#if you have poll ideas to share i have a post asking for them (link is in the intro post if you can't find it) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

omaano · 1 month

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SW Hades AU August Update

Links and previous updates: May - June - July, everything else in this AU

In contrast to the July update, I didn't make as much progress in August as I'd intended, but all the same I'm quite happy with what I get to share with you here:

In the previous poll I only promised to get Echo and Fives to lines and flat colours by this (more than a bit belated) update, but thanks to @lesquatrechevrons keeping me company while I was working on them I managed to get the Domino Twins character art to a state of "almost finished". (I had posted them as "finished" but that was before I realized that I'd forgotten to add the little specks of neon colour to them, but oh well, I hate that stage anyway XD)

I also did some brainstorming with the amazing @elwinged about all the characters, as well as the various weapons and their aspects for this AU. They had some great theories and ideas, and also made me actively think about these things, which was real fun!

Before I go into some ramblings about what went into Echo and Fives' art and design (gotta pad this update with something, and some of you seemed to enjoy it with Omega last time), let's have another poll for next month! I've looked over my table of characters and plans, and I came to the delightful realization that I've made far better progress than how it feels on a day-to-day basis. So maybe it's time to work a bit on the boon-giver characters for a change:

Also would anyone be interested in a taglist for these updates, or are you all fine with me just putting these out whenever and let tumblr do its thing in getting them to you? (send me an ask or reply here if yes, I know my tumblr is a mess XD)

Now on to some thoughts on Echo and Fives:

Depicted but not illustrated in its fullest is that Rex has been a constant presence next to Echo and Fives (and to Cody, too, previous to that). It bears repeating that I really wanted to make sure that the clones are the same in size, and share as many colours as possible (so Cody also stood around as moral support when it came to Fives' hair). So you can also see how the shading on their faces are very similar in their shapes, except for the shadows in that part where nose, cheek and mouth meet, because I wanted to make the Dominoes look a bit younger.

Same with how Rex still has that wrinkle in his forehead that I oddly fixate on so much (don't ask), but Echo and Fives very clerly don't. I'll claim that it had been a completely conscious decision, and not just time passing between the two designs - well over half a year - during which I got it into my head that I should depict the clones during wartime as close to their barely-20-ish age as possible.

One thing I didn't commit to enough though (because I chickened out) was to make Fives look a bit more "dead" and ghostly before I put the blue-green soft light adjustment layer on him was the deeper and darker circles under his eyes, and I fully intended to leave out the light reflection from his eyes... but in the end I went back and added a duller shine to them because I'm weak, it's barely visible and he looked too grumpy and mean already T^T I also didn't want to make his cheeks more hollow or anything, because then I would just feel bad and weird about taking away the roundness from their shapes that I've worked so hard to put on them.

As I was working on this piece I've also thought a lot on the style that I've been trying to mimic through this project.

The thing that gave me pause is that I see more and more of my own style slipping into these pieces, I allow my lines to round out more... and I can claim that it is mostly because that's the compromise I can make with the clones, but I open up and look at Hades references less and less, and I just go freely with what's stuck in my brain while I'd tried to wrap my mind around the style when I first went at it.

I've also always had trouble with grouping my shadows and shapes, and this is exactly what I should be pushing more from now on forward. I keep letting myself get distracted by all the tiny details that I so enjoy to put into my work (case in point all that scarring on Echo, and even Fives' hair - as well as Cody's previously, but I didn't know how else to convey the texture of their hair in less and larger shapes). Hades character designs always feel so rich with detail, but at the same time they are a lot more streamlined than what I'd do if i let my own instincts and desires run wild. I'll try to work with that in the future!

Last but not least a few words on Echo's armor:

I'm slowly but surely stretching my artistic muscles a little and going a bit off-model for the characters, so I wanted Echo to wear armor that is a mix of his ARC and Bad Batch commando armor. So he's got the old plates on his arms (where he still has one LOL), all the straps and pouches (and both blasters!) and old kama hanging from his belt, as well as the hand print paint (because that is personally very very important to me that he has it). Then, beause I desperately needed some other colour in my characters that's not blue or black or grey, he's got elements of the red and orange paint he wears later in TBB (I really wanted him to have that orange stripe down the middle of his chest piece too, but I couldn't make it work with the handprint :() I'm real happy with this balance, and particularly with the shades of blue in his worn paint ^^

I also really wanted to give him a hand (I'll never not be frustrated at how Echo was kept literally handicapped with only his left hand to shoot and grab things (and people) with. It's good that he'd been an ARC and trained in dual wielding, but in a world where people keep losing their appendages (and sometimes half of their bodies) as if it was np big deal at all, it couldn't have been too difficult to get him a hand!! ANYWAYS. I'd first learned how to draw mechanical prosthetic hands/arms during my time in the Overwatch fandom, and I don't think I could draw them any other way (especially the fingers and the lights showing through in their joints) than how I'd done for Cole Cassidy way back when he still had a different name XD

I know there is a relatively limited way in how and what parts you can use to build up a hand/forearm, but I just cannot unsee it, and I thought I'd share this tidbit fun fact as well XD

I hope you enjoyed these ramblings, and I promise to try and keep to the normal mid-month-ish schedule for September!

#my art #hades au #hades au update #long post #domino twins #star wars #star wars fanart #tcw fanart #sw fanart #work in progress #artists on tumblr #arc trooper fives #arc trooper echo #tbb echo #I have the same imahe in this post twice so sue me :P #I meant to talk a bit about the stars and constellation element in their design as well but... I lost my steam and I just want to post this #I've been meaning to type this up last week but ugh.... I got very stressed and tired with other things so.... this is what it is #I hope you enjoy!

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fluffystevefest · 6 months

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Welcome to Fluffy Steve Fest!

It's a go!! Thank you everyone who filled out the interest check or helped share it! ♡

This is a week-long celebration of Steve's birthday and will run from Monday, July 1, 2024 to Sunday, July 7, 2024.

There will be a new theme and four on-theme prompts every day to jumpstart your ideas, as well as extra challenges on the day of Steve's birthday to inspire you to try something new, but you don't need to use them. As long as you create a work that fits the rules & guidelines and post it during the event, it counts and will be included in the event.

Schedule

May 1: Prompts posted

July 1: First day of Fluffy Steve Fest - AO3 collection opens

July 7: Last day of Fluffy Steve Fest

July 10: Roundup of daily masterlists

July 22: (Optional) Last day to post your personal masterlist to be reblogged

Rules

You must be 18+ to participate because there may be mature/explicit themes and works.

Make Steve proud and be respectful! No hate at any step of the way, including kink-shaming, ship-bashing, bullying, harassment, hate speech, and discriminatory behaviour.

No advertisements or works for profit/commercial purposes.

All works must be pro-Steve and Steve-centric. No Steve-bashing will be tolerated - remember that this is a celebration of Steve and your love for him!

Since this is a fluff fest, there should be more fluff than angst, more comfort than hurt, and a happy Steve! For example, while fluff can feature heavy themes, angst without a happy ending or hurt no comfort would not count. Use your best judgement :)

With that being said, please tag your content and warn appropriately. If you're not sure whether something needs tagging, err on the side of caution so that this can be fun and safe for everyone.

In the same vein, please also keep in mind that this is an open event with a mostly unmoderated AO3 collection and you are the best-equipped to be responsible for your experience. Mind the tags and warnings and click away from works that aren't your thing.

Work Guidelines

All work types are accepted, including fics, art, gifs, meta, videos, manips, moodboards, playlists, rec lists, crafts, polls, poems, comic panel edits, podfics (with permission), etc.

There are no work minimums.

Steves from all universes are welcome!

All pairings are welcome!

Posting Guidelines

Share your work here on Tumblr and/or to the Fluffy Steve Fest AO3 collection.

When posting on Tumblr, make sure to tag @fluffystevefest and use the tag #fluffystevefest so your amazing work can be shared! If your work is posted elsewhere, you can share the link to it on Tumblr.

If you are using a theme or prompt of the day, make sure to specify which one(s) you're using and post it on the day of. If you are not using any themes or prompts, feel free to post at any point during the week.

Cross-posting with other events is allowed as long as the other event allows it too!

FAQ

Can I post art (with credit) that was made using a Picrew image maker? Yes, as long as the creator of the Picrew image maker is okay with it.

Can I post prompt submissions on days after the prompt? How long do I have? Yes, you can post prompt submissions on days after the prompt. For your submission to be included in the daily round-up, you have until it is no longer that day anywhere in the world. For your submission to just be reblogged, you have the entire duration of the event.

If you have any questions that are not answered above, please feel free to DM or send an ask 😊

How long will the AO3 collection stay open? July 22, which is also the day personal masterlists are due.

#steve rogers #steverogersevents #fluffystevefest #trackmarvel #marvel-events-central #mod post

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hermitrivia · 7 months

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Welcome to Hermitrivia!

Three times a week, there will be a brand new trivia question to test your knowledge of hermits, events, builds, and stories. These questions will be presented in the form of 7 day polls.

Please read the voting rules before participating:

No cheating! Don't look up your answers before voting. (I have no practical way of stopping you from doing this, so I'm going to have to trust you not to ruin the fun.)

No spoilers! Don't say, imply, or hint your answer in the comments or tags before the poll is finished.*

Share the fun! Reblog the poll if you play.

If you have an idea for a fun trivia question, you can send it via dm or ask.

Please read the submission rules before sending one:

These are multiple choice questions with a single correct answer! Provide at least four answer choices: the correct answer plus at least three other choices.

Reciepts! Provide proof of the correct answer to your question in the form of a video, tweet, or wiki page link.

Stay on topic! Questions can tie into other series, but they must be directly related to Hermitcraft or hermitcraft members. "Which of the following hermits was not involved in the HermitEmpire crossover" is a valid question. "Which Empires member has the most PVP deaths" is not.

Keep it fun! Do not submit questions related to the death of any hermit or hermits family members (yes, this includes pets!)*

Keep it fun, part 2! Do not submit questions about real-world discourse or drama around CCs.*

Opinions are not facts! Only submit questions to which the answer is objectively verifiable. "Who had the most player kills during s7" is a valid question. "Who is the best PVPer" is not.

Submissions that do not follow these rules will be deleted.

*Breaking a rule marked with an asterisk is grounds for an immediate block!

More details and tags below the cut:

Tagging:

Polls will be tagged with #trivia questions

Answered polls will be tagged with #trivia answers

Polls will be tagged with all relevant hermits and Hermitcraft seasons

Hermits and Hermitcraft seasons will be tagged if they are an answer choice EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT THE CORRECT ANSWER. If I only tagged the "correct" hermit or season, that would spoil the answer. KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN YOU ARE TAGGING REBLOGS!

Schedule posts and other informative posts will be tagged #announcements

Schedule

Questions will be posted Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8am CST (figure out what that means for your own time zone) and run for one week. Answers will be posted the day after a poll concludes. So, a Saturday poll will conclude the following Saturday and be answered that Sunday.

This posting schedule is subject to change depending on how many questions are submitted. If no one submits questions and I have to come up with them all myself, I might have to ration them and cut back on posts.

#hermitcraft #hermitblr #mcyt event #hermitcraft event

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expanding-hyrule · 12 days

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Hey there! Expanding Hyrule needs your help!

This is a budding community and I am only one person running it at the moment and I’ve only got so much energy in a day. Even less right now. No joke, I opened the EH Discord and then immediately got knocked out by con flu for two weeks, still pending recovery.

Which is where you come in! The Internet is massive and it’s impossible for me to get the whole thing archived for this niche all by myself. So if you know works in any medium or creators in any medium who would fit into the “Original Legends” niche, send them my way! The list currently compiled only got set up because of one post that happened to get some traction. Imagine what we can do with a community working together on it! There are way more creators in the space than I currently have on the list and I need your help to find them! This niche has never been organized before and it’s only going to get organized with a team effort! So let’s get to it, adventurers!

What is “Original Legends” as a LoZ niche?

The "Original Legends" tag is a temporary tag for stories about Hyrules thus unseen. So based on the franchise as a whole and not any particular game. The community is not yet big enough to run a vote on a final pick for a tag, which is where you all come in! We're currently gathering ideas on the Discord and off this blog, so if you have suggestions, let us know! The poll will run off this blog once we have a bigger following.

Does it include sequels or Links Meet?

So this is where I need to be a little pedantic. Because technically, yes, both could be Original Legends. But. Because right now this community needs to build a strong central identity for what the core of "Original Legends" means, there may be more scrutiny for whether they get added to the archives.

The thing about direct sequel and Links Meet works is that they have tags they can rely on, chiefly the game they're a sequel to or the Links Meet tags, those are both recognized tags across fandom. There is no tag currently for the full "Original Legends" niche, so for the time being it needs to become prominent enough in the fandom to stand on its own first and then we can add wider definitions. So not a full no, you're welcome to still use the tag if you think your work applies, but for the official archive lists here, it's a not yet while we establish what this tag is first.

Where do I send works I find?

You can send them as reblogs, asks, submissions, DMs, or just plain old @'s to this blog. Some of the lists do have to have manual additions (the blog archive, the Discord list, the Wattpad reading list), so it is better if you make sure I'm aware it's being added so I can update all lists accordingly.

For art, because we're trying to keep the archive list a little more manageable, be sure to see socials and tags you use for your project. I will try to include some pictures, but you will make my life a whole lot easier if you can send me the ones you want in the gallery specifically. Ones that scan scale down nicely are better so we can again keep that list more manageable to scroll through.

What if I’m a creator in this space?

Please reach out! I'm trying to follow everyone here on Tumblr to make sure I get updates, my main is @amelias-hart and my LoZ alt is @amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet. You can ping any three of those blogs when you have updates, sending them in asks, submissions, or DMs as I'm the only moderator on this blog at present and those are open. If that changes for this blog, then the other blogs listed will still have DMs.

We also have a Discord open if you'd like to connect with other creators in the space and you can share when you post there. I set up events for people who upload on a schedule as well for anyone who like reminders that way for when fics in our archive are updating.

Are there other ways I can help?

Share this blog! On and off of Tumblr. In order for us to organize a tag like this within the whole of such a massive community, we need eyes on it and I simply do not have the reach or budget to make that happen without help.

Long term, if you have Discord experience, I will need help running that eventually, as well as the blog. If I put too much of this work on myself, then I won't have time to write either! And I'd rather not get stuck in that again. Keep an eye on the blog for news on that, I've got not idea where or how that process will start.

But the biggest, check out the works in our archives! It's very hard to coordinate and share a work that falls into a niche like this without the use of the main community tags, so a lot of these creators have been struggling to find their audience for years. Community support changes that, which begins and ends with each of you. Be the kind of fan you would want for yourself. We're all just nerds on the Internet, so we gotta look out for each other, yeah?

What if I was added to this space and I’d like to be removed?

If for whatever reason you would like your work removed from the list, contact this blog or any of my alts if there's an issue getting in touch and I'll remove it. I will ask for some verification that a work is yours so people can't take other people's works off the list, but if you don't want to be in the archive, I'm not going to force anyone stay in it.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure can! Hi, I’m Amelia (she/they, 28), you might know me better as amelias-hart or, if you’ve been around my works a second, echosound. I started writing Original Legends fic back in 2012 with a work called Goddess of Secrecy, which I just managed to wrap up this summer (I may have gotten stuck in the Temple of Time in 2017). GoS got its start on Wattpad and I’m now expanding my horizons on AO3, so I’ve got a lot of learning left to do! Thank you for your patience while I am!

#zelda fandom #zelda fanfiction #loz art #original legends #loz: original legends #legend of zelda #loz zelda #zelda #legend of zelda fanart #loz #tloz

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aspecpolls · 9 months

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Welcome to Aspec Polls!

A blog exclusively for polls related to aspecs. You don't have to be aspec to send in a poll, you only need to be asking in good faith and obviously no hateful content will be tolerated. Speaking of, if I let something get posted that I shouldn't have please let me know!

Send your poll ideas to the inbox, preferably with the options you want listed out. Keep in mind that poll options have a character limit of 80 and there can only be 12 options per poll. If you don't include your own options I can try to make them for you, but remember that I may not word things the same way you would or I might leave something out that you would've included.

Sometimes I change poll questions/options. I usually only do this if I notice a potential issue like someone mixing up their terms or the lack of an option a significant amount of voters are likely to need. If I change something I shouldn't have, or I miss anything, please tell me!

If you don't want your ask to be posted don't be afraid to say so. I can always post the poll by itself.

If you'd like to share your thoughts, opinions or experiences related to a poll topic or to expand on why you voted how you did you're welcomed to drop those in the askbox too. Please try to specify the poll you're referencing to avoid any confusion. These messages will be tagged as #commentary and the usual non-poll tag #not a poll if you would like to filter them out.

Got an aspec-related question that wouldn't really work as poll or that you just don't want to ask in that form? Head over to this blog!

If you're not sure what "aspec" or another term you see here means, here is a post and a carrd that should hopefully help! Please remember that aspec includes more than aromantic, asexual, and aroace.

Is the "show results" button or another option skewing the poll and making it difficult to tell what the results would be without it? Here's a poll grabber where you can enter the post's url and it will tell you the exact number of votes for each answer. Works for both active and finished polls.

The blog's icon is a base I colored! Here's a link to the base and a couple places you can find the artist. You can see a bigger version of it under the cut

#sorry there's so much to read!#it all felt like important info

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gyusimp · 2 months

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°𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 ⁽ᴾˡᵉᵃˢᵉ⸴ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵉⁿᵗⁱʳᵉ ᵖᵒˢᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ⁱⁿᶠᵒ⁾

Hello everyone! I hope you are good. I've been thinking about something for a long time and I want to share it with you. As everyone knows, Gyutarō is my biggest obsession and I decided to create this blog to write content exclusively for him but I love many more characters besides him that I have wanted to write/post things about here on Tumblr but because of that I ended up posting it only on AO3 due to Gyu's exclusivity and some people read it but not as many as I would like or not as many as if I had posted it here too.

I belong to other fandoms and I would like to expand my literary horizons lol and be able to interact with more people and create content for those other characters that I love so much because I also have ideas that don't fit Gyutarō 100% of the time and sometimes I feel like I'm limiting myself, cause sometimes is a bit boring just write for them but not post it and can't talk with someone else about them lol

I'm seriously thinking about opening requests and posting both here and on AO3 content for other characters (both from Kimetsu no Yaiba and other fandoms) since I met a fictional boy who is driving me crazy and I obsessively want to write for him. Important! Without deprioritizing writing for Gyutarō, he will continue to be the main character of this blog and his content will be written normally (as will the requests for him) it would be more than anything from time to time to write a random idea or fulfill a request for another character, nothing serious.

I love you all very much and I appreciate the acceptance that my crazy ideas have had and my growth on Tumblr is thanks to all of you so I wanted to know what you think and based on the majority to be able to make a decision and see if it is okay with you that I post things about other characters here or if you prefer that I just post the link to AO3 specifically for those who are interested in those other characters.

°𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖

Lately it's been a bit difficult for me to write smut fluently so I've decided to moderate the amount of smut I write to feel comfortable and work with something that I'm happy to post, so I'll put it aside for a while the smut is completely explicit (but you can still find hot scenes, don't worry)

I'll leave a poll where I'll greatly appreciate your opinion or you can say what you think in the comments. Likewise, I'll later post a list of the characters with whom I'm open to writing for, in case one matches with my current followers. I know that not all of us accept changes positively when we have become accustomed to something, however, I ask you to please avoid offensive or hateful comments.Thank you very much for all your support and understanding, I love you! 💜

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #gyutaro x reader #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #gyutaro shabana #writing project #writing #fem reader #x reader #oneshot

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allmoshnobrain · 8 months

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𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 29 of 35 | masterpost

word count: 2563 | ao3 link | fic's playlist

I wasn't ready for any of that. The wounds from losing Dave were still too raw, to the point that acknowledging the desire I felt for James made my heart tighten with regret. What the hell was I thinking? I'd chosen Dave. And yet, he’d left me. What I wanted didn't mean shit in changing anything. How could I want anything from James when the very feeling I had for him had wrecked everything I held dear?

✦ summary: After reuniting with her friends, Nore is compelled to confront the conflicting feelings she still harbors for James.

✦ on this chapter: dave mustaine x female!oc, james hetfield x female! oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, love triangle

✦ a/n: Hello! I've talked about this previously on my blog, but as we're headed into the last stretch of the story, I would like everyone to know: while the next few chapters are gonna dive into James and Nore's feelings a bit more, Dave will be back! His story with Nore isn't over yet. Also, we'll have an epilogue that is still on the works. I've wrapped up the main part of the story and I'm hosting a poll to see if you guys prefer I keep posting new chapters once a week or if you're up for me posting them twice a week. If anyone wants to vote, here's the link. Hope you enjoyed the read, any feedback is welcome! 🖤

✧ There's something hanging in the air, I won't say shit 'cause I'm too scared / I'll just pretend we're two lovers not destroying each other / And you don't want me to go, and I just can't say no ✧

I met with Cliff and the guys at Los Angeles airport a few days later. I have to admit, the idea of reuniting with my friends after all those weeks left me a bit on edge, and not fully in a good way. However, catching up with Cliff and Leanne, and then with Kirk and Lars, did ease some of that tension. On the flip side, seeing Pat and James hanging out together didn't really help my state of mind. I couldn't help but wonder how, in just two months, they had become so close that she got an invitation to join the tour. Then it hit me with a pang in my heart that I hadn't needed much more than that to fall completely in love with Dave after meeting him.

I didn't really chat it up much with James. Seeing him with Pat kinda brought back all the wounds from that rainy weekend a few months back. But, he did give me a hug the moment he spotted me, holding onto me for maybe a beat longer than needed before whispering, his lips right by my ear:

"Missed you so much."

Hearing that sure didn't make things easier.

Seeing the guys all pumped up about the trip gave my mood a little boost. None of them, except Lars and me, had done the whole international travel thing before. The flight to Amsterdam was gonna be a marathon, so I had plenty of time to catch up with Leanne, who picked the seat next to mine. We mainly talked about everything that had happened in San Francisco during my absence; Leanne didn't ask much about me, which I was genuinely thankful for. It was nice having her around, but I wasn't really up for diving into how the last few months had been a rough ride. We kept the chatter going deep into the night until fatigue finally caught up with us, and we crashed.

We rolled into Amsterdam about twelve hours later, and man, we were wiped. Headed straight to the hotel, and lucky for us, the producers only snagged double rooms. Since we had an odd number and sharing a bed with Kirk or Lars wasn't my jam, I lucked out with a double bed all to myself. Honestly, better than I thought it'd be.

When night crept in, the guys and Leanne hit the town for some drinks and city exploring. Pat and I, though, opted for a chill night in, catching a few movies on the TV. Not that I wasn't up for hitting the streets, but all the hours spent on the plane did a number on me, more than I expected. Pat called it a night and went back to her room early, but I left the TV humming in the background, not really paying much attention to what was on.

It was well past midnight when I heard some heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway. My curiosity kicked in as a few deliberate knocks hit my door, and I pondered for a moment, debating whether I should bother answering. But the knocks persisted, and my curiosity won out. With a sigh, I rose from my spot and opened the door. My heart quickened when I found James leaning casually against the door frame.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked, a faint smile playing on his lips, though his voice betrayed a touch of uncertainty. I sighed, feeling warmth spread across my face. Having him so close made my heart flutter in a way I hadn't experienced in a while.

"This isn't your room," I mumbled, stupidly, my ability to think straight suddenly on vacation. He chuckled softly, a quick, dry laugh.

"If you hadn't said anything, I would never have guessed. Can I come in or not?"

I hesitated but eventually stepped aside, letting him in and closing the door. He stretched, shrugged off his jacket, and tossed it on my bed before settling down, kicking off his shoes. I furrowed my brow.

"You should head back to your room. Pat's probably waiting for you."

"She can wait," he said, finishing up with his shoes and pulling out a hair tie from his pocket, using it to secure his hair into a ponytail. Oddly, the sight made him even more attractive. I couldn't help but wonder if the hair tie belonged to Pat, who would often wear her hair tied up, and if he was picking up some habits from his new girlfriend. He stood up, seeming totally oblivious to my thoughts, and casually opened the mini-fridge, grabbing a Coke and popping it open. Then, he lifted his serious blue eyes to me. "I wanted to see you."

"Why?" I questioned, feeling my face warm up and my heart race, a million butterflies in my stomach going wild at his words. He sighed, a faint bitter smile playing on his lips.

"I missed you," he said, his voice low. "Last time we met, everything went south. I thought you hated me. Yet, when I saw you today, Nore..."

"James, please stop," I murmured, my voice trembling. He furrowed his brow, looking away, seeming hurt by my words, and I felt my heart squeeze uncomfortably in my chest. "You shouldn't be saying that."

"Oh, really?" He stood up, placing the can he was holding on the table before coming closer. I took a step back, feeling my face burn as I caught the storm brewing in his blue eyes. "And why’s that?"

"You have a girlfriend, don’t you?" I questioned, my voice holding accusation and hurt. "You brought your fucking girlfriend, so maybe you should just head back to her..."

"You make it sound so simple," he growled, taking another step closer, prompting me to lift my head to meet his gaze.

"And isn’t it?" I shot back, my tone bitter. "How aren't you ashamed of this?"

"Ashamed of what? Of bringing the girl I started dating to try forgetting about you?" he scoffed, clearly pissed now. "Tell me, Nore, what was I supposed to do? Just watch you reject me, again, and again, and again, and then act like you loved me just to mess with my head?"

"This isn’t fair to her!" I blurted out, all worked up, my voice getting louder. "This isn’t fair to me!"

"And what about me? Is it fair what you're pulling on me?"

"I don't get why you thought bringing her along was a genius move..."

"It didn't have to be genius. When you bailed on LA, I called you for days. You were the one who wanted nothing to do with me."

"You're such a jerk!" I spat out, my irritation cranking my voice up more than would be okay for past midnight, but honestly, I'd stopped caring about that ages ago.

James growled, getting suddenly closer, gripping my waist with one hand and pulling me against his body, forcing me to look deep into his eyes as he pressed his forehead against mine, his breathing erratic. His other hand cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing my lower lip. All the anger I had seemed to spill over at that moment; I wanted to punch him, to kick him out, to yell I never wanted to see him again, but I couldn't. Not when his lips were inches away from mine, his blue eyes locking onto mine with a fiery passion that made my whole body warm and vibrate inside.

"You fucking love me," he murmured, a smug smile slowly creeping across his lips. "Things would be so much easier if you just admitted it."

"Shut up, James," I growled, my heart doing a sprint in my chest, blood pulsing with fury in my ears, my hands clutching the front of his shirt and yanking him towards me. I needed him to split; I didn't know how much longer I could trust my anger to hold back the temptation of surrendering to his arms.

"Tell me you don't love me, then," he said, throwing in a sarcastic laugh. "Say you don't love me, and I’ll forget all this and leave you alone. You can't, can you? Because you fucking love me, damn it," His words buzzed with almost unrestrained joy, his grip on my waist tightening enough for me to let out a muffled moan from between my lips. Damn, I wanted him to kiss me. For the first time since all that mess had started, I wanted him to kiss me, to touch me, to make me forget my own name.

"Leave," I shot back, the defiance in my voice wavering as I sensed his body against mine. He let out a low chuckle but stepped back, his eyes ablaze, a smug smile on his face. I rested one of my hands on my chest, feeling my heart thudding against my fingertips, and noticed I was shaking. Gripping the doorknob with my other hand, I turned it but hesitated to open the door. "Just... Go, James. Please," I whispered, the adrenaline of the moment wearing off, and the old pain flooding back to fill my chest as my eyes welled up with tears.

James seemed to catch onto my shift in mood, the triumph in his eyes giving way to pity when he noticed my tears building up. That sparked a rage in my chest; I didn't need his pity. I didn't need anyone's pity.

He made a move to come closer, but I just shook my head, turning away as I opened the door. After he left, I leaned against the closed door, letting myself slide down to sit on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest, feeling more alone, confused, and guilty than ever.

I woke up the next morning, feeling like I hadn't caught a wink of sleep. I groaned my way out of bed, pausing only to wash my face, brush my teeth, and swap outfits before heading down to the hotel's restaurant. There, I spotted Kirk, Lars, Cliff and Leanne already posted up at a table, digging into breakfast. I snagged a plate and plopped down next to Lars.

“After breakfast, we'll pack our bags and grab a shower. We're hitting the road after the show for the next city, so tonight, we’re all gonna be sleeping on the bus,” Cliff was laying out the plan when I rolled in.

“Great. Even crashing on a bus is cozier than sharing a bed with Lars,” Kirk griped, ignoring Lars' offended expression before shooting me a grin. “Hey, Nore, fancy bunking with me next time?”

"As if," I scoffed, and Lars burst into laughter.

"Hey, where's James?" Kirk asked, and I shrugged. Leanne bounced up to snag a hot cup of coffee, and Cliff sparked up a cigarette.

"Bet he's sleeping with Pat. Ever since they got together, she's been glued to him," Lars remarked, not looking too thrilled. Cliff snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Jealous, Lars?" I jokingly tossed the question while slathering butter on a piece of toast. He shot me a look, raising his eyebrows with a smirk.

"Hmm, not me. Can't say the same for you, though, huh?" His ironic smile lingered. I let out a frustrated huff, rolling my eyes, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. Okay, maybe I walked right into that one.

A few minutes later, James and Pat finally strolled in. James, much like me, seemed to have had a rough night, evident in the dark circles under his tired blue eyes. On the flip side, Pat appeared to be the poster child for joy, easy smiles appearing on her lips as she talked to James, occasionally hugging his arm or intertwining her fingers with his. It was like she exuded confidence, as if she knew this was exactly where she belonged. Kind of got on my nerves, but I wasn't ready to dig into why.

The hustle for the show kicked off right after breakfast. We only had a short break to change and pack before heading back to the hotel lobby. A producer-arranged bus was set to pick us up, transporting everyone to a studio for the guys to rehearse the setlist during the day, and later to the venue for the shows. This leg of the journey got us all pumped. It wasn't just the band's inaugural international gig; we were also looking forward to meeting Venom and, naturally, enjoying some complimentary drinks. I must admit, even I was feeling a twinge of excitement and anxiety about the upcoming events.

I sparked up a cigarette while we hung out in front of the hotel, checking out the guys in action. They were teamed up with a couple of roadies, hauling gear that had been lugged up to the rooms the day before. Leanne strolled over.

"Got a light?" she asked, flashing a grin. I nodded, fished out my lighter, and passed it her way. She sparked up her cigarette, taking a few drags till it glowed. "Can I ask you something, Nore?"

"Sure thing, Lea," I replied, all curious. She shot me a look, her usual relaxed vibe getting a bit serious. Her eyes narrowed, like she was attempting to peek into my brain. "Spill it, what's on your mind?"

"How's it all sitting with you? You know, this whole James situation?" she asked, making me feel like there was a spotlight on me.

"James? What do you mean?" I stammered, feeling the heat hit my face. She let out a soft chuckle at my reaction.

"I'm seriously wondering how she hasn't picked up on it yet." Leanne nodded toward Pat; she was holding James’ hand and talking to Lars, who seemed bored out of his mind, like he'd rather be doing anything else. "The way he looks at you. And the way you look at him."

"What are you getting at?" I whispered, my heart doing a somersault of sorts in my chest.

"You're into him, right? And it's crystal he's into you. Maybe you two should ditch the pride act and just… Allow yourselves to be happy."

"But Pat likes him too," I mumbled, letting a touch of annoyance creep into my voice. And I still don't know if I can allow myself to like anyone again.

"Honestly? I think she's crushing harder on James Hetfield, the Metallica frontman, than our James," she said with a chuckle. "Babe, you and James always clicked so easy. You seriously gonna let that slip away like this?"

I was kind of stumped for a response; right then, the bus rolled up, stealing everyone's focus. Lea crushed her cigarette and shot me a smile, then sauntered over to Cliff, offering a hand with carrying an amp. I took a minute to soak in the sight before joining them, attempting to shove aside the tornado of feelings Leanne's words had kicked up in me.

✧ if you'd like to be tagged on the next parts, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! ❤ ✧

tag list: @killazilla777 @whatsupvic @70srogah @genswine9

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useless-catalanfacts · 6 months

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Hello, how are you? First of all, excuse me for sending the message in English, I don't speak Catalan just yet.

So, recently I've been researching about the immigration in Europe and found out that Catalunya is one of the places in the Iberian Peninsula that has received the most immigrants throughout the years. So, I wanted to know: what are the feelings that most Catalans have on this matter? If you don't want to speak for most Catalans, I'd love to hear your own opinion!

I also ask this because recently I stumbled upon this video on Twitter, I don't know if you have seen it, where this guy named Quim Masferrer was interviewing a black woman and got VERY surprised that she spoke Catalan. Probably because he thought that she was an immigrant and could only speak Spanish. You mentioned in one of your posts that people usually tend to change to Spanish when speaking to black people, assuming that they don't speak Catalan.

Salutacions des del Brasil!

Hi! English is no problem at all, don't worry.

Yes, you are right that Catalonia is one of the places in Iberia that has received the highest amount of immigrant people. We started getting international immigration from outside Iberia in the 1990s, and since then it has continued growing.

According to elections results and polls, Catalonia's population has a better view of immigration than the average.

Share of votes for political parties in favour of restrictive measures on migration in the European Parliament elections of 2019. Source: European Union. You can see Catalonia is one of the greenest places (with lowest votes for parties that seek to restrict migration), and Catalonia's shape can be clearly seen from the greener tone it's painted in compared with its neighbours.

Every so often, polls are conducted on the topic and they always show something similar.

Catalonia has also held the largest demonstrations in Europe in favour of welcoming refugees (in 2017). This was a protest against the Spanish Government, which is the one who has the power on immigration and refugee issues, because they were not allowing enough refugees in, and people in Catalonia wanted to allow them in.

This is not to say there aren't racists, of course there are. Sadly, the fascist parties are growing in all of Europe, particularly among young men/boys. This is also happening here, with the Spanish supremacist party Vox. And outside of people who are directly fascists, racist beliefs still persist in other parts of the population, often ones who would like to get rid of their racist beliefs, but we live in a society.

What you mention about the black woman speaking Catalan is one of them (I saw the video when this episode was on TV, link here for anyone who wants to watch it). Well-meaning Catalan people who want to be welcoming do this when 2 problems come together: on the one hand, the fact that many people still aren't used to people who don't look or sound like they're from here actually being from here, and the fact that many people would be very surprised if any people who aren't originally from here would speak our language or even knowing that it exists. So when they see someone who looks African, Scandinavian, from any other part of the world, makes mistakes when speaking Catalan or sounds like they usually speak Spanish, the Catalan person will 99% of the time switch to Spanish with the well-meaning intention of making it easier for the person they see as "foreigner". This is often useless, because a person who speaks Mandarin or Wolof won't be helped by you speaking Spanish instead of Catalan, but our history has convinced us that it will.

People are not switching to Spanish on purpose to call the other a foreigner, they're doing because we come from centuries of illegalization, persecution and discrimination and we have internalized the idea that we are worthless, not "citizens of the world", and that only our most immediate surrounding speaks our "useless" language, while The World speaks Spanish, the respected and widely-spoken language that everyone admires. That's of course not true, someone who just arrived from, say, China might know as much Catalan as Spanish: that is, none. But in our minds, because of all these centuries of brainwashing through physical violence, the school system, media, etc, literally everything saying we're "provincial", "rural" and "worthless", and that we better hide the fact that we speak the language we speak if we want anyone to understand us, and that it's so so so rude to speak in Catalan instead of Spanish or to even be heard by a Spanish speaker when we speak Catalan; while also making us believe that the whole world loves Spanish and that most of the world speaks Spanish and that everything will be better if we speak Spanish- well, at the first moment of seeing someone they identify as a "non-Catalan", the Catalan person full of self-hatred will immediately use Spanish.

Of course, this is racist (nowadays many people whose ancestors are African have been raised in Catalonia, sometimes even born here, or might have been living here long enough to speak it! it's racist to assume that just because of their looks or accent, that they are foreigner, and that they can't know the language of the place they live in and that they need us to make the effort of switching to an "international" language instead). But if you speak in Catalan to a racialized person or a person who comes from Spain (outside the Catalan Countries), many non-migrant Catalans will call you racist for it, because they'll say you're making things hard for the immigrant for no reason. They'll say, "why would you bother them with Catalan? You should make things as easy as possible for them", with the underlying assumption that Catalan is worthless and we should give up our right to speak it when it slightly inconveniences someone. And, again, the view that the immigrant person needs us to simplify and speak to them differently from how we would speak to a non-immigrant person because they can't know this, is very racist, even though it's done thinking that it's just being polite and, sometimes, believing that it's anti-racist and that it would be racist to treat them like any other person. At the same time, this alienates immigrant, racialized and Spanish people from the community, effectively showing them that we consider them a foreigner and not one of us, and we don't transmit the feeling that they need to learn it to live here, so in the end some of them will only learn Spanish (why learn Catalan, if nobody will speak it to them? Everyone speaks to them in Spanish, so that gives the idea that that is the language they need to learn) which fuels this circle.

So yeah, most people will do this racist thing because they believe it's the non-racist and polite thing to do. But, like racialized people have been saying for a very long time, that is not true at all. I have heard many racialized people (including friends of mine) explain how strangers in shops and restaurants will speak in Catalan to everybody and, when turning to the racialized person, talk to them in Spanish, clearly singling them out for their looks as if they needed any help, as if they couldn't speak our language perfectly (and even if it wasn't perfect, so what?). Some days ago I saw it again, I was waiting at the queue of the CAP (local healthcare centre) and the nurse attended everyone in Catalan. When a Moroccan family arrived and asked in perfect Catalan what they needed, the nurse (for the first time in that whole time) answered in Spanish. The Moroccan women continued asking in Catalan, and the nurse continued answering in Spanish, until the 4th interaction in which the Moroccan girl who was speaking ended up switching to Spanish as well. I can't imagine how heartbreaking that must feel.

I hope this answered your question. I hope you will understand why people act the way they do when they switch, that is not a matter of wanting to treat foreigners or those read as foreigners badly (actually, all the opposite). I hope you won't be too harsh on us for this, because it's a result of our own oppression and a manifestation of our internalized Catalanophobia.

Now, message to the other Catalans reading this: absolutely judge yourself harshly if you do this. Reflect and change your ways.

#ask #strdst-lobby #sociolinguistics #racisme

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monotonous-minutia · 5 months

Text

Gearing up for Operablr Pride Month 2024

Welcome to the beginning of the journey!

Like last time, I will be asking people to submit ideas for operas that we will watch throughout the month of June. Each opera should include one or more of the following criteria:

-The opera has LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or elements (subtext or explicit)

-The opera is written by LGBTQ+ composers/librettists

Operas can be old, new, or in between! I like having a variety for people to choose from. The amount of opera suggestions per week will depend on how many are submitted. Last time it was 3-4 per week.

I'm hoping to get some new suggestions (see this post for a list of the operas we watched last time) though if there's a particular opera someone feels wasn't explored enough last time feel free to suggest it again!

You can DM me, comment here, or send me an ask to submit an opera idea. In your suggestion it's helpful (though not required) to include how it meets the criteria and any suggested productions you have for it.

Something I wanted to do last time but didn't get around to was to also highlight specific LGBTQ+ opera composers/librettists/performers once or twice a week. So if anyone has some ideas of people to highlight you can submit those as well!

Now here is where the "I would like to contribute content" part of the poll comes in. Last time, for each opera, I included links to libretti, summaries, recommended productions, and sources (articles, videos, podcasts, etc.) that examined/highlighted the opera. (This post is a good example of what that looked like.) If anyone has suggestions for this kind of content, feel free to include them in your submissions!

Also, if you want to share sources for your composers/librettist/performer suggestions, or even want to write a bio yourself, please indicate that as well!

I know this is a lot of information, so if anything doesn't make sense or I seem to be missing something, please let me know.

Due to the amount of time it took me to put things together and the fact that I have less free time this year than the last round, I think I will have the deadline for submissions be next Friday, May 10th. I'll reblog this post once or twice for reminders.

If anyone has any questions, concerns, thoughts, or suggestions, please let me know!!

Thanks all! I'm really looking forward to this!

(also feel free to reblog this post to reach a wider audience!)

#opera #opera tag #Operablr Pride Month #Operablr Pride Month 2024

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thelunarfairy · 11 months

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What is your wish?

It's been a while since I've been postponing talking about some specific topics related to JSHK, heavy topics that are part of the plot's theme. Many of these themes are very important in the story and development of the characters (or their past)

So, out of respect for you, I preferred to avoid talking explicitly about them initially, because I don't know if you would feel comfortable talking about it.

Topics such as suicide, depression, cannibalism, sex, incest, physical abuse and others.

I have several analyzes and hypotheses on all of these topics that I would like to share with you if you feel comfortable with it.

Remembering that these are analyses, it is not related to what I specifically like, but the analysis of the situation and the signs that the story is guiding us.

Many people don't like the idea of talking, for example, about sex, which is strongly linked to JSHK, sometimes explicitly or implicitly, as well as other topics. Considering that most of the characters are teenagers/children, it is common for many to feel uncomfortable talking about this, but that is what exists in the manga. My intention will never be to sexualize any of them, but to talk about what this represents in the manga or for that character.

I was apprehensive after sharing some posts about the relationship between Hanako and Tsukasa, the way they interact with each other, anyway, after that I received two asks asking me if I shipped Hanako x Tsukasa and another about me sharing too many images of ships from both hahaha (it was actually about the way Tsukasa treated Hanako, but they interpreted it in a romantic way for some reason)

Don't get me wrong, I just like analyzing their relationships in a raw way. The theory that Tsukasa abused Hanako doesn't exist for nothing, does it? Won't you assume this theory makes sense? And it had all this repercussion precisely because many people considered it a valid hypothesis because of the way their relationship is shown to us.

It has nothing to do with my personal preference :3 If you want to know my preferences, just ask me, I like to show what I interpreted about that character, situation, relationship, in the most raw way possible.

And that doesn't mean that I like or dislike the character, or that I ship them, or that I like what the character did, or that I like what the story is telling. I just say what I interpreted about it. (And if I really like it, I'll say it)

Anyway, I wanted to know if it's okay with you if I talk about these topics, or if you feel uncomfortable with them

Don't worry, if I talk about these topics, it will be as subtle as I can, out of respect for you :3

Remembering that there is no way I can't ever talk about them, because it is impossible hahaha they are rooted in the manga, there is no way to escape these themes.

If you participated in the poll, thank you ♡

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wizardraziw · 1 year

Note

I know you're busy with irl stuff but I wanted to share with you that when I posted my art of my wizardsona on Mastodon, someone asked "I'm not a tumbler user, how do I find out more about open source wizard school?" And of course I sent them links to the "embark" post & the uquiz itself & afaik you haven't posted elsewhere, to which they said "No offence to tumbler but this could really have legs if it was centralized on a site or app or whatnot. It's a fun idea." And while I figure this is meant to just be a fun little sideblog thing, I think that should you be graced with the time & continued inspiration to make it into a whole Thing™, that would be very cool. What you've shown us so far is so unique & interesting & if there ends up being a long haul, I'll totally hang around for it!

Thank you! That is very flattering to hear! Perhaps someday I might do something with this, but this blog was meant for just a little community. Nothing too grand. That does not take any fun away from it, though! Or I should hope not haha. I honestly did not expect for so many people to enjoy what I was making for them. It made me very, very happy to see so many people making art and sending kind messages. I feel slight guilt at not being able to get to them all, I do have a bit of performance anxiety so I am trying not to push myself in that aspect.

I liked the idea of a small little blog that people could actively participate in. Something not too big in their minds, but a passing thing from time to time. Where they see a poll or a lesson and they can be a little wizard in a stressful world for a moment in time. Something that is small and theirs to enjoy. I was more than eager to supply that. So I don't believe I will do anything too grandiose with this concept, but I greatly appreciate hearing how much people enjoy this idea. It brought a lot of surprise and love to my heart. So, thank you for sharing and I hope that the person who wishes to engage will be able to.

With love,

Mx.Newton <3

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kinitokisser · 5 months

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🩷 Welcome to the Web World! 🩷

sir, we kiss sea creatures here.

Run by the person who made this poll, here you can vote on the "kissability" (or huggability, killability, etc...) of various designs based on the game KinitoPET!

🩷 General Blog Rules 🩷

ALL interactions and submissions should be safe for work! There's quite a few minors in this community and I'm not going to bar them from this blog! Keep it SFW or you WILL be blocked.

Discriminatory & predatory behavior is NOT welcome here! It should go without saying that TERFs/MAPs/proship aren't welcome here, or anywhere in this community honestly. If I ever accidentally post a design from someone breaking this rule, PLEASE let me know! I don't know everyone here, but I'll try my best to do a background check!

All submissions should be from the design's owner! This is to verify that they're alright with the design being posted, and to make sure all the details are right!

📊 Love data? Check out the stats page! 📊

✏️ Interested in submitting a design? See below! ✏️

In order to submit a design, please send in an ask or pm me!

When submitting a character, please fill out the following form:

Name: Your character's name/AU name here! Category: Kinito/Sam/Jade/Sonny/Mark/OC Age: Adult/Minor (Feel free to specify exact age if they have one! This blog considers 0-17 a minor. For created entities such as canon Kinito, please put their mental/intellectual age, not the years since creation.) Are they able to consent?: Yes/No (Are they able to make complex decisions? Select "No" for children/minors and animals without human-level intelligence. Non-consenting characters will have "Kiss 'Lips'" removed by default. Child characters will have "Kill" swapped for "Time Out". You can request swapping for "Time Out" for non-child characters.) Interactions: Kiss "Lips"/Kiss Head/Hug/None/Kill (Remove any you do not want. You won't be asked why, so feel free to remove any that you're uncomfortable with!) Extra Info: Anything you'd like to share? Lore, backstory, motives, hobbies, etc?

📝 Blank Version

Name: Category: Age: Are they able to consent?: Interactions: Kiss "Lips"/Kiss Head/Hug/None/Kill Extra Info:

Please attach an image as well. It doesn't have to be perfect, just give us an idea of what they look like! If the image was not drawn by you, please include the artist's name.

If your character has specific tags you'd like me to include, such as character tags, AU tags, or triggers, please let me know! You can also link an AU/ask blog, post on your blog, or story so people have a place to learn more about them!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send an ask or pm me!

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blue-aconite · 10 days

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Can we please have a little background info on let me drown? 💕

Vee, first I'd like to apologise for not answering this sooner. Second, I'm so excited you want to know more about Let Me Drown. I've been wracking my brain for this ask and I've decided to put it underneath a cut. There won't be any significant spoilers, but better safe than sorry!

You can find some background here. Find out more below the cut!

Like I've said before, I actually can't exactly remember how I came up with the idea for LMD. As I mentioned in the post linked above, there was another fic planned called "Mid-Air Collision", which had similar elements that I've adapted into LMD.

In the film, it's very obvious Rooster and Hangman share some kind of history. They don't like each other and there's some kind of slumbering conflict between the two of them. I found that fascinating and while I do love me a good Hangster fic, I knew I wanted to create something else this time around.

I think there was a dream involved where I saw parts of the fic. Call me crazy, I don't know and when I woke up, there was only a vague memory of what had happened. But I couldn't let it go.

I made this, which became my first visual for the fic and after creating this, I made two separate Pinterest boards. One for Bradley and one for Jake.

In MAC, Bob's little sister was named Sasha, which I used in my first draft. But the name never felt right, she didn't feel like a Sasha. So while I recycled parts of the character into LMD, I knew I needed to let her become her own person. There might have been a poll involved in choosing a name, or maybe I asked for opinions in the Discord server, but either way, Thea got stuck on my mind (I was most likely looking at baby name websites).

I wrote this in the Discord, saying to get ready for pain and angst:

Bradley slammed Jake against the wall, knuckles white as he tugged on the shorter man’s shirt. “Shut the fuck up!” He sneered, trying desperately to ignore the way Jake seemed to thrive on his anger. Hangman smirked as if their position didn’t bother him in the slightest. The rest of the squad tried to pry them apart, tried to get Bradley to let go but he held fast. Jake didn’t once try to break free, he just kept a hold on Bradley’s wrists. “Calm down Chicken.” The nickname, that Bradley hated, was the last straw as he pulled back only to raise his fist instead. If he couldn’t get Hangman to stop smirking, he’d punch his face instead. What he didn’t count on was Bob of all people stepping between them and blocking Bradley’s fist.

And another few blurbs, but it all started with the confrontation between Rooster and Hangman at the Hard Deck and Bob picking Jake's side over Bradley's (this event has not occurred in the timeline for the fic yet and what I've shared above has changed a lot).

Bradley's issues came into play quite early and I knew before I even started writing that he and Thea were doomed from the beginning. There was no way for either of them to make it out of the relationship unscathed and I always knew Bradley was going to break her heart.

There was a point where she never found about his infidelity directly from Rooster but rather Athena, but I owed it to both of them that Brad was the one coming clean about his actions. There was even a time where Thea was going to forgive him at first but as Bradley's toxic behaviour unraveled itself and became such an important part of his downfall, I knew Thea would never do that.

Same as I knew Bradley and Thea would never make it, I knew Jake and Thea were destined to be together. That was a no-brainer.

The balance between writing Bradley and Jake as love interests is what intrigued me the most, how different and at the same time, alike, they are. It's a swamp of navigation but I knew I needed to write it.

I could go on and on but I'll stop here. Thank you so much for this ask, it's been great fun answering it. You know my DM's are always open!

#fe answers #fe loves vee #fic: let me drown #oc: thea floyd

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flowercrown-bard · 2 years

Text

the results are in! this choose your own adventure-esque fic is going to be a somewhat lighthearted Geraskier fic set at a masquerade

For some reason I can’t add the poll to this post, so at the end of the chapter, there will be a link to the poll. sorry for making this more complicated than probably necessary

wc: 1429

AO3

'Choose wisely', said the fool (part 1)

“This is unbelievable!” Jaskier snatched the parchment out of Geralt’s hands, skimming its contents, though he already knew what they were. The wax seal showing an intricate rose design had revealed it all. “How did you do it?”

“Hm?” Geralt folded his arms and lifted an eyebrow in amusement, as he watched Jaskier fret over the letter.

“Oh, don’t you hmm me,” Jaskier said petulantly, though his heart skipped a beat at the little smile Geralt quirked. Even after years of friendship, he still couldn’t get enough of Geralt’s teasing tone and the easy familiarity with which the witcher had started treating him once he had gotten used to the idea that Jaskier genuinely wanted to be his friend. And it was true. Jaskier did love being friends with him, travelling beside him, sharing drinks and laughs as friends were wont to do. There was just the tiny detail that a not-so-secret part of him wanted to have something else with Geralt as well. As much as Jaskier told himself he was satisfied with sharing a bed with Geralt out of convenience, he found himself wishing that he were allowed to sling an arm around Geralt’s waist and pull him closer, so he could press his head between his shoulder blades and fall asleep listening to his slow heartbeat or wake him up with a kiss. Gods, how he wanted to kiss him.

He coughed, shaking those thoughts off. He could deal with them later. Or never. That would also be acceptable. For now, he had other priorities. Namely -

“How, by the mighty clap of Melitele’s arsecheeks, did you manage to get invited to Duchess Ruta’s betrothal feast? And I - the Continent’s greatest and most famous bard - did not?”

Geralt’s lips twitched.

“Maybe your infamy for sleeping with engaged people isn’t very helpful.”

“Well, neither should your infamy for claiming the law of surprise at Pavetta’s betrothal feast be. And yet…” He smacked the invitation with one hand, creating a satisfyingly dramatic sound. “Maybe she hadn’t heard about that.”

Jaskier let out a disbelieving huff. He couldn’t fathom the idea of any noble who was worth their salt - which, admittedly, weren’t a lot- hadn’t heard about the disaster that had happened in Cintra. Not least of all, because it had made for a fantastic story. A cursed knight, a witcher sparing a monster and therefore ensuring that love won out in the end? Really, what was not to love? Jaskier just had to put that in a ballad and the song had spread across the Continent like a wildfire.

“Unbelievable,” Jaskier said again, mostly in hopes of seeing Geralt grin once more. As much as he acted like a slighted lover, Jaskier was proud of his friend. The Geralt from a couple of years ago would have never been even considered as a guest to a noble’s feast. The only thing less likely than that was the possibility of Geralt actually accepting.

“If you’re so mad about it, I take it you’re not coming?” Geralt asked nonchalantly and turned to his bags to pull out his alchemy set, clinking the bottles together.

“I repeat myself.” Jaskier waved the parchment through the air, despite Geralt not looking at him. “I wasn’t lucky enough to be invited.”

“Read the last line.”

With a frown, Jaskier did as he was bid. “Please be aware that you may bring no more than one additional guest with you, if you so wish.” His mouth dropped open. “Geralt, are you saying what I think you’re saying? Because if you’re not, I shall write a heartbreaking ballad about the cruelty of one Geralt of Rivia for toying with my hope.”

Geralt snorted and rolled his eyes at Jaskier’s dramatics.

“I wouldn’t ever hear the end of it if I didn't take you."

"You won't hear the end of it if you take me either,” Jaskier warned. “You know I'll make a song out of it, right?"

"I know." Geralt lowered his head as he sorted through his bottles, making his hair fall down and obscure his features. Still, Jaskier was sure he could see the hint of a smile. "It sounded like the sort of thing you'd like."

Jaskier's heart fluttered like a humming bird's wings.

"And exactly like the sort of thing you hate." He dropped the pretence of being affronted. Softly, he added, "You'd go there for me?"

Geralt shrugged. "Rich people have the best alcohol and food. Also, it's a masquerade. People won't bother me if they don't recognize me." He titled his head just enough that Jaskier could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. "And if they don't recognize you, then I don't have to look out for any cuckolds seeking revenge."

Jaskier bit his lip to stop himself from making a quip about how his face wasn't the only recognizable part of him. He didn't need to challenge his luck that much. Who knew when Geralt would offer to take him to a ball again?

"I'd love to go with you."

"Hmm." Geralt sounded pleased and for some reason relieved, as if there had ever been a chance that Jaskier wouldn't accept the invitation. "You better buy a mask then."

Jaskier lit up. He bounced on his heels.

"What are you going as? Oh! We could match!"

Geralt snorted. "How about we don't tell each other and see if we still recognize each other at the ball?"

Jaskier lifted his brows and let his eyes roam pointedly over the bulk of Geralt's shoulders and his very recognisable white hair.

"Sure," he said, drawing out the word. "Say, that's not just an excuse because you don't have a mask yet, is it?"

"Of course not."

"Liar." Jaskier grinned. "But fine. Challenge accepted. I could recognise you by your horse-smell alone. Speaking of which," he wrinkled his nose. "I'll leave you to your stinky alchemy. I don't need to watch you crush drowner brains again."

"Pity," Geralt said drily. "Whatever should i do without you to distract me."

"Oh, I'm distracting you?" Jaskier teased. "Did you just admit you think I'm pretty?"

Geralt grunted, but didn't deny it.

Jaskier very much didn't flee from the room so that Geralt wouldn't hear his heart picking up speed. He simply was eager to find a suitable mask to wear to the ball.

As he made his way to the heart of the town, he was already coming up with ideas. Granted, none of them would do any good at hiding his identity from Geralt, but he was well aware that that would be impossible anyway, what with Geralt being able to pick out the sound of his heartbeat in a crowd. No, Jaskier had a different goal in mind with his mask.

The first idea he had was perhaps the most obvious one. If he got a mask that looked like a wolf, he would be matching Geralt, even if Geralt had a differently themed mask. Everyone would know that he was the White Wolf’s companion. The idea of wearing something that undeniably marked him as belonging to Geralt made his heart beat faster and his cheeks heat up.

Then again, there were other options. It was a silly idea, of course, but… what if Jaskier went all out and got a really good disguise? He was sure that the troupe of actors he had chatted with earlier that day would let him borrow some of their costumes and props. Some cheap charm to change his eye colour to look more yellow, two prop swords, some light armour, maybe a wig… It wouldn't take much to make him look like a witcher. Geralt would be so annoyed but it would be so much fun, if only to see his reaction. Jaskier had to giggle just imagining it: following Geralt around with an exaggerated frown and artificially deep voice to imitate him. It would be hilarious!

But maybe annoying Geralt wasn't the right thing to do. After all, he had been kind enough to invite Jaskier along. Jaskier shouldn't punish him for that by teasing him. Maybe he should instead strive to make Geralt smile. And there was one thing that without fail would always make him smile: Horses. Jaskier would look absolutely terrible in a horse mask, but a little public humiliation would be worth it if it meant seeing Geralt light up at the sight of him and maybe even laugh a little, if Jaskier was lucky.

The more he thought about it, the harder the choice became.

make the choice for Jaskier here

tagging: @fingons-rad-harp @claracaboozle @thequeeninyellowlace @

#geraskier #geralt x jaskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #witcher #fic #fanfic #my writing #choose wisely said the fool

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