#by playing music on their respective instruments to guide them!

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

[avatar-anna]

It's Not a Competition (But It Is)

i just feel like this song is so reader coded in this series like she literally gets annoyed by how much she likes him and at first refuses to admit but of course she can't hide it forever...

Hockey Player! Harry x Figure Skater! Reader Masterlist

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing. I'm not staring. Who's staring?"

You narrowed your eyes at Harry from across the couch. He was on one end, you on the other, as you studied for your respective midterms. You hadn't meant to stay after hooking up, but Harry offered his shower and an extra set of clothes and promised not to bother you if you wanted a quiet place to go over your notes, and despite the warning bells flaring in your head, you stayed.

As promised, there were no distractions. You were able to go over your psych notes in peace, the only sounds in Harry's apartment being the instrumental music he put on and the clicks of his keyboard as he worked on his laptop. It was comfortable, almost too comfortable, you thought. This wasn't the kind of relationship you anticipated when you and Harry hooked up for the first time. It was supposed to be strictly physical, transactional, a satisfaction of mutual needs.

But you felt it—Harry's stare as you reviewed key terms and quizzed yourself with your professor's review guide. There wasn't any heat behind the stare, it was more of a soft, warm glow. Affection. Harry stared at you with affection, and you weren't sure how to make the responding butterflies in your stomach stop fluttering so intensely.

"You're being a creep," you finally said, shifting in your spot on the couch as if you could physically shake off the weight of that stare.

Harry's brows raised above his blue light glasses, amused by your assessment. You'd never seen him wear them before, but they framed his stupidly beautiful face perfectly. You thought they softened his appearance, made him look less like the overconfident jock you knew too well.

"You really wanna know?" he asked, a playful grin on his face. "I don't think you wanna know."

"I asked, didn't I?"

Harry's grin widened before turning back to his laptop. "I just think you look pretty in my clothes. That's all."

His smirk was self-satisfied as if he knew what your reaction would be, which pissed you off even more. Before you knew it, you took a throw pillow and chucked it at his head.

"Ow! What the hell?"

"I look pretty in your clothes?"

"It's a compliment, princess," Harry said. "You would be the one to get pissy over something like that."

You sniffed. "Sorry I'm not at your feet like one of your adoring fans."

"Hey now, I never said I didn't like it. I like this thing we have going on. The banter. It keeps things interesting."

"Whatever."

"Would you rather I said you looked hot? Sexy?" Harry challenged, though his smirk told you he was playing around, laying a teasing trap to see if you'd take the bait. "Why can't I tell the girl I'm sleeping with she looks beautiful in my clothes? That's like every guy's wet dream."

You frowned and picked at your nails, trying to ignore the effect his words had on you. "You're sounding too romantic. Like you're my boyfriend or something."

Closing his laptop once more, Harry set it on the coffee table in front of him and turned toward you completely. He looked too soft, too cuddly, too kissable in his worn gray sweatshirt, his hair extra curly from the shower you shared together earlier. And when he shuffled across the couch toward you, the smell of his shampoo dizzied you, made it hard for you to focus on his words.

"You say that like it would be a bad thing," he said. His voice was light, but there was an undercurrent of weight to it. This was the conversation you and Harry avoided, danced around, hid from, at every turn. You could see it in his eyes sometimes that he wanted to have it, that he wanted more. But you...you just couldn't.

"We agreed—"

"Yeah, yeah. We agreed. Just sex," Harry grumbled as he pulled off his crew neck. "I can haul you over my knee and spank you all I want but I can't say you can't look cute in my clothes. Pathetic, Y/n, really."

You blushed, playfully swatting his hand away when he tried to push your—his—shirt up. "What are you doing? We already did that!"

"Well not-couples don't sit around studying together, so come on," Harry said, smiling as he play-fought you on the couch.

You giggled your way out of your clothes wrapping your arms and legs around him as he kissed along your jaw. "No, don't do that. This is strictly sex between us. Only girlfriends hold boyfriends like that."

"Don't make fun of me," you said, breathless from laughing.

"I'm not making fun, princess. Promise. We're just two people who love to fuck. And study together and train to—"

You cut Harry off with a kiss, fisting a hand in his hair tight enough to make him hum. The slide of his mouth against yours was familiar, practiced, as dizzying as the first time you kissed him. Since the very beginning, it had been easy with Harry. Too easy, too right. You thought it was just the tension between you and him finally snapping in half, that he'd finally pushed enough of your buttons and you just needed to get him out of your system. And then it happened again, and it felt just as good as the first time. Maybe even better. So it kept happening again. And again. Until you were staying over at his place and he had a drawer at yours and he laughed at your stupid jokes and you knew what he meant when he talked about hockey stats and his favorite place to eat off campus.

And now you were here.

You didn't know where "here" was, though. You knew where Harry thought it was, you knew what he wanted beneath all his teasing and joking. But you didn't know what you wanted. Or you did, and perhaps didn't know how to admit it.

"I should go," you whispered after, even though you knew you didn't have to. Harry's body was warm and sturdy beside yours, the hand drawing circles up and down your back and through your hair pleasant, calming. Your eyes were getting tired, blinking slower and slower as your head laid on his chest.

"Yeah," Harry replied, his chest expanding and falling as he sighed. "But I don't want you to."

You didn't either, though you didn't say it out loud. You just nestled deeper into Harry's chest and wrapped your arms around his waist.

And you stayed.

*.*

Harry woke to the sound of his phone buzzing noisily on by his bed. Too tired to make any sense of who was calling him at such a late hour or why, he didn't even bother sending it to voicemail, merely turning over in his bed and dozing back to sleep once the buzzing stopped.

And then it happened again.

That time, Harry did send the call to voicemail, believing it to be one of Harry's teammates trying to pull some kind of prank. By the third call, he was thoroughly annoyed.

"What?"

"Do you not like me anymore?"

Rubbing his eyes, Harry looked down at his phone, more specifically, the caller ID, for the first time. "Y/n? Is everything okay? Why are you calling so late?"

"It's Friday night why do you—hiccup!—why do you sound like you're asleep?"

"Because I was," Harry said, groaning before sitting up in his bed. Running a hand over his face, he asked, "Are you drunk?"

"No! Yes! Maybe a little tipsy. The nice bartender gave me a double shot for my drink," Y/n said, giggling to herself.

*.*

Harry woke up some more at her giggling, already reaching for the pair of jeans he'd ditched by his bed earlier. He'd gotten home after an away game earlier and didn't have it in him to go out, not to mention the pile of homework he left for the last minute. Y/n went out with her friends, insisting that she could go a Friday night without hooking up with him. Harry had laughed at the time, but selfishly wished she was with him now.

"How nice of him," Harry replied, trying not to let the idea of anyone flirting with Y/n bother him too much. "So, you're okay?"

"I—hiccup!—I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, you're the one who called me out of the blue."

"Well, I," Y/n started, her voice drowned out by loud noise of whatever bar or party she was at. Then it all quieted as if she was suddenly alone. "I wasn't going to call you, but then I did."

Harry smirked. "Aw, did you miss me, princess?"

"No!" she snapped, perhaps a little too quickly. "No, but I just—I was ready to leave and no one else was and I know it was stupid of me because you're always tired after away games, but I thought—"

"I'm already on my way," Harry said, sliding off his bed as he picked up his jeans off the floor.

"Really? You don't have to. We're not—I mean you're not—"

"Send me your location, princess. I'll make sure you get home safe."

Y/n was quiet for a moment, presumably sending Harry her location while he shrugged into a t-shirt and grabbed his jacket. And an extra one for her, just in case.

"Maybe...Maybe I can stay at your place tonight?"

Harry's heart leaped in his chest, but he didn't let himself get his hopes up. Y/n was drunk, and he might've just wanted to hear the plea, the affection, in her voice. She didn't like him that way, or didn't want to admit that she did. He just needed to be patient.

"Course, princess," Harry finally said. "Sit tight, okay? I'll be there soon."

Skating always brought you clarity. Going through a familiar routine and landing tricks was what made sense. Moving through the music, letting the music move through you, helped you relax.

But today was different. Today you skated around the rink in circles, no choreography or music flowing through you. You skated in a daze, hoping you could leave your thoughts behind you with another lap, but they were as quick as you were as you glided across the ice.

"Y/n?"

Your most persistent thought of all.

You skated one last loop before coming to a stop at the rinks entrance. Harry stood on the other side, backpack on his shoulders and baseball cap covering most of his curls. It was a vision you were more than familiar with, you even knew the slightly concerned furrow of his brow.

"Everything okay? You weren't at the library."

"I—I just needed to skate," was all you managed to say, your breaths still coming out unevenly.

"Oh. Can I join you?" he asked, already shrugging out of his backpack.

"Just like that?" you asked him, blowing a stray strand of hair out of your face.

"Just like that."

Leaning across the barricade Harry kissed your forehead. There was a small smile on his face as he pulled away and gingerly pushed that same strand of hair away.

Because that was a thing you and Harry did now. You'd finally admitted to yourself what Harry had known all along, so now he was your boyfriend. It had taken a moment to wrap your head around it, though your dynamic with Harry didn't change all that much. Not at first, anyway. Until your first date at a bowling alley, then the second at a sushi place in town, then you began opening up about your home life, your family, sharing things with him that you never had before. Now you got extremely jealous when girls came up to him and tried to flirt, and Harry, who wasn't afraid to admit he'd always been jealous when he saw you flirt with other guys, wasn't afraid to scare those same guys off.

You and Harry were finally dating, and it was...good. more than good. It was—

"It was the date, wasn't it? Was it too much?" he asked later as skated beside you, having finally gotten his skates from his locker. Harry's skates were clunkier than yours, meant for speed and agility so he could race down pucks and out skate his opponents, while yours is slim and geared toward performing tricks. You watched them as they glided across the ice as you figured out what to say.

The date Harry referred to wasn't meant to be anything special, not any more special than the others were. But then Harry did what Harry did best and went above and beyond.

He somehow scored tickets to the ballet and surprised you with them and a candlelit dinner before the performance. It was perfect, all of it incredibly perfect. Harry in his suit and tie, different than his game-day suit, you in the fanciest dress you owned—pale yellow and off-the-shoulder, the bodice shaped like a bow.

It was a night filled with hand holding and kisses to your bare shoulder as you observed the performance. The seats Harry got were far from the stage, but you didn't care. You were enthralled by the dancers and the night your boyfriend planned for you, and Harry was just enthralled by you. You felt his stare all night, the same one he'd had since the first time you met, only now you knew what it meant.

Then at the end of the night, he walked you to your door, kissed you, and let you go inside. When you asked why he wasn't following, all he said was, "You have a competition tomorrow. I know you like to be alone so you can mentally prepare."

And that was that. He left, and you went inside and replayed the night in your head over and over and over again. You saw him the next morning at your competition, but you were too focused, all your feelings carefully compartmentalized so you could perform your absolute best. But the second you got off the ice, you thought of him, and only him, and all the ways he made you feel entirely too much and how you couldn't see yourself with anyone else.

It was too much, too many giant feelings to make sense of all at once. So you took some time to yourself the next couple days, and instead of meeting Harry at the library to study like you'd planned a week ago and headed for the skating rink instead.

"The date was perfect," you said now, your eyes trained on the ice beneath your skates. "It wasn't—It wasn't the date."

"So...you blew off studying with me because you...what? You just felt like it?" Harry asked, his voice carrying the slightest edge to it. Your boyfriend was incredibly patient despite your apparent aversion to dealing with your growing emotions. But he was still human, and honestly, you were a little annoyed with yourself too.

"No, I—"

"Then what's going on, Y/n? I know things haven't been easy, but if I'm coming on too strong and we need to slow down, then—"

"I don't want to slow down."

"Okay, then what—"

"I love you!" you said, coming to a stop in front of him. The words just tumbled out of your mouth, and now they wouldn't stop, like a dam had broken inside you. "I've come to the realization that I'm in love with you. A lot, and—and I'm overwhelmed by it and a little annoyed that you've managed to make me feel so much more than I ever planned to, so... that's why I didn't show up. I'm sorry, I just—I love you, I guess, and I didn't know how to tell you. But I also couldn't sit next to you and not say it either."

Harry said nothing for a couple seconds, looking down at his skates, then you, then back down again. Then he began to laugh.

You gaped at him. "Hey—You're laughing at me? I know it wasn't as romantic as you would've made it but, but I love you, you stupid fucking jerk!"

That only made him laugh more, which made you spin on your skates and glide away from him. He called after you, but you kept going, except he was a faster skater than you were and caught up to you before you wanted him to. Harry grabbed you by the waist and spun you around so faced him. He was smiling wide, his nose bright red from the chill of the rink.

"I'm laughing because you got to say it first," he said. "I'm laughing because I have been waiting for the right time to tell you, walking on eggshells for almost two years now, and you just—you beat me to it. That's all."

You blinked. Then laughed a little yourself. "So it was a competition? I won?"

"Yeah," Harry scoffed. "You won. Now stop stress skating and come with me to the library, you neurotic freak."

"Competitive ass."

"I love you," Harry said, using the smile he usually reserved for getting out of trouble or getting what he wanted. It was a smile you pretended you could resist, perhaps more for your sake than his, but now you didn't even try.

You rolled your eyes before kissing him, not confused or scared of the butterflies that erupted in your stomach as a result. " I love you too."

[gorgonwrites]

neuvillette headcanons

NSFW below the cut! minors DNI. 18+

author's note: ME AND BESTIE BACK AT IT AGAIN! oh gods, this beautiful dragon man. he deserves everything and then even more. my best friend and i are probably going to do more headcanons for more genshin characters, so expect those from me soon. enjoy! <3

So shy and timid when it comes to showing affection for another person. He’s always learning, but love is a foreign feeling to him. 

We already know it, but the man is the most respectful damn gentleman you’d ever find. Always opens doors for his partner, has his hand on the small of their back to guide them, and he offers his arm when out walking. He speaks gently, and is an excellent listener.

Has a serious shrimp allergy. He doesn’t feel like he’s missing much, though.

He hates being the center of attention, and it can even cause some mild anxiety if he’s caught off guard. Sure, he’s the Iudex and Sovereign of Fontaine, but if he’s not in the courtroom don’t expect him to draw attention to himself. 

Always sneezes in threes–  no more, no less. He has a dedicated handkerchief he carries with him everywhere to cover his mouth, and is always as quiet as possible as to not draw attention to it. If he’s in court and it happens, the entire audience blesses him. He used to ignore it, but he’s grown quite fond of the gesture and takes it as a small human act of kindness. As a result, if he’s ever in earshot when someone else sneezes he’s the first one to give them a blessing. He never skips over an opportunity to sow the seeds of kindness wherever he goes.

He’s learning how to cook. Not horrible at it, but he loves the idea of food inspiring community. He dreams of gathering the people he cares about most and cooking them all a yummy meal one day.

Can sing! And has such a pretty voice. He also has an affinity for most musical instruments he picks up. He’s quite used to the melusines asking him to sing them to sleep. 

Hardly ever gets sick (he does get stress fevers quite easily), but is used to caring for himself if he needs to. The first time he lets his partner care for him when he’s ill, he almost chokes on the vulnerability that starts to creep out of his bones.

Loves his hair being brushed or played with. This is another instance where he begins to feel vulnerable– he tries to avoid the feeling the best he can, but as he grows comfortable with his partner, he allows the feeling to make a permanent home in his chest. 

He loves being held. Even as big as he is, nothing stops him from curling up into his partner's arms to let his work fade away from his whirling thoughts. He has to grow accustomed to the closeness at first, but soon he can’t end a single day without at least having a few quiet moments in his partner’s embrace.

Receiving love, Neuvillette needs physical touch, quality time, and acts of service. He gives words of affirmation and acts of service to show his love. 

nsfw below <3

Has a beautiful blue marking between his belly button and his cocks that depicts his sovereign symbol.  

Neuvi’s ears, neck, and horns are extremely sensitive. Don’t mess with them unless you’re ready to have your brains fucked out. 

Has a praise kink (giving and receiving). Any kind of encouragement goes straight to his dicks. 

On that note- he absolutely has more than one cock. He’s usually so gentle, but if he’s worked into a frenzy he might just try to shove both cocks in at once. 

Has a rut cycle. When he’s not in his rut, he’s an incredibly soft lover. When he IS in his rut, don’t expect to be able to walk anywhere for a few days once his rut is over. 

Has a mild breeding kink. Sometimes he can’t help but think about his partner big and round with his child and it quite literally fries his brain a bit when he thinks too much about it. 

Aftercare once his rut is over is GOD TIER. Hot bubble baths, hair washing, massages, snacks, cuddles. The WORKS. He takes his time soothing his partners after completely wrecking them. 

ASS MAN!!! 

Has a serious overstim kink, both giving and receiving. One orgasm is simply just never enough (or two, or three, or four…). 

Is almost always dominant in his sexual encounters. He can be rough, yes, but he’s never mean. Think pleasure dom or service top. 

Has a body worship kink. He thinks humans are beautiful creatures and always wants to explore every inch of his partners when he can. 

Loves going down on his partner– probably his favorite thing ever after discovering it. 

TANTRIC SEX

Has a tail that occasionally makes an appearance if he gets too worked up. He WILL use it to fuck his partner silly. 

BITING. He loves leaving bites anywhere he can, even if no one else can see them. 

Will only take one life partner, though he may play with other people if allowed. Once he’s formed the bond with his life partner, they won’t ever be replaced. 

Will only allow his life partner to dom him. If he’s ever topped or dommed, it's a deliberate act of giving away his power to someone he trusts completely. These are some of the rarest moments where he willingly lets his worries and vulnerability spill out, and those moments are reserved for one person only. 

in conclusion, he is quite literally the best man ever.

[skykidsam]

Some shots of yesterday's new Season of Duets quest

I wish I had thought to take pictures from beginning to end but this will have to do. I'm so excited to see all the crossover spirits, especially the Abyss crew!

Honestly, as sad as this quest was, my brain was too busy chewing away at potential lore implications for me to even really feel it. PLEASE feel free to add all your own thoughts and theories!

What I've observed so far:

The Season of Duets ancestors grew up together, enjoying music and learning to play their respective instruments alongside one another. (Not pictured is the earlier portion of the quest when they're young and listening to a shell music player and first starting to play their instruments.)

They put on performances for other ancestors, seemingly like street performances. Bumbling Boatswain and Cackling Cannoneer watch from the side. Anxious Angler drops a darkstone in a large jar. Darkstones seem to be accepted as a form of currency.

The Duets ancestors board a boat with Ceasing Commodore, who takes them to Aviary, where they meet Hopeful Steward.

With the help of Helpful Steward and Rhythm Guide, they build the Concert Hall. Many ancestors came to watch, including Pointing Candlemaker, Confident Sightseer, Enchantment Guide, Bumbling Boatswain, Rhythm Guide, and Hopeful Steward (and that one in the middle that I can't seem to remember/find the name of - if someone knows their name, I'll edit the list to include them).

During a performance, Eden erupts and a red shard crashes onto the stage. (Assuming it's red by the arrival of the crabs.) The shard destroys their instruments and sends everyone fleeing for their safety.

[aifanfictions]

write a story about (y/n) being the captive of the Pillar Men and while she is there, at their hide out, she started getting closer to Wamuu. One evening, Wamuu brings (y/n) an mp3 and she shows him what its used for and how to use it and then she plays some classical music and teaches Wamuu how to dance

Dancing Hearts

Deep within the heart of their hidden sanctuary, (Y/N) found herself captive of the Pillar Men—ancient, powerful beings whose presence was as intimidating as it was mesmerizing. Initially, the situation had been dire, with the Pillar Men's intentions veiled in mystery. But as the days passed, something unexpected happened—(Y/N) began to forge an unlikely connection with one of them, Wamuu.

Wamuu, one of the Pillar Men, was as fierce as he was noble. His strength was unmatched, but there was a depth to his character that (Y/N) couldn't ignore. The more they interacted, the more they realized they shared a mutual respect for each other's qualities, and an unspoken bond of friendship began to form.

One evening, as the crimson hues of the setting sun bathed their hideout in a warm, golden light, Wamuu approached (Y/N) with an item he had found during one of their skirmishes—a small, rectangular device with buttons and a screen.

"(Y/N)," Wamuu rumbled, his voice a mixture of curiosity and confusion, "I have found this artifact. It seems to be called an 'mp3.' What purpose does it serve?"

(Y/N) examined the device and smiled warmly. "Wamuu, this is an mp3 player. It's used to listen to music. Here, let me show you how it works."

With a gentle touch, (Y/N) activated the device and navigated its functions, selecting a classical piece that she had stored on it. The music began to play, filling the air with a harmonious melody.

Wamuu watched in fascination as the sounds enveloped them. The classical piece, with its intricate orchestration, seemed to resonate with his soul, awakening a profound curiosity about the world of music.

"(Y/N), what is this wonderful sound?" he inquired, his eyes fixed on the device.

"This is classical music," (Y/N) explained. "It's a genre that's been cherished by humans for centuries. The combination of different instruments creates beautiful and complex harmonies."

As the music flowed around them, (Y/N) couldn't help but feel the transformative power of music. She glanced at Wamuu, who appeared captivated by the music's nuances.

"Would you like to learn how to dance to classical music, Wamuu?" (Y/N) suggested, her tone gentle and inviting.

Wamuu hesitated for a moment, his imposing stature giving way to a sense of vulnerability. "I have never danced before," he admitted.

(Y/N) smiled reassuringly. "It's never too late to learn, and dancing can be a beautiful way to express yourself. Let me show you."

With grace and poise, (Y/N) extended her hand to Wamuu, who took it with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. She guided him through the basic steps of a waltz, teaching him how to move in time with the music.

As they danced to the elegant rhythm of the classical piece, Wamuu's apprehension melted away. His movements became more fluid, and he began to embrace the dance with a newfound sense of joy and freedom.

Their dance continued, a dance of two unlikely companions brought together by the beauty of music. The sun had set, and the chamber was illuminated by the soft glow of the mp3 player's screen and the delicate harmony of their movements.

The world outside may have been filled with danger and uncertainty, but within that moment, the music and the dance brought a sense of peace and connection to (Y/N) and Wamuu. Their bond had deepened in ways that neither of them could have foreseen, transcending the boundaries of captivity and forging a friendship that defied the odds.

As the final notes of the classical piece played, (Y/N) and Wamuu shared a contented smile. In the heart of their hidden sanctuary, amidst the whispers of ancient legends and the looming presence of the Pillar Men, an unlikely friendship had blossomed. It was a melody of understanding, a dance of the soul, and a testament to the transformative power of music and connection.

Days turned into weeks, and the connection between (Y/N) and Wamuu continued to grow. They spent their evenings exploring the world of music, delving into the rich history of classical compositions. Each piece became an opportunity for them to connect on a deeper level, sharing their thoughts and emotions as they listened.

The hideout, once a place of captivity, had transformed into a haven where the two could be themselves. Wamuu, who had once been an imposing warrior, revealed a gentle and contemplative side. He spoke of the intricacies of battle, the value of honor, and the ancient history of the Pillar Men. (Y/N), in turn, shared stories of the human world, from art and literature to the simple pleasures of everyday life.

One evening, as they sat in a softly lit chamber, (Y/N) played a particularly moving piece—a symphony that stirred the depths of the soul. Wamuu listened with rapt attention, his eyes reflecting the emotions that swelled within him.

"(Y/N)," Wamuu said in a hushed voice, "this music is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It stirs something within me, something I cannot fully comprehend."

(Y/N) smiled. "Music has a way of reaching deep into our hearts and evoking emotions we may not even be aware of. It's a universal language that transcends boundaries."

Wamuu nodded, his gaze fixed on the mp3 player's screen. "I never imagined that I would find such beauty and solace in music. It has opened a new world to me."

As the days went by, their evenings of music and dance continued, each moment bringing them closer. Wamuu learned to appreciate the subtle nuances of classical compositions and even began to express his own thoughts about the melodies. (Y/N) was impressed by his keen observations and his growing passion for music.

One evening, (Y/N) introduced Wamuu to a different form of dance—a traditional human dance that expressed joy and celebration. Wamuu, who had mastered the art of battle, found himself challenged in a different way. With patience and determination, he learned the intricate steps and the rhythm of the dance.

They practiced together, laughing at their mistakes and sharing in the joy of their progress. The once-formidable warrior and the captive human had become dance partners, their connection transcending captivity.

As the weeks turned into months, something beautiful and unexpected had taken root in the hearts of (Y/N) and Wamuu. Their friendship had evolved into a profound bond, a connection that defied the boundaries of their circumstances. In one another, they had found solace, understanding, and a shared love for the world of music and dance.

One evening, as they danced to a lively tune, their steps perfectly synchronized, Wamuu spoke softly. "I never thought I would find a friend in this world, (Y/N). You have shown me the beauty of music and dance, but more importantly, you have shown me the beauty of the human heart."

(Y/N) smiled warmly, her heart filled with gratitude. "Wamuu, you have shown me that even in the most unexpected of places, true friendship can bloom. You are not the creature I once feared, but a kind and honorable soul."

Their dance continued, a testament to the transformative power of music, friendship, and the resilience of the human spirit. In the heart of their sanctuary, they had discovered a unique connection that transcended their differences and brought light into the darkest of places.

As they danced on, their laughter and the melodies of the mp3 player filled the chamber, a reminder that even in captivity, the human spirit could find moments of joy and connection. It was a melody of unlikely friendship, a dance of two souls who had defied the odds and found solace in each other's company.

And in the heart of their sanctuary, amidst the ancient legends and the presence of the Pillar Men, the bond between (Y/N) and Wamuu continued to flourish, proving that even in the most unlikely of circumstances, friendship and the power of music could transcend all.

NOTE! This story was generated by OpenAI

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

Things Hriob is No Longer Allowed to Do, Revised Edition - Part Quarte

#121 I am a Master of Conceptual and Elemental Magics, especially the Natural elements such as Wind, Lightning, Earth, Wood, and Water. However, no matter how ‘natural’ their existence may be, I cannot cast ‘Bear’ and it is not an element, and no amount of arguing, evidence, or demonstrations will change this.

#122 When courting certain individuals I will remember the following; “Using Protection” means the proper use of contraceptives or barriers during coitus, NOT using wards or other magical means of surviving close proximity to individuals whose mere existence provides a serious hazard to my health.

#123 Just because it is one of the few things that CAN still affect me given my supernatural constitution, and just because she is my friend, does not mean I am allowed to occasionally use Shylow-Venom as anti-anxiety medication a recreational drug for ANY reason on my own person or anyone else’s.

#124 When engaging in Small Talk with Lord Alexander, I am to respect the presence and personal safety of his Steward, Sir Cromwell, by politely avoiding use of the following terms and turns-of-phrase: ‘Splitting Hares’, ‘Hot Crossed Buns’, ‘Hare-Rasing’, ‘Hare Removal’, ‘Careful Hop-Timism’, ‘Bad Hare Day’, ‘Hoppily Ever After’, ‘I’m all Ears’, ‘Hare Conditioning’, and any other hilarious bad puns revolving around Lagomorphs in general. Upon further review, Bonnie Kalsang is to be given the extended benefits of this ruling.

#125 I shall remember that ‘Tuning’ is for Musical Instruments, ‘Attenuation’ is for Spiritual and Mystical aspects and machinations, and ‘Vibe Checks’ are for violently percussive maintenance on other people. Just because they SOUND like they’re the same thing doesn’t mean they ARE the same thing.

#126 If I am ever to host a ‘Movie Night’ with my friends/associates/subordinates/rivals/sworn enemies, I will avoid playing the following films for various reasons: Kill Bill, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Shrek 3, Saving Private Ryan, and any historical fiction "i may have been present for when it happened".

#127 I am forever forbidden from doing anything if I am preceding the action(s) in question with any variation of the phrase ‘Hey ___, Watch This!’

#128 I am forever forbidden from officiating Weddings Funerals Birthday Celebrations Coming-Of-Age-Ceremonies Duels Archery Contests Eating Contests Battle Royales Anything.

#129 I am a self-reincarnating Avatar of Life. I, at best, have an understanding with, and at worst, trying relationships with Entities that deeply connect to or convey Death as a Concept. This means that I need to maintain my moral superiority as best I can, which in turn means I should avoid conflict with them… and therefore not try to prank or annoy them.

#130 I am not the Patron Saint of Oktoberfest, no matter how much I wish to be.

#131 I am not allowed to visit Australia, nor am I to confuse it for Austria, be it to mess with other people or try and get around this ruling.

#132 I am forever barred from entering an IKEA store, and am forbidden from chanting backwards in Swedish in any language to assemble disassemble reconfigure rearrange manipulate IKEA-brand any furniture in any way.

#133 I am forever barred from teaching any variety of ‘Shop Class’.

#134 I am forever barred from leading field trips guided tours any sort of group of people for any reason through the following locations: Zoos, Museums, Government Buildings, Anarchist Buildings, Aquariums, Shopping Malls, Alternate Timelines, Alien Planets, Pocket Dimensions, Dimensional Nexus Points, Nuclear Reactors, Industrial Plants, and anything owned by a ‘rival’, ‘nemesis’, ‘adversary’, or any other hostile group or individual.

#135 I am not allowed to appropriate terminology research papers documents artifacts entities employees architecture ANYTHING from the SCP Foundation without due credit at all.

#136 Just because I am now able to transform into certain animals at will, does not mean I get to abuse the ability. This extends to bans against the following: eating my own paperwork and blaming ‘the dog’ on it, attempting to use ‘puppy-dog-eyes’ as a form of negotiation, massively decreasing the local wildlife population single-handedly, and leaving dog hair/fur in unpleasant locations as a petty form of revenge.

#137 I am forevermore banned from playing around with wax, especially heated. This is for my own safety and well-being more than any other reason.

#138 I am not allowed to start my own cult, religion, club, non-profit-organization, or any other form of organized group for any reason, least of all because I need an excuse to change any sort of government-issued id photo.

#139 I am an accomplished Arbormancer, capable of taking living trees of all kinds and fashioning them harmlessly into furnishings or tools, especially magical staves. I am Not, however, allowed to threaten sentient tree-based creatures such as demons, ents, and the like with transformation into such items, nor demonstrate my ability to do so.

#140 Just because some previously-incorporeal people enjoyed my gift of customized living human bodies for them to possess and inhabit, does not mean that Everyone will appreciate such a gift to the same degree. I am not to begin creating such vessels for those I know unless they specifically ask me to, no matter how convenient or helpful I think I am being.

#141 I am forevermore barred from following the ‘advice’ of the maxim ‘Tis better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission’, given that I have by now empirically proven it wrong.

#142 Just because I am a powerful and talented Oathkeeper for pacts and magical deals of all kinds, does not mean I can try and negotiate with children, especially those I am supposed to be babysitting.

#143 No matter how powerful and talented I am with Wood-based, Wind-based, and Ink-based magic, I am not allowed to make magically empowered paper planes and throw them into windstorms of any kind or origin. Not even if the kids ask nicely.

#144 I understand that, given my pact with the Worldspirit Gaia, I am often pulled to act as an emergency agent of their will to stop catastrophic incidents. I understand that, more often than not, those times when a single person is behind the danger, it is someone of necromantic alignment, skills, powers, or so on. Despite this, I am not to complain to them as I try to stop and/or slay them that they remind me of my ex-fiance, no matter how close, depressing, or infuriating the resemblance may be.

#145 I am forever banned from turning any portion of the Halls of the Mountain King into a Ball Pit of any size or depth.

#146 In regards to entry #53, given that I now do offer deals and pacts fairly regularly all things considered, I will remember to try and at least fall mostly in line with the Better Business Bureau’s ethical standards with said dealings.

#147 Given that prior rulings (#42 in particular) have failed, and I am happily sadly considered, among other things, The Wonderful Wizard of Gauze, I shall instead remind myself that flinging bandage wraps at people is not an effective attack. And that, strong as they may be, they cannot support my weight even in bulk - therefore I am forbidden from trying to swing off or around tall buildings with them as my ‘webs’. I am not ‘Spider-man’, and never will be - no matter what I attempt in order to change that.

#148 As an addition to the above ruling, I am to remember that, even if being able to wrap-and-pull items in the heat of battle is a neat and useful utility to have over my adversaries, using the same skill with my ‘bandage shooting’ to grab things around the Halls in a casual setting is frowned upon, even especially if people offer to be ‘test subjects’, ‘training dummies’, or any other kind of volunteer to be ‘shot’ thusly.

#149 Given item #72, I am to extend the same ‘general line of thought’ towards attempting to ‘forcibly evolve things with magic’, or any other medium to attempt the same end result. Spoiler alert: they always turn into crabs. Every. Single. Time. No more crabs.

#150 Just in case, I am forever banned from setting foot within 5 miles of Las Vegas, Nevada. No, not even if the magical forces behind it try to invite me.

[paulinawoodpecker]

The hugh family

Featuring kohl hugh, Nagham hugh, and kanji Hugh

Nagham:

Age: 17

(Religious headwear; hijab)

Likes: kohl, kanji, music, art, Ramona

Dislikes: getting her feelings hurt, her mother, other people (especially Tiffany) judging her

Personality: creative, artistic, honest

Kanji:

Age: 21

(Just started college)

Likes: Nagham, kohl, his colleagues, diplomas

Dislikes: failed tests, anxiety, losing Nagham, the loss of his mother

Personality: serious, sensitive, smart, genius

Kohl:

Age: 52

Likes: future wife, Nagham, kanji, being a software developer

Dislike: loss of his wife, losing Nagham and/or kanji, kanji not shaving

Personality: helpful, intelligent, responsible

Backstory:

(How it all started)

How Nagham’s Mother Met Kohl:

Nagham’s parents, Kohl and his late wife, met at a community event hosted at a local library, where Kohl was giving a talk about technology’s impact on education. Nagham’s mother, a teacher with a passion for learning and community involvement, was instantly drawn to Kohl’s intelligence and warmth. They struck up a conversation after the talk, bonding over their shared love of learning and a vision for helping others.

Their first date was a delightful evening at a quaint café that featured live music. They spent hours talking about their dreams, aspirations, and the values that guided their lives. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and they quickly realized that they had found something special in each other. From that day forward, their relationship blossomed into a deep and abiding love.

Engagement and Wedding:

Kohl proposed to his future wife during a quiet picnic in their favorite park, under the shade of an old oak tree that had become a symbol of their relationship. He chose this intimate setting because it was where they often spent time together, away from the hustle and bustle of their busy lives, sharing thoughts and dreams. She was touched by the simplicity and sincerity of the proposal, and she eagerly accepted.

Their wedding was a small, heartfelt ceremony surrounded by close family and friends. It was a day filled with love, laughter, and meaningful moments that reflected their shared values and deep connection. The couple exchanged personal vows that celebrated their journey and the future they looked forward to building together. Their marriage was built on mutual respect, love, and a commitment to supporting each other through life’s ups and downs.

Parenthood and Raising Kanji and Nagham:

The couple welcomed their first child, Kanji, with immense joy and excitement. As new parents, they embraced the challenges and delights of raising their son, who quickly became the center of their world. They nurtured Kanji’s curiosity and intellect, providing him with a loving home and the tools to explore his interests.

When Nagham was born, tragedy struck as her mother passed away during childbirth. The loss was a profound and devastating blow to the family, leaving Kohl to raise his children on his own. Despite the heartbreak, Kohl dedicated himself to being both a father and a guardian of his wife’s memory, ensuring that her love and values were ever-present in their household.

Kohl worked hard to create a nurturing environment for Nagham and Kanji, teaching them about their mother through stories, pictures, and the values she held dear. He encouraged Nagham’s passion for music, seeing it as a way for her to connect with the mother she never knew. Meanwhile, Kanji stepped up as a protective older brother, always looking out for Nagham and helping their father when needed.

Present Day:

Today, Nagham is a vibrant young girl with a deep passion for music. She finds solace and joy in singing and playing instruments, often dedicating her performances to the memory of her mother. Kanji, now in college, is focused on his studies but remains a devoted brother, always finding time to support Nagham and assist his father.

Kohl continues to be the backbone of the family, balancing his career with his responsibilities at home. He is proud of how far his children have come and is committed to supporting their dreams, honoring his late wife’s legacy through his dedication to his family.

Together, the Hugh family navigates life’s challenges with love, resilience, and a strong sense of unity. They cherish the memories of the past while looking forward to the future, knowing that they have each other to lean on every step of the way.

[simlit]

Okay. Character Solidifying ask game. For Peia, numbers 6, 19, 22, 25, 42 and 43.

6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child?

Affection. Peia's shyness stems more from his being, almost literally "a fish out of water", not from some past trauma. He would have grown up with many "siblings" and been very comfortable when he was home. Moving from the spirit world to the mortal realm was the trigger for a lot of his struggles, as he never really gets over that feeling of vulnerability.

19. What were your character’s deepest disillusions? In life? What are they now?

He would have seen humans as very terrible, destructive creatures, but after having spent time amongst them, he sees there are many who are not this way, and that there is just as much beauty in their world as his own.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

The most important person in his life to date is Xiaoming, who acts mostly as his mentor. He sees him very much as a guide, a big brother who shields him and keeps him safe. He enjoys Irellian's companionship as they share an elemental nature, so he feels, to a certain extent, that they are kin. Peia has never had any kind of romantic experiences or attachments before. He's quite youthful in that way, and somewhat naïve. He may not recognize romantic feelings for what they are without having someone help him to better understand them. But I see him as demisexual. He would have to form a very close emotional bond and deep friendship with someone first. Traits he would value highly, or would see as ideal in a partner would certainly be gentleness, and a love of living things. But he also greatly admires strength, both physically and emotionally. Self-assured people and very intelligent people would be just as fascinating to him, and he is most suited to a person who can fill that role of protector and/or caretaker. Not part of the question but additional headcanon, Peia's love language would also be acts of service, in a very domestic/maternal way. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of their partner, being very attentive to their physical needs, health and mental wellbeing. Simple shows of affection such as waiting at the door when they arrive home, treating their belongings tenderly, and being very diligent/obedient as a way of gaining affirmation, but also to show that he respects them. So, I should say also someone who is not afraid to give compliments as they would go very far with Peia. He really needs to hear that he is a good boi lmao.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

As previously mentioned, he liked to play instruments, he'd love music in general, also gardening and learning to care for plants as well as their purposes. And of course, his deep love of water. He would thrive near water, and be very sickly too far from it. He loves being outside, at the very least, being close to nature in some capacity. In my canon he upkeeps a water temple, maintaining the shrine makes him happy and makes him feel closer to the spirits.

42. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

I wouldn't say he has something he deeply wants to obtain. Rather, I think his greatest wish is simply to live in peace. He desperately craves safety and security, and since he is naturally a very skittish person, he can be made anxious easily. it can be quite damaging to his spirit and he can even become ill if stressed. So being able to have a calm environment where he can feel safe and protected is the most important thing for him.

43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?

No, not secrets. Though, it takes times to build up trust with him, once someone has it, he would be open to sharing most anything about himself if they asked.

[otakebi-cam-wao]

My idol debut at Chile's Local Idol Fest [out of idol chara]

Setlist:

"Mikan" - Morning Musume

"Osu! Kobushi Tamashii" - Kobushi Factory

"Omatsuri Debut Da Ze!" - OCHA NORMA

First: I'm an idol?

Well, this Sunday 08.10.2023 I debuted with my bestie as idols, kaigai/overseas idols to be specific (think bout the japanese idols not korean please, all different), while we just sing covers at the moment I am actually learning composition and studying jpop as a whole to be able in a, hopefully, close future be able to release our own music.

Using this as a basis, we still can say i'm an idol for kaigai standards.

Second: Our group

Our group is called "Asa Star" (if you translate it it would be Morning Star) i came out with the name as a agnostic who loves stuff about angels and devils/demons, and well, "Lucifer Morning Star" was the most beautiful angel and God's right hand until he was banned from heaven and became the devil, the fallen angel. And we do relate a bit to an angel and devil (me devil) and can fit a thematic with it. (This group has a lot of lore and it will be develouped as well)

Our stage names follow the theme with a mix of our own names' meanings.

Me being: Giseishan (as using a lot of translators Gisei means sacrifice, and Giseisha means sacrificer, the n at the end it's for cutesy; and my name's meaning is "the one who makes sacrifices")

My bestie being: Jun-chan (one of the many kanjis that you can read as Jun means purity, and my friend's names means "the pure and beautiful one")

It's totally fiting to the theme right?

Originally tho, we formed in september 2019, and debuted at an online event in december 2021.

Third: The effort

You can guess it wasn't easy at all, we had a bad luck strike for a while, which i won't really talk bout.

But the moment we saw this oportunity, I, as the one who actually works editing anything sound related, started to create setlist options, i'd lie if i say we didn't have close friends' help tho.

I also recorded harmonies and background vocals for this instrumental and it wouldn't be so flat, and also have some guides to follow.

Besides that we actually rehearsaled twice together, mostly because we don't dance, friend has a bit of disability that doesn't let her. (yes, you can be an idol even if you have any kind of disabilities, you can look at Kamen Joshi's Igari Tomoka) but mostly to check up our harmonies and we some key movements on stage between our whole improvisation)

Must say as well, that while my bestie did the "manager" stuff of applying to the event, asking a lot of stuff... While i made technical stuff, and i also dessigned our outfits (made by a neighbour tho)

Four: The Debut!

So the big day arrived, the costumes done just the night before but fitting and all. Nervousness and excitement. We went to the event, met friends, did the soundcheck, fixing make up and hair at the dressing rooms. All ready, and we went on stage after the respective groups before us, we had the crowd cheering us, tbh they waited for us for a couple of years, but they were excited, sadly, at the first chorus in our last song the audio was cut, i tried to keep going acapella, till i heard the next group's track... i couldn't, they played it again, it failed... We got on stand by in case we were able to fix it, we were, so like an hour later we were able to finish the performance. And every one cheered us A LOT, i like to think we went back even stronger.

That in a way tho, i'm happy about this, tho i'm very self critical, i got ahead of my lines in the first song twice, i forgot some lines tho i grasped them midway, i bumped on my friend once... We also lacked of a eyecatching performance.

My friend is more self critical (she really didn't like the performance on her side) because her mic got too low (they changed her mic), she sang some parts out of tune (not badly tho, and also not weird with the same japanese idols, we love some that are even tone deaf)...

She got to cry on stage when our last song got cut by technical problems... And got extremely frustrated between and after our performances (still tbh, she went on an undefined hiatus cuz she doesn't want to come back unless she can deliver a better performance)... I still think it was nice as it was basically her first time performing, i did some stuff years ago at school on the other hand.

Anyways it will get better, that's what i think the next time it will be better, we just need to practice more, be critical and try not to be self destructive!

That's all. Those are my thoughts i think

Now some pics tho i feel a bit weird bout sharing them here

[epenvs3000w24]

Unit 07: Nature and Music 

Music is deeply intertwined with nature, and my time spent in Mexico during reading week reminded me of that. From pelicans squawking to waves crashing loudly on the shore or rain hitting the pavement, nature's sounds are diverse. In my opinion, that "atmosphere" created by nature is attributed to its "music." Each environment creates its own unique music, evoking emotions and memories in those who experience it. No one environment produces the exact same music, and one environment's music is never the same each time. Gray et al. (2001) note how nature's unique sounds have sparked curiosity throughout history. For instance, the study of communication among aquatic mammals like dolphins and whales has long been a focus. From the majestic mating songs of blue whales to the distinctive clicks of dolphins, these sounds compose the underwater world's music. Recently, I had the privilege of listening to humpback whale mating songs in Puerto Vallarta. Accompanied by a marine biologist or a nature interpreter, the experience was enlightening. Through his expertise, he skillfully guided the group through the whale-watching tour, engaging people of all backgrounds and instilling a sense of curiosity and respect for nature. By sharing his passion through personal anecdotes, he illustrated the real-world significance of our course content in connecting humans with the natural world.

Like nature interpretation, music affects our minds through emotion (Gray et al., 2001). While initially challenging to pinpoint where nature is in music, the reading by Gray et al. (2001) highlighted its presence. Musicians and composers often draw inspiration from nature's sounds, incorporating them into their compositions to evoke specific moods or atmospheres. In that regard, it's similar to poetry, incorporating certain words like "dark clouds" or "rain" to evoke a feeling of sadness and despair. 

Another factor I had yet to consider, explained by Gray et al. (2001), was that nature's unique sounds mimic those in an orchestra, with each creature and element contributing its own distinctive voice. Just as musicians use different instruments to create harmonious melodies, nature orchestrates its own music. 

Reflecting on personal experiences, certain songs transport us back to nature. As someone who grew up playing different instruments, the melody of music sticks out to be more than lyricism does. Through playing guitar, I have come to appreciate songs that involve plucking each string, each evoking a sense of connection to the natural world. One such song that immediately conjures images of rolling mountains and lush green grass is “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music. The melody resonates with feelings of peace and tranquillity, reminiscent of the landscapes portrayed in the film.

References

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., & Baptista, L. (2001). The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music. Science, 291(5501), 52. https://link-gale-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8

[littleprincessfawn]

I'm single and I'm submissive. We talk a lot about the relationship between a Dom/me and their sub, but we don't discuss as much what we can do when we are submissive and solo. I won't be stagnant just because I'm currently unloved. I will honour and grow and respect my submissive self by improving myself, honing old skills and learning new skills to bring pleasure to my future Dom/me and myself.

Fae's Guide to Submissive Self-Improvement

Conflict Resolution

Active Listening Skills

Massage (you can practice on yourself or a friend)

Skincare, haircare, makeup, styling

Find a form of exercise you actually enjoy

Take good care of your body, treat it with reverence. You are sacred in your physicality and sensuality.

Love yourself, or at the very least work on liking yourself

Self-tie. Rope. B0ndage. !!!

Start a BD/SM journal, write your thoughts & k1nks

Submissive Training Positions e.g. kneeling, standing

Self pleasure. Explore your wildest fantasies. Are any of them ones you would want to act on in reality?

Go to therapy! Do the work. CBT worksheets.

Pleasure tips, but not from p0rn or womens magazines. The best sources are (and have always been) gay men for tips to satisfy men and lesbian women for tips to satisfy women. There are written guides online.

Practice an 'Art', such as, but not limited to: floristry, drawing, painting, poetry, photography, musical instruments, bellydance, growing roses...

Serving skills e.g. serving tea, pouring drinks, carrying plates

Cultivate a submissive wardrobe, be it naughty costumes, gauzy silks, 50's aprons, whatever your style or gender try these outfits on in front of the mirror, feel sensual and submissive, behold what an absolute treasure you are

Make your list of Submissive Self-Improvement as individual as you are. We are all submissive in slightly different ways. Some of us are more into pain, really learn about what your body can take, different types of impact play, wound care. Some of us are more bratty, practice what kind of phrases might light a fire in your Dom/mes heart. Some of us are more service-oriented, some of us are more pleasure/sensuality-focused.

Whoever you are, however your submission naturally expresses itself, explore and grow in that direction. Grow confidence and happiness within yourself. You are worthy, and so very beautiful/handsome in your submissive nature.

Never forget what a treasure you are and polish yourself (I didn't mean for that to sound quite so smutty) (okay maybe I did, so sp4nk me) until your submission shines.

Reblogs and additions to the list (I'm certain I forgot some obvious ones) are very welcome!

[curatoroffiction]

The Curse of Alice: Chapter 1

This is the first chapter of a new series for the Ikemen: Villains series. In it, the reader is gender-neutral and accidentally wanders back in time due to having a curse of their own. (Really, it's more an excuse for me to play around with time-difference shenanigans.) ----- Also Tumblr deleted half my Content Warnings in the tags, so please let me know if I'm missing any -----

Content for this series is likely to include;

Canon-typical violence (For any of my readers who are more familiar with my Twisted Wonderland and Obey Me writings, please note that "Ikemen: Villains" is SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VIOLENT AND DARK than those two combined.)

Canon-typical trauma triggers (Again, this series is so much darker than the other ones I write for, please, please, PLEASE pay attention to the content warnings for this series as I write it. I'll be doing my best to thoroughly tag)

Spicy romance scenes (These will also be thoroughly tagged so my romance-averse/touch-averse readers can avoid them.) I might later have some specific single stories that address AFAB player content in this same AU, but those will be separated from this series (You will not find AFAB-specific content in any chapters from "The Curse of Alice", but if you're seeking that content out, you might check out other stuff I've posted for this fandom)

----- Content warnings for this chapter;

Suicide mention

Suicide/Forced Suicide (It's a background character, but it's still DARK and vivid.)

MURDER

Blood touches the reader

Abduction

----- You aren't fond of tours.

You never feel like they really show you what you want to see on a tour. At least, nothing you couldn't learn from a written tour guide. Those usually have more information in them, anyways. Tours are always focused on showing you exactly what you're meant to see, and your heart calls to see what people don't want you to see. You yearn to see things that people keep secret.

If it weren't for the fact that you'd heard that this mansion had a particularly intriguing piano from the 19th century, cursed by the soul of a man who committed suicide in front of it, you'd have never even come here. A story like that is stoked with tragedy. You heard that the man had a long list of sins that came out after his death, which made you curious about the story, because it made it dark. Did he kill himself because he felt guilty? Did he kill himself because his sins were going to come to light? Did those sins only come to light because of his suicide?

If anything, it would make for a fascinating story study.

You're an aspiring writer who likes to test your mettle against darker plotlines, so you're attracted to learning stories that touch the macabre.

Unfortunately, the mansion only allows guests to go along with a guide. So you're trapped in a night tour. The mansion's corridors are lit up only where the tour guide leads everyone. There's many more corridors darkened by the night's ambiance, giving an eerie sense to the experience.

You bought a tour book, but out of respect to the guide, you aren't reading it. It's stashed away inside your backpack.

Most of the information the guide is giving is about how people used to work in this building, showcasing some of the old art of the time from around when the suicide took place. What intrigues you is that they don't really mention the artists of the architecture that much. They make some over-all claims about the designers and architects, but they can't tell you exactly who designed or crafted the banisters of the stairwells, or the tiles of the floor. You take several pictures of these fixtures, especially some of the more run-down areas.

When the tour reaches the room with the famed piano, you take a video of the instrument as the tour guide talks about the stories of the night that the man killed himself. Some passerbys that night had faintly heard the sound of piano music on the night of the incident. Particularly, a postwoman had a haunting account of the song being played. She couldn't place it, but she remembered it sounding mesmerizing, like it would have drawn her in, had the front door not been locked.

You take diligent notes, writing small comments to yourself about things to research as you do.

The hallways of the mansion are a veritable labyrinth. So when your tour continues, you find your eyes drawn to the hallways you're not allowed to go down. You look down a particularly dark hallway and see a small, white bunny rabbit on the ground, you pause and blink. "...." You look back to your tour guide group, but something calls to you about the rabbit. The tour group is already moving on, but surely.. They won't notice you missing from the group, right?

The white rabbit sees you and darts down a hallway, and you turn to follow it, separating from your group. The hallway it turns into is outside the grasp of the light from the hallway you came from.

It's almost as though there's a threshold here. In your heart, you feel like if you walk past this point, you'll be walking into the night itself. An impenetrable darkness.

Impenetrable by all except that little white rabbit, which you can see at the end of the hall, staring at you.

You feel.. Compelled to follow it.

You were so bored, and this is so interesting and exciting and it feels like you're actually chasing a story. Getting to see something the tour guides won't show you. There was no mention of rabbits. Does someone keep a collection of them here?

It feels like everything you were seeking would be found if you follow this rabbit, which is such a strange and foreign experience that you just.. Follow it.

It's hard not to, when it feels so right.

Corridor after corridor, you find yourself following the rabbit through the halls, until the rabbit disappears entirely. No matter how much you look, you can't find it. You must have scared it. What was a rabbit doing in this place anyways? You have so many questions, none of which are getting answered.

Looking around, you have no idea where you are. There's a room number on a nearby room plaque though, so you decide to try to figure out how to get back to your tour group by checking out the map. By the light of your cellphone, you figure out where you are and begin to head towards the main entrance. You'll get in trouble, but that's fine. You're used to getting in trouble for straying from groups, ever-curious.

As you're walking through a hall that you swore was lit earlier, you begin to wonder if the tour closed down early. You couldn't have been gone from the group for THAT long, could you? What if it's closed down already? You're walking into the darkened main foyer when you hear a hauntingly delicate tone drifting through the halls of the mansion.

The sound of the piano.

Ah, the tour must have ended, and someone was now playing the piano to make sure it was operational. You'll just have to explain yourself to whoever is in there that you got yourself separated from your tour group and apologize.

Phone blasting light, you open the door to the room that the music is coming from, only to get hit with a splash of something warm.

Something dark.

Something red.

You see the body of the man in front of you on the floor first. The last breath escapes the man who has obviously killed himself by stabbing himself in the neck with a knife, in the light of your phone's flashlight. A shiver goes down your spine as you're going to be sick. You're covered in a dead man's blood. Your phone has no signal.

The piano playing stops and you look up, your phone light illuminating 8 figures in the dark.

Is this.. Some kind of sick after-tour live action retelling of the suicide? "... I uh.." Your eyes keep traveling down to the man at your feet. It's so convincing. You're visibly disgusted. "... Sorry, I got separated from my tour group. ..." Your eyes watch the man on the ground. He doesn't look like he's acting. He doesn't look like he's breathing anymore. His body went limp, even with your interruption. Too convincing to be just an act. The wound looks too realistic, too. Blood pooling out from under him in a growing pool that makes you step back. Maybe it's a convincing mannequin? Your mind wants to make sense of this in a way that doesn't focus on reality. .... Whatever it is, your stomach is churning. Those special effects have to be really good, if they're special effects.

"Well, well..! I wasn't expecting a guest." You hear a voice from deeper in the room, which is dark. Too dark for an after-tour play. In the dim lighting illuminating the room, you can see seven figures all standing around in the dark. The man speaking to you, however, is stepping away from the piano, making eight people total. When he sees you in the light, he cocks his head to the side with a soft, excited grin. "Hmmn.. I'm not familiar with you."

"Hrm.. That's a bit troublesome. What should we do with them?" A man with rose-pink hair and a soft, milky-smooth voice asks, looking in your direction. "And what is that light?" He asks, his curiosity piqued at your phone.

"Sorry to spook you, but this is just a rehearsal for a play." A very easy-going man with a cocky grin looks up to you in the dim light.

"..." You look down to the body in front of you. "... It uh.. It looks pretty real. ... What kinds of special effects are you using?"

"It's a secret."

"...." Your face tells them everything, that you're not convinced.

"... Y'know, it really would've been better if you had at least pretended to believe it." His smirk is palpable. Like you just walked into a trap. It drops as he looks to the guy who'd been playing the piano; "What should we do, Will?"

"We should take them with is, of course - To the Palace's Reaper."

There's a click of a tongue and one of the men to the side is visibly scowling as he mutters; "That's why I toldja to lock the damn door!" a particularly gruff man says, audibly scowling.

Another man chuckles. "Well, I didn't think we'd have a tresspasser! You're a naughty little thing, aren't you?" He smiles to you, and you think you can make out a rifle on his back.

They're all so non-chalant as they stand around. The body on the ground has stopped sputtering, and has released its last vestiges of air. You know this isn't fake. They've killed this man and made it look like a suicide. Why? And why here, in this room?

"Why don't you come over here? There's no escape at this point anyway." The gentle tone of a dark-haired man beckons you deeper into the room.

Every part of your spine is tingling with danger. You have to leave. You need to leave. You've followed the rabbit into something horrific and now you're ready to go home.

As though he could sense your growing panic, the man from the piano looks to you with crimson eyes and a smile that's much too warm and inviting; "Come here, pitiful one." The words feel so much heavier than anything else said tonight.

Your legs begin moving on their own. You're visibly startled. What is this?? Why are you moving? You're moving against your will, and you want to run, but you can't. They only stop when you're standing in front of the man.

"Pardon me." He says, tugging you in closer so he can see your face better in the illumination of your phone's light. Your light also shows you his eyes in a way that showcases their vibrancy and deep crimson - Like the blood you can see splattered on your own clothes, it looks too real to be fake. You've seen red contacts before. These don't look like contacts. He reaches up and wipes the blood from your face with his thumb, and he grins. ".. There." releasing you from his touch and his control. "Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. My name is William. William Rex. I'd like to invite you to have dinner with us tonight. What is your name?"

Your knees buckle as you're released from his verbal commands, and you drop tot he ground, barely able to stand. You're visibly dazed. The pink-haired man comes alongside you, looking at the device in your hand, peering over your shoulder. "And what IS that thing?" he motions to your phone.

"...." You slowly look to him, and give him a questioning look. His question is so outrageous it's ripping you out of your mental shock. "... It's a phone..?"

"Doesn't look like anything I've ever seen.." The even-toned, deep-voiced man with the rifle expresses, curiously.

"You'll have to tell us more over dinner." William kneels beside you, holding a hand out to you. He doesn't command you. He's practically asking you to come along, like you didn't just witness something horrific and somehow magically had your body controlled against your will.

When you stare at him in quiet shock, visibly perturbed by the idea of taking his outstretched hand, eyes darting between his eyes and his bloodstained glove, your heart sinks.

You're surrounded, and there's no getting out of this.

William can sense your hesitation, and he he begins to ask questions about you, redirecting your attention to talking about yourself. You're wary and not wanting to comply, but he doesn't force you like he did to make you come into the room. They stand around, patiently waiting for you to get your story out as William calms you down. It's like they have all the time in the world.

At your own pace, you explain your circumstance to the men, and how you got here. As they hear your story, William's eyes can't help but to light up as he watches you. But all of the men appear to be surprised, and intrigued.

"I promise, if you just help me find my way out of here, I didn't see anything-"

"Ooh, it's much too late for that now." William smiles, almost apologetically. "There's someone who will want to meet you."

Despite your protests, you're brought along and taken to their base of operations.

---

You didn't expect the horse-drawn carriage. Or for the block to look so... Different than it did when you came out of the mansion. It's the first clue that you're not where you're meant to be. The city in the distance looks completely different too. This isn't the city you've been exploring all day, this is something older. The buildings look different, both newer and older. There used to be a building with lots of windows out front, but now it's just.. Small shops?

Except that doesn't make sense. One moment, you were taking a tour, then you were following a white rabbit, and now the world is different around you. None of this makes any sense. You wrack your head as you stare out the window of the carriage. Did you bump your head? Have you gone crazy? Are you in a dream?

It's too vivid to be a dream.

Maybe you're crazy. It'd be easier to swallow if you'd gone mad. Maybe they'll let you go if they think you're crazy too.

What's weird is that they didn't take your phone from you. Kidnappers would take your phone, right? You look to it repeatedly, and you've gotten zero bars this entire ordeal. And now you're going further into what looks like the countryside. You're even being allowed to see the entire route to get out here. Why wouldn't captors take your phone? Wouldn't they cover your head to keep you from knowing where they work and how to get back?

One of the men in the carriage is eyeing you as you peruse your phone. It's a touch-screen. "... What a curious device."

You glance up to see a man with dark hair and a weary smile on his face. Like he's tired. Too tired. He smiles warmly to you. There's a blonde man sitting at his side who looks almost picturesque. Like someone hand-crafted his face. You look back to your phone. "...."

The dark-haired man taps the windowsill of the carriage, causing you to look up again, and he motions to the castle coming up in the view. "We've arrived. This could be the place where your life ends, the root of all evil - Or rather, our base." He's still smiling as he says this.

You look up to see the castle and it's astounding how beautiful and dark it looks in this lighting.

You knew you made a mistake following them into the carriage. You were just so thrown off by how the whole street looked different from when you arrived, that your brain went into auto-pilot, and you let these strangers cart you away.

Now you might die here. The word 'Might' is pulling a lot of weight in giving you a sliver of hope in this whole ordeal.

".. Is this real?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It's neither a dream, nor an illusion. It's what you may call the harsh, inescapable reality." His words ring out in your mind. This is not a dream, this is reality. Something tickles at your mind and you harshly find yourself rejecting it.

"This can't be real." Your answer causes him to chuckle, but you can see sadness in his eyes as he does.

"If you want to believe in a sweet dream, who am I to deny it?"

---

As you walk up to the castle, the curious pink-haired man comes up alongside you, asking a million questions about your phone. You show him the device, explaining it to him, confused. It really is like he's never seen one in his life before. When he sees that moving pictures can show up on the screen, and that you can interact with it by touch, he wants to learn everything he can about it.

You're hesitant to hand him your phone, as it's the only contact with the outside world that you might have, wherever you're going - But you do choose to open up a game on your phone to show him what it looks like. He's practically glued to your side as he watches you play, learning about this game. He's overflowing with excitement to get to see something so novel to him.

But you don't understand why he's so enthralled. Everyone here should know that phones exist, shouldn't they?

One look around at the prying eyes stealing glances at your phone tells you that they likely don't. While the pink-haired man is the most curious, the gruff man with black and white hair also keeps stealing looks towards your device.

---

A bright, excited, celebratory man's voice calls out as you and the men enter into what looks like a dining room, and there's the distinct popping sound of a party popper. You blink, confused. Is this how assassins typically celebrate their kills? His eyes rest on you. "Oh..? Who is this?"

"This is ___. They just happened to be at the target's mansion." William explains. "They appear to have technology that's strange and different, and the story they told us was quite interesting."

"Wow! What a.. Fateful coincidence!" The dining room man with dark, long hair looks to you curiously.

"You don't even know the half of it." William chuckles, then looking to you. "___, this is Victor. He serves as Her Majesty's personal aide."

..... What?

You stare in complete shock, not sure what to do. Surely, these guys are just fucking with you at this point, right? Your mind refuses to believe any of this could be real. It has to be some kind of twisted dream mashing up everything you'd interacted with that day. You must have bonked your head without realizing it, and will be waking up any moment in a hospital or something.

This can't be real.

Victor walks you through your experiences with the group, and asks questions about how you came to find them.

When you explain that you were on a tour group for the building and then you followed a rabbit down a hallway and found yourself lost, his expression shifts to earnest surprise as he only has one question; "What color was the rabbit?"

".. White?"

"...." Victor glances to the group, who all appear to have the same thought as there's nods all around. He looks back to you. "Do you have anything from the tour?"

You nod and rifle through your backpack, producing the tour guide - And your notes from the tour. "This was the tour I was on, and those were my notes."

He begins reading through the tour guide, intrigued. The dates and comments in it are intriguing him the most. Accompanied by the quality of the paper and the print on it. He's never seen anything like this, or any machines that can produce this quality of work. When he gets to your notes, however, he's even more impressed. "... And what year would you say this is?"

"----...?" you say the year you came from, visibly confused.

"......." Victor looks to the cocky guy from before who has been staring at your eyes as you speak. He gives Victor a nod. "... Fascinating. Well, ___, I think this might have actually been an incident of fate."

"...?" You look to him questioningly.

Victor reaches into his jacket pocket and produces another party popper, which he'd stashed just in case the first one failed, and he pulls the popper, letting out a loud sound and spraying confetti at you with a bright smile; "You're cursed!"

You stare at him in exhausted silence.

He coughs and straightens up to explain; "You see, we all here are cursed. You're familiar with fairytales, yes?"

"... Yeah?"

"Fairytales, stories, they all hold some tokens of truth to them, I would say. We each are cursed with a fairytale curse, which binds our destinies to a dark and turbulent path. I think you've got the curse of 'Alice'!"

"....." You look even more exhausted than before. Are they going to kill you, or induct you? Is this a cult? Have you been abducted by a death-cult?

"... I see you must have many questions. Please, feel free to ask away."

".. What is this 'Curse of Alice'..?"

"It's a term I just came up with right now!" Victor beams proudly. "I've never heard of someone with a curse like yours. Jumping through time to completely different realms.. Hahh.. That must be such a fascinating experience!"

".. Jumping through time?"

"The year at this time is 1886."

"......" You shake your head. "Nah. I don't believe that. Nope. That's just not true. Look, I know you guys murdered someone tonight, if you could skip the mind games and just kill me, that'd be appreciated."

Victor laughs, shaking his head. "Oh no, no. We can't kill you, we'll need to study you."

"Oh, absolutely not."

You hear a voice behind you, the gentle voice; "Should we kill them then?" You peer back and lock eyes with the gentle expression of Ellis. The dark-haired guy who told you that you couldn't escape and coaxed you deeper into the room where the murder happened. He stares at you in almost.. a vacant kind of way. "I don't think it would make them happy, but if you ask me to, I will." He seems to be addressing Victor as he says this.

"..." You turn your attention back to Victor. "So uh, what kinds of experiments are we talking about here?" wanting to avoid the outcome that points at death.

"We'll need to thoroughly understand your curse, which means we'll have to keep you under surveillance. And you'll have to work with our resident medical professional, Roger."

You follow Victor's motion to meet Roger. Your voice is completely disturbed as you flatly say; "... Nice to meet you, Doc."

"Oh, I'm not a doctor. My license was revoked." He gives you a big smirk.

You immediately look back to Victor; "... Please kill me instead."

"Is that what you truly want?" William asks, eyeing you with interest. Something deep inside him is intrigued by how his curse reacts to yours. He wants to guide you. He wants to know you. He wants to watch you come apart.

"...." You grimace as you realize they're taking your jokes literally. "... No. I'm just frustrated. And I don't want to be experimented on."

"Might be more careful about voicing such false desires." William motions behind you and you turn to see Ellis has gotten right up behind you without you noticing. You visibly startle at how close he is, and the soft-spoken man just smiles warmly to you with his dark purple eyes.

You feel a shudder run down your spine as you feel like your body just narrowly escaped death in this moment. You turn back to William. "... I'll keep that in mind."

Victor takes charge again; "You must have a lot of questions about us. Go ahead and ask away."

"... The thing is, you've read that guidebook now, so even if I asked if this was the murder of 1886, you'd know that you could say 'yes' to cover it up. I don't know if you're on a power trip and you're just messing with my head because you can, or if you're actually telling the truth. It's impossible for me to know." You explain everything. "And honestly, I'm not entirely sure that I'm not just crazy. That'd explain this whole thing so much more. I'm going to wake up in a hospital bed and discover I slipped and fell on those old tiles or something. I just know it."

The cocky man from before smiles as you speak. He likes how little you trust them. It's a good sign that you'll make a good partner in their line of work.

"Patient exhibits delusions of fantasy." Roger is already making notes. You shoot him an annoyed look. He grins to you.

You look back to Victor. "None of this seems real. Can you somehow prove that it's real?"

"You experienced a curse firsthand tonight." Roger motions to William.

The gruff man with the annoyed expression scowls at Roger, admonishing him for spilling 'state secrets'.

William just smiles to you and nods. "Yes, cursed people have special abilities, and you experienced mine earlier tonight. I can command people to do anything I want them to, just with my voice."

You're reminded of when your body moved on its own at his command. That feels real, but you're still not sure. "... Do it to me again."

William raises an eyebrow at you, curious. His lips wear a smile, but he's interested to help you believe that this is reality. So he holds his hands upwards, as though beckoning you into his arms. "Dance with me."

Your body moves on its own once more. You're pulled into his arms, taking up the position as the lead in a dance you've never learned before. You're visibly shocked and surprised. William dances with you around the room, amidst the circle of onlookers, before he releases you from his control.

You can feel that heaviness from before overtake you once again, except this time it's much less intense. You were a willing participant in this command. The more he has to overwrite your will, the more energy it must take to control you. You're still lightheaded though, as you spin out of the dance, visibly dazed. ".... Okay. I'll believe that. If that's the case though, then what's MY power?"

"Well, isn't that the question of the hour." Victor grins to you again. "It seems you can travel through time, though not at your own choice, which is a fascinating problem. Might be quite the handful keeping an eye on you. Just don't go following any white rabbits while you're here, alright?"

"Where IS here?"

"This is the headquarters of Crown, the root of all evil in England. Where we fight evil with evil. The cursed carve a path for goodness to survive in this world, and we learn more about the curses as we do." Victor begins to explain to you about Crown's operational code.

".. Evil?" Your tone is audibly skeptical.

Liam, the pink-haired man, speaks up now; "Yes, cursed people are doomed to commit evil and meet a tragic end." He smiles warmly to you. Much too warmly for the subject matter. "For example, when someone has the Cat's Curse, they can't suppress their curiosity. Ever heard of 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"But satisfaction brought him back - Yeah, I'm familiar."

Liam is pleased that you're familiar, but his eyes get a little sad as he looks to the side; "Well.. Satisfaction doesn't always bring the cat back. I have the Cat's Curse at this time. According to the records, the person who received the Cat's Curse before me dabbled in all sorts of horrific things. Arson, robbery, self-mutilation, adultery.. All to satisfy his own curiosity. He was tortured and had his limbs torn off, but still, he laughed through the tears and screams escaping him to laugh "This is a great new first for me!" before throwing himself into a bath of sulfuric acid."

You shudder at his story. It would make a great scary story to tell around a campfire.

Roger speaks up now, looking to you in the eyes. "If you truly do have a curse, which I think you do, then the safest place for you will be right here, with experts who know how to deal with such things, who can understand if you begin to do evil things."

"... I haven't had any evil impulses."

"Really?" Alfons, the man with the tired eyes, smirks to you. "Trespassing.. Leaving your tour group behind to follow a little rabbit into places you knew were off-limits.. The need to tell people when you think they're wrong even if it makes things worse.. Following a group of strangers into a vehicle to an undisclosed location.. Do you think these are the actions of someone who wants to be a law-abiding citizen?"

"......." The curse definitely would explain a lot of your behavior today. Though you've always followed things that catch your eye. "... If that's true though, then why now? Why did this happen now, instead of when I was a kid?"

"It's possible that it did happen to you when you were young, and you just didn't know." Victor explains, looking to you empathetically. It's not every day that someone finds out they're cursed and doomed to tragedy.

"..." Your nose scrunches up as you think through your memories. You did wander a lot as a kid. You still wander a lot. It would definitely explain some things. "... Don't like that."

"Not many people do. I'm sorry we had to be the ones to tell you."

"So what's this about fighting evil with evil?"

"You saw that in action tonight as well. We killed that man."

You think back on how the man died. It looked like a suicide. Your eyes meet William's, and he just gives you a warm, knowing smile and a soft nod. You shudder. ".... Why?"

They explain how the man was a key figure in some horrific underground organizations. The list of his 'sins' as dictated in your notes wasn't even half of the things he actually was 'sentenced' for, and the list was already pretty bad.

They go on to explain that cursed people are often regarded as dangerous and evil, but England is, at this time, the only place which has organized and nationally recognized them and their potential. That 'Crown' is an organization of cursed individuals, and everyone in this room is cursed. They go into the hearts of the most evil places in this country where police and military cannot touch, to wreak havoc and disrupt evil.

Victor explains that, because the nature of cursed people is to commit evil acts, this organization is meant to allow them to do that without fear of punishment, so long as their evils benefit the country.

And now, as a cursed individual who has seen this organization and knows what it's capable of, they have to make a decision about how to deal with you.

"We'll need to study you, that's certain.. But hmm.." Victor wonders out loud. His mind returns to your notes. They were very well taken. "... Do you like writing, perchance?"

".... Yeah."

"Then I think I have a solution~! While you're stuck in this time period, you shall be our fairytale keeper!" He's very pleased with himself. "You had wonderful prose and writing in your notes from what I saw, so I have every belief that you can write something worthy of using as our reports to Her Majesty. You'll write all the evil deeds committed by the people here, including yourself, and write them as fairytales. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a fake job."

"I just designed it right now, isn't that exciting?" Victor's eyes dance with excitement.

- "It feels like you're just trying to avoid doing more paperwork.." The cocky man gives Victor a sideways glance.

His insinuation isn't stopping Victor's excitement train. "Well, what do you say, ___?"

".. If I say no, are you gonna keep me against my will anyway?"

"Naturally. You know too much and will still need constant supervision."

"And will saying 'yes' and doing this job for you at least give me some kind of freedom in this arrangement, and a chance to earn your trust that I won't go spilling your secrets?"

"Of course."

"Then I guess I'm on-board."

Victor claps his hands excitedly. "This calls for a celebration! Our cursed little family just got a little bigger tonight~! Now, let's get you acquainted with your new home. This calls for a tour!"

...

You really hate tours. -----

End

-----

Next Chapter ----- If you like this chapter, you can stay easily updated when more chapters come out via AO3;Link All of my other random off-shoots for this fandom will also be posted there under "The Curse of Alice - A Collection" series. Thank you for reading!

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21 Questions Tag

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Currently? It's "Let Me Let You Go by One Ok Rock"

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There are very few flats here in my country, it's mostly condominium units 😅 so I will choose a house. It would be so cool to have my own house someday and I will surely enjoy decorating it

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10. Do you get asks?

Yes, sometimes! And I really appreciate the time they took to send me one 🤍

11. Amount of sleep:

usually around 6-7 hours 😅 it's so hard for me to get a full 8 hours sleep nowadays. Life is really busy and there are a lot of things I have to do and want to do

12. What are you wearing?

It's usually hot and humid in where I live so just a basic white shirt and dark green shorts 😆

13. Dream job:

I do not dream of labor 🤣 but I'm proud to say I fulfilled the dream of my younger self and currently working as a professional writer for events marketing. She has always wanted to become a writer. While the process of achieving this is not easy and I experienced having self-doubt and questioning my life decisions countless of times, I guess you would always end up where you're supposed to go. And I can say I am content with the current job that I have. I am not an ambitious person and I have no desire to get promoted to a higher position because that would only mean more workload for me 🤣 and I hate the thought of that. I place a great value on work-life balance and that's the first thing I prioritize every time I apply for a job

14. Dream Trip:

I have a lot of places I want to visit! I guess it's because growing up, I wasn't able to travel a lot. So now that I am older and earning my own money, I want to spend it in a memorable way. I hope I can travel more in my country, the Philippines, because we've got a lot of beautiful scenery, forests, nature spots, and islands that I haven't seen yet. I want to visit the East Asian and other South East Asian countries because I'm interested in their culture. Traveling to Europe is also on my bucket list, and I want to visit The Netherlands the most so I could finally see my long-time best friend @happysops 💜

I have a lot of things I want to do 🤣

15. Instruments:

I hold high respect and admiration for musicians because I am not musically inclined 😅 I never had a chance to learn how to play any instruments

16. Language:

Tagalog, English, and I can read and understand a little bit of Korean and Japanese. I took a Spanish class back in college but I have forgotten everything I learned from there 🤣😭

17. 10 Favorite songs as of now

• Quarter Life Crisis - Taylor Bickett

• Getting Older - Blü Eyes

• Hype Boy - NewJeans

• Cupid - Fifty Fifty

• Ditto - NewJeans

• Left Right - XG

• Doushite - Takasetoya, Emi Noda

• Let Me Let You Go - One Ok Rock

• July - Laur Elle

• You'd Never Know - Blü Eyes

18. If you were an animal: 😼

19. Favorite food:

pepperoni pizza, takoyaki, dried mangoes, matcha!!

20. Random Fact:

I like watching concerts and attending art markets. I usually spend my paycheck on them 🤣 (please don't be like me). Actually, I will be attending Nmixx's concert this weekend and next week I'll be roaming around in another local art market 😆 being surrounded by talented and creative people uplifts my energy~

21. My aesthetic:

I don't really have a specific aesthetic but I like wearing comfortable clothes based on my mood on that day 😆 and cute jewelry and accessories 💖 my go-to bag is totes!

Tagging: @roselise @froglovemushroom

[risingpeaksrp]

With the chime of the clock hitting ten, the guests of the Halloween party all turn as the castle doors slowly creak open and the lights within it burn ablaze in a welcoming yet unsettling manner. The curious nature of many had them walking up the stairs to the castle, everyone following suit as they filled the front entrance and some file into the grand ball room. Costumed figures, whose identity were masked ushered people in and people were directed to different parts of the castle.

The place is elegantly decorated but there is a sense of eeriness to the location. Many notice that a layer of dust has settled on most of the furniture. While everyone is guided into their respective rooms, there’s a buzz of muttering among them that is quickly silenced as doors slam behind them and click, locking them within. It doesn’t matter who tries to open the doors behind them, their age, species, magics, none of it works. Everyone is equally at the mercy of the Devil’s Haunted Castle.

ooc info:

Moving into the castle has had a negative turn of events, while the outside was nothing but games, music and a good time, the inside has everyone unsettled and worried without knowing what is to come next. Everyone was broken up and separated into different areas of the castle, in order to find their loved ones, they must escape their current room. How do you do that? One must face some horrendous fears or succumb to the darkness that lurks within.

Threads from before being locked within must stop unless containing important plot events.

The following people are locked within the following rooms and unable to escape:

The Ballroom: Classic dance music is playing and there seems to be some people dancing but their feet are bloodied and some are even dancing on broken legs. They refuse to stop no matter what, people might pull them from the dance floor but they continue to walk, hobble or crawl back out and continue dancing on their broken limbs. 

Victims:  Dimitri Valentine, Nova Perrier, Belle Emera, Nyx Morningstar, Razor Lorenz, Felicity James

The Greenhouse: The warmth of the greenhouse is nice from the crisp cool air outside but the longer one is in it, the hotter it seems to get. This is the perfect place for the tropical plants that grow within but many of these are plant life that humans haven’t set eyes on, in fact, many of them haven’t been alive on the earth since the days of the faye. Vines seem to be moving on their own accord and like snakes these things can appear out of no where with a serious bite. 

Victims: Kitty Rayne, Mike Gordon, Rachel Graham, Caterina Joseph, Oliver Wilson, Christofferson Odegard

The Kitchen: The kitchen is larger than most of the local restaurants’, the ovens and stoves are on full force with pots and pans bubbling and sizzling, there are questionable meats on the cutting boards with blood dripping down the sides of the counters to the floor with flies buzzing around as maggots wiggle around within the foods. The most questionable thing is the loud thumping that is happening against the walk-in freezers door as the temperature around you starts to get unbearable the longer your stuck. Brave the monster within the cooler to feel the relief of the hot ovens? You know what they say, if you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen.

Victims:  Theodore Lorenz, Betsa Vasquez, Elijah Dame, Brooklyn Carter, Arynn Blackwood

The Basement: Down the stairs into the dimly lit basement there is collections of old boxes, trunks and the like filled with useless papers, clothes, shoes, instruments and other forgotten items. What makes matters terrible is the floor slick with dampness, and this crinkling noise that seems to go on around you. Don’t make a sound, otherwise the creepy crawlies will scatter and who knows what will happen with their sharp pincers and impossible appetite. Finding your way out of the maze created by junk makes it nearly impossible, it feels as if it all goes on for miles and any sudden moves could knock down the wobbling piles of long forgotten junk.

Destiny Vega, Carina Morales, Bosa Zinsou, Nadia Guerrero, Ursula Meakes, Forrest Turner

The Study: Tall walls covered in books with rolling ladders adorn every inch of the study, putting the local library to shame. While at first glance the study of the castle may remind people of a childhood movie where a monster falls in love with a beautiful human woman, the longer one spends time in it, the more bizarre things they notice. First of all, what seems like an authentic human skull is settled on the largest table with the words “FIND THE KEY!” scribbled on it with what seems to be dried blood. What sounds like whispers in a language they can’t understand comes from all around them, enticing them to start opening books in search of the key they seem to have to find. Beware, however, because these books hold within ancient magic that may or may not be deadly. As each topic of book comes to life when opened, this can prove to be helpful or disastrously deadly. 

Victims: Eponine Dubois, Kaleb Rayne, Roxanne Morningstar, Marshall Wilson,Kiera Lorenz

The Bedroom: Although allegedly royalty’s quarters, the dim candlelight gives the main bedroom an eerie aura. The candles flicker on and off periodically, and when in the darkness, the moonlight shines from the high skylight that seems impossible to gain access to. The moonlight also shows the same bedroom in a much different way: it turns it into a torture chamber with masked corpses having fallen to the various torture devices, these corpses come alive when the moonlight hits them, as they crawl their way towards you to switch places with you making you the next victim.

Victims: Mara Morningstar, Harper Langford, Morgan Haworthe, Rowan Johnson, Shiloh "Fish" Fisher

The Endless Halls: With no room available or purely unable to shove these creatures into one, they are instead trapped within the winding halls of the house, that seem to shift and move without order or design. They can call out to their loves ones and perhaps hear their voices call back in return but they can never pin point just where the voices are coming from.

Victims: Mando Rivera, Zeldris Brandt, Nikolai Valentine, Levi Prince, Raphael

[k12academics]

The ‘German School of Ft. Lauderdale’ was founded in summer 2002. What we Offer We offer a daily full German immersion Montessori preschool program. Furthermore the curriculum includes ‘German Lessons at the Elementary Level’ and group lessons teaching ‘German as a Foreign Language’ for children and adults. Classes are being taught by certified instructors. Our pupils participate annually in the “National German Exam' of the AATG (American Association of Teachers of German) and in the examinations to "The german Language Diploma', administered by the ‘Central Agency for Schools Abroad’ (ZfA).

The 'German School of Fort Lauderdale' will prepare its students for the AP, or Advanced Placement exam. This is a college-level exam, which students can take at their high schools. Students need to register and pay for the exam at their school. It gets administered in the month of May.

The AP German Language and Culture Exam assesses students' proficiencies in the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. The exam is three hours long and includes both a 95-minute multiple-choice section and an 85-minute free-response section. The multiple-choice section accounts for half of the student's exam grade, and the free-response section accounts for the other half.

Our program furthermore includes a diverse music and art program. Recorder lessons, singing, music, arts and crafts play a role in the various courses offered. ‘Learning With All Your Senses’ and open work-forms count among the dominant teaching principles and methods. In our daily preschool program, we work according to the ideas and principles of the Montessori Method. How We Teach

At the German School of Ft. Lauderdale the teaching principles of ‘Learning With Your Head, Heart, and Hands’ like those of ‘Learning With All Your Senses’ play a particularly important role for children being introduced to the German language and culture. The full immersion concept of our school is based on the belief that languages are best learned in situations, in which students play, explore, create, sing, and learn. Using games, puppets, songs, rhymes, and small scenes, our curriculum builds upon German speech patterns, the children may apply to various settings they find meaningful. While students will become more and more fluent in speaking the German language, they will be prepared to enter an American Kindergarten at the end of our preschool program, since letters, phonics, number etc. are introduced in the English language at the VPK program of our partner school. The teachers at the ‘German School of Ft. Lauderdale’ act as guides and helpers in the children’s natural desire to learn. Teachers prepare the classroom, its materials and guide students gently towards their individual goals. Instruction methods emphasize natural learning processes, play, and fun. The ‘German School of Ft. Lauderdale’ recognizes that students learn from their peers, and that they can be positive role models for students both older and younger than themselves. Our classroom is equipped with exclusively educational materials and we have incorporated some aspects of the ‘Montessori Method’ and its materials into our curriculum. The ‘Montessori Environment’ is quiet, respectful, and non-competitive. Children move freely and purposefully throughout the classroom choosing materials they wish to “learn” with, returning them to the shelf as found before moving on to new work. Lessons are usually presented individually, with ample opportunities for group interaction during circle, music, art, and outdoor activities. Most lessons are independent from the language spoken and are wonderful instruments for a full immersion, or a bilingual language setting. What We Value The German School community respects each child as a unique person. We value our student’s physical, emotional, social and cultural individuality, and seek to establish a trusting relationship between teachers, parents and children so that students can grow and learn in a way that fits their personal needs. The German School classroom, enriched by the unique personalities and perspectives of each student, provides an environment in which children can feel confident in exploring their own interests, thoughts and feelings. Multicultural Approach By introducing elements of German culture, the ‘German School of Ft. Lauderdale' supports the understanding of multiple cultures. We design activities that highlight traditions specific to German-speaking cultures in a manner that invites and respects the individual background of all students. Discussions such as "What festivities does your family celebrate?" establishes an awareness of the differences and commonalities between people and cultures in the global community. We model a peaceful, embracing attitude about the world, while encouraging a desire within our students to go out into the world to explore, find, experience and learn. On the matter of leadership, we believe, that a leader needs to be involved in all aspects of the daily school life, stay connected and understand what is going on and where changes are necessary. Respect for each other is one of the most important elements to maintain a positive relationship with all employees. At the same time it is very important to lead by example and to act as a role model to other members of the staff, as well as students. We believe in open communication, which is an important tool in staying connected to staff members.

[musicinsurancecompany]

The Qualities of the Leading Musical Instrument Dealer

A leading musical instrument dealer is someone way more than just a seller of gear. They could be an individual or a company that curates sounds and mentors budding talents. Most importantly, they are confidants of experienced and seasoned professionals. They not only sell instruments but hold a deep understanding of music while ensuring seamless customer satisfaction. Let's take you through the qualities of a good equipment dealer. Read on!

Qualities of a Customer-Centric and Reputable Retailer

A truly exceptional musical paraphernalia vendor has an in-depth knowledge of the instruments they sell. They are aware of the ifs and buts of different devices. It starts from knowing even the slightest differences in violin tones to understanding the shades of piano touch. This understanding helps them guide customers to the perfect instrument for their needs and goals.

A reliable instrument retailer is not just a salesperson. They are true music lovers. Their passion for music is unmistakable in the way they interact with customers and advocate promotion. They are often part of local communities. They go to concerts, support professionals and budding artists, and create a sense of belonging. Their passion is infectious. It inspired customers to play music with more excitement.

A good device trader puts customers first. They want customers to be happy and make shopping enjoyable. They pay attention to customers' needs, listen carefully, and suggest instruments that are ideal for them. They also offer help after the sale, like instrument care, music dealer insurance, repairs, and accessories.

A reputable service provider has close ties with the businesses that make instruments - the manufacturers. It allows them to fetch high-quality instruments, negotiate good deals, and know about the newest trends in the market. By working with these companies, they can offer customers a wider selection of gear and ensure they have the best ones in stock.

A top instrument retailer is often involved in their community. They might support lessons for kids, sponsor festivals, or work with local artists and groups. By being part of community events, they help keep their area's culture alive and build stronger connections with the local community.

A trustworthy service provider plays by the rules. They are transparent about their prices. They do not like tricking their customers with false advertising. They only provide the best quality instruments. They also respect the work of artists and instrument makers. Most importantly, they are quite particular about possessing a comprehensive music dealer insurance plan to fight unforeseen situations and continue providing the best-in-class services to their customers without fail.

A customer-friendly musical device vendor is also a good communicator. They can explain complicated things in a way that is easy to understand. They are also good at getting along with customers, building trust, and helping them with their problems. Being able to communicate well is important for giving great customer service and building a successful business.

The musical world is always changing, with new things coming out all the time. A good dealer needs to be flexible and open to these changes. They should keep up with what is happening in the industry and be ready to offer products and services that meet customers' new needs. For example, if people start using digital instruments more, a reliable vendor should be able to sell and support those too. It is like a chef who keeps trying new recipes to satisfy their customers' changing tastes.

A top musical machine seller is often excited about teaching and helping others learn this beautiful art. They might offer lessons, workshops, or classes to help customers improve their playing. By sharing their knowledge and skills, they help the local community grow and thrive. It's like a great teacher who wants to inspire their students to reach their full potential. By helping others learn and love music, these dealers are making a positive impact on their communities.