#random raffles reference

[ludojudoposts]

Random Raffles Reference from University Challenge (2025)

[ficsforgaza]

See below for rules, links, and other pertinent information!

Rules for entry:

The charity we have selected for this event is the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, an organization that has been around for over 30 years helping get humanitarian aid to the children of Palestine. One $5 USD donation to PCRF = one entry.

Every $5 USD that you donate will get you one entry. You may make as many entries as you wish during the raffle time frame. (For example, a $20 USD donation will get you four entries.) If you are outside of the US, please donate the amount in your currency that equals $5 USD per entry.

If for some reason you cannot donate to PCRF specifically, but would like to join by donating to another charity or fundraiser, please reach out to us first.

You must be 18+ to enter. We will be checking your blog for a clear age indicator.

To enter, either fill out our form or send an ask directly to our ask box. You must attach proof of donation to your entry. PCRF will send you a donation receipt in your email. This will have the time and date of your donation. Please use that email to screenshot your proof. This screenshot must include the time, date, and amount of donation. We ask for this specifically to prevent people from submitting duplicates. Here is an example of the email, with the time, date, and donation amount highlighted in yellow:

Please submit this proof either via the Google form below, or via our ask box (either off anon or with your blog URL). Please be sure to redact any private information, such as your email address and your name.

There will be a total of 12 winners:

One winner will receive a 2-character half body colored artwork from @/haio_won (Twitter). (The winner for this option will require a Twitter account to communicate with the artist). The art will be in full color, with no background or a simple color background.

One winner will receive a 2-character colored YCH artwork from @bloompompom. See above photo for YCH poses (choice of yellow or pink).

Two winners will receive art from @rossithepixie. One winner will receive a 2-character colored artwork. The other will receive a stylized portrait of 1 character.

Two winners will receive sketches from @persicipen. Each sketch will feature 1-2 characters, either black and white or with minimal color, and no background.

Two winners will receive sketches from @rabbbitseason. Each sketch will feature 1-2 characters, either black and white or with minimal color, and no background.

One winner will receive a sketch from @ruiaes. The sketch will feature 1-2 characters with minimal color and minimal background/props.

Three winners will receive either a chibi artwork or a bust artwork (winner’s choice) from @yandereshingeki. Color optional.

There will be no repeat winners. Winners will be chosen by the ficsforgaza mods via random number generator on December 25.

Winners will be contacted via Tumblr DMs by one of the mods. Please have your DMs open to blogs you don’t follow, and/or your ask box open to anons. If we cannot reach you within a suitable time frame, we will select another winner.

Once you have been selected, you will be responsible for communicating with the artist directly on what you would like to do for your art, including supplying poses, characters, clothing, and other references. The time frame at which the art will be delivered to you is up to the artist’s discretion. Acceptance of the specifics of your request is up to the artist’s discretion (for example: if you request something that they cannot create for you, please work with them to request something else).

When requesting art, please abide by the artists’s individual rules and requests. Do not post artwork without credit/permission from the artist. Do not use their art for commercial purposes or for use with AI/NFTs. Do not claim their art as your own. Above all, please respect the artists who have dedicated their time and efforts to this event.

Prizes for this raffle will be delivered to the winners digitally. There are no physical or monetary prizes to be awarded.

Links:

Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund:

Submission form for the Holiday Raffle:

Link to our ask box for any questions, or for any submissions outside of the Google form:

[yuurei20]

Can you compile a list that shows evidence that Crowley might induce the overlot?

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🐦‍⬛ Here are some references!

(not meant to be definitive proof of anything, just some screenshots of the support that there is rumored to be for this theory 📝 )

Riddle's Overblot The idea of Ace challenging Riddle to a duel, which led directly to Riddle's overblot, was introduced by Crowley.

Leona's Overblot Leona explains that Savanaclaw was assigned to compete against Diasomnia in the first round of the interdorm spelldrive tournament for two years in a row: Leona's first and second years as housewarden.

As a result Savanaclaw went from went from never earning less than third place in the history of NRC to being eliminated in the first round, all because of that first-round tournament-bracket assignment.

And how is that tournament bracket decided? Crowley says that he is the one who announces it, but we do not have any information on how it is set in the game. In the novel, it is a "random drawing."

The drawing for the tournament bracket also happens during the opening ceremony. It seem there was an incident last year where angry students had begun booing. Such undignified behavior must have caused quite the headache for the faculty. -Twst the second novel

If it is a random assignment, then we have precedent for the students being wary of what are supposedly "random" selections overseen by Crowley, with both Trey and Idia expressing doubt that Crowley's raffles are as coincidental as he claims.

Crowley emphasizes Savanaclaw's struggles during the Housewarden meeting of Book 2, reminding everyone--including Leona--how the failure that has followed Savanaclaw ever since Leona became housewarden is "certainly not impressing any recruiters" and adversely affecting his dormmates.

Leona asks says that he does not like being told he cannot win before he has begun to fight and Crowley says that is not his intention. When Leona asks what Crowley's intentions are, Crowley does not respond.

This is followed by the famously perceptive Vil saying that Crowley's plan to retire Malleus "reeks of some kind of unconscious bias."

Did Crowley assign Savanaclaw to compete against Diasomnia in the first round of the tournament for two years in a row on purpose? With Leona's third year as housewarden being his final chance to secure a future for many of his dormmates, he became desperate enough to do something he did not want to do: contract with Azul.

(Novel: "Leona did everything he could to avoid making a deal with Azul, but in the end, there was no other choice.")

Which connects directly to--

Azul's Overblot

Azul is so confident in Leona's disinterest in involving himself in the business of others that Azul refuses to let the twins interfere after Leona becomes involved in Book 3.

It is Ruggie who realizes why Leona presumably let himself be blackmailed ("You could just knock Prefect into next week for trying to blackmail you"): Leona was erasing proof of his contract

Ruggie explains, "This whole thing is a way for (Leona) to conveniently get rid of (the contract)," connecting Leona being forced to the brink directly to Azul's overblot.

Jamil's Overblot

Kalim did not receive his acceptance letter until a month into the school year, enrolling at NRC in November, despite being "not very bright or that adept at magic."

From what we know of Jamil's life pre-NRC there were times he didn't want to go home after school as a child where he would have to tutor Kalim in addition to his duties as an Asim-family servant.

While Jamil suspects that Crowley allowed Kalim's family to buy his way into NRC it is still unconfirmed as of this post, but Kalim's admittance is suspicious enough based on canon information, and he is the catalyst for Jamil's overblot.

And Jamil knows for a fact that Kalim's family bought him his housewarden position because he was told as much: by Crowley.

Vil's Overblot

While it is technically Rook who serves as the catalyst for Vil's overblot, the instigating moment was Vil seeing Neige's VDC performance for the first time as the leader and producer of NRC's team.

A role that was assigned to him by Crowley.

Idia's Overblot

At the beginning of Book 6 Malleus says "something unusual is emanating from the mirror that's linked to the Hall of Mirrors. Is it magic? No. No, this is..." but he does not finish the thought.

Upon realizing that the school's security has been compromised Vil asks, "But how...?," a question that was possibly answered by Ace in Book 4:

"You need Crowley's permission to use the Dark Mirror."

Was it Crowley who submitted the untraceable anonymous tip to STYX, and then let the CHARON onto campus?

But the CHARON arrested him--why would Crowley want to be brought into questioning? Questioned by parliament and...Idia's parents 👀

Crowley's arrest led directly to Idia's parents leaving him alone on the Island of Woe, so there would be no one else available to stop Ortho ("Only people with Shroud family DNA can shut down the Cerberus System") or to stop Idia when he decided to ally with Ortho, and overblotted.

Malleus' Overblot

Lilia's imminent death is the driving force of Malleus' overblot, which brings the timing of Malleus' letter into question: did Malleus receive it at the age of 176 because that is the dragon-fae-equivalent of being 16 years old?

Or is Malleus technically younger or older than even a dragon-fae would normally be accepted into the school (Malleus' emotional age in an ongoing topic of debate), and it was actually timed to overlap with the end of Lilia's life?

Losing Lilia would have been a stressful situation for Malleus even in Briar Valley, but by bringing him to NRC he is in a uniquely vulnerable position, struggling to adapt to life in a foreign country while surrounded by people who are either terrified of him or frustrated with his inability to be normal (by human standards).

With Sebek and Silver also having never left Briar Valley, Malleus now has with only one person in his life capable of understanding both him and the outside world, one link to both his home and the incomprehensibly foreign world around him: his support system of one, Lilia.

If Crowley (or someone 👀) has managed to orchestrate these overblot incidents intentionally, the question remains of why!

But with recent revelations in Book 7, it makes one wonder...(under the cut as this blog tries to pretend that main story content does not exist until it reaches EN)--

...is it possible that someone, somewhere, has been building towards something, and with Malleus' magic now weakened he will not be able to stop them? 👀 Only time will tell~ 🐦‍⬛

[spanishskulduggery]

Some more little words/idiomatic expressions you can use to sound more fluent

el caos = chaos / mess Though it is usually "chaos", el caos can also refer to "a mess", like saying someone's room is un caos is like calling it a "pigsty" in English

el vaíven = ups and downs, ebb and flow This is now treated as a single noun, but the expression itself is from va y viene "comes and goes", which got shortened over time. This expression is used the way we say "ups and downs" in English, or just to describe the "flow" of things, particularly water or ocean waves

cualquier / cualquiera This one requires a bit of grammatical explanation + the additional idiomatic meaning. In general the word is cualquiera which means "any" as a determiner, so by itself it can read as "any one (of something)" - the exact translation is something like "whichever" or to keep the meaning of -quiera it might be more correct to say "whichsoever" as a subjunctive modifier... but in practice it's best understood as "any which one" from a group. This is different from cada "each", cualquiera refers to one in particular from a group Grammatically used as a determiner, cualquiera can be a bit weird; when placed in front of a noun, however, it turns to cualquier; as in... cualquier persona "any person" rather than cada persona "each person" Now, that being said we get into the idiomatic use of it. If you place cualquiera AFTER the noun, it takes on an additional meaning of "any old", meaning "ordinary", sometimes meaning "cheap" or "replaceable" In other words... cualquier persona is "any person", and una persona cualquiera "an ordinary person / any old person" something similar to "everyman"; when said of women in particular una mujer cualquiera or una cualquiera can mean "hussy" or really "a woman of little value that can be found anywhere", or sometimes it's the equivalent of calling someone a "rando" or "random person"

al azar = randomly, by chance This one just requires additional explanation. The general word for "luck" is la suerte or la casualidad But el azar means something like "blind luck" or "chance" - things happen al azar "by chance" or "randomly", but when someone is lucky it's tener suerte When something is "random" as an adjective it's normally aleatorio/a The idea behind el azar is related to the uncertainty of luck and chance, or the dangers or consequences unpredictability. Its etymology is Arabic, while the other words tend to be Latin. In fact la suerte is related to "fate" in the sense of "drawing lots" [sortear or el sorteo is something like "a raffle" or "pulling names out of a hat" or "lots"], but el azar comes from the Arabic word el azahar which is "orange blossom" - the idea being that very old games of dice in the (ancient) Middle East were played with dice that had specific images on them and one was an orange blossom Today el azar "chance" and al azar "by chance" or "at random" have a more unpredictable and potentially negative connotation, where there's more emphasis on consequences and so it's best understood as "randomness"; that being said it did eventually work its way into English (by way of French) as the word "hazard" - in the way that it came from dice games in the Arabic-speaking world, so something that brought out a potential obstacle... and in English we also say "to hazard a guess" drawing on the idea of happenstance and blind luck or randomness

cursi = "tacky", "corny", "cutesy", "sappy / overly sweet or sentimental" This is usually said in the context of "in bad taste" or when something is "pedantic", or when jokes/comments are "corny", or when decorations are "kitschy" or "tacky"... it's general "bad taste". But you also see it a lot with things that are so sentimental and so cute that it becomes "cutesy" or "quaint" cursi is that feeling you get when you, an adult, watch a children's show and everything is excessively love and friendship... cursi is the feeling behind hearing a dad joke. It's that vibe

menos mal = "at least", "just as well" Literally "less bad", but people say menos mal the way we say "at least" or "thank goodness" or "it's a good thing" etc. when try and mitigate a potentially bad thing Like menos mal que llegó al fin "at least he/she got there eventually", or menos mal que tengo a mis amigos "thankfully I have my friends" It can also be a complete sentence, the same way people say "it's just as well" or "thank goodness" etc.

regular = normal / "so-so" In general, regular is a cognate as "regular", or "normal", but when people ask "how are you?" you can reply as regular to mean "so-so" - not good and not bad. Some people say más o menos, but it's very common to say regular ... there are a handful of other regional expressions people use like así así or ni fu ni fa which I associate more with Spain, but it's something good to know just in case

ahogarse en un vaso de agua = "to make a mountain out of a molehill", "to be dramatic" One of my favorites, this literally means "to drown in a glass of water", but it's commonly used as a command - no te ahogues en un vaso de agua "don't be so dramatic" or "don't blow things out of proportion"

ni = "not", "not even" / strong negation word This one requires some extra explanation. The word ni is one of the negation words [nada, nadie, no, nunca, ningún/ninguno..... most negation words (but not all) start with N like that] - it's a word that implies "no" or "not" in some way. And in general you'll see ni used as the negative version of o "or"; in other words ni can come out as "neither/nor" while o can be "either/or" But, in other ways ni can be used as an idiomatic strong "no", when places in front of certain expressions. These are ones like ni hablar "no way" [lit. "not/neither speaking"] or ni modo "no way" [lit. "no/neither way/mode"], or ni en sueños which is "not even in dreams" but comes out like "in your dreams" or "absolutely not" More than that, ni can be used in some expressions like ni siquiera "not even (something)", or ni que "it's not like". As an example, ni siquiera me llaman "they don't even call me", and ni que me llaman "it's not like they call me". Another expression to know is that ni que decir which is "it goes without saying" - an opposition to hay que decir "it should be said"

el príncipe azul = "knight in shining armor", "prince charming" This literally means "blue prince", but it's understood as a stereotypical hero. The suggested etymology is that azul "blue" comes from the idea of "blue blood" and descendants of nobility - although it has also been suggested that the color blue is associated with the main character in a Romanian fairytale/folk hero; the story in Spanish is el infante hermoso which is like "the handsome (noble) son/child" Should also mention connected to this, some people use it as "prince charming" like a hero archetype, but when talking about romantic suitors the word is sometimes el galán which is something between "leading male archetype" and "male romantic suitor", where el galán can also take on the meaning of Don Juan

la quimera = "pipe dream", an unrealistic fantasy / "chimera" This is largely going to depend on if you're talking about the everyday vs a specific fantasy context In a fantasy context, la quimera is usually used as "chimera" the mythical creature, particularly in Greek mythology or in things related to alchemy For general Spanish though la quimera refers to an unrealistic dream or fantasy, like a "pipe dream"... a kind of idealistic fantasy that is unattainable

I was also going to mention this one because it's not an expression exactly, but el azufre is literally "sulfur", but it also comes out as "brimstone" in some contexts - el fuego y azufre is "fire and brimstone"

-

I also wanted to include this fun set of regionalisms here

The general word for "to work" is trabajar and that is universally understood

Other words to know are very regional

currar = to work [Spain] This one is mostly related to Spain, where el curro can be another word for "work" like a job. Be careful with this one in South America; probably because of a difference in meaning for Brazilian Portuguese, some Rioplatense interpretations of currar come out as it being shady/illegal work Also another word I associate with Spain is el tajo for "work" where normally el tajo is "a chop/cut", but ir al tajo is "going to work" probably because el tajo can also mean "the site/place" in some places

laburar = to work [South America] I associate this mostly with South America, but laburar is "to work", coming from the idea of "labor"

chambear = to work [Central America] This one I associate mostly with Mexico, but it can be Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala too. The word la chamba is the root word and for Central America it means "work" - for Spain, la chamba comes out as like "a fluke" as in very good luck that's totally random, which I believe is related to old Galician and has made its way to Catalan as well... otherwise la chamba can be an architectural/civil engineering word for a "trench" in some places in Spain but it's unrelated as far as I know

[oya-oya-okay]

God... It's happened!...🛐

MY PINNED POST — LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

2 000 followers!!!🥳💞

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF YOU!💕💕💕 I didn't think I'd get that much one day...😭😭😭 I started this blog 3 years ago, not expecting to be able to achieve this! I really appreciate all of you, thank you very much!!!🥰💞💗💖💕

In honor of this, I'm making a raffle!

RAFFLE IN THE FORM OF A RANDOM!

CLOSED

There will be three random winners who will be able to get a drawing from me. Here's how it will look like🤲

Oc x canon, yes! Canon x canon, yes too! Oc x oc, unfortunately not, sorry😭

Please read on!!!👇

Basic rules and clarifications:

- Only twst! Twst oc, yuusona and the like!

- Only two characters!✌️

- It can be romantic or platonic💞

- As for oc/canon, you can use my kuroXtwst Ciel OR Sebastian, if you want! BUT it will only be platonic🐰😈

I mean OC/canon x kuroXtwst 👉👈

- fem twst? OFC, if you want!🥰

- proship NO

✨HOW TO PARTICIPATE!!!✨

It is desirable that you be my follower. Make a reblog and write "I'm participating!" and highlight the text in orange please😌 Like:

"I'm participating!" → "I'm participating!"

+ #oyaRAFFLE (Not obligatory)

If you want to use your OC, then please add a reference to your reblog👉👈

IT CAN BE A LINK TO A POST OR A PHOTO! HOW CONVENIENT FOR YOU!

This will last for a WEEK‼️

If you win, then I will write to you in a personal chat (make sure that your chat is open) about it~ If you do not respond to me within 1-2 days, then I will change the winner🥺😭

That's all!🙌 I'm doing this for the first time and I'm worried💦 But I hope everything will be fine...! Thank you so much again!🥰💗💖

[evilcokito]

✨ Art Raffle ✨

✨ HEY HEY HEY!~~ Let's do a raffle for the +1000... Thank you so much y´´all.

Prizes [ 2 winners ]:

✨ 2 or 1 Character Rendered Artwork. [ Color + Shade + Simple BG ]. ✨ 1 Character Full Body Rendered Artwork. [ Color + Shade + VERY Simple BG ].

Rules:

✨ Follow this Blog [ New followers welcome ]. ✨ Reblog this post [+reblog -> +possibilities, but don't spam ]. ✨ Ocs are welcome! Also Oc x Canon. Have a reference of them!. ✨ ONLY SFW! no 18+ stuff. ✨ Ends in Juny 9. The winners will be random selected Juny 10. If I cannot communicate with the winners, another will be selected [Please, have messages activated].

✨ I will DM - contact the 2 winners!

✨ Thank you very much and good luck! ✨

Here are some examples ⬇⬇⬇.

[flame-shadow]

Since we've hit a cool milestone for this blog, it's again time for an...

✨ Art Raffle✨

[edit: a week has passed- this raffle is closed]

I'll select three winners at random to offer for a prize either a shaded sketch or a simplified sticker of a single character per winner. (these can be OCs or from a game/show/whatever)

How to enter:

Be a follower. Like and/or reblog this post for a maximum of two entries if you do both. (Don't bother spamming the reblogs, as only the first one counts as an entry!)

I will pick the winners in a week (at the end of the day on Sept. 11) and DM them. Winners have a week beyond then to get back to me on what they want and provide a character reference. I'll draw the prizes by the end of the month.

Thanks to all the folks who follow this blog or interact with me in some way. I greatly enjoy my time here on tumblr, and I love the interactions I've had and the friends I've made. Thanks to the long-time folks for sticking around, and thanks to the newer ones for joining in!

[pocket-luv101]

Everlasting ‖ LighterWise

Fandom: Zenless Zone Zero Ship: LighterWise

Summary: Wise is uncertain if he should invite Lighter on a date to the concert.

The store was quiet as they approached closing time. There were only a few customers left lingering over the display case of movies. Wise sat at the counter and twirled a ticket around his finger. He felt grateful for the quiet so he could think of what he should do with the extra ticket. Should they give it to a friend or use it to promote the store with a raffle?

His sister begged him to use Fairy to help buy tickets to Astra Yao’s upcoming concert. She was a widely loved and talented singer so her concerts would sell out in mere hours. Wise couldn’t say no to his sister so he bought a ticket for her. Unexpectedly, the next day, Astra sent the siblings two tickets for her show. He thought of what they should do with the extra ticket.

Wise gaze moved from the ticket to the large storefront window. He couldn’t deny how his heart skipped a beat when he saw Lighter’s broad back. They hired Lighter to promote the store for the day and Wise took the opportunity to simply watch him. Throughout the day, Lighter had awkwardly approached customers to recommend movies and chase away rebellious teenagers who loitered next to Random Play. Those different aspects of Lighter were endearing and intriguing to Wise.

“So, are you going to ask Lighter on a date?” Belle’s voice startled him. He slammed his hand on the desk to balance himself before he could fall off his chair. When faced with her brother’s frown, she only grinned back at him. They were close siblings and she knew that there was little that could make him truly angry at her. She slid onto the chair and he shifted to share half with her. “Give the ticket to Lighter. I know you want to. You don’t have to worry about me. I can enjoy the concert with Eous.”

“I can’t consider dating anyone right now. I’m too busy and there are risks.” Wise whispered, cautious of the customers. Most who overheard him would assume that he was referring to managing the video store. His life was far more complicated. Between working as a proxy and trying to prove his teacher’s innocence, he didn’t have time for romance.

He couldn’t stop himself from stealing another longing glance at Lighter. The sun was setting and he was reminded of how he looked on Settlement Days. The soft hue of the sunset complimented his red scarf and the shadows they created highlighted his well toned body. Despite Wise’s earlier protest, he had imagined what would happen if he confessed his budding crush.

Wise quickly shook the image from his mind. “We need to be careful, Belle. Lighter knows that we’re Phaethon but what will he think about Teacher? Starting a relationship while keeping secrets wouldn’t be fair to him. I don’t want to endanger Lighter with our investigation either. Anyways, I don’t even know whether he likes me.”

“How can someone be so smart yet dense at the same time?” She sighed.

A chime rang as Lighter entered Random Play. Wise silently gestured for Belle to end the conversation. He hoped that Lighter wouldn’t notice how flustered he was as he stopped in front of them. He placed a stack of flyers on the desk and then gave Inky a quick pat. “It’s closing time. I flipped the sign on my way in. Did a lot of people come in?”

“We were busy today thanks to you, Lighter. A few girls asked us to give their numbers to you. They’ll be surprised if they learn that Inky is your favourite fan.” Wise joked and nodded at Inky nestling against his hand. He hated to admit that he was jealous of a cat. He picked up Inky and cradled it in his arms.

Seeing an opportunity, Belle bumped her shoulder against Wise’s and pushed him off the chair. He couldn’t stop his fall while holding Inky. Lighter reached across the counter and grabbed his arm to catch him. He pulled him forward with more strength than he intended and Wise stumbled into the counter. Wise didn’t feel the slight pain when he found himself so close to Lighter. He felt heat rush up his neck to his cheeks.

“You okay, Proxy?” Lighter’s brows furrowed when Wise turned away from him. He assumed that he was too rough when he caught him in a panic. He didn’t want to hurt him but he had rushed forward without thinking the moment he saw him fall. Growing up in the Outer Ring, he was rarely shaken. Wise became one of his rare exceptions. A simple fall wouldn’t have hurt him but he still had the instinct to protect him. He didn’t fully understand the reason why yet.

“Sorry, Wise, I just remembered that I need this chair.” Belle said innocently but Wise knew her intentions were far from that. Her smile never faltered as he frowned back at her. She picked up the chair and added: “I’ll be stocking the movies in the back. Don’t forget to ask Lighter if he can drive you home tomorrow. I need the car after Astra’s concert.”

Before he could stop her, Belle scurried into the storage room and left them alone. He knew that his sister only wanted to help him but he wished she could be more subtle. Wise could feel Lighter’s expectant eyes on him even through his sunglasses. He looked down at the concert ticket and tried to think of how to invite him without revealing how he felt.

Wise slid the ticket across the table to Lighter. “If you’re free tomorrow, do you want to go to Astra Yao’s concert with me? You don’t have to feel obligated to agree because of what Belle said. I know it’s a long drive from the Outer Ring. I can call a taxi.”

“Isn’t this the singer with the cool sunglasses who you introduced to me? Lucy said she has a great voice and it’s not easy to get praise from her. I’ve only heard a few of her songs on the radio.” He leaned against the counter and gave him a lazy grin. They were close enough for him to see his unique eyes through his shades. “Do you think my sunglasses are cooler than hers?”

Wise couldn’t imagine someone as handsome and confident as Lighter to be jealous or possessive. Whether his question was simple teasing or possessiveness, excitement made his heartbeat quicken. Even when they were standing next to a celebrity like Astra or Monica, he couldn’t take his eyes off Lighter. “You’re the undisputed champion in many things.”

“I…” He had received countless love letters but he never considered dating anyone until now. He found himself flustered and fumbling over a response. Lighter was glad that the other Sons of Calydon weren’t there. They would tease him that the undefeated champion was helpless against Wise. Burnice already poked fun with Caesar for enjoying romance novels and she would no doubt be more relentless with him.

Lighter’s ringtone interrupted the moment. He leaned away from the table and took out his phone. They could both predict that it was Piper reminding him to return before the sun fully sets. Wise was disappointed that their night would end soon. A part of him wondered whether it was selfish of him to want so much of Lighter’s time.

He glanced out the window and towards the winding road to the Outer Ring. New Eridu wasn’t far from the town but he knew the sun would set by the time Lighter reached the highway. He asked: “Do you want to stay the night? It’s already late and driving at night is dangerous. You won’t be able to see if a hollow expands onto the highway.”

“I have a carrot and ethereals can’t catch me on my bike. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it.” His words were meant to reassure Wise yet his frown only deepened. He playfully poked Wise’s forehead so he would look at him again. “Trust me, Proxy.”

“How many times have I told you to call my name?” Wise sighed. He was the one who decided to distance himself from people to keep his secrets safe. In spite of that, the casual dismissal stabbed at his heart. “I know you’re strong. That won’t stop me from worrying about you, Lighter. You have to be careful because… You have people waiting for you at home.”

The Sons of Calydon were like family to Lighter but they rarely questioned him when he disappeared on missions without telling them. That was the nature of life in the Outer Ring, afterall. He didn’t know how to respond to Wise’s open concern. Lighter reached across the counter and his fingertips brushed over Wise’s hand. He didn’t hold it like he wanted to though.

“Don’t make that face, Wise. I’m not going to do something reckless. I have to take you to the concert tomorrow.” Lighter slipped the ticket from Wise’s hand. With that promise, he left Random Play.

The artificial lights and constant noise of the city always made Lighter feel out of place. The concert only further exasperated that. Lighter sat in the crowd of waving lights and excited fans. The excitement of the concert was still tangible in the atmosphere even after the curtains fell on stage. For someone’s song to affect so many people, he understood why Astra Yao became popular. 

He rarely had the chance to enter the city outside of work or to buy supplies for the Sons of Calydon. Life in the Outer Ring was slower and had more risks but it was home to Lighter. Recently, he would drive to New Eridu to simply spend time with Wise. The eclipsing city didn’t bother him as much when he could focus on Wise. Lighter leaned against his bike and watched Wise and Belle say goodbye to each other. 

The siblings were close and he didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. Though, he was a little confused why Belle would take the car and leave Wise to go home alone. It would be simple to drop off Wise at their store and then go on her errand. If Belle hadn’t invited Lighter, he would’ve offered to take Wise home himself. He didn’t like the thought of Wise walking alone in the dark. The dangers of the city were different from the Outer Ring but he still wanted to protect him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Lighter.” Wise called out to him as he stopped in front of him. His reply was a quick nod as he climbed onto his bike. He waited for Wise to sit behind him and wrap his arms securely around his waist before he lifted the kickstand with his heel. He expertly wove between the cars and left the concert hall’s parking lot.

Soon, they were on the road back to the store. The wind rushed past them but Wise barely felt the push while protected by Lighter’s strong body. They had driven together on his bike a few times before but Wise felt his heart beating faster than usual. Was it from the concert or the anticipation of the night drive? The lyrics of Astra’s song echoed in his mind and he tilted his head back to stare up at the starry sky.

With one hand, Lighter tugged on his arm so Wise was holding him tighter. “Be careful or else you might slip off. That’s dangerous in the city with all these cars.”

“Starlight illuminates the horizon. A memory that belongs to us. Everlasting.” He spoke the lyrics of the lulling ballad that ended the night. He shifted closer to Lighter so he could talk to him without needing to raise his voice over the passing wind. “I was just thinking that it’s a shame we can’t see the stars as clearly in the city. They’re drowned out by the streetlight and neon billboards.”

“The stars?” Lighter mumbled to himself. He didn’t say anything further before he drove his bike off the familiar path back to Sixth Street. Wise was confused by the sudden diversion but he didn’t stop him or question him. He trusted him and his curiosity was piqued.

Traffic became sparse the further they drove until they reached the highway and they were the only two left. The even hum of the engine and the sound of the night replaced the constant rustle of the city. Wise glanced back to the city that was now a soft glow in the distance. He wanted to hold Lighter tighter but he was certain that he would be able to feel his heart racing in his chest.

He stopped his bike at the side of the highway where they could overlook the Outer Ring and New Eridu beyond that. Most would prefer the city but the view in front of them left Wise breathless. The rustic charm of the desert and canyons reminded him of Lighter. At first glance, they could appear rough and scared. Wise fell in love with the resolute man who survived those struggles and continued to fight for those he cared for.

He didn’t tell him directly but he understood why he brought him to the cliffside. It touched his heart that he drove him to the Outer Ring based on such a small comment. Wise climbed off his bike and walked to the guard rail. He leaned against the cold metal and gazed at the endless sky. He felt Lighter’s warm breath brush over his ear before he saw him stand next to him.

“The Outer Ring doesn’t have much over the city but we have the stars.”

“I never thought that one place was better than the other.”

He knew that Wise was honest and his words were different from the empty platitudes that others told him growing up. Staring at the night sky, Wise’s turquoise eyes were soft and wistful. Lighter injured his eyes and it caused him to be sensitive to light. He didn’t mind wearing shades because it dulled the colour of blood. Now, he was grateful that he could see Wise clearly in the dim moonlight.

“The concert was fun. Though, I was waiting for another person to attack and force us to save the show. You attract danger like a movie hero, Proxy.” Lighter joked and let out a soft laugh. “It’s nice to have a relaxing night like this. You were cute singing along with the final song.”

“You heard that?” A bright blush appeared on his cheeks and he quickly broke his gaze from Lighter out of embarrassment. He was swept into the moment and sang with the crowd. Wise assumed that no one would notice because they would be focused on Astra Yao and many others were singing. “Don’t make fun of me. My sister is the one with the beautiful voice between us.”

“You’re too humble. It was nice.” Lighter hesitantly lifted his hand to Wise’s face. When he didn’t pull away, he ran his fingers through his silver hair. “There’s a guitar in your room. Do you play?”

“I don’t play that often and it’s more of a souvenir of life before Hollow Zero. The Academy wanted Belle and I to be well rounded so they enrolled us in every class they could. Belle’s more skilled with music. I preferred the more analytical classes such as programming. I remember one time, Belle almost got caught playing video games in class instead of finishing the algorithm.”

“That sounds like a fancy school.” Wise silently cursed himself for mentioning his time in the Helios Academy. Lighter was so easy to talk to and he lowered his guard without thinking. Luckily, he didn’t connect his school to the prestigious Helios Academy.

“It was a regular school with a gifted program. They saw how ambitious Belle is and they thought I had some potential too.” Wise quickly added. The mixture of lies and truth was all that Wise could give Lighter in that moment even though he wished he was able to tell him everything. He looked up at Lighter framed by the stars.

Wise made a promise to himself that he would confess everything to Lighter once he uncovered the truth about his teacher. Until that day came, Wise hoped he could keep Lighter by his side. He shifted closer to him and leaned his head against his shoulder. “It’s cold but can we stay here a little longer? The stars are beautiful tonight.”

“Starlight illuminates the horizon. A memory that belongs to us. Everlasting.” Lighter sang softly.

[corvodumpy]

explain blaseball to me like I don’t know what baseball is

In the most simple explanation possible (simple does not mean short), it was a baseball simulator where the fans could bet on the teams with fake currency. The teams were all original teams and the players were randomly generated from their names, stats, position, down to their preference in coffee and pregame rituals. Fans would pick a favorite team and use the money they gained to buy raffle tickets, which were submitted into an online election system.

The election page contain simple things like "improve one of your players batting stats", "trade a player with the season winning team", or massive rule changing things like "The Top 4 Teams of the Regular Season must run an extra base next season" or "Every Season, a random team from each Subleague will become the 5th Playoff team. A best of 3 Wild Card series will happen on Fridays."

Fans would often work together to pool their raffle votes on what they wanted. The winners were pulled at random but the more votes you submitted the better your chances. The game took harsh turns into cosmic horror very quickly. The first season allowed fans to vote to "open a forbiden book" which resulted in the book cursing the game as a whole, causing solar eclipse weather which caused the umpires to occasionally turn into mindless killers who would randomly incinerate players mid-game. These deaths were permanent and the player was immediately replaced with no fanfare.

Fans often got very attached to their teams players, drawing art of what they look like or writing up stories about them, so their deaths often really meant something to a lot of people. Fans would often find ways to manipulate the simulation to do weird things, or try to push their team in interesting directions to reach some goal. The game devs often noticed what the fans were doing and would play into their games to cause many funny "monkeys paw" results.

One of the most famous involved a player named Jaylen Hotdogfingers. She was killed when the forbidden book was opened because she was the best pitcher in the league and it wanted to punish us. There was an option in an election one season to "steal the 14th most popular player onto your team" and fans quickly noticed you were still allowed to claim dead players were your favorite. Jaylen was listed as playing for the "Null" team because she was obviously dead, but it still counted as a real team. Fans succeeded in trading with this "null" team and jaylen was brought back to life. Fans refer to this as Necromancy.

When she started playing, she returned to pitching, but she started causing "Hit-By-Pitch"s, which was not a standard part of the simulation at this point. Players hit were marked as "Unstable". Eventually, an unstable player was incinerated, and that instability spread to another player activly in that game, and text read out "[PLAYER] was incinerated, A Debt was Collected."

So jaylen was spreading some "mark for death" on players on purpose to repay whatever God controlled this game for bringing her back from the dead. This lead to a domino effect of death until this debt was repaid that many fans call "Ruby Tuesday."

Overall the game had a few main plots, one involving us challenging/killing one of the gods of this game, the other fighting against the "boss" turning the game into a profit hungry hellscape. The fanart was insanely good, the unique stories every fan had about their team and players were always fun, and a lot of good was done for many different charities. Many fans would get together and make music, resulting in a band and record lable.

All fan communication was done through an official discord or team specific sidecords, so live games had live fans watching in real time. It really was a "you had to be there" thing, a real cultural event. Fans have done everything they can to preserve it. Nothing will ever match the energy of the live discovery of events in a live chat, but the messages are all still in there, and there's a website to replay the old games exactly as they were. And the blaseball wiki is a blast to scroll through even if you never watched it because all the player and team pages are filled with the stories fans made up.

Anyways Goobie Ballson did nothing wrong

*coughs up blood and dies*

[factorialsotherfandoms]

I don't want to spend a character day giving a conclusion to what loosely qualified as a plot, especially with so many different threads I come and go from at random, so... Etho! I may or may not fill in a conclusion sometime idk. Instead of a conclusion, a full circle with Xisuma PoV of recruiting Doc and Etho as spellcraft lecturers. Is only short, but... Well, that's what I have time for today.

As ever check the hermitaday blog for fundraiser, raffles, etc. And also stuff like the prompts list. I am currently at 32 ficlets this month for this challenge, but given 2 were doubling up... As I said, Etho. Now just to work out what to write.

TW: injury (occurred offscreen but not yet healed), offscreen (and fear of) fantasy racism, mentions of war and references to war crimes

Etho is just a silly guy, and Doc should know he's /fiiiiiine/.

"Um, hello there?" Xisuma asks the men in his foyer. "Can I help you?"

He does not remember opening student applications again, and they do both look a little older than the usual hopefuls. Part of him hopes they are here for a teaching job - the university /is/ chronically understaffed - but given the state of them, travelers stranded in the desert seems most likely.

"Hello!" the smaller of the two - the one with the white hair, not the green skin denoting some orcish ancestry - answers. "Perhaps. We're looking for someone by the name of Xisuma."

"Well," Xisuma gestures to himself. "You've found him. Xisuma here, master of this little establishment."

It is not quite clear whether the pair tense or relax at that, only that their positions shift.

The two men look at each other, nodding briefly before the taller man takes over.

"Doc, and this is Etho. Could we take this somewhere more private?"

He swears he's heard those names before, he just cannot quite pin down why. It's either the list of archmasters, or the current bounty list, which are very different things.

Either way, the pair probably would like to sit down as well. Both are covered in sand, and half of Etho's face is bandaged! Clearly the road has not been kind to them, but then the road through the desert is unkind to everyone.

"Right, yes, my office is just over this way. Down there, third door on the left. I'll get some refreshments, then join you? Make yourselves at home."

The two men seem a little confused by that offer, or perhaps are just anxious in general.

Still...

"Thank you!" Etho beams, grabbing onto Doc's hand and tugging him. "We'll see you there."

---

Despite having fetched a tray of water (desert), snacks (long walk), and tea (it is tea) suitable for three, Xisuma is still a little bewildered to find the two men in his office. They have not sat down, instead they have their heads together, muttering to one another. When he comes in they stop, but do not sit down.

Xisuma does sit down, and places the tray on the desk, and tells them to help themselves.

Both take a glass of water, though both examine it before drinking.

That's... Worrying.

"So, um, you asked for me, and here I am," Xisuma gestures. "How can I help?"

"We've had a bit of a disagreement with our former employers," Etho seems perfectly cheerful as he says it, though Doc scowls. "We-"

"They cut your face open." Doc butts across.

Wait, what-?!

"And we should have left over the incident with your arm, but we didn't," Etho shrugs a bit, though the way he shifts his bandages away from Xisuma implies... something not as relaxed as he sounds. "Either way, we've left /now/. Bdubs recommended we speak to you about it?"

Xisuma is not quite sure how to process any of that information, so settles on what is definitely most important, "you've heard from Bdubs recently? Is he alright?"

"He's fine. Doubt he'll get caught for helping us leave, and if he does he can portal," Etho replies.

"That's what you heard," Doc looks steadily more incredulous. "Of everything we said-"

"Well..." Xisuma hesitates. "I trust Bdubs' judgement. Sort of. Mostly. And it is true I need more staff, but I might need some indication of qualifications...?"

In response to the question, Doc swings off his backpack and pulls out reams of paperwork. Xisuma had been expecting a demonstration not actual qualifications - he is also not looking through all of that right now - but maybe it's for the best that some of his employees have some. Even among those employed by the previous headmaster, it's around a 50/50 qualification rate. Not that the others do not do well! Just... Paperwork.

"Thank you, I'll review it later," is what Xisuma says, eyeing the stack in Doc's arms.

He does not miss the way Doc ships a little in front of Etho, nor the way he does not put the paperwork down.

"Right, before anyone agrees to anything," Etho's hand is on Doc's elbow, but he does not actually try to step back around. "I'm an elf. Been living this side of the border for years before the war, and had no part in it, but if that's going to be a problem...?"

"I don't see why it would be," Xisuma really doesn't, but then people are strange. "Congratulations on not being dead? I thought elves were extinct. Or perhaps you're undead - our elementalism teacher is a zombie, if you wish to speak to them. And, well, I suppose we do have a blob of sentient, humanoid, half-solidified lava on staff - lovely fellow, he's covering most of the alchemy department at the moment - so an elf certainly isn't going to raise too many issues."

Neither of them seem entirely reassured by that response. Xisuma… is clearly missing something important here, but that's not exactly a new experience. When neither of them wish to talk more, he adds, "I can ask around the current staff, but I'm not sure /why/ it would be a problem. If the students take issue with it, they're much easier to discipline."

"Please do," Doc growls a little as he says it.

"There's an all staff meeting tomorrow," Xisuma informs them. "I can ask then. And, if all goes well, and your paperwork is in order, we can start a trial period next week? Until then, please feel free to make use of the infirmary and the refectory; I'm sure we can find somewhere for you to stay until things are formalised."

See? He's doing this properly! More properly than he did with False, at least.

"Thank you!" Etho beams, and Doc looks a little more settled. "Could you show is the way?"

"Of course, of course, just leave the paperwork on the desk and I'll get to it later..."

[mitamicah]

Hello all you wonderful people!🤗💚

Hvala, kiitos, og tusind tak for bringing me 1k+ followers on these two platforms (tumblr and Instagram)! I’m grateful that so many of you have decided that I was somebody you wanted to follow on this journey. 🥹

To celebrate I have decided to take you all on board on the boat of love with this DTIYS event featuring two of my biggest muses at the moment being Bojere (Bojan Cvjetićanin and Jere Pöyhönen). ⛴️🌈💚❤️

There are three simple steps for you to enter:

Follow me on tumblr, Instagram or both platforms.

Draw this artwork in your own style. It doesn’t matter your skill level, your media (digital or traditional or maybe even crafts? Skies the limit :3) as long as the artwork is your own (no AI, tracing or bases, please).

Submit the artwork on either platform, tag me and use the hashtag #micahstigdtiys (stands for micahs tumblr Instagram dtiys).

Shares are not obligatory but very much appreciated btw.

That’s it: you’re now in!

All artworks will be shared either through reblogs on tumblr, stories on IG or both!

Deadline (edited 02/19): March 17 2024

If we get enough entries, I have planned for some lovely prizes that’ll be given using the raffle method meaning I’ll pick a random entry using a random generator (wheeloffortune.com).

I’m excited to see all your wonderful artwork. Take care you wonderful kääryleet and baby boos.

Until we meet again; have a nice day 🤗💚❤️

(resources and more information under the line)

Flat colour version + reference pictures

[ludojudoposts]

Random Raffles Reference - The Agatha Christie Hour: The Girl In The Train

[bethdehart]

MAY MONTHLY SUBSCRIBER ART RAFFLE

YAHOO!! Another month of art for ko-fi subscribers! The Random winner will receive a (potentially experimental) full body illustration of a character of their choosing, and a background if I have time during the month.

If you're interested in joining the raffle, all you have to do is:

Subscribe to me on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/bethdehart !

Comment on this blog post: https://ko-fi.com/post/MAY-MONTHLY-SUBSCRIBER-ART-RAFFLE-X8X61EPI0A?fromEditor=true !

The raffle will be open to enter until the 12th of May!!! If you are entering, please have in mind what you would like for your prize and keep references handy in case you are picked, so that I can get started as soon as possible.

Previous raffle prizes:

[murchellie]

What if I lied and I’ll pick ✨3✨ winners instead of 1 for my art raffle??? What then? Would you hate me for that?!

Well too late, I already picked three winners!! 🤭​

@thefangdomcryptid

@galedekarioswifey

@full---ofstarlight

Congrats everyone and thank you for participating! I'll slide into your DM's for references for your characters later today :>

screenshots from the randomizer wheel:

[leprzilla]

ART RAFFLE!

I've wanted to do this for so long. You all have been very welcoming, and since I first mentioned that I wanted to do a raffle, there have been over sixty of you. Thank you all so much for your support! So, now that I've recently finished my first comic and I'm a less busy in IRL, I'm ready to make good on my promise.

So, the Rules

You have to be a follower of this blog (New ones are welcome! But I hope you here not just for a prize :P).

To enter: Reblog and comment on this post.

Ends on 3 June

Winner will picked by the random name picker (https://wheelofnames.com/)

Prize

Full/half body (how would you prefer) rendered portrait of your anthro character on a simple background.

Some reference of your character would be great, but not required.

Feral characters are also welcome, but I do not have much experience with them. However it would be very interesting to draw a dragon or a griffin.

What I won't draw

NSFW and 18+ stuff*.

Fetishes or kinks

Some hate and political agitation content

*Artistic nudity is ok for me, but I'd like to keep things fully SFW for the first raffle. So if you would like to get pin-up, I would prefer to make your character in underwear or without nipples and genitals.

Some examples:

I'm also open to some experimental stuff, such as a collage.

[lucianstolethedesserts]

July's Art Raffle Time!

This month's art raffle is open for entering till July 16th of 2024. Closes at 11:50 pm Et this time.

How To Enter:

Just reblog with references of your sonas/ocs under the tag LucianArtRaffleofJuly

Prizes:

(This time there are three places)

💜 1st place is a half body piece

💜 2nd place is a bust piece

💜 3rd place is a chibi piece

Pickings will be random like last time.Looking forward to drawing your ocs/sonas!!