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hermitzine · 8 months ago

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HERMITZINE FAQ

What is Hermitzine, anyway?

Hermitzine is a fanzine, a compilation of illustration, comics and writing based around the long running Minecraft SMP Hermitcraft, with works focusing on the creative projects, collaborations and interactions the creators on the server (aka Hermits) share with their audiences. For each edition, we (the Hermitzine mods) announce the theme we're running with this edition, open applications, and pick our roster of collaborators from the artists and writers who want to be involved.

Once our line up of collaborators has been selected, we invite all the contributors for the zine to our discord server, and the process of making the zine pieces starts! Contributors brainstorm an idea for a piece they want to do, and run it past our mods for approval, then work on it over the course of about 2 months (to make sure people have time to put together something they're proud of without having to ignore things like sleep, school and work). Hermitzine #9 has a little bit more going on with collaboration and format, but we go through that in the application form.

What's the timeline of events for this edition?

The current schedule for Hermitzine #9 is as follows:

March 02 — Applications open at midnight GMT

March 16 — Applications close at midnight GMT

March 23 — Acceptance / Rejection emails go out

March 30 — Check in 1 (initial sketches / ideas)

April 13 — Check in 2

April 27 — Check in 3

May 11 — Check in 4

June 01 — Final pieces are due

Late June / early July — Zine is published

More questions and answers below the cut! (A lot more. Be glad we added the cut).

How do I apply?

Fill out the form (we'll be posting them very soon)! We have a writers application form and an artists application form, both will be open between the 2nd and the 16th of March.

In your application, you'll be answering a few questions and sharing 3-5 of your best pieces, to let us know what you're about as a writer and/or artist.

Then all you have to do is sit tight and wait for our email on March 23rd to find out if you're in!

Who can apply?

We have three requirements: 1) you’re 15 years or older, 2) you can speak enough English to communicate about deadlines and other important zine-related discussions, and 3) you have a Discord account, as that is how all communications with contributors will be made. A free account is fine — we don’t send files through Discord itself, so there’s no need to buy Nitro.

What do I need to do / have to apply?

For all of our applicants, we ask for a small portfolio of 3-5 pieces of your best finished work. We ask for a small portfolio to keep our views of your work focused on what you think is you at your best. These portfolio pieces don’t necessarily have to be Hermitcraft related, or even belong to a fandom. As long as it’s your personal work and you’re proud of it, we want to see it.

For writers: we ask that the 3-5 works you submit are around 3,000 words maximum, since that is the vague limit you will have to work within the zine. You can submit excerpts from longer works as long as you specify that somewhere within the application piece.

Do I need to be well-known or have a large social media following to be accepted?

Not at all. Social media following does not factor into whether or not you’re accepted. You could have one follower or one thousand — either way, we’re looking at your portfolio. You don’t even need any social media at all! We ask for social media handles in the application in case we want to check out more of your work beyond your portfolio.

What do you look for in the portfolio judging criteria?

We look for several things when judging portfolios. For artists, the list includes:

Your ability to finish zine-quality pieces (fully-rendered, backgrounds, not rushed-looking, etc)

Hard skills: composition, color theory, anatomy, perspective, shape language, etc

Comic paneling skills, if applicable

Solid illustration styles that interest us and we want to see more of

For writers, the list includes:

Your ability to finish zine-quality pieces (complete and concise work, with a full narrative if applicable)

Good grasp on writing basics (grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence flow, etc)

Solid writing styles / voice / characterization

Ideas and we find intriguing, interesting, or otherwise would like to see written in full

If either of these lists are daunting to you, don’t worry! We are very interested in people who are eager to try new things and push themselves as artists and writers. We’ve accepted many people before based on their apparent eagerness to improve and collaborate with others.

We also like applicants with a unique or unusual approach to artmaking. Some examples include: traditional media, 3D modeling, photo manipulation, graphic design, typography, poetry, etc. While these skills are fun to include, don’t worry — not having them won’t detract from your chance of getting accepted.

Can I apply for both an artist and a writer position?

Yes you can, but if you’re accepted, we’ll choose you for only one of the two options. For example, if you apply to both and we accept you for writing, we expect you to create a written piece for the zine only, no illustration. This decision will be revealed to you in the acceptance email you get once the application period is over.

Can I participate if I’m a traditional artist?

Absolutely! All we require is that you have a scanner in order to submit high-quality images of your work. We work around the 300dpi range, and unfortunately photos taken with phones or webcams usually aren’t high-quality enough for us to include.

How many artists / writers do you accept?

The number of participants (artists and writers combined) we accept depends on several factors — the most important of which are how many mods we have working on the zine and how much we decide we can handle. Historically, our acceptance count ranges anywhere from 35 to 75 participants, with our most recent editions hitting numbers closer to the top of that range.

How do I know my application was submitted correctly? What happens if the link to my portfolio doesn’t work?

If you don’t receive any word from us from the time you submitted your application to when the acceptance and rejection emails go out, then congratulations, your application was submitted correctly! If something is wrong with your portfolio, like if one or more of your links don’t work, we typically request access — which will then appear as an email in the inbox of whatever email is linked to the drive you shared your portfolio from. If the issue persists, you might receive a private message requesting access from one of the mods on a social media handle you included in your application. If you don’t receive an email or message from us, then everything with your application works.

Do you guys send rejection emails?

We do. If you apply to Hermitzine, you’re going to receive an email from us regardless of whether you’re accepted or rejected. If you’re rejected, we give you the opportunity to ask for feedback with your portfolio.

I applied but never got an email. What’s going on?

If you haven’t received an email even though we’ve announced they’ve been sent out on our social media accounts, please check your spam folder to see if it accidentally went there. This has happened a lot in the past!

If I’ve been rejected from an edition of Hermitzine, does that mean I can never apply again?

Absolutely not! You can apply to any edition of Hermitzine you’d like, from now until forever, regardless of the results of previous applications. We love seeing friendly names show up in applications!

Do people who have participated in prior editions of Hermitzine have a higher chance of getting accepted to the newest edition?

No. Applicants who’ve participated in previous editions have the exact same chances at getting into the newest edition than any other participant.

What content is allowed in Hermitzine?

Requirements for a piece are only to feature Hermitcraft and/or the Hermits primarily, follow the theme, be SFW and not have any shipping content. That means that crossover content (ex: the Empires crossover) and hermit-adjacent people can be included, and that pieces can be about content from any season of Hermitcraft.

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jeremy-queere · 2 years ago

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Screw it, I'm posting SQUIP lore anyway

I just spent an hour writing the word "squip" over and over with varying capitalization nuances, so I am posting the exposition whether it is needed or not.

Okay. OKAY. ok. SO. In the pre-musical days where the Be More Chill novel was published and the internet was young and exciting, there was a tie-in website.

I lied. There were TONS of tie-in websites. They all existed in-universe and were ridiculously interconnected, and thank god for the wayback machine. Be More Chill was advertised - or as Jeremy says, "I wrote that above. I wrote Be More Chill too, with the help of my squip, under the name Ned Vizzini, which I figured was so dumb no one would think was real." The websites were linked as product testimonials or website ads (cheekily disclaimered as "Ads by Squipple").

I don't know if I can even collect all the website urls quickly without missing some but here's a spattering (with the link going to the wayback machine). Most of these websites aren't just a single page but an entire site:

Humiliationsheet.com for a list of Jeremy's daily mortification events

Squipette, a SQUIP - but pink!

Bemorechill.com, Jeremy's book website

InterSquip.com for people worried about cybersecurity - with or without a squip, take this pill and see who has one installed!

GenerationSquip.com - Sort of an unreality disclaimer that also serves as fan hype. (How do we know it's old? It suggests we "google 'squip'" and helpfully provides us with a hyperlink to the google home page.) It calls this "the squipiverse" a "100% participatory reality"

Squipped.com - a gossip rag collecting user testimonials about bad experiences with squips. It, like many of these sites, collected fan-submitted content - "Tell us about what happened to you when you came in touch with a squip! (If you don't have a story, use your imagination--we need ruthless tactics to fight the industry.)"

Squipnews.com - collecting SQUiP tips from the community in the fields of Business, Technology, SQUiP & Society, Health, and Entertainment

Iwanttobecool.org - Promoting the use of squips despite those naysayers Squipsters Against Squips. As the site poll asks: "How should we deal with anti-squip cyber-terrorists? - jail time - fines - physical dismemberment"

SQUIPusa.com - SQUIP-specific insurance which regrettably does not cover squipotomy or squipiatry, but does cover some SQUIP viruses: "SQUIPusa squipsters are now entitled to one free virtual session with an Intersquip squipnician for each week they have lost their "coolness" due to a National Squip Board-recognized virus. Valid up to six weeks"

Squipsoft.com, the parent company of squip technology. Its homepage addresses important questions like: how can you get good grades that aren't so perfect as to tip off the authorities? Use "Squipsoft School" which promises "guaranteed averages of 96.82 in every subject" except for Business Ethics or Compubiology. Or install SquipServer, which is an honest-to-god VPN ad: "Using a virtual private network (VPN) framework, this revolutionary technology turns your squip into a server capable of temporarily extending your coolness to up to three acquaintances."

CelebritySquip.com - "What percentage of American Idol finalists have squips?"

SquipWorks.com - Offering add-on tech for your squip like the MakeOut Optimizer 4.0 or the Nanolyzer (which picks up on social clues to one billionth of a meter).

SquipWorld - A more chatty experience of Squips spotted in the wild and other squip news.

Squipzophrenia.com - (I'm not endorsing the term...) - Information about the phenomenon in the novel where, if a SQUIP is turned on while the user drinks alcohol, it starts ordering them to kill people. This site has academic research on the subject and related Squip disorders. "However, [avoiding alcohol] is not a foolproof plan. Marijuana and mescaline can also cause squipzophrenia, although with the mescaline we're not sure and just think it might be the mescaline, you know?" Other squip disorders include "Loss of recognition of squip insertion i.e. 'I didn't take a pill, I'm just cool naturally!'" which can be cured via the Konami code; Squip flashbacks after a Squip is removed (which the site describes as likely false claims for the sake of "perpetuating insurance fraud"); the dangers of buying used Squips on ebay; or feeling that you can't live without your squip: "acute squipdependence. The solution is to surround yourself with calming bright plastic objects and remember that everything is fine."

Squipsters Against Squips - The notorious anti-Squip lobbying group advocating for a National Squip Registry.

Squipster - A squip-based social media platform that sadly doesn't seem to have made it to the public yet.

#be more chill #bmc #squip #idk if tumblr will even show this in the tags because of the many many links

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findroleplay · 1 year ago

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Rules: do’s & don’ts

There is almost no rule for what is or isn't allowed on this blog, we are accepting of basically all and any content. When something is not allowed there is a good reason for it, so please try not to break the rules.

What you can not post

Anything too explicit. Detailed NSFW starters, graphic GIFs or pictures used as decoration and the like. If you really want to share a detailed vision of the scene that will be acted out in the roleplay, send a link to google docs, carrd, another post, etc that people can check out. This is primarily about smut but it applies to gore as well. To be super clear, smut and gore are not banned from the blog, you can request any kink/situation you like, but you will need to discuss the details with your partners. For example, asking for a BDSM roleplay is fine, writing out details of the smut scene in your request is not. This is to avoid possible reports based on the NSFW ban.

Wait 24 hours before submitting again from the moment the ask is posted. You can post ads requesting different RPs, just not the same ask. This is to avoid cluttering.

It goes without saying, this is RP only. You can't send requests for dating or similar.

You can only send ads through asks or submissions. If you need help with those I'll be happy to lend a hand, but don't send your requests via DMs. If the inbox is closed it means it's full/I'm not active, please be patient and, again, don't try to get your ad in through DMs. I won't be able to post your ad from DMs.

That's it, pretty easy, right?

What you can post

Generally, anything not mentioned above is allowed. However, since some things get asked often, I will make a general list of things that are allowed for your convenience.

RPF is allowed.

Discord servers and other groups are allowed.

Things related to RPing, even if not strictly roleplay-seeking, are allowed. Other roleplay finders, RP resources, and even questions about roleplaying are all allowed.

Minors are allowed.

Dead dove content is allowed.

What you should/shouldn't do

Your ask will be published even if you don't abide by these rules. However, keeping this in mind will make for a better experience for everyone involved.

Be as clear as possible about the fandom and other relevant information. I can't tag it if you don't tell me where these blorbos come from. If the fandom has alternate names/acronyms include everything!

If you're going to include more than 20 fandoms in your search, split the post into two separate requests. There's a maximum of 30 tags allowed on a post, out of which only the first 20 will show up in searches. If you include more, the rest will go untagged/will not show up in searches.

Don't censor triggers. It just interferes with people that have these words blocked. Don't write inc*st, write incest.

Miscellaneous other stuff

I am not the police, your parents, or HR. If you have a disagreement with your RP buddy I can't intervene to solve it for you, nor can I put them in time out. Unpleasant things happen online, learn to block and move on. Please don't message me - or worse, send anon asks - with callouts for certain users and ask them to block/warn others.

If you feel stuck and the blank page is daunting, you can use this form as a base. Feel free to fill out everything, just some of it, add items I didn't include, or just send your own personal ad.

Literacy:

Fandom:

Pair: (fxf, mxf, mxm, ccxcc, ocxoc)

Character(s):

Ship(s):

Triggers:

Genres:

Plot ideas:

Where: (discord, Tumblr, reblogs..)

Other:

#I thought it was time for a complete overhaul of the rules #to make things clearer and whatnot #sorry if it's long and you've already read it #rp #roleplay #find roleplay #roleplay finder #1x1 rp

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forfluxsake · 10 months ago

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a personal slash solitary blog where i publish my doodles, have hobbies, and do anything typical of the average person

utmv server ad

before i write anything else, i’m promoting my utmv (undertale multiverse) server. JOIN PARTYCHROMA TODAY! FOREVER LINK: https://discord.gg/sATaZ8WZDh

if you aren’t sensitive to bold text, fonts, weird symbols, and eyestrainy gradient rainbow themes, join partychroma. it’s a neverending party for people who’re into undertale or deltarune aus and the like. it’s quiet for the time being, which is why i’m hoping people find this post

we are welcoming of anybody who’s willing to have a good time. the server provides funny roleplay channels, a place to showcase your creations, roles, incredible people, and more. i put effort into it and stuff so that’s great

…a better, less half-hearted advertisement can be found on disboard. hope to see you there!

about me

if you’re wondering who i am, hi

i’m flux.

i am a male and i use he/him/she/her pronouns. that’s all you need to know to respect my existence. if you have any questions direct them to the asks feature i just enabled

what do i like doing? doodling, writing, listening to some funky tunes; learning… i’m not picky about creative activities, but i do tend to procrastinate. my hyperfixations are seasonal and i suffer from being unable to let go of past phases. the list of my interests is infinite. if you care, i enjoy a variety of indie rpgs, object shows, args slash creepypastas, webcomics, and television shows.

cartoon series pique my interest the most.

boundaries

(be my friend)

i’m a minor. this much information is self explanatory as to how you should approach me. obviously don’t interact with me if you are a nsfw age-restricted page, but also don’t attempt to send me weird asks

i don’t talk about politics.

i think being friends with me requires a lot of patience. sure, you may friend me on my discord, o5fo, but understand that i’m terrible at one on one conversation. if you don’t get straight to the point, i will most likely not respond.

preferably keep contact with me through our shared communities or mutual servers and not direct messages.

if i’ve crossed a line, i encourage people to express their discomfort. nothing is gained from radio silence. (it’s not like i’m not anxious as well LOL don’t be shy to contact me [on dis] if it’s important)

what to expect

this blog is sfw, though it’s prone to having violent and dangerous content, mostly because i’ve drawn a fair amount of works with blood or upsetting themes. be wary of who you follow, always, and take steps to protect yourself online. take advantage of the filter tool to block tags that trigger you.

i will occasionally open art requests. but i won’t do too many at a time.

i might touch on some uncomfortable topics while i’m maintaining this nostalgia-seeking blog, especially about past controversies in the communities i was in since i was a child. and depending on the post, i will treat the flaws in said communities seriously or jokingly. please do not take it the wrong way if i redraw those memories.

assume everything i say is light-hearted for the sake of everybody; spare yourself the trouble of thinking i’m trying to invalidate people’s experiences. i never want to come off that way

fanart. expect a handful of art in general. uncolored/whiteboard doodles are abundant. i have ocs- but i’m anything but organized.

that’s a wrap

i wasn’t prepared to end this post

#utmv #undertale #deltarune #sans au #undertale au #undertale multiverse #underverse #filename2 #baldi’s basics #baldis basics #bbieal #multifandom

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petri808 · 11 months ago

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@allaboutnalu Gift for @genavere If you have an AO3 account let me know the user name and I can tag you there. Thanks!

Happy Holidays! 🤶🏻🎄🎁 Hope you enjoy!

For being Christmas Eve, the weather is semi-warm compared to the meteorologist’s news report that morning. Not that it mattered too much, as Lucy rolls her blouses long sleeves up to her elbows, because she always wore long sleeves, long pants, or long skirts anytime she left her apartment. People often stare as they pass to the strange young blonde wearing such warm clothes during the scorching summer months, so the autumn and winter months give her a reprieve from those second glances. But she’s gotten used to the attention or at least has learned to ignore them.

Today’s outfit consists of a dark-reddish-colored, soft cotton, long sleeve, loose-fitting, high-necked turtleneck top that covers all the way up to the jawline, paired with dark gray yoga pants, and fur-rimmed, mid-calf boots. Casual, nice, but not too attention seeking. Oh, no, attention is the last thing Lucy wants from anyone. She isn’t quite an agoraphobic, but close enough. Lucy works from home as an independent contractor editor and article writer for field journalists, a ghost writer who takes all their notes and information and writes a draft that she sends back to the journalist for publishing. Her one condition is to not be listed in the article as a contributor. Most of her groceries are delivered and she doesn’t travel unless necessary.

One of the few times she leaves home during the week is to eat at a restaurant when she’s tired of cooking and since it’s Christmas, why not splurge a little instead of getting fast food. Which is where she’s heading now, to an upscale but family-friendly type place, the staff has always been nice and accommodating due to her circumstances. It’s a bit sad to be eating out on Christmas Eve alone, but as she walks in on this Wednesday early evening, the server, recognizing her, immediately guides Lucy to a booth in the back corner of the restaurants dining room. It’s her favorite table because the booth partially faces away from the other diners and it’s not near a street-facing window. The few times that it was already taken, and she had to sit at a different table, it was uncomfortable to eat with the feeling of eyes boring into her back. Whether or not people are looking, past traumas have Lucy always in an anxious, self-conscious state of mind, and it’s only when alone can she relax.

As she waits, Lucy notes the festive decorations they’ve added all around the room. It’s a mix of tradition and modern chic, perhaps professionally done, to match the fine dining restaurant. There’s a red-tinged, flocked, Christmas tree with slow-pulsing white, fiber-optic lights next to the host stand at the front, decorated with silver, black, and red glass ball ornaments, and topped with a silver star. Over every other booth along the walls there is a green holly bough with red and white berries, short silver pick sprays that are sparingly pierced between the leaves, and finished with a black velvet ribbon where the top meets the hanging wire. On each table, the normally white napkins are replaced with a red one that has an embroidered silver bell on each corner. Last year, the napkins were green with white snowflakes.

About 15 minutes later, the server brings Lucy’s meal. Her choice of dinner is a shrimp scampi with linguini noodles and side of garlic toast, the best she’s tasted out of any other restaurant’s recipes. After a few bites and a sip of wine, she’s slowly easing up in the quiet place. Soft spoken conversation can be heard around the room along with typical restaurant sounds, clinking dishes, register beeps, order up calls, and the faint sound of the cars driving by on the street next to the building. It’s only 4:30 pm, not even dark yet, but the dinner rush diners are starting to trickle in, causing the servers to pick up their paces. Lucy’s looks at her phone as she finishes up her meal. She’ll leave within the next 30 minutes to get away before it turns into a full house.

Everything is going smoothly when suddenly, Lucy’s ears perk up to a rising sound of abnormal noises she’s never heard in the restaurant before. Guest’s closer to the front are starting to look around and the conversation tones grow in both volume and tone. Banging sounds, dishes falling and crashing, Lucy hears a scream and a thud, and then— “FIRE!” She hears. Again, the domino of screams, fire, fire, evacuate! Oh, God, she can smell the smoke! Panic grips the restaurant and all hell break loose as patrons and employees are running for exits, people and tables are being knocked over, trampled, and pushed around in their bid to reach the door.

A loud whooshing roar fills Lucy’s ears and her vision somehow shifts back to the living room of her old home, sending her pulse into a sprint, yet every muscle in her body grinds to a screeching halt, a fork gripped in mid-air, eye’s wide and mouth agape. This can’t be happening! Every second counts when there’s a fire, something she knows better than most, but her legs refuse to move. She doesn’t even know where the fire is coming from, so what if she leaves the current safety of the booth and burns before she can reach the front door?! As tears stream unencumbered Lucy finally gathers her strength, only to slip underneath the table.

It’s no use, all she can hear is the phantom crackling of a fire burning its way through a structure. Trapped. The smoke is growing thicker. ‘Get down, get down,’ her dead mother’s voice rings in her ears; they can’t get out of the house! Lucy pulls her legs to her chest and wraps her arms around to protect them, head down, resting her forehead in the slight space above her chest. She fights a losing battle to slow her panic breathing despite it getting harder to breathe as the smoke envelopes her in a black, greasy haze that with each choking cough burns the throat and stings the eyes. ‘It hurts mama! It hurts!’ The scars throb on the left side of her body, burning from the phantom heat, and a phantom smell of burning flesh and hair are all Lucy can perceive, swallowing her back up again. This is it. Fate has come to finish what it started; she muses as the smoky darkness chokes the life out of her.

The street outside is cordoned off by the police to keep spectators out of the way of the emergency services. Fire trucks arrive within five minutes of the call and immediately speak to the chef and staff who explain the fire is in the kitchen. The kitchen staff has tried their best to put out the grease fire, but the flame-retardant spray couldn’t reach far into the vent above the grill where the buildup of goopy grease and oil from not being cleaned properly cling to the sides. So far, the flames are isolated to the kitchen, but the oily black smoke from the burning grease has turned into a layer of grimy fog that burns when breathed in or gets into the eyes. That stinging pain is what ultimately drives the cooks out.

While firefighters rush towards the kitchen, one is tasked to do a sweep of the building. Even though the waitstaff believe they’ve gotten everyone out, they can’t take the chance of anyone being left behind. It’s now been about ten minutes since the 911 call, so the clock is ticking against anyone trapped inside. The smoke can easily suffocate, and the oily air could do lasting damage to the throat and eyes.

Natsu Dragneel starts by checking both restrooms for guests, then sweeps his flashlight beam under each table and booth as he passes by, meticulously one by one, left, right, left, making his way towards the rear of the dining room. As a firefighter his concerns are life first, property second and each time they are called to a scene with potential people inside, his fear is being the one to find someone he cannot save. It’s the fear of every emergency responder not to be that one and just as he’s about to breathe a sigh of relief to reach the last booth without a victim, his heart stops cold when his light falls on a curled-up body under the table.

“I’ve got one!” Natsu quickly screams into his radio to put the EMTs on notice. It’s a young woman and based on the soft rise and fall of her chest she’s still alive. “She’s unconscious!”

The space under the table is a bit tight for him to get under with all his equipment, so he drags the table from the booth and shoves it out of the way. He then sweeps the limp woman into a bridal carry and rushes out of the building to an awaiting ambulance, placing her onto the gurney. As the EMTs immediately get to work, Natsu finally has a chance to see what the woman looks like. Spots of blonde hair gleam in the sunlight through the patches of greasy soot clinging to strands and skin. She looks around his age, average height, and weight with a beautiful figure, maybe a bit younger but it’s hard to tell with the oxygen mask obscuring some of her facial features. Something catches his attention, partially blocked by her hair, but if he’s not mistaken there’s a patch of distorted skin peeking out from the turtleneck along the side of her neck, perhaps a burn?

She’s breathing normally with the help of the mask but is still unconscious and the EMTs are not quite sure why since there doesn’t appear to be anything else physically wrong with her aside from some redness in her throat and eyes from the carbon monoxide and smoke. Since the fire never reached her, there’s also no burns. Why didn’t she evacuate, Natsu wonders. He checks the crossbody purse on her body and finds a wallet. ‘Lucy Heartfilia,’ he reads off her I.D. Most people’s reactions to a fire are to flee, but there are some who freeze, so is that what happened to Ms. Heartfilia?

“Oi! Dragneel!”

“Huh?” Natsu is so wrapped up in the mysterious woman that he’s forgotten he’s still on the scene. “Oh. Yeah?” He yells back to his boss Captain Guildarts.

“You, done with the vic’ yet?” The captain questions.

Natsu returns the I.D. back to her wallet. “Yeah, why?”

Guildarts points up. “Go check out the roof vent, see what condition it is for the report.”

“If it’s been cleaned or not?” Natsu clarifies. While the grill hood should be cleaned once a month, the whole venting system in a kitchen should be cleaned out fully at least once a year. Even aerosolized grease and oil can stick to the smooth sides of the metal duct work, which can catch fire under the right conditions and threaten the entire building.

“Yeah.” The captain responds.

“Got it boss.” Natsu starts off towards an access ladder on the side of the building, but his boss isn’t finished. He pauses.

“And Dragneel. When you’re done with that, go on and check on the victim at the hospital,” Guildarts winks knowingly.

It makes Natsu flush. “T-Thanks,” he fumbles, then breaks into a gaily sprint.

That Guildarts, Natsu muses. The guy is always chasing women, so no wonder he caught on to his intrigue. Nothing wrong with wanting to check on a victim, public service is their duty after all. Oh, who is he kidding himself, the pretty blonde has caught his eye, and he wants to learn more about her. Why was she eating alone at the restaurant? Her hair was up in a messy bun, but that only added to her charm, and the blue cat earrings were cute. It’s a warm day too, yet she’s wearing long pants and a long sleeve high turtleneck top. That’s unusual, and he just happened to notice no ring on her finger. How is someone like her single? … Wait. Natsu stops moving and looks around. He’s standing on the roof in front of the vent, but all he’s done is zone out thinking about the woman. Back in your pants, Dragneel. He shakes it off and gets back to work checking into the vent duct. It’s dirty, but not too bad. He’ll tell his boss to recommend they get it cleaned anyways and make sure to be more stringent in their cleaning schedule. Okay, now, back to the station to change, shower, then head to the hospital. ‘I hope she’ll be awake when I get there.’

When Natsu arrives at the hospital, he uses his privileges as a firefighter to get in to see the woman. The rules are only family members during non-visiting hours, but buttering up the nurses isn’t difficult considering he’s showing concern for a victim. He sneaks a peak at her charts and sees her prognosis. Smoke inhalation, elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, redness in the eyes from the smoke, they believe she passed out from hyperventilating, unsure of why she is still unconscious, but overall healthy and will hold overnight for observation. She’s hooked to an IV drip with some antibiotics to ward off potential infection and has a nose tube set up just to assist. He mumbles to himself. “Next of kin contacted,” the notes say, but doesn’t report if the person answered, and obviously the room is empty except for him. Add another check mark to the mystery woman.

‘She just looks like she’s sleeping,’ he notes her relaxed brows, ‘peaceful,’ really, like the day’s events were just an illusion. Natsu sits down on a chair next to the left side of the bed closest to the window simply observing, but that’s when something on her neck catches his attention. Right, and now that he can see it better, it’s definitely a burn, a large burn that travels up into the hair line at the back of her nape and down, disappearing into her gown. “Whoa…” he breathes out. That’s a serious injury, it must have something to do with her reaction at the restaurant. ‘I wonder how far down it travels…’ Natsu’s curiosity grows. He looks up from his seat to see if anyone is walking by the room, and when the coast appears clear, he slowly, gently lifts the blanket that covers her arms and body. It does in fact disappear into the gown where he can’t see, but what is revealed is more burn scars on the upper part of her left arm above the elbow and smaller groupings on her legs. He can’t see above her mid-thigh how high up the scars go, but there are also varying sized spots on her calf, shin, and ankle.

A small cloud of moisture gathers in Natsu’s eyes as he slumps back into the chair, realizing just why she wears clothes that cover so much skin. This poor woman, Lucy, has been through a bad fire before, no wonder she panicked in the restaurant. Everything makes sense now. The hyperventilating, increased cortisol, freezing and hiding under the table. Even though the fire hadn’t reached her, she reacted to it. Likely the smoke alone set her off. Natsu reaches under the blanket and takes hold of Lucy’s limp hand. So small and delicate in his larger hand that it swallows hers up. The fact that she’s been through such a harrowing event before and still carrying on sits well in Natsu’s heart. Lucy probably covers up in shame, but to him, they’re a survivor’s badge of honor, and there’s nothing ugly about that. He rests his arms on the bed and puts his head down for the time being to get some rest too. Since no one else is here for her, he’ll be the one she wakes up to.

By the time Lucy wakes up, the sun has risen and brightly shines in through the sheer-curtained window on her bed. ‘Huh? Bed?’ The last thing she remembers is passing out in the restaurant, yet now here she is feeling refreshed. How many hours has it been, at least 13 or 14 based on it being night anymore! The brilliant white room is silent except for the soft whirring sounds of the breathing machine and light beeps of the heart monitor. She can feel the small sting of the IV line stuck in her arm and the stranger sensation of the nose tube, but other than that, the only other discomfort is a mildly irritated throat and burning sensation at the corners of her eyes— Eh? And a weight on her hand? Why is hand heavy? Lucy tries to move her hand, but something not only holds it back, but squeezes! Quickly, her eyes pop open, looking towards the source.

“Eeek!” Lucy squeals and yanks her hand away, the loose nose tube pulling off her face as she scrambles against the headboard from the strange man sleeping next to her bed! “What are you doing in my room!”

The shrill sound so close to his ear woke Natsu with such a start, he’s instantly awake and jumps out of the chair. “A call?!” He thinks it’s the alarm at the station alerting them to another fire. “I’m up! I’m up!”

“Who are you!” Lucy snaps again. “Why are you in my room?!”

“Oh, shit, yeah,” Natsu stumbles over his words as his brain gets back on track. “Sorry,” he plops back onto the chair. “Didn’t mean to scare ya, but I’m the guy who pulled you out of the restaurant.”

Oh? Oh… “Firefighter?” She asks hesitantly, or could it be a cop?

“Yeah!” Natsu smiles and nervously scratches the back of his neck. “That’s me.”

But still, “why are you here?” It’s hours later! “Is it normal to check on us?”

“Not normally,” he admits. “Just… well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Kinda had me worried a bit ‘cause the doctors said you should’ve woken up a lot sooner, and I wondered if it has something to do with that,” he points to her neck. “This isn’t your first fire, is it?”

Stunned, Lucy is not sure how to respond. This guy is a stranger, so why would she talk to a stranger, and yet he seems so earnest to have waited all this time for her to wake up, on Christmas of all days! She relaxes back into a cross-legged position. “What’s your name?”

“Oof,” duh, “sorry,” he apologizes. “Natsu Dragneel.”

“Lucy Heartfilia,” she reciprocates, “and yeah,” her voice softens, “years ago when I was four.”

Natsu’s shoulders slump and gaze lowers, eyes softening and shining from the gathering moisture, as his tone fills with genuine despair. “I’m really sorry you had to go through that. No one should have to.”

“Hey,” Lucy reaches out and places her hand over his. “It’s okay, you saved me, right? Twice now a fireman’s pulled me out of a fire, so don’t feel so bad, ‘cause you’re an angel to me.”

That heartfelt appreciation pulls Natsu to look up and what he sees makes his heart skip. Lucy’s big, almond-shaped brown eyes are teary-eyed too, but her face is graced with such a beautiful smile that’s haloed by the sun’s rays as if the angels themselves are besotted. This woman has faced death twice that he knows of and yet here she is comforting him, even though he’s perfectly fine. The sound of trumpets sounds off as his brain instantly short-circuits and quick as a flash, Natsu turns over his hand to take firm hold of hers, “Be my girlfriend!’ He blurts out with eyes flashing in excitement. “I-I mean, truth is I’m here ‘cause I’ve fallen for you, a-and— yeah,” he stammers, scratching his head from nervous energy, “sorry, I’m an idiot, but I think you’re really cute and something just makes me want to wrap you up and protect you so this never happens again…”

Though thoroughly surprised, this man’s enthusiastically embarrassing cliff jump is so beautifully endearing that her anxieties disappear— but is also so absolutely amusing, that Lucy bursts into a side-splitting laughter that brings out the happy tears. She squeezes his hand back. “Okay,” she chuckles, “I’ll be your girlfriend.”

“Hell Yeah!” Natsu loses himself and pulls her halfway off the bed into a bear hug. “Best damn Christmas gift ever!”

#nalu #secret santa gifts #nalu au #fireman Natsu #nalu fanfiction #secret santa #nalu fan fic #fairy tail

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girl-with-goats · 5 months ago

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Fest help: using Airtable

A few people in the Fest Hub server on Discord asked me to prepare a tutorial on preparing a form and a prompt gallery for fests, so here's a short but comprehensive tutorial.

First, create an account on Airtable.com—I recommend using a fest or fandom email for that. Using the app the way in the capacity of the fest is free; you don't need to buy any additional plans.

(And it's not an Airtable ad either 😂 just some help for fest mods!)

CREATING A BASE

Click on the blue “Create” button placed at the left bottom of the page.

Click on “Create from scratch”—and now we’ve got a neat base in a grid view. Grid view is quite good for monitoring the participants list, but for prompts I recommend creating a gallery. Click on “Gallery” to create one. You can give it a specific name or just go with the standard name, it doesn’t change much for the view or form.

Now that we have a prompt gallery, we can modify the fields in each card. Click on the first card; it will open a full view of its body. To edit each field, you have to point towards the field’s name until a small arrow appears on the right. It will display a menu of actions. Click on “edit the field” to change the type of field, name and description. You can repeat it for every field in the card, adding and deleting records.

What fields you should consider when creating a gallery view for a fest?

Prompt status (claimed for fic/art, unclaimed)

Prompter (AO3, tumblr)

Prompt (long-text type of field recommended for this one)

Maximum rating

Pairing

Squicks/triggers

To obtain the link to the prompt gallery you want to share, click on the “Share view” button, then create a link. You can now copy and paste it. You can copy the link later from the very same place.

Now that our prompt gallery is ready...

We can CREATE A FORM.

Click on “Form” at the end of the column. It will redirect you to a form you can modify any way you wish.

To edit a field, click on it. It will make an editing bar appear on the right, allowing you to modify the name and description of the field.

To add a field, scroll to the place you want the new field to be added until you see a ‘+’ appear. Click on it, then on “Create a field”. Now fill out all the necessary data—the field name, its type, and description.

The neat “preview” option you can turn on any moment allows you to preview how the form looks like to the person filling it out.

Once you’re satisfied with the form, click on “publish”. The next window will allow you to copy the form link.

If you want to edit the form, you can enter it using the very same link everyone else is using. Then at the top of the page you’ll see the option to edit. You need to be logged into Airtable to do it.

And now all the records will appear in the prompt gallery once someone submits a form!

You can also create a form for prompts claiming, but I recommend creating a separate base for it for two reasons: you will have to modify the prompt cards to hide the records included in the form (such as claimants email and name) and you’ll need to change the prompt status manually anyway.

Let me know if you have additional questions 🫶

#fest help #using Airtable #fest organising #fest modding #Airtable tutorial

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ettawritesnstudies · 8 months ago

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Hi Etta! Sorry if you already mentioned this, but where/how did you find your editors? (If you don't mind sharing)

Don't mind at all!

I know there are companies like Reedsy and the Writers Digest which have databases of editors, but that seemed really overwhelming. At the end of the day, the best way to get resources is to network (make friends, and hope their mutuals like you too).

Last year, I did an interview for Amanda Auler on Instagram and she boosted my account, so months later I ended up doing an interview for Addison Horner. He does editing for indie authors, so I asked him for a sample edit and liked it, but I wanted to get other points of comparison first, so I asked around and came up with a short list of editors. I contacted them, and when I had enough to compare, I ended up deciding I liked Addison best and drew up a contract with him. God moment that I found him so quickly.

But if I had to give this advice to someone else I'd recommend following these steps:

Read books in your genre. Read INDIE AUTHORS in your genre. Review their books. Follow them on social media. Be a friendly fan but don't make it weird.

Indie authors are one person publishing teams desperate for engagement and positive attention. They will thank you for your help and be willing to pay it forward when the time comes.

Once you have a handful of books you like that have similar vibes to your book, flip to the acknowledgements and find the editors name.

Google the editor, find their site, submit your inquiry, email works better than a form.

If you can't find the editor online, DM the indie author and ask "hey I really liked your book and it's a good comp title for my WIP. Who's your editor and what was your experience with them like? Do you mind pointing me their way?" Follow the author's advice. Repeat as needed.

(I've only ever received nice responses to this, don't be anxious. If they don't reply they're probably just busy, not annoyed).

When you contact editors, ask about their availability, rates, and be specific about what type of editing you need. Ask for a free sample edit. Mine were 250-2500 words.

Supply details about your WIP. Mine looked like this:

Title: Runaways

Genre: Middle Grade Portal Fantasy. I'm not labeling it as "Christian Fiction" as religion isn't a focus point of the story, but there are significant underlying Catholic themes.

Premise: When Cecelia goes missing one stormy Halloween night, her older sister, Hannah, must venture into the faerie courts to learn the truth about their past and bring her home. (Linked WIP Page with additional information)

Length: About 86,000 words, 180 pages (Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced, standard 1in margins formatting). 21 chapters with an epilogue

Style: 3rd person limited, present tense. 3 POV characters: primarily Hannah at first, and then Cecelia and the third added later, alternating.

Status/Timeline/Availability: Currently with a 2nd round of beta readers, and I'll be getting feedback by March 31st. After editing the draft to reflect their feedback and doing my own line edits, I'll be looking for a line/copy edit around April/May or early summer.

Types of edits needed: As I understand, every editor uses "line" and "copy" edit slightly differently, but I'm looking for a combination of both styles if possible: checking for internal consistency, logical choreography, adequate descriptions, minor plot or worldbuilding errors, as well as language concerns like cutting crutch words, making sentence structure more dynamic, choosing the right verbs, etc. Developmental editing not needed. Waiting to do proofreading at the moment

When perusing at the editors site, look for credentials/certifications, their backlog of works, and testimonials

If you don't have enough options following this method, join some discord servers! I'm in a local NaNoWriMo group and a Catholic Writers Guild called Inkwells and Anvils which were both useful. I think there might be some writeblr ones as well. Find the critiques channel and send the same information there^^

Compare sample edits. Who respects your voice? Who supplied the most insightful comments? Do you vibe over email? Are they willing to do a stylesheet? Do they like your book? Can you set up a 15 minute zoom call to see if you vibe and discuss details?

Look at prices. My rate is $.015 a word but that's pretty cheap for the industry. Most of the rates I saw publicly were between $.02-.03/word for line editing.

Pray/sleep on it

Once you pick your best option, set a date to send them the manuscript, sign contracts, and make payment.

Send a polite email to the other editors and say "I regret to say you're not quite the right fit for this book, but I appreciate all your time, help, and advice! I hope to work with you in the future" or something along those lines. Don't burn your bridges.

Celebrate!

This whole process took me a couple weeks, everyone was very punctual and professional and friendly. I ended up going with Addison not only because he was the cheapest but also because he made 3X the number of comments as any other writer, and his comments were specific and useful. He understood my characters immediately, I think in part because his writing style is similar to mine, based on his debut novel, Marrow and Soul. We're both Christians who like YA dark fantasy. It's a good match. He's still taking clients for later in the year if that's your vibes. I also worked with Amber Burdett and Sariah Solomon, who were both lovely.

I wish you the best of luck finding an editor who fits your story! I hope this was helpful and not overly long.

#etta rambles #writeblr #writeblr community #editing #professional editing

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silmarillionwritersguild · 1 year ago

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The SWG Hosts Tolkien Fanworks

Fandom creators may be looking for alternative and additional archives, in light of the multiple critiques currently being made of the OTW and AO3.

This is not intended as commentary on the many issues raised about the OTW and AO3 in recent weeks, although an unofficial position of our organization (as a small archive) has always been that it is ideal to archive your fanworks across multiple sites, and multiple options for archiving should exist. Rather, this post will provide information about who we are and the fanworks we accept so that Tolkien fanworks creators can decide if our archive is a viable option for them.

What is the SWG?

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild was founded in 2005 by @dawnfelagund, and our archive opened in 2007. Our mission is to provide an online archive and community for anyone interested in The Silmarillion that values civility and openness in discussing and making fanworks about Tolkien's legendarium. You can read the SWG's complete mission here.

We currently archive just over 5,000 fanworks by 414 creators. In addition, we offer monthly creative challenges, publish a weekly newsletter that features research by our members, maintain a reference library and beta-reader directory, compile a listing of Tolkien fandom events, and host events such as live readings, fanfiction book clubs, and collaborative creative sessions on our Discord.

What fanworks does the SWG accept?

The SWG is an archive for Silmarillion-based fanworks. We try to define the term "Silmarillion-based" as broadly and inclusively as possible so that we can welcome as many fanworks on our site as possible while maintaining our purpose as a Silmarillion group. Significant use of a source, character or character group, location, or time period featured in The Silmarillion, as long as it is not also covered in detail in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, qualifies a work for our site. Our detailed FAQ on how we define "Silmworks" can be found here.

We accept crossover, alternate universe (AU), and multi-age fanworks, as long as a significant component meets the "Silm fanwork" definition above.

Non-Silmarillion Tolkien Fanworks. We recently added a section to our site called Beyond the Silmarillion, which accepts all fanworks based on Tolkien's writings or Tolkien-based adaptations (films, shows, games, etc.) SWG members become eligible to post in this section once they have archived five fanworks or 10,000 words with us, whichever comes first.

Types of Fanwork We Archive. The SWG currently accepts the following types of fanwork: writing (fiction, nonfiction, plays/screenplays, and poetry), artwork, audio, video, link collections, playlists, series, and multimedia fanworks that include two or more of the formats above. If you need to archive a fanwork that doesn't match any of the above, the site moderators will help you archive your work with us, if it's possible to do so. With the exception of video, we host all fanworks on our server. (Videos must be posted to a video hosting site.)

Ratings and Adult Content. We accept all ratings of fanwork. The only adult-rated fanworks we cannot accept are images or videos that include "graphic depictions of sexual activity, sexualized nudity, and any representation of an underage character in a sexual situation" because these fanworks violate the Terms of Service of our webhost.

AI-Generated Fanworks. We do not accept fanworks entirely or partially produced through prompting an AI generator. Our AI policy can be found here.

What are the conduct expectations for SWG members?

Simply put, the SWG "is a positive-focused, open-minded space." We require civility in all interactions conducted on our archive and affiliated social sites. The SWG is a moderated site and community, so we do hold our members to our expectations. You can read our complete Site Etiquette and Terms of Service here.

How is the SWG governed?

The SWG was founded and is currently run by Dawn Felagund, assisted by a team of moderators. Active moderators are Russandol, Grundy, Lyra, Saelind, and Janeways; they make the ultimate decisions concerning the archive. Other volunteers aid other tasks needed to run the site and community and may contribute to decision-making as well.

The SWG is not a democracy in that we do not hold formal elections and there are certain aspects of our mission that we are unwilling to change, even under majority preference. However, we consider member feedback as part of our decision-making process whenever possible—especially with regard to decisions on controversial or impactful issues—and some of the policies and features we've implemented over the years have come about by member request.

Members who need assistance, have a concern, or wish to make a suggestion can contact the moderators directly or use the #town-hall channel in the SWG's Discord.

We aim (and are generally able) to reply to all communications from members within twenty-four hours.

Because we are a small organization with relatively few decision makers, we can generally implement change relatively quickly. Our recent AI policy offers a good example of how governance in our group works. The issue of AI-generated fanworks was raised in a discussion among the site and Discord moderators on May 5. In this discussion, the moderators shared information and came to a consensus on how they wanted AI-generated fanworks handled on the SWG. Dawn drafted an AI policy, which was put before the other moderators for feedback on May 9. By May 13, the site admins had researched and implemented a block on AI scraper bots using all known strategies. Also on May 13, the AI policy was opened for public comment through May 26, during which time members and other interested parties shared suggestions via email with the moderators and in discussion in the #town-hall channel on Discord. During this time, the draft policy was revised twice using those suggestions. On May 28, the finalized policy was announced on the SWG's site and social networks, and relevant documents on the site were updated to reflect and link to the new policy.

How does the SWG handle racism and other attacks on groups that have been historically marginalized in fandom and beyond?

As stated in our Site Etiquette, as an organization, we recognize that fandom and the Tolkien fandom specifically has historically been and continues to be hostile to and dismissive of fans from marginalized groups, including fans who are Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); women; LGBTQIA+; and fans with disabilities. We believe strongly that, as a fandom organization that has benefited from the status quo, we must also be part of the solution to ensure that these inequities do not persist.

Specific solutions we have implemented on our group include:

Our Site Etiquette and Terms of Service strictly forbids "[a]ttacks on other members based on personal characteristics (such as race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, age, sexuality, gender identity or expression, disability, or medical condition)" and states that "[a]busive or derogatory behavior will not be tolerated at any time or in any part of the SWG. We do not welcome or allow any content in our group that is designed to be hurtful or insulting." While we generally observe a three-strike policy for rule violations, "[i]f moderators feel that someone is acting deliberately to harm SWG and/or its members … we reserve the right to suspend that person's account without prior warning." Our hope with this policy is to allow members who mess up the opportunity to improve while also having the ability to remove bad actors immediately.

We currently require fanworks on our site to be correctly labeled with warnings, including fanworks that include "in-universe intolerance," such as racism, homophobia, and misogyny. Creators have the option of labeling a fanwork as "Choose Not to Warn" if they do not want to label their fanwork. Our ratings and warnings policy is here.

We maintain an inclusivity focus group that we consult on policies and issues related to inclusivity or that may have a disproportionate impact on some groups of fans. Any SWG member who is part of a group historically marginalized in fandom is welcome to join this focus group and participate when and how they feel comfortable. Any member can request the input of the inclusivity focus group on a moderator decision.

If I want to archive my work with you, what is the best way to do this?

First, review the Site Etiquette and Terms of Service, and if you believe our group is a good fit for you and your work, register for an SWG account.

A moderator will approve your account before you can begin posting or commenting on the site. We aim to approve new accounts within twenty-four hours of registration; typically, it takes much less time than that to be approved.

Once you are approved, you can begin posting your fanworks! We do ask that new members who are archiving many older works with us to backdate these fanworks and exclude them from the Most Recent list to allow creators posting new work to have that spotlight.

Questions on how to use the site, SWG policies, or how best to archive past works with us are welcome via the site's contact form, by emailing the moderators at [email protected], or reaching out to the mods via any of the SWG's social media.

#silmarillion #tolkien

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regulusblackfest · 2 years ago

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We're back!

Hell yeah, welcome to the fourth year of the Regulus Black Fest!

2023 Schedule:

Prompting: February 12th - 24th Publishing of prompt list: March 1st or earlier Claiming: March 3rd - May 1st Works due: May 14th Posting starts: 20th of May

We have slightly updated our rules & requirements, please check them out here: Desktop | Mobile | AO3

A note from the mods due to recent-ish developments in parts of this fandom - please read this carefully.

As you may see when you check out the rules, we have added the following section:

This fest operates firmly under the premises of ‘don’t like; don’t read,’ ‘ship and let ship’ and ‘your kink is not my kink but that’s okay’ (if you’re unfamiliar with these concepts, see this post). We will not tolerate any shaming, harassment, or attempts to police content, and if you are found to participate in such behaviour, you will be banned from the fest permanently.

We feel strongly about this; the push in fandom spaces towards purity culture and censorship is worrying, if not downright dangerous for queer and otherwise marginalized people.

The Regulus Fest is supposed to be a safe space for artist and writers, one free of policing attempts and censorship; to us, this was always an implied stance since we started this fest back in 2020.

As things stand, though, we feel the need to make this explicit once more: this fest welcomes any and all content, regardless of rating or warnings. We believe in creators providing content warnings in accordance with AO3's rules and requirements, as well as in people's ability to curate their own fandom experience. If you fail to do so, if you fail to understand that fiction does not equal reality, if you engage in public shaming and/or harassment of people due to whatever content they consume or create (yes, even that kind of content), then this is not the fest for you!

After taking feedback into account, we considered making this fest 18+, but have ultimately decided against it. Concerning opinions on censorship are, unfortunately, not dependant on age, and it feels unfair to exclude people from something like a fandom-wide event due to the actions of a small but loud crowd. That said, going forward the Discord server for participants will be 18+ only.

There is certainly more to be said on this topic, but we hope this makes our stance clear for now.

All this aside, we're looking forward to another great fest, and as always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us!

the Mods

@queerofthedagger & @atlantablack

#regulus black #regulus fest #regulus black fest 2023 #mod post

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hp-mcd-fest · 1 year ago

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[Guidelines] + [MCD?] + [Timeline] + [Discord server link]

Before you click the Discord link, please be advised that the fest is 18+. Thanks!

Send us an ask if you have any questions about the guidelines.

Reminder that prompting opens June 1 (in 6 days)!! This year, there is a maximum of 10 prompts per prompter.

Links will be updated in this post as well once forms (etc) go live.

Mobile-friendly guidelines & info under the cut.

Kill you see, darlings 💜💀💚

-your mods, @bluesundaycake & @siriusly-sapphic

Guidelines

General Fest guidelines

Fest participants and enthusiasts are welcome to join us on Discord here.

Due to the nature of the theme and for the mods’ sanity, this fest will be 18+ only.

The AO3 collection can be found here

The prompt list can be found here [link to be added]

Your fest mods are BlueSundayCake and SiriuslySapphic. Banner credits go to BlueSundayCake.

Prompting guidelines

Submit your prompts via the Google form [link to be added]. You may submit up to 10 prompts.

You can submit prompts without intending to participate in the fest afterwards.

MCD must not feature among the DNW/squicks. This goes against the spirit of the fest.

As this is a HP fest, all prompts should be for this fandom.

All eras, all characters are welcome.

Claiming guidelines

Claiming will be done via Google form [link to be added].

You can view the available prompts here [link to be added]. Please give 24-48 hours for an email confirmation.

You may only claim one prompt at a time. If you submit your work before the deadline, you may claim a second prompt.

If you do not plan to complete your claim, please contact the fest mods so we can free your prompt for someone else.

This is an anonymous fest, please do not share your claim with others.

Submission guidelines

Submit your work in the AO3 collection

No minimum word count. Drabbles, short fics, multi-chapter fics — all are welcome.

All works must be complete upon submission.

You must add the fest mod account so we can change the publishing date when your work is revealed. No other changes will be brought to your work, but if significant tags are missing, the fest mods will contact you to double-check.

You may gift your work to the prompter, but as a courtesy if you intend to do so you will need to respect their DNW/squicks.

The death must be permanent (so not like a Voldemort-death from 1981).

All works must select the Major Character Death archive warning.

Betas are encouraged but not mandatory. If you are not having your work beta-read, please be sure to do a spelling, punctuation, and grammar check before submitting. If you are having your work beta-read, please credit your beta in the author notes.

Art submission guidelines

Submit your work in the AO3 collection

Due to the ambiguous nature of sharing art pieces, we will only be sharing any works featuring excessive violence on tumblr and AO3, not on Discord.

Any fanwork not featuring gore, violent death, etc will be shared on our Discord server.

This is in an attempt to comply with the ambiguity of Discord Community guidelines.

Podfic submission guidelines

Submit your work in the AO3 collection

Link your work to the original fanwork on AO3.

Please be sure you have the author’s authorisation to use their work as podfic material.

Posting guidelines

Posting begins on September 01, 2023. Depending how many works are submitted, a number of them will be posted daily anonymously.

Works will be shared on tumblr, twitter, and on the fest Discord server.

Author reveals will happen a few days after the last works are posted, in the form of a master list on tumblr.

MCD?

What is Major Character Death (MCD)?

This tag is used as content warning on AO3. It implies the death of an important character in your story.

For the purpose of this fest, we are looking for fanworks that involve the death of a major character in your story. It doesn’t have to be canon!

There are no other restrictions on the content of the submitted fanworks. Dead Dove, dark, and grey themes are welcome. Please tag accordingly.

What is a major character?

A major character is a character that is central to your fanwork. They do not need to be a main character from the source material. Typically, major characters are those closest to the main character, or the main character themself. A character that does not appear or is not mentioned at all, for example, does not count as a major character.

Timeline

Prompting: June 1 2023 to June 24 2023

Claiming: July 1 2023 to August 25 2023

Submissions due: August 30 2023

Posting begins: September 1 2023

Author reveals: TBD

#hp mcd fest #hp fests #mod announcement #mod post #hp mcd fest 2023 #kill your darlings 2023 #mcd fest 2023 #harry potter #harry potter fandom #mcd fest

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untilyouremember · 1 year ago

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Where can I read and request manga?

My mission with my tumblr is to help you find official resources to consume manga; doing it these ways will help the mangaka who work to bring you content and it encourages English publishers to bring over more series.

Check under the cut for legal websites, apps and retailers with detailed information. At the bottom you'll find surveys and ways to contact publishers with requests.

You can use regular retailers to buy digital and print: Amazon/Kindle, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Bookwalker, Google Play, Apple Books, Nook

There are apps available for buying volumes, chapters, using ticket systems to access free content, or with subscriptions.

Mangamo - $4.99/mo for 200+ titles; titles available for purchases with in-app library

Viz manga - $1.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries titles from Viz, but not their SJ series)

Shonen Jump - $2.99/mo; titles available to purchase with in-app library (carries specifically SJ titles, which are often popular shounen)

Comikey - uses a key system; ability to read for free with ads and patience

Kmanga - app maintained by Kodansha; chapters are often available to read for free through a ticket system and able to purchase

Kodansha - a website where you can create a free reading account. They offer 3 free chapters on all their manga, occasionally feature several free volumes, and run sales on their content somewhat regularly.

MangaPlus - $1.99 or $4.99 for a subscription; will allow a free read of their simulpub series.

MangaPlaza - 7 day free trial; $6.99/mo; [info incoming, seems to have more mature licenses]

INKR - 3 ways to access content; free, coins & 'Extra Membership'. Extra can cost $4.99/mo or $44.99/year and gives you access to content, extra savings and "free ink" that can be traded for their coin system. (Used to be Manga Rock and that was a fun read from them)

MangaPlanet - $1.99/week -> $47.99/year depending on which tier you pay for.

MangaUP - 1 month free trial, $4.99/mo; you can browse their 'vault' to see if things you like are included

Renta! - point system; 1 point = 1 cent; regular bonus points for higher purchases

Mangacat - [currently researching; seems to allow people to independently upload and set prices for viewing; people can also do translations for work. Acts as somewhat of a 'by fans for fans' site. Coin system where 20 coins=1$ with no discounts for larger purchases]

Irodori Comics - hosts 18+, specializes in doujinshi, more info incoming

ComiXology - $4.99/month; a service through amazon that allows you access to comics, manga and graphic novels. Specifically boasts {2400} manga titles.

Animeplanet - has a library of completely free comics and anime through partnerships; seems to host less manga styled comics but free is free.

Manta, Comicle, Webtoon, Tappytoon, Tapas, WebComics, Bilibili will be looked into but they host mostly webtoon style comics

Seven seas has a (mostly) monthly survey that is linked on their homepage at all times. {They will pull from any publisher, including digital only simulpubs}

If you have a bookwalker account, I found a Google doc that you fill out requests and they send them to publishers.

To send suggestions to Viz, use this survey that is listed through their Contact Us page (you select the "Series Suggestion" and will be redirected) {they mostly pull from shogakukan and shueisha titles}

To send suggestions to Kodansha, go to their contact us page and there are 2 useful drop downs; suggest reprints and suggest series, suggest series is also useful to request a print of anything they've licensed digital only. {They pull almost exclusively from Kodansha Japan}

TokyoPop has a discord server where they look at your suggestions in the channel #licensesuggestion

If you are able, in any way, support official English releases. It shows it is a lucrative business decision to continue the manga. Nothing is worse than starting something and being unable to finish it because it stopped getting translated and published.

I will update this post as needed, enjoy your manga! ♡

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salt-volk · 1 year ago

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Saw the post about "other sites" and I'm feeling ~salty~, so lemme give some context for where the bar is with pet sites to y'all. Maybe you've seen ads, maybe you tried playing it and quit because the tutorial is its own circle of hell, maybe you're a blessed person who has never heard of it: Sylestia. It's run by one (1) man. He codes the entire site, has exactly 0 help - by choice. People have literally offered to help him with coding stuff *for free* and he refuses to let anyone touch his precious code. His ex girlfriend (yes you read that right) is supposedly the other admin - she barely ever shows up, posts games/events that are full of errors, once vanished in the middle of running a game, and has personally insulted players before because they dared offer feedback on one of her ugly ass designs. There is exactly one artist for avatar items and one for pets - one other artist is listed in the credits but it's unclear what regular work, if any, they do for the site. Over 200 different avatar items are released per year, and new pet traits debut anywhere between 4-8 times per year, AND the site is in the (glacially slow) process of redoing all the art for various species. The site is at least 98% RNG by volume - including items you pay premium currency for. Retired items? RNG only. Getting pets? RNG. Getting items period? RNG. And the RNG is also awful - people are constantly having to literally beg for rates to be adjusted. Plenty of features for events are also just. straight up gambling - you can pay solid chunks of premium currency and walk away with items that are literally worth nothing. You think DV is grindy? Sylestia not only practically requires you to spend a full workday glued to it - including events that basically require you to literally not sleep for several days - the site owner is actively making new content to further encourage ridiculous amounts of grinding. Why? Because he's worried that older players will be bored without new content - so instead of fixing any of the old content on the site, or the site itself which is a mess, he makes new content that ALSO doesn't work. As of December, the site will be in its ELEVENTH YEAR IN BETA. So when I say "not fixing old content", I'm not talking like, a couple glitches or iffy art. I'm talking *half the site is completely incompatible with the other half*. And all of that my friends, is still somehow not the source of my salt. Someone pointed out to the site owner that one of his avatar items was, perhaps, a bit racist. It was (I should say is, it's still on the site :) ) a stereotypical native american dress, CLEARLY based off of the stupid Pocahontas movie, titled "Pow Wow Costume". It was released with a Pilgrim costume in the site's early years. Pretty not great, yeah? Multiple people complained, provided him sources explaining why "Maybe don't keep this on here, maybe this isn't great". He, is white. He responded by saying he a) would not remove it, b) did not think it was offensive, c) what about the Christmas items or St. Patrick's day items the site has aren't those the same, and d) he actually visited a reservation once so he knows it's OK to have those items, and e) native players should actually be HAPPY to have those items because it was to iNcLuDE tHeM. I am not joking. The site has 0 acknowledgement of pride month, not a banner, not an announcement, no items, no anything - it DOES however have an entire festival for the American Fourth of July holiday. The owner claims he doesn't like to have political things on his site, make of that what you will. The owner also issued a mass ban on a bunch of people because they said some rude shit (about the racist items, the rng, his refusal to get coding help, general issues taking feedback, etc.) in a private, off-site discord server. How did he know what they said? Why, he asked some players in the server to *spy on the others for him*. He edited time stamps out and published a bunch of the screenshots from this private server, out of context and who knows if they were edited, and threw a public tantrum about how the players were harassing him and secretly planning to destroy the site… by bitching in a private discord. So yeah. Not excusing Anji's behavior, but happy to show y'all exactly how much worse it could be LMAO.

#submission

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rhodewitchcraft · 4 months ago

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An anointing oil dedicate to goddess Ishtar/Inanna

This one is my old recipe of anointing oil dedicated to Inanna/Ishtar, which I decided to post on my Wordpress almost three years ago, and it is contributed in the book ‘Inannanthology’ published by EANNA PRESS with the more in-depths detail, prayers and incantations that is not provided both here and my personal blog. My preferred name for this contribution is Yoneviv, as you can see in the contributor lists.

While this is an old article, it is a pinned post in the Sumerian devotee discord servers since I’m posting it there first time, and still pinned until today. I think this might shed some light towards anyone who wants to make their own crafts to their own deities. It contains a lot of information regarding the goddess Inanna/Ishtar. You’ll see how I slowly developed the recipe, choosing the elements for the work, and so on, and I hope this can be an example for anyone who wants to bend the main structure of my work into their own, as anointing oil is one of the popular tools among others on the altar too.

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An anointing oil dedicate to goddess Ishtar/Inanna

Many people love to craft things for their own gods/goddesses, and I am one of them who love to craft anything, especially useful things for my practices. In my perspective, crafts dedicated to the gods/goddesses can be anything, as long as you did it from your good intent.

First step into the craft of an oil

Making things for use in the ritual should have correct correspondences. And there is no exception for this anointing oil.

First question on making this oil is that I did research on ‘what are correspondences with Ishtar/Inanna?’

Before looking into that, I need to point out my perspective towards her. What I see in her is the goddess of love and war. The mistress of heaven and earth. The goddess who rendered the fate of mortals, and the whole celestial body over Venus, as both morning and evening star. There’s more to explain about her, but I think this should be enough to frame the line for my research onto what corresponded, or linked with her.

I started with the number. I’m still looking for a primary source about the number that corresponds with each gods and goddesses of the pantheon. From the source I cannot remember, Ishtar’s number is 15, which I put this aside because it seems too much for me. So I stepped to the next number that resonated with me, which is Venus’ number as 7, and a number from her eight-pointed star symbol as 8. So I decided to pick number 7 which seems to be better than 15 to make the oil.

The source of Venus number in my point of view is taken from Kameas of Magic squares, which I think everyone should be familiar with. It is the square containing various number correspondences with each planet.

Here’s some information about Kameas I read a while ago and decided to quote them here. You’ll see the Venus square that is 7×7 square, which is her number :

“The traditional magical squares or kameas, the sigils and the hierarchical names that form part of talismanic magic, have come down to us through the works of the Abbot Trithemius, Peter de Abano and Cornelius Agrippa. Most of these were reprinted in the famous treatise by Francis Barrett, The Magus, which is perhaps one of the most poetically beautiful books ever written on the subject of magic. The magical squares of the planets are an important part of the science of talismanic magic. To each planet belongs the number of the Kabbalistic sephira to which it corresponds, as well as the other numbers, which are the sum of the various horizontal and vertical rows of the square. For example, Jupiter is a planetary symbol of the sphere of Chesed in the Tree of Life, whose number is 4. Thus the square of Jupiter has four boxes or divisions, both horizontally and vertically, resulting in sixteen individual units, each line adding up to 34, with a grand total of 136. In other words, all the squares total the same number on each vertical and horizontal row. See, for example, the square of Mars, which represents the fifth sephira of the Tree of Life, Geburah. Each side has 5 units for a total of 25 squares, each line totaling 65, vertically and horizontally. ” (Migene Gonzalez-Wippler, P.246-248)

Ingredients

Now go next to the ingredients that I will put inside the jar.

The first thing that flashes into my head is : I need to use whatever existed in Mesopotamian that time.

While I used to discuss this with some of my friends, I still insist that if I will make some kind of ritual oil, whatever I use must exist in the historical sources. It’s just, if the ingredients didn’t exist at that time, it means whatever we choose isn’t used for their ritual purpose back then. Of course we can adapt many things into our craft nowaday. We can substitute one thing for another thing while the meaning of the ritual or process is still the same. But for me, this oil I made under her name, so I won’t put anything that never existed in their history as ingredients.

With the basic knowledge I had, I listed some sort of things that I thought corresponded with Ishtar/Inanna. Date palm, Lapis Lazuli, are the two things we commonly know are linked with the goddess in one or another way. But what about other ingredients for the oil? What kind of ingredients the Mesopotamian used at their time besides these?

I listed plenty of things without truly knowing if they are related to the goddess, or existed in Mesopotamia or not. For instance, I listed coconut, almond, pine, cedar, and other that pop up in my head at that time.

Gold

Let’s look into the first ingredient of all : Gold.

This precious metal basically appears everywhere around the world. Either trading for them or just mining them up. I’m sure Mesopotamia used this to make their decorations, but was there any other purpose of using gold back then besides as a decoration? Where I was born and currently live using gold in a lot of rituals and corresponded with many spiritual activities, I just want to confirm if the Mesopotamian saw the gold in some sort of similar way too.

“It was amassed in temple and royal treasuries, where it was largely reserved for the decoration of buildings and furniture, for the adornment of high-ranking people, or for gifts and offerings in both religious and secular contexts.” (Moorey, P.221)

According to the quote from Moorey’s book, He said gold is one kind of precious metal that appears in Mesopotamia. Also people use it in various ways, and I decided to grab this because it had been used as an offering. By doing an oil craft, I saw this as one kind of offering towards the goddess. So this would be a great option for putting into the jar.

I use the edible grade of gold leaf, which is pure gold that can apply on the skin directly. In my area where I currently live, it is not hard to find this kind of gold leafing. So I bought some for this oil.

Too bad that I didn’t have any gold leaf left so I can’t shoot the photo and show them to you here.

Lapis Lazuli

Next Ingredient is what we are well-known for : Lapis Lazuli.

I saw in many new-age paganism books about the deity and their associated materials, which I love to read, but not immediately believe in them at first sight. Finding the stone that corresponded with Ishtar is not too hard, because it was written on plenty of sources that she is associated with Lapis Lazuli, and in some other source, Carnelian.

Let’s take a look at the use of Lapis Lazuli in ancient Mesopotamia.

“The great prestige and value of lapis lazuli lent it a special role in cult, as in its use for foundation inscriptions (Ellis 1968), gave it a wide metaphorical role in literature, and ensured its place in magic texts. ‘Lapis-like’ was a standard metaphor for unusual wealth from early in the extant literary tra~ dition, and this stone was for long synonymous with gleaming splendour, an attribute of gods and heroes. Although the stone was imported into Mesopotamia, the majority of manufactured lapis lazuli so far recovered from ancient sites there is recognizably local in style. ” (Moorey, P.85)

We’ll see that Lapis Lazuli has a wide role in Mesopotamian, either in myths or metaphor texts. Also evidence of using Lapis Lazuli can be found from the excavation sites. It can guarantee us about the existence of Lapis Lazuli and its wide use at that time. But while it is widely used, it doesn’t seem to specifically connect with Ishtar/Inanna at first sight.

I’ll jump into another source that made me decide to put this stone into the ingredient list, besides it was well-written in many books as her associated stone.

Ishtar’s celestial body is a planet Venus. There’s two reliable major sources about planetary correspondences that are widely used by the practitioner nowaday. The first is ‘Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa’. I think most practitioners know this book so well, and another book is ‘The book of instruction on the elements of the art of Astrology by Al Biruni’.

Here is Agrippa’s on Venus :

“Chapter xxviii. What things are under the power of Venus, and are called Venereall. … the stone Aetites, the Lazull [lazuli] stone, Corall, and all of a fair, various, white, and green Colour …” (Agrippa)

We’ll see that the stone under Venus’ power, which is equivalent to Ishtar/Inanna in Agrippa, is Lapis Lazuli stone. Now I’m switching sides to Al-Biruni’s to see what he said about Venus. And here’s Al-Biruni on Venus:

“Venus: Magnesia and antimony. Silver and gold and jewels set in these, household vessels made of gold, silver and brass, pearls, emeralds, shells. Figs, grapes, dates, origanum and fenugreek.” (Al-Biruni, P.409-411)

At this point, it seems he didn’t states a thing about Venus’ minerals much so I turned back to Agrippa’s and pick the Lapis Lazuli stone as one of ingredient for my oil, which it had the quality of Venus that equivalent to Ishtar/Inanna in some sense, and has been used in ancient Mesopotamia. Also these resonate for me too.

Pomegranate

Move on to another ingredient from my list that I use for this oil. It’s a bit weird compared with other ingredients I chose before : Pomegranate.

I should state that this plant does not have any clear evidence that it corresponds with Ishtar/Inanna directly. But when I asked myself about which fruits can represent the quality of Ishtar/Inanna’s power of fertility? Beside the Date palm we are familiar with, the first fruit that came into my mind is pomegranate.

I searching for any evidence if the pomegranate connected with fertility in some way, and found in one academic paper, which I quote below :

“The brilliant red and the yellow of its skin, the blood-red juice and the abundance of its stuffed up seeds, make the pomegranate suitable for symbolic associations with human fertility, and thus life and death. For this reason, in ancient Mesopotamian art it is often represented with the deities of fertility, fecundity, and abundance.” (Lorenzo Nigro and Federica Spagnoli; Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) from Motya and its deepest oriental roots)

“A paramount example of how pomegranate could be employed in personal ornaments and robes’ decoration is offered by the Queens’ tombs discovered underneath the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud. Some outstanding pieces of jewellery, including diadems, pendants, earrings, beads, but also engraved representations on ivory boxes, are decorated with pomegranates as symbols for fertility” (Lorenzo Nigro and Federica Spagnoli; Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) from Motya and its deepest oriental roots)

There seems to be evidence about pomegranates as a symbol of fertility in ancient Mesopotamia, but not directly connected with the goddess anyway. So I search further into this topic to make sure about this.

There is one chapter from the book ‘Goddesses, Elixirs, and Witches’ by John M. Riddle interprets the connection between pomegranate and power of Ishtar/Inanna, and that’s really interesting for me.

“Equal to grain in the depiction is the pomegranate. If the throwing of grain was an important clue to Inanna, women, and marriage, what happened to the pomegranate, I asked in my class? In the class was an Iranian student who said that in her country on a wedding day, the mother of the bride gave her daughter a pomegranate. Why, I asked the student. “Because it is traditional,” she replied. Why was there continuity in the pomegranate and grain on the vase with present Iranian wedding practices, I asked, and now I seek an answer in this book: simply Googling “pomegranate,” “Iran,” and “wedding,” confirms the current practice of pomegranates associated with weddings (and Greek nuptials as well).9 Heretofore, scholars advance no reason for the pomegranates on the Uruk vase, but there is a reason, and it is the key to understanding Inanna’s power.” (John M. Riddle, P.8-9)

As I said above, there’s no clear evidence that this plant is connected with Ishtar/Inanna. And this is just one of a person’s interpretation of ancient sources in their own perspective, which resonates for me. But of course, before deciding to use it, I need more of a connection between the fruit and the goddess.

So I go back to her quality as Venus again. I look into Agrippa’s on Venus’ plants that is the best source on planetary correspondences for me, which I will quote it below :

“Chapter xxviii. What things are under the power of Venus, and are called Venereall. … amongst Plants and Trees the Vervin [vervain], Violet, Maidenhaire, Valerian, which by the Arabian is called Phu; also Thyme, the gum Ladanum, Amber-grise [ambergris], Musk, Sanders [sandalwood], Coriander, and all sweet perfumes, and delightfull, and sweet fruits, as sweet Pears, Figs, Pomegranats [pomegranates], which the Poets say was, in Cyprus, first sown by Venus. …” (Agrippa)

There’s the pomegranate associated with Venus on Agrippa’s. So I combined both qualities of pomegranate, as a symbol of fertility used in ancient Mesopotamia, and the fruit of Venus for picking this as an ingredient for my oil.

This might be some sort of UPG. But with the strange ingredient I picked, I need to check if whatever I researched and understood is not wrong. I did some tarot check for this, and the result is fine. So It’s in the queue now.

Date Palm

Next ingredient is what we are familiar with : Date palm.

As we know from many pagan sources. Date palms associated with goddess Ishtar/Inanna and her spouse Dumuzi/Tammuz. As a divine offering. As a gift from Dumizi/Tammuz towards Ishtar/Inanna. I remembered clearly when I learned about Ishtar/Inanna of her association with this plant, as I will quote this from the book ‘Ishtar’ by Louise M. Pryke :

“Inanna-Dumuzi love poetry displays a high level of interest in luxury goods and prestige. Dumuzi is depicted bringing many gifts to Inanna, such as dates and gems of lapis lazuli. It seems probable that the emphasis on luxury goods is more in line with considerations of status and the theme of abundance than with materialism and avarice.” (Louise M. Pryke, P.52)

“Dates feature in royal hymns as divine offerings (Iddin-Dagan A, ETCSL 2.5.3.1), and are given by Dumuzi to Inanna in love poetry (Dumuzid-Inanna T, ETCSL 4.08.20). When Ishtar is reported by Gilgamesh as propositioning Ishullanu, she asks for a ‘taste’ of his delights.” (Louise M. Pryke, P.150)

Besides, there’s an incantation to the date palm against infertility, which represented the quality of the date palm very well.

“(b) THE DATE PALM O date palm, who receives whatever the wind bears, Receive from me misdeed, offense, crime, sin That I, who dwell in this house not die From misery, sleeplessness, disease, anxiety, childbirth. Or from any male or female slave whatsoever around me. You make late grain come up where there was early grain, You make early grain come up where there was late grain. You let the [damaged] tree produce fruit, You let the non-bearing tree produce fruit. Receive from me in full whatever unsoundness of mind or body or litter from my (personal) god or my (personal) goddess. Which, unknowing, I may have seen or trod on, I don’t know what it is. That I may sing your praises.” (Benjamin Foster, P.980)

I think there’s not much to clarify on this as it is clear on our sight. So I pick the date seed as an ingredient for my oil.

Juniper

Onto the next one that we are familiar with in both Mesopotamian myths, and paganism use of this one : Juniper

First, I need to clarify to all of you that juniper had no connection with Ishtar/Inanna. The reason I pick this plant as one of my ingredients is I go with my senses. And the juniper appears a lot in their ritual as their incense. Various sources included juniper as a part of the ritual, to burn as incense.

Where I remembered seeing juniper with this goddess is from ‘The Great Ishtar Prayer’, or we might have heard this in the name of ‘prayer of the lifting of the hand’. This one instructs the ritual at the end of the prayer line, which I will quote them below :

“… 107. Its ritual: In an inaccessible place (lit., where the foot is kept away) you sweep the roof, you sprinkle pure water, (and) you lay four bricks at right angles to one another. 108. You heap twigs of the Euphrates poplar (on the brazier), (and) you kindle the fire. Aromatic plants, scented flour, juniper wood 109. you strew. You pour out beer. You do not prostrate yourself. This recitation before Ishtar 110. you recite three times. You prostrate yourself, and you do not look behind you. ” (Alan Lenzi, P.284)

You’ll see the use of juniper as an incense from this ritual towards Ishtar/Inanna. And here, take a look at the ritual towards Marduk, another god in the pantheon. This one was taken from ‘A Shuilla : Marduk 4’. Juniper was used in the same purpose as in Ishtar’s prayer, as an incense to burn in the active ritual.

“42. Its ritual: In front of Marduk you place an incense burner with juniper. 43. You set up a portable altar. You set out a mersu-cake, honey, and ghee. 44. You libate first-class beer. The seed of mashtakal-plant you toss into the oil. 45. Before Marduk you set (it). You say a recitation, and you smear the oil.” (Alan Lenzi, P.309)

Another place that juniper had been mentioned, but not as an incense, is in Šurpu, the collection of incantation, prayers of the magic practices. As part of incantation dedicate directly to this plant is quote below :

“49. Incantation: Juniper growing from the sprout! 50. Young Juniper growing from the sprout, 51. Juniper whose boughs (and) intertwining branches are precious, 52. Great pillar of heaven, great foundation of the earth, 53. Resplendent doorpost of Eridu, 54. Strong look of the temple of Enlil, 55. Who on a dat fit for …. has come from the mountain, 56. you cleanse, you purify the mouth of humans, 57. may the evil tongue stand aside!” (Erica Reiner, P.46)

Juniper seems to be used as the universal scent of the incense that people in ancient Mesopotamia can burn and then continue their ritual they desire. It won’t be too wrong if I would say : The scent of incense is the bridge between us humans towards the god or goddess we are currently praying to. And for me, the use of juniper is to bridge us with our gods/goddesses. This plant might not be associated directly towards Ishtar/Inanna, but juniper is associated with the heaven itself as a bridge, which I don’t feel wrong to put this into my oil jar.

Cedar

Let’s get into the next ingredient of this oil : Cedar.

We all know that in this tradition, cedar has a major role related to purification. Not even in the role related to purification, but also in the literature related to Ishtar/Inanna too. Cedar is one of the sweet aromatic plants, and its essential oil is used to create various perfumes nowadays. Back to an ancient time, the use of cedar as an aromatic scent is still the same.

“Inanna, … it is I who … I, Inanna, personally intend to go to the abzu. I shall utter a plea to Lord Enki. Like the sweet oil of the cedar, who will … for my holy …perfume? It shall never escape me that I have been neglected by him who has had sex.” (Inanna and Enki: c.1.3.1)

“In order to find sweetness in the bed on the joyous coverlet, my lady bathes her holy thighs. She bathes them for the thighs of the king; { she bathes them for } { (some mss. have instead:) with head held high she goes to } the thighs of Iddin-Dagan. Holy Inanna rubs herself with soap; she sprinkles oil and cedar essence on the ground.” (A šir-namursaĝa to Ninsiana for Iddin-Dagan (Iddin-Dagan A): c.2.5.3.1)

And here’s further info on cedar as aromatic wood.

“In fact, Milgrom goes so far as to say that cedar was chosen for these particular rituals because of its reddish color and thus its association with blood (note also the use of a crimson yarn).2 There is no indication that such a symbolic association between blood and cedar existed in Mesopotamia.3 Rather, one gets the impression that it was the aromatic nature of the wood that commended its ritual use.” (Alan Lenzi, P.99)

I wouldn’t say that cedar is associated directly with Ishtar/Inanna. This plant had evidence of being used by the goddess, which I frequently interpret as it is not associated with her as symbolic of her qualities or powers, but associated with her as it is used by her, as her tools.

Now let’s take a look at cedar in the ritual performed by Mesopotamian. I found one ritual involving cedar called ‘An OB Ikribu-Like Prayer to Shamash and Adad’, which contained both incantation, prayer and ritual in this one.

“1. O Shamash, I place to my mouth pure cedar. 2. I tie (it) for you in/with(?) a lock of my hair. 3. I place in my lap 4. . . . cedar. 5. I washed my mouth and my hands. 6. I wiped my mouth clean with . . . cedar. 7. I tied pure cedar in/with(?) a lock of my hair. 8. I have poured out . . . cedar. 9. I am pure. I draw near to the assembly of the gods 10. For judgment. …” (Alan Lenzi, P.100)

Now back to my point of view about cedar. Why do I choose this plant as one of ingredients for Ishtar/Inanna oil? The fact that this plant has a very sweet aromatic scent is one reason to put it into the jar.

As I said above. The association of cedar is different from other materials. Cedar in my point of view is Ishtar/Inanna’s perfume. Should I ignore this lore-riches plant and looking for another plant instead? The answer is no. For me, this plant had plenty of roles in the day of the Mesopotamian, so I view this as a kind of universal plant that can be used widely in the tradition.

Cypress

Here we are at the final ingredient before moving to the carrier oil : Cypress.

Same as juniper above. Cypress has no connection, or correspondences with Ishtar/Inanna. This plant appears a lot in the Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti Witchcraft. While the juniper appears to be the universal incense that bridges us with our deities, this cypress plant plays the same universal role of cleansing, which is the main purpose of anti-witchcraft ritual. I will quote some of them below :

“You pound together atāʾišu-plant, kurkanû-plant, ‘heals twenty’-plant, lupine (and) n[īnû]-plant. You rub his body (with the powder mixed) in(to) cedar-scented oil, cypress scented oil, oil scented with burāšu-juniper (and) fine oil.” (Tzvi Abusch and Daniel Schwemer, P.26)

“Its ritual: Before Orion you s[weep] the roof; [you sprinkle pure water]. You set up a censer with burāšu-juniper; you pour a libation of beer. [You recite] this incantation.[…] … (of) a green frog, tamarisk, [ … ],[ … sa]wdust of mēsuwood [(…)]: (with these ingredients) [i]n cypress-scented oil you rub him.[ … ‘heals]-a-thousand’-plant, ‘heals-twenty’- plant, root of the pil[lû-plant][yo]u pound [together]; [you pu]t (it) [in beer]; you leave (it) out[side overnight] under the star(s).[In the morning, you have him drink (it) on an empty stomach, [then] any evil [will] not [come near him].” (Tzvi Abusch and Daniel Schwemer, P.354)

“So that ditto not approach a man: you ((dry and)) [pound together] the head of an eagle (and) lup[ine]; you mix it in cypress-scented oil. You rub him regularly (with it), then ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ magic will not approach him; also that man [ … ].” (Tzvi Abusch and Daniel Schwemer, P.365)

And another example of cleansing properties this plant had is presented in the diviner prayer toward Shamash and Adad, in the divination ritual as I will quote it below :

“(a) THE CLEANSING WATER O Shamash, lord of judgment, O Adad, lord of divination, cleanse yourselves! O Shamash, lord of judgment, O Adad, lord of divination, [here are brought you] pure water of the Amanus, sprigs from the mounts o f apples(?) and cedar, fruit of cedar, cypress, alum, juniper, reed, and incense from the abode of [Irnina?]. The “ pure mountains,” the “ children of Anu,” are set up for you and fully purified, their [ ] are provided. Stand by me, O Shamash and Adad! In whatever I ask your blessing on, in what I [say] or pray, in whatsoever I do, in the inquiry I ask your blessing on, let there be truth!”

And same as juniper, cypress plays the role of an incense burn to the gods. But not frequently found as much as juniper. Only a few quotes address this plant as incense.

“You strew a censer with (lit.: “of”) cedar and cypress wood before Marduk.” (Tzvi Abusch and Daniel Schwemer, P.330)

So back to our purpose. Why do I choose the plant that doesn’t even correspond with the goddess?

In my perspective, whatever existed in ancient Mesopotamia can be used as a candidate for this oil’s ingredients. Cypress is not an exception. While juniper acts as a universal bridge between us and gods, this plant in my perspective acts as a protector of impurities that might come into the target. I might state that I use cypress to guard unwanted spirits, or harmful spirits from this oil.

Sesame Oil

Now we arrived at the real final ingredient of this oil : Sesame Oil.

When making anointing oil, we should select our base oil, or carrier oil for the work. My favorites are fractured coconut oil, and sweet almond oil, due to the light scent of them, and the bright, clear color of them. Fractured coconut oil has a very long shelf life which is easy to pick up and use to make any kind of anointing oil. Sweet almond oil has a shorter shelf life than fractured coconut oil. I personally added some drops of vitamin into it to prevent the rancid and longer shelf life of it.

But after taking a look into the historical source, I found no evidence on both my favorite oils in ancient Mesopotamia.

According to ‘The Babylonian World’ by Gwendolyn Leick, I found out that an oil used in Mesopotamia is sesame oil and olive oil.

“The staple fat in the Babylonians’ diet was oil from the pressed seeds of the sesame plant (Charpin et al. 2004: 941–43, 975; Powell 1991). Sesame oil also had its elite uses, as in the Yale recipes and a dish of ostrich eggs for the king’s table at Mari (Bottéro 1995: 161; Sasson 2004: 187). Olive oil was imported into Mari from the west, although not always as a foodstuff (Stol 2003: 33).” (Gwendolyn Leick, P.179)

About the process of the work

Now talking about the process of each ingredient.

Gold and Lapis Lazuli can be added on the final day after other infused oils are ready. So I won’t mention them much.

The process of this oil is cold-infused herbal oil.

The process is very easy. I just put the dried material of each thing into the mason jar, then filled them with an oil of my choice. I frequently put dried material in about ¾ of the jar, and pour an oil just to cover them all. Keep them in the dark-cold place for at least 6 weeks. For this oil, I kept them infused for 8 weeks, corresponding with her number from her eight-pointed star symbol.

For the infusion method, you can use hot infused method too, which will shorten the process a lot. Using a slow cooker at low temperature to infuse the herb. It will take around one day total for each time. The process can be repeated for the same jar if you weren’t satisfied with the first round of hot infusion.

You can see the method of doing hot infusion here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDLvzUU3oTQ

Remember that when everything is ready to mix together, you need to consecrate them in your own way. It is your own designed ritual which empowered an oil into whatever you desired them to be. If you just mix them together without any consecrate process, you’ll get one aromatic anointing oil, not a ritual oil of your purpose.

Citations

Abusch, I.T. (2016) The magical ceremony maqlû: A critical edition. Boston: Brill.

Abusch, I.T. and Schwemer, D. (2011) Corpus of Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft rituals. Leiden: Brill.

Abusch, T., Schwemer, D. and Luukko, M. (2016) Corpus of Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft rituals. Leiden: Brill.

Aḥmad Bīrūnī Muḥammad ibn and Wright, R.R. (1933) The book of instruction on the elements of the art of Astrology. London: Lund Humphries & Co.

Cornelius, A.von N.H., Tyson, D. and Freake, J. (2020) Three books of occult philosophy. Woodbury, Minneapolis: Llewellyn Publications.

Foster, B.R. (2005) Before the muses: An anthology of Akkadian literature. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

González-Wippler Migene (2013) The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

Leick, G. (2010) The Babylonian World. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Lenzi, A. (2011) Reading Akkadian prayers and hymns: An introduction. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Pryke, L.M. (2019) Ishtar. London: Routledge.

Riddle, J.M. (2010) Goddesses, elixirs, and witches plants and sexuality throughout human history. Basingstoke, : Palgrave Macmillan.

S., M.P.R. (1999) Ancient Mesopotamian materials and industries: The archaeological evidence. Winona Lake (Indiana): Eisenbrauns.

#witchcraft #crafts #spirituality #anointing oil #recipes #mesopotamia #sumerian #inanna #deity work #paganism #ishtar #witches #witchy #handmade

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