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#( Also added spaces for other verses I want to explore )
alfida · 4 months
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Just a quick announcement that I'll probably be gone for the weekend! I'm still feeling sick and it's my birthday on Sunday. Hopefully I start to feel better before then ; this has been going on for the whole week. Mutuals can feel free to ask for my Discord! I'll pop back up when I'm feeling better~
Unrelated, but you guys should try to hunt down a pdf of the old AD&D coloring book ( The Official AD&D Coloring Album if you want the actual name ). It's adorable, and brings in some light gaming elements. Was also written by Gary Gygax ( for there is storytelling in this coloring book ). I became aware of this thing and felt the need to spread this eldritch knowledge.
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vamp-ress · 18 days
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Writing Check-In
Oops, it's September already. Let's drop the next writing check-in. Here is the last one from August:
Active WIPs (as in: I'm actively working on those)
With Silver Part of the With-Verse, my Viggorli vampire-AU. I needed to rewrite a part in the middle and add in an OC. I actually managed to do that in August, so the story is pratically finished. I even did a first round of clean-ups. Usually I let a story "lie" for a bit and then draw it up again to look at it with fresh eyes. But basically: This is finished and will be posted eventually. It just needs some minor tinkering.
Anniversary (working title) This is a 1500 word Viggorli AU. More or less a short domestic scene, I'll not tell you anything more, because I don't want to spoil the plot. It is part of a bigger AU idea I've been mulling over. I'm still at the stage where I'm trying to make the characters work, so I used this as an excuse to explore the character dynamics. I wrote this basically in one go, but I've been tinkering with it ever since - adding and deleting stuff as the AU idea develops further.
Broken Wings (working title) This would be the larger Viggorli AU Anniversary belongs to. I've written two scenes so far and have done a lot of research and general plotting. I do have a two week vacation coming up (yay me), in which I want to dig deeper into this world and get some writing done. Let's see what happens. I like the idea a lot, because it shuffles around how Viggo and Orlando are usually written in LOTRPS (but it's totally how I write my Aragorn and Legolas, so I'm sticking to my guns). No idea if anyone even would want to read this, but I want to write it and I'm totally prepared to take this as far as it goes.
WIPs on hiatus (as in: on the backburner, but they will most probably come back)
The Way North (working title) Yepp, still on hiatus. Aragorn and his female OC (don't worry, this won't be a romance) are still sitting quietly on my harddrive awaiting further inspiration.
First Meeting (working title) This is also still on hiatus. My friend's last attempt to rescue my USB drive failed (freezer), so I'm still back on square one with my A/L first meeting story. This is so depressing.
Dol Guldur (working title) Yes, I actually managed to start a story in August to then promptly put it on hiatus. This was meant to be a Teitho entry and I've written three pages so far, but then the aforementioned Viggorli AU took up all my brain-space and all other inspiration has flown out the window since then. It's most annoying.
Finished Stories (as in, will post eventually)
Live and Let Die This A/L darkfic AU is still on the horizon. It is finished and is just waiting for the days to grow shorter and darker. Also, it could still use some beta-work. So if someone isn't afraid of something really depressing, give me a call :)
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fishyfishyfishtimes · 10 months
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People with tanks of fish for "decoration" can never know how beautiful actual fish tanks when fully done could ever look like. "It hides the expensive fish I got. >:((((" NO, it brings out the beauty of your fish. Your super expensive fish that you took time to research to ensure the most beneficial life for them look GORGEOUS when not in danger of a terrible tank nor other fish they wouldn't get along with. They vanish behind plants and you see glimpses of their colourful scales, and when they come out? It's better than seeing them 24/7 in A Void.
Anyway, taking this moment to say I went into a thrift store some weeks ago and there was just a big ass tank in the middle of it. Of course I'm not super well versed in fish, but I think I could spot fish that aren't healthy nor getting along, so I naturally went to it because if your store is going to want to be vibe checked so openly, then kudos. The tank was completely decorated and had mostly cichlids (if any other fish, I think just bottom feeders). It was clean, and I took time to inspect as many as I could and from what I saw, no injuries or illness. I was pretty surprised, but delighted, and I can only hope it was as good as I think it is. I'm so used to only seeing fish in stores for buying, so seeing an actual, complete tank like this was really fun. It was pretty big, as well, but I don't know my tank sizes, so I couldn't tell ya just how big. ^^"
Right! Not to mention, fishes are most comfortable in conditions suitable for them, with the company or lackthereof that they enjoy. Adding hides can even increase the time you see your fish, funnily enough, because it means the fish have more places to seek refuge in and therefore they can afford to explore a bit more knowing there is a safe place right next to them! If someone has the money to buy several expensive fishes, they should also have the money to invest in a large tank with lots of gorgeous and fitting decor. A beautiful aquarium truly does bring out the beauty of fishes even more; a daydream of mine is that if I had the space and the money, I would like a massive, massive blackwater tank with lots of driftwood, vegetation, and healthy, earthy brown water from tannins. I would then stock it with dozens of cardinal or neon tetras, or another iridescent fish. Tetras are usually recommended to be kept in schools of at least six, but in the wild their schools can be massive! A large aquarium would allow for the fish to have schools more like they do in the wild, and I bet that seeing dozens of shiny tetras swimming side by side would be amazing.
As for your friends adrift at the thrift store! I do not think of myself as a pessimistic person, but I must admit that more often than not, I expect aquariums in stores and the like to be rather badly maintained. I'm happy to hear that out there, there is a thrift store with a big tank and healthy fishes! Perhaps the owner(s) like fishes but were worried that being away all day would mean they can't monitor the health and/or enjoy their fishes as much as they like? In any case, happy to hear these news! :)
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countlessrealities · 8 months
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Here's a LIST of PLOTS & GENERAL IDEAS I'd like to explore with my muses! They aren't in any particular order, and I'll be adding more as I go. Check out my wishlist tag too if you want!
Feel free to hit me up if you're interested!
Bolded ideas are the ones I'm craving the most. Italics are plots I'd like to do, but with which I'll be picky. Strikeout are ideas I'm currently not up for.
Dark threads. Violence, gore, torture, manipulation, near death experience, gruesome injuries, and any other sick things we can come up with!
Enemies / rivals with benefits relationships
Angst in general. Hurt my muses, betray them, hate them, be absolutely nasty. Let’s have one of our muses in a real bad situation and the other being hopeless to help.
Unrequited feelings (romantic, but also platonic). Let my muses suffer because their feelings are one-sided or have them dealing with the awkwardness of someone they know having one-sided feelings for them
Slow burn polyships
Fake dating plots
Amnesiac!muses threads
Crossovers !!!
Morty being as unhinged as he can be, with all his pent-up rage and trauma pouring out. And I also want to explore his more cynic / detached / apathetic side
Exploring the long term consequences of Morty's traumatic experience in Meeseeks and Destroy (and possibly a what-if scenario where things go down the real dark route)
Rick dealing with the aftermath of finally getting his vengeance, only to find out that he feels just as empty as before, If not worse
Digging into AR's psychotic disorder
A "business fuck buddies" to "friendly acquaintance" to "friends" to "friends with benefits" to "lovers" arc for Blitz & Stolas
A "bitter exes" to "I'll allow you in my space but I'll make it your problem" to "cautious friends" to "friends (with or without benefits)" arc for Blitz & Vero
Blitz & Fizz working through all their shitty past history and becoming queerplatonic besties
Adrien finding out about Monarch's true identity and that he's a sentimonster (not necessarily in that order). Bonus if it's Félix who tells me either things
Exploring the real extent of the long term consequences that Cole's abuse has on Félix
Adrien / Felix & Cat Noir / Argos shenanigans
Mirror verse stuff for Adrien and Cat Claw Noir
Anti-hero Poison Ivy
Rick Prime and / or Bill befriending other villain muses
Alastor and Vox. Literally anything with those two. I live for their one-sided rivalry or whatever that's supposed to be xD and yeah, I do ship them too, but that's not important
Alastor interacting with the other residents of the Hotel. Gimme shenanigans
Alastor & Rosie 'cause they are bff goals
Vaggie talking with someone about her past as an Exterminator / how she felt after she was banned
Vaggie & Carmilla mentee / mentor dynamic
Alastor meeting a version of himself. Gimme duplicates interactions for him, it would be so fun! I can't guess if they'll get along or hate each other's guts x3
[ Last update: 25/04/24]
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silurisanguine · 8 months
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OC mega Q&A
I did this many moons ago for my Deus Ex OC Zofie Orel from this user's posts. The original posts seem to have vanished but credit where credit is due. I've also added a section from this post as well. Now i'm going to do it for Seren Jones as it really does flesh out her character quite a bit, even more so that i've already done. It's also a good reference to show anyone who asks. I'll tag the Coemancer crew if you fancy doing it for yours and anyone else who wants to give it a go.
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LONG post behind cut.
BASICS
What’s their full name? Seren, (Coe) Jones. She takes the Coe surname in her OG verse after marrying Sam, but drops it again whilst Starborn so as not to draw attention to herself. She plans to take it again should the stars align.
What does their name mean? Why were they named that? Seren is welsh for Star. She understands the irony. Her parents named her Seren after her mum saw her open her eyes for the first time and knew she'd want to explore the stars. Her father being a history professor with interested in the cultures their ancestors came from suggested the Welsh word for star.
Do they have any nicknames? Star, Ren. She also went by Dusty James when in the protective programme.
How old are they? 30 years old as of the start of her story.
When’s their birthday? 12 9th month 2300 Akila City
What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? Earth astrology means nothing in space. She has no idea and doesn't care.
What’s their species/subspecies? Do they have any special/magical abilities? Starborn. All the powers that come with that. She is naturally empathic and can sense the emotions of others, which is both a benefit and hindrence. She now also has the ability to manipulate minds, thanks to Ryujin. She uses it as a tool should the need arise, but doesnt rely on it.
What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? They favour the Va’ruun Inflictor rifle, Hard Target sniper rifle and Magsheer. Occasionally using a Big Bang or Breach shotgun for close quarter’s ship fighting. Her specialities in her og verse were stealth, but since becoming starborn, she has developed more close quarters fighting skills that utilise her abilities. APPEARANCE
What do they look like? 5’5” athletic build woman. Original universe she had a silver coloured pixie haircut, Currently sporting a turquoise blue bixie cut. Has a few tiny scars on her face from mining, one on her forehead, the other on her jaw. She has a body encompassing tattoo of a trail of stars around her body. She now also has a band tattooe'd around her ring finger to symbolise the wedding ring she lost.
Do they have a face claim? Myself in my 30s but with full health and video game perfect.
What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? Her original universe she wore sleek modern dark clothing. Whether it be formwear or suits. Now she wears what ever is comfortable under her starborn suit which she mostly wears. She does prefer dark colours still and prefers formwear, cargos and long sleeve tops or settler wear in shades of black. She does like to wear makeup, sticking to smoky eyes and dark lipstick. Her hair is one of her signature things and the blue colour is because of a certain pendant someone once wore.
How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? Her Og verse, she carried herself with humour and a twinkle in her eye. Since becoming starborn, she’s become more reserved and there is a constant sadness in her eyes.
Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? Not any more. Noel once called her the physically healthiest person she’s ever met- One benefit of becoming Starborn. Mentally though, she is traumatised and has higher functioning depression.
Any defining features to their character? Her accent isnt definable as she moved from Akila to New Atlantis a few times. She now doesnt really have an accent but can take on any and often does when in proximity to them, becoming more Akilan the longer she is there and same in New Atlantis.
PERSONALITY
What’s their alignment? Chaotic good. She is compassionate and believes in doing good, but she hates beurocracy and sees the corruption in both the UC and FC. But she loathes the Crimson Fleet, seeing them as nothing more than 'coloured coded Spacers'.
Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? She finds that whole thing very problematic and does not subscribe to it.
What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? Houseplant gardening, Music and reading. She also now loves customising her weapons. She secretly loves Chunks cheesecake and cherry Boompop! She can cook, but tends not to bother much by herself. Though she did learn to cook her grandpa's famous meatloaf after the recipe was passed to her. Favourite book is Bram Stoker's Dracula.
What are they bad at? Delegating. They have a perfectionist streak and feel they need to do everything themselves to make sure it's done right.
What kind of things do they dislike/hate? Cruelty, The Hunter, The Crimson Fleet in the OG verse, Corruption, Injustice and evil corporations.
Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? Her main ‘vice’ is always having bourbon or a Solomon beer on her person to toast the universe she leaves. She also has higher functioning depression.
What are their goals and motivations? To find a universe she can finally stop in and find a Sam she can be with again after losing the love of her life in her OG verse. To survive until then.
What are their manners like? Any habits? Her OG verse , she was polite at first until she got the measure of someone. Now she knows people, she behaves exactly as she needs to. Habits - saving every fishbowl, jellyfish tank and plant from ships. She also always toasts a universe before she leaves it.
What are they most afraid of? Never finding ‘home’. Finding a Sam she hates.
BACKGROUND
Where were they born? What was their childhood like? Akila City. But at 5 left and moved to NA with her parents. Start of war left NA and returned to Akila at 8. Stayed there until she was 16 when her dad got a new job in NA uni and moved back there again. She was a lone child and was bullied most of her childhood due to being Freestar in UC space, then an expat back in Akila. She was nerdy and kept to herself, a little baby goth that liked to read and learn things. She had few friends, most expats like her that stuck with each other until something better came along for them, often leaving her alone again. Wasn't until she went to university she started making friends that had similar interests to her.
What’s their family like? Her dad Michael is a university professor, occasional poker player and the one who showed her how vital a good education is. Her mum Anne mostly worked in the diplomatic sector, as an assistant to the consulate dealing with businesses. She taught Seren how to deal with both. Seren had a good relationship with her parents, though as a kid didnt fully understand why they had to keep moving. But it forced her to have a strong sense of independence that allowed her to survive her life now. She misses them dearly but hopes they are doing well with the vast amount of money she left them. She avoids meeting them in the new universes, especially ones where she doesnt know what happened to the Seren of that universe.
What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? She was born in Akila City, so is Freestar Collective. She believes in what they stand for, but doesnt ignore the corruption with the governors. She became a Ranger because of her sense of justice, though hates the black and white views of some of them and the corruption in others. In her OG verse she also joined the UC Vanguard as she realised very quickly there was a bigger story going on that would effect the whole settled systems. Same reason for joining Sysdef to take down the Crimson Fleet. Other accomplishments of her og verse were being a Ryujin operative that managed to prevent the Corp from releasing some dangerous tech. Of course her title now as Starborn brings it’s own complications and accomplishments in each universe she travels through.
How do they fit into their “story”? She was in protective custody under a cover name Dusty Jones, working as a miner. The day she was told the company she had become whistleblower to, was no more was the day she was asked to collect what ever was in that cave on Vectera. She became the lead explorer of Constellation due to her connection to the Artifacts and ended up becoming Starborn after losing everything that meant anything to her in her original universe.
Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? Now? On their ship: The Valkyrie. Before she builds that, her Guardian ship and sometimes the Lodge beds to rest. Before that in her OG verse- the Lodge, her home in Akila and her cabin aboard the Star Eagle. The Guardian of course is minimal. She adds a bed roll to one side and any cuddly toys she finds she places them around her cockpit seat as it amuses her. Same with fishbowls and jellyfish tanks that she puts by the main viewing window. Once she's built the Valkyrie, she sets it up with an infirmary as the first thing you enter upon, crew quarters one side should she chose to have some and her captain's quarters the other, which is always a Nova galactic hab as its cosy and has a built in galley. Upstairs is a workshop and small internal storage. Her priority is always have a cabot4 bridge so she can avoid ladders. Her home in Midtown, Akila in her og verse was cosy, mixing Akilan furniture with more modern New Atlantis stylings. One day she might rebuild it.
How do they eventually die? She’s ‘died’ many times already. Each time she enters the Unity her body dies and part of her being joins that universe, the rest being reborn again in a new verse. She hopes one day she’ll find her new home to stop in and die of old age with the one she loves…and maybe start all over again when they feel like it.
RELATIONSHIPS
Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? She was best friends with Sam. Also in her og verse she was great friends with Andreja and Barrett. To a far lesser extent Sarah until after she loses Sam, where Sarah is a great comfort. She found it easy to make friends with lots of people around the systems too. Now? She has become friends with her counterpart from one universe and the Sam they are married too. It always ends though, so she tries not to become too close to anyone.
What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? Before - like family. As an only child who was bullied growing up, she didn't really have friends. So to be with people who accept and get her was a wonderful feeling. She was part of Constellation and became almost the main go person thanks to being connected to the Artifacts the group were looking for. Now She is quite the self imposed loner. Sometimes guiding those she likes in a verse she comes across, helping them in some way. She sometimes takes crew aboard her Valkyrie so she isnt so alone, giving them her ship before she leaves that universe.
What’s their love life like? Do they have any kids? She was married to Sam Coe. They had an incredible relationship of best friends, soulmates and lovers. Passionate and full of fun. But he was killed by the Hunter in her Og verse and she has been in mourning since then. She became the closest thing to a real mother Cora Coe ever had considering how bad her birth mother was, but lost her when Sam died and Lillian took her. She will meet that Cora again some day though.
Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? She admires her parents for doing what ever they had to do to keep her safe and comfortable during the Colony War. She admires/d Sam for how he turned himself around and became such a wonderful father to Cora. So far, the Sams she's met, she would trust, even the one who was cold to her, because she understood his reasoning.
Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? The Crimson Fleet. The Hunter, Lillian Hart and Jacob Coe. Benjamin Bayu, Vae Victis. They made plenty of enemies in her og verse, what was left of the Crimson Fleet for one and who ever Vae Victis was working with.
Do they have any pets? No. She always wanted a cat, but they were too expensive and being she is Starborn now, it isn't fair to have one (cats are seen in a movie poster so i think they exist, we just never see them). Perhaps when she finds ‘home’ she’ll get one for her final home. She does save all the fishtanks and jellyfish tanks though for her ship, who get to see space as she sets them in her cockpit.
Are they good with kids? Animals? She adores Cora like a mother. She never thought she’d feel that way, but Cora is special - also a teenager. She still doesnt go googly over babies. She has no intentions of more children and isn't even sure Starborn can have children. But adopting might be on the cards..maybe. She likes animals and prefers not harming wildlife, using creator's peace on agressive species. FACTS
Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes? The Hero, The Chosen One, The Sage and Explorer all rolled into one.
Do they play any instruments? Sports? She likes to sing along to songs when she’s alone. She is naturally stupidly fit thanks to her new nature, but as an explorer keeps it that way.
What are some items they always carry? Her favoured weapons, medical packs, alien boba tea and Chunks cakes. Bourbon. Lots of credits.
Do they collect anything? Her ship Valkyrie. Fish and jellyfish tanks. Succulents.
What position do they sleep in? Side sleeper, curled up usually with a plushie for comfort.
Which emoji would they use the most? :cowboy:
What languages do they speak? Standard universal (Mix of British and US English). Akilan slang.
What’s their favorite expletive? Shit.
What’s their favorite candle scent? Amber and vanilla.
What songs remind you of them? Evanescence - Far from Heaven and Starset - Telescope
Which animal would you say represents them? A russian blue cat.
What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into? The weirdo.
What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be? Rollercoasters. She loves swooping around in her ship during combat.
Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else? She believes the Creators are something otherworldly and she still believes some planet has sentient aliens comparable to humans. But she’s seen plenty of alien creatures! Ghosts? yeah she believes in them after finding the Pale Lady. Re-incarnation? Does Unity count because she’s been reborn a few times now.
Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays? Her parents are both Enlightened and she does agree with the philosophy, though doesn't practice. Even with becoming Starborn, she can't subscribe to the Universal view. She refuses to celebrate UC Foundation day, but does enjoy the Solomon festival in Akila. ( Earth equivelent US 4th July and UK Midsummer)
Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue? Not catholic so closest might be wrath for her hatred of The Hunter. Virtue? Compassion.
If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be? Strength: UPRIGHT: Strength, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion. REVERSED: Inner strength, self-doubt, low energy, raw emotion. Both aspects fit her. SOCIAL
How does your OC feel about their full name? They find it quite ironic their name means star, when they are in fact Starborn. But she loved when Sam called her his star, so she loves her name.
What do strangers notice about them first? Her eyes usually. they are very pale green and striking, usually accentuated with makeup to enhance them. next would be her hair colour, which is usually unnatural.
How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone? In her OG verse she comes across as polite and professional to strangers but also empathetic due to her natural ability. As The Marshall once said, she could sell dirt to a dusty (aka miner.) She's quite chatty and enjoys company. Alone, she talks to herself whilst doing things and especially now as Starborn where she finds herself alone a lot she often sings to herself. (the Guardian ship has great acoustics she'd found.
How do they act around a crush? She was smitten the first moment she saw Sam and worked very hard to make sure he got her signals. But always behaved as a friend would to him, just now and then dropping hints that she was interested.
Do they have a “tell” for when they’re lying? No, she has a killer 'poker face'. If only she knew how to play poker. But It's how she was able to fool the Crimson Fleet when she went undercover in them, playing them whilst taking their support from them. She enjoyed being the Mantis in her OG verse, seeing as much like one of her favourite earth movies Atomic Blonde.
What do they smell like? In the OG verse, her signature scent was amber, Akilan bloodrose and vanilla. She's been told she now has a incense like scent they can't place. She wonders if all Starborn smell like that?
What is their hair texture like? Very straight, silky thick hair.
How much jewelry do they wear, and do they have a favorite or distinguishing piece? She wears two sets of little hoops in each ear, which she gets redone every universe. She once had a platinum wedding ring, made from metal she mined.
Do they have a word or phrase that they tend to overuse? My Sam.....
What is a weird quality that they have (ie their hands are always cold, they’re always hungry, they snort when they laugh, etc)? Apart from the fact they are a being beyond space and time now? ... They have a high tolerance for alcohol, it seems even more so now as Starborn.
What color do they look strikingly good in? Deep dark red or teal blue. But they look and feel great in black. Andreja would be proud.
How do they show affection to someone they love? Small touches of affection, making them a hot drink when they wake up, Finding them little gifts that mean something personal to them. Having a secret language that includes jokes only they get. Always having their back.
Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone? Yes. Their eyes often reflect the emotion of the person they are talking too.
What attributes do they have that are inherited from their parents or shared with their siblings/other relatives? Courage and stubborness, compassion and empathy (the latter from her mother. )
Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid) Being stubborn can be both an asset and a flaw!
How has their childhood affected the way they view an aspect of their life (people, education, society, themselves, etc)? She saw the two main factions of the Settled Systems as a child and how it treated a child, so as much as she is more a Freestar supporter she knows it isnt perfect. She was often alone and is cautious about making friends although she desperatly wants companionship.
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walkingshcdow · 9 months
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I’ve been thinking about lately how ill-equipped Percy Blakeney is for a life beyond the French Revolution and how, despite later conflicts under the rise of Napoleon, the French Revolution (certainly The Reign of Terror) is an incredibly short period. The way Orczy writes about the French Revolution through her serial novels, which followed the success of “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” implies a more drawn-out conflict and, therefore, a longer, more drawn-out period of vigilante heroism on Percy’s part. However, historically speaking, that’s not true. When France reverts to a kind of monarchy, what does Percy do? 
I once posited to a friend of mine that the real spirit of The Scarlet Pimpernel is not about aristocracy but instead protecting refugees. I argued that the work of The Scarlet Pimpernel points out the hypocrisy of claiming “liberty, fraternity, and equality” for all men while persecuting some men (and women and children) and that, if alive and operating today, The Scarlet Pimpernel would operate in places where similar atrocities occurred. I remember this conversation as one of the last with that friend, in no small part because she claimed she did not want to politicize literature. I think Leslie Howard, who directed and starred in “Pimpernel Smith” and who played Sir Percy in the 1934 film, would readily agree with me. He reimagined Sir Percy as Horatio Smith, a man who freed inmates from concentration camps, in a film released in 1941. If it is so easy to see where The Scarlet Pimpernel might work his will in the 20th century, the question becomes where would he go as the 18th century faded into the early 19th century? 
I once read the “biography” of Percy Blakeney. I remember that he and Marguerite have two children, and I know little else of what Orczy imagined Percy Blakeney doing after the conclusion of the French Revolution. Knowing that she continued to publish novels until 1940 always makes me think that she understood the melodrama of her work and the popularity of her characters but it also makes me wonder why (and how) she limited herself predominantly to writing about the French Revolution. I know “The First Sir Percy” exists, but he’s not who I’m interested in. I am fascinated as to why Percy Blakeney’s original author never explored the ennui he must have felt when the Revolution ended and how that must have conflicted with his humanitarian nature, which would have been glad to see the war was over. I wonder why she didn’t explore other conflicts for him to take up arms in or why we never learn what his children must have thought of their father’s stories (if he ever told them stories). With the Revolution behind them, could Percy be a devoted husband in the mundane ways life demands a spouse to be, or did he only ever know how to show love through large acts of devotion? I suppose not many people looking at adventure novels want to read about domesticity but would Percy want to be domestic? If he was dissatisfied with it, what would an active character like Percy do to change his lot in life? What about Marguerite? Would she want to be included in the next round of adventures, or would she be happy maintaining the Blakeneys’ home and reputation? 
I once read a charming fanfiction wherein an older Sir Percy and Lady Blakeney meet the newly married Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in an inn. It’s the only time I’ve been content with something that depicts Percy Blakeney as retired. Whenever I’ve set out to write him, I’ve wanted to explore the restlessness of retirement or else give him a new task. It’s why my Fae verse for Percy began in the first place: reimagining him and the League as Fae vigilantes allowed me to traverse time and space with the same, wild characters I fell in love with, with some added pizazz. 
Returning to writing Percy Blakeney this week has made me remember the questions I asked, which led me to create my original character: Percy Brightstar. Like his namesake and predecessor, Percy Brightstar is an adventurer; unlike Percy Blakeney, however, he is tied to the world not only for adventure’s sake nor only to make large-scale changes. He is a brother and father and friend and lover. He is more practical with a similar set of skills. He is so divorced from Percy Blakeney that I thought I could not return to the latter. I was happily proven wrong. Still, the questions remain: who is Percy Blakeney without the French Revolution?
I don’t know yet. I’ll be delighted to see what comes next in this writing journey. 
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calliethetrekkie · 11 months
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Triumvirate Prompts: Day 17
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#17. Favorite Kirk Headcanon
I can't remember where I read this one, maybe from one of lenievi's posts. But ever since I did, I cannot get it out of my head.
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Kirk didn't grow up on Earth. I guess he probably spent maybe the first two or so years of his life in Iowa, but once he was old enough to handle space travel? He never stayed in one spot at a time. I imagine that both of his parents were in Starfleet (we know this is the case in AOS and I think SNW confirmed at least George Kirk in the Prime verse), so if George was on a Starship regularly and say... Winona was going back and forth between Starbases and outposts, Kirk and Sam would have to go with her. Part of why I think that Tarsus IV happened is because Kirk had to stay there, maybe staying with a family friend or something, cause his mom had to go on a mission that would leave no time to care for him and Sam for reasons decided to go elsewhere (the headcanons I have about Kirk and Sam's childhood man...). Needless to say, when Winona and George found out what happened... well Kodos is lucky he faked his death because they'd have probably killed him.
Kirk absolutely loved going to the different planets and bases, although he quickly got bored when he was stuck in one place for too long. Even after Tarsus, nothing could mar that enthusiasm for exploring space. If anything, it just added the greater person of wanting to become a Starfleet Captain so that he could also make some kind of difference and help others that may have gone through what he did. Aside from maybe a few brief visits to see family or whatever, he never really went back to Earth until he entered the Starfleet Academy. He likely would have gotten bored with it eventually had he not been so focused on his studies. Earth is nice, he certainly likes whenever he gets to be back there and go camping or go visit his old home of Iowa. But in the end he belongs on a Starship traveling through the unknowns of space, and that's where he's at his happiest.
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goddessofroyalty · 2 years
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Do not pluck a flower not yet bloomed
Fandom: House of the Dragon
Pairing: Aemond/Lucerys (if you read it in a specific way)
Tags: omegaverse, in-heat, underage character, Aemond is threatening (pairing tag because of the vibe of the threats but nothing is spelt out or really happens other than looming) 
Realised Game of Thrones was a great universe to explore how heats have a scent (and taste) that goes from bitter to sweet as the omega goes from false to true heats. Also realised it wouldn’t fit in my main verse (or rather that it was too late to make it fit) so figured out something else to do with it.
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44766529
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The storm that rages outside feels like the one that rages through his belly. Each crash of thunder joined by a cramp. 
It’s not just his heat causing his stomach to roll although it isn’t helping. It is also worry for his family. Worry for Arrax. Worry for what his uncle has planned for the night. Both of them staying in the Baratheon Keep until the storm passes and sun comes out. 
It would be bad for me to send an heated omega out into a dark storm like this Borros had said as slick had started its slow path down Luke’s legs despite him silently begging it to not. Not right then. Anything but right then in front of a potential ally or enemy and his uncle. I will send a raven to your mother in the morning to come pick up her son who thinks himself better than his designation.  
Prepare rooms for them both, the Baratheon alpha had added with a nod with Luke’s Uncle sending chills of failure down Luke’s heat-warm spine. I have more to discuss with the other one.  
Not that there’s anything Luke can do about it now. Tradition states that omegas are to be guarded in their heats either for or by their mates. Given nesting materials as if that alone is enough to distract them from the wasted week of cramps and slick. 
At Dragonstone he could at least still train. Guarded, yes, his parents guarded him jealously – their only omega so far – but he could still do things. 
Here he can do nothing but wait. Wait for the shame of some knight, or his stepfather, coming to collect him and his failure. Or wait for House Baratheon’s head to decide he does want to accept the proposal of marriage to a relative of his choosing but without giving up his fealty in trade. 
Luke has long decided he hates heats. Always coming at the most inconvenient times and humiliating and  uncomfortable to endure no matter how much his mother tells him it will get better as his body adjusts to create a space for a womb that will carry his heirs. 
The door creeks open and Luke feels his breath catch as a shadow enters the room. 
The crash of lightning through the window reveals it is his uncle who has come into the chambers. 
A better option than the others within the walls that could be creeping in right now. But it is not one that makes Luke feel safe or reassured. 
His mother is married to her uncle as is common in their family. And he remembers the way Damon had looked at him like bait on a hook when the topic of Vhagar and her current rider being their biggest threat to getting and holding the throne had been brought up in the meeting.
And now Aemond looks at him like a predator stalking prey. 
“Uncle,” Luke says as Aemond stalks over to the bed. Luke vacating it to ensure there is still distance between them. Enough distance he can only catch the edge of alpha musk. “You should not be here.” 
“And why not?” Aemond asks, watching him with an eye that flashes with the lightning strikes. “I am merely ensuring my dear nephew is being looked after. It wouldn’t do if word got out that he had been unsullied while on a negotiation for his mother.”
“Well,” Luke says, freezing when Aemond’s nostrils flare like a hunting dog who has just caught the scent of their game. He forces himself to breathe and his voice to remain even. “You can at least safely dismiss any that come your way. As you can see I have been left completely alone until your visit.” 
“I suppose I can,” Aemond says almost dismissively as his eyes trace a path along the bed that Luke had barely even attempted to nest in. 
He suddenly hones in on something and swoops down like a dragon after a sheep. 
Luke lets out a squeak when he stands again, long fingers coated in the thick clear fluid of Luke’s slick. Luke’s underclothes not enough to prevent it from ending on the sheets he had been sitting on these days.
A promising sign your body is developing as it should he kept being told despite how much he hated how sticky and damp everything in his bed ended up after his heat. Unable to meet the maid’s eyes when they came to strip it once finished.
His uncle spares him a glance for it before returning to the slick. Pressing his fingers together and parting them as if testing the consistency. 
Luke’s seen the Maesters do the same thing a few times. Not that he believes his uncle has been properly trained to tell anything from his assessment like they can. It much more likely just an obscene display of power. Proof that he can and there’s nothing Luke can do about it. 
Aemond brings the slick-covered fingers to his nose, another common assessment. He doesn’t pause to smell it though, instead shoving his fingers into his own mouth. 
Luke doesn’t know what to do or say as he watches it. His uncle clearly taking his time with whatever it is he is doing with them in his mouth. Two full rumbles of thunder filling the air before he finally draws his fingers out. 
"Still bitter I see," Aemond says, a string of saliva connecting his fingers to his lips from where he had tasted Luke's slick in what was the most depraved way of assessing it. "An omega not yet fully bloomed and yet you are offering your hand in marriage." 
"I've presented, haven't I?" Luke asks. "That's more than enough."
It earns him a grunt.
“If that is true you shouldn’t be out at all without a bite on your neck. There are too many who would love to steal you from the den your mother has hidden you all in.”
“Good thing you are here to ensure that does not happen,” Luke reminds his uncle. 
The silence that it’s met with is terrifying. 
The way Aemond makes his way over scarier still. 
Luke knows going for the door is foolish. Not only will the guards likely not care, it could quickly turn the situation much worse in so many ways. So he backs towards the window until he hits the still of it. Seriously contemplating climbing out into the storm as his uncle closes in the distance. 
Perhaps if he yells loud enough Arrax will hear him and catch him if he jumps.  
“What do you want?” Luke asks when Aemond leans down so he is right in his space, his nose right by Luke’s neck. Both their breathes louder than the storm and Aemond’s lips are parted as if he’s trying to taste Luke’s scent like he had his slick. 
“Your heats will be true soon enough,” Aemond says instead of answering the question. “Who will you let have the first taste I wonder?” 
“My mate after our wedding,” Luke answers because it is the correct answer. The right answer according to the realm and the Faith of the Seven. And the one that has the best chance of getting him out of this situation unharmed. 
“That does not sound like you at all,” Aemond says, his eyes staring up into Luke’s as if he knows him at all, before they trace back down to Luke’s neck. 
“And what does it matter to you?” They are all-but at war now. Calling on alliances and houses to see who will stand by whose side. 
Aemond just grins at him before drawing back.
“Promise me you’ll keep yourself safe my little strong Lord,” he says, ruffling Luke’s hair like they are just uncle and nephew. “I would hate for someone else to spill your blood before I can.” 
“Only if you promise the same.” Luke doubts it entirely but he can’t not try and prevent the tense stalemate from spilling into civil war. 
Aemond huffs and turns to leave, finally giving Luke the room to move away from the window himself. Luke watches as his gaze is drawn to the bed as he passes it. The alpha suddenly stopping at the foot of it.
“If Lord Baratheon does not send a raven in the morning, I will return you to your mother myself,” he says, leaving the room in a quick pace before the words even have time to settle in Luke’s mind.
He truly hopes the Baratheon lord is good to his word and sends the raven as he promised. The alternative now much worse than the shame of having failed his family.
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Kind of unrelated but Daemon 100% only uses taste not scent to assess slick as well.  
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spxcemuses · 1 year
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RULES.
Hello peoples, I'm Space, welcome to my semi-selective multimuse blog! My rules are listed below, PLEASE make sure to read them before interacting! UPDATED: 9/5/2024 (will change with time).
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joeonmusic · 6 months
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Beast Mode is out today!
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Yesterday I held a listening party on Bandcamp to celebrate the release of my new EP, Beast Mode, and give people some insights into the songs. I thought I'd share my notes for those who couldn't make it, so you can read as you listen along. The EP is produced by Chris Marney (referred to as Chris throughout here).
Pass the puffer is the first track and I wrote the lyrics after reading about an episode of Spy in the Wild on BBC. It was narrated by David Tennant. In it, the dolphins pass round a puffer fish and get blissed out from small doses of the lethal toxins. I did a bit more research on dolphins and put something together that’s not supposed to be political or animal rights based, just observations of strange behaviour.
The music was written a while ago, and I added the guitar and dolphin samples a bit later. I think my producer did a good job in bringing out the bass notes a bit better than I had it in the original mix - that’s never my strongest point. 
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Fed to the tigers is probably the saddest song on the EP. Again, in terms of the music, the guitar was the last thing I added and I think it gives it an extra dimension with the tremolo weaving in and out. The lyrics explore how a zoo came to decide to kill a 2-year-old giraffe. Marius the giraffe was born at Copenhagen zoo, but he was from the same gene pool as too many other giraffes in European zoos so was no use for breeding the next generation and it costs money and requires space to keep such animals. They didn’t want to sell him to some private collector or a circus so decided the most humane thing was to kill him and feed him to the tigers. I don’t make a judgement, just think it’s a dilemma that’s worth thinking about…
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Cyborg (broken animal) is up third and it’s less of a story than an exploration of these around adding technology to humans and animals. There’s a philosophical element to it in terms of how we should feel about experimenting with impulses going straight to the brain to control movements and things, plus a bit of a fear of what if it goes wrong and robot-insect armies start attacking us!
Musically it is the probably the closest to dance music through parts of it, although there’s a really brutal guitar solo in it to throw you off. You can hear what Chris did with the remix a bit later for a different take on the song.
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Sweet Kiss of Death (or the story) was suggested to me by my Twitter friend Stephen Haggart. There was a horse (Sweet Kiss) that won a race, but the jockey died on his back some time before the end. I decided to write the song from the point of view of the horse who was henceforth nicknamed Sweet Kiss of Death.
I wrote the music for this a couple of years ago, but played around with it and added the weird talking bass sound to get away from it being too traditional a reggae sound. I’ve always loved reggae and those who’ve listened to my earlier albums will have heard elements in those from the genre. Also from my band at uni, we had a dub reggae stage, influenced by Boo Radleys and other 90s bands who added it into rock/indie.
The cyborg remix is not the first time my voice has been put through a decoder. The Invisible squirrel also did it with the remix of Trace in 2022: Listen here for that. I love what Chris did with this. It has a very different feel from my version, while still being recognisable. The guitar solo's gone, but there are some really gnarly synths to give that menace still.
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Radioactive hybrid terror pigs was originally released in October 2022. It was the first song Chris mixed for me, so I thought I’d bring it back, as it was just a single, so has never been on Bandcamp. It was fast and punky all the way through before, so I slowed down the verses and chopped up the guitar line, adding a few synth elements, too. 
I read a story about how the wild boars moved into the contaminated land without feeling any ill effects and made themselves at home, inter-breeding with the domesticated pigs that had been left behind in the desperate aftermath of the disaster. The title’s a little bit sensationalist, but when I read it, I just thought that has to be a song! Thematically it fits perfectly with this EP.
I hope you enjoy listening to the EP. Please buy a copy on Bandcamp if you can, or just share it with people who you think will like listening to it. Word of mouth and recommendations from friends are the best promo in the world.
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drew-mga2022mi5018 · 1 year
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Development | Portal Test I
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I wanted to look at a couple of ways I could create a portal for my scene. This first portal was inspired by the portals seen in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. I began by creating a shape in After Effects, removing the fill and increasing the stroke thickness. Then, I added a Glow effect, played around with the settings and duplicated it to create a strong emission.
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I duplicated this square five times and scaled each down proportionately. Then, I randomly rotated each in different directions. Later, I would animate the rotations of these layers at gradually increasing speeds.
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To add another layer of detail, I duplicated all my squares, changed its stroke colour and scaled them to my liking. I would continue to scale and figure out which sizes I liked better as I worked. Additionally, I also inverted the rotation of each portal, such that each corresponding layer would rotate in opposite directions.
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To make the "entrance" to the portal mor prominent, I duplicated my topmost layer again and this time added a Radial Blur and Curves effect. I boosted the alpha channel such that even though the square was blurred, you could still make it out.
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Then, I reordered each layer corresponding with their names. After precomposing my layers, I further arranged them in 3D space to add a sense of depth. Finally, I added a halftone pattern using a CC Ball Action, two Transforms, a Gaussian Blur, and a CC Composite set to Pin Light. This was the result;
I'm not a fan of the post processing effect, however I think the portal works for what it is. I plan to explore other options in After Effects and also create a portal in Blender 3D, just to see which one works for me.
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polarnoid · 1 year
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⭐ all the combos let's goooo
MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a " ⭐ " and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi.
okay i get the feeling its gonna get long and im taking in the ones in your active tag but if you also want to expand on this and or other combos lmk...also not putting down anything we have talked about already...also kinda cheating and adding the guys from scoops hehhee also also there are some combos i might be interested in but like i wanna wait until i know more about the characters so ill dm you about those specifically...also edit i forgor giselle was here so... adding that to the mix
julie & villanelle
baby murderer meets grown up assassin, there is like these differences between them that would make an interaction kinda funny??? there's a lot julie could learn and idk it would be a good thing to explore...maybe the difference on why they kill and how they see killing like idk idk that's interesting to me...julie used to be the popular girl, she kinda is still....something we can cook there
fiona & martha
so fiona is a girl from the 16th century dropped into the modern world to reunite with her husband...perchance she could be a time anomaly, something funny there. martha has time traveled, has endured things for the sake of guy and has had that whoops what did i get myself into moment...which i think is one funny because it paralelles what fiona goes through but also like idk something IS HERE...friends....fwiendship....
patrick & aimee
oh well i could give him a st verse and like ...heheh hoo hoo bad boy alert, but there's this myths and shit that are so untrue about him. so like that could definitely be funny to explore, also he is a pretty guy and can be emotionally open and understanding !! hell we could even recreate the movie plot with st in the background jkhrkjhg there is SOMETHING HERE OK?
patrick & adam
oh damn two guys ...two dudes with a bad reputation and while adam is more angry than sad patrick is kinda more like stoic and sad than angry,, idk neither of them like opening up so maybe they can hangout and not talk about their feelings at all until they grow emotionally and idk be a safe space for each other but like in the cool guy way
richie & dustin
ummm mike's annoying queer cousin....he is like a funny lil kid, i think there isnt necesarilly a funny lil kid his type of brand in the party, he also is a geek (not a nerd) so putting them into situations would be fun, also lil kid who has also dealt with weird ass happenings in one's town so he would be extra annoying i think ! funny banter here...also them bickering at each other is a guarantee ! fun !
alice & el
alice's st verse has her as an experiment, so hehehe hooo sister's vibes. she is also very much different from the people el usually surrounds herself with, she is very much a weird girl, and her powers have developed way past the default here...also bonding over their share trauma,,, she also has a scientist dude who basically killed her family and alice wants him dead...so like hehehe fun stuff there
aimee & luna
listen aimee is part of the pack, luna is in the pact, she isn't as clueless as aimee can be but i feel like they both can be girls, girls, so i think a friendship is definitely in order ! also another dog friend who doesn't want that ???
clem & luna
wow the way luna would absolutely take in clementine in as a younger sister, i think even though kane tries i feel luna and clem would connect a bit better over the whole turned into a wolf thing, especially because i think luna also got turned by necesity like clem did, also clem has this edge that kane also ocassionaly has but luna actually lacks...luna might learn a thing or two from clem
anamaria & muireann
mermaid and pirate, maybe ann gets attached to anamaria, and now anamaria has a whole ass mermaid to deal with...a whole ass feral mermaid, but maybe muireann has her back...can help anamaria kick ass hehehe
joe & giselle
wow ?? repeat customer at her tavern...an annoying lil guy who can bicker with her? he is also sorta friends with dave, since they kinda go back. a fun way for giselle to find out about dave's past like the parts he doesn't disclose necessarily...but also maybe a fling,,, he's a fun guy to be around most of the times,,, i think kghkjsdhfjsf
ophelia & giselle
wow two of the most important women in dave's life, would be fun to compare and contrast....they both ran away from what was home and family to them. so that's hehehe hooo ?? ophelia is also a lil weirdo sometimes. and i think she definitely needs feminine energies in her life especially someone that has a strong personality like giselle, teach her your ways ... perchance?
rosa & morgana
hehe hoo hoo witches magic users on opposite sides of the good evil spectrum? interesting very interesting. we could do like a modern thing for them or maybe even make it high fantasy...maybe friends turned rivals turned enemies, they would be at odds on the topic of use of dark magic...and if they were friends at some point wouldn't that be a lil sad :((
@immobiliter
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Review: Sophie Li’s newest indie-rock single ‘For Crying out Loud’ fuses both a stripped-back and fiery sound, as well as a message of escaping a toxic partner
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After departing from her record label late last year, the upcoming indie-rock artist Sophie Li now finds herself chasing the best version of herself and her sound, determined to leave her own mark. Inspired by greats like Catfish and the Bottlemen and beabadoobee, Sophie looks to pen meaningful narratives in her energetically-fused indie releases, and her newest ‘For Crying out Loud’ is no exception.
Emphatically led in by looping electric guitar strums, ‘For Crying out Loud’ immediately channels a dainty indie sound reliant on a stripped-back focus and vast setting of sound, with each chord echoing into the space as though Sophie were performing to an empty arena. Things build up further for the pre-chorus, with raw and dominant acoustic guitar strums layering atop the electric guitar’s softer bedding, a combination of two fairly tender instrumental approaches made impactful when united. The chorus really allows for it all to let loose though, releasing thundering drums and a much greater rampantly strummed electric guitar performance, fusing the more tranquil layers of ‘For Crying out Loud’ into what becomes a commotion of noise and energy you’ll want to get up onto your feet to enjoy to the fullest. As an added electric guitar riff finds itself in the foreground of the second verse, Sophie really builds up the experience of ‘For Crying out Loud’ from something tender and afraid to powerful and self-assured the longer it runs, paralleling with that of the lyrical narrative and emotions she unpacks along the way. All of this is complemented by her fiery vocal performance, reigning in a higher tone that’s unafraid to confidently tell her story and commandeering both the more downbeat segments and the absolutely raging heightened bursts. If you want an indie release that’s got it all, look no further than ‘For Crying out Loud.’
The sound itself isn’t the only striking element of ‘For Crying out Loud’ though, as Sophie opens up within her lyricism to channel the resentment she felt when trapped inside of a toxic relationship, cathartically exploring her emotions now she’s finally through to the other side. As one of her repeated chorus lines doesn’t hesitate to paint a picture of quite what this partnership looked like, Sophie reveals that ‘you never hear me talking, and you always seem to f**cking call me... then you push me to the ground’. Clearly wrapped up inside this tumultuous love and afraid to walk away, ‘For Crying out Loud’ quite poignantly discusses the difficulty many have in leaving someone who continues to put them down, pulled along for a rollercoaster of highs and lows and love-bombed back into returning when things reach their lowest. This cycle only continues to repeat, with lyrics like ‘I always seem to end up calling, again’ emphasising the cyclical nature of toxic love and the isolation it can bring to many who fear to walk away knowing they’ll be alone. But admitting that ‘we’re taking it in turns to inflict the pain’, Sophie evidently also played her part in this unhealthy affair, with the two clearly addicted to one another but desperately needing to let go. Everything about it is incredibly real as Sophie really sets herself apart as a songwriter unafraid to be authentic and human, offering a relatability that only makes her music soar all the more.
Check out ‘For Crying out Loud’ for yourself here to truly unpack the weight of Sophie’s words or just to rock along to her emphatic indie sound!
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
Photo Credits: Unknown
// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator
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windvexer · 3 years
Text
You can literally just ask your ingredients/tools what they are best at, or if they'll be helpful in a specific spell, or for advice on how to best utilize them.
Yes, you can, right now. You can just do it, whether or not you're a spirit medium or can "visualize".
Don't get me wrong, I find cultural and historical research of correspondences to be very important. But also, just ask the thyme in your cupboard what it likes to do in its spare time. (Bonus points if you take notes and compare to your research later on)
Here's how I do it. I call it my "pinging" method, like how a modem pings a server. Here's how:
Prepare your question.
If you want to be polite, start with a, "hello, is anyone there?" Although admittedly this is more for animists. If you believe you're just reading energies and there is no indwelling spirit, why not get right to it?
Questions to explore utility and correspondences include:
"Magically speaking, what are you best at?"
"If I added you to this spell, how would you influence/affect it?"
"What kind of intents are you best at supporting?"
"What kind of magic do you not like to be involved in?"
"What other ingredients do you work well with?"
"What other ingredients do you not get along with?"
Focus on the thing which you would like to communicate with.
Avoid performing this technique on living animals, as it often scares them :(
Have it in your field of vision, or touch it, or do whatever you need to do in order to feel focused on it.
Observe, Believe, Feel, Understand, or Know, aka OBFUK (my handy acronym I use to replace "visualize," which I ordered that way because it kind of sounds like "oh f*ck," as in, "oh f*ck, the ubiquitous use of the word 'visualize' has caused many witches to be ironically equipped with blinders that require energy perception and control to be funneled through a filter of sightedness and images, which for many is counter-intuitive and detrimental to their practice"). Anyway -
Observe, Believe, Feel, Understand, or Know that the object which you would like to communicate with is aware of you and will hear you when you send your question.
Send your prepared question.
Speak or think your question to the object. OBFUK that the object receives your question.
Anticipate receiving the answer.
Listen, here's the downfall of this technique: You need a wee bit of open space in your mind. No, you don't have to be a meditator to do this technique (I did it for years before I began meditating). You just need enough space for the answer to arrive.
I have found that ideally, this means actively anticipating receiving your answer for 1-3 seconds.
This works on the same meditative trick as, "wait for your next thought to come and it never will." The force of anticipation itself is what creates an open platform for your answer to arrive at.
Your mind does not have to be "totally clear". You can have a lot of tabs open and still be able to pull off this technique.
Analyze what comes.
We will all get answers in different ways. Repeat: there is no golden standard for how you are "supposed" to receive your answer. Here are some ways your answer might appear to you:
Snippets of memories, songs, scenes, verses, or literature pop into your awareness.
A fully or partially formulated concept comes to you all at once.
You are strongly reminded of something (say, the god Aries, or a soothing woodland scene).
An image or images come to your mind's eye, either still or animated.
Nothing seems to come to mind at all, but certain things on your altar or around your house, or certain colors, suddenly stand out or seem especially relevant.
Nothing seems to come to mind, but you feel energy moving on or around you.
Nothing seems to come to mind, but you feel as if you can smell or taste something that wasn't there before.
It is unlikely that you will hear a voice in your mind that says, "hi, I'm Basil, and I'm good at..." Our particularly clairaudientally blessed friends may receive such information, but the rest of us are likely going to have to apply some level of interpretation to what we receive.
Be aware that if you're talking to something with an indwelling spirit, it may not be interested in trotting out answers to your question, and may have questions of its own, or something else it wants you to know instead.
Ask more questions, or say goodbye.
I believe good manners go a long way, so even if you feel you haven't received any answer, it's polite to send a message like, "thank you for your time, have a good day."
Your answers are now UPG.
I really want us all to understand this!
UPG stands for Unverified Personal Gnosis. It means that you have personally received information through spiritual means, however, that information is not necessarily agreed upon or accepted by anyone else but you.
Please don't go around sharing your UPG as if it is actually verified spiritual canon!
Even if that information is totally cohesive within your personally constructed spiritual system, I'm sorry, but your personal spiritual system is not universal.
If I have a communication session with my rosemary plant, and it tells me, "yes, I'm a plant of protection and dreams [community accepted correspondence], but that's only one side of me; I'm also a spirit of evil, nightmares, and destruction, and that's why I can also defend against them [unverified personal gnosis]," it is wildly misleading of me to go on Tumblr and post a new rosemary correspondence that includes "cursing, nightmares, and destruction" as if everyone needs to automatically accept and believe my own claims.
It is now on you to experiment with the information you receive, compare it to other resources, and decide if what you heard was valid, legitimate information for a certain group, tradition, or practice, or if it is untrue, or if it is only true for you.
Your UPG might end up being totally valid and verified by others (this is then called verified personal gnosis) and this is such an exciting, wonderful, and validating thing to experience.
However, every single time I have a question about a spirit or god, and someone says, "hold on, I'll ask them!" and comes back 5 minutes later with an answer they assume I should accept as canon, I want to reach through the screen and slap them.
Your spirit communication is not automatically spiritual canon, and should probably undergo many steps of testing and verification before EVEN YOU accept it as true.
Troubleshooting
"It isn't possible for me to complete the active anticipation portion, what could I do instead?"
This technique is specifically a telepathic one; you receive communication within your mind. If doing so on the fly isn't possible, I'd recommend trying an entirely different technique, such as asking the same questions through tarot or another divination system, or petitioning the ingredient for a dream.
"I don't think I'm receiving any answers, what do I do?"
Not all spirits want to talk to us. Or from a secular perspective, not everything is imbued with enough energy for us to get a reading, or that energy may be hard to access or understand.
Objects which are very often used in witchcraft, such as magical and culinary herbs, minerals, and animal parts, often have something to say. (Perhaps the reason they are used in magic is because they're so willing to work with us in the first place!)
You can also gently cleanse the object and offer it some incense or water, then invite the spirit/energies back, and see if that changes your results.
Or, you may need to try contacting it over several days, maybe also with feeding and cleansing, before it responds. (Remember, it takes the object energy to communicate with us, whether it is a spirit or just a lump of energy, something must be expended to send you a message).
Plus also: This technique is a skill you need to practice. If I tell you how to hold a guitar and how to make three cords, it's still going to take you a minute to strum out Wonderwall. I recommend a minimum of hours of practice before you write off your own psychic abilities.
"I don't know how to tell the difference between a spiritual answer and my own thoughts."
Practice, practice, practice - and verify. Also be patient and gentle with yourself, and move forward with the understanding that far from 100% of people are magically born with thought patterns clear, regular, or tame enough to easily (or ever) track.
Perhaps the best way to move verify is to communicate with common ingredients in witchcraft, ask them for information, and then verify it against information online. Don't give up too quickly; common correspondence lists are often oversimplified to the point of uselessness. Your herb might have given you a snippet of information commonly ignored by mainstream witchcraft.
"I'm only getting invalid answers - my rose quartz told me it's used for blood magic and banishing."
Try cleansing and charging objects before you read on them. For beginners, it may be difficult to discern whether you're contacting an object, or the energies it's sucked up or wallowed in.
There may be an indwelling spirit or energy "haunting" the object and returning invalid or silly answers. Try reading on different objects and see if your luck improves.
You may be particularly psychically closed off. When I don't properly connect, I get all kinds of nonsense that seems like a real answer, when it's just my random thought generator (un)helpfully trying to fill in the blanks. General practice of divination and spellwork will assist you. I would avoid using this technique to practice, as it may confuse your discernment to accept your inner voice as external communication. Set it aside and come back to it after a couple of months and see if there are changes.
Similarly, the spirit might just not want to talk to you, or isn't present in the item (or, the energies you seek to understand don't exist in that item).
The spirit may be giving you valid information that most people just don't agree with. My UPG for rosemary is that it is sort of an "uncrossing" agent for your life in general - part of the way it protects you is to align things around you so that misfortune is diverted. It's not a good luck charm, this is just how it achieves its goal of protection. This isn't totally off the wall; I think almost everyone agrees that rosemary is protective, powerful, and "high vibrations." But I don't think I'm going to find anyone else talking about how rosemary works the way it does, so I'm not going to be able to cross-check this anyway. But even if they do, they might talk about a different aspect of rosemary or something else it does. So I'm caught in a limbo where this information is true for me and the plant works that way every time I use it, but I can still never verify that with my community. If your answers aren't totally out of left field, you may be receiving genuine information about how the object wants to work with you. But that doesn't mean you will ever be able to verify that with your community.
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fandomwriterstuff · 3 years
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Perseus Achilles Jackson was the only human aboard the USS Olympus, and he was proud of it. He worked twice as hard as everyone else to get his dumb species into space and his team was very open and proud of him.
But, they weren’t always aware of human customs. This had happened on multiple occasions.
Here are the accounts of the two times Percy’s crewmate boyfriend was so shocked he nearly (or actually) fainted, and the one time he wasn’t.
The first time, they hadn’t been dating. Percy dressed rather conservatively while he was at the academy, not like he would were he on his home island of Kauai. But the first time Percy met a Plutonian was also that Plutonian’s first time meeting a human.
“Human Perseus, hello!” Niccolo DiAngelo was a handsome fellow, Percy noticed on the first meeting. Olive skin, dark eyes, and black hair along with his humanoid shape were all typically attractive looks in Percy’s books, but he also had these huge majestic black wings that Percy ached to touch. That was besides the point.
“Hey, Niccolo DiAngelo, right?” “Just Nico is fine,” the other male smiled as he got closer. Ah! Another species that bared their teeth in friendship… At least Percy hoped that was the case.
“Just Percy is fine too, no human and no Perseus,” Percy smiled back and stuck out his hand. Luckily, Nico was well versed in human gestures and took Percy’s hand for a rather formal handshake.
“I was wondering what the metal fixtures are on your eyebrow. They don’t seem to serve any medical purpose?” Nico asked, still smiling as if to try not to offend Percy with his questions.
“Oh, they don’t! They’re just adornment.”
“They are just… For appearance?” Nico cocked his head and lost his smile. Percy only laughed though.
“Yup! It’s the only piercing I have, but other humans have dozens.”
“How are they applied?”
“With needles, they first poke the hole in the skin and then they apply the jewelry,” Percy demonstrated by pulling at his eyebrow piercing to show off the bar.
He tried not to laugh as Nico’s beautiful olive skin turned more greenish than should be normal.
“I want more but it’s a little expensive to get good quality stuff,” Percy added.
“You paid someone to poke a hole in your face?” Nico practically squeaked.
“I sure did! Wait til you hear about tattoos!” Percy chuckled and left Nico with that thought.
“I need to get off this planet,” Nico choked out.
“Hah!” Percy laughed out loud and patted Nico on his broad shoulder. “Good luck with that buddy. Seeya in class!”
The second time it happened, Nico and Percy were studying for an exam together in Percy’s dorm. It was late and they’d stopped studying a while ago and were asking personal questions to pass the time.
“So you can’t touch another Plutonians wings unless you’re either a family member or a romantic partner?” Percy asked for clarification.
“Yup,” Nico munched on his ramen, something he found he actually enjoyed and could palate.
“Okay, interesting. Now you ask me something,” Percy leaned back against his bed and stretched his legs out.
“You told me about tattoos, and I definitely looked it up,” Nico’s cheeks burned a little greener at the thought. “Do you have any?”
“I do!” Percy beamed. “You might not have noticed because there are so few humans, but I am about three years older than most of the humans here. I did a three year stint in the American military and was sent overseas during wartime. So I have tattoos that commemorate the lives I took, so that they will never be forgotten,” Percy frowned, and Nico didn’t like that.
“Can I see them?” He asked tentatively.
“Of course, but I have to take my shirt off, and I’m going to have to ask you not to fall in love with me,” Percy winked jokingly at the already blushing Plutonian and made a show of taking his shirt off.
“Whoa,” Nico gasped, and reached out before drawing his hand back, knowing it wasn’t customary to touch another person without permission. Percy’s chest and arms were adorned with patterns of waves crashing and flowing. It was simple and beautiful but still ornate. “And how do they administer these again?”
“They have an electric needle that shoots dye into the epidermis-”
“They have what?” Nico choked.
“Is it the electric needle part or the shooting dye into the skin part that’s freaking you out?” Percy raised an eyebrow. He pulled out his phone to show Nico a video of Percy getting his first tattoo and the big strong Plutonian male completely zonked out and fell over on the floor, much to Percy’s amusement.
“Next time I go to get one,” Percy smirked, leaning over Nico’s body as the other male opened his eyes. “You’re coming with.”
Nico only groaned.
The third time, they were two years into a deep space exploration when they were travelling to Earth for shore leave, and Percy came back to their shared cabin with a devilish smile on his face.
“Neeks? You there?” Percy called into the bathroom. Huh, he would just have to wait for his boyfriend to come back. Percy laid spread on their bed and read his book until Nico came back.
“Hello there,” he said in his best Obi Wan impression when said boyfriend walked in, blue shirt neatly pressed with nary a wrinkle in it.
“Perseus,” Nico sighed. “What did you do?”
“What? Why would you sound so… so.... You love me, don’t you?” He countered.
“Of course I love you,” Nico sighed and laid down, burying his head in his boyfriend’s clothed stomach.
“Well I got another piercing.”
Nico groaned.
“Actually two.”
“I’ll never understand you humans,” Nico lifted his head and peered around Percy’s head at his ears. “Where are they then?”
Percy responded by gingerly removing his own shirt and presenting his new nipple piercings to his long time boyfriend. Not sure what to expect, Nico’s blushing green cheeks and ears were not what he expected.
“That is not what I expected,” the taller male commented quietly. “Did it hurt?” He frowned.
“A little, and they’re going to be a little sore until they heal completely. But I love them,” Percy smiled again, proud of his life decisions.
“I… also love them? I think?” Nico sounded confused at his own reaction and Percy laughed.
“I thought you might,” he pulled Nico (gently) on top of him and pulled him into a kiss.
“They’re kinda hot,” Nico murmured into the kiss, still at odds with himself.
“I thought you might think that too.”
“You do know me pretty well.”
“Wait until I tell you about my next piercing: the Prince Albert.”
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sardinesandhumbugs · 3 years
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30 "when you smile, you knock me out, I fall apart" with Ratty and Mole?
(Also, I haven't actually watched any starkid musicals those were suggested by @residentofskinnymandria but I will be looking into them this weekend :D)
A/N: Thank you for the prompt and for your patience! I procrastinated somewhat on this because for my other OTPs, I would usually go straight for the romance with a starter like this, but by now y'all know that when it comes to Ratty & Mole, the line between romantic and platonic tends to be up to reader interpretation :)
Also a shout-out to @wolfiethewriter for unwittingly providing inspiration for this ficlet, by getting hilariously drunk a few nights back during our Midnight Sun readthrough. I only hope you fared better the next morning than Rat :D
x
Categorically, Rat knew there were worse ways to wake.
But, as Toad started on his fifth verse of 'What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?' Rat found he could think of no such examples.
He muttered something unsavoury and buried himself deeper into the recesses of the caravan, far from the prying, headache-inducing light of day, and far, far away from Toad's over-exuberant singing – for what little good it would do him. For Toad had inherited his mother's operatic lungs, if quantifiably not her pitch-perfect tone, and both were on full display that morning.
(It could not be said that Toad was a bad singer. It was simply the case that enthusiasm preceded vocal form, and he cared little for meddling things such as keys or sharps and flats when the mood took him. Regardless, even if Toad's voice had been flawless, Rat wouldn't have had the patience for it. Not today. The careening key changes were just the icing on the cake.)
The song briefly rose as the caravan door opened, and Rat recoiled as much from the intrusion of light as he did from Toad's blasted singing. Then the aroma of eggs and bacon hit him, and he begrudgingly shuffled his snout out of the cool, dark safety of the bedcovers.
Mole stood before him, fried offering in paw, and looking significantly less the worse for wear after their previous night's inebriations than Rat. He grinned, and set the breakfast down on the table beside the bed. "Well," he said, "I've never seen you sleep in this late."
"This isn't sleeping in," Rat muttered. "It's suffering."
"Maybe you should have thought about that before drinking so much yesterday," Mole said, the faint admonishment in his tone outweighed by the amusement.
"I'm not a lightweight," Rat grumbled. "It's just whatever Toad puts in his damn drinks to make them green always knocks me out."
"And makes you very drunk, apparently."
Rat hesitated, unsure whether he wanted to know the answer to his next question. "How drunk?"
Mole grinned again. "Nothing too embarrassing. You mostly just gabbled and then got distressed when you couldn't pronounce a word properly."
"What word?"
"I believe it was library."
"...Library?" Rat echoed. "How–"
"You kept saying 'liblary' instead."
"Libla...?"
"Liblary, hm-mm. The second 'l' kept creeping in, however hard you tried otherwise." The humour in Mole's voice betrayed that Rat's efforts, while in vain, had been quite the show.
Rat considered this as best he could while the sensation of galloping horses gallivanted between his ears. Eventually he located what he hoped would be a safe question. "Why were we talking about libraries?"
"Oh, we weren't – just you. Goodness knows why, and we thought it best not to ask."
"DON'T LET HIM STEER THAT CARGO FREIGHTER, DON'T LET HIM STEER THAT CARGO FREIGHTER, DON'T LET HIM STEER THAT CARGO FREIGHTER, URL-EYE IN THE MORNING!"
With a wince, Rat turned a reluctant ear to Toad's questionable shanty rendition, trying to figure out if the words were indeed what he was hearing, or whether it was simply the effects of the hangover. "What verse is Toad on now?"
Mole chuckled. "Ones of his own creation. I think he ran out of official verses he could recall a while back."
As if to compound that fact, Toad skipped the refrain entirely and overshot to the next verse, of which the origin was undoubtedly a Toad Special.
"PUT HIM IN THE LIBLARY 'TIL HE'S SOBER, PUT HIM IN THE LIBLARY 'TIL HE'S SOBER, PUT HIM IN THE LIBLARY 'TIL HE'S SOBER, URL-EYE IN THE MORNING!"
Rat winced again. "I'm not living this one down, am I?"
"Oh, Toad will forget in time," Mole said, with surprisingly surety for someone who had spent only a day and a half in Toad's presence. But, then again, Toad was not the most complicated of creatures. However, Rat noted that Mole didn't make any mention of himself forgetting any time soon.
Mole nudged the plate closer to Rat. "Eat up. You'll feel better for it."
Rat had half a mind to make a comment about food being Mole's solution to everything, but then he caught another whiff of breakfast and his stomach gave an audible rumble. He pushed himself up and made a start on the meal.
"Just out of curiosity," Mole said, "why did you drink so much of Toad's cocktails if you know you always suffer the next day?"
"Honest answer?" Rat asked. "I forgot."
"You... forgot?"
"I had..." and Rat paused as Toad butchered another verse, "more pressing issues on my mind."
Both animals waited out Toad's latest crescendo, enduring the new volumes before he petered out to more acceptable levels.
"Would those issues be green and singing?" Mole asked.
"Usually."
Rat had worked his way through a rash and a half of bacon before Mole spoke again, and the distance between the words belayed an uneasy deliberation. "You didn't have to come along," Mole said. He sat on the bench that ran along the inner of the caravan, which served as table space and seating as the need arose, and the ledge was set just a smidgen too high so that his paws only brushed the floor. "You know, out on the open road. Not if you didn't want to."
"Ah, well," Rat said, "then who would keep you and Toad out of trouble?"
"I think we would have managed."
Rat squinted. "No offence, Moley, but I know you, and I know Toad–" he gestured to the window from which Toad's performance was still going strong, and then immediately regretted it as the alcohol residing in his system sent his head spinning "–and you are both many things, but 'out of trouble' is not one of them."
"We survived this morning without mishap."
There was a crash from outside, followed by a cry of, "It's alright! Everything's good! No need to check!" from Toad.
"Mostly," Mole amended.
"Definitely sounds like you have everything under control here," Rat deadpanned.
"I'm sure everything's fine."
There was another thump, this time accompanied by the unimpressed whinny of the horse.
Mole and Rat exchanged glances.
Mole closed the window. "Look, Ratty, all I'm saying is that you needn't have felt obliged to come along if you'd rather have stayed on your river." He glanced to the wicker luncheon basket that was still half-full from yesterday, and which had seemingly swayed Rat in his decision to accompany the caravan. "We could have had our picnics on the riverbank instead."
"We?" Rat echoed.
"Well, of course. Do you really think I would have gone off on the Life Adventurous without you?"
Rat didn't immediately respond. The horses in his head had calmed, but the outcome was simply that he had more space to think properly through the last couple of days. Truth be told, he hadn't quite been sure which Mole would have chosen – him or the open road – and he hadn't been interested in putting it to the test. His mind played back the eagerness with which Mole had rootled through the caravan, exploring the compact living wagon and settling in with an ease that made Rat wonder whether the caravan's claustrophobic space reminded Mole of his own beneath-ground home. It certainly was a far cry from Rat's riverbank abode, where the house had the space to sprawl along the shoreline and the freshwater breeze meant the air was never still. Not like being underground, he was sure.
"Ratty?"
He had been lost in his thoughts for too long, and now Mole leant into his line of vision. Rat had to think quickly to recall what exactly Mole had asked.
"No, of course not," he said. "Only – well, I would have hated for you to have stayed on the riverbank only on my behalf."
"Like you came along here on mine?"
“And for the picnics,” Rat added. “Don’t forget the picnics.”
“Right,” Mole said with a laugh that said he wasn’t buying Rat’s offhanded dismissal any more than Rat believed it. “How could I forget the picnics?” He patted Rat’s paw and swung off the seat. “Well, you can put all thoughts of picnics from your mind until you’ve recovered — and maybe in future we stick to drinks we’re familiar with, hm?”
“Maybe,” Rat conceded.
It was as Mole threw him one last grin and disappeared out of the caravan that Rat came to the reluctant conclusion that, whether or not his housemate was aware of it, Mole had him wrapped around his little claw. He set the emptied plate to one side and collapsed back into the bunk, thankful for the small mercy that at least Toad had stopped singing—
“Feeling better finally?”
Rat jolted back up, and had to steady himself against the table as his head swam. He located Toad at the window. “Toad! How long have you been there?”
“I don’t know; I wasn’t keeping track.” Toad leant in against the windowsill conspiringly. “If I had known all it’d take for you to join me would be the smile off an undergrounder, I’d have dug him out ages ago.”
Rat grumbled but decided he was still too hungover to bicker over it.
Besides, it was somewhat difficult to argue with when it was true.
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