#( Also added spaces for other verses I want to explore )

[alfida]

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.

[vamp-ress]

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 :)

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

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! :)

[countlessrealities]

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]

[silurisanguine]

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.

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.

[walkingshcdow]

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. 

[calliethetrekkie]

Triumvirate Prompts: Day 17

#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.

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.

[goddessofroyalty]

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

-----------------------------

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.

-----------------

Kind of unrelated but Daemon 100% only uses taste not scent to assess slick as well.  

[spxcemuses]

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).

GENERAL:

Age: I am a legal adult (23) and only RP with people whom are 18+ due to dark themes that may be explored directly/indirectly on this blog. I will block you if you have no age in your bio/blog, or if you're underage.

"Personal" Blogs: aka regular blogs on Tumblr. I will block regardless if you like or interact with my content (unless you have RP side blogs and explicitly say so). This blog is a RP blog, which is different than a fan blog/fiction blog. I have nothing against you, RP blogs are simply different and likes and such clutter my notifications.

General: This blog is semi-selective, although I lean more towards mutuals (we both follow each other) and to people I know. We don't have to be mutuals to write together, but I take them as priority. I have the right to not accept every RP. I may take some time to follow back/reach out. Please reblog memes/gif sets/etc. from the source (or where I reblogged it from) instead of me; I do not practice "reblog karma".

OOC Communication: OOC communication is EXTREMELY important to me. It is important to discuss RP ideas, continue or drop threads, and general checking up on people. You don't have to be friends with me if you don't wish to, but I'm relatively chill. All I ask is that you be upfront and honest with me. My Discord is available to mutuals upon request.

Turning Asks Into Threads: When it comes to asks, I put them in a new post and @ the person who sent it in. I also put a statement that says: "Thank you for the ask! Please ask me before continuing it into a thread." with each posted ask. There is a 90% chance that I'm OKAY with you turning them into threads (and encourage it). However, if we have 3+ ongoing threads, I would like you to ask me first so that I am not overwhelmed.

Reply Speed: My reply speed can be slow (a few weeks/few months depending on which muse I am writing). Most of my posts are set in a queue system. Please note that I may not write a muse YOU want to write with at any point in time. If it's been 3+ weeks since I've replied, please pop into my IMs or my Discord to remind me (just don't hound in excess). I will DM people once in a while to ask if a thread wants to be continued or not.

Tags: I rely on the tag system ("tags") to navigate through people's blogs. I have tags to sort out characters, verses, RP memes, etc. (I expect you to have tags too, but no pressure if you don't). I go track the tag of 'spxcemuses', generally.

Drama/Callouts: I don't tolerate OOC/IRL bigotry or drama on this blog, and will hard block if situations come up. I'm also anti-callout (unless there's solid evidence) and make my own decisions/judgement. Anon hate will not be tolerated and I will block you/possibly turn of anon if it persists.

DNI: This section is for my own safety/comfort. DO NOT INTERACT if you go by these aliases: Aku/Grim, Loke/Wards, Legend, Arke/Mocha, Hearty, Kier, Rosario/Whitley, Slurk, Shiloh/Spork/Patch, Boogey, Marrow, Stols, Mars, Skeptic, Pucca, Shep, and Curio. More may be added if necessary. I've chosen to block these people on my OWN volition, even if I do/don't know them or have RPed with them in the past. I don't have "beef" with anyone here; I have either blocked these people due to legitimate callouts, them being problematic, or simply don't feel comfortable interacting. I choose who I interact with. I won't be upset if you interact or associate with these people, but I want to avoid them, thank you.

Unfollowing/Blocking: I usually soft-block (which is blocking + unblocking again) for a myriad of reasons, but you're more than welcome to follow back if I've softblocked you and you wanna write w/me again. I also don't mind if you ask why, either, but I expect you to respect my decisions and be civil. If you wish to cut ties w/me ENTIRELY, hard-block (just blocking) so I don't accidentally bother you or think Tumblr had a glitch. I will also hard-block if your rules state so or if you're rude/harassing to me.

ROLEPLAYING/INTERACTIONS:

Muse ≠ Mun: I am not my characters; the majority of my muses are antagonists/villains with questionable/bad morals. I do not support/condone the actions of my muses in any manner IRL. I will not “water down” my muses for you.

"Bullying" Muses: In addition to the point above, I don't want people "bullying" or hating on my muses cause they hate them IRL. It's ok once in a while for fun (especially if the character deserves it), but remind yourselves how serious a muse can be towards yours. My muses aren't punching bags. (This rule is more nitpicky/info but yeah, been seeing this happen in past times).

Triggers: There will be potentially triggering topics (directly or indirectly) on my blog. I will tag things accordingly with "trigger tw/trigger mention tw". I also have fandom-based tags that you may block. The list is HERE.

Things I won't RP: bestiality/zoophilia, pedophilia, incest, "selfcest", [TBA].

"Mains"/"Exclusives": I don't do mains or exclusives. I do have a few people I gravitate towards/want to write with more, yes, but I feel that singling people out feels clique-y to me.

Writing: I write 1-3 (wordy) paragraphs in third person, but can go longer if motivation calls for it. You ABSOLUTELY do not have to match my length, but do NOT give me one-liners or just dialog when I give you a paragraph; it's simply not fair. I will likely drop a thread immediately if that happens unless it is short from the start.

Post/Thread Formatting: I use X-Kit Rewritten to 'trim' my threads. I no longer use the "Legacy" editor for threads (unless they're super old but even then, I would have trouble using it). I turn all asks I receive into new posts and continue asks that I've sent to others into new posts. I italicize my writing and bold quotations/certain words; if you do not wish for formatting, please tell me and I can make an exception. (more tba if I can think of more.)

Interactions: This blog is crossover friendly (somewhat), AU friendly, and OC friendly! I don't RP in Tumblr IMs nor with personal blogs. My ask box is always open too, so feel free to send things in! I prefer to break the ice with ask/RP memes, but anything can be doable!

Dropping Threads: If you at any time want to drop a thread, feel free to but IM/message me first so I can remove it from RPThreadTracker and plan new interactions. I will likely do the same.

Plotting/Winging It: When it comes to RPs, I usually like to have light plotting/a general sense on where a thread will go; I don’t really “wing” things too often unless they're short interactions.

Relationships (general): Do not assume our muses have a relationship (unless they've interacted in canon). If you want pre-established relationships, please talk to me about it first.

Romantic Relationships: I am multiship, but am going to be more selective with it. I prefer to have chemistry/slow-burn threads between our muses after a couple of threads rather than insta-shipping. Some muses may not be applicable for romantic shipping, either. Do NOT use my muses for shipping material/no forced shipping. I do not ship incest or adult/minor ships.

Smut/NSFW: I have a sideblog that is very selective and low-activity. I expect our muses to have interacted at least once before writing NSFW content. I don't write smut with underaged characters or muns. If I find out you lied about your age to write smut with me, I'll hardblock on both blogs. UPDATE 7/11/2024: I will seldom write on it; it's not that i'm adverse to NSFW stuff, I just don't feel up for those kinds of threads a lot of the time.

If you have read the rules & acknowledge them, please like this post here so I know!

[ofcentvries]

#OFCENTVRIES. You can call me Emery ( 32 yrs old / They & Them / Based in CST ), this is an unaffiliated MULTI - FANDOM MULTI - MUSE for characters from various series.

All my muses are story compliant but may divert from canon when it comes to their own self & possible time between story arcs. I don't have everything posted right now ( but that will change over the next week along with adding a Carrd ).

Added on to that, due to the nature of some of my characters here, mature themes will most likely be present. Look / follow at your own risk. * USES BETA EDITOR

ROSTER LIST:

primary: dan heng ( hsr ), g'raha tia ( ffxiv ), jing yuan ( hsr ) secondary: neuvillette ( genshin ), dainsleif ( genshin ), dan feng ( hsr ) request / plot only: m!byleth ( fe3h ), jellal fernandes ( ft ) testing: vincent valentine ( ff7 ), caelus ( hsr ), toshiro hitsugaya ( bleach )

RULES & CREDITS UNDER THE CUT**

RULES

This blog runs off SPORADIC ACTIVITY . I work early morning hours to early afternoons / sometimes later so I end up being more of a somewhat low energy person when it comes to using my brain power. I will write when I can, when I have the motivation & energy to but I am usually always on Discord to plot / gush about things or just talk.

In addition to above, please do not rush me for replies or such. I prefer to give my partners good quality writing instead of choppy rushed writing. Depression & my adhd sometimes kicks my ass in addition to work so I can't always force it out. My memory however can be garbage & things slip from it a lot so I don't mind a reminder, being asked about a reply or if I perhaps forgot to like a starter etc etc. ♡

I am also MUTUALS ONLY . I do not do follow for follow, I will only follow back if I can see us writing together & enjoy what I see. Please don't push me to follow you back or that will be an instant block. In regards to that, if we are mutuals but you're just not feeling the vibe of us writing together anymore then I ask that you please block me. Do what's best for you, I understand since everyone needs to curate their space for their own comfort.

My portrayal is my own. I do not take anything fanon / fandom related when it comes to my muses so I'd prefer no assumptions are made in regards to them or mentions as such. If there are any wanted clarifications or general muse questions then feel free to ask me. :3

Writing wise overall. I try to answer most asks that are given to me but sometimes if I can't conjure up a proper response / just am not feeling it then I will delete it. This is nothing against anyone personally, I don't like forcing my writing or giving poor quality replies. If you don't feel a thread, a starter I wrote OR something we are developing, please just tell me. We can restart something new or work things out some other way. I have no hard feelings in regards to this because sometimes what our muse wants / what we want or feel changes.

No godmodding, don't control my muse in your replies & please please communicate with me. While I am fine with naturally emerging plot developments, I do require big events ( character death, breakups, pregnancies, etc ) to have been discussed previously. I would also like to be kept in the loop when it comes to any character choices that will, if we have an ongoing dynamic, affect our interactions.

I don't practice exclusives here but I will sometimes have mains for characters / specific muses that are integral to my own muse. My main rule about this is that I will only romantic ship with one muse of a certain character ( aka ship exclusive ) .Each ship will be in it's own verse.

In regards to affiliations or the such, I don't really list that here on my blog but you're more then welcome to do so for me. If you're a main listed on my blog then I practically consider you affiliated or the like but I don't expect my partners to do the same.

If you ever are interested in exploring any sort of dynamic, feel free to hit me up in dms about it. I love being able to build things with other people but how things go will depend as well on my muses, they are not likely to engage into romantic relationships on a whim. Any ship would need to be developed and plotted. Your muse is welcome to have a crush on any of my muses, but those feelings may end up being unrequited. Please do not guilt trip me about this.

In regards to the above as well, some of my writing is done on Discord. I write both there as well as on Tumblr so sometimes the develop here will not overall always reflect it properly since some is done on Discord. On that note, if you ever want to write on Discord then I am happy to do so! :)

NSFW may occur here, whether it's in term of mature content or sexual nature. It'll usually occur under a read more if so ( sexual things of the nature ) or tagged with the appropriate trigger warning. I usually will tag it as: / nsfw

CREDITS

Graphics on this blog have all either been bought from OR commissioned from the following people: poetryrph, cerberuscomms, bludgfx, floragfx, lavenderph, ennakros, project-e2

Dash icon is done by spllcraft.

[atenvs3000f24]

Unit 7 Blog Post

If I had to say where music was in nature, I would say you could find it in the soft rustle of the leaves, the humming of birds in the early morning light, the sound of waves crashing against each other. I find beauty in all these sounds as they all flow together so effortlessly to create a symphony of beautiful music. I think this can also be connected to the quote we explored last week. Hyams had indicated our integrity tells us our merit comes from how interconnected things are rather than ancient artifacts. I was also able to connect this back to how we view nature as being interconnected with different ecosystems, environments and species. 

Nature in music serves as a muse to beautiful songs. Sometimes I like to believe composers and musicians are almost supernatural with how creative and unique each song is from each other. Many of them have credited their inspirations from everyday things we may find insignificant or normal such as a car going down the street to a sunset by rolling hills. It is how they derive their inspirations that truly amazes me. Nature serves as a template to many songs and often the composer wants us to visualize what they saw or felt seeing nature in a certain way for the first time. Composers may also derive from the music in nature and try to emulate the sounds they heard to incorporate into their songs. For example, a bird humming in happiness from seeing a beautiful sunrise can be mimicked by adding flute sounds in a similar pitch. 

Many cultures use music to tell their stories. For example, my culture has something called “Devaraam” which are verses we sing to God during auspicious events, when asking for a dead soul to rest in peace, etc. These verses are different for each event but they are something that signifies a lot to us because of how important it is for us to celebrate both the bad and good. Ancient Indigenous practices do not separate culture and nature. Often their songs are embedded with information about nature and how to preserve nature from their elders. Many Indigenous cultures have songs that are specific to their territory and explain how to preserve and protect the area. In the Northwest Coast, the ninogaad (Culturally trained specialist) often revealed the meaning behind many songs. One such instance was in 2002, when the ninogaad revealed an ancient children’s song that revealed clam gardens and how to harvest them in a lower intertidal space, revealing this practice to be about 3500 years old. 

One song that immediately takes me back to a Natural Landscape is actually a Tamil song called “Deivam Thantha Poove”. It translates to “The Flower God gave to Me”. It is a beautiful song about a mother and how much she loves her adoptive daughter but this song often takes me back to my trip to Sri Lanka in 2018, where I saw these beautiful rolling hills in Nuwara Eliya and the crisp cold air was such a contrast to the otherwise humid heat. The skies were clear and had the most beautiful smell of tea leaves. 

That being said, what other sounds of nature do you find very beautiful? 

[joeonmusic]

Beast Mode is out today!

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. 

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…

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.

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.

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.

[fauxfroot]

oh right i remembered why i am so so picky about video essays. it's because sometimes (oftentimes) they're really just a rehash of the drama and not actually saying anything meaningful themselves, just adding commentary to a situation that i really don't actually care about in the grand scheme of things. right.

like if you like those things, that's fine, i just personally don't get anything out of them. they don't stimulate me intellectually, all they are designed for is an emotional response and as the ones recommended to me are usually about topics i am well versed in anyway, i just don't find any use for them. i already had the emotional response to the situation. i don't see the point in dwelling in it. yeah, i'm angry about [insert whatever current issue that has been sent to me here] but watching someone else rehash it and be angry about it as well is just... idk boring?? are they presenting any new ideas here? are they offering any new solutions? or are we just summarizing the drama again, with a New Snarky Comment added on?

i know for some, these videos are cathartic to make and view. i am happy for them, i guess. personally, i find them a waste of energy. i have been struggling to figure out how to put this into words for a bit now, as a good friend really likes these types of videos and seems to want to watch them quite often, and while i want to respect what they may do for her, i just find them exhausting and grating. especially because they aren't even all that informative most of the time. they just feel like a way to get anxious and mad and i don't see the point.

however, in my migraine funk today i have been watching some video essay content by myself for the first time in months and it clicked with me what the difference was. the type of video essays that i feel really drawn to tend to talk less about current events or issues directly and more about the philosophies around them. i don't like just rehashing the problems over and over. i don't enjoy just talking about what this person or that person said or did and why that's bad. i want to dig into the wider philosophy of it, the systemic structures around them, the consequences of cultural movements, and the possible solutions to the problems we are facing as a society. i like video essays that are talking about personal experiences and maybe tying that back out to wider societal issues as well, but starting from a place of the personal. i also like well researched pieces, but i tend to be more engaged with something that it trying to make a larger point by pulling from many different sources, rather than something that is just presenting information.

hbomb for example manages to hit a sweet spot because while he is presenting gathered information, it is often gathered in order to explore a wider point, with any drama around a particular person being uncovered in the process of research and technically incidental to the wider philosophical point he was trying to make in the beginning. on the other end (or maybe very closely?? idk) i have cjthex - the reason i had this revelation today lmao - who is all over the place and tends to be talking more about art philosophy and dissecting art rather than people and that takes them out into societal issues from there but the basis is always somewhere in the art of it all, coming from this need to explore and ask questions and UNDERSTAND.

i don't want to just doom spiral about the newest drama. i don't want to hear about the dumb shit some bigot said. i don't care. they're one person and i don't know them personally and i have an 81 year old the next room over that i need to take care of with much more pressing problems.

i want to think about the purpose of art in my life. i want to think about where my impulse to create comes from. i want to think about why i feel isolated and how i can work to create community in my space now. i want to watch a video essay of someone exploring the world through a lens of actually trying to say something

please, can we actually try to say something

[drew-mga2022mi5018]

Development | Portal Test I

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[polarnoid]

⭐ 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

[existentialmagazine]

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

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