#I do not have the energy for a more concise write up but here we go

[skyfallscotland]

Onyx Storm, by Rebecca Yarros ⚡️

She was the first to choose me, to elevate me above all others, the first to see every ugly side of me and accept it all, and every single person in this fucking canyon will die before they remove a single one of her scales.

Oh boy, here we go. This is probably going to be the longest review I've done (as it should be, I suppose) and I think I'm going to have to separate my likes and dislikes into separate posts and link them, just to at least try and be more concise.

To be completely honest, I didn't really enjoy the book all that much. When I finished it I just felt confused, empty, and completely overwhelmed. I cried.

It might sound a little stupid to other people, but I think if you've lived with depression, you know how much stock you can end up placing in the little things like this, and your hobbies and obsessions, and what you pour your time and energy into.

So it's hard when you don't enjoy things as much as you expect to. I didn't have lofty expectations for the book at all, in fact I had no clear idea of what exactly I was expecting plot-wise, but I did expect to really like it. A lot of small things piled up to make this unenjoyable for me at times as an experience and I'm having a bit of a hard time with that.

It's not even the book itself, so much as the fact that I kind of feel like I'm the only one who didn't love it, on the outside looking in at a fandom I’ve given a lot for, and worse, that it's killed my drive to write anything for the universe at all.

Overall, and this is my biggest problem, I feel stupid. So many things did not make sense to me. I finished this book feeling like I no longer understand the world building, the foreshadowing, the characters—nothing.

It didn't feel like a cohesive story, there was a lot of info-dumping and more than a handful of threads picked up and pulled on, and never looked at again. I don't have the answers to questions I've had for years, I only have new questions, and a lot of things that happened well...they don't actually matter at all. You could pick a bunch of things and pull them out of the story and the end result will be the same.

Someone on Goodreads said "Onyx Storm felt like a kid lost in a supermarket trying to find their mother." And wow, yeah. Yeah, it did. We went down all the aisles, every single one, and in the end we left without the groceries.

I feel almost like I need to apologise to Iron Flame, because really, her issues feel negligible to me now, in my personal experience. At least then I understood what the hell was going on.

Is this a chicken and egg scenario? Am I the idiot? Even if I am the idiot, should it be written in a way that idiots understand? Because I do not understand, Rebecca. I'm lost.

There just wasn't consistency.

There was no 'kill your darlings' in this book. It felt like there was a lot of fan service, and honestly it really felt like someone had gone onto the subreddit, grabbed a bucket of every theory ever mentioned and then went 'oops' and dropped it all in.

I feel like we shouldn't be learning about how magic works in the second half of book three. You're over 400k words in and you're going to choose now to tell me the dragons actually don't have their own magic? You told me in book one and two that they did. And now they're just four-legged venin?

None of this would be as big of an issue if it was news to Vi, but it's not. We're constantly just having things she apparently knew this whole time dropped on us with zero explanation over and over and over again. If you want to keep things from the reader, write in third person.

I spent half the book going back and re-reading things because I just didn't understand what was going on. Maybe it’s the OCD, maybe I'm an over-thinker, maybe I'm just dumb, but that kind of thing doesn't do it for me, it seems unbalanced and illustrates a lack of continuity from book to book.

In terms of characterisation, I wanted a more badass Vi and I got her, but it feels like there's a massive character development gap missing between 'I don't want to even know the truth in case you hurt me again' and 'I'm going to poison someone, blackmail them, and threaten their children.' Did they deserve it? Sure, but it felt out of place to me.

I've made another post here with the things that frustrated me and the questions I still have, and one here with all the things I did love. Because there were things. There were times I smiled, and laughed, and cried, and quotes I adore.

Ultimately though, my rating for this (on my personal scale) is it’s a good book, it just didn’t do it for me.

And personally? I really really wish it had 🥺❤️‍🩹

[meirimerens]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[hollow-lime-green]

okay! for the director's cut:

anything you want to share about string theory? 👀 i can definitely ask about specific sections, but i'm more excited to know which ones are important to you

ask me about specific sections after this, because string theory has a lot going on!

ok so first, the title - string theory. this one is not as clean lmao. so, something something, theory of the multiverse - string theory slightly relates to that, but also there's a lot of multiverse theories that reject string theory. but that is the basis of this piece - alternate universes.

string theory is a bit outside of my domain of engineering, and it's not something i pretend to understand particularly well. baby mode: in quantum physics, we treat things as both particles (solid ball thing) and waves (just energy). these two things are fundamentally different, and one thing should not be able to be both at once. but based on science, we know that they are both at once (light, electrons, etc.).

string theory is another 'unifying theory', which essentially means that it's trying to take a lot of things we know separately about physics and smush them together into one model. string theory specifically is a contender for the theory of everything, meaning that it unifies not just a few things (like wave/particle behavior), but everything. houston, we have a literary theme.

i suppose string theory is mostly about smushing everything together into my characterization of gojo satoru, especially his contradictions.

some of those contradictions/self-delusions:

1. Very very smart and very very dumb

satoru is thinking about a lot of complicated, poetic shit all the time, and what comes out of his mouth is the worst 2010s memery you can imagine

this is one of my favorite things about writing satoru. there's a lot of moments in FIYM when satoru's dialogue can give you whiplash, like the period joke in suguru's bloody curse recovery scene. he's thinking about so much all the time, but his brain is filtering his words into whatever will keep it light and funny, because he's spent so long repressing the deep, intense thoughts that he just instinctually dodges around saying anything real out loud (most of the time).

this happens to work well with suguru. with suguru's traumatic past, internally, he needs someone to tell him 'hey, it's not a big deal. you're okay, you're normal, you're fine, you are not crazy'. and satoru instinctively does that by being chronically unserious.

2. Moving goalposts at light speed

satoru knows suguru isn't homophobic, but is convinced that suguru would make an exception and hate him if he knew satoru was gay. bonus: satoru would give up anything for suguru, but doesn't think suguru should give up anything for him.

this is one of my favorite bits of string theory, actually. it's a very concise encapsulation of that. we've all heard one of our friends go "no, that's different" and been like, "no, my guy, it really isn't". and that's what shoko gets to deal with here.

3. Balls-deep internalized homophobia

he is a boy, and he is desperately trying to fit himself into the girl box for suguru

ohhhhh boy okay so obviously this one is my favorite. we're doing a lot with girl-boy satoru. i've already mentioned that this is why satoru keeps on trying to throw himself at suguru (sexually). he feels like he needs to fit the role of hot, physically-available girlfriend. and, as you see with relativity, this is also why he is determined to make himself bottom. we are not done with that arc, by the way.

that's also why he says shit like this:

which - the stutter here is a very slight signal that he's not actually 100% ready for that. he's not prepared for anything (no one is), but he's trying to convince himself that he is, because in his mind, he has to be, or suguru will leave. (stupidcore)

and this (one of my fave bits of FIYM period):

and it's why he has such an intense reaction to be called pretty, rather than handsome:

(and that's also why suguru immediately backpedals and thinks he's fucked up. satoru wants suguru to see him as a pseudo girl because he's internally homophobic. suguru wants to reassure satoru that he's not a girl because he's internally antihomophobic. boys. please.)

and (i won't put a bunch of pics in), you'll notice that he's always assigning himself the girl role in his AU fantasies (including most recently with his my immortal self-insert).

behaviorally, this can look like it overlaps with his sub role in the dom/sub dynamic they have, but it's actually not the main driver of that. if you take out all of the internalized homophobia, satoru is still a sub (in this verse) for other reasons related to jujutsu, status, and power. he's an internalized homophobe, not an internalized misogynist lmfao. we'll get into that more later, probably.

anyway, those are just some of my thoughts on the themes of string theory and some of satoru's characterization. definitely send me more specific sections if you want to hear more @detta-pica, I'd love to continue yapping :)

one other thing i could talk about is some of the writing style/syntax i use for satoru. i feel like that's something i've mentioned here and there but haven't necessarily covered explicitly. i'd have to narrow in on a section for that, though, probably. and maybe it would be interesting to compare string theory to fellas stylistically. (string theory is Intense Satoru, whereas I know I can't realistically write all of fellas with the same level of atmosphere/detail and keep the plot moving at a reasonable pace, so fellas is a bit lighter).

anyway, i hope this was a fun read! i'm always happy to talk more about characterization, too. i hope the text always gets across what i am trying to say implicitly, but it's nice to talk about it explicitly too.

[scarlet--wiccan]

hi!

idk if you’ve said anything abt this before, i tried looking but didn’t see anything— so apologies if i missed it.

what’s your thoughts on the mcu wanda’s skin in rivals? personally i can’t help but think it feels really weird… like i get that they’re doing mcu skins for a lot of characters but it’s especially odd to me to have her be white but like nearly the same otherwise? idfk.

but i think its ESPECIALLY weird to me bc like, peni parker’s ven#m skin is still japanese and not black— despite the ven#m in the comics being black. like if they’re gonna race change for wanda to be white on a skin why ain’t they doing it for other characters, rather than just have them cosplay? like, choose one or the other. the whole thing feels a bit odd.

not to say i dislike all the character design in rivals (i think a lot of it is really quite good) and i enjoy the game. but like. hmmmm.

Again, I have to ask you guys to edit these messages down and make them more concise. This could have been one or two short paragraphs.

I mentioned the M C U costume briefly when it was first leaked. At the time, the discrepancy in her skin tone was not yet apparent. I did write about it later on Twitter, which you obviously wouldn't find here. You're welcome to read that thread, but it attracted a lot of bad faith arguments.

Realistically, I'm not surprised that the game includes M C U costumes, and I'm not going to waste my time or energy getting upset about it. The choice to actually change the character model's skin tone to be more in-line with the actress is strange-- I don't believe any other characters in the game undergo this dramatic of a shift, so it definitely stands out. For anybody who is sensitive to issues of race and representation, seeing a character who was designed as a woman of color be literally, visually turned white is jarring. The developers are clearly aware of Wanda's Romani background and were intent on representing that by taking cues from her current design in the comics. This awareness and sensitivity makes the literal whitewashing stand out even more.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's a perfect solution to this. Retroactively making Olsen's character into a Romani woman of color, as they did in the TVA comic, is awkward in its own right-- but I agree that treating it is as cosplay is probably a better option. Let the characters dress up as their movie counterparts, rather than trying to make them actually be their movie counterparts. For Wanda, at least, I think that would have been a better way to commit to their intention.

I also want to add something that I brought up in the Twitter thread-- as important as it is for Romani characters to be represented with darker skin and ethnic features, superficial details like skin tone are ultimately less important than historical + narrative context. We know that the M C U versions of Wanda and Billy are emblematic of whitewashing and Jewish erasure, and that this informs many problematic aspects of their portrayal. This is why we have to be critical when they show up outside of the M C U-- especially in comics, and especially in pieces like this. It saddens me that so many fans lack maturity and insight to have that conversation with going "but the multiverse," or pulling up older artwork where the characters look white.

[im-0-0]

Everytime I listen to "Sweet Life" by Frank Ocean, I always think of Xavier bc specific parts of the song remind me of his life and character.

(Mini yap session incoming and light spoilers for his Lightseeker myth and maybe his anecdote “When Shooting Stars Fall”)

And P.S. This may not be the most concise analysis bc I’m sometimes not that good at breakdowns when it comes to verbalizing them but I hope this makes sense and I’m somewhat accurate in my interpretations and explanations of his lore😭.

First of all the "sweet life" to me could mean Xavier's life as a prince, filled with riches, comfort, wealth, etc.

The lines after that, "You've had a landscaper and a house keeper since you were born." are literally describing what we can assume is the kind of life Xavier had; landscapers who tended to the lavish gardens in the castle his parents owned and housekeepers who tended to his every need since he was born because that's what royalty usually has from our understanding.

"The starshine always kept you warm. So why see the world, when you got the beach? Don't know why see the world, when you got the beach.” If that isn’t Xavier coded I don’t know what is because this man has so many space and star references to him it’s impossible to not think of him when you hear that line.

The fact him and MC have always had special moments between them under the stars either watching them like in his anecdote “When Shooting Stars Fall” or in his Lightseeker myth where MC gifts Xavier the star tassels for his sword, it makes sense that Xavier would find comfort and warmth in being surrounded by stars and it would be so Xavier coded.

The second lines after that could have double meanings in my opinion. The “world” could refer to both MC or the literal outside world.

Like why bother to go out of your way to leave this “beach” and “sweet life” you have of riches, royal status, and comfort for a girl? Or to go to the outside world to write the wrongs of your people? Those who look at Xavier could judge a lot of his decisions because sacrificing your people to stop one person from being sacrificed seems so out of left field and unreasonable, but as we know, it’s more than that for Xavier because MC’s influenced Xavier way more than we know. She was the first person to see him for him and not for shat he can do or his titles, and he holds that fast very dear to him because that kind of love and care is new to him and what’s he’s needed, so he realized that the sacrifices of his family and planet of an immortal body is not right in the long run, so he tires to stop it and find another solution while also finding MC (At least to my limited understanding because I’m still a bit new to the game and lore).

The bridge here specifically is what gets me because it says “And the water, is exactly what I wanted. It's everything I thought it would be. But this neighborhood is gettin' trippier every day. The neighborhood is goin' ape shit crazy.”

To me this reads as Xavier’s realization that Philos is not as it is seems when he found out that Philos uses human sacrifices to fuel the energy that keeps it alive and MC is the next person to be sacrificed. He’s realizing this “neighborhood” isn’t as it seems. That it’s even more dangerous than he thought it was here. I see it as kind of his wake up call and realization of the truth behind the lavish life he lives and why he may not have felt so connected to it alongside the issues with his father and not wanting to be king (which I’m oh so hoping Infold expands on next story update if we get a new Xavier branch or a new myth card).

This song jsut screams Xavier and his battle with identity and his past, I just love it.

MY SHAYLAAAAAA pls get a story branch next update and come home early for your next myth🥹

[quinn-ro]

May Brawlstars Fanfic Updates

(cuz whoops, i’ve been slacking on announcing them out here…)

Also, for the sake of not keeping yall in the dark i figured it would be nice to get into the habit of giving some updates every now and then (im thinking bimonthly but we’ll see).

The Perfect Pair - Sorta-rerelease of a oneshot i posted (originally called Loving Machine). Basically added a new chapter’s worth of stuff at the end, including more moments with Lawrie and Nani, stuff about the Junkers (with a surprise Penny appearance), and a whole conversation between Larry and R-T. Read em here -> [1] [2]

Sleeping On The Job - The sandy fic! Chapters 4 (and technically 5) have been out for a while now (i forgot if i did an announcement post for pt1 but ill just put it again) -> [4] [4pt2]

Also, big milestone: we just reached 1k hits on this one! thank u all so much for the support and stay tuned for the next part (coming soon, but in the meantime have a lil sneak peek under the cut down below)

Locked In - New project! Started a multichapter fic about the Gift shop trio, featuring Edgar, Colette and Griff, along with some other brawlers making appearances (like the hub trio. cuz writing them is like crack to me, apparently). Definitely starts out way lighter/cartoony than the others, but… we’ll get to sotj level eventually ;) -> [1] [2]

IN PROGRESS (i have fics other than these that im working away at, but for conciseness here are the closest/most likely to release soon-ish):

Larry oneshot - Another new one (talk abt stretched thin...). Admittedly very cheesy lol, based on a That Handsome Devil song and the angels vs demons event. Don’t expect too much from it btw, it’s just a one-chapter side project born from my habit of maladaptive daydreaming to spotify…

Locked In Chapter 3 - I have a good chunk of it already written (particularly the hub trio bit). Whats left is mostly a matter of tying together the edgar-GS trio bits, which probably wouldnt take too long

Belle fic, Colt/Shelly oneshot - I've been talking them up in hc posts for so long (especially Colt) that it's about damn time I actually debut some fics about them. Both fics are prequels (one's way more prequel-er than the other), and definitely have a different tone than anything brawlstars ive put out. But I hope it's enjoyable (bc i still have a fair bit more I wanna write about with them).

Also, yes. This genfic writer gave in. It's a Sholt fic. I am finally, finally writing a non-gen fic on AO-fucking-3. (kudos NOW!)

SOTJ Chapter 5 - Finally wrapped up those npc chapters and got to Sandy actually interacting with brawlers again (leon *coughcough*). On a sidenote, I really do plan on finishing this one, rest assured, whether it takes 1 or 10 more years for me to do so. I have the whole rest of the story outlined, including the ending, and it’s really just the writing-it-down in a coherent way part that gives me months-long hang ups. But here’s a random bit of C5 I’ve written so far:

10-something-A.M. - Sneaky (Peek-y) Time

“Come on, one and all! Take a look at this final illusion…” 

The crowd gathers around Leon in awe, as he takes out a potato sack from his back pocket. “Behold!" he announces, "and witness ‘Tara Bazaari’s Mysterious Sack... of Mystery!”

The crowd oohs and ahhs at the bag.

“They say, at the bottom of this sack… is a blaack holeee! And any coins you put into it, mysteriously disappears…” Leon shouts, his words full of infectious energy and pep that could put a seasoned car salesman to shame. “And now… you too! Can get yourself a sack of mystery! Yessir— for only 15 coins you can get yourself a limited-edition ultra rare super mega-awesome TARA BAG! Yes, now you can put your OWN coins in a bag, and make your OWN coins disappear, YOURSELF!” He grabs a single golden coin from from a random unknowing customer’s back pocket. “Watch and learn!” 

Leon places the coin into the bag. It falls through the gaping hole in its side and loudly rolls onto the floor. The customers don’t notice, or care. They only care about the fact that the bag is now empty.

“Where did it go?!” One man shouts, the coin rolling on the floor.

“It must’ve been teleported somewhere…”

“Wow! That bag is amazing!”

“I’ll take ten— no— THIRTY!”

“I’ll take your entire stock!”

The crowd goes wild. Leon takes out his regular sack of taking-people’s-money and collects the customers coins, handing out the hole-filled bags as he does. 

As the crowd disperses, Sandy, still in his groggy state after just waking up from his micro-nap, walks over to him.

“Leon…" Sandy groans, "why are you selling the cornerstore’s old reusable grocery bags…”

“Well—”

“...that they threw away… because people kept complaining about how they sucked…?”

In the distance, a customer puts coins in his recently obtained sack, before suddenly, the bag’s seams undo and the coins fall to the ground.

“Aw man!” he complains, “where am I supposed to put my coins now?” 

“Sir!” Leon calls out, “Would you like a new bag?”

He gasps. “I would!”

Leon dashes over to him, and hands him another bag. Before the man could reach down to pick up his fallen coins, Leon quickly snatches them up.

“H-Hey! My coins!”

“Never said it was free.” He shrugs and pockets the money, disappearing into the crowd before the customer complains further. He laughs. “I swear, these guys are so gullible. They’re all like, NPCs or something!”

[hey psst, also, if youre interested in beta-reading, feel free lmk by sending me a message (i dont bite i promiseee)]

[6lostgirl6]

Omg, I've waited forever! Could I request an Adam Driver x gender neutal reader where they're his assistant on a movie set but they're super quiet and a bit intimidated by him. The reader is almost too quiet. After like a week of them tip-toeing around him afraid he's going to explode at any second Adam pulls them aside and tell them they're the best assisnt and gives them a big old bear hug the reader has a small meltdown of relif because they we're worried he was gonna flip out and fire them or worse.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Not What He Seems

Pairing: Actor!Kylo Ren x Assistant G/n!Reader

TW: Cursing

A/N: Hello Anon, this was such an amazing request and absolute joy to write! I do not write for actors so this is an AU where Kylo Ren is an actor rather than Adam Driver! I hope you enjoy this! Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Word Count: 1.1k

Gif Credit: @lux-ace

There are benefits to working as an assistant in Hollywood, and you can't help but be thankful for having the opportunity. However, as with any profession, there were always drawbacks. When you worked as their assistant, you had to deal with obnoxious celebs, greedy directors, you name it. But you never imagined that one of the best performers of the decade would hire you as his assistant.

As an actor who took his roles seriously, Kylo Ren gave interviews that were concise and even a little cold. During the first two weeks after being assigned, you were tremendously anxious. You would mumble a humble "yes, sir" in response to Kylo's requests and then dash off to finish your tasks. Without a doubt, you didn't linger by his side any longer than necessary.

You respected him, yet you couldn't help but feel terrified. You can still remember the first day you met him as his new assistant.

You were in the middle of scanning through the roll call, checking the room to make sure everyone was accompanied. Earlier that day, you spent the last two hours answering phone calls for the director. It was very tiring, and you were happy to handle another task that didn't require much energy. However, it changed when your boss appeared with a grin on his face.

"(Y/N), I have another task for you during your time on this set." The director said, his pointer finger beckoning for you to approach him. The director was an older man with graying hair and a mustache in a gray-toned suit.

You tried not to outwardly sigh before getting up, keeping your clipboard in your hand as you approached.

"Yes, Sir?" You asked, looking up at the director with a professional expression on your face. "What exactly do you need me to do?"

The director could only grin more before replying, Yes, actually, you're going to be an assistant for our male lead! Do you think you can manage that?"

Oh great, another one.

Your professional mask slipped for a moment, and your eyes showed a hint of disapproval. However, you knew you weren't exactly in a position to refuse his request. "Of course, who will I be assisting, Sir?"

"That would be him." The director said, turning behind him before pointing across the room.

You glanced at where he was pointing, and you almost felt your heart drop to your stomach. Across the room, observing all the equipment with sunglasses concealing his eyes, was Kylo Ren.

"Sir, are we sur-" You started to say before the director interrupted you. He has a horrible habit of doing that.

"Try not to upset him too much; his last assistant was fired, and you know how that goes around here."

Your eyes widened as your mind processed what was being said. Before you could recover and politely ask to assist in something else, the director walked away, throwing a casual 'thanks' over his shoulder.

Great.

Your eyes returned to the towering presence observing the equipment; his face was stone-cold, and his concealed eyes made him seem like an enigma. You hesitated before checking the role call once more, hoping that perhaps he arrived at the wrong set and the director didn't check his cast like usual.

However, you were severely disappointed when, towards the bottom of the roll call, his name was mentioned.

Kylo Ren, Leading Male.

You were totally screwed.

It has been a few weeks and Kylo was seated in his very own director's chair, which featured his name attached to the back using velcro. Kylo was never fond of those chairs since they made his back ache when he sat in them. That, however, did not concern him in the slightest. Ever since he was given his newest assistant, he has always been left in a state of confusion or bewilderment.

He was certainly not oblivious; he was aware that his assistant had been avoiding him or making an effort to leave earlier than necessary. You only exchanged a few words with him, but you were always exact and prompt in your responses to his demands. He couldn't deny that you were his best assistant, but he couldn't understand why you were so afraid around him. He was eager to discover the reality of the situation.

"(Y/N)." Kylo muttered, appearing behind you while you were organizing the beverages on the table.

You jerked, almost dropping the soda cans you were holding. Before you could drop the beverages to the ground, you quickly set them down on the table and turned to face Kylo.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Ren?" You replied, your neck craned back due to his towering frame. You were so nervous that you could hardly stand still as you silently prayed that you hadn't done something wrong that you weren't aware of. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, actually."

Oh, fuck.

From your silence, Kylo proceeded to remove his sunglasses, revealing his hazel eyes. You noticed that he appeared to shuffle a little, almost as if he were feeling awkward. You couldn't help but be a little curious about what he needed to say at this point.

"I've noticed you've been avoiding me, and I want to know why that is." He said, looking down at you with his face remaining neutral.

"Sir, I didn't mean-"

"Listen, I just want to understand why you seem afraid of me." He explained, before crossing his arms. "I think you owe me that much."

"I'm sorry..." You muttered, your eyes brimming with tears. You avoided his gaze, instead facing the ground.

When Kylo noticed the tears forming in your eyes, his eyes widened. He couldn't help but feel almost ashamed and somewhat guilty about upsetting you.

"Please, don't cry..." He muttered, watching as the tears began falling from your eyes. He hesitated before stepping forward, slowly wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug.

You gasped quietly, the unexpected hug catching you off guard. However, it wasn't unwelcomed as you slowly returned the embrace. Your head rested on his chest, and you listened to his breaths to calm down.

"Look..." He paused before continuing, "You're the best assistant I've ever had; you don't need to cry."

"Y-You're not going to fire me...?" You asked softly, sniffling.

"No, I'm not going to fire you." He chuckled, finding the idea a little absurd. "You can just...relax more around me, alright?"

He pulled away before putting his large hands on your shoulders, peering down at you with a small smile. "Can you do that for me?"

Without thinking, your own smile was appearing on your face, making you feel more calm.

"Yeah, I can do that." You whispered, nodding your head.

"Good." He replied before straightening up, his hands returning to his sides. He turned slightly, giving you one last glance before putting his sunglasses back on and walking away.

Spam Liking w/o Reblogging = Blocked

Taglist: Comment to be added!!

@prettywhenibleed @britany1997 @leiasolo77 @rottent33th @slaasherslut @bookworm-with-coffee

[pixie-felix]

I totally meant to send this in before any other asks but I think I read your little health update in the morning time that day then forgot about it / got distracted by cuteness aggression I.N by the time I was able to write in and didn’t send this.

But I love you and I’m wishing the best for you! Charging up all the sparkles! ✨❤️ I don’t have any advice (and boy do I wish I did) but sending big hugs. I’m glad that you’re doing a little bit better it seems!

Funny thing when I read your update in that post it prompted me to think about imagery/extended metaphor that describes how I think MY brain functions and balanced its problems because it seemed a little different from yours and I started to type that out but was like “wait there’s NO way to make this as concise as it needs to be to keep it from derailing the whole point of this”. Conciseness is not my strength. But there’s a slight, small possibility you haven’t noticed that since I’m able to attempt self editing my sentences to make them make sense when writing. Whereas when I’m talking irl, I feel the need to over explain every detail and it takes forever for me to actually finish a sentence / get to the point. Overexplaining, and the tangents giving the history of everything. Unless it’s a day where I only have the energy / mental capacity to give one words answers anytime someone talks to me. UGH. Leaving this paragraph in because maybe you’ll find it funny that I totally derailed while talking about NOT doing that.

Another funny thing I realized is that one of the little stories on my list of “smut offerings for pixie” is a technically two-parter that involves mandatory movie nights and ice cream. Two things I’ve already used before.

But you have that to look forward to! Among others. Thank you for taking all the time to read and respond to my messages, you’re the best. Love you, big hugs, treat yourself! 😘

- 🥝

KIWI YOU ANON YOU DARLING 😭 I don't know what I did to deserve all your nice words, but I'm very grateful that you're in my life. I'm usually pretty anxious about messaging people, anon or not, so I'm extra grateful that you reached out with your first ask and started sharing your thoughts with me and letting me add in to them.

I solemnly swear that have never read anything you've sent and thought "well, this could've been more concise" or "I wish kiwi anon would use less words", (I will never want you to use less words, I want all of your words, your brain is one of my favourite places to hang out) so your self editing is definitely working.

Please know that you don't have to self edit here, I love a good ramble. And a tangent.

I don't know if it's the same, but in real life I "over explain" a lot. Lore and connections are my thing. Seriously, "Story Time with Pixie" is a genuine thing with my friends. It's kind of a running joke: seeing how long we hang out before ✨something✨ happens that reminds me of ✨this other thing✨. And then I'll have a whooooole tale to tell.

I used to (and occasionally sometimes still) get very self concious about it, how my brain interconnects everything and I end up using 100 words when 10 would do...

I'm really glad you left your explanitory paragraph in! See, to me it didn't feel like you derailed at all- though I'm sure you self edited it. It might be an autism thing, but my brain likes as much information and backstory as possible, so to me there is no such thing as over explaining.

I know I used the term a couple of paragraphs up, but the more I think about it the more I realise that yeah, to me there's no such thing as over explaining. Tell me all of the things. Give me all the little connective bits and random thoughts and facts.

That's how conversation is supposed to work, isn't it? I guess to the people who don't think that way, I just don't interact with much (probably because I'll find them a little boring and feel like I need to the entertainment for them).

....I feel like I've gone off on SEVERAL tangents here, but every time I try to read this back my brain thinks up more things to say and it's getting very loud in my head 😅.

TL,DR: (lmao the irony here) I don't want conciseness! I want you and all your thoughts! Please don't feel like you need to edit yourself here, this is our cosy safe space for our thoughts and rambles. Just be comfortable and write what you want, because I'll always read it with a big silly smile on my face.

YOU HAVE A LIST OF SMUT OFFERINGS FOR ME!? 😭🫣 I feel very blessed. And also kind of deity like, the idea of having offerings. I'll make sure not to let it go to my head. I am but the vessel and the smut gods work through me 🙏.

I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS TWO PARTER WITH MANDATORY MOVE NIGHTS AND ICE CREAM (pretty please). Also the rest of them.

The next thing of yours I'll reply to is probably going to be the vampire post, because it is glorious and I think I'm starting to have enough brain power to give it the attention it deserves. (Also, linking back to this post: THE LORE DROP. YES. THANK YOU. 🙏🙏🙏)

I hope you are keeping well kiwi anon 🫶 thank you for still sending me things and not getting mad when it takes me a while to reply. My brain might not love me hugely but it loves you! As does the rest of me 🫶

...that doesn't sound creepy at all.

[inthiseternalmoment]

Visiting Bahá’í Again

Day 2 of journaling and I’ve moved to Tumblr, plus I feel like a little boy again in more ways than one 🫢

9/3/2023

I started journaling yesterday and as you know, I’m serious about everything I do (he said seriously). So I started thinking about my options when it came to where I would store my entries and it was important to me that I could refer back to them from wherever, whenever.

I considered Pages on Mac, the Day One journaling app, and then Medium and Tumblr. I landed on Tumblr because I could post freely on here with no expectation that my writing is pretty/concise/witty/informative (Medium) and my writing could live online for free (which excluded Pages and Day One).

These posts are for me and by me, and while I don’t mind if people see these, I don’t want to write for anyone else. As a recovering people pleaser I am done existing/creating for others, and this diary/journal is no exception. If you as a reader resonate with these entries, awesome! But I’m at peace knowing that I can come back and read these.

Just like the rest of us, I’m on a journey of expansion and it’s important to me to be able to look back on the many moments I had throughout my life.

The last time I journaled was in high school, and it’s been almost 10 years since then. I’m doing this as a way to come back to myself, but also as a way to get down the absolutely chaotic thoughts and feelings that I have as a smol human.

Yes, I’m a spiritual fractal of one of many divine sparks of source/god/the universe/all that is and I’m just expanding my awareness of that with each day, post by post. 🧎🏻‍♂️

Aprille and I obviously cleared the air and got back onto the same page as we always do, and always will. She even answered questions for me about Tumblr as she was a regular user back in high school (I just used it for *orn).

Today we went all the way up north to Evanston where there is a temple called Bahá’í House.

“Yes Smoking” and a very useful CTA sign

Butterfly synchronicities I’ve been noticing of lately and a really pretty shot of the empty L

On the way to the temple, I saw cicada shells for the first time since childhood back in Okinawa/Hateruma and I got so excited! It was like I was a little boy again looking at all the cicada shells on trees. What’s funny is that just yesterday I wrote about the cicada I spotted on the tree that flew away with piss, and now I got to see even more of this childhood creature. These synchronicities are insane, man.

All the different cicadas I saw (there were more but then I would’ve taken a picture at every tree and we had a temple to see 😤)

The main temple is absolutely beautiful and I’m so happy I randomly came across it while exploring the edges of the CTA on Google Maps.

We sat inside for a while and meditated – I took the opportunity to practice the karma-clearing energy exercise in Voyages 2 as well the general meditation I learned from Dr. Steven Greer and what I remember of a basic white-flame meditation I remembered Eric Jacobsen (Seattle tattoo artist) told Aprille and I about. There’s a little child-like hope in me that was wishing that my meditations were stronger this time around because they were done in such a spiritual place, but who knows 🥴

Afterwards we took the Purple line back to Davis to eat in downtown Evanston. We originally intended to each at 527 Cafe but they were only doing takeout so we were redirected to Todoroki, a Hibachi sushi place.

Yummy sushi hibachi baby ooo 😔

While waiting for our mobile order at 527 Cafe (they had some yogurt rice drinks we could not pass up), we checked out the beach.

I love discovering cool spots just by walking around, and this place is no exception 🥰

It feels amazing to be coming back to myself in this way. I loved writing, and now I can write and get my feelings off my chest when I have them.

As for my feelings from yesterday: today the revelation came to me while talking to Aprille that I need to enjoy this time being single. There will come a time that I will no longer be single, and as strange as it may seem, there are unique aspects of being separation with a romantic partner that I can explore now – and I should. Honestly, I prefer to look at things this way compared to the “woe is me” energy from yesterday. Not that I won’t have more days like yesterday BUT this understanding helps ground me. Which is something I can really use 😪

I’m not sure that every post will be this detailed, but that’s fine too. I think I needed to do it just to do it and that’s reason enough.

[wishing4nuclearwinter]

Nereids [Fallout Lore Overview]

Finally doing a lose lore write up for the mutations Varmint has. They developed due to radioactive waste running into the ocean that Varmint’s fishing village is on in northern NCR and can only be found there and in Far Harbor. They are, in essence, maritime predators.

Traits of Nereids:

Generally tall in stature with an extremely wide wing span and large hands and feet for propulsion in the water. They sport dense muscle partially hidden beneath a permanent layer of “baby fat” that acts as insulation in freezing waters. Their body temperature adapts to their environment and they can easily withstand the cold, but are particularly vulnerable to dry heat with an increased risk of heat stroke or exhaustion.

Natural endurant, they have lower oxygen needs, slower resting heart rate, and can withstand higher pressures.

Gills run down either side of their torso and allow full water breathing. While they are protected by flaps of cartilage and skin, they remain somewhat fragile and highly sensitive.

They also have a set of third, clear eyelids that are used to help them see more clearly underwater and protect their eyes. Night vision is enhanced to a certain degree.

Their body hair is very sparse and thin, similar to peach fuzz. The tips of their fingers are equipped with additional grippers for catching slippery prey. The texture is similar to that of a cat’s tongue. Some Nereids are born with webbed hands and/or feet, but not all.

They have a slightly echoing quality to their voices which is especially noticeable when singing or yelling and are able to throw their voices much further than standard humans. These adaptions help them to communicate underwater

Radiation resistance comes with the territory but, though it is unlikely to kill them, they may experience the effects of radiation sickness at high doses. It remains unclear whether a Nereid can undergo ghoulification or not.

Notes on culture:

Nereids only account for about a fourth of the village's population and as a result, they mutations are highly coveted within the community. They are appointed as hunters to bring in fish for both food and trade and are considered the backbone of their economy.

Breeding with other nereids is preferred to keep the mutations strong. For a nereid to move away from the village is highly frowned upon for fear of the mutations dying out and will be met with attempts to force them back. If they do not concede to these efforts, they are cut off fully from all contact with friends and family.

As a result, seeing one away from the village is extremely rare.

Notes on Far Harbor Nereids:

Sport very similar mutations with a few editions and developments placing them further from humans. They have never been in contact or known about their west coast counterparts and their mutations are more convergent evolution than anything.

They are not directly related to Mirelurk Kings either but underwent some similar changes. As a result most have pink or red skin tones. In the same vein they can use sonic attacks by projecting their voices. The echoing of their voices on land is more pronounced and noticeable than in their west coast counterparts.

They have random sections of scales scattered over parts of their bodies and all of them have webbed hands/feet, often with claws.

[fioras-resolve]

i really pity the localization team behind Bravely Default. i'm not talking about the bravo bikini thing, or the aging up of the characters, those are topics that were broached in 2012. i'm talking about attempting to capture the energy of the many, many move names in a game that was designed for a Japanese audience.

like, the Arcanist moves are all named with a single Kanji. The move that inflicts doom is 屍, Shikabane, and this was translated literally as Corpse. The move that instakills any sleeping unit is 昏, Tasogare, and it is also translated literally as Twilight. the passive that increases magic power if the user's MP stat ends in 0 is 零, Rei, which is translated directly as Zero. while i can't deny that these are, in fact, what the words translate to, i can't help but feel like something was lost in translation, particularly the conciseness of writing everything with a single character.

Swordmaster has the opposite problem. this job's skill names are all Japanese proverbs or other turns of phrase. The first skill you get with it is 海老で鯛を釣る, Ebi de Tai wo Tsuru, which literally translates to "To catch a sea bream with a shrimp." It's a metaphor for making a small investment and getting big returns, which is a decent name for a skill where you wait to get attacked at half damage before countering at double damage. But the problem is twofold. One is that there's not a great English equivalent. Like the Bravely wiki says "Something for Nothing" could also work as a translation, but that leads to the second problem: You can't fit an entire English sentence in the confines of a command menu. English text just takes up more space than Japanese does, as we saw earlier with Arcanist having a four-syllable word written with one character. So how did they localize this command? Well, it's called Nothing Ventured. They tried to find equivalent versions of each. So we get move names like Squeaky Wheel and Before Swine, which to me read awkward as hell and barely feel like they match with what their skills do at all? Like one lowers enemy BP and another is a magical counterattack? Probably the most nightmare thing to translate is the final skill for this job, 薩摩守, Satsuma no Kami, literally The Governor of Satsuma. It removes MP cost for two turns. I'm sure that makes sense if you know Japanese history and about the Satsuma Rebellion, but it's too long for a skills menu and also uncommon knowledge in America. So the command was renamed to Free Lunch.

Another thing lost in translating every skill to English is the fact that, well, some skills were named in English to begin with. Specifically in Katakana, Japanese's transcription system for non-Japanese words. If I were to make a guess as to why Sky Knight's skills like Crescent Moon and Genocide (translated to Crescent Moon and Decimate respectively) were in English to begin with, I'd wager it's because English is a really easy way to sound cool to a Japanese audience. Merchant skills like Acquisition (translated as Payoff), Ripoff (translated as Salesman), and Speculate (kept as is), on the other hand, were probably that way because Merchant is, you know, the capitalist job, and it's hard to get more capitalist than the English-speaking world. But the problem is that the choice to have these skills be English words is lost when, for the localization, every skill has to be written in English.

I can talk about how a lot of these localization choices kind of water down the appeal a lot of these moves had in the original Japanese, but I want to stress here that being the translator on a game that is unapologetically by and for a Japanese audience is an unenviable task. It's something I've been thinking a lot about as I get into my own localization efforts, even though a whole Japanese game is obviously a lot more difficult to localize than a short Toki Pona one-shot fic. But it's really interesting, and I hope I've managed to convince somebody reading this of that too.

[sk-lumen]

Hi dear Lumen,

Do you have any tips on how to study more effectively and/ or memorize better because it would help a lot. Thank you🤍 Have a great day/evening!

Hi darling,

As you may know, I am a maestra at organizing, creating systems, and simplifying things in order to maximize efficiency - and that applies for studying as well. 📚

1. Learn how you learn, in order to learn better!

I often emphasize the importance of self-knowledge and working with instead of against yourself. In this case, that translates as working with your abilities instead of forcing yourself to learn in a dry, outdated, uniform manner that doesn't align with you, just because school, college, or your family says so.

Are you a visual learner (through the eyes)? Then write down your lessons in a concise, aesthetic manner, this will help you memorize easier. Add diagrams, illustrations, or even just sketches related to the lesson, as it further helps with memorizing.

Are you an auditive learner (by listening and speaking)? Then read your lessons out loud. Record yourself if it helps, play it back until you can recite it back. Ask friends to help with rehearsing for extra support.

Are you a haptic learner (by touch and feeling)? - This one's more tricky, but you can employ some activity while studying, such as braiding, tapping your fingers or feet, gesturing, etc.

There are theories of other types of learning, as mentioned here and here. If the above 3 don't apply to you, do a quick research to see what resonates with you more, in order to find a more efficient technique. It can make all the difference in your study routine.

2. Figure out a routine that works for you.

Do you study better in the evening/at night? When it’s quiet and nobody is disturbing you and your schedule is clear? You may be a night owl and it’s your natural circadian rhythm to have higher brain activity and energy towards the evening/night - if so, take advantage of it.

Do you study better in the morning? Because you feel fresh and focused? You’re likely an early bird, so arrange your study schedule to follow this rhythm accordingly, you'll be much more productive.

If you have a chaotic schedule that doesn't allow much flexibility for the above, simply work with your available schedule to the best of your ability. Move household chores and other errands around so that your peak efficiency timeframe can be used for the bulk of your studying.

3. Additional tips:

Do rewards help in completing a task? If yes, try something useful like taking a sip of water after reading 3 paragraphs, or that you can watch your favorite show after finishing studying, or going to the museum, or whatever it is that makes you excited at the moment!

Do you have a short attention span? Don’t worry about it, just divide your studying in brief intervals of 30-60 min, with a small break inbetween to keep your concentration sharp. If you start to get distracted, remember why you’re doing this (your academic goals, whatever they are), and if that doesn’t work, maybe you just need some fresh air or a cup of tea to start fresh.

If you have issues staying on track, you can ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable by checking up on you.

Don’t forget to make studying enjoyable as possible: use colorful stationary, set up a nice desk that fills you with pleasure or excitement when you see it (ie. plants, lighting, pretty decor, books organized in a satisfying way, etc), a fluffy pillow against your back, the list goes on. Get creative! This is your space.

Another way to make studying enjoyable is thinking out of the box. If you prefer a more streamlined, digital system, use an app that makes the process of studying more enjoyable - whether it’s something as basic as the native Notes app on macOS, Word docs, or a professional tool like Ulysses where you can organize everything to your heart’s content.

Visual inspiration and moodboards: you can also browse through Pinterest boards for inspiration or even follow Tumblr studyblr-ers to make studying as a process more aesthetic and appealing. There is a truth that the imagery we expose ourselves to inspires our actions; when you have your dashboard filled with pretty desks and notebooks and tidy handwriting from bookblr and studyblr content, it can boost your motivation. (Just be mindful not to fall into the trap of unhealthy perfectionism, or associating your self-worth with productivity - neither of those things will help you in any way, and will only cause anxiety, low productivity and self-worth issues.)

If you fall off track, don't be hard on yourself. It happens to the best of us. If you really want to finish what you started, just do what you can, take it one step at a time, and remember that you only fail if you stop trying. Give yourself space to do your best (even if that is 5% on some days, it's still good enough), and improve along the way. You can do this! 👏🏻👏🏽👏🏿

Hope this helps. Good luck and have a productive day/evening ahead to all ambitious ladies! 💞 ☕️

-Lumen

[notrixxtarot]

✨ How to Make Your Own Sigils ✨ (and how to use them!)

This is how I, personally, make my sigils and reap the greatest rewards. You can use whatever methods you see best fit, or use sigils someone else has made with their permission.

Before I start, I clean up my room and my altar to rid my room of stagnant or negative energy. I clean my room, then sound cleanse the space to ensure that nothing is sticking around to steal my energy, or mess up my sigil-making process. If this is something I feel I really want, or may need, I will light a candle of the corresponding color to meditate with. 

1. Think of a phrase or word that portrays what you want in a concise manner. If you choose a phrase, make sure that it is written in present tense like you already have it. If you do not, then you may internally block yourself from being able to acquire your desires. Also, ensure that it will benefit you for the better and harm none intentionally. 

DO: 

I am happy.

Happy. 

I have abundance.

Confidence.

Prosperity.

DON’T:

I want to have more money.

I need to grow my account.

Please, please, please, please, give me [thing].

2. Write it out, cross out any repeating letters or vowels. I write it out and cross out the letters a couple of times to make sure I didn’t miss any letters. The longer your phrase is, the harder this part will be, hence why it is better to start small.  

ABUNDANCE 

B D C

3. Use the letters to make a design, or assign the letters to a number using the chart given below.

B (2) D (4) C (3)

After assigning the letters to a number, write the numbers 1-9 in a circle, but not in order. Write them in whatever order feels right. You can change this whenever you want.

After you write out the circle of numbers, you are able to make your sigil design! In my example we are using the numbers listed earlier, starting in the center then going to each number (starting in the center isn’t necessary).

Now you have a basic shape for your sigil! You can stop here, or add more detail to your sigil. I, personally, turn my sigils into mini artworks because I am artistically inclined. You do not have to, but I feel like it helps focusing your intentions further if you put more work into it.

This is the final product! Use colors that correspond with what you want to amplify it.

I set them as my Lock Screen or Home Screen to put them in my subconscious mind. I also put them on rocks and sticky notes around my room, do whatever works!

Make sure you charge the sigil with your energy, or another energy, so it’ll work. ALWAYS protect yourself when trying something new. You can do this through grounding and meditation, candle work, sunlight, or moonlight. You may have to charge it again later, before it has served its purpose. I recommend charging them when you feel it’s energy turn stagnant, or once a month.

Here is a sigil I recently made that is more artsy.

If it works, it works, do what will work best for YOU.

There are millions of ways to make a sigil, so play around with it and find what works for you. Some simply people draw their intent, and that becomes their sigil, it varies so greatly. There is no wrong way to make a sigil.

Sigils can serve whatever purpose you give them, so put a lot of thought into whatever you ask for to ensure it is truly what you want.

Please do not use sigils to control others. (ie. “This person is in love with me” sigils)

Please protect yourself while trying new sigils. I have experienced firsthand what happens if you don’t protect yourself. Protect your energy.

[machifuwa]

- Sunshine - Sunny Side Episode 6

The night before the trip. At the Seisoukan

Tsukasa: Please excuse me! It's Tsukasa Suou from "Knights"! Is Sena-senpai here?

Kuro: You've got a lot of energy even though it's already night.

Sena, you got a visitor.

Izumi: What now, Kasa-kun? This isn't a day-care centre, you know?

Tsukasa: "What now"? Oh...?

Leo: Ooh, it's Suo~! What a coincidence that we meet at a place like this ☆

Tsukasa: Leo-san, I see that you are here as well. This will save more time then.

Leo: Hmm? Do you need something from me?

Tsukasa: Yes. Soー

Leo: Aah, wait! Don't tell me the answer just yet, I'll get paranoid!

You feel like your roommate kicked you out of your room, too? I know, I know. It's hard living together♪

Tsukasa: Umm, no. That's not the case. Leo-san, were you kicked out?

Leo: Yep. I was killing time by composing outside the room when Natsume asked me to go away for a delicate experiment.

And then, I ended up here. It's strange... did he teleport me?

Maybe Natsume used that kind of magic? That guy's like a wizard after all.

Izumi: Of course not. You can't see what's going on around you when you're concentrating, right?

And it seems like that guy couldn't handle you any longer.

Kuro: Just before I entered the room, I saw Tsukinaga absorbed in composing a piece of music.

When Hasumi-danna found out, he gave you a lecture. But it's fine now, he's no longer here.

Leo: Aah, So that's how it was. Keito's sermon was so long it sounded like a symphony~

I get it now! Thanks, Kuro♪

Kuro: Sure. Now that you've got to the bottom of it, why don't you listen to what Suou has to say?

Leo: Ah, right. I forgot about that.

Tsukasa: Please don't just forget about it.

It took longer than expected to produce this item, and it was a bit last minute. Please take a look at this.

Izumi: ..."Travel brochure"?

Tsukasa: [SSF] came up during a "Biblion" activity the other day, and everyone asked me how I would spend my time there and if there were any sights to see.*

But all I could think about was how our Live performance will go, so I had no idea how to answer their question.

Then, Hajime-kun suggested that I should make a "brochure".

Last year, he made a "brochure" with all the information about the destination of their Live performance, and it seemed to have helped everyone in "Ra*bits" a lot.

He also said that it helped them to interact with local customers.

Izumi: Hmm. It's concise and it's easy to read. It's pretty good, overall.

But did you really have to go to the trouble of making that? It would have been better if you could check it on your phone. Like an e-book, you know?

Tsukasa: I didn't really think that... Although it's thin and takes up little space, it's still a bit of luggage.

So, in the meantime, I'm going to create an e-book version. I will share it with everyone in "Hold Hands" when it's done.

Leo: Hey, Suo. What are these blank pages? There are several of them. Is it a printing error?

Tsukasa: It's the Memo section. I've left it open so that Leo-san can compose there whenever he feels like it.

If you were to write down your piece in the local architectures like what you usually do, we'd be kicked out.

Leo: I see! As expected of Suo! You're so clever!

Wahaha! I suddenly got inspired when I looked at the white pages!

I have to write it down before it disappears...☆

Tsukasa: Aah, please don't use the "brochure" just yet! If you're going to compose now, please do it on a different piece of paper!

Izumi: I think I saw a used paper earlier... Ah, here it is. Leo-kun, use this instead.

Tsukasa: Thank you, Sena-senpai. I've made this brochure based on my own preferences, I hope that's fine...

Izumi: It depends. We can't be so sure about this until we visit the site ourselves. And, it's possible that there won't be any inspiration for him at all.

We'll just have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't make a fool of himself.

...Hm? Something's vibrating. Is someone calling?

Tsukasa: It seems Onee-sama's calling me. Please excuse me for a minute.

Hello. Good afternoon, Onee-sama...♪

Izumi: He's talking with that cat-like voice of his, he's so happy to hear her voice. Maybe I should record this and play it for the newcomers.

Kuro: Ahaha. When it comes to Little Miss Anzu, he'll suddenly change into a young boy, just like the way he's supposed to be. She's like a God to him.

...Hm? That Suou, his face is getting all cloudy.

Izumi: He looks so obviously depressed. What are they talking about?

Tsukasa: Yes... yes. Please excuse me. Goodnight, Onee-sama.

……

Izumi: Ah, he's back.

What's wrong, Kasa-kun? Did you get scolded by that "Onee-sama" of yours?

Tsukasa: About that... As you know, Sena-senpai, Onee-sama was supposed to accompany us in this trip.

But she said that she'll miss the other days except the last day of the event because she has to attend to some other business.

This is the worst. I was thinking of places that I was supposed to take her when we're there...

Izumi: You've got bigger priorities than "Knights"? You're a bit cheeky for that Anzu, aren't you?

But, well, it can't be helped. That person's really busy, you know.

Tsukasa: I know. That's why I wanted her to rest her feathers far away from ES.

But you're right, we don't have a choice, and we're not babies who need to be taken care of.

And it is only because she really trusts us that she has decided that we don't need her to accompany us...

For the sake of our beloved Anzu-oneesama, let's try not to cause Trouble.

< EPISODE 6 END >

Notes:

1. Biblion is a circle that gathers out of love for books of all genres. While they primarily gather in the library, they sometimes read outside when the weather is nice. [source]

==========

Story: "Summer Breeze!" [Sunshine Shimmering in a Foreign Land]

Story by: ゆーます

Collaborator: 日日日

Season: Summer

Characters in this Episode: Tsukasa, Leo, Izumi, Kuro, Anzu

Reminder: I did not create this story, but I translated it, so please refrain from reposting my translation on other social media platforms.

I apologize if there are any mistakes as well.

(Prev - All - Next) Thank you for reading!

[supervisormeero]

You’re welcome, and thank you for reading! If you like what’s there so far, I do think it only gets better. I have two more chapters completed (one of which is 9,000 words by itself), and I’m currently working on the rest. When all’s said and done, I’m guessing it’ll be 7-9 chapters; I have no idea what the word count will end up as. I have a real inability to be concise.

We’re a lovely, small fandom and I haven’t been here all that long, but everyone’s been so kind. I think the Andor fandom on Tumblr in general seems pretty chill, and we all just want content. :’) I’m excited to see your work when you post it! I’ll take Keero in any form; domestic, angsty, all of it. And yes, “Frictious” is a reference to an interview with Kyle. It’s not technically a word, but… I’m choosing to make it a word. Hey, Kyle did!

Yeah, 70,000 words did take me a while, but I’m really loving writing them. I wrote myself into a corner with my original novel, so I figured I’d take a break and go back to fanfic for a bit. So far, I’m really enjoying it and plan to keep writing through the hiatus. (I’m thinking about Keero all the time, anyway. I might as well put that energy into something.)

Hi!

I’m fairly new to the andor fandom and recently discovered keero shipping. I saw in an ask you wrote to @hegodamask that you post keero fanfiction online and was wondering where I could read some of it if you don’t mind sharing :D

I’m kinda starved for content rn lol. Also, love your blog! Hope you have a wonderful day 🌸

Hello there!

Welcome to the Keero fandom! As you've undoubtedly seen there aren't a ton of us, so it's darn nice to have ya. Trust me, I know all about being content starved...

I don't mind sharing at all—thanks for your interest in my writing! I'm on AO3 as dedras_starpath_unit. I'm currently uploading a multichapter Keero fic that deals with how I think their story could unfold in Season 2, but I have a backlog of about 70,000 words' worth of other one-shots and short multichapters I've written since last November and never posted. The goal is to post weekly once AO3 is securely back up and running... we'll see how life does or doesn't allow me to do that. Point being: I have plenty of Keero to share with the world. Or unleash upon the world, I suppose, depending how you feel about the ship lol.

Hope you have a wonderful day, too!

[sweetbitterimpossiblecreature]

A Brief And Concise Summary Of Is Wrong With The ACOTAR Series

I think we can agree that a lot of ACOTAR is pretty iffy. Consider this a very brief refresher.

What's Wrong With Feyre/Rhysand (juxtaposed against Feyre/Tamlin)

Rhysand drugs and sexually assaults her in Book 1

This is "for her own good". Because he "has no choice". Despite the fact that, from what we know of the plot, Amarantha thinks that Clare Beddor was the one Rhysand was diddling, and is only interested in Feyre because Rhysand, "her" man male, has taken an interest in her.

If we extrapolate from this we can figure that Rhysand is the one directly putting her into danger.

Now, let's be clear: drugging someone is bad. Sexually assaulting someone is bad. One could argue there were extenuating circumstances. But if, in such a situation, what your mind goes to is "I know, I should assault this person... for their safety" I have questions about your moral qualities. There were a million things he could have done. He could have done whatever he did to Clare - that is, remove her ability to feel any pain - easily. He could have helped her escape. Under The Mountain, he - while still there unwillingly - has a lot of power, as Amarantha's side piece. Maybe this would have resulted in him being punished- however, he is hundreds of years old and a badass motherfucker, and she is a nineteen year old human girl.

Now, onto Tamlin. Obviously not a lot of people really ship F/T anymore after ACOMAF, because compared to F/R, it's boring. I read another person's post about it, which was very enlightening: they said that Feyre's personality is essentially a mirror. When she is with Rhysand, she's snarky and malicious- because she is "bouncing off" his energy. When she's with Mor she's super feminist and "in awe of her strength". On the other hand, Tamlin is kind of an empty character. He's a pretty boy with anger issues, which should be more interesting than it is. SJM manages to make him bland. Because Feyre has nothing to bounce off of, (a lot of this is from the person's post), she and Tamlin together is mainly just him introducing her to his world.

What Tamlin Does: prevents a skinny twenty year old from going on dangerous missions with him and combat-trained soldiers, accidentally blows up a room with her in it, and, at the end, prevents her from leaving the house.

This is not a Tamlin apologist post. Obviously it was really fucking gross of him to do that, and their relationship was toxic. However, a lot of his abuse stems from their inability to communicate, as well as own negligence. He does not knowingly and purposefully sexually assault her or rape her mind. And tbh, leaving a girl without combat training at home while he goes on missions with a bunch of muscled sentries is... kind of reasonable?

Again: not a Tamlin apologist post. It was abuse. However, if Rhysand is "allowed" to sexually assault, mind-rape, and drug Feyre "for her own safety", why is Tamlin demonized for preventing her from leaving his mansion "for her own safety"?

Another pertinent point: Rhys is never punished for sexually assaulting her. It is brushed off as part of his "mask" or that his hand was forced. Jesus Christ my dudes, his hand was not forced under her skirt. If he has to maintain his gross rapist abuser tyrant oppressor mask... why? Who did that benefit beside him? None of his actions remotely helped Prythian. They were done solely for his buddies - five people safe in a rich hidden city - and no one else, which is explicitly stated.

Finally, the power dynamic is fucked up. Feyre is less than twenty five years old. Rhysand is 500. There is a tendency in fantasy romance to romanticize a centuries year old man with a young girl, because the man does not show symptoms of age, and so it is easily ignorable. However, can we just briefly acknowledge how fucked up it is? Rhys is over five times older than Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, and other known predators/abusers. She is twenty. That is really fucking gross. She is in a vulnerable position and he takes rampant advantage of that.

If he had wrinkles, liver problems, and erectile dysfunction, more people would acknowledge it.

Let's be clear: I'm not saying writing a book with an uneven power dynamic is automatically bad. For example, in The Locked Tomb series, which is in my opinion THE BEST FANTASY SERIES THAT HAS GRACED THIS EARTH (lol i'm starting fires), one main character Harrowhark Nonagesimus is in a position of power over Gideon Nav, the other main character. However, this is not glossed over or romanticized. Gideon resents Harrow for this- there is a relationship of mutual antagonism, fraught with unwilling familiarity and intimacy from growing up together. They are roughly the same age. While there is a certain power dynamic (in that world, there is a dynamic of necromancer and cavalier, i.e. sorcerer and sword) the "empowered" character (Harrow) emphatically respects her and does not abuse this power, although both would of course deny this, and she does make a show of threatening and being aloof. In short, while Gideon obeys her, Gideon also has power over Harrow, and the idea of what is essentially slavery is not romanticized.

Feyre Doesn't Face Any Consequences For Her Own Actions

Let me present a radical notion: a guy preventing you from leaving his house does not justify completely fucking ruining his country and harming the people inside it.

In other words: Tamlin does not deserve what she did to him.

I know that sounds iffy. We're conditioned to think that if someone is an abuser, then they are the scum of the earth, they deserve to die, torturing/murdering/doing anything to them is completely A-OK. However, here's another radical notion: someone harming you does not justify you doing worse.

Obviously, the effects of psychological abuse can cause you to hurt other people (see: Nesta), but Feyre deliberately and maliciously (oh, God, that insufferable POV of her in Spring Court; she reads like a cartoonish Disney villain) dismantles his country. She uses sexual manipulation (Lucien), torture (causing the sentry to be whipped), and mind-rape (who didn't she do this to? lol).

A summary of the entire first half of ACOWAR: "It smelled like roses. I hated roses. For this capital offense against my olfactory system, Tamlin and the entire Spring Court deserved to burn in hell. I knew exactly what I was doing. I smiled at him sweetly: no longer a doe, but a wolf. He didn't see my fangs.............." *aesthetic noises*

Man. I'm starting to think SJM had a horrible experience at a Bath & Body Works and took it out on the rest of us. Don't do it, Sarah!! I know Pink Chiffon and Triple Berry Martini are way too strong, but don't take it out on an innocent population!!

She steals from Summer Court (there are, yk, other solutions to theft. Like maybe asking politely) and ruins Spring Court. Her boyfriend - yeesh sorry, MATE - does nothing while a dozen Winter Court children are murdered.

Now: moral ambiguity is not automatically bad. Again using The Locked Tomb as an example, in the second book (spoiler alert), Harrowhark has a sort of moral ambiguity. She was raised from the beginning to worship the King Undying as God, and so she obeys him without question. Because of this, she commits a lot of crimes in His name: she "flips" - i.e. kills - the life force of planets, and she plots murder (albeit the murder of someone who tried to kill her first). There is no attempt to justify this. There is also no attempt to paint her as a virtuous and yet also badass Madonna figure. She is desperate, plagued with the "wreck of herself", and the book clearly displays her moral pitfalls. While her POV is of course colored by her mindset, it also is limited by her lack of information, and we as readers can acknowledge that.

BACK TO ACOTAR: Feyre is seen by everyone as gorgeous, formidable, and essentially perfect. Rhys sees her as flawless, "made for him", wonderful, beautiful, blah blah blah. (THEY ARE SO BAD FOR EACH OTHER; THEY EXCUSE AND GLORIFY EACH OTHER'S CRIMES, IT'S SO BAD, GUYYYS). Tamlin is insanely batshit in love with her, or whatever. To the Night Court she's the High Lady. In this way she personifies the Mary Sue character. (Excerpt from the TV Tropes page on Mary Sues: "She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing. She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story. The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her as one of their True Companions, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting; if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal." Sound familiar?)

There is the Ourobous scene. And yet, paradoxically, while presented as an acknowledgment of her flaws, it is in fact a rejection of them. She sees her own brutality... and instead of recognizing that she has these deep, deep moral flaws and realizing that she needs to grow and be better, she in fact "accepts" them.

Guys: Self love means: "I'm important to me, so I'm going to get a massage today after work", or "heck, why not splurge on some expensive lotion, you only live once" or "you know what? I had a tough day today. I'm going to get that strawberry cupcake". SELF LOVE DOES NOT MEAN "oh, I accept all the war crimes I have done, I love myself". LOVING YOURSELF DOES NOT MEAN ABSOLVING YOURSELF OF ALL WRONGDOING.

It's this refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing that is so grating about ACOTAR. It's so goddamn one-sided. And you can tell that after Book 1, SJM decided to completely change the trajectory simply because of how jarring Book 2 reads compared to the first one.

Also: Feyre is a very, very young girl (compared to the other ruling fey) who did not know how to read for the majority of her life. She has no experience whatsoever in politics. Her being High Lady is not a win for feminism.

Rhysand: He Sucks

First, he is 500 years old. He should be written as such, not as some 20 year old virile frat boy feminist. Fantasy is all the more compelling for its elements of realism, which is a concept that SJM does not appear to grasp.

Second of all, his morals are absurd. He is written as the Second Coming of Christ, as someone who can do no wrong, ever, and his flaws only serve to make Feyre love him more. Anything shitty he does is written as part of his "mask" and she can See Beneath It and knows that it "hurts" him to maintain this "mask".

Fellas, WHY DOES HE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS MASK???? There is no reason for it. If A) he does not give a shit about Court of Nightmares (we'll get back to that), only about Velaris, and B) Velaris is hidden/protected from the world, what is he pretending for?

It would not hurt him politically to be seen as someone who cares about his country.

"Pretending" to be "Amarantha's whore" does not in any way shape or form benefit the macro-world that is Prythian. In Amarantha's name, he commits atrocities. He commits war crimes; he systemically oppresses entire societies. It doesn't even really benefit Velaris, because Velaris is already hidden.

Let me put this in a real-world perspective. This would be like if Donald Trump was suddenly like: "I know I was a shitty president but IT WAS ALL PART OF MY MASK, WHICH WAS TO PROTECT THIS MICROCOSM OF PRIVILEGED PEOPLE THAT I CARE ABOUT". Like: okay? Sorry, or whatever, but I don't actually give a shit. What about the parents of the children who died? What about Clare Beddor? What about the people who were held in slavery, murdered, tortured?

Rhysand: omg it sucks that my cousin Mor was oppressed by this toxic misogynistic culture from the Court of Nightmares.

Also Rhysand: lol whatever, who gives a shit about Court of Nightmares. They all suck. They meanie. Lol what did you say? That there might be other girls just like Mor who are oppressed by this system? Lol whatever. I can't do anything, I gotta maintain my Mask. I gotta sit on this throne and show the entire Court that not respecting women is completely okay.

In summary: by parading Feyre around as his "whore" (!!) he demonstrates by example that it is completely okay for the Court of Nightmares to abuse their women.

A good ruler cares about all his people. Rhysand cares about a tiny tiny fraction of his people: those who were fortunate enough to be born into Velaris.

God, I'm exhausted. Onto Nesta:

The only character who successfully breaks the Mary Sue effect Feyre exerts on her people is Nesta. Her POV for the first half is a joy to read.

Obviously it sucks that Nesta was a huge bitch to Feyre for the beginning of her childhood. However, it was wrong for Rhysand to threaten her- he is a man male with a huge insane amount of power, and it is not okay for him to threaten to bring the brunt of it down on a young girl because she was a bitch to his girlfriend.

I've seen a lot of discourse on the morality of F/R sending her out of Velaris. Here is my two cents:

It was okay for them to cut her off of their money. If they don't want to enable her self-harm, that is their choice. Again, it's their money, even if it wasn't fairly earned (Rhysand born into an enormous fortune).

It was not okay for them to banish her from Velaris with the implication that she was an embarrassment. Let me explain.

If Rhysand and Feyre are talking to her as sister/brother-in-law, then that is that. They have the complete right to express disapproval and try to help. However, they should not be using their royal privilege against her.

If they are talking to her as ruler to subject, then they have the power to banish her from the city. However, a ruler would not give a shit about a random subject getting drunk and having sex. So, they should not be talking her about her problems as a ruler to subject.

I've heard it compared to her being sent to rehab. However, rehab is a system designed to help people with certain problems. It has specialized medical centers and involves therapy. Nesta gets her life threatened multiple times. It is not rehab.

In summary: why did SJM inflict this upon us. Throne of Glass was actually good! GAHHH! After the first few books she completely whipped around and introduced the idea of males and mates and fey and that C is actually A and the quality took a huge nosedive. Sigh.

Final horrible but unmistakable truth: The entire ACOTAR series reads like a bad A/B/O fic. I hate to say it but it's true. We're lucky there were no heat cycles. OH WAIT