#Polish seems less strict

[nearlydark]

Polish is like the French of the Slavic languages help

[zweigsangel]

ballerina!reader and chris fluff with strict ballet teacher?

you’re standing in the ballet studio, ankles aching, breath coming in frustrated little huffs as your teacher drills you yet again on the same sequence. she’s pacing back and forth, tapping her stick against the floor with that familiar, grating rhythm.

"you’re not grounded enough," she says, in that disapproving tone that’s somehow both ice-cold and like fire scraping along your nerves. "you’re light in the wrong places and heavy in all the wrong ones."

you roll your eyes, but only when she’s turned around. you don’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much her words bite. but she catches it anyway, glancing over her shoulder and raising one perfectly drawn eyebrow. “you got something to say?”

you’re about to mutter something half-hearted in return, something safe, when the door to the studio cracks open and chris peeks his head inside. his eyes meet yours, and just like that, a smile creeps across his face. “angel,” he murmurs, just loud enough for you to hear.

your cheeks heat instantly, and for a second, you can’t stop the little grin that escapes. you might be exhausted and sore, but the way he says it—like he really thinks you’re his angel, even here, sweaty and frustrated—melts some of that tension right out of you.

your teacher notices the shift immediately, spinning around to see what’s changed. “oh, i see,” she says, gaze sliding over to chris with that pursed-lips look. “so, we’ve got an audience now?”

“wasn’t planning on it, but if you insist.” chris winks, giving her a cheeky grin, and before she can tell him off, he’s slipping further inside, hands shoved casually into his pockets. he’s wearing that damn leather jacket you love, and he still has his skates slung over one shoulder, like he’s always ready to hit the ice if needed. he looks a bit out of place here in your ballet studio with its polished floors and wall of mirrors, but he couldn’t care less.

you can tell she doesn’t love the interruption. but she’s not gonna tell him off either. she sighs, glancing at the clock, and seems to decide she’s had enough of you for the day. “fine,” she says, looking back at you with that critical eye of hers, the one that says i’m letting you off easy. “we’ll continue this next time. get some rest—and stretch, for god’s sake.”

you breathe out, a shaky little exhale of relief, and give her a quick nod. but as soon as she’s gone, chris crosses the room, wraps an arm around your waist, and pulls you close.

“god, angel, i swear she’s out for blood.” his fingers trace along your spine, gentle but firm, and you feel that familiar warmth under his touch, the tension seeping right out of your muscles as he presses a kiss to your temple.

“you’re tellin’ me,” you mumble into his shoulder, letting yourself lean into him a bit. “she’s a nightmare.”

he laughs, soft and warm, his thumb rubbing little circles against your lower back. “well, you looked pretty damn good to me. but she’s right about the stretching thing.” he pulls back just a little, eyes meeting yours with that mischievous glint. “c’mon. floor. i’ll help.”

you groan, rolling your eyes, but he’s already guiding you down, practically dragging you to sit with your legs outstretched. he doesn’t care that you’re half-grumbling; he settles right in front of you, scoots up close so he can grab your ankle, and then starts to gently work on loosening you up, pressing just enough to stretch without pain.

“seriously, chris, i’m fine,” you say, a little bashfully. you’d been ready to drop straight to bed, not get a post-rehearsal stretch courtesy of your boyfriend.

he gives you a look, a smirk quirking at the corner of his lips. “don’t argue with me, angel. lemme take care of you.”

and damn it, you can’t argue with him—not when he’s looking at you like that, all soft and adoring, like he couldn’t care less about the sweat in your hair or the fact you’re probably a hot mess right now.

so you let him, because that’s easier than trying to fight back the smile creeping onto your face. his hands work their way down your calf, soothing and gentle, then up again to your thigh, lingering a little longer than necessary.

“this some sort of tactic?” you murmur, eyebrows raised as his thumb presses slow circles against your thigh. “maybe,” he says, that grin back on his face. “figure if i can’t come in here and defend you from the wicked witch herself, i can at least help you feel a little better after she’s done with you.”

you scoff, pretending to be exasperated. “you’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“and yet, here you are,” he murmurs, leaning in closer. his voice drops, softer. “and here i am. looks like you’re stuck with me.”

his forehead rests against yours, and he’s looking at you with so much warmth it’s almost overwhelming. but it’s exactly what you need—what you didn’t even realize you were craving after the hellish day. he’s right here, grounding you in a way no one else could. the ache in your body starts to fade, replaced with this soft warmth that only he seems able to give.

“hey,” he says quietly, still rubbing his hands along your legs, “don’t let her get in your head, alright? she doesn’t see what i see. she’ll never get it. but you’re… you’re somethin’ else, angel.”

you feel the heat rush to your face, like it always does when he talks to you like this. you try to deflect, roll your eyes, make a joke—anything to stop yourself from melting right there on the studio floor. “yeah, yeah. i’m sure you say that to everyone you stretch.”

he laughs, tugging you closer so you’re practically sitting between his legs now, his arms wrapped around you from behind, chin resting on your shoulder. “nah, only my favorite ballerina.” he presses a kiss to the side of your neck, his breath warm against your skin. “now, let’s get you home.”

he stands up, offering you his hand, and you take it, feeling the warmth and the solidness of him as he pulls you up. even with the sore muscles, the exhaustion, you feel lighter as he wraps an arm around your shoulders, holding you close as you both head out.

“i don’t care what your teacher says,” he murmurs, squeezing you tight. “you’re perfect to me, angel.”

and in that moment, with his arm around you, his words soft in your ear, you believe him.

[pigcowboys]

part 3 where percy confesses plss😭

pairing: percy jackson x gn! reader

summary: percy finally explains the reason he's been acting so weird.

warning(s): awkward conversations, mutual pining (pls they're very slow..), cursing, love confessions, kisses.

a/n: UGHH THIS TOOK FOREVER IM SO SORRY. tysm for all the notes on both parts !! :) i finally managed to pop out the final part even if it took a minute.. truly trying my best to clear up all the requests in my inbox, just give me a minute!!

part 1 part 2

school was slow - as always.

you watched out the window intently, trying your best to tune out the teacher's nonsensical chatting as you focused on the small robin that was seated outside on the arm of a tree.

you were so bored you were watching a bird.

seriously, school had to be some kind of legal torture method.

the bird flapped around like he was looking for something, tweeting eagerly when he seemed to get his hands onto a random stick.

hmm..must've been building a nest.

he rushed forward to place it, the twig dropping from his mouth as he hopped around, trying to find it almost nervously.

you watched with amused eyes, bracing your head in the palm of your hand as your mind started to wander. school was back in session and because of that, you had made the crushing decision to leave camp half-blood in order to pursue an education.

of course, as per request of your mother. she cared about you - a bit too much you'd guessed because for whatever reason she'd decided to put you in a school that was so strict they cut down on students if their shoelaces were so much as a tad bit too eye-catching.

you tore your eyes away from the bird to focus on your teacher who was still very much into the lesson she was teaching.

only a few more minutes till class had ended - you just had to hang in there..

“and so..” the loud ring of the bell cut your teacher off, simultaneously alerting your body to make the swift action to pull your backpack into your lap, sweeping all your things inside as you hauled yourself up, rushing out the classroom door.

one more day here and you might just throw yourself out the window, you thought.

your scruffy shoes dragged against the polished and shiny marble floor of the hallway as you pushed past the sea of people that were flooding out of each classroom.

you didn't hate this school - well, it was the only school you hadn't accidentally destroyed so, there was no room to complain. it wasn't any camp half-blood though, as bitter as you were about being a demi-god, you still missed being in a community where you all had at least one thing to relate to.

at this school you'd be lucky to find a person who had the same music taste as you..

you pushed past the last person, stomping down the stairs as you spotted a figure in the distance standing just a few ways near the front entrance of your school. you quirked an eyebrow at the fellow, a smile pulling onto your lips as you approached the person closer.

“so, are you stalking me now?” you asked, slightly amused.

percy smiled back at you. “yeah, sure, you wish.”

you pulled him into a gentle hug despite the emotions inside of you being anything but things of that nature, pulling away to exhale dramatically. “gods, if i stay one more second here i might end up maiming my english teacher.”

"between me and you, i can't tell who has a worse school - i got like, 6 pages of math homework today."

you stifled a laugh, causing percy's face to shift to one of unamusement. “thanks for that, makes my life seem a lot less horrible.”

percy stared right ahead at you, expression not changing.

you'd be a goddamned liar if you said you hadn't thought about percy every second you spent away from camp half-blood. i mean, how could you not? this summer was so..weird.. for no reason too. not that you hated it - it was amazing! suuper fun. well, spending like 4 days in the infirmary wasn't very fun but - you digress.

you hadn't seen percy or honestly, really anyone for a few months since summer ended. despite all the phone calls and texting, you'd never had the pleasure of seeing him in real life. you were both so busy too the idea of planning a hangout was completely out of picture.

it was until now, at least.

so, seeing percy jackson parked outside of your school on his beaten blue bike with slightly rusty handle bars on this random autumn afternoon was not apart of your plan. in fact, you were thinking of passing out when you got home and sleeping like a log.

he looked the same, for the most part except his hair was a bit more grown out now, bangs slightly overgrown on his face. you were sure he hadn't gotten a proper haircut in a minute or two. he looked more mature now too - to you at least. his shoulder were broader and his awkward voice that cracked unexpectedly was replaced a more..raspy and warm voice that tickled your ears whenever he spoke.

“what're you doing here?” you asked, offering him a confused smile. he tucked his hand into his pocket

“i wanted to take you out,” he replied, avoiding eye contact.

you eyed him curiously, grabbing the straps of your backpack. “like...on a date?” you joked.

“do you want it to be?”

you paused, slightly stunned by his newfound confidence. a smile unknowingly made it’s way onto your face as you snorted, pushing him playfully as you hid your burning face.

“are we riding over?”

percy smiled, hopping onto the bike as he slid his helmet onto his head. he scooted over to make space for you. “if you're not too scared..”

you smiled back at him, laughing as you threw your bag into the small basket in front of the bike, plopping down behind him. you hesitated to wrap your arms around him, goosebumps growing on your upper arm as you braced against his back.

“you alright back there?”

“mhm..” you mumbled out. “let's go.”

"how'd you get the money to pay for all this stuff?"

you tried your best to keep as much good inside your mouth as you could as you and percy walked side by side. you hadn’t had a proper unhealthy meal in weeks — all thanks to your mom’s newfound obsession with kale and all things vegetarian.

“saved up,” he replied nonchalantly. “nothing too important.” you hummed in response as you tended to the oversized slushee cup that was clutched in your right hand.

“so, what’s the real reason you decided to come find me?” you asked suddenly, catching Percy off guard.

“you’re not a very good listener.”

“and you’re not a good liar,” you quipped, a suspicious look on yo ur face. “why’d you suddenly decide you wanted to hang out?” you didn’t mind that percy had came to visit you — really. it’s just, you two didn’t live near each other at all.

so, for him to suddenly appear outside of your school on a whim seemed too peculiar to just be as simple as “wanting to hang”. percy analyzed you silently before shrugging. “well..i guess I just missed you then?”

you offered him a teasing smile. “is that so?”

“so.”

you laughed to cover up the hard pattering of your heart as your stomach fluttered. was Percy..flirting with you? like..flirting, flirting. you sneaked a glance at him as you continued to work on your slush, jumping when you felt Percy’s hand interlock with yours.

he didn’t look at you, only continued to walk at a neutral pace beside you. moments like these made you question your status with him, like isn’t it slightly weird for friends to be walking hand and hand down the street? is that..normal? well, it is for you two.

“where are we going?”

percy glanced at you. “somewhere..”

you quirked an eyebrow at him. you trusted his judgement — of course but it was starting to get late, that sentiment being heightened by the dimmer sky and the fact you were starting to see more and more street lights power off.

your mother was sure to worry about where you were in a few hours. just what did Percy have to show you? your head was telling you to leave and catch a bus home while the rest of your body told you to shut up and go wherever this sea eyed boy led you.

“just through here, okay?” percy reassured as he stepped to the side, allowing you to go ahead of him. he seemed to of led you to some secluded forest area that was a few ways away from civilization. it was beautiful — amazingly so considering this was New York you two were talking about.

“percy what is this pla—”

your questions was cut off as percy placed his hands over your eyes, earning a nervous giggle from you.

“shh,” he cooed in your ear. “just follow my lead.”

“kind of hard to when I can’t see anything..” you replied, tripping over something that was seated on the floor of the forest. percy was quick to steady you, slowly walking you deeper into the forest.

you mind went numb as the sensation of his own warm skin against yours overtook your receptors. his skin seemed just as warm as it was that summer he spent in the infirmary with you. almost as warm as his hand that clasped your own as you sat on his bed, watching in confusion as he attempted to tell you something.

whatever that something was..

percy stilled behind you as he exhaled shakily. “okay, i’m gonna remove my hands now.” he said, slightly nervous. “don’t like..scream or anything, alright?”

“no promises.” you joked, earning a nervous chuckle from him. you waited expectantly as percy slowly removed his hands from your eyes.

you blinked your eyes open as you admired the scene in-front of you. the heart of the forest was decorated with various different fairy lights and other small lights, and at the center there was a small picnic basket with a picture of you seated next to it.

you recognized the picture from the first day you and Percy had met. you were attending the same school at the time and that day the school had planned a trip to six flags, one that you both attended.

seated knee to knee, you two ascended the tracks and despite all your mutterings about rollercoasters being boring — you still felt your heart jumping as you made your way up. then, right at the drop, your throat closed and you started to grow sick.

yeah..it wasn’t hard to imagine what happened next. percy was nice enough to check up on you after the trip despite being traumatized himself. held all your stuff for you while you threw up the rest of the your breakfast into the six flags public trash bin.

and your teacher, oh, your sweet caring teacher, caught the whole thing in a image that consisted of your sickly looking face attempting to throw up a peace sign and percy’s terrified looking face that was stained with your throw up who hugged you awkwardly, shooting a weak looking thumbs up.

you hated that photo — he knew that. it was probably why he used it.

your breath caught in your throat as you turned to face percy. he looked back at you with a warm smile on his face as he approached you hesitantly. you stood in place, watching him approach you. what should you say? what could you say?

“i’ve.. not been the best with my words..recently..” percy said, slightly embarrassed. “but, um..i don’t think i’d really forgive myself if I didn’t tell you this..” his face was flushed to capacity as he stood in-front of you. your lips trembled as you opened your mouth to say something to no avail.

Percy exhaled, stepping forward as he clasped your hand in his, bringing it to rest against his chest. your eyes casted down to look at your hand which rested there, the pattering beat of his heart loud as ever.

“i really like you.” percy admitted. “more than..more than i’ve ever liked someone in my life.” he stared into your eyes intensely as he tightened his grip on your hand. “and..i want to know if you feel the same way..” he paused. “please?”

you were at a loss for words. i mean, how could you have gaged this was what Percy had planned for so long? and how stupid were you for not seeing it all? everything that happened between the two of you at camp half blood..was he..? no, he was. he was trying to confess to you.

he felt the same way as you.

you slithered your hand out of his touch, bringing it to your side. percy’s face grew slightly alarmed, sadness growing on his face.

your stomach fluttered as you leaned in slightly, tongue darting out to lick your lips before you closed the gap between the two of you, pressing a kiss to percy’s lips. his eyes widened at the contact, freezing before kissing back hesitantly.

Percy wrapped his arms around your neck, holding you tightly as you pulled back from the kiss, a embarrassed look on your face.

“i couldn’t find anything to say.”

percy blinked at you, slightly shaken up. “you’ve said plenty.”

“clearly not enough since you genuinely thought I wasn’t going to like you back.” you huffed. “gosh, and while we’re on the topic — can we talk about how stupid I am?”

“let’s not,” percy mumbled. “we’d be stuck on it for hours.” you nudged him playfully. silence fell over you two again as you stayed still in each other’s arms, having an unspoken staring contest.

“i like you too, percy.” you mumbled. “i always have.”

a smile formed on Percy’s face as he nodded slightly. “yeah, okay..I’m glad.” he cleared his throat. “…do you have like, a specific amount of time you have?”

“shut up and kiss me again.” you replied with a smile, pulling Percy into you as your lips pressed against each other again. for a moment you almost forgot all about where you were and how late it was. all that mattered at the moment was the fact that you and percy were finally together.

well, it was for a moment.

you jumped as percy’s phone went off in his pocket, causing you to pull away from Percy immediately as he searched through his pocket for his cell. You eyed percy curiously as he brought the phone to your ear.

“mom! what’s..going on?.” he replied into the phone with a hushed tone. “yeah..they’re here..” he turned to face you to which you waved at him with a lopsided smile.

“uh, okay — we will..yeah we’ll be there.” he said before ending the call. Percy turned to you with a frown. you titled your head in confusion.

“are you up for dinner at my place? my mom wants to meet my new girlfriend.” he said, wars growing red.

huh. dinner sounded good right about now.

[venomous-ragno]

Writing advice...

... About military things from a soldier

Pt. 2 / ?: Women and relationships in the military

You wanna write a story with a militaristic setting, like CoD or R6S? You wanna create a female OC, self insert or character, but you don't know where to start, if women are even allowed in the military?

Well, lucky for you or not I know what that feels like and I've also got the combat / real life experience to help ya out!

Feel free to hop in my askbox or dm's and ask questions. I'll gladly elaborate and do my best to answer in full and plenty.

Disclaimer: My experiences and knowledge are mostly based on the German military, the Bundeswehr. They may differ from those of other countries.

Happy writing y'all! :)

Are women allowed in the military?

The answer seems obvious: Yes. Most militaries around the world do allow women to enlist. Some, however, do not allow women to join the special forces, such as the SAS, for example.

Certain branches report a higher number of female soldiers than others. The US army air force and sanitation in the German military are two examples I can think of.

Some countries do allow women to enlist but forbid them from partaking in "action", such as North Korea, Sweden, Norway, Bolivia and some more.

What about misogyny by male soldiers?

In my six years of active duty I've learnt that sexism rarely occurs, but when it does, it's straight forward and nasty. Most men don't care about your gender. They treat you like you're one of them, and oftentimes even forget about the fact that you're a woman. The few times I was talked down to for my gender was blatant and hateful though; but even then, some of these opinions didn't come from within the military, but from civilians. (Cue the old granpa who saw me travelling back home in uniform and just had to tell me that women belong in the kitchen, how in the good old days women were still women yadda yadda. Yeah, I had the same look about on my face like you now.)

Appearance is important!

As is in any military. I can't speak for them though, but in my experience, light and natural make up is allowed. Nail polish and lipstick are a hard no though, albeit the latter may be allowed for special occassions. If there's one thing my comrades have taught me it's that most men in the military got no clue about make up, so you'll probs get away with more than you'd think.

The exact rules however depend on your unit and what you do. Back when I was in sanitation I'd be working a pretty standard 9 to 5. Worked in the medbay and treated patients, kept the medical archive in order, pretty normal stuff. My superior allowed us to wear small ear studs. When I got deployed to another base I was almost lynched for wearing them. Really depends on the ones in charge.

As for hairstyles: Most units are fine with anything as long as your hair is up and out of your face. Now, we didn't have to use gel to keep stray hairs at bay. It wasn't that strict. Just don't use any flashy hair accessories and hair ties that match your hair colour. Oh, and your hair must be a) one colour and b) a naturally occuring one. The length doesn't matter as long as you're not Rapunzel. If your hairstyle is anything other than a pixie cut, you will have to wear a hair net under your combat helmet.

Do men and women stay in seperate dorms?

Seperate rooms? Yeah. Seperate dorms? Nope.

Sometimes you'd have couples who shared a dorm room. It's a whole process that your superior has to give his ok to, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it. Dorm rooms aren't exactly big. You need privacy? Well, that's too bad.

If you're lucky enough you get to have a room for yourself. Depending on what branch / base you're in, the rooms will be more or less furnished. Back when I worked at the ministry of foreign affairs, my room was pretty luxurious for milutary standards: TV, fridge, sofa, bed, desk w chair, a closet and a bathroom next door. That's definitely not the standard though. We usually had to buy and bring our own stuff, like blankets, fridge, decorations, whatever you'd need to make that cold room somewhat comfy. (Wifi is also not a given. Gotta get your own connection running.)

Flings, relationships, cheating spouses... How common is it really?

They do happen, though not as often as you'd think.

It's more common to hear rumors about who has smth going with who and these rumors can get BAD. As in reputation and career ruining bad. At that point there's gonna be an order from higher up to stop talking about these rumors and punishment can be quite strict. (Speaking of rumors...Hate to say it, but the more women a unit had, the worse talking behind others backs was.)

One thing that I always found particularly disgusting were relationships between higher ups and recruits. Yes, they happen. No, they're not allowed. These things are like open secrets. If found out and proven to exist, the superiors will be held accountable by military law. Outside of basic training it may be frowned upon if a superior were to enter any kind of relation with someone of lower rank, thought not outright punishable.

As for cheating... Well, I haven't enountered any cheating myself, nor heard of it (yet). Not saying that it doesn't happen, but at least over here in Germany it's rare. It's highly frowned upon and will open you up to rumors and... Not so nice treatment by comrades. Cheating on a spouse is punishable by military law. A soldier found guilty may be demoted in rank, suffer financial losses or even get dishonourably discharged.

[geographerdose]

Moon and Appearance, Pt. 3: Mercurial-ruled risings, Pt. 1

Moon-ruled risings, Pt. 1

Moon-ruled risings, Pt. 2

🚨 I am a traditional astrology student and not a certified astrologer. This is for entertainment and my learning purposes only. Please do not copy or plagiarize my work. I’ve been procrastinating for years to get this out of my head, throw me a bone here. 🍖

Gemini Rising/Virgo Moon:

Clockwise⏰: Michelle Pfeiffer, Amy Adams, Jane Birkin, Gina Lollobrigida

✨🪩have you guys seen how shiny and beautiful Mercury is? These folks have their first house and moon ruled by Mercury, hence their gorgeous sparkly eyes

👄 they have full and nicely defined lips, definitely fuller on the bottom

😼 sort of have a mischievous smile. Not that they’re necessarily up to something but also not that they aren’t either… 🤔

🔥Gina’s chart ruler mercury is in Leo with Venus and mars, giving her a stellium and these are good planets to have there! I admire fire beauty so much bc I completely lack fire/air in my chart

🐈She totally looks like a cat ready to prey in the calmest, most graceful way

🚒Jane’s chart ruler mercury is in Sagittarius along with sun and mars! Another fire stellium!

🧯You guys, Amy Adams’ chart ruler mercury is also in Leo conjunct sun and Venus! A third fire stellium!

🧚Michelle’s chart ruler is in Aries but no fire stellium. Funny how she’s the only one without a lot of red in her hair though.

👃🏻Sort of narrow bridges making for the appearance of a wider nostril due to the thin, pointed tips to sort of give the intricate shape that resembles the Virgo symbol ♍️ (And yes I said it first with Scorpio moon.) Def not wide noses by any means, structured and strict noses

🧼Overall very clean and polished look

🤨 eyebrows sort of start lower/just slightly thicker at the inner eye and then rise upwards as they fall back down as they slightly thin at the end

🍎Higher cheekbones

Gemini Rising/Leo Moon

Clockwise⏰: Jessie J, Kate Mulgrew, Katey Sagal, Mandy Moore

🪩Luminary-ruled moons always have that sort of shine to them, matte vibes

🦁Shiny locks too

🔮Jessie has her chart ruler in Pisces and her Venus/Jupiter are in her 12th house of Taurus// she has that real ethereal look to her

🧯Kate has her chart ruler in Taurus conjunct the sun in her 12th house, she also has mars conjunct her ascendant

🌎Kateys chart ruler is in Aquarius conjunct her sun/venus in Cap are within 5 degrees

🌸Mandy’s chart ruler is in Taurus in her 12th house too, with the sun only 15 degrees away in Aries

🌻Interesting how 12th house placements are present with the chart ruler and/or associated with the sun here//seemed to be a pattern and it sort of echoes Leo moon qualities

🪞I feel like because of this 12th house influence, they each have quite different looks to them. Even though the moons are fixed, the rising is mutable so I believe this is another reason why

🤨Eyebrows are more straight across and less arched than Virgo moons

🪞Lower, fuller cheekbones leading to an almost dimple or maybe more of the “cut” cheekbone effect when they smile

🌗 having their moon ruled by the daytime luminary sort of seems to light them up mostly in middle of the forehead and right under the eyes— where the sun might naturally light up their face—it’s like perfectly built in highlighter

Gemini Rising/Cancer Moon

Clockwise⏰: Drew Barrymore, Irene Cara, Mindy Kaling, Kathryn Grayson

🌕Thier whole face is lit up with their moons ruled by the nighttime luminary

👧Their faces are so kind, I feel like kids definitely love them immediately

🌼Very full cheekbones; they really sort of take up the face— it’s the first thing you notice about them— are those luminous, luscious cheeks

👁️They seem to have these large almond eyes//gorgeous and could get lost in them 🌪️

🏴‍☠️but their eyes have got this surprisingly dark, inviting vibe. Not in a bad way, like they do exude warmth and a nurturing nature but also there’s this underlying darkness, kind of like the Moon card

👄REALLY nice lips, wow ; the thickness is perfectly even throughout//they’re very nice looking

🤨Eyebrows very similar to Leo moon but maybe a smidge thicker 👀

🎥I went extra with these and watched interviews bc I felt bad so little was written and have noticed cancer always gets the least written about them/has the least time when watching a 12-sign videos? istg lol and as a fellow cancer rising, I didn’t wanna do yall like that

💐I was looking for an interview with Mindy and found one with her and Drew— watching these two was so adorable bc they’re both so sweet and polite and thoughtful!

📸 Irene was super sweet and innocent in her interview too, it’s almost as if they don’t even want to be in the spotlight but the spotlight loves them

🕶️Idkkk cancer moons are sort of like Scorpio moons in that they’re mysterious and harder to read!

Gemini Rising/Gemini Moon

Clockwise⏰: Julianne Moore, Alaina Reed Hall, Jalena Jancović, Reba McEntire

🧩They’re so, like, unique each one of them in their looks. (I mean, everyone is obviously but like more discernible patterns are apparent in the others). I’ve put this one off for like a week bc I just… can’t come up with anything that fits all of them??!

🌝They do all have this sort of “melded” look within each of them, like everything sort of goes together “they mesh together well” as Cher might say (Clueless, 1999🚘) as in all their features really just “go” together, but each one is so unique! Like good luck trying to guess this combo on next week’s “guess my rising sign” (joke, lol)

🌑Each one has Moon in the first with this placement though— this is different than having a luminary ruling your moon though. It’s not as noticeable, it’s like a diluted version?? Idk these are just like 4 examples. Like the luminary ruled moons would be a full moon whereas moon in the 1st might be like a new moon.

🟠Probably more oval faces with slightly more prominent chins, slightly longer but still a sort of square rounded shape to them

🍒Prominent cheekbones too but in a very understated way//like I said before, everything seems to blend with them

😊Their smiles seem very genuine. I believe them. You can see each one has a certain level of smile they’re willing to give and it feels genuine

🦒Long and elegant necks

Gemini Rising/Taurus Moon

Clockwise⏰: Lindsay Lohan, Greta Garbo, Jennifer Landon, Christine Keeler

🧴Their skin is perfect; cancer moon sort of has like an internal light/glow and Leo moon with the outward glow/light to them whereas these folks have that **sparkling**but matte factor thanks to Ascendant being ruled by mercury AND Venus ruling body— have you seen the planet Mercury?! It’s gorgeous, arguably the most beautiful planet IMO

👀I keep being drawn to Greta Garbo’s eyes; they’re captivating. And it’s no surprise as she has Jupiter conjunct her ascendant (1 degree) with Pluto co-present in the first and Mars opposing from the seventh y’all. Mercury is squaring her Ascendant too, within 2 degrees and it has reception as Mercury rules Gemini. Sun is co-present with Mercury in the 4th as well. That’s a lot of energy via the planets hitting a major point and house in her chart. Jupiter has reception with Mars in Sag too. Her MC is ruled by Saturn, which is opposing her NN in Leo within 1 degree. She has been considered one of greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Cap is classy, Leo with NN is kind of meant to be a celebrity/king having massive success in a very public way— being remembered after death and this title was given nearly ten years after she passed.

👄 their lips are so nicely shaped— they’re not too big and they’re not too thin— they’re perfect. And those smiles— idk it’s like yeah they might not be genuine? but they look good 😆 The not smiling ones feel more believable/authentic? Idk I see the slight crease as they smile with their eyes but I don’t believe them?? Okokok I do believe them— maybe they’re just guarded and don’t like to give too much away, don’t want to appear too eager maybe

🔪But also **those cheekbones** when they smile— they just seem sharper than the others (except for Katey Sagal) and they have nice smaller/shorter chins, almost like a rounded square, possibly like a square face shape?

👃🏻visible nostrils noses with very defined bridges that extend all the way down to the tip— the bridge is just very prominent— giving them structured and “slim” noses

🌝 this placement means Moon is in the 12th, hence why you might find yourself lingering more on them? Def have that mysterious and ethereal vibe but 100% socially smart and competent (but likely smart in all areas but esp socially) moon is exalted in Taurus after all and everyone just seems to love them, they make others comfortable but aren’t pushovers

Gemini Rising/Aries Moon

Clockwise⏰: Elizabeth Sellers, Carolina Crescentini, Kamala Harris, Pamela Anderson

🚨**I am not a political person and none of these are in any way meant to be political—slim pickings with this combo mk**

👀 ok, first of all, the eyes stick out on all of them—fierce, except I feel like Kamala was trained/advised to somehow tone down that fierceness via her eyes, as to not appear threatening. It’s still there, just like caged/restrained?

🗿Also interesting that most of them are not teeth smiling either, except her

🤸🏻‍♂️Their eyebrows are all on the thinner side but longer; they fit their face really well

🧯Why are fire moon women so seductive looking though? Except Kamala of course, idk guys this is clearly like literally an “on the campaign trail” photo. She can’t be seductive or have fierce eyes but there’s still this “socially acceptable” fierceness about her. I’m not saying she’s unattractive-she’s gorgeous-just prob had to tone that seductiveness down being in politics

👄 Def have a fuller bottom lip

👃🏻Noses seem to have like a “hook” at the tip— with quite narrow bridges— this is a unique and beautiful nose that fits the rest of their features very well

🍑Quite prominent cheekbones, even when not fully smiling with their teeth, sit sort of like “middle” on the face

🟨Alright I’m sick of saying this, lol, it must be a Gemini rising thing to have that “square rounded” chin

🟥Something with Gemini risings and always sort of looking mischievous too

🟦 80% of these women are wearing earrings//possibly a Gemini/mercurial thing. Could just be like these are fancy photos and if their ears were being shown, they wanted an ornament on them too

[tellmeallaboutit]

knock knock (Raphael x Player)

Chapter 16, In Which You Take The Pills and Stop Seeing Things

Read on AO3

Apollonia Saintclair - La paix des profondeurs

"How bad?" you asked, rolling a cigarette between your fingers.

Angus sighed and adjusted his round glasses. 

"How bad, Dr Bambauer?" you repeated, your eyes drawn to the rhythmic chiming of the antique clock on his desk.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

He cleared his throat, fingers intertwined on the polished wooden surface of his desk. "Well, in our line of work, there isn't really a benchmark for such severe cognitive turmoil, Mr. D'Avergni."

Translation: it's bad. You sank back into the plush upholstery of the guest chair, running a hand over your face.

"Ms Berger is suffering from an intense case of delusional psychosis. She's heavily invested in her fantasies, I am afraid," Dr Bambauer began, his voice as dull as a lullaby. "She has invented her own elaborate universe centred around your alter ego - you might know him as Raphael".

At first, you found it strangely endearing - flattering - that Anya saw you as the literal devil. Less so when you found out the character who she was actually referring to.

"Not only him, though. Other characters include a certain being she refers to as Mr Goat - possibly a manifestation of her Catholic guilt - as well as Agent Cooper and the dwarf from Twin Peaks..."

"The TV show?" You raised an eyebrow. "Anya genuinely believes Twin Peaks is real?"

The office was dimly lit despite the midday hour, the walls lined with bookshelves and framed pictures of Bacon-esque paintings that were clearly meant to unsettle rather than reassure. 

"Ms. Berger's understanding of the concept of "real" seemed tenuous at best," Angus nodded. "And I too seem to have been cast as a character known as 'The Dollmaker'. According to Ms Berger, I perform lobotomies on children and sell them to sex trafficking rings”.

"And you've done nothing of the sort, I trust?" You gave him a wry smile.

You had always found Angus a little eerie, but the family would never associate with someone who fiddled with children. Plus, he did manage to keep Uncle Giovanni off the bottle. 

"Do you find it appropriate to joke about this, Mr. D'Avergni?"

There was probably no scenario on Earth that Angus would deem appropriate to joke about.

"I don't know what's appropriate in such situations," you said. 

Dr Bambauer rose from his chair, his hands clasped behind his back. He was skinny as a rake, not a muscle on him. You could learn anatomy on him, the outlines of his skull very visible through his gaunt cheeks.

"What would be appropriate is a daily regimen of olanzapine, under my strict supervision. Ms. Berger will have to stay here for at least a month”.

A month?..

How are you supposed to go a month without Anya?

“There is an issue we need to discuss, however”, he continued.

A month.

Dr Bambauer's eyes drifted across the clinic courtyard. "Mrs Berger is expecting a child. I'd say she's in her first few weeks of pregnancy; her hCG levels are just beginning to indicate implantation."

You re-played his phrase three times in your mind before it finally registered.

"Are you serious?" you asked, sounding more choked than you intended.

Could this really happen? Anya had made some casual remarks... You hadn't bothered with condoms, true... But she never seemed worried, or even to mention it; you assumed she must have been taking birth control pills, and if she wasn't, well, that didn't bother you either.

"Why would I joke about such a thing?" said Dr Bambauer. 

Then it's true. It's true. Anya was with a child; your child. Your firstborn.

"I mean..." you laughed, your hands spreading with joy. “This is brilliant news! The best bloody news I've heard in ages! That’s what you should have started with, doc!"

If only your father would have killed himself half a year later to live to hear the news. 

Angus did not smile back.

"I'm not sure you're following me, Mr D'Avergni," he said. "Mrs Berger needs to be heavily medicated with antipsychotic drugs in the first trimester of her pregnancy. Do you follow me now? There is an imminent risk of serious birth defects. I recommend a pill-induced abortion”.

The urge to grab this man by his collar and slam him against the wooden desk until his skull cracked suddenly became absolutely irresistible.

"Dr Bambauer," you said, rising from your chair, "you are talking to a Catholic man about his firstborn. Choose. Your. Words. Carefully. Anya and I will make the decision, and I can already tell you what our decision will be. We are keeping this child.”

You drummed your fingers on the table.

"I'm afraid Mrs Berger is not in a position to make a rational decision at the moment," Angus interjected. "She's unaware of her condition, and given her current psychological state, informing her could trigger catastrophic delusions. Carrying the Antichrist, for example."

He went on, seemingly unaware of the thinly veiled threat in your eyes.

"So, without an appointed guardian - and as a lawyer you are well aware what a long and complicated process that can be..."

Well, he was right. 

It is a long and complicated process unless you have a psychiatrist with the right connections behind you.

"Let's say that would be me," you interrupted.

Dr Bambauer visibly stiffened (a feat considering his already rigid posture) and gave you a long, hard look.

"Mr D'Avergni, I have to say…"

“Let me have my say first”, you interrupted.

You snatched up his notebook and pen, scribbling across the next page - two million Swiss francs in cash.

"A small donation to one of the most prestigious mental health institutions in the world," you said as you pushed the note towards him. “God knows the world needs sanity now more than ever”. 

His expression barely changed.

"Your generosity is truly boundless”, he said. “I suppose we could speed up certain procedures. I have no doubts you act in good faith and Mrs Berger's welfare is your priority."

"Seeing right through people is your job description," you replied. "Listen, Dr Bambauer... I need to get Anya out of here immediately. She can't be cooped up in this hospital all alone while she's pregnant. She needs to be with me. I can keep an eye on her."

"You cannot be serious, Mr D'Avergni. You are still taking your medication, aren’t you?"

Your muscles tensed at his comment as you gave him a stiff nod. You watched these videos from Davos over and over again. You fiddled with the cross on your chest, your mother’s; the night Anya was hospitalised, you pulled one out of the old jewellery box.

It wouldn’t hurt, you thought.

And it didn’t.

"Mrs Berger is not well. At all. She has to stay under my direct supervision," you tapped on the paper you promised money on, so that Angus corrected himself: "Mr. D’Avergni, at least until she somewhat stabilises. We are still keeping her restrained in case of another attempt at self-harm".

"Well then, do everything in your power to give her the best treatment”, you said. “I expect quick results".

"Mr D'Avergni," Dr Bambauer sighed. "I don’t think you realise… Let’s put it this way: I don't think Mrs Berger even knows what you look like".

"I beg your pardon?" 

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "One of the nurses overheard Ms. Berger describing her fiancé. Let me say, I was surprised with certain… deviations… from reality”.

***

They said if you behaved better, they would stop strapping you to the bed.

Which, of course, turned out to be complete bullshit.

"We are so sorry that we have to restrain you, Mrs Berger”.

Like hell they were. They were not sorry at all when they tied your ankles and wrists to the bed in your solitary confinement suite, a postcard view of the Matterhorn through the window. They were not sorry at all when they forced more pills down your throat, as if you were a cat fighting against its bitter medicine, and when you spit them out, they actually stripped down your trousers and injected something in your asscheek.

How disgustingly polite they were about it only made things worse; people are only polite like that to fucking crazies, and you were not crazy. You would definitely cooperate if they stopped treating you like one. It was a mistake, you told them, a terrible fucking mistake and misunderstanding, and it should not be happening to you.

No way Raphael would allow that. 

He won’t treat his little mouse this way. You know him. They do not know him, so they would regret what they are doing very, very much. You did what he wanted. You killed that woman. You deserved a treat, not a punishment. You did what he…

"You didn’t kill anyone, Ms. Berger, please, calm down. We don't want you cutting your wrists again, Ms. Berger."

Fuck you, was your eloquent reply, fuck you, and where the fuck was Raphael? 

I wish he was here. 

I wish you all would die. I wish, I wish, I wish.

You passed out before you could see if your wish had come true.

***

You were half asleep when it came true and you saw Raphael again. Black waistcoat over a crisp white shirt, a bunch of roses in his hand. He looked so sorry, as if he hadn't been the one who had thrown you into this madhouse in the first place.

"You're here at last," you murmured from your sleep. "Now tell me why I've been trapped in this hellhole."

Next you tried to reach out to him, only to be held back by your restraints. He glanced at them, clearly torn between freeing you or leaving you trussed up like a Christmas turkey, and chose the latter, gently stroking your shoulder as if that would make you feel any better.

"You have too much faith in my bondage kink," you tried to joke. Didn't really land.

"Anya, mia piccola," he said softly. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you."

No, not Raul. Not him, not now. 

Where...in...the...bloody...hell...is...Raphael!?

"I never wanted to kill myself," you said. "I swear, I only cut myself with broken glass because I panicked and wanted to snap back to reality. Not because I wanted to die. Please tell them to stop strapping me to this bed, it's ridiculous. You believe me, right? You don't think I'm crazy?" 

There was a very long pause. 

Much too long a pause.

What the hell have you done to deserve such treatment? Yes, you cut yourself, yes, you wanted with him to talk about Mr Goat (you still do), you... Oh no. Was this Raphael's twisted form of revenge for fondling Mr Goat's horns? It seemed the only explanation for why he'd thrown you into this five star prison.

"Anya," Raul finally said, "what colour are my eyes?"

This is a trick question, Anya, don’t trust him. This is a trick question. He is trying to set you up and make you think you are crazy. Go for something noncommittal.

"Hazel? Honey?" Raul’s expression twisted painfully and shit - what colour were Italian men’s eyes supposed to be? You quickly corrected yourself: "Brown! Definitely brown!".

He looked at you as if you'd slapped him across the face, and not in a sexy way.

"Light. Blue." He spoke every word as if he had difficulty breathing. "Quite unusual, I know. People have been complimenting my eyes all my life. Can't you see that?"

You could not see that. You didn’t want to see that either.

Damn, of all the Italians in Italy, why did you have to end up with the one who had blue eyes? What were the chances?

"Shit," was all you could say.

"I thought you were in love with me," Raul said. "you didn't even know what I looked like." 

Damn. What were you supposed to say to that?

He got up from the chair next to your bed and repeated, his voice hollow: "You still don't know what I look like. You still… CAZZO!"

He slammed his fist against the window frame so hard that you flinched, but the glass held steady. 

He looked on the verge of tears. Please don't cry. How were you supposed to handle a grown Italian man crying? You are the one who should be crying right now!

"CAZZO MALEDIZIONE!" Raul shouted again, his voice shaking. “MERDA, MERDA, MERDA!”

Great, keep screaming and we'll have nurses rushing in here, and you bet your ass it’s not him they would be sedating.

"I'm sorry, Raul." You said as you watched him try to regain control of himself. "It doesn't mean... Doesn't mean... Just because I see you differently doesn't change how I feel about you. Looks aren't everything, right? Who cares?"

That didn’t sound right. 

He must have thought the same, because he did not say anything for a good minute and then gave you a very formal smile, all business nothing personal, which was way scarier than his outburst. 

“I am sorry…”, you tried again.

"You don’t need to feel sorry for anything, Anya”, he interrupted. “You're sick, that much is clear. It's my…. responsibility to do everything I can to help you heal”.

You don’t need to heal, you opened your mouth to say, but he cut you off YET AGAIN:

“But I do think now it would be best if you stayed under Dr. Bambauer’s supervision for now."

Holy fuck no not the Dollmaker you are not stepping into his therapy room never

“No-no-no, baby, please”, you pleaded, struggling against the restraints. “Angus is… not a good man. At all. I swear he isn’t. And not because he lobotomies children or something. He just… isn’t. Don’t leave me alone with him. Baby, please. He will fuck me up”.

“I believe Angus to be a competent specialist”, Raul said, arms crossed over his chest. “Whether he is a good man is a different matter. I will have my people monitor this place - and your state - at all times, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone harm you”.

He placed a very chaste kiss on your forehead. 

“I wish you all the best and pray for your swift recovery, Anya”.

FUCK YOU AND YOUR PRAYERS YOU PASTA-GOBBLING ASSHOLE!

That’s not what you said, no. What you did was put all your most “baby please” face and plead:

“Raul…”

“Don't argue with me, Anya,” He interrupted. “I know what’s best for you.”

read the rest of the chapter on ao3

[eri-pl]

But what about the Silmaril's rights?

Or "the erason why the Feanorians shouldn't get them, which may be somwhat compelling even to the more pro-feanorian of you (because it's not about the Sindar)" (to be clear: my goal is not to invalidate the Sindar)

So, the Silmarils are alive. They do have feelings: they enjoy the light (I will not give quotes because my book is in Polish, but it's in their description). This may be a hyperbole or something, like Balrog's wings of shadow, but I'm not sure it is. Elves, with their ability to perceive other minds, would probably not attribute feelings to something that doesn't have them. Not in a serious text like the Annals of Aman.

How did Feanor make them, you ask? He cannot create life. Yes. He didn't create them in the strict sens, or even in the typical artistic sub-creation sense. He bred them. He created them like an artisan gardener creates a living chair from a willow. He bred them from the light of the Trees, and they are offspring of the Trees.

Does it mean they belong to Yavanna? No, I don't think so. In the logic of modernday agricultural corporation or dog breeder they would, but I don't think she would see them as more hers than every plant is hers. More beloved by her, maybe. Maybe not. She has no problem with the idea of them dying, so probably less.

I'm not going to make claims on who they legally belong to under this or that law, that's not the point of the post.

The point is that they are creatures with feelings. And they love light, they metabolize light, they probably need light to thrive. And Feanor in his later days keeps them closed in a dark treasury. And Melkor keeps them on his evil face (considering their nature I would be very unsurprised if the burning of the evil caused them as much pain as the burned person) in a dark fortress.

That's animal magical jewel abuse.

And the sons of Feanor who want to claim them, would also all cause pain to them. Sure, ok, maybe they would keep the gems in a bright, uncovered place where they could see their cousins (sun and moon) and shine for all to see and not be closed like a pupy in a cage. Maybe they would not touch them.

Both of those seem extremely unlikely, considering all facts. SoF are reasonable, and the reasonable thing to do with the Silmarils is to keep them secret, keep them safe in a dark, closed place. (And if you think they would give the jewels proper enrichment, look into my eyes and say: "Yes, I think that the sons of Feanor would put empathy for other living being over their oath".)

(Yes, I know thay have trauma. This post is not about hating them. It is about whether they are fit to take good care of magical jewels. Unprocessed trauma doesn't help in that. they need emotional support jewels, and the Silmarils are not trained for that, they do have a trauma of their own.)

And the Silmaril loved Luthien, oh how itloved her, she shone so bright and the gem drank it and gave it back and it was wonderful it was killing her but she loved this little creature too much to care.

It's complicated. You have a (magical and somewhat holy puppy) who one guy bred and abused (because he didn't know how to care for it and was made distrustful of the people who could teach him, and he had unprocessed trauma), then he died and now his sons believe they'd all go to hell if they don't get the puppy and keep it safe in a tiny cage, and there's the girl who stole the puppy from a terrible guy who abused it (because he's Like That), and it's so happy with her and then there's all that mess.

(I imagine them as some weird thing between animal, plant and magic... they don't talk or move, but they do feel a lot.)

So, as I asked in the title: what about their rights?

[rosielovesspence]

I think your requests are open. Sorry if I missed something saying they were closed. But I just finished twdg season 2, and I'm in shambles. I love Luke and definitely looked to him as a big brother figure that I never had. I was hoping we could get a fic or headcanons about him sort of in Lee's place? Like he finds a young kid and takes them in for a while. Yeah, hopefully that makes sense.

Pookie my requests are never closed 🎀 I love him sm, he'd so be a girl dad tbh

🎀 Luke was genuinely terrified when he found you, I mean this random apocalypse starts and you're in the woods.

🎀 He's horrified by the thought of having to kill a kid, and luckily you prove you're not infected and he doesn't have to

🎀 Luke doesn't even have the time to worry about if he can care for you or not before he's got you piggyback carrying you back to the house

🎀 Everyone else is fond of you, but since Luke found you they make you fully his responsibility

🎀Everyone else will kindly offer you things but Luke is much more insistent, whereas Pete would ask "Are you hungry?" Luke is already handing you a sandwich saying, "Eat. You're hungry."

🎀He may seem strict at times but truly he's just panicked about making sure you're safe, he make have small panic streaks and yell if you go somewhere by yourself but he's trying

🎀 If you're on your best behavior though, so is he, carrying you piggyback around the house or letting you do normal kid stuff and paint his nails (the nail polish is probably expired but you have fun so he doesn't care)

🎀 Teaching you how to shoot and stab was another challenge, he didn't want you to have to fight anything but having to teach you things was crazy.

🎀 The hardest part of having you is finding you clothes while you're so small and young. Most of the time he has to find XL clothes and have Carlos use his needle work to crop and shrink them to be your size.

🎀Finding you young was quite an experience when he had to go on field missions and came back with crayons and paper instead of ammo

🎀 Once you became older it's much easier, you're much more mature and attentive but with Luke around you're definitely less mature than the average kid your age

🎀 Eventually when Luke finds Clem you confused her. Since she was raised to immediately meet the scary world, your innocence and joking manner scares her, it's only cause you've been raised getting a kiss on the cheek and hug before bed by Luke

🎀 Everyone can tell you're the most important thing to him, putting himself in danger constantly to protect you, showing you off to the others anytime you do anything good

"Woah! Pete, look, look! Y/n did these!" Luke would hold up a target paper, showing you hit the bullseye and then in the other hand a photo you drew of him and you. "Wow Luke, they've got a good shot, but you've shown me that drawing already, they drew it when they were six." Luke chuckled, "I know but it's just so cute."

🎀 I'm mentioned it before but piggyback rides are an everyday thing with this man.

"Whatcha doing?" Luke walked up behind you on the couch as you played on a small game console you found. "I found this old thing! It's got Zelda on it!" You told him excitedly before shrieking as he picked you up off the couch, sitting your legs on his shoulders and holding you up there. "Put me down!" You yell out while giggling. So he semi drops you so your arms are around his neck. "Much better." He walks you around the house, holding your legs up with his arms as you laughed.

[brightest-stars-if]

if may i ask for one favor (that i ask with no sense of entitlement and that you may feel completely free to refuse), should you ever want to edit the demo:

i really love picking the culturally significant names you provided (Calista and Basil are my favorite, respectively). would it be possible to come up with one more cultural name but have it be unisex, and then have that one name be put in both the m!MC and f!MC name options?

overall, i think it could just be interesting to see whay a unisex name looks like from this world that is so heavily gendered. and i also think it could be of comfort to any players outside of the binary who, while willing to play a character within one of those said binaries, may feel a unisex name option of in-game cultural significance as a salve (i say that as a they/them who leans moreso towards one gender end of the spectrum than anything else)

but if you want to hear why i specifically ask for this indulgance, it is a bit convoluted. usually only come up with one MC per i.f. game, and i think it'd be really fun to have this "one MC" have an alternate universe as a male and as a female. and normally, if i felt that inkling, i would just fucking do it lmao BUT i usually also feel no connection or drive to pick one of the pre-suggested names. so then i just pick a unisex name that fits within the game in question and manually type it in per replay. BUT i so love when fantasy games (especially i.f. as i so rarely see it done) gift the player names that have a cultural significance to the world they are in. so i wanted to ask if that could be coded in for selfish reasons too (tho i do genuinely believe in the former reasonings as valid; i just also dont project my they/them gender identity into my MC within this game, so im personally not upset this world doesn't have a Genderless Child MC option. and a huge part of this is thanks to your well-polished craftsmanship in how one of its main focuses of this story seems to very well be, in fact, the arbitrary futility of the binary with characters assigned in these two (semi-)strict gender roles. so like. i am being selfish in this favor request being for indulging my interest in "play one MC but switch the genders and see how the story impacts this specific personality as things go on + haa a culturally significant in-universe unisex name", but yeah, also, i do think it could be a comfort to other fellow nonbinary people and i do think seeing how this heavily gendered fantasy world would construct/react to a unisex name would be fascinating from a world-building/character-reactive perspective. bc it doesnt seem unusex names are too common, apart from Lux themself's name. and as an example of a character-reactive perspective, i bet m!Lux was worried about [unisex named m!MC] being a possible girl until informed otherwise that [unisex named m!MC] was another boy. ans, in a world-building sense, i also wonder if Lux and [a unisex named MC] would be treated differently bc of the seeming unpopularity of unisex names; but Lux has the protection of their father as king, whereas [a unisex named MC] has, though many protections, less than Lux and may be more often given the proverbial "a boy named Sue"/"a girl named Freddie"/"the initial elusivity of a child named Sam" treatment of others' distaste/mocking of their name, especially if it is or is not a true 50♀️/50♂️ unisex name. tho, again, i am only asking for one unisex name and to have that one unisex name be in both m!MC and f!MC's name options, im just saying not all unisex names are regarded with the same reputations of "unisex". but if youd like to add multiple unisex names of varying "it's unisex but tends to more often be a girls's name/it's unisex but tends to more often by a boy's name/it's unisex and perfectly divided between both genders in popularity" i would never step in to stop you lol)

but yeah, again, no expectations of entitlement towards this and you have every right to refuse, as it is your game 🤷 i just thought "eh. worse that'll happen is a 'no' lmao so whats the harm in asking??"

regardless: thank you for reading this far, i know i rambled a bit towards the end there. im a name-nerd, and so i LOVE it when authors say "this pre-suggested name has meaning in-game 👀", and the differing reputations of unisex names being dependent got me excited lol but i digress. thanks for the excellently fun game!! have a great day! 💗💕

So I read through this, and then I thought about it. And I figured yeah, I absolutely don't mind including a gender-neutral name option for the MC!If it makes people feel more comfortable, I don't see why not. And it's just a good option to include regardless. It will appear in the naming options after chapter 2 is uploaded.

Regarding Lux's name, honestly them having the ONLY gender neutral name was not intentional. It's just that if I'd named then Lucius/Lucia, for example, then I would have had to just call them L, and the thought of that didn't appeal to me. And besides, the meaning of their name is an important connection to the game. So that was my reasoning for Lux's name.

Every other character I named was off of meanings I'd found, pure vibes, and/or both. So the lack of gender neutral names was not intended to create a social bias against them, it was just a coincidence.

For the gender-neutral name I'm adding, however, I'll probably add some flavor text. If you choose it, then the MC's namesake is a woman. And so reactions to the MC being named after her will, occasionally, vary due to that. So it's sort of "a boy named Sue" situation, but not exactly.

TL;DR: yes, I'll add at least one gender-neutral option.

[highlordofkrypton]

(ACOTAR) FANFIC WRITING TAG GAME

I love tag games and talking about writing, so I'm obsessed with this one -- thank you for thinking of me @zenkindoflove!!

Describe your writing process from idea to posting/publishing

I've already made some super long-winded posts about my drafting process and I can't seem to find the beta process post, but I'll do a short version here!

The formal answer

First draft - Don't think, just write. Nothing that comes to mind goes into the doc.

Technically point 1.2. because my betas will be cheering my insecure ass on and drag me to the finish line. They will also give me feedback on vibes.

Second draft - Flesh out the scenes that I think are too short or happening too quickly and they might need a transition.

Beta feedback and I provide them with specific questions and pain points that I experienced so they can enlighten me.

Third draft - Apply corrections

But honestly, the more I write, the less 'strict' I am in the process. Now, I'm more and more okay with just a vibe check from the betas and posting. I only follow the process above for longer fics, tbh.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Both. I will always start by pantsing, but ideas will pop up the more I think about it, so I'll have a doc on the side where I dump all my ideas and it becomes an outline. I don't take the time to plot it, it's just something that happens while I pants.

What do you listen to when you are writing?

Music relevant to the characters/vibe. I usually end up fixating on a single song and play it on repeat until the end. For Wildflowers, I just had 'Cruel Summer' by Taylor Swift on repeat. I can't explain it. Even if the song doesn't vibe with the scene, it just reminds my brain to stay consistent on that one emotion that made me ship the ship or like the song.

What’s your drink of choice(while writing)?

Tea. Coffee makes me smell colour and see into different dimensions.

Promote yourself! What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?

Cosmogeny -- My "Nyxlin" fic where he grew up to become an Eldritch God who wants to destroy Prythian because his parents failed him. It's a 100% self-indulgent fic with an OC (put into the role of Nyx in the ACOTAR universe) that I never ever thought anyone would like. He's a creature that has been with me through the worst times of my life, and a silent protector for my sanity. To see him be loved makes me really happy in ways that I cannot explain. I don't even think it's my best writing. I think this fic is an experience, and a community at this point and I love it even more because of the handful of readers who are along for the ride with me.

Share a fic of yours that you think is underrated/deserves more love.

Needle & King -- My fic about Rhysand's parents. I'm genuinely surprised at how poorly it's doing. I thought with the success (for me) of Wildflowers, I could make a Mathiverse that people would be interested in. Along with the outcry in the fandom for more feminism + diverse portrayal for the Illyrians, I thought I was kind of filling that void. In this fic, I get to tap into the important relationship of women between each other, and in society, as well as dive into parts of my culture I never really knew about. It's very personal to me, so I'm totally biased in saying it deserves more love! That said, keep in mind I'm a former marketing professional and I can't help but look at market, demands and stats (engagement). This will absolutely not stop me from continuing it. I'm way too invested in it. I do think that of all my fics, this would speak to a lot of readers as individuals and unrelated to any ships.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

JUST DO IT. That is my #1 advice. Don't think about anything else, except getting those words and ideas on a page. Your first draft might suck, and honestly, it's allowed to. The first draft is not meant to be a polished product. The first draft is the first step of bringing your story to life. If you catch yourself doubting yourself, stop. Just keep writing. You are new. Give yourself some grace. Even if you aren't, art is an imperfect practice. On some days, you'll be amazing, and others maybe not. The difference is if you keep writing, keep practicing, the 'minimum bar' of quality on your first draft will keep rising.

Other advice I'd love to give:

Observe. Read books. Read fics. Find writers who's styles you like and pick out why you like them. Learn from that. I learned from another hobby writer, and I will always credit her for my ability to write. I can tell you exactly what I love about her, and if I did, I'm sure you'd see it in my writing too. Even so, that doesn't mean we write exactly the same. Try different things! You may be a super experienced writer in one style, but that doesn't mean you can't try something new. You can learn different ways of writing, and then mix and match with what you like. HAVE FUN. This is a hobby, don't forget that. As a new writer, the worst thing you can do is put pressure to 'make something' out of this whether it's in the fandom spaces or professional. Learn to enjoy writing, first, and grow with joy before giving room to negativity and criticism.

What is a writing style/technique that others do really well that you'd like to get better at?

Writing stamina, writing long-form and having a more disciplined prose than I do. I feel like I'm quite weak in writing prose. My writing tends to barrel straight to the next plot-driven scene, unless I'm feeling particularly bratty and absolutely want the blorbos to kiss. I also feel like I can't convey emotions as well as I used to, but it's par for the course with growing old and more responsible for me. Sometimes, I don't have time to feel while writing. Sometimes, I just need to write and get that chapter out. I struggle to balance that too. I have some old works that will have me in tears at the same part every time, no matter how often I read it. I wish I had the patience to write more, but I struggle with it and my priority is fun over my own diligence these days. You'll see this with my short/sillier/pantsing fics vs. the multi-chapter planned ones. I only have two of those and they take a lot out of me.

Is there a character you were surprised you enjoyed writing as much as you did?

Any of the Vanserras. I kind of started writing Lucien as a necessity since he's important in Tamlin's life but I didn't super care for him at the beginning. I only started writing Eris through @acotarmemes; he wasn't on my radar. My first time writing Beron was in a shitpost so... Sorry my Autumn boys 😂 Special shoutout to Jurian because I didn't care for him at first and then I realized he's literally Hal Jordan, and now I love writing him. Coincidentally, I didn't care for writing Hal either and only wrote him because my partner requested him for her Barry. Turns out Hal Jordan and Gojo Satoru are some of my best characterizations so... Good for Jurian if this keeps up???

No pressure tags: @achaotichuman @yaralulu @sonics-atelier @watcherintheweyr @paytowinsundays and anyone who wants to join! I'm lazy to fix the tags mobile whenever you tag more than 5 people on the pooter, but please join if you want and tag me, I wanna see!

[huntinglove]

What are your personal headcanons for your F/Os, or at least ones that you've never mentioned on your blog before?

Hi hi!! Thank you so much for the ask!! I'll answer these for my Deltarune F/Os since that's what I'm currently fixated on :3

Kris:

General:

They have a large scar on their chest, from clawing at their skin whenever they rip the soul out of themselves. It doesn't hurt and it's shape is reminiscent of an orb of lightning bolts

They have a huge appetite but they're a slow eater. They can and will eat an entire pie in one sitting, but they might have to stay up for a few extra hours to do so...

They sleepwalk and sleep talk! Sleepwalking is less common and they usually snap awake after a few minutes of being on their feet, but their voice usually comes out slightly louder than usual when they talk in their sleep, which can sometimes wake and/or startle Toriel

Romantic [Towards my S/I]:

After they get used to having Eri around they begin putting some padding on the birdcage in their room, to make sure her soul won't get damaged when they need some time to themselves

Once they began trusting Eri they began hugging her more often! It's usually when the two are alone, they're not a fan of PDA but they find her embrace comforting, especially because she doesn't squeeze them or hold on to them for longer than they're comfortable with

Their main love languages are quality time and parallel play! They enjoy being around Eri, when she's not controlling them, and will often invite her to play games, draw, read, listen to music or watch shows together, even if they're both doing other things in the meantime

Ralsei:

General:

He has very sharp claws, but he never wants to seem threatening or scary, so he keeps them trimmed and rounded, to the point where his fur covers most of it up! Sometimes he might style them with some pastel nail polish or stickers, just for fun!

Knows how to sew, crochet and knit! He usually takes care of his, Kris', Susie's, Lancer's and Castletown's citizens' clothes whenever they're in need of repairs! Most of his outfits are made up of fabrics that can wipe his glasses without smudging them

He usually cleans and organizes things to keep himself entertained, making sure all of his castle and the town are in tip top shape! Sometimes people offer to help him out but he prefers doing things himself, otherwise he feels like things don't look the way they should

Romantic [Towards my S/I]:

He's very jealous of Rouxls because both of them have a crush on Ecti, one of the bakers from what used to be the kingdom of hearts! Ralsei is very good at hiding his jealousy, but he's overly enthusiastic about trying to one up Rouxls whenever Ecti needs assistance with something

Ralsei and Ecti love sharing recipes with one another! Sometimes they're all about magic and other times it's just baked goods. From pies to healing potions, they're always happy to learn about what the other has to share!

He has a drawer full of discarded love letters that he's thought about giving Ecti before, but backed out or decided to "sleep on it" before handing it over to her. Heartfelt, silly, covered in stickers and doodles, he's tried his best to put his thoughts into words, but his shyness always gets the best of him

Rouxls:

General:

He has an over the top and strict hair care routine. He has a load of different shampoos, conditioners, hair masks and detanglers that he uses daily. He also usually brushes his hair three separate times; large brush, combing and tooth combing! That way his hair is always silky and shiny

He avoids sighing or yawning out loud because his trail of slime connecting his lips will usually make a squelch sound and he's very embarrassed about it. The only time he'll willingly do it is when he wants to try and make Lancer laugh, specifically if the little prince is having a bad day

If someone is close to him and they keep on mispronouncing his name, hell stop correcting them and even start referring to himself the way they do when he's around them! He can be really annoying about his name's pronunciation with strangers, but not with close friends or crushes

Romantic [Towards my S/I]:

Awkward to the extreme, especially when he's around Ecti. He stumbles over his words and makes them sound longer and fancier than he means to, which just makes it harder to understand what he's trying to say, so he usually scrambles away with no explanation of what he was trying to tell her in the first place

Tries his best to make romantic puzzles and even if they're easy to solve, they still make Ecti giggle and have fun! She makes sure to keep all of his cards and its "charades" stored in her room, which flusters him greatly

He willingly offers to run errands for Ecti in an attempt to be helpful and show servitude, his love language is acts of service and it always makes him very proud of himself whenever she tells him he did a good job, or that she couldn't have done something without his help

Noelle:

General:

Naturally smart and always willing to help any classmates that may be falling behind in certain subjects! She offers tutoring sessions in her spare time, free of charge, and genuinely finds it fun to study around the people she cares about

She concentrates best when she has something to fidget with, so she usually doodles all over her notebooks during class! Alphys doesn't mind and knows that she's paying attention, plus the lack of eye contact makes the teacher way less tense during lessons

Considers her dad to be her best friend! She tells him everything in minute details and trusts him with everything she shares with him! From crushes to emotional struggles, there are no secrets between those two and she couldn't be happier about it. She's even told him about the Darkworld, but he doesn't actually believe her...

Towards my S/I [It's complicated]:

Subconsciously develops a crush on Eri because she sees her as a mother figure. Doesn't know what to do about it because she knows that Kris has a thing for Eri and she doesn't want to hurt her friend's feelings...

Teacher's pet to the extreme, whenever Eri needs supplies, needs someone to read out loud or asks questions, Noelle is the first one to raise her hand and offer to help out. Eri appreciates all her help and has taken to calling her "angel" because of it, which just made Noelle's crush a million times worse

Asks to hang out at Eri's place after school because she didn't understand today's class properly (a lie, she just wants to be around the teacher) but usually turns on her heel when Kris gets there before her

[edns]

for the writing game 21!!!! (chosen very randomly and has nothing to do with any of my ocs btw......)

Also i hope you're doing ok, have a nice day <33

Hiii! So sorry this took a second, I've been very tired and busy and to be fair I wasn't sure how to incorporate the prompt or make a writing idea out of it that wasn't just. Net zero information. I guess it kind of still is... again, not my best work, but I am doing these requests to get more comfy with posting my less polished and perfected writing so here goes! P.S. Thank you for asking how I've been! Not at my best right now but I believe I'll be okay :') P.P.S. Cyrus's view on the Church of Seir0s do not reflect my opinions about any of this it's just what he thinks. As a character

21. amber

The cathedral of the Garreg Mach monastery was bathed in sunlight as the dawn was breaking. A lonely figure sat up on the bench, his white hair making him look like he was glowing. Cyrus found his own snow-white hair more annoying than he did beautiful or endearing.

As his mind woke itself up, a sense of urgency crept up on him. Right… Before he gave in to the sleep deprivation, Cyrus remembered watching Dimitri stand by the destroyed statue of the Goddess. Cyrus had seen him do this so many times, and, even after talking to Dimitri as much as he did, he never understood what the prince hoped to accomplish with praying to the Goddess. Both of them were nothing but toys in her wicked game, after all. Or that was how Cyrus saw it.

Looking up at the spot where Dimitri should’ve been, he saw nobody. Cyrus raised an eyebrow — where could he have gone off to? Dimitri barely left this spot before. Cyrus had to wonder if the man was safe now, as he remembered his tendencies to get himself in danger.

“Cyrus.” A familiar deep voice made Cyrus turn his head and finally look away from the statue ruins, before his thoughts could consume him. The familiar sound of armor clanking with each footstep gave Dimitri away.

“Your Highness?” Cyrus’s voice was still hoarse with sleepiness.

“You mustn’t sleep here. It is cold,” Dimitri said in a harsh, strict voice, his eye yet again set on the ruins of the statue. However, Cyrus could spot something in his hand — it was shining with a yellow glimmer, and was familiar to Cyrus for some reason. That made him look down on his cravat that always had been pinned by a shiny amber jewel… Only to find it gone.

“It seems you’ve lost this.” Looking away, Dimitri extended his hand to give the jewel to Cyrus; indeed, it was his amber jewel that used to be attached to the pin.

“Thank you.” Cyrus took it with hesitation.

In response, Dimitri groaned and looked away. “Think nothing of it.”

“Where were you during the night?” Cyrus insisted on talking to Dimitri, who appeared to be vexed, but actually wasn’t.

“While you were asleep, I noticed that you lost this,” Dimitri said, his voice somber. “So I went looking for it.”

Cyrus’s bright eyes widened, the curls of his hair bouncing slightly as he tilted his head, confused. He wanted to ask why, but didn’t want to sound ungrateful. Still, Dimitri picked up on it:

“Maybe you would leave me alone if I did something like this,” he said, his brow furrowed. “There, I did something kind to you. Will you leave me be?”

Heaving a sigh, Cyrus smiled as he looked down on the jewel. It had a dried blood stain on it. He shook his head slowly, and Dimitri’s eye widened with surprise.

“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Your Highness.”

[barbeygirl]

A quick introduction to 1940’s fashion

I've been so obsessed with Band of Brothers recently and I love reading the fanfics. Here’s my contribution, for your OC's.

(soon!) Part 2. Hair, makeup etc

(soon!) 1940's lookbook (photos)

The war had a major impact on 40's fashion. There were shortages and rations, and women were entering the workforce as men went off to war, leading to a more simplistic, utilitarian style.

Rations and regulations:

In the UK, clothing was rationed from June, 1941 to March, 1949, in varying strictness. So although you still payed for clothing with money, you'd need coupons to be allowed to buy them altogether. In the US, the Regulation L-85 (1942), rationed natural fibers and restricted how clothing could be made in order to save fabric. This meant regulating the skirt length, the fullness of pants and jackets, and even banned cuffs.

Silhouette:

The early 40's silhouette had strong, boxy shoulders, but by the mid forties and as the restrictions grew more strict, the silhouette softened to save materials. A nipped-in and high waistline stayed popular for the whole decade, and a hemline below the knee was fashionable until 1947, when Dior came out with the "New Look".

Fashion:

Because restrictions and shortages, the look was simple but stylish. Showy, over the top clothing was considered unfashionable to wear in wartime Britain.

The "military style" bled into every day fashion. It was common for men, who were not on active duty, to still wear bomber jackets, trench coats and aviator glasses. It's visible on women's fashion as well, which is why some of the clothing have a sort of a uniformly look.

Popular outfits for women were square-shouldered jackets with matching A-line skirts, shirtwaist dresses, and thanks to actresses, pants were now also a stable part of women's wardrobes. The pants had wide, straight legs and high waists, and were often paired with a colorful blouse or sweater and a matching jacket.

Hand knitting in Britain was at peak popularity during the war. Women on the home front were encouraged to "knit your bit" and contribute to the war effort by knitting for the troops. The warmth of woollen items also made knitwear popular for civilians.

Working women:

Women were entering the workforce to replace men, who went off to war. This required more practical attire, such as sturdy shoes, head scarves, overalls etc.

Some jobs (such as the WAVES) felt it important to emphasize that women wouldn't become any less feminine by working or wearing a uniform. This is why makeup, nail polish and feminine hairstyles weren't just largely allowed, they were encouraged.

Actress Veronica Lake, famous of her highly imitated "Peek-a-boo" hairstyle, where her hair covers one of her eyes, encouraged women working in factories to tie their hair up into safer styles to avoid injury. In this Safety Styles video, she has her hair up in a "victory roll" style.

The New Look by Dior:

After the long war, and as life was slowly returning back to normal, there was a want of "returning to femininity" among women. At the same time, some women feared that this ultra-femininity would set back all the progress they had made working outside the home during the war.

In 1947, Christian Dior released a new collection called ”The New Look” which featured a full, calf-length skirt. After the simple lines of the utility clothing, such a dress seemed desirable by contrast. The full skirt was also controversial for how much fabric it used, since rationing in the UK wouldn't end for another two years and there were still material shortages in both UK and the US.

Despite the controversies, the New Look was hugely popular and became the predominant silhouette well into the 1950's.

A/N: To keep this short, I had to paste and delete like half of what this originally was onto part 2. Also, lmk if there's interest in men's fashion ver. of this!

Hopefully this was legible. All the ”not my first language blah blah” stuff <3

sources: (links)

Imperial War Museum National Museum of American History centralcasting.com V&A Museum (free 1940's knitting patterns!!) NationalWW2museum.org

[burnwater13]

Grogu receiving the control stick knob from Razor Crest from the Mandalorian (out of frame). Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 6, The Prisoner. Calendar by DataWorks.

Grogu sat in his hammock and tossed the knob from the control stick of the Razor Crest from one hand to the other. Well, that’s what he told other people he was doing. What he was really doing was using the Force to have the knob make short swooping trips around the bedroom, getting closer and closer to the Mandalorian without actually touching him. 

It was challenging and a lot of fun. Sure, once or twice Din Djarin managed to wake up just in the nick of time. The nick of time for Grogu, that is. He snapped that ball (knob? Who even came up with that word) back into his hand and pretended he hadn’t been doing anything at all. He didn’t want his dad to take his powers for granted and get in the habit of asking him to do more repair work around the cabin or  Jedi Ancients forbid, the N-1. 

He’d tried to help Din Djarin with some work on the N-1 once. Just the one time. He realized that the task that the Mandalorian was trying to complete required more hands than a Mandalorian was typically outfitted with and set aside the work he was doing to help his dad. Like any good son and apprentice would do. It went pretty smoothly at the start. He floated the strut up to the right height so all the bounty hunter had to do was gently push it into place and then apply the fasteners and Bobu Frik’s your uncle, it would be all done.

But, ah… that’s not how it worked. Nope. Apparently his dad had been too focused on reviewing the installation directions and hadn’t noticed that Grogu had prepped the strut for him already. Then he swung around to call for Grogu and slammed the strut with his right chest plate. That probably would have hurt anyone else but since Din Djarin was wearing his armor his chest was fine. 

However, Grogu had become slightly distracted by the progress a small flying insect had made in traversing the Mandalorian’s helmet. So Grogu was just as surprised at his dad’s sudden movement as Din Djarin had been at hitting the floating strut, which sent the strut spinning away before Grogu had it under strict and proper control again. Oops. 

What was worse was that the strut hit some ridiculously delicate part of the outer body panel of the N-1’s fuselage, putting a teeny, tiny scratch in the polish that the Mandalorian made sure was thick enough to stop a Mudhorn. Grogu could barely see it with a work light and squinting. But apparently it was the only thing the Mandalorian could see. Dank farrik!

You can imagine that after that incident, which became known as ‘How Grogu Scratched the Womp Rats out of the N-1’, Grogu had been told two things pretty emphatically. No using the Force without his dad’s permission and no helping with the N-1 without his dad’s permission. Grogu was fine with the later. He didn’t really like doing that sort of work and he sure wasn’t going to do it if he had to beg his dad for the opportunity to help. Sheesh.

However, asking to use the Force… well, that was a big problem. Grogu used the Force all the time now. He had to. That’s just how life worked on Nevarro. Need to use a privy anywhere other than the cabin or the High Magistrate’s offices? Use the Force. Make any meal for himself when his dad was off doing something, like polishing ‘The Scar’ on the N-1 trying to make it less noticeable, use the Force. (R5 had agreed with Grogu that only an electron microscope was able to sense that scratch and R5 was amazed that the Mandalorian’s sensors had setting that fine). Clean himself up after going fishing in the pond and falling in because he misjudged the slipperiness of the mud on the banks, use the Force. 

Half the time he used the Force during his daily lessons and practice sessions. It seemed silly to ask his dad for permission to a do a thing that he did at same time in the same place every day. The other half of the time he couldn’t anticipate when he might need to use the Force. Like that whole fishing fiasco. Uff.

He was just a little hungry but they already had dinner. He didn’t really want another serving of ‘rations surprise’, the surprise being that Din Djarin had managed to add some veggies to the rations that Grogu had never eaten before. Blech. So he’d gone outside to see if something tasty was hopping or swimming around. The frogs weren’t hopping but the fish were, so he went and got his fishing rod and some bait and began to fish. Now of course the bait were tiny little critters that burrowed into the side of the pond where there had been some erosion during the summer rainy season (who knew) and digging the little blighters out had made that patch of soil kind of slick and muddy but since Grogu knew it was there, he was okay. To begin with. 

Then as he worked harder and harder to catch the fish, without using the Force mind you, he kind of lost track of where that slippery patch was. That of course corresponded with the moment that some poor fish finally decided that the grubs or whatever they were, were in fact tasty and enticing. The fish struck! Grogu took a step to the side to get a better point of leverage and Womp Rats! Grogu slipped and then slid right into the pond with a substantial splash! That his dad did not hear. 

Nor did his dad hear him splashing to get out of the pond or squishing around the borders of the pond because the slope was kind of steep now that he was soaking wet, covered with pond grass and slicked up with mud. When he finally made it up to a safe place to stand and not slip, slide, slither, skid, or skate right back down into the water, his dad had just come around the corner of the cabin, holding something that Grogu couldn’t quite make out in his arms. 

Grogu decided right then that he had to use the Force to get clean before his dad got the idea that Grogu needed a quick, brisk shower in icy cold water to help with the problem. Quick because the Mandalorian never did anything slowly, other than polish the N-1 and brisk because the hose on the outside of the cabin didn’t provide warm water and no way was Din Djarin letting him in the cabin with so much mud attached to him. 

With time to reflect, Grogu realized that he should have waited for his dad to put whatever he was carrying some place safe, as well as, give him just enough time to go after the hose, which was on the other side of the cabin from the pond, before he cleaned up. But that’s not how things went and the Mandalorian had spent a week picking mud and pond grasses out of his vambraces and helmet after Grogu used the Force to remove all the junk from his coverall. Well… it had to go somewhere… conservation of mass and all that. But the real problem was the thing his dad was carrying was a very delicate and complicated bit of the N-1’s navigation control panel that he wanted to work on inside the cabin to keep it from getting dirty. Oops.

That of course was why he’d tried to help his dad with the N-1 at all. To make up for ‘Mud-ageddon’. It seemed like a good idea at the time. At least he tried. Right? How was he to know that the Force had a sense of humor?

[ni-kol-koru]

KnB 30-Days Challenge

Day 14 : Favorite Member of Kaijō

Kasamatsu Yukio 💙

Well, it took me quite a few rewatches and quite a lot of thinking to realise that Kasamatsu Yukio is probably the best captain in the entire series, and my favorite Kaijō member. Everything about this guy is amazing.

I will never forget rewatching Season 3, for the millonth time, and finishing the Kaijō-Seirin match and needing... a moment. It suddenly struck me, out of blue, the urge to think more deeply about Yukio. In the matches he has played in Season 3 he showed some amazing qualities that I never seemed to notice before. He showed some incredible skill as a player, he showed how determined, motivated, strong, serious and sensible he is, he also never failed to support his teammates and motivate them to fight. I suddenly needed to rewatch some other matches, and when I did, I just fell in love with this man more. What surprised me the most was how awesome he was on the court, and how I never noticed that? He never allowed himself to loose his cool, for the sake of keeping the good mood and the victorious and undefeatble feel in the team. He is also very serious, focused and, oh, incredibly skilled. When I watched KuroBasu with a friend who is into basketball, after we finished the show, I asked him who his favorite player was. He said Yukio, without hesitation. Why? Because he has polished the most fundamental skills and became a weapon on both the inside and on the outside. He is good at dribbling and getting through opponents, finishing under the rim and scoring with a layup. However, if he is ever stopped or the circumstances don't allow him to score from the inside, he just shoots from the outside, sinking the ball in with ease. After The Generation of Miracles and The Uncrowned Kings, he is one of the best players. What I love about him is how he is extremely courageous. He never hesitated to face opponents who he knew were stronger than him. He literally didn't even think twice before trying to stop players like Daiki and Shōgō. His will and fighting spirit are to not be underestimated!

His past is something that I also somehow ignored at first, and noticed just later. It is pretty tragic, and honestly, ever after thinking about it, I cannot watch the scenes where he cries without needing a moment to let a tear out. He has gone through so much grief, and now he is a captain, and the pillar, of the Kaijō team, respected and known.

Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't talk about personality at least a little. He is pretty strict and he respects hierarchy, he knows his worth and he demands respect. Usually, those are the only things people know. He is most usually that way, there is no denying in that, but he has another side that people seem to talk about a lot less. It usually gets exposed when he is with, well, girls. He becomes so awkward, shy, blushes heavily and stutters when he tries to speak. He is so frozen up that girls from his class only talk to him by asking him Yes-or-No questions! That is just so unexpected, but also so sweet and maybe even a little cute to imagine! Seriously though, he is really handsome, he is a sportsman, he is a good student, pretty smart, he plays the coolest instrument even, the guitar, he is just so cool, and I know many girls like him. Perhaps, Ryōta should teach him how to be less awkward when he is introduced to a cute girl!

Well, I also want to talk about another aspect of him: his mental strength. After missing a pass that cost Kaijō an important victory, he felt such blame and guilt that he decided he was quitting basketball, something that he was exceptional at, something that he put so much time, effort and love in. However, his coach not only didn't allow him to do that, but he made him the captain of the team. It must have been so hard for him. He surely needed a lot of courage to accept the jersey with the number 4 on it, a lot of strenght to bear the responsibility of leading a team that he previously disappointed, betrayed. Still, after everything, he became who he is now. I also have to mention the Jabberwock-Strky game. The fact that he stayed so calm and composed after he literally got humiliated and made fun of on the court and had enough respect amd decency to offer a handshake and thank his opponents for the game, and in return had to listen to Nash's 'Kill yourselves' talk and get spit on his hand... He didn't deserve that, at all. However, in that scene, he proved how mature he was and showed incredible self-control. His mental strenght is on another level.

I love Yukio. That's all. 💙✨️

[project-sekai-facts]

thought a lot lately about the fact all of the humans will be getting older and moving up in school for the 3rd anni. im really curious as to if there will be any changes to the uniform live2d models? i can imagine that at least mizuki would get some changes, as they grow to accept themself and their identity. i'd like to see mizuki have more accessories for sure. kamiyama seems less strict than miya (considering akito + others uniforms) so im sure they'd be able to get away with some small bracelets and stuff? also colopalette give us nail polish please another thing. i wonder if the new units will arrive for the 5th anni? it seems like a good possibility, considering how far off that is + its a big milestone (at least to me, lol)

Honestly I really hope they update the live2Ds. I think colopale’s vaguely implied this is a thing that will happen (they’ve received questions about the lack of live2Ds and keep responding with “saving resources for anniversary” or something aling those lines).

I don’t know how much they’ll update the uniforms but I hope at the very least that they add summer uniform outifts. It sticks out a lot when you see them wearing hoodies and blazers in summer (if you went to a school with uniform you’ll know the blazers and jumpers are long gone come summer). Also like most other gacha rhythm games switch the casual outfits/uniforms on a seasonal basis so it feels more like time is progressing and it’s a bit odd in some ways that prsk doesn’t have such a standard feature.

I would like to see Mizuki have more fun with their uniform because you know they would love to. I don’t know whether it’ll happen and kamikou does still have rules about accessories (one of the 1komas has An telling Akito to fix his uniform), but we can manifest.

I reckon new unit might show up at 6th? They seem to be following the same roadmap as bandori, so I’m assuming they’ll age everyone up again at 6th. Imo it makes much more sense to bring in newbies when everyone gets aged up because then you don’t end up with new guys moving up into high school or whatnot while everyone else stays in the same grade like nothing happened (looking at u D4DJ).