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comicteaparty · 5 years ago

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February 5th-February 11th, 2020 Reader Favorites Archive

The archive for the Reader Favorites chat that occurred from February 5th, 2020 to February 11th, 2020. The chat focused on the following question:

How does knowing or not knowing a webcomic’s creator(s) personally affect when you read, how you read, and similar?

carcarchu

It actually affects my impression of their work because there's this one webcomic that I really like but I find some of the things the artist has done in the past to be unsavoury. I don't want to hold it against that artist because I want to believe that they are able to grow and apologize for their mistakes (although they never actually did apologize for what they did as far as I know) but every time I read their comic there's always this nagging thought at the back of my head about what they did and it really limits my enjoyment of their comic which is otherwise amazing(edited)

Capitania do Azar

I read a lot of comics first, and only after I go look for their authors. So in that regard, no. Most of the times I get to know the author it doesn't affect me much, but I can't say it never happened (but it was mostly if the personality traits I disliked actually managed to bleed into the comic, tho I understand that I am more prone to noticing them in the comic after noticing them in the person)

Deo101 [Millennium]

For the most part, I only start reading a comic once I get to know someone and like them. Its a way I show them I support them and their work, and oftentimes it really helps me enjoy it way more than I otherwise would.

I'm kind of already invested, and I have a baseline understanding of what they're doing before I start, which helps me a lot because I have a hard time understanding things, personally.

DanitheCarutor

Usually I don't really care? I don't connect the creator with their work in the sense that they're technically two separate entities, and while one can't be possible without the other, whatever type of personality the creator has doesn't affect my reading experience because I don't really care about the creator as a person... as cold as that sounds. There are some exceptions. If a creator acts super comfortable with me, I'll feel more comfortable with them and be more into promoting pretty much everything of theirs, I'll probably also like their content more because of the interaction. If they treat me like crap, like actually being abusive, then I'll be soured to consuming their work. I attempt to have this apply to generally awful people too, like sexual predators, abusers, peadophiles, etc. Although I admit I'm a weak bitch for (these not webcomic related) artists like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Caravaggio (a late 1500's Italian painter who was also a convicted murderer), H.P Lovecraft and Carlo Gesualdo (a 16th century composer who was also a murderer). It really sucks because there are a lot of works out there that are really good, in my opinion, created by less than great people. I may as well deprive myself of most art to avoid morally reprehensible, or potentially morally reprehensible people.(edited)

But to get back on topic! Yeah, no, I don't really care about what type of personality you have. Whether it's salty or sweet, we're flawed people and it's dumb to expect webcomic creators to act like examples of human perfection, or be role models for everyone. At least in my very bias opinion... as someone who gets a lot of crap for having a blunt, non-sugary personality.

NOT saying people who's reading experience is affected by certain personalities are dumb! I just find it dumb for me personally, other people can do whatever they want. (I can't English this morning.)(edited)

Capitania do Azar

Caravaggio stans in the house

RebelVampire

This is a tricky question for me that comes in many layers. I don't really need to know a creator to want to read their work. So not knowing them rarely has any effect for me. If I think the work is good, I'll generally read regularly. Though it makes me less likely to comment, that doesn't change whether I think the work is good or not or my enjoyment of it. But then there is knowing the creator, which is a messy topic for me that is kind of a double edged sword. On the one hand, knowing the creator may make me more likely to comment, chat, and engage with the work as I read it - especially if I find the creator to be laid back and happy to let readers have fun with their content. I am also generally more inspired to re-read and analyze the work much more deeply than I would during a normal read too. Even if I don't think the work is that good, knowing the creator can make a difference for me in that realm too. Especially if I think the creator is super nice and overall a pleasant person, I will read their comic to support them and show appreciation for their work. But on the other other hand, there have been a few instances where I've been turned off from reading something because of knowing the creator. Which make no mistake - I wholeheartedly believe in separation of creator and their work. So for me, if a work is good and doesn't promote the same sort of stuff I disliked the creator for, then I'll probably still read it. However, if I don't think the work is good in the first place, and I find the creator to just be too toxic, I do admittedly stop reading it completely, if only just to avoid the creator at all costs.(edited)

DanitheCarutor

@Capitania do Azar

Capitania do Azar

@DanitheCarutor

BadSprite

I'm usually really attentive towards the comics my friends make. Since I talk to them on a more regular basis, it's easier for me to remember to keep up reading. That aside, I really don't look into the author when reading a comic I usually let the content speak for itself.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Knowing the creator doesn't typically affect my reading habits, unless I was sort of on the fence about continuing to read their work in the first place. So if the comic is meh... and I found out that the creator is not so great either, I will likely drop the comic. But on the other hand, if the creator is really honest and open with their audience, and generally kind, I can forgive a lot of their artistic mistakes. I will say though that with comics that I am really engaged in, I usually seek out the artist's social media to learn more about them. And the more I learn about them usually only makes me more involved in engaging.

kayotics

I don’t HAVE to know the author to read the comic, but knowing them does change my reaction to their comic. I have a lot of friends who are authors, and I’m more likely to read their comics when I probably wouldn’t have found them otherwise. On the other hand when I’m reading a comic and something happens that makes me like them as a person less, it’s harder for me to enjoy the comic, and I usually end up dropping it. Overall, I prefer to not learn more about authors of comics that I’m already invested in.

Ranger

I don't personally know any other creators, so usually I take the comic alone, but sometimes the creator turns out to be more interesting than the comic. penny-arcade.com is one like that, for me, I don't regularly read anymore but I follow the miniature-painting that they do, still. Someone mentioned hoping that comic creators learn and apologize, and that has been the case for that particular comic, as well, they've done some stupid stuff and apologized for it, and hopefully grown from it. It would seem to me that if you have an active social media presence you're going to eventually make a stupid mistake, so I hope if it ever happens to me I can apologize and change, as well.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Don't know any comic creators irl. But even just talking about people on this server I'm definitely more invested in Phantomarine and Ingress than I otherwise would be because I've seen the authors on this discord and others. Also some comics I've found through other discords or forums. I would still be reading the comics otherwise, but maybe not following week-by-week. There are also many other comics from people here that I've checked out and found to be not my cup of tea, but I read way more of them than I otherwise would have. Maybe in an ideal world we wouldn't be affected by our opinions of the authors, but I can't help it. Anyways, one of the most unique things about webcomics is our ability to talk to comic authors and readers directly.

Question to other comic creators here: Do you think that your own social media presence is one that makes people like your comic more?(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I don't know if it has made my readers like my comic more. In fact, very few of my readers actually follow my social media accounts. That being said, I think social media has gotten me a few new readers.

It's more of an audience growth thing than a discussion about my comic

I wish readers would discuss my comic outside of the comment section more, haha

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

If I find a comic I like, I often want more of its 'side content' - and I often get that side content by finding and following the creator and seeing other things they do or like. So many times, the webcomics we create are little windows into ourselves - things we like, hold dear, hold to be important, want to say, etc. So seeing the creator just be themselves, it's almost like I'm getting more of the flavor of the webcomic, but under a different light. And it does keep me much more engaged if I know them and they know me. I think a healthy social media presence can absolutely help build an audience - I'm lucky that all of my comic's 'fans' (that still sounds yucky to say, blech!) have become my friends in some way. I've often thought my work is like a friend trap - if people like my comic, and my comic is an extension of myself, they might like me too. So we end up befriending each other anyway

Deo101 [Millennium]

That kind of "friend trap" idea is how I feel about it too hehe

Ranger

I get way more traffic on my website for my comic than I have followers, so I guess it probably is more that my media funnels to my comic than my comic to the media.

DanitheCarutor

Eeeh Unless it's comic related I'm not much for small talk, or openly letting people know what kind of person I am. I'll talk about my interests, and some mental health stuff because I know being open about that is important, but that's it. Personally I would rather readers 100% focus on my comic without noticing me.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

If a friend of mine makes a comic, I want to read it, even if it’s a genre I really don’t like. It helps me understand them better, because I know I personally express a lot of myself through my comics. I’m not a very open or trusting person, so I will express things through my art that I won’t otherwise talk about, and I think it can be the same for other people, as well. Apart from friends, I really do like getting to know the creators of comics I like. I like when they share a bit about themselves under the comic updates, even if it’s not about the drama of their life; just talking about little things like movies they watched or a book they enjoyed. I like to know there’s a person behind the art, and I often feel less engaged by comics if the creator stays detached and never writes blogs or participates in the comments. I want to get to know them at least a little, and I love when a creator is willing to have conversations with their readers. So overall, my engagement is very much affected by whether I know an artist personally. I’m more likely to read and continue following if it’s someone I interact with, and much more willing to try comics outside of my interests.(edited)

As for whether my enjoyment of a work is affected by a creator’s behaviour.... I have to say it 100% is. I wish I could separate artist from creation, but I have a really hard time with that. My ‘guilt by association’ reflex is very strong, and a negative experience with the authors makes me feel unsettled or outright distressed whenever I see their work. A really good example was one of my favourite comics way back in ‘the early days’ of webcomics. I won’t name any names, but there was a comic I absolutely loved. It was fantastically written, had imaginative and very well thought-out world-building and had so many good messages of love, bravery, and acceptance in it. I followed it for years, always eagerly anticipating the next page. Seeing a new page posted could literally make my whole day. Well, one year the author overhauled his website, and there was a new chat room attached to it. One day I ventured into the chat, only to find it filled with political vitriol. The author spent his whole time insulting and slinging mud at people on the other side of his political alignment. I was shocked and dismayed that someone who had such a wholesome comic could behave this way (just for the record, I have plenty of friends who have both the same and complete opposite political views as me. I don’t hate people for their political alignments, but I can’t stand when anyone hurls insults at people who believe differently than they do). It completely ruined one of my favourite comics. Every time I read a page where the characters expressed love or joy or acceptance, those vitriolic insults I’d seen the author write floated up into my head. All I could think about was how much hatred he was filled with. How much he hated people like me. The whole message of the comic, which had felt like a beacon of light to me for years, now felt like a lie. I couldn’t read it anymore.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

That sucks, Cap. I can never understand how situations like that occur, where the author is so different from their work. Especially because I think of my comic as being very reflective of myself, like I'm sure many others here do. I wonder if in situations like that it is just me interpreting the work more charitably than it deserves, or if the author intentionally writes with a different voice? Or maybe it's a kind of doublethink, where people don't think to apply their morals to themselves?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I’m the same, My comics are very much an expression of myself, and written as a way to process some of the things I’m dealing with. I’ve the feeling in this case it was the latter; that the author honestly believed his messages, but was not self-aware enough to realise his behaviour was completely contrary to what he was writing. It was unfortunate and a great deal of why I felt like his comic was now a lie. That someone could sincerely believe they were loving and accepting while also spewing hatred at people different from them was too much cognitive dissonance for me to deal with.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I wonder how he would have reacted if someone called him out on it?

Probably poorly(edited)

DanitheCarutor

It might be a sort of escapism thing. There are some psychology groups out there that discuss the subject of relating depression with comedy, and how extremely troubled individuals like Robin Williams or Richard Jeni were comedians. I don't remember who it was, because I saw the video a long time ago, but I vaguely remember a stand-up comedian talking about how they love making people laugh to offset how bad their life was or how bad they felt. Something along those lines. Maybe it's something similar with storytellers/writers. I've actually seen a lot of cases where what a person's writing or drawings are the polar opposite to their outlook on life or their personality, and follow some artists who say they like the escapism/catharsis of it. Like, maybe the person was making a comic about being a person they wished they were, or a life they wished they had. Although I might just be looking too deep into it, and the author is just a douchebag hypocrite.

But yeah, I may not be able to relate since I'm so... me, but that does suck, and I can understand how you would be affected by an experience like that.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

It's definitely pretty hard to stay engaged in a story when the author so egregiously opposes my core beliefs. This happened to me after I read a novel I enjoyed, and then I found out that the author was a homophobic jerk. Left a sour taste in my mouth whenever I thought about how much I had enjoyed their book.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Could it have been Orson Scott Card? Think he's the most infamous for that kind of thing

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Omg

Yes

I wasn't gonna mention names

But yes

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

eh when people get to that level of fame I think it's okay

Like saying how JK Rowling likes TERF stuff on twitter(edited)

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Yeah....

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

she's big enough that journalists have reported on her already

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I won’t name names as to who this webcomicker was because I don’t like throwing others under the bus.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Authors shooting themselves in the foot tbh

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

But yeah, I can’t read HP anymore bc JKR is a TERF. Which is a shame bc I was a HUGE HP fan for many years. I was one of the ‘liked it before it was cool’ kids. Now... it definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I try to read the books.(edited)

It’s always heartbreaking when I discover that a creator who made something I love and connected with despises my entire existence.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

But yeah I liked Ender's Game as well. Read some of his other books too, but those were more reflective of his personal opinions, I think. In his case I feel like his religion and strict ideas about family affect his public opinions, but maybe he writes books with how he subconsiously thinks an ideal world is? For JK Rowling maybe it wasn't a coincidence her most evil character was also the one that modified his body the most.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I think one of the few exceptions of ‘hate the creator’s public behaviour but love the creation’ for me is Hideki Kamiya. The guy is an absolute asshole, but I don’t think anything could stop me from loving the game Ōkami. Although games being a huge group effort helps, as he wasn’t solely responsible for bringing it to life.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I also don't think OSC's books are unaffected by his opinion. Don't know how far you got in the series, Cronaj, but if you read Speaker for the Dead it was very weird and jarring how Ender meets this single mother and fixes her whole dysfunctional family by being a male influence and then randomly marries her and adopts her children even though they have practically no chemistry. It was like OSC was forcing his idea about everyone only being able to find true happiness through raising a family into the book.

Don't know anything about Hideki Kamiya, but can sort of relate. Rurouni Kenshin's author was arrested for possession of child porn but I still love that series : (

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

OH NO, WHAT?? I... did not know that. Rurouni Kenshin is one of my old favourites. :C(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/11/21-1/rurouni-kenshin-manga-author-charged-with-possession-of-child-pornography

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Uuuugh.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I read it as a kid and I'm still nostalgic for it. One of the only manga I've seen where a fighting character actually gets permanently injured from his battles.

And gets weaker over time

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) I only read Enchantment, which I thought had some cool historical world-building in it, but after finding out about OSC's beliefs, it made it really hard for me to continue reading his work. I used to be Mormon growing up, but obviously Mormon honphobia and sexism (among other things) left me unsettled, and I left the church. So yeah, pretty hard for me to forgive someone in that situation.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

It can be hard to break away from a culture you've grown up in. I used to be in a homophobic church/family as well, and really believed what they were saying. I just didn't think about it, because kids tend to accept what their parents say unquestioningly. Of course, unlike OSC I got over that stuff when I was in middle school. And my internalized homophobia ended up hurting me more than anyone else :'DD

Deo101 [Millennium]

I was also someone who was raised in... unsavory ways. I did definitely hurt some people before I started to see how wrong I was, and I dont expect the people i hurt to ever forgive me. But, I have grown and I want to be better. So, I don't try to assume people can never grow, but it's sad when it does seem like they have no interest in it and it's been pointed out to them many times.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Church is weird, guys. Even though I'm not religious now, when I go back I almost want to believe. Holy spaces and big groups hijack our psychology and it can be hard to break free if you're immersed enough in the culture or have a lot to lose.

Deo101 [Millennium]

it's an interesting kind of peer pressure.

I don't know though, I don't like to fault people for having beliefs and i dont think it will inherently make them a bad person.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Yeah, I remember telling this kid in middle school that I didn't think gay marriage should be legal. Then in high school I found out he was gay. So that sucks. But he's more successful than me now, so I guess he won in the end

Deo101 [Millennium]

I think there are some institutionalized issues with churches at large, but it's not inherent that someone who is religious will be bigoted so I don't like to lump religion and bigotry together

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Not everything about you can be blamed on your surroundings though. With the internet as it is anyone can change if they want to.

Agree with that thing about religion and bigotry, I know lovely religious people and churches. I just associate the two because of my own experiences

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

To clarify, I don't think that being religious or being Mormon makes you a bad person. I have met many people, religious or not that are good. And I have also met many people who are reprehensible irrespective of religion or secularism. Your religion does not define you as a person. There is more to you than what is written in religious texts or talked about on holy days. I know a woman who is bisexual AND a member of the Mormon church, and she is constantly fighting bigotry and trying to find acceptance, but being Mormon is only a small part of the bigger picture. So I don't like OSC because he is a bigot. Not because he is Mormon. Anyway, we're getting a bit off-topic, guys

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

On the other end of this I feel like I need to keep my own political views and all kinds of personal baggage hidden in case of readers being turned off because they disagree with me on something

I try to keep the stuff I say “on brand” with the political messages of the work

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I said my comic is a reflection of myself, but it's also a very edited and thought out and proofread version of myself. If all my readers read my forum posts or random crap I say on discord, would they find me obnoxious?

I especially feel this when I'm trying to promote my comic

so I don't really do that anymore...

DanitheCarutor

@sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD) Hahah yeah, that's another one of the reasons why I prefer to keep to myself. I've never had a good personality, and I have a lot of shit going on in my life, I don't want to ruin a good thing by being open with readers. (at least no more than what I've already done in my time on the internet.) Also people on the internet are super judgey, make the slightest mistake or have an opinion that the right person doesn't agree with, and your ass can get slaughtered!

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

More on topic: Yeah, I generally do keep my opinions about hot-button topics to myself in my online life. I don’t discuss politics or religion or my strong opinions on very controversial issues. Part of it is those issues tend to attract trolls. Part of it is that I hate confrontation. Part of it is making the experience of reading my comic as pleasant as possible for readers by not turning my site or my social media accounts into battlegrounds. I have very obvious views about tolerance and acceptance that isn’t hard to parse by reading my comics. My characters themselves can be very opinionated, but under pages where they express harsher, more close-minded views, I put disclaimers underneath that say my characters don’t always express my own beliefs because they are written to be complicated, flawed people who sometimes have intolerant opinions. This recent page of Ashes was probably a good example: (https://www.flowerlarkstudios.com/comic/chapter-9-a-twisted-reflection/page-09-04/). While I write the messages I believe in, my characters don’t always behave in a way I condone, because my comics acknowledge how messy people are.(edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

My comic is going to have a strong message on imperialism and nationalism

DanitheCarutor

@Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios) Man, about having character you don't agree with, I've been feeling that so much! Since the first chapter! I don't agree with how any of my characters are handling the situations in their lives, but they're supposed to be people, with flaws and all that junk. Although in the end the story is supposed to kinda be about learning healthy ways to cope with stuff, and learning to love yourself... or at least tolerate yourself. So I gueeeess the characters have to suck at life first in order to get better at it later. :/ I admit to sometimes taking an open, more lighthearted, jab at religion but usually with other like-minded people. Also I just love talking about the christian cult church my mom grew up it and I partially grew up in as an "outsider", it's so fascinating and so very much a legit cult.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I'm definitely more likely to jump into a comic if it's being written by someone I like vs someone I know nothing about (or worse, someone I dislike). Like I'll often see a commenter on my comic and go "huh, you seem like a cool person, I should check out your comic". Sometimes it's not my cup of tea, but usually it works out well (: . Given that I usually encounter new comics through forums & chats and stuff... It's honestly kind of hard not to get at least some impression of a creator before reading a comic? Unless it's a comic from #ctp_bookclub written by a creator who's never been on the server. It's odd... in the webcomic space at least, I don't think I've ever encountered "love the work, hate the creator". Like if there's some creator who's loudly proclaiming something I really disagree with, more often than not their comic is an obvious mouthpiece for the position they take in public. Though I generally try not to click on comics of people I dislike unless I get overcome with morbid curiosity. I'm not sure I'd say my comic matches with who I am publicly, but it matches with who I want to be? Like my comic has a lot of themes of learning to know thyself, figuring out how to handle your emotions, and most relevantly to me learning to have a positive image of yourself.

renieplayerone

I think im absolutely more likely to at least once over someone's comic if I know them in real life, even if its not necessarily a genre im into, but this mostly applies to closer friends. On the internet, however, i am absolutely more likely to read the works of people i follow simply because i get the update reminders. I also am more likely to read comics i see the update notifications for on twitter or instagram in general. Fanart i try to limit to people i know and who at least cursorily know me, just because for me i find fanart a personal thing if it comes from me (although all fanart i receive is welcome and makes me cry haha)

Shadowmark Productions

When a person is growing up there are certain impressions made upon them in terms of beliefs and opinions. When these attitudes are impressed upon you before you can speak, these are called pre-linguistic beliefs and they’re extremely, extremely difficult to shake. The reason being that they are instilled in you before you can reason. Speech is the ability to reason. They are beliefs that stem from a place that is intuitive and instinctual rather that logical. That’s why when you question bigots and such most tend to speak in terms of feelings, or they talk about right and wrong but with no logical argument to buttress those opinions.

keii4ii

My tastes are so narrow and specific, that I can't make myself read someone's comic just because I like them as a person/friend. I also feel uncomfortable about the other way around: I would not want someone to read my comic just because they like me. (Checking it out is one thing; making themselves read it even after they go 'oh, this isn't my bag of tea' is a different story...!) The thought of someone reading my comic as a personal favor despite not really enjoying it... Even if they're not expecting anything in return (they often do, but not always), it honestly makes my soul shrivel. Of course, if they like both me AND my comic, then that's awesome! I did have one experience where I came to appreciate someone's works on a new level, after coming to know them IRL. I always liked their stuff a lot. It's just there were some Things about their work that I couldn't personally connect to. But after seeing them in person, seeing how passionate they were 24/7 (my other artist friends met them too, and they all agreed this person's passion was on a new level), it helped me see what those Things meant to them, why and how those Things excited them. I came to develop a deep respect for this creator, as well as an acquired taste for those Things that I previously was not into.(edited)

DanitheCarutor

@keii4ii Even though your reasoning is different, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who detaches the creator from their work. Also I didn't think about the whole reading something just because you like the person, yeah, that is really uncomfortable! 100% I would rather someone just read my comic because they like the comic, not force themselves to check it out just because they think I'm a nice person... especially since my comic can be such a hard read for some people.

meek

Definitely knowing the creator or knowing about a creator influences how I perceive their webcomic and how much I read it, talk about it, engage with it, etc. I have several friends who make comics and I put their comics at the top of my priority list to read, and being so busy all of the time, my friends' works comprise most of what I read. And then from there it goes from whoever I remembered or whoever I liked or what kind of comic I'm feeling at the moment or so on. I do think, reading through some of the other comments (and sorry in advance for being discourse-y/that guy), but there's a vagueness I can't quite get behind when it comes to "separate the art from the artist." There's definitely levels and nuances where the creator's personality or behavior outside their work cannot be ignored and with art being so personal, I don't see how you could ever 100% separate a creator from their work because they put themselves in every word they type, every line they draw. But like I said, there are levels. If I find a creator mildly unpleasant or annoying but not truly malicious or offensive (e.g. being generally abrasive or rude), then I'll roll my eyes and probably leave their comic to read for another day. But if it gets more than that, then I don't want to support them in any way with my views. Like, if I know someone has bullied before/still bullies people in the present, I can't ignore that because their comic is cute. Knowing a person's character really flavors any interactions, direct or indirect, for me and it's something where I can't look past that, especially if it's an ongoing recurring thing.

but uhh to answer the question more directly: I like knowing webcomic creators. I find it easier to get more invested in a story if you can see behind the scenes, see them talk about their characters, their influences, see them have fun and the love that they have for their work. Even if it's just a very shallow, one-sided, "I'm just following their twitter"- I think it's good to know creators a little bit. But knowing them Too Much can also negatively impact my opinion of them and their work, so I dunno.

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #reader favorites

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her-words-her-stories · 7 years ago

Text

Don’t Talk to Strangers

Pairing: Reader x Optional Bias Word Count: 2,058 Request: Nope! Warnings: None, it’s just fluff :)

Summary: You were told not to talk to strangers, but what happens when you talk to a stranger that just so happens to be a Kpop star in disguise?

A/N: It’s an optional bias so I’m using “They/Them/Their” pronouns so your imagination can fill in the gender/looks. I just had an idea and went with it. Nothing that I’ve been cooking up for days or anything. “Y/N” means “Your Name” and the “________” is for your bias’ name!

Mother had also told you not to talk to strangers. It was something that had been in grained within you since you were young, but...

Mother never said anything about what to do when a stranger knocks on the driver side window of your car....

With a jolt, you jumped slightly in you seat at the sound of the three little taps. You had been staring at your phone, queuing up the music for your drive back home from your morning work shift. You turned to look at who had just knocked on your window... when you saw them.

There they stood, looking into the car, waving at you.

“Yah! Can I get a little help, please?” They asked with what could have been a nervous smile, if you could see their face without their sunglasses and mouth mask.

You didn’t even know what to think of this. Here you both were, in the middle of the day, in the middle of an nearly empty parking lot. What do you even do? Drive off screaming? Get out and prepare to be kidnapped? You didn’t know what to think, but... that there was something about them that made the request just seem... pure. You were a grown adult, right? You could make your own decisions.

With a hesitant nod, you stepped out of the car, making sure to keep some distance between the two of you.

“Hey, so... what seems to be the problem?” You asked with a slight bounce of your shoulders.

It was once you stepped out of your car that you truly got a good look at them. They looked nice, really. Not at all like a kidnapper like Mother might have raised you to believe. Nice hair, well kept, and clothing that you were sure you’ve only been able to see when you were window shopping in the more wealthier parts of town. What made this strange though was the fact that they were wearing a baseball cap, a pair of big black shades, a scarf (on a particularly warm day), and a Korean mask over their mouth. It made it hard to really get a good look at their face, which added to your hesitation.

“Ahh... my car.” They sighed and rubbed the back of their head. “It’s not starting. I was hoping I could use your phone?” They looked around the nearly empty parking lot and then back to you, “I’ve already asked two other people, but... they turned me down.” They said with a sigh.

Maybe that’s a sign... You thought to yourself, but against your better judgement, you nodded. “Um, yeah... sure, just...” You pulled out the phone, and started to pass it to them, “Stay within sight, please.”

With what you believed was a soft smile, they nodded and gave a small bow of thanks before taking the phone.

You leaned back against your car, watching as they started to dial a number to call for help. You had your arms crossed, but... you were ready to run after them if they decided to bolt with your phone. You had already been working hard to catch up with your data usage payments, and there was no way you were going to let someone steal that away from you.

You watched as they started to pace back and forth, speaking to someone on the other line in flawless Korean about what had happened to their car. They had laughed about a few times that you could hear, and then after a moment more, they hung up, and passed the phone back to you. You smiled slightly, and shrugged.

“All good? Got someone coming to get you, then?” You asked.

“Yes, thank you. I appreciate you helping me with this. I don’t know what I would have done if not for your generosity.” They bowed towards you.

“It’s nothing.” you shrugged it off with a light laugh. “I’d want someone to do the same for me, you know.”

They nodded at your words, and silence fell between you.

“Well, if... that’s all...” You started as you went to unlock your car.

“Wait! Please, let me repay you.” They stepped forward slightly. “Y/N, right?” They asked.

“How did you-”

“You’re still wearing your name tag.” They gave a slight laugh as they pointed it out.

You indeed were still wearing your uniform. You were representing a small bookstore from down the street without even realizing it. Great, now they know where I work... You thought it over. “Oh yeah, sorry, I just got off work, so it slipped my mind.” You replied.

“Oh, so are you hungry?” They asked, “Let me treat you to lunch, please. It’s the least I can do until my ride arrives.”

You’d be lying if you said otherwise. Especially with the mating call your stomach had just made with the mere mention of food. Thankfully it wasn’t too loud, but it was loud enough to answer their question.

“I promise not to take up too much of your time.” They laughed in response. “I know a great sandwich place I like to sneak off to when I get a chance.”

With slight reluctance, you nodded. “Sure, let’s do it.”

After a few minutes of walking, you both arrived at a small sandwich shop that was surprisingly close to your job. How you could work here and not know about it’s existence boggled you greatly. You both placed your orders and sat in the back area, where the sun had just reached the base of your booth, barely kissing your ankles. They sat opposite of you, their back to the windows, only allowing you the beautiful view of the busy midday street.

You both sat looking at each other for about three seconds before they waved away the slow creeping cloud of silence by asking you questions. “How long have you worked at the bookstore?” They started with, sipping on a hot mug of tea.

“Oh, uh, about three months, so far.” You nodded with your tea in hard.

“You like it there? I haven’t been to that one.” They admitted. “I’m just now exploring this area, actually. I haven’t been here in years. Not since I was young, anyway.”

“Oh?” You asked with a bit of intrigue. “Are you not from here?” You seemed to be becoming interested in this hidden stranger. “And yeah, I do. It’s a nice shop. They really care about the books there.” You gave a light smirk.

They reflected your expression, and then continued, “Yes... Well, sort of. I was born around here. Some of the shops that are here now didn’t exist back then. It’s like I’m relearning the place all over again. My work takes me all over the world, so when we cam back here, the first thing I wanted to do was come here and visit.”

“And then your car decided to cut that trip short.” You chimed in with a light laugh, making them laugh as well.

“Exactly.” They smirked from behind their mask.

A moment later the food orders were brought to your table, and the check paid in advance.

You dug into your sandwich once you realized your stomach could no longer take the wait anymore, and almost rolled your eyes back with just how delicious it truly was. It was full of flavor and the fresh ingredients just blew your mind.

“Wow...” You muttered before taking another bite.

“I told you!” They teased and pulled off their mouth mask. “I try not come here when I can. I have good memories here. A nice place to relax and think about what my life could be like.”

Without the obstruction of the mask, you could finally hear the velvet of their voice for what it was. It was then that there was something about them that made them look familiar.... even sound familiar...but... you couldn’t put your finger on it. Not yet.

“So, hey... I didn’t get your name.” You asked (almost) nonchalantly as you went in for another bite.

Their response was only a smile before their next bite. Their head tilted towards you with a nod, and said, “You’ll know shortly.”

Their response caught you off guard, making you lean back slightly, but before you could ask them what they meant, they spoke up first.

“Where you born here, too?” They took another bite.

“Oh, um.. yeah. Not too far from here. Just got my own apartment and the car. I’m really close with my family, too.” You added that last part in just in case.

It made them laugh. “Oh, so you may have noticed the changes in the area. Like, what happened with some of the old shops?” They raised their brows in surprise.

“Yeah I-” You were cut off by the sleek black SUV that pulled up outside of the restaurant with it’s hazards on. “Woah... It’s one of those expensive SUV’s... like the stars have.” You scoffed and waited to see who would be stepping out. “You were right about this sandwich spot, it’s so good even the celebrities come for a bite.” You laughed again. You looked over to them, just as your cellphone started to ring. You pulled out your phone, and furrowed your brows at the unknown number.

With a finger raised towards them, you answered the phone with an apologetic ‘Sorry I have to take this’ smile.

“Hello? Who is this?” You asked the voice on the other end.

“Hello, I’m looking for ________.”

“Oh, sorry you have the wrong number.” You said with a scoff. This must be a prank call.

“Are you sure, they just called me from this number for a ride.”

It was then that you witnessed a man stepping out of the driver seat of that luxury SUV outside... while on the phone.

Your smile started to fade as your eyes grew wider and wider. The person sitting across from you looked at you and then over their shoulder, as they seemed to have recognized the man outside with the SUV.

“Ah.” They nodded and started to clean up their plate. “It’s time for me to depart.” They pulled out a pen and started to write on a napkin.

“Wait... um, sir?” You asked on the phone, “What... was that name you said?” You could feel your heart racing as the connections started to form in your head.

Sunglasses?

Mouth mask?

The hat?

Scarf?

Luxury SUV?

Designer clothes?

“_________. I’m here to pick up ________.”

You went quiet as you watched the person across from you with disbelief. You began to realize that you had in fact been sitting with a fucking Kpop star this entire time!

You hung up the phone as you stared at the person across from you with your mouth slightly agape. “Wait... you’re-”

“I told you. You’d know.” They said with a slight smirk, and stood from the table. They slide the napkin over the table to you, and you could read that there was a phone number scrawled out on the cloth for you to see.

“Thank you again for helping me when no one else would. I had fun. You treated me just like anyone else and... It’s refreshing. I wish to see you again, Y/N.” They then nodded once more to you before turning to walk outside.

They greeted the driver, and started to remove their disguise piece by piece. You saw them now for who they really were. Gorgeous hair. Amazing eyes. A captivating smile with mesmerizing lips.

“...I just had lunch with a Kpop star.” You told yourself.

You watched as they sat in the SUV and how the streets suddenly flooded with fans screaming and calling out their name. You saw them wave to them with a slight smile, but caught them stare past them all towards you inside the sandwich shop. With a wave of his hand, they drove off, and the group of fans went running off after them.

You looked back down to your food, and sat in amazement of how this all came to be, just because you lent him a phone to use.

“Don’t talk to strangers, right?” You laughed to yourself. “Well... it looks like I’ll be talking a lot more with this one...” You said as you lifted the scrawled out cellphone writing on your napkin.

“A whole lot more.”

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juniper-sprout · 5 years ago

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About Juniper Sprout.

Can you listen carefully? I'm not what you want me to be and I never will, I hope you're listening still.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full name: Juniper Penelope Sprout Nickname(s) or Alias: She likes to be called June, her parents and grandparents call her “June-Bug”. Gender: Cis female Species: Pureblood Witch Age: Twenty Four Birthday: September 29th Zodiac Sign: Libra sun, Scorpio Moon, Scorpio Rising Sexuality: Bisexual Nationality: Scottish Religion: Agnostic City or town of birth: Glasgow, Scotland Currently lives: Manchester, England Languages spoken: English Native language: English Relationship Status: Single

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Height: 5′2 Hair color: Black Hairstyle: Her hair is long and reaches past her chest, she currently has it in braids. Eye color: Brown Tattoos: She has 55 in total, they’re scatted all around. Piercings: She has her septum pierced but she recently took the ring out. Scars/distinguishing marks: She has a few scars on her hands and her forearms from doing gardening and also just from being pretty reckless when interacting with stray animals. Juniper has a large scar going from her right knee down to her shin from falling off of a broom when she was seventeen. Preferred style of clothing: Almost everything she wears is very loose and airy, she likes to have a lot of motion in her clothes. She rarely layers and hates wearing long sleeves, she’s usually in a t-shirt or a tank top. Even if it’s negative 20 outside. Frequently worn jewelry/accessories: She loves wearing rings, bracelets, and earrings for every occasion.

HEALTH

Smoker?: Yes Drinker?: Yes Recreational Drug User? Which?: Yes, marijuana and very frequently. Addictions: Nicotine Allergies: Shellfish Neurological conditions: N/A Physical Ailments: She walks with a slight limp from a quidditch related injury, her knee also starts to bother her if she stands up for too long. If you look closely you could see that it’s slightly out of place. Sleeping habits: Juniper is a really light sleeper, it takes her forever to fall asleep and even longer for her to actually stay asleep. She spends most of her time in bed just tossing and turning. Eating habits: She really doesn’t eat huge meals because she’s a huge snacker, there isn’t a time of day where she isn’t snacking on something. She keeps snacks at her job for this reason. Exercise habits: She’ll go for walks or do yoga but it’s a little difficult for her now which she finds extremely annoying. Emotional stability: Juniper is cool as a cucumber in any and all situations, even ones that should require a bigger emotional response. She doesn’t see the point in getting angry or upset about things that are out of her control. She’ll usually just shrug and keep things moving. Sociability: Juniper will talk to anyone about pretty much anything, she loves to talk to new people. But she has the tendency to get too personal too fast which is a little off putting to most people. Body Temperature: Extremely warm which is why she’s always wearing tees and tank tops.

PERSONALITY

Label: The Anthromaniac (Strong love for flowers and nature) Positive traits: Relaxed, empathetic, good-natured, warm Negative traits: Airy, wishful, imprudent, escapist Character Alignment: Neutral Good (A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. She is devoted to helping others. She works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.) Goals/Desires: To be able to ride a broom again but she knows that may not happen for a very long time. Likes: Watching quidditch games, being with her animals, going on walks, being in nature, getting new plants Dislikes: Being shut out, carnivals (because that’s usually where clowns are) Fears/phobias: In some ways she feels like her worst fear has already come true so she doesn’t really have a main “big fear”. She is very creeped out by clowns though. Favorite color: Cerulean Hobbies: Going on walks, reading, making floral arrangements, trying (and failing) to train her animals Habits: If she’s bored she’ll try to rest her hair on her upper lip, she also has a habit of singing out loud when she’s making floral arrangements or when she’s just in the shop in general. Taste in Music: She really likes music that’s relaxing and just easy on the ears. She’s a big fan of Fleetwood Mac, Mazzy Star, Cowboy Junkies, and Tennis.

SKILLS

Talents/skills: When Juniper was in school she was an extremely gifted flyer and seeker when she played on the Hufflepuff quidditch team. Her biggest talent now is making floral arrangements and remembering what most flowers symbolize and mean. Ability to drive a car? Operate any other vehicles?: Heck no, she’s honestly pretty freaked out by cars. Why are they so big?

EATING HABITS

Omnivore/Carnivore/Herbivore (Vegetarian): Herbivore Favourite food(s): Sweet potato tempura rolls, pocky sticks (specifically the chocolate banana flavor), mashed potatoes, dark chocolate, and salt & vinegar potato chips Favourite drink(s): Honey lavender tea, macchiatos (with oat milk), peppermint tea, whiskey Disliked food(s): Anything with tomatoes, brussel sprouts, anything super spicy Disliked drink(s): Beer, black coffee, red wine, energy drinks

HOUSE AND HOME

Describe the character’s house/home:

Juniper lives in a one bedroom apartment in Manchester that has other muggle residents. She doesn’t mind them but doesn’t go out of her way to talk to them.

Her apartment seems bigger than it is since she keeps every window open and has lots of light colors everywhere. Lots of white and light blue. Her living room and kitchen are pretty modest, she does cook quite a lot but doesn’t spend too much time in her living room.

Juniper’s bedroom keeps the same color scheme of white and light blue, she tries to keep her room tidy but there’s still usually clothes littered around the floor. She has a queen size bed that is never, ever made.

She shares her space with a lot of animals so it’s very rarely actually quiet there. Her cats like to sleep in bed with her and she’ll keep her bird cage’s open so they can flutter around if they want to.

Do they share their home with anyone? Who?: Her army of animals. Significant/special belongings: Her old broomstick, she just keeps it in her closet.

CAREER

Level of education: Hogwarts level education. Qualifications: Wizarding diploma Current job title and description: Juniper works as a florist at her own shop she mostly does floral arrangements. Name of employer: She owns her own business named “Something’s Sprout-ing”

COMBAT

Peaceful or aggressive attitude?: Extremely peaceful, Juniper doesn’t get angry or see the point in fighting. She thinks it’s better to talk things through than resort to violence. Fighting skills/techniques: She has no fighting skills or techniques, she’s never even been in a fight. Except arguments but they always get resolved quickly. Special skills/magical powers/etc: None really, she’s good at calming people down but that’s it. Weapon of choice (if any): None. Weaknesses in combat: Literally everything is a weakness, not a fighter in the least. Strengths in combat: She could get nasty in a verbal fight but she would never let an argument get to that level.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents names: Amethyst Dixon and Colt Sprout Are parents alive or dead?: Alive Is the character still in contact with their parents?: She tries to talk to her parents at least a few times a week since she does miss seeing them. But she does love having her own space and freedom. They did get pretty overbearing when she lived at home. Siblings? Relationship with siblings?: N/A Other Important Relatives: N/A Partner/Spouse: Tba Exes: Children: None Best Friend: Other Important Friends: Acquaintances: Pets: She has four cats Tulip a gray fluffy cat, Lincoln an orange tabby, Missy an all white cat, and Mr. Man a fat tuxedo cat. She also has six birds four parakeets and two cockatiels. Enemies? Why are they enemies?: Juniper doesn’t have any enemies since she doesn’t hate anyone, she thinks all people deserve to be treated with compassion and empathy.

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10): Juniper grew up in an extremely loving household. She spent a ton of time with her parents and they absolutely doted on her as she was their only child. However even though Juniper loved being with her parents, she definitely spent the most time with her grandmother. She loved gardening with her and being out in nature feeling the sun on her face, it was her favorite way to spend the day. Juniper made friends with a lot of neighborhood kids and spent most of her time outside.

Describe their teenage years (11 - 19): When Juniper was sorted into Hufflepuff it was one of the happiest days of her life. She was finally in the house that her father, mother, and grandmother were in. She felt like she was carrying on the family tradition and she was beyond happy to do so. Her family was ecstatic, of course. They were even more excited when Juniper discovered her green thumb during her Herbology lessons. She did well in her other classes but there was something about being in the Herbology room that just soothed her soul and even at the young age of eleven it felt like she had found her calling.

That was until she had her first flying lesson and discovered how much she loved being on a broom. Juniper desperately wanted to join the quidditch team but she knew she couldn’t at eleven. So she tried to practice as much as she could. Anytime she would fall off of her broom she would just jump back on and keep trying until she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. When she began her second year, she found the captain of the Hufflepuff team on the first day and immediately told them she wanted to try out.

Juniper ended up being the seeker on the Hufflepuff quidditch team from her second year and for the majority of her life at Hogwarts. She was an incredibly skilled seeker and knew that this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Nothing could beat the feeling of absolute joy she felt when she was able to catch the snitch and bring her team to victory. As Juniper got older that was when she began looking at teams to try to join when she was out of Hogwarts, she had her heart set on the Montrose Magpies. They were the most successful in the league, so, she knew it would be a long shot but she knew she had to try.

It wasn’t until her seventh year when her dreams of being the seeker on the Montrose Magpies came to an abrupt halt. It was one of the first games of her seventh year and she was beyond pumped because she knew in her heart that they were going to win that game. Even if the weather had been less than unfortunate with wild wind and rain but it was nothing she hadn’t played in before. Juniper could still feel that luck was on her side as she soared higher than she had ever been outside of the pitch but the snitch was just too close to give up on. She knew if she reached just a little more or tilted her broom just a tiny bit she could get it and Juniper almost did.

Juniper felt herself fall off of her broom before she had time to even try to respond or try to grab back on, all she knew was that she was falling and fast. She doesn’t remember hitting the ground or getting transferred to the hospital wing but she does remember being in the most pain she had ever felt. It was unbearable but the news she got after she had come to was even worse. Juniper’s fall had taken a serious toll on her right knee and although they could fix it to some extent, it wasn’t one hundred percent back to normal. It stuck out at slightly odd angle and she had noticeable limp, they weren’t sure she’d be able to ride a broom again for quite a while. Needless to say Juniper was absolutely crushed and she was really upset about it for a very long time. Eventually she came to terms with what happened there genuinely wasn’t anything she could do and wallowing in self pity didn’t make anything better. Which was when she returned to her first love Herbology.

Describe their adult years (20+): A few years after Juniper left Hogwarts, she ended up moving to Manchester and opening up her own flower shop “Something’s Sprout-ing”. After her quidditch dreams fell through; she knew she wanted something to do with her other love which was how she came to floral arrangements. Her family wanted her to do something more magic related (specifically Herbology) but this is what Juniper was passionate about and what made her happy. So, they laid off of the topic for the most part.

Soon the wizarding world seemed to change and it became more unrecognizable

#bio

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77live · 8 years ago

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i got ttagged by @homosexualhufflepuff thänks u

1. LAST TEXT SENT: "yeah” to my mom 2. LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: black white and uhhhh like crimson maybe? 3. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP TODAY: at about noon 4.WHAT WERE YOU DOING LAST NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT: probably sleeping lmao 5. NAME SOMETHING YOU CANT WAIT FOR: summer, its may but its like still snowing sometimes 6. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR MOTHER: last night before she went to bed 7. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WISH YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: i wish i wasnt so fucking anxious in social situations 8. WHATS GETTING ON YOUR NERVS RN: i dont think ive eaten since yesterday morning so im feeling a bit shitty because of that 9. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: uhhhhhh i dont even know lmao 10. FAVORITE TV SHOW: twin peaks definitely but i dont really have the energy for tv shows 11. FIRST BEST FRIEND: this one guy who i bonded with over zelda when we were like 11, i miss him 12. LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: slowdive - souvlaki 13. 3 FEARS: deep water, social situations, situations in general lmao 14. 4 TURN ON’S: a music taste that matches mine, c o l l a r b o n e s, glasses, being artistic 15. 4 TURN OFF’S: closed mindedness, being an asshole in general? idk 16. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: sex or gender doesnt really matter a whole lot to me 17. MY SENIOR QUOTE IN MY YEARBOOK: this is like an american thing and im not american 18. FIRST THING I NOTICE IN A NEW PERSON: uuuuuuuhhhhhhh no idea sorry 19. SHOE SIZE: 42 20. EYE COLOR: no idea like dark greyish maybe 21. HAIR COLOR: dirty blond/brown 22. FAVORITE CLOTHING ITEM: no idea 23. WHAT COLOR UNDERWEAR I’M WEARING RIGHT NOW: black 24. ULTIMATE BIAS: idk what this means 25. ULTIMATE BIAS GROUP: or this im sorry aaaaaa 26. FAVORITE SEASON: summer 27. HOW MUCH TIME I SPENT ON DESIGNING MY BLOG PAGE: no fucking clue i dont even know what it looks like tbh 28. THE REASON I JOINED TUMBLR: i dont remember at all 29. LAST BOOK I READ: peter hooks memoir about joy division 30. DO I EVER GET “GOOD MORNING” OR “GOODNIGHT” TEXTS?: yeah kind of 31. WHEN DID I LAST HOLD HANDS?: yesterday morning i think :))) 32. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE ME TO GET READY IN THE MORNING?: 20 or so minutes, i want to sleep for as long as possible so ive gotten pretty good at getting ready fast 33. HAVE I SHAVED MY LEGS IN THE PAST 3 DAYS?: no but maybe i should, they look pretty bad 34. WHERE AM I RIGHT NOW?: my bed 35. DO I LIKE MUSIC LOUD OR LOW: idk relatively low i think 36. 3 THINGS I LOVE: art, sleeping, my friends 37. HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW: hungry and im a bit shaky 38. SOMETHING I REALLY, REALLY WANT: just happiness i guess whatever thats gonna take 39. 3 THINGS THAT UPSET ME: the state the world is in, idk what else im really bad at this sorry 40. WHAT I FIND ATTRACTIVE IN OTHER PEOPLE: i already answered this in the question about turn ons pretty much but collarbones and hands are hot 41. 3 HABITS I HAVE: checking my phone way too often, procrastinating a lot, being way too shy 42. SOMETHING I FANTASIZE ABOUT: like the future and stuff? life in general 43. MY OTPs: never been into that stuff so none 44. SOMETHING IM TALENTED AT: lmao i have no fucking clue 45. THE BLOG I GIVE MOST NOTES TO: idk 46. THE LAST PERSON THAT RE-BLOGGED FROM ME: idk 47. DO I SMOKE/DRINK?: very occasionally 48. MY FAVORITE FOOD: idk i really like eating but i dont really have a favorite food 49. MY FAVORITE DESSERT: same here i really like desserts but i dont have a favorite 50. WHAT I DID YESTERDAY: nothing too special 51. NUMBER OF KIDS I WANT: idk i would have to learn to take care of myself first lmao 52. NUMBER OF SIBLINGS I HAVE: just one 53. SOMETHING THATS CONSTANTLY ON MY MIND: school and other things that are stressing me out 54. LAST PERSON I MESSAGED ON TUMBLR: @homosexualhufflepuff 55. CAN I DRIVE: no cars are scary 56. WHAT STATE OR PART OF THE WORLD DO I LIVE IN: sweden but im finnish 57. AM I IN SCHOOL?: yeAH 58. DO I GET GROSSED OUT EASILY?: yeah i think so 59. SOMEWHERE I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT FOR A WEEK: maybe like japan or some country in europe 60. I’LL LOVE YOU IF…: if u listen to the same music as me 61. LAST SHOW I BINGE-WATCHED: stranger things probably 62. WHAT WORDS UPSET ME THE MOST: i dont really get annoyed by specific words but i dont like when people use really big words for no reason other than trying to seem like theyre better than everyone else 63. WHAT WORDS MAKE ME FEEL THE BEST ABOUT MYSELF: jsut compliments in general 64. A WISH THAT I’VE WISHED FOR REPEATEDLY ON 11:11: dont think ive done that more than like once and i dont remember what i wished for 65. WHO I WOULD SWITCH LIVES WITH FOR A DAY: i dont think i would want to do that 66. MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM: maybe mint or lemon flavor?? idk i like most ice creams 67. ALLERGIES: cats and pollen 68. SEXIEST PERSON TO COME TO YOUR MIND IMMEDIATELY: david bowie lol 69. MY CHILDHOOD CAREER CHOICE: i dont remember 70. ONE OF MY INSECURITIES: lol theres way too many to pick just one 71. HOW MANY BLOGS AM I FOLLOWING: 69 lmao 72. HOW MANY TABS/DIFFERENT WINDOWS ATM: just 4 rn 73. COKE OR PEPSI: i rarely drink soda so i dont even remember what pepsi tastes like so maybe pepsi to see what its like 74. TEA OR COFFEE: coffee, baby 75. MOVIE OR BOOK: if this is between a book and its movie adaptation then the book any day of the week, otherwise it really depends 76. A SENSE I WOULD BE WILLING TO LOSE: none of them?? i feel like this question was worded a bit poorly 77. QUOTE I LIVE BY: idk im just winging it 78. TYPE OF ACCESSORIES I WEAR THE MOST: i dont really wear any accessories ever 79. LAST AWKWARD SITUATION I FOUND MYSELF IN: uhhhh it wasnt that awkward but a couple days ago i just didnt really know waht to do or say bc i was meeting a lot of new people and im very bad at that kind of stuff 80. WHAT TIME IS IT RIGHT NOW: 1 pm 81. A SONG THAT’S MADE ME CRY: theres so many but the last song that made me cry would b 4th of july by sufjan stevens 82: FIRST SONG I EVER SANG AT KARAOKE: idk sorry

this was honestly a bit of a chore so im not gonna tag anyone but if u see this and think it looks fun do it!!!!!

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adurostum · 8 years ago

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&&. the twelve USEFUL applications for dragon’s blood

dragons have long since been used throughout the wizarding world as prized components in our everyday lives. dragon heartstrings are one of the staple cores for wands, dragon hide is used for clothing, dragon horn is a common potions ingredient, and even dragon dung is a great fertilizer for growing plants in school herbology classes. yet little is known of the uses of dragon’s blood outside of a strengthener to potions, even then it’s only for certain potions. it is a start, but I do believe that we are only scratching at the surface!

- albus at some point in my actual thread with nicolas

the following is an excerpt from albus’ notebook as he traveled around the world to discover the many secrets that lay in dragon’s blood. his published paper will not include his field or taste notes ( for reasons ).

general overview:

dragon’s blood has many practical uses for healing. it is one of the most fascinating ingredients that one will have the pleasure working with ( slight bias ). on superficial wounds such as bruises and even old scars, will fade within the hour of its application ( though it must be noted, not scars from dark curses/objects, it does help make them less noticeable with continuous application ). deeper cuts and lacerations are not recommended for direct application due to blood poisoning; however the addition of dragon’s blood into the salve used will certainly help the wound heal faster.

dragon’s blood is also used for internal healing when digested. it is widely known that dragon’s blood, when mixed in with certain potions, can strengthen its potency. however, which dragon blood in particular is more effective is a different matter. it must be noted that dragon’s blood will not heal all ailments or severe wounds as phoenix tears ( a rare and hard to come by ingredient ) do. more severe wounds will have varying responses to dragon’s blood, which is why physicians should consider medical history and current status of their patient before giving any potions with dragon’s blood in it. i have seen those on the brink of death be pulled out of danger and i have seen healthy men die from complications from it ( rare, but better safe than sorry ). though again, this depends on species of dragon the blood came from is used for it. it seems as though there are some allergic reactions that may occur from genetics or developed reactions over time from constant use.

through my travels, i have come up with twelve applications of dragon’s blood from different species in the magical world.

1. antipodean opaleye

blood color: clear, dark rose red, at times can be considered a reddish amber

used for: treating eye diseases or damage. sadly does not improve one’s eyesight for far or nearsightedness, but it does reverse the effects of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other forms of retinopathy. it does not reverse blindness already caused by disease or damage.

preparation: heat for an hour ( at least ) at a constant temperature, though it may range from 170 - 185 degrees celsius, but stick to one specific heating temperature. while i find this range forgiving, fluctuations during the heating process will create a finicky potion with varying side effects. higher temperatures will ruin the healing effects and at times may worsen already pre-existing symptoms. once left to heat for the proper amount of time, the blood will turn opaque.

field notes: my personal favorite in terms of temperament. these dragons are not necessarily aggressive and are easier to handle. i do not believe they make great pets no matter how tamable they may appear to be. it was a joy to work with the one in the wild. shy creatures, astoundingly beautiful, and oddly very sweet. i find it’s easy to use a crystal ball, one with facets on it, for them to play with. quite fascinated with the glimmer it appears. keeps them rather calm while drawing blood.

taste: floral, almost like drinking a mix of jasmine and rose tea. there’s a light taste of vanilla creme when tasted after preparation. not to worry, i am not about to switch to drinking dragon’s blood with my breakfast.

2. chinese fireball

blood color: crimson red with golden sheen when mixed and seen in light. used for: ailments pertaining to sleep disorders and has calming effects. helps calm the mind during manic episodes, give rest to those suffering with insomnia, calm one’s heart during times of anxiety, and can help amplify sleeping droughts. use with caution and adjusted dosage for treatment as chinese fireball blood does amplify up to two to five times it’s original potency.

preparation: find yourself a very durable flask and secure it tightly. put the flask in another container filled with gunpowder, not enough to make the container explode preferably as that would not only destroy your dragon blood sample, but so there is no shrapnel to embed into you or your surroundings. the gunpowder must be lighted to create a flash heating effect for the blood within the flask. though moving quickly as to keep the gas within, open the flask within the container to let the smoke infuse with the blood.

field notes: beautiful dragon and sadly misinterpreted in muggle drawings. so much for bringing good luck and prosperity ( its eggshells are a different matter ). certainly not with the one i dealt with anyway. it may be more tolerant of its kind as they do share territories at times, but not so much with humans. clever girl that i worked with. fast learners these dragons. it would be wise for you to subdue one on the first go because you can not fool the same dragon twice.

taste: sweet and tart, similar to those tamarind fruits with less of a mess. though there is a hint of spice in the aftertaste, perhaps five spice seasoning? it’s quite nice. surprisingly does not taste like gunpowder or smoke from preparations.

3. common welsh green

blood color: bright lime green in young dragons to deep emerald green in much older ones

used for: taken constantly over a period of time with the appropriate potion, it is able to help ease and relieve patients with respiratory problems. it is preferred that this potion be aerosolized as a better way of delivery to one’s lungs, but not required. this can be done through boiling the potion and having the patient stand over it and inhale deeply ( though i believe that muggles have invented some sort of contraption? like a nebulalizer? nebulizer? ). however it may be taken orally, but not quite effective. often aids in relieving asthma and emphysema. infections from sickness that affects the lungs such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis. chronic illnesses may be relieved and even eventually cured, though this depends on the nature of the patient. it has been known to help relieve those with cystic fibrosis of mucous build up.

preparation: must be bubbled, though gently and kept under pressure. air must be forced into the blood. i suppose vigorous whipping and frothing should work. this blood is quite interesting as it does glow in the dark seen at night.

field notes: they were rather hard to find considering they aren’t avid fans of humans and wizards were no exception. though i was able to eventually track two down due to their beautiful song. considering how well loud and well their voices resound in the high mountains, it carries on for miles. i found both a mother and her one hatchling. having brought a lamb and extra shanks, it took quite a while for either of them to even consider eating the meat. it’s then that i saw that young dragon blood is a different color than it’s mothers.

taste: an odd combination of apple and pear. subtle, refreshing, and crisp, a clean taste. it does seem like a cider if one were to taste it after preparation, though it’s a much stronger flavor than before.

4. hebridean black

blood color: dark amber color, almost like the color of bubbling caramel in a pot

used for: best known for it’s ability to help relieve symptoms and at times even cure certain heart diseases. those suffering from coronary artery disease will find that over a period of time, potions containing hebridean black blood will eat away at plaque ( though leave a burning sensation in one’s chest ). it is known to strengthen heart muscles to prevent heart failure, though it must be warned this must be taken with caution as too strong muscles will also lead to heart failure ( please refer to your local heart doctor ). also good for settling one’s heart from irregular rhythmic beating and against infections.

preparation: use a copper distiller. blood must be heated just under boiling and allowed to travel through copper tubing where it can solidify into liquid once more. distill twice at the least and do so in small quantities before use. field notes: the MacFusty clan has been exceptionally welcoming and helpful in my research and i would like to offer my sincere thanks. the dragon itself is much more aggressive than the common welsh green. even so, it was... manageable to a certain degree. it would be best to have a fireproof cloak or one made out of dragon hide. though better if you can lure it towards a body of water.

taste: similar to fire whiskey, though with ten times more the burn. one single drop is quite enough for me. it leaves a smokey aftertaste and at times does make it feel like you just swallowed fire. i find it burns more for older dragons and less so with the younger ones. must be the aging.

5. hungarian horntail

blood color: opaque violet red, similar to the color of mulled wine

used for: can be used to cure ear infections or tinnitus, though it can be note that it is also used to aid in correcting discrepancies in balance. however, this dragon’s blood is best suited for stabilizing brain chemistry and symptoms for those with mental illnesses. it acts as an antipsychotic ( promote clear thinking, focus on reality, feeling calm ), antidepressant ( depressed mood and anxiety ), and mood stabilizer ( reduces or eliminates extreme swings from high and lows ). potions using hungarian horntail blood for any of these three reasons must be specifically tailored for each person to determine the accurate dosage amount. there is no one potion fits all and it must be emphasized this is not a cure, but a treatment. please consult your psychologist/psychiatrist. you must have a reference and prescription in order to receive any potion from a legal, practicing potioneer. it is for this reason that hungarian horntails are protected by law.

preparation: a long process, though worth it. leave underneath moonlight at the height of a full moon for an hour at a time. this must be done for a year at least. once done, one must shock the blood. in doing so, the blood will turn from opaque violet red to deep golden yellow. however, the longer one leaves the dragon blood underneath the light of a full moon per year, the blood will and become a much paler yellow. depending on the strength of the effects you wish, the paler the yellow creates a stronger potion. please note it may take up to five years to achieve the palest yellow possible. though it is worth the wait.

field notes: for merlin’s sake, approach with extreme caution. it is particularly nasty in personality and temperament, to which i believe that even gellert will find himself beat ( or they might get along fine together ). i find myself extremely thankful for having fawkes with me as he is impervious to fire as i have found. and rather likes to fly through. if anything, i’m sure it gives his feathers a nice shining.

taste: while the dragon itself isn’t so pleasant, its blood is surprisingly sweet. i find it’s blood akin to tokaji wine. young dragons have a certain acidic bite at the beginning before mellowing into something close to lemon honey. though once prepared, it gives a floral aroma. i find that the older the dragon the blood is collected from, the deeper the flavor and complex taste. like caramelized fruit, sweet floral nectar, and just a touch of lemon.

6. norwegian ridgeback

blood color: pale ruby color

used for: helps fix one’s perception of space and time in relation to one self and their environment, and therefore the creation of cognitive maps. it also helps aid in regaining, retaining, and creating of memories for those who have suffered brain trauma that has led to memory loss ( short and long term ). though it would be best for patients suffering from dementia as memories are retained rather than lost. a potion using dragon’s blood would be required to be taken daily. despite it’s positive effects, it is also rather dangerous as it can lead to the creation of memories that may or may not be true. giving someone a sleeping draught with a drop of dragon’s blood will leave the person vulnerable to suggestions that they may hear during that time. in which dreams ( pleasant and bad ) the person has becomes the memory they now retain; however, it does not replace nor destroy memories the person created themselves.

preparation: blood must be slowly heated from just under freezing ( two degrees celsius ) to just under boiling ( ninety eight degrees celsius ) in a water bath to prevent blood from reducing. it must then inverted ( not shaken ) until cool to the touch, around body temperature.

field notes: though their appearance resembles a hungarian horntail, i am thankful their temperament and personalities do not. it would be wise to proceed with caution ( as you would with ANY dragon ) as it does have a venomous bite. reminder, females are generally more ferocious than males.

taste: a distinctive taste from the rest, it has a herbal and spice note to it. the combination varies from each individual dragon, but i do get notes of cardamon, star anise, cumin for spices. as for herbs, fennel and dill are the only ones to distinguish.

7. peruvian vipertooth

blood color: deep red with copper sheen, similar to that of the chinese fireball.

used for: mostly suited for diseases related to bone marrow and blood. it helps the body manage leukemia ( prevention of continued production of irregular cells ), anemia ( stimulates red blood cell production ), and lymphoma ( isolates spreading of irregular cells ). it is the first line of defense to use when preventative measures against a disease have failed and begins to become systemic. time is of the essence and it is best for all hospitals to have peruvian vipertooth blood stored as their serum contains antibodies that help fight off infectious agents.

preparation: must be kept in airtight, sealed vial. it must be warned that left in the open, it will oxidize and will develop a white to bluish green film on top, at which point the blood will be rendered unusable. warm the blood through a warm water bath of 37 degrees celsius before separating the serum from the blood. serum can be stored in cold conditions at 4 degrees celsius.

field notes: 11/10 would not want to work with this dragon ever again. slippery and tricky thing this dragon. smallest of all dragons and yet the fastest! i’ve can’t count how many narrow escapes i’ve had.

taste: not something i would like at all. it’s very sour. a lime taste to it and though it can be refreshing to a few i imagine ( though no one is about to drink dragon’s blood right out of a vial ), it does leave a burning sensation as it goes down one’s throat.

8. romanian longhorn

blood color: pale gold and in certain light, may have a light green tinge at the edges

used for: alongside their horns which have been used in other potions, its blood is for treatment of muscular system diseases. it can be seen why too considering the dragon’s muscular form. the most notable disease that this dragon’s blood helps reverse weakening muscle fibers and therefore prevent deterioration of muscles in such diseases as muscular dystrophy and polymyositis. when applied topically in a salve, it helps relieve muscle aches and soreness.

preparation: thankfully no long and arduous preparation is needed for this dragon’s blood. small note that the fresher the blood the better as storing for long periods of time eventually leads to diminished potency.

field notes: blood from this dragon is difficult to obtain, mostly due to the protection it is under from law. poaching and demand for their horns have left their population dwindling. special permits are required to enter the reserve. though blood is much easier to replace than horns that take years to grow to their proper length.

taste: it tastes of mineral water, but one of the sweetest i’ve ever tasted and certainly very refreshing as well. it is very crisp. younger dragons have a certain bite in their blood.

9. swedish short snout

blood color: deep garnet color

used for: not exactly for healing purposes, though it does cure most of the worst migraines and headaches there are. swedish short snout blood is best taken to enhance divination abilities. seers benefit the best as they are able to see far into the future and what events will unfold. the when and where these events take place remain unclear, but there should be clues to help pinpoint and guide one into the right direction. fair warning, it is a dangerous blood to use do to the nature in which the future tells. witches or wizards may be driven mad or suffer brain damage from overstimulation. this is why this blood is deemed not for consumption in the large quantity that is required for such extensive visions. scrying is a much better use for this dragon’s blood as it requires little. of course, it does not have the same effects as ingesting the blood does.

preparation: for scrying - pure spring water mixed in a half and half ratio with spring dew collected underneath starlight, in a basin placed underneath a full moon and a teaspoon of blood, the water will give a blue sheen to it underneath the moon’s glow. for consumption - having been warned of possible consequences: mix blood with spring dew collected underneath starlight and heat until just under boiling and remove, leave underneath moonlight to cool. once done, take the blood and store it in a clear vial. let it sit underneath each phase of the moon until it may be consumed on the night of a new moon.

field notes: i can’t say it’s a shy creature. in fact it is more cautious and wary of humans than any other dragon. though it would be best to keep your distance at first. startling one will surely end up with a jet of blue flame by your head. they are extremely intelligent and are rather reasonable. i was lucky to get my samples when i found an injured one and helped nurse it back to health. a little dangerous though, but it seems to have warmed up to me. to some degree.

taste: mostly sour and tart, the taste of lingonberries. though there is a pleasant sweet note that it ends in. it oddly turns blue upon touching one’s tongue.

10. ukranian ironbelly

blood color: deep red purple, when tilted at the right angle, may appear as black opaque for its body

used for: its unique properties make it the best potion strengthener and aids in the strengthening of one’s immune system against magical infections and other diseases. it works as a great counter against dragon pox ( no longer needed once cured ). though use caution when preparing potions with this dragon blood. it is not recommended to use dragon blood as a daily supplement despite its availability. such frequent intake will lead to a natural resistance to infection and other magical ailments, rendering it useless for future use. internal bleeding cause by trauma is relieved as it causes rapid clotting and reformation of blood vessels, preventing further hemorrhaging. perhaps very aptly named for its dragon, its blood is best for treating stomach ulcers and prevention of hernias.

preparation: the more times it is distilled and filtered, the better the blood is for use. copper distillers may be used as in preparation of hebridean black. do so at a minimum of five times. however, make sure you distill and filter the blood at an odd number of times. afterward, take one swallow wing and light it afire. drop it into the blood. this will turn the deep purple color into gunmetal silver. it is not to be mistaken as unicorn blood as they have different properties and coloration.

field notes: never ever, ever ruin nicolas’ suits. i think this dragon was more terrified of nicolas at the end than we were of it at the beginning. i must say, stunning a fleeing dragon is more preferable than having to do so from the front end. due to its size, large quantities of blood may be drawn without fear of injuring the dragon. though it is more dangerous to you than you will be to it.

taste: a mix of berries ( such as gooseberry, raspberry, cranberry, etc ) that varies per dragon, but a pleasant combination each time. it has a sweet and slightly tart taste and does have that alcoholic twist to it.

11. catalonian fireball

blood color: pale pink salmon color

used for: aiding expecting mothers throughout their pregnancy. it prevents possible complications from happening such as miscarriages, premature births and labor, low amniotic fluid, and preeclampsia. though this is mostly through regulation of hormones and other factors that affect their pregnancy. it is also used by those who wish to conceive a child as it does increase fertility and chances of pregnancy. on a side note, the blood does have aphrodisiac properties if prepared correctly.

preparation: for fertility/pregnancy - bring blood up to a boil and depending on the due date of the expected child, use that month’s flower to steep in it before adding into the potion after straining out the flowers. for aphrodisiacs - use myrtle and anemone flowers to steep in the blood as well as the juice of a pomegranate.

field notes: ( propaganda propaganda - left blank intentionally )

taste: a lemony flavor at the beginning, but finishes with a light bitter aftertaste. older dragons have a more citrusy and acidic taste to theirs. though after preparation it gives a very nice pear and melon flavor. an odd combination, but it works.

12. portuguese long snout

blood color: pale green and turns translucent when left in sunlight

used for: removal of parasites and treatment for parasitic infections/symptoms. at first the affects of dragon’s blood may seem to worsen the body’s natural responses in fighting the parasite or the parasitic disease. for internal parasites, it induces fevers, sweating, chills, shaking, forceful coughing, and muscle contractions. in truth it amplifies these responses and creates an unfavorable environment for the parasite to live in and forcefully expels if from the body ( not pretty, but necessary ). in case of external parasites, a salve will instantly burn through the parasite’s exoskeleton or skin and cause it to fall off. common topical uses include relieving symptoms of infectious parasitic bites of magical creatures.

preparation: can be ingested for internal parasites or used to create a salve for external parasites. blood must be heated to boiling, in which case it is vital that one drops a part of the parasite into the heated dragon’s blood. if a systemic infection should occur, serum from dragon’s blood can be used to prevent further spread. though it is not recommended due to the intense burning sensation one will feel underneath one’s skin as though being set on fire.

field notes: ( propaganda propaganda - left blank intentionally )

taste: very rich and sweet and in rather interesting flavor combinations if i may say so myself. at times it is a combination of caramel and a berry ( raspberry, strawberry? ), with just a hint of hazelnut. other times it is chocolate that replaces the caramel. though i have been surprised with a sweet, crispy apple taste with just a hint of roasted nuts and citrus.

&&. propaganda notes: wow look at science side of me. please let me know if you’re going to use this because it makes me so happy since i spent a lot of time doing research and make this all work out, so they’re all unique. hhhggg but i will update these if new dragon species come into play. hence why field notes are left blank for the last two species. NON RP BLOGS PLEASE DON’T REBLOG

#( thanks albus )#( albus: anything for nic;; )#( i can't believe i did research for this )#( heckity heck heck )#( just because i got salty at )#( oven cleaner and spot remover )#( i can't believe you actually can distinguish )#( dragon blood from human blood )#( wtf albus wtf )#( albus: it just sorta happened )#❨✧❩ magic flows in your veins : headcanons

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multipleforks · 5 years ago

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1. Georgian food is all the rage right now!

Tell me now, who doesn’t love dumplings and bread filled with cheese or just freshly baked, warm, crunchy on the outside and fluffy, piping hot, doughy goodness on the inside, bread in general? Georgia certainly does! Between Kninkali, (Georgian dumplings), Khachapuri, (Georgian bread), and Puri, (Georgian flatbread), you’ll end up in dough Heaven in no time. Sometimes I think this food was created as a reason to drink more wine. Who doesn’t love a huge helping of carbs with a nice glass of wine?! In Tbilisi, you simply cannot pass one place without smelling freshly baked bread and the site of plump, piping hot dumplings. Many places have delicious variations on the two signature dishes. Kninkali is normally stuffed with a meat mixture of pork and beef, but you can also order them with potato, potato and cheese, or mushroom filling. You must however orders in quantities of five and eat each dumpling by hand, without any utensils (at least, if you don’t want to look like a tourist). Check out this Tbilisi food tour, it’s well worth it. Here are some suggestions of places to go:

a. Stamba Hotel: this publishing house turned hotel is one of the coolest hotels you will ever walk into. The rustic lobby opens open into a massive, head to toe library that just begs for Instagram photos. Go past the lobby area and you’ll see the adorable restaurant with an open layout bar straight out of the 1960s, a large restaurant, and a beautiful patio for outdoor seating. The food is fantastic, but I don’t need to tell you, the pictures alone do it justice…

b. Febrika Tbilisi: straight out of Industry City, Brooklyn, this warehouse area of Tbilisi will have you feeling like you never left Brooklyn. Old warehouse buildings are converted into bars and shopping areas with a courtyard area for mingling. There’s also a funky/hipster hostel/hotel complete with fading rugs, old chairs you swear came out of your grandmother’s basement and (of course) a coffee bar, because hipsters and coffee go together like shampoo and conditioner. Can’t have one without the other!

c. Café Linvil: take a step back in time in this authentic, vintage, cozy early 1900s Georgian home complete with flowered wallpaper, old, cranky wooden floors, large, ornate curtains and beautiful ancient European tablecloths. You’ll want to drink tea, eat a scone and talk about how hard times have been since the war. It’s quite an experience.

d. Salobie Bia: easily one of the best restaurants in Tbilisi, this adorable little ‘café’ is almost part art museum with walls covered in drawings and paintings. The wine is excellent as is their beet salad.

e. Iveria Terrace at the Radisson Blu: should you find yourself in Tbilisi during the months of May to October, check out the beautiful views from the Iveria Terrace. The food is fantastic too. Highly recommend the pastas.

2. Get there before all the tourists do

Seriously. You’ll get grade A treatment, private tours, and the traffic is still bearable, it’s blissful. The citizens of Georgia are excited for tourism, knowing it brings jobs and money into the economy and they make it known they’re excited for you to be there. I did a free walking tour one my first evening from 6pm to 9pm. The tour guide was super extensive and kept the tour going until way past 9am, she was so excited to teach us about Georgian history. Then on the city bus tour the next day, the tour guide sat down next to me and gave me a personalized tour the entire ride around the city! On the two tours we booked: the wine tour and the food tour, we were the only people on the tour, so we got a personalized tour made to our liking and they kept us out way later than the website described!

3. It’s so cheap!

On our trip, the exchange rate was: 1 USD equals 2.74 Georgian Lari. If a glass of wine was on the menu for 12 Lari, that means it was around $4 a glass. The food was very reasonable too. You could easily order lunch for less than $10 (USD).

4. The people are so friendly. Most people speak at least some English and they will happily converse with you and ask you where you are from.

5. It’s perfectly acceptable to drink wine at all hours and they thoroughly encourage it. Seriously, 2am wine stores have their doors open, anxiously waiting for you to come in and try some wine.

6. Chacha. Georgians love this stuff. Rumor has many of them start their day with a shot of it. Lord help them. This moonshine like liquor is powerful stuff and it comes in all sorts of flavors. Be sure to check out Chacha time for drinks and Chacha corner if you’re looking to bring some bottles back as souvenirs.

7. It’s speechlessly beautiful and the air is so clean! Only pictures will do it (some justice), so here you go. While you’re here, check out the botanical gardens. Coming from New York City, it was nice breathing in fresh, clean air mixed with the smell of fresh flowers and blooming trees.

8. The culture is a wonderful mix of Georgian, Russian, Jewish, Muslim, Christianity and basically everything in between and the food is a wonderful reflection of the diversity.

Eight reasons why you should visit Tbilisi, Georgia 1. Georgian food is all the rage right now! Tell me now, who doesn’t love dumplings and bread filled with cheese or just freshly baked, warm, crunchy on the outside and fluffy, piping hot, doughy goodness on the inside, bread in general?

#chachaliquor #countryofgeorgia #Easterneurope #georgianfood #tbilisi #tbilisigeorgia

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collegewriting2 · 8 years ago

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Spicy Ranchero Chicken Enchiladas

by Quinton H.

This recipe will provide for four to six people, a full baking dish size.

Ingredients:

Ten Count pack of Flour Tortillas

A bottle or can of Salsa Verde sauce (Mom recommended: Mild. Q recommends hot for extra flare)

Spicy Ranchero sauce (Mom recommended: Taco Bell brand. Q recommends adding a hot sauce of your choice with it if you can handle some heat.)

One and a half boneless chicken breasts (approximately 8 - 10 oz)

Preferred shredded cheese (recommended: those labeled “taco” or “Mexican” for extra flavor)

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Take chicken breasts and boil them. Once satisfactorily boiled, remove them and shred to your preferred thinness.

Take the now shredded chicken and add the Spicy Ranchero sauce until chicken is coated to your liking.

Prepare a clean baking dish, glass 9 x 13 inches, and coat the bottom of it with enough Salsa Verde to cover the surface of the dish.

Take each tortilla one at a time and spoon approximately one tablespoon of the chicken into the center of them, then folding them burrito style. Place them close together along the bottom of the baking dish making sure the seam side is down.

Take the remaining amount or your preferred amount of the Salsa Verde sauce and coat the tortillas amply with it. This will keep the tortillas supple and tasty through the baking process.

Sprinkle your preferred amount of shredded cheese on top of the tortillas

Leaving the dish uncovered place into the oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave in until the cheese is completely melted and gooey over the tortillas, approximately 10 - 12 minutes and everything has been heated through thoroughly.

Remove, allow to cool, serve, and enjoy!

Narrative

Ever since I was young I can recall my mom trying her best to be diverse in her cooking. We have never had a ton of money or even a surplus really, but one place my family has tried not to skimp on is food. As a result for a long time my mom used to try her best to make a new dish each week to see if our family enjoyed it. If it was a winner and easy to make she would make it again, and if it was not so good it would probably not show up on the table again. This dish, Spicy Ranchero Chicken Enchiladas, was a winner years ago and still winds up on my plate every month or so ever since. Originally I remember the dish being a little different, and after talking to my mom, I know why. She said she has changed things about it like the sauces or salsas and even has experimented with the use of pork or turkey instead of chicken to bring it to it’s evolution of the dish depicted above.

I chose this dish to write about because it is my favorite thing my mom makes. I love foods that have a little kick and might be a little messy like these. There is something about scooping that enchilada out of the pan, dripping with salsa verde, and plopping it onto my plate that just makes my heart content. I’m not usually the type to turn to food for comfort or relief, but if I’m in a slump I can count on this good meal to make me feel a bit better. For my birthday my mom always makes them for me extra spicy, as I love spicy foods, and it just melts any stress or anxiety I feel away while I eat them. I can remember for my birthday one year, jokingly my mom put candles in the pan of enchiladas and I had to blow them out before I could dig in. After that this dish has felt even more fond, rich in flavor and memories for me. Certainly this dish feels like comfort food for me personally, I’m not sure that it will be for others, but I hope it brings a happy belly.

Some recommendations I have for eating this dish: grab a drink that is nice and cool. I personally like to drink cold icetea while eating my enchiladas, not only because I make them extra spicy, but because ice tea is so refreshing in between bites of warm tortilla and chicken. I would also recommend before eating, cut up your enchiladas, then take some of the extra sauce and verde and pour it over the cut up pieces. By doing this you get extra moisture in with your chicken each bite and a softer tortilla. I also just really enjoy verde, so the more the merrier in my opinion. These also go over really well at parties and it is fairly easy to make large amounts of them in doing so. Last summer my grandparents hosted a family reunion and my mom brought a bunch of enchiladas that went over incredibly well. Except for some of the older folks complaining that they were too spicy, even though we used the mildest ingredients in this batch. My words for the wise if you serve them at a party, warn people they may be spicy. I do not find them too spicy, but I love things spicy so my bias may blind me. I hope that however you serve them they are made with ease and enjoyed all the way around, maybe even your family will adopt them too!

#collegewritingtwo #kent state trumbull #Kent State University #collegewritingfood #homecooking #ksutrumbull #submission

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thesunnyshow · 4 years ago

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EPISODE 4: MILLY

Writing Blog URL(s): @bumblebeenct

Name: Milly

Age: 18

Nationality: Welsh

Languages: English

Star Sign: Capricorn

MBTI: ISFP-T

What fandom(s) do you write for?

I write for NCT, but I have written for Harry Potter in the past

When did you post your first piece?

Around the empathy era I’m pretty sure, 2018? I used to do moodboards only but I was inspired by other writers to give it a go

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why?

I find that I stick to the fluff/angst tropes because they’re easier to formulate because I can relate myself to the scenario more. I also find that its also more interesting to write angst because there's complications to a story that take longer to form and you have to really think about the different emotions the characters are feeling.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc?

I write x reader mostly, but at some point in the future I’m thinking of writing an OC purely because the concept I want to focus on has a particular emphasis on name and I don’t think it would work with y/n

Why did you start writing on Tumblr?

I used to use Wattpad but it was very difficult to promote myself and I struggled to meet anyone through it. On tumblr it was much easier to orientate and the community was so much nicer.

What inspires you to write?

My mutuals! And other writers on tumblr, everyone is so supportive and kind it’s amazing. Also the feedback I sometimes get from readers, it makes me really happy whenever I get a comment or someone interacts with a piece I enjoyed writing, or alternatively when someone supports a fic I wasn’t confident in as it really boosts my confidence :)

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most?

School/ College aus because they’re very familiar and I am confident in getting the tropes and ideas right. But I also like works inspired by movies or songs because there’s so much to work from and it’s nice to see where you can take the plot and lyrics in your own story.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work?

That writing is for everyone, honestly at the end of the day I’m just a kid in my room writing stories about artists I’m a really big fan of. If you want to write you can, and you don’t have to necessarily be a “big” blog or writer to do it.

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively?

Take a break, that’s my first port of call - usually in the method of food or I look at the inspiration material again, I listen to the song, read the lyrics, consult my friends and mutuals for help. It’s always good to be able to put something down to start again later when you’re struck with inspiration

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful?

My favourite personally at the moment (since one I really like is currently, as of answering this question, unpublished) is ‘Remember Me’ purely because it was the work I was the most passionate about writing and it really let me explore a new field of writing, since a lot of my stuff had been fluff before. My most successful in terms of notes is my Mark one shot ‘Sugar and Spice’ and I’m very proud of it.

Who is your favorite person to write about?

Park Jisung, my ult bias, I have to convince myself to write for other members sometimes as I often resist the urge to be a Jisung blog. However I have been enjoying writing for Mark and Hendery recently, as my other NCT biases

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose?

To a certain extent yes, it really depends on the writer. For many fanfiction stories, including ones we may label “cliche” the only difference is who it’s about, there are countless amazing fics I’ve read which I would assume could be made into a novel, the only thing making it fanfiction being the characters themselves.

What do you think makes a good story?

Feeling! There’s nothing that really constitutes a “good story” as it’s all subjective, but if you can read a story and feel what the characters feel, or even just see the emotions the writer is trying to portray then it’s definitely a good story. I’ve cried while reading most of, if not all my favourite stories.

What is your writing process like?

I plan first in a little notebook so I don’t forget any of my ideas or plans and then I try to churn it out whenever I have access to my computer, my speaker and a comfortable blanket. I like to “get in the zone” and then write as much as I possibly can. I usually think of ideas as I write so the notebook helps me put them in order and make sure I don’t get too ahead of myself.

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story?

I have thought about it and honestly, I’m not sure. My fics are not series’ and they’re all very short - most of them under 4k so I’d have to turn the idea into a full length thing you know? But I have thought about doing the opposite with a very old original story of mine I’ve otherwise given up on but still holds a special place in my heart.

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand?

I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope mainly because the character development in these stories can be so much more interesting and complex. On the other hand I’m not fond of “yandere” type fics, however I have read several well written ones which I cannot speak against because they were actually really good.

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you?

I’d say a lot, in terms of how much I write feedback means a lot to me - it’s also nice to hear what people think of things you’ve written because it’s a different view from your own and sometimes can boost confidence. I am also open to constructive criticism if any writers have any tips or suggestions for future works I’m always open to listen.

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)?

When I see anyone interacting with my work it’s really rewarding and I love when people reblog with custom tags because it lets me know that people actually like what I do and to me, that’s a success.

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Pasta

Favorite movie: Heathers (1988)

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cookie Dough

Favorite animal: I would say bees, but I don’t think that counts so I’ll say dogs

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering?

Coffee, either black or a really fancy one with frothy milk

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)

I’d love to be a singer honestly, but at the moment I’m working towards education I hope one day to be a lecturer

Go-to karaoke song

Best Part by Daniel Caesar or Escape (the pina colada song) by Robert Holmes because it’s funny

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?

Stopping time because there’s so much you can do - except the question is, would I continue to age even if time has stopped?

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose?

My mind goes to two extremes, I think either ancient Greece because why not and the 1950’s purely for fashion and music.

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you?

No, but I think if I could restart specific moments I would. There are so many good moments but some things you don’t want to relive even if you can change the outcome.

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?

100 chicken sized horses, I’d be terrified of a horse sized chicken it would probably be able to eat me and I’m not about that life, tiny horses I can deal with. Kill them with Kindness or whatever haha.

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been?

A mix of quiet teachers pet and loud side character friend. The duality kills me, I can be shouting with my friends one minute but whispering the minute the teacher asks me a question.

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures?

I’d like to, I think some are really cool and it would be amazing to live among them, but also some are dangerous, but I would love to see or meet some creatures. Imagine living with dragons man that would be epic.

What are some of your favorite hobbies and how did you get into them?

I really like reading, courtesy of Harry Potter, but I also enjoy singing and playing the piano which I started doing more often in secondary school when my piano teacher suggested I started to sing as well :)

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?

I did Karate for about 10/11 years, and I’m a black belt *insert awkward smile here*

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged?

A lot of the time yes, there is a stigma around fanfiction and often paints us in a negative light but we just happen to be a community of creative fans who want to share and support the people we write about. But I can see where the stigma comes from, sometimes it can be taken a bit far and I am aware that some things make the artists themselves uncomfortable. I think if people who judge fanfiction are referring to it as a single idea it becomes unfair because it is all different, but I also think that writers of fanfiction themselves have to make sure they don’t cross any boundaries when writing that could make readers or the artist (if they ever happened to stumble across your work) uncomfortable.

Do you think art can be a medium for change?

Yes in some ways of course. Art is not only a way to express what the creator themselves is feeling but it is also a way to teach others about issues, prejudices and ideals. For literature specifically it allows you into the shoes of another person you may not have understood before, in art pieces there’s a clear message and encourages people to educate themselves on certain issues which in turn makes room for change.

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself?

Sometimes if i’ve been suggested or requested to write something because it isn’t an idea that comes for me but mainly if I am aware that someone is waiting for a fic or someone has said they’re anticipating it I feel like I’m writing for others, but I don’t particularly mind it because it almost encourages me to write to a better standard.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times?

Not particularly, I'm often as clear as I can be when portraying meaning, or I will straight up say it in a different thread or to different people because I can’t keep secrets and I’m a sucker for a spoiler. Although I am constantly worried about the way I come off in messages and things like that - I am a terrible overthinker.

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr?

A few of my closest friends and other kpop stans I am friends with irl are aware of my blog and support me as much as they can with what little information I give them. I think only one of my irls has my url because she reads and I send her my binge reviews when I do them.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers?

Thank you so much, honestly it’s cheesy but without them I don’t know where my blog would be. The amount of them surprises me everyday and I don’t think I believe it half the time. Also if anyone ever needs help or support or just wants a chat I’m open, its 100% likely that if you interact with me or my posts on the regular then I will recognise you when you come say hi, I’m not that scary I promise.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there?

Just do it! It’s better to get your stuff out there and circulating to get a better idea of what people like and where your strong suit is, the more you put out the more you grow. But if you’re scared, talk to other creators, we’re always open to help and we can let you know what to do, it was something that helped me out :)

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr?

When I first started there was a lot of struggle with me trying to figure out my style and what I wanted to do, and it was a learning curve of what can I do, what should I avoid and who am I doing this for. Sometimes when I’m really down I will question why I do it, but I never regret it because it has allowed me to make some wonderful friends and be exposed to some amazing creations and get more into something I’ve always liked doing, writing.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey?

I don’t want this to be too long, but I feel like it could be. I’ve met so many wonderful people and I love all of them so much, but in terms of being formative and supportive these are some of the people I talk to the most. @renjunwrites - I am a huge fan of Denise and to even be able to be in conversation with her about the stuff she writes is mindblowing to me, @nanasarea - nana was one of the first people I spoke to (before I joined discord) and was really accepting of my antics from day one. @glossyjaems - me and Louna have become very close recently and I can’t wait for our project to launch, keep an eye out for that. @mjlkau Anie is really one of the biggest supporters I have, always willing to read what I send her and give me support and love. There’s so many more people I’d love to mention but this would go on forever, to anyone ever involved in my writing process I’m thinking of you as I write this and I love you all (I feel really bad not talking about every single one omg).

Ending thoughts:

“We’ll be alright, I want to try again” - Try Again d.ear (ft. Jaehyun) because this is something I hold close, ‘try again, we’ll all be alright in the end’

BONUS: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

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