#curiousartemis

[silvanils]

Kissin’ it better~

A (rather belated) piece for OC kiss week! This is my RDR Online character, Mr. Jesse Knight, and his step-brother Dai who was created by my friend @curiousartemis! Dai tends to get hurt slightly more often in the scuffles they get into, but Jesse is good at patching him up.

Jesse has NOT forgotten the old tradition of giving him a little kiss on the forehead after, much to Dai’s chagrin. (He still thinks it’s sweet.)

[archesa]

WIP Whenever (and that includes Wednesday ! )

I was tagged by @redwayfarers aka @i-mybrunettelady and unfortunately I have not moved more than a few words forward on the previous WIP, so... here's another WIP to feast your eyes upon 😊

This is set somewhere between Heart of Thorns and Season 3, so obviously spoilers for the former. Featuring, Vigil shenaningans, Laranthir being autoritative (hot!), Dairban and Galaëd being friends (also hot!), and Galaëd being a little shit.

Dairban is Meryw's podtwin, a Warmaster of the Vigil and Laranthir's close second and belongs to my ever partner in crime @lilypixy !

Galaëd did not remember how it started. A word. An insinuation. And his antlers ramming into one of the recruits. Dairban seizing him by the waist and tearing him away from the fray only to join in himself. And here they stood, in Laranthir's office, while raised voices rattled the walls of the Vigil Fortress.

The doors slammed open and the Grand Warmaster stormed towards them, a disappointed expression on his face.

"Sit. Both of you." he ordered, before they could even rise from their seats.

His expression was cold and judgemental. A severe disappointment written in bright lines his face.

"I have six recruits harbouring bruises, cuts and electrical burns. Anything you wish to add to that list?"

Galaëd scoffed. There was a certain number of things he would have added to that list, yes...

I tag in this my regulars ^^

@curiousartemis @monaskydancer @i-mybrunettelady (right back at you, Nero! <3 grace us with some gw2 inspired WIP fragment?) @kerra-and-company @dumb-dumb-mander @thorns-and-brambles @just-eyris-things @uselessidiotsquad and I'm quite certain I'm forgetting a few people so, really whoever finds this!

[convenientcoma]

WIP Whenever

(or WIP...I work nights I have no idea what day it is!)

Thank you to @paraparadigm and @fandomn00blr for the push. So a little excerpt from Chapter #? - The Tale of Thomas Rainer from Rara Avis, coming soon to an AO3 page near you! (I mean, not really, but maybe the self-imposed pressure will help me write?!)

Quantity rather than quality was his general rule. He wasn’t particular about his conquests. All women had their charms if one bothered to look. Pretty was nice, and soft and bouncy was his favorite, but the plain girls were usually the most accommodating in bed and most appreciated his attentions. He avoided the ravishingly beautiful or the truly unfortunately homely both, but for different reasons; the great beauties demanded his subservience and were usually indolent, and the ugly girls were grovelingly grateful and had a tendency to fall in love almost immediately. But it was true that all warm and willing flesh felt the same in the dark. A fuck was a fuck, just as a flagon of backwater Ferelden swill would get him drunk as quickly as a fine goblet of Orlesian gold mead.

So now it's your turn: @curiousartemis @serial-chillr @nirikeehan @princessvicky01 @smutnug @jarebear @visceralcoma @musetta3 @mareenavee

[maraleestuff]

URL Music Tag

Thanks @writingpotato07 for tagging me :) (Apparently this post was forgotten in my drafts)

Rules: Make a new post & spell out your URL with song titles, then tag as many people as there are letters in your URL.

M - Miss Missing You by Fallout Boy

A - All Too Well (10-Minute Version) by Taylor Swift

R - Rumors by Ava Max

A - All I Know So Far by P!NK

L - Last One Standing by WAR*HALL

E - Every Little Thing by Carly Pearce

E - Everything Changes from Waitress the Musical

S - Silver & Gold by Victoria Carbol

T - Thumbs by Sabrina Carpenter

U - Unstoppable by The Calling

F - Fly by Hillary Duff

F - Fearless by Olivia Holt

Tagging @thebutterflyandthedragon, @thegrimlyreaper, @daedriclorde, @ezestreet, @curiousartemis, @drowsy-pyromancer, @poore-choice-of-words, @cedar-west, @s-b-york, @v0od0okat, @parasite-core, @paraparadigm, and anyone else who like to do this!

[funkypoacher]

saw the We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is "most popular" and 2 that are "hidden gems”! meme posted by @captastrastra. I wasn't tagged, but fuggit -- I do what I want (and am trying to build up steam to do some writing today). tagging @damejudyhench @kourumi @biggreenfeet @juniper-tree @fandomn00blr @serial-chillr @curiousartemis @the-laridian @jackalgirl @ktyxdovahkiin @paraparadigm @polymorphic-basket @togepies (srry if you've been t agged already, most of you prolly have been)

so

Rules: We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is "most popular" and 2 that are "hidden gems”!

1 - "L'habit ne fait pas le moine" (The Outer Worlds) is probably (??) my most popular (tho Steamy Thedas Nights might be comparable). But seeing as I posted it as a series who knows what the overall stats are. 19 bookmarks, 850-ish kudos, 13000-some hits combined between the 9 parts. I really wish there was an actual stats-page for series on Ao3. It's definitely the better way of posting fic. Sure, you get bloat your Works page, but posting as a series actually gives you proper insight into how many hits one chapter gets, how many kudos one chapter gets, etc, plus, as a reader, it allows you to multi-kudos fics, which we all wanna do. 2 - I think The Illusion of my being Self-Conscious, or Even Conscious is a hidden gem. It's Mass Effect/Shenko, and once in a while it gets a lovely, lil life-affirming comment, but that's about it. It's one of my favorite things I've written, though, definitely. I uhhh should finish it.

2 - Practice and Practicality (The Outer Worlds) is my literal child whom I adore, admire, and cherish. Who doesn't love a Reed Tobson deep-dive set against the backdrop of work-place romance in a pro-Board setting? Just me? Plus Miss Spacer's Voice 2342 is an absolute peach... Margaret is definitely one of my favorite OCs.

[daedriclorde]

Get to Know Me

Thanks so much for the tag @maraleestuff!! I missed doing these.

Rules: Answer the questions, and tag nine people you'd like to get to know better.

Favorite Color: This is such an insanely difficult question?? I’m very addicted to colors (its a problem), but red has been a long time favorite of mine, as well as cobalt blue.

Currently Reading: Rhythm of War, V4 of the Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson. I’m so hooked on this series, and I’m tantalizingly close to finishing the book.

Last Song: Do Your Worst, by The Happy Fits. It’s my newest addiction.

Last Series: We binged the shit out of Dragon Prince on Netflix. Didn’t expect for it to be so good, definitely didn’t expect to be so engaged in it. Can’t wait for Season 4 in November!!

Last Movie: Mad Max Fury Road, and I laughed my ass off for most of it. So ridiculous. But I did like the old ladies with guns and motorcycles!

Sweet/ Savory/ Spicy: YES.

Currently Working On: Oh gosh so many things?? Finishing up client work for the field I actually got a degree in (*gasp*). I’m in between commission cycles for art, which is what I primarily do these days. I ought to set up a side blog here for my art, but I’m over on twatter as Art_By_Dae. And...I’ve recently opened up the file for the Skyrim WIP I abandoned last year. Going back and fixing up the outline, enhancing some character motivations! I can’t even guess when there might be something to read, but y’all can bet I’ll let you know when!!

Open tag because I don’t know most of you, and I don’t even know who’s still here that I used to tag. @potatocrab, you back? @curiousartemis, you around? @cinderthemechanics?? I have no idea. But feel free to do this is you want to get to know me better! I would like some internet frens pls.

[musetta3]

1. Were/are you really an opera singer? Have you performed on stage? What was/is that like? 2. do you ever get nervous or anxious? not just on stage, anytime. How do you deal with it? (i could use some tips xD) 3. do you think you're an even-tempered person? do your feelings get hurt easily or not? Again, I could use some tips xDD 4. why do you think you enjoy writing fanfiction so much? 💗

Hi, @curiousartemis, thanks for the ask! All sorts of fun questions <3 

1. Were/are you really an opera singer? Have you performed on stage? What was/is that like?

I am an opera singer, yes. I debuted onstage when I was 16, in a small/minor role of Suor Angelica (I debuted in recital at 14). I was one of the nuns that went grocery shopping, so I got to memorize a literal grocery list. We brought back... hazelnuts, oil, berries, cheese, butter, flour, walnuts, eggs, and lentils. (I think that’s everything). 

My debut is something I will never forget, especially the first dress rehearsal with the orchestra. Up until that point, we’d been working with a piano in a church. To finally get onstage and with an orchestra--I cried when the orchestra began playing, because it was just so... real, then. Vocal training is so difficult; with any other art, the teacher can place your hands in the proper way, turn your foot or adjust your painting brush. Not with voice. It’s a lot like learning to wiggle your ears, actually. There’s a lot of hours spent in frustration or tears or thinking you’ll never get it right. So when you do, and you’re up on that stage and doing what you love... it’s magical. That music feels like a silver wave washing over you.

This is the opening of Suor. (Not us singing, but a recording of it). The ladies are singing a version of the Ave Maria, but instead of saying ‘Amen’ at the end, they say ‘e cosi sia,’ or ‘and so may it be.’ I love that.

I’ve been performing onstage in productions around the world ever since then, and nothing will ever top the feeling of that orchestral rehearsal.

2. do you ever get nervous or anxious? not just on stage, anytime. How do you deal with it? 

I do, yes. Sometimes I get anxiety attacks, and I’ve found some of these things helped me:

I use the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, it’s a homeopathic formula used for upset, overcoming trauma, anxiety and loss. It’s helped me through sooo much; I never leave home without it. The remedy was developed in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach, a physician and homeopath who believed the key to overall health was to care for the mind, as well as the body. He spent his life exploring the use of flowers and plants as a means to promote emotional well-being. By 1936, he identified 38 flower essences, each derived from a different wild flower, plant or tree, and each corresponding to a specific emotion. It is still used successfully today, including flower essences for our pets. They have pastilles and capsules, too. I like the drops best because they are fast-acting.

If it’s at an audition or during a performance, I remember this: my audience and the judge panel wants me to succeed. They’re all here to hear me, and are already rooting for me. That levels the playing field

I focus on 5 things for each sense, to ground myself (especially helpful to not dissociate). Five objects in the room, five textures on my clothes, five tastes I had that day, five smells I love.

Sometimes I just write down whatever I’m feeling in my phone or at my pc. All of it. doesn’t matter how much I swear, I cry, just... get it out. When I acknowledge it and let it go, I delete. Useful for when you don’t feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with others.

3. do you think you're an even-tempered person? do your feelings get hurt easily or not?  A good question. I consider myself an even-tempered person: it takes a bit to anger me. I frustrate easily, though, mostly at myself. I can see when I do something wrong, or when something can be improved, and don’t know how to fix it. Then I get impatient with myself, and, unfortunately, cruel (because I’m such a perfectionist). That is a bad habit that I’m working to overcome. 

My Mom told me that a good way to look at it is this: inside every one of us, is a child. So when you say those things to yourself, you say them to your inner child. And is that how you would treat a little one? No? Then why are you doing it to yourself? That put things in perspective for me, and set me on my path to be kinder to myself.

Do my feelings get hurt easily? Being in the arts requires a thick skin, so I try my best to cultivate that. Some days are better than others. :) 

4. why do you think you enjoy writing fanfiction so much?

Ooh, a great question. I love writing fanfic because it fills in the holes that the original material couldn’t cover. It helps create a full picture, instead of just vignettes of a character’s life. It adds an element of realism that I didn’t feel in, say, the games or books; those always have a degree of separation with them.

Through writing--especially with writing more historically-based material--it comes alive. These characters now have a life outside of killing dragons and waiting around to go on quests. They have clothes outside of their armor sets, houses to clean and dinners to cook. Likes, dislikes, gifts they got for their birthdays that they hate but are too nice to say. And the more I hang out with these characters, the more I learn from them, and the more I learn about myself as a person. 

Fanfiction also brings joy to others, too, and is a great tool to spread happiness with. That, to me, makes it all worthwhile. <3

[bigbraincel]

If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself, and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! <333

fjsskjs sorry if i was sent this a while ago i havent checked my messages in ages. thanks for asking! <3 1. i was born in switzerland 2. my favourite animal is a snow leopard 3. i have arachnophobia

[sister-dear]

How I Write

present tense or past tense / first person or third person / double 1.5-spaced or single spaced / action or emotion / similes or metaphors / OCs or existing characters / fluff or angst / music or white noise / character or plot / make them cry or make them laugh / tea or coffee / happy ending or bittersweet / morning afternoon or night / comic sans or times new roman / google docs or word /

Which is not to say that I never do the stuff not bolded, but there are some strong tendencies here. (And font is arial all the way.)

Tagging anybody who wants to! 

[lockewrites]

Headcanon thingie: 28. Gets lost easily, 26. Acts like they don’t care, but do, 33. Can’t sleep without something special (tried to pick ones i didn't think I could guess xD)

These are ones I definitely had to think hard about too! 

26. Acts like they don’t care, but do

I would say Anya fits this most; the rest of my chars are pretty open with who and what they care about. Vampire thief who lost her parents and her mentor and nearly her own life... definitely keeps her distance and tries not to get close, but she winds up caring a great deal about the guild and her new family. And Brynjolf, of course. But she plays it off, makes her jokes and brushes off any sentimentality because why would a vampire bother getting attached to anyone? Aurella may fit this, but she really just doesn’t care about a whole lot. If there is anything she winds up caring about (other than herself), then she’ll definitely push it down; she has a reputation to maintain. But, it’s really not something she has to deal with often because of... reasons >)

28. Gets lost easily

If it weren’t for her GPS, Lessa would get lost all the time. 100%. I imagine it’s integrated into the cyberware in her eyes and provides a constant means of access. She’s used it to even navigate inside on numerous occasions. It took her the longest time to figure out exactly which one was her apartment.

33. Can’t sleep without something special

This was super hard, but the one person that keeps coming to mind is Serilda. I imagine Halsin giving her something and her finding it incredibly sentimental to the point she needs it nearby at all times. Something handmade by him, either that was important to him previously or made specifically for her. This is all in the moment, off the top of my head, but I’m thinking a bracelet meant to be worn over the gloves she always wears, and she keeps it on at all times and feels naked without it. So, not specific to sleeping, BUT she’d definitely have a hard time feeling comfortable without it.

[wardenari]

If you were in charge of voice casting and direction at BioWare, who would be your dream hires in terms of voice actors for DA4?

Gideon Emory is #1 (Fenris, Taliesin, and Samson). I mean he’s been in the other 3 games so he should be here!

Kate Mulgrew!!

Michael Dorn (I just think he has a cool voice and it makes me think of Gargoyles) 

[silvanils]

43. giving them a piggy-back ride and/or 50. putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up 😋 for MY BOYSSS 💕💕

Prompts for writing human connection, intimacy, belonging.

Aril’s laugh rang out through the woods as Farkas dodged trees with ease despite having the smaller elf clinging to his back. It brought back fond memories of many happy summers spent in the forest near Anvil. Back then, Syrus was the one who would humor his little siblings like this, carrying them around or finding a shallow pool they could splash around in while he read.

“Whoa!” Farkas shouted, stumbling as some rocks slid out under his feet. Aril had just enough time to reach out and grab a tree branch for support, bracing Farkas with his legs so they wouldn’t slide down the slope and end up tumbling into the nearby river.

“You all right?” Aril asked. He could feel how tense his silly wolf was, the way his heart was pounding. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

And just like that, he felt Farkas relax. He held on to the tree until Farkas found better footing, then let go and wrapped his arms back around his neck. They continued, slower, following a little trail that wound along, beside the water.

“Thanks,” Farkas sighed, sounding a bit sheepish. “I was scared we’d end up hitting those rocks, or… you know. You’re pretty sturdy, but if I wound up on top of — mmmfh!”

Aril hushed him quickly by clamping a hand over his mouth, then pointed across the river. A white deer stood there, frozen. She stared at them, her ears flicking once. Farkas had gone perfectly still the moment he’d seen her, too.

After a few moments, she decided they were harmless enough for her to resume her grazing. Just when Aril was about to give Farkas a nudge to continue walking, he heard a small intake of breath. “Look,” Farkas whispered, barely audible. “Two fawns, in the flowers.”

Sure enough, when Aril flicked his gaze to the little patch of blue-and-red flowers he saw the sleepy fawns basking in the dappled sunlight. They crept away as silently as possible, both smiling. Later, as they made their way along a well-worn road, Farkas spoke up.

“You know, when Vilkas and I were little whelps, we used to nap like that sometimes — our father used to take us along when he went hunting. Skjor, too. I remember once, we’d wandered a little farther than we should have, and everyone thought we’d gotten lost...”

Aril couldn’t help but grin as he listened to Farkas tell the story. It was a rare gift from his lover, who usually preferred to let others do the talking.

[archesa]

WIP Whenever !

I was tagged by the lovely @redwayfarers aka Nero aka @i-mybrunettelady 🥰 Currently still slowly making progress on "Starlight and Fireworks"... so here's an excerpt! ... a still kinda "safe for saplings" excerpt!

His [Galaëd] hands fumbled uselessly with the bark plates, questing fingers failing to find a fasten or a stem in the seemingly unbreachable rampart of armour. Canach broke the kiss and straightened, his left hand never relinquishing his hold of the Valiant while his right ran in a furrow of his shoulder piece. Galaëd let out a frustrated huff. "Tease.", he groaned, earning a chuckle from the sylvari above him. "Eager, Valiant?" Any witty comeback Galaëd had turned to ash on his lips when the warrior unfurled the four long leaves crossing his chest and holding the armour in place, and his pauldron fell to the floor, his chestplate following suit. His eyes roamed the expense of familiar leaves, bark and flesh forming the warrior's chest. A few tufts of new leaves, soft and green in stark contrast to his burnished steel bark marred unlikely places on his torso and shoulders, a wide line growing past the edge of his greaves, where they shied in the crook of his hip. Galaëd traced the unusual softness with near fascination, a sudden tension seizing the warrior betraying the origin of these leaves. Scars. Galaëd's glow dimmed as he considered whether any of these were of his doing...

Okay, hope you enjoyed! I'm gonna hide forever a while now!😅(it's a super power when you think about it! I can read graphic nsfw in public without betraying anything, but I'm a flustered mess when I write anything distantly resembling citrus!...)

I tag in this... *takes a deep breath* @monaskydancer @curiousartemis @kerra-and-company @dumb-dumb-mander @just-eyris-things @thorns-and-brambles and everyone I've forgotten!

[morlanwen]

Books

I’ve been tagged by @curiousartemis​ (thank you :) ) Of course, everyone is tagged 

 hardcover or paperback/ rent or buy/ reads in silence or reads with music / standalone or series [both are great] / annotations or pristine pages / ebook or physical copy / dog ears or bookmarks / mismatched series or complete set / cover matters or you don’t judge / lend books or keep them to yourself/ enjoys lit classes or despises them [kind of love and hate... like in History class: I loved the Middle Ages but hated Napoleon... see?]/ browses shops or orders online [both]/ reads reviews or goes in blind[if I already read something from the author and I liked it, I go blind] / unreturned books or clean library record / rereads or once was enough [I read Lost Souls by (former) Poppy Z. Brite/Billy Martin (now) something like 15 times] / fanfic enthusiast or a stickler for canon / deep reader or easily distracted / must read the book before seeing the movie or order doesn’t matter / has neat bookshelves or messy bookshelves  / skips ahead or resists temptation [I have to confess : while reading ASOIAF, I skipped daenerys & Bran chapters] / reads aloud or in your head / guesses plot twists or never sees them coming [but still pleasantly surprised when I guess wrong]

[maraleestuff]

Get to Know Me

Hi! Thanks for the tag @verba-writing, it's been a while since I've done one of these posts.

Rules: Answer the questions, and tag nine people you'd like to get to know better.

Favorite Color: Blue. There are many shades, but my favorite is either sky blue or cyan.

Currently Reading: Some fics on Ao3. I recently finished Requiem of a Forgotten Prince by @personaje-fics and @queerofthedagger. And I'm eagerly following along to Waking Dreams by @dumpsterhipster

Last Song: A Million Miles Away (the English version) from the movie Belle.

Last Series: The Big Bang Theory. Just started binge-watching Mike & Molly.

Last Movie: Thor: Love and Thunder.

Sweet/ Savory/ Spicy: Depends on my mood? Sometimes I want something sweet, spicy, or savory.

Currently Working On: (assuming this means current WIPs) The Guiding Star. It's the first original story I've ever worked on, and I'm dipping my toe into sci-fi. (It was supposed to be short, about 1,000 words, but my current draft is about 10,000 lmao)

Tagging: @sixstepsaway, @curiousartemis, @daedriclorde, @poore-choice-of-words, @pearlll09, @taz-writes, @bardic-tales, @sanasean, and @lady-redshield-writes

Feel free to do this whenever you like :)

[knightdawn]

🌻💫💛✨THIS IS THE AMAZING PERSON AWARD! ONCE YOU ARE GIVEN THIS AWARD YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PASTE IT IN THE ASK OF EIGHT DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHO, IN YOUR OPINION, DESERVE IT. IF YOU BREAK THE CHAIN NOTHING WILL HAPPEN, BUT IT IS SWEET TO KNOW SOMEONE THINKS YOU’RE AMAZING INSIDE AND OUT✨💛💫🌻

Thank you, Artemis! ^-^ I think you’re amazing, too!