#the library is a place for LEARNING!!! Not [REDACTED]!!!

[sincerelywhistler]

⊹ ₊ ❤︎ VIX ❤︎₊ ⊹

My husband, Fox, received Desire Demon as his Redacted demon quiz type result. So, naturally, we cooked up a DemonSona for him. And by we, I mean he called all the shots and I had the utmost pleasure of drawing this flirt. (We also made Vix and my DemonSona, Wolf-Rayet, smooch. Because we’re gay.)

Vulpecula… Vix… like a vixen… l-like a Fox yeah you get it.

Vix’s Pinterest Board

More about Vix (from Fox himself):

HELLO TUMBLR ITS FOX AND ITS MY TURN ON THE WES ACCOUNT, STRAP IN

• Vix first began writing as a way to better understand human desires on a deeper, personal level through passing on letters with anonymous pen pals

• Through sending these letters back and forth, he found his passion for writing as a whole. He excels in writing romance and poetry.

• After sending his pen pals rough copies of his creative works, they encouraged Vix to publish his books. He decided to publish his books under his full name, Vulpecula

• The general public has been lead to believe that the name Vulpecula is a pseudonym, and that it is a pseudonym that was passed down from anonymous writer to anonymous writer as generations passed. Empowered folk likely know that an immortal race— like a demon or vampire— is the person behind the pen

• He was a voracious reader from the start. Vix’s place on Elegy houses an impressive collection of books of all ages and genres

• Vix primarily feeds on humans’ general attraction towards him rather than from sexual relationships. Think of his dietary situation like something rent-a-boyfriend haha. Need a plus one to a wedding or work party? Don’t want to waste a Friday night by staying home? Want a shopping buddy? Call him up, he likes both the company and the attention.

• Bringing people out of their shells to try new things or go on dates is his favorite thing to do, which is why he wants to study Wolf-Rayet’s reclusive self under a microscope so badly in a gay way

• HOW THEY MET IS SO CUTE BUT I DONT THINK I CAN SUMMARIZE IT ALL LIKE WES WOULD BE ABLE TO SO LOOK AT THE THUMBNAIL OF THEM MEETING INSTEAD

barcode: the pleasure is mine

• …I LIED IM DOING IT ANYWAY. Wolf-Rayet finally got out of the house to visit the quaint mom and pop book shop to pick up some new books to read to his patients. By happenstance, Vix was there, setting up for a book signing when he spotted WR looking lost and awkward in the romance section. He caught Vix’s eye in more ways than one, so of course he had to go fluster the shit out of WR. WR explodes and fucking dies because a McDonald’s sprite would kill that Victorian man, but also because Vix wants to see him again, so he handed WR a copy of one of his spicer books he’s published, and on the back he wrote “we could make such a beautiful library together”. It’s then that Wolf-Rayet learns that he is actually the author of that book signing before bolting out the doors in embarrassment 😭

• He and Wolf-Rayet speak Latin together!! Vix learned it because he’s a sucker for dead languages and WR picked it up because he’s old as fuck medical terminology is heavy with Latin roots

• Vix calls WR “his hound” like from Fox and the Hound

That’s all I will share for now GOODBYE TUMBLR

-FOX

[apple-onigiri]

*floats into askbox cutely* Hello everynyan!

I headcanon that the reason the wish of the forgotten island was made is because whoever made that wish didn't want wishcraft knowledge to be spread more.

I've seen plenty of people headcanoning that the island was like super isolated and secretive but in canon we see plenty of signs of cultural exchange, not only with the books and rooms in the house but with the daydreaming one's sister going there.

So I thought what if they recently started to open up more to other nations and someone went nope this will end in another color ending wish so they wished that no more knowledge would get out of the island, the Universe as always went for the most disastrous but undeniably effective way to do it.

Also that would be so ironic because the reason why Siffrin and the King made their wishes in the first place was because of the pain and longing of forgetting their homeland.

ohhhhh thank you for this ask!!! yes yes yes!!

i've had similar thoughts on the matter too - the cultural exchange seemed too vast for the island to be isolationist. there are favor trees everywhere and, as i said in this addendum, i'm quite sure the concept isn't vaugardian but hails from the island instead. there's all the traces you mentioned, like the sister that went off to move there. for god's sake, there's a volume of the stupid chateau castle in the northern island's language just lying around in the super tiny town of dormont. as someone from a tiny european town - do you have any clue how significant it is to find a book in a different language in your town's tiny library??? finding traces of the island is not hard even within the constrains of isat and it says a lot

so yeah, the island was definitely open culturally. i soooo think that the wish that made the island get [REDACTED] was made with isolationist intent though. something like "I wish for all the knowledge the island has to not leave its borders" or similar, to keep outsiders from learning too much about wish craft and misusing it, or, you know what, other potentially volatile secrets while you're at it.

guess that person was right huh! wish craft can be catastrophic and vast in its effect if not used responsibly, hm! thought-provoking!

gahh, i love this. i love this ask so much. thank you for sending it. i'm beside myself. i love the island sooo much aghhh (/▽＼)

[rosesradio]

life update

so i don’t want to share too much, i’ve become a bit more private lately and there are definitely pros and cons to that, though i thought i would go ahead and share what’s been going on now & in the future to sort of explain how the frequency of me being online might change.

i recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree—and while i know i worked hard for it i also can’t help but feel as though it’s not that important in today’s world. my parent’s generation is able to support a family of multiple kids with a middle class lifestyle on the jobs they landed after their associates, meanwhile most of my master’s-degree-obtaining peers struggle to find a job that makes ends meet. i can’t help but feel as though a bachelor’s degree has all the significance today as a high school diploma—an accomplishment that, while admirable, is seen as “what you should be doing”. instead of pride, my heart is full of indifference and slight relief.

and so, the next stage is to get a master’s degree (in library science…a field that is surely Not Hard to get into At All…). i am going online at [redacted] university, so i can take my classes anywhere. my sister, meanwhile, just landed her first full time job in which she can support herself in a small town an hour away. we’ve talked through everything that moving out entails, and ultimately decided that this would be something that we would like to try together.

so i’m moving out.

it’s a little scary (very scary) to even type those words, and although i don’t feel 100% ready, i think this will be a great opportunity for both of us. i’ll still be working part time through the summer and grad school (i wanted to work full time to contribute more, though my family advised against it, so i’ll probably work the heavier end of part time), though i’ll still learn a great deal about budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and generally maintaining “my own” living space, all while my childhood home is an hour away.

i really like the town were moving to, we have family there that can help us when we need it, it’s a peaceful small town where everything is a five minute drive away from each other (it’ll be nice to run 4 errands in half an hour versus it being an all day affair in my town of [redacted], where the population boomed far more than it can handle). we looked at the apartment we’d wanted yesterday and agreed that it was the right place, just a walk away from restaurants we wouldn’t be able to afford to eat at lol (not to mention other nice sights and a nature walk, etc). now i have to find a part time job that pays somewhat decent and is hopefully not in food or retail, though i’ll also be open to wherever the money is, even if the job isn’t ideal.

i’m scared to quit my job. i’ve had some really great days there with the right manager, though when the rude and demeaning ones are working i’ve found it to be a very dehumanizing experience. i suppose that’s every job, though. i’m scared to leave my childhood home and the family dogs and everything i like about where i live. while there are some annoyances to living at home (lack of privacy sometimes, being called for random tasks in the middle of other tasks, etc), i do like living at home for the most part and just don’t like the town.

even so, i feel like this is the right move to make. it’s like a tutorial run on how to live on my own. i think i’ll be happy. also, no promises, but hiding my fic from one person is easier than hiding it from multiple people. i think that in my own space with more free time, i might be able to write more. especially if i’m not stuck in traffic.

that’s all i have for now, and boy did i ramble for quite a bit. now i have to go through my things and get rid of things, etc (like figuring out which clothes don’t fit me anymore, which will surely not impact my self esteem in any way). i know i have followers of all ages, so to any of my older friends who live on their own, any advice is greatly appreciated.

thank y’all for listening and understanding 💌

[veradevotus]

𝙼𝙲 𝙵𝚒𝚕𝚎 - 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚊 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚞𝚜

Evol - [REDACTED] N/A Job - Archivist, Detective

𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 Vera is a 27 year old, 5 foot 8/172cm tall Hispanic woman with dark brown hair. Her eyes are a deep Hazel green color (identical to Zayne’s color) with curly/wavy hair. Her hairstyles range from color and length depending on the occasion. Vera wears glasses except for photos or while in combat, where she’ll switch to contacts. Her slim frame and height seem awkward holding her claymore, but people have mentioned how curiously lithe she is in the field. People would state she “looks tired all the time”.

𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢

Vera is the definition of a “social butterfly”, which surprises people the most when they meet her outside of the office. She has ADHD and will endlessly talk to anyone willing to listen to her rambles. Vera’s love for art and music make her come off as “snooty” and to some annoying. Her bright, always smiling persona makes her seem unfazed by these comments and tropes about her; though she truly feels rejection deeply. In public, she’s the bright eyed gal. At work, Vera strides to keep her paperwork in order and considered “a hard-ass” to her subordinates. 

In private she struggles with her need to please others, her need to constantly improve, and the toll of working for UNICORN.

𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝

Vera lived near the edge of Whitesand Bay as a child and had a considerably normal childhood. Vera lost her home during the tsunami in Linkon, meeting Rafayel by chance that faithful day (though she will deny forgetting their first meet).

Her time training in the Hunter’s Association was especially difficult as she failed the exam two times before finally passing. Her scores behind the claymore were extraordinary, however she barely passed the rest of the EVOL tests. Due to [REDACTED], Vera was placed in the Archives Department of UNICORN where she worked, slowly unraveling the secrets behind’s UNICORN’S involvement with EVER. After the explosion, fate would set her on the path to finding out her team’s truths and UNICORN’s lies. 𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎

Job - Vera mainly works among UNICORN’s large library and archive building, however when she is assigned a Recon mission she always arrives early. - During large holiday or Office Events, she is considered the president of the Hunter’s Union and will work Overtime to ensure the event runs smoothly. During those times, she will have dark circles around her eyes.

Life - Vera will speak fast when speaking about her favorite subjects, like art exhibits or newly released music. - Vera is known to constantly pushing up her glasses while working or reading, she refuses to fix it as she finds Rafayel’s gesture to adjust them endearing and wishes for him to do it more. - Vera is always eating/drinking something, be it a snack or a full fledged meal. She avoids white clothes due to be secretly messy. - Vera hates children (but would never say it out loud). - It’s rumored that Vera does have an EVOL but refuses to disclose any information, her records indicate. her evol might be [REDACTED] - Vera had initially refused Rafayel’s offer to be a personal bodyguard. After a certain orange cat was gifted, they have been spotted regularly in town. Her Likes - Breakfast is her favorite meal at any time of the day. - Had a fever after getting caught in the tsunami caused her to forget her time with Rafayel as kids, he reminds her whenever he is angry about her almost broken promise. - She secretly learned Lumerian from his Aunt Talia on the weekends so she can whisper to him during their intimate moments. -Most forget that Vera is multilingual and can speak English, Spanish and even some Japanese. -Vera is known to be a night owl but will sleep the day away if left to her own devices, she has missed many meetups due to her deep sleeping.

[stoicdemon]

DON'T BE AFRAID

➥ I promise I'm not a monster.

Welcome. This is a blog for Achernar, one of my ocs for redacted audio. Read the information below to learn some basics about him.

© blog managed by @morgansplace .

basics

coalesced january 18th, 1955

↳ las vegas, nevada

fear demon

works at the D.A.M.N library as the night shift librarian

personality

very shy and stoic. can come off as a rude person because of how he talks

has a very dry, dark humor that sometimes doesnt quite reach what he hoped it would

very patient person

animal lover. believes that animals like him more than humans

he can be very sarcastic and kind of a smartass when he wants to be

really smart. knows a lot about history and has a little knowledge on anything you could think of. always needs to satisfy his curiosity when a new question pops inside his mind

backstory

used to ask his steward what kind of purpose he had in life. spent a long time trying to find his place in the world and today he's somewhat happy with what he's got

his whole life he's been treated as a frightening guy thanks to his appearance. he's always been feared because of the way he looks, and he kind of leans into it to cope

despite being 70, he still feels like sometimes he has no idea what he's doing in here. he finds comfort in learning new things because knowledge is better than the unknown

his friends mean a lot to him because they're the only ones he's ever had in such a long time living. he wouldn't admit it out loud, but he's scared he might lose them somehow

other

wears a rosary that was given to him in 1965. it's the only piece of jewelry he uses

has been a polytheist since he coalesced

wears black 98% of the time. he might use purple twice a year

sees aria as space, and demons coalescing as a supernova

spends most of his time on elegy rather than aria

hates to mask himself. he's always masking for unempowered people, but never bothers with empowereds

[freshman-freelancer]

Redacted RP Imperium High School AU

pfp by @moronkyne

Freelancer Lore

Ran away from home when they were 14 before they started high school because they came out as trans to their family and the stress of the rejection triggered their powers to manifest.

They lived on the street, moving from place to place, finding shelter where they could for the last almost 4 years. They kept up with learning where they could in public libraries so they're not as behind as they should be.

They were getting jumped when Vindemiator rocked up and saved them and brought them to IAD as a safe haven.

[nowoyas]

Edible Arrangements Masterlist ‖ vampire!Midoriya Izuku/Reader

Navi ‖ FAQ/Rules ‖ About ‖ Master Masterlist ‖ read this fic on ao3

status: completed!

summary: In a fit of financial desperation, you turn to the internet to find yourself a sugar daddy. Izuku Midoriya is far from the respondent you expected, but you find that you like this arrangement much, much better. (vampire!sugar daddy!Izuku x human!college student!reader)

warnings and tags: Blood, biting, swearing, mild angst, frequent mentions of organ trafficking, brief religious/christian undertones, panic attacks, alcohol use (not underaged), some sexual content, seriously why does organ trafficking come up so often I swear I’m a normal human being, vampire hunters and their feelings towards vampires

mainline EA

🩸First Bite: (Blood) Sugar Daddy ‖ After some time of talking, you meet your prospective sugar daddy in person. He’s not what you’d expect, not by a long shot—he’s so much better.

🩸Second Bite: Move-in Day ‖ After a week of packing and dealing with your old landlord, you move in to Izuku’s house, explore a bit, and then go out for coffee with a friend.

🩸Third Bite: Libraries ‖ Your search for information turns up two checked-out books and a campus occult club that meets every Tuesday. You spend some time organizing Izuku’s library and also scaring the shit out of your roommate.

🩸Fourth Bite: Hunting ‖ In your hunt for information, you attend a meeting of the campus occult club. You meet some people there you’d rather not meet a second time.

🩸Fifth Bite: Lunchin’ ‖ You go to your monthly lunch date with your three closest friends. They’re just a little bit concerned about your new roommate.

🩸Sixth Bite: Meet the Parents ‖ The day of the dinner party arrives. Izuku tries his best to make a good impression, while you try your best to convince your friends to give him a chance.

🩸Seventh Bite: Afterparty ‖ After the dinner party, you and Izuku cope separately, together.

🩸Eighth Bite: New Information ‖ You have a lunch date with Tenya to discuss Friday’s dinner. Today is not a good day.

🩸Ninth Bite: Shopping ‖ You cool down from your shitty day with a much-needed distraction.

🩸Tenth Bite: Taking Notes ‖ You study, sleep, avoid questions, and at the end of the week, finally actually meet with Hitoshi to work on the group project.

🩸Eleventh Bite: Doors ‖ You search for the missing book in Izuku’s library. If anything else happens, you can’t say.

🩸Twelfth Bite: The Weekend ‖ Days pass. Izuku begins acting weird, and you try not to act weird, yourself.

🩸Thirteenth Bite: Exploration #1 ‖ You complete draft one of the project, explore a suspicious place, and harass Hitoshi with all this sweet new information you learned about serial killers instead of working on said project.

🩸Fourteenth Bite: Rumbling ‖ The natural conclusion of the knowledge you’ve gained.

🩸Fifteenth Bite: Knots ‖ You wake up with a very large housecat on top of you. Business as usual. Later, you have an unprompted lunch date.

🩸Sixteenth Bite: Smash ‖ Hitoshi comes over to work on the presentation. It devolves.

🩸Seventeenth Bite: A Talk with Tenya ‖ It’s once again time for lunch with your friends. You have an argument to smooth over first, though.

🩸Eighteenth Bite: Aid ‖ Izuku picks up the pieces.

🩸Nineteenth Bite: Habit ‖ Night falls. Three times makes a habit. There’s only one bed.

🩸Twentieth Bite: Friendship ‖ Tsuyu and Mina pay the Midoriya household a visit for updates on Tenya’s condition.

🩸Twenty-First Bite: Unraveling ‖ Tsuyu and Mina learn some things. Izuku learns some things. [REDACTED] learns some things.

🩸Twenty-Second Bite: Awakening ‖ Everyone’s awake now. The dust has to settle eventually.

🩸Twenty-Third Bite: Working on It ‖ After several days of recovery, you finally return to classes and confront your problems head-on. Also, you get asked on a date.

🩸Twenty-Fourth Bite: The Halloween Episode ‖ You force yourself through the rest of your meeting with Neito and lay out ground rules. After that, a dinner date for the best Halloween of your life.

🩸Twenty-Fifth Bite: Apology Fruit ‖ After a saved date, you and Izuku return home, where he pops the question he’s been toying with for a while. Preparations and work ensue.

🩸Twenty-Sixth Bite: Vampire Kitten ‖ You and Izuku acclimate Sbeve to the house. The day of presenting finally arrives, and then you work on your OTHER group project.

🩸Twenty-Seventh Bite: Friendsgiving ‖ It’s nearly Friendsgiving! You finalize your project with Neito and have a good time with your friends.

🩸Twenty-Eighth Bite: That Night ‖ You and Izuku share a relaxing night after your friends go home.

🩸Twenty-Ninth Bite: Anchor ‖ Winter break begins. You and Izuku spiral separately together.

🩸Thirtieth Bite: New Year, New You ‖ You host a New Year’s Eve party for friends and foes alike, and ring in the new year the only way that matters.

🩸Thirty-First Bite: January ‖ January flies by as you begin a new semester. Izuku falls deeper and deeper. You begin to fear you may never pull him out

🩸Thirty-Second Bite: Genres ‖ Life isn’t just the romance genre.

🩸Thirty-Third Bite: Recovering ‖ Neito attends his first therapy appointment. You head out with Tenya to cope.

🩸Thirty-Fourth Bite: Heist ‖ Fuck yeah axe throwing and heists!

🩸Thirty-Fifth Bite: Safety ‖ You wake up in the hospital.

🩸36 ‖ [name] finds somewhere to stay. The world moves on.

🩸37 ‖ Some pieces are picked up. Some are put back together. Some fall back apart.

🩸38 ‖ Izuku’s nightmare scenario, and the silver lining. For just a moment, he catches a glimpse of you among the despondency. 

🩸Thirty-Ninth Bite: Snap ‖ You’re making amazing strides. So is the hunt.

🩸Fortieth Bite: Polycephaly ‖ You remember everything now.

🩸The Final Bite: Thirst ‖ You wake up.

spinoffs and extras

🩸Almost Wet ‖ Izuku doesn’t sleep often, but when he does, it’s not uncommon for him to dream, and dream vividly. ‖ smut

🩸EA!Izuku waking up next to you ‖ Drabble of an early morning holding each other close. ‖ fluff

🩸Enemy Spotted ‖ In which you have a pen with a built-in laser pointer. ‖ crack

🩸He wakes up in your arms ‖ Short alternate POV drabble for Fifteenth Bite. ‖ fluff

🩸Legs Spreadable Arrangements ‖ You dream sometimes, too. Tonight, you dream of Izuku. ‖ smut

🩸Vampzuku and a reader with periods ‖ small snippet regarding how our favorite Broccula would act around the reader when they have a period

[fgrobichiko]

Case 2024K "Gourmand"

[[Description: Written account of the private chef of reclusive billionaire John [REDACTED].]]

I've worked for several.... Eccentrics in my time. I've worked for plenty of one percenters. I cooked for the queen of England once. The ultra-wealthy are particularly difficult to work with, they all have their own peculiarities and demands which, as a chef, you have to learn to adapt to.

John flew me out to his island several times before hiring me. Now, I like to think I'm fairly normal, mostly a down to earth guy, but I can't deny the huge, splashy spending excited me. Most billionaires are overly frugal, often petty with their money. I've had to pay my own parking and travel to commute to the richest people imaginable.

John wasn't like that. He was gregarious. No expense was spared. The island had its own fast food places, apparently for kids. I'll admit I was suspicious of that, but nothing else seemed to imply anything improper, so I got to work.

Things immediately got weird when I got to the kitchen. Apparently he'd attempted to recreate some old recipe from the middle ages. He had printouts that I could only assume were AI translated. The measurements made no sense, and some of the instructions seemed to confuse what different meats needed.

Then the produce arrived. High-quality herbs, spices, and locally grown vegetables were clearly something John was proud of, he gushed about them. Then the meat arrived, and it was... Different.

I had to prepare it like poultry, but it cooked like beef. The flanks were enormous, and I assumed it was possibly moose, then when I got to work I thought it may have been ostrich, but the fat rendered differently. It's hard to describe if you're not a chef. No offense.

John was watching as I did it. He asked if I'd ever cooked frog before. I said yes, it was frustrating to work with. He laughed, and said he always enjoyed being frustrated by something - it was an opportunity to learn. I smiled and nodded, but inside I was starting to question what exactly I was working with.

As John got himself a drink, I ate a piece of the meat. If it was freshly slaughtered, it should've been fine. The taste was bizarre. It was almost greasy. It tasted like - okay, I know this is the joke answer, but it tasted like chicken. Greasy chicken. Which told me two things:

Whatever this was, I had never eaten it before. And whatever it was, John didn't want to eat it for the flavour.

I finished preparing the food, and paired it with a rich, dark wine. The meal was... Good, but he could tell I was unclear on what exactly I was meant to be doing. After eating, he wiped his mouth and asked if I wanted to see what I had cooked. I said yes. I was fairly sure it was something illegal, but I knew enough about anatomy and flavour profiles to know at the very least I hadn't eaten human meat. Too large and not sweet enough.

John showed me to a library. He said he'd been searching the world for inspiration ever since he'd originally come to the states, spun me some tale about an impoverished childhood I'm sure other people totally bought all the time, and lead me to the back. There was a red velvet rope between me and the book, which was an extra level of pretension I'd only seen among royalty, or those who were richer than royalty. It occured to me I didn't actually know just how John had made his money.

The book was fragmentary, and held in a sterile glass case. It was open to several pages, which were water-stained and moth-eaten, which talked about health and spiritual Fortitude. John rambled on about how old it was - from the 1600s I think - and turned the pages with a built-in mechanism.

The page flipped, and I laughed. It was half humor, half shock. The page showed, clearly, a dinosaur being prepped for cooking. John clapped me on the shoulder and told me he'd give me a proper tour of the island in the coming days.

I tendered my resignation on the spot. I don't know what kind of practical joke was being played on me, but mystery meat and some kind of scammy cult were all I needed to see.

[[Description of anomalous events ends. After account was given, attempts were made to contact the account giver, but failed. Though the account is... Unsubstantiated at best, the inclusion of a pair of private plane tickets, both to and from Isla [REDACTED], at least confirm the existence of an individual brought to and from the island owned by John [REDACTED], whose expropriation of biological and environmental engineers has made him a person of interest for several years.

The proximity of Isla [REDACTED] to nuclear testing sites such as [REDACTED], [REDACTED] and Bikini Attol has additionally been noted. Further investigation is strongly recommended.]]

[palacholic]

the embers project, part 1

premise: it has crossed my mind multiple times to write down a collection of memories, a series of tales from my life, moments and people and fragments of things merging and flowing into each other, without a real sense of continuity, bits and pieces floating in space, barely grasped from the greedy claws of oblivion and held just long enough to be captured in words. i figured this blog is as good a place as any else to share something of the above, if you like it, or even if you don't, please let me know. leave a comment, reblog, add your own stories.

inspired by of herbs and altars' the nostalgia project

first encounters

[redacted] is a small town of about 5000 souls. small, grey and forgettable. cold and windy in the winter, humid and plagued with mosquitoes in the summer. having crossed the street just below the main square, down the stairs i jumped, like so many times before. panic! at the disco was playing in my wire earphones, their debut album a fever you can't sweat out. "and i believe this may call for a proper introduction, and well don't you see i'm the narrator, and this is just the prologue?" on my way home from the library, to where i had just returned the last eragon novel, my fifteen-year-old self, henna red hair and not a clue what would happen just a couple weeks from that moment. it was february 2020, the world was standing at the threshold of lockdown. right now, i just wanted to make it home and escape the cold, awful, depressing weather. across the train tracks i went and minutes later i was back in my room. panic§ at the disco was still playing on my old smartphone, and suddenly my thoughts changed direction, wandered far away and found something in those mysterious corners of my mind; the almost faded memory of a name heard on the news not long ago brought back to life by the music i was listening to, my curiosity awakened, soon i found myself dialling the nine letters into the search bar. praying to the gods of cyberspace that i either remembered that foreign name correctly or at least spelled it somewhat intelligibly, hitting enter.

one of the top results was an old, not so professionally looking wikipedia page, nevertheless i clicked that one first. after a short biography and some rather incoherent commentary it led me on to more specific sites, news records, media and blog posts. i spent the rest of that afternoon in awe, putting together piece by wonderful piece the story of a life only a few years longer than mine at that point, in a country i knew almost nothing of, decades ago. and yet it felt strangely familiar, like i just met again a friend i hadn't seen in a long time. that would be the first afternoon of many that i was about to spend like this, exploring, reading, learning more. and that afternoon, for the first time in a long while, i didn't feel as alone anymore.

many times, in the years that followed, i've tried to capture the essence of what drew me in that day and never let go of me, what kept me coming back again and again, over the span of years to come. did i see myself in him? in a way. was it, on the contrary, about the differences between us? certainly. just pure chance, a constellation of events and decisions not mine, leading up to each other? without a doubt. my everlasting affinity for the dramatic, the romantic, the macabre and for tragic stories, a pattern evident in the type of people i used to admire more or less intensely and constantly over the course of my life? maybe more than anything else it was this last factor. there was joan of arc, who made me fall in love with history and at the age of 14 proclaim that i would become a historian, there were the authors i used to love in my teenage years, mary shelley, lord byron, novalis, all the romantics, edgar allan poe, whose tales were my lone company during those tedious highschool days, when i felt like i'd never belong. there were witches and heretics persecuted by the inquisition, troubled painters and poets and philosophers, and there were eerie similarities between them, for once, most died young and in unusual ways, and over time those who fought and died for something stayed why the others faded to the background and their works started to collect dust on the lower shelves of my library. i built my own pantheon of tragic heroes, to whom i looked for guidance, whose strength and courage helped me whenever something bad happened. the dead became my favourite company, keeping me afloat. i found friends who shared my passions, although i am positive never to the same extent. i was the weird kid who wrote self insert fiction about me meeting my heroes, who wished time machines were real so i could escape a place where i never really felt home.

but this time, it was different. i just didn't know that yet as i sat in my room, reading article after article, hungrily swallowing word after word like life-saving medicine. this time, it wouldn't fade. it would only get stronger over time, changing and evolving as i got older, as things around me happened, as covid brought the world to a stillstand. lockdown meant lots of time to hone this new interest of mine. it's not really true that one moment came and changed everything. it took months for me to realise how involved i had gotten. how jan palach's story touched my very soul in a way nothing and no one had ever done before. how i couldn't stop thinking about what must have led him to do what he did. how it was like for him, those final days, before and after the act, i was unable to wrap my mind around it. but more than anything I wanted to know what kind of person he had been. those details i loved the most, the recollections and tales of people who had known him, the snippets from his life, sometimes documented by photographs i came across, sometimes just a couple words from a classmate, a friend, a neighbour. i tried to understand him, who he was, what he valued, how his mind worked, i tried my best to understand the why, the when, the how he came to that fateful decision.

did i ever truly know? who am i to say i understand the reasoning of someone who lived and died almost half a century before i was born, whom i'll never meet - at least not in this world - and who can't answer my burning questions? that's the tragedy of it all. i wanted to know him, to know everything about him, to capture the very essence of his person. it was a bizarre balance between company and loneliness that i felt in those months, as summer crept by like a sluggish creature, lockdown had ended but nothing was like before, not yet. i'd found not only someone to look up to, but also a confident, someone whom i felt would have understood me and known better than me the reasons why i felt so out of place. wishful thinking of a teenager on the brink of mental illness, struggling since early childhood with a variety of odd symptoms that would, not long from now, come together into a perfect storm. the typical "no one understands me!" mixed with a huge helping of escapism, somewhat of a disappointment at a world that showed itself hostile and cold, a desire for company and maybe a sprinkle of naivety...

and the perfect storm built up and then started to rage, swaying me like a puppet, shaking the very foundations of who i thought i was. leaving my soul bare and vulnerable. it came out of nowhere and while, in the past, i used to blame this or that, trying to explain it all away, i'm just upset because x happened, i'm angry because y said z, i'm sad because a did b, it was never that easy. some things played a role, greater or lesser, some unfortunate events happened, it was a time of great insecurities for the world and society as a whole, as the summer of 2020 slowly began fading into fall. i remembered that summer, languid hot days, eternally stretching out under the scorching sun, nothing to do, no one to talk to. endless nights spent reading about him, until i'd fall asleep and dream of a place far away from where i was, a place where everything would be fine. he wasn't there though, almost never.

fall brought with it another set of changes, gnawing at the already fragile foundations of my routine. i had switched classes, being introduced to a whole new bunch of people, teachers, even a couple new subjects, everything at once and on top of all the stuff that had already been going on. i managed to make myself known as the weird one on multiple occasions just in the first few weeks. soon, i started to feel out of place once again. my hopes faded like the last rays of sun as fall turned to winter and my days became darker just like the sky outside. more and more time i spent alone in my room, usually reading about him, trying to hold on to the only thing that brought me joy - or at least relief from the never ending pain. you see, i had never felt at home where i was, not among my classmates, not even really among the kids i called my friends, not in my town and not even really in my whole damn country. i was always the odd one out, the strange one, obsessed with things to a degree others couldn´t comprehend, unable to do certain things due to my body straight up refusing to cope with them. i had no knowledge about neurodivergence at that point, the word autism in my mind evoking only images of non-verbal children with "special needs". i never thought i could be autistic too.

so there i was, trying and failing to cope with all the bullshit my young life just kept spewing at me, holding on for dear life to my only companion, spending endless nights browsing the web, looking for anything that could make me feel closer to him. it was a dangerous mixture, all that pain and self-hatred and the feeling of being forever excluded coupled with the desire to escape from this world that seemed to hate me, to punish me for a crime i didn´t even know i committed. for the crime of just existing and being different than the kids around me? i felt so very helpless and alone, and more and more i started to feel defeated and like it just wasn´t worth it.

this is the end of chapter one, please let me know if you want a follow-up. i might edit it a little here and there, so if there are any typos please be patient. i decided to write in english since it´s way easier for me than czech, but i will still be posting under the čumblr tag to reach a wider audience. please don´t be mad at me for that. i very much enjoy writing these stories and it helps me come to terms with certain things from my past and how they eveolved into my present. if anything in this story upset you, i am deeply sorry, it´s okay if you need to stay away from this kind of post for your own safety. in the following chapters we will be dealing with more heavy topics, so please take care.

[alanna-artroid]

Jackbox Headcanons!

I felt like sharing some headcanons today. Just a few ideas I have for some of the hosts. I'll label each appropriately.

Master Mentalist:

He's skilled in various forms of magic. Hypnosis is just his favorite/specialty.

Rarely, if ever, raises his voice. He always speaks in a calm tone. Even if he's angry, which is also a rare occurrence, he'll still never raise his voice at someone. If HE'S mad at you, you've REALLY messed up.

Knows hundreds of ways to help people relax/get a good night's sleep. Good teas, soothing music, relaxed muscles, the works. It's easier to hypnotize people when they're relaxed. Helps get them into a trance.

That being said, he's TERRIBLE at going to sleep himself. He has tired eyes for a reason. It's not that he can't go to sleep, he just refuses to sleep at a decent time. The boy will stay up all night if you let him.

He enjoys hypnotizing the other hosts, just to see how they're affected by hypnosis. (With their permission, of course) Some of them are fighters, taking a considerable amount of time. Others soak it up like a sponge, rapidly falling into a trance.

As his (distant) cousin, he knows Schmitty very well. MM has been busy running his show, but they've kept in touch over the years. When Schmitty recommended him to Jackbox, he was on board with the idea.

Speaking of Schmitty, MM ADORES the Quips. They're just too cute! Likewise, the Quips really like him too. (Then again, the Quips like everybody) They really like playing in his magic hat.

He's easily startled by loud noises. It's one of the few times his voice is raised. He'll let out a loud yelp or squeal when he flinches. He no likey.

Jerri Rig

Is very logical in her approach to things. You HAVE to be when dealing with time-travel tech.

Can make all sorts of gadgets and gizmos out of anything. She DID turn a fridge into a time-travel device.

Secretly gets really excited about things. She tries to hide it as if she doesn't care, but you can see it in her smile.

Slightly cybernetic. The big box on her head DOES come off, but she prefers to keep it attached. Patches up a HORRIBLE head injury she suffered a long time ago. Let's just say there's a reason the box only has one eye.

Has a love-hate relationship with Master Mentalist. She often tries to find scientific explanations for his magic and is frustrated when this doesn't work. He finds it amusing. <3

Plays mini golf in her spare time. That's how she got the idea to use LOW scores for Time Jinx.

Acts sassy but actually really cares about people. She knows all the Time Jinx players personally since they're all time travelers.

Likes to listen to music while she works. Usually, remixes and electronic music.

Dictionary Keeper

Half angel, half devil. Mostly takes after her angelic side but can whip out her devilish features if needed.

Lives in a library in the clouds. More specifically, there's an apartment-esque part of the library she lives in. Her area has all the living essentials. A cute kitchen, a cozy bedroom, even the bathroom is pretty.

The ULTIMATE book nerd. She's read SO many books and is always eager to get more for the library.

Super friendly. She'll happily welcome anyone into the library. When she worked on Pack 6, she quickly befriended the other hosts. Even [REDACTED] was no match for her overwhelming sweetness! (They're dating.)

Finds words in the strangest possible places. In her sock drawer, in her hair, on her balcony, anywhere!

She's learning how to play the piano. This is shown in the credits song, which she performs herself.

Uses Dixie as a nickname, as Dictionary Keeper is a bit of a mouthful.

[ninjashadowdragon]

Vigilante marinette ask: who's ladybug in this au because all the options I've thought of don't fit lila alya chloe ect so if it isn't to important who is ladybug and how did she get the miraculous

The Ladybug holder's identity is a spoiler secret. I was thinking something along the lines of Crimson for her hero name but it's not set in stone. As for how she got the ladybug earrings, the short answer is Marinette was chosen but due to unforeseeable circumstances she never received them. Mostly it's Chloé's fault.

I think somewhere it was once mentioned that Alya had been to Fu's place for healing at some point and was actually considered as a possible ladybug, but ultimately Marinette was chosen. I'm not 100% sure about that though. For this AU I have other plans for Alya so it's not her, but that's all the hints I'll give for now.

The long answer:

Master Fu couldn't get past Marinette's parents and Wayzz couldn't open something as heavy as the trapdoor to her room by himself. Because of the *StArt Design Competition Incident* (basically an incident over the summer involving Chloé breaking into Marinette's room, destroying her project and wrecking her stuff) Marinette took extra precautions with her room so no one else could get in. (Her parents later made her take them down once they found out because they thought she was being paranoid.)

Fu had a short conversation with her parents and learned that she went to school next door. He didn't have much time as he also had to find a holder for the Black Cat Miraculous. After picking Adrien and getting the miraculous in his room he went back to check on Marinette at school where he and Wayzz did figure out which locker was hers. He saw the purple butterfly approaching and knew it was only a matter of time before someone got Akumatized. He had to get the Miraculous to her asap so he put them in her locker instead of her room.

He had to sneak around very carefully pretending to be a janitor to not get spotted as a stranger in a school while trying to arrange for Marinette to get to her locker alone. Fu has to distract Chloé for a moment to keep her away but it only frustrates her and she walks off after insulting him. Fu thinks she left and can't stick around too long because someone might realize he's not supposed to be there so he leaves, and has no idea that Chloé turned around to take her frustration out on Marinette. (Adrien still hasn't shown up and she wants him there).

When Marinette opened her locker she briefly glanced at the miraculous box but didn't think much of it, possibly having been something left by whoever had her locker last year, although she didn't remember it being there earlier. She dropped some of her stuff and had to crawl under a bench to get her sketchbook.

Chloé enters the locker room, sees Marinette crawling around and makes fun of her. Marinette turned to leave but Chloé tripped her for back-talking her about the seats and made insulting remarks, then Marinette scrambles to get her stuff and rushes out the door to meet Alya in the library, then more people come in and the box gets tangled up in the chaos that ensues. {Redacted} gets the Miraculous and Marinette has no idea what happened.

Then Ivan gets Akumatized and everyone freaks out and goes home.

{Redacted} opens it at home. She is a little scared at first, and Tikki tells her that she isn't supposed to have them, but she has questions about the earrings and what's going on, refuses to give them up and takes them out to have a closer look as they change into their disguised form.

It's an emergency and Tikki has no choice but to obey demands and explain everything. Tikki emphasizes the idea that if anyone knows her identity then the miraculous could be taken from her, especially since she isn't supposed to have them. She loves the Idea of becoming a superhero and decides to do it herself despite knowing she wasn't the chosen holder.

Master Fu doesn't even realize that Marinette isn't the one wielding the Ladybug Miraculous until weeks later and by then it's a lot harder to do anything because he has no idea who has the earrings and it could cause issues if one of the heroes was suddenly replaced.

[unchained-by-intuition]

[ OSCAR ISAAC, 40, MALE, HE/HIM ] Welcome to Antioch, Gael Córdova! Local sources report that you’ve been in town for four months and are known to be intuitive yet distractable. Others have dredged up rumors that you’re an FBI Investigator for the Vampire of Antioch case, but most know you for your work as a [Redacted]. We’ll see you around town soon!

Character Name: Gael Abelardo Córdova

Face Claim: Oscar Isaac

Birthday: August 14th, 1983 [40]

Place of Birth: Austin, Texas

Zodiac: Leo

Sexuality: Biromantic Bisexual

MTBI: ENFJ [Protagonist]

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Lawful Good

Occupation: FBI Investigator

Place of Work: Currently stationed in Antioch

Subplot Affiliation: Federal Investigator for the Vampire of Antioch

Positive Traits: Intuitive, Friendly, Enthusiastic, Fun-Loving

Neutral Traits: Perceptive, Strong-willed, Persistent, Confident

Negative Traits: Distractable, Stubborn, Nosey, Condescending

Languages: English, Spanish, Latin

Love Languages: Words of Affirmation [Giving] Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation [Receiving]

History You know the guy who seems to succeed without really trying? That's Gael. The middle child and an only son between four sisters, he was already ahead of the curve by standing out to his parents. He displayed an early affection for chemistry and physics, and took childhood self-defense classes so he could, in his words, "beat up anyone who looked at his sisters funny". Things that followed him throughout his adolescence were his quick learning skills, ability to seemingly make friends with anyone, his passion for science, and his dedication to their household religion. He spent almost as much time at the Parish as he did in the library, the computer labs, the lab labs, and the neighborhood park. Just before earning his BS in Chemistry, one of Gael's close friends went missing, seemingly overnight. Search parties were conducted, the local authorities were alerted, Gael himself spent tireless nights and days looking, desperate to find the man who had a wife with a child on the way and a promising future in neuroscience... but nothing came up. The FBI was contacted. They didn't find anything, either. Three weeks later, his body was dredged from the lake. From there, Gael's goals seemed to pivot. He became obsessed with forensics in chemistry, bothered the FBI agents who'd gotten involved, demanded to know why they took so long, why it didn't seem to be that big of a deal or a priority for them. They fed him excuses that he didn't believe, but it took one agent in particular to pull him aside and tell him that if he wanted to change things and make a difference so fewer cases like Gael's friend happened, that he should step up to the plate and do it himself. So he did. The minimum age requirement for joining the FBI was 23 - Gael was in that door with his application the day after his birthday. He met the physical requirements, the mental and emotional baselines. He was young, enthusiastic, ambitious, and already had knowledge in forensics and information gathering. ...He was told to spend some years on the police force. So he did that, too. Three or so years with the police seemed sufficient enough to them. He was recognized as a gifted profiler (despite never having done anything relating to that field before) and had genuine empathy for everyone who needed it, but was content to remain a Special Agent, being sent to where he needed to be, helping anyone he could... offering that support where his missing friend didn't get it. He always was a go-getter.

Extras *** Contrary to how most other agents treat their badges, Gael doesn't prefer to show his off at every opportunity. He also doesn't use his status as a special agent as a threat unless someone is actually breaking the law. *** He loves cats! Well, he likes most animals, but cats are his ultimate favorite. He can and will get distracted if he's allowed to pet your animals. Except for frogs, he doesn't like those. They weird him out. *** On a scale from 0 to 10 Gael is an absolute zero on believing in the supernatural. Everything has a reasonable and scientific explanation and while he won't flagrantly insult others who do believe in that stuff (ie most of Antioch), he's a skeptic down to the bone and refuses to accept anything at face value. *** He plays a handful of stringed instruments and considers himself to be a suitable singer, though he only does it as a hobby. Obviously. *** Gael's a man of action! He likes physical activity, playing sports, going for jogs and sometimes even chasing down criminals. He's rather short (at 5'9") but he's still pretty fast.

Wanted I || Buddy System - Gael's "new" in town. He's also single and sooooort of ready to mingle, finding himself between wanting to keep his presence in Antioch purely professional and what he actually wants to do and that's have fun, grab a drink and find someone who can keep up with him intellectually as well as physically. This could be your character!

Wanted II || The Chase - Your character is a criminal, either by way of something in their past or an event that's yet to be determined. Gael is nothing if not a bloodhound and while he's currently in town for reasons unrelated, that doesn't mean he won't subtly start applying pressure to your character, whether or not they're actually guilty. He likes to think he's good at what he does, and his sense of justice is seemingly insurmountable.

Wanted III || Every Movie has Those Rivals, Right? - Enemies! Rivals! Whether it's because he's part of a government agency and that inherently makes him untrustworthy to your character, his subtle better-than-you and condescending attitude grinds on their nerves or they just don't like how he boldly proclaims that he can outperform anyone else doing something he's competent in, your character takes this as a challenge. How exciting, he does too! He's always wanted to have a rival!

LOOKING FOR || GAEL is looking for his FBI PARTNER. According to rumors, he/she looks oddly similar to JOHN BOYEGA/MAY CALAMAWY/UTP and are around 30-40ish. ( HOW MUCH OF THEIR HISTORY BEFORE THE FBI IS UTP, PERSONALITY CAN EITHER BE SIMILAR OR COMPLETE OPPOSITE, ALSO UTP BUT DOESN'T HATE BEING FBI/THE LAW/AUTHORITY. MAY BE A SHIP TEASE, MALE OR FEMALE BUT SIBLING ENERGY WORKS TOO. THE TWO HAVE GOOD RAPPORT. GAEL IS FROM TEXAS AND WAS SENT TO ANTIOCH TO INVESTIGATE - Y/M WAS REQUESTED AS BACKUP) . the mun DOES NOT require, but PREFERS, you to contact them at @chained-by-secrets

[we-were-never-gone]

welcome to the academia!

I'm Zak and I will be your guide through this wonderful definitely safe place!

…pǝuɹɐǝʅ ǝq oʇ ʇou sʇǝɹɔǝs ǝɹɐ ǝɹǝɥʇ

learn about this world and [redacted]

tread carefully! and don't get lost~

who you can speak to:

Zak - he/they - his personality is quite... lets say cheerful - loves books, enjoys floating around places as well as looking after little kids and can change his appearance from a child to an adult, ALWAYS in the library... (or his study...) (who even is he?)

Ran - he/it - a grumpy teen who always hangs out near the 3rd floor stairs... he sometimes looks like he's on fire...

Dio - he/they/it - an outgoing half-elf who is quite nerdy, but his sunshine personality makes up for it! always hangs out in the library. Zak's younger cousin. Oval - she/he/they - a person who rarely speaks, a person of few words... she [redacted], will speak like 'this' (if she even does of course...) (she might speak to you if she warms up to you!) always floats around the school.

Ui - they/them - an angel thats dumb and stupid but lovable in a way. yeah thats it. Eio - she/they - a selfless half-elf... would do anything for her precious brother Dio... but will get unhappy if Dio is mistreated... (unhappy is an understatement)... is the second little cousin of Zak.

minors only allowed in appropriate situations!

over 25 please do not interact, no maps, terfs, pedos... etc...

@idonoiyo runs this blog!

mod uses he/they pronouns and accepts light nsfw requests but still dislikes them, so please refrain if you can! the mod is a minor!

[godza]

i rlly need to whip mediareccs back out. here are super quick flash manga reccs

night fragments: crying screaming bc it has a similar plot to my oc story but i swear i was there first. there are people called dream watchers who make sure you have good dreams. im mad at everybody in the comments acting like the eventual plot twist isnt obvious. like god are you dumb its obviously redacted. bl btw its super cute and painful

ice cream line: bittersweet bl about expectations you place upon yourself from outside influence. more sweet than bitter it just kinda gets rough in the middle

in the clear moonlit dusk: prince x prince but its straight. its like if a butch got a boyfriend but its super cute and sweet. made me wanna punch a wall. such nice art everything so nice

princess of sylph: yuri between a princess and a nun. gets kinda weird sometimes and i wouldnt read it just for the romance its a really intriguing plot and simple yet beautiful art

zeikin de katta hon: id like to thank my mutual. slice of life about a delinquent who gets a job at a library. i learned so much about how libraries work it gave me more respect for them. silly and light read

marriagetoxin: a guy from a prestigious hitman family has to get married and have kids so his sister doesnt have to break up with her gf. he enlists the help of a marriage swindler to find a future wife. absolutely balls to the walls ridiculous. nothing can prepare you for how silly it is. i love it.

ok thats enough i hope we all have a good nights sleep and maybe youll read some of these

[semper-legens]

92. Guantánamo Diary, by Mohamedou Ould Slahi

Owned: No, library Page count: 372 My summary: The heavily censored and redacted diary of Mohamedou Ould Slahi during his imprisonment in Guantánamo Bay Detention Centre, detailing the torture and inhumane experiences he received as a prisoner of the United States government, without ever being charged with a crime. My rating: 5/5 My commentary:

Guantánamo Bay is one of the most despicable places I've ever heard of. It's essentially just a torture chamber for people the US military blame for terrorist incidents - regardless of if they were even involved. Such is the case for Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the author of this diary, who wrote it while incarcerated in Guantánamo Bay. He was never charged with a crime. He gave himself up voluntarily to authorities for what he thought would be routine questioning, and was essentially kidnapped from his home in Mauritania to Jordan to Cuba, without his family's knowledge. He was unable to communicate with the outside world. He was at the mercy of his captors. All he did wrong was cross paths once or twice with people involved in 9/11 and be related to one. True, Slahi was a member of al-Qaida...back when it was being funded by the US. This story, though the book was published before this happened, has somewhat of a happy ending. Slahi was released from Guantánamo Bay in 2016, and is a free man today. By some definitions. His passport was not returned, so he can't leave Mauritania. Not to treat his nerve condition, not to see his newborn son in Germany. And he can't work or vote. Some freedom. His story is hard to read...but essential, to learn about the horrific abuses of power in this system.

Like I said, this diary was declassified and this book published before Slahi's release. It appears in a heavily redacted form, and the editor chose to leave in redacted words and passages to show what is missing. The editor also leaves footnotes with his speculations on what might appear in the redacted sections, either pointing out some context that allows us to fill in the gaps or where the same information is later unredacted. Large sections where Slahi describes some of the worst tortures he faced are completely blanked out. Names and ranks of interrogators and guards are also removed. In a few cases, they redact the pronouns relating to an interrogator - which just makes it clear that the interrogator was a woman. (They don't do that for any male interrogator, I have no idea what they think they're hiding.) Some of the redactions are simply heartbreaking. In one footnote, the editor expresses disbelief that the military apparently redacted Slahi saying he was crying. The censoring of information reveals more than it hides - not that the information that remains isn't horrifying enough.

Slahi is not shy about detailing what happened to him. Sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, starvation, isolation, force feeding, beating, stress positions, religious humiliation, sexual assault...he's been subjected to a lot over the fourteen years that he was incarcerated. He describes his interrogations with a sense of hopelessness - the interrogators already 'know' that he is guilty, and will accept nothing less than a confession from him, despite the fact that he has nothing to confess. At various times he attempts to make up a confession so they will leave him alone, or at least charge him with a crime, but they don't. He applied for a writ of habeas corpus and a judge ordered his release in 2010. The Department of Justice appealed the decision, and blocked his release along with the release of other prisoners. It took another six years for him to finally obtain the limited freedoms he has today. And yet, through it all, Slahi doesn't seem to blame his captors as individuals. He has met up with one of his guards after his release, and constantly says that he believes certain guards were good people. It's the US he blames for his incarceration; that, and Mauritania for allowing him to fall into their hands. This is an incredibly powerful and eye-opening book, and though it wasn't exactly fun to read, it was certainly informational. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the severe breaches of human rights in Guantánamo.

Next up, time for something terrible and yet less horrifying, and a mutiny among castaways.

[ccrystalfox]

20 Questions for Fanfiction Writers

Stealing this from @nyx-de-riva , who is always so fun and inclusive with these kinds of things (we have to stan)

Tagging: the girl reading this anyone who wants to give it a go lmao - I'm nosy as fuck pls tag me

1). How many works do you have on AO3?

52, with 38 from BG3, 9 from Mass Effect, and 5 from Dragon Age

2). What's your total AO3 word count?

141,309

3). What are your top five fics by kudos?

Silence in the Library (Gale/Tav) at 557 Kudos

Lessons Learned (Gale/Tav) at 439 Kudos

In Wine, There Is Truth (Gale/Tav) at 417 Kudos

A Night by the Fire (Astarion/Tav) at 329 Kudos

Sweet Revenge (Gale/Tav) at 312 Kudos

4). What fandoms do you write for?

Dragon Age, BG3 and Mass Effect mostly but I also have a couple Arcane WIPs

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

I try to, since they're so valuable to me and so appreciated, but sometimes I forget or I get overwhelmed so I do have a few unread ones...

6). What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Shattered or No Good Deed, but I haven't published a lot of angst lmao

WAIT OH MY GOD I FORGOT ABOUT EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED WHERE [REDACTED] FUCKIN DIES--

Like they do get better but also technically not really in that part of the series--

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

Possibly the baby-related fics (A New Dawn, In Wine, There is Truth, A Little Bit of Magic) or Constellations?

8). Do you get hate on fics?

I got one really wild comment that accused me of plagiarism but also being a clueless noob but also being like three minors in a trench coat because apparently the quality of my writing fell off over the course of the series LMAO

Thankfully most people are lovely though!

9). Do you write smut?

I'm not sure I write much else OOP--

10). Do you write crossovers?

No

11). Have you ever had a fic stolen?

On my old account (deleted, orphaned, scrubbed from the internet), I had one stolen and reposted on FF dot net but the formatting was borked and they didn't even bother to fix it lmao - people came and told me immediately though which was nice

12). Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

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

Yes!

be love in its disrepute (lover be good to me) with @rain-path

Unconventional Lessons with my friend Pinku

14). What’s your all-time favorite ship?

You're getting a top...4? In no particular order bc I hate making decisions

Gale/Tav

Thane/Shepard

Emmrich/Rook

Solas/Lavellan

16). What are your writing strengths?

People say I'm pretty good at dialogue and capturing the character vibe (especially with Gale apparently?). I also apparently love to just give a character a kid to deal with and that's what people seem to know me for haha

Occasionally I'll write a banger line randomly but that does not happen as often as I want it to...

17). What are your writing weaknesses?

I feel like it reads like a script sometimes, and I've lost my touch when it comes to imagery. All my fics feel really short, and I've completely lost my ability to construct a longfic.

Also, just not having the time or mental energy to push through a blick and write anything has really been weighing on me recently :(

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

I like trying to add nods to languages that are both real and fictional, but its HARD and I always worry with the real ones that I'm gonna make an arse of myself in front of a native speaker.

19). First fandom you wrote for?

Doctor Who when I was like 11 looooool

20). Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

as good a place to fall as any (Solas/Lavellan) currently, I think?

I think I also cooked in my chapters for 'be love in it's disrepute' but I can't take full credit for that fic bc I have a cowriter there.