#tag in the source for a little insight on her

[dogsrotten]

“you love being seen with me , but you don't love me .”

[anlian-aishang]

Could you write a story of Levi meeting his cute s/o’s family at their house for dinner in sina(she’s from Shiganshina but her older sister married a noble so that her parents can live in sina) and her father is like her(cheerful+funny) and her mother is sweet+gentle. But her big sister is reserved and doesn’t approve of Levi because she doesn’t trust him protecting her sister. How will levi react to her welcoming parents and her sister’s bluntness and rudeness towards him? Thank you.

Thank you for the request, anon! I hope you enjoy ~

Tags: levi x reader, fluff, just a little angst [brief argument], canonverse, food mention, gn!reader

Word count: 1500

You were more nervous than he was. It was not that you had not told him how forthcoming your sister could be, nor that he was oblivious to the importance of in-law dinners. Levi simply had confidence in himself and in the fact that nothing could be as bad as his times outside the walls. A four-course dinner in inner Sina was a walk in the park no matter who was on the other side of the table, even if it was your entire family.

Despite how many times you had been there, stepping into your sister’s house - mansion more like - never failed to take your breath away. Just the foyer was bigger than your entire suite. The hallway was adorned with paintings, each worth more than either of your salaries, perhaps combined. Gold trim on the ceilings and oriental rugs on the hardwood, her place was a short trek from the Survey Corps headquarters, but felt a million miles away. 

You turned to your side and admired Levi’s shock - lips parted slightly in awe, eyes wide open in an attempt to absorb everything. It was about as bewildered as he ever got. 

Tilting your gaze, you raised a brow, I told you. 

Levi rolled his eyes and nudged your hip with his, Yeah, alright, whatever. 

Still, he was not intimidated. Erwin had dragged him to Stohess palaces plenty of times for fundraising events over cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Those high-hat bureaucrats could be insufferable, but this was your family, so they were sure to be similar to you: liked by everyone, easily loveable.

When it came to your parents, he was right. Your dad was a welcome opposition to the father-in-law stigma. Not a killjoy, but quick to laugh and laugh hard. A warm, honest smile - could tell where you got it from. Your mother, on the other hand, was clearly the source of your kindness. While listening intently to the conversation, she kept a constant eye on everyone’s drinks and would top them off the second they fell below half-empty. She continuously served seconds of salad and potatoes onto Levi’s plate, not asking, only insisting: eat more, eat more! Levi smiled at the gesture, his mother had been the same. 

It was going well. Your introvert did not magically morph into a social butterfly, but he did everything right. Cordial manners, please and thank-yous, you admired how he kept his swearing under wraps. When your parents asked the tough questions about titan kills and soldier life, he knew exactly the superlatives to emphasize and the low points to leave out. Being respectful made him respectable, and your parents were without any insight as to how rough a hand he had been dealt in life.

There was someone who knew, though, and was clutching their fists in anticipation of spilling. To her, his ironed cravat and pressed pants were a deliberate disguise, trying to throw off the scent to the lowlife he really was. 

Especially in the wake of the king’s overthrow and the subsequent coronation of Queen Historia. Your sister’s husband was a member of the Military Police, and the only reason he was not at the table with the rest of you now was because he was in custody, soon to be investigated for all Erwin had stuck him with: conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and treason. It was nothing personal, for every single member of the branch was being tried across the board. Given humanity’s vast outnumeration by the titans, it was widely understood that no one would be severely punished, a slap on the wrist at most. It was more symbolic than anything else, a message to the public that order was restored, rulers were to be held accountable, and the defining principle of the Scout Regiment: there was truth to be found out there.

That was not how she saw it, though. All she could see was the man from the newspaper’s WANTED section, sat across from her, at her kitchen table, in the spot where her husband would be - if not for that goddamned little runt. She was determined, not only to let him know he was not welcome here, but not welcome in the family. 

Irritated when your father offered him a toast. Irate when your mother showered him with praise. Worst of all was the way you looked at him: absolutely in love, blinded. 

She interrupted Levi’s thanks with a loud, deliberate clear of her throat, “So -” she propped her elbows on the table, silverware clattered, “Mom, Dad, (Y/N), would you mind cleaning up? I was going to show Levi around the gardens.”

Levi nearly choked, Gardens? It really was a different level of luxury. Still, he was keen to stay behind. If anything, cleaning up was where he could really start to impress. “Actually, I-”

“Great!” Interrupting again, she reached over the table and practically pulled him across it. 

You flashed him a look, do you need me to come with you? Because, if not... this may have been a good opportunity to get a read on your parents’ reads and boast about the feats Levi was too humble to. 

Levi raised his palm and waved you off with a few fingers, don’t worry. I’m fine. 

An hour later, he was starting to regret that decision. 

Though it was just the two of them there physically, he knew that he was actually speaking to all your family, including you, for anything he told your sister was very likely to be transmitted. In fact, Levi clenched his teeth, that was probably the whole reason for this “garden tour” in the first place. 

Either that or to fuck with him. She hit all of the targets without hesitation. You mentioned your mother. She still around? What happened? No father but an uncle who passed recently. So no family, huh? 

You used to have a squad, right? What were their names? Been so long since I read their obituaries, it’s hard to remember. 

Levi stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared vehemently at the ground. Was she fucking serious? Some host. 

If this were anyone else, he would have happily told them to fuck off and been on his way, but this was too important. He had tried deflecting, asking about her life, despite how deeply he loathed small talk. He had tried brushing things off and changing the subject, but she never settled for a non-answer. 

Levi shook his head, the last bit of composure wavering until he stopped in his tracks, prompting her to pause as well. 

Tense eye contact, Levi leaned forward, demanding. “What do you want to know?” And in that moment, she understood his title of captain. At a mere 160 centimeters, he seemed to tower like a titan. “Ask me a straightforward question and I’ll give you a straightforward answer.”

Arms crossed, she lowered her brows and raised her voice, “Everyone close to you ends up dead.” Shouting now, “Why?!” 

Levi scoffed, “You ask the tough questions, huh?”

Your sister gave him a two-handed shove. If he was not humanity’s strongest, he would have gone stumbling backward into the hedges. “They could have had a cushy, comfortable life in the capital, but you and your sacrifice squad fucked with their head and convinced them the Scouts was somehow safer.” Fire in their gaze, “How do you sleep at night?!”

A deep breath, but no rile. “Would they be more secure in Sina or in the Scouts? Likely, Sina.” Levi conceded. “But they didn’t choose the MPs, did they?” Given your brother-in-law’s situation, he omitted the obvious: And it’s a good thing they didn’t. 

“I didn’t force them to know the Scouts, either. Where the fuck do you think I met them?” Bye-bye filter. 

“Safer with me or on their own?” Levi hushed beneath his breath, “I think we both know the answer to that.”

Over a hundred titan kills. Dozens of assists to match. Not only titans, but he was capable of fighting humans as well. She kicked the dirt in stubborn admission: safer with you, more than anyone else. 

“Yes, everyone I’ve ever loved has died -” 

Your sister’s jaw fell at the open admission: he loved you. 

“- but I wasn’t there. You asked how I sleep, I don’t sleep. Every night, I’m kept awake - thinking about what I would have done if I was.” 

A healthy handful of seconds that they surveyed each other’s stares. Nothing but the sound of crickets chirping and the trees rustling. Ironically, occasional laughs broke from the kitchen, communicating that the outdoor strife had not penetrated into the happy home. 

Their joy seeped outside, though, and it started to make sense. All this poking and prodding had no ill intentions, only protective ones. She was just worried for her sibling, that’s all. Levi unclenched his fist and rested a soft yet sturdy hand on her shoulder. “I’ll never leave their side,” whether you like it or not. 

Levi spoke the truth, brutally honest yet undeniable truth, they both knew that. Tension defined their gaze until understanding melted it. There was no one better for you.

But you knew that already.

// masterlist //

[fullscoreshenanigans]

do you know where to find all the tpn official arts outside of the manga? I also want to know where to find the artbook content so I was wondering

I'll have to open this up to @1000sunnygo but my understanding is Art Book World is *the* quintessential collection of TPN art outside of Demizu's character birthday drawings and other pieces on twitter created post-2020 (I have a little incomplete collection of them in my Posuka Demizu tag, with these being my personal favorites of the trio).

Highly recommend purchasing if you have the means and access, not only for the art but also the insightful interviews.

All the art is sourced and divided into sections based on the source.

(Volume 13 frontpiece rough. 🥺 And the volume 14 cover rough is very cool.)

If you're looking for the original raw covers of WSJ featuring TPN, here's a link to them on WSJ's wiki.

If you mean the promotional anime art that typically is put on clear files and turned into acrylic stands, as far as I know no one has ever compiled them all together in one single-page gallery for browsing outside of online shops selling them. (My small tag of it is here.)

On tumblr there's @just-like-playing-tag's compilation lamenting how TPN Committee can't be bothered to understand Emma's character and preferences because marketing that she's a girl takes precedence.

Offsite, the closest you'll probably get is TPN wiki's collaboration page listing, though as I've mentioned before don't confuse tlieilt_625p's art with official promo art. I still have no idea why their stuff is in the wiki gallery pages; it just serves to confuse more people.

For example, the TPN x Princess Cafe collaboration:

Their style is insanely close to the official art on a quick glance, but the heads and limb lengths and widths are a bit off.

My favorite promo collaboration art is probably with Megane Flower glasses (cute comic focusing on it by @kewstiny) just because I'm always a sucker for characters who normally don't wear glasses wearing glasses and vice versa, but also for reasons addressed here.

We are ignoring that Gilda, Sonya, and Vincent would have been more fitting for this promo because they aren't as recognizable for marketing. 😔🙏 Fucking crying over Emma either gluing or duct taping the frames to her face or just like...holding them for the shot vkldlf

Honorable shoutout to this collab though

Whippin' this out on a date like "relax, babe, I got this"

[ashs-reverie]

Pictures from Pinterest 📌

✩ 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥 ✩

This is a study blog which is probably the only source of motivation for me right now. Hence, i'll be occasionally updating my study journey (until i get enough motivation to start my 100 days of productivity) Also, english isn't my 1st language so pls bear with me :)

A little about me:

Ash (nickname)

She/her

18

INFJ-T

12th grade

Currently studying:

Atm the subjects i study are all over the place (im undecided on my major)- English, Psychology, Computer Science, Web design and development. Also if y'all have insight on them (which major is better/ easier or difficult/ has better scope etc) hit me up!

I'v got my finals in a month and the 2 subject exams i'm giving are Web Development and Psychology (i'm giving my 12th boards from NIOS that is an open schooling institution cos i essentially took a gap year. In it you choose 5+ subjects and study for particular subjects over the course of a year divided by 2 main sems- you can dm me if you have any questions!)

[I will also be occasionally documenting my islamic studies course because those exams are gonna be sometime in June. It includes Arabic Sarf and Nahw which is prose and grammer resp. and a few other subjects. But for now i'll be focussed more on my college exams bcs they are sooner and i'm already so stressed abt them]

P.S the pictures i use will mostly be from Pinterest because i dont live the "aesthetic" life but once in a while i might capture a good picture, who knows :)

Languages i know:

English is my second language. Urdu/Hindi is my first. I was learning Spanish for a bit (broke almost a year's streak on duolingo) i want to get back b4 i forget but it's not on my priority list for now. I'm learning Arabic as part of my Islamic studies course.

Tagging system:

Book tag: #ash-reads

Study tag that i track: #ashsreverie.study

The usual dni (all salty people in general)

🇵🇸 This blog supports Palestine (daily clicks to help Palestine) 🇵🇸

[lukevonhagen]

my take on marius von hagen: part one, his approach to romance

marius has been with me for over a year now and he pretty much occupies my thoughts 24/7, and this was something i have been itching to write for a while. so... strap in, grab your juice box and your cheetos and let's get this show on the road yeah?

Fair Warning, this will not be under a read more, so i apologize in advance if it gets pretty lengthy. (edit: this post is abt 1.8k words long, wow sorry lol.)

this is going to be a character analysis... sort of; it's an analysis of the version of marius that lives in my brain rent free. given that this is an introductory post to what i believe might be a series of my insane marius ramblings, i think i should provide some insight as to what said marius is like in order for the rest of this post to make sense.

first of all, i embrace realism and i reject canon. in marius' sweet wonders card, he finally reveals the significance of the z dog tag he's always wearing. while i think it's really magical that he was able to move on from blaming himself for his mother's death by having an epiphany staring at the ferris wheel... well, i like to make him worse and i just don't think, ultimately, that it's likely or realistic. the marius in my head has a very hard time trying to justify his own existence. i'm not saying he doesn't want to live, or that he'd put himself in any kind of danger, but i believe that he works very hard in order to justify being alive (to himself). not only does he still grapple with the loss of his mother and the role he believes he had to play in that, but there's a part of him that also blames himself for giann's disappearance.

marius believes that he is a vortex that sucks in everything, that destroys everything in its wake. we know for a fact, above all else, that marius doesn't want other people to have to go down with him.

i also believe (especially due to this description) that marius personally manufactured the image he has as a playboy, as opposed to it being a reputation that was given by others which he eventually leaned into.

allow me to elaborate.

marius, in his desire to avoid people being chewed up in his life and spat back out, would want to control the situation as much as possible. there are a few reasons why i believe he'd make this reputation for himself, which are 1) having control of the narrative of himself and making sure people do underestimate him is precisely how he maintains the upper hand in many scenarios (because let's face it, no one expects ditzy, arrogant marius von hagen to be able to outsmart them), and 2) it's much easier to push people away when he makes himself seem incompetent and undesirable. he may be one of the richest men on the planet, but sometimes money isn't enough to redeem an awful composition.

all of that having been said, marius additionally has to have severe trust issues due to the fact that he has a lot of influence and wealth people undoubtably want to use him for, and said influence is the source of a traumatic experience he went through as a child that would forever change the way he'd interact with others in the future. if you remember, marius vaguely alludes to an incident in will of the trees.

he mentions it again in the card in the darkness when he and rosa get trapped in a dark cave and he begins to panic, only this time he's a little more detailed about what happened to him in order to explain his anxiety to her.

then, he actually gives the details of what happened in his personal story.

mc remembers the hints marius had dropped to her a couple of times regarding this incident, so she then asks:

i don't believe marius actually blamed himself for his mother until this was said about him. his mother is the root of all things; he thinks that if he was never born, she would have never died, and perhaps she and giann would still be around and would be happy and healthy. he convinces himself that his existence destroyed his family. the stress of his feelings and anxiety makes him extremely sick as a kid.

all of this was too much for a young marius; now, remember when i said that i reject canon? that's important, because i don't think he ever properly recovered from this episode. i fully believe that marius does need and should go to therapy as an adult, and hasn't done so. my headcanon as to why he didn't, and why he gives off the impression that he's fine now and everything is fine now, is because he wised up and realized that he was being a burden on others and his mother's death would be in vain if he did so.

marius, tired of being a strain on the people he loves, pretends to be mentally sound to avoid his father and brother worrying about him. the way he chooses to cope with this is to disassociate himself with these events that happened to him, to the point where he talks about them like it wasn't him personally that experienced it. (i might touch upon this again in a future post if it becomes relevant.) he can't let others know that things bother him, because it can be weaponized; it would make him look weak, and the last thing he wants is anyone worrying about him but himself, or anyone to take advantage of that weakness. consider this as a strategy he adopted from the "conceal, don't feel" philosophy.

that having been said, a personal acceptance to "get over it" to stop feeling like he needs an emotional babysitter in his relatives =/= a lack of resentment towards others for how that was handled. marius nearly died due to the cruelty of a jealous relative, and his family was right in trying to protect him (as burdensome as he feels he may is), and he learns pretty quickly that he cannot trust others.

he still is one of the most influential people alive, and that means there's going to be a slew of people walking in and out of the revolving door leading into his life that are going to want to take advantage of that fact. it also goes beyond just people wanting to manipulate him, but he doesn't enjoy playing along in this circus of social hierarchy, and doesn't enjoy the people hanging around in these spaces. because they're ingenuine, they have no merit to him, and quite simply put he's looking to fill his life with color and sincerity.

i propose that... in order to consider a romantic relationship with someone, despite how much he longs for one, he would need to deeply get to know the person first and it would take a significant time to do so... and i know what you're thinking, it's just like a regular relationship, right? getting to know someone before deciding if you want to be with them? except, to marius, this is extreme; this social sphere he occupies has effectively chewed him up and spat him back out, because he's at the top of the top. his father is the wealthiest man in the world. marius by virtue of being a von hagen is essentially on the same level as royalty, and his family name is not enough to protect him. he has to be sharp, and he needs to be alert and constantly on guard.

he'd have no idea what someone's intentions may be with him when he meets them and he knows better than to blindly trust a person's seemingly apparent good faith, but also... he's so worried about dragging people down that he'd be almost afraid to consider it. it isn't enough that people want to use and abuse him to their hearts' content, but they'd try to tear up anyone else who went in there with him, and marius would be afraid of that outcome. he's already ruined the lives of his mother and his brother in his failure to protect them from the circumstances that removed them from his life. he would be unwilling to cause someone else he cares about to be put in the same situation, and he wouldn't be able to bear it if they also ended up abandoning him.

all of that leads me to say: i believe he would be more scared and avoidant upon realizing he was falling in love with someone, rather than immediately trying to pursue it with all he's got like he would his other endeavors.

the reason? it's so simple to pursue art. art is an arbitrary passion of his that doesn't impede on anyone else but himself, nor is it influenced by any outside forces; marius has full control over it. the same goes for his company; no one is going to sit there and hold his hand with his newfound ceo duties. he's always been capable of pursuing things on his own. romance is different; romance involves putting his young and fragile heart on the line to go after a whole other independent and outside entity not knowing whether or not he's going to face rejection.

eventually, i believe he'll completely learn to get over the hurdle, but in the interest of transparency... i think he's going to need a nudge from the other person first. a sign it's reciprocated, before he has to put his heart on ice.

i think it's on brand for marius to be a tease when you meet him; it is a genuine facet of his personality, but it's also something that feeds well into his reputation. he's assuming that people are going to know exactly who he is when he runs into them on the street, so he doesn't even bother dropping his pretense. but, i do think that extends... he doesn't drop that mask right away, it takes months and months, and lots of patience and understanding in order to unravel the mystery that is marius von hagen. he's going to want to gauge whether or not it's something he wants to commit to, and if it is, he's going to have to be prepared to unpack all that baggage. he would have to believe that this is going to be a happy ending for him, that his fairytale won't be a tragedy, in order to see a path forward. once marius goes into something, he doesn't step out.

so, he won't put up that much of a fight if he starts to fall in love with you, but that doesn't mean he would be eager make that leap of faith without getting a hint that there will be a safety net ready to catch him when he falls.

[drchenquill]

OC interaction Tag~

Thank you @illarian-rambling for the tag, this sounds like such a fun game!!!

Rules: describe an OC and pair how they would interact with the given OCs from the people who tagged you!

Katie's OC: Twenari is an adolescent girl (12 in the first book, 16 in the second two) with short locs and a preference for skirts over pants. She is a prodigy sorcerer and general gifted kid. Throughout her childhood, her smuggler mother used her as a source of magical security and intimidation, which eventually caused her to run away after being forced to commit one too many unsavory acts. Because of this, Twenari acts much older than she is. She's pragmatic, blunt, and strategic. However, in other ways, she's very behind the learning curve. She's painfully introverted and never learned to socialize beyond formal events. Magic is her darling and purpose. She's insatiably curious about everything, but mostly, she wants to understand all the world has to offer in the field of the arcane. She's also at a kill count of about six. That's what happens when you're constantly chased by mercenaries and have the ability to explode people with your brain.

My OC: Emil is a young boy (12 in the first story, just turned 18 in the second story I'm working on) with thick red curls that not even his mother knows how to handle. He is the only prince of the Kingdom Mousiki. He is mute from birth since his voice has been stolen by the goddess that was supposed to protect his family and his kingdom. But since being mute is such a rare, almost non-existing accurance in Mousiki or neighboring kingdoms, there are no other ways for him to communicate other then the little notepad he carries around everywhere. His parents and the people around him tend to be overbearing, that leads to him feeling suffocated, which he does not shy away from showing. He only has one friend, but he is always happy making new acquaintances and always tries his best to make everyone around him comfortable.

How they'd interact: Emil is very gentle, that's why I chose him. He would respect Twenaris boundaries, but would still try to get to know her. He is very fascinated with anything magical and would ask to see it, after getting to know her better of course. The first meeting would be very awkward, for Emil would need time to figure out how to approach without overstepping. He would try to introduce her to his world and the small knowledge he has gathered, wanting to share insights. He would be quite scared about her abilites at the beginning, but he always likes to understand before judging. He would keep her away from his only friend, knowing he would overwhelm her with uncomfortable questions, that's why the first meeting would take place in the comfort of Emils little room, where he could show proudly show her his collection of copper coins. Emil would probably look up to her a lot, being fascinated by her maturity.

Tagging for this fun little game: @njnetails, @leahnardo-da-veggie, @theeccentricraven and everyone who sees this of course~

[doubledyke]

hey, i’ve read some of your writing and i really like it. do you have any tips?

aw dude that's really sweet. i'm really self conscious about everything i write so i appreciate hearing that. i'm still learning myself, so my advice is probably gonna be kind of obvious yet nebulous (much like my writing). oh and im not great at following my own advice, but we can ignore that.

first and foremost i'd say try to have fun. get weird with it. don't stress too much about it. it's supposed to be an enjoyable pastime, so write what YOU like, how you like. the "rules" of grammar and composition are helpful, but you're allowed to be a lot more lax with creative writing. i know i am 👀

in my humble opinion, you can never have too many details, even- or especially- oddly specific ones. personal experiences are a great way to inject some minutiae, and i enjoy the insight they provide into the author's perspective, background, thought process, etc.. there are infinite other tools at your disposal too. like the number of times i've found myself browsing ancient, niche forums just to confirm one insignificant bit of information is ridiculous.

don't be afraid to take your story as seriously or unseriously as you want. sometimes i'll be snapped out of focus with the thought of "am i really writing this rn" 😂 but i just try to remind myself that i'm (usually) having fun, i'm not hurting anyone and someone might even enjoy the final product.

for eene, try to listen to the voice acting as much as you watch the animation. and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone when writing a character. i'm neither comfortable, nor very good at writing for ed, but i nutted up and gave it a shot recently and yeah it's nuclear level cringe but i suppose it can't get any worse, right? RIGHT???.... i love learning new words, so when i'm writing for edd (and in general) you know i keep that thesaurus tab open. with eddy, there's always room for more irreverence. i'm also one of those people that cannot help but drop almost every g when i write eddy. and it's just as important to get their idiolects down, which can be tricky. BUT that's mostly if your goal is to stay close to the source material, which is definitely not necessary. i'm just not a very creative person 😂

if you're in a rut, skip to another section, or hell even another chapter. the fic i'm working on rn was hatched from a simple premise several months ago, so i started at the end and have been building on that. an unconventional starting point can be really helpful when you're struggling to start at all. because i'm me, it's turned into a nightmare beast that i can't seem to contain, but i still have a general idea of where we're going and we'll get there eventually lmfao. to that point, outlines, bullet points, notes, etc. are all very useful.

take breaks, let her sit for a while. i'll write a whole bunch, leave, come back to review and be like girl what the hell is this. fresh eyes make a big difference! however, don't be like me and get too caught up in the weeds. i make compulsive little tweaks of my shit up to the point and even after i hit post. more often than not, it's more stress than it's worth. i just can't help it 🥴

and then of course, read other people's stuff. i'm not much of a fiction reader but i make exceptions for the sake of my hyper-fixation. it truly does help to see different perspectives and styles of writing. everyone has a unique voice that really comes through in creative writing, which i love. i've gleaned a lot from reading other people's work as well. i frequently come across new and creative ideas for changing up sentence structure, dialogue tags and narration by reading stuff from fellow fans.

aaaaaand yeah idk what else really. like i said, i'm not the best at writing but i think as long as you're getting your ideas across in the way that you want to, you're golden. anyone who makes shitty remarks about someone else's writing can sit and spin honestly.

[lovingsylvia]

!NEW RELEASE!

Title: Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932-1955

Author: Carl Rollyson

Publication date: 15 August 2023

Pages: 400

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (UPM)

Image source (cover & description): https://www.upress.state.ms.us

About the book:

“A fascinating investigation into the life and art of one of America’s greatest poets       

Since Sylvia Plath’s death in 1963, she has become the subject of a constant stream of books, biographies, and articles. She has been hailed as a groundbreaking poet for her starkly beautiful poems in Ariel and as a brilliant forerunner of the feminist coming-of-age novel in her semiautobiographical The Bell Jar. Each new biography has offered insight and sources with which to measure Plath’s life and influence. Sylvia Plath Day by Day, a two-volume series, offers a distillation of this data without the inherent bias of a narrative.

Volume 1 commences with Plath’s birth in Boston in 1932, records her response to her elementary and high school years, her entry into Smith College, and her breakdown and suicide attempt, and ends on February 14, 1955, the day she wrote to Ruth Cohen, principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, to accept admission as an “affiliated student at Newnham College to read for the English Tripos.”

Sylvia Plath Day by Day is for readers of all kinds with a wide variety of interests in the woman and her work. The entries are suitable for dipping into and can be read in a minute or an hour. Ranging over several sources, including Plath’s diaries, journals, letters, stories, and other prose and poetry—including new material and archived material rarely seen by readers—a fresh kaleidoscopic view of the writer emerges.

Reviews                                                

"The details in Rollyson’s Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 are a dream come true for the reader, fan, and scholar of Sylvia Plath. The seeds of so much of her creative writing are present, but Rollyson deftly does not foreshadow how events impact Plath’s life and when she transforms experiences from life to art. He lets each moment stand on its own importance."

"Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 is a must-have book for any reader interested in Plath. Detailed yet highly readable, it paints a portrait of a young woman who would become, as will be chronicled in volume 2, one of the seminal authors in the twentieth century."

"Sylvia Plath Day by Day, Volume 1: 1932–1955 fills the lacunae of existing biographies and uncovers new insights into its subject, as when Plath writes about her experiences at Smith, hearing ‘nasty little tag ends of conversation directed at you and around you, meant for you, to strangle you on the invisible noose of insinuation.’ Or her months in New York at Mademoiselle, which grow less mysterious here. Again, Carl Rollyson has provided us with an indispensable book on Sylvia Plath." “

You can order the book through their website or from other online shops.

[kimtaegis]

{Kimtaegis’ GFX Breakdowns, Ep. 1:

↳ SARANG/SARAM; a namgi web weave}

better late than never – I’ve mentioned that this year, I will start writing my thought process behind my graphics down in actual posts instead of hiding them in the tags of a self-reblog, both for myself and those who are interested in that, so here we go!

the first more graphic-y post of the year was a little birthday present for @outroindigo, who told me that namgi’s dynamic as well as their solo music are extremely important to her, so that was the starting point basically! I initially wanted to use a web-weave-like layout for yoongi's birthday post this year, but thought that it just fit too well for this project, since including lyrics and website screenshots made it so convenient to explain the topic. the main source of inspiration but also material source was doolsetbangtan, an incredible blog that not only translates bts' lyrics, but also gives extra insights and explanations of their word plays, references to reoccuring lyrical themes and even links to other media that are connected to the songs' content. they were a huge help, most elements that ended up in the post had been already pointed out under their sites for trivia: love, people, and people pt. 2 respectively, I pretty much only had to follow the mentions and use them!

my post starts with the first half of a quote from namjoon from his november 2016 vlive and ends with it as well (in the caption) to tie the whole set together. I tried to organize the elements in a way that even someone who has never heard of the whole live/love/sarang/saram thing can easily follow and understand it, while also maintaining a pleasant overall layout and colour change (planning that took quite some time, I tell you). the trivia: love lyrics panel is a screenshot I took from spotify, I just changed the background colour to fit. underneath the people performance gif is an excerpt of yoongi's billboard interview from july 2023. the rest are screenshots directly from doolset, gifs from yoongi's iu's palette interview and selfmade visualisations of lyrics, etc. I decided against listing all the content elements in the caption - as usually done for an actual web weave - because some media was used multiple times and it would've felt weird to repeat it in the listing.

regarding more stylistic choices, I decided on a blue and warm yellow-orangy colour scheme, both because kari's current blog layout is this beautiful blue, but also because I associate blue with both namjoon (especially after indigo, obvs) and yoongi (his painting from 2020 instantly comes to mind). since 'love' on the other side is often portrayed as something warm and cosy, red/orange/yellow became the contrasting colours. I tried very hard to make all the colours look as consistent as possible and to match the shades of blues to kari's blog colours. funnily enough, there always seemed to be either something blue or warm-toned in the actual content, which was pretty convenient. besides the pseudo-screenshots for some of the lyrics (typed out in fonts that are typically used in books), I created three graphic elements as well, simply because I know sweet kari appreciates them and I wanted to have a personal kimtaegi touch in it. the first one is a visual representation of people pt. 2's lyrics. I always thought of faceless silhouettes when thinking of people, and combined that with yoongi's painting style (you see that painting means a whole lot to me lmao). since I can't really draw, I used paintings I found on pinterest (you can find the whole board in the source of the og post), masked the person and the heart out and changed their colour (which is not as easy as it sounds!). the fading effect was achieved by carefully going over both until I liked how it looked (which again, took embarrassingly long). the second graphic element is again a direct visualisation of the lyrics used in the panel: I digitally cut up a picture of namgi, in multiple rectangles that are supposed to represent the letter ㅁin saram. I actually printed the picture out first and cut it up with scissors, but I couldn't find a good way to scan it back in :( so digital cutting it was; please note that the edges of every snippet are rough, I always try my best to make it look as realistic and tangible as possible which is time-consuming but adds a nice touch in my opinion.

the collage effect of this graphic is inspired by works of anthony garace. his artworks are stunning, and I do love a good mixed media effect! also it just fits perfectly with the lyrics... among all these straight lines (-> the rectangles), [I find/ is] my love, my love, my love (-> little snippets of a picture of the two). the flowers in the last graphic both represent yoongi (the lotus flower cutout, referencing his amygdala lyrics about blooming like a lotus flower, which is also achieved by love, y'know :( ) and namjoon (the wildflower; yes it's an actual blue wildflower, I researched! it's a wild blue flax; referencing his same-named song). I used an actual photograph of it and made it look like a painting with photoshop magic. it also was supposed to look just a litte like a cynotype as used in his album design.

again, look at all those nice rough edges in that panel, this is all added intentionally. I hope everyone who saw the post also caught the teeny tiny animation of the hangul letter ㅁ to ㅇin the text on the left side; quite literally eroding edges <3

the last gif of ot7 was perfect to round it all up, referencing the lyrics above quite emotionally, starting off with the two of them, then them being joined by the rest....sigh. I will be honest, there have been a few tears falling onto the keyboard. I hope this set can convey namgi's beautiful lyricism in an interesting, artistic way. it's easy to get inspired by their art, it definitely makes you appreciate everything they do even more.

[candlelight27]

I have a request if you don’t mind!

It’s nsfw where Gojo (JJK) pursues “shy” reader thinking he could easily hook up with and dom her but when they actually go to hook up she ends up domming him (he’s surprised but shamefully enjoys it)

If you do write this please tag me @kiwifujin thank you!!

Hello!! Thank you for the request! Hope it lives up to your expectations :) It was really fun to write, especially the last part. @kiwifujin

Gojo x shy!reader 1400 words aprox. Warnings: N*sfw, smut (more lime than lemon), (my attempt at) dom reader and sub gojo, mentions of food and eating

-----

The first time he saw you, you piqued Gojo’s interest.

He wasn’t expecting you to go and welcome him after the train trip with a courtesy souvenir in hand and bowing profusely. That, paired up with your features and the timid way in which you called his surname, had him drooling over how cute you were.

But, of course, Satoru was nothing but a professional – or so he affirms –, so he wasn’t planning on sweeping you off your feet. Maybe he could become a little friendlier than usual, tormenting you a little like he did with Utahime, but sleeping with a fellow sorcerer just because was off limits. Besides, he knew Nanami would kill him if he put a single finger on you, since he was your usual partner in missions and he was sure the other sorcerer would have a soft spot for you.

However, Gojo’s initial resolution was starting to crack.

You had been accompanying Gojo for roughly five days while he was looking for the source of the special grade curse. And what a week it was. He wouldn’t leave your side for a minute, only at night, when you needed to rest. It was tiring, but, despite his childish attitude, you learnt a lot from such a talented sorcerer, and you found out that it wasn’t so bad to spend time with him as other made you think – but, truthfully, neither of these things were going to come out of your mouth –.

One of those days, when he invited you to lunch, the waiter got your order wrong. Normally, you wouldn’t say anything and just eat whatever was brought to you.

“Didn’t you order other thing?”, Gojo questioned. It still amazed you how he could see with his blindfold on.

“Oh, ehm…” you tried not to stutter. “Yes… But… It’s ok, Gojo-san,” you reassured him.

“It’s not okay”, he insisted. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it changed.”

In less than fifteen minutes you were eating what you had originally ordered. And, well, you weren’t exactly complaining. You even felt a little flattered, having the strongest sorcerer worried about your well-being.

Gojo, on the other hand, was ecstatic. After spending almost every day with assertive people – often pretty shameless, just like him –, your shyness was so refreshing. You were truly adorable, and he was going to make sure to use it to his advantage.

It got to the point where he offered to make your phone calls, all to avoid your panicked looks and anxious face. You gladly let him do.

Fortunately for the sorcerer world but unfortunately for you, you and Gojo Satoru formed a solid, effective team, therefore, your time together abruptly ended when you exorcised the special grade curse.

You were accompanying him to the train station when the white-haired sorcerer finally made his mind and tried to give it a shot. The reasons against becoming more intimate with you had already melted thanks to the flame you ignited in him. And he couldn’t wait to see how submissive you’d be… He had to be selfish. Gojo wasn’t a man to wait around and see how other would conquer you when he wanted you all to himself.

“You didn’t get to show me your apartment,” he started, careful not to scare you away.

“Oh, I didn’t know that was… done between coworkers, Gojo-san”, you answered politely.

“Nanami’s never been to your place?” Don’t blame him, he might as well get some insight.

“No.”

“Well, of course. But I’m a special coworker, am I not?”, he smiled. Gojo was getting into your personal space little by little.

“Well…”, you say, your voice low and out of breath because you were starting to get what he was insinuating. “I guess… you are… I really enjoyed your stay here…”

“For real, sweetcheeks? Why don’t we go, then?”

“Gojo-san, your train leaves in half an hour-”

“Ah!” Gojo stops walking. You had to turn around to face him. “I guess I forgot to tell you. I can teleport myself back whenever I want. But I like trains.”

You blinked. Was this a good idea? Absolutely not, but you had to live a little, right?

And that’s how Gojo has ended up in this predicament. Not even his six eyes were capable of warning him of your secret side.

His blindfold’s discarded, so you can see his beautiful blue orbs in all their glory. Sweat sticks white strands of hair on his forehead. Gojo’s stripped naked except for a pair of light blue boxers.

Yet the most shocking thing is that he’s tied up by his wrists to your bed.

You made sure he had his infinity off, then used your cursed technique, black whip, to immobilize him. He’s shocked. What happened to your timid self? But shock doesn’t mean turned off, because his erection is practically leaking. He can get out of your trap, he’s Gojo Satoru, but he’s having way more fun this way.

“So, Gojo-san, have you been thinking of fucking me since you arrived?”, you ask with a sweet tone. You drag your nails down his torso, goosebumps appearing all over his skin.

“Well, kinda”, he admitted. Your travelling hand now teases the elastic band of his underwear. The wet spot on the fabric becomes bigger and bigger.

“Oh? Really?” You decide freeing him from the last item of clothing, but very slowly. You speak, and Gojo doesn’t know what he should pay attention to, your sickly sweet voice or the cold breeze on his dick. His cock hits his stomach once you’ve discarded his underwear. “Then why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Be-because…”

You smile. He shudders because he’s now completely bare and he’s lost. He’s so used to be in control that he doesn’t know what you’re expecting and he’s so nervous… Is he doing good? You start again with your feather-like caresses, yet you avoid his dick, enjoying the way it twitches due to the lack of contact.

“Because-”, he tried again, but your fingers arrive at his happy trail. They were so close to where he needs them the most, but the moment never comes. “You’re so cute it seemed wrong”, he manages to say, slurring his words. He really wants to give you an answer that satisfies you.

“But in the end you couldn’t resist yourself, right, Gojo-san?” You use your thumb to apply the slightest pressure to his balls and the sorcerer moans your name.

“Not that- not that I’m not enjoying this but are you going to do something?”, he complains. You have to giggle, because he couldn’t help but being himself despite the big disadvantage he’s immersed in.

“You’re so greedy… that’s why you couldn’t help yourself. And that’s why you’re trying to get me to touch you, even though you’ve been such a bad boy…” You stand up and look around your room.

From his position, Satoru can’t see what you’re doing, and he’s getting nervous. By the sounds you are making, you are rummaging in your drawers, and he suspects it’s going to make his situation even harder.

“Do you always hook up with your partners, Gojo-san?”

You finally appear from the shadows, a bright pink object in your hand. The man can’t bring himself to speak: instead, he just shakes his head, denying the statement.

“No?”, you pout. “Are you lying to me?”

“No!”, he exclaims.

“But I heard you’re always flirting… that you’re a slut…”

“It’s harmless flirting, I swear”, he sighs. Just as he talks, you turn on the vibrator and place it against the head of his dick for a second. He trembles. “I said I swear it! I admit, I’m greedy and flirty, but I’m not a slut!”

“Okay, okay. If you say so… I’ll go easy on you.” You hop onto bed, only to straddle his abs. You lower your head, so your eyes are on his level. He looks so defenseless like this… His muscled arms are framing the growing desperation in his face. “How about this? I’m going to use this little toy on you while I sit on your face, Gojo-san. If you can make me cum before you do, then you’ll prove you’re not a slut and I’ll let you fuck me. Does that sound good?”

Gojo knows you’re going to be the death of him. But, at least, it’s going to be a worthy, sexy death.

“Yes!”, he agrees to his ruin.

[nobleriver]

Based on a post I saw in the River Song tag I've come to the conclusion that, not for the first time, the world really is designed around restraining a woman's sexuality. But more importantly, it comes down to the whole world is pretty much designed around reigning women in. Abortion laws, grown women banning books because they see any little thing as "porn". Women being taught that it's their responsibility not to get raped. Men can sleep around cause they are guys etc. I love a good period piece or any time era where the couple is not looking outside their relationship for their sexual needs. Some of my favorite stories in fact. I also don't see a problem with River being just as in love with The Doctor without any of the relationships that have been brought to light in the show being condemned as source of tragic heartbreak to make sure we know that as a woman she can't possibly have enjoyed herself unless she was enjoying her sexuality inside and exclusively from her marriage.

Yeah I think I enjoy your insights that's why I keep writing to you.

Aw, thank you! I enjoy answering your questions. In this case, I agree with what that person wrote.

Do you remember the minisodes - First Night/Last Night - that showed the Doctor and River’s honeymoon? In those scenes, River confesses she believes the Doctor brought someone else on their honeymoon, not knowing the other women were actually future versions of her. That means for decades, since the beginning of their marriage, River has been convinced she was just one of many on her own wedding night, that the Doctor was with someone else. So no wonder she develops this open-ended approach to marriage, her heart was broken on her wedding night. It’s played off for laughs, but you see the real pain in THORS.

Fidelity, or the lack thereof, is an issue of character and psychology, not sexuality. I know plenty of people who love to have sex who would never step outside of their marriage or engage in sexual activity with anyone besides the one that they chose to commit themselves to for the rest of their life. Oh, I’m certain she was gratified physically, but it’s revealed in the same episode she was not satisfied emotionally. So I believe that person is correct to attribute her extra marital relations to her psychological state at the time. Especially because in the seven years we knew River, we had not seen or heard of her having other partners on the side. Her loyalty, love, and devotion to the Doctor has been one of the defining forces behind her character motivations since her introduction.

So if that’s her character, if being with the Doctor is her greatest desire (6.01), if loyalty is her core trait, then why is she suddenly being disloyal to the doctor behind his back in THORS? The doctor was surprised to find out Hydroflax was the husband in question: “That’s your husband? Not anyone else?” Ramone just added insult to injury. Though delivered in comedic form, the Doctor’s jealousy was front and center, and then, he becomes hurt. Where is the devotion? Where is the River he thought he knew? The one that would sacrifice time itself to save him? All of these extra marital relations are coming out of left field, blindsiding the audience, leaving the question: who is the real River?

But then, in the climatic scene, Moffat reveals River is in a state of pain. To believe your husband does not love you back is painful. That cannot be ignored. Though I wish Moffat had left it as a headcanon, I begrudgingly accept, for most of their marriage, River believed they were married in name only, that the Doctor did not love her back. Now it makes sense why this character who has been designated for years as one of the most loyal characters in the Doctor’s life is suddenly found in a position of disloyalty. That is a painful psychological state to subsist in for decades. One can’t put all that trauma in a bubble and think it has no influence on her sleeping with all these other people.

One also has to take into account River’s history. Like her mother, River has survived a lot of trauma. She suffered child abuse. She was trafficked as a child soldier. She dealt with a lot of neglect, torture, and abandonment. When it comes to people who have that kind of trauma, you can’t just casually love them; you have to be intentional with your acts and words of affection, so they can trust the love is real. You have to drill through all those years and layers of trauma and abuse. I love you. I love you. I love you. The Doctor didn’t drill all the way down, so he was inadvertently causing her further pain. She was falling deeply in love with him while believing he felt nothing for her because he wasn’t expressing his love in a way she could understand or trust.

But once the Doctor realizes what’s going on, he proceeds to shatter that misconception until nothing’s left: “Hello Sweetie.” “Not one living thing is worth you.” “There is a Song.” “24 years.” The fact she was able to be with the doctor for 24 years, that she was able to leave all those other relationships behind and it just be him and her, and River be at her most satisfied? That tells me all I need to know, that those relationships were symptoms of an unchecked broken heart in a woman who didn’t believe she was in a marriage that was real.

[moonchild-in-blue]

⋆˖⁺☽ overture ☾⁺˖⋆

🧿 Greetings and Salutations 🧿

My name is Darya, I'm a 26 yo woc who lives on the moon, and is too anxious for her own good. I have a little about me section if you're feeling snoopy about silly ol' me and some of my interests 🌷 🌧️ 🍋 🎨 🎶

[pssst, I have an ao3 as well right here 👀]

Update: @fellowship-of-sleep-reads is a book club created by and for Sleep Token fans. Come say hi and join the conversation!

Feel free to interact with me whenever - I am terrible at replying to dms but I'm trying to be more mindful about that. You're always welcome to send me an ask, tag in me in stuff, or whatever else! (anons are 100% chill)

☽ Tags, Content, and Others ☾

☽ Alright, what's all this then?

I blog mostly about music/literature/art/photography and whatever funny haha's peak my interest. As of June 2023, about 50% of my content is now Sleep Token related, so there's that. I keep it tagged in case anyone wants to block.

-> here's a good Sleep Token intro post if you're curious

(I'm always happy to talk about them, my brain is all mushy because of the creatures 🥺)

Expect to see a healthy dose of poetry, Pride and Prejudice, and BTS here. Also Dracula / Dracula Daily 🧛‍♂️ I am not capable of being a passive consumer of things.

[DISCLAIMER: I do not consent to have my art - whether a painting, writing, or anything else - reposted to other sites, reused, or otherwise reproduced in any way (unless explicitly stated). If you wish to, please reach out to me first, either through my ask box or through my dms.]

☽ Tags?

I try to tag everything accordingly (sometimes i forgor), and my most used tags should be on the search function.

(note: the search system is being a jerk so if you want to look for something, just use the tags on this post)

To make things easier:

#darya is unhinged <- for my writing, blurbs, ST lore analysis, etc

#darya talks to herself <- for personal posts and rants

#darya does art <- for my art posts

#darya answers <- for asks and such

#special pocket post <- for some of my favourite things

#sleep token <- for anything related to our beloved creechurs

#sleep token lore <- for all lore-related posts, mine or otherwise

#create;release <- for my Sleep Token illustration project, Create ; Release

All other content should be self-explanatory and tagged normally, but I'll update this if/when needed.

(jan. 2024 update)

#darya goes to the aquarium <- if you wanna see my slightly blurry content of my recent oceanarium visit; there are some cute, calming videos of fishies 🪼🦈🐟🪸

☽ Anything you won't post?

I don't usually post anything nsfw - however I am an adult, so that is up to my discretion. I'll tag visually explicit stuff when necessary but navigate at your own risk.

I rarely do any tw/cw so if there is anything that should be (or you need) tagged just let me know, and I'll happily tag it!

I refrain from posting political/current world events content, simply because I stopped engaging with it in here. There are plenty of good, insightful blogs around with Good Verified Sources and commentary - I am not one of them. That being said, I won't tolerate any type of hate discourse or disrespect of any kind. I myself am a poc and a Christian (although I very rarely post/engage with content here).

I respect and welcome any and all kinds of beliefs, ethnicities, etc. This is a LGBTQIA+ friendly blog. Everyone is welcomed and safe here. Please unfollow if any of this makes you uncomfortable (and maybe take a little time to self reflect).

☽ Is that all?

That is all. Here is a reminder to drink some water, stretch your back, and give your eyes a rest. Remember, you are loved and worthy of all good things. It's okay if you're struggling - I am holding your hand and sending you moonlit kisses. 💙🫂🌜

｡ {\_/}⊹ ༘ ᗢ( • • )ᗢ˚ ᗢ />🌷 ᗢ₊˚ here's a pretty flower for you~

[stardust-3saders]

Some time ago I got tagged by the wonderful @aeons-domain and @anikasenkujo on this character inspiration sheet (thank you both so much! It was pretty fun!).

As an Oc that has been with me for 10+ years, Lia has gone through a lot of changes, but I think these characters are the closest to how I've always wanted people to perceive her!

Character descriptions and template under the cut!

Also, tagging whoever wants to join!

Nora Valkyrie (RWBY): A happy-go-lucky, bubbly and playful young woman, Nora is mainly characterized by her boundless enthusiasm. When Nora talks, many of her words may sometimes come out randomly without her actually giving much thought to anything she comes up with. This is caused by her tendency to jump into a different topic most of the time and her rather peculiar imagination. Because of this and her free-spirited attitude, Nora's personality changes according to her mood, and she is prone to becoming a nuisance to the people around her, losing the point of a conversation, or even experiencing anxiety attacks. However, Nora is more insightful than one might think and is capable of being serious when most necessary.

Laurie Strode (Halloween): She’s very methodical, and she stays on task. She’s very head-strong, and she’s very focused. She’s very confident, even though she has a lot of fears, and she’s not easily intimidated. She likes to think everything through, and she’s very sure of herself. She’s very intelligent, and she’s very good at what she does. Laurie is confident in herself, but she’s also very aware of her weaknesses. She’s not perfect, and she knows that she has things that she needs to work on. She’s very determined, and that’s another reason why she’s so successful. She’s very confident in herself, so she doesn’t let anything get under her skin.

Micaiah (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn): Micaiah is a very caring and empathetic individual, but tends to be somewhat bitter at times, a result of both her treatment as a Branded prior to the story and the abuse of Daein and its citizens by the Begnion Occupational Army. She cares deeply for the people of Daein, and refuses to stand idly by while they suffer under their control. She pays little mind to her own needs or even her health, always putting the people and her country first; indeed, her Sacrifice skill is effectively her self-sacrificing nature manifesting as a magical power.

*You can probably tell, but she was mainly appearance inspiration (⁠*⁠´⁠ω⁠｀⁠*⁠)

Fem! Robin (Fire Emblem: Awakening): They are highly ingenious, creating strategies on the fly and even whipping up "crazy" plans or new war tactics out of pure inspiration. Because of their strategic mindset, Robin is highly perceptive to the others' feelings, and can figure out the source of most people's inner turmoils in a matter of a few important conversations. Robin is an avid reader of books. They have a penchant for history, but they're also a fan of reading novels as well. While friendly, they have a tendency of getting exasperated over the antics of some of the more colorful cast members. They generally care about the well being of everyone in army, and not just Chrom.

*Yeah, I know Robin is pretty much an avatar, but as I played Awakening I found myself wanting them to act a bit different, thus starting to get into Ocs for the first time.

Hiyori Iki (Noragami): Hiyori is a kind-hearted and brave individual who will go out of her way to help someone in danger, even if she does so at risk to her own safety. This extends not only to her loved ones, but also to strangers. She has a strong moral compass and is usually willing to speak out against others if she feels their actions are wrong, although she has shown herself to be slightly more lenient at times when the matter concerns a friend. She is very perceptive of those around her, able to see good intentions behind others' seemingly cruel words or actions.

Eirika (Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones): Eirika is a very kindhearted and caring person. She is shown to care deeply for everyone, especially the ones precious to her. Despite her dislike of fighting, she is shown to be very brave in the face of adversity; she will never deny help to anyone who needs it, and she will fight to protect her friends and her kingdom.

[jess-moloney]

I know I am supposed to be on hiatus but I did say I'd come back to post if anything of significance happened and I do think what is going on right now is suspicious enough to be significant. I also think it's a good topic of conversation so let's start one:

Today Jess shared this to her story. These are from the same post by hypebae on Instagram, an account that Jess doesn't even follow (nor does this post mention her directly in a tag) though it does mention Renell. Oddly enough, Jess did not do her usual thing, which would be what?

Stealing a photo, posting it as if she owned it, and tagging a bunch of people as well as including her little "post-production by ice studios" tag.

The last time Jess did this was when she posted a story with a GQ magazine cover and she shamelessly claimed Ice Studios as "post-production" in a tag with a few other people. Even though the actual post did not acknowledge her or Ice Studios for that matter. [Source]

Shortly before this story, however, Jess made a few posts that were literal duds on social media...compared to her other stolen photo posts which tend to do slightly better but not by much. I'm, of course, talking about the series of photos she posted that all got less than 10 comments, some of them only getting 1 or 2. [Source]

In mid-December, it was noted that Jess had lost quite a few followers she was down from 42K to 41K. [Source] That was noticed on the same day that she had posted the GQ story (instead of making it an actual post as she usually would). Which means that her follower count started to drop around the time she posted that series of photos that got barely any likes, comments, or attention from anyone other than bots or her very own stans.

A few days later it was noticed that the Ice Studios shop was locked down. If you try to access it you will only get a page that says to enter a password (that is if you go by following the link on Jess's account) but if you type in the address directly you will be prompted to sign up for their newsletter. There is no possible way to access the store to buy anything.

This is concerning in the way that only days before this happened, they appeared to have sold out of a bunch of their merchandise (the Flintstone beanies they sell for far too much money). What does this shop shutdown mean? Does it mean they intend to send out the merchandise? Who do people contact if they paid $100 for one of these hats but didn't get one? Did they take the money, close shop, and run? Did they sell anything to begin with? All of this happened amidst Jess losing around 700 followers in less than two months.

From December 19th when she was at 41K to this post she has lost around 2000 followers total because she definitely used to have at least 42K and this all happened incredibly quickly. Even Jess's IG story spam of her snowboarding with Jamie holiday and the actual post only seemed to decrease her follower count faster and she's certainly not regaining people either.

This definitely indicates something significant is going on with Jess. Especially considering that Jamie returned to Mt. Bachelor (where he had been before on holiday) without Jess being with him, appearing much happier and having a lot more fun than his holiday with her over the New Year (if it even happened then because we know that Jess is known to recycle old material when she needs to).

This has led me to come up with a few theories on what may be going on to cause this behaviour on her part but keep in mind they are only theories and if anyone else has any insight I'd love to hear it as well.

Somehow, for some reason, Jess got in trouble posting those stolen photos finally. Either it was when she posted the photos that got little to no engagement, or shortly before. She is possibly in hot water over stolen intellectual property and has been warned about posting it and tagging Ice Studios or (worst case scenario) someone has thrown a lawsuit in her direction.

Business with Ice Studios has gone bad or she's parting ways with Renell and/or someone else is taking over control of the website and getting it away from Jess. I know Jess did go on to "promote" Ice merchandise in two of her stories after the site was locked down but Jess also wouldn't want anyone to know that she is a phony or losing her business title so obviously, she'd keep acting like nothing was wrong.

Jess is officially unemployed and losing her connections with everyone. This may have been indicated by her staging a story to get the attention of a company called Lede and kissing up to someone in their marketing department who she very, very recently followed. Whatever the case, something she has done has alienated her even more from what connections she did have and she's blatantly trying to make new ones.

Jamie and Jess are broken up behind the scenes and people in the know are aware of it thus the people who felt obligated to give her a follow unfollowing her in droves. Once again, if this is the case, Jess would most certainly go out of her way to make sure no one publicly found out they split because her entire reputation/fame/income relies on being Jamie's perfect little "witchy girlfriend".

These are the theories I have come up with. It could be one of these things, could be a combination of these things, or I could be completely wrong about all of it. The only thing I can say for certain (as I've said before) is that I'm sure my blog has very little influence over her account or popularity (if it has any at all). This means that her loss of a couple thousand followers in a very short period must have to do with something happening in her personal life and it's obviously not something very good. What does everyone else think? Do you have better theories? More receipts? Do you agree with one of these theories more than the rest? I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

[seeyouafter]

SYA Extended Notes Ch. 29

Notes for "See You After" Chapter 29: July 4: Shouto - Fujitani Hospital Discharge Summary

There are quite a few things I've alluded to in this chapter, in regards to Shouto's issues with his quirk and his mental health. I decided to leave things a little vague for a few reasons:

Just as there is a link between physical health and mental health, I think there would probably be a strong link between quirks and mental health, especially for people like Shouto whose quirk is a big part of their identity. However, there isn't a straightforward answer as to how these things are linked and they're still trying to figure things out.

Therapists have different views on whether a diagnosis is important for treatment. In this case, I feel like there were more pressing things for them to focus on with Shouto's situation, and while his therapist obviously has reason to suspect certain things, I think she doesn't want to put an official label on it yet, especially since Shouto probably isn't ready to hear it at this point.

The main reason I didn't give him a concrete diagnosis is that I don't feel comfortable doing that since I'm not a mental health professional. I will end up portraying certain things in more detail as the story progresses (hence the tags on the fic), but I'd rather have that speak for itself instead of having it seem like a checklist of relevant traits associated with a specific diagnosis.

Also, I am not familiar with how the mental health system works in Japan and am basing most things on personal experience and research from English-speaking sources (mostly American).

(wow, that was an unnecessarily long explanation)

As I mentioned in the notes for Ch. 16 (Katsuki's discharge summary) I spent a bit too much time coming up with names for the doctors. Details on name etymology and their specialties below.

As usual, the names are given in the Japanese order (family name, then given name)

Tomone Naho, Psy.D., M.D. - Psychologist, Quirk Medicine 知念 (Tomone): 知 = knowledge, understanding, wisdom; 念 = wish, feeling, thought 和歩 (Naho): 知 = harmony, peace, Japan; 歩 = walk PsyD = Doctor of Psychology (she also has a general medical degree, hence the MD, which I headcanon is some kind of quirk-medicine specialty)

Shouto's therapist at Fujitani Hospital. Nothing too significant about her name, other than wanting to include the kanji for feelings/thoughts (念) and peace (知) since it seemed appropriate for a therapist, so I just tried to find names that used those kanji that sounded good together. Naho is also the name of the main character in "Orange" (the manga that was referenced in the letters in Chapters 6 & 7), although it's written with different kanji.

Kitayama Kazuhiro, Psy.D., M.F.C.C. - Psychologist 北山 (Kitayama): 北 = north, 山 = mountain 和浩 (Kazuhiro): 和 = harmony, peace, Japan, 浩 = wide expanse, abundance M.F.C.C. (Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor)

This was the family counselor they were referred to in Furano. Again, I went with a name that used the kanji for harmony/peace (和). I didn't have much in mind for his last name but figured that they'll be in the north (北) and mountains are steadfast and reliable, which are probably good qualities for a counselor to have.

Shizume Yuko, Psy.D., M.D. - Psychologist / Quirk Psychology Specialist 静目 (Shizume): 静 = quiet, stillness, peacefulness; 目 = eye, insight, care 優心 (Yuko): 優 gentle, soothing; 心 = heart, mind, spirit her quirk allows her to calm someone down if she looks them in the eye

Her name was the most interesting for me. The reason is pretty self-explanatory if you look at the meanings of the kanji, and I went through a similar selection process as the others. But because of the inclusion of the kanji for eye (目), I decided that she has some kind of calming quirk that activates with eye contact, which would probably be useful in her profession.

[merge-conflict]

where everybody knows your name

After @another-corpo-rat wrote this story in which Valentine tortures Victoria with her terrible fashion sense, I was motivated to write the prequel, where Victoria has the upper hand. Thank you for trusting me with writing her, she is such a blast!!

Summary: Valentine gets hit by a bombshell. Victoria isn’t ready for the fallout.

---

It had been a long time since Valentine’s last office party, but everything was the same as it ever was. Well, almost. There was a very particular sort of energy still lingering in the air, a sort of wary relief that things were finally starting to turn around. Some were still drinking like it was the end of days, but there hadn’t been any significant purges for at least a few weeks. The next few months were going to be a whirlwind, while the ambitious jockeyed for position, filling vacancies left in every rung of the ladder. Sometime soon they were sure to get an infusion of fresh blood, but until then it was anyone’s game, and nobody smart was going to waste a chance to rub elbows for a single evening of free booze.

Valentine herself was cruising the delicate line between buzzed and drunk. She would have liked to indulge, but she wasn’t invisible anymore, and it was astonishing the number of people who had just managed to run into her in the far corner of the Applied Research floor. It was an endless source of entertainment to see them try and guess what her angle was, although less endearing to endure every subtle and unsubtle attempt at gaining insight or access to Hanako. None of them had even bothered to try and dig up old dirt– but she supposed everyone was more cautious than usual for good reason.

A flash of something bright caught her eye, and her attention immediately focused on the woman across the room who looked nothing so much like a shark moving through schools of nervous fish. She was astonishingly striking– the bright, crisp white of her clothing offsetting the warm gold of her cybernetics and her light brown skin. Definitely a netrunner of some sort, both by the look of her implants and the signature of her interface, which was tagged with a string that would crash most casual scans. Valentine had just about launched a modified one when it occurred to her that where there was one trap, there was probably two. It would be a devastatingly embarrassing lure to fall for, purpose-built to catch careless busybodies and techs alike.

But it seemed she’d at least get to meet someone interesting, because at the exact moment that the runner turned and made eye contact with her. It was like she was twenty-two again, mind going treacherously blank the moment Birdy had given her the slightest amount of attention. Muscle memory allowed her to raise a glass in acknowledgement, but the intensity of the woman’s answering expression put her right back onto her heels. Within moments she had crossed the room, so that Valentine just had time to stand and greet her properly.

“Valentine,” the runner said abruptly, “Or is it Val?”

“Either is fine,” Valentine said, determined to remain cool. “Have we met?”

“In a manner of speaking. You don’t remember?” The runner paused, but she was difficult to read. Angry, maybe. Perhaps issuing a challenge. Or just a test. After a moment, she offered Valentine her hand. “It would be good to meet officially, I suppose. Victoria Crane.”

“Valentine Myśliwiec.” Crane’s grip was just a hair too firm, and the slight, contemptuous change in her expression suggested she knew exactly what kind of effect she was having. Valentine made herself relax, reminding herself it was better to stay cautious and seem a little stupid rather than open her mouth and remove all doubt. “I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal. I’m not great with faces.”

Not a lie– but she would have remembered meeting this woman. Once again she wished she had properly interrogated Johnny about his three-day jaunt about town. It hadn’t seemed important at the time, but she was paying for that now.

“Clearly.” Valentine held her breath as Crane reached out and rubbed the edge of her collar between her golden fingers. “They must be keeping you busy, if you’re still stuck wearing this.”

Valentine resisted the urge to nervously smooth down the front of her shirt. Wearing the standard-issue uniform wasn’t exactly glamorous, but she had never possessed the skill or interest for fashion. She’d been happy just to be back in clothing that didn’t disintegrate after a single wear, and it was the only thing she had that really matched the Arasaka red of her new left hand.

“Style isn’t really my forte,” she admitted. “I find it safest to stick to the basics.”

“It’s only a matter of knowing what flatters you best,” Crane said, finally releasing her. She was still standing just too close to be polite. Her smile was faint but cruel. “And, of course, how to hide any defects.”

“That can be a struggle,” Valentine said softly.

“All it takes is a little practice,” Crane replied, with a spark in her eye that confirmed she had not missed the implied insult in Valentine’s self-deprecating remark. “And some expert advice. Why don’t I take you shopping some time? It isn’t right for someone like you to be stuck looking like some low-level drone.”

Valentine covered her surprise, but badly. “That’s very generous–“

“Good–“ Crane said, before she could refuse. Her eyes flicked over Valentine’s shoulder for just a moment before once again fixing her in place with a steady gaze. “I’m afraid I can’t stay to chat just now, but I’ll be in touch.”

Crane swept away before Valentine could think of an appropriate response, the smell of her perfume lingering behind her. She turned to see one of the AR runners looking back at her with her eyebrows raised in a silent question. She answered it with a small shrug, which she hoped looked casual.

Damn, but Crane knew something and now she had to figure out what it was. They must be keeping you busy, she’d said, and it isn’t right for someone like you. Clearly calculated to get some sort of reaction, to suggest she was some jumped-up gonk who didn’t belong. Valentine wanted to look her up, but she was possessed by an irrational paranoia that she was being watched. If she made official queries she could end up triggering some sort of alert. All she needed was to tip her hand in a moment of blind panic. Instead, she sent a couple of messages out through a channel she knew was secure.

Goro answered first, much more quickly than she had expected, given he was on duty.

vim: I just met Victoria Crane, apparently for the second time. Do you know her?

🦊TAKEMURA🦊: Yes. Smasher’s pet netrunner…a very unpleasant woman. She spoke to your associate once, indirectly. Tread carefully.

vim: Smasher?? Has his own runner?

🦊TAKEMURA🦊: Indeed. Efficient and ruthless.

vim: ok.

vim: thank you

🦊TAKEMURA🦊: Of course.

🦊TAKEMURA🦊: Do not do anything rash.

Before she could respond, she got another little ping, this time from Abernathy.

vim: Victoria Crane?

🦢: avoid

vim: *she* came up to *me*

🦢: why?

🦢: she’s smasher’s girl. he might be in the doghouse now, but I wouldn’t count either of them out.

🦢: don’t piss her off

vim: i’m going to need a night off

🦢: she is way out of your league

Valentine bit her tongue and counted to ten. She was not going to lose her temper, and she was going to figure out what Crane knew. Smasher must have told her something, but the question was how much? Fuck Johnny and his dumb-ass quest for vengeance. If there was someone who would be bold enough to knock her around and ruin all of this, it was going to be the bitch working for Adam Goddamn Smasher.

But everyone had a weakness.

vim: she’s taking me clothes shopping

She watched the little chat icon dance for some time while Abernathy formed her reply.

🦢: god help her