#I don't feel that I've retired that many designs though

[crowlines]

Previous anon here again, do you think that you would re-release some of your past lines for people overseas?

Quite honestly, if I retired a design due to low sales, I'm really unlikely to bring it back. I used to ship to the UK and the EU prior to 2021; my audience there was not remotely big enough to justify stocking entire inventories of product only for those customers, let alone product that sold poorly, and I anticipate that still being the case now in 2024.

I have to emphasize that stocking clothing is very expensive and takes up lots of space which I have very limited use of, because it is made in large batches and not one garment at a time. I'm sorry this isn't the answer you wanted to hear but truthfully I do have to be careful about what I invest in (even if in an ideal world everyone could have the exact thing they want from my shop at any time).

As for products that aren't retired due to low sales and are simply sold out / awaiting restocks, sure, those will happen at some future point as planned anyway! But I am probably going to start being more choosy about my restock choices as I would like to focus on new designs and products, and having slow-moving inventory can really hamper that.

[1863-project]

Free pass to talk about the affectionately named "Old Fuck".

Yes yes thank you I love talking about the Old Fuck!

I'm the only person who refers to the locomotive by this name, but New Jersey Transit has a few old locomotives left that actually predate NJT itself - three EMD GP40PH locomotives that were built in 1968 and originally worked on the Central Railroad of New Jersey. In the early 1990s, they were rebuilt as GP40PH-2s. The three survivors are NJT 4100, NJT 4101, and NJT 4109.

NJT 4101 is a heritage unit now, painted in NJDOT livery. NJT 4109 is also a heritage unit, wearing the colors of the CNJ.

NJT 4100 is The Old Fuck.

The oldest locomotive in the entire NJT fleet, the Old Fuck still runs regularly, and I spend a fair deal of my time keeping an eye out for her because I want to get her earmarked for preservation if they ever decide to pull her. She works just fine, and as of now there don't seem to be any plans to retire her. I've spent most of my adult lifetime commuting into NYC and around New Jersey, and many times I've been pulled by the Old Fuck. Usually I spot her on the Bergen Line or Main Line these days or hanging around in the yard at the end of the line.

Sometimes I'll go a while without seeing her. Recently, I went without a sighting for over a year, and I was getting nervous. But then in April 2023 she popped up in the yard near the engine shed. I wonder if she's having work done or being prepped with new heritage colors.

My most recent Old Fuck sighting was in June 2023.

Here she is by the engine shed with some younger locomotives.

I've gotten pretty good at getting my camera lens to peer right through holes in the fence to get shots without trespassing. Note the discarded Wawa coffee cup in the bottom left of the photo to remind you this was taken in New Jersey.

I couldn't tell from this angle if she was coupled to the locomotive in front of her or not, so I had to move to the left...

One more wide shot from that angle first, though.

Further inspection shows they were coupled together! For what purpose, however, is unknown.

A shot more focused on her and her cab.

And lastly, a shot from the back.

Normally, I'm not too keen on diesel locomotives post-1960. Their designs feel uninspired to me, and they're more or less used because they're cheaper to operate and easier to maintain than steam or even electric even though both outperform them (steam locomotives can pull significantly heavier loads - it takes multiple diesels to match one steam locomotive's strength - and electric locomotives can outspeed them and the GG1, the best American electric of all time, was also stronger). But I have a huge soft spot for the Old Fuck. She's been here for so long now doing a wonderful job, and she's such a comforting, familiar sight. I know she won't run forever, but I think she needs to be earmarked for preservation when she's retired.

In the article I linked above, there's a short video on her. Here it is:

Many happy returns, Old Fuck.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Charles Love

Published: May 3, 2023

When my family and I were planning our move to New York City, we had a list of criteria that was important to us in choosing a home. The list included things like commute time, nearby amenities, and neighborhood feel, but the quality of the neighborhood school for our son topped the list. We did Google searches, read reviews, and asked friends and associates for suggestions. We finally settled on the school he now attends. In the fall of 2020, my son started kindergarten.

But he had only been in school a few weeks when I noticed something odd in the lesson plan. They announced that, for the first time, they would be teaching STEM in kindergarten, and the first lesson was, "Women in STEM," by which they meant, women and minorities had been marginalized in STEM. This was apparently very important. My son was four.

I requested a meeting with the teacher and questioned the appropriateness of the lesson. But the teacher and principal couldn't see my point, because women have been marginalized in STEM, as they took turns patiently explaining to me. It's real, was the point they made over and over.

"So is murder and rape but you wouldn't teach that to kindergarteners!" I shot back, to little effect.

But while the lesson wasn't age-appropriate, this wasn't even my biggest concern. Lessons like these are part of the DEI program—the diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda that's been infecting institutions across the U.S. of late. This agenda is designed to eliminate racism (though racism is viewed as "structural" and thus, paradoxically, incurable), and in the school setting, it's ostensibly designed to close achievement gaps. But more often than not, these efforts don't involve raising up those impacted by real racism and real academic gaps between the wealthy and everyone else; they instead drag everyone else down, canceling achievement benchmarks or eliminating standards altogether.

Many of the concerns about DEI challenge its morality, claiming it is racist against whites or trying to force equity of outcomes, and they aren't wrong. But again, that's not the real danger. The greater risk is that this approach can be harmful to the very students it is designed to help.

And my son, the only black kid in his class, is one of them.

Teaching him STEM at an early age would of course have my blessing. It might indeed help close the race gap in these coveted positions. But instead of teaching him STEM, the school decided to teach him to see himself and the girls in his class as marginalized. How does that help him? Creating engagement and making the subject fun is far more effective than telling children that people who looked like them were excluded in the past.

And this was far from the only time I experienced the unintended consequences of DEI. After a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr., my son came home and told me he could be a slave. While in first grade, he told me that all the women and girls in Saudi Arabia get shot by the police. On a Zoom call discussing plans to roll out even more DEI initiatives, the principal told me that blacks—today, not in the past—are oppressed and are "genetically different from whites."

You can imagine what impact this can have on my son's education, being the only black student in his class, with leadership like this.

Things did improve. My son's principal retired, and the new principal had a much different approach. When the DEI agenda rears its ugly head these days, it's because it's being pushed by the Department of Education, not the teachers, and my complaints are at least heard out. I've had several meetings with the principal and teachers, and they have been positive, engaging, and effective.

But what about the rest of the district and the city at-large?

There is nothing wrong with trying to ensure that every student gets a quality education; indeed, this is an admirable goal. There is nothing wrong with focusing on students who need additional help. But it's wrong to assume all students have the same needs based on their race or gender. And it's harmful to be so focused on effecting change that you don't measure the results.

Good intentions mean nothing if the results are bad.

But though things are slightly better at my son's school these days and I have to worry less about him being taught to see himself as a disempowered victim, I worry deeply about the rest of New York City's public school kids, especially given what I see in the curriculum.

So I've decided to run for a seat on our local Community Education Council, the education policy advisory body responsible for reviewing and evaluating the district's educational programs, approving zoning lines, and holding public hearings.

I want to bring nuance to these difficult conversations. I don't want to ban anything—books, CRT, DEI, or anything else—but I also don't want any parent's concerns to be ignored. Everyone should have a voice, and things aren't as black or white as they seem.

Last week, a woman stopped me in front of my son's school. She wanted to know if I liked the school. She was considering pulling her son out of his current school because she didn't like the administration's approach to race.

I told her if that is why she's doing it, there's no use, because every school has the same directive, but if she addressed her concerns with the school and they did not listen, that was a reason to consider leaving.

She said she had and was ignored.

I want to be a voice for parents like her, who feel the school, or the DOE, isn't listening to their concerns.

In case you're wondering, like me, the mother was black.

Charles Love is the executive director of Seeking Educational Excellence, co-host of The Cut the Bull Podcast, and the author of "Race Crazy: BLM, 1619, and the Progressive Racism Movement."

==

the principal told me that blacks—today, not in the past—are oppressed and are "genetically different from whites."

Notwithstanding a 92-year old grandmother, and actual members of the KKK, most racist people are self-aware enough to try to hide their racism.

"Antiracists" don't just feel no shame, they actually feel proud and virtuous about sharing their racist views.

[starlene]

Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition thoughts:

Let me start by saying that I have some... let's say, ethical qualms about the whole artifact exhibition thing. Obviously, they're not severe enough to prevent me from seeing the touring exhibition (and to be clear, I have seen different iterations of it in four different countries now.) But even so – I just don't think it's super cool that these historical artifacts are owned by a company who thinks Las Vegas is a proper permanent home for them. There is something very sideshow-esque about the whole thing. While it's cool that some of the artifacts tour the world for many people to see, if I got to decide, their permanent home would be in a well-established museum in a location that figures in the story of the RMS Titanic somehow. But I don't get to decide that, so whatever, I guess!

Mostly, the exhibition is both respectful and informative, but there are some little problems. The most notable one is that they haven't updated all their info plaques and their audio guide, so there are issues like two plaques right next to each other having contradictory info (say, how much the tickets cost in today's money.)

I also don't think it's, hmm, super great how you walk by the names of everybody that died – straight into a souvenir shop stand of teddy bears dressed as captains. I mean, sure, they need to make their money somehow, and I did buy a bunch of postcards and stuff myself... but apart from a handful of replica newspapers, cups and such, the shop really has the most tasteless selection of Titanic merch known to man. The only things missing are the "Titanic Swim Team 1912" shirts and the ice cube trays.

To make it clear: I'm not saying you're a horrible person if you wear a Titanic Swim Team tee or whatever (tbh, I would buy a Vasa Swim Team 1628 one in a heartbeat myself) – these days, the sinking of the Titanic is a part of popular culture just as much as it's a historical event, so it's just natural there are joke-y products around. I just think the contrast of a memorial wall for the actual victims and the captain teddies is rather gruesome.

Also, speaking of Titanic in popular culture and the public consciousness, I don't think it's super great how the exhibition strengthens certain Titanic myths that don't really have much truth to them, or are less black-and-white than the usual story goes.

They make a big deal of the Titanic (and the Titanic alone) being "unsinkable", to the point of lifting Captain Smith's "modern shipbuilding" quote¹ out of context, which of course makes guests assume he said that about the Titanic specifically. They also claim Captain Smith was about to retire after the Titanic's maiden voyage, though there isn't really any evidence to prove that. And of course, they keep mentioning how the Titanic was the largest ship ever built – which is technically true, sure, but I think it's worth mentioning that in practice, she and the Olympic were twin sisters.

I even spotted a new piece of nonsense in the exhibition that I've never heard before: they claim that Thomas Andrews was not supposed to be on the maiden voyage at all, but he had to travel in place of Lord Pirrie when he fell ill. I believe Thomas Andrews was always meant to lead the guarantee group, like he had done on previous maiden voyages, and I have never heard anything to the contrary before. But what do I know?

Props to the exhibition for not demonising J. Bruce Ismay, though! On the contrary, they mention he helped passengers board the lifeboats before leaving on the last lifeboat to be properly launched.

Anyway!! I think I have been negative enough here. I may have a lot of nitpicks, but even so, as a whole, I think the exhibition is a good introduction to the story of the Titanic, and it's interesting and touching to nerds like me, too. I like the interactive parts such as the changing soundscapes. I feel the sound design has gotten better since the last time I saw the exhibition, I especially enjoyed the soundscape near the 3rd class cabin reproduction that demostrated how you could hear the engines all the time in those cabins. The touch the iceberg thing is good and very sobering too, it really helps you to understand how hypothermia was only a matter of minutes on a night as cold as April 15th, 1912.

And of course, there are the artifacts themselves! I assume they keep most of the flashier ones in Vegas, but there were some good ones. My favourite was a golden chain with three lucky charms: a clover, a star, and a lucky pig. The lucky pig obviously didn't make it, but I do wish its owner did. I also liked the Extra Moist Cherry Toothpaste jar just because that sounds so silly. There were reproductions of that in the souvenir shop, but I couldn't justify buying one – maybe I would have if it came with some of that moist paste, but nope!

ETA: Something I found interesting was that pretty much every single artifact that was a part of the ship's decor, from dishes to lamp holders, was stamped with the White Star Line logo, even the fancy first class tableware. Was that all about boosting their brand recognition, or were they that worried about things being stolen? Or did they want to show off that everything was custom-made just for them, no off-the-shelf items from any generic manufacturer? Maybe it was a little bit of each?

I also think it's interesting to think about the weird journey the artifacts have made. Someone put them in their luggage to cross the Atlantic, they sunk along with the ship and spent about 80 years in the darkness... and then someone else came along with an underwater robot that has little hands and picked them up. The people who originally owned them could never have imagined the journey their everyday items would go on – or, if they briefly saw a vision of their trousers ending up in a glass case in a Swedish mall with some Finnish nerd staring at them, they probably thought they're just about to lose their mind.

All in all, Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition in Täby, Sweden, was a thought-provoking experience for me in many ways. I'm glad I got the chance to go.

¹ "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." (Said by Smith after the RMS Adriatic's maiden voyage in 1907)

[into-september]

⭐

GATHER ROUND FOR I SHALL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE PLOT-SIGNIFICANT CHRISTIAN ALLUSIONS IN "I SHALL NEVER KNOW THAT SECOND DEATH" BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED TO TELL ME THE STORY LEFT THEM SOBBING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OBVIOUSLY NEVER WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL

Three things to note before going into this:

I Am Not Religious, but grew up with a neat children's Bible with a lot of historical factoids that were intriguing indeed for the girl who wanted to be an archeologist. I'm also inordinately fond of Easter.

Ladybirds are strongly associated with The Virgin Mary. I don't care what behindthename tells you, "Marinette" is in practice a dimminutive of "Marie" and I refuse to believe that the Notre Dame's presence in the OP is incidental

The story's title is from "The Heart of Thomas" which is essentially just a huge Christ allegory

In the first chapter, each meeting Marinette has with a friend showing up at her door includes some more or less blatant Christian reference.

On the third morning, the doorbell rings and Chloé Bourgeois stands on the other side.

= Christ's ressurection was discovered on the third meaning. For people Swedish, Norwegian or Italian who listen to Easter songs and also look up name etymology like I do there might also be something in it being Chloé (="blooming" or "green shot") who gets this one; the Bible talks about spices, not flowers, but this song sure is all about the latter

(that is the most horrid version I've heard but I think it's the original so)

Myléne and Alix visited with a potted rose for her balcony. She pulls it out of its shaded spot as evening lets up the heat of the day, and she gazes out over the city. 

reachy but the rose of one of the many symbols of Mary and this is of course why she discovers The Other Ladybug (Kagami btw)

Somewhere out there, there’s a superhero who might well be able to walk on water, but Marinette can’t perform miracles. For her, keeping her balance on ice is more than enough.

Christ walked on water and so does Marinette at the skating rink, even if she doesn't realise that that's what ice is

Outside her window, the Notre Dame sounds the call to Vespers. When song ends, she stretches her feet towards the ceiling and plays it again.

Nothing special except pay attention to the next chapter

If Paris had still followed the revolutionary calendar, the twenty-third of September would be New Year’s Day. 

New Year's Day = feast day of Mary

It’s been fourty-nine days since Hawkmoth was defeated. Ten days ago, Ladybug announced her retirement, leaving the city in Cat Noir’s care until she’s needed again. 

The Ascencion of Christ was thirty-nine days after the resurrection (Ladybug retired), marking this scene as happening on Pentecost (the day The Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, initiating the Christian Church).

“Your parents were so nice. I’d never seen my father be happy about visitors. I think I still feel that way - like it’ll be a bother to Aunt Élizabeth if I bring someone home. But that was my father who was the weird one, and I hate when she’s upset for my sake.” “Is she getting easier around you?” Adrien shrugs. “I’m not sure what ‘easy’ is, for her. I think some of it might be because she’s happy that I’m there. She told me she always wanted children, but it never happened. And then suddenly I was there, and even if she’s sad about mum and upset about my father, she’s happy to have me there. ‘The Lord has done this for me’, she said.”

As We All Know, John the Baptist was the son of Mary's aging cousin Elizabeth, miraculously conceived by the blessing of Gabriel (the archangel not the deranged fashion designer) even though his parents were well into middle age. Adrien's Aunt Elizabeth quoted the Scripture verbatim

“Chrysanthemums,” Marinette feels her frown forming. “Even if they’re the only things flowering this late, it’s pretty morbid.” “I don’t know,” says Adrien, and stands on the tip of his toes to straighten the crown of flowers on Ladybug’s head, “you know, they aren’t about death. They’re used in funerals because they’re a symbol of eternal life. Maybe whoever left these flowers meant for them to mean that Ladybug will be back one day.”

Surely The Second Coming is at hand

“That was a goodnight kiss from Ladybug,” he says with a cheeky grin. It wasn’t, of course, but whatever little magic he just bestowed upon her hummed with an energy of the same frequency as the jet black jewel in her hand, with the same frequency as Cat Noir himself. That subsonic current that set her nerves tingling now radiates from her hand, paradoxically easing her mind into the peace she’s been missing for at least seven weeks.

If Ladybug is Jesus maybe and Cat Noir is John the Baptist then Tikki is The Holy Spirit trying to waken Marinette to the faith

The second chapter has a lot less of it but Cat Noir is still the lesser messianic trying his best to the appearance of the true Saviour, and Ladybug's ressurection is interrupted by the bells of the Notre Dame (maybe)

“Please, come find me,” she begs, and the air is filled with motion as the Notre Dame sounds her bells when All Saints Day topples into All Soul’s Day. 

The Significance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (= Day of the Dead) should be self-explanatory, but I'll leave it there to point out the implications of all this Biblical and Catholic nonsense.

Which is: All the nonsense casts Marinette as either Mary (a saint) or Christ himself. Now, sainthood is per definition a status achieved upon death, but Christ came back to life, left this Earthly plane and has been expected to come back any day now ever since.

If Ladybug = Mary, then she's dead, the end, Marinette never remembers

If Ladybug = Jesus, then she'll be back someday and Marinette will eventually regain her memories

and if that's not the most pretentious way to leave a story open-ended then I don't know what is

(thanks for asking I've been wanting to do this for ages)

[seekingthestars]

tagged by @koalammas!! thank youuu 💞

buckle up ladies and gents time for some rambles okay go

1. Are you named after anyone?

nope lol my middle name was going to be Rose after my great-grandma on my mom's side, but my parents didn't want to offend either side of the family by using a name from the other side of the family so they ended up opting for completely random names for me and my brother hahaha

2. When was the last time you cried?

around april 21 (friend's funeral, her brother was speaking during it and i did not keep it together)

3. Do you have kids?

nope! only my cat, who i love and adore with my entire heart, she is my sweet lil angel muffin

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

kinda depends i guess? sometimes?

5. What is the first thing you notice about a person?

ohhh good question hmm i guess if i'm just seeing someone in passing, probably appearance? otherwise how they interact with and treat other people.

6. What’s your eye color?

brown, but leans a little hazel-ey some days.

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

agree that i like satisfying endings that are also hopefully happy! but between these two options, happy endings, i cannot do scary movies or tv shows or anything, i get freaked out and then can't sleep lol

8. Any special talents?

i genuinely don't know L O L i don't know what would constitute a special talent??? i can memorize song lyrics pretty quickly and then they sorta embed themselves into my brain forever, does that count??

9. Where were you born?

southern usa!

10. What are your hobbies?

video games, watching movies/dramas (though i do not always have the attention span for it lol), reading, crafting (i like physically making things with my hands since i just do design on my computer all day for work! i like trying lots of different things, recently been trying a little bit of hand embroidery. also painting little ceramic figures and stuff like that), cosplaying. i've been trying this year to build taking a walk into my daily routine, not sure if i count it as a hobby or not lol

11. Do you have any pets?

my sweet sweet rileycat!!!! i love cats!!!!

12. What sports do you/have you played?

am not a sports girlie LOL i did tap/ballet/jazz for six-ish years when i was younger! in high school i took theatre classes and was in the plays/musicals instead of sports.

13. How tall are you?

5'4" which is like 162.5cm??

14. Favourite subject in school?

oh i love english, i always loved english. and math! i actually really loved math up until i took calculus. my calculus teacher was horrible, he made you feel stupid for asking questions and he intentionally made the tests too long to finish in a class period and made them extra confusing, it left me in tears more than once. cried at school bc i failed a lot of those tests. anyway i got a 5 on my AP exam for calculus (highest score) so i understood the material, my teacher just sucked and made me hate math after i'd loved it my entire life so ✌️

also loved my theatre classes in high school ahhhh

15. Dream job?

i think something working with cats / big cats / red pandas would be really fun. not a vet necessarily, i don't think i could handle it lol, but like a cat rescue or animal sanctuary maybe??? idk honestly

but yeah mostly agree with the "something that won't drain me and actually leaves me with savings and a will to live" answer. i like my current job/workplace/coworkers a lot more than my last job, but i still don't know if i'd want to be in this field until i retire, that's so many more years and clients sometimes make me wanna bash my head into a wall lol

i have a hard time with the ~dream job~ question bc i've just never felt like i had a "calling" or any overwhelming grand idea with what i've wanted to do with my life, i'm just vibing my way through somehow

Bonus: any significance to your blog's name:

NOPE lol when i was making this blog uhhhh 12 years ago everything that i wanted at the time had been taken and this was the only thing i could think of that i liked that was available and it was just something random 😂 i've thought about changing it but idk it's been too long now LOL

[cowboyhorsegirl]

hellooooo, 8, 17, 40, 45, 50 <3

*shows up a month late with coffee* helloooo thank you for the ask! <3 <3 <3

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

I love this question, there are simply too many songs I want to see fic-ified!

Somebody Else by the 1975

I always imagine this as like a college AU where stevetony are together, but then steve's childhood best friend bucky moves back to the states to go to uni after having to relocate with his family to Russia when he was a kid. steve is so excited to have his best friend back and at first, tony's really happy for him too! but slowly, he starts to feel more and more like there's something else going on, but steve keeps reassuring him that there definitely isn't. i like to think that there is some emotional infidelity, but steve is honestly in denial about it himself too until one day he realizes that he's in love with bucky, he'll always love bucky, and that their history is too great to ignore, so while he still cherishes tony deeply, he breaks up with him anyway. anytime i listen to the song, i imagine a fic with a scene where tony, steve, and bucky have all found themselves at the same party together and tony is just trapped there watching steve and bucky be so incredibly happy together and just bitterly ruminating on the whole thing, with steve feeling guilty for the way things ended and wanting to be a kind ex but tony just truly doesn't have the capacity to try and accept any sort of kindness from the guy who broke his heart. I don't think this is something i'd actually write though, but it's a fun scenario to Rotate :)

April Come She Will by Simon & Garfunkel

In my head I've been writing an 1872 fic based on this song for like 2 months fjksdlfjklsdjf.

It's pretty self explanatory, Sheriff Rogers has a whirlwind summer affair with this mysterious, brilliant and clever blacksmith who tears into town like a tornado and leaves Steve just as breathless. I think a lot about what the impetus for Tony leaving so suddenly would be, and the best idea I've come up with is that Tony finds out that Steve was shot with Stark bullets out of Stark rifles during the war, and it just reminds Tony of all the destruction and pain he caused that he had been running away from. The guilt from the fact that it was his own bullets, something he designed and created, that had caused this injury to Steve is just too great to deal with, so Tony starts distancing himself from Steve. He vanishes all too suddenly on Steve's birthday, with only a simple note and a small device he invented that will let Steve intercept Mayor Fisk's outgoing and incoming telegrams and help him save the town left behind to remember him by. in a few months, steve has done just that, and it's then—when he's finally ushered in a semblance of peace in the town with the help of tony's invention—that he hears the salacious news about millionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark dying in obscurity by the bottle in some unknown town even further west than Timely. Steve doesn't realize who it is until he sees the picture in the paper, and he suddenly understands why Tony was so stricken when he told him about his wartime injuries. :(

Heart of Gold by Johnny Cash

Another 1872 fic (but only in my brain😔✌️) about steve and tony, old and weathered and just about as married as you could be without ever realizing I love you stargazing and confessing their feelings to each other and it's all so soft and sweet and perfect in my head <3 <3 <3 Like they're talking about Steve retiring from being Sheriff and finally officially passing the baton to Red Wolf, and Tony's like got any big retirement plans Sheriff? i hear most people travel, I suppose if you're right willing i could take you to london and new york and paris and milan. wouldn't even make ya beg for it, retirement present and all and steve's like i don't know about all that stark, 'sides, i reckon there ain't anywhere on earth that's got stars that shine half as bright as the ones in timely do and tony's like an' how'd you know, world traveler that you aren't and they keep talking and joking and it's just like always and then steve admits his feelings for tony without being even a little shy about it, like it's a sure thing and it always has been and tony gets all flustered and they hold hands (they hold hands!!!!!!!!!!!!) and then Steve's gazing up at the night sky with a soft perfect smile on this weathered, wrinkling face and sure the stars aren't quite as crystal to his aging eyes as they were when he was a youngin' but that don't mean he can't enjoy the heavens blinking back at him like the angels themselves are sending him morse code messages. and tony isn't looking at the stars at all, not even a little bit. he's just holding on to steve's hand and can't stop looking at his face, in awe and in love with the cosmos, and he sees the moonlight glint off the Sheriff's badge and he thinks that in all the places he's ever traveled, he can't remember a brighter star than the one he's found here in timely, neither <3

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

In S1 E12, Gamma World Part 1, the first scene between Black Widow and Madame Hydra in the entire show is Black Widow showing up to offer the Hulk's blood to Madame Hydra but the exchange is interrupted by Hawkeye bursting in and ruining the deal and tying up Black Widow and it's extremely a little BDSM-coded. But the minute i saw Madame Hydra & Black Widow in the same room together my brain just went *WOMEN* and since then i've always wanted an AU where Hawkeye isn't successful in stopping Black Widow from handing over Hulk's blood and instead of all the commotion that took place in the actual episode, immediately after the exchange Madame Hydra has sex with Black Widow in a power play and at the end of it Madame Hydra reveals to Black Widow that they've killed Clint and even though she and Clint are lovers, Natasha could never tell him she wasn't actually a HYDRA double-agent so he died thinking she betrayed him but she can't reveal any of that in the moment bc Madame Hydra is still watching for her reaction so instead she simply doesn't react at all to the body of her dead lover who was killed at the orders of the woman she only consented to sex with under threat that she'd find out she's an undercover SHIELD agent otherwise

40. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

Yeah I reread fics all the time!! If it's a longer fic though, I usually just revisit the more emotionally cathartic or smutty bits and pieces whenever the whim strikes me

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

hmmm, i think i'm getting better at not being afraid of my own words and letting things be a little bad so that they can have a chance to be written at all.

Also i like to think i'm improving at writing dialogue, but i suppose the reader would be the better judge of that

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about!

i feel like i'm all talked out lol 😅 But I like this question: 4. What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of? bc i'm really proud of that tiny treatise on religion i wrote in Paradise Blue.

"Religion is the price of admission men pay to gamble for a chance at receiving the Lord's mercy"

It's not an outlook I necessarily agree with, but it's definitely an understandable perspective and it was fun & challenging & very rewarding to figure out how to convey this sentiment in so few words and in a tone that I think fits 1872.

[sachisei]

My Ultimate Traveling Goals

The most doable ones are in Philippines (of course) and Japan. I'm gonna have to find at least one travelling buddy for France and Italy. US, well, it depends if my friend from Virginia is willing to come with me, but if not I also have family I can contact in the US in case any shit happens.

Tubbataha Reef in Philippines

Pont du Gard in Southern France

Viaduc de Millau in Southern France

Akihabara, Japan

Galileo Museum in Florence, Italy

Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy

Kyoto, Japan

Coron Island in Philippines

The Folger in Washington, DC

Tokyo One Piece Tower in Osaka, Japan

These are technically not goals for me though. It's more of a "Well, if I I have too much money and need a grand vacation, I have this list."

I have not included here the places where my friends want to go with me. They mentioned other places in Philippines and then Portugal, Indonesia, and Singapore. Hmm... I do wanna try going to Norway but my reason is very shallow compared to the ones on this list. And so, I'd rather not spend money for something shallow.

There are way too many places in Philippines we (my folks) can visit if we just cared enough to, lol. The ones on this list are just the ones I look forward to the most, if I ever get the opportunity to. Mom said she wants us, as a family, to go to places more often now that she's gonna retire. How convenient for her, while I worry about the entire budget HAHAHA. Well played, ma.

I've gone to caves, I've hiked up mountains, I've dived under a waterfall, I've done kayaking. I haven't camped in a forest yet. I guess that's what my fam and I can do later. Paragliding would be fun too, but I'd do that one with friends cause I don't wanna hear mom's "YOU WILL DIE."

Out of the experiences I had reconnecting to nature, I like hiking up mountains the most. It's the most chill one, and most fulfilling. Going inside caves wasn't all too exciting for me, surprisingly (cause I embrace darkness). It's stressful to go under inside a cave because it's slippery and you can't see far into that abyss. Diving under the waterfall and floating in the water right where it falls.... the experience was also underwhelming. "That's it? Now what. Now I have sore shoulders." LOL. Kayaking was fun! Hella fun! But once it's over, it's whatever. We let the water push us forward and we use center of gravity to prevent ourselves from getting yeeted out of the kayak. What did I gain after that? Sore hips and legs under just a few minutes.

But when I hike up a mountain, there's so much for me to notice. The birds. The shape of the leaves. The texture and color of boulders. The paths of streams. The natural footpaths made by other people just by using them often. There's so much time to spend, it doesn't just pass like one flip in a book. I can rest in between. I can get a better footing and can rely on the ground's friction. I can get sore all over my legs and hips, but once I reach the summit, what do I get? I get a great view above and can just be present to breathe all that in. It gives me a great spot to just write down any thought I have. It makes me feel more appreciative of all the steps I took to get there at the top. That's what I want out of travelling.

When I travel, I want to be able to appreciate not just the moment I spent, but also the history behind it, how it's survived to this day, how people have shaped it, how it came to be, and how it's affecting me, and what I get after the entire experience.

Museums are very insightful, if you know what you're looking at. It's also quite empowering. I get out of museums feeling so much more inspired.

I want to take a good look of infrastructures in Southern France. I don't just find them aesthetically pleasing, but also the structures themselves are impressive, considering their age and the knowledge and tools people had in the past. I want to analyze it personally, and then appreciate the wondrous works of the engineers that designed them and the hard work of their builders. I was thinking of Greece too. But I'm more interested in bridges and aqueducts. This trip is the most ambitious one, I must say.

Japan, I obviously am going there to satisfy my anime desires, especially the One Piece theme park. I'd be livid! One of the other main reasons I want to travel Japan is food AND their arcades. Akihabara is a must. And then I also wanna try doing the traditional tea ceremony. The scenery and vibe in Kyoto I think is the best for it.

I always want to go to a stage theatre. So I'm thinking, I gotta go to The Folgers Theatre for it. It's the farthest one in this list though, and it's the most challenging one to schedule. And tbh, I won't mind if I never get the chance to get there. I still added it here because if I could, then it would be epic as a theatre kid.

In all of these, I'm actually going to be focused on their structures and achritecture as well, yes even the One Piece tower. They have the 3 Going Merry rooms I gotta check out.

[king-dra]

PRT DOC: TORONTO CAPES

hey so some of yall may have seen the post I made a little bit ago about a parahuman OC organization document that spiraled into something larger, and well, its not quite 100% ready to be posted in full yet, but I've got enough info that I feel like is worth sharing that I'm gonna share it, ill be putting all under a cut because even though this is all truncated from the actual doc, its still pretty damn long and I don't wanna annoy people LOL

feel free to ask questions about anything below and thank you for reading :]

So the general idea that I was following while making this was that Toronto is a city with a fairly large cape population, but doesn't have many "top tier" villains (I.E. Lung, Skitter, Kaiser etc etc,) which made it a breeding ground for corporate teams (ignore the fact that i only have one corpo team put together right now... haha...ha... anyway)

Protectorate/Guild Capes

TAKEAWAY, a Master who creates vaguely bipedal minions who transport any person they touch into an empty pocket dimension before vanishing. Her minions look like they're made of stained glass, and are often malformed in some way, like only having one arm, or non functioning wings instead of arms.

SLUICE, a Breaker who turns into a living waterspout, and can shoot crystals that explode into a thick layer of ice and frost from her hands. Power is altered in high heat or cold, heat reduces overall effectiveness of her ice crystals, but enhances her Breaker state's durability, while cold limits her mobility but powers up her crystals.

WINGMAN, a Tinker who specializes in rocket powered flight. Not great in a straight up fight, but even just flying can be enough to give an advantage. He cannot build explosives or payloads

WARDS

ASSEMBLY, another Tinker who builds small, single function drones that automatically sync up with each other. Absolute nervous wreck and definitely not ready to take up position of team leader when her colleague graduates

EXOMORPH, a Changer whose altered form receives a random suite of adaptations depending on the environment he's fighting in. Adaptions range from gills and scales, to a prehensile lounge, to numerous independently moveable eyes. Leader of the team and a bit of a hardass.

SERAPHIM, the youngest and newest member of the Wards, a multi-trigger who can nullify a set amount of incoming force, create fragile projection arms from her body, and heat metal to scalding temperature with a touch. A runaway from a rural cult, has trouble opening up to others.

SIDEWINDER, a Mover who gains superspeed coupled with intangibility, but only in 5-7 second bursts. Jokester of the group, harbors a very unsubtle yet somehow unnoticed crush on Assembly.

CORPORATE TEAM: COSMOS UNITED

One of the first teams to set up in Toronto, used to have a strict space/star related theme, but has generally lost that as founding members died and new members came in

STAR STUNNER, leader of the team and the last living founding member, her power lets her shoot thin lasers from her fingertips that bounce off of hard surfaces and numb/paralyze organic targets

GRAVITAS, newest member and second in command, though Star Stunner is the leader of the team, Gravitas is the face, she's charismatic, attractive, smart and courageous. A flying artillery who can charge her blasts to make them stronger. Was a Protectorate member but left after a disagreement about costume design.

APASTRON, a Tinker/Shaker who builds devices that "unfold" existing rooms into larger, labyrinthine forms or shrink multiple rooms into a singular hallway. (in layman's terms, its a portable Backrooms generator) used to be a small time criminal who created hideouts and drug dens, decided to switch sides after realizing he wasn't going to be able to keep track of all the devices he'd set up for people.

ORBITAL, a Shaker who redirects projectiles and drags loose items along with them. Technically semi-retired due to a leg injury but he insists on showing up for work anyway.

HELIOSPHERE, a Blaster who creates columns of light from the sky that gradually intensify in destructive power the longer they're active. As her power causes lots of collateral damage, she doesn't see much action anymore

INDEPENDANTS

FORGEHEART, Case 53, regurgitates molten metal, and can shape it at will. A non-combatant unless forced to, he prefers to make elaborate metal sculptures and donate them to public parks, hospitals, and the like. Proportioned like an exaggerated fantasy dwarf, stout arms and legs with broad shoulders and a large potbelly, with onyx black skin and glowing veins.

VILLIANS, THE OLD GUARD

A multi-provincial group that was formed by a crime lord who saw what the Elite were doing and thought "hey that sounds like a good idea!" got a Cauldron vial and became a Thinker who analyzes the structure of other powers. (sir not appearing in this post, because he does not operate out of Toronto, and this is already way too long)

IRON KRAKEN, the head of the Toronto branch, a Changer who becomes a massive morass of metal tentacles, his power functions almost like a reverse Lung, it starts off incredibly strong, then gradually shrinks and grows weaker, requiring at least a few days before it can be used at full strength. It essentially builds up strength while not in use, then burns through it's stockpile while active. The longer he goes without using it, the stronger and longer lasting it will be

VISCERAL, Brute/Striker who enhances and transforms bladed weapons by coating them in her own blood. Blades that are saturated in her blood become larger and sprout uneven blades from their sides. Her brute power gives her powerful regeneration, but numbs her sense of pain, as a result, she's somewhat a masochist. (I do have a trigger event for her written up, but its a tad... intense so I wont tell it unless someone specifically asks.)

RONIN X, A tinker with a powered weaponry specialization. can build a lot of different things, but with the caveat that anything he builds has to be connected to a battery or generator in order to function. Has support from other Tinkers in the Old Guard. Chose his name because he thought it sounded cool.

KILLSWITCH, time delayed Blaster. Creates spheres that hover in place, before shooting off in a set direction for a set distance. Spheres annihilate all physical matter they touch. Probably the most lethal parahuman in the city.

TURNCOAT, a Master who commands a single, invisible monster minion. The minion is non human in shape, very strong and durable, and can move faster than a car.

THE LOVEBOMBERS

Less of a gang and more of a disjointed group of junkies and hedonists. Led by a trio of Masters. Not considered a significant threat, they mostly just make a nuisance of themselves and disrupt the general public

HEART NUKE, the leader of the parahumans in the group, can induce and intensify a specific emotion in someone by touching them. repeated contact intensifies the emotion further. Unbeknownst to anyone other than him, his power has a secondary affect, anyone who's emotion is heightened to a certain point will literally explode, with anyone whose caught in the blast also having the same emotion heightened.

EUPHONIC, an always on power that causes anything she says to sound reasonable to the listener, can be resisted if the suggestion is too out of character or if the listener has strong willpower. Dresses in intentionally shocking and revealing clothing.

IDOLIZER, can force any and all individuals within 12 meters of himself to pay attention to him, to the exclusion of all other tasks. dresses in flamboyant and attention grabbing outfits.

[littleredlemoncosplay]

Update on Fancyteir Dave

Good morning/afternoon/evening to those who find this.

There is a summary at the bottom however I advise reading everything.

I'm not one to air laundry, however I feel as though my hand has been forced at this point. As many have seen, I've cosplayed the fancyteir design done by @/SimplexJadeClothing. I still adore the design and it was done wonderfully, however I'm retiring the costume from it. Back when we where discussing said costume, long before I had even started on cosplaying it. I saw it as a WIP that was discarded while on call with them. I brought up that if they finished the design, which was a cute chibi piece, I would cosplay it. They went on to make the drawing seen on their account, which is still a wonderful piece. We had briefly discussed credit, and didn't come to any specifics. It sounded much like a, I'll support you and you support me. I created my tumblr account to reblog the design; and for them to be able to reblog the cosplay when it was done.

However some issues have come up from earlier in the month, and I was messaged May 2nd over a discord dm about adding credit to my posts. Which i admit, i had originally forgotten to do. I had then amended my error by editing the description for the instagram posts. I've looked through the conversations we had in dms, dating back to November 20th, 2021. There isn't much regarding credit or plans as we both preferred to talk over voice calls. I had realized in May, before the costume was being entered in the contest I had ok-ed doing with them. I had brought up that there may be a check in on if the artist is ok with their design being used.

The images above are the original post and time stamp replying to my anonymous ask about the use of their designs. This post has since been edited to ask for credit in every media post. I really want to stress that i agree, artists deserve credit for their designs. However, cosplaying a design deserves its credit as well.

I had made a post on 4/13, on instagram, that on the second slide had the design and credit. We discussed that and i had inquired about what was leading them to feel "like my work was being taken credit for...". As I didn't see how it would come across as such. The cosplay community, while it isn't right, is notorious for seeing designs and just cosplaying them immediately. Only comments being things like 'art isn't mine' or 'design found on Pintrest'. I did agree to credit more, I simply wanted to understand where the stance was coming from. I didn't, and still don't, understand the need for credit of design to be in every medias post. Especially on Tiktok; as the app's algorithm is more so off how entertaining your video is or if your using trending sounds/filters/trends. I clarified during these dms, that if someone commented directly about the design i would refer the commenter to the artist immediately in my response to the comment. I originally wasn't going to place design credit in every post in general, as most people who see/interact with my content are my followers. During this time they had posted the design to their Instagram and tagged me, so I added it to my story as well as a highlight reel that had been made for the con I wore it to. It had been decided that a pinned comment on Tiktok(which was done for a while until I recently added it into the description below the hashtags. For the last few of the drafts I'm using), and above the hashtags for instagram(which I admit I'm no longer following. I'm aware this is rude based off our discussions, please stick with me and keep reading.) I had edited my Instagram posts that showed the main costume, skipping over the ones that are based off my face more than costume.

I had informed that I would credit things, however it wouldn't be prominent. This was originally ok with them.

As seen in the statements above. Our conversation from there goes back and forth with the in between of 'what ifs' of credit being asked vs being there on all by default. I brought up that it was "a tibbit excessive" and was taken as saying it was redundant. They had brought up some people won't ask for who designed things, using that as a point as to why it should be in every post. However, i can't control what people will or won't ask. The conversation was clearly being taken two different ways on our sides.

On the note of the commissioned artists, its because at the convention I was at, back in April. I had commissioned artists to draw me in different cosplays I do, primarily being the fancyteir Dave. I have posted most of them, tagging the artist in the original post. Due to commission, and how the rights around art commissions work in Canada. The artist owns the copyright to the image, meaning i can't sell it or profit off it. However I own the piece itself and have right to use it in posts and such. Once again, if I was asked who drew it I would redirect them to the artist immediately.

The main piece here is the tone change, as I was trying to keep a respectful conversation with negotiations. I was informed the same credit expectation would be applied to my commissioned piece from them.

I paid for the agreed price and confirmed I have no intentions to use the design for cosplay now. I blocked out their email for privacy. Things had stopped there for a while, and once the final piece was given communications had stopped.

After a while, i had seen they had commented on one of my tiktoks. I had forgotten to add the credit to the comments to pin, and they had added it themself. My issue wasn't with this. It was that was the only interaction I had seen on any of my accounts from them. I'm aware I'm not entitled to interaction, however commenting for the credit and not liking the video had struck me the wrong way. Especially given how the last conversations had gone. So I had blocked their account, and than added the credit into the comments and pinned it myself. I come around to check discord later that day to find this.

Now, I had only blocked them on tiktok. They could have reached out to me on any other platform. I'm aware I could have discussed my issue with them as well, however I was and still am tired of arguing over this. I had chosen to ignore this for the most part. Choosing only to go about and unfriend/unfollow them on my other medias. I had a weird feeling not too long later and checked their tumblr, coming across what I would deem a slander post. It is still on their account, however I have attached a screenshot for ease of navigation.

The phrasing and word choice, to me, feels as though I'm being painted as never giving credit and not wanting to. The phrasing "unfortunately he had commissioned me..." felt very rude. As, shown above, I paid for the design and said I wasn't going to use it. I had attempted to clarify some things in the comments. Before it had become an argument again. So I wished them the best and was quite alright with letting this die off. However they than responded to an anon ask about this topic again which prompted me to break my silence and explain what all was going on.

This had annoyed me, since there was credit long before the 'call out post'. This had further pushed the narrative that I denied to give credit at all. I, as a person and a content creator, have the right to block who I please as well. The fact that it was noticed that I blocked the other account only confirms to me that they have been checking in on my account. Which I personally find a little unsettling. The hashtag choices are what truly annoyed me however.

These are a direct attack of character on who I am as a person. I haven't, as far as I'm aware, ever made comment on plans to bad mouth anyone. I have not, nor do I intend to bad mouth them. However this reads off as slander against me as a person, which I won't sit by an watch without expressing my side of the situation.

In summary

I have placed this costume to the side, and will no longer be posting content with it. I will not be using the commissioned piece for cosplay. I still wish them best as an artist, as their designs and style are amazing pieces. However I am saddened by how this has been dealt with and turned out. I dislike loosing friends, and heavily dislike needing to make a post about this. However I feel the need to defend myself against the audience this has been aired too with no context or explinations. I will be using this post as a script for a video format on tiktok, which will than be added to instagram, facebook(cosplay page not personal) and here on tumblr. I as a person, and a creator, don't believe I deserved to be passed over to someone's fanbase for judgement. Please DO NOT go after them. I would like to use this as my final comment on everything and move on to costume plans. I'm now aware for the next time I ask a friend or comission someone for a piece I intend to cosplay, to draft and sign an agreement about the expectations before hand. Thank you for your time. I will reblog this with the links to the other posts once their up.

*I will no longer be associating with them and have full intention of blocking them across all platforms a few days after posting this. Just to be transparent.*

[batwhimpix]

An Interview with Former Takarazuka Top Star Asumi Rio: The Laidback Personality Behind the Handsome Face

(Translated by me 8/19/2021)

While still a member of the Takarazuka Revue, Asumi Rio was known for her sensitive acting which digs deep into the heart of each role, her crystal-clear vocals, and her captivating stage presence. As the top star of Flower Troupe, she gained an immense level of popularity. Now, it has been one year since her retirement from the company. She has expanded her repertoire from stage to screen, and continues to showcase new sides to her talent. In her first name-bearing variety program, the Hulu Original "Asumi Rio's Atelier," Asumi-san learns new tips and techniques to "step up" both her lifestyle and her design sense. Totally different from her intense onstage aura, this program offers a chance to get to know Asumi-san's soft and relaxed offstage persona.

It's been a year and a half since you left the Takarazuka Revue. How would you describe that period of time for you, Asumi-san?

When I was in the Revue, because I had managed to enter the world of Takarazuka, which was my absolute favorite place, I felt strongly that I didn't want to have any regrets. So I was very motivated to work as hard as I could to polish my craft. I was completely lost in it, but within that, I always had my fans cheering me on, and the guidance of so many around me. In the last year and a half, I've realized all over again just how precious a thing that was.

Until I left, my only experience was on the stage, so stepping into the world on screen for the first time, a lot of totally new forms of expression were expected from me, and I felt a lot of anxiety. Parting from Takarazuka and living as just one individual human, every day is full of challenges. But that said, every day now is also rich with new experiences and new possibilities, so I've come to face that with a lot of gratitude.

While you were in Takarazuka, there was a very clear image, that of a perfect "otokoyaku," to aspire to. Now that you don't have that anymore, what kind of actress are you aiming to become?

There are a lot of qualities I have now precisely because I was an otokoyaku, and I think it's probably okay for me to just embrace that. As top [abbrev. "top star", the starring otokoyaku actress in each troupe], I was in a position where I had to lead the troupe, watch over and guide all the other actresses, and shape each production as the lead actress. I think I've picked up a lot of grit through that experience, and even as a woman, I think having a bit of a masculine edge in your lifestyle and how you deal with things can be a positive, right?

Even when I was playing otokoyaku roles, moreso than aiming for a particular ideal, I came at each role separately, like, this time I'm playing this kind of man, next time I'm playing this kind of man. It was like a gradual broadening of my horizons. Now I'm simply adding female roles to that roster, so it's kind of like the scope of roles available to me has doubled. When it comes to my outward appearance, as my hair grows out and I transition toward a more feminine look, I've been having all kinds of new discoveries, like, "Oh, this kind of styling makes me feel like this." Within my drama roles as well, I like those discoveries like, if I do it like this, won't it be interesting, or if I do this, I can get viewers to say, "Oh!" I want to keep digging to find those little moments where I can really surprise people within each role.

Since your retirement from Takarazuka, what overall on-set experience sticks out the most in your memory?

I think that has to be the first show I had the opportunity to take part in, "Ochoyan" [NHK serialized telenovella]. Until I was on that set, I always thought that the stage was the most incredible place in the world. I would never find anywhere else where every member is so unified in their vision, where everyone has so much pride in their troupe and so much love for the production they're building together, as in Takarazuka. Even now, I still think Takarazuka is a very special place, and my love for it hasn't changed.

But on the set of "Ochoyan," like Takarazuka, there were so many staff working to create this thing, who truly loved the work and brought all kinds of skills to the table to bring it to life. Among the cast as well, the atmosphere during recording, where all of us in the Tsurugame Family Theater [the name of the theater company employing main character Takei Chiyo as well as Asumi-san's character Takamine Ruriko] really did feel like a family, wasn't that different from Takarazuka at all. On the contrary, because our time together was limited just to the recording of this show, it felt like everyone valued that time all the more. Being on a set like that was a huge experience for me.

In Takarazuka, you had a very hectic schedule. As soon as one production closed you were already thinking about the next. I'm sure your lifestyle has changed in a big way since then. What kind of feelings do you have about that?

I retired and moved here to Tokyo right around the start of the pandemic. During the lockdown, when I was in my house all day, I realized how long the day really is. Suddenly it was up to me to decide how to spend all this time in the day. I could use it to rest or, if I had some area I was struggling with, I could use it for training too. I had a renewed realization that depending on my own feelings, I could choose to change myself in any number of ways.

These days, how do you find yourself spending the majority of your time?

These days, I'm doing a lot of types of work I'm totally new to, and working on sets with people I've only just met, so I'm still in a place where I spend a lot of time nervous. When I'm on a set I haven't gotten used to yet, my antenna is going in all different directions, so after I get home I try to relax as much as possible. In order to fully refresh myself and go into work the next day in high spirits and ready to face whatever comes, I've been making a conscious effort to be kind to myself.

What activities allow you to refresh your batteries the most?

Zoning out, and eating delicious food.

On "Asumi Rio's Atelier," you gave steaming rice in a donabe [TN: earthenware pot traditionally used to steam rice, supposedly more delicious than steaming in a rice cooker] a try for the first time, but what kinds of things do you eat most often?

As long as it tastes good, I'll happily eat anything. I like vegetables, meat, fish, and I love carbs, too. Ideally, I want to eat a good balance of a lot of different things.

Speaking of that program, how were the topics for each episode decided? Were you able to make requests?

For "Atelier" we had the general framework that I would be trying different activities I was interested in from the onset, so basically they asked me, "What kind of things are you interested in? What do you want to try?" And then...Yeah, first I had about 30, then we added about 30 more, so in total about 60, ideas that we pitched. The program staff wanted to include as many of my requests as they could, so actually, within each episode there are probably three or four different ones. In addition to that, there's an interview in each episode that relates back to that episode's theme. I enjoyed the chance to reflect on my Takarazuka era and memories from my childhood.

On the topic of your Takarazuka era, in your first interview for us, you said, "I wasn't necessarily aiming to become top star." But within the system of Takarazuka, to climb all the way to top star, you must have been aware of something within yourself that made you want to aim higher?

Let's see...Ever since I was an underclassman, I had a strong drive to improve as an otokoyaku. I wanted people to find my performance interesting, and I wanted to be seen as a necessary part of the production. I wanted to act a lot, and I wanted to sing a lot of songs that I love. I wanted to bathe in the spotlight, and I was happy when I got to wear more gorgeous costumes. If I really think back on those feelings now, first in the shinjinkouen junior performances featuring only actresses who have been with the company seven years or less, and then in performances at the smaller Bow Hall theater next to the Takarazuka Grand Theater, inevitably I started aiming for the lead roles that would allow me to stand on stage for the longest every time.

Somewhere along that road, when I was told I was being transferred from the troupe I was first inducted into, Moon Troupe, to Flower Troupe, this feeling that I had wanted to be the Moon Troupe's successor welled to the surface. And since that's the same as saying, "I wanted to be the top star of Moon Troupe," that was the first time I became aware of that goal. Every troupe in Takarazuka has its own character, though, so after my transfer, I was desperate to hurry up and become an otokoyaku befitting Flower Troupe first...

So as you worked to further your artistic development, there at the zenith was top star.

If you were to ask my underclassman self, the Top-sans are unbelievably incredible performers, and the more shinjinkouens you experience, the more closely you come to understanding just how incredible they are. Then as you spend more years with the company and find yourself in a position where you're working directly under the Top-san, you realize how much work they're really doing, and...The more you know, the more you lose the ability to say something like "I want to be the top star" carelessly.

And yet, you bore the heavy responsibility of a top star for five-and-a-half years. It's hard to imagine from your usual laidback attitude, but when it comes to your art, you're incredibly diligent and strong-willed. That gap is captivating.

When it comes to theater, I'm very picky. I mean, I'm way too stubborn for one thing. Especially in productions where I'm playing the lead role, I always have really strong feelings about how I want to perform things, and I'm not in a position where I can hesitate to convey that. It's important to listen to the opinions of various other people too, but when it comes down to it, if I have a clear idea of the direction I want things to proceed and direct things with that in mind, it makes things easier for everyone else, so I always tried to communicate my thoughts clearly and directly. If I'm delivering consistently good work, there's a persuasive power to that. Not only do the underclassmen naturally follow along, but the staff listen and respond to my requests as well.

But when you're making this kind of production, you do have to be pretty strict. But then, the real me is more of a people pleaser. I want everyone to like me, or more like, I don't want to be disliked. I didn't want the younger underclassmen to feel like I was unapproachable or like they couldn't talk to me because I was the top star. I wanted them to think of me like family. So outside matters relating to work, I tried to give off as relaxed a vibe as possible. Definitely, I think there was quite a gap between "on" and "off" for me.

Are there a lot of differences between "Asumi Rio the otokoyaku" and "Asumi Rio the actress?" How about between your stage name persona and your private self under your birth name?

I've lived under my stage name for so much longer than my birth name that I feel like, at this point, the parts of myself that belong to my real name are few and far between. I do have the feeling that, in some respect, I've grown up together with my stage name. In essence, while I was in Takarazuka, I didn't worry too much about creating a separate persona. Thanks to the kindness of my fans and the environment I was in, I felt like I could leave my otokoyaku persona on the stage and stay pretty close to my natural self everywhere else. I guess the only thing is, when I'm alone in my house, I revert to goblin mode. (laughs wryly) Like I'll have trouble getting myself to go take a bath, or I really should clean but my back hurts, etc., etc.

By contrast, now that I've graduated from being an otokoyaku, a lot of the things I'm doing as an actress are total firsts for me, so I think I feel more discomfort with my presentation now than I did then. There are times when I get really nervous, and then I get disappointed in myself for feeling that way. Like, until just a little while ago, I was in a position where I was responsible for keeping everyone's morale up. I would get up on that stage like, "It's alright, just leave it to me," so what am I all anxious for now? I often think about how much I still have to learn, and how badly I want to hurry up and learn it so I can show the results of my efforts.

Is there a particular ideal you're currently pursuing? What kind of actress do you want to become, and what kind of woman?

Since leaving Takarazuka, I've had a lot more opportunity to meet all kinds of new people. On every set I've been on, each of the actresses I meet has their own unique aura, and seeing their acting up close, I'm blown away by each of them. Among the staff as well, there are so many different kinds of professionals of all ages, and I often find myself inspired by their work ethic and lifestyle. I'd like to continue to enrich my life by learning from the amazing people I meet and experiencing many new things, and work to become a more fully rounded human being.

*Bracketed notes not marked "TN" (Translator's Note) were present in the original article.

[enderspawn]

It's alright if u don't wanna answer this cuz this argument gets people really riled up but do you think c!Techno is a tyrant or nah?

Cuz many c!techno apologists argue that he isn't just cuz he's an anarchist but I've also read a lot of essays that go against it and it'd be really interesting to see ur opinion on this

i think he, in some contexts, can most definitely be called tyrannical, yes. a tyrant? no.

to avoid spamming ppl w discourse we've all def heard before (and bc this ended up MASSIVE (like 2.3k ish), but fairly in depth bc i didnt wanna speak out of bad faith and wanted to be EXPLICTLY clear-- oops), the rest will be under readmore

so heres the thing i want to preface: i used to really LOVE c!techno. i joined beginning of s2, right when exile started, and he was arguably my favorite character. since then though i've fallen out with him a LOT, to the point i almost... actively despite him at times (though mainly in a toxic kind of way which i can acknowledge is flawed).

in short, his actions started to speak louder than his words and i lost investment in his personal character struggles because of the actions he took (doomsday was my breaking point. i get feeling angry and betrayed, as well as seeking revenge against lmanberg, but his actions went too far for me to CARE and it hurt so many more characters as well.)

so when i speak, i come from a place of disliking him but also somewhat understanding the position c!techno apologists come from: i used to be one of them myself.

NOW, do i think he's a tyrant? no. for reference in my analysis, i try to look up the definition of terms to make sure they are utilized properly. while "tyranny" and "tyrannical" can have multiple uses, tyrant itself is a more specific term. to combine the top two definitions, a tyrant is referring to "an extremely oppressive, unjust, or cruel absolute ruler (who governs without restrictions, especially one who seized power illegally.)"

techno's position as an anarchist, imo, DOES indeed make him unable to be a tyrant. tyrants are rulers with very clear power over others from a structural way. anarchists are about the lack of structure or power over others and instead viewing the people around you as equals in power.

in forming the syndicate, they very explicitly worked to not designate a leader and instead make it so that no one would have any power over the others systemically. techno may have taken a integral role, yes, but it doesn't make him suddenly "the leader", its a role that wouldve had to be filled by someone (even if it was democratic to decide who to invite, they'd need someone to hand over the invite itself yknow? like no matter WHAT there needed to be A ROLE)

one could argue that he IS a leader in the shadow hierarchy of the syndicate (which, yes, is a real and professional term used in management courses despite sounding like it comes from a 4kids yugioh dub) in that everyone CONSIDERS and looks to him a leader without him having any actual structural basis behind it, but to argue that allows him to be a tyrant is in bad faith i believe. especially because to the people he would be "ruling", he ISNT oppressive, unjust, or cruel. they are his friends and support network and critical for a lot of his personal development (since feelings of betrayal and trust issues are critical to his character and why he acts the way he does). I wish we were able to SEE this develop more, but oh well.

but like i said: tyrant is fairly specific in definition. TYRANNY, and thus TYRANNICAL are not as limited. I've discussed their definitions here. originally, i made that post because i was angry at a take i had seen that claimed that, like you said, because techno was an anarchist and not part of any government or leadership position, he couldn't be tyrannical. to which i heartily disagree.

for something to be tyrannical, they simply must have an overarching/oppressive power over someone or something. it would not be inaccurate if i were to say that something is "under the tyranny" of a concept, because what it means is that something is under the power of another thing/concept. you can frankly call anything tyranny if it is widespread/overarching and you don't like it. mask mandates? tyranny, its forcing me to act in "rigorous condition". hell, theres even such things as tyranny of the majority in which people agree too much on one thing and it gives them unfair power or tyranny of the minority where people with minority opinions have too much power (thats a very grossly oversimplified definition of both, but it covers the base idea well enough for my point)

the point im making above isnt meant to be taken as "anything can be worked to be defined as tyranny thus it is a meaningless claim", it is that tyranny (and again, thus tyrannical) are very open and nonrestrictive terms.

to make it easier to define, alongside the definitions provided i want to add an explicit clause that is (imo) implied in the original definition: tyranny is... well, bad. that is to say if someone has power over a group but literally everyone is fine with it and agrees to it, its not tyranny. thats just a group of people getting along and one happens to have power over another. a leader does NOT equal a tyrant (as discussed above), so leadership should not be equated with tyranny.

thus as an example: wilbur acting as president (before the election) may have been "unelected" with power over his citizens, but no one was upset with that power. thus, he is not a tyrant and not acting tyrannically (as well as the fact his power was, arguably, NOT rigourous or absolute but thats another topic for another time). SCHLATT however IS a tyrant, as his power was absolute (he did not consult his cabinet) and forced people to comply instead of them complying willingly, thus he was acting tyrannically.

now to finally get to the damn point of this essay: where does c!techno lie? honest answer? it depends slightly on your perspective, but it depends a LOT on the future of the syndicate.

techno is incredibly clear in his goals: no governments, no corruption. in fighting with pogtopia, he is actively working to topple a tyranny-- he isn't tyrannical for doing that.

when he strikes out on nov 16th, it is because he opposes them forming a new government. when they oppose him and disagree, he launches an attack against them. is this tyranny? maybe, but probably not. he IS trying to impose his own physical strength and power (as well as his resources) over the others to stop them from doing what HE doesn't want them to do.

however its more nuanced than that:

1. hes lashing out emotionally as well as politically. he feels betrayed by those he trusted and he believed that they would destroy the government then go (i'm ignoring any debates on if he did or did not know that they planned another government, though it is a source of debate). but typically idk about you but i dont call tyranny for someone fighting with another person.

2. he also may be acting with good intent again, in HIS EYES. if tubbo was part of manburg, whos to say he wont be just as bad? he, in his pov, is likely trying to stop another tyrant before they rise.

3. and finally, and tbh the most damning from any perspective: he gives up. he quickly leaves then RETIRES without intent to try and attack again until he is later provoked. tyranny is defined by it not just being power, but power being USED. if he doesn't use his power to try and impose any will, then he's not tyrannical.

Doomsday I am also not going to touch very in depth on for much of the same reasons. My answer is again a "maybe", depending on the weight you personally place on each issue:

1. he's lashing out as revenge for the butcher army and as revenge against tommy for "betraying" him (though this one we explicitly know he was ignoring the fact tommy did not want to go through with it, however he still did trust and respect tommy regardless so his feelings are understandable anyway)

2. he sees new lmanberg as corrupt and tyrannical (which is undeniable: house arrest for noncompliance, exile without counsel, execution without trial, etc), and thus obligated to destroy it

but also, theres the implicit understanding he's doing this to send a message: do not form a government, or else. its a display of force that also works to warn others unless they want a similar fate. phil even explicitly states that he is doing so to send that message, so one could assume techno is doing the same alongside his personal reasoning listed above.

what i just described is the use of a oppressive and harsh (physical) power in order to gain compliance from people (that compliance being 'not making a government'). does that sound familiar? exactly. it follows the definition(s) of tyranny given previously. technoblade is acting in a way that is, by very definition, tyrannical.

so the debate shifts: is he valid in doing so because he is trying to PREVENT corruption and tyranny. like i said, new lmanberg was undeniably corrupt at points. i held nothing against techno for trying to topple manburg, so does that apply to new lmanberg as well? short answer: i dont know. it depends on your specific opinion of what is acceptable. its like the paradox of tolerance: to have a truly tolerant society, you have to be intolerant of intolerance. to have a truly non-tyrannical society, do you need to have a tyranny enforcing it?

personally (and bc im a lmanberg loyalist /hj) i say it is. regardless of the corruption of new lmanberg, they are also giving a threat to EVERYONE. even those who are innocent, they are presented with the exact same threat and rule set: if you make a government, you will be destroyed.

(which, small divergence here, is part of why debating c!techno is so frustrating. so many times you end up hitting a "well it depends on your political views" situation and there ISNT a correct answer there. im here to analyze characters for fun, not debate political theory)

so: the syndicate then. this is where this debate really "took off" and i think its due to one very specific miscommunication about its goals and plans. the syndicate, upon formation, declares itself to stand against corruption and tyranny. when they are found, the syndicate would work to destroy it. so heres the golden question: what do THEY define as corruption and tyranny? if you were to go off c!techno's previous statements, seemingly "any government" is a valid answer. however, he also states he's fine with people just being in groups together hanging together.

what then DEFINES A GOVERNMENT for them? what lines do they have to sort out what does "deserve to be destroyed" and what does "deserve to exist freely"

this is a hypothetical i like to post when it comes to syndicate discourse:

i have a group of people. lets say 5 or so for example. they all live together and build together. any decisions made that would impact the entire group they make together and they must have a unanimous agreement in order to proceed, but otherwise they are free to be their own people and do their own thing. when you ask them, they tell you they are their own nation and they have a very clearly defined government: they are a direct democracy. does the syndicate have an obligation to attack?

there is absolutely no hierarchy present. there is no corruption present. but, they ARE indeed a government. is that then inherently negative? my answer is fuck no (see the whole "difference between a tyrant and a leader" thing above).

but THATS where the issue of this discourse LIES. in some people's eyes, the answer to that is YES. techno's made it clear "no government" is his personal view, but does that spread to the syndicate as a whole? do they act preemptively in case it DOES become corrupt? is it inherently corrupt because its a government, regardless of how it is ruled? the fact of the matter is because of how little we've seen the syndicate work as a SYNDICATE, we don't know that answer. so we're left to debate and speculate HOW they would act.

if the syndicate were to let that government exist, then they are not tyrannical. they are showing that they are working to stop tyranny and corruption, just like in pogtopia again.

if the syndicate were to destroy/attack that government, then they are tyrannical. simple as that. they are enforcing a rule of their own creation without any nuance or flexibility under the threat of absolute destruction.

miscommunication in debates comes, in my opinion, in the above. of course theres more points of nuance. for example:

would the syndicate allow a government like i had described with early lmanberg, where there is an established hierarchy but everyone in the country consents to said leadership? on one hand, there is no tyranny or corruption present which is what they are trying to work against. on the other hand, theres more a possibility of it occuring. perhaps they'd find a middle road between the two binary options of "leave or destroy" i am presenting, such as checking in occasionally to ensure no corruption occurs.

but if they were to destroy it without, for lack of a better word, "giving it a chance" they would be, in my opinion, tyrannical. they would be going aginst their words of opposing corruption and instead abusing their power to gain compliance.

your/others opinions may differ, again it depends on if you see it as worth it to possibly stop future tyranny or if a hierarchy is INHERENTLY a negative thing.

part of the reason so many blog gave up this debate, beyond not getting very clear answers for the syndicate, is because of the nuance present. there. is. no. right. answer. every single person will view it differently, because there is no universally agreed upon truth of right or wrong here. BUT, i hope this helps shed some light on the discussion and my thoughts on it

[kate-m-art]

7?

This question is not on the list, but which artists inspire you? 👀

Neenii hi!! Ilysm <333

7. How often do you use references?

I use refs more often than not, especially if I'm trying to do anything more than sketches for fun. For a full illustration I like to collect pictures for poses, lighting, color mood and any big props or set pieces. I'll download them and then organize them into sheets to have next to me while I draw. Also for pose references, if you're looking for something specific I can't recommend AdorkaStock enough, they've put together some amazing photoshoots.

And then artists that inspire me....

hmmm that's hard 😅 There are so many and the list is constantly growing akdjh And there are different artist I look at for inspiration in different aspects of my art. That being said here's a few and what I love about them ^^

One of my biggest inspirations and favorite artists is Glen Keane, I wrote an entire paper on him sophomore year of college. He was an animation artist who worked bringing the Beast, Ariel, Tarzan and many others to the screen. He has an amazing way of capturing emotion and expressive gestures in his figures that I adore. Also just as a person, I've listened to so many interviews with this guy and he has such a humble, gentle and genuine approach to talking about his life and art and I hope to be like that someday too <3 Also, if you haven't seen some of his post-disney shorts like "Duet" and "Dear Basketball" I can't recommend them enough, absolutely beautiful works of art (a small warning with the latter one though, it was a collaboration with Kobe Bryant done to commemorate his retirement so,,, it's a little heavier to watch now.)

Another artist I adore is Jin Kim, I'll never get over the expressiveness and life in his characters! I also love watching videos from Sam Yang, he has a really gentle and approachable way of explaining his process and I love the lighting and color in his pieces. Daniel Gerhartz also has stunning lighting in his pieces that inspire me every time I see them.

There's so many artists here on Tumblr too who inspire me every time they come across my dashes (And if anyone doesn't follow them already they should definitely check out all their blogs!) There's too many to list them all but @yasmeensh has such a gorgeous, loose sketchy style that I love! They capture so many emotions so quickly and their work has such a nostalgic, simple and elegant feel. I've also been loving seeing @ezdotjpg 's work, their character design skills are amazing and I love the way they use colors. @quirkle2 has a way of bringing out life and expressiveness in characters I admire so much, and their linework is exquisite! @liccy has such a fun style and the way they draw figures is like art goals to me, I also love the way they capture forms, drapery and folds in clothing. And uh, oh also! If you guys don't follow @tamberella please go do it right now, I love everything about their style (figures, lighting, colors, settings, all to die for!), they have amazing resources for artists and over on insta (@devinellekurtz) they share their process and amazing advice in their stories that's helped me out so much!

And of course, you inspire me too Neenii!! I love your soft style and colors, and the way you capture such sweet expressions and emotions with all your characters. Whenever I see your art it always makes my day brighter!!

[thehammondlegacy]

Hey, just wondering how Irina and Daniel were doing. I feel like they weren't as important characters, but I still liked them regardless. Are we gonna see their kids maybe later in the story too? Love your simblr btw❤️😊

Hi anon! Irina and Daniel are no longer featured in my story because I have way too many sims to develop their stories, but I am showing a bit of Daniel's daughter in chapter 2. Irina may appear on a post but not in a bts cause, even though Andrew and her are still friends, they are not as close as they used to be, and I think they had their share of spotlight back when they were dating, and that book is closed now. I'll like to focuse on showing Andrew's children stories, than bringing her back, but if you want to know a bit about her here goes some info: She's a famous designer now, has three beautiful daughters, and she's still happily married to Sam. I've actually have been working on some dresses that will be shown as her design and some members of the royal family would wear them, but I don't think she'll appear again. I like to think she retired from her modeling career and now she's finally doing what she loves in peace. We may see Daniel though... But I don't want to spoil. Thanks for asking ♥

[sheresh0y]

Mar'eyce Introduces:

Ro Donetta-Awaud: He/Him, 30-ish

Along with his family:

Dagon Donetta-Awaud: He/Him, 28-ish

Tann Donetta-Awaud: 11-ish

Kato Donetta-Awaud: 5-ish

Ellis Donetta-Awaud: 5-ish

A/N: I decided to go balls to the wall with the rest of these characters. So much backstory. All of it. I'm dumping it right here. Drabbles will added, moodboards whenever the fancy strikes. The rest of Arumorut has had their stories told at this point in the story so, fuck it, whatever. I love these OCs too much and I'm screaming it from rooftops, baby. I know suck at writing children and these Awaud children are definitely come across as way too old but go with me on this. I also left the children's pronouns empty because I'm not entirely sure what they're all trying to tell me yet. I'll update it when they let me know.

Warnings: This fic and AU is 18+ for a reason. Mentions of parental death, swearing, slavery and unwanted children mentions. Ro's a little sad boy under all that armor.

Read from the beginning: Mar'eyce Masterlist

Ro Doneeta was born to Volya and Rol Doneeta, Twi'lek freedom fighters turned Rebels. When Ro had turned four, his parents went a on a routine trip for supplies and never came home. He was adopted shortly after by Kai and Ilyah, a quickly and quietly whispered pact made by the only two parents in their corner of The Rebellion after one too many close calls.

"Take care of them, for us. Please."

The Awauds openly encouraged Ro to participate in Twi'lek culture. Just because he was a Mandalorian now didn't mean he stopped being a Twi'lek as well. The entire clan learned Ryl and Kai and Ilyah found mentors for him to teach him the things they couldn't. They were never sure if they did right by their son, but they tried their best.

After the Awauds retired from the war and were sent back to Arumorut, when Ro and Kaiyah were sixteen, Ro threw himself into the deep end of medicine. It wasn’t humble in the way that Ba’buir was, he didn’t want to train the clan in first aid or help children with their sniffles. Ro had lost so much to the galaxy and this was his fuck you.

First, his ryma and kora, then his lek, now his buir. Kai’buir was physically there, but mentally, emotionally they were nowhere to be found. It was like he had died without dying. Ro decided he was going to fix it all, no one in his family was dying again. Nobody was getting left behind. For everything the galaxy took from Ro, he was going to drag back to this life with his bare hands.

After a few months of shadowing Ba'buir Nejaa, Ro was decided to pursue medical school on Naboo. It was a relatively peaceful planet, since tourism was most of the economy they were malleable to whoever was in charge. This meant that Ro couldn't just walk around anywhere. The Empire was still standing and he was a Mandalorian who may or may not be wanted.

Ba'buir Nejaa said no immediately. Their reasoning was the armor. Armor was important, every Mandalorian wore it all the time. The only reason Nejaa didn't anymore was because Kaiyah needed a new set and they had gifted their set to her. Ro didn't have this exception so he tried a compromise: he would wear the chest plate under his clothes. The plate was the biggest piece of armor he had and helped the most with regulating his temperature anyway. It wasn't comfortable but it was the best he could come up with.

About four years into his medical education, Ro met Dagon through some mutual friends. It was terror at first sight, the poor Zabrak man was missing nearly all of his right ear and Ro knew it was his fault. His stupid plan to fight an Aryx head-on had consequences he didn't full think of at the time.

Try as he might to avoid Dagon, it didn't matter. It was like the up and coming designer was everywhere, Dagon seemed to have his own gravity and Ro was quickly pulled in.

It didn't take long for them to fall in love, by the third official date Dagon was asking Ro to move in and by the fifth they were married. For his part, Dagon took everything Mandalorian related in stride. He barely blinked when Ro explained soulmates and the reasons they were both all scarred up on the first date. He just asked if 'his Mandalorian' had anyone to take care of him.

When Ro graduated school, not quiet a doctor but close enough, the couple had a long talk about the future. They both knew they wanted kids but The Empire was still looming. It wasn't safe for Mandalorians to be openly walking around and they were both faced with the thought it might never be. Dagon understood that his children would be raised Mandalorian. It was close to the way Zabraki culture was. Clans, fighting, it made sense for the most part. Even though he had parted he had parted ways with his family, Dagon knew Ro couldn't do that.

He had been officially introduced to most of the Awaud clan when Ro had graduated, Dagon threw a little get together in honor of his riduur and the only people on Ro's must invite list was his family. They had a bond that went closer than blood and Dagon knew his clan of two needed to do.

He moved the clan of two back to Arumorut, using the ship that Nejaa and Kaiyah brought to move the stuff that Dagon couldn't or wouldn't sell, Ro never seemed to hold on to much.

Ro was furious, initially. Dagon had plans, big plans, to be a designer and he was right at the cusp of finally getting his own line. Moving back to Arumorut would be a step back for his career or end it entirely. In Ro's mind, he could at least play security while Dagon chased his dreams and then they could settle down wherever. It didn't matter to Ro as long as he got to see his family regularly, somewhere Mid or Outer Rim, he didn't want to be too far in case of an emergency.

The move ended up being the best thing to happen to them, not a month after settling in Kaiyah brought home a little Twi'lek girl. She couldn't have been older than five, but with her malnutrition it was hard to guess and she didn't know. She didn't even have a name and barely spoke Huttese.

They named her Tann, for hope.

A year later, while debating on putting their names with an adoption agency now that The New Republic existed and Ro could get his record expunged since his Rebel activities were no longer deemed as 'treason' or 'terrorism', the twins fell in their laps. A woman had shoved the babies on Jax, who was working on a bounty at the time, she said she couldn't take care of them and knew that the Mandalorians could. Jax didn't have a soulmate at the time and knew that the Donetta-Awauds were thinking about adopting again, so he asked if they would like to add the Zabraki twins to their family. The boys couldn't have been more than a few months old, their skin was more pink than the vibrant red it now was.

Kato, for Dagon's father. Even if they didn't talk he still liked the name.

Ellis, for Ro's buir. It was her clan name before she joined Kai.

Ro knew he made the right choice when Kai-buir cried. It sounded terrible at the time, like he enjoyed making his father cry, but it was such a relief to find out that he could. That Kai wasn't entirely gone, just not always there.

Ro still asks Dagon if he regretted it. Losing his fashion line, being a boring tailor to people who didn't really need a tailor. On those days Dagon holds Ro closer, his chin resting on his Mandalorian's head, "Never. Not once. I've never been happier than when I'm with you. 'Boring tailor' and all. Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyare."

^ Ro in his full armor. Isn't he a handsome boy?

Translations & Other Headcanons:

Ryma: Ryl, mother

Kora: Ryl, father

Buir: Mando'a, parent

Kai-buir: Mando'a, masc parents typically go by the first three letters of their name followed by 'buir'. The Donetta-Awaud children don't really follow this rule since they have one Buir and one Edalinare (Zabraki, family).

Ba'buir: Mando'a, grandparent

I headcannon Ro as a doctor who did all the bookwork, but never the internships which I believe is eight-ish years of school? Correct me if I'm wrong I just wanted to keep the timeline in some kind of order for myself (leaving Arumorut at sixteen + eight years of school leaves Ro somewhere near 24 when they have Tann, 25 for the twins). I also know that half the stuff Ro does in Arumorut a unlicensed doctor could never do in real life, but in his mind it got him close enough to what he wanted to do, hence the joke about 'not a doctor but close enough'. He was pretty over med school, honestly. Besides, he learned the good stuff from Nejaa (who is nowhere near doctor status, think closer to field medic/EMT who has Seen Some Shit).

Riduur: Mando'a, spouse

Tann: Ryl, hope

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyare: Mando'a, I know you forever, beloved.

In my brain, Dagon is like 6'4", 6'5"-ish and Ro is a short king comparatively coming in at a hot 5'8", 5'9" (he swears up and down he's a solid 5'10". He's not.) Ro is almost always little spoon and doesn't mind it one bit.

I feel like I need to add a disclaimer: did I accidentally create Numa and her uncle with Tann and Ro? Yes, yes I did. Do I really care at this point? No, because it makes moodboards easy. Numa and her family belong to Disney and Lucasfilms, I did not create them and I don't want anyone to think I did. That arc plus the fact she shows up in Rebels makes me cry.

[vagabond-sol]

Innocent or Guilty: Cazhim

Asked someone to marry you?

"Hah? A romantic are you? Well, No. I can't say that I have. My partner knows how I feel with or without a ring. Though If we ever retire...perhaps." Cazhim appears tickled by your question though his expression grows more thoughtful towards the end. 

Kissed one of your friends?

"Yea. Several years back during the early years of my adventuring I had a different partner. A Miqo'te girl. After a while she said she wanted to sort some things out and being young and confused myself, I agreed. We got as far as a kiss but agreed that more wasn’t for us. We still talk but I'm pretty sure she's takin more of a liking to Viera women." Cazhim smiles and shakes his head. Clearly the two have quite a history.

Danced on a table in a bar or tavern?

"I prefer to watch the entertainment rather than be it. Besides those tables are for food not feet." Cazhim folds his arms as he gives his answer. Perhaps his meal has been the victim of a misplaced dance step or two? Might be best not to ask.

 Ever told a lie?

"Of course. Though I find it easier to omit the truth rather than come up with a lie. Keep em’ guessing. That's fun for all involved." He said, leaning forward in his chair as a rather mischievous grin crept across his face.

Had feelings for someone you can't have?

Cazhim tilted his head in minor confusion "No. Though I don't get all that romantic easily anyway."

Ever kissed someone of the same sex?

"Oh! I suppose I was not clear earlier. Xavier is my partner in combat but we are dating as well. We have been together for some time now so I can safely say we are both guilty of that. Cazhim readily replies. His smile a touch warmer than before. He seems pleased to speak more about his partner.

Kissed a picture?

"I have. Sometimes our tasks or...circumstances can keep Xavier and I apart. It helps." Cazhim answers, looking down at his hands for a moment. Clearly these circumstances he mentioned were less than pleasant. Maybe another question to lighten the mood?

Slept until 5pm?

"Hah. Never. Need to make the most of the daylight while we can right? Besides, I need to be awake to put together a proper meal for a certain scholar when he overworks himself again." He responds with his usual simper and calm tone. His mood seems to have improved a touch.

Worked at a restaurant?

"Yea...once." He chuckled, internally deciding how much to explain. "Lets just say that Momodi is a very kind woman and was nice enough to let me pay a debt with work rather than gil."

Stolen Something?

As Cazhim takes a sip of the tea he prepared he simply points at the spherical Allagan droid floating by from time to time. "Does that count? I mean they weren't using it." 

Been fired from a job?

"Nope. Though I'm sure I've gotten close once or twice at the Leatherworking Guild." He replies, looking off in to space as if remembering no small amount of close calls he may or may not have had.

Done something you regret?

"Just once and I intend to keep it that way." His gaze meets yours and lingers. You know better than to push for more details.

Laughed until something you were drinking came out of your nose?

Cazhim almost chokes on the tea he was drinking at the time as he hears the question. "N-no. Don't worry about it."

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?

"I have but I don't think I get the appeal. Its much more fun to just eat a handful, right?" He replied, obviously looking for validation.

Sat on a roof top?

"Often! Though the climb is the more interesting part...most of the time. There's almost always a fantastic view at the top as well! I think I have a few sketched here..." Cazhim begins pulling out a journal filled with notes and half-decent sketches of various places he's been. He seems eager to share.

Kissed someone you shouldn't have?

"...I believe we've covered this territory, my friend." He gives a slight nod with his answer but nothing more.

Sang in the shower?

"More of the humming type myself." he says with a smirk on his face.

Been pushed into a body of water?

"Many have tried....Many have failed." He answers as he relaxes back into his chair. His grin grows wider as he remembers past conquests.

Shaved your head?

"Gods no! I don't even want to think about it." Cazhim quickly responds, briefly running a hand through his short but well kept hair.

Made a boyfriend / girlfriend cry?

"I hope not, but I imagine if I ever shave my head I just might. Bleh!" It is clear both this question and the last are incredibly displeasing to him. Perhaps a new topic?

Shot a gun?

"Oh ho yes! Let me show you something." Cazhim stands up and excitedly leads you to a side room filled with boxes of tools, raw materials and a desk cluttered with a variety of design documents. "I dabble in the Machinist trade. I much prefer spit balling designs with the Boss back at Skysteel but every experiment needs a test phase! You should stop by the factory. The Boss always likes seeing new faces."

Still loved someone you shouldn't?

"No, but I can't say I've loved that many people. Especially not romantically." He seems more caught up in reorganizing his workshop then this particular question.

Have a tattoo?

"Not my thing. Clashes with my scales. I've seen some pretty cool ones on the other monks around though. Maybe I could engrave my revolver with one..." His focus is barely there. Perhaps it would be best to relocate.

Liked someone, but will never tell?

"Eh, life's too short for that. Might as well take your shot while you can. Worry too much and you're likely to make yourself sick with regret" He replies over his shoulder as he leads you back to the living room.

Been too honest?

"Honesty has never been an issue. As I said omission is a powerful tool." His mischievous smile returns along with his focus on your questions.

Ruined a surprise?

"Can't say that I have, luckily."

Been told you were beautiful by someone who totally meant it?

"A few times. It's nice to hear...even if its almost always out of the blue nowadays. Xavier tends to do that." He says with a warm smile on his face.

Stalked someone?

"Eh yea actually. A friend of mine had a hunch about one of our clients. Thought they weren't giving us all of the details. She was most certainly right. Luckily we sorted everything out."

Thought about murder?

"I assume you're referring to something more scandalous than what goes on in battle. If so: No. I've kept very few loose ends that need that kind of...attention." His tone makes it clear he is not pleased by this sort of question.

How about mass murder?

Cazhim stares at you for a moment before replying "I see no circumstance where I would need to."

Cheated on someone.

"No" he says almost before you finish speaking. He quickly downs his tea before standing to make more.

Gotten so angry that you cried?

"Yes, my friends are talented, dedicated and not afraid to risk life and limb at the drop of a hat. However; that doesn't always mean things will go their way. Sometimes it gets the in trouble. The sort of trouble I can't pull them back from..." He says while prepping a kettle. He does not turn to face you but you can tell a bad memory is on his mind.

Tried to stay away from someone for their own good?

"No. Only for my own good. Briefly." He says before placing another cup before you. He does not seem inclined to elaborate.

Thoughts about suicide?

Cazhim simply begins sipping from his own cup. A moment passes before waving a dismissive hand in your direction. Your question goes unanswered.

Had a girlfriend or boyfriend?

Cazhim scoffs but not with ill intent. "How about I say this instead. Yes, Xavier is the only person I've ever dated. Everything before has been more...temporary."

Gotten totally drunk during a holiday?

"I'm not much of a drinker. A spiked lemonade or a sip of spiced wine at most but that's mostly just for others who may get the wrong impression if I don't eat or drink at all."

 Whoa! Okay well that was loooong but fun! Helps me flesh out Caz's personality. I hope who ever decides to read this has fun and if you really like it then why not try it yourself? Thanks for tagging me: @windup-scholar Stop by their blog to see even better OC stuff. From Art to asks like this one. See ya.