#interview meme

[embervoices]

@shiny-speedy-devotee’s

Polytheism Asks

What’s your least favorite myth? I don't really look at it that way. I'm certainly not fond of the ones involving consent violations.

What’s your favorite myth? Again, I don't really look at it that way. I suppose I like the ones that are just plain weird.

What pantheon(s) do you worship? I'm effectively an omnitheist. Depending on how one itemizes pantheons, I've had at least brief contact with more than I'd like to try to count. But the pantheons I relate to consistently enough to have permanent marks on my body for are: Vanir, Aesir, Orixa, Loa, Irish, Welsh, Hellenic, Kemetic, and an infinity symbol for the Whole That Is Divine. I'm also an animist.

Who is your least favorite ancient poet/philosopher/old guy who said “smart” things? Probably Thomas Aquinas. Not that he had much to say about my faith, really. But I had to read some of his work in my Religious Studies and Philosophy classes in university and am definitely not a fan.

What’s your favorite snack to share with the gods? (Curtesy of @luminarycanary) Honey is sacred to nearly all of them. I collect varietals.

Do you pray daily? If so, do you have a prayer schedule? I don't have a schedule. I have everyday prayers, but I say them as the impulse arises, not literally every day. They go well before a meal, and before undertaking ritual work. But they're specifically centered on the Vanir, who are Family/Home to me, so I have other set prayers/songs for other purposes, as well as whatever extemporaneous expression arises.

Do you do any rituals or celebrate any holidays/festivals? Yes. Many. MANY. I should make this its own post.

How often do you make offerings, and what is your most common offering to give? The most common offerings are a candle, a libation, or a song. Candles happen several times a week these days, if only for the Community Well Being Altar. Libations are less common. They used to be several times a month, but the reasons for that have fallen away over the last few years. Still, at least monthly. Songs are connected to specific prompts, which have also fallen away over the last couple years. Those, too, are closer to monthly right now.

How many altars do you currently have up, if any at all? Uhhhhhh *counts* 8-12, depending on how you count altars, I think? Some people distinguish between altars and shrines, at which point I'd have to say most of those are shrines. If I itemize the individual deities, I have easily dozens, but they’re mostly clumped together by pantheon or domain. I have one, maybe two working altars going most of the time lately.

Have you ever made a travel altar? In the sense of making a specific small portable altar/shrine thingy, no. In the sense of packing up a small box of whatever it seems like I might need for travel, many times. I’m not opposed - it sounds like a fun craft project. But what I need with me varies a little too much, beyond what I carry in my purse all the time anyway.

What deity do you think your taste in music best represents, regardless of who you worship? Probably Brighid. With a side of Ghede.

What has been your favorite interaction with a deity so far? I have absolutely no idea how to answer this.

What is your favorite devotional act? Singing!

Would you say there’s a certain “type” of deity you follow? Or are you more broad, without rhyme or reason? Most of the gods I work with at all frequently are on the Life/Death axis, or are Tricksters. But I will work with almost any deity who drops by, if there's a reason for it. Magic is also a pretty common domain around here.

Have you ever worked with a deity? As opposed to what? Well, regardless, by just about every definition that might have been meant by this, yes. Working with deities is pretty well my job. I'm ordained Vanatru clergy, a spirit worker, dreamworker, oracle, and witch.

Have you ever been to a religious site (for your deities)? Several. It seems like every time I get to go on vacation, the Powers find a way to turn it into a pilgrimage. Gamla Uppsala in particular was wonderful.

Do you have any UPGs? Quite a few. Mostly about the Vanir.

What is your favorite way to communicate with the gods? Possession trance is extremely helpful, but there's a lot of places to introduce error into the process, and it can be damaging to handle it poorly. Still, ecstatic trance states in general are a major focus of my practice, when possible.

Do you just worship deities, or do you worship heroes, spirits, etc. as well? My practices include animism and ancestor reverence. I tend to focus less on "heroes", and more on personal connections, and general interconnectedness.

What’s something new you want to try in your worship? Herbalism. Fragrance blending. The overlap between my list of craft interests and my list of worship interests is very high.

What would your ideal practice look like? I wish I knew! The last few years have changed a lot, and I'm frankly at a bit of a loss now. It's been exhausting. I can't keep up what I had to build during lockdown, and the extended community practices that supported me before don't work anymore. Figuring out what I and we need to do henceforth is a big, big task on my plate right now. More than I can really address, yet.

Have you ever received a dream/a big sign from a deity? I'm a dreamworker, so my sense of scale for this is probably skewed. But yes, several times.

Are there any new deities you want to contact? I already have more deities on my list than I know what to do with. I won't refuse newcomers, but I'm not seeking them out.

How do you define devotion vs worship? “Worship” is the expression of love for divinity. Forms of worship correspond to "love languages": praise, offerings, services, etc. “Devotion” is a deeply personal relationship with a specific entity. They’re different points on a continuum. Roughly the emotional difference between enjoying a party to honor a member of your community you think well of but don’t necessarily hang out with much personally, vs. paying personal attention to your best friend, lover, sibling, etc. Either way, the point is the relationship.

What is your favorite symbol of your deity(ies)? I am rather fond of the Vanatru Boar symbol. 

[rebornbythunder]

Red, what are the steps in getting a service pokemon?

"[Okay so, this varies depending on what region that you're in, but this is how it works in Kanto.]"

"[Number one- identify what your needs are, and how your pokemon help you get those needs met. For me, I need help navigating flashbacks and shutdowns, as well as crowd control and alerting to danger, since I discovered not knowing if something was safe or not was keeping me from living daily life. I also sometimes struggle with tasks that require dexterity in my hands- I had some issues with frostbite that left me down two fingers and with lesser mobility in the ones that are left. I also occasionally have seizures- it's pretty rare nowadays, but obviously I'd need help with dealing with that, especially if I'm out in the field. Find what tasks you need help with, and brainstorm how a pokemon could help with that.]"

"[Number two- now that you have the list of tasks you need help with, think about what pokemon would be able to help you with those tasks. It may be a partner you already have, or you might need to go out and get a new pokemon for that purpose. Either way, make sure that you, in turn, can ALSO meet their needs! Don't get an allergen alert Growlithe if you can't keep up with their need to go on walks and long play hours- Pikachu and even Rattata can be trained for the same task with much simpler needs. There's no excuse to neglect or stifle a pokemon in order to get your needs met- find what works for you. ]"

"[Next, once you know your tasks and have your partner or partners in mind, work on training them for these tasks. There are classes you can take together to train these tasks specifically! In Kanto a class is not required and you can train on your own if you're confident in that. I took classes with Pikachu because I had the money and the time, but Jess took to tasks to naturally that I'm training her on my own now. You don't have to be a world class trainer to self train your service pokemon! I reccomend beginners take a few classes, but if you have the patience and the willingness to learn alongside your partner, you can do just fine.]"

"[In Kanto, that's it! There are no official registries for service pokemon, and while buying those vests or sashes help with people not bothering you and your pokemon (both Pikachu and Jess have 'on duty' gear), they're not required. anyone trying to sell you an 'official registry card' in Kanto is a scammer. The laws are really similar in Johto, and most recognized service pokemon in one region will be permitted out of ball in others as long as they aren't a public nuisance, though if you plan on moving regions do check to see the local laws to make sure you don't need to take a specific class or register- some places might have a registry!]"

"[A final note is to keep in mind the individual pokemon you're working with. Pikachu is an outlier in that he's been through so much and can still do tasks. Most traumatized pokemon will not be suited for the work. Species that I reccomend for needs similar to mine are the Eevee line, Growlithe and similar pokemon, Pikachu of course, Machop (NOT the evolutions, as they often get too strong at first and crush things they need the dexterity for), Bulbasaur and it's line, Absol (extremely good for MANY needs, it should be a pokemon we see more often as a service pokemon and it's only superstition that they aren't), and audino, off the top of my head.]"

[jade-hearted-gymleader]

"Green, how does it feel to be bald?"

"Not this shit again-- I'M NOT BALD!!"

[bitofthisandthat]

📚 (for Gladstone)

Ask muse how good they are at... 📚 world history knowledge

“Hmmm, well, I’d say I’m preeeetty darn good at the whole ‘fountain of random knowledge’ category, if ya get me. Trivia. Is. My thing. And the more random and obscure-ly stupid, the better.”

“But as far as the world history stuff, I gotta say, I’m being honest here--

I know more than you. I have a lot of time on my hands, and when I’m not fulfilling my destiny as a Luck magnet, I’m reading and listening to all kinds of lectures. I keep it to myself, because, ya know...Grunkle McWarbucks will have the satisfaction of knowing all that world travel as a kiddo rubbed off on me.  That, and my grandma was HUGE into me studying on the farm so I wouldn’t grow up a spoiled-one-track-minded-asshole.”

“I know. I just gift-wrapped that last one for all the haters in the back.”

[reblog-boss]

[you-get-me-closer-to-god]

[macaulaytwins]

hey don’t cry. every vampire is gay. okay?

[thecaptainjacksparrow]

[bilestat]

[very-feral-lesbian]

[young-astro]

Meditation by Yoong Bae

[embervoices]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Acquired from @cuubism

If you see this and are a writer on AO3, consider yourself tagged!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

31

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

400,433

3. What fandoms do you write for?

That are posted to AO3? Dragon Age and Good Omens, so far. I do have WiPs in The Sandman (one of which is a Neverwhere crossover), and Labyrinth.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Canticle of Dreams (Dragon Age, M - By far the longest, so that makes sense)

I Meant To Do That! - The Inquisitor Coyote Story (Dragon Age, T [so far] - Will probably end up the most kudos if I ever finish it)

Initial Summoning (Good Omens, G - My oldest GO fic, first in a series)

Cheese! (Dragon Age, G - A silly fic from my self-insert series)

To Give A Hand To Each (Good Omens, E - Reader-insert smut!)

(Those all require logins to read, sorry.)

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

Yes, I try to reply to every single comment, but occasionally miss one. It seems only fair, if they took the time to leave one.

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

Well, The Canticle of Trials (Dragon Age, M), but that's because it doesn't really end at the end. It's an angsty detour in the middle of a larger story.

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

Probably Objects of Affection (Good Omens, T).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thus far, no. The worst I ever got was expressed as aghast confusion rather than hate, and I don't assume it was intended negatively.

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

Occasionally. Whatever comes to mind, as long as I can figure out how to do it justice.

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

I do, yeah. The most thorough is the Sandman/Neverwhere I've got in early stages WiP right now.

Depending what one considers a "crossover" vs. "reference", the craziest is probably Execution (Dragon Age, T) which is officially set in Dragon Age, but careens through multiple Legend of Zelda, Disneyland, Neverwhere, and Labyrinth settings.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Most of it's self-insert, which probably makes it kind of hard to steal effectively. It's hard to imagine anyone bothering.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

If poetry counts, yes! В чужих объятьях is a translation of Falling Silent (Good Omens, G).

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

Yes, several times.

I Meant To Do That! - The Inquisitor Coyote Story (Dragon Age, T) is co-written with SeabhacMhor

The Canticle of Trials (Dragon Age, M) was written with help from Cowoline (I could have sworn she was credited as co-author but apparently not… I should ask if she wants to be!)

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I'm an Armada type. I want all the ships. By all means, give me the ridiculously complex giant crossover polycule, baby!

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

Anything current enough for me to count it as a WiP is something I choose to believe I can finish someday!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Probably silly comedy? I think I'm pretty good at dialogue?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not actually very good at story structure. Luckily, in fanfic I can rest on the established story structure! Ha!

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

I can't really distinguish character voice in other languages in writing, so I'm wary of it. I do know a bit of Spanish, so if it doesn't need to be skillful, like, if the characters themselves aren't fluent, I could try it myself, sure.

Otherwise, I'd want a co-writer who is fluent in the relevant language.

If it's a conlang, then I'll happily engage, and have in bits for Elvhen in Dragon Age fic. But I'm less worried I'll get that wrong, because nobody else speaks it either!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Uhhh… technically I think Disney's Beauty and the Beast? Didn't really think about it that way at the time, and the results weren't great. I wrote one Buffy the Vampire Slayer fix it fic in my late teens/early 20s, plus a little bit of a couple others that never got off the ground.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's kind of hard to top my 200k+ word "main fic", The Canticle of Dreams (Dragon Age, M). At least, that's what I'm most proud of.

[rebornbythunder]

"Red, is it true that Green's hair is actually a wig?"

Red snickered. "[For my well-being I can't tell you,]" he replied, clearly struggling not to laugh, "[But who else do you know who has spikes like that huh?]"

[sc-yuii]

[bitofthisandthat]

💪 to Negaduck

Ask muse how good they are at... 💪 staying fit

“Well, there’s nothing like running from the law and leaping over shrapnel and broken glass while carrying your weapon of choice, only to IMMEDIATELY go into beating the ever-loving-scum out of your doppelganger to work off those pesky extra pounds.”

“So I really don’t need to diet.”

“MY ENEMIES JUST NEED TO DIE.”

[sonofcelluloid]