#i know most people would not care or know about the accuracy and usually i wouldnt either. but i do for this.

[moonshynecybin]

u def should think abt a kayaking au

brother all i THINK about is kayaking au... it might happen i have to decide if i want to get off from my job and then think more about my job at home. i think i should write all of those boys at a trashy ABC party in a shack in the forest drunk out of their MINDS. the true raft guide experience...

my major roadblock that i need to chew through is that i would need to make these boys APPALACHIAN or at the very least do a lot more research on the whitewater scene in europe. easy for rosquez if i wanna make it a pure elite kayaking au and have them jetsetting to random rivers all over the world bc then the set dressing doesnt matter much (and like. i have some international kayaking racer friends/family so i have some insight etc) BUT harder for the bezz/cele hot raft guide summer au i actually wanna do. i dont know what whitewater rivers are raftable in italy or what classification system they use (i know. there is creek boating. i know there's some rivers in the dolomites. i have NO idea if the whitewater culture is similar AT ALLLLL so i dont even know if i could DO it justice.) and i would have to either invest some TIME in either figuring that out OR trying to explain why a small pack of young italian men are chillin out in western north carolina. i guess i could handwave all of this but its stuck. in my brain. trying to imagine cele at beloved regional fast food chain bojangles and failing

[micamicster]

Super Rich Kids

Close my eyes and feel the crash...

I wrote this one on post-its on a trans-continental flight after my phone (where i was re-reading the raven cycle) died. 0/10 plane experience would not recommend but I did manage to entertain myself! And now hopefully you as well!

When Ronan pulled into Monmouth Manufacturing he knew Gansey wouldn’t be there. Adam Parrish was, though, sitting on the steps in the golden afternoon light, bike dumped to the side in dying grass. He didn’t so much as flicker an eyelid when Ronan bootlegged the BMW into an approximation of parking on the far side of the lot, which was fine because that’s how he would have parked the car anyway, whether or not Adam was here.

Ronan was pretty sure that Gansey had arranged a shift system with the other boys, to prevent Ronan from being unaccompanied on the rare occasions of his own absence. The idea of a babysitter should have rankled Ronan, but Adam did not seem particularly invested in his role. Small favors.

As he got out of the car he gave Adam his customary once-over, as brief as it was habitual. You could notice a lot in a single glance, if you were Ronan, glancing at Adam.

Adam was wearing long sleeves (his father? Or just because it was October?) and his faded camo pants, the ones Ronan said made him look like a jingoistic meathead. They had recently acquired a tear in one knee. Not in the stylish, deliberate manner in which Ronan’s own jeans were shredded, but awkwardly, in an L-shape, where they had caught on some jagged edge and given way before even careful Adam had noticed and unhooked himself. The tear gaped open at times, like it was doing now, revealing Adam’s knobby left knee and, worse, a triangle of his brown thigh.

Ronan looked away.

Ronan never allowed himself, even in dreams, to trespass beyond the carefully demarcated boundaries of Adam’s clothes. And Adam was usually helpful in the maintenance of this boundary. Unlike Gansey, who could be found working on his model Henrietta in boxers at all hours of the night, or wandering to and from the shower in a towel, absent-mindedly forgetting his clothes in bathroom or bedroom. Unlike the boys Ronan played tennis with, who stripped down casually in the locker room after practice. Unlike even Ronan himself, who’d never met a shirt he couldn’t rip the sleeves off; Adam was always fully covered.

This summer, foolishly, Ronan had imagined that this might change. Now that the hideous secrets Adam protected with his long sleeves were no longer his alone. But by now he knew what kept those sleeves in place, something that Adam had already understood: that knowing and seeing are two very different things.

For example: this. Ronan knew that Adam, like most people who walked around on earth under their own power, possessed thighs. Two of them, attached in the normal way to other body parts, such as knees and hips. To know this was one thing.

Now that he’d seen it, he couldn’t stop seeing it. The way his knee bent, and the muscle above shifted as Adam made room on the steps for him. Ronan was looking away, out at the familiar, grounding, skid marks on the concrete of Monmouth’s lot, but he could picture in their place with deadly accuracy the hinge of Adam’s knee, the tanned skin of his thigh, scattered with golden-brown hair. He could dream about pressing his face against it.

He picked up a rock and hurled it. It glanced off the side of the soulless suburban and fell anticlimactically into the grass dying by the rear tire. It didn’t help.

Adam shifted next to him, subtly.

“What?” said Ronan. “Impressed?”

“Surprised, more like. I thought you were supposed to be the tennis star.”

“You think you can do better?” Ronan pried another hunk of gravel or concrete out of the dirt and tossed it in his left hand, tauntingly.

“I know I can.”

“But?”

“But,” said Adam, with some hint of exasperation coloring his voice, “I’m not going to sit here chunking rocks at Gansey’s car to prove it. My ego’s not that fragile.” His accent slipped out on chunkin’, not as if Ronan had pissed him off enough to forget to hide it, but as if it was a word he’d never used any other way.

Ronan threw his rock again. This was, if anything, a worse throw than before, and it skittered harmlessly across the suburban’s roof.

Adam made a small but contemptuous noise.

“Don’t give me that shit, man. You know he hates this fucking car.”

“That was for your shitty aim.”

“Come on then.” Ronan hefted another piece of gravel. “Ten points if you knock out his taillight.”

“It costs a hundred and five dollars to replace a taillight on that make and model. Plus tax.”

Ronan’s brief cheer was collapsing again. “I’ll pay you a hundred bucks to bust Dick’s lights.”

Adam blinked slowly, his dusty eyelashes obscuring the contempt in his eyes for a brief moment. “I’ll leave.” (He wouldn’t).

Ronan dropped the rock. Next to him Adam sighed. Abruptly, he put out his hand. “Telephone pole. Six feet from the top.”

Ronan swept back up the rock and dropped it into his hand. Their fingers did not touch. His heart thudded.

Adam tossed the rock once, testing its weight while his gaze, cool and assessing, remained on the telephone pole. It was a splintered, tilting thing, shamed by his attentions. In one smooth, economical movement, he rose to his feet and let the rock fly. His leg went forward, knee jutting out of his clothes, his back curved, and his arm swept around in an arc, fingers scraping at the blue October sky. Ronan didn’t need to turn his head to know if the rock hit—he could see it in the brief hard satisfaction on Adam’s face.

Adam turned back to him, one eyebrow cocked.

“You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to earn that hundred,”

Adam shrugged. The gesture was disinterested, but there was a quirk to his mouth that contradicted it. “I know nothing blew up, but…”

Ronan already had another rock in his hand. “West corner lightbulb. It breaks or it doesn’t count.” Adam rolled his eyes, but turned agreeably to watch Ronan miss.

“Would you like to get your tennis racket?”

“Eat me,” said Ronan. (Maybe).

They traded shots back and forth for a while, calling increasingly specific and complex plays.

“Bullshit. Bullshit.”

“Get the government to pay for some glasses, Parrish, and then come back and try to tell me that wasn’t a fucking bullseye—”

“It wasn’t even close! You—”

“You calling me a liar?” Ronan loomed, and Adam, as usual, was unimpressed.

“Just because you don’t lie doesn’t make you right all the time! Like when you said that quote on Tuesday was Seneca. It doesn’t stop being Martial just because you’ve got a child’s sense of morality—”

“See, right there.” Ronan pointed triumphantly at an invisible scuff mark on the doorsill, marking where his handful of gravel had made impact.

Adam gave it a skeptical glance. His face was faintly flushed from exertion in the cold air, but his eyes were as cool and considering as ever. “What we need,” he said, “is a knife.”

Ronan was not allowed knives.

~

“Are you trying to stab each other in the feet? Why are your shoes off! It’s October!”

“Equal playing field.” Ronan wiggled his toes against the cold asphalt. “Parrish’s shitty knife is no match for my boots.” Over Gansey’s head, Ronan tried to catch Adam’s eye, to share a ‘can you believe him’ sort of look. Adam’s embarrassment over being caught acting irresponsibly meant Ronan could expect the look to be rebuffed, but he couldn’t help himself from trying it anyway.

Adam was bent over, eyes hidden. He carefully dusted off his socked feet one at a time before sliding them back into his shoes, as though the socks or sneakers could look any worse. A little parking lot crud might improve their appearance, actually.

Next to him, Gansey was still fussing. Without the pressure release valve of eye contact with someone who knew Gansey was overreacting, Ronan snapped, “Come off it, man, I’m not going to slit my throat while Parrish watches. He can’t afford that caliber of snuff film.”

Gansey’s concern transformed into revulsion, but underneath it he looked hurt, which was far far worse.

Adam straightened up. “We were just using it to mark where we hit. Honestly, we could have done it tossing a sharpie, but neither of us had one.” He sounded conciliatory, which pissed Ronan off. But Gansey was letting it go, returning the knife to Adam with an apologetic smile. Sorry for the fuss. Sorry for Ronan. Ronan’s bare feet were cold against the asphalt.

“Well? Are you going to throw or not, Parrish?” he said belligerently.

Adam rolled his eyes, but obligingly stooped for gravel and let one fly at Ronan’s open bedroom window, a shot he made easily.

Gansey whistled. “You’ve got quite the arm on you. How come you’re not on the Algionby baseball team?”

Adam shifted his feet, awkwardly.

“Please,” scoffed Ronan, “he’s not a team player.”

Gansey did not let it go. “Bet you’d have a better fastball than both our pitchers.”

There was a pause, during which Adam’s face clearly showed all of the thoughts he was trying to corral into a polite response to Gansey’s unconsidered enthusiasm. Ronan got there first. “Yeah, Parrish, why not hitch your wagon to the star of organized sports, like every other rags to riches wannabe?”

“Ronan!” said Gansey, Ronan’s offensiveness registering where his own had not.

“Hitch my wagon to a star?” Adam was unruffled. “I thought quoting Transcendentalists could get you excommunicated.”

“Who said I know it’s Emerson. It’s a sourceless idiom to those of us who aren’t sad little nerds.”

Adam smirked. The smirk said, I never said Emerson. His words said, “Gansey’s damning me with faint praise. No one’s going pro out of an Algionby sport team. Even tennis.”

“Ouch,” said Ronan, cheerfully. “Hit me where it really hurts. My school pride.”

~

Now that Gansey had arrived, his plans for the day took precedence over noble pastimes such as flipping pocketknives at each other’s feet. His plans involved comparing readings from various instruments and then placing said various instruments in various new locations, all of which were equally arbitrary (to Ronan’s eyes) and inaccessible. Gansey’s plans involved him waiting by the car to monitor the readings while people hiked with antennae to the outermost reaches of the signal. People, in this instance, being Ronan and Adam, Noah having mysteriously and silently fucked off, as he so often did when a job required carrying anything.

Ronan put his head down and trudged. It was brambly here, and slightly damp, and he was beginning to work up the kind of counter-intuitive sweat that appears from working in the cold, the kind that makes you colder later.

As the person leading the hike, custom would dictate that he should catch and hold the long clinging arms of the brambles for the following hiker. This presented a dilemma. Ronan compromised, and set about stomping the multiflora into the ground as he walked. Scarlet hips burst under his feet, invasive and beautiful, spreading their millions of seeds across the damp earth. Noxious weeds.

“It’s too unreliable,” said Adam, into the silence. “Sports. It all depends on… your physical condition.”

“And your condition is shit.”

There was Adam’s ironic smile. “Yes. So.” He shrugged. There was the part they weren’t saying, which was that his physical condition could always get worse. Unexpectedly.

“My dad hates baseball.” Ronan heard himself make the slip—hates and not hated—and a spark of fury burned through him, brief and inconsequential.

“My dad loves it.”

They marched on in silence.

Adam swore as a bramble Ronan had beaten down sprang up again, catching him right across the tear, where his skin was exposed. He bent to unhook it from the camo with deft, deliberate hands. “What?” he said, like he could feel Ronan’s eyes.

Ronan looked away. “Why not the military?” He kicked purposelessly at the bramble and heard Adam sigh. “And don’t tell me you never thought about it. Test scores like yours out in hicksville high school, you must have had recruiters hopping all over you like fleas.”

“Would you believe I had a moral objection?” Adam’s smile was self-deprecating. Ronan studied it.

“No.”

Adam shrugged. It, too, was self-deprecating.

“I think you had a superiority objection. You think you’re too smart for that shit.”

Adam blinked at him. “Do you think I’m wrong?”

Ronan snorted. “Hell no. You can do better than getting blown up in a desert for the United States government.”

The smile, when it came, was small and stunning. “Damned by faint praise again.”

[myredrainbow]

Alastor with a Alice Angel S/O

I couldn’t help myself with this idea!! It’s just aaaaa- ok I’m only doing the Alice Angel based off her as in the cartoons not the actual game & also based off Betty Boop too. Btw this is taking place in the Cannibal Colony since that’s there time period in their town is based off !!!!

This idea came from @screaminhysteria so ty!!!!! Ahhhh-

One more thing - this works perfectly time period 1920’s-1940’s. Ah yes the golden age of animation & the roaring 20’s!!

Let the historical accuracy begin!!!

~~~

~As Alastor’s S/o you too tend to be seen in speakeasy’s or jazz clubs! Your voice beautiful & he’s radio host skills- plus so piano playing on the side.. most would say-“Golly! What a duo!”

~The first time you too met it was during one of your performances at a speakeasy, fine jazz playing and swing jamming. Walking into the room was an incredible atmosphere for him, since he loved the thrill of others.

~Singing in the center was you, others dancing at your voice. Others singing along as you sang, you were at your happiest moment ever.

~Alastor watching from his seat, staring at you. Your smile, your charm, the way you sway softly to the beat the music.

~Curiously, Alastor decided to take a shot and ask you to dance a swing with him. Breathing in sharply he made his way to the floor and towards the stage. You were about to continue singing but heard a soft-

~ “Hello! My dear, care for a dance?” You took his hand and joined him.. the rest was history!

~ As a S/o of Alastor, you are well protected from others. Especially when it comes to rowdy patrons in the speakeasy’s & Clubs, he will be secretly be scouting that Parton and “chatting” with him in a nearby dark ally ….

~ You on the other hand are very kind and giddy towards Alastor but in front of others, you make sure to let everyone know that your taken by someone special. Making sure to swat away hands from touching you while you’re singing..

~When you enter at speakeasy your always dress to perfection, the finest black attire. Sometimes you sometimes wear a beautiful deer fur scarf around the back of your arms, of course the fur from Alastor.

~Alastor loves your dressing attire, but he dose have to fend off unwanted attention from you when it comes to wearing more “flashy” attire. Most those that show a lot more skin than usual, but he tends so see you in awe starring at him when he “deals” with those who don’t understand the concept of “personal space”.

~At his radio show broadcast, he will always praise you on the radio and telling his listeners about your singing skills are beautiful. Sometimes you will receive letters from your mail of people asking you to perform at their business. With pay of course..

~Although he adores telling others of you but he dose tell his listeners that he must warn them that you are in a loving relationship and he will not tolerate those who want to interfere with your love life..

~What a gentleman!~

~ Sometimes you two will stay up late and slow dance to the radio, ( like a nice song will be “All the things you are by Dizzy Gillespie). You will be holding his hand while you have a hand on his shoulder, his grin- well unchanged but sweet. He hand on your hips & his head close to yours..

~ As an Half Angel, you do tend to view things differently from Alastor but you’d learned to be fine with it.. like for example, cannibalism. Yes you live in the Cannibal Colony but you aren’t a cannibal yourself, your just very good friends with the head of the colony, Rosie.

~She doesn’t mind the fact your aren’t cannibal but she just adores you as much as Alastor . As a friend of course!

~ Alastor is happy that you and Rosie are great friends, sometimes you too will go on outings around the town. Alastor trusts Rosie around you, even though you are half angel.

~ Alastor and you go on so many dates, at least three times a week. He’s always a gentleman, holding the door for you, pushing your chair in, complimenting you, insisting on paying for the both of you. What a man..

~ You know Husker & Niffty,- of course!. You & Niffty tend to go shopping for clothing together since you both have certain tastes in clothing, which makes the trip more enjoyable! She would give you her opinions on what outfits to wear for your performances!

~And you will tell her what shade of pink will suite her the best and occasionally have to calm her down when she see a male walking around.

~Husker has to push his manners button for you, because you are Alastor’s one & only so he doesn’t want to get hurt by him. He dose know what types of drinks you like.

~But you don’t necessarily drink a lot so he has fruity alternatives like, an strawberry lemonade, sparkling cider or a sherry temple - with extra cherries please!

~He dose like your company too, you will tell him about the bars that have a lot of gambling there and sometimes will tell him to go have fun while Alastor is in a good mood.

~You do tend to visit Alastor at his little pet project- The Hazbin Hotel, of course! You don’t want to redeem yourself but you’re supporting your love, no matter what.

~But when you meet the princess of hell, Charlie. You both question each other, another half angel half demon?. Do you know each other? But Alastor just just hummed sweetly to you, not to “worry about what you are! It will ruin your sweet charms”.

~ You would leave him lunch, usually containing deer meat and sweet honey beignets. The beignets homemade of course, since he’s from New Orleans.

~ When it comes to, killing other demons or demons selling their souls to Alastor your not bothered by it. You would most of the time just stare at the demon/sinner in quietness. But if they rubbed Alastor the wrong way, well you won’t show mercy to them either. “Please! Make him stop! I’m begging you! Sweet Angel!”

~Walking up to them, gently lifting their head up as their body- mangled.. you would smile sweetly, “ Sweet, demon.. how I pity you as an Angel. But for disturbing my Alastor.. I’m afraid you must die now..”

~And with a snap of his fingers, the demon is no more as you grin. Placing a soft peck on his cheek, his grin growing larger.

~ “ Now my dear, how bout a dance?” He cheers as he wrapped his hand around your waist, “I’d love too!”

~~~~~~

Aaaaaaa-! That’s the end!!! I hope you like it!! I personally love it I think it’s very cute!! Part 2 of Lucifer vs Alastor will be done by tomorrow!! And I can not wait for the last two episodes of Hazbin Hotel!!!!

~myredrainbow

[dark-frosted-heart]

Book of Memories ~ Clavis, Jin, and Sariel ~

Card story

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this.

Clavis gets bullied

BOOM!

AAAAAHHHHHH!

(Ah...There goes two down a hole.)

Since coming to court, the sounds of explosions and screams have become apart of my daily life. Amazed by how adaptable people are, I stopped reading and headed toward the nose.

Jin: Are you two hurt?

The knights came out of the hole with the help of Jin. Besides them was Clavis, who was probably the one that dug the pit, and Sariel, whose brows were furrowed. Just an everyday sight.

Knight 1: Fortunately, the hole was filled with cushions so I'm fine. How about you?

Knight 2: Same. Thanks for your help.

Jin: I just lent a hand while you two were climbing out.

Clavis: You two must have cooled off now after falling down the hole. I'll see you two tomorrow.

Knights: Yes sir.

(Were the knights arguing?)

(An underhanded method to get them to make up, but it's expected from Clavis.)

Sariel: Prince Clavis will fill this hole up by himself. Everyone else can go about your own business.

Knights: Understood! Excuse us!

(Wow, they look so happy...)

I approach the three, as if replacing the knights that just hurried off.

Clavis: Emma, did you come to see who got caught in my trap? Unfortunately you're too late.

Emma: Actually, I thought I'd come help whoever fell in the pit.

Jin: Most people would stay away to avoid getting dragged in to trouble, but you're so sweet. I'll give you some candy for being a good girl. Here, give me your hand.

Emma: Thank you.

I hold my hand out and he gives me a lollipop. Sariel clears his throat and I’m pretty sure the increased tension’s not a part of my imagination.

Sariel: Prince Clavis, you already made a pit trap yesterday, didn’t you? Are you planning to unlevel this beautiful garden?

Clavis: It looks like our dear bureaucrat's vision is deteriorating so why don't I show you? Look at where I filled up a hole yesterday. It's as beautiful as it was before I dug it up. No unevenness here.

Emma: Wait, you're pointing at my feet. Did you dig a pit here yesterday?!

Jin: It's true that it's pretty level here. You're not just a master digger, but a master filler too.

Sariel: Prince Jin, please don't encourage him. He'll get carried away.

Jin: Getting carried away's a problem, but the hole's been nicely filled. Isn't that okay?

Clavis: Jin really is a wonderful older brother and partner in crime. I'll make some sweets for you next time.

Jin: I'll pass since Yves' making sweets. How about you make something as an apology to Sariel?

Sariel: If you'd like to know what it's like to step on thin ice, then by my guest. You don't feel sorry at all.

Clavis: Are you expecting me to?

Sariel: ...

Emma: S-Sariel, please don't be angry. If you furrow your brows any further, you won't be able to get rid of the wrinkles.

Jin: If he can't get rid of them, I'll teach him how to massage them out.

Sariel: We should deal with the source of the wrinkles first.

Jin: Think you can do it?

(I don't think so...)

Clavis returns the stares with a proud smile and Sariel quietly pinches his brows.

Sariel: Intelligence increases with age, but I wish that his ability with traps remained that of a child's. Seriously.

Emma: As expected, he wasn't as powerful as a kid.

Jin: If he was this powerful as a kid, the castle would've been repaired more than 10 times over.

Emma: The thought of it is terrifying.

Sariel: There's no charm in falling into a trap you set yourself.

Emma: Own trap?

Clavis: Oi, why'd you just say something like that to Emma? You did it on purpose, didn't you?

Sariel: Just some divine punishment.

Jin: That's quite a promotion from bureaucrat.

Clavis: Emma, forget what you heard. That's just a false memory of Sariel's.

Emma: Did you get caught in your own trap, Clavis?

Clavis: I've never seen you smile without any reservation or care like that before.

Jin: It was such a failure. I think it was his first time setting such a big trap.

Sariel: Yes, the trap suddenly malfunctioned and went off before it could be stopped.

Jin: The impact caused Clavis to slip, grab our clothes, and drag us into the pond together with a plop.

~~Flashback start~~

Sariel: You've done it now.

Jin: Hey, your glare's making Clavis cry.

Clavis: *sniff* I'm just pretending to cry. I'm just great at acting, okay! Damn it...Me, a genius, made this trap. I'm frustrated, but I'll definitely succeed next time. I'll keep going at it until I do!

Sariel: You caused so much trouble for others, yet you don't regret it at all?

Clavis: Eek

Jin: Hey, hey, don't actually make him cry. It's just child's play, isn't it?

Sariel: It's never too late to nip evil in the bud.

Jin: Clavis, run! Sariel's serious!

Clavis: Run away!

Sariel: Hold it!

~~Flashback end~~

(Wow, I can just imagine it.)

Jin: As you get older, you want to reminisce.

Clavis: About people's failures?

Jin: It's a precious memory for me. There was some commotion after that and I didn't have time to rest.

Emma: I'm sorry Clavis, but I'd love to hear about your lovely memories too.

Clavis: If my own shame can make someone else happy...It can't be helped. I'll allow it.

Sariel: Emma, would you like to hear about another memory?

Clavis: We're ending it there!

Jin: Your tolerance went away in an instant.

Sariel: Fufu, must be a dark past he wants to forget about.

(It's rare to see Clavis so flustered.)

Suddenly, a casual question out of curiosity springs up.

(Sariel was Clavis' teacher, wasn't he?)

(He's probably the one that got to see the evolution of traps up close.)

(Even if they've improved over time, I think they could've been prevented in the first place...)

Sariel: At any rate, this trap was a little crude, even for you.

(Hm...?)

Sariel: I think you were pressed for time because there was too much room for just two men.

Clavis: You got a good eye. To begin with, I didn't have enough time to prepare. It would've been better to string them up.

Jin: But you'd need a tree large enough to hold two knights. It'd be hard to lure them to the right place, wouldn't it? Then how about-

(This...I've never seen this before)

It was unheard of for Sariel to start evaluating traps while in the middle of a lecture. And after hearing Jin's suggestion, started adding on to the ideas for new traps. Apparently I was unaware of the fact that this was part of the trio's daily life.

(So, rather than Sariel failing to prevent traps, he's just not trying to.)

(Then why...)

One question's answered and another pops up in its place.

Clavis: ...

(Ah...)

For a moment, Clavis' eyes softened. That expression...

Clavis: Emma

Suddenly, our eyes meet when he calls my name and he pokes my cheek after closing the distance between us.

Clavis: You've got that smile on your face again. You've been thinking about me, haven't you?

Emma: Yes... I wanted to know more about your childhood memories, Clavis.

I unconsciously gave an answer different from what I had in mind, but it wasn't a lie. My reply made Sariel's smile widen and his shoulders shook slightly.

Sariel: How about I prepare for you the finest memories?

Jin: I won't lose to you.

Clavis: Those memories are all going to be related to my failures, aren't they.

Jin and Sariel: Of course.

Clavis: You two do nothing but harass me.

Jin: A big brother's love for his little brother.

Sariel: A teacher's love for his apprentice.

The looks of disapproval on Clavis' face makes us laugh out loud. There's no longer any traces of tension or lectures. Instead, a pleasant air seems to surround us.

(Jin and Sariel sound like they're joking, but they must be speaking the truth.)

(When I looked a Clavis just now, for the first time, I thought he was like a little brother.)

Clavis' relaxed expression showed me the happiness and trust that he couldn't hide.

(That's an expression you can only see when he's with the two of them.)

The relationship among the three revealed through traps warmed my heart.

[unclewaynemunson]

Belated happy birthday to @steviesbicrisis! Your bday post made me think about a steddie pride and prejudice au with a twist so this one's for you :D

(obviously this takes place in a world where gay marriage has always been completely normal. Fuck historic accuracy)

----------

Steve feels his face light up when an all-too-familiar knock sounds through the house; there's only one person in his life who tirelessly drums out the most elaborately ridiculous rhythms on the wood of the door. 

Unsurprisingly, Eddie stumbles inside a moment later. Something is different, though, Steve notices that much right away. His friend doesn't barge into the room to drape himself over the couch like he usually does. Instead, he closes the door behind him and keeps standing still right in front of it.

'I have some news for you,' he says, in a strangely solemn voice.

'Is something wrong?' Steve asks, immediately worried.

'No.' Eddie shakes his head. He smiles, but it's only a weak version of his usual bright grin and it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 'No, it's um... It's good news.' He nods, almost as if he's saying that to convince himself, and Steve feels a frown creep onto his own face.

'I'm engaged. To Keith.'

For a few seconds, Steve can do nothing but stare at him.

'Engaged?' he then stupidly repeats.

'Yes.' Eddie nods again.

'To be married?!' Steve asks urgently.

Now, Eddie rolls his eyes. 'Yes of course, Steve, what other kind of engaged is there?'

Steve feels his jaw drop. 'How– Why–'

'Oh for heavens sake, Steve,' Eddie impatiently interrupts his stuttered, unfinished questions. 'There's no earthly reason why I shouldn't accept his hand.'

'But he's – ridiculous!' Steve finally manages to spit out.

And something shifts in Eddie's posture. 'Well, not all of us can afford to be romantic,' he says with a chilly edge to his voice. ‘He's rich, he can give me a comfortable home and a reasonable position in society – I wouldn't dare ask for more.'

'Eddie,' Steve says. He doesn't even know where to start. He wants to tell Eddie exactly how much more he deserves than some gross creep, how he's betraying everything he stands for by marrying Keith, how he's signing for a life devoid of any happiness – but before he can even begin to properly phrase any of those thoughts, Eddie already narrows his eyes at him. He looks at him like a cornered animal, and Steve understands that Eddie interprets his silence not as caring, but as judging, or maybe even pity.

'I am twenty-seven years old,' Eddie says, his voice colored with a kind of forced calmness. 'I have no money and no prospects. I'm already a burden to my uncle. And I'm frightened. So don't judge me, Steve, don't you dare judge me.' Then, he resolutely turns around and opens the door.

'Eddie, wait,' Steve quickly says.

For a second, it looks like he won't listen, like he will walk away without looking back – but then, he turns his head around, and Steve sees tears glistening in his eyes.

'I – I'm not judging you. I'll respect your choice, even if I don't understand it. Don't cry, please.' He knows it's a useless thing to do, telling people not to cry, but he hates seeing this look on Eddie's face. It makes his hands itch with the desire to hold him.

'I’m just... You caught me off-guard. I didn't know you were interested in marriage all of a sudden.'

'Why does it matter?' Eddie asks with an arched eyebrow. 'Were you planning on asking me if I was?'

And that question, phrased in such a sarcastic way, paired with the defensive look in Eddie's eyes... The insinuation of how truly preposterous that would be feels exactly how Steve would imagine getting stabbed in the heart would feel like.

It makes him realize that he has nothing left to lose. Eddie will walk out of that door – maybe they'll make up, maybe they won't, but their friendship will never be the same as before Eddie got engaged to Keith.

'What would you say if I was?'

Eddie stares at him. He opens his mouth, then closes it again.

Steve just stands there, waiting, until the surprise on Eddie's face makes place for something more unreadable.

'Don't be ridiculous now, Steve.'

'Is it truly that much more ridiculous than you marrying Keith?'

'Are you seriously asking me to marry you only to keep me away from Keith?'

'No, I –' Steve pauses; he wishes he would have had time to think about what to say. It feels like his words won't ever be able to do his feelings justice.

'I have loved you for years, Eddie,' he finally admits. 'And if you truly want to marry Keith, I won't try to change your mind. But I can't let you go without telling you the truth.'

Eddie's eyes widen as he lets the words sink in with a shocked look on his face.

'You love me?' he repeats in a slightly raspy voice.

Steve nods, only to be met with more silence, as the clock on the wall ticks away the seconds.

'You don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know.'

'Steve... Is this a goddamn proposal or not?'

'I don't know.'

'You don't know?!'

'I mean, it isn't – I don't think it is.’ Steve stumbles through the words. ‘I don't want you to choose me because I'm richer, or – or better-looking than Keith... I only want to marry for love, and I'm not as arrogant to expect you to feel the same way about me.'

'Oh, Steve...' The shock on Eddie's face melts away, softening his features and making the look in his eyes gentler.

'You don't need to pity me.’

'No, no way, I'm not pitying you,' Eddie answers. He takes two big steps towards Steve, wraps his hands around Steve's. They're warm and familiar and making him miss what he can't have even stronger.

'If I had known... Stevie, I would've never said yes to Keith, it's not even close to a competition. If I had known I could have you, all this time... I never even thought I'd stand a chance. You're probably the most perfect person I know, and I'm, well, just Eddie.'

'Oh, we need to work on your self-esteem, baby.' The pet name slips out of Steve's mouth before he can help it, and it brings that beaming bright smile to Eddie's face; the smile that Steve loves so much.

He feels Eddie’s hands slide around his waist and they rest their foreheads together, both breathing shakily, trying desperately not to let their emotions overpower them.

'Does this mean that we're engaged now?' Steve finally manages to ask; his voice is shaking but he needs to hear it. He needs to be sure that he indeed gets to hold the man in front of him for the rest of their lives.

Eddie utters a tearful chuckle. 'I suppose I have another wedding to cancel first.'

[thewritetofreespeech]

Hello! Happy to see requests are open again!

Could I request the seven Obey Me brothers with an s/o who's a jewelry maker?

Obey me Brothers + jewelry maker s/o

Lucifer

He likes the concept of jewelry more than he actually likes it.

The style and fashion on how it’s made, plus the reasons why, have always fascinated Lucifer. Like any piece of art. However, he doesn’t really wear jewelry.

He has a few ceremonial pieces for balls & diplomatic occasions, and of course his chain in his demon form, but that’s about it.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a watch chain. One of interlocking silver & gold pieces to symbolize their bond, as well as something practical he could wear everyday.

Mammon

As the Avatar of Greed, of course Mammon loves jewelry.

He loves being around it. Loves touching it. Loves owning it. All the shiny, intrinsic value of it all.

He’s honestly never really cared about any of the pieces he’s owned (just hoarding them like his little ravens) until s/o gave him something. He would cherish and keep it close. It’s a real problem on photoshoots.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a new set of earrings for his ear. That way he could wear them around all the time and change out the studs with one or the other depending on his style.

Levi

He’s not a real jewelry person.

The only kind he’s ever owned his costume jewelry for his cosplay, or merch jewelry from his favorite characters. More for collectors’ value & clout than real money.

Levi thinks it’s pretty cool they can make pieces though, and commissions several for his outfits if his vision for a certain accessory doesn’t exist.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a new gaming wristlet to put on his handhelds. Of course he can’t have anything on his fingers, as it will screw up his accuracy, but he can use it to keep hold of his games and fun charms, and think of s/o while he plays.

Satan

Much like Lucifer (though he’ll never admit it) Satan appreciates jewelry for its art.

The symbolic and time period importance of a piece interests him, and he’s also read several books of smithing & traditional jewelry making to know about it.

He would like to learn as well and asks s/o to teach him. Then they have a hobby together.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a lapel pin he could wear on his jacket. Something with a flat steam so, when he’s out reading, he can also use it as a bookmark.

Asmo

Asmo as literally hundreds of pieces of jewelry. Of all kinds.

Most of them are gifts from admirers, but he’s also purchased a lot of them as fashion accessories. Every new trend needs to be owned by him.

He genuinely loves every piece he owns, but the ones from s/o are the only ones he honestly re-wears as he usually doesn’t like to repeat a look.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a ring. Something bright & flashy, and he would constantly tell people it’s their engagement ring; which annoys s/o but Asmo is so happy when he says it.

Beel

Beel doesn’t really get jewelry.

Likes it’s cool and all. Shiny and everything. But he thinks it just gets in the way of what you’re trying to do and is just another thing to worry about. Plus he’s broken a lot of it not thinking about his strength.

The only exception he makes is for his leather necklace & bracelet, and that’s because Belphie gave it to him. So he would probably make an exception for s/o’s gift as well.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a bracelet the same style as his human outfit look. It’s a strong enough metal weave that he can’t easily break it, plus it looks really strong. He’s always liked bronze more than traditional metals if he had to choose.

Belphie

Thinks jewelry is pointless. Just another thing you have to take off before you go to sleep, or it just sits in a drawer.

But anything [Y/N] does is of interest to him.

He would like to watch them make the pieces. Something about turning just ordinary pieces into something beautiful really moves him, and he can watch them for hours.

If s/o was to make him a piece of jewelry, he would want a necklace with an amethyst stone. He doesn’t have to take it off when he goes to sleep. Amethyst is said to help promote restful sleep. And purple is his favorite color. Belphie would wear it all the time.

[olderthannetfic]

Ok so I'm thinking this could just be because of the online spaces I'm surrounded with and the absolute shit algorithms, but where does the assertion come from that white people are the ones who have super high standards for POC writing?

Ok I know, traditional publishing. Yeah, that's one side of things. The professional realm of US publishing is definitely high and staked against POC authors. No need to argue about that.

But I mean like, as readers. Because after seeing some people talk about that POC written "Wicked Gods book" I went on an age old online pastime of drama and tea spills in incognito mode, and the main people who seem to put POC writing to super high standards are... other POC people. Staying on topic for Wicked Gods, on that GR page of Wicked Gods there are tons of POC/BIPOC (they state it in the reviews) who're throwing out accusations that imply the writer is a traitor, hates POC, fetishizes colonialism, the impact of it, feeds into the WMAW trope etc etc. Even some who go full attack on the author saying their grandparents would be ashamed of them if they were still alive or that the author doesn't care about the people affected by history.

Then went to youtube, and while most of the POC reviewers are good at staying constructive, there are those who just immediately go to drag the author and do the same shit as some of the GR reviews I mentioned.

Anyway went down the rabbit hole of checking "controversial POC authors" or just some more reader bait books and yeah, a lot of the actual "high standard" talks come from a lot of POC reviewers. Though the standards are mostly POC having super high standards for other POC people on how to represent POC authors, writing and experiences, and culture. Anything that could be "bad" like colonizer romance, gets a lot of angry reviews from POCs about that, and some other tropes. Even in the cases where the POC in question isn't even of the same race as the author. The only real "white ppl standards" thing is that on average there seem to be more white readers on some books, but most of the white people deliberately reading POC books don't seem to actually have that high standards for the POC novels, they're actually kinda boring. Either it's very touristy, very nothing, just parroting some POC reviewer, or it's actually just a normal review with no commenting on accuracy or expectations, just taking the book for what it is and criticising what they do know, eg poor depictions of feminism, or just poor writing..

--

I suspect the actual pattern is 50% the "How it works" thing where a minority person is anomalous and memorable while a "default" person's bad writing/actions/etc. are forgotten and not treated as part of a pattern we should pay attention to...

And 50% people being more sensitive to portrayals of their own group or a minority group they relate to or whatever. I know bad depictions of women annoy me more than those of men, and my standards for f/f are unfortunately higher than my standards for m/m.

I do see white people signal boosting pseudo-activist stuff they clearly don't have enough context for and should probably not be signal boosting, but I'd say the actual white person bad behavior in this sphere is more often abject indifference.

As for where the assertion comes from... I presume it's the usual "My enemies must be of the demographic I dislike!" idiocy. You see this fallacy in every type of argument put forward by every type of person. It's certainly not restricted to POC bitching about white people.

[babyrdie]

This 2016 fic. What fic was it?

I don't know if it's still on the site because I usually don't log in and this fic is restricted, but it was Good Soul or something like that, I think!

But if your interest in the fic was the idea of reading a fic with a Patroclus that sounds like my Patroclus, I'll warn you that it's more in terms of vibes. The plot and elements of the fic certainly don't sound like my style! It's a really fun fic, but it doesn't have any commitment to things like mythical accuracy or even temporal accuracy (by that I'm not talking about unknown historical details, I'm talking about obvius things). But it's pretty obvious, at least to me, that it was intentional. Like, I got the impression that it was a creative choice, especially a humorous one. Plus, it's a fanfic and I think it's kind of strange to expect the same things from fanfics that you would expect from products (i.e. paid, professional things. Things like books, series, movies) when it's fan-to-fan sharing in the most unpretentious/fun way possible. I don't say this to diminish fanfics (I was a ficwriter myself for almost 10 years! I wrote more than 200 fics lol), I just think they're really different things with different proposals. But as I know this isn't a lot of people's cup of tea even in fics, I'm already saying it.

But yeah, when I think about it I think my Patroclus is influenced by the Patroclus in this fic. He has a certain impatience and pettiness that matches my Patroclus. The Achilles in the fic, however, doesn't resemble my Achilles. Therefore, the Patrochilles dynamic in the fic itself is different from my dynamic. As for the secondary characters, most of them are OCs. I usually don't like OCs in fics very much, but in case that's the case for you, I'll just say that I found the OCs in this fic really cool! You actually care about them instead of feeling like they're getting in the way. The Thetis in this fic is very… expressive. She's a humorous character, from what I remember. Maybe her vibe will surprise you lol I still can't get over a line of dialogue where Achilles is going on and on about a certain event in the fic and starts commenting on how he has good senses and says that Thetis told him it's because they're part dolphin. Like, dude??? That's gold! Overall, the fic has the characters at certain moments overreacting for humorous reasons, so if that fits your mood it might be worth checking out.

BUT WARNING: the ending… is kind of open. Like, it's closed for this part of the fic, but it feels like it's the end of book 1 and there should be a second book of a duology. Except the fic has no continuation!

[carriechambers]

Pendulum 101

Post

Hey everyone, so we have a new (and first) post on our website about dowsing pendulums!

In this post you'll learn:

how to use a pendulum (for divination, finding lost items, blockages, using charts and the 4 basic answers it gives)

pendulum care (cleansing, bonding and why not leave it lying around)

materials properties (common crystals used for pendulums and metals and wood)

how to make a pendulum (general tip for alternative pendulum choices)

If you're interested, it's better to visit the web page, as there it is way easier to orientate yourself in. However if you do wanna stay on the site, you can read it further in this post. And if you're looking for spiritual and witchy content, stop by from time to time 💜 On the webpage there is a Library that will soon fill up, and it'll be easier to find things there in form of web pages rather than tumblr posts.

The link: Pendulum

How to Use a Pendulum

This really depends on your beliefs. Some believe pendulum move on its own, or that a certain spirit is moving it. Others on the other hand believe that it is our own intuition that moves it - so that we are moving it through subtle moves of the fingers. Depending on where your beliefs lie, you may choose to either hold the end of the string/chain in between your index finger and thumb with your elbow on a solid surface, or hang it on something to make sure you’re not the one moving it.

If you would like to rather hang it, there are sites that sell stands for it, or some people like to DIY a pendulum jar/bottle - for that you basically grab a transparent jar and glue the pendulum chain to the middle of the lid, so that when you close it, the pendulum hangs freely in the middle of it. This ensures that no wind will tamper with it.

Some tech witches would probably also use some sort of an app or a website which randomly decides what the pendulum answers. Once again, this depends entirely on your beliefs, whether you believe in the accuracy of divination tools in electronics. Unfortunately I haven’t found a good website or an app that would simulate it well, but perhaps you’ll have better luck!

Now, when you first get a pendulum, other than cleansing it, you can also “calibrate” it. Either you can decide on how it should show each answer, or you can ask it to show you each. You can also ask it basic questions that you know the answer to to find out their meanings (and many people do that even after “calibrating” to check if everything fits). There are 4 basic moves of a pendulum:

Yes - usually either from front to back (like nodding your head), or side to side. As I mentioned before, you can also ask it to show you (“show me a yes”) and remember it or write it down somewhere.

No - once again, usually side to side (like shaking your head) or front to back.

Maybe - usually either clockwise or counter-clockwise. This often means that the answer to your question depends on different factors. Kind of like saying “yes if X, no if Y”. Sometimes certain spirits also like to say “maybe” a lot, in my experience it is a common thing amongst tricksters.

Don’t know / Can’t answer / Rephrase - once again, usually clockwise or counter-clockwise. Some pendulums actually merge “maybe” and “don’t know”. This means that either they do not want to tell you, or you asked a non-yes/no-question.

Another thing are charts - you can use a pendulum chart or board for questions that don’t have yes/no answers. And many also use a pendulum board that has the basic 4 motions on it as well! Super useful for forgetful people. There are many you can choose from, and you can also make your own. There are ones with a full on alphabet, so that it can give you custom answers. You can find many for example on Pinterest. It’s better to print them out, but there were many times I’ve simply opened one on my phone and held my pendulum over the screen.

Pendulum’s are also often used in energy works as a way to find some blockages, which areas need the most attention, etc. Basically in these things one person lies down flat on the stomach or back, and the other person holds the pendulum over their body, asking to point towards the areas. I believe that it is quite a common practice when you go to some reiki therapy.

There are also other ways of using your pendulum. It can be used to find a location that meets your specifications / where the object you’re looking for is located. That could be for example when you’ve lost something in your house, or when you want to look for an ingredient.

For finding something local, you usually ask yes/no questions for each of the rooms (if it’s inside a house, this step would be skipped if you already know the room or if you’re in a larger area). Alternatively, you could hold your pendulum over a sketch of the layout of the building to figure out the room. Then, you would ask for the direction and the pendulum will point towards the object. Make sure you’re standing in the doorway, because otherwise you might be going forwards when the pendulum was actually pointing behind you. You do this multiple times, also throwing in some questions like “am I near the object”, etc.

For finding something in a large area (like entire neighbourhood, or tips for trips to other states, finding ingredients, etc.) you can use your pendulum with a map. Then you ask it to point to the area where you will find it / that’s good for your vacation. You can once again do it multiple times, and if you’re going to search for something specific, you can then use the local way of finding things.

One more thing I’d like to talk about before moving on to taking care of a pendulum, is divination itself. When talking about divination, most people probably imagine fortune telling. Now I’m not saying that’s impossible, but the fact is, future is everchanging. The slightest of things can change it - that is why the further we’re reading, the more inaccurate it gets. When you do a reading (and I mean anything, be it pendulum or tarot) for today, it will be likely quite accurate, but the further away you do, it gets less and less accurate. And on top of that, we can often misinterpret things. So just keep this in mind when using your divination tools. I personally rather do readings for advice rather than fortune-telling.

  Pendulum care

When we talk about pendulum care, it’s mostly about cleansing. Why do we cleanse? Because most things collect some amount of negative energy through time. This is especially true for spiritual tools, including divination tools, because by doing spiritual things, we open the area (and ourselves) to the energies of the universe - which includes negative ones. Other than that we also always cleanse tools when we first obtain them, to rid them of any energy they were subjected to up till they got into our hands. This ensures they keep giving accurate answers and we don’t bring even more negative energy into our lives.

Another thing is bonding with your pendulum. Using it by itself of course also is a way of bonding, but there are other ways too. Bonding helps you be more in tune with its energy, makes your readings more accurate. And if you (like some other people) believe that each divination tool has its kind of spirit (I feel like this is really common among card readers, because those cards be acting sassy), you might want to bond for the sake of bonding. Now this is done through for example carrying it around with you and meditating with it. When you first get it, asking test questions (ones you already know the answer to) can be a good way to feel its energy as well. Just make sure it’s alright with test questions, some divination tools really don’t like those in my experience, at least when you’re acting distrustful.

Cleansing your pendulum can be done in multiple ways. If you’d like to use physical cleaning (with water) while focusing on cleansing it spiritually too, please make sure that whatever the material is can be washed. There are many crystals that react with water, and in some cases it can be harmful not only to the crystal, but also to you.

Another way you can cleanse is by sunlight or moonlight. I’ve seen multiple opinions on these - some say that some crystals would be better with sunlight while others with moonlight and that full moon is the best, because the moonlight is strongest. However I have found it more common for new moon to be a cleansing period. The energies of new moon leave behind what should be gotten rid of and starts with a clean slate. Charging crystals would be probably better in full moon though, yes. But crystals currently aren’t our topic. You also need to make sure how certain crystals react with sunlight - because some fade if left too long in it. It doesn’t damage them, but you might be disappointed if your beautiful amethyst pendulum suddenly starts losing its purple colour. 

There is also something called soundcleansing. Usually it’s done with tuning fork or a singing bowl, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. I often combine this with visualisation and clap my hands, hum, things like that. It is mostly believed that the vibrations are what cleanse. So you can also pull up youtube video with some sounds and it should work just fine.

And then there is visualisation and meditation.This one is even more flexible than the other methods. You sit down with your pendulum and meditate, then imagine perhaps the energies exchanging, getting rid of any dark spots (negative energy) and bringing in some positive energy (often either white or yellow). I often combine this with some movement like slamming one hand lightly against the other, like shaking the negative energy out, like a powder.

  Materials

And I’d also like to mention that it is good to put up some protections around the place you wanna keep it in (you can also make a protection for the sachet you keep it in. This keeps it from building up too much negative energy. Many people believe that if a crystal builds up way too much negative energy, they can break. As in, part of them can fully chip off. This is actually what happened to my pendulum unfortunately, as I did not keep it in a protected place. You can continue using it even after that, I still do, but it’s never a good thing nor a good feeling to have that happen.

Other than protecting your pendulum, don’t forget to protect yourself too! Since you’re opening yourself to the universe, it is important to protect yourself from anything harmful that could enter your place through it.

Pendulums can be made from all kinds of things. If you don’t have the budget to get one, you may even use a necklace, or literally any weight hung on a string. But of course, crystals are the most common for pendulums. 

Rose quartz - Other than being the love crystal as everyone knows it, rose quartz is pretty good for getting rid of negative energies. So might be doing exceptionally well in love readings, but is mostly used for it’s protective energy.

Black obsidian - another crystal known mainly for its protective and cleansing energies, maybe more than rose quartz, which is usually focused more on love, self-love. 

Lapis lazuli - its properties have wisdom and truth. It’s not surprising that it is used for pendulums a lot. We do after all ask it for answers.

Aquamarine - quite an interesting stone. The connection with water means it has some cleansing properties. Spiritually however it is also connected with trust and communication. Once again, not surprising why one would want it for a pendulum.

Amethyst - Ah yes, amethyst. It has been considered one of the main spiritual crystals. Not too surprising, it is connected to the third eye energy center. It has the properties of wisdom, intuition and fighting anxiety and depression. In my opinion it is likely one of the most common materials used for pendulums and other spiritual tools.

Of course, crystals aren’t the only material used for pendulums. Another common one is metal. Copper for example is a great energy conductor and is quite widely used. Brass and Bronzestem from copper and therefore have very similar properties and are quite sturdy.

Sometimes also wood is used, as it is more grounding and stable, unaffected by the surrounding energies, only by yours as you hold it.

Some pendulums have beads / small crystals on the string. It can be used to customize the look, but also to add some meanings if you’d like. Quite common are also energy center beads (sold under “chakra” term, as chakras have been greatly appropriated from Hinduism and Buddhism).

  Making a Pendulum

There are multiple ways you can make your own pendulum if you don’t have the funds or don’t find it worth investing money into. You can always grab a necklace that you perhaps own. While most rather own pointy pendulums, they don’t have to have that shape. It is always good for it to be balanced though.

And if you’re into some woodwork, you can also carve out a wooden pendulum, hang it on a string and there you go! It shouldn’t be too heavy though, otherwise it will have a hard time swinging. And being too light might lead to it being swayed by the faintest of breezes.

  Final Note

That’s all for this post. If you have any questions or anything you think I should add to this post, go to Ask Anything. You can also write in that you do not wish to have it published, however, then you need to not write anonymously, otherwise I won’t be able to respond in DMs. For more posts, check out the Library. Have a wonderful day 💜

   Sources

My Experience

trulyexperiences crystal correspondences

opulentcharms pendulum materials

Disclaimer: all pictures are from royalty-free websites

[sarahlizziewrites]

Re: Historical accuracy in fiction

Tl;dr: it is not your job as a fiction author to provide complete historical accuracy. It is your job to evoke a time period and communicate it. Don't get bogged down in research unless you really want to.

First of all, this is my disclaimer: I am talking about the kind of things I like to read and write. I am speaking as a historical fiction fan, author and lover of history. This is my personal taste.

Perfect historical accuracy in fiction is massively overrated. In the past have gotten stuck on writing historical fiction pieces because I felt I needed to research more. This killed my story. The piece of art that could have been amazing sat languishing on a hard drive forever.

I do not think historical fiction needs to be stunningly accurate. In fact, it's easy to see when an author has clearly over-researched their book: it reads like a history text that talks about topics your average person would have never even thought about.

Example:

What an author I read recently thought a 1st century Roman citizen would think about: Ah yes, I remember the British campaign like it was yesterday, even though it was ten years ago, in AD 61. Nero was emperor then....etc.

Me, when I think about something that happened 10 years ago: Shit, that was 10 years ago? Wait, was David Cameron PM then?

(And I know how to read and use Google.)

I'm not saying "don't research the time period you are writing in". I'm saying "research the time period you are writing in as much as you feel like doing, then forget most of it when you get in your character's head, except for what might be meaningful for them".

It is not necessarily the purpose of historical fiction to give readers a detailed and realistic version of the time period. All you really need to give them is the vibes that make them feel as though they're in that time.

I just saw a post that explained how Medieval Europeans had access to spices we might usually associate with Indian cuisine. But is that what people would expect to see in a story set in Medieval Europe? No, and you don't get to put in a little "um, actually" author's note explaining every little detail that feels incongruous but is "technically" accurate. It just feels incongruous.

However, am I going to give my Indian character who lives in London in the 1930s access to curry spices? Yes, because he'd look high and low for them and I bet he'd find a good grocer somewhere in London at that time. I haven't researched how realistic that is, and I don't really care. It will still feel in-touch with the setting, and that's all I care about.

Ever since I gave up on perfect historical accuracy, I have written so many more stories in historical settings, and I love the hell out of them. Would a Louisiana jazz band tour in the UK in 1923? Maybe. But I am definitely putting a Louisiana jazz band in my novel set in the UK in 1923 because people want to see jazz in the jazz-age novel! And so do I!

The key thing is, I've only done the level of research that I'm interested in, enough to get me comfortably embedded in the time.

The fiction author's job is to deliver on the promise of the premise. Don't get caught up accidentally writing non-fiction!

You don't have to "put in your research" to write a historical novel. You get to put in as much research as you want to, and you get to disregard the stuff that doesn't spark joy, because it's your story.

I'd love to talk about this more. Historical fiction fans, what's your taste? Have you ever read anything that felt over-researched, or anything that was under-researched to the point of taking you out of the immersion? Let me know.

[cinnamonest]

When I first heard Cyno's title from leaks, as a good little simp, I went to investigate if a Mahamatra is something real.

Turns out, it is not only real, with being basically a morality police, but there's a type of Mahamatras whose duty is keeping tabs on women or something like that!

Imagine Cyno being also tasked as the keeper of the few women from Sumeru. He would, probably not intentionally, but terrify his darling by telling her how lucky she is to end up under his care. He treats the girls fairly, but once they are out of his watch to be distributed? He has seen the stuff men do to them. So stop complaining and be grateful for what he gives you! He actually treats you with decency.

(Fun fact! I had this entire thing already written and then windows auto-updated at some point while I was in urgent care bc I came home to it restarting and didn't save a temp recovery file in the appdata files :))))))

So I read a short entry about it, it seems like the exact responsibilities varied from subculture and households and communities, some of them over the general populace/common prostitutes but some of them were like a supervisor/babysitter + bodyguard combo to wealthier concubines and the like which is very :))))) and it also kinda reminds me of all the historical Chinese dramas where they have eunuchs that would guard emperor's wives and the like? And how a lot of cultures/eras within certain cultures had like "common prostitutes" and then like more elite brothels specifically for the wealthy/nobility/royalty that were often cared for, and some men would be appointed to watch over prostitutes and harems and the like

Sooooo I got to thinking of like a "more accurate to the time period the game is roughly based on" AU running with a similar idea (although of course I'm still wayyyyy deviating from historical accuracy entirely bc that makes things more fun)

//prostitute/concubine sort of darling, vaguely sexist stuff in a historical sort of way and heavily gendered, mentions of eunuchs because y'know historical AU stuff

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

Cyno being appointed to watch over and enforce rules on elite courtesans... Usually, these positions are only available to eunuchs, but some exceptions can be made for individuals who have been deemed worthy of the utmost trust, usually after proving themselves over the course of time. Thankfully, that's the classification he falls into... the notion of eunuchs makes him shudder to think about.

His dependableness, stoicism and clear self-control have earned him the trust of those in positions of authorities, and thus, he was assigned to this role. His observation skills and ability to keep tabs on more than one thing at once also helped. There's a few other such guards that take care of the lot of you as a whole, and that's part of his job as well, but he's the one personally assigned to you whenever you wish to go off on your own from the others, or into the public sphere.

He's not supposed to deny you that option, either, unless explicitly told not to by a superior, or if you want to go somewhere that is unallowed, in which case he is obligated to prohibit you from going. Otherwise, if you want to go somewhere, his job is to accompany you and tend to your whims, silently and stoically unless responding to something you say or speaking to a stranger on your behalf. Which he is expected to do, as you aren't allowed to speak to strangers, instead having him act as an intermediary.

When you go to markets (given a certain allowance of spending money to keep you happy and content), you point to the things you want or tell him what to get, and he does, speaking to merchants on your behalf. If someone approaches you for whatever reason - which is rare, seeing as most people know very well not to do so, especially with his intimidating presence beside you - he will, as he's trained and expected to do, physically step in between you and the other person, acting as a human shield in case someone were to approach you with the intent to attack, as well as a physical reminder of your status, communicating very clearly that the other individual should not be so arrogant as to assume he has any right to speak to you directly. And, of course, so you yourself don't get any ideas about talking to someone outside of the range of individuals you are allowed to speak to. If said individual is just pestering you to try and sell you something or harass you, he'll chase them off, otherwise he'll lean over so you can murmur your replies into his ear, allowing him to repeat it back to the other person.

As with that matter, with plenty of other scenarios, he's not just there to protect you. It's an unspoken condition, but understood nonetheless. He's there to keep an eye on your own behaviors. Your nature means that you can't be trusted to control your impulses or make good decisions, and if you weren't being closely watched, you may very well go off and sleep with someone else at the first opportunity you get. That's why you have him there, to ensure that that doesn't happen, to keep you in line, so to speak. Accompany you everywhere you go, sit in on your conversations with any and all visitors you have. To always know exactly where you are and what you're doing. For the few hours of night, there are guards at the end of the hall that watch the rooms where people are sleeping, but that's the only time he isn't by your side. Well, even then, he's assigned a room directly next to yours, even, to be able to spring up out of bed should you call for him, or if he's needed in any way, if you get sick in the night, and so on. So technically, he never really does leave your side.

Well, except for when one of the elites comes to "visit" you. Happens a few times a day, with the occasional break. Only certain individuals are allowed to do so. That's an important factor in your relationship. You live in a large complex, and only specific nobles and the highest-ranked individuals are allowed to enter your bed.

He's not one of them.

It's yet another class-standing issue. Sure, he may work for elites, he may dedicate his every waking moment to you and the others like you, but it would be considered defiling if he were to actually do anything to you. It's grounds for imprisonment... or worse. Only nobles have that privilege.

In truth, he resents said nobles. They're snobbish, selfish people that see you as an object, rather than a person. Usually cruel and critical towards you, never have anything nice or positive to say, always too busy to spend any time with you except to come to bed at night. It makes him grind his teeth, cover his ears so he doesn't have to hear. Likewise, you're supposed to act as though he couldn't possibly know, even though you both know full well he can hear anything that goes on in your room.

It makes him feel a very negative emotion. Anger? Bitterness? He tells himself it's because he knows they don't value you like you deserve. You've always been such a kind woman... he's seen you show concern and compassion for others, it's endearing. And in truth, while you're still of the weaker, inferior half of humanity, that kindness in and of itself is a very respectable thing... but those men would never appreciate that.

Yes, that's the real source of the anger, he knows that full well, and very quickly loses the ability to convince himself otherwise, after the first few weeks. It's because it feels unfair. They don't appreciate you, don't care for you, don't watch over you, they do nothing for you. He does all of that. He knows you far better. Yet they get to reap what logically should be his rewards.

But he stops that train of thought. "What should be his"? No, that way of thinking is dishonorable and selfish, defies the natural hierarchy of society. People of certain standing have privileges that lower members do not... even though he can't logically answer as to why. They just do. That is what is taught to the masses of the populace - the nobles and royalty deserve their palaces and wealth and feasts while the common man struggles to survive. A birthright bestowed by some higher power or the like. And as long as they have the ability to enforce that way of thinking, he has to accept it too.

And to even think of you in any way other than the purest of thoughts and a detached sense of guardianship, to have anything impure go through his mind, is sinful, filthy, almost a transgression when the thoughts intrude. It's his responsibility to push them away... even if that proves difficult.

No wonder they usually get eunuchs for this position. While the prospect is horrible, and he certainly doesn't envy them for obvious reasons, they do have the one advantage of not having to deal with the same extent of mental torment and temptation that he has to subject himself to. He starts to think he really didn't initially appreciate the trust placed in him enough, not realizing at the time of being appointed just how much willpower it would require.

And you don't make things any easier. To some extent, you're allowed to treat him like he's invisible, not even there. A lot of girls with such guardians do exactly that, pretty much never speaking to said appointed guardian unless needed, essentially going about their lives and acting like they don't even exist unless commanding them to fetch something or take care of some task.

You're rather talkative, though, at least with him. It is a bit surprising at first, albeit endearing. He's used to being seen as a tool, a sort of entity that exists to serve, and has been treated as such in past assignments in moral enforcement and dealing with violators of the society's rules, to the people he always reported to. He had some individual supervising roles before, but of all those jobs he's had in the past, you're the first one that's really... talked to him, for anything more than basic commands.

There's a good reason for that, too. You're not supposed to grow close to him in any capacity. It's not... proper, not right, it's frowned upon. There's no real given rule against it, but it's just one of those things that people don't do, that is understood without ever having to be addressed that you shouldn't. You're in a completely different world, your social role is too far apart from his for him to realistically be directly addressed by you so much.

And, of course, it's risky. People might get the wrong idea. Maybe it's just because you're quite literally trained in seduction and charm, but you always look at him with these half-lidded eyes, a sultry voice, a teasing way of speaking to him. It's basically just second nature to you, it's how you've always been taught to interact with every man you meet, to put on a flirtatiousness and sensuality with every word and every move and every expression.

It drives him up the wall, increasing with each day. The standards and norms of your role don't exactly dress you particularly modestly either, quite the opposite, which doesn't help. And you specifically are always on thin ice, always testing the boundaries, always pushing the limits of how much flirtatiousness can be excused. Perhaps that's why someone like him was assigned to you.

Well, he knows what he has to do. This is part of his job: correcting your behaviors when needed. There's a fine line of what he's allowed to tell you to do, an odd dynamic where you can tell him to do tasks for you, and yet, he also has the right - the obligation -  to command you, when it comes to certain matters of behavior, and he's expected to judge each situation appropriately, to not go too far in reprimanding you, to always criticize when he should while avoiding overstepping a line. It's a learned skill, requiring a thorough knowledge of rules both documented and silently understood.

Whenever you sit on the floor next to him as you and all your sisters-in-profession converse each evening, when you lean over onto him and reach your hand over to his thigh, he grabs your wrist, and gently, simultaneously avoiding both unnecessary harshness while also ensuring he doesn't grip you for a single moment too long, pushes you back. It's probably best you get on to bed, you are weary.

When you skip around all excited as you do whenever there's music in the courtyards, come over to him and reach up to wrap your arms around his neck, he grabs your hands and softly pushes them back to your chest. Please, be appropriate.

He makes sure you wear more modest clothing when you leave the main grounds, rather than those incredibly lewd outfits the nobles have you roaming around estate grounds in. Tells you to stop making eye contact and look downward and bow your head when stranger men approach, like you're supposed to. Always reinforcing standards and rules. You teasingly call him such a stick in the mud.

Better that, though, than subject to the wrath of higher-ups if he didn't perform his job.

When you shift to inappropriate topics, when you try and talk to strangers (he gets the sense you do it deliberately just to see him worry), when you stoop and bend and shift your legs in ways he knows is to catch attention. It's his responsibility to speak to you in a firm voice, tell you to behave yourself. You always roll your eyes, say something to the effect of affirming acknowledgement, but you never actually fix your behavior. It irritates him. Don't you know how serious what you do is? What if it wasn't him? What if it was anyone else? He asks you that, trying to get you to see reason, but even then, you shrug it off, clearly not understanding the gravity of the matter. It worries him. What if one day you get assigned to someone else, with far less self-control? What then? You're foolish and naive. It's a constant concern on his mind.

You don't mean it seriously, but you enjoy the reactions you get out of him in particular. You don't realize how significant it is, you think of it like just any other matter of poking fun at something. You think it's funny. You find it cute.

And far more dangerously, you think it's harmless.

Far from it, in reality. If people got the wrong idea, it could get him in trouble. Proof isn't needed for these sorts of things. If someone were to accuse him of something, it wouldn't matter if there was no evidence, or even if you were willing to testify or vouch in his favor. Your testimony can't be used in a court of law anyway. Even then, if the person accusing him was high enough in rank, there wouldn't even be a court of law, they would just command whatever their will may be. Not to mention, you would also get in massive trouble. The fact that you don't understand that, or at least don't take it seriously, is incredibly concerning.

He ends up having to draw a line. One night at random, completely unprovoked, so much so it catches him off-guard. You have always teased and poked fun at him with that grin on your face, tried to get him flustered and embarrassed. Overstepping the boundaries of appropriateness, which he always chastises you for as is warranted. You always obey for the moment, but return to the same thing within a matter of minutes.

The kind of teasing that bothers him the most, though, is when you pry about his own life, deeply personal things. There was that time you first managed to pry out of him that he wasn't a eunuch - oh, no, now I'm scared. Heheh... just kidding. There was the time you asked him if he had any children, or a lover back home. He had to reinforce the negative answer several times (crossing his arms and getting all stiff and looking away, which you seemed to find very amusing) before you believed him and left the matter alone.

And then, one night, walking back to your room with him by your side in the otherwise empty hall, you return to that topic he hates so much. You're so tense all the time. It's not good to be so stressed, you know.

Your footsteps stop. You turn to him with that smirk on your face, grab one of his hands and clasp both of your own around it, pulling it closer to you. You speak in that playful, sultry tone.

I can help you. No one has to know.

It actually takes him a second to reply, stunned into wide-eyed stillness and silence, an expression of shock you've never seen on his usually stoic face. His whole body goes stiff and rigid. Then, after that moment passes, he jerks his hand back out of your grasp with force, stumbles a few steps back. He looks back at you with a serious, intimidating expression, one that makes the grin on your face fall, makes you shrink back.

Never say such things to me.

Even in all the times you've been reprimanded, he's never used that firm and rebuking of a tone. It makes you take a step back. You hang your head, speaking quietly, all traces of the flirtatious tone from moments before vanished.

...I'm sorry.

You can hear the frustration as he lets out a heavy exhale. Brings his hand up to his face, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. Mutters something about how you're too careless for your own good.

Go on to bed. I will forget this. You ought to as well.

You clearly feel hurt and guilty, and in truth, he really does feel bad about it, almost starts to apologize for being so firm to you, as you nod and turn to your door, hurriedly shuffling inside. But consciously, he knows you needed that firmness. Better to learn that now, than learn it by making a much more grave mistake. So he lets you go inside without another word exchanged.

And more importantly, it's best you go inside so you don't see the state he's in. He's on the verge of losing composure, managing to hold himself together right up until the moment your door shuts, before stumbling back to the wall, leaning against it as he slowly sinks down to the ground. Holds his hand out in front of his face to see it trembling. Presses two fingers to his neck to feel the rapid pounding of his heart. It takes a while, sitting there staring blankly to your door on the other side, before he can bring himself to stand up again. Even then, he has to hesitate a moment. Going in there would be so easy. All he would have to do is open the door. Put one foot in front of the other. It would be so simple.

And there's a voice in the back of his head that says you would be right. No one would know. He could probably get away with it.

It takes every ounce of willpower in his entire being (and, as a great motivator, thinking of the consequences if he were caught) to instead turn and go back to his own bed. Staring up at the ceiling all night.

Yes, it really was incredible that they would trust him so much.

Not that he can bring himself to leave you, no. He's terrified of what could happen to you if he left, he clearly sees how you disregard all of his warnings as to how dangerous the way you behave would be to anyone else. And he also can't leave because... he cares for you too much. His whole life revolves around you. To remove you from it would be like tearing his heart of out his chest.

But at the same time, surely he can't stay. It feels like an hourglass reaching the last few grains of sand, like a clock slowly ticking down. Something is bound to happen. Because of you... or maybe, if something in him finally breaks, because of himself. Or maybe because of you both. It's evitable. Like an animal in a trap, and he doesn't know how to get out. The only thing to do is wait for the inevitable day something happens, perhaps because of you... but now he's starting to think his downfall will be his own doing.

[duxfemina]

Not the original anon but reading your answer to the safety on road ask was so fun!

If you have time, could you please rank the following ancient Romans based on how good of a podcast they could produce?

Cicero, Julius Caesar, Brutus, Mark Antony, Cassius, Octavian, Agrippa, Catullus

Cicero would be the first century Joe Rogan, if you define a "good" podcast by it's popularity then definitely he's successful. If you want accuracy and quality maybe look elsewhere but regardless it will be considered entertaining usually

Julius Caesar - Some people listen just for entertainment like it's a good novel, some people religiously follow his pod and swear everything he claims is true. He's often flagged for fake news but he maintains he's absolutely done all the things he claimed to, up to and including the frequent allusions to his many love affairs with married women. His casual fans are fine, that hard core contingent that takes him at his word is toxic as hell and often makes people avoid his podcast but the casual fans are just there for the fun. Sorta like Star Wars fandom vibes

Brutus - his podcast is the opposite of Cicero's it's good, it's really good, it's also only got an audience of a couple hundred and a lot of those are his relatives or family friends, but he perseveres in sharing his deep insightful takes even if most of the people are just listening out of politeness

Mark Antony is podcast god. Everyone loves his show, unlike Caesar he really doesn't care if you believe his escapades are real or not. It's basically like drunk history without the history it's just him cracking up with some friends over drinks and taking the piss out of whatever the weeks topic is. It only gets serious when someone mentions Cicero and then Antony will get upset and either go on a tirade, which will make for a popular episode (some guests will deliberately trigger his Cicerophobia just for this reason) or he will drink too much (even by Antonian standards) and sulk and then the episode will have to abruptly end there

Cassius - I feel is the most likely to have like the life coaching, how to have confidence and succeed kind of podcast. He's relatively popular but never top of the charts and he doesn't mind. He feels he's helping people, he does resent that Caesar's hyperbolic tripe is consistently ranked higher than his thoughtful insights about how to make a better life for yourself

Octavian - he has listeners only because people wanna know if they're on his good side or if they should start selling their stuff and leaving Italy before it's too late. All his other listeners are either bootlickers, trying to casually bring up topics he discussed to make him feel validated and save their necks, or they listen because they're afraid he can somehow see the lists of names of who listens and if they're not on it he might add them to that OTHER list ie. The Proscriptions. Exactly two people willingly listens to three podcast and that's Agrippa, Octavia, and Attia and even Agrippa usually just has it in the background and is only half paying attention and Octavia is the only person to ever give him even a mild critique of his presentation

Agrippa - he only got a podcast because Octavian told him he should have one too. But while no one willingly listens to Octavian's Agrippa's smaller fan base is much more loyal and love listening to him give insights on military tactics and history and it's absolutely a fan favorite moment when he's at home to record his episodes and he has his sons on for a small segment where he lets them explain whatever strategy they employed in their games that day and he'll always find a way to adapt their child's play to a real life battle principle.

Catullus... I am sleep deprived and tired and my mind has blanked on who Catullus was

So instead I'll give you Cato. The Alex Jones of his day. He will rage daily and just keep getting more rabid, he is the king of the conspiracy theory contingent of podcasts. He will warn you about threats that 90% of which are invented and the other 10% somewhat accurate but wildly misrepresented.

*my comparisons to modern podcasters are based off of vibes not inferring that this person was the same in any real way

[rainbowroadonsteroids]

TF2 Mercs Playing Splatoon

Personally I like to think all nine mercenaries would play Splatoon, whether they play it a lot, or a little, and I've spent a little too much time on this, so enjoy my headcanons lmfao.

Scout would definitely play the most of this game, outside of Pyro. As in, not even a year after the release, he already has 1,250 hours invested in the game, roughly. Now at first he spent that time in Story Mode, and has gone so far to essentially 1,000% complete the campaign. Once he did that, he focused on online play, and has been a beast in it.

His main weapon is the Dark Tetra Dualies, as he likes how lightweight and quick they are, and loves the quad dodge roll that comes with it. His gear's ability chunks are split 50/50, being half Run Speed up and half Swim Speed Up, as that's how he likes it. He typically goes between Turf War, Rainmaker, and Splat Zones, with his favorite being Rainmaker. He also does like the occasional round or two... or five of Salmon Run. As for how he is as a player, I'd say he's a good teammate, though sometimes he spam booyahs/ouches. Not fully active in Splatfests unless they really interest him.

Heavy doesn't play too much of the game... so to speak. He only plays a few hours every few days but damn is he serious about it. Like Scout and some of the other mercs he started off just playing Story Mode, namely to get the Secret Kettle icon cuz bear. He has maybe 500 hours in the game, so a lot but nothing to compare to Scout.

His main weapon is the Heavy Splatling, though he goes between that and the Ballpoint Splatling. But the Heavy Splatling reminds him of Sasha in some ways so that's why he almost exclusively plays that. He doesn't exactly dress for fashion in the game but definitely wears the Teddy Band. Honestly he probably has a slight moment of silliness and wears the Fresh Fish Gloves and Feet as well as the Teddy band, just to look a little silly. He either does Turf War or Splat Zones, and sometimes Tower Control, but it depends on his mood. He plays Salmon Run sparingly. He's an amazing teammate, and even if he's serious he loves getting in on Squid Parties. He's participated in every Splatfest thus far, being in the following teams: Rock, Gear, Fire, Sour, Milk Chocolate, and as of the upcoming Splatfest he would go Bigfoot.

Spy mainly plays to spite Scout I won't lie. Does not play as much as his son Scout but he does play enough to have left an impact. Pretty good at the game but also infuriating to go up against. Has not touched Story Mode nor does he care to play it, though the lore does intrigue him a bit.

His main weapon is the Undercover Brella, for more obvious reasons shall I say. He will not use any other weapon because he deems most of them as "too messy", though contradicts himself through occasionally using a different Brella. He's flashy, hence why he's spent so much Gold on Toni Kensa clothing. And while Toni Kensa clothing does not normally have either Ninja Squid or Stealth Jump as its main abilities, he knows how to work around it to make it happen, that way he's stylish, flashy, and sneaky. He usually finds himself playing either Rainmaker or Tower Control for the sneaky aspect, plus he's good at fucking with people in Rainmaker. He's a good teammate but does not communicate all too often, and hates Squid Partying. He's only participated in the Food Sensation and Chocolate Splatfests. being a part of Team Sweet and Team Dark Chocolate, his reasoning for it being the seductive nature of the foods... hence why Scout did not play in either of those Splatfests.

Sniper plays quite a bit. I mean quite a bit. Not as much as Scout or Pyro but more than Heavy. Healthy... unhealthy medium. Fucking insufferable to play against because of his accuracy. He half plays Story Mode but isn't too into it, still thinks it's cool though.

He has a preferred weapon but not really a main. His preferred weapon is between the E-Litre 4K, or E-Litre 4K Scope. However, he's trying to get 5 stars with every available Charger or Scope weapon in the game. He will occasionally play just a regular Shooter, but prefers Chargers and Scopes. As for clothing he tries to match it to what he wears, or he'll make himself fruity to get a giggle out of it. He prefers Turf War and Tower Control, though very rarely does Splat Zones or Rainmaker, never Clam Blitz. By God he is a force to be reckoned with, and is genuinely horrifying in matches. But he is respectful, never Squidbags and always Booyahs back as well, though if someone Squidbags him he comes back for a kill like a goddamn wild animal. Not really into Salmon Run, and was on the Team Gear for the first official Splatfest of the game.

Soldier plays a bit but is a bit regimented with how he plays. He plays a few hours every few days but that's about it, has done everything you can do in Story Mode and keeps replaying it because he likes it, he likes the idea of being in a secret military.

He absolutely loves the Hero Shot Replica and that, outside of the Splattershot Jr., is the only weapon he plays, and he's very good at it. His clothing is just the Hero Armor Replica, and he doesn't have any clothing outside of that, not counting the clothing given as default. He loves Turf War and Clam Blitz, Clam Blitz because it reminds him of American Football, and we know how he is about patriotism. He doesn't like the other three ranked modes because he thinks they're a bit too annoying, and he has a legit hatred of Tower Control. He's a good teammate, though does sometimes Squidbag a maggot (as per his words), and usually he feels the wrath later on. He likes Salmon Run, and outside of Turf War or Clam Blitz that's all he'll play. He's participated in every Splatfest so far, and has been on the following teams: Scissors, Gear, Water, Sweet, and Milk Chocolate.

Demoman plays quite a bit and half the time... er... all the time he's drunk, but is still a powerhouse in the game. He hasn't played Story Mode but will listen to Pyro ramble on about it, he doesn't mind, he just has trouble focusing on the actual story. A smidge insufferable to play against.

His main weapons are the Explosher and Clash Blaster due to the fact they're quick and decently deadly. His clothing in game is anything to mimic his mercenary outfit, definitely has the Wharfside Cap, everything else is just random for him, though he wishes there would be an eyepatch head item. Mainly ever plays Rainmaker, though does play Splat Zones on occasion. He is a toxic player in the Squidbagging sense. He Squidbags everyone he kills and tends to feel the wrath within 10 seconds of that happening. Plus he does Squid Party in Anarchy sometimes which is an unspoked, or loudly spoken No-No. He does play Salmon Run quite a bit and loves Big Run, though he's not the best at it. Hasn't participated in any Splatfest yet but obviously would be on Team Nessie.

Medic plays quite a bit but is a bit infrequent with how long he plays, sometimes playing an ungodly amount in one day or just like an hours worth. He hasn't played Story Mode as he can't find the time to so instead he just does whatever, or tries to play Story Mode and gets interrupted.

His main weapon is the Splatana Stamper due to it looking like a saw, though he's become slightly partial to the .96 Gal Deco. He kind of just wears whatever since there's not really doctor clothing in the game, and he'd heavily prefer something so he gets to look like a creepy doctor or a similar concept. Right now he's settled for looking like a witch. He usually plays Turf War or Tower Control when he does play, but he heavily prefers Turf War. Yet somehow he's X Rank in Anarchy. He's a very friendly player but does love Squidbagging to piss people off lmao. He plays Salmon Run very seldom, but when he does it's for a little too long in his day. He's only participated in two Splatfests, being on Team Spicy and Team White Chocolate.

Pyro has way more hours than Scout, at around 1,790 so far. They play this game day and night and it has slightly become their personality, which they admit. They've fully completed Story Mode and has cleared the Secret Kettle, and they've found little secrets in the game too.

Their main weapon is between both the regular and Neo classes of the Splash-o-Matic and Sploosh-o-Matic, with the Sploosh-o-Matic being their favorite by far. They try to match their gear in game to their gear outside of the game, which they've done a good job at. They play every Anarchy Mode alongside Turf War, but they do love Splat Zones. They're not a competitive player but at the same time you can't really tell based on how well they play. They're very friendly too, and tend to send friend requests after battles. They also love Salmon Run, having binged that as well. They've participated in all the Splatfests so far, being on the following teams: Team Paper, Team Fun, Team Grass, Team Sour, and Team Milk Chocolate. As for the upcoming Splatfest they would be on Team Aliens.

Last but not least, Engineer does not play Splatoon all to often, only really playing it with Pyro. He has the least amount of hours at maybe 60 if we're being generous. He hasn't played Story Mode, genuinely just playing the game so Pyro has a gaming buddy.

Despite this, his main weapon is the Dynamo Roller, as he likes how powerful it is. He's very good with the weapon, and usually gets a lot of splats in a game. Since he isn't online much he doesn't have a favorite mode, and just kind of plays whatever Pyro wants to, and that's about it. He also doesn't really care what he wears in game so he looks a little goofy lol. He has no opinion on Salmon Run either, still just playing it so Pyro has someone to game with. And with Splatfests, he's been on the same teams as his mysterious friend and hasn't deviated.

[dark-frosted-heart]

Alfons vs Roger event (Part 2)

Roger using keigo is weird and I don't like it.

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this

Kate: I’ve covered my face with a veil, so I shouldn’t get found out, right?

At the viscount’s mansion, I disguised myself as Lady Claire, the viscount’s niece, with the help of the people aware of the situation.

Alfons: I think it’s perfect with your face hidden. Though personally, a little bit of exposure would be more intriguing.

Roger: Yeah? Everything’s the same if you strip.

Kate: Minus one friendship point from the both of you.

Alfons and Roger: ………Huh?

Kate: If you’re not being “good”, I’m taking away points.

Roger: Hey now, our judge’s pretty cocky, isn’t she?

Alfons: Hehe, how scary. Well, no matter. What’s important is…

Alfons and Roger: Turning the tables.

Kate: Earn them properly!

(They sync up in the weirdest ways…)

(Is this really okay?)

–

Lady: Happy birthday, Lady Claire!

Alfons and Roger smiled beside me as I sat on a chair with my face hidden behind a veil.

 Alfons: Lady Claire has caught a cold so she’s lost her voice. She will thank you properly another time.

Roger: We will take care of the present. Thank you wishing her a happy birthday.

Lady: O-okay…

(Perfect…)

The two’s clever attitudes caught the eyes of those around them.

Alfons and Roger are both villains who always push me around.

I can’t even count the number of times they’ve teased me to the point I was red in the face from anger.

(However, when they’re serious, they’re more reliable than anyone else)

Kate: That’s 10 friendship points…

After quietly whispering that, they gave refreshing, gentleman-like smiles.

Alfons and Roger: Thank you.

Alfons: Lady Claire, we’re running out of space so I will move the presents to the other room.

Roger: You can’t carry them all by yourself. I’ll help you, Al.

Alfons: Thank you, Roger. You’re so thoughtful.

Roger: Of course. Come, let’s go.

(Yes, nice chemistry!)

(Perhaps it won’t be long before they actually get along)

—At that moment, I heard them whispering as they walked away with the packages.

Alfons: That hurt…

Roger: That’s my line…

(...Eh?)

When I turned around, the two of them were stepping on each other’s feet.

Alfons: Please move your feet out of the way. I have very long legs, so it’s difficult for me to avoid them. 

Roger: What a coincidence. My legs are longer than most so it’s hard to avoid them.

Moreover, their shoes were covered in footprints, as if they’d been stepping on each other for a while.

(Good grief!)

--

Alfons and Roger carried the presents while continuing to step on each other’s feet.

When there was no one else around, the two looked at each other.

Roger: Al…

Alfons: Yes, I’m thinking the same… Really now. We’re too loved by evil, aren’t we?

--

(Okay, it looks like we’ve finished with the greetings)

After receiving the presents and having dinner with the guests, I sighed in relief.

Somehow, no one noticed the switch.

Alfons: Lady Claire, we’ll be escorting our guests out now.

Roger: I’ve prepared some drinks in the other room.You must be tired, so please rest there.

Alfons and Roger: Be at “ease”.

--

Kate: Phew…I’m glad it ended without any problems.

I wanted to remove the veil, but it was better to be careful until I left the mansion.

(Anyways)

I couldn’t help but laugh when I recalled the two’s immature behavior.

Having a partner who you can be open about your feelings with without consequence sounds like a happy and heartwarming thing. 

(But I need to decide on a winner. And do away with the servant stuff)

As I thought about this, the door opened without a knock.

Kate: Oh, Alfons, Roger…

But it was someone else who entered.

He wore a tailcoat and his hair was swept back. At a glance, he looked like the son of a noble.

However, this man clearly reeked of evil.

I’m not Kate at the moment and shouldn’t speak under these circumstances, but I couldn’t help it.

Kate: Who are you…?

Man in tailcoat: You don’t need to know my name. However, I’m going to have to ask you to stay quiet, Lady Claire.

The man smiled wickedly and pulled a gun out from within his coat.

Man in tailcoat: You’re the beloved niece of that Viscount Morris. He’d easily give up an asset or two to save you.

(Meaning you’re holding me for ransom?)

(Ah—Could it be that)

I don’t think Alfons and Roger would have possibly missed this person’s ill intentions that even I could sense.

(Perhaps Alfons and Roger “purposely” created this situation)

~~ Flashback ~~

Alfons and Roger: Be at “ease”.

~~ End flashback ~~

(If that’s the case, all I can do is get as much information as possible)

Kate: Do you…always do something like this?

Kidnapper: Yes, that’s right. Kidnap, extort, kill, and dispose.

(This isn’t the first time he’s done this)

Kidnapper: But I’ll let you live if you behave. Now come over here.

Kate: !

To keep the man from coming closer, I threw a teacup on the table at him.

Kidnapper: Ah, hot…!

Kate: Too bad for you. You won’t get a single penny from kidnapping me.

Kidnapper: You…fucking imposter! Know that I know—I’ll kill you.

The moment the man cocked his gun, the window facing the balcony opened with a bang.

Alfons: Killing sounds nice. I wish you didn't have to die first, but I guess that's not going to happen. Look, your gun’s disappeared.

Alfons knocks the gun away with his saber and Roger picks it up.

Roger: Well, this gun’s a fake that we swapped out filled with blanks.

(Alfons, Roger!)

Roger: What. Thought you’d be crying prettily, little lady, but you’re tough. 

Kate: I believed in you. The both of you.

Alfons: Aha! You really have the worst taste in me.

Roger: Pfft, haha. That’s the best kind of blunder.

Alfons and Roger cover my back.

Alfons: Now then-

Roger: Let’s get this over with.

[stedebonnit]

Ok i rewatched the trailer and I'm also looking at something Vico said at that convention about how the hardest episode for them to film (or most intense, something like that) was episode 2.

So, here's my poorly formed theory.

Episode 1 is lovelorn Stede and the establishment of Ed the wedding crasher Teach.

Episode 2, Stede is really good at tracking Ed down. Izzy has taken notice and is desperately trying to get Ed away from Stede because Izzy gets off to prefers kraken Ed

Usually, Ed is more astute and would notice the people trailing him, but whenever he isn't crashing weddings he's doing arts and crafts with wedding toppers so he's reeeally taking a backseat to captaining.

This is also why they sail head first into a storm, because Ed, who can usually predict the weather with near perfect accuracy, isn't bothering, and Izzy, as established, is a shit sailor and doesn't know the meaning of the clouds.

So, they're in a storm, a scene that I imagine was quite physically and emotionally intense to film (hence Vico saying it was intense, maybe there's even a moment of Jim thinking they won't see Olu again).

Ed is tuned out, but not as much as Izzy might think. He knew the storm was coming, at least within the last day, and he's already sick and tired of being the kraken.

So, he has a plan. They're sailing near the shore, and even in a storm, Ed is a strong swimmer. Or maybe he doesn't care much whether he makes it safely to land or not.

Either way, he's gotten everyone tied up against the ship and sailing her through the storm, he's not needed anymore, and if he were to mysteriously disappear during the storm, well, they'd all think he was dead. Whether he actually is isnt the point anymore.

The point is he doesn't have to be Blackbeard. He can be set free. He can live or die as Ed, and that's all he can ask for.

They hit a wave and Ed jumps ship, and washes up on the shore like we see in the trailer.

Izzy, for all his stupidity, doesn't believe that Blackbeard could fall off a ship in a storm. He underestimates Ed at every turn, but this time he doesn't believe it, not when believing it means he's lost his new favourite toy.

So, he let's Stede catch up with him. He decides it's time to make nice. Stede's tracked them down no matter how hard Izzy tried to drop him. They have the entire english navy after them and fucking Bonnet is the only one who made any headway in finding them.

Why?

Well, the truth is that its because Stede knows Ed, and Izzy isn't as good at losing people as he thinks, but that's for another day.

So, Izzy recruits Stede, he insists Ed isnt dead, but he's left, and Izzy needs him back. He asks if Stede has any leads on where Ed could be, and promises that he'll put up with Stede Bonnet's bizzare way of doing things if it means he can get Ed back.

Now, of course, Izzy doesn't actually plan to let this happen. The second that they find Ed he'll discreetly kill Stede and pretend like they never met. He'll do what he does best and take credit for things he hasn't done. But again, thats for another time.

The point is, Izzy asks Stede where Ed could possibly be going, and Stede has one answer.

China.

And, of course, the moment Ed does wash up on that shore very much not dead, his thoughts go to exactly the same place. He realizes that, though his heart is broken, he would still rather be free and be Ed alone than spend another day as the kraken, and if Stede wouldn't come with him to China then he can damn well do it alone.

This brings us to what we see so much of in the trailer, the unlikely duo of Stede and Izzy both equally pretending not to despise one another as they sail under a common goal. Stede, who still doesnt like Izzy but is happy to work with him if it means he can forget Izzy exists the second he's back with Ed. And Izzy, who does in fact fully intend to murder and discreetly dispose of Stede the second Ed is in his sight.

Shennanigans ensue, and that brings us to episode 3 or 4.

[dipplinduo]

#1 - 50

no im kidding LOLLLL #25 and 34.

(Context: Questions for Fic Writers Ask Game) LOOOOOL I WAS ABOUT TO BE LIKE "DAMN OKAY" xD

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

My toxic habit is that I go on google and look up synonyms of a word and search until I find one I like if I notice I'm repeating myself/want it to hit different. I should be using actual resources imo but I'm too lazy to go find them.

I also tend to research random things for accuracy (e.g. for S&S D, I often check what pokemon are available in certain areas for worldbuilding; for DIOH I recently went on a whole deep dive about sencha so I could incorporate cultural stuff & things like taste appropriately, etc.)

34. What aspects of your writing are inspired by/taken from your real life?

Sweet & Sour Dipplins:

I recently said this but Kieran's dialogue regarding gayness was verbatim my memory of what little me said in response to learning about gay people & a family member's disapproval of gay marriage ("Isn't love just love, though?")

Some of the highlights of Juliana's character are based on what I aspire to be/try to be, and her character flaws are based on what I know are my own.

Not really irl stuff but I lazily decided Juliana's team is legit my Scarlet team because I didn't feel like putting too much thought into it LOOOOL

I think I pull from my interactions with my irl guy friends when thinking of what Drayton would do/say sometimes. Also same with the bromance that is Arven/Crispin.

I base a lot of Sweet & Sour Applins' behaviors off of cats. Sweet Applin is more of my freinds' domestic cats, while Sour Applin is closer to a cat I grew up with and saved from the streets. She had a very big love/hate relationship with me in particular DESPITE ME BEING THE FIRST HUMAN SHE WARMED UP TO AND THE LITERAL REASON SHE GOT A HOME-

One of the S&S kissing scenes is based on something I've experienced personally. I am not saying which one. 💀

The Dichotomy in Our Hearts:

People in my personal life often describe my disposition as being "sunshiney", but I can have my own broody rainclouds when I'm down lol. I usually appreciate being able to talk about my feelings but if I'm in a particularly rare mood of total despondence nothing will really work on me other than silence and physical touch. It's my primary love language and Kieran's own despondence being broken through with it in Chapter 2 is a very ME thing in hindsight LOOOOL

Juliana hiding her feelings is something I have absolutely done with crushes growing up, and her shy but curious and caring disposition is based off of my past self. How she will deal with her secret crush on Kieran will also be dealt with in the way I have dealt with my own (although this is coincidence and is for the plot).

A Sugary Sweet Kiss:

One time I went on a date with someone who was really really nervous the whole time, and I pulled a littleeeee bit from him when I was characterizing Kieran. I also dressed very nicely while the other person dressed down like Juliana and Kieran did in the fic. xD