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moonfaunagames · 1 year

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Sims 4 Disney Ancestor Challenge (Choose Your Own Adventure)

Welcome to the Disney Ancestor Challenge! There are a lot of Disney Sim Challenges, but none fit exactly what I wanted. I created a challenge with the legacies in historical era order and with multiple generation characters from which you can choose to play! This is a very long challenge, but no worries you can always cut movies you don’t want to play (Just make sure to check any requirements from the previous generation). Each of the 37 Legacies (number subject to change with future movie additions) offers 2-3 characters to choose from. I am very excited to play and hope you enjoy it! To see the full challenge click the link to the google Doc.

RULES:

Always read ahead one generation so you don’t miss anything while playing the current generation. This is especially important when choosing the different character options. For Example: If you play as Ariel for Gen 14 then Gen 13 needs to have seven children, but if you choose to play as Eric then they only need to have one child. This will also help in not having repeat aspirations and careers if you pick the character you want to play beforehand.

Must Complete Aspirations and Careers unless specified.

If you are playing for historical accuracy then you may change the aspirations and careers to better fit the era, but must still complete these.

If your sim is an orphan then they start with no simoleons.

Some categories do not specify marriage. If it is unspecified then it is up to you to determine what fits your storyline best.

Have fun! Remember to play the game in a way that makes you happy. If something doesn’t work for you or you don’t have a pack then change the rules to better suit your gameplay!

Hercules - (800-1200 BC Greece)

Megara

Summary:

You begin as a romantic. You find a partner that you are smitten with and would do anything for them, including dedicating your heart and soul to reviving them after they die in an accident. You bring them back only for them to waste no time indulging themselves in everything life has to offer…including other people. You catch them cheating on you. Heartbroken and jaded you have a difficult time trusting anyone.

Traits: Loyal, Self-assured, Jealous

Aspiration: Soulmate

Career: Secret Agent

Rules:

Find a partner and have a higher romance than friendship

Have your partner die, and resurrect them(if pleading with the grim reaper fails, must bring them back by other means)

Have your partner cheat on you, leaving you heartbroken

Become a secret agent and choose Diamond Branch

Reach level 8 of your career to unlock romantic interactions

Meet the love of your life, be mean to them

Max friendship before becoming romantic

Max romance before marrying and having at least two kids

Hercules

Summary:

You have always felt different than the rest of your family. You discover you are adopted and set out to find your roots as a teenager. Upon discovering your birth parents you realize your true aspiration is to become…a hero! Whatever that means? Time to become a bodybuilder. Become SUPER strong. Capable of defeating any foe!

Traits: Active, Bro, Socially Awkward (optional)

Aspiration: Body Builder

Career: Athletic (Body Builder)

Rules:

Start as a lanky Teenager with no muscles

Meet birth parents as a teenager (be gifted a pet named Pegasus, doesn’t have to be a “real animal” if you don’t have a correlating pack)

Find a mentor to “Train” you for your aspiration

Win at least 3 Fights before seeing your Birth Parents again

Find a non-commital Sim

Become best friends before becoming romantic

Have your partner die and revive them

Receive gold on a date

Max romance before marrying and having at least two kids

Muse

Summary:

Your expertise lies in the arts. You love being creative and influencing the people around you with your talents. You endeavor to create a lasting mark for your future lineage to be inspired by for generations to come.

Traits: Creative, Gloomy, Dance Machine

Aspiration: Must Complete a minimum of 3 creative aspirations (Ex: Musical Genius, Painter Extraordinaire, Best-Selling Author, Master Actor/Actress, Master Maker, Lord/Lady of the Knits, Joke Star, Master Mixologist, etc.)

Career: Freelancer and/or what is needed for aspiration

Rules:

Max Singing

Max Dancing

Complete 3 Creative Aspirations (Difficulty Level: Hard)

Must Mentor at least 3 sims in a creative skill

Must use each of the 3 aspiration rewards at least once

Use a telescope or the backyard observatory at least 3 times (Additionally, Stargaze and Cloudgaze for fun)

Must have at least two kids

The Sword in the Stone - 400s England

Arthur/Wart

Summary:

One of your parents has the mentality of Brawns over Books. They encourage you and your sibling to develop your brawn. Your sibling isn’t always the nicest to you growing up and tends to tease you a lot. One day you meet an older mentor who encourages you to learn about more than just fitness. They become a mentor to you. Their knowledge and life lessons help you to become a just and fair “ruler”.

Traits: Outgoing, Ambitious, Good

Aspiration: Renaissance Sims

Career: Politician (Politician Branch) OR Business (Management Branch)

Rules:

Toddler Trait is Charmer

Have the Rambunctious Scamp Childhood Aspiration

Must be friends with an older spellcaster (They will become your mentor)

The mentor must help with homework, school projects, and character values

Have a close-knit group of friends (Knights of the Round Table)

Your spouse has an affair with your best friend

You learn of it but stay with your spouse

Have an heir

Merlin

Summary:

You dream of being the most powerful wizard in the world. You devote yourself to learning every magical object, spell, and potion. You may develop a rival or two, but that happens on the way to greatness. As you get older you have a premonition about the future. You discover you are to be a mentor. You become an educator and eventually mentor the next generation in everything they need to know to become well-rounded.

Traits: Ambitious, Bookworm, Clumsy

Aspiration: Spellcraft and Sorcery

Career: Education

Rules:

Must have the Sixam Owl Familiar (Archimedes)

Must own a Telescope

Max Logic Skill

Must learn every spell

Must lean every potion

Have a magical enemy whom you duel (Until you win)

Mentor a child in homework, school projects, and character values

Have Heir

If you choose the Eilonwy path it may be better suited to have this heir with a spellcaster

If you choose the Taran Path then you must move to a farm for your heir before they are a teen.

The Black Cauldron - Early Middles Ages [476 is the beginning] In Prydain

Eilonwy (Realm of Magic)

While Eilonwy is in the movie we get more of her character and life from the books, “The Chronicles of Prydain” which is what the movie is based on. The Eilonwy generation will be based heavily on the books than the little we get in the movie.

Summary:

As a child you are wild and unkempt, even forgoing shoes. You are known for being confident, outspoken, and having an excellent moral compass. You are often mistaken for a “Damsel” in distress, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You come from a long line of formidable enchantresses. Passed down to you from your ancestors is your “Bauble” (familiar) which you are never without. However, your knowledge of magic growing up is limited, but you are never without your magic Bauble (Your familiar). As a teen, you visit your ancestral home for “proper” training. You become friends with your future love, but you don’t admit your feelings until years later.

Traits: Self-Assured, Cheerful, Vegetarian

Aspiration: Neighborhood Confidante

Career: Paranormal Investigator

Rules:

Must have high character values in Empathy and Emotional Control

Meet your future love as a teenager in a spooky place (Ex: a haunted house, graveyard, etc.)

Become friends, but you don’t admit your feelings until you’re an adult

Must have a familiar (Common Fairy as the Bauble)

Must Learn 5 spells

Max Medium Skill

Must choose a mortal life of love over an immortal life in the enchanted realm (Give up your magic forever)

Cannot marry until after you give up your magic

Taran

Summary:

In your youth, you live on a farm tending to the plants and animals, but you have a restless spirit. You long for adventure and leave the farm before becoming a Young Adult. You learn and develop the Medium skill to help with your paranormal investigations. You meet your love interest when young, but don’t admit your feelings until you’re an adult.

Traits: Adventurous, Dog Lover, Outgoing

Aspiration: Neighborhood Confidante

Career: Paranormal Investigator

Rules:

Have high character values in Conflict Resolution and Empathy

Live on a farm in your youth

Must move from the farm before becoming a YA

Get a dog with the traits Glutton, Jumpy, and Loyal when you move

Must keep the dog alive/bring it back from death through the entire playthrough

Max Medium skill (instead of Hen Wen)

Meet your love interest in a haunted or scary place

Must go anytime someone invites you somewhere

Must Live in 3 different places (not counting the farm)

You become friends, but don’t admit your feelings until you are an adult

Cannot marry until aspiration is complete

If you choose to follow Sisu’s path you must have five children

Raya and the last dragon - “Several Thousand Years Ago” in Kumandra

Raya

Summary:

Your parent(s) has always strived to teach you about trust and unity. However, there is an evil unleashed that breaks the land and the people living there. You lose your parent(s) due to this evil. You set out to discover a way to end what is dividing your world and bring unity.

Traits: Adventurous, Active, Loves the Outdoors

Aspiration: Strangerville Mystery AND Mt. Komorebi Sightseer

Career: Sell things on the yardsale table and dumpster dive. When Strangerville

Aspiration is complete can join a career (if you want)

Rules:

Learn a soup recipe with a parent

Have a pet

Have a childhood friend who becomes your enemy as a teen

Loose Parent(s) as a teen or young adult (Doesn’t have to be through death)

Explore the world (after parental loss) and make good friends along the way

Make soup that you learned with your parent and serve it to all your friends

Reunite with childhood friend/enemy and rebuild the relationship

Complete Strangerville Mystery to fix the divided world

Reunite with Parent(s)

Have an heir

Sisu

Summary:

You are kind and fun-loving, but can also be naive. You have a big family and love your siblings very much. The land you live in has always been prosperous, but something evil has begun to hurt the people. You and your siblings set out to discover and stop this evil.

Traits: Goofball, Cheerful, Child of the Ocean

Aspiration: Mt. Komorebi Sightseer AND Strangerville Mystery

Career: Sell items on Yard Sale Table

Rules:

Optional: Mermaid Form as Dragon Form

Swim once a day

Have a strong relationship with your siblings

Start Strangerville mystery with your siblings, but lose contact with them (and your parents)

Travel and make good friends along the way

You are a compulsive gift-giver (Give gifts to your friends when you see them)

Reunite with siblings once Strangerville Aspiration is complete

Have Heir

Mulan - 386-586ish China

Mulan

Summary:

Growing up you have always been a bit of an outcast. You are taught to follow the status quo, but following rules and traditions is not your cup of tea. You deeply love your family, even though you don’t feel like you can ever be their kind of perfect. This love for your family leads you to run away and join the military career to protect them. Your social skills and clumsy traits cause you some difficulty, but you are brave and will overcome your fears.

Traits: Family Oriented, Socially Awkward, Clumsy

Aspiration: Bodybuilder

Career: Military

Rules:

Must have tea/dinner with your parents and grandparents once a week (Except for when you run away)

Must have a makeover as a young adult

Run away and join the military (Do not see family again until after you have reached one fame star)

Have at least one pet

Reach minimum level 6 in Logic Skill

Gain at least One Fame Star (For bringing honor to the family)

Marry after reaching the top of your career (Partner must also be in the military)

Have Heir

Li Shang

Summary:

You dream of being a great leader. You develop a no non-sense personality and constantly work toward your dream. You meet a coworker who balances your personality and brings out the best in you.

Traits: Proper, Perfectionist, Ambitious

Aspiration: Goal Orientated

Career: Military

Rules:

Max the fitness skill

Mentor 4 Sims in the fitness skill

Gain at least one Fame star (For Honor)

Reach the top of your career

Marry a coworker

Have a big family dinner with your family and your partner’s family once a week

Have Heir

Aladdin - Middle East 800s

Jasmine

Summary:

Your family does their best to protect you and follow the laws. For your safety, you are kept at home, even though you long to see the world. Due to tradition, you are also expected to marry a wealthy suitor whom your parents select. You are a romantic and want to fall in love and not force it. Fed up with the same routine you take matters into your own hands.

Traits: Cat/dog Lover (Depending on your Raja), High-Maintenance, Romantic

Aspiration: Serial Romantic

Career: Actor/Actress OR Education (Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams she is a teacher BUT there are several legacies with teaching)

Rules:

Have an animal Best Friend (Raja) and become companions as a child

You are only allowed to leave the house for school

Use a telescope for stargazing

You are allowed on dates approved by parents (for aspiration)

Sneak out of the house and meet your future partner

Find a partner with the kleptomaniac trait

Complete serial romantic trait before marrying

Marry the kleptomaniac partner (do not take any of their household funds since they are a poor street rat)

Have Heir

Aladdin

Summary:

You lose your parents and to make a living you develop survival skills to stay one jump ahead. You steal only to survive, and while you develop severe insecurities, you remain good at heart. Your insecurity leads you to believe no one would want to be with a street rat. That is until you meet someone who could change your life.

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Outgoing, Goofball

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Steal for money

Rules:

Become an orphan as a teen or young adult (If you choose Moana to play next then do not kill your parents to become an Orphan. Instead, run away from home.)

Start with low funds and steal to make a living

Have a loyal pet and become companions

Level Logic skill to a minimum of five

Level the Fitness Skill to a minimum of six

Complete Message in a Bottle Collection

Become friends with a “Genie” (can be any occult but preferably spellcaster) who helps you with their magic

Have a makeover with Genie’s help

Marry a rich person with Genie’s help

Have Heir

Genie

Summary:

You possess phenomenal cosmic power…and an itty-bitty living space. You grow up isolated and refrain from making friends. People tend to want to use you for your powers and not genuine friendship. However, this doesn’t stop you from continuously reaching out and being good to those around you. You meet a street rat kleptomaniac who surprisingly changes your life for the better.

Traits: Goofball, Loyal, Good

Aspiration: Joke Star

Career: Entertainer (Comedian)

Rules:

Become a Spellcrafter

Must never: kill someone, make people fall in love, or revive the dead

Must grow up isolated (Do not make friends until you are a Young Adult)

Complete Message in a Bottle Collection

Must live in a tiny home (Tier 1 or 2)

Must use the magic carpet rug

Be bestfriends with a kleptomaniac

You must give your best friend a makeover and help them marry someone rich

Have your best friend live with you until they marry

Must learn a minimum of three spells and use them each at least once (Do not break the three Never rules with these spells)

Move/Retire to Sulani. This does not need to be a tiny home. (Optional: Complete Beach life Aspiration)

Have Heir

Moana - 900s Polynesian island (3000 yrs in past as of 2016)

Moana

Summary:

The Ocean has always called to you. You care a great deal about your family and friends, but long to voyage beyond your home. The land needs saving and you don’t know how far you’ll have to go, but you’ll do everything you can to heal the land.

Traits: Child of the Islands, Child of the Ocean, Self-Assured

Aspiration: Angling Ace

Career: Conservationist (Environmental Manager)

Rules:

Must live in Sulani

Have a close relationship with a grandparent

The same grandparent must pass before you leave home

Use Lot Trait Island Spirits and Commune with them

Must use the Conservationist Canoe at least 3 times

Meet your “Maui” by a Volcano and become BFFs

You and your best friend travel

Heal the island (Preserve and restore Sulani’s ecosystem)

Find the “Heart of Sulani” (The rare green Heart of Sulani necklace)

Watch the turtles hatch

Have an heir

Maui

Summary:

You seek constant love and validation. You must perform increasingly grand feats to sustain your fame. Once you reach the top it can be hard to maintain the love of the people. You go to an isolated volcanic island where you meet your best friend. They force you to join them in healing the land and doing what is right (not because it will gain you fame).

Traits: Active, Self-Assured, Child of the Islands

Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity AND Beach Life

Career: Lifeguard AND Must do Island Living Odd Jobs (Can also Fish and dive for $$)

Rules:

Must Live off the grid in Sulani (With the Volcanic Lot Trait)

Have the Island Spirits Lot Trait

Practice Singing

Use a Speargun for fishing (Found by clicking on the buoy) and/or the Admiral’s Fish Trap

Meet your “Moana” by the Volcano and become BFFs

Use “Beach Flex” from the lifeguard career on at least three sims

Have a canoe

Help Clean up the island and restore Sulani’s ecosystem with your best friend

Commune with the island spirits

Have an heir

Brave - 900 (10th century Scotland)

Merida

Summary:

You are brave, bold, and extremely stubborn. When you are younger you get along great with your parents, but when you become a teenager your relationship with one of your parents becomes strained. Wanting the best for you they try and arrange suitors for you, but you could care less about relationships. You want to have adventures and change the fate your parents have planned for you.

Traits: Hot-Headed, Slob, Non-Committal

Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast

Career: Use Video Station and drone to record adventures (If you Ski you can

teach ski classes at level 10, but otherwise use a drone to record

adventures for snowboarding, hiking, climbing, etc.)

Rules:

Learn to play the violin (Level 4, Dislike it)

Max Rock Climbing

Make it to the top of the peak (“Drink from the fire falls” in reference to the movie)

Have a minimum of 6 in fitness

Have a rocky relationship with one of your parental figures

Have three younger triplet siblings

Have 3 Suitors chosen by your parents (Refuse all three)

Find the will-o-the-wisp insect

Find the Hermit’s House and become good enough friends until they give you a recipe (Use them or find a witch to change your fate)

Get your parental figure you have a rocky relationship with cursed (Have them eat a baked good and then change them into a bear costume or transform into occult)

Also, transform your 3 younger siblings (into bear costumes)

Become Best Friends with the parental figure before breaking their curse and your siblings

Unlock Brave Reward Trait

Have an heir, adopt, or use a sibling's child as an heir

Mor’du

Summary:

You are the eldest of four siblings. Growing up you have always felt superior as you expect to inherit a large plot of land with a house/castle to rule as you see fit. However, your parents have a different plan. They expect the four of you to take care of the land together. You become enraged and plot to change your fate.

Traits: Evil, Mean, and Jealous

Aspiration: Optional depending on Gameplay (Do not have to complete)

If you change into a werewolf you can choose Lonewolf

If you use a bear costume can begin as one aspiration and then change to a new one once you are a bear

Do what fits your gameplay best

Career: Optional (Ex: military or bodybuilding) Until turned into a bear (Must

survive off the land after that)

Rules:

You are the oldest of 3 siblings (Traits: The youngest is a genius (Wise), the third is good (compassionate), and the second is loyal (Just)

You inherit a large plot of land with a house/castle (But you are told you must share it with your 3 other siblings)

Become enemies with 3 siblings

Have one child before finding the witch

Fiind the will-o-the-wisp insect

Find a witch and demand a spell for strength (Must find the Hermit’s House and become good enough friends until they give you a recipe)

Transform into bear and cheat strength. Or transform into an occult sim

Must defeat siblings and remain alone on your land

Cannot have any friends and must never take off bear costume (or always stay transformed as occult sim)

Must live off the land (live off the grid, lot challenge simple living, forge, fish, etc. )

Be openly hostile to anyone you encounter

Witch Carver

Summary:

You become a witch and move to a cottage in the woods. Here you live with your Raven familiar. You create potions, but your real passion is woodworking. Too many unsatisfied customers when it comes to potions. However, you will sell both (even if some customers leave in a bear costume). It is a simple magic life.

Traits: Art lover, Erratic, Maker

Aspiration: Purveyor of Potions

Career: Sell potions and woodcarvings (Optional: Own Retail Store)

Rules:

Must live in the woods

Must sell potions and woodcarvings

Max Handiness

Reach a minimum of level 5 in cooking or baking

Learn all Potions (and a minimum of 5 Practical Spells)

Never conjure where you carve

Must have Familiar (Raven)

Must have a broomstick

Must travel on Vacation at least once

Optional: Find a will-o-the-wisp insect

Have Heir

Emperors New Groove - 1300s-1500s

Kuzco

Summary:

Your caretaker(s) spoil you rotten as a kid. You grow to become arrogant, conceited, and selfish, but with a flair for style. You rarely take things seriously and tend to make enemies due to your attitude. Unfortunately for you, you upset the wrong person too many times.

Traits: Self-Absorbed, Snob, High Maintenance (OR Lactose Intolerant, but would be better to avoid cheese without it)

Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity AND Jungle Explorer

Career: Social Media (Internet Personality)

Rules:

Have a Vacation home in Selvadorada and spend most of your time there (Can use mods or cheats to stay there if you want)

Max Dancing Skill

You dislike cheese and frogs (Avoid both)

Upset Caregiver, Parent, or just the wrong sim and be “turned” into a llama

Must wear llama costume

Have a rabbit enemy (“squirrel”)

Make friends with a local in Selvadorada

Max Selvadorada Culture

Must Completely Explore the Jungle and Unlock the temple before removing Llama Costume

Once you are no longer a llama, you become more understanding and kind

Have an Heir

Pacha

Summary:

You are a loveable and kind person. You enjoy the simple things in life and appreciate the people around you. You have always wanted to be a good parent and dream of having your own farm where you can raise several of your kids and your beloved animals.

Traits: Family Orientated, Loyal, Animal Enthusiast

Aspiration: Country Care Taker

Career: Farmer

Rules:

Have a Llama Farm

Become Best Friends with a Llama

Marry early

Have at least 3 kids

Explore the Selvadorada Jungle

Meet a sim in the jungle and at first, dislike them (and then slowly become friends)

Stay in Selvadorada as long as possible (Can use cheats or mods)

Max Selvadorada Culture

Learn about the food, music, and all local customs

Kronk

Summary:

You have always loved the outdoors. From a young age, you aspire to spend as much time in nature as possible. You join scouts and are determined to be a Llamacorn. In your outdoor adventures, you find your love of animals and your love for fitness. When you’re older you take a job because they need muscle and you got plenty of that. However, the people you work for aren’t exactly the best. You still maintain your kindness even when you have to argue with the devil on your shoulder. You develop several hobbies and discover your true passion in life.

Traits: Foodie, Loves Outdoors, Neat

Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

Career: Criminal (Until Level Six “The Muscles) then pursue a dream as a Chef

Rules:

Become a Llamacorn in Scouts

Become a minimum of level two in dancing (2 Semesters in the back with your weak ankles)

Level fitness skill to at least an 8

Complete Chef Career

Become Friends with each of the woodland creatures, especially the rabbit (Rabbit, Fox, Birds)

Adopt a cat

Explore Selvadorada and attempt to stay there as long as possible (can use cheats and mods)

Max Selvadorada Culture

Have an Heir

Sleeping Beauty - 14th Century England

Aurora (Briar Rose)

Summary:

To avoid a curse, you are spirited away as a toddler to a secluded area and are raised by three magical beings. There you grow up innocent to the outside world. You always avoid strangers during your woodland outings. However, one day when you are singing through the forest (as one does), you come across a stranger who seems so familiar. As if you walked with them once upon a dream.

Traits: Music Lover, Romantic, Lazy

Aspiration: Soulmate

Career: Florist (And Make Jam)

Rules:

Your parent makes an enemy with an occult sim when you are a toddler

To avoid occult sim and their “Curse” you are sent to the woods with three guardians to raise you (Guardians are magical)

Do not talk to or interact with strangers (Especially this enemy sim)

Sing to and befriend the birds (Cottage Living)

Befriend other woodland creatures (when you come across them)

Pick berries (and other harvestable plants)

You can gather and wander in the woods, but cannot go into any town (except for school)

Meet your future spouse while singing in the woods (This is the first time you break your guardian’s “No Talking To Strangers Rule)

Do not see this love interest again until you officially see your parents again

Go with three guardians to meet the parent(s)

Must hate knitting and cross-stitching

Attempting knitting or cross-stitching and then fall into a deep slumber

Be awoken by your future spouse and become best friends

Go to a Ball with friends and family

Be married

Have Heir

Phillip

Summary:

You grow up to be brave and heroic, but easygoing by nature. You are extremely charismatic and love meeting new people. You want to meet your soulmate and marry for true love! Unfortunately, you and your soulmate have an enemy that you must defeat.

Traits: Romantic, Creative, Cheerful

Aspiration: Soulmate

Career: Actor

Rules:

Max Charisma Skill

Find a spouse either in the forest or randomly singing

Must dance with potential spouse the first time you meet (Do not see them again until you defeat the enemy)

Have a magical enemy

Fight said enemy until you win

When your future spouse and their family are sleeping, you must awaken them all

Dance at a ball with your future spouse

Marry and have an Heir

Hunchback of Notre Dame - 15th Century

Esmeralda

Summary:

You are cunning, confident, and a kind, loving selfless soul. You love dancing, performing, and anything involved in entertaining. You also deeply believe in doing the right thing and want justice for your people. You use your voice to protest what you don’t believe is right and you promote the causes you know are what the world needs.

Traits: Dance Machine, Outgoing, Party Animal

Aspiration: City Native

Career: Start off Busking for tips and then join the Politician Career (Charity Organizer Branch)

Rules:

Max Dancing Skill

Max Charisma

Have a minimum level 5 in logic skill

Attend all festivals at least once

Start a protest

Have a dog, max training, and have them perform tricks with other sims around (Djali the goat)

Have a friend who has a crush on you (keep your relationship strictly platonic)

Have an enemy who is both elderly and evil (Kill off this sim, they deserve it)

Marry someone who believes in your cause

Have an heir

Quasimodo

Summary:

You are raised by an Evil sim instead of by your parents. Despite being raised by an evil sim, you are kind, gentle, and trusting in nature. You are also extremely shy due to being raised away from society. You are scared to venture out of the house, but eventually, sneak out to a festival. You meet someone who helps to change your life for the better.

Traits: Loner, Good, Gloomy

Aspiration: City Native

Career: Sell things on Plopsy (Optional: When Evil Sim dies you can open a retail shop)

Rules:

Grow Up with an Evil Sim who isn’t your parent (Optional: Make the Evil Sim an Adult, instead of a young adult, so they age quicker)

Do not leave the house unless for school

Do not make any friends until you are a teen

Can befriend three children's toys

Minimum fitness skill of 6

Max Handiness Skill with the workbench for carvings

Sneak out and attend a festival where you meet a sim who you develop a crush on

Fall in love with sim, but only ever be friends (They marry someone else)

When Evil Sim is an elder, kill them off early (they deserve it)

Start making more friends after Evil Sim’s death

Have an heir

To see all 37 Legacies visit:

If you decide to play I'd love to know and see your characters! Feel free to share with me or on my other social media. Please make sure to cite me in any created content.

Enjoy!

33 notes · View notes

k-s-morgan · 2 years

Note

TW: Honest (bit harsh) opinion about Tomarry fanfics!

Do you mind if I rant a little Kat? I'm currently in the hunt of good Tomarry fanfics (all 7k of them on ao3: slash and no fem!Harry for now), and honestly a lot of what I read, even some that are popular (10k+ Kudos...) are just BAD. A lot LOT LOOOOT of writers just don't know how to frame Tom/Voldemort's character with all his flaws, personality disorders, qualities, wits and charisma... Seriously, it's borderline cringy sometimes, especially the kid/teenager Tom in the time-travel tropes or the redeemed Voldemort who is suddenly a do-no-wrong! I cannot stand it as a picky reader. I appreciate their dedication and effort, I also have some fanfic ideas that I would love to write but I still won't allow myself to until I study psychology, personality disorders and even child development in depth so that i put out quality content. Isn't research part of the writing process? Only a handful (for now) have managed to really nail the darkness of Tom/VM and twisted romance (about 7 including you). I know I will be told "don't read them then", but this is just my opinion feel free to disagree.

No problems, rants are always welcome!)) I understand what you mean. I’m a picky reader myself, and in most fandoms, I don’t like the majority of even the most top-rated stories. Just, they don’t work for me at all.

In the end, though, I think it comes down to our subjective preferences as readers vs. writers’ motivation for writing something. Every reader is going to look for something specific. Like you, I favor darker, more canonical versions of Tom, and when I encounter his innocent depictions, in most cases, I reject them. At the same time, despite not liking good!Tom, I love dark!Harry a lot. There is no logic here because dark!Harry goes against canon as much as good!Tom does, yet I love the former and dislike the latter. Many people hate both; others love both. It’s difficult to understand why this happens, it’s just how it is. In my other fandom, Shadowhunters, both protagonists are good. I can read about a dark version of MC1 (Magnus) but not the other (Alec). No idea why.

Similarly, writers treat writing in very different ways. Some strive to create canon-compliant narratives with perfectly canonical characters; others prefer complete AUs rooted in research; many writers simply want to have fun. They don’t care about realism or canon or historical accuracy, they just share their ideas and enjoy the process. Research can be a part of fanfiction, but it’s not obligatory - fics aim to bring joy and provide entertainment. I’m sure that for absolutely every fic, there is at least one person who is going to love it.

Love, I think, is the main motivator for writers. They are passionate about characters, they want to share their dramas, joy, porn without plot, humor, etc., and so they do it - just because they want to. If they loved writing their story, whatever it is, it’s already rewarding.

For instance, maybe someone wanted to redeem Tom or Voldemort as soon as possible - this was their major goal for writing because they liked the idea, related to Tom on a personal level & wanted to explore this hope for a quick redemption, were simply bored or curious about this kind of plot. People also have different perceptions: for example, sometimes I read a story about a serious argument between the characters and I feel like it was resolved too unbelievably quickly. I grow frustrated, go to see what other people said, and discover that mostly everyone loved the resolution and felt it was realistic.

WHGTB is similar in this regard. Some people side with Tom; some side with Harry. Whatever the resolution is in the last chapter, I have no doubts there will be those who’ll hate it. Some will think it’s unfair to Tom; others will think it’s unfair to Harry or to both or to the story as a whole. I actually saw someone discuss how Tom became too good and they lost interest in reading - but there are other people who think Tom remains a monster. There are no writers or readers with wrong positions in these scenarios, people just perceive things very differently from one another.

Of course, some stories are written with more skills than others - age and experience can play big roles here. I’m embarrassed of many things I wrote in the past, but at the time, I thought they were pretty great :D As readers, we can’t automatically know who wrote what and why, but all stories have their audience. It’s unfortunate to be unable to find enough fics I specifically would like - I probably like 1 fic in every 10 I read, but I’m grateful for the ones I do enjoy, and there is always writing. It’s so gratifying to write and express my vision. Besides, every writer contributes to the extended life of their fandom, whether they have a wide or small circle of readers.

I hope you’ll start writing when you feel like it and that the process will bring you a lot of joy, too! Writing can be pure magic.

#my fics #fanfiction #tomarry

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mimeparadox · 4 years

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The New Half-Truths about Corsets

As true as it is that corsets are often misrepresented in audiovisual and written media, and as glad as I am to see people defending them, GOD, am I annoyed by the current discourse. Not because the defenders are wrong —they’re not, in general terms—but because Twitter, Instagram, and their incentivitization of easily digestible sound bites over nuance haves stripped the conversation from all the complexity inherent in a subject as big as corsets. In seeking to be more accurate, corset defenders have often just muddied the water further, with a brand-new set of half-truths.

Here are my favorite (least favorite) talking points.

“Corsets are literally just bras!”

As a cis dude, I’ve never had reason or occasion to wear bras. I have worn corsets, though, and let me tell you, things like having to take off one’s boots after one has been out in the snow while wearing a corset is work—moreso, I imagine, that if I’d been wearing a bra. Actually putting on boots before a corset? Even harder, enough that “boots before corsets” is a common bit of advice. Corsets aren’t torture, but they do force one to rethink how they interact with the world, in ways different than bras do.

To be less glib though, yes, corsets could and did provide the sort of breast support that is now provided by bras. This doesn’t render the multiple differences irrelevant! For one, breast support is the one thing bras are meant to do: with corsets, it is secondary or even inessential, evidenced by all the corsets that do not provide breast support, such as corsets for men, old-timey corsets for kids, and underbust corsets, which are still definitely corsets.

(Megan Fox in Jonah Hex, wearing a corset that is doing exactly the same thing as a bra. Yes, I know it’s not historically accurate; that is not the point.)

What most miffs me about this argument is that it is exceedingly reductive, and displays simplistic thinking regarding both corsets and bras. Because yes, corsets were like bras…and? What is this argument trying to say, given that bras their own baggage? Is the argument that corsets aren’t torture because corsets are bras? Plenty of people find bras uncomfortable, and something to be abandoned as soon as it becomes feasible. Corsets were purely practical because corsets are bras? Plenty of bras exist for primarily aesthetic purposes—some even do a fair amount of shaping. In the end, both garments have complicated, multifaceted, and distinct features, histories, and semiotics, and trying to equate them in a single sentence says nothing useful about either of them.

“Stays are not corsets!”

Amusingly, this argument seems somewhat incompatible with the previous one, given that stays have much more in common with corsets than with bras, but here we are.

Yes, 18th- and early 19th-century stays are significantly distinct from the corsets that we see later in the latter century, and if someone wants to don Bridgerton-inspired looks that accurately reflect Regency fashions, they should not look at Victorian corsets to obtain it. And yes, one can make the case that stays and corsets were entirely different animals.

Here’s the thing, though: historically, that’s not a case that people made. Corsets are we know them weren’t considered to be a completely different thing from stays, but rather a different style of stays—two different breeds of dog, perhaps, but dogs all the same. Once the term corset entered regular parlance, the two terms were usually used interchangeably, as can be seen in multiple 19th century documents, including technical ones where differences between the two, if they existed, would have been noted.

The Duties of a Lady's Maid: With Directions for Conduct, and Numerous Receipts for the Toilette (1825)

English Patents of Inventions, Specifications, 1865, 3186 - 3265 (1866)

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What’s more, it’s not until very recently that people began treating stays and corsets as altogether different things. Gone with the Wind, the book? The terms corsets and stays are used interchangeably. The Oxford English dictionary? Describes stays as a sort of corset. The longest-lasting site dedicated to corsets on the internet calls itself the Long Island Staylace Association, with no indication that doing so represented an inaccuracy on its part. Sure, Elizabeth Swann should have properly said “You like pain? Try wearing stays”—at least it one wanted to be more accurate (if not good: good writing is partly about making oneself understood). But speaking here, and now, looking backwards? Very few people are trying to be that precise.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that corsets have had a variety of styles and features throughout history, and the term is by no means exclusive to what we most often see as corsets. The S-shaped corsets from the Edwardian era are very different from Victorian corsets, as are the more girdle-like garments that followed. While not everything is a corset, I’ve yet to see a convincing argument that the term isn’t broad enough to include 18th-century stays.

Tightlacing, Part 1: “Almost nobody did it”

Statements about tightlacing annoy me more than most, largely because they involve clearer instances of wrongness, but also because they hit closer to home.

Tightlacing has always been an imprecisely defined term: Lucy Williams, one of the best-known contemporary champions of corsetry, talks a little bit about the various ways the term has been used in her post “Waist Training vs Tight Lacing – what’s the difference?” found on her site. Usually, it refers to a quantitative measure—your corset must reduce X amount to be considered tightlacing—although recently, the discourse appears to have adopted a more qualitative definition, applicable to any instance where someone is shown displaying discomfort at being laced into corsets, regardless of how tightly they are (or aren’t) being cinched.

(Left: Moi, wearing a custom corset from The Bad Button Corsetry; Right, Upper: Scene from Bridgerton; Right, Lower: Scene from Enola Holmes)

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Take, for example, the scene that has most recently caused a stir, from Bridgerton, where the character Prudence Featherington is seen grimacing as she is laced into her corset stays corset, while her sisters wince in sympathy and their mother, Portia, insists that she be laced tighter. Others have raised objections to this scene, focusing mainly on the fact that Portia’s mania for a smaller waist is anachronistic and makes little sense given fashions that de-emphasize the waist, but fewer have noted that for all the hemming and hawing that is being done by the characters, Prudence’s figure is ultimately not all that compressed, and seems perfectly in line with everybody else’s. Is what is been done to her tightlacing? A lot of people appear to think so! And yet, that assertion carries some implications. If Prudence is being forced to tightlace here, is everyone else with a comparable silhouette (again, pretty much everyone) also tightlacing? The answer is kind of important, especially if one also wants to claim that tightlacing was rare.

It’s worth noting that Valerie Steele’s The Corset: A Cultural History, one of the seminal works on corsetry throughout history, doesn’t actually attempt to make a case for the rarity of tightlacing. What it does attempt is to determine the accuracy of claims that women regularly laced down to 18 inches, 16 inches, or even smaller measurements, which is not quite the same thing. When exploring the question by looking at collections of surviving corsets from the era, the book has this to say: "Statistics from the Symington Collection [...] indicate that out of 197 corsets, only one measured 18 inches. Another 11 (five per cent of the collection) were 19 inches. Most were 20 to 26 inches.” While Steele readily admits this is hardly conclusive evidence, she took it as a sign that women with 16-inch waists were nowhere near as common as accounts suggested they were. Case closed, asked and answered, no one tightlaced, right?

Well, no.

Again, it comes down to definitions. Even speaking quantitatively, very few people define tightlacing as “lacing down to nineteen inches or fewer” (certainly no woman in Bridgerton is that tightly laced). The consensus, rather, is that tightlacing is not about the size of the corseted waist, but about the size of the reduction. How much people cinched, however, cannot be determined by looking only at corsets, because doing so requires not only those corsets’ measurements (and even those don’t tell the whole story, given that they don’t necessarily indicate how tightly they were worn) but also the starting measurements of the people wearing them.

In other words, say someone with a 33-inch waist uses corsets to reduce their waist measurement to 25 inches. This, according to most definitions, would be considered tightlacing—a 24% reduction!—and yet the absolute measurements would be nothing to write home about. How is that reflected in Steele’s sample of corsets? Impossible to say. A 25-inch corset could also be worn by someone with a natural 27-inch waist.

What, then, can we say about the frequency of tightlacing? Well, if we’re talking about dramatic reductions of, say, more than four inches (a two-inch reduction, by the way, can look like this—again, more dramatic than what we see in Bridgerton) one can say, with a fair level of confidence, that it was probably not the norm. And yet, “not the norm” is itself a very broad category, and given the numbers involved, “a minority of people” can easily still be “loads and loads of people”, as seen, for example, with COVID-19. Even if two percent of the population who wore corsets tightlaced, that’s still hundreds of thousands of people—hardly “almost no one”, as some argue. And if wearing corsets as seen in Enola Holmes or Bridgerton counts as tightlacing, the number becomes even higher.

Tightlacing, Part 2: “Tightlacing is bad”

Perhaps not coincidentally, another element of the current corset discourse involves taking all the baggage usually assigned to corsetry in general and applying it to tightlacing instead. Corsets are not painful, goes the argument, but tightlacing is. Corsets are not unhealthy, but tightlacing is. People could do everyday things in corsets, they’ll say, but not when tightlaced. Arguments made against corsets in the 19th century were slander made by people who just hated women (another half-truth I have little time for), but are apparently utterly unobjectionable when applied to tightlacing. This, as many modern-day tightlacers will tell you, is bullshit, but it feels like an especially odd argument to make in light of everything else.

As in, what is the point? It feels a lot like saying “I’m not sex-negative, but having sex with more than X partners is icky.” And given the history-focused slant of the current discourse, it’s safe to believe that most people arguing against tightlacing are not people who have attempted it. There is, however, an existing community that will happily tell you, based on personal experience, what tightlacing is actually like.

So from personal experience: tightlacing may not be like wearing a bra, and there are definitely some considerations that you have to take while doing it— getting dressed, sitting down, and eating are all done differently when tightly laced—but this is more logistical than anything, and also applies to other things—running in steel-toed boots is much different from running in sneakers, and the advice when doing the former is often “don’t”. Additionally, the margin for error decreases the more tightly laced one is, but corsets aren’t special in that regard: proper care is much more important when one is flying a commercial jet than when one is flying a one-seater. But yes, you can do physical activity while tightlaced. Not necessarily the sort that you could do in exercise clothes, but then, the fact that suits are not optimized for running doesn’t make suits bad.

Tightlacing, in the end, is not really different from wearing a corset. Some people will like it, some will not, but ultimately, how pleasurable or how unpleasurable it is (it’s very pleasurable, in my book) depends on what you put into it, and that’s something quite a few people—not a majority, but also not “almost nobody”—who are often far more tightly laced than people in movies, would attest to, if people listened.

#Corset #Historical Fashion #Bridgerton #Enola Holmes #Tightlacing #Stays

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soldouthaz · 4 years

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Hiiii I don't know if you've already done one like this, but who are your favorite fic writers? I always love your recs and I'd love to know who your favorites are so I can check them out! Also I love your fics!

hii! thank you so much for this ask I can’t believe I hadn’t though of doing this before!

most of these authors are people that I have talked with at least once before, and I can vouch for their character 1000%. reading their writing is so much more gratifying not only because it’s well written, but because of the satisfaction of knowing that they are truly good individuals as well. I am also thinking about doing one of these recs for artists and other content creators as well if anyone would be interested in that!

I'm in the middle of midterms right now so my brain is very scattered and I'm sure I’ve forgotten some people, but know that there is no way I could possibly list all of the wonderful authors that have made a difference in my life. but please check out these authors and leave them some love if you do! as always, please stick to your own interests and don’t spread any hate!

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please let me know if I have used any incorrect pronouns or linked anything incorrectly, or if you'd like me to unlink to something! :)

in no particular order:

✰ falsegoodnight

ao3 | @risthebrave | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, soulmates, uni au’s

personal recs: x , x , x , x

where do I start? the plots she comes up with are 10/10, the writing is absolutely amazing, and she’s just generally a wonderful and considerate person. you can just tell by reading her work how passionate she is about writing when you read her work. each and every one of her fics is a huge yes from me and I'm so excited to for all of her wips! and it definitely doesn’t hurt that she’s an amazing person in general either!

✰ pinkvinyl

ao3 | @pinkvinyl | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, pwp

personal recs: x

they only have one work out as of this date but oh boy it’s so so good!! the imagery here is just on an entirely different level. they make it so easy to visualize the scenes and it makes the fics that much more lovely to read! (+ happy birthday ashley!)

✰ outropeace

ao3 | @outropeace | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, soulmates

personal recs: x , x , x

andy is amazing!! I just finished their most recent fic last night and I'm obsessed. I love the dialogue with their works and they always manage to write raw emotion so beautifully. the angst is wonderful as well! their work is always just the right amount of length and detail to always leave you wanting more :)

✰ faeriestyles

ao3 | @yvesaintlourent | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, trailer park! harry, a/b/o, pwp

personal recs: x

I'm not entirely sure why hayley doesn’t think her fics are anything less than amazing. she only has two out currently but I can’t tell you how excited I am to see some of what she’s been teasing on twitter! she has a gift with her scenes! the way she describes the settings makes you feel like you’re there with the characters, and it’s easy to get lost in the words (in the best way!).

✰ allwaswell16

ao3 | @allwaswell16 | twitter

common work tags/tropes: cowboy au, assassin au, bottom Louis, bottom harry, a/b/o, soulmates, uni au’s, hate to love, vampires, drabbles, football, royal au’s, side ziam

personal recs: x , x , x , x

TONS of awesome fics to choose from! there’s definitely something for everyone here. anitra is a lovely person in general and I, as well as many others, appreciate her dedication to writing consistently lovely fics over and over again. I still haven’t made my way through all of them yet but I have no doubt I’ll love them! she also runs a *podcast* for other fic writers and reviews which spreads so much positivity and happiness in our corner of the fandom :) she’s amazing!

✰ smittenwithlouis

ao3 | @smittenwithlouis | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, fantasy au’s, magic, hybrid Louis, mythical creatures

personal recs: x , x

super super talented! their fics are always well written and they’re probably my favorite fantasy writer in the fandom!! I really like the magic elements and the different takes on popular mythical tropes, and you can really feel the emotion through the dialogue and the settings. despite having a lot of fantasy aspects, every fic feels very realistic which is usually very hard to do with these topics!

✰ lads_laddylads

ao3 | @lads-laddylads | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, pwp, vampires, uni au’s

personal recs: x , x , x

I'm a sucker for literally all of emma’s storylines. I think I've reread her most recent fic about five times now! even after not writing for a bit it’s clear that the talent never left! she’s definitely got some classics in her portfolio and I can’t wait to see what’s coming :)

✰ whoknows

ao3 | @crazyupsetter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, canon elements, dom/sub, a/b/o, supernatural / fantasy elements, drabbles, pwp, hybrid Louis

personal recs: x , x , x , x , x , x

I'm pretty sure everyone already knows about this author but they’re so incredibly talented and their fics are some of my favorites so I couldn’t leave them off of this list! they have thirty two lovely fics as of this day to choose from for this fandom, as well as a few for others as well. they’re another author that has something for everyone! there’s just something about the way they write that lets you get lost in it. I always finish their fics with a smile on my face and feeling fulfilled from another wonderful read!

✰ itjustkindahappened

ao3 | @tequiladimples

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, fluff, mythology, drabbles

personal recs: x

I still need to finish reading the rest of their works but I cannot say enough about ‘collision’! this author’s attention to detail and dedication to accuracy and descriptions in their writing is just incredible! you can tell just how much time and effort went into it, and, in my opinion, it was so so worth it! I admire them so much :) it’s so refreshing when these kinds of tropes are well done and you can just get lost in the writing from the first word down to the last line!

✰ delsicle

ao3 | @eeveelou

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, ‘thick alpha’ verse, pwp, dunkirk inspired works, mpreg, polyamory, some dark themes / horror, Alex from dunkirk, drabbles

personal recs: x , x , x , x , x

another fandom favorite! I've been absolutely obsessed with ‘feeling it out’ since it was first published! they write a/b/o (and everything else!) so well that they make it look easy! the characterizations are so unique and I've never read anything like them before - I can’t get enough! I always look forward to their posts and already know it’ll be one of my new favorites!

✰ jaerie

ao3 | @jaerie

common work tags/tropes: a/b/o, bottom Louis, bottom harry, canon elements, gender swap, drabbles, mpreg, historical au’s, pwp

personal recs: x , x , x ,

I really admire this author because of the way they tend to go against the grain. they write the things they want and it’s obvious that they enjoy it, and I really admire their ability to do so! there are tons of options here as well! (check the tags before reading!)

✰ louizsv

ao3 | @louizsv

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, d/s dynamics, vampires, some fantasy / supernatural elements

personal recs: x , x

their first fic still has me absolutely floored - it’s definitely one of my all time favorites! their writing is usually between 10k - 20k but it’s amazing the amount of detail and plot they can articulate in that length. if you’re looking for a simple, cute, lovely read, you’ve chosen the right author! :)

✰ brooklyn_babylon

ao3 | @brooklyn-babylon

common work tags/tropes: bottom harry, pwp

personal recs: x

I'm not sure if they want me to tag their main account so I'll just tag the one above :) this author definitely has a way with words! I only found their work recently and it hasn’t disappointed throughout the many rereads in the time since. they write tension and emotion beautifully and their characterization is lovely! I'm looking forward to anything else they might publish!

✰ 2tiedships2

ao3 | @2tiedships2 | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, a/b/o, enemies to lovers, fake dating, fluff

personal recs: x , x , x

pretty sure I've already talked about this author several times but I couldn’t leave them off! their fics are written so beautifully and realistically that you cannot put it down until it’s over. the first time I found them I fell down a rabbit hole and read all of their works within the week! I reread their fics on a monthly basis and I have absolutely no regrets.

✰ disgruntledkittenface

ao3 | @disgruntledkittenface

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, bottom harry, drabbles, d/s elements, gender swapping / girl direction, hurt/comfort, fluff

personal recs: x , x

I so much admire the variety in these fics, as well as the time and dedication this author has put forth for readers. it’s obvious how much they love writing! everything from the meet-cute’s to the smut is exceptionally well written and immersive. their work has been and will always be very close to my heart , so if you check them out please leave them some love! :) (also please make sure to check the tags before you read!)

✰ summerwine

ao3 | @smrwine

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, pwp, feminization, dom/sub

personal recs: x , x , x

I'm sure this author is also no stranger! they truly have a gift for writing such aesthetically pleasing and wonderfully worded fics, stock full with dreamy settings and descriptions. their writing is just on a whole different kind of genre and I don’t think I'll ever get tired of reading and rereading their works!

✰ loadedgunn

ao3 | @loaded-gunn

common work tags/tropes: bottom harry, bottom Louis, pwp, dom/sub, gender swap / girl direction

personal recs: x , x , x

reading this author’s fics is almost like you’re being allowed into a private moment between the characters. sometimes I even hold my breath when I'm reading so I don’t disturb the moment! this writing is soft and lovely and every single scene is thick with emotion in the best way. the chemistry between their characters is insane!

✰ edensrose

ao3 | @holdingthornsandroses | twitter

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, historical au

personal recs: x

I have yet to read this author’s second work but I have no doubt it will be just as absolutely amazing as the first one was! I am amazed at their ability to twist such a classic storyline and completely make it feel like their own, and to do so effortlessly. I adore their attention to detail and originality in their fics and I can’t wait until I have some time to dig into their latest one! (and it helps that they’re just a very lovely person!)

✰ angelichl

ao3 | @angelichl

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, bottom harry, uni au’s, a/b/o, dom/sub, supernatural elements, drabbles

personal recs: x , x , x

reading this author’s work is like getting immersed in another world. I have yet to find another author that can so beautifully write this melancholic and yet morally satisfying type of aura through their words. this is another person that writes dialogue and emotion very tactfully, and it really resonates when reading. (check the tags!)

✰ istajmaal

ao3

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, bottom harry, phone sex operator fic, pwp, dom/sub, gender swapping

personal recs: x , x , x , x , x , x

oh boy I'm already sweating! I really really enjoy the way that this author describes and I hope they come back at some point! all of their storylines are so unique and very refreshing. not to mention how they have a way of writing smut that literally has me so hooked into the story that I forget to breathe sometimes! truly a fantastic writer!

✰ mercutionotromeo

ao3 | @mercutionotromeo

common work tags/tropes: bottom harry, pwp, daddy kink, dom/sub, fluff, drabbles, gender swapping, light age play

personal recs: x , x , x , x , x , x

one of my all time favorite authors!!! I've been reading their works for years now and I still can’t get enough. it’s soft and lovely and warm and just very very comforting in general. they have a way of making their fics seem like an entire little world no matter how short or long they are. they haven’t written in a bit but I'll continue dutifully waiting on a notification!

✰ sunflowerstyles

ao3 | @sunflowerstyles

common work tags/tropes: bottom Louis, hurt/comfort, daddy kink,

personal recs: x , x

this author is kind of like the b!L version of mercutionotromeo, at least in my opinion. their last fic was published in 2016 but I've reread their work so many times since then in hopes they'll come back at some point! this person does a wonderful job with angst & hurt/comfort and when I'm in the mood for those tropes these fics are definitely some of my first contenders! (make sure to check the tags! some of the hurt/comfort aspects may be triggering for some readers). lots of emotion and very soft, loving fics!

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please let me know if you need any more! happy reading and I hope you find some more lovely authors to choose from! :)

#ask #fic recs #this took me 84 years I hope you like it!

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vamonumentlandscape · 3 years

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Poplar Forest & Bedford

When we first arrived at Poplar Forest that lies on the outskirts of Lynchburg in Bedford County, we were blown away by the beautiful landscape that surrounded Thomas Jefferson’s retreat. Our team had heard such good things about the historic site from those who work there, our professors, and fellow students, we knew it was a must see spot. When we walked into the visitors center, we were greeted by the most kind staff member that we have encountered at any historic site. He was helpful, sweet, and even asked us about our research. We felt very welcome as soon as we walked through the door. To begin the tour, we started with a fifteen minute video introduction to Poplar Forest. Before the tour began, we realized our tour guide seemed to have little enthusiasm when one man asked her if she was our tour guide and she responded with a flat “yes.” After that odd encounter, we watched the wonderfully done film on Jefferson’s retreat home. The short video captured the stories of Jefferson, the enslaved people who worked there, and the importance of the architecture of the site. We were all looking forward to the tour of the historic home and the rest of our day at Poplar Forest after this.

We began the tour outside of the octagonal mansion with our tour guide explaining the symmetric architecture that Jefferson wanted to experiment with. By combining all of the techniques he had seen in Europe, he created this small, yet grand mansion as his getaway. But, he is not the one who put the physical labor into creating this architectural masterpiece. The enslaved people of Poplar Forest are the real champions of constructing the illustrious home. Our tour guide made that clear when she described much of the back-breaking work the enslaved people, like John Hemings, put into the building. She pointed out the only asymmetric detail, the wing of the home, where the enslaved people spent most of their days cooking, cleaning, and keeping the home the way Jefferson wanted. Unlike other Jefferson designs, there was no other wing to complete the symmetry. As Travis McDonald would explain to us later, “the second wing is the million dollar question.” Speculation from staff who have greatly studied the wing says it was just unnecessary to add another space to the home. We walked a little further to see the newly reconstructed carriage turnaround to what it would have looked like in Jefferson’s day. At Poplar Forest, the staff has taken huge steps to ensure the complete correctness of their rebuilding of the home. Our tour guide made sure we knew this once we entered the home. We were all impressed by the moulding, exact replicas, and specificity of the measurements for the rooms. Not only is the representation of the home wonderfully done, but the interpretation was wonderful. Though our tour guide was a bit quiet and unenthused, she did not refrain from allowing Jefferson to be talked about as human and did not glorify him. She was able to express his architectural genius all the while letting us know he did not build one piece of it. He was wholly dependent on enslaved laborers to have his elitist lifestyle. It was encouraging to see a second site where Jefferson was able to be learned about earnestly and not in a God-like manner. Our tour guide also explained to us in the parlor room how he had a more familial side with his granddaughters who frequently accompanied him at Poplar Forest. In the last room, we got to see the room that mirrored Jefferson's bedroom. While his room was fully restored, this room was used as a progress room to show how the staff at Poplar Forest worked to recreate the Jeffersonian home after it had undergone fire and renovations from other residents. Also in this room was an original John Hemings door. This was a site to see as we all know that he was responsible for most of the ornate mouldings and doors in the original home. We all enjoyed the house tour and were incredibly impressed with all the work the staff at Poplar Forest has done in the short 40 years they have been a museum. In the grand scheme of things, 40 years and starting from scratch is not long for the project that they had ahead of them.

In the basement and the wing of the mansion is an exhibit dedicated to the enslaved workers of Poplar Forest. This was not a part of the house tour, but we made sure to see all that was displayed on our own. We saw the familiar name of John Hemings featured throughout. Without his tireless efforts, the home would not have been able to feature such unique architectural details. Though Thomas Jefferson was a master architect, he was never doing the hard work of actually building what he designed throughout his life. It was enlightening to see what archaeological finds have been discovered at the site. There was one display case that featured a series of items collected by rats in the attic of the home between 1846 and the 1960s, which was far beyond Thomas Jefferson’s ownership of the property. There were fragments of book pages, newspapers, clothes, and more. We walked over to see what was displayed in the wing between the east side of the home and the east mound, and we were amazed to find the kitchen with fireplaces, hearths, and a cook’s quarters. On display in one of the rooms was a letter from Hannah, an enslaved woman, written to Thomas Jefferson. In the letter, she expresses sadness about his inability to visit Poplar Forest that Fall and she also paraphrased the Bible - “we ought to serve and obey his commandments that you may set to win the prize and after glory run.” We believe this letter clearly shows a level of hopelessness and despair within Hannah, but it also depicts a unique dynamic of an enslaved person being allowed the ability to write. This must have been a unique circumstance. We are extremely pleased with the archaeological excavations done to bring the Wing of Offices back to their original form. Past the East mound are structures of the era beyond Thomas Jefferson’s ownership of the property and contained the living quarters of enslaved people during the antebellum era up through emancipation. There was a small exhibit in one of the spaces that allowed further learning about the enslaved. Down the hill and near a modern residential community is a reconstructed enslaved person quarters known as the North Hill site. It was built with logs and had a chimney lined with clay to avoid the spread of fires. A small garden likely existed since food rations were so limited. It was amazing to see the basic shape and size of what the enslaved lived within and is a stark contrast to the extravagance of the mansion. Reconstructing such structures allow sites like Poplar Forest to share the hard, yet necessary, truths of what enslavement looked like.

Our last stop after the gift shop at Poplar Forest was to Travis McDonald’s office. McDonald is the Director of Architectural Restoration at Poplar Forest. He has been with the foundation from the very beginning. His skills of being an architect, a restorationist, and a historian in his own right made him the perfect candidate for the position he has held for over 30 years. We were all so thankful that we got the opportunity to speak with him about Jefferson’s historic retreat. As we sat down in his office, the walls were lined with shelves encasing what seemed to be hundreds of books. On his desk and floor there were even more. The books that caught our attention were the Annette Gordon-Reed books, The Hemings of Monticello and Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. His devotion to the ever evolving story of Jefferson was told to us before he even began talking. He told us right off the bat that Poplar forest “strives for historical accuracy over idealistic perceptions.” Since we have been to many historic sites across the state this summer, we have seen a few places that do the opposite. It is so impressive that the foundation has wanted to do this from the very beginning. They have cut no corners in perfection - literally. He explained to us that Jefferson was not the originator of his own ideas, but a master of self-education. He was able to learn and combine many pre-existing cutting edge architectural techniques. From masters of the art like Andrea Palladio, Jefferson was able to utilize his knowledge and European ideas to create his own style. McDonald continued to give us wisdom when he connected his specialty of architecture to history. “Architecture is a lot like history. It gets reinterpreted as new evidence is found and progress can be made.” Our last question for McDonald was about his feelings towards the current issues of Confederate monuments. His answer blew all of us away as it contained sincere emotion and toiled thought. “I had to separate myself from seeing them as art and architecture. As a professional architect and restorationist, that is how I saw and appreciated them for a long time. But now, I have been able to separate myself from that and see what they truly mean.” It was enlightening to hear a professional who has been in his field for decades to share his feelings with us. Travis McDonald was so welcoming and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to gain insight from him.

We ventured into the small town of Bedford after visiting Poplar Forest. In our earliest research, we found an article on “The War Between the States Museum'' at the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library. Just from the title, we knew we needed to go see whatever it was. Of course, “the war between the states” is a lost cause term to amplify that states rights was the reason for the Civil War instead of the obvious cause: slavery. We went in and it was a dark, dimly lit place. There were a few staff members and they were kind to us when we asked for admission in the museum. The gift shop was filled with outdated books, old postcards, and Confederate memorabilia, so we gained more insight onto what was ahead in the exhibit spaces. We took what the museum employee called the “slowest elevator in the county” up to the top floor where the exhibit on the “war between the states'' was displayed. We walk in and it is a large room with many glass cases. Again, very dim and not well lit, we strained our eyes to read the exhibits. The first exhibit you see in the space is on “Blacks Service.” All of our mouths dropped. It was an exhibit amplifying the myth of Black Confederates. Yes, Africa Americans served in the Confederacy, but not by their own will. They served as enslaved persons to those in the war. None of us could barely stand to be in the museum any longer after this, but we pushed through. Confederate flags were everywhere, the use of the word “Yankee”, and an exhibit on how Jefferson Davis’ release from prison was “a way to heal the deep divide between the U.S.” was on display. It was mind blowing to see this shrine to the Lost Cause only thirty minutes away from Randolph. At the end of the exhibit, we noticed a little sign on the wall that said the Sons of the Confederate Veterans still meet at least once a month in the room. We were all in disbelief from the complete bias and shrine-like nature of the museum. We traveled downstairs to see the other exhibits on local Native Americans, local African Americans, WWI, and WWII. The Native American exhibit looked like it was a project that the local middle school students put together. The information was not terrible, but the display was embarrassing. The information was presented at an education level for 5th graders, yet there was no signage dictating that it was a children’s exhibit. In the local African American exhibit, there were artifacts from the former all-Black high school, the African American sheriff who just retired, and Carol M. Swain, the African American conservative political science professor and Republican advocate. It was nice to see the information displayed about successful locals, but the message was clear. Overall, the museum experience was subpar. We all knew what we were walking into, but somehow it was worse than we could have imagined. We hope one day that the staff at the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library will improve their interpretation.

Before we left the town of Bedford, we took a close look at the Confederate monument that stands in front of the Bedford County Courthouse. The text at the base of the high obelisk below a carved battle flag says “Bedford honors her heroes; proudly rejoicing with the living; sincerely mourning the dead. Their history is its brightest pace...This stone is erected to keep fresh in memory the noble deeds of these devoted sons.” Obviously, this monument reeks of the lost cause and does not honor a piece of history that all can be proud of. Taking down such a problematic statue would not be “erasing history,” as Bedford supervisor candidates stated in 2017. The public should play a role in discussions of what to do with the obelisk, but it certainly does not belong in front of such an important government building. Once again, the United Daughters of the Confederacy supported the construction of a heinous monument at a time (1909) when African-Americans faced acts of discrimination and bigotry. If people were able to put themselves in the shoes of those most affected by the presence of such an awful monument, then we would finally be able to make lasting changes for the betterment of us all.

#bedford #virginia #history #monument #civil war #confederate #poplar forest #Jefferson #sally hemings

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watching-movies-alone · 5 years

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The Witch (2015)

Now, I say this as a fan of horror movies, The Witch is not for the faint of heart.

I can already hear the indignant shouts of slasher fans, shouting that "I can handle gore! All the time!"

Allow me to rephrase: The Witch is a psychological period horror piece based on a New England folktale, which caters more to cinemaphiles than passive movie watchers who are in for a good scare.

What Hollywood has done with horror movies is make them all based around adrenaline and 'scary' visuals. This results in disgustingly blase films such as The Nun (2018), La Llorona (2019), which grab the attention of hormonal teenagers looking for a 'fix' of wanting to almost piss themselves in a theater around other equally disappointingly disappointed figures.

The Witch is something I first watched maybe a year ago, alone with my dog when it was available on Amazon Prime Video for free. I remembered hearing reviews on it on my then-favourite radio station, and the commentators seemed suitably rattled. Looking immediately back on the film five minutes after the credits stopped rolling (I was NOT about to stand up), I was so glad that I decided to watch the movie with the lights on, and during the daytime.

Now, on the artistic side of it, The Witch is fucking gorgeous.

Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, who had also worked with Eggers on The Lighthouse (2019) and a series of short films, commented that The Witch was filmed mostly with available and natural light, which adds to a sense of eeriness, as the light tends to be harsher and less-polished, a leading factor in most films being produced with an intensive lighting crew to fully manipulate how the characters appear. Natural and available light is the opposite: there is a certain degree of control when it comes to the times that the film is shot, but this is the same type of control that those who practice watercolour have to get used to: a lack of control is the only truly constant factor.

Another reason why this film is so effective is in how the movie itself deviated from typical horror films. Being labeled on IMDb as Drama/Horror/Mystery, this movie is being separated from conventional horror films as it is so remarkably apart from what Hollywood has been churning out as cash-grabs. This film is a horror film absolutely devoid of jump scares.

Jump Scares.

The bastard son of genuine fright and cheap tactics.

In The Witch, the horror itself comes from the creeping sense of unease present throughout the entire film, and the disturbing visuals capitalise on that by bringing this unease to a new level. This is probably a leading reason as to why it got a 6.9/10 on IMDb, but 83% on Metacritic, and 90% Rotten Tomatoes. This movie definitely appeals more to those who appreciate the cinematic aspect of horror films, but can still be ruthlessly enjoyed by those who are more inclined towards psychological thrillers.

"Did ye make some unholy bond with that goat?"

An interesting thing about The Witch is the dedication to keeping the movie period-accurate. The dialogue throughout is entirely based on writings from the time (the movie is set in 1630 New England), and is shot on an unconventional 1.66:1 aspect ratio (width to height of the screen the movie takes up).

Another seemingly small detail that I found rather enticing was that the majority of the movie is shot in 24 fps (frames per second), but when supernatural encounters occur, this changes to 27 fps. The 24 fps has become standard for films, with outliers more recently turning this into a 'low' fps rate, so the use of 27 fps adds to a very very slight understanding and more clarity of scenes. This is so implicitly done that the audience can barely pick up on why those supernatural scenes were interpreted by their brains differently.

It is an amazing feat of the crew that made The Witch so haunting, but the impressive aspect comes also from the actors, most of which are so young. I would recommend looking into some of the behind-the-scenes AFTER seeing it yourself.

Then again, a reason I'm here is to watch movies so you don't have to :)

Cinematography: 90

Screenwriting: 90

Delivery: 95

Historical accuracy: 90

Overall: 91.25%, A -

#the witch #the vvitch #robert eggers #horror #horror films #thriller films #cinematography #cinema #movies #movie #movie reviews #movie critique #movie ratings #period piece #new england folktale #jarin blaschke

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hmsannlett · 4 years

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Foe the salty asks:

4. Do you have a NoTP?

25. Would you change the ending of Anna/Hewlett(/Selah)???

4. Anna/Abe is a big nope for me and is probably the ship that irks me the most on the show because there’s so many destructive elements to it, and yet the show just kept pushing it. Their relationship has huge collateral damage for everyone who has the misfortune of getting dragged into it and, imo, does a disservice to both their characters (especially/mainly Anna).

Anna/Simcoe also bothers me, because she could not more clearly be terrified of him, and he uses that against her and doesn’t respect any of the times that she says no to him. It especially strikes a negative chord with me because I’ve been in Anna’s position more than a few times with men that just won’t take a no (although not to the extent that Simcoe took it to), so I truly empathize with the powerlessness that she feels. It’s the worst position to be in, and to feel completely alone like she does makes the situation all the more unsettling.

Both ships are unhealthy in their own ways, imo. Fortunately, neither ship is/has been very popular in the fandom.

25. Oh, goodness. So many thoughts on this. I’ll try to not write a whole thesis here lol and just distill it down to my main thoughts.

In short, yes, I would love a different ending. I will preface all of this, though, by saying that I’d like married couples to be happy with each other and remain together as much as anyone. I’m not completely against the idea of Anna/Selah (though Annlett is my fav and will always be my otp); I just don’t agree with how all of Anna/Selah was written and how Anna/Selah/Hewlett ended.

So, from a writing perspective, I think Selah was brought in too late in S4 to have the character development that he needed after how he was depicted in S1 (and, according to the show’s writers, Anna and Selah were supposed to have a pretty unhealthy dynamic in S1; some of these scenes had to be cut for time constraints, though, so we only get small glimpses of this dynamic). There wasn’t much opportunity to connect positively with Selah in S1 or S4, and as a result, his quick character arc in S4 (to me) breaks the age-old writing rule of showing vs. telling.

There’s no buildup to Anna’s and Selah’s reunion that shows him growing as a character or even what it was that caused him to grow and respect Anna. Why would he suddenly respect her now in S4 more than he did in the first part of S1 after she all but said that she wanted to end their marriage by jumping from the boat, publicly humiliating him, and causing their lengthy separation – during a time period when desertion/an extended period of separation was, in some of the colonies, considered equal to divorce? There’s no apparent motivation (that we’re shown) to inspire his growth. We’re just told as an audience that he’s changed, and I think that weakens the growth that the writers were aiming for. It could be that Selah spent a lot of time reflecting while he was in Philadelphia, but we don’t get to see that onscreen. And for me, what is shown on the screen is much more convincing and effective than whatever we are told happens off-screen.

My other issues with Anna/Selah’s ending are that

1.) If their relationship was so unhealthy before, is his change in how he treats her sustainable? (Would he still treat her with respect after he found out/got confirmation about her affair w/Abe? That tended to make a woman “damaged goods” back then.)

2.) If Anna feels that “he’s not the same man I married,” why then does she seem so upset in 4.10 when they return to Setauket and in the epilogue? It seems like the story ends w/Anna being in exactly the same spot she was in in S1 – unhappy w/her life for whatever reason – and feels like she had more of a character circle than a character arc. She didn’t really end up anywhere different than where she started, even though she had grown so much throughout the show. It just feels like lazy writing to me, and I had really hoped that all of Anna’s sacrifices and growth during the war would be rewarded (even if that wasn’t necessarily a future w/Hewlett like my shipper heart wanted).

Conversely, there was excellent growth shown between Anna and Hewlett, both individually and as a couple. We got to watch each of them grow to respect each other’s character, sacrifice for each other, and fight for each other over the span of almost two seasons – and do so even when both of them felt there was no hope that the relationship could continue. There was a purity and selflessness to their relationship that none of the other relationships on the show were really able to capture, and, imo, is absent from most relationships in films/shows. And I had hoped that that kind of character development would be rewarded or at least considered in S4 after dedicating so much screen time to it. I also feel that Hewlett offers what Anna truly wants: respect, agency, and to be seen as a person, an equal. Like I said above, I don’t know if Selah could offer that level of respect long-term in their relationship. I’d like to hope so, for Anna’s sake, but she definitely doesn’t seem satisfied to me in 4.10.

Anna and Hewlett each left a significant mark on each other and were an enormous part of each other’s individual growth, and I feel like that was largely ignored in S4. For two characters so dedicated to their causes (and practically acting as the epitomes of the two sides’ warring ideologies) to be able to see each other as people and respect the person/character they saw in each other, even at the end of their relationship, is huge. And it seems like the writers just abandoned that without a second thought because they felt that they (finally) had to be historically accurate.

So for me, it’s disappointing that a show that was so heavily focused on character development (and, by and large, executed that development very well throughout the seasons) took what felt like a cop out and didn’t fully realize/fulfill Anna’s, Selah’s, and Hewlett’s individual character arcs. Since the showrunners felt they had to keep Anna/Selah for historical accuracy, I would have preferred that their relationship had been given more time to develop before his arrival in S4 because they had grown very far apart and had significant issues to address before moving forward. But ideally, of course, my Annlett shipper self would have liked the writers to stick with the two seasons of character development between Anna and Hewlett, resolve their relationship, and find a way of kindly writing Selah out (because, tbh, he kind of deserves a better ending too. Anna did betray him deeply, and it’s a lot to ask of him to just overlook/forgive that and move forward with their relationship. Furthermore, I don’t know that Anna is capable of really, truly loving him – it’s always come off as more loyalty/obedience to me – and that’s not a very satisfying conclusion for his character either). And as for how I would end Anna/Selah/Hewlett…well, there is a fic in the works…

Annnnd this is over 1k and has indeed become a thesis, so I’ll leave it at that because this is probably waaaaay more than you wanted lol. This post pretty much hits the nail on the head (succinctly! unlike me lol) with my frustrations about the writing of Anna/Selah/Hewlett and the closure of their character arcs/relationship arcs, as well as the balance of character development and historical accuracy. If you want me to explain any of my litany of thoughts more than I have here (this is the best I can do at an overview of all my thoughts lol; I have many), I can write responses/metas that go into more detail. :)

tl;dr: I wish the show had decided earlier on whether it was going to go with the character development it had created or with historical accuracy, because I don’t feel either Anna/Hewlett or Anna/Selah got the ending they deserved. Annlett was left with two seasons of development unfinished and forgotten, and Anna/Selah was drawn to a close without enough development to make it feel truly convincing for me.

#ditching the usual tags because I know my Selah opinion isn’t popular #might have offended the Simcoe fans too #sorry guys #meta #my meta #asks #wellisntthatlovely

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mediaeval-muse · 5 years

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Important note for early medievalists

In case some of you are unaware, there was a huge upset (for lack of a better word) within the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists a few weeks ago. This organization - the only one dedicated to the study of early medieval England, to my knowledge - is currently in the midst of a huge change. At this point, it’s uncertain if the organization will continue to exist.

So what’s going on?

Trigger warning for racism and white supremacy, including online bullying.

First, some background. Please read this article about racism in the field, as well as this series of tweets about why the term “Anglo-Saxon” is racist, even in an academic context. For the purposes of this post, I’m using “ISAS” and “Anglo-Saxon” for clarity. After this post, I will no longer be using these terms.

The Basics

In 2017, Dr. Adam Miyashiro, a native Hawai’ian, is excluded from a publication put forth by ISAS following the conference in Honolulu. He begins to vocally draw attention to white supremacy and gatekeeping within medieval studies (particularly early medieval studies). He gives a keynote lecture at ISAS 2019 in Albuquerque on this topic.

ISAS 2019: Business Meeting announces the board’s plans to hold a vote regarding a change in the name of the organization. No alternatives have been presented: the vote is only to gauge whether or not the general membership wishes to rename itself. There is also an intention to vote on whether demographic diversity should be a requirement for the advisory board makeup.

September 5-7, 2019: Dr. Mary Rambaran-Olm delivers a talk at the Race Before Race symposium (an academic symposium dedicated to critical race studies in medieval and early modern fields) about white supremacy within early medieval studies

Dr. Rambaran-Olm publicly resigns her position from the ISAS advisory board during her talk, citing the board’s inaction in combating white supremacy within the field as well as its insistence on a hierarchical structure that disadvantages grad students and early career researchers (ECRs)

Dr. Rambaran-Olm tweets a list of demands for change within the organization

The Immediate Aftermath

Dr. Rambaran-Olm’s resignation triggers a series of condemnations against ISAS from other medieval organizations, including Medievalists of Color and Queerdievalists

Dr. Rambaran-Olm receives threats of violence on social media, especially after the Washington Post publishes this article

There was a rumor going around that a notorious sexual predator in the field was being considered for a leadership role in the organization. As far as I know, this is false, but some prominent scholars have not deleted their social media posts about it. (I’m withholding his name not to protect him, but because I don’t know if I could suffer legal consequences for naming him when he hasn’t been formally charged with anything. I’m but a poor grad student.)

ISAS decides to move up the vote for a name change. The advanced timeline does not allow for members to discuss and debate the motion, leading to some people hastily voting then regretting their decision after listening to the conversation about the merits of changing the name.

The ISAS listserv receives some truly tone-deaf and outright racist messages from (senior) scholars trying to influence the vote.

Guy Halsall, the partner of Dr. Helen Foxhall Forbes (the ISAS board member responsible for drafting the harassment policy), begins bullying grad students and ECRs on social media, calling them names and slurs for supporting a more inclusive field and organization. He makes his account private when called out, then deletes it altogether.

Where We’re At Now

Most of the advisory board members of ISAS have resigned. There are a handful left, but they include Dr. Rauer (who sent out a racist email) and Dr. Forbes (whose partner bullied grads and ECRs)

ISAS members voted to change the name (~60% approval) AND to make demographic diversity a requirement for advisory board representation (~78% approval)

Medieval scholars have started using the hashtag #commit2change to document what they are going to do to make the field more open to BIPOC scholars and students

A number of grads and ECRs have left ISAS in solidarity with BIPOC scholars

Some Links

A summary from Inside Higher Ed

About decolonizing your syllabus

My Thoughts

I have been a member of ISAS since 2016 and I attended the conference in Albuquerque, so I have some first-hand experience with the conference events and the listserv.

I voted in favor of the name change and the demographic diversity requirement.

I agree that “Anglo-Saxon” is an exclusionary term that harms BIPOC scholars, and though I have used it in the past in an academic context, I will no longer be using it unless I’m citing previous scholarship. Instead, I will be using “early medieval England/English” unless a better term is put forth. I urge fellow medievalists to do the same.

At this point, I’m planning to stick with ISAS to facilitate the changes I want to see, unless it becomes evident to me that the vote was just a show and people aren’t really committed to change. If that’s the case, I will leave, but I do want to try to make changes first.

This whole thing wasn’t a complete dumpster fire. Some very prominent scholars turned out to be vocal supporters of BIPOC colleagues. The question now is: is it enough?

This field is not about white people or white history, so don’t @ me. It should be open to everyone.

“Anglo-Saxon” isn’t even an appropriate term, since early medieval England contained inhabitants that were neither Angles nor Saxons. There were many, many peoples, including various Celtic groups, Jutes, etc. So, “historical accuracy” is not a good argument for keeping the term.

As far as I know, “Old English” is still ok for describing the vernacular language of early medieval England. If this changes, I will make a post about it.

This problem is not unique to the study of early medieval England. Medieval and Early Modern Studies need to reflect on its own practices and make academia more welcoming to BIPOC students and scholars.

As far as I know, the victims of Notorious Sexual Predator have not sought criminal charges, and he hasn’t been punished by any institution he has worked for. Some scholars have taken it upon themselves to call for his demise. I’m in favor, though I do want to protect victims and prevent people from appropriating their struggle.

Why You Should Care

This isn’t an ISAS problem, it’s a medieval studies problem. ISAS is just where it’s all coming to a head.

BIPOC scholars matter.

ISAS is responsible for a lot of funding of scholarship for research in early medieval England. It’s also the only professional organization (that I know of) that is devoted to this time period/field. Everything else is later medieval or general medieval. ISAS has historically legitimized early medieval studies in academia. Presenting at ISAS can likewise make a scholar’s career. The impact is huge.

What You Can Do

Educate yourself on the struggles of BIPOC scholars (as well as BIPOC people in general). Not sure where to start? Here’s some advice

Support more BIPOC scholars by citing and centering their work, refusing to participate in panels that don’t include diverse voices, and following BIPOC scholars on social media

Refrain from using the term “Anglo-Saxon” in your scholarship (but if you’re quoting and/or providing a bibliographic reference, this is advice is less clear-cut. I’m personally using the term in citations and acknowledging somewhere in my work that the field has a history of racism. I want readers to be able to find the things I cite, while also not erasing the field’s racist history. I don’t think pretending it never existed is the answer.)

Report bullying on social media when you see it

Follow the #commit2change hashtag for some ideas on how to make your classrooms more inclusive

Donate to the Belle De Costa Greene Fund, a travel grant for medievalists of color

You don’t have to join ISAS now, or remain in ISAS if it makes you uncomfortable. You can enact changes at whatever level you’re at without joining the org.

There’s probably more, but I’m tired. If you’re a young medievalist and have questions, you’re welcome to PM me.

#medieval

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gamingmind175 · 4 years

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Where to post your gaming reviews

Major ten Gaming Enjoy Stories

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yourtoradorasextendedwarranty · 4 years

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Well then.

I recently discovered this "Gem" of an article and oh boy. This is next level insane conspiracy. *The article in question*

https://reclaimthenet.org/no-pixels-for-fascists/

Now the article is not promoting the context in it so much as covering it as a horror story. And at first I believe it to be satire...... But sadly it is not. First if all. Censorship is BAD. Many people will always argue with this because, "hate speech" or, "violent speech" but fact it, the people arguing for censorship so it because they believe that nothing they can or will ever say will be censored. Fun fact mind you. The term, "useful idiot" plays a big part here. See, people in powerful places don't ACTUALLY care about you or your views. They care about power. Consider for a moment why EA is backing this campaign. EA is a game publishing company that has been in hot water MANY times over the past several years. Up to and including incidents like putting out a game that was supposed to have some level of historical accuracy, but with "their version of history". Then there was the loot boxes controversy that literally started a legal war against predatory loot boxes in games, of which EA is literally the worst offender.

Now with all of this in mind realize something VERY specific. Many people that were "right wing" were very much not happy about the "our version of history" crap because it was not how the franchise had been treated prior. ""Left wing" people were mostly against the whole predatory loot boxes thing. Grant you yes, there was a lot of cross over, but fundamentally these were split issues. Now consider for a moment what some people consider to be fascist in modern culture. It's pretty broad. And it has been escaping it's proper meaning by a long shot. But with all of this said, something people neglect to realize is that totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism are all basically the same. And all involve one fundamental truth. Absolute Control.........by ANY means necessary. Censorship is authoritarian by nature. Because when you can't speak, you can't spread ideas. Imagine for a moment Progressives, you finally get free speech removed. FINALLY these "right wing Nazis" can't spread their hate messages any more out of fear of fines, jail, or imprisonment. What doth the governing bodies do next? Maybe they ban protests. Maybe they don't ACTUALLY like gay people and ban pride parades or maybe remove gay marriage. And you think to yourself, "THEY CAN'T DO THAT! THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED T-". Yes they are. You literally handed them the keys and papers to the car....... And handed over your spares while you were at it. Meaning it's theirs now. They don't have to answer to you any more.

And that's the point. You THINK you can just take away people's ability to speak because you don't agree with them, but who's speech do you think they come for next? The people who helped put them in power. The people that handed them the keys. WHY?! You might ask? Because at that point, YOU are the biggest threat to them. You are the loud, violent, useful idiots that wished for absolute control over speech to adhere to your ,"moral compass". News flash. That power? Is all encompassing. And does not just go away when someone you won't like takes power. What's more, you actually TRUST many of the people in power at face value as if they actually care about you. They don't! You, to them, are only a means to an end. And think about it really. The biggest road blocks to freedom right now are mostly all people that label themselves, either left wing, or progressives. Any idea why you can't see your own folly? Because you have too much trust in people that have no real moral compass. Consider for a moment what you've been advocating for (not all of you).

Disarming the general public (2A)

Banning certain types of speech (1A)

Give full control of healthcare to the government (which they can then deny you of)

Give full control of production rights (to the people) by proxy also the government

You are literally advocating for the government to have absolute authority over everything. And it's funny too. They've got you believing that, "The rightous path to end *fascism*, patriarchy, racism, and bigotry,-" is to give them the power to make all of that much MUCH worse. What happens when a progressive get into office that is SO progressive, they legalize pedophilia? Maybe beastiality? Guess who speech gets removed next? Everyone against those ideas since one, you no longer HAVE the first amendment to protect you, nor a second to defend yourself. Then after that person, an extremist right wing LITERAL Nazi gets put in power? Guess what? Racism and bigotry are in full swing now. Welcome back to the 1800's. And guess what you can do about it? Absolutely nothing. And you know who's to thank for that? You are.

The above article also goes on to mention this, which...... Is basically insane-

Fact is, contrary to MOST news sources. GG was not a hate movement. The FBI confirmed as much. And calling "Trump and his associates" gamers? They can't even operate FB half the time. Their only experience with gaming is probably Pac Man. Also the article goes on to say "right wing people" are the problem. No they are not. Because of the text I wrote prior to this. Because they SEE the trap and they are the only ones fighting to keep us free. Them and a hand full of centrists and not insane leftists. Also, it bares noting that "right wing" and "left wing" are not the same in the US as they are in other places, but a lot of people don't fully grasp that. People still have this view of "the right" as hillbilly racists, who shoot people because they can, and wish death upon "the gays". But that's a far cry from the bulk of the right in modern days. Because consider for a moment if the left wing was identified by their extreme? Full government control, make people be gay by force, legalize all age dating/sexual acts, let everyone love everyone *most specifically animals*, and killing/imprisoning all "non progressives". That's your fringes.

The reason so many people literally can't open their eyes is because they honestly can't think for themselves. They listen to "news" media to get all their info, even though that info is often doctored to be as woke and untrue as possible. Do you know why? Because activist types of the progressive fringes are the loudest and most entitled of us all. Salon, Kotaku, IGN, Vice, BuzzFeed, Feminist Frequency, Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, CNN etc. They ALL get their news stories from one another. And they are all activists who want to push a narrative. They have no reason to be honest. The more angry you get reading their stuff, the more you will come back to read their stuff. Basically a loop of hate. Because without it, they'd go out of business. They NEED you to click on, share, and parrot their stories. I mean consider this for a sec. When GG got big, who was it that would have taken the hardest hit from the information found out? Games journalists. Do you know why mainstream news outlets came to their rescue? To paint gamers as all being racist, sexist, bigots? Because if it had come out and gotten attention beyond the gaming sphere that games media was being dishonest and unethical in its practices, how long do you think it would have been until we started to consider the same about mainstream journalism. They KNEW this was bad for them. But they also knew they had dedicated fan bases that would spread their propaganda for them. And they used that. They used that to pin down a few bad actors (the fringe people latching into the coat tails of the movement) to paint the entire movement as hateful. And not only did they succeed in spreading those lies. Now any time they need to make people angry again, or they need something to hide behind, the bring up GG *GamerGate*. Because the article writes itself. And they know by talking about it, they can deflect all forms of criticism. Journalist has sexual assault allegations against them? It's just GG trying to hurt progressives. Black Face? Just a GG lie! They threatened me/my family. It's the perfect shield. So much so, even Hollywood had taken on the mantra. But they took it up a notch to just say, "my movie did bad because sexist man babies". And they all do it. They don't actually CARE about sexism or whatever, but they KNOW, even the mention of "those types" is basically a battle cry to misinformed people that only wish to form a hate mob and enact "justice" on these "bigots". Open your eyes. You're a tool for the rich and powerful and you can't even see it.

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revlyncox · 6 years

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Deeds That Beckon

This sermon was drastically revised from a previous version to fold in a discussion about how individualism and paternalism -- two hallmarks of white supremacy culture -- affect the way we understand our religious history. We must unpack that history in order to repair the damage that is our heritage and claim the positive mission of justice and kindness that is also our heritage. Delivered to the UU Church of Silver Spring, November 25, 2018, by the Rev. Lyn Cox.

As Unitarian Universalists, we need stories that help us, on an emotional and metaphorical level, understand who we are and how to live in the world. Our history provides those myths. Stories about admirable Unitarian Universalists are grown from seeds of historical accuracy, yet they are family stories. When we study our prophetic ancestors and take up the path of service in our own generation, we are becoming part of that mythic story.

The seminary I attended invited us into one such story. My school was named after Thomas Starr King, a minister who served both Universalist and Unitarian congregations in the 1840s through the 1860s. He got a lot done. Thomas Starr King was about five feet tall. One of his famous quotes is, “though I weigh only 120 pounds, when I am mad I weigh a ton.”

As a nature writer, he persuaded people of the importance of preserving places like the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Yosemite Valley in the West. His accounts were published in the Boston Evening Transcript. He has two mountains named after him, one in New Hampshire and one in California’s Sierra Nevada.

He helped the Unitarian church in San Francisco grow into their mission as a vital congregation involved in the life of the city. Starr King was a vocal abolitionist. When the Civil War broke out, he traveled up and down California, speaking to everyone from miners to legislators about joining the Union instead of the Confederacy or trying to become a separate country.

When I lived in California and walked the hills of San Francisco, sometimes I would think, “If Thomas Starr King could hike up the mountains, I can, too.” Visiting Yosemite, I could see his point about the landscape being the scenic equivalent of Beethoven’s ninth symphony. Acts of service are like moveable temples, places where we can go to greet the spirits of our beloved ancestors, both blood ancestors and chosen ancestors.

Individualism and White Supremacy Culture

The story of Thomas Starr King can function as a UU religious story, bringing connection and inspiration, and a way to enter the story through acts of service. Even so, it’s worthwhile to go back and take another look at the stories that are important to us through the lens of white supremacy culture.

White supremacy culture is a system of oppression that uses everything from social norms to cultural narratives to corporate policy to federal law to maintain the privilege of one group over all other groups. White supremacy functions even in the absence of people who self-identify as racists. By design, the power and operating rules of white supremacy are unnoticed by most of the people who benefit from it.

Even when we have a story about someone like Thomas Starr King, who dedicated his life to causes like ecological preservation and abolition of slavery, we have to ask ourselves about what ways the form of the story we are telling upholds white supremacy culture. Sometimes oppression is baked in from the beginning, with our admired ancestors working against justice in certain facets while making progress in other facets. Sometimes the white supremacy culture is in our retelling, in the details we emphasize or the details we forget.

Tema Okun from the organization dRworks has published a guide to recognizing fifteen characteristics of white supremacy culture. Okun focuses on the unspoken norms that maintain the status quo, even in organizations devoted to justice. There is a lot to unpack in it, so I’d like to focus on one characteristic now and one a little later in the sermon. https://collectiveliberation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/White_Supremacy_Culture_Okun.pdf

One of the characteristics of white supremacy culture that Okun describes is individualism. Organizations that are under the influence of individualism have difficulties with working in teams. Individuals believe they are responsible for solving the problems of the organization alone. There is an emphasis on individual recognition and credit, leading to isolation and competition. Few resources are devoted to developing skills in how to cooperate.

The way we UU’s typically tell the story of Thomas Starr King is steeped in individualism. He did do important things, but a lot of his impact was through organizing and teamwork, and those are the strategies that are hard to replicate based on the mythology that we carry on in his memory. He didn’t just go around preaching on street corners, he traveled to speak with and work with coherent groups of people from different social classes and walks of life. He made a difference because of the way he was able to get outside his comfort zone and work with teams, not by his preaching skills alone.

The way history is taught and discussed in general is susceptible to this pitfall, and the way we talk about Unitarian Universalist history in particular is vulnerable to individualism. Sometimes our quick introductions focus on famous Unitarian Universalists, trying to make our religious movement more familiar by reminding people of its famous adherents.

One of the most famous UU’s is Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote an essay called “Self-Reliance” in 1841. In his memory, I worry that Unitarian Universalism has taken individualism to a place that limits our mutual accountability and our responsibilities to the most vulnerable among us. I appreciate Emerson’s healthy skepticism toward the way things have always been done. Emerson’s suggestion that sometimes social expectations are not the most important value is important for our anti-racism work, because you have to push back on politeness at least a little bit if you are challenging white supremacy. And. It is important not to let our admiration for Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” prevent us from being in covenant with each other, being loving in our truth-telling, and opening ourselves up to learning new ways of cooperation.

Contrast the image of Emerson as a poet who stands apart, an individualist hero, with what we know about another writer, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Harper was born into a family of free Black educators in Baltimore in 1825. She joined the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia in 1870, and also maintained her membership in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Like Emerson, Williams wrote poems, essays, and lectures. She also wrote short stories and novels. Like Emerson, she wrote about personal development and used her writing to promote social causes. Unlike Emerson, Harper also wrote about responsibility to the community, and she practiced it in concrete ways. In her 1855 article, “A Factor in Human Progress,” she spoke of “the science of a true life of joy and trust in God, of God-like forgiveness and divine self-surrender.” Harper worked in her community feeding the poor and mentoring youth. She was part of several groups who moved toward progress together, for women’s suffrage and for Black suffrage, against lynching, for peace. We learn from her legacy that a writer can be a literary voice and also be a leader who encourages cooperation, solidarity, and true relationship with the people who are most impacted by oppression.

Individualism has its good points, yet there is more to Unitarian Universalist history and more to our current character and potential than we can access through that doorway alone. Hyper-individualism maintains white supremacy culture when it prevents us from getting outside ourselves and building relationships with interfaith partner and community partner organizations. Hyper-individualism privileges the lone dissenter to the point where it is hard to put personal preferences aside so that congregations can work one one thing together. Hyper-individualism leads us to celebrate only the heroic faces of social justice, forgetting to gather in those who are called to work behind the scenes. There is a place in this congregation, this faith, and in the movement for people with many different talents and ways of being. As we study the past, may we celebrate the groups and movements as well as the superstars, knowing that progress is a team effort.

Deeds That Beckon Us To Be Transformed

In addition to individualism, another characteristic of white supremacy culture we can explore in our UU history is paternalism. Paternalism is a cultural norm in which “those with power think they are capable of making decisions for and in the interests of those without power” (Okun). This characteristic is tricky, because paternalism can feel like compassion, yet there are times when paternalism got in the way of true progress. Impact is more important than intention.

If we want a positive example of accountable, grounded, not-paternalistic leadership in our UU history, consider Fannie Barrier Williams. She was an organizer, lecturer, journalist, artist, and musician. She was born in 1855 to one of the few Black families in Brockport, New York. She is most famous for her work in Chicago, where she belonged to All Souls Unitarian Church. Williams made strides in integration through the establishment of the Provident Hospital, joining the Chicago Woman’s Club, and serving on the Board of the Chicago Public Library. She also worked within the African American community. She helped start the National Association of Colored Women, which, through their 200 local clubs, provided child care centers, classes, employment bureaus, and savings banks. There are models among our UU ancestors that disrupt paternalism, if we seek them out.

The compassion that gets mixed up with paternalism might be a good impulse that gets misdirected. So let’s start with what’s good. Being true to compassion means meeting challenges and growing from them, allowing our minds and hearts to be transformed.

Dorothea Dix found that out when she entered the East Cambridge Jail as a teacher in 1841. Dix was horrified by what she saw. The jail was unheated. All of the residents were housed together: people who had been convicted of crimes, people with mental illness, children with developmental disabilities, all mixed together in unfurnished, unsanitary quarters. The only thing the residents had in common was that society had given up on them.

Using her contacts in Boston, Dix got a court order for heat and other improvements at the jail. She then set about a systemic investigation of jails and almshouses in Massachusetts, making personal visits to document conditions. She said, “what I assert in fact, I must see for myself.” She read about mental illness and treatment and interviewed physicians. She gave her data to a politically connected friend who presented her findings to the Massachusetts legislature. After some attempts at denial and misdirection, funding came through to modernize the State Mental Hospital at Worcester. Dix followed the same pattern in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Hospitals sprung up in her wake.

OK, so all of that is great; however, in our continuing efforts at health care reform and mental health care and accessibility, we would need to do things differently today. Dorothea Dix did try to understand the experience of the people who were most impacted by incarceration, but she did not hold that all people have equal inherent worth. For instance, she did not think that slavery was wrong, she thought that white people were actually superior to Black people. She also harbored prejudice against Roman Catholics, and she regarded people with mental illness as helpless. Compassion is good. Deciding that you and people like you have to take leadership in compassionate change because you are better than the people you want to help is problematic.

Today, trying to undo the legacy of paternalism, we are called support the leadership and voices of the people who are most impacted. We can work with coalitions led by people who are formerly incarcerated and their families. We can support organizations like ADAPT, led by people with disabilities; the organization is even now fighting for the right of people with disabilities to live in the community rather than in institutions. The legacy of paternalism gives a heroic glow to our ancestors who struggled for others, but it is time for us to learn new skills of struggling alongside neighboring communities, learning how to accept the leadership of people who know the most about the issues they are facing.

The path of service spurs us to many kinds of transformation. We meet challenges and build skills we didn’t have before. We gain awareness of a timeless spiritual truth, which is our oneness. Reflecting on history and our own experience, taking in the lessons of dismantling individualism and paternalism, the transformation that compassion brings becomes a spiritual as well as an ethical reality.

Conclusion

Collective kindness is a tradition worth growing. Role models from UU history and from our own congregation help us to place ourselves on a path with a past, yet a path where we have a choice going into the future. The practice of compassion is a tradition we receive, nurture, and share with the next generation. May we find our place in the mythic story of UUism. May we be transformed. May we come to new understandings of our past and our future. So be it. Blessed be. Amen.

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aikainkauna · 6 years

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Fic mehm

This was shortish, so might as well post it here. Snurched from the lovely @trelobita .

-What is your total word count on AO3?

-1 421 808. That little?!? I thought I would've gone past the 2 million mark a long time ago. What with Connie whipping me on the way he does.

-How often do you write?

-When the right mood/inspiration comes, and when I'm healthy enough (both mentally and physically) to be in writing condition. Which is not often enough; I hate it when I do want to write, but brain fog and/or physical fatigue mean I can't keep my brain going or my body upright. That's mostly for fiction, though. I can type bloggity waffle like this, and could just about proofread a sex toy review today despite it being a brainfog/tireded day. The deadline for the review was today, so I did it under duress and must've left something out or fucked up some grammar as consequence. Finnish conjugations are hell when your memory is shot to pieces; English is much easier to write because you don't have to remember how to conjugate a word to denote it's in the past tense for a plural with a conditional towards place A, signifying inclusion. No, I'm not joking. Sauvallanikinkos? ("Also with my wand, too, maybe?")

-Do you have a routine for writing?

-My body isn't good with routines and schedules, so no. The only pattern I have is to try and get 1000 words done at least and then to email myself the latest draft after I've finished writing.

-What are your favourite tropes?

-Have you got a month? (This question foolishly asked about your favourite kinks and tropes and pairing types all in the same question, BTW, so I split it up into three questions, because... c'mon.)

Tropes:

-Flawed characters who are still somehow understandable and appealing; not the typical Asshole Protagonist or antihero thing so much but more of an... well, I guess it's just good characterisation I prefer, in the end. Not that kind of squickily obvious macho power fantasy sold as "grittiness" just for the sake of being an asshole (funnily enough, that kind of crap usually comes from the kinds of people who have too much privilege in the first place). So, yeah, good characterisation that's still got some shreds of humanity left is my jam.

-Telepathic lovers. Exactly because it hurts so much when the person who's supposed to love you the most and to understand you the best doesn't, and vice versa. So that's a big RL trauma and squick I prefer to fix, because in fic, I CAN.

-That's a major one, actually. Fix-its not so much on a plot level but on a human level. Especially sexism/gender bullshit-breaking fixes. Fix-its get a bad rap, but that kind of thing, just like the bashing of romance and fanfic, sets off my "ah, this wouldn't be the devaluing of something considered empathic and female/feminine again, now would it?" alarms.

-This overlaps with the pairing thingy, but the Depraved Bisexual is my favourite character type to write. All the Connies, Tennant!Peter Vincent, Captain Renault, Zainab, Laura, etc... YES.

-Male character gives up some masculine privilege he doesn't fancy anyway for the sake of love and empathy/female character gives up stereotypical female things she doesn't fancy anyway in order to be herself and free herself as much as she can from society's chains. Give Torsten all the pwetty dwezzez he wants and for Falcon!Yassamin to remain childfree, dammit!

-Man cuddles and medicates woman during her period and actually empathises/feels how awful it is. As I was saying about the fix-its...

-Funny banter, even if I can't write it as hilariously as I'd want to.

Favourite kinks?

-Poetic prose and Romanticism. It's word porn or nothing, baby.

-Historical detail, accuracy preferred but depends on how the story wants to go (the Barmakids DON'T get butchered horribly by Harun al-Rashid in 803, TYVM).

-Anal! That's almost too obvious to mention.

-Androgynous, genderbending, sex-bending, femme men. Why do you think Connie is the love of my life?

-Lots of arousal-drippage.

-Some way for the bottom to see themselves being banged. Mirrors or telepathy or magic or video camera projecting it before their eyes or whatever. Unfff.

-Orgasms. Always orgasms to complete satisfaction. Orgasm denying or writing it badly or so vaguely that characters/readers can't get any catharsis/release for the arousal is a huge squick. That's a hard limit. Fuck characters who tease and don't let someone get off.

-Psychological/emotional depth. That's such a no-brainer it shouldn't even be necessary to mention (although in these days, it seems to be, because apparently wanting that is now a repressed sexual minority instead of normal human, especially female, sexuality. Oh, fuck off). Yeah, these memes do bring out the pet peeves about internalised misogyny, don't they? Especially the sort that manifests itself in sputter-inducing ignorance. Even my medieval characters and their somewhat dated and essentialist ideas of sex and gender are ahead of Tumblr in the very basics, FFS.

-BDSM that's based very much on extreme care and healing, the sort that uses the intense sexual activities/sensory overload as a kind of way to heal the sub's anxieties and to help the sub let go, achieve catharsis and release. And for the top's love to be the guiding, ravishing, then healing and comforting force that contains the sub and the sub's anxieties in a fiercely loving and protective way and absolutely, so that not a drop spills over. So, yep, BDSM as therapy is my kink in both RL and in fic. Not so much a desire to humiliate or to be humiliated, but on the contrary, to value and to honour the other half. The top finds strength and validation through being the healer, through their power being able to do something good (instead of tearing someone down and having power over them through that). Yes, I know that's not everyone's idea of BDSM, but it's mine and that's what you'll get if it's a healthy relationship I'm trying to portray. (The Barrings and Zainab and Fadl don't have the healthiest ideas of sex, anyhow; Jaffar/Pwinzezz usually do.)

And I'm leaving out so many. You only have to look at my Ao3 pages to see the recurring themes:p

Favourite pairing types?

-Experienced Depraved Bisexual Character/Less Experienced and/or Repressed Character, GIMMIE. Fucking love that shit.

-Similar: Older, More Experienced Man/Younger, Horny Woman.

-Horny couple, usually M/F, seduce someone into a threesome. The Rosesverse and Devilry are full of this, so might as well admit it.

-Do you have a favourite fic of yours?

-I do have a soft spot for the first two fics in the Falconverse. As if you didn't all know that already! They do have some noticeable flaws here and there, especially the first one (I still insist that weird lube choice was HIS and not mine; I do know better and yelled at him at the time), but they still contain my deepest and most profound writing both erotically (and I mean that in the widest sense of the word, encompassing all things Love) and spiritually and character-wise. Defy Not The Stars also turned out better than I expected, considering I had never attempted so much plot and a traditional historical romance novel before. But I guess that Roses, what with its length, has allowed me to explore more aspects of the characters and their lives than anything else I've written. And of course, considering Devilry is my most-read saga ever, I do have a soft spot for that pile-up of a car crash. If only for the sheer intensity of the ride; I was just thinking yesterday how it really was aghori sadhana done through writing. Meditating in a graveyard is for wimps; try spending months in Torsten Barring's fragrant boypussy.

-Your fic with the most kudos?

To no one's surprise, Because The World Belongs To The Devil, at 234 kudos.

-Anything you don’t like about your writing?

-I suck at pacing sometimes. The sex scenes tend to run overlong if I write them in several sessions instead of just one go. It's not that the characters want to try different sex acts and shag more than once during a night, but more that the tension is spread out unevenly ("JFC, why did they change position again? I want them to just fucking come already, damnit!") This is obviously a result of how many things *I* see in my mind's eye during a wank; it's always more of a clipshow of different sex acts and pairings and orientations than one straightforward scenario. I'll be more mindful of that in the future and have been watching out for it in the past few fics already; I don't think the shags in The Guardians of Samarkand overran, for example.

-And sometimes my kinks get too obvious and repetitive for me, too, the way any porn gets tedious and repetitive. But on the other hand, I know very well that fanfic *is* about us imposing our kinks on our darlings, no matter how much we may go on about our dedication to characterisation and such. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: what's key is to get away with your kinks *but* in such a way that they can also engage the reader and that they become interesting and enjoyable not just for you, but for the readers, too. And you need good characterisation for that, and it's a really delicate balance to juggle your kinks and believable characterisation.

-Something you *do* like about your writing?

-I can write immersively and deeply and engage all the senses (sight, touch, scent...) in rich detail, as well as go deeply and profoundly into the emotions. And write some fucking hot porn ;) Those are the things I've had praise for, at least. Maybe my spiritual bits aren't as relatable or something, because people hardly ever remark on those (interestingly, my mum is the only one to have taken up those bits! But I skim over the sex scenes when I read the fics to her, so she only gets the gen). Or then it's the fact that most of the time it's Thief of Bagdad fic, and thus in an Islamic context, and most readers aren't familiar enough with, say, Sufism, to feel like they're qualified to comment without making arses out of themselves. But of course I like my spiritual bits; I'm an ex-religions major!

This had a taggity thing at the end, but I hate doing those because it always puts pressure on them even if you say they don't have to (come, now. The pressure is there, the moment you mention someone by name). I don't own the meme or you, so, as always: do what thou wilt.

#writing #meme #meta #personal #i guess #ao3 #fic

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