#''that you are'' is very beautiful but is probably my least favorite of the trio hkjgh

[volivolition]

How are my favorite buds doing?? :3

!! hello hello red!! :3! i'm doing alright!! ough, i've been very tired, but i'm getting by hkjgh <33

i'm gonna go hang out with my siblings tomorrow, if thats anything! hkjgh we wanted an outing before school starts for a bunch of us :'] so we're gonna go get food and maybe go to the bookstore! otherwise, that's about it for voli updates, i haven't really been up to anything big lately hkjgh lots of sleeping, lots of chores, some gaming occasionally, a little bit of art here and there <3 just resting before school starts up again <33

OH AND HOZIER DROPPED AN EP SO IVE BEEN LISTENING TO THAT IF THAT MATTERS TO ANYONE HKJGH

thank you for asking!! i hope you've been doing well!! twirls!! .*+ :3

[feroluce]

HOW DID RAPPA AND BOOTHILL END UP BEING SO SWEET???

Before 2.6 even dropped, they were being cute! In Rappa's Keeping Up With Star Rail, Boothill describes Rappa's creations as "high-tech ninjutsu" rather than equipment, or machines, or anything else that someone would have normally defaulted to. This is something Rappa is very proud of and insistent about in her work, and he respects that!

Even with those party join lines, he refers to her not as a Galaxy Ranger, but by her chosen title!

Rappa seems to get a lot of shit for how she talks, too, with people throughout the patch accusing her of playing around or not taking anything seriously. Boothill though is swift to correct that, that even if it sounds like nonsense, Rappa is someone to be respected and a force to be reckoned with. He seems to really admire her resolve, and especially her intellect! He has nothing but praise for her, it's so so sweet.

And the way she talks about him, too! Like there are. A lot of things you can say about a man like Boothill fjkdlsajk but she always speaks so admirably of him?

There's also the difference in nicknames- Rappa refers to every other person as "Ninja." And most of them are descriptions that you can pick up at a glance, or without knowing a person too deeply. Singer for Robin is obvious, everyone knows who she is. Gama for Reca means "toad," which is a reference to the assistant director he always has with him. Baseball Bat for the trailblazer is also obvious. Ruri for March 7th means "lapis lazuli" which is probably a reference to her Six Phase Ice, or even her appearance since she looks like if a Stellar Jade became human. Hiryu for Dan Heng is actually "flying dragon" but it's also a famous video game reference so I'm only willing to put so much stock into that one fjkdsjakd and besides, she could have easily heard about March 7th and Dan Heng from Boothill, since he talks about the dango trio to Rappa, too.

But Boothill! Rappa refers to Boothill as "Silvergun Shura," with Shura being a reference to Asura, a demigod of war. It's a name used to describe someone fighting a relentless, inhumane war and desperately seeking victory. It also refers to a level of hell, governed by anger and pain. Both interpretations suit him strongly. It's not really a title you could give just looking at someone. It's something you'd have to know them at least a little more deeply for.

Boothill also very distinctly lacks the common ninja title- instead, in the EN translation, Rappa calls him Lord. It's a highly respectable title even in the original Chinese, apparently akin to addressing reigning royalty.

She just. Seems to respect and admire him so much? It's so so sweet?

And despite how often it's stated that Galaxy Rangers tend to work and travel alone, it seems these two are at least fairly familiar with each other, which makes me really happy! In an instance of beautiful timing, just today Hoyo released a new text convo, and! When she wants someone to hang out with, Boothill was one of the first people Rappa thought of!

Rappa knew Dan Heng because Boothill talked about him. She knew about Clockwork. Boothill has spoken with her often enough and long enough to know how deeply her hatred ran, and to be upset for her when Primon got away.

They both speak so positively of each other, even when one is out of of earshot. They openly show a ton of respect and admiration for one another, and the way they talk about each other is more than just two people who happen to be part of the same faction. They know each other more closely than that. Boothill is only in Penacony at all because of Rappa, and Rappa trusted Boothill enough to seek him out for this.

My favorite, though? The part I considered the cutest?

Rappa literally went all the way to the Luofu just to watch Boothill fight in the Luminary Wardance.

[yanderederee]

Alright, let’s talk about Ken Wakui’s newest work

Negai no Astro

Or Astro Royal, whatever you prefer.

I will be giving no blatant spoilers in this post, only speculations:)

Manga PV here; ITS SO GOOD!!!!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✦

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, Ken Wakui has a very distinct art style. And I love it! A lot of people are making fun of it (mostly on Twitter/X), and it’s really sad. I love his style, and character development.

I have high hopes for this manga, and want to paint a picture of what to expect for those who also want to get into it♡

Let’s start Character Designs

—our main-trio—

We’re only one chapter in so far, so we’ve only met the main two boys, Terasu and Hibaru (left to right).

Terasu Yotsurugi - 12th Son

Loving Terasu’s take-no-shit personality so far. Simultaneously, he seems very kind and loyal to Hibaru’s ideals.

Terasu is giving Ryusei/Chifuyu lovechild.

Hibaru Yotsurugi - only Biological Son

I love Hibaru’s chivalrous/“old-fashion” ideology. He may seem ‘generic shonen protagonist’ right now, but i don’t care. I will appreciate him.

Hibaru is giving Mikey/Takemitchi lovechild.

As for our blue eyes beauty over here, we have yet to see her yet. She seems very cute though.

She’s also giving lovechild vibes; Senju/Hina specifically…

—The Yotsurugi family—

There are 13 Siblings of the Yotsurugi family, whom has a history of being Yakuza.

12/13 Siblings are adopted.

So far, we only have designs for 11 siblings.

We do not know a lot of names thus far, WHICH I NEED BTW, so let’s go over what we do have, and my first impressions of them.

—Names going Left to Right per image

Shio Yotsurugi - Eldest Son

He’s giving Timeskip!Taiju vibes. Anyone who says he looks like Ran…. I can’t see it. He’s too beefy- sorry.

I just know I’m not going to like this guy.

Has a lot of the people’s support, but not mine.

Probably thinks he’s going to make the family better when he’s really ruining it:(

Unnamed Glasses Guy - maybe 2nd Son?

Mmmmm no thoughts.

Token megane character—

Probably corrupt.

I hope he proves me wrong.

Kou Yotsurugi - 11th Son

Middle child vibes

He will be deranged and misguided.

Probably “hates” Hibaru because he’s so much like their father, who I assume he respects, but doesn’t agree with.

He probably secretly admires them both though.

Unnamed Hottie - maybe 9th Son?

MINE. 👹👹👹 RAPID. FERAL. BARKBARKBARK—

Based on vibes alone, I lay claim. Awoogaawooga♡

I NEED NAMES, NOW WAKUI. NOW.

Who is he. Where was he. I must know.

also lowkey giving Angry’s blue-ogre vibes…

Didn’t appear in chapter 1 though so:( </3

Unnamed ScarGuy - maybe 10th Son?

Eyes always closed, speaks with ♡ at the end of his sentences…

Seems charming. I mean, look at those eyelashes…♡

Wanna give him a kith.

I have a feeling he and Unnamed Hottie are biological brothers… not sure.

Wakui please, sir, just one chance—-

Unnamed BraidGuy - maybe 8th Son?

Mr. I’ll just stay in my lane. Respect.

Realistically, I think he’ll be my first/second favorite eye candy, depending on how these characters personalities/canons end up being explored.

I’m sorry I have a thing for men with long hair!

Cool earrings too lol

Seems neutral to who’s in charge.

Wakui, seriously, I CAN TAKE HIM—!!!

BENKEI???? - maybe 5th Son?

Has lion-like eyes and sharp canines….big nose

My size kink is acting up—no, please nO—!

Okay but seriously. I’m not sure what to expect from him yet.

He seems honest, but I can see him getting power hungry:(

Handsome Lady - Maybe 3rd Daughter?

Cooler older sister vibes.

Awoogawooga

Please be a lesbian or at least bisexual—

Seems logical and cool. Probably doesn’t coddle innocence.

Mr.BigNose - Maybe 4th son?

Uh-uh. No thanks. Not bc of his appearance, but bc his character is depicted as insufferable so far.

Probably sexist.

Probably too coward to admit it, but if things with the family bond start turning south, he’s the first one OUT.

Hehe I may have left this screenshot wide to show off the One Panel that shows Mr. Unnamed Hottie *twirls hair*

I mean seriously look at him I’m going to scream without the s

Story Direction and Expectations

I trust Wakui. The way he explores his stories is through character bonds and personal ideals.

This is one of the reasons why I grew so fond of Tokyo Revengers.

Plus… it’s Found-Family Gang activity. It’s my soft spot ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I would say Yakuza but I want to be respectful in how I throw that word around, so I’ll avoid it for now if I can.

The supernatural powers that get involved will surely lead to a type of succession war between the siblings.

“What it means to be strong” will probably be the fundamental lesson of the story.

I am so excited to see how Negai no Astro will progress!

Please support Ken Wakui however you can by reading Chapter 1 onwards!♡

[sylenth-l]

Hi hello, I love your art so much LIKE MY BROTHER. IT'S SO YUMMY, THE SHADOWS THE EXPRESSIONS, I love how you draw Timur , Felwinter and Osiris together 🙏 little bird with his two funky adoptive parents. I stare at your art like , I'm always ready and hyped to give traditional art another try ✨

If I was to go back, any tips for which watercolours to pick? I so far got only aniline colours.

Aah, thank you so much!! 😳💙

Hmmm, the thing is, I use fountain pen inks almost always for painting. I don't use watercolour much, so I can't really suggest anything in particular… I have a selection of colours from different brands, of course, I know quite a lot about pigments, and I like using watercolour from time to time to add some special effects to my works. For sketching outdoors it's also the easiest to use among all other paints, probably. But painting a whole artwork with it……… I try doing it sometimes, but every single time I end up thinking "God, I wish I used inks instead, I hate this so much, why is it so BLEURGH". I guess watercolour just isn't my medium 😂 

I can share my thinking process when building up a palette though, I use it with all mixable mediums I use, be it inks, watercolour, gouache, etc. I found it to be the most effective (and money-saving, lol) approach for me.

So what I want for my main mixing palette is to have 3 sets of primary trios. All colours also must be as smooth as possible, with no surprises or unwanted colour separation. For watercolour - not granulating ones.

(my camera tends to make all colours brighter and also fails to see the subtle difference between some shades, but you can still get the idea)

The first trio is extremely vivid, consisting of bright cool colours - lemon yellow, cyan, magenta-leaning pink. It gives you access to all the bright, open colours.

Second is the classic they teach in all art schools (probably, from what I've heard, I never went into one alkjdshfk) - sunshine yellow, bright warm red and ultramarine blue. This gives you a huge selection of warmer, natural colours, like all shades of golds, eggplant purples, olive greens, etc. It also allows some nice selection of wood browns.

Third is my personal favorite, the muted trio. You kinda can get similar colours from the previous trio, but I prefer having these separately, because of how often I use them all. It consists of golden ochre-leaning yellow, dark bloody red and dark indanthrone blue. It gives you the most beautiful browns, beiges, blacks and other rich, deep colours.

On top of that I also like to have at least one decent black (in my case it's Quink Black ink, I cannot live without it).  And these 10 would be my essentials. Other colours I add to my mixing palette are basically shortcuts to the shades I find myself mixing the most - like a few browns and violets. There are also a few inks that I need for some very specific purposes - like, I have a very vivid cold magenta ink to mix a certain bright cold shade of the Void, and also a fluorescent orange for adding shiny Exo LED lights. And etc.

(Actually I'm currently in the process of re-organizing my main palette and also considering making a few small sets for painting some characters specifically)

I also have a separate selection of chromatographic inks, which can probably be compared to granulating watercolours… But not quite. A few examples:

Here I don't have any special notes or advices, just get the ink you like and enjoy it. Some of these I use so often that I always keep them in my main palette, and others I only get out for some special occasion. These are also mixable btw - I constantly add other ink in Quink Black to get different shades of it.

However, I must say that not all of the ~special effects~ inks are polite and well-behaved, some will agree to work only on some specific paper after a significant amount of coaxing, and others will straight out say "fuck you" at the most crucial moment, even if they worked perfectly just a moment ago.

Btw, when working with inks, I really recommend to put it into smaller bottles with a dropper, so you don't have to open the big bottle each time. It's both easier to use for you and much safer for inks! 

ANYWAY, I hope this post was of some use for you 🌈

[cat3ch1sm]

🏹~ i have finally returned! however, i have lost quite a few followers unfortunately, lmao, which makes me unhappy because you all know i have been away due to health issues, and i did wind up in the hospital again:// however, many of you have stuck around and wished me well, and to those people, i really appreciate you and love you so much. <33

without further ado, here are some hxh headcanons to start us back up! enjoy <3

fluffy mostly except for Hisoka’s and maybe some parts of the other adult trio men, fem!reader

𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 <𝟑𝟑

ft. kurapika, leorio, hisoka, illumi, chrollo

♡❀˖⁺. ༶ 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐤𝐚 ⋆˙⊹❀♡

『kurapika would take you to a beautiful restaurant where you first went out on a date and rent the whole place out just so you two could have the place to yourselves. he would wear his very best suit and jewelry and buy you any formal outfit you wanted so you could wear it for tonight. at the restaurant, he’d have the booth where you both sat all decked out in roses (he recruited killua and gon to help decorate, which at least gon was thrilled to do). he’ll order your favorite dish and let you order any dessert you want, while you’re sitting there wondering why he’s being so romantic. kurapika will go on and on about how stunning you look and reminisce about your first date with his face aglow, then getting distracted talking about how he felt when he first met you and talking about all of your good and bad memories together, detailing how much of a dark place he was in before meeting you. and how imagine him just reaching over and putting a rose in your hair all tender and shit, and brushing your hair from your face as he does. then he’ll get up from the booth sort of abruptly, probably, making you wonder where he’s going- at least until he kneels down in front of you, his eyes locked on yours. when Kurapika opens his mouth to speak, his voice is slightly quivery, but his words are absolute.

“my love… will you marry me?”

he’s visibly nervous, but kurapika doesn’t waver. and when you say yes with the biggest smile on your face, it’s like all the tension just evaporates from his body. he kind of pauses, like caught off guard that you said yes, and then he’ll just take you into his arms, dropping the ring on the floor as he does. Kurapika finally feels like he’s getting a new start and another family, and he absolutely could not be happier.』ღ

-ˏˋ♥̩͙♥̩̩̥͙♥̩̥̩ ⑅ 𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨 ⑅ ♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙ˊˎ

✧*̥˚ does it fully on the spur of the moment. unlike kurapika, who meticulously planned every detail and got his ring specially engraved, leorio is not at all prepared for a proper proposal (whoa tongue twister). you two are probably just on a regular old date while he’s just completely lost thinking about how stunning you are, how perfect for him you are, and how much he just adores being around you, how you accept his flaws , and how you don’t judge him based on past decisions. leorio’s completely lost track of time while you’re just awkwardly sitting there wondering why he’s looking at you like that with shiny doe eyes and next thing he knows he’s on one knee, stumbling through his words, but you understand.

“look, i know this is kind of on a whim and i don’t have a ring or anything- i swear i’ll get one- but you make me really happy and you’d make me even happier if you’d marry me.”

you’re absolutely stunned into silence, gaping and heart pounding- but leorio isn’t having it. “look, will you say yes already, damn it?!”

you burst into laughter and manage a yes through your giggles as leorio realizes that was probably a completely inappropriate outburst given that he was trying to propose to you. to tell the truth, though, you really don’t mind. <33 *̥˚✧

┌──❀* 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐤𝐚 ❀*̥˚─┐

*＊✿❀ hisoka? proposing? yeah fucking right. but because i haven’t posted in a while and i owe it to you guys, i will let y’all be delusional for the time being and act like this is at all realistic./j

let me tell you that hisoka does not marry because he wants someone to love or because he genuinely loves you. he marries for possession. you two are probably not doing anything special, maybe just walking down the street or something when, let’s say you encounter an old friend who you haven’t seen in a while. obviously you’re happy to see them, so you ask hisoka to wait and you two just chat and are clearly having a good time catching up when hisoka abruptly cuts you off, telling your friend rather coldly that you both need to go. so you’re forced to say a rushed goodbye. later that night, you ask hisoka about what happened, and he tells you darkly that you were being overly “friendly” earlier ❀✿＊*

ᥫ᭡ the “proposal” will hardly be a question. hisoka also doesn’t bother with any sentiment. he simply realizes that he doesn’t want anyone else to touch you or be with you, sort of like that one time he got angry with illumi for saying that he would kill gon at the hunter exam, but not in a fighting way, in an actual possessive “love” type way. he tells you that you’ll simply have no choice but to marry him because it’s the only way he can keep you to himself. hisoka won’t care much whether you like it or not.

“mmm… now we can’t just have people coming up to you left and right, now, can we? you’ll just have to marry me, i suppose- it’ll be a surefire way to keep you all to myself, sweetheart.”

─•~❉᯽❉~•─ 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢 ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

♡̩̥̩♡̩̩̥͙♡̩͙ˊˎ﹤ illumi would be content to do the whole fancy date night thing and the get down on one knee bit purely because it’s tradition. he doesn’t really know how else to do it, and he refuses to consult his mother because she would never get off his case about it.

however, poor illumi who isn’t great with intimacy or social cues, just straight up asks you where you’d want to be if he were to propose to you. it just makes his intentions obvious, but you play along.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ at least illumi had the sense to surprise you with the ring instead of physically taking you to the jewelry store and having you pick out your own ring and ruining the surprise. it will absolutely, definitely be the most extravagant, expensive ring you’ve ever seen in your life.

💚⛪️illumi isn’t a romantic, so when the night is almost over, he’ll promptly get down and propose to you. there’s no long speech about all the things he loves about you or how you’d make him the happiest man in the world. it’s just simply,

“will you marry me?”

to be honest, it wouldn’t matter if you said yes or no, you’re marrying him regardless. illumi doesn’t really take no for an answer. 🪦📺

☆.｡.:* 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨 ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

🕰💚📺🍀⛪️ chrollo may be the ruthless leader of the most feared group of murderous thieves in the world- but when it comes to romance, he just melts. with all the literature he reads, he can’t help but be a hopeless romantic- he believes in fairy tales, love at first sight, everything. so when he finally decides he wants to marry you, he doesn’t take it lightly- he plans literal months in advance.

chrollo will book a vacation spot for you two far away, where you two will be all alone in a cottage in a beautiful field filled with trees and other foliage. flowers are a classic but romantic way to show someone you love them, so this will be where he’ll propose. he’ll surprise you with the plane tickets one night, maybe just before bed, so you’ll have something to look forward to in the morning.

the day chrollo proposes will be the same date as the day you first met. that morning, you’ll wake up alone in your vacation cottage, wondering where chrollo went and why he didn’t inform you that he was going out. at first, you think maybe his duties as a spider called for him, but then you remember that he was the one who booked this vacation, and it would be highly unlikely he’d leave you for something like that. so now you’re even more perplexed- and it only adds to your confusion when you find a red dress on the nightstand beside the bed with a scribbled note telling you to wear it. it’s a new dress, one you’ve never seen before, so you assume chrollo must have gotten it for you.

after getting dressed, you step out the door, wondering if maybe you can find chrollo wandering in the field so where- it wasn’t uncommon for you to discover him alone in the mornings with a thoughtful expression on his face, staring into nothing. but you don’t see chrollo. instead, you almost step on a dark red rose- and as you move out of its way, you nearly step on a second one. confused, you finally look up and see a long trail of roses stretching all throughout the field from the door of the cottage. it’s a very irregular trail, the flowers zigzagging all over the place and only staying in straight lines for a little while. clearly, they were arranged there, waiting for you to follow them. so follow you did- the same trail of vibrant red roses throughout the whole field. while following the roses, you notice a growing number of pure white flowers surrounding the roses- petunias, daisies, lilies, and even white roses- creating such an obvious contrast you know for sure now chrollo has something planned. however, you can’t deny that the sight is absolutely stunning.

after much walking, you finally reach the end of the trail, at which sits a very tall, thick tree, white flowers flowing from its branches. at the foot of the tree is chrollo, standing there with his face aglow and in a white suit. behind him, clinging to the tree’s trunk is a ladder, nailed to the bark. when you ask what’s going on, chrollo simply asks you to follow him up the ladder. despite your apprehension about the stability of the ladder, you join him in climbing up, jokingly telling him that the dress he for you isn’t quite suited for tree-climbing. he tells you to just wait.

you two finally reach the top, and in the thick branches there is a gathering of vines- thick enough to hold you both. chrollo helps you into the bundle of plants; it’s almost like a bowl; and with a beaming smile he asks you to look out over the field you just crossed. wondering what in the world he is up to, you oblige- and finally see that the trail of roses you followed across the field spells out “will you marry me?”

when you turn back around in complete shock to stare at chrollo, he’s on one knee with a hopeful, genuine smile on his face, and he simply asks you the same question the roses spell out for you. needless to say, it’s a yes from you. 🍃🍂🌳🕸🪦

(i definitely went overboard with chrollo’s😭😭)

[radiojamming]

PLEASE tell us more about mummy types, i know ice is your fave so feel free to go ham on that but all of them are so interesting to me

drives up in my cozy coupe that has MUMMY MOBILE written in sharpie on the side (ALSO PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN LOOKING THESE UP; SOME OF THEM LOOK VERY GNARLY)

ICE/PERMAFROST - If you've followed me for a little while, you probably know more about these than the average fella! These are your Beechey Island Trio, your Ötzi the Iceman. Ice keeps bacteria from turning the body into a smorgabord, thus keeping these people fresh (and fluid-filled) for hundreds to thousands of years. And maybe some day down the line, some nerd finds you and thinks you're beautiful and never shuts up about you.

THE BOG - It's Tumblr. You all know about The Bog. Bog bodies are essentially turned into leather purses by the tannins and the anaerobic qualities of The Bog, sometimes effectively snapshotting their causes of death (usually something violent). Special shoutouts to fan favorites like Tollund Man, Lindow Man/Pete Marsh, Yde Girl, Grauballe Man, and Windeby I. And Hozier, probably.

HOT, DRY DESERT AIR - Think the Atacama Desert, the Mummies of Guanajuato, or your pre-embalming times Egyptians. In fact, it was the natural qualities of desert air that probably tipped the Ancient Egyptians off to the fun and fabulousness of preservation. You dry out to potato chip crispness but lose all the wet bits. Also Anubis is probably repping you.

ARID, COLD MOUNTAIN AIR - Same idea as the desert as far as lack of humidity, but better for your skin. Mountaintop mummies are some of the best preserved in the whole world. La Doncella is a fantastic example, as are the rest of the Children of Llullaillaco or the Cherchen Man and Siberian Ice Maiden. Sometimes this was done on purpose (hi bog bodies), but sometimes people just go up to high altitudes, die, and stay there forever.

HONEY/MELLIFICATION - This one doesn't fit the bill of spontaneous mummification, which is what I study. Honey mummies are made on purpose, allegedly by feeding someone honey until they're dead, and then dunking them in a coffin full of honey for them to steep like tea for the next century or so, then digging them up and making medicine/snacks out of them. Lots of alleged's, but still pretty cool if you're into idk becoming one with the slime.

SALT - Human jerky! Salt does to you what it does to all the other edible meats, of which you're just another brand. Salt sucks all the moisture out and keeps you nice, fresh, and flavorful forever and ever. The Saltmen of Iran are Thee Pinnacle of this type of preservation. Bonus is that you get weirdly sparkly when you're salted like a slug.

SAPONIFICATION - You become soap. Actually, if you want to get technical, you turn into what's called corpse wax (which is a surprisingly badass name for turning into a human candle) or adipocere. Mrs. Ellenbogen of the Mütter Museum is probably the best example of this, but it also happens to, uh, cave divers. Which is another great reason not to go cave diving.

PRISTINE AIR OF A SACRED BUILDING - Catacomb mummies! Incorruptible saints! Sokushinbutsu! If you're stuck in a religious house of worship and it just so happens to have its own little ecosystem (usually pretty dry, probably full of resinous incense), there's a non-zero chance that you'll get preserved very similarly to the mountain mummies. Getting stuck in a crystal casket doesn't hurt either. (Disclaimer: this is semi-anthropogenic for those keeping score at home. Some of these mummies are preserved this way on purpose.)

TAR PITS - Like the bog, but hotter, stickier, and smellier. Go in the tar, have no oxygen causing you to fall apart, turn into another leather bag time capsule. This more often happens to animals like those in the La Brea Tar Pits than people. At least that we know of.

WEIRD, AS OF YET UNKNOWN MEANS - Can we say for sure that there was only one reason why Lady Dai/Xin Zhui's stayed so preserved for so long? What about the other wet mummies? What about ones people find in trees? Or whatever the hell was going on with Elmer McCurdy? Maybe it's not unknown, but it doesn't fit the bill of typical mummies, or there are so many factors at play leading to preservation that we can't just call it by one category.

[indestructibleheart]

Hi, fam! Okay, so I'm going to be out at an appointment tomorrow morning, so I'm kicking this off a little bit early. It's technically Wednesday in several timezones and very nearly Wednesday in mine. I'm... also a bit eager to share this, ngl.

I know that I've shared a lot of angst lately, but I swear that's not all I'm doing. 😅 In fact, the actor/playwright AU decided to wallop me in the face out of nowhere after sitting in my WIP folder for months. I'm really excited about it, so I'm gonna share the first scene!

(Also, those of you who have been to New York with me will recognize my favorite brunch spot in this scene lmao.)

---

You probably didn't even know I was in the room, but I noticed you straight away. You were talking with your friends, happy and animated and fully alive—a person living in dimensions I couldn’t access—and so beautiful. Your hair was longer then. You were the center of attention, but you weren’t afraid. You had a yellow ipê-amarelo in your pocket. I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen; I'd better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.

INT. MOM'S KITCHEN & BAR - HELL'S KITCHEN - LATE MORNING

"I'm telling y'all," Alex is saying, punctuating with dangerously large bites of his pancake burrito. "The dude's a dick." 

It's been two hours since the nightmare audition, but Alex has been on this tirade since June and Nora first slid into the retro diner chairs across from him (at least forty-five minutes ago).

They're at Mom's: a restaurant-bar in midtown that can only be described as millennial nostalgia incarnate. The trio fell in love with it two years back—post-karaoke, stumbling in right before closing—when Alex saw God in their Fruity Pebble pancakes.  Since then, it's been his favorite place to eat his feelings.

Mom's is just really fucking comforting in general, honestly; whether it's the televisions cycling through episodes of 'Rugrats,' 'Dexter's Laboratory,' and 'Hey, Arnold!' or  the rainbow straws and Lisa-Frank-looking menus, Alex can't be sure. It doesn't hurt that they've made friends with several of the waitstaff, including an eccentric bartender, Pez, whose pink hair and painted nails fit right in with the decor. 

Today, it's the combination of breakfast sausage, bacon, eggs and cheese wrapped up in a syrup-soaked pancake that's really doing something for him. It could also be the margarita the size of his face, which Pez placed in front of him before making himself uncharacteristically scarce. But it's fine. He's probably just busy.

Alex won't admit it out loud, but what really helps is having June and Nora here to talk to… even though Nora is scrolling on her phone.

"I'm sorry," June says. She pokes an ice cube with her straw, and Alex watches as it bobs around her mimosa like a buoy. "That sounds like it sucked, but if he's really that rude… maybe you didn't want to work with him anyway."

Nora doesn't look up as she pops a home fry into her mouth. 

"Several sources say he's difficult to work with," she adds, evidently reading about Henry on the internet. "Though, in his defense, his dad did just die, like, three years ago… and there was that whole thing when he came out after. Remember?"

Alex does remember. Henry's grandmother, Mary Mountchristen, runs a pretty major company that used to own half the theatres on the West End. When Henry came out last year, she tried blacklisting his shows from her properties to punish him—which totally backfired when it got around. At least a dozen other queer writers and producers started talking about how they were also denied the space, and Mary was stoned on the streets of the theatre district. Like, metaphorically. 

Alex, Nora, and June had just moved to New York, but between June's position at Newsday and both Alex and Nora on the audition circuit, it was all anyone in their new circles could talk about. They were some of the first to know when the Mountchristens were bought out of their properties and Henry moved to the States.

This show is the first of Henry's being produced here—and it's autobiographical, which Alex has to admit is pretty fucking baller. So, yeah, Nora's not wrong. He has reason to be standoffish. Still, it doesn't explain why Alex was only halfway through his audition monologue when Henry abruptly stood up and exited stage left as if pursued by a bear.

He shoves another forkful into his mouth. "It's just, like, they're the only people who let me into the room," he says, barely finishing chewing. "Nobody wants to take me seriously, and I really thought this was my shot, you know?"

June and Nora both know Alex is having a hard time landing serious roles after growing up on a sitcom—Nora more than most, as his former co-star. What they don't know is that losing this role, specifically, feels like a kick to the stomach. From the moment Alex saw the script, he wanted to be a part of it. He can't even explain why, and now he'll never figure it out. Henry wouldn't give him a chance.

"It wasn't your only shot, and you know it." Nora fixes him with a look. "Seriously, I get it—I do—but it's just one play, buddy."

June nods. "Something will happen for you, baby brother."

At that, Alex finally groans. "Okay, calling me baby brother doesn't help me feel better about the entertainment industry infantili—"

"—itty bitty, teeny weeny—"

Alex throws a home fry at her face. 

It bounces off her forehead and into the giant gauntlet holding her mimosa with a very unappetizing splash. Just as Alex throws his hands into the air with a victorious whoop, his phone buzzes on the table. 

A glance is all it takes for him to see that it's his agent, Zahra.

"Damn," he says, deflating. There goes that upswing. "You answer it."

June balks. "Me?"

"I don't need to hear how fucking badly it went. Trust me, I got the message." Alex blinks innocently, like he's six years old again, asking her to lie to their mom about that broken vase. "Please, Bug? Besides, Zahra actually likes you."

"Everyone likes me." June rolls her eyes, but she caves—answering the phone with a haughty, "Alex Claremont-Diaz's office," before breaking into a smile. "Yeah, Z. It's me… No, Alex is feeling a little sensitive today."

(He throws another home fry at her. This one misses.)

To her credit, June's face remains totally blank as Zahra no doubt tells her how Alex insulted Henry Fox's name and all of his inbred ancestors just by showing up, or whatever—which is extremely annoying and unhelpful—but, once she says goodbye and sets the phone back down on the table, her face breaks out into a grin.

"Guess you didn't suck too bad," she says. "They want you for the part."

He doesn't know if it's Nora throwing herself at him or the shock that knocks him onto the floor.

Tagging some lovelies. If you haven't been tagged and you want to be, consider this your tag!

@anchoredarchangel, @barbiediaz, @cha-melodius, @cricketnationrise, @guillermosfamiliar, @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, @hippolotamus, @inexplicablymine, @jettestar, @junebugclaremontdiaz, @kiwiana-writes, @lizzie-bennetdarcy, @missgeevious, @mulderscully, @myheartalivewrites, @ninzied, @nontoxic-writes, @notspecialbabe, @priincebutt, @rmd-writes, @rosedavid, @three-drink-amy, @treluna4, @vanillahigh00, @welcometololaland, @orchidscript, @ships-to-sail, @stereopticons

[moonlightdancer26]

"People only like Snape bc movies" I actually don't like the movies very much. They sanitize so much of the series.

I was that kid who took the books to point out how inaccurate the movies are. And while I've toned down things, I still don't care much for them. I watched them like, 20 times?

But the books-I was always reading the books. Since I was 8 or so. I brought them when I moved and they were the only thing to do besides TV. In the other time I moved I read the books. I was obsessed.

Snape's just interesting. And it's possible to like a character even though/because they did bad things. I like him because he shows trauma symptoms (please can I burn the trope of having characters go through traumatic things and then not reacting to it?). And I like him because his story is probably the only well done example of 'sometimes the good guys have bad traits and do bad and sometimes the bad guys have good traits'

And before anyone gets up on me-I love the Marauders too! Sirius is an interesting character. James (at least in fanfic) is funny. Remus is my favorite of them all.

And Snape was a lousy teacher. He had racist ideologies in the past. He's not a nice person. Don't make the accusation against me that I don't know my fave's flaws.

On a different note, it may be worth noting that Snape's Worst Memory was pretty much cut-just a few seconds, and no one's identity was shown. If it weren't for the books I doubt anyone would know that was the Marauders, and not just some random students.

I could make the same argument about Marauder fans. Wonder if people would've liked Sirius and Remus and James if SWM had been shown? I could make a whole list of things the Marauders did that wasn't shown in the movies. But it would be unfair to say that people only like the Marauders because of the movies. My Marauders-stan bestie certainly doesn't like the Marauders only because of the movies. And neither do you Moon.

Also: I don't get it. If you all want (mostly) unflawed blorbos the Golden Trio and the Silver Trio are right there. Babies, all of them. And Harry's other darling classmates too. Cho and the Patils.

Hundreds of languages out there and you decide to speak facts, anon.

Honestly that claim is so flawed for many reasons.

Literally every single character (except my beautiful bbygirl Ronald Bilius Weasley whose character was completely destroyed in the films and deserved sm better) in the movies was very simplified and at least a little bit whitewashed compared to their book counterpart. Even Umbridge was better in the movies than she was in the books, of course we can’t expect the filmmakers to shoehorn every single detail of Snape’s character in the films.

Be that as it may, a majority of Snape’s heroic actions were ALSO cut from the films. Did the films mention when Snape took the time to brew Wolfsbane potion perfectly each month for a man he didn’t even like? Did the films mention when Snape prepared the mandrake draught potion that cured three Petrified muggleborn students? Did the films mention when Snape revealed his dark mark in front of the Minister of Magic when he began questioning Dumbledore? Did the films mention when Snape went back to Voldemort in GoF and continued spying for Dumbledore? Did the films mention when Snape yelled at a portrait for referring to Hermione as a Mudblood? Did the films mention when Snape straight up saved Remus’s life in DH? Did the films mention when Snape rushed to the fifth floor in his pyjamas when he heard (the egg) screaming? Did the films mention when baby!Snape introduced Lily to the Wizarding World and told her everything she needed to know (including the Dementors; something Harry learned about when he was already a teenager)? Snape’s whole character in the movies (aka the one that stripped 80% of his personality) was done dirty. They didn’t manage to bring up some of his most heroic/genuine moments in the series, so antis better quit complaining about Snape “being whitewashed!!!!!!” in the movies, especially not when they’re Marauder stans as well (legit 89% of the bad things they did were barely even brushed upon).

Hearing people say “people who like Snape only watched the movies” is extremely amusing, especially when one remembers that… they’re talking about… one of the most best-selling book series in the entire world.

Book!Snape is far more diverse and complex than Movie!Snape can even dream to be. We see how his trauma affected him, how he grew as a person throughout the years, his relatively detailed backstory, his realistic bitterness regarding the son of the man he hated and the woman he loved, etc. Saying we can’t possibly appreciate his character is ludicrous, liking a fictional character doesn’t mean you believe they’re a flawless angel or even that you believe they’re a good person. People are able to enjoy problematic characters for what they are. Alan Rickman definitely did his best with what he was given, and movie!Snape was 100% iconic in his own dry way, but the filmmakers still did his character dirty.

My Marauders-stan bestie certainly doesn't like the Marauders only because of the movies. And neither do you Moon.

You’re right, anon. The reason I even like the Marauders (except Jimmy Jimmy coco puff) is because of how deep and complicated their characters are — as adults, we realise just how flawed and grey they are and that they aren’t as wonderful as how Harry views them.

Anyway, I decided to rant a little for you guys because I’ve been starving you for a while. Enjoy. <3

[aurorawest]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!

Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two

This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.

After Francesco by Brian Malloy

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't really—it's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floor™. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Man™. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.

Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian

The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England families—think Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Men™ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the setting—hiking the Pacific Crest Trail—and I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver

Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.

The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)

I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.

Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.

Honorable mentions:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

[kyouka-supremacy]

Dazai?

Eheh Dazai

Favorite thing about them: I really like how as a character he was able to deeply touch so many people!! Seeing so many people finding relief in being able to relate to and emphasize with the character makes me happy.

Least favorite thing about them: I mean, his personality? I don't like how his many flaws are written to be interpreted as strong points / good traits for his character to the point no flaw is actually a flaw, it makes the reading experience very frustrating for me.

Favorite line:

brOTP: Mmmmhh, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about Dazai. Soukoku, probably. The Buraiha trio makes me emotional a little. Souheki, but in a very passive-aggressive, over-competitive, one-sided rivality, can't-stand-each-other way. Dazai and Kyouka. Dazai and Atsushi too I suppose, though I prefer them romantically. I think he makes for a lot of interesting dynamics with virtually all the characters, but none compells me in particular tbh.

OTP: Odazai is plain canon to me, idk what to tell you. I think they make for a beautiful, tragic love story. Get you a man who is willing to change the path of his whole life for another man just like that, nobody does it like them (actually, wait, I can think of another man... ). Although I always distantly liked them, dazatsu has grown on me like, an INSANE amount in the last few months. I'm not sure what happened. I think it was an unfortunate (lol) coincidence of growing a little fonder of Dazai and just wanting to give more space and agenda to Atsushi. Like to me a lot of what dazatsu is really is about giving Atsushi more agency and autonomy and independence and overall just respecting him as a complex, full fleshed out character. I don't see ANY kind of power imbalance in it I keep finding people talk about. Dazai pushes Atsushi to be better every day, and Atsushi does exactly the same for Dazai. Atsushi admires and respects Dazai, and Dazai admires and respects Atsushi equally. I really don't know why the ship isn't more popular and instead just gets discarded most of the time tbh. I feel like everyone should sit down a second and actually give Atsushi the dignity to choose for himself. And fyozai!!! The investment in this ship mostly goes on waves for me but despite that I firmly believe that they really make for an engaging and interesting dynamic to be interpreted romantically. The epitome of “You're both just enabling each other's mental illnesses. You're both perfect for each other. Never change. Just never involve anybody else in what you've got going on.”

nOTP: Nothing comes to my mind.

Random headcanon: Not canon related, but in modern aus I feel like he'd be one to always end up working at ceo roles and he would HATE it. He fires himself and starts working at some cheap frozen yogurt place and one month later he'll find himself as the ceo of the most important oil company of the country AGAIN without him even realizing it / despite his active efforts to avoid that. And he HATES IT. He fires himself again but the loop only repeats forever. He's just that kind of person for whom all doors open automatically.

Unpopular opinion: ............ I could be here forever. I regretfully fail to relate to a lot of characterization / readings of the character I've seen the fandom give him. I really don't want to dwell on this so I'll just mention something mostly unrelated to his characterization: I wholly can't share the take of him being physically built like??? At all??? Which got REALLY popular a few months ago. Dude feels like he never lifted a finger his whole life, I really don't know where the idea comes from???? And I personally don't take his manga visual portrayal as a telling factor for this; pretty much all the characters have the same body type, it's impossible for me to base the buff Dazai assumption on how he's drawn in the manga. Just one thing about his chracter though stop making him matchmaker for ss/kk he really isn't stop don't do it please

Song i associate with them: HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE associating him with my favourite vocaloid song ever but. Meltdown by iroha is a very Dazai song. So many other songs though... Parade of Liars by ryo. Abstract Nonsense by Neru. God-ish by Pinocchio-P. So on and so forth.

Favorite picture of them:

Favourite panel from the manga:

Favourite illustration:

Favourite illustration in the anime art style:

Favourite Mayoi card:

Send me a character?

[adobe-outdesign]

Is it too early to ask for thoughs or headcanons on the 4 perils? I just really like those guys.

Before we get too far, can I just mention what a great concept the Treasures are? They're probably some of my all-time favorite legendaries. The way they're based off the four perils is a nice mythology reference, but this is greatly enhanced with the way they're vessels with fake bodies. This is very cool and unique, and that combined with the way they're sealed away to prevent natural disasters gives them an appropriately epic, legendary feeling to the quartet. Just the vibes alone are immaculate.

For the record, my personal favs from most to least are Wo-Chien, Ting-Lu, Chien-Pao, and Chi-Yu, but honestly all of them are great in some compacity or another.

I know Ting-Lu was somewhat contentious when it first leaked, with many feeling like the body is too vague-looking compared to the other Treasures of Ruin. However, I honestly really like the abstract look—I feel like it makes it look all the more eerie, almost somewhat eldritch. It also really helps convey that the object is the actual Pokemon and the body is just made out of materials, more so than any of the other Treasures.

If I have one problem with the design, it's that the ritual bowl/ding feels like it's barely attached to the head; it looks like it's going to fall off any moment. I also feel like the neck's a bit long. Otherwise, the colors are nice and the concept and typing are clear.

Chien-Pao is an interesting combo between a saber-toothed cat, a snow leopard, and something akin to a ferret. It reminds me a lot of a spotted genet, though that probably wasn't intentional:

Regardless, this is a neat design, with the body being made of snow and the markings actually being ice crystals. The simple white and light blue palette conveys snow and cold, while the black coloring on the sword draws attention to it. I also like that the sword is snapped in half, with each half composing a fang. It's a nice touch.

My only complaint is that the sword going through the top of the muzzle looks a bit odd. It was probably done like that to show that the snow is built around the sword, but it just creates a weird tension point there. I also feel like the random crystals on the cheeks weren't needed, and I wish the model looked less smooth and more like actual snow. Still, it's nice looking overall.

Chi-Yu is the least ominous of the trio, but then again it is still the most ominous goldfish I've ever seen, so that's something. Once again, the objects are obviously the beads, though this one gets points for incorporating the emotion, envy, into the design by using jade magatama beads specifically.

I think my only problem with it—which is unfortunately a big problem—is that the body works well in 2D, but really does not translate well at all. I don't know why GameFreak is allergic to particle textures, but Chi-Yu looks more like paper with fire drawn on it than actual fire, especially compared to other 'mons with much more realistic fire on their bodies. This makes the beads feel jarringly three dimensional in a way that doesn't jive with the body. The actual design of the flames, with them forming some beautiful swirls and scales, is fine; I just wish it looked better when you were actually using it and not just looking at the artwork.

And finally, Wo-Chien, my personal favorite. I had high-hopes for a legendary dark-type snail, and thankfully, Wo-Chien did not disappoint. The muted color palette feels appropriately dark but earthy at the same time, and I love how the upper body is clearly just piles of leaves, with branches forming the iconic snail eyes. The way the colors alternate in said leaves also help break up the head while still making it clear what you're looking at. It's hard to make a snail look powerful and creepy, but they pulled it off beautifully.

I guess the only drawback is that the tablets that make up the shell are much less emphasized than on the other Treasure's designs; there's nothing to specially draw your eye to them from either a color or a size perspective. At the same time however, they do fit beautifully with the palette, and it could be argued that the body shape draws your eyes from the head to the "shell" naturally anyway.

So as a whole: all of these guys are honestly really solid, and some of the best legendaries we've had in a long time; cool inspiration, interesting concept, good designs, and a mythological feel make these four throughly enjoyable.

[beanghostprincess]

What are your thoughts on lusopp? (Luffy x Usopp)

i just woke up so if my words are all over the place that's probably why! being productive right here! waking up early! somebody shoot me! fighting the urge to go back to sleep so i can reply to your silly lil awesome questions! i need a coffee.

AND!!! I REALLY LIKE THE SHIP!!! (just saw you're on impel down so i won't spoil anything!)

i mean, it's not my favorite ship and i'm not crazy about it like, idk, my fiancé is crazy about them (but again, she's crazy about zosan and lawlu and i'm not so we have to deal with each other's bullshit all the time). but i find their relationship really, really interesting and complex and cool to explore. i was just writing a fic about them being besties and super clingy, gonna cry. baby boys.

i personally see them more as just best friends, but hey! if there are cute fanarts and content i'm not going to scroll away!! it's a good and cute ship!!! they're bffs almost instantly and usopp's intelligence really disappears when he's with luffy which is, not only hilarious but extremely refreshing to see. let the anxious boy be dumb and reckless!! they're so chaotic!!

not to mention that it's not only their dynamic that makes them good, but the whole water 7/enies lobby thing. i fear that if i talk about this much i might start sobbing. but, like,,, their fight is the first time we see luffy actively cry on screen. we see luffy losing control of his crew, something he used to have control over. we see luffy lost and act impulsively and not knowing what to do because his best friend and sniper is about to go away and his heart fucking breaks into a million little pieces. because luffy sees usopp's potential and he wants him with the crew, but he can't do anything to help if usopp doesn't believe in himself. and also, the merry, which is another thing luffy loses control over and has to act like a logical captain about it but we all know it's heartbreaking for him too. and then there's usopp, who feels inferior and not worthy of being part of this amazing crew. even though he has shown over and over again to be part of this little family. he just feels like he doesn't belong here. and, you know, he says he's angry because of the merry but we all know the fight isn't about that.

so, we all agree that water 7 is very very peak lusopp (and sanuso, but tbf it's just peak usopp in general because he has great scenes with everyone. especially the monster trio, shout out to my boy zoro), and then enies lobby is when they make up and it's beautiful and heartbreaking and the way usopp yells at luffy to stand up and fight makes me want to curl up on the floor and sob for ages and ages and ag-

and i would go into detail about luffy's character but i don't want to spoil anything, so let's just focus on usopp here:

lusopp's dynamic works well both as a friendship and as a ship, mainly because they're both on the same page when it comes to silly shenanigans. we see them actively enjoying being with each other and doing stupid things together and that's just,,, so sweet. but also, usopp is one of those people that have to ground luffy sometimes and tell him "fuck, no. haha. we're so not doing that" because despite acting silly, he's pretty much more logical and rational than luffy is. but, you know, the reason he's like that most of the time is because he's scared of fucking dying (which i understand. i'd be scared too in that crew. i'm glad nami is always agreeing with him with these things), and he has to be the one to stop luffy (try to, at least. never really works) from doing extremely dangerous things. which is both hilarious and actually pretty cute to watch because it shows us how well usopp knows luffy. it's obvious that they're best friends. dude knows what luffy is going to do minutes before luffy even thinks about doing it. and luffy really, really admires and loves usopp's abilities and strengths and brains. all the things usopp is insecure about? luffy loves them!!!

and, you know, it's a good ship because they have that sort of bff energy, but if you make it romantic and angsty and more intimate? that's just better! i feel like their ship is just- those friendships that turn into romantic relationships but their dynamic doesn't really change at the end of the day? and i find that really endearing.

luffy makes usopp see the best in himself and makes him want to improve as a pirate to follow his dream and feel like he belongs in the crew. usopp makes luffy be a bit more grounded to reality whenever he needs to, and he was the first one to make luffy realize that, well, fuck, he's the captain of a ship and he needs to be responsible and make harsh decisions.

but now that they're together again, luffy is sooo not going to let him go ever again. and usopp will never try to do so because he just wants to keep fighting for him!!!

it's such an endearing and funny and angsty ship. i think i just don't really ship them much because i'm more of a sanuso/zolu kind of person. but at this point just make it poly and everybody is happy (except nami bc she has to deal with the 4 of them being in love and that would be extremely tiring. somebody bring back vivi for her PLEASE).

but yeah, cute ship. not my favorite but awesome to explore and tbh one of my favorite friendships in this show. very underrated but that's just bc usopp is underrated af and it makes my blood boil with anger and the fury of hell itself. that's for another day, though!

[imakemywings]

2023 Fic Roundup

No one tagged me, I just love doing this to reflect on the year :3 Mostly Silm fic to no one's surprise.

Total Words Published at end of year: 162,562, which is a huge jump up from 47k last year, something I attribute wholly to having graduated in the spring (not that life hasn't kept me busy since then). This is actually even higher than 2021, when I started doing an end-of-the-year reflection!

Fandoms: Tolkien with a one-off Arcane in there (might have been more if there were more Ambessa requests on the kink meme)

Highest Everything (raw kudos, hits, comments): 

Hits: As Little as Might be Thought (555)

Kudos: As Little as Might be Thought (59)

Comments: What the Water Gave Me (64)

New Things I Tried: Not totally new, but I think this was the first year I wrote chaptered Silm fic? I don't usually write fic that long but I got two this year so I'm pleased with that. Also, finally wrote and published Maglor/Thranduil and Maedhros/Thingol after ranting about them in DMs for literal years XD

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: What the Water Gave Me just because it's by far the longest thing I wrote.

Fic I Spent the Least Time On: Let Me Lie on Grasses so Green, but that was probably comparable with the other two fics in that "trio" of parent&child fics I wrote in February

Favorite Thing I Wrote: Honestly I was very happy with how Sandbox Love turned out! It really captured the energy I was going for with Galadriel's possibly-not-totally-sure unrequited (?) crush on Luthien and the realization that Luthien has sort of grown out of their friendship while Galadriel has not.

However I'm also quite pleased with both my Maglor/Thranduil pieces, which were both spawned as brainchildren of me and @meadowlarkx so they have a special place in my heart <3

Favorite Thing(s) I Read: I deserve an award for limiting this to 15 fics shhh no it wasn't originally supposed to be 10

Less Wise by @meadowlarkx - I know I've flailed about this one multiple times this year already, but here we go again. Our brainchild pairing may be unusual, but I would implore you to give it a chance, particularly if you're a fan of either Maglor or Thranduil. Lark's characterizations here are so fantastic and the dynamic between them is so juicy! Maglor trying to redeem herself through service to Thranduil is so compelling!

Berrypicking Time by swampdiamonds - This fic captures the best part of Finduilas/Nienor which is their healing and moving forward together. Both of them are trying so hard to process their own trauma, but they also want to help each other!

It's the Secret That We Keep by Loriand_Lost - Beautiful fic exploring Galadriel’s relationships with both Celeborn and Luthien in Doriath. Absolutely fantastic characterization! And great smut scenes.

The Pleasure of the King by Anonymous - Ahhh this is such a great fic. Azaghal and his wife Khoreti are quite eager to show Felagund the depths of hospitality in Belegost. Absolutely fantastic characterizations and such a fun time for everyone here. Also, origins of Finrod’s nipple piercings ;D

Beware of Women with Beards and Men Without by TheLionInMyBed - Azaghal and Maedhros’ alliance was full of cultural misunderstandings, but they push their way through it. Delightful characterizations here, particularly of Azaghal who gets basically none in canon, and a funny but also touching relationship between them.

Nesting by LiveOakWithMoss - It has great characterizations and a fascinatingly toxic Kidnap Fam dynamic, both between the twins and the Feanorians and between Maedhros and Maglor themselves. The whole thing is delightfully fucked up.

A Poetry Lesson by HewerOfCaves - Gorgeous characterization for Ingwion and I love seeing cocky prince Maedhros in Tirion who’s hot and smart and he knows it. Also, hitting on someone in a library feels like such an incredibly Maedhros move.

You are Coming Down with Me by TheLionInMyBed - Dark comedy look at the Kidnap Fam which takes, imo, a much more realistic look at how unhealthy the situation was for everyone involved, particularly the twins. Excellent characterizations!

Daeron Nails It by Tallulah - I am in LOVE with this little fic, it incorporates so many delightful details about the court in Menegroth. I am so pleased to see I am not the only one picturing Thingol and Melian with the cringiest pet names for each other.

A Fish Hook, an Open Eye by simaethae - Delicious. Maglor goes to the Havens at Sirion to try to wheedle cooperation out of Elwing, but she is not having it. Their argument takes a interesting turn in private. Love how desperate and pathetic Maglor is here.

A House of Nettles by Ias - Amazing delicious sexy fic where Eowyn becomes haunted by the Witch King–former queen of Numenor Tar-Miriel. It is SO good.

Strength Like a Tower by potatoesanddreams - This fic almost made me cry over a building. Fantastic look at how Elves connect to their environment.

Bite Thy Wings and Let Thee Crawl by @meadowlarkx - I shit you not this fetish porn fic has one of the best theses on Morgoth I've seen in this fandom. Lark displays a particularly deft talent in being able to take what could easily be considered a comical fetish and imbue it with such terror.

And by their blazing signify that a great princess falls, but doth not die by TheLionInMyBed - Absolutely obsessed, some of the best Elwing characterization I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous look at Elwing’s relationship with the other refugees of the Havens and at the Feanorians’ dynamic with them. One of the best Elwing fics I’ve ever read.

Shadow of the Evening by RussetFiredrake - Captures that lady knight/noblewoman thing with Arwyn SO well…both characters are so loveable here.

Writing Goals for 2023: Nothing specific. Life is a bit in flux right now so I can't say what I'll have time or energy for.

Tagging: @meadowlarkx @polutrope @swanmaids @illusivesoul @maironsbigboobs @welcomingdisaster @undercat-overdog

Please note you are by no means required to follow my template or include individual fic stats at all! You can just answer the questions if you prefer (❁´◡`❁)

[missterious-figure]

So I made this with the idea of a lil swap AU. It wouldn’t really change anything from your Wine and Feathers AU, just the roles of two characters my friend and I have

Meet Zane the Spix Macaw! I designed his harpy design but the character is my friend @ikari-shinsei’s (you can check out their blog, their art be so good-) who would have originally had the role of Daniel the Pheasant and Adira the Owl’s handler in the Wine and Feathers. In this version, he would come from Brazil, being able to speak Portuguese AND English unlike Pheasant Daniel who would be Zane’s handler in this one. Daniel, being half Portuguese and half Chinese would be able to understand Zane when he speaks Portuguese (they often gossip in that language lol-) a Although he is quite lonely, he hides it behind a mask of a chill, suave, confident and joyful bird, his loneliness coming from the fact he is a very valuable harpy for the casino due to his species nearing extinction so we imagine he would be heavily protected and have minimal contact with other harpies (at least at first) and almost no human interactions besides some human workers, the one who gets to see him on a daily basis being his handler Daniel. Due to this, he is quite affectionate with him and likes snuggling with him and Daniel adores him a lot. Zane would revert to Portuguese when upset for a while so only Daniel (along with Diane but she doesn’t see Zane often) is able to understand and comfort him while he is like this.

He could either be a performer or just stay in the safari area (probably the second), either way he would like any type of contact with others either harpies or humans.

His relationship with the Peacock Trio would not be fully determined considering he would stick in his area often for his safety at first but he would most likely find them cool, if anything a bit cocky. The trio and him are highly valuable but there is a difference in said value: the peacocks are valuable due to their uniqueness and beauty from the rest of their species while Zane is valuable due to the LACK of his species.

My friend had originally suggested him being a rooster since we have an AU where he is one (well rooster demon but similar-) but seeing as though the casino only takes exotic animals, we changed it to Spix Macaws since, well, they blue and Zane’s thing be being blue and the Spix was perfect (love the Rio movies too-) and it gave us a chance to give him lore since Spix Macaws are extinct in the wild and so we decided to play a bit into that being the reason why he is almost (if not equally as) valuable as Sun, Moon and Eclipse.

Not only is he beautiful, but I love the lore too!! I love the name Zane because it reminds me of my favorite character from a childhood show. Also as so as I saw spix macaw, my mind went to Rio. Thank you for sharing!! Also what does Daniel look like as a human?

(I'm trash at drawing humans, but would you guys be mad if I drew Sun, Moon, and Eclipse as humans? Just for shits and giggles?)

[screentunes]

Hi! I've been interested in tokusatsu shows for a while now, but I don't know which to start with, or how to watch them.

Could you help me?

GRINS SO WIDE summarized quick answer: where to start: my go-to answer is kamen rider ryuki, it's my absolute favorite and you can find it for free on tubi :-) tubi is a streaming service only available in the us, so if you don't live there you'd have to use a vpn to use it (that's what i do!) how to watch: tubi has a few other titles from kamen rider, sentai and ultraman, so feel free to look around if any others interest you! tsuburaya also has an official youtube channel with a bunch of content, icnluding the currently airing season with subs in multiple languages and an english dub! there's a lot of shows with no official international releases, for which you'd have to use.. other means

if interested, there's a longer (very long... sorry), more detailed answer under the cut!

as for where to start, it's completely up to you! :-) look around and if a show catches your interest, go for it! in kamen rider and super sentai at least, the shows are self-contained and separate from each other so you can jump in with any show you want at all!

some reccs of mine for the big three are as follow:

kamen rider: my personal favorite so far of the big three :-) the seasons can vary a lot in tone and setting, pretty much the only consistent thing is that there's a guy with a bike. oftentimes the guy looks like a bug. sometimes there's even more than one (!!) guy with a bike

for kamen rider, i recommend:

kamen rider ryuki: my absolute favorite tokusatsu show, and one of my favorite shows period!!! it's the 2002 installment of kamen rider. in this series, a silly journalist guy happens to discover a mysterious card deck while investigating for a story. with this, he accidentally becomes involved in a conflict between kamen riders. as the series advances, the reasons for this conflict become more clear out of the shows i've watched, this is one of the heavier ones in tone. however, it's also really funny. the show jumps from grim conflict to looney toones sitcom situations and then back again and its so awesome this was actually the show i began with, and it kickstarted my interest in tokusatsu!! i don't want to say much so as to not give anything away, but there's compelling, unforgettable characters that are so so dear to me, a pulling story with unfolding mysteries, and beautiful suit design!

some other shows i can mention are kamen rider fourze (show from 2011, generally much lighter in tone, very funny and sweet, space-themed kamen rider show about a delinquent-esque highschooler who wants to become friends with everyone) and kamen rider w (i think this one is commonly recommended to beginners! it's very fun, it's about a pair of young detectives who investigate mysteries and fight monsters. the main trio from this show are so dear to me). there's also a bunch of other shows i loved like ooo and kuuga (my second favorite!) but if i started listing them all out we'd be here all day...! if you wanted to start from the currently airing season, gotchard is on episode 16 right now. it's been cute so far!

super sentai: this is the series power ranger adaptations are made out of! there's a team of color-color coded heroes fighting villains and they have a giant robot etc etc

for super sentai, i started with kikai sentai zenkaiger! very cute and silly show, made me laugh out loud multiple times :-) a guy and his robot buddies hang out and have sooooo much fun

another recommendation would be tokumei sentai gobusters! probably one of the most solid tokus i've watched. it's a techy-themed season which is a plus for me :-) i heart computers. this one has a smaller core team than the usual sentai show, composed of three members. the characters are great and the antagonists are unforgettable!

i also loved toqger and i've had a lot of fun with gokaiger so far :-)

ultraman: ... i know far less about this one SORRY. there's a giant alien guy who fights giant monsters. lots of creatures in this one. peace and love on earth and also the entire universe...!!! like i said, i'm less knowledgeable about this one but from what i've seen the special effects tend to be breathtaking! miniature sets the world...

so far, the only ultraman show i've watched is ultraman orb, it was very nice! with around 20 episodes, it's shorter than the other shows i've recommended, which average 50 episodes

the currently airing ultraman show is ultraman blazar, which... i've unfortunately fallen back on a little! i have no idea if it's still airing or if it finished HELP. anyway i've loved it so far! there's a nice, slow-pace feel to it, gorgeous effects, and very memorable episodes! it's available worldwide on youtube for free, with an english dub and subtitles in multiple languages!! getting to watch it live is suchhh a nice experience there's also plenty of shows outside of those three franchises, but i'm not knowledgeable about them and i don't have reccs for those! i definitely want to venture out at some point.. i hope this helped! again, these are just some general reccs of shows i've liked! look around and see if any show catches your interest :-) if you have a certain tone, setting, etc etc in mind and want more specific recommendations i can also help with that!! thank you for letting me ramble about toku for a while ^__^

[achilleslyre]

um.... all of them? 👉👈

hehe yessss 🫰 putting most of this under the cut tho cause i’m a blabberrrr

1. Who is your favorite Naruto character and why?

yahiko! for some reason somehow he over took sasuke/itachi but it’s okay cause they’re both revolutionaries. anyways i love him cause he’s one of the very few revolutionaries and his point of view and optimism is very endearing.. he truly believes that the OG akatsuki can change the ninja world and put fighting aside and end needless ninja death and the destruction of smaller countries. his loyalty and belief in nagato and konan is so good i gobble it up every time. also something about the way he haunts konan and nagato to the bone after his death and how they cannot leave him behind is so appealing. the codependencyyyyy 🤌

2. Favourite team

hmm.. if we’re talking in general probably team 8. i think they have really fun abilities that pair together very interestingly and i also rlly like shino. if we’re talking fav team with how they work together then team 10… i feel like they’re the only team that truly works as a team and they’re kinda what everyone wants team 7 every other team to be. inoshikocho are besties and they work together and communicate with each other on what needs to change and what they need from each other really well. they’re kinda winning.

3. Favourite villain

not saying itachi is kinda gonna hurt, but i gotta say pein. as i was saying with answer 1 smth smth nagato/konans grief haunts them and literally follows them around smth smth won’t leave yahiko behind smth smth they can’t have yahiko not be the face of the akatsuki smth smth i love you ame trio

4. Naruto or Naruto shippuden

classic for story and energy, shippuden for characters (not development, but like new characters…. i love you yahiko yamato kushina team taka)

5. Fav. Naruto movie

i have never seen one

6. Character you dislike, and why

my least fave chara is deidara cause i’m a haterrr (lol i’d say jk but this is just true. he’s incredibly annoying to me and his battles are just plain boring cause he just stands on a bird and monologues. but what really gets me is that he kept coming back. mfer was supposed to die two times and i was so relieved but his annoying ass just kept returning and that’s why instead of just finding him annoying smth inside me switched and genuine hatred came to exist LMFAO. genuinely zero reasonable answers for him to be my least fave unlike if i were to talk about tobirama or kakashi 💀)

7. Fav. character in new generation?

? i don’t read boruto. ig if i had to pick solely off looks i like that adopted son of naruto. kawaki? idk his name and idc enough.. but he’s got a face tatt and that’s good enough for me. also if i remember correctly i think he has the same VA as ash lynx

8. Manga or anime ( Naruto )

manga

9. Fav. ship, and why

narusasu. need i explain?

10. OTP

narusasu. not rlly sure why there’s 9 and 10 here, 10 seems kinda redundant

11. Fav. technique

mmm probably dance of the shikigami… not only is it beautiful to look at but the fact that konan developed this jutsu on her own when she was child is very cool and impressive. most new jutsus by children are like add ons from a given family jutsu/taught jutsu but the fact she did this all on her own is really smth. also 600 billion paper bombs. i do also like gentle fist and any byakugan techniques in general tbh.

12. Fav. clan

uchiha, next. (i do have to give special mention to aburame and uzumaki though tbh)

13. Uchiha vs Senju

uchiha, next.

14. Fav. OT3

yahikonanagato 🔛🔝

15. What country would you want to live in ( Land Of; Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning or Earth )

lightning, altho this is different than my fave country/village

16. Favorite Jutsu element?

lightning or wood (water/earth) are most interesting to me

17. Do you like new generation?

no. i don’t know them, but that is for a reason.

18. Do you like canon ships?

no. the ending and end pairings are simply to be able to have a money grab and continue with a sequel. it disregards interactions and character development that persists though the entire manga up until the last chapter. it’s genuinely just out of no where and complete disrespect for what kishimoto had written up until this point.

19. What you think about ending?

what ending? i’m jk. as i said the ending comes completely out of no where and disregards the whole story in favour of being able to have a money grab for a sequel. had it ended at 698 i would have been happy. had sasuke and naruto just both died at 698 i would have been happier.

20. Fav. no canon ship?

i was gonna try to think of one that i haven’t said to give narusau and ame trio a break but i can’t 😭

21. Fav. canon ship?

minakushi or inosai ig

22. Fav. Akatsuki member,and why?

gonna say this excludes original akatsuki… itachi.. but i love you konan/nagato….. it pains me to not say you.. but sorry itachi is insane and his relationship with sasuke is insane and his whole story is gutting and also i’m a little freak

23. Who is the best hokage?

tsunade. she may still be apart of the system but at least she recognizes that it’s a bad system.

24. Team 7 fav. moments?

25. Fav. moments in anime/manga?

hmm.. tbh hard to say cause i forget everything that happened ever when i’m asked this. what’s up there is definitely 600 billion paper bombs, sasuke not being able to kill naruto calmly in vote2, any neji battle in classic, kakashi vs obito in kamui, and naruto sobbing during the larger half of vote1. in no particular order + huge chance i’m missing smth that is so obviously the best to me lol.

26. Which character you want to be your teacher and why?

killer b? i’d like to say tsunade but i don’t particularly think she’d be my style of fighting/jutsu. i’d hate to say jiraiya but i fear he would be my style however i’d dread being around him and i think his ‘leave ya to it’ way of teaching probably wouldn’t work great for me. killer b i think i would be able to get along with and would probably be a good/fair teacher for what i presume my style would be.

27. Fav. friendship

i do love a good yamato and sai friendship. i love team taka. i wouldn’t call it a friendship, but i do enjoy the filler that creates a relationship between itachi and juuzou. i think kushina and mikoto as well are super important and are very meaningful friends due to both their circumstances. yeah, i think it’d have to be that. mikoto and kushina.