#i've ended up really fond of the books they're great

[philcoulsonismyhero]

I found a new book series a while ago, btw, and I'm planning to be obnoxious about it now that I'm caught up, or at least I will be when I have some actual spare time. Feel free to blacklist 'rivers of london' if you don't care, I'll be tagging all posting after this with that.

[diabolicalworldwriter]

Jesus, I just got to the point in Words of Radiance where Kal is in prison and Dalinar basically says "You're not going to end racism by being radical and acting upset about it. You can't just expect us to treat you like an equal because you're not one. Play nice and maybe the racists will grow to respect you"

I.

Buddy what the fuck

In general I think I've found that I'm... Not as fond of Dalinar as I used to be. Don't get me wrong, he does some great things and he's constantly trying to improve and I appreciate that. Flawed characters make stories interesting and I think Brandon does a fantastic job of writing him. However, he is overly strict and judgemental (Still not forgiving him for hating on Adolin for trying to express himself a bit more through style in ROW; let my boy dress up a bit if he wants), he struggles to accept other ways of doing things (we could look to Adolin again, being "too friendly" with those he commands and Dalinar going "noooo they might respect you less if they think you see them as an equal individual"), and while he talks about how he wants to change how everything works, if someone tries to defy convention in a way he doesn't approve of he shuts them down. (Kaladin pointing out very fair issues with how dark eyes are punished severely and light eyes get away with everything only to be talked down at until he shut up and fell in line, for example.) He wants change and has power to bring it about but won't do anything too radical for it, I guess, and that frustrates me. He tends to support systems as long as they work for his own goals, even if they're still exploitative and deeply unjust, while also complaining that everyone else is being exploitative and unjust. I dislike that he acts like he's doing Kaladin such a favor by treating him as almost an equal. "I'm sticking my neck out by treating you like a human, act civil and don't try to speak too loudly about the injustices yet, you might make the others uncomfortable." Dalinar isn't like other light eyes, he's so quirky and different and sometimes acts a bit less classist and racist!!! Aren't we lucky!! Idk maybe I'm stating my point a bit too strongly but damn. He's giving "yeah I'm a stubborn old man but really I'm quite progressive, I don't even go out of my way to hate crime people"

Words of Radiance, while I enjoy it, is rather difficult to get through because it's just so many main characters who I generally appreciate being awful to/supporting or ignoring awful behavior towards Kaladin and if he reacts they're like ":0000 how dare he attack first" (I appreciate Zahel chewing out Adolin for antagonizing and then fighting Kal in shardplate because goddamn Adolin I love you but that sucked.)

I'm finding Elhokar a lot more unlikeable on this reread as well. He's meant to be unlikeable of course, so good job on that, but Jesus he can be the worst. Honestly standing beside my past thoughts that what Moash did wrong was not in turning on the system that oppresses him and all the dark eyes, but just that he knowingly hurt Kaladin and other people who cared about him repeatedly and severely to do so.

I'm on board with killing horrible leaders (especially if it seems the only way to remove them and stop them from causing harm: people shouldn't have to suffer and die as part of a leader's learning curve and character growth, and going "they're working on it" when people are actively suffering is garbage. I'm still sad at Elhokar's death but I'm not sad that he's no longer king) but I draw the line at abusing and killing one's friends and I am just hoping he comes to terms with what he has done wrong and improves in book five.

Anyways that was long and scattered I'm sorry lmao you should have heard my rant to my poor cousin, I was rambling for like half an hour.

[therealvinelle]

Is it true that Tom Riddle has a different name in a lot of translations because publishers thought making the anagram in book 2 would be super important so they changed the name rather than just letting that one thing not work in the translation? What's Tom's name in your Norwegian copy?

I'll have you know almost everybody have different names in the Norwegian translation. I'm sure Harry would too, if the translator could get away with it, sadly his name was on the title card.

Some of this is for pronunciation, Hermione Granger is made Hermine Grang so we're not all sounding like Victor Krumm trying to make sense of her name, others are given more of an overhaul to convey the pun or vibe from the original name. Alastor "Madeye" Moody is Alastor "Galøye" Bister ("Galøye" is literally "Madeye", while "bister" means "terse").

Other examples of translations include the Black family being Svart (Norwegian word for Black) but by and large keeping their constellation names and spelling (with such exceptions as Alfar ("ph" isn't how we spell the f-sound, and the d would doesn't really work either - it's a phonetic translation of Alphard) and Narsissa (the c would be a problem)), and foreign characters like Victor Krumm and Gellert Grindelwald stay (almost: Victor is now Viktor.) the same, presumably because they're foreign in-universe.

For punny translations we have not just the names, but places and things being made punny to best reflect the original. Diagon Alley is made Diagonalgangen, "The diagonal hallway" that with the -en ending becomes "walking diagonally". Heh. Quidditch is rumpeldunk, the snitch is "snoppen" (a euphemism for penis. I commend the translator for making the game somehow that little bit gayer than it already was), Rita Skeeter is Rita Slita (conveying that she's an exhausting, tireless person), Cornelius Fudge is Kornelius Bleouf (a made-up surname that coincidentally is pronounced the same as "bluff"). It keeps going.

Some people didn't get punny names, simply names that captured the vibe. The Crouch family is now Kroek, Percy is Perry, and Tom Riddle (whom I'll get further into below) is Tom Venster.

(Though, since you've got me talking about one of my favorite niche subjects: the translator did make a pun out of Tom's name that isn't in the original series.

Tom is a common name in Norwegian, but it also is the word for "empty". We have an unrelated idiom, "full av faen" - literally "full of the devil", figuratively a malicious or cruel person. For use in conversation, I could use it about a person but also about a particularly grouchy cat. My friend had a horrible day so now they're full av faen, I tried petting that cat but it's full av faen.

The chapter where we meet eleven-year-old Tom Riddle is titled "Tom, eller full av faen".

I can only imagine the translator had been waiting four books to make that pun.)

In other words, yes Tom's name was trnaslated. In Norwegian the full name is Tom Dredolo Venster, with the anagram being "Voldemort den store" (Voldemort the great). That's right, we suffered even worse secondhand embarrassment in Norway.

I am quite fond of the translated name, as it in my opinion captures the vibe of Tom Riddle very well. An ordinary name with a very nice ring to it, and you don't actually know anybody else with that exact name. Dredolo, the oddball middle name, is as foreign yet fitting with the rest as Marvolo is in English. It's a name that rolls off the tongue.

The Danes, by comparison, have Romeo Gåde Detlev. Which is a very... eyecatching name, I've seen it go viral several times (along with the French Tom Elvis Jedusor), but the problem is that Tom was named for his father, an English gentleman in the 1920's, and this name sounds like a cultural melting pot. Gåde, originally the middle name that stood out and had Mrs. Cole assuming Merope came from an exotic background, is now the most normal name in there.

I want to be lenient, I do, the translator hadn't read Half-Blood Prince at the time and didn't know how much emphasis would be placed on Tom's name being ordinary. But, well, he made the name a different ethnicity, and I can only imagine he must have wanted the first name "Romeo" quite badly. We're left with a name that signals completely different things, which I do think is relevant when Tom's name being painfully Muggle and ordinary, growing up in 1930's London, had such an impact. Being perceived as foreign, which he would be with that name, would change things. His shedding the name to become Voldemort also takes on a very different meaning when he's an Englishmen who spent the first few decades of his life being asked if his parents fled the Soviet Union.

So, not a fan of Romeo Detlev.

As for Tom Elvis Jedusor, that one I have no problem with. Elvis wouldn't become a star until several decades after Tom's birth, and the middle name is supposed to be unusual anyway. The rest of the name sounds appropriately French, no notes. (Though the Danish translator should have taken some for how to give readers a funny, but plausible name).

[spoilmesweetieforficssake]

That Brunch

So I'm still skirting round filling the requests in my inbox - they're crawling their way to completion, but my muse is flitting between ideas, hence, I've somehow ended up with another little follow up to a previous fic Between The Lines.

~*~

“You promised you’d tell me!”

Melissa could feel a blush that couldn’t be blamed on the mimosas creeping up her cheeks.  So far, she’d largely managed to avoid bringing up the subject of how you and she had managed to get together, but Barb was right.  She had indeed promised her the whole story.

“You at least have to tell me who made the first move.”

The red head felt her blush deepening.  She ducked her head, biting her lip as she tried to figure out the best way to tell her friend the story of you and her.  It wasn’t that she was ashamed of your relationship.  Not at all.  But she was perhaps slightly embarrassed by throwing herself at you lips first. 

“You did?” grinned the kindergarten teacher, not needing Melissa to speak to read her answer in her reaction.  “Oh now you really do need to tell me.”

It was with a fond smile that Melissa finally looked back up at her friend.  “Well, you know we’d been spending time together, lunches, the farmer’s market, that kinda thing?  All platonic at that point!  Anyway at some point I must have mentioned a book that I read years ago, and that if I came across it I’d love to read it again.  I’d almost forgotten about it, but then one day she comes in and hands me the book.  She’d seen it in some second hand store and picked it up.  It was such a small thing, but I dunno, it just…something shifted and I stood up and kissed her then and there.  I didn’t even think about it, I just kissed her.”

Barb looks across at her friend, drinking in every word.  She takes in the soft, warm tone of her voice, the matching smile and sees that her friend is absolutely smitten. 

“I mean once I realised what I was doing I bricked it, went to run outta there, but she just put her hand on my arm, said if a book was all it took to get me to kiss her she hoped it had a sequel,” she finished softly, picking up her glass, almost hiding behind it. 

“I know you’re not going to like it, but I’m calling the whole thing cute,” smiles the older woman.  She laughs as Melissa scrunches her nose in disapproval.  This wasn’t her usual story of flirting her way into a fling, or being flattered enough by someone coming into her to spend the night with them.  This was different.  “You look happy with her, even talking about her.”

“I am happy,” admits Melissa quietly.  “And I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.  I didn’t tell anyone.  I was in this little bubble where it was all great and I didn’t want that to burst.”

“And then the funeral happened.”

“And then the funeral happened,” nodded the red head.  “That, let me tell you was an intense way to meet the family.”

Barb held up her empty glass, signalling the waitress to bring a refill.  She watched as her friend promptly emptied her own glass and also held it aloft.  It wasn’t called a bottomless brunch for nothing and this was a story best told with a drink in hand.

*

“Y/N?”

You look up from your book to see an older man standing beside the open window of your car.  Or rather, Melissa’s truck.  “Uh, yeah?”

“Sorry, I just recognised the truck,” said the man.  “I’m Gerald, Barbara’s husband.”

Quickly setting down your book, you turn your attention to the man.  “Gerald!  I’ve heard only good things.”

“I’m pleased to report so have I.  Barb speaks very highly of you.”

“Then consider me flattered,” you tell him honestly.  “Really.”

He smiles at you.  “She thinks you’re good for Melissa.”

That you were not expecting, and you find your mouth hanging open in surprise.  “She does?”

“She does,” he nods.  “And having seen Melissa recently, and seeing you now, I find I have to agree.”

At this, you frown.

“Can I be honest?”

You nod.

“I never liked Joe.  More precisely, I never liked the way he treated Melissa.  He was crass, selfish, downright cruel sometimes.  If he ever had to collect her, he’d pull up and if she wasn’t outside waiting for him, he’d be barging in and practically dragging her out.  That or he’d drive off and leave her.”

Your frown only deepens.  “He did what?”  The thought of ever just driving away and leaving Melissa standing alone and abandoned hurts you to even consider. 

“Yeah,” nodded Gerald.  “Lost count of the times I’d take her home or take her back with Barb and I if she knew it was going to be stormy night and she didn’t have it in her to face it.”

Your frown gives way to sadness at the thought of Melissa not even wanting to go home.  “Thank you,” is what you say, after a pause.  “For being there for her.”

The smile he gives you is wide and genuine.  “I think I like you.”

“Feeling’s mutual,” you smile back, the moment broken by a loud peel of familiar laughter.  You both turn to see Barb and Melissa stumbling out of the restaurant, clearly having tested the ‘bottomless’ aspect of brunch to its limits. 

“You let her drive?” laughed Barb as she caught sight of the two of you, leaning on Melissa for support.  “Sure she’s old enough?”

The red head slapped her friend’s arm for her cheek.  “Hey!”

You and Gerald share an amused smile as the pair continue to make their way across the car park.  The make slow progress, but they make it.  In between many hugs and promises to do another brunch soon, the pair of you get your respective partners into your vehicles without incident.

Waiting at the junction, you turn to look at the read head. 

“I love drunk Barb,” she grins.  “She gets sassy.”  She turns to face you, her head lolling against the head rest.  “I love you too.”

You lean across to press a kiss to her lips, ignoring the honking of the car behind you.  “Love you more.”  You mean it too.  This woman crossed continents with you to be by your side during your grandmother’s funeral.  She faced meeting your family at the worst possible time.  Asked nothing in return.  And here she is, happy all because you waited outside for a few minutes to collect her from lunch.

This woman deserves the stars, and while you might not be quite able to reach that high, it’s not going to stop you from trying.  You’ll do anything to try and be worthy of the beautiful smile currently being aimed at you.

[creatingblackcharacters]

(Submitting one that I've actually gotten into arguments with people about)

Jasmine and Jarred from Deltora Quest!

The books don't really specify race at all with the characters, but from an early age I invisualized Jasmine as a Black girl bc her main visual descriptions are having long wild black hair, which as a Black kid with long wild black hair I was like "that's one of mine for sure".

She's one of the main three characters, and for a while with the books they kind of hint that she may be the lost heir they're trying to find. Her parents had lived in the palace in the main city of Del, but around when she was born they had to flee because of a hostile takeover and hid out near the forests outside of town.

When she was little, a bunch of the guards run by the bad guy attacked the home and took her parents while she fled into the forests, and she basically raised herself in the woods for 10 years. When the other main characters go into the woods and immediately nearly die she saves them and joins the party (along with her pet crow and another pet that's a lil fuzzy guy). Since the other two haven't really been outside the capital city she has more of an idea of what's been going on since the villain took over.

I know it's a little not great to have the Black character be the Raised By Wolves girl that talks to the trees, but I actually visualize the main cast to be Black as well (a poor blacksmith's kid and an ex palace guard), and I think that going into this series with the idea of Black as Default works really well with the setting. Jasmine is just my favorite bc I felt like I looked like her as a kid, and she's (I think) a good example of showing a kid going through a Lot of Trauma at an early age (especially in the second series, which focuses heavily on her being desperate to find surviving family members).

But I think the main detail that makes me headcanon her and the focal character of Leif as Black is because of final book spoilers; there's this common thread mentioned in the books that Leif's dad and Jasmine's dad, Jarred and Endon, were childhood friends in the palace, and they dressed the same, learned the same, basically lived parallel until the villain took over. In the last book it's revealed that the character that had been going by the name Jarred was actually Endon and Leif is the heir. Since the third member of the adventuring party is older and used to work in the palace, I feel like it's reasonable to assume both characters were about the same in skin tone bc otherwise he would have immediately noticed the switch.

Jasmine's dad, Jarred, is my favorite character as an adult. He shows up at various places as a "mysterious" character called Doom, and is part of an underground resistance.

These two are also why I dislike the anime made for this series. Partially bc they made them both really light skinned, but also bc when it shows a flashback to what was the intro to the first book (the Shadow Lord taking over and Endon and Jarred fleeing) they frame it from the also disappointingly light Leif's memory of being told the story, and they swap the characters. I get that it's trying to just show how he visualizes it happening, but it feels like straight-up lying about which character is which so that the pretty blonde guy wins at the end (also Leif isn't canonically blonde, just in the anime). I feel like it's much more reasonable for the characters to look similar for this to work.

But yeah, I know this is kind of rambly, but I wanted to talk about my theory that Deltora Quest is a better series if Black is assumed for the main cast, and I really have a lot of fond memories of this series. It's hard for me to get into specifics without basically summarizing the whole series so I hope this makes sense!

To be honest, I'm just really happy to see your excitement over it 😅 especially knowing that you found a reason to make it yours at such a young age. That's what we like to see 😤

And alas, people like to see the pretty blondes win, no matter what 😭 but that's something coming up soon in later lessons 👀

[thelazyhermits]

Recently, I came up with a super cute TWST idea, and since it's Christmas-related, I decided to make a post about it for today. I'll put everything under the cut.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!! 😊💕💕

Okay, so in the past, I've stated that I don't think Christmas is an actual holiday in TW since there's never any indication of it being a holiday, so as far as my TWST series is concerned, it's only a holiday in Yuu's world.

Despite Christmas not being a thing in TW, Yuu still decided to get presents for her friends cause she had always wanted to celebrate the holiday with friends, so even if she couldn't do anything else related to the holday, she wanted to at least give her friends gifts.

Originally, I had planned on that being the extent of what Yuu did for Christmas, but then, a new idea hit me, which is why this post came about.

This new idea involves the Ramshackle Ghosts wanting to do something special for Yuu/Grim during the winter break, and they do this by making use of all the Christmas-related info they've gained from Yuu who was more than happy to tell them all about the holiday from her world.

After learning about Christmas and seeing how much Yuu really wants to celebrate it, the Ramshackle Ghosts decide that they'll throw a Christmas party for her and Grim during the winter break since they think that'll be a great way to make this break more enjoyable for Yuu/Grim who don't have anywhere to go during the break like the majority of the student body.

However, there's only so much the ghosts can do on their own. That's why they reach out to Sam before winter break begins cause he's told them in the past to get in contact with him if Yuu ever needs anything but is unwilling to ask since she's not the type to depend on adults, even when she really should.

Upon learning about Christmas and their plans to throw a party for Yuu/Grim from Ramshackle Ghosts, Sam immediately agrees to lend a hand since he wants Yuu to have something to enjoy during the upcoming winter break.

Plus, this is the perfect way to give gifts to Yuu since she won't be able to refuse them if they're given in the spirit of this holiday, which is an ideal arrangement to Sam who would really like to be able to dote on her a little, although he mostly just wants to ensure she has everything that he thinks she needs to live comfortably since he doesn't like how she always seems to be making sacrifices on her part in order to take care of Grim.

But Sam also does want to just spoil her since he's become rather fond of his favorite employee. So he'll get her practical stuff he knows she needs around the dorm as well as things he knows she'd be happy to receive like books, cute cat-related items, cooking supplies she normally can’t afford, etc.

Because he knows he's not the only one who feels this way, Sam also contacts the NRC faculty cause he knows Crewel would immediately take advantage of this opportunity to give Yuu clothes cause Crewel hates how the majority of Yuu's wardrobe consists of used clothes she's gotten from her friends lol 😂

Being a girl dad, Trein would also feel compelled to contribute to this cause but he'd probably focus on practical gifts useful for school, although he might add in at least one thing that's cat-related, saying it's a gift from Lucius haha

Meanwhile, Vargas is eagerly buying her some weights, sweatpants, protein powder, and anything else he thinks will be helpful to her building her muscles lol 😂

When Crowley hears about what the others are doing, he feels obligated to do something for Yuu too, especially when the other adults are all having a group discussion about it and giving him some not so subtle looks lol

In the end, I think Crowley would just provide extra food, like what he gave them in canon plus more, claiming that he's providing a crucial part of the party, especially considering how much Grim can eat haha

Thanks to the adults, the Ramshackle Ghosts are able to get everything they'll need for a Christmas party: a tree, presents, decorations, food, etc.

What's even better, the Ramshackle Ghosts are able to make it a complete surprise for Yuu/Grim thanks to Book 4 events since that keeps Yuu/Grim out of the dorm for several days since dealing with Jamil took a few days and then Yuu/Grim spent another couple of days at Scarabia after Jamil's OB due to her ending up with a fever since Jamil didn't want her to leave until she fully recovered.

So, when Yuu/Grim finally return to Ramshackle, they're beyond surprised to find its interior completely decked out with Christmas-esque decorations, and they're especially astonished by the large amount of presents underneath the Christmas tree.

Yuu is even more shocked when she finds out from the Ramshackle Ghosts that the NRC adults helped make this all happen since she's so unaccustomed to adults treating her so nicely/going out of their way for her sake. This kind of thing would've never happened back in her world.

While she doesn't think Sam and the others are like Mumei and the other adults from her past, Yuu still has a hard time trusting adults, even though she does like Sam and the others. (In the case of Crowley, it just depends on the day lol 😂)

That's why Yuu can't stop herself from wondering if there's a catch since why else would these adults do all this when there's nothing in it for them?

However, once Yuu hears about all the planning the Ramshackle Ghosts had been doing with the NRC adults, mostly Sam/Crewel, during the weeks leading up to the start of winter break, she realizes there truly aren't any ulterior motives here. They really just wanted to do something nice for her and Grim.

Once she comes to that realization, Yuu gets pretty emotional but thankfully manages to keep herself from actually crying. She's just so touched that there are people that would actually go to such lengths for her sake.

Fortunately, Grim provides a much needed distraction when he demands that they start opening presents cause, of course, that's what he'd focus on since the food provided by Crowley is in the fridge since the Ramshackle Ghosts thought it'd be better to leave it to Yuu to decide when to get all that out for the party they wanna have.

Since, by this point, I'd say it's either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Yuu agrees to opening presents since she's also excited about opening her first ever Christmas presents.

Yuu and Grim have a great time opening presents since they love all the presents they were given, although Grim does complain about all the practical gifts and the muscle-building ones he got.

(Much to Grim's delight, pretty much everyone gave him a can of tuna since it's well-known how much he loves the stuff lol)

One of the presents Yuu especially got excited about was the Christmas sweater Crewel made for her, which she was amazed by how authentic it looked considering the only kind of reference he would've had is whatever he heard from the Ramshackle Ghosts.

Yuu immediately puts on the sweater and the fuzzy cat socks she got from Trein, which she will definitely be wearing for the rest of the day.

Yuu also loved the books and sewing/knitting supplies she got from the Ramshackle Ghosts who know her tastes well thanks to living with her the last few months.

After they finish opening presents, Grim starts complaining about being hungry, so Yuu decides to get to work on getting the food provided by Crowley ready.

It's during this time that Floyd calls Yuu, asking her if she and Grim want to come over to the Mostro Lounge to eat lunch with him, Jade, and Azul since it's boring when it's just the three of them eating together.

This leads to Yuu inviting the Octatro over to join the Ramshackle Christmas party since she figures the more people, the better, and she wants to enjoy the party the Ramshackle Ghosts prepared but also spend time with her friends if they're available.

Unsurprisingly, Floyd is all for going to a party since that sounds way more fun than what they've got going on at the Mostro Lounge, and once he tells Jade about it, Jade agrees since it sounds fun and because this is another opportunity to learn more about Yuu's world.

Azul doesn't trust the twins to behave themselves, so he also comes. Plus, he's also curious about what a Christmas party is like.

After that call ends, Yuu decides to also send an invitation to Kalim and Jamil, and of course, Kalim is all too happy to come since he'd never turn down a party invitation.

Since Kalim is coming, that means Jamil has to as well, but since he's curious about this otherworldly holiday, he doesn't mind attending, although he's definitely not pleased about seeing the Octatrio once they all get to Ramshackle lol

Since the Octatrio and the Scarabia duo all bring food since they wanted to contribute to the party, there ends up being quite the feast which Grim is naturally very happy about.

Kalim and Floyd get a big kick out of the Christmas decorations and excitedly check out every nook and cranny of the dorm that's decorated.

Meanwhile, the other three are much more calm as they observe everything that's so foreign to them.

In the end, they all find themselves liking the Christmas decor, but Kalim is definitely the biggest fan of it - to the point he wants to start hosting Christmas parties from now on and make it a holiday in the Scalding Sands, much to Jamil's exasperation.

Aside from enjoying the decorations and food, I like the idea of everyone playing games for entertainment and also maybe exchanging stories about what's commonly done in their hometowns during this time of year.

All in all, Yuu has a great first ever Christmas since she's able to spend it with her friends and have all this fun with them - fun that she would've never experienced back in her world.

It's a memory she'll treasure for the rest of her life.

[lululeighsworld]

FE OC Week Day 1 - Introductions!

love the idea of this week and thought it'd be a great way to share some info about my FEH Summoner, Leigh! will mostly be contributing by way of text posts (and where possible, art I've commissioned over the years). thank you for taking the time to read if you do so!

(art by ceesawstudios, rokusashu, and nachosart respectively)

Introducing Leigh (they/them pronouns)! at least, what they looked like at the beginning of Book 2. they were coming to terms with who they wanted to be for the majority of Book 1, and they get a new design after Book 5 since Eitri destroys their cloak during the whole experimentation shenanigans.

(a few heroes did end up seeing Leigh's appearance prior to Book 2. more on that sequence of events can be read in this fic!)

overall, Leigh is very compassionate in their role as Askr's summoner and they always listen first before arriving at conclusions. they were initially summoned to Askr with very few memories of their World of Steel, and see their summoning to this world as a fresh start to be someone they couldn't in their old life.

Askr saw their fondness for linguistics+languages and decided to incorporate it into the blessing he gave them. Leigh's FE-verse works a little different than what's implied in-game; kingdoms/continents/communities don't all necessarily speak one language, so there's a lot of linguistic diversity present in Askr which makes communicating effectively a challenge! that's part of the reason why Leigh is chosen to be the summoner, as their blessing gives them enough proficiency in a variety of languages to bring everyone together both on and off the battlefield.

eventually they'll grow to be a magic user (mid-Book 6) but in the beginning they were not known for picking up a weapon. they also really love tea! the Order of Heroes' tea set collection is definitely expanding with their presence.

oh and their new design after Book 5? needless to say there's some tension within the order after Leigh reveals it since they're now wearing the colours of the enemy. Leigh lets this roll off their back; red/black are their fave colours and they're gonna feel good wearing them!

(art by gomooink and marybellgallery respectively)

[belbobiggins]

Okay okay okay I just I need to let out all these ideas I have for one singular TF2 OC

Keep in mind that I've never made an OC before so if this is really shittily written and thought out that's why

Okay so her name is Bella. At first it was just a few thoughts like: haha I wonder how spy would deal with a random child or lol I bet pyro gets along great with kids. Then I got an idea. What if I gave Heavy a FOURTH sister, and the reason we didn't see her during the comics is because she was busy playing with dolls in her room. She's a little girl, so what if she managed to sneak herself into all of Heavy's luggage and undetectedly be carried back to America with Heavy. Stuff happens, yada yada, she ends up staying at the base with all the mercs.

I just. I think some mercs would end up having great bonds with her, and others (Spy the sly and Medic gaming) not so much. Take Engineer for example: I think he'd definitely be too happy about not being the shortest person there, so much so he'd probably pick on her a little about her height. But I also think he'd make a great father figure and would end up teaching her a lot inside the workshop.

Scout would probably have an older sibling type vibe to him, same goes for Pyro. While Pyro would play with her and enjoy doing kid stuff, Scout is an overconfident white boy who would take on a "mean" older brother role. He'd be an absolute dick, same as he is to everyone, but I think he'd have his moments where she and he could connect.

Medic. I have SO SO SO many ideas for this. Heavy is her older brother, yeah? She snuck into his stuff and came with because she was afraid of being away from/losing him. Now this psychotic German comes along and is taking all of Heavy's attention. How is Bella gonna react? Poorly. She's probably jealous and will glare at poor Medic when his back is turned. I think the two have a bit of friendly(?) competition going on.

Soldier is... Well... The Uncle™. He dated her sister Zhanna some point (due to me being a Freedom Fries enjoyer, Zhanna and Soldier split up but are still friends :]) so she probably likes having him around. He frequently went to her home in Russia to see her sister, so it's expected that Bella and Soldier are a bit close, because he's probably still considered a part of the family by Zhanna. Soldier will make her medals every time she does something patriotic and frequently teaches her about (incorrect) history. He has also taken her rocket jumping a few times, unbeknownst to Heavy.

Demoman probably has around the same deal going on as Soldier. He's friends with Soldier, so he's automatically okay in her book. Sometimes he'll sneak her a sip of his scrumpy, and he tells her what "a good laddie" she is everytime she runs him an errand or gives him a hug. These two have a very friendly bond I think.

Spy is... Well... A sneaky 🚩French🚩 man. While he also hangs around Soldier a lot, I have a feeling Bella and him just generally avoid each other. He's not very good with kids (cough cough the Scout situation cough) and probably isn't very fond of them either, and She doesn't like him because he's rude and kind of creepy. He can just disappear whenever he wants and lurks around in the shadows in his spare time? Hell no. She is generally uncomfortable around him, and Spy is... Spy.

Sniper. Actually, despite what most would think, I think these two would be pretty okay with each other. Not as close as Bella and some of the others of course, but they co-exist contently. They're very similar. She doesn't talk much, same as Sniper. She's a bit introverted. She likes avoiding confrontation. The two just have mutual respect for each other. Sometimes she'll find him sitting on the roof of the base and they'll just lay there silently together, simply enjoying the company. I think I'll have the most fun drawing her and Sniper's moments together.

WOW that's a lot of words. Conclusion: I want the mercs to take care of this kid. If you have any questions about her, I'd gladly answer an ask. (PLEASE TALK TO ME I'M DESPERATE :])

[silverfoxstole]

Thanks for the tag @isolarrwilde !

What book are you currently reading?

The House of Dudley by Joanne Paul, a new biography of the Tudor family.

What do you usually wear?

These days, jeans and more often than not a striped tshirt/top.

What's your favourite movie you've seen in theatres this year?

I haven’t been to a cinema since Bohemian Rhapsody was out. I’m not particularly interested in films.

What's your star sign? Do you share your birthday with a celebrity or historical event?

Pisces, though only just as it begins on my birthday. In Chinese astrology I’m a snake. I share my birthday with (among others) eighteenth century actor David Garrick, Anthony Stewart Head and the late Dame Gillian Lynne. Edward VI was crowned on that day in 1547 and Tchaikovsky premiered Swan Lake in 1877.

Do you go by your full name or a nick-name?

I’ve never been known by a nickname though some people have shortened it, such as my grandparents and a couple of managers at work; they're the only people I've allowed to do that as I don’t really like it being shortened unless I decide to do it myself. I’m always called by my full name within my immediate family, though my mother does have a tendency to call my sister and I pretty much anything that comes into her head. The one that’s stuck over the years is ‘Pooh’, as in Winnie The, because it rhymes with the shortened version of my name.

How tall are you?

5'3”, to my eternal chagrin as almost everyone in the family is taller than me.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

Nope, and no one. I assume from the latter that we’re referring to real life rather than the realms of fantasy. To be honest I can’t really see myself as part of a couple; I’ve been on my own too long and I’m pretty solitary by nature.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

To my lasting regret I’ve never had a goal in mind and still have no idea what I'm doing with my life.

If you draw/write/create in any way, what's your favourite picture/line/etc. from something you created this year?

I've written so much this year (just under 300K words - eek!) I doubt I could pick one line! As for art, I'm very fond of this Bush sketch from earlier in the year; for once I managed to get the expression and head tilt right:

Dogs or cats?

In the past I would always have said dogs, but just lately I’ve found myself coming round to cats after previously having been quite anti. Dogs probably still win out, though.

What's something you're good at vs. something you're bad at?

I'm very good at judging distances, but I can't whistle to save my life.

What's something you'd like to create content for?

I don’t really think I would. I’ve been asked on the odd occasion if things of mine can be included in zines but I’ve never accepted.

What's something you're currently obsessed with?

My eighteenth century fixation is still going strong after more than thirty years, and my Hornblower phase mark II hasn’t come to an end yet.

What's something that you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

I haven't really had anything to get excited about for a long time. It was annoying that the Christmas event at Mottifont Abbey was so busy first thing on a Monday morning; that was disappointing, I suppose.

What's a hidden talent of yours?

It's not a talent as such but I have a great facility for remembering lines from comedy shows, though I wouldn't exactly call it hidden as I know I have an annoying tendency to quote them all the time. I actually can't think of anything I'd regard as a 'hidden talent'.

Are you religious?

For many years I would have immediately described myself as an atheist but as I get older I find myself less sure and am now agnostic. I’ve started to find the religious aspect of Christmas comforting, something that I think probably started during the pandemic, though I wouldn’t call myself a believer in any real sense.

What's something you wish to have at this moment?

Just at this minute, I would dearly love the tension headache that has been plaguing me for weeks to leave me alone. In the long term, a job, and preferably one I actually enjoy doing after spending far too long in a position I came to detest.

Tagging @amalthea9 @ariel-seagull-wings @aragarna @gone-grl-gone @sirastar and anyone else who fancies it!

[zirielladior]

ella's diary ୨୧

friday || 7.28.2023

hihi ella here !!

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

another nice-ish week. school starts on august 9th. i'm kind of sad, but at least i'll see some friends. i just don't want to do any school work. i still want good grades, of course, just.. without doing anything i guess.

my friend & i started a baking goal a few days ago. we were baking cookies and then his little sister came into the kitchen and asked if she could watch a movie with us. (she's eight.) and we said yes, we ended up eating all the cookies in three days, so we decided to bake again. we baked the famous pinterest jelly tart cookies. they came out pretty good, i almost burnt them because he went to shower and i started reading. but he got out soon enough and then went to check on them and they almost burnt. they're good though, i wish i could give you one right now for staying this look just to read <3 🍪

i spent a bit of today cleaning my room again. only vacuuming & organizing my closet, for almost the third time this month. and then i started reading another book i bought, it's called 'if he had been with me'. i saw it online & in a bookshop when i was in ontario for the summer, so i bought it! a lot of people say it's a little overrated, (not judging by the cover but by the actual book) and of course i saw it. i wanted to buy it anyway because it wasn't available at the library. (i can't really afford me buying books every other day so i usually go to my local library for books i see online that might be nice to read.)

also i've been writing a little bit of my own novel ideas. it think i might actually publish something, (hopefully if the KOSA bill doesn't progress.) on wattpad. not much of a fanfic although that's really the most popular side of wattpad. maybe. i'm really fond of writing a story that may reflect my dream life. you know..? like a good main plot with my dream lifestyle? don't know if it's a good idea though considering i just created this blog.

oh also, i've just started watching stranger things 4 !! i love the show up until now, but i've heard that vol. 2 could've been better. not sure, i just started episode one with my father on wednesday. i hope its not a weird season with a lot more people dying.

oh! speaking of which, i'm thinking of taking bass lessons soon. and maybe piano too. i've really wanted to play both for a while. he knows how to play bass, piano, drums, pretty much anything. he can make a tune out of recordings of every instrument and then he can make a nice instrumental song. he makes good poems so sometimes i tell him to make songs but he doesn't usually. he's making one now actually! i finally convinced him with elliot (his little sister) that he should write a song. so i think he's writing a song, maybe it's a love song for his crush. like i dunno but that could def be a reason why he's hiding it from us. otherwise he's pretty open about music and stuff.

him & i also went to a bakery in town. it was a bit close to the hotel his family & my family were staying at. (family friends trip, chill nothing weird.) so it was nice to go out and feel the night breeze. especially since i haven't been leaving the house much after being gone to ontario for an hour. we went shopping and i bought a cute cream colored mug with brown paint splattered on it, and a cute little baby tee that said gilmore on it !!

we went out to a cute bakery and had pastries and tea. we also bought candy from there for our sisters. mine's twelve and his is eight, but my sister's still pretty immature. they get along really nicely. his sister likes dolls, and my sister likes fixing dolls up. that's not whats immature about her, she genuinely acts five, but she loves dolls, and miniatures and making jewelry which i adore for her. if she's happy, i'm happy. in the end we both bought chocolate covered peppermint sticks with sprinkles. i think it was called lazy dog chocolateria. really great place, the food was sososososoo yummy.

anyway, so much for trying to keep a short entry. thank you for staying this long and listening to my conversations that were, really, just for myself considering not many people are going to listen to these.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

love always, ella ୨୧

[combatfaerie]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Taken from the fabulous @ashleyfanfic

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

In my current account, 101. I really wish I'd broken down FLAMES differently; maybe I'd get more feedback/interest if I had. But right now, I have 100 WWE fics and one AEW.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,961,702. (Hopefully I'll hit 2 million by the end of the year.)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly WWE right now. I had another AEW House of Black one started, so hopefully I'll finish that someday. I miss writing book-based fic, but I need to find another series I really love.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Flames, The Arrangement, Lass Ride, Pack Mentality, Queens of the Underground. (Flames: Bonus Scenes was technically in third, but it's really just a collection of random additional scenes.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try to. I figure if someone's nice enough to take the time to leave a comment, I can take the time to reply.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have no clue. Everyone defines "angst" a bit differently. I guess I'd say either THE WIND BETWEEN THE STARS or UNFIENDED.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Um.... offhand, I don't know. Common Grounds, maybe?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I got a few comments on Flames and The Arrangement. Not often, and I'm pretty sure I know who they're from.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes. I mean, I guess it's smut? I don't know. Like angst, that's a word everyone seems to define slightly differently. The ROSE & THORN stories are basically just smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I have, but that was for previous fandoms. I haven't written any wrestling ones yet. (Though I was tempted to try a WWE/Westworld one.)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think so. Not any of my wrestling ones (at least not to my knowledge), but from previous fandoms.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Only once. I'm not great at it.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

For my current fandoms, it's still Becky/Seth. Overall, probably Catwoman/Batman. (I got an early start in comics, so most of my earliest fannish stuff is comic-based.)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Disruptors. Or the "Finn's a vampire and Becky's his donor (but not for much longer)", sadly. I just can't remember enough of what I intended for them.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told "normal moments", which I guess is a nice compliment. I like "slice of life" stories, but they don't seem very common in fanfic, at least not wrestling fic.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything else? I know I'm not great at pacing and like most writers, I have words/concepts I overuse.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't mind it, in moderation. I don't agree with people who say that people don't just drop a non-English word into an English sentence. Sometimes the non-English word fits better. Sometimes it's what you're used to. Sometimes you're so mad/sad/intense/whatever that languages start getting mixed up in your head. Our actual dialogue—spoken, thought, etc.—is rarely as crisp and concise as writing makes it out to be.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

X-Men, probably.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

My fave of faves is from a different fandom. From WWE, I don't know. I'll probably always have a soft spot for THE WIND BETWEEN THE STARS (and no, that's not a thinly veiled attempt to get more people to read it). I also have a fondness for BREAKER OF RINGS and kind of wish I'd made it an original story, but c'est la vie.

[gezellig-writes]

I posted 352 times in 2022

That's 65 more posts than 2021!

4 posts created (1%)

348 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@renegadepack

@howlonghaveyoubeenseventeen

@musingsofvenus

@the-most-pathetic-edge-marquis

@theclearwaters

I tagged 180 of my posts in 2022

Only 49% of my posts had no tags

#bella swan - 29 posts

#jacob black - 27 posts

#leah clearwater - 21 posts

#twilight vibes - 9 posts

#charlie swan - 8 posts

#billy black - 8 posts

#paul lahote - 6 posts

#the pack - 5 posts

#edward cullen - 5 posts

#sam uley - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#but also that the increased cell replication and repair that is their enhanced healing could also leave them vulnerable to other things

My Top Posts in 2022:

#4

🌹

Now though, with the rumors of giant wolves in the woods going strong for months and only confirmed by the events of the morning, their hand had been played.

for every "🌹" received in my inbox I'll post one random sentence of a random WIP I'm currently writing

1 note - Posted October 25, 2022

#3

This has been sitting in my drafts for ages, and I finally got around to finishing it. Many, many, many thanks to @forksgothic for being a phenomenal beta-reader/editor

Basically a continuation of my not-quite a rewrite/extra to canon of twilight where the pack isn't essentially on their own, but loved and supported by their parents and the elders of La Push. Wherein Billy has a somewhat difficult conversation with his younger sister about his nephew Colin

2 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

#2

I want to dump all the characters in your ask box (I may do this anyway), but I’ll settle for Embry Call 👁👄👁

Oh go ahead and dump everyone lol. But, on to my best boy, Embry

Do I like them: Absolutely. I've always been most interested in the pack and their dynamics (like the rest of tumblr), but I was really drawn initially to the friendship between embry/quil/jacob, or what little of it we saw in the series

5 Good Qualities: (a lot of this is coming from those genius lists @blackpack did on little known tidbits from the books)

He's very observant, being the one to bring up to Jacob that Sam meets with the tribal council, among other things

He's quite loyal to his friends and family

and his mom- he's very aware of the gossip about her when she first moved to town, and what still lingers to some extent. I could go more into how I see their relationship, but for a good while, they were all the other had, and having to keep the secret from her really hurt

I also see him as quite smart, wanting to go to college to study history and/or folklore and is the one that fights the hardest against the pack having to drop out of school or whatever they end up doing

He's quite easygoing and doesn't seem to hold a grudge for long if at all

He puts up with Quil and Jacob and their shenanigans

3 Bad Qualities: (tbh this took a lot longer than I thought)

honestly, the fact he stayed with Sam's pack as long as he did- for as long as he and Jake have been friends I'm surprised it took him until after Bella had the baby to leave

he never tells his mom?? I am drifting far into my own headcanon territory, but if they're close, he should have let her know what was going on and that he's not in some rebellious phase- he had the okay from Sam to do so. Even if she isn't Quileute she does have the right to know at least some of what's going on

he makes too many bets for his own good- where is this money coming from??

Favorite Episode/Moment: This scene from Eclipse

Otp: Quil/Embry for sure because a) I’m a sucker for friends to lovers, but b) it’s a great replacement for the claire imprint situation which has always squicked me out

Brotp: Embry/Quil/Jacob obviously

Ot3: I don’t know if I have an OT3 for Embry? Maybe Embry/Quil/Jacob, if I was forced to choose, but it still doesn't feel right

notp: I'm not particularly fond of Embry/Bella, but really don't like Embry/any vampire-though I don't even know if those fics exist (like I know Rosalie/Leah exists and I’m baffled by it)

best quote: I had to flip through New Moon, and I had totally forgotten about this gem-

"Well, the wolf's out of the bag now." Embry sighed. "Way to go, Jake." (New Moon, pg 328, Family)

headcanon: he's a fancy dancer and has been going on the powwow trail with his mom quite literally his entire life (Tiffany is a somewhat well known fancy shawl dancer) and the entire pack+ adjacent crew saved up for ages and surprised him with new regalia after he grew out of his old set post-growth spurt

6 notes - Posted April 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

If you haven’t done so, please do yourself a favor and read @theclearwaters Between Who You Are and Who You Could Be

18 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Got reminded of when I worked at the comic shop way back when, so here's a story:

I was the only female employee at the shop. It wasn't on purpose given where I lived at the time and the time I was there, but it was, in general, considered an anomaly. There were people who were a bit shocked (or worse) to see a femme* behind the counter.

A few different stories that I recall with fondness:

The ladies who read comics including Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and Witchblade and were CERTAIN I'd love them, too because they DID love them but had no female comic fans to talk to about them, so they'd recommend them with a deep intensity that I have never forgotten. I had zero interest. Mostly naked "empowered" female protags have never been my bag, but I always replied with something along the line of "I read a few issues, but not my bag. But I've talked to several women who love it," and that always made them happy. And the truth was, I HAD talked to several female regulars who loved it. I just didn't. (Although, shout-out to Tarot: WotBR for writing the greatest line of dialogue ever: "You have to get out of here! Your vagina is haunted!!")

The car salesman (hand to god) who LOVED Tony Stark and even had the special-cut goatee to prove it. Let me tell you, that fucker pulled it off like a champ. He also had his suits tailored and was just a very sweet, funny guy. Like, in the midst of the Civil War comics event, he and I had a sincere conversation about signing the accords (he was on Tony's side) versus not signing (I was on Cap's side), and in the end, we agreed that Mark Millar was not a great writer and that the event as a whole was a mess, but The Bendis one-shot where Tony talks to Steve's corpse is a fucking heartbreaker. He also picked up a couple of comics I recommended that he said, "I'm not sure it's my thing, but I like you," and they got added to his pull list the moment he finished the trades.

Every single woman who came in with a well-meaning boyfriend who loudly announced to me, "SHE AGREED TO TRY COMICS!"

Me: Cool. What are we starting with?

Guy: A MAJOR EVENT THAT ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT STAND UP ON ITS OWN WITHOUT READING A YEARS WORTH OF THREE DIFFERENT BOOKS.

Me: Oh, absolutely fucking not. Go to the back of the shop while I talk with her.

Guy: "...What? But she--"

Me: "Name me everything you need to read to understand EVENT."

Guy: HERE IS THE LIST.

Me: BACK OF THE SHOP.

He'd go to the back of the shop. I'd approach the friend/girlfriend/wife. "Hey, I'm Gayle. I'm sure he said it was an event you could pick up and understand, but he's blinded by his love for it. Tell me, what do you usually read? Sci-fi? Fantasy? Got a superhero you like from cartoons?"

She'd respond with details, and I'd narrow it down. "Oh, okay, so you're up for a group book and find the overall idea of the Green Lanterns interesting. This is "Recharge." It's the restart of the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. Very easy to jump in on, and if you have questions, you can ask that guy you know or check wikipedia."

"Oh, okay, you like fantasy and fairy tales. "Fables" is really popular for that. It's all the public domain fairy tales hiding in modern-day New York."

"Standalone stories you can just read as they are? Here's the original graphic novel section. They're all one and done. Or maybe two and done. The point is, they're very contained stories."

*I was using female pronouns and identifying as a woman at the time and as femme as I am now as an enby (femby)

[dee--eer]

SHIN for the ask game? ;D

Thank you for playing! 😆

S: Which ship do you have an infinite amount of songs for?

Klance! I even have my own spotify playlist for them, and they're still the one I thought of first whenever I heard a good song hahhzshj, they still own my heart even now.

H: a character that you love to hate?

Cinder from RWBY. She's such a great villain, one of the best I've seen in the past few years and I really really hate her hahah

I: A book you can read over and over

The PJO series! I remember borrowing it from this library I frequent when I was a kid and end up loving it so much I decided to bought it with my own money ahah. It's such a fun series and I still reread the books once in a while!

N: Your favourite crackship

Kite and Pitou from HxH ggahzhah, I just like how their personality clashed so much?? And it's hilarious to think about gloomy Kite getting chased around by Pitou lmao

Also idk if this is considered crackship or not, I haven't been in the fandom for years, but I'm very fond of Laxus x Lisanna from Fairy Tail. I read this one fanfic about them once and it was so good I end up writing my own fic about them lmao

[bearpillowmonster]

SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE

I saw the covers of these three volumes and knew I had to check them out so I loaded up a digital copy.

"If you experienced the same thing, if you've ever worn that symbol on a T-shirt, doodled it on the back of a notebook, or had it tattooed on your arm…if you understand what that symbol means -- that all things are possible -- then this book is dedicated to you. It is also dedicated to DC's Dan DiDio, who allowed this kid from New Jersey to finally realize the dream of a lifetime."

Hearing something like that lets me know that the writers care about what they're putting out and had something in mind that they wanted to tell with a beginning middle and end. Then the opening panels have Clark getting on a train and his mother asking why when he can just fly. "I want this to take time. I need time to think."

Barely even into the first few pages and I said "Alright, I have to buy this physically." because it was just too good. (plus it was only three volumes so it was compact enough to collect).

We get some really great concept art in the back. Even a copy of the newspaper. The dialogue is great, this version of Clark is great. No complaints with the first volume.

Now the next volume keeps up this pace and gives Clark a little bit of an adolescent moment where he's not really with Lois yet, in fact, there's someone else who's interested (this Lisa) but he has to learn to pace himself. He learns what consequences there are for his actions with his neighbor, Lisa. The second villain is Parasite which I've never really been fond of anyway because his story is more or less the same every time, so whatever.

The last volume is where things shine again because it reminds me that Lisa's into Clark (Clark is only making friends) because they think they're weirder than him and need a shoulder to cry on. That's great that you're trusted like that but it pushes your own self into a corner because you aren't actually the neutral they want to believe and feel you can't open up because of it.

I have an album of various pictures I've come to like from specific comics and I found myself pausing a lot to take some for this one, it has some good art. Lex is introduced, Z is introduced. Z...looks like a hooded Robin, I'm not gonna lie. Lex is...ahead of the game. He's married, he has hair. I mean, he's smart, he has the right idea but I always feel like people overthink his character and try to change him up but they need to remember that this is just the guy that wanted to sink California, putting a bomb in the San Andreas fault. This version fits this story because he's more involved with the government though.

But I like the theme of participation because you have the news media watching Superman and they just watch and show. You have the army, they get told by Zod not to fight him so they stay out of the fight. Superman is without ally, nobody will help him, they just watch because a man with that much power should be stopped, right? But there's a bat-signal type S emblem in the sky. Lois, the one he leaves mid-fight for just to see what's wrong and keep her safe. But who's standing there than none other than Lex. He's the only one to do something- take away Superman's power with red radiation.

But while characters like Lois and Lex are tentative, it's only a three volume arc so we don't get to see that fully blossom, just begin. So Clark still likes Lisa, he talks to Lois and they are friends now but it's not the role that Lois is known for. Lex comes to a decision about what his life is about and then leaves it in his wife's hands at the end, so she's the one taking his role. Part of me wants to say 'why even introduce them then?' but I can't really complain because I liked what I saw of them and it was only a 3 parter. All in all, it succeeded in being a good comic book, maybe not as edgy as you see on the covers but it made me just as happy.

[redbug]

Pot 1

I had a lot to talk about after work today and not a soul to spill it all to, so I guess all good things (being generally ignorant of tumblr) come to an end. I honestly wasn't feeling too great about my job all summer, I was a little bored, my house was uncomfortable (historical New England house, figures it was meant for when Maine was still cold and didn't feel like 95...thanks exxon), my workplace was sort of messy; overall it just felt really unfulfilling. Like a summer job. And I feel like I'm at the point in my life and academic career where I can, and should, do more than that. But things have nearly completely turned around over the past week.

Recently (as in literally last month) I've become obsessed with lobsters. It started because we got two brand new ones in at my job. They were wild caught and sitting in the market crates when one of our researchers found them. They're both 1/30 million in rarity; one is completely orange (she looks like she's already been cooked, lol) and the other is "calico" or "cinnamon" (very dark brown with yellow speckles). For the purposes of anonymous blogging, I'm just going to call them Orange and Calico. Calico is crazy to look at, and by crazy I mean cool. I've never seen a lobster that looks like that. It was like love at first sight (little did I know how little answers I would get about why-she-even-looks-like-that, but for another time). But from that point forward I have done absolutely nothing but think, talk, and read about lobsters.

Within the first few days, easily 20 hours of reading. That number's about doubled now, as of the time of writing this. I never really even considered liking lobsters to begin with. I knew nothing about them and didn't care to before Calico. As it turns out, though, they're really interesting animals in nearly every regard. I mean, these animals have fascinating chemistry happening in the cuticle just to "produce" color, they have long and complicated courtship, their anatomy is freakishly cool, and not to mention how historically and culturally significant the fishery is here- though I suppose perhaps that's thanks to people. Either way- a criminally underrated animal. Not a food, but an animal. It feels weird to type that being that I study zoology- and even more so being that I concentrate in entomology. Lobsters are, really, just wet bugs. After being on a lobster tirade and borrowing several of her books (thanks btw), my boss, T, approached me in the main room on one crowded day and said, "if I go downstairs [wet lab] and get you a lobster, could you do a lecture outside on the porch?" and, well, sure, I could come up with something. That some-thing is now a whole-thing. Every hour I do this damn lecture and god I don't think I can get tired of it. The guests just go nuts for it too. Sometimes I even do personal and private lectures for special tour groups that we have come in. I get such thoughtful and insightful questions about lobsters afterwards and it makes me believe that nobody ever gave the public the idea that this was an interesting animal, either.

I was taking out the trash after we closed one day and a couple of the administrative staff for the department I work for said that they love the lecture and they always open up their office window so that they can hear it from just across the breezeway. I keep my mic on during questions- they say they just keep learning new things. Apparently they were so fond of it that they decided to let our bureau director (who was previously the head lobster biologist) know how great this random thing I had put together on the spot was. I've actually now grown quite fond of Orange, I know her a little better than I do Calico, because T chose to bring Orange up that day I sealed my fate as the lobster information booth. We were struggling a little bit with guest expectations because people are afraid of change, and the building is entirely different from when it closed down during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic (which is still happening by the way!). Once this lobster thing took off we knew we had to keep it. I've written down loads of information and scripting for my coworkers so they can do the lectures in my absence, T made signs to advertise it, they gave me a bigger microphone, hell, they even set up a new tank for it so that I don't have to walk a live lobster around like an idiot. Though Orange decided she'd had enough and went on a minor hunger strike, so fair enough, and we now use our Cotton Candy lobster- who's 1 in 100 million. He's kind of a drama queen but once you pick him up his attitude can be summarized by "I guess I'm here now". And he's continued eating, so, probably more fit for the bill anyhow. We have all of the weird colors except for white and split, by the way. It's like I'm trading on Animal Jam again. They all have different rarity rankings.

During this whole thing I've been keeping contact with the current lobster biologist, F. She's awesome. Her and her colleagues gave us a great presentation on the fishery during our training and they're all a wealth of knowledge. Today she decided to meet with me in person to chat a little more about trends we're seeing in the Gulf right now as far as conditions and populations. I'll cut to the more exciting chase: They are going to try and get me on a contracted lobster boat to observe a real vent-less trap survey this month. Just to see! I'm so excited. I think the physical experience will be really good for me. It's one thing to read about it and hear about it- it's another to be there. Besides, what an amazing opportunity? Invaluable to experience that in my undergraduate career- especially because I just happened to be really good at talking to people about wet bugs.

I can really, hardly contain my excitement, in all seriousness. It's not a promise or a certainty but damn, I hope so! I originally asked F if there were aaaaany programs she knew of that could maybe get me out on a boat someday- I totally wasn't expecting for the answer to be 'yeah, with us'! It's slightly frustrating that I have to keep this news on the dl at work or be quite literally bombarded by my coworkers- who are capable of and encouraged to email the lobster scientists, too, if they want, but only ever seem interested when I do it- because it's not that they are interested in lobsters, but rather that they suffer from terrible FOMO. Our facility is small, and all of the sort of "lower" employees live together in provided housing, and if there's one thing I've learned about them, it's that: if you do it, and if you have it, they have to too. It's really strange sometimes. Regardless of whether or not they get that sorted out, I have been thinking a lot, too, about the people I might meet on this trip. Getting to learn where people came from to wind up in their research is oddly encouraging to me. Plus, more people to pester about lobsters. I wonder what I'll be doing. I wonder what the boat will look like. I wonder how many lobsters I'll see. I wonder! Eek!

Aside from lobsters (thank god it's over amirite?), lots of other really fortunate things are happening at work lately. Everyone has seemed to pick up on and enjoy my knack for preserving the occasional dead animal we (inevitability) end up with. They're nice teaching tools for the facility, in my defense. About a week or two ago now a man approached me because of the shark on my name tag and asked if we wanted his 9-foot hammerhead shark mount (with real jaws!) as he was moving and couldn't take it with him. I wish in that moment I said no, I want it, but alas I did the right thing and directed him to my boss. Well, T wants me to be the one to help retrieve it! How cool! I saw pictures of it- it's beautifully done. Shark "mounts" are usually fiberglass, lightweight composite, or casted- which of course depending on the skill of the artist can look tacky if the paint job is bad or the shark's features are.. exaggerated. I was very impressed with this one though. Beautiful, graceful and realistic. I'll be picking it up for the facility at the end of the season.

It truly does not end there. Two years ago, my workplace put in a permit request to collect some specimens from this sort of depository that the state has of materials from otherwise illegal-to-possess animals to be used for science/education purposes. Well they finally heard back with a yes. T actually wants my help curating whatever collection of things that we take. My university doesn't offer any curation programs/courses/experiences, or I'd have taken them in a heartbeat. She gave me a list of species and asked me to read through and take note of what I'd like to grab if available. I'm not sure when we'd be receiving them but I can't wait for it, either.

Speaking of curation, after one of my lobster lectures today my coworker, who is working here on an internship through her university, introduced me to her.. other boss? Not sure what to call her, H. They must have already been talking about my affinity for playing with carcasses because she opened the conversation after the handshake straightaway with how she has this space that her and her colleagues are working on, I don't remember what she called it, it's meant to be educational but the important part is that she wants to fill it with bugs, skulls etc. I looked at her like this when she said that, I think. So I told her of course I would be happy to help and offer a couple of pieces because it sounds like a nice place, and that I'd shoot her an email. And then she drops this bombshell, "Well, we have grant money for this, so, we would probably want to pay you". Any annoyance I felt when my coworker promptly begged me to 'please teach her everything!!!' (despite having explained the entire process of cleaning a carcass, proper pinning technique, and what chemicals of what concentrations to use for wets at least twice EACH) for the fifth time this week (I mean, seriously, just read. You're going into science) was immediately overlooked and overshadowed. I felt at this point that I had received so much good news and so many good opportunities today that something catastrophic was bound to happen. Eek! Somebody has yet to pinch me, is all that I'm saying!

I say at work that I'm "wiggling" or "stumbling" into these positions, or that I'm having great luck, but truthfully, it has to be me, too, right? I've been working really hard- to do good, to be knowledgable, to be professional, and I really think it's paying off. It can't be coincidence that all of these people see something in me worth mentioning, worth bringing on boats, worth tasking, and worth hiring. I was feeling so down and unsure about myself at the beginning of the summer, and about my potential as having a career begins to become a more serious idea, but this has all been really pleasant and really affirming that I am where I should be, and most importantly that I'm making it. This is a message to be kinder to yourself, I guess. You could try liking lobsters too, maybe they'll bring you their (apparently very many) blessings.

That's really mostly everything from work I wanted to get off of my mind. My hands regularly get fissures from some immune issues I have, and I, unfortunately, think that the open skin contracted an infection via the ~ubiquitous touch tank~, so it's amazing I've been well enough composed for all of this considering the medication I had to take this morning makes me a liiittle.. drowsy. In other mundane news, I've gotten really great at cooking fish, I think. I wish I fished as often as I fished at the beginning of the summer.. you can't beat a nice oven-baked striper.

I turn 21 in 2 days, so that's cool! Can't wait to shoot pool with a DRINK this time! Any pool lovers!? Any drink lovers!?? I think I'll order a mojito.