your brain so much. This made me cackle and immediately start writing it. Thanks so much, hope you enjoy!)

chamel's fandom fest info | read all the fics

Getting Clinical

(firstprince, 2k, T; read it below or on AO3)

Alex has to admit that the very last thing that he expected to get upon coming out to his mother was an appointment made in his name at an LGBTQ+ focused sexual health clinic near his apartment. Really, he should have known better, given the PowerPoints that resulted from said coming out, but still. He’s a grown-ass man with a career. He lives on his own in a city in which she does not live. He can take care of himself.

He still goes to the appointment when he gets back to New York. It’s already made, after all, and it’s been a while since he was tested. Since he’s had any sexual partners, in point of fact; he’s been more or less a hermit for the past couple of years, throwing himself into his work and only letting Nora and June drag him out on rare occasion. The whole bisexual revelation had been a slow thing, born of the unexpected feelings evoked in him when one of the senior partners at his law firm came out as gay, in combination with finding himself staring a little too long at the shirtless male leads when he’d put on The Mummy or Indiana Jones on in the background while working late nights at home. He hasn’t actually acted on any of this newfound knowledge save for flirting a bit with the barista at the coffee shop in his building.

He’s gonna, though. He’s determined to get out there and meet someone. A number of someones, maybe—why not have some fun while he’s discovering a bit more about himself? Explore what’s out there. So it makes sense to just go when he gets the email from his mom with a screenshot of the appointment confirmation.

“I wonder if anyone’s done a comparative study of these lubes,” Nora says, too loudly, from where she sits beside him inspecting a selection of samples that she’s collected from a display in the waiting room. More than one person waiting nearby looks over at them, and Alex sinks a little deeper into his chair.

“Ugh, why are you here again?”

“For the moral support,” she chirps with too much glee. “Not like I have any need to be tested right now. Although, June and I did meet this very intriguing guy—”

“All right, enough of that,” he interrupts sharply before she can say any more about her and his sister’s sex life. He already knows far too much about it as it is. “No one asked you to come.”

Nora tips her head at him. “Not in so many words, no. But if I had to listen to one more minute of you hemming and hawing about whether you could make the appointment or whether this was the ‘right place for you’”—she adds the air quotes, annoyingly—“I was gonna start breaking things.” Something softens in her expression, then. “You do belong in these spaces, you know.”

“I know,” he mutters, staring down into his lap. He’s even getting better at believing it.

At that, Nora returns to her lube investigation, and Alex rage-reads some twitter threads until someone steps up to the empty chair next to him and says in a mellifluous British accent, “Pardon me, is this seat taken?”

The waiting room is not that crowded, so Alex doesn’t know why this guy needs to sit directly next to him. He’s in the middle of trying to figure out a polite way to convey this when he finally looks up and right into what he’s pretty sure are the bluest pair of eyes on the planet. Jesus fuck, this man might be the most attractive person he’s ever laid eyes on in person. He doesn’t actually seem like he could be real, but he’s here, looking hopefully at Alex like he wants to be next to him, which is, let’s just say, intriguing—

“It’s only— there’s an outlet on the wall here, and my phone is dying,” Blue Eyes says with an apologetic smile.

Right. So, not particularly interested in sitting next to Alex, then. And that’s definitely not a hollow feeling of disappointment settling into his stomach.

“Yeah, no problem, man,” Alex says, trying to school his expression into something appropriate for conversing with strangers. “It’s all yours.”

Blue Eyes thanks him and takes the seat as he reaches into his bag to pull out a phone cord. The thing is, the outlet is kind of under the chairs and between the two of them, which necessitates some twisting and bending as he tries to blindly reach for it. That definitely doesn’t seem to be working, though, so Alex ends up twisting in his chair too to try to see if he can help.

“A little lower, I think—”

“Oh, thank you, I just can’t quite feel—”

“Fuck, you’re too far now— look, you need to shift to the right, yeah, there—”

“Ah, there it goes,” Blue Eyes murmurs with a pleased hum that brings to mind a very different setting than the one they’re currently in.

This seems to occur to Blue Eyes at the same time as it does Alex, which is approximately when they both look up and realize that their faces have ended up quite close together. Blue Eyes’ cheeks are rapidly turning a lurid pink; Alex quickly replays their previous exchange in his head and yeah, fuck. Suggestive doesn’t seem to begin to cover it. Slowly, Blue Eyes straightens, his posture stiff and eyes fixed on the floor in front of him.

“Er, thank you,” he coughs.

“Don’t mention it,” Alex mumbles in response.

A strained silence settles over them that’s somehow heavier than your usual odd-encounter-with-a-stranger awkwardness. At some point during this encounter, Nora had disappeared to god knows where, so Alex doesn’t even have her company to fall back on. He scrolls on his phone without actually reading anything on it, half hoping one of them will be called into the doctor and half dreading it. Next to him, Blue Eyes is typing furiously with his thumbs.

Alex shouldn’t interrupt him. Just… mind his own business. That would be the reasonable thing to do.

Oh well.

“So, come here often?” he tries to joke, only to realize too late the implications behind asking such a question in a sexual health clinic. He grimaces, hard. “Fuck, I didn’t mean— you don’t have to answer that. I was just— trying to make it not awkward.”

To his relief, Blue Eyes just looks amused. “And made it exceedingly awkward instead?” he replies with a tiny smirk tilting his perfect mouth. There’s a mole right next to the corner of it that Alex would very much like to bite. “I do visit regularly, in fact,” he continues after a moment. “I consider my and my partners’ sexual health to be very important.”

Fuck, that just makes him hotter, which shouldn’t be physically possible. “Lucky person,” Alex hears himself say. “Your partner.”

“Oh, I, uh,” Blue Eyes stammers slightly. “I’m not dating anyone. Currently, that is. I’m just getting out of a relationship, actually.”

“Sorry,” Alex winces.

“Don’t be,” he replies lightly, a flickering smile on his lips. “I’m well shot of him. Anyway, it’s been long enough. Thought I should get back out there.”

“Oh,” Alex says. That’s a good sign, right? Alex could just ask him out. They could have fun if nothing else. That’s all he’s looking for right now. And he’s good at picking people—women, anyway—up. Or was, historically. He just needs to… say something charming. “Well, good luck, then.”

Not that.

He’s really, really hoping he’s not misreading the look of resignation that flickers across Blue Eyes’ face. Before Alex can figure out how to make his big mouth say something useful, though, Blue Eyes’ gaze flickers up behind him. “Ah, your partner’s returned.”

Alex glances back long enough to see Nora flopping down into the chair next to him with more lube samples. “Oh, she’s not my—”

“Alex?” a nurse calls from the other side of the waiting room, leaving him little other choice but to get up and follow her. Blue Eyes shoots him a tight smile and a tiny nod of acknowledgement that they’re probably never going to see each other again before Alex turns and starts walking away.

He’s halfway through the door to the exam rooms when he glances back to see Blue Eyes still watching him, which is frankly more than he can take.

“Sorry, just— forgot something,” he says to the nurse before all but sprinting back to his chair. He plucks Blue Eyes’ phone right out of his slack grip, opens a new contact page, and types in his number. Then, as if he’s in some kind of fever dream, he actually says, “Let me know when you get your results,” and winks.

Alex hurries off again before the nurse can call after him, leaving one extremely stunned Brit in his wake.

~~~~

A week later, Alex’s test results from the clinic show up in his inbox. He’s clean, of course, no surprises there, but the visit itself had been worthwhile—he’d found himself talking to the doctor about aspects related to his health and wellness that went beyond what he might encounter now that he’d be branching out, so to speak—so all in all, not a waste of time.

His phone stays silent, though.

Of course it was always a long shot. That doesn’t change the bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue that not even his endless cups of coffee can cover up. He gets the results on a Friday and lets himself be dragged out to a club on Saturday night to ‘celebrate’, though he ends up politely rebuffing the advances of everyone who hits on him. Nora gives him a look after the third one—a tall, gorgeous brunet with a jaw chiseled out of marble and blue eyes that do give him a half a second of pause—but he shrugs her off.

On Monday morning, he’s in the middle of a conference with a partner and a client when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He assumes it’s Nora or June, so he nearly drops the damned thing on the floor when he finally gets out and swipes open to see a screenshot of an email that looks suspiciously familiar. There’s one key difference, though: under ‘name’ at the top, the text says Henry Fox-Mountchristen.

The screenshot has been sent without comment or followup, just a dry, clinical report, and somehow it’s still one of the sexiest texts he’s ever gotten. Fuck, he’s at work.

Which is exactly what he sends back to Henry. (Henry, he thinks, mulling over the name. It suits him. Alex would very much like to taste it, pressed into his skin.)

Apologies, but you did ask to be informed.

Am I to assume this was an academic interest, or…?

nothing academic about what i want to do to you, sweetheart

Right, then. Jolly good. Are you free this weekend?

Alex wants to say he’s free tonight, actually, so they can put those results to good use, but halfway through writing his reply, he stops. Yes, he wants Henry in his bed, but he also doesn’t want Henry to think he’s only interested in sex. Which is exactly the opposite of what he told himself he was going to do when he started exploring his bisexuality. He shouldn’t be looking for a relationship, and there’s no guarantee Henry is interested in one either. Maybe he’s just busy until then.

Alex thinks another moment, then sends back: what did you have in mind?

~~~~~

(Henry takes him on a date date, all romantic candlelit dinner with a single red rose and a walk in Central Park afterward with their fingers tangled together. And when he finally leans in to kiss Alex, it’s soft and sweet and Alex feels it down to his fucking toes. So, like. That’s a whole thing.

Turns out that they do make good use of their test results that night, thoroughly. And again, the next morning in the shower. And again and again, until they each get a reminder email from the clinic that it’s time for a regular screening.

Which they each promptly delete.)

[magntx]

|| ⸻ RULES . ||

|| ⸻ ABOUT THIS BLOG : .

WRITER: Fen. 22+ She/Her

VERSE: Canon Divergent, Comic Based Magneto, NO MCU,

A STUDY in Survival, the burden of memory, the seductive allure of power, the rage of the oppressed, the cost of vengeance, the blurred line between freedom and war, building a world, being of war, the burden of leadership, the temptation of extremism, the enduring hope for a better tomorrow, the weight of the past, the fight for a future, the enduring question: can peace be forged from the ashes of hatred?

STEADY: Selective activity. No worries if you don't hear back right away, I haven't forgotten!

|| ⸻ ROLEPLAY : .

TRIGGERS: MINORS NOT WELCOME, Mature Themes, Darker Content Warning (Historical Context, Mental Health, Gore, Violence, ...)

DISCLAIMER: I strive for historical accuracy, but I'm not an expert. Do your own research for in-depth knowledge. I am not your source.

WARNINGS: Please let me know your triggers in advance, especially concerning the Holocaust (a significant part of Magneto's history), character death, violence, or sexual content. I can adjust my writing style to respect your comfort level.

CURATE your Experience: You are responsible for managing your own online environment.

ZERO TOLERANCE: This blog prohibits hate speech, including sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of intolerance.

SHIPPING: Relationships might develop organically through RP, but I don't actively pursue shipping.

RESPECTFUL Boundaries: Constant pressure regarding specific ships (like Cherik) won't be tolerated. While some interactions might be considered "shippy," this doesn't imply a permanent ship preference.

HARASSMENT is Unacceptable: Harassing my RP partners will result in blocking and reporting. The same goes for anonymous hate messages – they'll be ignored.

OPEN COMM: Despite the character I portray, I'm approachable. Don't hesitate to speak up if you have any concerns about our RP.

PARTNERS: Mutuals Only. Selective. Selective OC friendly. Chemistry Based. No Duplicates. I have Mains. Shyness is okay! Memes are a great way to let me know you are interested when we are not mutuals yet!

OPEN PROMPTS: Don't hesitate to throw out ideas and prompts! We can develop them into full-fledged threads, keep them short, even without extensive plotting beforehand.

LAYOUT: I use icons, headers, and some color coding for aesthetics. If this layout is difficult to read on your device, or if you prefer larger text, please let me know!

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

What about the miscommunication trope do you love? This is a hot take I often see people frustrated by this! 🤗

I know! I feel like I'm one of the only people to like it!

I wrote about the miscommunication trope specifically in TLH here, which will probably provide some general insight into what I like about it as well. Select quotes:

It's essentially a display of what makes the characters tick, and the way that they resolve it all shows how they fit together and what the spaces between them represent. Only by talking can they make their situations better, can they fit the puzzle pieces of their lives together and heal. But they have to wait until they're ready, and seeing when and how that happens is both a massive character study and a study in trauma.

To me, the miscommunication trope illustrates what the characters value in themselves. It gets the reader in touch with what they're proud of, what they're ashamed of, what they want to keep close to their chests. This rounds out the characters better and makes them feel more three-dimensional.

It also impacts the spaces between characters and shows how their relationships function. Like, what do these people have in common? What do they need to do to bring themselves together?

As an example, I'm going to talk about a ship I clearly adore: Herondaisy.

James:

Was sexually abused by Grace for years

Experiences physical illness when discussing it

Is ashamed of the experience despite it being Grace and co.'s fault rather than his own

Loves Cordelia very much and does not want her 'pity' (see: does not want her to perceive him differently)

Cordelia:

Made a sort of rash/naive decision to become Lilith's paladin (sorry girliepop, I get why you did that but the brain was not braining)

Does not like to talk about it because doing so makes her feel embarrassed and ashamed

Loves James very much and does not want him to perceive her differently, BUT does tell him about it out of necessity

Feels as though she no longer can have the things she wants in life as a result

Doesn't express her pain about Grace showing up or give James a chance to explain that she's mind-controlling him, because she is embarrassed that her husband seemingly can't love her as he does Grace

Runs away without communicating because she (understandably) feels gross and used

Look! There are common threads here that actually show why James and Cordelia are similar and compatible! They both experience shame and embarrassment; they both want to hide those things so they can retain each other's positive perception. But they express them, and they love each other all the more.

In Chain of Thorns, when they actually take the time to talk about these things and set aside their pride, they are able to resolve the situation and build a stronger bond than they already had.

[deadn30n-arch]

what  are  you  reading? / for welt♡

                  familiar  voice  elicits  attention  from  it's  preoccupation  to  the  novel  perched  between  fingertips.  as  he  glances  up,  the  wrinkles  around  his  tired  eyes  become  more  pronounced  with  the  first  signs  of  a  warm  smile  blossoming  across  his  visage.  having  been  forcibly  banished  against  his  will  to  an  afternoon  of  rest  by  Himeko,  he'd  conceded  to  thinking  it'd  be  spent  alone.  a  fact  he  didn't  mind  necessarily,  but  for  someone  who  practically  thrived  in  the  midst  of  busyness,  he  often  found  it  difficult  to  settle  down  and  quell  the  restlessness  that  often  threaded  it's  way  between  his  bones.  Welt  Yang  wasn't  the  type  to  enjoy  being  idle  no  matter  the  circumstance,  and  Himeko  was  one  of  a  very  select  few  who  could  get  him  to  submit  to  it.  she  still  found  herself  struggling  often  to  reign  him  in,  but  this  time  around  had  been  much  easier  due  to  the  most  recent  injury  he  sustained,  leaving  him  temporarily  unable  to  walk.  it  wasn't  anything  serious   –   just  a  mishap  resulting  in  a  twisted  ankle,  but  it  was  the  perfect  opportunity  for  her  to  swoop  in  and  make  him  take  a  moment  to  himself;  to  actually  look  after  himself  for  once.  a  little  gentle  persistence  and  he  gave  in,  wandering  off  to  a  more  secluded  area  of  the  Astral  Express  to  relax  in  the  only  way  he  really  knew  how.

                      with  Sunday's  sudden  appearance,  Welt  realized,  after  a  quick  glance  at  his  watch,  that  a  couple  hours  had  already  passed.  most  of  the  Astral  Express  had  been  cleared  out  with  everyone  disembarking  to  explore  the  latest  world,  and  he  had  truthfully  forgotten  that  Sunday  chose  not  to  go  with  them.  for  all  intent  and  purposes,  he'd  believed  to  be  all  by  himself,  so  this  was  a  much  welcomed  surprise.  Welt  does  his  best  to  adjust  the  haphazard  posture  he'd  sprawled  himself  out  into   (   believing  he'd  be  seen  by  none  for  a  handful  of  hours   )   and  collected  himself  in  an  attempt  to  appear  proper.  there  was  certainly  no  need  for  formalities,  but  if  you  asked  him  the  truth,  he'd  reluctantly  admit  he  didn't  enjoy  the  potential  for  being  perceived  without  his  typical  decorum.   “  Sunday.  ”   his  voice  produces  itself  a  little  more  hoarsely  than  expected,  forcing  him  to  clear  his  throat.   “  i'm  sorry,  i  forgot  you  were  here.  ”   better  to  be  honest  by  his  book  than  pretend  otherwise.  Welt  could  stand  to  embarrass  himself  a  little  bit;  it  wouldn't  hurt  him,  and  he  certainly  didn't  perceive  Sunday  as  someone  who  would  mock  him  for  it. 

                  normally  by  this  point  he'd  get  up  and  meet  him  halfway,  and  he  almost  does  just  that,  until  an  angry  twinge  of  pain  in  his  leg  sparks  prominently,  reminding  him  of  his  injury.  the  warm  smile  on  his  lips  then  turns  a  little  helpless  as  he  keeps  his  gaze  trained  on  his  companion.  once  he's  settled  back  into  the  couch  cushions,  he  holds  the  book  up  for  Sunday  to  see.   “  you  were  wondering  about  the  book?  it's  a  collection  of  myths  and  fairytales  from  a  planet  named  Belobog.  we  visited  it  once,  long  before  you  arrived,  and  i'd  bought  it  but  never  had  a  chance  to  read  it  until  now.  it's  interesting,  to  say  the  least.  ”   as  a  former  animator,  he's  all  for  fantastical  tales  and  the  unknown,  and  it  had  given  him  ideas  for  another  storyboard  he  wanted  to  try  drawing  at  some  point.  if…  he  ever  found  the  time  again  for  that,  anyway.  nevertheless,  he'd  give  it  a  shot  at  some  point,  but  thosee  were  thoughts  for  another  day.  with  his  free  hand  raised,  he  motioned  for  Sunday  to  come  join  him  on  the  couch  if  he  wanted  to.   “  i  could  tell  you  about  them  if  you're  curious,  but  don't  think  you  have  to  humor  an  old  man  like  me.  ”   a  small  laugh  leaves  Welt's  lips,  light  and  cheerful.

[that-spider-fan-over-there]

Read a Twitter thread a few days ago how Katsuki, Izuku and Tomura are meant to be the pillars of hope and change for hero society (by Kikibats, go check her out, the thread is her pinned tweet), and that got me thinking about Tomura's birth name, so I looked up the kanji for his name (志村 転弧, for those curious), and I wanted to share.

(someone probably already did make this connection and worded it better but screw it we bail let's go-)

Kikibats' thread has mentioned what "Shimura" could have originally meant In-Universe, especially "Mura", so it's about a paragraph short, because I'm writing what it could mean in the story as it is (again, In-Universe):

So from the name Shimura Tenko, we have:

Shi (志):

"Determination, ambition, intent", which Tenko does have, arguably even more than Izuku has (I mean, running around barely sleeping while facing Gigantomachia for three months? spending four months in a tube and resurrecting by sheer anger?), but ambitious is after realizing his convictions and intends to carry on the League's. It can also refer to “will” as in willpower, the one trait AFO doesn't have, and the reason he was selected as his vessel.

Mura (村):

Mentioned in her thread, but "Village", could be an ironic spin on “it takes a village to raise a child”, since after his family's death no one was willing to take him in, and the one who did only did so to groom him into a monster. It could also refer to a heroic trait he has (yes, even as he was annoyed at Toya and Himiko when he first met them): taking people in when he thinks they're lonely, have been rejected, wronged by society and wanting to carry on their convictions, which leads to:

Ten (転):

a verb; "to shift", and sure enough, he's the one who created the Vanguard Action Squad with the purpose of kidnapping Katsuki, setting off the Kamino Incident and shifting the status quo of society. You could argue he has been since the USJ but no one really feared him until Stain came along. Tomura is also one of the characters whose goals and motivations develop the most through the story.

It can also mean "to turn", from changed from the sweet kid who wanted to play heroes with his friends, to a symbol of fear. And physically, he's the willing participant in Dr. Garaki's body experimentation and his body is constantly shapeshifted depending on his (and AFO's) mental state.

Finally, “Ko” (弧):

The kanji for “arc”, which is admittedly very vague and it could mean nothing, but.

It could refer to the arc he goes through.

From a kid playing with those others ignored who wanted to be a hero, to being groomed into the Symbol of Evil('s puppet), which eventually unravels once he becomes powerful enough to fight Izuku, resulting in the reveal that in spite of all what he’s been through, he’s still that kid willing to extend his hand (well, in a metaphorical way) for those who want/need someone to rely on. Someone who wants to be the LoV's hero.

Not quite a full circle, but still not too far off from his beginning.

A bonus point, since we (readers and watchers who like to read the raws/watch subbed anime) use "Ko" we usually think of "子" as in komodo, the kanji for "kid", this one abandoned by a complacent village. And remember since Izuku wants to offer him a hand, a crying lonely child in need of a hero. With AFO taking control of him, while Izuku (and most of Class 1-A) trying to save him, wouldn't it be neat to see Tomura choosing to take Izuku's hand, especially someone whose identity was forcefully defined by a touch of death?

Not quite the same innocent kid, but still the kid who wanted to be a hero for those left behind.

Would be fitting for this arc to come full circle, wouldn't it?

[godstrayed]

before you interact please read the post! / mutuals only.

hello! it’s that time again i try to sell myself as a potential writing partner. i have written these in the past and been successful in occasionally finding roleplay partners who are interested in the same sorts of things as me. so i am looking for people who want to world build with me. i really like discussing plots, headcanons, and anything that can make me understand your muse better! i love sharing memes, drabbles, not roleplaying linearly and tossing around multiple threads! i don't need many people to write with but i really prefer to have a handful of people who i know well, am invested in their muses/feel super comfortable with my knowledge of their muses & pingpong my annoying ideas at them easily.

i tend to write lengthier things but i am okay with any length as long as it’s not one-liners! i also have zero interest in writing with someone who i will only have one thread with and never speak to again. 💀 i just rather focus on threads that will grow outside of just one single reaction! i like to think i am pretty easy to toss shit around with but i am a little shy so sometimes it takes a while for the ball to start rolling but once it is i am full-sending that shit.

so if you’re interested please GIVE THIS A LIKE and I WILL APPROACH YOU after i check out your muses/rules, if i haven't gotten around to it already! i am 100% gonna write the starter for whatever we come up with! i just ask if i take the time to write the starter that you reply to it at least once. failure to do so will result in me soft blocking since it happens so often and is super discouraging (and a waste of my time tbh). that might seem harsh but we could always write together when you do have the time or availability to reply.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ME: can call me nic! 29. cst. they/them. selective. slow replies due to work and other responsibilities. willing to make new muses for people if i really like an idea/plot! emphasis on slow activity! please keep in mind that i take a whole lot of time sometimes.

THINGS I REALLY LIKE: pacific rim, the 100, the walking dead, baldur's gate 3, queens gambit, any apocalyptic setting, harry potter series, alice in borderlands, video games, league of legends, any mcu movie, x-men series, fantasy shows/games, fairies, hunger game series, graceling & demon slayer.

TYPES OF AUS: any type of apocalypse setting, fantasy, crime aus, soulmates au, period/era verses, dystopian, slice of life, mythological, anything with werewolves, royal aus, vigilantes, & mutant aus.

VIBES: angst (tbh most of my blog is angst), fluff, horror, cliches, tropes welcome, & the occasional smut when it fits the mood.

CHARACTERIZATION: i exist in extremities. i like writing really bad villains with zero remorse or softer characters with a more righteous morality. i enjoy writing against almost everything. i am open to exploring most things and you can find out more extensively my habits through my rules.

open to any type of relationship: family/friendship/romantic/enemies. doesn’t have to be romantic. however, if it is – i always write with anyone so gender/fc/etc doesn’t every bother me. write who you want to!

be prepared to: communicate, toss around ideas, explore plots & dynamics, share your interests with me as well, & be adored / have your muse(s) adored by me & mine.

  links: muses & laws. memes. verses. wanted plots.

[reddevilmcnt]

an independent and selective multi-muse roleplay blog with fluctuating activity, expect highly nsfw (violence, drugs, trauma & mature themes) and smut friendly writing with a personal preference for all things gay. this is a side-blog so i cannot follow back, which makes this blog not mutuals only. muses are written by decimus, 30+, qpoc, any pronouns, advanced lit. all muses are dominant and tops.

not looking for anymore threads on discord at this time.

OPEN STARTERS. MEMES. WISHLIST. WANTED OPPS.

rules & roster of muses,

oo1. When I say all muses are tops and dominant, I mean that I am experienced enough to know what I'm comfortable writing and that is it. Do not try to force switching on me. I also tend to selectively like brats (brats do not automatically make a bottom better written and I don't know how that thought process even started tbh.) oo2. With that said, all of my muses are complex and multi-dimensional in some way. My men have thoughts, feelings, dreams, goals, and personal preferences, and will absolutely soften for the right ships with chemistry. I'm not the writer for you if you believe tops/doms should be automatic kink-dispensers with no emotion or depth. oo3. You will see kinks as dark and heavy as non/dubcon, werewolves/monsters, possessiveness, public play, blood play, pain play, kidnapping, gun/knife play, violence, etc. You'll also see that mixed in with earned fluff and romance; I can play some very hard doms or terrible men but even they can be open to romance, no matter how dysfunctional. Therefore, follow at your own risk, or talk to me about your limits if we are roleplaying together. Any attempts at blog policing will result in a block, though. oo4. Biggest limits are probably any age regression, diapers, scat, feet stuff, writing submissive characters myself, racism/bigotry, poly relationships.

oo5. We can always move to discord if that's what you prefer. I have enough discord threads for right now but can use it to ooc chat.

oo6. I will admit I am picky. If a reply doesn't inspire me or I'm not having fun with a rp, I have no issue dropping and I am very ghost friendly. I can be open to restarting or trying multiple threads for the right partner; if I talk with you or roleplay with you often, that means I enjoy your writing and to feel free to come to me with new ideas or reply to other starters I may have. However, if our roleplays have a habit of never taking off or lasting, I'll probably skip on trying again just to get nothing out of it again.

oo7. I'm a queer person of color and this is a safe space for your muses of color. In fact, I prefer interacting with them.

oo8. If you're following and not writing with me, I'm going to assume you're just here to read along and will leave you alone; I just ask that you please do not spam my activity. If you want to interact, memes, open starters, or just DMing me are the ways to go about it.

[ original characters ] dominic rookwood immortal vampire hunter, homosexual, looks late 30s-40s. fc: alan ritchson

draven vampire monarch, homosexual, true age unknown. fc: aldis hodge

warren wolfe combat medic/er doctor, homosexual, 30s. fc: trevante rhodes

apollo king navy seal, bisexual, 20s-30s. fc: michael b jordan

salazar reyes hell's legion motorcycle gang leader, single father, bisexual, 40s. fc: clayton cardenas

slade simms mechanic & street racer, bisexual, 42. fc: ricky whittle

riven kaler high profile artist (has organized crime relations), bisexual, 35. fc: stephen james hendry nicolae borza professional english footballer or retired football coach, bisexual, age depends on verse. fc: sebastian stan

hades gladiator, bisexual, 38. fc: jason momoa

cain demon and a king of hell, bisexual, 1,000+. fc: henry cavill

maksim archer alpha werewolf, homosexual, 38. fc: aaron taylor-johnson

teddy grey college jock/nfl player, heteroflexible, 20s-30s. fc: zac efron

dmitri sherwood professional mma fighter, bisexual, 36. fc: y'lan noel

micah lockhart nfl player, bisexual, 20s-30s. fc: odell beckham jr alexei mercer firefighter, bisexual, 40s. fc: joe manganiello dante romano mob royalty and crime lord, bisexual, 30s. fc: michele morrone

aeden warborn/hargrave king and leader of the house of hargrave, homosexual, 30s. fc: leo suter

rurik the red/ivarsson viking berserker, bisexual, 30s. fc: arnas fedaravičius

[ canon characters ]

tommy shelby ---- peaky blinders. crime boss, bisexual (closeted), 39-43. fc: cillian murphy

frank castle ---- marvel. violent vigilante, bisexual, 43. fc: jon bernthal

derek morgan ---- criminal minds. fbi supervisory special agent, bisexual, 30-40s. fc: shemar moore

eddie diaz ---- 911. firefighter and army vet, repressed gay, 32. fc: ryan guzman

bruce wayne ---- dc. billionaire ceo & vigilante, bisexual, 40s. fc: ben affleck

eric northman ---- true blood. vampire sherriff, bisexual, 1,000+. fc: alexander skarsgard namor ---- marvel. talokanil mutant and king, bisexual, 500+. fc: tenoch huerta t'challa ---- marvel. black panther and king of wakanda, bisexual, 36. fc: yahya abdul-mateen ii

din djarin ---- star wars. mandalorian warrior, bisexual, 40s. fc: pedro pascal

[fossilfuelreincarnated]

18+ BLOG!

Ran by and follows back as @asktheevilgeniusesson

This is a multimuse blog based in the JURASSIC WORLD/PARK Movie series! All muses featured on this blog are DINOSAURS, aka animals, and humans will only appear as guest muses if the thread calls for it. All lore, and all creatures present here belong to the JP/JW franchise, this is just my take on them.

RULES:

1. I will be VERY selective about shipping, muse wise. These muses are ANIMALS. Wild creatures. Despite some of them posing a higher IQ than most, i will only think of pairing my muses with yours if yours is also an animal. Something that does not speak english, etc. i will not tolerate beastiality and zoophilia over fuckin dinosaurs.

2. NO GODMODDING. If we do fight threads between a dinosaur and your muse please be aware most of these creatures have high intellect, but that does not mean i will not be fair, i ask you do the same! No ‘nah, i’d win’ shit inc where they pull out some op weapon, make the fighting/survival make sense, its better and more fun for us both!

3. DO NOT REBLOG ROLEPLAY THREADS IF YOU ARE NOT THE OTHER PARTY IN THE THREAD. This will result in a block if i do not recognize you.

4. Do not harass the mun or any of my roleplay partners. Whether it be via ask comment or a rb saying something unwarranted, ypu will be blocked. This is all for fun, behave yourselves.

5. This blog will feature ALOT of dark topics. If you are nit a fan of any of the following: Blood, gore, animal death, possible animal cruelty, animal violence, animal testing, etc. please do not complain about it. Ask me to tag it if i forgot too, if it bothers you that much look away and find another roleplay blog please.

MUSES:

Indominus rex. Nicknamed ‘Indie’ for shorts sake.

A massive tyrannasaur hybrid, pure white in color with bright red eyes, with the ability to camoflauge into any environment and a huge IQ.

This creature kills for sport. She hardly eats what she kills and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, she has no remorse for her actions and sees every moving creature as a game to play and win. The ‘apex predator’, genetically modified and the first hybrid of the parks. If she sees you. Pray and run.

Indoraptor. ‘Indo’ for short.

A slimmer and more sleek variant of the indominus. Made from the DNA and genome of mostly raptor and the other Hybrid. This jet-black beast was made as a weapon. To be used in war and fighting. Making it Incredibly Cunning and Sadistic. However has the possibility of growing a symbiotic relationship with other species that arent creatures like itself. (Ex. Humans.) it responds to the red laser on guns like a cat, killing whatever its pointed twords as it was made to kill and be sold to people to do just that.

‘Blu’ the Raptor.

Blu is a large, female raptor, with, well, blue streaks along her skin. She was the leader of her raptor pack, and her dna was used in the creation of both Indo R&I. She is cunning, adaptable, protective and stubborn. Her pack had been slaughtered long ago, but despite this, she lives on and is determined to live out her days after surviving what most raptors wouldn’t survive.

Please note these are just the current muses, there are more that are subject to be included.

[heartbinders]

Public vs private knowledge ( Pokémon verse )

Note: any worldbuilding details here are open to discussion to better meld with your headcanons!

Public knowledge ( information everyone can know )

Prompto Argentum is a recent member of the Galarian kingsguard.

By way of Noctis sharing his power with his friends, Prompto can also materialize weapons. He cannot warp, however; only Noctis can.

Prompto is trained with and licensed by the kingsguard to wield firearms. Under Galarian gun law, he is only permitted to shoot in life-threatening situations.

Prompto has a shiny Altaria named Sunny, an Armarouge named Ember, an Inteleon named James ( he jokes that his full name is "James Pond" ), and depending on the point in the timeline, an Espeon named Pryna.

Prompto attended the same school as Noctis and is his best friend.

Prompto loves photography and would like to do it professionally in the future.

Prompto works out. He enjoys running and will periodically go on morning runs with his Pokémon.

He has his finger on the pulse of modern technology. Noct considers him a "technophile."

He ADORES Pokémon and gets easily excited around them.

He can't cook to save his life.

He can drive. He's not very good at it though.

He has a barbed wire tattoo wrapping around his left wrist, and a star right above it on the back of his hand.

His Rotomphone is the same royal make and model as Noct's.

Semi-private knowledge ( information select groups know )

Prompto was adopted out of Kalos as an infant by a family from Wyndon.

After helping an injured Eevee as a child, he eventually learned that Eevee belonged to Lunafreya, who sent him a letter as thanks and asked him to befriend the withdrawn Noctis at school.

Ember has been with Prompto for as long as he can remember. His parents say that Ember was with him when they adopted him.

Prompto is not especially close with his parents.

Private knowledge ( information only Prompto and loved ones know )

Amid Prompto's freckles, there are a few dots that stand out more prominently as being...well, not freckles. He's written these off as a weird birthmark.

As a child, Prompto was quite shy and had difficulty making friends. He kept to himself and found solace in taking photos.

Prompto started running after an awkward attempt at befriending Noctis as children went awry. He tripped and fell, and Noctis remarked that he was "heavy" upon helping him up. After this encounter, Prompto resolved to lose weight and work on his shyness in order to become someone the prince would want to be friends with. He eventually grew to enjoy his runs independently of his initial motivation for starting them.

Prompto's love for photography was helped by progress photos he took on his weight loss journey.

Secrets ( information ONLY Prompto knows )

Prompto is deeply insecure about his status relative to his friends. Being of common birth, he feels like a fish out of water with his noble-born friends.

He secretly worries that if his friends were to learn about his hangups, they would leave him.

Occasionally, Prompto hears whispers from Pokémon's hearts and crystals. This is a rare occurrence he doesn't understand. Given that Ignis and Gladio can't hear them, he's concluded that the phenomenon is not a result of Noct's powers. He's too afraid to ask him to confirm.

Depths of the Iceberg ( information not even Prompto knows* )

*He might know these, depending on the point on his timeline a thread takes place at. He may have also told his friends about this information at later timeline points. Generally, though, he doesn't know this information by default.

Prompto is a clone of Verstael Besithia, resulting from Lysandre Labs' duplicative project.

As an infant, an Interpol agent operating on a tip broke into Lysandre Labs' lower levels, absconding with Prompto and Ember. The agent entrusted him to the people that he would eventually call his adoptive parents.

Prompto's classification in Team Flare's database is RP:D:3234.

His "weird birthmark" is actually Team Flare branding.

He has a tracker injected into his right wrist, but given that the technology predates the one in Silva by eight years, it's less refined. Over the years, it eventually broke.

In threads set after Prompto's eventual recapturing by Lysandre, he has this tracker replaced.

Prompto's ability to intermittently hear the hearts of Pokémon and crystals is a result of Team Flare experimentation after he turned out to be a stable and successful clone.

[botanyone]

Garden Plants That Help Pollinators Face Resistance From Homeowners

Garden Plants That Help Pollinators Face Resistance From Homeowners https://ift.tt/WzPchCf What’s better than saving the planet? Someone else saving the planet. Davis & Stoyko have surveyed residents of Ohio to gauge their attitude to pollinator-friendly plants. They found that most homeowners were unwilling to add pollinator-friendly native plants as they were seen as untidy. This reluctance matters because residential gardens could provide important food and shelter for pollinators like bees and butterflies. Researchers selected 200 random properties in two Ohio counties along gradients of property size and value. They then sent out surveys asking about yard management and willingness to plant specific pollinator-friendly plants. The response rate was good, 57%, which indicates interest in the topic, but when they analysed responses using statistical models, some of the results were unfortunate. Davis & Stoyko found that only about 20% of homeowners said they would plant purple coneflower or wildflowers, and just 8.5% would plant milkweed. However, there was some good news, people who already had these plants were much more likely to want to add more. The biggest factor predicting a resident’s unwillingness to add native plants was their desire for a neat yard. The research aligns with previous studies that have shown yard choices are strongly influenced by neighbourhood norms and social pressure. This is an issue as gardens can significantly help pollinators given their large total area in urban regions. Making yards more pollinator-friendly requires understanding what motivates homeowners’ decisions, and may require giving them a sense of ownership over their conservation choices. Davis, A.Y. & Stoyko, J. 2024. Determinants of willingness to add pollinator beneficial plants to residential yards differ by plant type. Journal of Environmental Management 370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122852 ($) Cross-posted to Bluesky, Mastodon & Threads. The post Garden Plants That Help Pollinators Face Resistance From Homeowners appeared first on Botany One. via Botany One https://botany.one/ October 30, 2024 at 08:30PM

[jeannereames]

I'm new to reading about Alexander the Great, and I read your books first, then Mary Renault's. I like your Hephaistion a lot better, and Olympias (Myrtale), but the two novels were a lot alike in the story itself. I saw at least one reviewer said that yours was like a retelling of hers: "dangerously similar." So I wondered how much her first novel on Alexander influenced yours?

You’re not the first to ask, and the answer is: very little.

When I get that line about my novel being “too much like” Mary Renault’s, or even “fanfic” on Mary Renault, it tells me the reviewer is completely unfamiliar with the ancient sources themselves. For those who are familiar, I never hear this (perhaps because where we differ is obvious).

Unlike the novelist who makes up a completely original plot, when writing historical fiction, at least of this type, there IS a historical thread to follow. I’m not copying Renault. I’m following Plutarch, Diodorus, and, to a lesser degree, Justin. So is she.

Where we “cross” is on the historical elements in the original sources.

If you remove those bits, our two retellings don’t have much in common. Likewise, even in some of the elements from those sources, we differ in interpretations. My novel also begins a good deal later in ATG’s life. We do both end with the same event—I suspect because, when history gives you a “made for Hollywood” incident like the murder of Philip, you don’t turn it down. LOL. Also, for me, it’s the “natural joint” between Alexander-the-prince and Alexander-the-king. Just as the end of Alexander’s stay at Mieza with Aristotle forms the hinge between the two novels—or originally, the hinge between two halves of one novel. (Which is why I was able to divide it in half, when Riptide insisted that I do so in order to publish it, due to its original length.)

But the plain fact is I’d written my own before I’d ever heard of Mary Renault. I backed into Alexander as a result of some grad classes at Emory. He kept popping up in lecture, and I realized I had NO idea who he was. As an English major, I’d read Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” so I knew the “big” Roman-era names. But I’d managed to get out of both high school and my BA at the University of Florida without taking any (real) history classes. Now I was running into mentions of people (and places) with which I was completely unfamiliar.

So, I waltzed over to the Emory library and picked out two bios on Alexander: Nick Hammond’s Alexander the Great: King, Commander, and Statesman, and Peter Green’s Alexander of Macedon (the original version, with pictures…I picked it because it had pictures). As I’ve said elsewhere, I couldn’t have selected two more different views of the conqueror if I’d tried. And that’s what intrigued me…so I kept reading. Then I decided to write a novel about the “making” of him (coming-of-age), and the importance of Hephaistion in his life (because Green was so dismissive of the poor guy). Hephaistion was originally much clearer in my mind. In fact, he’s the (real) protagonist of Dancing with the Lion…certainly for the novel’s first half (Becoming). So I’m glad to hear you liked how I portrayed him.

It was only later that somebody said, “Oh, hey, have you heard of Mary Renault?” English major or no, I hadn’t. I did pick up her novels on Alexander but read only a little way before putting them down precisely because I didn’t want to be influenced by her work. In fact, I read nobody’s novels on him until I finished my original (way too short) rendition. Then I started on the second draft (which turned out to be way too long).

But by that point, my picture of Alexander, and even more so, Hephaistion, was quite set. As was the story I wanted to tell.

So no, Mary Renault’s novels had little impact on the genesis of Dancing with the Lion. But you are not the first person to wonder.

Ironically, Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave and her subsequent Arthurian Saga had a much greater impact on how I chose to tell Alexander’s story. I did read those as a teen girl, and they fomented a fascination for King Arthur in me that lasted into college. The fact I wound up getting a PhD in Greek history is ironic, as I actively avoided it in high school and (undergrad) college, all my love given to Celtic and Scandinavian myth and history. I still do enjoy Celtic myth, btw. And it was with some amusement that I realized the tale of Alexander and Hephaistion was the foundation for the legend of Arthur and Lancelot. That probably IS part of why Alexander and Hephaistion gripped me so.

So yes, a “Mary” did influence me, but Stewart, not Renault. 😊