#/the dedication to art is real B)

[vannyblutea]

(@ Yoku) Soooo what does your arm -n possibly face?- do exactly?? You wanna show off a bit??

[shararan]

Pardon the fire emblem spamming the beast (my love for male byleth) escaped confinememt

[sadagios]

Icarus, and the Sunflower

PART TWO: UNFIXABLE ERROR

PROLOGUE: PART ONE

3.4k words below the cut

SOME BEGINNING NOTES: - This AU is only character shipping, and references a lot outside the life series events (evo, hermitcraft, empires, etc). This is not meant to ship the CC’s themselves and if anything alludes to it, it is purely unintentional. - This is not canon-compliant ermmmm i do what i want and i will put every idea i have into this - No more bullet points this time... taking off the baby wheels - This is to add more to the first part! Please read that one before this if you haven't - Tags for this part? Game dev AU, Past BigB/Grian, a lot of BigGri flirting, some characters are real and some are fictional, this is only the prologue (part 2!), Grian is still down bad for Scar, absolutely not beta'd i only have one impulsive braincell, contains some fake chats

I. HALLOWEEN

The game awards have been announced, and it was the talk of the company. Evolutionists’ Portal has been online for 4 months now, and it built itself a dedicated fan base with a peak of about 80k players a month. Updates were still on the way, scheduled for Halloween and Christmas Day.

The team working on Evolutionists’ Portal hoped for a nomination, and maybe even an award. Gria hoped for this, as well, but he was too tired to even think with everything on his plate. Their art director quit suddenly, so he was carrying out two big roles, but even when the past art director was there, he was basically doing most of his work.

The team took notice of his exhaustion and invited him to the company Halloween party. Gria didn’t want to, but Martyn had a brilliant idea for making a bet: Gria believed they would get one nomination, and Martyn believed it would be two. If Gria wins, Martyn will get him breakfast every day until Christmas. If Martyn wins, Gria has to wear an outfit to the party of his choosing. Gria thought it was a harmless bet, and he’d actually benefit from it, so he agreed.

Jimmy is his closest friend in the company, but Jimmy was also busy with his work in Empires. There are talks of a big collaboration and he knows he can’t get ahold of Jimmy until it is settled. One morning, a cup of coffee appeared on his desk with a note attached to it that said,

“You might need a little boost in your morning.”

Gria had no idea who it could be from until he noticed a wrapped piece of warm, chocolate cookie beside the cup. He looked up from his desk and met eyes with Big B, who smiled and gave him a little wave before resuming his work.

His crush on Big B was no secret. The man is funny and handsome, and he and Gria started in the company together. Martyn was the first one to catch it, the way he gets giggly and embarrassed around Big B, and he’s been on Gria’s case since. Pearl found out about it through Martyn’s teasing, but she had the grace not to poke fun at Gria (only sometimes.) Jimmy still hasn’t caught on, and Martyn bursts out laughing every time Jimmy unintentionally third wheels or cockblocks Gria. Gria has an inkling that Big B might’ve noticed it, but he acts the same way around him, which Gria is thankful for.

The nominations were out the morning of the party, and they were nominated for “Best Multiplayer” and “Best Audio Design.” As soon as the news broke out, Martyn walked in stride to the art department and pulled Gria to the parking lot where Martyn’s car was parked. He opened the trunk, pulled something out, and gave it to Gria with a devilish grin.

Martyn: I’m so excited to meet such a popular singer tonight.

Gria peeked inside the dress cover, he wanted to die.

One night, the team went out drinking. Gria had a few more drinks than he should’ve. He doesn’t remember what happened, but Pearl recorded the whole thing; basically, he got so drunk that he started singing nothing but Ariana Grande songs. To put the final nail in the coffin, he might’ve sat on Big B’s lap as he sang one song.

Gria wore the outfit after being manhandled by everyone into wearing it. Big B wasn’t going to the party as he’d said days before, and while Gria was relieved not to embarrass himself, he also wished for Big B to be there.

Gria wore a ridiculously pink two-piece top and skirt, with a white furry shoal attached to gloves. Pearl also lent him her white boots, which surprisingly fit him well (and gave him a few inches.) The room cheered when he walked in, and he was too embarrassed to walk that Jimmy had to drag him around the room.

Pearl wore a cute green dress, which looked a lot like a character from Empires. Jimmy wore a Captain America costume, but instead of a star had a huge letter S at the middle of his chest. Martyn wore a pirate costume. 

Martyn: What a shame Big B isn’t here to see this.

Martyn teased, and Gria wanted to strangle him right there. Then, without warning, a finger poked his cheek. Gria turned and there Big B was, holding a bloody axe in a bloody costume. Gria remembered the game Big B told him about, a zombie game called “The Creaking Dead.” It was one of the things that led them to become friends, their love for zombie games.

The night went by, celebrating both Halloween and their nominations. Empires also had their own share of nominations, and Jimmy was so giddy that night.

Pearl pulled them four to the photo booth before they could get more wasted. Jimmy grabbed a weird-looking fish beanie and Martyn put on a Mickey Mouse headband. Pearl put on a sunflower crown that fit the gold accents in her dress. They made sure to put Gria and Big B at the center of the photo, and Gria tried not to explode with how close they were. Big B suggested they take a Polaroid photo after for keepsake, and before Gria could head out of the room and go home, Big B gave him a Polaroid photo with a message written in Sharpie.

"Glad I came by today, G. Happy Halloween. ♡"

II. VALENTINE’S DAY

Gria and Big B have been talking and texting each other non-stop for months now. People assume they’re dating, but when Jimmy asked, he clarified that they had no label. It’s true; they haven’t done much. They hung around a lot, and they might’ve fooled around during cold December nights, but it was an unspoken, casual thing. At least, that’s what it was for Gria.

On Valentine’s day, Big B invited him for dinner, and everyone teased them about being lovebirds. That night, Big B finally asked Gria to be his boyfriend.

Gria was happy. Overjoyed. Someone as kind and thoughtful as Big B, who treats him so well, wanted them to be exclusive. He wanted Gria. But the smile on Gria’s face slowly faded as his happiness turned into dread. Big B is too nice for him. Too perfect for him. Too much for someone like him.

Gria turned him down without explaining further. He saw the hurt in Big B’s eyes, but the man still treated him the same: with adoration and care.

Big B drove him home, and that was the last time they talked outside of work.

III. MARCH

Gria finally took some time off. Aside from the upcoming April Fools update, there wasn’t much to be done. The tension between him and Big B has been too much to bear, and he can’t shake the guilt he feels each time Big B leaves a warm cup of coffee with a cute note on his desk.

He lurks on the internet, bored out of his mind. He met this person, PotatoNutshell, and became friends over Hermitopia 6.

IV. APRIL FOOLS

< Let's play like cats, let's count to three. >

The gang liked the Alpha version of “The Life Game.” The map is good (which makes Gria proud as he designed it,) and the mechanics are simple enough to get used to.

There are several problems, though. The motion blur is making everyone sick, and the one who had it the roughest was Joel. The UI is also unintuitive, as you have to look at your wrist to see the messages and your health status, which you can easily lose track of. Then, the computer AI characters are indistinguishable from each other. It was supposed to be a battle royal game, but with only the players having unique skins, it feels a bit more like player versus enemy than a competition.

It was understandable, though, that it didn't have much character customization. The remaining two working on the game are a writer and a programmer, and they have no 3D modeling experience at all. Gria figured he could help out and tinker with it when he had time, especially with how the gang loved the game despite all its flaws.

V. SUMMER, a year later

Gria’s old friends finally messaged him that they added more things to the game, and it might be enough for a beta test. The only thing they haven’t figured out is the character models. Gria confirmed if they were planning to release this game, and the two said “no, not yet. Not anytime soon.” That gave Gria all the liberty to simply tinker with the game just for their own enjoyment.

He asked the team if they had any characters they’d like to mod into the game, preferably with 3D models so they wouldn’t have to worry about rigging and animation too much. Skizzleman suggested Hermitopia characters, which Gria wouldn’t contest because this gives him a great excuse to add Scar into the game.

They needed one more character, and Gria remembered the Empires plush on Jimmy’s desk. The team gave him a free plushie of the “Starboy, The Rivendell King” because all plushies of the “Codfather” were sold out, the one Jimmy usually played as. Still, Jimmy keeps the Starboy plushie on his desk and sometimes carries it with him to the breakroom when he takes a short nap. Gria found the image of Jimmy carrying this plush to be adorable, although he will never say it aloud, so he decided to add Starboy as their final character. He also had Gemini and Shadow Lady (as per Joel’s request) 3D models ready, but he’ll probably add them next time. Pearl also isn’t joining their session for now, so it would be good to save her favorite character for another time.

On one Friday night in April, they all logged on and waited to connect to The Life Game’s private server. Gria was excited to play until he received a message from one of his old friends.

A slight chill crawls up Grian’s arm. He gripped his VR headset, a bit hesitant after his conversation with his old friends. After a moment, he shook off his nerves and wore his headset. He looked at the server status reading “5/6 Players” and hovered his controller over the button that would let him play with his friends. Grian ignored the warning bells and hit “Join World.”

VI. HELLO, WORLD

Gria spawned into the world, a bit dizzy from the sunlight blasting into his eyes. He got off on the ground and surveyed his surroundings, and it seemed like the map was different from the last time. In front of him looked like a ruined portal, which he doesn’t remember adding to the map years ago. Could this be something his old friends added to the map for the Evolutionists’ Portal developers to see? Gria smiled at the sentiment. He looted the chest near it, and it felt a bit like cheating. He joined the game late, but he already had golden gear in his first minutes of playing.

He did some resource gathering, something which they learned was crucial from their alpha test. He travelled and spotted a village, and saw Martyn’s character completely raiding it. Out of all of them, Martyn might have been the one who became so immersed in the gameplay. Even before playing, he was discussing tactics and plans in their call. If it ever came down to it, he knows Martyn would be a formidable opponent with how into it he is. 

Gria traversed the map more until he hit the border. There’s no way to get through it, even if you force it. It also seemed like the friendly creatures weren't able to get past it. It’s a bit scary to think about how they’re stuck in this little box until only one of them remains. It’s a good thing all of this is just a game.

Being the creator of the maps for this game, Gria remembers where most of the biomes are on the map. He goes back to the village and spots Big B.

Excited and without thinking, he jumped in front of Big B and surprised him, which made Big B’s character jump back. But, when Big B met his eyes, he immediately laughed and smiled. 

Before Big B could strike up a conversation, Joel’s voice could be heard from a distance, he looked just like himself in real life, but he wore a costume that reminded Gria of Shrek. He shot Big B a quick look and saw he was wearing something similar to his costume during one of their old Halloween parties. Martyn’s character seemed different, too.

Gria noticed the little shop icon on his screen. When he clicked on it, it opened a shop of a multitude of items that can be bought with experience points. He checked out the costume section and saw that costume accessories were fairly cheap. He bought himself a red sweater, and now his character feels more like him.

He noticed someone trailing behind Joel, a blazing head of fire and red eyes. It took him a while to realize that this was Tango Tek from Hermitopia. When he spoke, both Gria and Joel cranked their neck at him, surprised he could speak. Hermitopia had no voice lines. Despite this fact, Joel excitedly conversed with Tango, prompting him to speak more. Gria excused himself, confused at how this was possible.

He went off to gather more resources before he headed to the village. He saw Big B yet again, and his cheeks flushed at how many times he had seen him by himself. Gria’s a bit awkward around him, but Big B greets him with a smile each time. 

Big B: Are you sneaking up on me, G? Gria, giggling: Hello there, B. Whatcha up to? Big B: Trying to survive the first night, and maybe even you? Gria: Well, I don’t think a danger. Not to you. Big B: A danger to my heart, maybe?

Gria bit his lip and walked away. Big B laughed behind him, and he couldn’t fight back his smile. He looked at the ground and saw Martyn’s faint green name tag. He grinned and turned to Big B, “Wanna scare Martyn?”

They made their way down Martyn’s mining hole, carefully, and they tried not to giggle like a bunch of kids sneaking out in the middle of the night. Gria heard Martyn, talking to himself, and he approached him behind before shouting, “Hey Martyn!”

The three hang around together in the mining hole, chatting and bickering while hoping to find diamonds. Martyn succeeds and even gives them two diamonds each for a sword. The two were dumbfounded at this generosity, and Gria gave Martyn his golden apple in return.

Martyn: I just gave you guys diamonds because we’re buddies, c’mon. Gria: You know what, you can have my most prized golden apple. Martyn: Ooh, what’s this do? Gria: It gives you extra hearts when you eat it. Martyn: You’re giving me hearts? Way to make Big B a third wheel. Big B: Oh my god.

Gria exploded into laughter at this, and Big B shook his head but smiled at the situation.

After the sun had risen, he parted ways with the two and spent his time around the village and looking for a place to stay. He came across another nametag below the ground, and he thought it might’ve been Jimmy. He went down and surprised the man, only to find that it wasn’t Jimmy. 

When he heard Tango speak a while ago, he couldn’t figure out how it was possible. However, he did know of a game around an AI girlfriend who wouldn’t let you leave the house unless you said the right words. To think █████ could add such a feature, for AI to understand and speak back to you, all in a year is quite impressive and he would like to ask him more as soon as they finish playing. He didn’t listen carefully when Tango spoke earlier, and it might’ve been more robotic than he remembered. But now, as Ren screamed in surprise and spoke how Gria spooked the hell out of him, it sounded too much like a real person’s voice.

After mining a bit, Gria went out to the world and built a base at a lovely ravine area. Unfortunately, his resources weren’t enough to make it look pretty, and he suddenly missed the creative freedom he had while playing Hermitopia.

After being alone for so long. He made his way back to the village. Much to his surprise, so many people were there. At the side of the village, a group of characters in iron gear approached him. They excitedly called out his nametag, Grian, to greet him. Just like Ren and Tango’s voices, they all sounded so real. Too real. 

Martyn, Big B, Jimmy, Skizz, and Joel were nowhere to be seen. He was surrounded by characters from a game he spent countless hours playing. They talk and bicker like they are real people, and they sound like real people would. Gria would never be able to think of better voices for them. 

Among the four of them, one stood out the most. He had disheveled hair and a huge scar on his face that went down his neck. Despite having a cape and scarf covering most of his torso, Gria can’t pry his eyes off his huge, exposed right tit.

Completely distracted, something suddenly fell into his hands. It took him a while to process that this man held his hands and gave him flint and steel. Gria looked up, meeting the man’s eyes, and he had this devilish grin that made Gria’s knees weak. He turned his head higher and looked at the man’s nametag, “Scar Goodtimes”

Scar put his arm around Gria and made him face the village, and one of the houses were burning.

Scar: It was Grian! It was him who did it! 

Gria couldn’t move. He couldn’t process what was happening, and he couldn’t care less about how Tango and Etho were trying their best to put out the fire. The man beside him, probably more than 6 feet tall, is Scar Goodtimes. He’s way different from what he remembered, he had shorter hair and markings instead of actual scars, but when he spoke, Gria might’ve melted into the ground if the man didn’t have his arm around him.

Scar: Geez, Grian, what a rapscallion burning down villages.

Scar grinned at him and gave him a wink. It was as if Gria’s hardware crashed. Cleo, BDubs, and Impulse were all talking to him, even playing their jukebox for him, but his mind was filled with one thing and one thing only.

“His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so hot. His voice is so—”

Something nudged Gria, and Scar was so close to his face that Gria thought he could be hallucinating. Scar whispered into his ear, asking for the flint and steel back, and he complied without a second thought. He gave him a grin before he ran off to the village. Etho and Tango followed suit in panic.

Gria finally breathed. He doesn’t know how this could be possible. He had organized an unofficial voice cast for Hermitopia before, but the chosen voice actor was so off the mark, and everyone else liked it but Gria. But now, Scar’s whisper loops in his head, and he would go to war just to argue that no actor can replicate the sound his ears had been blessed with.

While talking to Etho and Impulse, he saw the historical tree burn. Scar walked in stride and stood beside Gria, waiting for Etho to take notice. Gria and Scar share a mischievous smile as Etho runs to the burning tree. Scar watched the tree burn down, and Gria watched the fire illuminate his face.

Scar: Grian, want to take over the desert with me? Gria: Me? Scar: Yeah, you. Let’s make all the sand ours.

This marks the End of Prologue

Next > ACT ONE: STUCK IN THE DESERT

ENDING NOTES: Took a while to finish this one! supposedly there's more, but it was getting too long so I had to cut it here. The next update will be a bigger one, so it might take months before that is posted. I also plan to do more character design before moving forward with the actual life series events. If you've read this far, thank you for reading!

[needfantasticstories]

“Many places I have been

Many sorrows I have seen

But I don't regret

Nor will I forget

All who took that road with me”

-The Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd

This is an Adjuration by @not-freyja, after 86 chapters, 300k words, and 10 months of joy, laughter, tears, heartbreak and love, has finally reached its end. 

Adjuration is a tragedy that is nothing short of an act of love. That much is clear in the passion and dedication put towards the story, the characters, and the message Freyja is trying to convey. This fic will teach you about love. About death. About the inevitability of existence and why despite knowing it will all come to an end, there is still meaning in trying and hoping and loving each other. In loving yourself. You will laugh, you will cry, you will hope and you will despair as you read this story, but you will not be able to put it down.

It’s hard to say goodbye to something that has been so important to and loved by so many people. So we won’t. Instead, we will say thank you for this incredible journey and the community this fic has built. For the friendships that have been made and the endless inspiration you have given us. Thank you for wanting to tell a story, and for letting us join you around the campfire to listen.

Thank you.

(If you like Linked Universe and haven’t yet read Adjuration, see below for spoiler free reviews of this fic and artist credits.)

This is an Adjuration is the kind of story you fall in love with, the kind of story you think keep thinking about long after you put it down. The kind you keep finding hidden details in after you think you’ve got it figured out. 

The characters are distinct and people with their own voices, motivations, relationships and histories. You’ll have your favourites but love them all. They influence how you’ll see the characters in everything else. 

It’s full of moments where everything clicks and everything before is recontextualised in a way that’s so satisfying and make the whole story very re-readable. A time travel story where all loops are already closed, where you can know but not yet understand what will happen. It’s long, complex, and beautifully, meticulously planned and detailed. It’s clever and considered, funny and heartbreaking. 

A story that whispers ‘it matters’ over and over. It is worth it to love, it is worth it if it doesn’t last forever, it is worth it to give someone a little more time, it is worth it to fight. It’s about loving others and your world and finding grace for yourself. 

It’s loss and tragedy and the cruelness of fate. It is the sacrifice and the breaking. 

Full of heart to both fill yours and break it in the best possible way. 

It’s about love. Always.

By @toyouhellohowareyou

Sometimes, it’s hard to explain to others why art moves us.

I could tell you This is an Adjuration will make you cry, laugh, and sit at the edge of your seat in anticipation. And it’s probably true - I did all of that as I read, often with a coffee in one hand, early in the morning as I got ready for the day. 

But that’s not the reason why I’m writing this.

The real reason is how it followed me during the rest of the day.

You see, at a certain point I realized this isn’t a story about Links going on adventures. Well, it does feature Links, and they do go on adventures, so let’s talk about that for a minute.

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the characters. Each individual is unique, interesting, and exciting to follow. Not only are the Links individually compelling, but one thing that stands out in Adjuration is how the relationship between each Hero and their own worlds matter, and these connections shift, evolve, break and grow as the plot progresses.

Freyja does an incredible job of bringing together impactful storytelling with humor and heart. This is an Adjuration starts with an interesting premise, and then twists and turns in directions you wouldn’t expect. It’s rich in thought-provoking moments, soft joy and intense action, blended in with carefully crafted time travel and magic.

Adjuration sucked me into the world it builds, combining believable characters with fascinating stories, an unnervingly devious antagonist, plot twists, and lovingly crafted details that slip unnoticed until you’re surrounded on all sides. It made me cheer for characters I feel as if I’ve known intimately for years, made me worry for their safety as I would for that of a loved one, kept me hunting for hints and hidden references, pulling on a thread to try to find the end only for it to twist and loop into itself and show me a completely new side to the story.

Yes, This is an Adjuration is a fanfiction piece that explores the winding river flow of the Legend of Zelda timeline and how the stories of each Hero merge into each other. It also stands out for its heavy emotional content, and it doesn’t shy away from angst and hurt.

But to me, Adjuration is an epic journey that taught me how the choices we make, make us in turn. It’s a tragedy that deals with pain and healing, and it bares naked the non-linear nature of grief. It’s a celebration of the things that make us unique, of our flaws, an essay of the impact of little acts of love. Indeed, it’s a story about love.

I can tell you now, This is an Adjuration moved me. It still does. It has a special way to surface in my mind in unexpected ways at seemingly random times, from something as simple as tossing an apple core, to watching a lightning storm in the distance, or finding a picture of an old friend.

And every time, without fail, it makes me think about love.

By @sunny-porridge

This is an Adjuration is a wonderfully and beautifully crafted story about love, loss, and choice as the various incarnations of Link come together and travel through time. Freyja seamlessly weaves a tapestry of setup and payoff across different timelines and loops, in the best-constructed time travel plot I’ve ever seen on page or screen. Even at its surface, Adjuration is an emotional rollercoaster involving tragedy and the soft moments that make that tragedy worth it. But the deeper you look, the more meaning you can pull from every chapter of this amazing work. This work has made me cry, squeal with delight, and think more deeply about its themes all while having an absolute blast reading it. So in summary: READ IT. READ IT. READ IT NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

By @life-in-winter

While I love that every chapter is emotionally enthralling, with carefully woven, visceral tension you crave in any good story, yet Adjuration is more than that, and you feel it in the careful weave of each character and plot point. Nothing is lost or unanswered. It's the kind of story that, by the end, makes you stop and take a hard look at your own life. Are you appreciating the now? Are you savoring joy? Are you so wrapped up in fear that you can hardly take care of yourself? Do you know who you are?

This story is more like an external experience. It's riding atop a tsunami. How do you handle that ride, Link?

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this fic is.

@needfantasticstories

Artist credit

Legend: @gia-d

Hyrule: @bittirsweeteer

Time: @toonblade

Sky: @noorahqar

Warriors: @whitewinterstar

Wild: @weavingstarlight

Twilight: @bluury2

Wind: @thewitchdoctor39

Four: @lunaopus

Red: @peepthatbish

Blue: @glowingmin

Green: @winterfen

Vio: @waterfallstream

Shadow: @deleetrix

Wolfie: @linkiscool333

Fierce Deity: @awildsilver

Ravio: @lele5429

Malon: @tooner-tastic

Dink: @passerinesoncaffeine

[theavantgardette]

Richard Cameron SFW Alphabet . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

The long awaited content for your favorite, morally grey redhead! This is dedicated for my Cameron girlies sitting in the corner, waiting for content. I've got u.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

This is so cute because he's like... the opposite of Neil. He doesn't show affection too overtly, okay, I'm sorry. But you know what he does?

Richard has this thing where he makes sure your needs are taken care of. Often times, he slips on your shoes for you while you sit on the bed, and even kisses your ankle like a sweet oath before putting it on. But you have to pretend you didn't see or else he'll get bashful and deny it.

He calls Todd a stiff but my God is he one lol. But you find it cute. You don't mind. You like to tease him a lot about it.

He's such a 'but what will they say?' guy to a fault. Obviously. So you pull his arm and whisper real nice to his ear for him to settle down, and you have a talk to him about his problem. He listens, and you comb his hair tenderly.

It ends with him crying against your shoulder. He regrets it all, even after years being out of Welton Prep. It's like he's been doused with a bucket of ice water. He's so glad he's met you.

Richard would've worked himself to death ('m not kidding) had you not been with him. All he needs is for you to put your arms forward and softly call out his name and he'll surrender.

His touches (when in public) probably limit to a hand on your waist or a bit lower to your hips if he's tired, but he absolutely melts when you flirt with him all sweet. He just forgets resolve and does not care anymore — to home you'll go!

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Honestly, I have to say you two probably met at university at the very least. He isn't the friends to lovers type y'all. If he wants you as his woman, then as his woman you'll be.

That's it. This is who you sign up for.

He'll spot you as "that cute girl across the room" (his words), and he'll begin 'courting' you. Like some wild animal.

But it's alright, he's the traditional type. Almost to a fault. He gives you roses one day, a nice dainty bouquet, and some courtesy chocolates. They're so tart and nice, and you can't help but question the rumors going around about how 'stuffy' and 'rigid' he is.

"Oh, thank you," you beamed, hugging the gifts tightly. He just looks down on you with a proud, half lidded gaze,

"It's no problem, what's not to give?"

He's entranced, girl. LOL.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

(Don't tell anyone) He LOVES it. So much. Probably relies on them a little bit.

Come on, he's a man deep down alright. He loves being hugged and loved by a beautiful woman and you are the only one he wants.

You probably end up cooing and doting on him a lot because he's so cute. And this might be the right time to tell you he makes BIG money, girl (more on the next letter!)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down?How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Okay, hello, this man brings home mighty cash. And he's so stable too.

Fine, in the context of poetry and art, he's an admitted loser at it. But that's only because his values align elsewhere; he's so ready to settle down, be loved by someone he devotes his life to, and treat them as they deserve to be treated.

There's a reason why he comes home at night with exhaustion on his eyelids, and somehow you still get presented with a medium-sized, deep turquoise velvet box that's shaped like a heart. Inside is a lovely necklace with an ornate ruby as the charm.

You kiss him with devotion and say your 'thank you's against his lips. He accepts them, limp with exhaustion. His briefcase plops on the floor as you take his hands. You're so proud of your husband. ଘ(੭◌ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He's gentle to you, not so much with himself;

Richard isn't too comfortable with anything below excellent. It's how he's been raised. When you mess up, he takes a deep breath, kisses your head and cleans the mess together with you — in any shape or form.

But when he makes a mistake? He feels like a total screw-up. He doesn't know what to do, he beats hinself up, he scowls and tries harder but he never takes it out on anything — let alone you.

One time, you noticed him being quite hard on himself, and you prepared him a cup of hot tea, some biscuits you made, and massaged his shoulders. He melted against you and cried against your lap.

This man is an anxious mess of someone who always tries their hardest. Reassure him and you'll be great.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He's the sweetest, most tender hugger. You feel so safe in his arms, it's like a shield around you.

Richard always has everything — and I mean every little thing — under control; he manages the bills, does the taxes (he prefers doing them for you, but you assure him you'd like to sit by him and accompany him. He's so thankful for this), and he always makes sure you get the best of the best. That's what he promised your father before he married you anyway, and he's big on keeping promises.

He hugs you when you're sad, brushes your stray hair away and kisses your forehead and temples. He lets you sit on his lap facing him, rubs your back, assures you you're his bestest girl and "we're gonna go through this together okay, hun?"

Yeah.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Quite slow ^_^ he wants it to mean as much as he values it, and he's a bit more modest with his emotions, so even he has to figure it out first.

But when he pursues you seriously, it'll only take him less than 2 months to profess. He knows what he wants, and he is not looking to waste your time.

He planned the whole thing out; dinner, nice refreshments, then under the moonlight will he tell you about his feelings. He even took note from Keating's lessons, albeit his love-hate relationship with them, and got a bit sentimental with it.

But it was all thrown off the hook when he saw how gorgeous you looked in your dress, all dolled up and ready to see him, smiling sweetly as you took his arm and greeted the night.

He blurted it out before the pasta even got to the table.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Richard would never admit it, but he gets more than a little bit bothered if his old alumni paid a little bit more attention to you than necessary;

They came over to your house, and of course Richard insisted you two serve them your prided jars of homemade cookies and some warm tea.

Charlie probably brags about his stocks being higher than usual or whatever it is business people discuss, and when you came downstairs, all went hurrahs in excitement to see how you're doing.

Once they all had their fair share of greeting you, of course your man had to dish them his classic "alright, alright, guys that's enough! settle down"

Yeah. You like him that way.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He does NOT want me to answer this one folks.

He kisses like a promise, like a little secret shared between the two of you. Only you know how truly sweet he can be.

He kisses to taste you, to tenderly encompass you in something that is truly his and yours, to grasp your chin between his thumb and forefinger and whisper something adoring against your lips.

He kisses like he's going to be there with you forever, like time stops and nothing else matters in this world. He knows you're his world, his globe, his life, all the essence that keeps him rejuvenated.

He needs you.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Awkwardly sweet. He doesn't know what to do with his hands.

Say, you're supposed to babysit your best friend's son for the day, and for some reason he keeps babbling specifically for Richard.

You just stir his food on the stove and casually ask your husband to 'please watch over the baby, dear.'

He ends up reading a sports almanac for the tot.

Don't be mad at him, in his eyes it's genuine effort. And it keeps the baby occupied and entertained!

When the baby falls asleep after all is done, Richard smirks proudly at you.

'Ready to be a father,' he boasted, snaking an arm to your waist and leaning down to give you a kiss.

Lol.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He's a groggy guy, but he'll wake up early before the first bird even gets to chirp.

Richard kisses your temple, tucks you further in the blanket, slip into his robe and slippers and spends his time downstairs, on the porch.

He watches the neighbors go by on their bikes or on their daily stroll and smokes his pipe, polishing it with his satin handkerchief before and after each use.

Then he'll probably make you some pancakes (which lacked in sugar, so it just tasted like wheat) and diligently added a heap of blueberries and maple syrup on top.

You ate it together.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He is exhausted. The only leisure day for him is Saturday, so he'd prefer his nights then to be uninterrupted.

You'll run him (or both of you) a bath, and soak there before spending it in front of the fireplace. If it's Sunday, then he'll do his due work with the papers, pens, and manila files strewn across the carpet and coffee table. But if it's Saturday, then he'll just have an arm around your shoulder and discuss your next date out.

He has a scheduled life, okay. And you respect it (and find it attractive) 👀

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

AWWWWWWW If you've actually seen him, you'll know how sensitive he is.

From the beginning, he likes to talk about you, and he loves it when you talk about yourself. But when you asked about him, he nervously stammered.

He couldn't believe a girl as gorgeous as you could care so much about someone like him. It's impossible! he thought, but you beg to differ.

The more you spend time with one another, the more you knew about him. Richard told you about his mother, how he used to help her knit when his father's not home. He also spoke somewhat lovingly about his old man, how he used to take him to his work to learn all about the industry, even when he was small. But he also told you about how much pressure he faced when he was younger, how difficult it is to keep up with the others.

But he never, ever complains. Especially not when you smile so brightly each time he brings home something he bought on his own, or when he sees how beautifully you've decorated and maintained the home he's bought for the both of you.

He would never, ever think of trading his life with another. Not a chance.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He's a grumpy little baby, according to you. Never with others, just with you. His girl.

He would never openly admit if he's struggling or frustrated with something, unless you're there; then it's all "Aw, honey, I nicked my finger :((" or

"Man! I was excited for that game. Now it's all bull," and plops on your lap.

You just giggle and brush his hair back, kissing his forehead. Then he melts into your touch and you realize it was all a ruse.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Honestly, he's like a basic man, besides the fact that he stores every single thing he knows about you in his organizer.

Yes, he has a book dedicated for data inputting. That's Richard Cameron for ya.

He puts in your birth date, your favorite color, your favorite fabric, your favorite dress outlines and even ones he loves most on you, the spendings he's put out for you and planning for what's next (a.k.a. a section dedicated for you only).

Self explanatory.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Awwww he loved it when he took you to his parents' house and after (the very intense) dinner, you two sat on his doorstep and just... talked.

He held your fingers since they were freezing from the autumn cold, and you heave cold breaths against his blazer.

None of you wanted to go inside. He was giggling happily, all kissing your hair and hugging you close.

He wishes he could relive it again.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Okay, he is way too protective. It's like?? Your wife won't run or get kidnapped if you leave her side for one second dude you can chill out.

No, I'm so serious he is such a type-A so when you have to be separate from him, you have to be back at the time you tell him, or at least give him a call or a heads-up inbetween or else he'll get all anxious and worried about your wellbeing.

Your presence takes over his life girl </3 please take care of bro

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

A lot. And I mean... a little worryingly so.

He takes things seriously, has a principle that anything in life should be done with utmost excellence or else it's not worth it at all. This bleeds into your relationship in... interesting ways!

He gets you a teddy bear for your first anniversary. No, not those drugstore ones, an actual luxury brand teddy bear with a bejewelled neckline. Yes, its eyes sparkle too. And yes, you loved it.

He also planned a nice dinner with a view and an orchestra singing in the cafe (he aligned your schedules with the timetable the restaurant provided just to be able to see them), and you adored him the rest of the night.

In return, you've gifted him a nice watch with your initials embedded within it. He cried at the restaurant (he just couldn't hold it in) and ended up cuddling your teddy bear until you two got to the car.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

This is so funny but he'd think you two are possibly the best couple out there in comparison to... like, anyone and everyone.

You've told him not to boast, but his life's hard work is invested in your relationship. It's hard for him not to!

Richard makes sure each time you two go out together that you are feeling your utmost best so he could relax the whole evening and! Well! Pridefully shove your existence to every conversation he can join.

You remind him later that everyone began rolling their eyes, but he shrugged and got some grapes for you two instead.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

A lot. PLEASEEE did y'all see the GIF where he was joking around with Todd? Richard loves looking his best.

If Neil takes his time on doing house chores, Richard makes sure to put meticulous effort in ironing his shirts, gelling his hair, and even putting his trousers on the neatest he could.

He just knows looks mean everything in a shallow world, okay.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

YES. Lol.

I know I talked about secure attachment and all that on Neil's post, but with this boy? If you ever leave him, his breath would be taken out of his throat.

He's the sobbing breathless and stutters, struggling to sy how he feels type.

Please take care of yourself. If you ever even fall sick with the slightest fever, he would never leave your bed. And this creates such a moral conflict because he knows he has to work but seeing his darling all red in cold sweat and whimpering in pain leaves his heart aching too much for him to think straight.

He ended up calling out of work. Don't worry, of course he scheduled it ahead. Classic.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He loves your childhood home. If you still lived there before you got together, once you did, he'd ask to visit you there almost every week.

It gives him a nice sense of optimism about the life you two could build together, and seeing your old pictures on the wall from when you were small tugged a heartstring he didn't even know he had in him.

Also he finds your bed there really snug.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn't like any sense of laziness or sloth.

Richard is... a hard worker, to say the least. He's stable, he's reliable, and he's straightforward. He would be way down if his partner takes advantage of that or worse, refuses to meet him halfway.

He loves your spontaneity, but he also values the stability he could bring. If you two could find a good balance, then he'll find it so much more magical to cruise the waves of your love.

Yes, he calls it that.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He puts in snore blockers, like those clamps on your nose to keep you from snoring.

Richard read an article once or twice about the statistics of people's lives being affected negatively by sleep apnea and he's been shaken ever since.

It's okay, you take it off for him if you wake earlier and kiss him good morning right after.

Howzzat for a redemption arc, baby?

taglist ⤷ @xpumk1n-p13x @olemotionalass @the-river-rix @freakyblud @the-undead-poets-society @irishcoffeeeyes @lc-27 @adriannlily @stephtuckerauthor @wolfstvrr

[nurse-bunnie]

Yeah sure why not. Welcome to my ramblings. Sharps is 141s nurse/medic, because these idiots fucking need one let's be real. Course soap falls hard. Ghost irritably holds his own burning feelings tightly away from himself. He's already let Johnny bury himself into his head, his heart. He can't take more chances, but... it's hard to ignore. Anyway, that's the quick backstory to this angsty thought. Lemme know if you want more Sharps. I have lots of thoughts.

✨��Tw for violence, abuse, abusive behavior, domestic violence, injuries, breakdowns.✨️

Someone, maybe gaz, finding sharps crying alone in a little closed off corner of medbay, trying to clean herself up after getting the shit kicked out of her from her now ex, the bastard. Too many figures cloaked in fatigues and camo get away with the shit they pull, it isn't a secret. This wasn't one. The man had a grip on her that bruised and broke, the slight woman clinging to false coos murmured after rough hands hit, hard words spat, tears spilt.

But now...

Maybe it was Gaz who got in her head, all but begging her to please, please leave him. He, they, would help, that she didn't deserve - "he loves me," a choked whisper. A question. A lie they both knew. He'd crept into that lonely place that held her isolated, quiet and alone for too long.

Before she knew it, Sharps had friends in the form of cheery, blinding smiles and constant kindness, check ins and late nights spent on worn in sofas or creaky wooden chairs, a pot of tea growing cold between conversation. Cigars and spiced tea becoming a soothing aroma, a near pavlovian response that was drawn out when their captians large hand clapped down on a shoulder, the smell of smoke and Chai simmering down the swell of growing anxieties. The hulking, brooding figure haunting just in the background, a silent but firm protector. Ghost, Simon, who Sharps had grown to understand are two very different people; a mask for the quiet, hurting man Ghost kept locked away in a box somewhere deep behind his ribcage. Simon still crept out, clawed his away to the surface like digging out of a grave, all blonde curls and murmured words, dry jokes spoken to a mussed up mohawk through the crackle of comms. It had thrown Sharps off when Simons gentle voice began to dust her poor eardrums with medical quips, clearly pleased with himself when the jokes drew a soft splutter or giggle from split lips. Soon enough, the brit had joined Johnny in leaving an offering or tea, or a sweet on her desk, the medcart, disappearing before she could catch and thank the phantom. It still made her heart swell, and stomach churn in a strange way. Soap had his own way of drawing heat to her cheeks, a flush of pink staining fair skin and causing a flurry of commotion in her chest. John was committed, relentless in his affection and flirting, despite the fact that she was nearly certain Johnny and the LT were more than just partners on the field. And besides, through Sharps didn't have a ring as Soap liked to point out -"ah'll get ya one, one day, bonnie-", she was by all means in a relationship of nearly three years.

A man on base who had caught and snagged her heart those years ago with charming smiles, lips on knuckles, scratchy swrawled notes that proclaimed love, adoration, dedication... She often wracked her brain wondering where it all went wrong. When things had changed from kissed pressed to her hand, to knuckles on her skin, blooming purple over fractured cheekbones, welts and marks placed by the brutality of anger and violence where love once was promised.

The 141 had been gently trying to coax her away from this guy who she's been with for a couple years, prior to being assigned to the chaotic men of the task force. Maybe it was then that the abuse got worse, intensifying in its art.

There was little to no regard to the bruised that pained fair skin, not bothered to be placed hidden. But this? This is what it takes to make her leave, run. Things had gotten bad before, creeping towards the threat of this violent break, but had not crossed the line before tonight. The threats spat at her had always been promises, and she had been stupid not to heed their warning.

So here she stood, pressed into the corner of her own medbay, dark bruising creeping around her throat in the shape of hands that aimed to kill. To finish the promised job.

The sight of them makes Gaz want to be sick.

The purple shade darkening cheekbones, snaking across swollen skin. Tears that run pink, mixing with the mess of blood seeping out from under her hair, hands trembling from where they clutch a stained gauze pad, failing in its attempt to swipe away the evidence of events a mere forty five minutes ago. Too late for Gaz, for anyone to have pried the fingers from her throat, to block punches and kicks. She could still hear the screaming. Choking on the fresh memory, more salt dripped down swollen cheeks, dark hands drifting over hunched shoulders, trembling under the weight of sobs poorly consealed. Sharps felt as if she were breaking apart from the inside out. The tender flesh hidden under skin and bone matching the bruises decorating her body. Finally, they match.

"Kyle -" she didnt know what she was asking for, the mans name falling broken from iron tinged teeth.

Plucking the bloody mess of gauze from her fingers, Gaz tempered down his own distress after a soft, pained noise, Vaguely, sharps managed to realize her fruends shirt was going to bw ruined between tears and crimson that lazily soaked into the fabric, her cheek pressed over a steady heartbeat, a gentle hand over her hair, arms around her sore body.

Finally broken, the woman allowed herself to sag into the comfort that had been wrapped around her, nearly unaware of concerned voices that approached, the rise of concussion drowning out anything but the pain, and Gaz's steady warmth. The white flag of surrender waved, giving way to exhaustion. Footsteps approached, paused, before the lilt of another thicker accent barely registered in her ringing skull, another hand at the small of her back, sticky hair tucked behind her ear. Her own hands clung to the man whose shirt she had ruined, not needing to open her eyes to know it belonged to sergeant Mactavish. Simon would be along any moment now.

Somehow, Sharps was beginning to feel more relaxed than she had in months. The vague memory of close combat training reminding her of the education that had long since been instilled in her. Tension buildup, release, reduction. Everything has to break. Push past that point and things had to begin to wear down and settle. The realization that the abuse was finally over, that the handprints bruised around her neck would never mark her body again, that she had been found this time, that this was not the end of her... story?

Did she have something worth living? Heavy boots registered on the dull floor, a rough voice laced with anger. Maybe. Either way, for the first time in recent history, with iron heavy on her tongue, she wasn't alone. And maybe that could be enough.

[tingedautumn]

normally I'm respectful and considerate towards other ships that I don't like myself but something about certain r/a fans go about it really irks me. before I was pretty neutral with r/a, even liking a lot of the art but after seeing numerous death threats, bullying, art theft and overall atrocious behavior online from those assholes, I can't even look at those two characters standing next to each other without my eyes glaring in annoyance.

this is so real it's actually soured my whole opinion on lucifer when he was initially the one who drew me into the show LMAO

i have ranted about this before and undoubtably i will rant about it again but the entire premise of radio/apple is just two tumblr hot guys standing next to each other and that's it. crackships have been made of far more ridiculous premises and they've got far more meat to them because they start with the concept of "hey wouldn't it be interesting if these two met?" whereas radio/apple is just. fandom misogyny dressed up as progressive shipping lol.

like i cannot wrap my head around it because we know the characters have two lines with each other. we know they hate each other. we know they sing an entire song dedicated to fighting over charlie, the female lead. the canonical wlw ship does not get nearly the same amount of attention as radio/apple does, and it's because the fans do not care about lgbt rep, they care about fetishizing a yaoi trope. the arguments used to insist charlastor can't happen never get brought up with radio/apple. alastor's ace identity is never an issue if it's with radio/apple. it is the exact same mentality of 2008 era deviantart yaoi fanclubs that aggressively hated on female characters because it got in the way of mlm ships, even if the character was the canonical lead. and i know that's the case here because radio/apple keeps stealing charlastor ideas and aesthetics to make their ra art and fics. they sincerely have so little to go on for their own ship that they steal wholesale from us and then go out of their way to replace charlie with a man. i posted a picture of charlie in a dress on twitter once and radio/apples were commenting saying they thought it was lucifer. just say! you hate women!!!

and it drives me fucking BONKERS because the actually implied-canon fully hinted mlm ship huskerdust also doesn't get as much attention as radio/apple. it's purely because both alastor and lucifer fulfill the tumblr sexyman quota and shipping them together isn't about anything other than personal wankbank material! which would be totally fine and more power to you if the fandom a) wasn't so fucking misogynistic about it, b) were not so goddamn insufferable i am losing my mind!!!

i've had to unfollow friends on twitter / bsky because they posted radio/apple it's genuinely not funny anymore lmao i am ready to shoot on sight the second it pops up. and i know merch and advertising will lean on it because they've discovered it sells which will make the fandom more insufferable and it's a never ending cycle i do not know why i expect better when i was once in the naruto trenches this is just the same battle of gross sexism disguised as progressive shipping.

[meirimerens]

how do you cope with boring/difficult classes and assignments or general tips on how to best enjoy and perhaps even romanticize university?

i'm going to be a hundred and also recognize how #lucky i am but I don't have boring classes. there's not one class where i'm like "damn i wish i wasn't there rn". as far as difficulty goes, it's only my first year so it's now Insanely Difficult either and basically every time i have stressed like hell for an exam SO FAR AND MAY IT STAY THAT WAY GODDESS WILLING GODDESS WILLING i've actually done real well so i'm unsure how like Compelling of tips i can give but here's what i got going on for me:

taking notes by hand. my medieval art history teacher says neuroscience shows that writing stuff down by hand makes it easier to memorize stuff, i'm finding stuff that goes in that way but i'm a firm believer of If It Works. i find taking notes by hand allows for way more freedom of form than typing; you can put arrows, do little idea "maps" or "trees" that you'd be spending 5 full minutes on on computer. it also makes me feel 1) less stressed because i don't have to worry about a very expensive piece of material being stolen/running out of battery midtype 2) like a #scholar and gives me a sense of Locking In that i don't have with typing because i spend so much time on computer typing Unscholarly things. if you catch by drift

as soon as possible after a class, condensing the lecture notes in small concise sheets that i carry around in their own dedicated small folder. it's a tip from my boss (who also did an art history degree): don't retype all of your handwritten note on computer, make like. "memory items" study sheets. i like to use different highlighter colors (orange for dates, green for places, purple for Concepts, blue for Objects,... etc) so it's easier to navigate. they can look like this. if you so desire

you'll notice all my little arrows and the drawing; all those existed in my hand-written lecture notes

3) try to eat well and sleep enough. don't do as i do. i eat well but i sleep like shit and then wonder why i feel like i'm about to snap by hour 5 of class of the day.

4) hate to say it but bring a water bottle. and on long days, bring a thermos with either hot black tea or cold energy drink, something with caffeine in it. genuinely helping me not fall asleep on my desk when 3PM hits and i've been awake since 6:30. i'm lucky enough that i only truly "need" such a pick-me-up twice a week so. don't overdo it. that could make everything worse.

as far as #romanticizing the uni life, my tips:

a) your campus probably has a library: go borrow one (1) book from it. doesn't even have to be about your major, i'd say it's Even Better if it's not about your major, but related to your interests. you'll feel like you're #taking advantage of the #unilife by borrowing a book, And you will feel good when you read it.

b) have a dedicated #lockingin behavior for studying. at home for me it's 1) a bunch of playlists. you can and will and must indulge in some "romanticizing studying and reading in a snowy day (dark academia playlist)" or "studying like a scholar in the baroque period (playlist)" who cares. 2) one (1) scented candle that i only light for #lockingin time. and 3) a snack and a tea before lol don't study on an empty stomach your brain needs fuel.

c) if you can, go study in the library. you might not have the gorgeous #academia #romantic library of the people of the world, but even just putting yourself in a sea of #knowledge and surrounded by people who equally #grind gets you in the mood. + typicall less distractions because the wifi is too bad to scroll on the apps at the same time LOLLLL

d) might be obvious but Study something you love. the reasons i am not bored in class and am willing to put myself through the stress of exams and of feeling left behind and slowly losing it etc is because i fought like a little devil to be able to get back to uni, and in this branch specifically. all of this ^ will only be a bandaid on a deeper dissatisfaction if you don't like what you're studying.

be strong... we will smoke them all. onward!!!!

[twentyeightif]

The Invisibles: Issue 1 Page 18 (art by Steve Yeowell) ©Grant Morrison

"On October 9 1993, which would have been John Lennon’s 53rd birthday had the Arch-Beatle not been shot dead by Mark Chapman in 1980, I performed a ritual intended to incarnate Lennon as a god." - Grant Morrison

"I wanted to make a dedication at the beginning of what was a whole new life for me in many ways. I wanted to summon a spirit of pure psychedelic inspiration into a Lennon-shaped environment. I sought not to manifest the real man; the troubled, cruel and violent Lennon with his flaws and contradictions but instead evoke Lennon the twisted mystic, the pop star intellectual, the elemental Air of the four Beatles as stripped back to their cartoon archetypes.

To get in the mood, I wore a Paisley shirt, skinny jeans and Chelsea boots. I sat at the centre of a circle made of Beatles albums and had Tomorrow Never Knows playing on a loop. My new 12-string white Rickenbacker stood in for a wand. As sacrament, I took a microdose of LSD, not enough for a full-blown trip but sufficient to soften consensus reality.

People sometimes misunderstand when I talk about what happened that night – I was not possessed by the ‘spirit’ of Lennon. This was not a mediumistic example of ‘channelling’ the alleged dead. This was magic. Intention Willed into Form.

I altered the temple environment using sounds, smells and images as powerful triggers, to push out of my consciousness all associations that did not relate to Lennon.

This overload of environmental cues was organized or compressed by Will into a singular, visible compound idea of Lennon-ness, so that everywhere I looked reminded me of John Lennon, everything I heard was Lennon, until all other qualities the space around me may have once possessed were edited out and replaced by the Lennonsphere!

[...]

This total possession of the ritual space by a coherent manifestation what I was looking for and it expressed itself visually and audibly as a 4-foot tall head that fit inside my temple space but felt much bigger, made of thousands of intricate multi-coloured and chiming shards of what resembled musical notation as rotated through a higher direction – intense flashing colours, digital high fidelity, shimmering musical glissades and drones.

I bathed in an electric fluorescent creative kaleidoscope – searing yellows and electric pinks, UV blues – receiving a download of powerful effervescent excitement and creativity. It felt most like the imagined Lennon of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. A psychedelic god on acid.

[...]

As a more minor side effect of the ritual, I found myself with this song I’d strummed into life, composed almost automatically, complete with lyrics and music. It always sounded to me, at best, like a throwaway B-side from 1965 as imagined by the Rutles but that’s why I’ve always liked it. It’s a very authentic scribble of the moment…

It is emphatically NOT a communication from beyond the grave."

- Grant Morrison, "John Lennon Like You"

[flamingtoads]

Why do you draw so much for Cass? She’s not that great.

First of all, Cass is fucking amazing!! She is an absolute delight, a literal precious being that is too good for this world. She's talented, smart, literally one of the kindest people I've ever met! (irl or online!)

Secondly I don't think I draw too much for Cass! In fact I often think I should draw more things for her!! The amount of joy I get from reading her fics, being her friend, bullshitting about fandom nonsense?! She is such a joy to be around, to be in fandom with and to create with or to create for!

Also if I'm correct (pretty sure I am because I just went through my blog) I've drawn about 12 things specifically for Cass. Some of them are commissions, some are b-day gifts, some are things she's requested when i've asked for requests, and sometimes it's something she mentioned that I then surprised her with later because she's a lovely and supportive friend and I personally love to draw things for those who support me and my art so much!! (You can ask some of my other mutuals I love to draw for them because they're kind and beautiful people that support my nonsense, stick up for me from time to time and let me know when my arts been stolen or posted elsewhere without credit.) Also Cass has encouraged me to break out of my comfort zone so much. Like I truly feel that my art has flourished since we crossed paths. She challenges me, she encourages me to do silly ideas I'm afraid to do. She is such a wonderful person I cannot stress this enough!

And in case you're referring to art based off her fic well what do you expect?! She's my favorite writer! And those drawings aren't specifically for her but they are inspired by her writing so of course I'm going to credit her and her work. Also since I'm rambling let me tell you why I love her writing sm!! I LOVE her fics because love is woven into her work like ALWAYS. They're in character, beautifully written, full of emotion and realness. Sometimes I'll read some of her fics and I don't know the context or even the characters she's writing for but it's just so good! Always tender, always tugs at the heart, like I adore anything she makes!

I'm not sure if you just don't like Cass or maybe you don't like the attention that I give to her, but sending me these kinds of things aren't going to make me love her any less, and it sure as shit isn't going to make me stop drawing things I know she'll love. In fact if you wanna keep this up I'll dedicate this whole fucking blog to her and only draw what she wants because honestly she doesn't deserve this hate and I don't deserve these bullshit anons of you trying to say mean things about one of my friends. So kindly shut the fuck up, grow the fuck up and get over whatever bullshit this is because it's gross behavior to be quite honest! Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go draw something for Cass now. :)

[rookschnapps]

Previous anon here! I would love to read how you did it. Im suprised you managed to did it in Google Docs. I thought you used a program similar to InDesign or programs that are more suitable for graphic design ANYWAY i am also curious how many chapters you used. Was it seven? Did you stop there because the length was convinient or because a story arc ended there? I am not really good at identifying where an arc begins and stops. okay bcgjkkcj THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

YAYYY I LOVE TALKING ABOUT ARTS AND CRAFTS!!

gonna put this in main tags as well this time so:

this is my bookbind of trod pt 1 :] by @bamsara which u can and SHOULD read here

ok so this first bit is how I made the pdf and then the next bit is how I turned it into signatures for binding. Then the last bit is splitting up chapters and stuff. If anyone has any advice or tips on what I could do differently (for free or v cheap haha) please let me know!! This is so fun I love learning and discussing and making things

first thing I did was grab a real book so I could take a look at where they put the title page, where they left the pages blank, etc

I then formatted the title and contents and stuff in docs by messing with font and position on the page (etc) until it was to my liking! THEN I realised I wanted an image on the very first page so I went back and put that in. I got to design it it was sooo fun

OH. I ALSO STUCK A SHAMURA QUOTE WHERE THE DEDICATION WOULD BE. HEHE

thennn I went and changed all the heading, title and normal text options for the doc so that they looked nice! I used times new roman size 16 :) but that might be a bit big for most people. I like bigger text

^^ that step was important so that when I started copy-pasting in the text it would all come out the right size automatically. also so that my chapter titles and notes pages looked consistent

next I downloaded trod from ao3 as a html file! I found it works better than pdf bc there aren’t any page breaks

I just copied and pasted trod in one chapter at a time and added in the notes and summary for every chapter where I wanted it and that worked pretty well for me

THEN SPELLCHECK. I didn’t want to do it automatically (docs had some horrible opinions sometimes. Also kept trying to erase bits of the writing style that made perfect sense and sound beautiful???) so I had to confirm every change which took a while but I think was worth it

lastly I added page numbers. They did not want to cooperate with me and I still do not understand the tiny fuckers, but I managed to get them in the middle of the page for book 2 so it looks less weird (hurrah). There’s a button for it

then I saved it as a pdf!

OK NEXT THING : SIGNATURES

this post is my bestest friend (link is to a tumblr post that was really helpful)

and this webpage is how I got a pdf of the signatures (it’s the same one linked in the post)

CHAPTERS:

yeah I split it into chunks of 7 chapters! Book 1 ends on the argument in the field bc a) it was getting wayyy too long and b) I want to lend it to my friends and that’s a delightful emotional cliffhanger. Book 2 (which is actually finished. I’ll try and post photos later today or something) ends after hekets release from purgatory which is I thiiiink another 7 chapters? Book 3 is gonna be a bit longer bc I want to do it up to the most recent chapter, which I was gonna leave out bc of length but then it came out and I went insane haha

OH in book 2 I did drop caps and title decoration which I designed in procreate and then imported into docs and moved around as imported photos. I’ll put a bunch of pictures at the end too

THANK U FOR ASKING!!! If there’s anything else u want to know then let me know!! :]

[cottoncandytrafficcones]

10 Jewish Women from History Part 6

Fania Lewando (1888/1889-1941, Poland)

Born in Włocławek, in the Russian Empire, she and her husband moved to Vilnius during the Russian Civil War, where she became well known for her vegetarian restaurant in the Jewish Quarter. She also operated a cooking school. She published her Yiddish-language vegetarian cookbook, the first of it's kind in Europe, in 1938.

Grace Aguilar (1816-1847, England)

Born to a family of Sephardic Portuguese descent, she was the eldest child of her parents. Her father was the lay leader of a synagogue in London, and her mother was active in the Jewish community. Due to an illness, she was educated at home by her mother, who taught her Jewish tradition and history. Her debut was an anonymous collection of poems. In London, she befriended Benjamin Disraeli. She continued to write until her death. Most of her work was published posthumously. A lot of her work focused on equipping Jewish women with religious knowledge against missionaries.

Charlotte Montefiore (1818-1854, England)

A British Jewish author and educational philanthropist, she was the second of four children in the Montefiore family. She devoted herself to charity and supporting Jewish schools, and founded several Jewish organizations like the Cheap Jewish Library (with Grace Aguilar), the Jewish Emigration Society, and the Jewish Ladies' Benevolent Loan and Visiting Society. The Cheap Jewish Library, Dedicated to the Working Classes was a periodical from 1841-1849, with Charlotte Montefiore and Grace Aguilar being the main authors. It is viewed b some as the beginnings of a Jewish women's movement in England.

Esterka (1300s, Poland)

A semi-legendary (as in, some consider her to be real and other consider her to be myth) mistress of Casimir the Great, King of Poland. The daughter of a poor tailor, she was known for her beauty and intelligence. In legend, she performed as the king's advisor, and encouraged him to be loyal to the Jews, especially during the Black Death. She has two daughters who she raised as Jews. She is featured in several pieces of literature and art.

Judith Solomon Cohen (1766-1837, Baltimore)

The matriarch of one of the earliest Jewish families in Baltimore. Born in Bristol, England, she and her husband emigrated to Richmond, Virginia, by 1784. Her husband was the founder of a congregation. When he died, his house and belongings were auctioned off as women could not own property. Cohen and her children vecame a boarder of Shinah Solomon Etting.

Grunia Movschovitch Ferman (1916-2004, Poland and Canada)

A WWII fighter, nurse, businesswoman, and Holocaust activist, she was born in Novogrudek. She trained in first aid courses and trained as a physical education teacher. She was forced to live in a ghetto, which she escaped from, finding refuge in Naliboki Forest where she joined a camp of Jewish resistance, working as a nurse. She spoke nine different languages and acted as a translator for the community, often volunteering at hospitals. She was involved in Holocaust remembrance events in St. Johns, and presented a lecture in response to Holocaust deniers.

Gluckel of Hameln (1646-1724, Germany)

A German Jewish businesswoman and diarist, whose memoirs are the only known pre-modern ones in Yiddish written by a woman. Born to a wealthy family in Hamburg, her father was a leader in the Jewish community, and her mother involved in business. In 1649, she and her family were expelled to Altona. Although unable to study Torah, she received education in Hebrew and the basics of Judaism. Gluckel assisted her husband in his business, eventually taking over when he died. She was one of a few women who travelled on their own to conduct trade at European markets and fairs. Her diaries capture German-Jewish life in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Esther Liebmann (1649-1714, Germany)

A German financier and court Jew of King Friedrich I of Prussia, a title she inherited from her second husband. She served as court jeweler, carried on her husband's business and becoming the minting official for the crown. She was known as the most powerful woman in the country.

Tabitha Solomon (1901-1976, Calcutta)

One of the first women to qualify as a dentist in India. After graduating from Calcutta Dental College and Hospital in 1928, she started a dental clinic. Born into the Baghdadi Jewish community of India, she was closely involved in Jewish causes, serving on WIZO, the Calcutta Jewish association, and the Calcutta Women's Committee.

Sylvia Weinstock (1930-2021, America)

An American baker and cake decorator, born in the Bronx and raised in Williamsburg. She completed a degree in psychology from Hunter College, and a masters in education from Queens College. She started as an elementary school teacher on Long Island, and then apprenticed with pastry chef George Keller. SHe started her own baking and decoration company at 50 years old, after surviving breast cancer. She made decorative cakes for a variety of celebrities, avoiding using fondant. She was dubbed the Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes, and later appeared as a guest judge on Food Networks shows. She taught cake decorating at the Institute of Culinary Education.

[artonice]

Am I delulu?

Anyways... seriously y'all. I started publicly sharing B/V stuff in March. I'm just a girly from Boston who is obsessed with ice dance and the athletic, emotional moments it creates. I also enjoy its connection to art. Their 2023 FD reminds me so much of the above painting. I like to post comparisons and Kiki with the girls. Ice dance slays so hard bc I've never seen anything like it before! I really earnestly just enjoy all of the mechanics.

The dedication, the performance. Y'all caught me vicariously living, babes! We all wish we could've been something like a ballerina or an ice skater. Seeing Bella skate, inspires me to do the things that little me dreamed of. Still! Which I enjoy just as equally. Because everyone seems so grumpy all the time and I love having something to cheer for and believe in. I've competed for 2 bike races since following Bella. Because I'm rooting for someone who does cool stuff and think, wait I can do cool stuff too. And the duo for sure inspires me to paint and write and listen to good music and all that other important stuff. Like a good tv show or my favorite book would.

But this is my crutch, y'all. These are very real people. Celebrity and influencer culture makes us depersonalize the figures sharing their lives. I can def see how I get lost in the delulu of their skating story, and Bella's underdog lore (which is mainly why I'm here y'all). I know it's still a risk that skaters can see this post, but I just wanna yap to no one about how weird the modern world is. And I think Tumblr is probably the most private place out of all socials to yap anyways.

So, my point. I feel weird! I feel so weird making edits and talking about how inspired I am by these strangers, especially when the inspiring strangers can see😭. Bella follows my insta account (as well as a bunch of others) bc she's a cool and connective girl broooo like Bella pls don't unfollow girly I'm just saying I don't wanna freak anyone out 😭🫶. Cause I couldn't imagine all these people being so focused on my life and what I do, it might stress me out bad yall.

I know I'm delulu, but more so I'm sensitive. That's why I like this sport. And I like to chit chat!!! Combined with this hyper digital, often fantasy focused world we live in (movies, tv, sports, books) I don't want to be confused with some crazy person who can't decipher boundaries bc I run an active stan account. And no hate to my fellow Stan accounts, this scenario feels unique bc ice skating fan accounts have audiences that often include people in the skater's communities or families, if not the skater themselves. It's not like I'm posting about Taylor Swift who won't see it. Girl, my T-swift is 5'ft tall and can jump 6ft high in the air. Her Eras Tour starts in Lake Placid this July😭. And you bet your ass I need to talk about it!

But I also gotta remind myself that this isn't my favorite TV show but people's real lives. Like fr. Sometimes the competition is so good you'd think it was scripted, y'all. God, like let me keep yapping forever huh?

Anyways, I am so glad I get to connect with my favorite athlete, as I'm sure her other fans appreciate it too. She's honest and open to chat for a reason, it keeps us feeling like we are on the road to the Olympics with her. I'm gunna keep posting cause I love the idea of turning all of booktok on her lore and getting a million people to root for them so I can see them at freaking SKAM 🤨. The conversation between influencer and audience is just hella interesting. And I hope I'm towing the line okay!

[sealbee101]

when it comes 2 yyh official art w/them all in casual clothing it feels v strange 2 see bc sometimes u can just nod ur head and b like “yeahh yeah!! woohoo!!” and then there’s something that they would not wear ever, not even in a alternate universe, not even in 10 different alternate universes. ik fashion is changing w/every year and new trends r coming and going like season but i feel like it’s easy bc if u know their personality then u know their like sense of clothing is like!!! so these r my yyh fashion hcs 4 my reference + if u think they’re cool!!! rahh!!

kuwabara 

he’d dress like a skater kid, i know he would, he HAS a skateboard probably and tried 2 do a kick flip 2 impress some1 and he ends up falling on his face, he has 12 hangers each all dedicated 2 megallica and he’s worn them all

wears baggy pants w/untied shoe laces (he 4gets 2 tie them and then trips and tumbles down the street like a human tumbleweed)

sweatshirts/thermals (this 1 is from the return 2 demon world episode i think??)

you can’t change perfection, he’s literally woven and created by god if god wrote manga

-ripped jeans (that shirt from the spirit detective saga with the tiger print activated a neuron in me. i am not the same)

kurama

turtlenecks

trench coats (bc of that 1 episode where yomi asked him 2 come back 2 demon world. idk what kinda jacket that is all i know is that kurama kinda dresses like a non binary librarian 2 me.)

wide leg denim/any wide pant

i feel like he would wear plain white button ups w/vest + cardigans or sweaters over button ups

shizuru

she’d also wear vests over button ups and wide leg pants

she’d have a dark academia fashion (same w/kurama ☝️)

probably patterns like argyle, plaid, and gingham

yusuke

-he’d also wear baggy pants

-sweaters under flannel + anything w/flannel

-his trusty sneakers with the invincibility of superman, they are covered in the dirt of a soldier if the natuonal anthem of japan played the laces would salute 🫡

-similar 2 kuwabara

hiei

-his cloak. taking his cloak away is like pulling off the wings of an angel. you can’t do that, you monster.

botan

-jackets and overalls

-red and yellow (she can include other colors 2!!)

-she dresses more casually compared 2 the others because her real fashion are her kimonos u’ve heard of the book 100 dresses by Eleanor Estes wait til’ u see the 100 kimonos

-she’d style her hair alot, like put it in crazy styles, she’d probably be able 2 defy gravity r smth w/her hair

keiko

keiko is hard to explain but here visuals 4 reference of what I think she’d like :) v

thank u 4 reading this long here’s a cookie just 4 u -> 🍪

[ladychlo]

How do we Boycott Correctly?

( transcript of BDS video made by Abdallah Denwar + ressources)

We can split the products we're boycotting into 4 categories:

A. Products made in Israel: Most of them are not distributed in the Arab region but activists in the West have begun to talk about them and raise awareness on the necessity of boycotting them. (including: Ahava cosmetics, Sabra Hummus, SodaStream...etc.)

B. Products that enable the Occupation: Carrefour is involved in real estate projects within the settlements, HP provides technologies and software systems that facilitate the monitoring and suppression of Palestinians in and outside prisons. CATerpillar designed bulldozers dedicated to the occupations which contributed to the demolition of Palestinians' infrastructure and demolish their homes and Puma is the official sponsor of the Israeli national football team.

C. Brands supporting the Israeli State: this is the most important thing we have a role in because these are the products that are directly involved in our lives. Food, drinks, skincare perfumes and so on. Cutting these products is influential because:

1) we are pressuring companies whose founders support the occupation and directly decreasing their profits.

2) we plant fear within any new companies from considering future partnerships with occupation, thus losing their credibility as a natural entity that can create successful economic relations.

3) we provide opportunities for local products to develop and increase their production.

(products including: Starbucks, McDonald's, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Papa John's, Disney+, Marks & Spencer, L'Oréal, Domino's, Maggi, Nestle...etc)

D. Events and activations by the occupation: Includes Conferences, concerts and tours of artists that take place Events and activities include art exhibits, film screenings, festival, plays, conferences, performances (music, dance, etc.), tours, among other activities.

-Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: Building Solidarity with Palestine

-BDS FAQs page

-BDS list

-Join a BDS campaign near, select your country to get informed

[dailycharacteroption]

Living Vessel (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by xiaofanchuanart on DeviantArt)

It’s a fun trope that’s seen a lot of traction these days, the hero with an entity bound inside them, granting them power at the cost of having a volatile roommate inside their head.

While said entities are traditionally malevolent, not all of them are evil or demonic in nature. Some might be eldritch entities beyond the concept of good and evil, have almost mortal motivations, or even be outright benevolent. However, their behavior is not always in line with the character’s desires or methods, leading to conflict occasionally or often, depending.

Additionally, there is the question of how the entity ended up bound to the hero in the first place. Perhaps it was a willing pact between two entities, or a forcible one where one or both had no say in the matter, such as an offered bargain with a fey, or being dragged onto an altar for a foul ritual, or being bonded by pure accident.

An interesting aspect of this archetype is that it can be thematically involved as much as you like with your base class, either being entirely separate, or flavored as being the reason you have the abilities of the class in question in the first place, such as a witch whose pact is with an entity that is also partially possessing them, or a sorcerer or psychic channeling the power of the bound entity as their own.

Additionally, the archetype also does suggest that your GM might allow you to take one of the pact feats from the pactbinder archetype for even more thematic powers.

On that note, since the exact nature of the living vessel is left vague, you should work with your GM to possibly modify the feats of the class, or even homebrew new ones that fit with the bound entity. For example, Exude Abyssal Corruption might deal fire damage instead if the entity is a devil rather than a demon.

With all this in mind, this archetype offers plenty of leeway to grant new powers or reflavor old powers to be the results of another entity within themselves, with all the quirks and roleplaying opportunities that represents.

The base dedication of the archetype grants the bond with the entity, which must be regularly appeased (the specifics being worked out between you and the GM). If not appeased so, the entity becomes irate (granting greater penalties) and can only be appeased by being granted full control for a day, letting it pursue it’s own agendas. However, the entity comes through for you in emergencies, taking over when the hero would fall unconscious to keep them in the fight a little longer, albeit under their control.

Oftentimes, the entity transforms a limb of it’s host, or extrudes one through their body to grant them a physical attack that they can manifest.

Living Vessels can sometimes tap into the life force of the entity to heal their wounds, but some of the entity’s psyche comes with it, blurring the line between the two until assuaged. The specifics are vague and can range from roleplaying changes to priority shifts or even GM control after repeated uses.

Some bound to demons might ooze with demonic corruption, infusing their attacks and touch with poison.

Those with a fey bond might benefit from illusions that make it difficult for foes to target the real vessel.

Meanwhile, eldritch bondmates may aid in grappling foes with their unknowable limbs, assaulting them both physically and mentally.

The most powerful, through either mastering their control of the entity or coming to a true understanding, may truly merge with the entity and temporarily take on a hybrid form blending the two together, improving their combat prowess and bolstering various generic abilities associated with the archetype.

Finally, don’t forget that your GM might let you take a pact feat from Pactbinder or a modification of such.

For all it’s flexible abilities, this archetype is pretty unintrusive, but it can grant anything from the basic ability to keep standing in an emergency with buffs with a cost, to a natural attack for emergencies, healing, and of course a powerful battle form alongside whatever flavorful abilities you choose to take based on the entity’s nature. In this way, it can provide some useful abilities without inhibiting your main class, making it useful for pretty much all of them.

No matter if you using this archetype to emulate older 1st edition entities like medium or shaman spirits, the alternate self of the abomination psychic discipline, or want to do something entirely new, the dynamic between the character and the entity can be as varied as any other relationship. Perhaps they are truly monstrous and demand horrible acts to be placated, or maybe they’re a playful trickster, a misunderstood grump, or something else. Creativity is absolutely your friend here.

When the angel Lowentiel fell, it was not arrogance or disobedience  that brought him low, but a thirst for justice that had forgotten mercy. And so rather than join the ranks of the Erinyes, he had to be sealed away lest he tear his way through Hell on his bloody quest. However, while his name is striken from records and his true self locked away, there are those who find his name on their lips when vengeance and punishment are on their minds…. Who can invite a measure of the fallen demigod angel into themselves.

If there is anything the azarketi, or gillfolk know too much about, it is the eldritch horrors that sleep beneath the sea awaiting the proper alignment of the stars. However, despite being better informed of the danger than most, some are still seduced by the tales of those that invite the dreaming minds of such horrors into themselves, all for power.

While the party is visiting a village on the outskirts of the kingdom, they manage to spot a brownie house fey. While normally this would be merely a rare chance encounter, the tiny fey recognizes something about the party’s mage… not them themselves… but the fey entity bound to their soul, making the brownie the only lead they have to discovering the true identity of this being.