#//as with the others this will post when i'm asleep for timezone reasons

[blackthorn-legion-irl]

sendoff.mp4

[A mysterious video is uploaded on Blackthorn's account. No metadata exists to determine who, how, or why it was posted…]

A calm moonlight shines through the window. It shines on Den, Saffron, Fuchsia, and Cerulean, sleeping like a pile of kittens, barely distinguishable as separate beings.

A few minutes pass. Then a shadow dims the moonlight for a moment, and Den awakens. She gets up, careful not to wake the others, trying to give them just a little extra sleep. Eventually - gently, subconsciously - she starts to sing.

A second set of voices joins her for a duet - Saffron, Fuchsia, and Cerulean, the Pixies singing in harmony, simultaneously one voice yet three.

As they sing, it seems that the world has stopped around them. Not in the sense of a dark future, but in the sense of a moment of peace forever fixed in time.

A subtle glow surrounds each of the Pixies as the song continues, growing stronger, in the colour of their name. In the same time, Den seems to radiate a shadow - one of calm, as the empty night sky waiting to be filled with stars.

Before, as the song comes to its end, 'Arigato to...~' The glow blinds the camera with white for a moment, before it fades. The moon is shaded by clouds; the only light now comes from three floating wisps - one gold, one pink, one blue - and Den's red eyes shining in the darkness.

The wisps start to circle her. Faster, faster, spiralling inwards, until - a glow forms around her head. She closes her eyes, the glow fades into shadows.

The moonlight returns.

Revealing Den---revealing Blackthorn. Clearly tired, clearly damaged - clearly whole, as much as she can be. She stumbles blearily over to the bed, collapsing onto it. The only sound, her steady heartbeat.

And a trio of familiar voices singing her to sleep.

//ooc under the cut

//picrew source

and that's the end of this... pseudo-arc? i'm not sure what to call it still, but. the intro post will be updated at... some point. not sure when. but it needs a pretty big go-over anyway, so.

so what happens now? technically, blackthorn refers to the four of them, whereas den refers to den herself. in their whole state though, the two are pretty much interchangeable - as such blackthorn is simultaneously one person and four. self-reference-wise - she'll mostly use i/me, though depending on the context may switch to we/us. likewise, referring to saffron/fuchsia/cerulean will use he/she/they respectively. any pronouns are okay for any of them, though, as ever - she'll particularly be aware of plural they as an option depending on context.

while i'm noting this as it's what i use currently and thus what blackthorn will eventually stick to - she's got to work out how to communicate with the pixies first..... so do i, for that matter. it'll be easier for her though. as a bonus, the pixies also get a headspace (which i don't think i have) so i can keep making picrews of them. the irl equivalents just roll around my brain like when you have pokemon-amie on the bottom screen and get on the bike. i mean what :v

i appreciate everyone who's interacted in any way - in terms of me working out stuff irl i consider it a success also. thank you. i want to special thanks to spritemod and indigomod - while i know it wasn't intended, the timing of the runaway arc and such (even though i blocked a lot of it) really helped me with some particular cases in a safe environment, which otherwise i might not have gotten for a while. so that's a bonus.

probably when i update the intro post i'll also make a list of links to all the big major writing of this semi-arc. that might take a bit but i hope to have it done by the end of the weekend.

as for now? blackthorn's just doing her thing. helping people out, posting memes and stupid jokes... just with a little more understanding of what's going on behind the mask. (and a clearly totally valid excuse of 'no i don't have a soft side. that's just fuchsia')

[torchickentacos]

SUPRISE ART DROP! May you enjoy this May.

[welcometololaland]

I know you're off line right now, so ignore this for as long as you want (or forever) - but you sent me such a lovely nice ask week ask, so I want to come into your inbox and ask one too.

I know you live in Australia, but you've traveled a lot in Europe - so my question is, what do you do on the flights? How do you keep yourself entertained and not twisted into a pretzel shape by the end of it?

hi lim! thank you for this 💜 what an interesting question! honestly, i'd love to know other people's theories on long-distance plane travel, because i feel like i'm no master.

that being said, melbourne to anywhere in europe requires a solid 12.5 hour flight and then usually another 6-8 hour one one on top of that, so i do have SOME travel tips. i think these are my best ones, but i'd be SO KEEN to hear others :)

if you're flying through any major airport (abu dhabi, dubai, singapore, doha, etc.) remember that they will make you do security again just before you go to your gate. this means it is imperative you do not fill up your water bottle in the airport unless you have time to drink it! i've been forced to down so many litres of water just to get my bottle on the plane (for some reason they never have taps near the gates?!).

sleep is your friend. personally, i don't bother with timezones, i just try and get as much of it as i can. i know this is controversial, as some people like to time their sleeping with their destination, but honestly i think sleeping on planes is patchy as it is so you may as well sleep when you're tired. there's an art to this too - i order an alcoholic drink with the first meal service (usually just after take-off), and use it to make me a little drowsy. during the post-meal coffee service, i forego any tea, coffee or sodas and have a cup of plain hot water. that usually lets me go to sleep as soon as the cabin lights go off. bring a sweater so you're warm enough, wear comfy clothes and warm socks and don't be afraid to ask for extra blankets if you need them - sometimes planes can be SUPER cold. also, use the free mask/earplugs they give you if you can (the earplugs do some weird sensory shit to me so i can't handle those, but the mask is usually great).

if you have any dietaries whatsoever, don't forget to order specific meals. this means you never miss out, even if you are asleep when the trolley comes around. you can always request it later. one time i forgot to put in meal requests on a 12.5 hour flight it was torture. i had to survive on apples.

always bring a charged laptop (preferably with a lot of fic or netflix shows pre-downloaded) and headphones. you can never guarantee what movies they're gonna have and honestly i find my own entertainment more worthwhile. books are a little dicey because if you're flying at night and they turn the cabin lights off, you don't wanna be that asshole turning the overhead light on while the person next to you is trying to sleep.

if you know your bladder sucks, PLEASE choose the aisle seat (that is me - aisle always).

if you're travelling with one other person and you're on an A380 or similar, there's usually an option to pick a seat right down the back of the plane with rows of 2 rather than 3. this changed my life when i discovered it. as long as you have the patience to wait 2223847 years to de-plane, it can be so handy because you never have a random between you and you can a) get better sleep and b) go to the bathroom whenever you want.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS carry baby wipes. You'll need them for your hands, when you spill something on yourself or (on the 12.5 hour flight) your underarms lol. Also, please for the love of god wear shoes in the bathroom.

during stopovers, try to find the most random bathroom available (good idea to go for a walk if you have the time), set up shop, and do a cleanse. brush your teeth, brush your hair, wash your face, apply some lip balm (plane environments are super drying, especially for that long). i always carry a small toiletries bag (making sure you're not carrying liquids over 100ml) in my carry on. it makes you feel SO much better. you can also do this when you get to your destination, just before you leave the airport (before/after baggage collection).

bring a phone cable. sounds stupid but the amount of times i have forgotten one...

travel as light as possible with carry on. my personal favourite is to have a backpack with my charger, laptop, a sweater/jumper and small toiletries bag, and then i also carry a fanny pack-type bag that can be shoved into the top of my backpack. the separate small bag is super handy walking around airports though because you can have your wallet, phone, boarding pass and passport on you at all times and really easily accessible. this hack will also save you SO MUCH TIME at security check. if you travel light, you'll find it so easy separating out your laptop and liquids at any check in.

[wellsbering]

PSA

Right now, I'm getting a lot of asks about fundraisers. I am trying to find proof that each fundraiser has been vetted before I share it, so that way people will know it's real and will actually donate. If a fundraiser hasn't been vetted, I will try to do my own research, but I live in the United States and I do not know Arabic, which makes it difficult. The best I can do is look for other social media under the same name and see if the fundraiser is also linked there, or directly contact the person behind that account and ask if they are running the fundraiser. Even then, there's a chance that person's account was hacked, so it isn't foolproof. I have shared some fundraisers like that, but now I try to wait until they are confirmed to be real before I share them.

I'm trying to be extra careful for two reasons: first, people are more likely to donate to a fundraiser that has been verified by a trusted source (like 90-ghost, nabulsi, etc.). Second, there have been a lot of people flinging about accusations of "scam rings" lately, and I don't want to give those people any ammunition. But I still feel terrible not responding to people who have asked me for help.

For now, I'm working through each ask carefully to try to make sure that I am amplifying people in need and not redirecting money that SHOULD go toward them to a scammer taking advantage of this tragedy. Please note that the vast, VAST majority of asks I've received have turned out to be real fundraisers. The only fake ones were the "on my last pen" insulin messages that pre-date the current genocide in Gaza.

If you know for a fact that someone is lying, or directly impersonating a real person with a real fundraiser, please send me an ask so I will be more likely to see it (I can't check the reblogs on every single post, there are just too many). If you don't have a solid reasoning for accusing someone beyond "I think everyone asking for money on the Internet is a liar" though, just don't reblog the post. It's that simple.

Later today I'll compile a list of the people with vetted fundraisers who have contacted me, and I'll share them here as well as on my other social media. In the meantime, I have to sit here and do my boring 🤢job🤢 so that I actually earn money that I can give to people's fundraisers.

Also, when I get a lot of asks, I try to queue them so that they post all throughout the day. That way, they can reach people in other timezones who normally use tumblr while I'm at work or asleep. I have non-fundraiser posts queued as well so people know I'm a real person still blogging about my interests and not just a bot or something (and to space out the fundraiser links more, because if people just see a wall of 10 GoFundMes in a row they're more likely to ignore them).

To everyone who contacted me from Gaza: I am on your side. I want to do, and I will do, everything I can to help you. Even if it feels like the world is ignoring you, I will not, and there are many people around the world who will not ignore you either. I pray that you and your family and your friends will find safety, and live in peace. I pray you will be healthy and find happiness and good food and a comfortable home to live in. You deserve a much better life than what you are living right now, and I am so sorry that you are in this pain.

Translated to Arabic with Google translate, I hope this makes sense:

إلى كل من اتصل بي من غزة: أنا إلى جانبكم. أريد أن أفعل، وسأفعل، كل ما بوسعي لمساعدتك. حتى لو شعرت أن العالم يتجاهلك، فأنا لن أفعل ذلك، وهناك الكثير من الأشخاص حول العالم لن يتجاهلوك أيضًا. أدعو الله أن تجد أنت وعائلتك وأصدقاؤك الأمان، وأن تعيشوا في سلام. أدعو الله أن تكون بصحة جيدة وأن تجد السعادة والطعام الجيد ومنزلًا مريحًا لتعيش فيه. أنت تستحق حياة أفضل بكثير مما تعيشه الآن، وأنا آسف جدًا لأنك تعاني من هذا الألم.

[princesskittie]

One reason people might luke the reblogd over the original post could be due to timezones, and that the reblogs might appear before the original on their timelines. Next part is just my opinion, but I'm not for or against anyone making money off of their body, just don't think it should be done via a public platform due to how unsafe it is. Not showing face doesnt make it safe, anyone that knows how, can open an image in a text editor and find out the gps coordinates if it was taken from a phone

yea i literally just said a few asks ago (i dont blame you for looking it over, my blog is a mess) that i only have free time to post my own content when the other side of the world is asleep, im not blaming anyone plus that one post i made was just a random rant.

and secondly, i’d find it pretty unbelievable that anyone would go to such lengths just to find out where i live and kind of a waste tbh- i mean half of my address is already available if you buy from my Amazon wishlist 😂

also idk why everyone is taking this so seriously, i literally just want to share some random rants and post pictures 💀 why dont you go target larger accounts that LITERALLY sell porn instead while you’re at it lol

[kth1]

wait— lmao i don't know about other anons/people but i do follow you and followed you because i want to see the content you reblog on a daily basis, if i didn't want you to appear on my dash, then i wouldn't have followed you. yes, of course, your writing and the content you make plays an important role for the reason i followed you but if it was just about your writing, i would just maybe reblog your masterlist or just maybe check your blog once in awhile. in the end, it's your blog so you get to decide the tags to help you navigate through your blog and if you want to tag something or not. i hope i was not being rude or blunt, i just wanted to say that it's your blog and you get the rights to run it in the way you want, i hope nobody misinterprets my ask.

+

reblogging gifs helps content creators <3

— tae shoe anon

Ah hello Tae shoe anon! It's all good in the kimtaehyunq hood! People follow what they want to follow and no harm no foul from the earlier messages! I understood where they were coming from in the end and hopefully they understood that my blog is multi-content and I provide a lot. I personally didn't have any problems with the communication between them and I. It settled out eventually and we still vibing. :) I'm happy you do enjoy seeing the random content I reblog/post on here and thank you for sticking around! Also please don't apologize! No worries at all! Oh you know our timezone difference? ;) You someone I know? I'm intrigued

i am so sorry that i disappear all of a sudden just after sending you an ask everytime, i kind of send so many anonymous ask to people that it slips out of my mind sometimes that to whom i sent an ask and our timezones are completely opposite (10+ hour difference, i think) , so when you are sleeping, i am awake and when i am asleep, you are awake thus me not being able to have a proper conversation with you 😭😭😭

— tae shoe anon

Ah hello Tae shoe anon! It's all good in the kimtaehyunq hood! People follow what they want to follow and no harm no foul from the earlier messages! I understood where they were coming from in the end and hopefully they understood that my blog is multi-content and I provide a lot. I personally didn't have any problems with the communication between them and I. It settled out eventually and we still vibing. :) I'm happy you do enjoy seeing the random content I reblog/post on here and thank you for sticking around! Also please don't apologize! No worries at all! Oh you know our timezone difference? ;) You someone I know? I'm intrigued!!