#not to be confused with sourcerer

[bluedrake121]

This is now the second time I have caused minor outrage by stating something stupid but technically correct. (the best kind of correct) My power is growing, at this rate I might actually figure out how to change my profile picture soon. (To be clear I'm not intentionally trying to anger people or be grating, I am just horrible at the thing called humor.)

Are you claiming that if I dig a hole in the ground that it's not actually a fucking hole unless it goes thru and reaches the other side of the fucking earth

[l-artemisia-del-secolo]

Death was inevitable.

You knew it, you felt it, you experienced it. All these years your existence as if was borrowed. Changing places, changing people, changing lives.

You didn't age. You didn't feel. You were stuck in the the neverending loop of lies and deception. You forgot who you were and where you came from.

Your jobs were unremarkable, your entourage - dull. No personal belongings, no memorabilia. Even your memories were almost gone.

It was a usual thing. You were spending your evening at work. For the last few months you were working at the restaurant. Blessed time. You could be on your own.

You heard the door open. But you did lock it.

"We're closed."

One look was enough to recognise her. Just a second and your heart almost burst from your chest. It was her. The inevitable, the dark, the devouring.

"Well, I opened the door. I hope you don't mind."

She was weirdly normal. No skull, no greens, no crown. She could fool anyone with this disguise.

"What are you doing here?" You were ready to protect yourself. Your magic was almost palpable.

"That's a weird question." She crossed her arms. "I came to see you."

"How did you find me?" You were hoping tables and chairs could slow her down. Even a second could be valuable.

"What kind of question is that?" Her amused laugh was an insult to the reality itself. "I never lost you."

"No. no. no." You shook your head in disbelief. "I am protected from your sight. Sorcerers..."

"Oh, those idiots..." She was adorable with her barely hidden disgust. "Noone can be hidden from me. And..."

With the wave of her hand all the obstacles disappeared.

"'... we're bound, my love. remember?"

With a flick of a wrist her way to you was covered in flowers. She made the first step.

"Stay where you are."

"Fine, fine." She looked around. "Nice place. You like working here?"

You couldn't believe it was really going on. Rio was almost polite. You were almost broken. What if she was telling the truth? What if you were never really hidden from her?

"Not much of a choice."

"Really? Sourceres lied to you about protection and they made your existence unbearable? And people call me evil."

"You are."

"How?" Rio was offended. Childish reaction to an unpleasant truth.

"You manipulate people into bringing you more souls."

"Oh, I do hope you're not being serious. I'm the guide, not a murderer. People always make their own choice."

Now it was your turn to laugh. Comedy indeed. With Rio having the main role.

"How dare you..." you took a few steps towards her. "When it comes to you, there's no choice at all. Not even an illusion. Not even for the living."

You were boiling with anger. You were shivering with fear. For so long you tried to avoid this.

"You're not being fair..."

"What are you doing here Rio?!"

"I want us to be together." She pointed to your heart. "I want you to come home with me."

Of course. Why even for a second you believed that you could be free. An illusion, your life without her was nothing more than a dream. She could easily shatter it with one word, with one move.

"We never had a home. We never..."

"Of course we did..." Images of your past appeared.

Yes, Rio did create a world for you. Just and simple. You could do whatever you wanted, you could be whoever you wanted. Everything was easy. And you were loved. Your home was with her.

"Rio..." Everything that was sleeping inside of you suddenly was awake. Yes, memories were appearing again. You felt overwhelmed. But then you gasped. No, you wouldn't allow her to trick you again. "... I won't allow you."

"I don't understand." Rio said under her breath. "I gave you the time and you're still angry."

Genuine confusion. A triumph for you.

"Time?"

"Yes, I gave you 100 years and you still don't want me..."

"You gave me?" lamps started flickering "I ran away from you!"

Oh, this was torture. Rio tried to get closer, but you raised your hand. A warning. The air itself started vibrating.

"The important part is..."

You invited the wind, it was silencing Rio.

"You wanted me to be trapped in your pocket dimension. You don't remember this? Veins of your world that were holding my wrists." You rolled up your sleeves. "Your creations always leave scars!"

"I made a mistake. I gave you the time...."

Rio's words were just an echo. You were once again reliving your worst nightmare. You were trapped. You were betrayed by someone you loved.

"What do you know about time?" You were so stupid to believe that you had a chance. You left the world you loved just to be dragged back in by someone who cursed you.

"I can heal them."

In a blink of an eye your scars disappeared. Painful reminder of your dreams, hopes and stupidity. How soothing it was to feel Rio's black power on you. Where the fuck was your survival instinct?

"It doesn't change anything. I left you."

"I wanted only to protect you."

"With a cage?" Now it was your time to show illusion. Shackles appeared around Rio's wrists, pulling her closer to you. "Do you feel protected?"

Where was her confidence? Where were her tricks? Those shackles were the weight of her guilt.

"I didn't want you to leave me like the others. It was the only way."

It was so simple for Rio. She didn't hesitate, she didn't think. It wasn't a game. It was so trivial.

"You broke me." You were choking on your tears. "You took away everything. Why tonight?"

"That day I broke the rules for you." Rio once again pointed to your heart. You remembered how her touch felt.

"I didn't ask you to."

"No." All the restraints disappeared. "You never had to."

One last step.

"You cursed me."

"I gave you the only thing I had." She touched your cheek. "And then I've made the worst mistake I ever could."

You hated her. How she was capable of showing deepest love and greatest disdain. Mistake? You were the one who had to pay for it. And now she was calling you back.

"We are bound." You shared the same black blood. Immortality. Her gift. What was the point of denying it?

You took the last step. It was so easy to find comfort in her embrace. There were tears in her eyes. Clouds of loyalty and promises.

Years of suffering were erased only because she called you. How could this be possible? Her breath on your skin was enough. It was so easy to give in. You shared the same life. It was so easy to convince yourself of her good intentions.

"Rio..." 

"Let's go home my love."

Death was indeed inevitable. 

[boyeetsworld]

HOUNDS OF LOVE

m.fushiguro x fem oc (she/her pronouns)

jjk fanfic (roughly follows anime storyline)

WARNING:

‼️ gore descriptions, violence, nsfw, smut ‼️

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PART ONE: Fearsome Womb Arc

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No. 1

This was her life, at least the past four years of it, boisterous, rude people, dirty ramen bowls, stingy management, shitty payment, and unnecessary stress. She supposed this was what it was like being sixteen and living alone.

She sighed as she wriggled her way through the busy restaurant. She placed the dirty bowl in the bin before wiping her hands on her apron, then brushed the hair out of her face.

“Emi…” The girl perked up at the sound of her name as she looked over to find her coworker motioning her over. “He’s here again.”

“Huh?” Emiri questioned as she moved to the front of the restaurant.

Her confusion dispersed at the sight of the familiar man. His height was towering, with his white hair pushed up and his usual blindfold covering his eyes.

“Gojo,” She sighed as she watched the man linger across the street.

For the rest of her shift, Emiri’s mind lingered on Gojo. This wasn’t the first time he had loitered outside her place of work.

It wasn’t the first time she had caught him lurking around her in general. The sun began to set on the city as Emiri accepted why Gojo stood patiently outside.

Emiri sighed as she exited the empty restaurant, being the last to leave she locked the door behind her. Finally, she turned and looked at Gojo across the street.

The road was silent as she stared down the tall white-haired man. Suddenly he took a step forward and smiled as he neared her.

“Emiri Hara,” he chortled as she remained unamused. “Wow, you sure look happy to see me!”

“What do you want?” she crossed her arms not letting up on her serious attitude despite his jokes. “You’re acting like I haven’t seen you hanging around…watching me.”

Gojo laughed as he removed his hands from his pockets and took a stance beside her. He was wearing his usual all-black uniform as Emiri stood in front of him in a mangey yellow and orange uniform.

Gojo’s smile never faded as he towered over Emiri, to him she was still a ten-year-old with dead parents whom he had just saved from certain death.

“Gojo,” She urged getting sick of his attempts at mystery.

“What? I can’t just stop by to see you?” He huffed in response to her annoyance.

She sighed as she untied her apron and shoved it in her bag. Then she unpinned her hair letting it fall to its natural length, stopping just above her hips. Her hair was a mangled mess of black and white strands of hair.

The two-toned hair was a genetic marvel her mother had passed down to her. Emiri recalled when she first met Gojo and how amazed he was by her hair, but she brushed away the faint memory of Gojo.

“When I haven’t seen you in six years, no. No, you can’t,” Emiri stated coldly.

Saturo Gojo was something of a savior to her back then, when she was a naive child. Now she saw right through his attempts to make her a Jujutsu Sourcer. She wanted nothing to do with the matter.

Emiri had grown up around the power of cursed energy and had mastered it at the mere age of seven. Her parents had trained her tirelessly, and subjected her to torture, all in hopes she would follow in their footsteps as assassins.

Gojo was the one who found her the night they were killed, the night they tried to sacrifice their child to save themselves.

“Emiri,” Gojo smirked as he raised his finger. “I have a proposition for you-”

“I don’t want to go to your school,” she cut him off curtly. “I’ve already told you.”

“Yeah, yeah you’ve sworn off your cursed energy…” Gojo mocked before he turned to her with a serious demeanor. “That doesn’t change what you can do. Who you could save…”

He could tell his words struck a chord with her. Although she wasn’t his child, Gojo had a habit of looking at his students as children of his own.

“My whole life…I’ve been used as a weapon,” she began softly as she looked down. “I won’t do it anymore.”

“Come and learn…I think you’d be the perfect addition to the first-years. Let us teach you that you can use that power as you please, Emiri, to save people,” he gave a cheeky smile as he patted her shoulder and then began down the street. “Think about it, kid.”

Emiri watched as Gojo walked away, his words lingering in the air like a whispered promise. She stood there for a moment, the weight of his proposition heavy on her shoulders.

For years, she had tried to distance herself from the world of cursed energy, from the memories of her parents' dark legacy. The thought of stepping back into that world filled her with a mixture of fear and defiance. But despite her reluctance, there was a part of her that couldn't help but be drawn to the allure of Gojo's offer.

As she walked home through the dimly lit streets, her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, the idea of using her powers on her terms was enticing.

On the other hand, the thought of getting tangled up in the dangerous world of Jujutsu Sorcery was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Arriving at her small apartment, Emiri smiled softly at the large black dog awaiting her arrival. He was massive with pointed ears and a square jaw resembling a Pitbull with the muscular body of a Mastiff. She reached down scratched the dog ears and chuckled.

“Seven,” She placed a kiss on his head. “Good boy.”

She sighed as she sank onto her futon, exhaustion washing over her. Seven assumed position on the floor by her feet in a protective manner.

She stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Gojo's words echoed in her mind, reminding her of the potential she held within her.

But as she drifted off to sleep, she made a silent vow to herself. She would not let her past define her future. Whatever path she chose, it would be on her terms, no one else's. And with that resolve, she closed her eyes, ready to face the future held as she decided that it held accepting Gojo’s offer.

The next morning, Emiri woke up with a newfound determination coursing through her veins. As she prepared for the day ahead, she couldn't shake the feeling that accepting Gojo's offer was the right decision for her. Next thing she knew she found herself calling Saturo Gojo and boarding a train to Tokyo.

As the train rattled along the tracks, Emiri’s mind buzzed with anticipation and uncertainty. She glanced out of the window, watching the landscape blur past as she headed towards Tokyo, towards a new chapter of her life.

Emiri navigated her way through the crowded streets, Seven faithfully by her side every step of the way. Eventually, she found herself standing outside the gates of the prestigious Jujutsu High School, the place where Gojo had offered her a chance at a different kind of life.

“Emiri!"

She turned to see Gojo striding towards her, his signature grin lighting up his face.

“I'm glad you decided to come," he said, his tone genuine. “Welcome to Jujutsu High."

With a smile of her own, Emiri nodded, feeling a sense of belonging wash over her. She may have been hesitant at first, but deep down, she knew that this was where she was meant to be. Gojo’s eyes fell to the large dog standing beside her.

“Oh, wow! Who’s this?” Gojo gawked as he leaned toward Seven.

“Oh, I wouldn’t,” Emiri warned as Gojo reached to pet the dog receiving a harsh bark and snarl. “He doesn’t really like…people.”

She shrugged as Gojo shuddered. “And you traveled with that thing?!”

“He’s a shikigami,” she informed calmly. “By manipulating my own blood I made him a real dog, but if I die he dies. Most people can’t see him, only curse users.”

“I see,” Gojo hummed, yet he was still terrified of the hound in front of him. “Well, I suppose it’s time to meet the other first-years! No need to meet with Principle Masamichi, he’s been awaiting your arrival for years.”

Emiri followed Gojo through the campus. As they walked through the campus, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within her.

Gojo led her into a building with a narrow hall, he went on to explain the dormitory as he stopped at the third door from the end. He triumphantly announced that this would be Emiri’s room.

She nodded as she entered and was quick to set down her bags. Seven pounced around the room in excitement causing Emiri to laugh as she watched him spin.

“Ah, there he is!” Gojo shouted from the hallway. Emiri wandered out of the room to find Gojo grinning at a tall boy with dark spikey hair and hazy green eyes. “The other first-year!”

“Megumi,” Emiri huffed as she stood in the doorway.

The boy's eyes locked with hers. Megumi Fushiguro was a pretty boy, his hair was jet black and styled in a spikey mess on his head. He was lean and muscular despite his baggy uniform and his eyes were dark but a piercing green.

Before another word could leave her mouth, Seven came bounding out of the room at the scent of Megumi. Emiri watched as the dog leaped past her and towards Megumi. Megumi prepared himself for the dog's weight as Seven happily lunged at him.

“Seven, no…” Emiri warned as Seven attacked Megumi with kisses.

“Thought he didn’t like people…” Gojo chuckled as he watched Emiri pull the dog off Megumi.

“No, he does…” Emiri turned back to Gojo with a smirk. “He just doesn’t like you, Gojo. You didn’t remember him…I’ve had Seven since I was seven,” she continued reluctantly. “Yet, somehow turns out Megumi seems to be his favorite person.”

Megumi gave a stiff smile as Emiri looked over at him and Seven settled to sit at her feet.

“Never thought you’d join Jujutsu High,” He stated curtly as he brushed off his uniform and Emiri huffed at the remark.

“I knew you two would be happy to see each other,” Gojo beamed, despite the clear animosity between the two first-years.

Megumi’s eyes followed to the open door behind Emiri. His eyes fell to the bag sitting on the floor of the bare. He heaved a sigh.

“There are so many vacancies,” he lamented. “She had to go in the room next to me?”

Gojo laughed lightly with a shrug as he looked between the two. He noticed their lack of playfulness at his attempts to joke with them.

“Oh, come one! Like I don’t know you two despise each other,” he huffed. “Think of this as team bonding, you’ll be working together all year!”

Gojo spoke as if the two had just won the lottery and their prize was spending time with each other and the fabulous Saturo Gojo. Emiri crossed her arms as she sighed at Gojo’s news.

“This isn’t welcome,” Megumi stated coldly.

“Lovely,” Emiri soughed under her breath.

Saturo Gojo had found Megumi when he was six years old after his father tried to sell him to the Zenin Clan. Then Gojo took in Emiri when she was ten he introduced her to the boy her age.

Emiri would admit she was drawn to Megumi, but his attitude was off-putting and they never got along as children. Emiri and Megumi found themselves competing for Gojo’s attention until he decided to send them back to school. They two hadn’t seen each other since.

Emiri gave Megumi a stiff smile. She couldn’t necessarily place why she disliked the boy. Perhaps, she felt he was condescending, as a child she always found herself adoring him and being met with his cold demeanor.

Now that he was here, as a fellow first-year, he was nothing more than her competition. On the other hand, Megumi knew that Emiri disliked him and he assumed that he had welcomed that hatred.

Now, she thought, they saw each other through the same lens, they would never be friends.

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Word count: 2,048

[scooby-review]

Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo Villains Ranked

Make your own here! Template made by _jbird_

Meh

There's a fairly obvious trend with this iteration of the series and my thoughts towards its characters, however, to start with the bottom of the barrel, this pair of characters are both deeply disappointing, upheld only by interesting pieces and ideas.

To begin, the Neon Phantom proposes a unique idea: a skeletal design, with glowing bones. However, the design lacks much detail, the face alone is poised in a curious expression that's somewhere between confusion and shock, which therefore, leaves me constantly wondering the emotions of this creature. Most other villain's are etched with permanent scowls or wide smiles, but shock is something new.

Meanwhile, the Alien simply looks clumpy in design, there's an excess of detail, certainly giving a constructed look, but there's a muddiness to the sections, and ends up being a design I'm not too fond of staring at.

Okay

The three okay designs vary greatly, from an anthropomorphic bat, to a husky and snowy ghost, to just a pair of guys. Placing Carl and Tony in particular is difficult, they're villains, yes, but not monsters in the traditional sense, I enjoyed their episode, they were entirely okay in it, but they don't transcend this episode in any way.

The Shadow Creature comes from an episode filled with a wide variety of designs, with his being the least interesting. There are interesting bat motifs, his shadow appears like wings across the walls, but the core of his design ultimately ends up being somewhat uninteresting.

The Ghost of Jeremiah Pratt is a well put together design, I love the ranges of blues, from near crystal whites to frosty blues, he's an interesting character to stare at. However his personality anchors him, leaving little in the way of any other interest.

Good

The bulk of the designs rest in this category for me; I found the show to be filled with a solid, consistent level of "good", which is a positive thing! However, rarely did any episode or villain rise above this.

The Dragon Beast is one of the least popular villains as far as I can tell, however, I find there to be a charm to the design, confusing as it may be. Staring at the design, dragon doesn't pop to mind straight away, yet something about the murky shade of green and inky tiger like black stripes are incredibly endearing to me.

Both the Snake Demon and Devil Bear are similarly animals, but anthropomorphic and evil. Both get the job done, I prefer the latter as a result of the proportioning and eyeliner-like design around his eyes, however, both are solid! Their biggest drawbacks is that they're pretty much just these animals, especially with the bear, whose personality is fixated solely on being a bear. However, it's a more interesting take on prior villains in a similar vein, such as the apes.

The Sky Skeleton can at times appear just as a skeleton, without much nuance or innovation, and even in these moments, I enjoy the character given the injection of personality shot through the character. Yet the aviation gear added in certain sequences elevates the character to be all the more interesting.

Both the Night Ghoul of London and Lady Vampire of the Bay are humanoid designs with a ghoulish twinge. They're great for this, with their respective roles in their episodes elevating them greatly. Truthfully, the vampire's villainous personality is what allows her to rest far higher for me.

Both the Sea Beast and Minotaur offer half creature, half animals. Both are evocative of characters I love in that of the Gillman and the Minotaur as seen in various Greek Myths. Such influences certainly go on to effect my perception of these characters. Both characters draw in fun settings, their personalities are somewhat bland, but their designs themselves are great, either popping with vivid green colours or through a nice amount of detail.

Finally, the Sourcerer bridges great archetypical wizard motifs, (the long beard, cloak...) and inverts them, allowing the villain to shine as a monster. His differentiation from simply being a wizard also aids in his mythical aesthetic, the sourcerer is a great way to diversify villain types, and from the creepy fixed smile, the skull like head and mesmerising, hazy colour scheme, the character leaves a solid mark.

Great

The Blue Scarab opens the pair of great villains. Partially, this comes from how great the concept is - a comic book character coming to life to haunt his creator. I adore that! The design hits the common Superhero design beats, and ultimately, he lacks any horror elements within his design, but with this character, deciding not to edit the design works perfectly.

Finally, the star creature is my favourite villain in this iteration of the series. Mostly, this comes down to the idea, with the execution being secondary often times. Simply, the idea of a monster that's a star is captivating to me, it's such a unique concept, and even if I don't love the mouth and moustache, I do love the colour palette, a chalky white, mixed with the overall celestial aesthetic. Even if he's not perfect, he stands out to me as one of the most creative designs in the series, and that alone counts for a lot.

Next Review: Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo Retrospective (Coming Soon!)

Previous Review: The Scooby Doo Show Villains Ranked

[ronqueesha]

How did Saoirse get caught as a sourcerer?

Saoirse's source skill was almost too subtle for her to be caught, unlike the other companions. All her life, she has had an uncanny ability to convince people of the most bullshit things, although there were limits. With a little concentration and true belief in her words, she could sway angry guards off her trail, or even convince people she just robbed that she didn't have their stuff.

A bit like the Jedi mind trick, she couldn't convince someone of something blatantly impossible. She could just add enough doubt and confusion into their minds that they were inclined to believe her lies, so long as they were somewhat realistic. (in game, it would probably work as a non-combat skill that would let you pass the next speech check regardless of your ability)

No, the thing that actually got her caught was Ham Samich. Her little spiky magical gremlin companion had usually found ways to keep out of most people's eye when Saoirse visited crowded areas. This skill was invaluable when she ran scams like putting on fake comedy or magic shows to enthrall a small crowd, while Ham Samich sneaked behind them to slice open their coin purses with his sharp claws.

Unfortunately, as the years went on, people became more and more alert for sourcerers, until the day came when someone spotted Ham Samich by Saoirse's side. Given his weird appearance and obvious supernatural presence, it was assumed Saoirse had summoned him with a source power. Overwhelmed by a sudden rush of magisters and local town guards, she surrendered.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Data is gold for fashion brands — and now, there’s more places than ever to get it.Shoppers’ journeys from interest piqued to purchase vary: They may find a product in a Substack newsletter, reach out to a fashion sourcer via Instagram DM to secure an in-demand item or tap their way to checkout after watching a video on TikTok. With more hands helping fashion’s most discerning consumers shop, they’re also gleaning information about what consumers want and how they’re buying it. Inadvertently, this new generation of fashion brokers — luxury sourcers, shopping Substackers, stylists, Instagram tastemakers and more — have built little troves of consumer data. Many believe what they have access to is different than what’s already available and what brands can capture on their own because of their unique understanding of demand, intimacy with their carefully built audiences and birds’ eye-view of ebbs and flow of demand across brands, categories, and even between current season and vintage. “Beyond e-commerce players and department stores who see what’s selling out, there’s a much broader pool of contributors at play now,” said Erica Wright, founder of the UK-based sourcing app Sourcewhere, which expanded to the US last year. “For brands taking all of that into account can be overwhelming …[but] it’s a way to build a bigger picture apart from just seeing trends and predictions.” This information presents a business opportunity for these figures — though they’re still determining how best to use it. While brands have always been hungry for shoppers’ data, increasingly, there’s a growing appetite among consumers, too, fueled by a confusing, fast-moving trend cycle and a desire to make smart purchasing decisions. These data holders are testing ways to engage both: rolling out reports to satisfy their own audiences as well as building out strategies for working with brands.“Being able to graph things out, especially when things move so quickly, is helpful to contextualise and visualise all the craziness in fashion,” said Madé Lapuerta, who runs the Instagram account Data but Make It Fashion, which analyses fashion trends using Lapuerta’s own method and counts 500,000 followers. “Talking about data and fashion and fashion tech is becoming more mainstream.” What Shoppers Really Want Digitally-savvy fashion voices with unique views on what shoppers want are figuring out ways to harness that information more formally. Sourcers, who find rare items requested by clients, are one group looking to monetise their insights. Because sourcers act based on demand, they have a sharp view of what shoppers want (and are willing to pay a premium on) rather than what’s bubbling up on social media, what’s selling at retail or what people are searching for without real intent to buy, said Wright. That’s valuable information — with applications in forecasting and product and buying strategy — especially at a time many brands and retailers are feeling the pinch of uncertainty, she added.They’re testing out different ways to do so: Gab Waller, for instance, known for her ability to find sold-out Alaia flats and Chanel bags, launched Sourced By, an app that aids and tracks the work of other sourcers, last year, and is currently preparing her first report showcasing Sourced By’s insights in hopes of connecting with brands. The data also gives them a leg up in working with brands, even if it’s not providing it directly. Stylist and wardrobe consultant Allison Bornstein, for example, uses her understanding of shoppers’ pain points in getting dressed, gained through her popular virtual styling sessions (she estimates she’s done 25 a week since 2020) to work with brands on content, events for top shoppers and training salespeople on how to use styling to sell clothes. “I have the information on what people want … When you’re in the fashion industry, you don’t know what all is happening, boots on the ground,” said Bornstein, adding she knows what consumers already have in their closets, what they’re getting rid of and how they approach shopping. A community, particularly on Substack, can provide valuable information through engagement, affiliate sales, and active comments sections, even if just used to back up ideas: “It serves as reassurance for me in creative and editorial,” said Ali Pew, a stylist and the fashion editor-at-large of Cultured magazine, who writes “Uniform,” a shopping newsletter on Substack. “They are helpful insights to always have in the back of your brain.” Some are getting more precise. Last year, popular shopping Substack Magasin launched a data-driven index that scores brands it covers based on chat and post mentions, clicks and orders using a proprietary method to show what brands and products are rising in popularity. Data but Make It Fashion’s Lapuerta, a former consultant at McKinsey, has worked with labels including Tory Burch and The RealReal in a variety of ways, providing analysis on the success of campaigns behind the scenes, or partnering on posts. Sometimes, they ask her to do both. She says her understanding of language of the internet — trend lines and charts come alongside memes — is key.“My voice and the speed at which I talk about things is really important,” said Lapuerta. “I know how to communicate this information in a way that resonates, makes sense and intrigues people. People want to work with me instead of a guy that doesn’t have the knowledge of fashion even though he can do the software just as well.” The Data Hungry Shopper Shoppers, as well as brands, are more curious to see the data behind what is trending and why. Waller said the shift became evident to her when she was tapped to write a dispatch for Vogue on her top-requested products last year. While she’s looking to build brand partnerships, a big reason she’s formalising her data collection is so that she can post insights to engage followers. There’s a white space in fashion coverage, said Lapuerta. Consumers want a deeper, more concrete understanding of what’s really going on and why, beyond simply what’s in or out. “When I was becoming interested in fashion, I would read Vogue and listen to podcasts and it just felt like everyone’s opinion,” said Lapuerta. “When you see an article that’s like ‘Converse are in’ and then you see another that says ‘Converse are out,’ it’s a little confusing.” Retailers are catering to this growing interest, too; last week Vestiaire Collective published a buying guide that ranked products resale value, based on an analysis of 400 brands’ pricing, desirability and long-term worth. The goal was to help choosy shoppers make “informed decisions and invest in pieces that retain value over time” in a landscape where the price of luxury goods and awareness of the negative impact of fast fashion are both rising, said co-founder and fashion director Sophie Hersan in an email to BoF. Lapuerta has become a resource for her followers — who reach out via DM — on what to buy and when: “Especially with the rise of the microtrend, people want to feel good about what they’re putting their money toward,” said Lapuerta. Source link

[norajworld]

Data is gold for fashion brands — and now, there’s more places than ever to get it.Shoppers’ journeys from interest piqued to purchase vary: They may find a product in a Substack newsletter, reach out to a fashion sourcer via Instagram DM to secure an in-demand item or tap their way to checkout after watching a video on TikTok. With more hands helping fashion’s most discerning consumers shop, they’re also gleaning information about what consumers want and how they’re buying it. Inadvertently, this new generation of fashion brokers — luxury sourcers, shopping Substackers, stylists, Instagram tastemakers and more — have built little troves of consumer data. Many believe what they have access to is different than what’s already available and what brands can capture on their own because of their unique understanding of demand, intimacy with their carefully built audiences and birds’ eye-view of ebbs and flow of demand across brands, categories, and even between current season and vintage. “Beyond e-commerce players and department stores who see what’s selling out, there’s a much broader pool of contributors at play now,” said Erica Wright, founder of the UK-based sourcing app Sourcewhere, which expanded to the US last year. “For brands taking all of that into account can be overwhelming …[but] it’s a way to build a bigger picture apart from just seeing trends and predictions.” This information presents a business opportunity for these figures — though they’re still determining how best to use it. While brands have always been hungry for shoppers’ data, increasingly, there’s a growing appetite among consumers, too, fueled by a confusing, fast-moving trend cycle and a desire to make smart purchasing decisions. These data holders are testing ways to engage both: rolling out reports to satisfy their own audiences as well as building out strategies for working with brands.“Being able to graph things out, especially when things move so quickly, is helpful to contextualise and visualise all the craziness in fashion,” said Madé Lapuerta, who runs the Instagram account Data but Make It Fashion, which analyses fashion trends using Lapuerta’s own method and counts 500,000 followers. “Talking about data and fashion and fashion tech is becoming more mainstream.” What Shoppers Really Want Digitally-savvy fashion voices with unique views on what shoppers want are figuring out ways to harness that information more formally. Sourcers, who find rare items requested by clients, are one group looking to monetise their insights. Because sourcers act based on demand, they have a sharp view of what shoppers want (and are willing to pay a premium on) rather than what’s bubbling up on social media, what’s selling at retail or what people are searching for without real intent to buy, said Wright. That’s valuable information — with applications in forecasting and product and buying strategy — especially at a time many brands and retailers are feeling the pinch of uncertainty, she added.They’re testing out different ways to do so: Gab Waller, for instance, known for her ability to find sold-out Alaia flats and Chanel bags, launched Sourced By, an app that aids and tracks the work of other sourcers, last year, and is currently preparing her first report showcasing Sourced By’s insights in hopes of connecting with brands. The data also gives them a leg up in working with brands, even if it’s not providing it directly. Stylist and wardrobe consultant Allison Bornstein, for example, uses her understanding of shoppers’ pain points in getting dressed, gained through her popular virtual styling sessions (she estimates she’s done 25 a week since 2020) to work with brands on content, events for top shoppers and training salespeople on how to use styling to sell clothes. “I have the information on what people want … When you’re in the fashion industry, you don’t know what all is happening, boots on the ground,” said Bornstein, adding she knows what consumers already have in their closets, what they’re getting rid of and how they approach shopping. A community, particularly on Substack, can provide valuable information through engagement, affiliate sales, and active comments sections, even if just used to back up ideas: “It serves as reassurance for me in creative and editorial,” said Ali Pew, a stylist and the fashion editor-at-large of Cultured magazine, who writes “Uniform,” a shopping newsletter on Substack. “They are helpful insights to always have in the back of your brain.” Some are getting more precise. Last year, popular shopping Substack Magasin launched a data-driven index that scores brands it covers based on chat and post mentions, clicks and orders using a proprietary method to show what brands and products are rising in popularity. Data but Make It Fashion’s Lapuerta, a former consultant at McKinsey, has worked with labels including Tory Burch and The RealReal in a variety of ways, providing analysis on the success of campaigns behind the scenes, or partnering on posts. Sometimes, they ask her to do both. She says her understanding of language of the internet — trend lines and charts come alongside memes — is key.“My voice and the speed at which I talk about things is really important,” said Lapuerta. “I know how to communicate this information in a way that resonates, makes sense and intrigues people. People want to work with me instead of a guy that doesn’t have the knowledge of fashion even though he can do the software just as well.” The Data Hungry Shopper Shoppers, as well as brands, are more curious to see the data behind what is trending and why. Waller said the shift became evident to her when she was tapped to write a dispatch for Vogue on her top-requested products last year. While she’s looking to build brand partnerships, a big reason she’s formalising her data collection is so that she can post insights to engage followers. There’s a white space in fashion coverage, said Lapuerta. Consumers want a deeper, more concrete understanding of what’s really going on and why, beyond simply what’s in or out. “When I was becoming interested in fashion, I would read Vogue and listen to podcasts and it just felt like everyone’s opinion,” said Lapuerta. “When you see an article that’s like ‘Converse are in’ and then you see another that says ‘Converse are out,’ it’s a little confusing.” Retailers are catering to this growing interest, too; last week Vestiaire Collective published a buying guide that ranked products resale value, based on an analysis of 400 brands’ pricing, desirability and long-term worth. The goal was to help choosy shoppers make “informed decisions and invest in pieces that retain value over time” in a landscape where the price of luxury goods and awareness of the negative impact of fast fashion are both rising, said co-founder and fashion director Sophie Hersan in an email to BoF. Lapuerta has become a resource for her followers — who reach out via DM — on what to buy and when: “Especially with the rise of the microtrend, people want to feel good about what they’re putting their money toward,” said Lapuerta. Source link

[chilimili212]

Data is gold for fashion brands — and now, there’s more places than ever to get it.Shoppers’ journeys from interest piqued to purchase vary: They may find a product in a Substack newsletter, reach out to a fashion sourcer via Instagram DM to secure an in-demand item or tap their way to checkout after watching a video on TikTok. With more hands helping fashion’s most discerning consumers shop, they’re also gleaning information about what consumers want and how they’re buying it. Inadvertently, this new generation of fashion brokers — luxury sourcers, shopping Substackers, stylists, Instagram tastemakers and more — have built little troves of consumer data. Many believe what they have access to is different than what’s already available and what brands can capture on their own because of their unique understanding of demand, intimacy with their carefully built audiences and birds’ eye-view of ebbs and flow of demand across brands, categories, and even between current season and vintage. “Beyond e-commerce players and department stores who see what’s selling out, there’s a much broader pool of contributors at play now,” said Erica Wright, founder of the UK-based sourcing app Sourcewhere, which expanded to the US last year. “For brands taking all of that into account can be overwhelming …[but] it’s a way to build a bigger picture apart from just seeing trends and predictions.” This information presents a business opportunity for these figures — though they’re still determining how best to use it. While brands have always been hungry for shoppers’ data, increasingly, there’s a growing appetite among consumers, too, fueled by a confusing, fast-moving trend cycle and a desire to make smart purchasing decisions. These data holders are testing ways to engage both: rolling out reports to satisfy their own audiences as well as building out strategies for working with brands.“Being able to graph things out, especially when things move so quickly, is helpful to contextualise and visualise all the craziness in fashion,” said Madé Lapuerta, who runs the Instagram account Data but Make It Fashion, which analyses fashion trends using Lapuerta’s own method and counts 500,000 followers. “Talking about data and fashion and fashion tech is becoming more mainstream.” What Shoppers Really Want Digitally-savvy fashion voices with unique views on what shoppers want are figuring out ways to harness that information more formally. Sourcers, who find rare items requested by clients, are one group looking to monetise their insights. Because sourcers act based on demand, they have a sharp view of what shoppers want (and are willing to pay a premium on) rather than what’s bubbling up on social media, what’s selling at retail or what people are searching for without real intent to buy, said Wright. That’s valuable information — with applications in forecasting and product and buying strategy — especially at a time many brands and retailers are feeling the pinch of uncertainty, she added.They’re testing out different ways to do so: Gab Waller, for instance, known for her ability to find sold-out Alaia flats and Chanel bags, launched Sourced By, an app that aids and tracks the work of other sourcers, last year, and is currently preparing her first report showcasing Sourced By’s insights in hopes of connecting with brands. The data also gives them a leg up in working with brands, even if it’s not providing it directly. Stylist and wardrobe consultant Allison Bornstein, for example, uses her understanding of shoppers’ pain points in getting dressed, gained through her popular virtual styling sessions (she estimates she’s done 25 a week since 2020) to work with brands on content, events for top shoppers and training salespeople on how to use styling to sell clothes. “I have the information on what people want … When you’re in the fashion industry, you don’t know what all is happening, boots on the ground,” said Bornstein, adding she knows what consumers already have in their closets, what they’re getting rid of and how they approach shopping. A community, particularly on Substack, can provide valuable information through engagement, affiliate sales, and active comments sections, even if just used to back up ideas: “It serves as reassurance for me in creative and editorial,” said Ali Pew, a stylist and the fashion editor-at-large of Cultured magazine, who writes “Uniform,” a shopping newsletter on Substack. “They are helpful insights to always have in the back of your brain.” Some are getting more precise. Last year, popular shopping Substack Magasin launched a data-driven index that scores brands it covers based on chat and post mentions, clicks and orders using a proprietary method to show what brands and products are rising in popularity. Data but Make It Fashion’s Lapuerta, a former consultant at McKinsey, has worked with labels including Tory Burch and The RealReal in a variety of ways, providing analysis on the success of campaigns behind the scenes, or partnering on posts. Sometimes, they ask her to do both. She says her understanding of language of the internet — trend lines and charts come alongside memes — is key.“My voice and the speed at which I talk about things is really important,” said Lapuerta. “I know how to communicate this information in a way that resonates, makes sense and intrigues people. People want to work with me instead of a guy that doesn’t have the knowledge of fashion even though he can do the software just as well.” The Data Hungry Shopper Shoppers, as well as brands, are more curious to see the data behind what is trending and why. Waller said the shift became evident to her when she was tapped to write a dispatch for Vogue on her top-requested products last year. While she’s looking to build brand partnerships, a big reason she’s formalising her data collection is so that she can post insights to engage followers. There’s a white space in fashion coverage, said Lapuerta. Consumers want a deeper, more concrete understanding of what’s really going on and why, beyond simply what’s in or out. “When I was becoming interested in fashion, I would read Vogue and listen to podcasts and it just felt like everyone’s opinion,” said Lapuerta. “When you see an article that’s like ‘Converse are in’ and then you see another that says ‘Converse are out,’ it’s a little confusing.” Retailers are catering to this growing interest, too; last week Vestiaire Collective published a buying guide that ranked products resale value, based on an analysis of 400 brands’ pricing, desirability and long-term worth. The goal was to help choosy shoppers make “informed decisions and invest in pieces that retain value over time” in a landscape where the price of luxury goods and awareness of the negative impact of fast fashion are both rising, said co-founder and fashion director Sophie Hersan in an email to BoF. Lapuerta has become a resource for her followers — who reach out via DM — on what to buy and when: “Especially with the rise of the microtrend, people want to feel good about what they’re putting their money toward,” said Lapuerta. Source link

[falcqns]

bestie i'm rereading sourcers stone

and forgot i annotated it my favorite so far is me calling the dursleys a bunch of oussys

omg sorry i didnt answer this earlier but i was so confused about ehat you meant but i just realized youre reading sorcerers stone 😭 im so used to it being called the philosphers stone lmaooo

[purplefirepit]

I don't think any of the minors in twst should be sexualized, since even if they're just fictional, the minors' personalities and beliefs are not finalized in the story. Look at Riddle as an example.

Also the main concern with the whole aging up thing is that people usually don't change much when aging a character up, and I feel like if a character is older their look would be different, and they would have more knowledge.

For example, in twst if you're going to age a character like Ace up to 18, he should have his UM by then, and as the writer you can make it literally anything you want for the fic.

However while re-reading this ask, anon mentioned all fandoms. Which I personally feel like is a whole new can of worms :(.

Like for example, in jjk the teenagers in there act like teenagers 🤯, and in that anime, it's shown that Jujutsu Sourcers have a lot of learning to. That Jujutsu Sourcers aren't just mature and ready for anything when they're teens. Refer to the Hidden Inventory arc of the show.

So for an anime/show like jjk you can't just be like "Who cares if Megumi is 15, he's still hot." Because he still has so much to experience in life, and in his work force. Also if you want to argue that you can still age him up, please re-read my second paragraph.

If any of this was confusing to read, that's my bad.

here is my hot take on the twst fandom and all other fandoms, no one cares that "this character is 16 why does he look sexy? why is there porn of him?" their ages are made up, these characters are made up, none of this is real. anyone can age up the characters at any point and do whatever they want with any of them. these characters are more like icons than representation of real people. no one should care or put too much thought into any of this.

This one is hot enough to give some burns I think.

How much stock do we put into the idea of, "It's fake, so it doesn't matter"? As anon said this is really applicable to all fandoms and it's actually kind of sticky when you get into the absolutism of this statement. And when I say sticky I mean, "I don't feel like going into the weeds on this one." So have fun in the comments and reblogs!

As a rule of thumb, doing lewd things regarding fictional characters and such in the name of FANTASY ONLY is fine in theory, but it's way too easy to start stepping over the lines, so I can't endorse the idea whole cloth.

I reserve the right to judge and be judged accordingly.

Thank you for your take.

[glockmonkey]

I know asking your favourite Discworld character would probably paralyse you with indecision, so which ones would you choose to

A. Save your life

B. Have a picnic with

C. Take into another piece of media (of your choice)

D. Play Mario Kart with

E. Fight

F. Place in front of a bigot and watch the chaos unfold

G. Heckle your least favourite media with

OH GOD GOOD QUESTIONS

a) rincewind or granny weatherwax. rincewind because he has the innate ability to succeed and hate it anyway, and esme cause she’s incredibly good at everything but would probably scold me after for having to get my life saved

b) twoflower. without a doubt. I would gladly trade a few cucumber sandwiches for a bunch of random trivia

c) sorry to blorbopost again but I think rincewind would be incredibly entertaining to see in any sort of sitcom type media. or a hallmark movie I think he’d be incredibly confused by everything

d) I must beat coin (sourcerer from sourcery) in mario cart. it is a must. if he beats me then he gets to experience something of a normal childhood. win-win

e) I don’t honestly think I could beat any discworld character in a fight but I think conina (from sourcery) would be willing to teach me how to fight. and then I’d kick the shit out of that loser wizard from mort.

f) the librarian. hashtag feminist hashtag ally

g) I am sending the luggage into the universe of the avengers to eat captain america. luggage can have a little people. as a treat.

[fandomfrenzy625]

Rant part 2

So Kalim Al-Asim is definitely based of the sultan. it's mentioned in his bio and although he has some tiny resemblances to iago he has much more in common with the sultan, especially with the white hair and personality wise. so google really needs get updated.

overall this has caused 3 moods- happy, not happy and confused (not really in that order) and I'm going to explain why

confused (slowly turning into "ok this actually makes sense)

why would it say Iago if it's so obviously the sultan, and why the sultan of all people is in a school based of Disney VILLIANS ? (What exactly has the sultan been hiding from the public 🤔🤨)

but again I know it's not actually the sultan and I guess the game/story needs the "you can't hurt him, he's baby" character which many fans go crazy for, for I too have stumbled into this trap many times

the second is unhappy

it's a real shame that the personality of Iago isn't in the game. I feel like Disney should have used this opportunity when making a character because the original angry bird was a such a Unique and fun character in the Disney universe which is hardly ever used again. I understand that many may find him annoying, crude and loud but others may enjoy his wit and relatableness he brought fourth. Heck theres actually proof within one of the Watchmojo.com videos

so if there's any updates to the game they should maybe possibly think about taking up that opportunity there's even some fans that have given iago proper designs that fit in perfectly, for example

(ALL Credit to artists within the pictures)

Happy

Now this is where I contradict myself and say it's a good thing Iago isn't in the game

this is a game filled with villians and if you didn't know (or like it or not) it is cannon that Iago reforms (in the sequels) and becomes a good guy (or at least less evil)

and many, Disney included forget this

most likely due to the fact that many do not know of these sequals (2 straight to DVD movies and a 3 seasoned tv show)

so due to most people only knowing the original they keep to the idea of Iago being a bad guy and is stuck inside a lamp with Jafar lost to the sands of time for all eternity

But the true fans should know that (spoiler alert) Jafar was defeated once again and Iago joins Aladdins father on his journey of adventure

so is it simply a case of Disney forgetting or was this intentional in the game ?

soeaking of Disney I'm still waiting for the Aladdin series to arrive on Disney+. We already have the sequel films and even the lilo and stitch series was put onto it so where is it ?!.

both franchises were 65% of my childhood and I'd rather reminisce on a reliable source then a site where EXTREAMLY annoying adds keep poping up

that's my rant over with (I think) and I just hope that people do remember the sequels and just how much of an important character he is (very helpful to since he has knowlege of magic with being in relation to an evil sourcer for a long time, able to fly, and has the ability to impersonate peoples voices so well) which can be used for both good and evil

I only hope that people will call him Iago rather than "the parrot from Aladdin" (yeah, I see you)

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Give them what they want ch. 3

Dina and her's relationship ended just as she had predicted. There was screaming, there was crying, she was a "selfish, lying, heartless bitch" blah blah blah nothing new.

So to end up in bed with a new girl a week later was just as sign of how "heartbroken" Dina was, Jordan was glad that she turned the limo she gave her into a python.

"I loved you for you looks and for you, yeah right." Jordan snorted

"What?" Calix mumbled next to her. His bare chest warmly pressing into her side.

Oh yes, Calix who was in bed next to her. There was an explanation from that. This wasn't some petty, "If that's how she wants to play it. Here is a quick rebound thing." She and Circe's son, Calix were just friends.

Friends with major benefits.

"Nothing, go to sleep." Jordan murmured, brushing her hands through his hair.

She figured that since any romantic relationships were going to go down to hell, she might as well give up. But her few friendships that did survive, the terms of friendship could change.

Calix and her had been friends since they were 4 and 5 respectively when their parents were going around Auradon singing and performing. He was one of the few people she trusted who wasn't "family." They fought, they had adventures, and they kissed more times either could count. Sure, some of them was for acting, but some was just for fun, in the moment type. He even lost his virginity to her. Even better, he had no interests in her wishes. He knew well enough by now, that she would send a sandstorm at him and use all manners of misinterpretations. Most ending badly.

Aziz and others had teased that they should just get married already because of the "clear, sexual tension" but that would be a disaster. No matter how much sexual tension, they couldn't see each other beyond a friendly fling and even then, they would try to kill each other for being so annoying.

Calix was many things. Charming, chivalrous, hot bare chested, bare back, clever, witty but also equally arrogant, annoying sense of humor, impulsive pervert who's quarter siren powers made him think he was hot stuff. Which was true...but still.

So because and in spite of all those traits, he was a perfect candidate for being a friend wth benefits. They sorta already did that but randomly. They never made it official or had a talk. But now they were.

It was actually fun. Since it was winter break, Circe allowed Calix to guest room at Agrabah so she could see him all the time. They, plus Aziz and other local teens would hang around for the day at the beach or bazaar. During the night, she would be with Calix. They would talk before, and after and during about all manner of subjects. Simply as friends. Like they hadn't slept with each other just hours before. She almost wished she did this earlier. Being with him was so comfortable and easy and she didn't worry about him trying to use her.

He would insult her first. He was always making comments about her and her ego. No need to try to impress her. And she would do likewise. It was a friendship, what else was there to do but snipe at each other?

It had all been fun and games until lart week.

She almost didn't noticed, but as she was choosing her outfit for the day she was starting to wonder what she should wear to impress Calix. Moreover what Calix was wearing right now. She hoped it was something cute for their date at the beach.

Full stop.

Date at the beach! She couldn't believe she thought that. They were just hanging out at the beach. They always hung out at the beach, it wasn't a date.

From then on she noticed how her thoughts started to get more preoccupied with Calix and how amazing he was, how funny he was, how utterly adorable is dimples were whenever he smirked.

Yes, she was falling in love. Dammit! She had a freakin friend with benefits who had no interests in her wishes, and their relationship was going perfectly well because of the vital FRIENDS part and she was falling in love with him!

"Stop being such a girl, Jordan" she thought to herself, "You do not love him. You just lust for him. Yes, it's just lust. All the sex and lack of romance is confusing you."

After all, he was still Calix. If she loved him, she should have realized ages ago. They've been friends with benefits before and these feelings never came up. She had to review everything she had said to Aziz on why it was bad to have a relationship with him.

1. They would kill each other.

Well she could kill him which gave her such an advantage. And end in jail for the next 20 odd years.

He was still arrogant, and teased her and flirted with every other girl in the world because they were just friends. They didn't think each other that way. She had even encouraged him a few times.

"But he is also sweet when he wants to be. And you know him so well. Isn't knowing each other the first step." A tiny teasing pro-Calix voice told her.

No. She was not going to ruin a perfectly good friendship. She could see all his good points for now. But once she went back to Auradon she would realize how incredible stupid it was and laugh.

Thr following days had been a combination of fun and torture. Fun at their usual inside jokes and antics and clubbing. Torture that her pro-Calix voice kept interpreting things as a romantic act and her need to blurt out that she wanted to date him and be next to him and cuddle with him and be loved.

One perfect Wednesday afternoon before dinner, Calix met her at the bathhouse.

"Jordan can we talk?" He asked

Jordan perked and almost sighed with relief. Maybe..just maybe he realized it too. Maybe he was having lust/love confusions and they could talk. Or maybe he actually did love her and she could go do it and have dates and be with someone who totally cared for he and knew all her habits...

"I have a date." Calix said

A date. The doom of friends with benefits. A date signaled the end of the benefits until single because they seriously wanted to pursue someone else.

"Who's the lady?" Jordan plastered a fake smile.

"Morrían, Morgaine Le Fey's daughter." Calix beamed

"Oooo so ultimate sourcer couple." Jordan replied. She ignored the rest of what he was saying. He found a date. She would be all alone tonight. Once again.

During dinner she tried to stay in the conversation but all she had to listen was to Aziz and Calix converse about Morrían's hotness and cleverness and how lucky he was that Calix's got a date with her.

She should have expected it. They were friends with benefits. She had been telling herself that he would never see her beyond a friend. She had been telling herself that she just was being desperate and needy.

Once she got to her lap, she flung herself on her bed.

Why wasn't Calix satisfied with their arrangement? If she could see how great he was beyond the sex, couldn't he?

What did Morrían have that she didn't? She was hot. She thought she was witty.

Or maybe...A familiar thought came up. There was nothing great about her beyond wishes, and apparently sex.

There was some great character flaw that everyone could see but her. Something so fundamentally unlovable and horrible that even her friend wouldn't fall mistakenly in love with her like she had for him?

What was wrong with her?

[travelers-of-the-multiverse]

"Well, sort of. He was a Sourcerer on the ship, like me. I managed to help him and the others get off in time." She says before looking at him. "By the way, what's your name? I've never seen a lizard with red scales before. Well, I've heard of them, but never seen them." She asks, tangentially mentioning her experiences.

"Hmph, if you've heard of such lizards before, you already know who I am. I am the Red Prince! The All Conqureror! The World Tamer! The Spouse of the Su-!" He begins to boast.

"Yeah, but what's your name? I mean, Red Prince, cool, but what's your name name?" She asks him, interrupting him.

The interruption confused him, along with the question. "...I was telling you my name." He says incredulous.

"Hahaha, good one! I mean, you're not really named Red Prince, are you?" She asks teasingly, which makes him look away. Her face turns into a sour frown. "...Oh." She says simply.

"i can do that." Dave agreed, and he looked upon her neck where the source collar sat stuck.

He very much wanted to remove it. He even could remove it. But he knew he couldn't. Not right away at least.

Dave's claws twitched. He remembered only a few things of what hed read of Reyna's past. At least the things that stuck out.

He remembered the things that happened to sourcerers, and the way they would pursue those thst didn't.

Dave had the funny thought that he could get into trouble. Or maybe not. He wouldn't smell of source. Source and magic, at least as he knew it, were quite different.

Even so, he followed Reyna along, his clothes, even if they had been in the water with him, looked incredibly dry.

Dave had to think on how he'd explain things.

Could he explain that he was a god?

He felt that it was something they'd need to discuss sooner or later. Probably sooner.

[heyilovefandoms]

behind the masks

Summary: You were the superhero known as El, controller of the elements. You fight crime with the one and only Spider-man. One day, Tony Stark recruits you to help the avengers, and you unknowingly learn who the spider boy truly is.

Genre: Fluff!

Pairing: Peter Parker x reader (gender neutral!)

Warnings: swearing! death! (kinda)

A/N: Gah i really like this one, i’m so sorry if the format is weird, i had to upload this on my phone since tumblr is being a lil bitch. anyways, hope you enjoy!!

~

Reader’s POV

“Thanks for another fun night El!” the teenage boy’s voice rung out into the late New York night. “My pleasure Spidey boy!” I called back, waving goodbye as he swung back to wherever he called home.

I gave a soft sigh, I loved getting to fight crime with him every night. And I always wondering who he was behind that mask. But we made a deal when we first started fighting together: don’t reveal your identity unless absolutely necessary. I’m still quite curious, but I always put it behind me and enjoy my moments with the web slinger. With that, I turned around and carefully floated down to the fire escape outside my bedroom. I pulled off my charcoal colored spy suit and matching face mask. Not too much damage done tonight, just a couple bruises, nothing new.

I walked over to my dresser and pulled out my favorite pair of sweatpants and a Midtown High school sweatshirt, definitely doesn’t belong to me. I must have stolen it from Peter a while ago.

Speak of the devil, a knock on my window tapped me out of my thought process. My best friend and crush, Peter Parker, smiled at me as I opened up the window so he could climb in. “Coming in a little late tonight are we? I thought we were studying at 7, not 11?” I asked, crossing my arms as I looked at him. He frowned, “I’m sorry, I know I keep doing this to you but,” “Stark internship, I know. Let’s just study, okay? I really don’t want to fail chemistry.” He hesitated, before nodding and sitting on the floor with me.

I really didn’t understand this “Stark Internship” thing, he always shut down whenever I asked about it. I don’t like him keeping secrets from me, but who am I kidding, I hide stuff from him too. Such as the fact that I go by El and fight crime in Queens. Somethings we just keep to ourselves.

Time appeared to pass by faster then I remembered, and soon enough, “It’s 1 in the morning, I think it’s about time I head out.” Peter spoke up, breaking the concentrated silence. I looked at my phone and noticed the time. “Oh geez! Yea you better get out of here, don’t want to give May a heart attack.” He stood up and grabbed his backpack, putting all his books back in. We walked to the window and Peter climbed out, turning around to say his goodbye.

“Oh! I almost forgot, do you want this back?” I asked, pointing down to his sweatshirt I was currently wearing. He paused for a moment, seeming to take in my words. “Nah,” he said, looking down at his hands, beforing looking back at me. “you look cute in it.” My face heated up and I felt a smile grow on my face. “Night (Y/n)!” Peter called out, before climbing up the staircase to his apartment. “Night..” I managed to stutter out, still relishing in his words. He called me cute! In his clothes! Wow!

With that, I snuck back into my room and turned out the lights, then flopped onto my bed. “Jesus Peter Parker, you just have go and make my heart flutter all gross like don’t you.” I said to myself, fully aware he couldn’t hear me. I sighed and closed my eyes, drifting off to a peaceful slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke to a loud banging on my door, causing me to roll out of bed and slam on the floor. “Jesus fuck what do you want it’s like 5 in the morning!” I moaned out, pulling myself up into a seated position. The door opened, revealing the “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist” that was Tony Stark. I stood up quickly and managed to stutter out a “Uh-I..hi.”

He raised his eyebrow at me and said, “This is the kid arachnid boy talks about? Alright then, I’m Tony Stark but you already know that, and I need you to come with me.” Then left my room. I stood in shock for a minute, before coming to it and getting dressed. I threw on a pair of black pants before putting Peter’s sweatshirt back on. It was warm and I wanted the comfort.

I slipped on my converse and ran down the stairs, to see Tony waiting for me by the door. “Ready kid? Cause your life is about to get turned upside down.”

Avengers towers was huge. No, massive. It appears big on the outside, and it’s fucking gigantic on the inside, the underground levels being triple the size of the exterior. I stood still for a moment, before continuing to follow Tony to wherever he was leading me.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while, since spider kid never shuts up about his crime fighting duo adventures, anyways. We’re hoping you can join the team for a while, or permanently, depending on how this mission goes.” He paused, bringing up a hologram of my suit, but better. “ We’ve made you a new suit as well, kept the same design, just a couple of upgrades: bulletproof, vibranium metal of course, sourcers to help your power flow faster and keep your energy, and it’s all stored in a necklace. Took inspiration from that Shuri gal. Quite the genius you know.” A silver necklace popped up, with a pearl charm on the end.

He handed it to me, and I attached it around my neck. “So, whaddya say kid? Willing to help out the avengers?” I took a breath and looked up at Tony, a role model of mine since he first came forwards and said he was iron man, he was asking for my help. “Um, I’m confused.” I stated, “Why me? I’m just a teenager from New York, why do you need my help?”

Tony looked a bit taken back, before answering, “Because the avengers are falling apart, and frankly, the world will be too. We need help, I need help, and more importantly, Spider-man is gonna need his partner.” I thought about his words for a bit, this is my chance to make a real change for the world. Save the people who need it.

“I’m in.” A smirk grew on Tony’s face. “Perfect, then suit up. We start now.” With that, he clicked a button and his suit came flying towards him. “Oh you weren’t kidding, um okay.” I looked down at the necklace, unsure of how to make it work. “Tap it with some fire, should pop right out!” Tony called from above. I nodded and put a flicker of fire on my finger. I tapped the charm, and my new and improved suit grew onto my body.

“Okay that’s kinda badass!” I yelled, excitement filling my voice. “Hurry up kid! We don’t have time to play with the new settings!” “I’m coming!” I swirled my hands and made air appear, pushing me into the sky with Iron Man.

“Spider boy is making his way over, get over to the west end of the air carrier. I’ll give you both instructions once you meet up.” I nodded as he flew away. I soared into the air, pushing my way to the location Tony gave me, spotting a familiar red and blue blur coming towards me. “ON YOUR LEFT!” His voice rang out. I pushed a ball of air to him to catch him, and both of us landed on the edge of the air carrier.

“Hey webs, missed ya!” I said, happiness overtaking me. “Missed you too El!” He was about to say something else, before Tony’s voice came ringing in my ears. He must have put an intercom in my new suit. “Alright underoos no flirting on the job. I’m sending you both downtown, we’re getting signs of two quinjets coming down and we need you to find out who or what is in them. Understand me?”

“You got it Mr. Stark!” Spider-man’s upbeat tone responded, I chimed in with my own enthusiastic yes, and we both took off.

~~~~~~~~~~

So turns out, the who was a whole army. The what? Still no idea. “Backup is on the way kids, try and get to the rendezvous point!” Tony yelled out to us, as I took a slam to the stomach, before hurling a fireball at my attacker.

I looked over to search for Spider-man, but couldn’t see his bright suit anywhere. “Spidey?” I called out to the coms, before causing an earthquake and knocking out a circle of alien things. Still no idea what they are. I backhanded another and took off into the sky. I sent a strike of electricity down, giving me enough time to hijack one of the quinjets and take off to the rendezvous spot. I hooked the system up to my coms. “Spidey? Tony? Someone please come in!”

I sat in the pilot seat and put in the location, letting it go into autopilot. I don’t know how to fly a fucking airplane man that’s terrifying.

“El? You there?” Tony’s voice called out. “TONY! Yes I’m here! I lost Spidey, I..I don’t know where he is..I don’t know if he’s even alive.” I let my own words sink in. I’d grown attached to my crime fighting partner, and I just left him for dead out there. “Tony I need to go back he could still be down there getting attacked!” I started freaking out, trying to change the location, when Tony’s voice cut me off. “EL! You will get to the rendezvous point. We know where Spidey is, just..get here soon.”

Ages later, I made it to our spot, and flew into the building. “WHERE IS HE?” I called out. Tony looked up from his computer and saw the angry look in my eyes. “Tony where is he. Please I need to know that he’s safe.” I knew I was friends with Spidey, but I didn’t realize I felt this much about him. I have my precious Peter outside of the superhero world, but Webs was giving him a run for his money.

“He got onto the other quinjet and flew up to their loader, he’s on it right now.” Tony looked distressed. This was his kid, he was in mortal danger, and it was Tony’s fault. “We managed to get into their camera system, but his coms are down. We can’t get a hold of him.” A flash of color appeared on Tony’s screen, and both of us pulled our attention to it.

Spidey was on the side of the wall, trying to break something off. He was struggling to breathe, ripping off his mask, revealing his face.

“PETER!” The realization hit me. How the fuck did I not notice before? The voice, the mannerisms, the science jokes, THE DAMN STARK INTERNSHIP! Peter, THE spider-man, started choking, not getting any air into his system. “TONY HELP HIM! HE CAN’T BREATHE!” Panic was setting over me, as I started having an anxiety attack.

Peter Parker, was not only Spider-man, but he was stuck in space with no way to breathe. There was no way we could send anything up there fast enough to help him. He was going to die up there, my best friend was going to die. There are too many things I have to tell him; I’m El, his crime fighting best friend, I’m in love with him, despite being his best friend.

I looked back at the camera and got one last glance at Peter’s struggling face, before his gripped released and he fell through space.

The next moments were a blur. I remember screams ripping through me, falling to the floor with a slam, an earthquake waving around me. Sobs crashing in my ears, and a sense of rage. I remember Tony picking me up, and carrying me into one of the med bay rooms. I must have been sedated, because I woke up and saw a new face looking down at me.

“I’d be careful sitting up if I were you, you drained a lot of energy earlier, and the sedatives were pretty heavy, slowed down your body’s quick healing.” The man’s voice was calming, as I eased my way to rest my back against the wall. “I’m Doctor Strange, and you are?” “(Y/n), or El. Doctor Strange what happened to Peter? Please tell me he’s okay, I can’t lose him.” I felt another panic attack rising up, but Strange put his hand on my shoulder and I felt myself relax.

“Just relax, he’s fine. I’m a sorcerer, I reversed the time frame and we sent Peter up with a better suit. He’s sleeping right now, but I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.” I let out a sigh of relief. “He knows that time got fucked with right? And that he pretty much died right?” The doctor nodded. “He was in shock for a bit, but was very grateful to know we saved him. Tony wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A small smile graced my lips, I knew Tony cared about Peter, more than he would ever admit. I felt a chill over take my body, noticing I was still in my El suit. “Natasha brought you some clothes to change into. Get dressed and we can make our way to the boy.” He handed me a small stack of clothes, which consisted of my black jeans and Peter’s sweatshirt. I got dressed, and with the help of Strange, I made my way to the room Peter was sleeping in, and snuck in.

“Peter?” I whispered, not wanting to disturb him. I saw his head move around and a small moan of pain come out. I rushed over to his bed and looked at him, concern filling my eyes. “Hey spidey, pretty big secret you hid from me huh?”

His eyes opened fully at the sound of my voice, a wave of shock rolling over his face. He sat up, “(Y/n)? How’d you get here?” I smiled and pulled over the glass from his bedside, refilling it with water from my finger.

“Surprise, you’re not the only one hiding things.” Peter’s mouth fell open before laying back down, “My head hurts too much to handle this right now. You’re El, I’m Spider-man, we’ve been fighting crime together. That’s pretty cool.” His raspy voice said, a tiny smile appearing on his tired face. “Pretty wild indeed.” I agreed. “Well uh..I should um..probably go, you need rest after that.” I started to stand up, when I felt Peter’s soft hand grab mine.

“Stay, please?” He called out, a look of neediness in his eyes. I could never say no to him, with a face like that, how could I? I simply nodded and laid down next to him. Almost immediately, Peter pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. I tucked my head under his chin and reveled in the warmth of him.

“You scared the hell out of me Peter. Like actually, I caused an earthquake, I think I almost lit Tony on fire, I was a mess. Don’t you dare do something stupid like that again!” I said, trying to keep myself level. I felt tears building in my eyes though. I couldn’t picture my life without Peter, and for once I had to really experience losing him.

I felt him laugh, and I smiled, glad to have Peter with me. I fiddled with the strings of my hoodie and looked up at him. “I’m serious! I would have to fight crime without you, and I’d never pass a chem test ever again, I would have to find a new crush and god knows that would take forever cause you’ve had my heart for far too long and oh my god I just said that out loud.”

I cut myself off, a look of terror coming over my face. I looked down at my hands, and then at the band-aid on Peter’s shoulder, basically anywhere except Peter’s face.

“Oh wait a second there.” Peter started saying, before sitting up carefully, I slowly followed suit, still avoiding eye contact. “Last part. Say it again.” I mumbled out the sentence, Peter’s eyes scanning my face while I spoke.

I looked up at Peter’s face, getting ready to do the typical ‘it’s fine ignore my feelings’ speech, when his hands grabbed my face softly and pulled me into a kiss. It was gentle and full of passion, making up for every kiss we could have had but were too scared to do, on the off chance that we messed anything up.

We pulled away, keeping our foreheads together, Peter’s hands still on my face. I smiled, locking eyes with Peter. “I..oh my god that really happened!” I whisper-screamed. Peter laughed and pulled me onto his lap, hugging me as close as he could. “I can’t imagine life without you, I really can’t. So please for the love of god say you’ll be mine because this is driving me nuts.” I giggled and pulled back to look at his face. “I’d be honored to be yours.”

We laid down again, talking about everything and anything, just at peace with being together, and official being together.

Glad I finally learned who was behind the mask.

[divinityiswasted]

Introductions

This is my godwoken Chrysaliss:

art credit to @kissingagrumpygiant

"Never mess with a cornered Sourcerer"

Intro:

Chrys is my headstrong fighter. They're a warrior by nature and a leader by accident (every single time). Prior to Fort Joy she works at freeing those enslaved by the Ancient Empire. A resistance leader that gets captured trying to prevent Magisters from taking their brother and her crew. They're able to get everyone focused on them so everyone else is able to sneak away. They've got "a heart as soft as a chicken's knee" when it comes to magisters and governments but her kindness shines when it comes to fellow battered souls and animals.

Chrys is a frontline fighter and uses a two handed sword for a majority of the journey. They switch to a sword and shield after a series of fight on the Nameless Isle. Their main goal is getting back to her brother who she last saw on his ship. Chrys is used to making calls that put themself in danger but protect others. She's taken aback when people care about her. They want to shoulder most burdens on her own and gets really confused when people show care for her.

Links:

answered asked meme

ship dynamics

general vibes

Fics:

As Second Sun Came Past the Glass

Her, the Heron Hurried Away

In His Eyes

our little remedy

A piece of luck

Divinity Sound Project:

(A birthday project finally complete)

Dos2 Timeline:

An open timeline to DOS2

Commission:

ifan fits

chrys fits

I'm never Lonely when you're around