#and starting september i'll be super busy so

[malusokay]

Are you able you do the monthly Mail soon?

yes!!! I've just been super busy because I very recently got the notice that I'll have to move again so that has taken me out of my routine completely...

I re-signed with my modelling agency in April, and now I have to relocate to Hamburg for now, I got the info just last week, so I've been really panicky trying to figure out everything, especially since I had initially planned to move to Edinburgh for 6 months starting September.

BUT I'll get started on the monthly mail and have it out as soon as possible!! If you guys have any theme requests, feel free to let me know <33

[cicaklah]

2024 fic review

hello friends. what a year that was. here's a review of all the writing I did about blorbo.

January

Started out strong with part 9 of the one man series: life's a beach. I'm really happy with this one and think it is one of the strongest of the one man non-chaptered stories, but despite the fact its full of Spirk having happy sex on holiday, it didn't seem to do that well at the time, but has now started to catch up.

I followed this with my first Voyager fic: there is water (at the bottom of the ocean) which I am honestly still really proud of. It was a Threshold day celebration fic, and Threshold has always been one of my favourite episodes even before it became a meme. It was an honour to write them having weird sex.

March

In march I published friday I'm in love, the one man story where they break up. This is heavy on the OCs, as any story set on the Farragut will be, but I think it worked.

also in march @diana-fortyseven and I were chatting and then I wrote dedicated to the one I love mostly in chat to her, and it was so filthy I had to share it with the class. Diana and Grey fantasising about 47 and fucking about it, while he listens.

finally in march I wrote an abundance of caution, a Pike/Spock SNW fic that was the first story I ever wanted to write in SNW, back in season 1. Where Pike is being haunted by those damn time crystals again.

April

I started publishing my TOS Spirk PWP meandering story a job like any other. I really like the style of this one, and want to write more of it this year.

May

then I wrote nothing until the very end of may, when I published my magnum fuck-opus: subspace rhapsorgy Its literally the plot of subspace rhapsody but instead of singing they're having really filthy free-use sex. I'll never top this.

June

anyway 10 days later I nearly died of sepsis and that kind of wrote off June. I had signed up for thyla bang, then tried to default when I went into hospital, was instead given an extension, which I didn't make because erm, I was dying. the runner of that challenge reacted totally reasonably by blocking me from everything and writing her own story for the art I had claimed. fuck you muse!

July

In july I pushed myself way too hard to publish said fic no glove no love, which is fine, but I'm mostly annoyed that her fic has more hits than mine. It just doesn't really seem fair, but also, its a pon farr fic without any sex, so who am I kidding? its never going to blow the doors off.

I spent the rest of July frantically trying to reclaim my brain post-sepsis by doing the most difficult task possible, sorting out the plot of a sex farce. Said farce was put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Honestly I should have spent July recovering more, but turns out I'm way more spiteful than I thought I was.

August

I had a busy august of wasting money I didn't have being turned away from a plane because my passport was out of date, not being able to walk without my bladder filling with blood, then having surgery, then getting a post surgical infection and having to go back into hospital. I did however finally finished cleaning up the second part of the Diana/Grey/47 threesome fic: a little wicked.

September

I wrote we'll build our altar here after binging the boys in a week, and then promptly lost interest.

October

I spent September and October trying to write the next part of one man, including 20k of a story I still haven't posted, before giving up and splitting it into three stories. The first of these, you probably think this song is about you about Jim's time post-Gala, was published here. I think its probably the best one man story, in terms of how well written it is. Development!

November

I spent November angsting over some stuff, and then decided to do something I wanted to do for a change.

December

That thing was what I called 'super secret writing project' aka blorbo noel, aka my own personal yuletide. I wrote 11 stories, 43k, and I'm pleased with every single one of them.

They are: when I'm wearing nothing but blame, (if I could paint your taint) the colour of the sunset, matched set, hometown glory, captain's log supplemental, I'll be your fire, the power of women, one way or another, crowning glory, (watch me and you) get lost and found anew, and nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

I then also fuck it, published another one man part: bigmouth strikes again, following Spock after the gala. I also finished new frontier, my lesbian la'an fic, and no one cared, and then finished up by publishing some more oxbox RPF business managed.

All in all I published 176,000 words this year blowing my previous record out of the water by 40k, and finally broke through my long term goal of publishing 20 stories in a year. I published 25 new stories and finished new frontier, for a total of 26 in 2024!

This was a very hard year for me, not just with the sepsis, but mental illness, moving house, new job, family problems and the death of my grandfather. Nevertheless, writing and art saved me. I'm planning on doing a sculpture review of 2024 as well, but here's to 2025, hopefully with 100% less sepsis.

[snowsetdeer]

What a year we've all had! For the first time ever I can post a fully digital, fully completed yearly art round up post. It's been so awesome to see my style change and develop around my interests this year. All of the pieces (and some commentary from me!) will be posted in full under the cut :)

January, Shampoo from Ranma 1/2 (Citrus Shampoo) The doodle that started it all! I was really busy with school starting back up so it's not the most polished piece in the world, but I really love the colors I used and I'm thinking about revisiting this piece in the new year.

February, Krystal from Star Fox (I can just draw anything isn't that amazing) Although this is only a doodle February is the shortest month so...

March, Faye and Falco from Star Fox, Miffy from Miffy (What are they looking at?) I was making a lot of 3D Miffy models and such for one of my classes this month, and I was still super into Star Fox, so I decided to just mix the two together! I really like doing art that puts random characters together like this in my sketchbook, maybe I'll do more crossover pieces next year :)

April, Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Fox, and Krystal's Arm (N64 collab over on Newgrounds) This was my first ever collab, and I'm really glad I pushed myself to join! This is a redraw of one of the covers for Earth Defense Girl Iko Chan, I reference a lot of Iko Chan pictures and media when I'm drawing lol.

May, Sonic the Hedgehog with the Beam Kirby Powerup (submission to the Sonic anniversary collab on Newgrounds) This was another collab, and I wish I had been able to put more detail into the background for the final piece, but the collab only required a clear background png of your assigned character so I really focused in on Sonic.

June, The prince and The King of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy (LEAKED 2009 DS EXCLUSIVE DATAMINE aka Hold Out Your Hand Son) The beginning of an era. This 20 minute doodle gifted me a ton of creative ideas and passions this year! The Katamari I drew here and the background (a cropped free Katamari wallpaper) are used in almost every single Katamari piece I made this year as a way to tie them all together (and a way to save time!)

July, The Prince from Katamari Damacy [And technically The King but I did not draw him this time lol] (Katamari Kart!) My sister is a competitive Mario Kart player, and while watching her I thought the Prince would be a cool addition to the roster. This was made before I played the We Love Katamari level where The Prince has his little ducky car or else I would have incorporated it here!

⭐August, The Prince and The King of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy (Katamari Creation) Side note this is my best performing piece, and I'm so glad I decided to make it!!! It is a redraw of a guy pretending to be a wizard by floating an apple between his hands. I was originally going to draw the prince hiding between the apple slices when you find him in We Love Katamari, but decided that the hands were impressive enough that I could reuse my own Katamari lol.

September, The Queen of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy (Selfie trend) There was a trend on twitter where a cosplayer put her phone over her face to show the character, and I thought that was so cute I just had to do it with The Queen. I made this to be my pfp on here, but just wasn't quite satisfied with it (it was literally my first digital drawing of the Queen ever lol) SO-

October, The Prince, The Queen, and The King of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy (He likes to feel tall) This is my actual current profile picture! It was originally made for both here and discord, but discord's circular crop completely removes the King from the picture whoops. I'm really proud of the King's hand and the subtle glow around The Prince to draw the viewer's eye to him, took a lot of trial and error to get both of them just right lol.

November, Ulala from Space Channel 5 (She's Stardust Chic,,,) November I actually had 2 pieces made, but this is the one I intended to be my big monthly piece. I got back into Space Chanel 5 something fierce over the course of the month, and I made so many of my friends play it with me lol.

December, The Queen and The King of All Cosmos (and the Prince really tiny!) from Katamari Damacy (Katamari Christmas) And now we're done! My most recent piece, inspired by family photos turned into Christmas Cards. I also really liked drawing the King and the Queen being cozy. The King's longer hair and more scruffy beard was really fun to play around with too. That's all from me this year! I grew a lot as an artist, but also a friend, mentor, student, and researcher too! I achieved a ton this year, and I can't wait to hit the ground running next year Now it is time for my once yearly "I'm putting one million tags to boost my views and engagement" giant tags section lol

[ros3ybabe]

Where Have I Been?

hello lovelies. so, I started the challenege, did one day, and all of a sudden I feel off the face of the earth. I fell into a bit of a depression, and while I've managed to pull myself out, life has been busy busy busy! This is probably the 2nd busiest week of the year (the 1st will be in August, and you'll find out why). Here's an update on life:

I fly to Colorado on the 16th, so....under 5 days now. I haven't packed or anything yet, but I plan on doing that either tomorrow or Thursday. And I have to clean and prepack for when I return because....

I signed a new lease for a new place to live! I'll have roommates who I haven't met yet (I'm taking over someone lease, actually), but my lease starts August 18th. I return from Colorado on the 14th of August, so....I'm going to be very busy once I return.

I decided to call it quits on getting a 2nd job. It's going to mess up the schedule with my first job, and it would only make me 200$ more a month, which I'm not worried about missing our on since I'll still sell stuff on depop once I return from Colorado and I'm going full time at my current job.

I've gone out to lunch with my dad a few times as well, it's been really nice hanging out with him and spending time with my dad. I lucked out in the dad department and spending time with him is one of my favorite things!

I've been debating going to San Fransisco in October for an XG concert, but I don't know if I'll have the money or ability to anymore. (thank you new apartment and all those fees and expenses!)

my anxiety has been terrible. I haven't changed anything about what I do, but I did squish a lot of anxiety inducing things into the span of two weeks, which....my bad on that. Now I know, don't do that to myself.

I bought new makeup! The juvias place bronzer, charlotte tillbury setting spray, nyx eyebrow stuff, and blush, ughhh I love buying new makeup, I just wish it didn't cost money!

I've gotten better at doing my makeup! I've had people not even notice I'm wearing it because it looks natural despite being like, a full face! Thank you perfect color matches on my skin tint, foundation, and concealors!

I went to two movies with a friend. We saw the new Strangers: Chapter One and the Planet of the Apes movie. Both were definitely good, in my opinion.

I now have to plan with my boyfriend for when he needs to come down here and get his stuff and work out changing the utilities to our roommates name since I'm leaving. I don't feel like it should be my job to coordinate that, but oh well. I guess it's too hard for him and his best friend (my roommate) to call each other for once?? Ugh, men get on my nerves sometimes.

I need to ask my dad and a friend to help me move upon my return, which also means I won't be able to work that weekend, which kind of sucks.

I need to declutter my room and start throwing away things I don't want or need anymore this week to make it easier on myself when I return from Colorado but hahaha I procrastinate a lot.

I'm stressed about paying rent. I'll have to pay rent for here and rent/fees for the new place before august and then September's rent for the new place, and my new rent is about double what I pay now. so yayy, adulting and finances. I don't feel qualified to be an adult, but here I am, age 21, an adult.

That's about it for now! Lots of stress, lots of anxiety, lots of stuff happening super close together. But that's life, I guess. Forgive me for my absence from my blogs. I also stopped studying spanish for now, and my routines are non-existent. Colorado will change that, tho, for sure. I do plan on updating a little more frequently once things settle down when I'm in Colorado. but for now, it'll be kinda here and there with my posting.

thank you for all the patience and kindness, lovelies. til next time 🩷

[drakkensystem]

My take on the interview advertised on the cover of @tangledinink 's 5kdtiys

I had an opportunity to sit down with Battle Nexus reigning champs, Gemini. Undefeated for the past 4 years, with easily over a thousand victories under their belt, Gemini are the twin kappa sons of Big Mama herself.

We start the interview with all of the usual niceties, and then I get down to brass tacks

Hidden City Beat: So, to make this easier for our readers, is there something I can call each of you as I'm writing up this interview?

Gemini: Blue and Purple respectively is fine.

HCB: Like the colors you wear in the arena?

Purple: gives me a flat stare

Blue: Yes, exactly! He chuckles

HCB: So can we assume that blue and purple are your favorite colors?

B: Yep, that's why we always wear them. That, and, well, we like to match. He winks

HCB: I chuckle politely

HCB: So, I gotta ask, the question everyone wants to know: how does one become a Battle Nexus Champion?

P: looks at me evenly Practice and hard work

B: Blue smirks at me charmingly Good genetics, and good looks don't hurt either. He leans back coyly, hands behind his head and one eye half closed

HCB: And of course, I gotta ask this one for all of the love-sick fellas and ladies at home: anyone special in your life? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Other?

P: gives me a blank flat stare

B: chuckles nonchalantly Nah, my bro and I are too busy focused on being the most badass yokai in the Hidden City. Besides, he looks over to Purple affectionately We're all the other needs.

P: his face softens a little and he nods confirmation

B: looks back to me with a sly grin Though, I wouldn't say no to some no strings attached fun every now and again.

HCB:Do you mind if I ask- what is your sex life like? Do you prefer the men or the ladies….?

B: winks at me playfully A true gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, but I will say this: I've never been great at making decisions.

HCB: So does that mean you swing both ways?

B: winks playfully with a finger on his lips

HCB: I chuckle Alright, I'll leave that line of questioning alone.

HCB: My next question is for Purple specifically.

HCB: Sometimes you have some kind of armor. What's that about?

Blue stiffens momentarily but Purple sits up straighter and looks excitedly in my direction.

P: You'd like to know about my battle shell?

HCB: I incline my head in his direction Is that what it's called?

P: Purple fists his hands in his lap, but his eyes are dancing with delight. Yes! The Battle Shell, current version 3.2.0 is a lightweight, technologically advanced body armor of my own design.

HCB: You made it yourself?

Purple beams while Blue looks faintly bored of this conversation

P: Yes! Everything from the design to the fabrication of the materials and assembly was done by yours truly. Purple puts a hand on his chest proudly

HCB: You said it is technologically advanced. Would you care to elaborate?

P: I thought you'd never ask! I used an enchanted titanium alloy to make it as durable and lightweight as possible, not to mention easy to clean blood off, of course.

HCB: I chuckle Of course! Does it have any special little features or goodies?

P:It has a lot of features! For example, I can use it to-

He's interrupted by his brother yawning loudly

B: Yeah, yeah, we get it Purple, you're a world class super genius, yada yada yada. Save some surprises for the ring, hmm?

P: Purple looks faintly annoyed but nods Right!

B: winks slyly If your readers want to know more about Purple's battleshell, they'll have to come watch us in the Arena!

HCB: Oh, speaking of, when is your next match?

B: Two days from now, on Tuesday September 5th, we open the day's entertainment with an exhibition match, then there is a mini tournament, the winners of whom we'll fight at the end of the day!

HCB: You heard it here, folks! Make sure to grab your tickets now, if you haven't already because I hear seats are going fast!

B: winks slyly I might even choose someone from the audience to celebrate our victory with afterwards…

HCB: You're so sure you'll win?

P: Purple snorts Please. As if anyone competing in the upcoming tournament stands a chance against us.

HCB: Well, I suppose we all will have to wait and see, though with your phenomenal record, I don't doubt it.

B: Unbroken record Blue gently corrects me

HCB: I chuckle good naturedly Of course, my mistake. Good luck out there, not that you two need it.

They both shake my hands and take their leave

Tickets to all Grand Battle Nexus Events, including the aforementioned matches with Gemini, can be purchased from Big Mama at her Grand Nexus Hotel.

[vickyvicarious]

Hi! So I'm working on a Dracula story of my own and I need help finding the character descriptions for the Crew. I know Jonathan gets white hair from shock at one point, but everything else is fuzzy. I think Lucy's a blonde and I seem to remember Van Helsing being described with red hair too, but I'm not sure if those things are actually in the book or a product of the adaptations.

Yeah, I can try to help you out. Honestly, most characters don't get very detailed descriptions, but I'll see what I can find... I'm going to be summing up what physical descriptions we know of, followed by an example quote for each characteristic in bullet points beneath.

I only looked in detail up to where we are now/a few specific scenes I remember from later on. I can add more if I notice it, but I think this covers the physical descriptors pretty well, since as far as I recall we don't get much new stuff later on.

Jonathan Harker: Has a young-looking face. His hair is brown until 3 October, when it turns white. Likely clean-shaven most of the time, since he's upset by his shaving mirror getting broken. At least used to have a 'quiet dignity'. Looks clever and full of energy (when not ill), but also quiet and business-like, so probably not a very tall or super muscular manly man.

5 May - "He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into manhood in my service."

8 May - "It is very annoying, for I do not see how I am to shave, unless in my watch-case or the bottom of the shaving-pot, which is fortunately of metal."

24 August - "I found my dear one, oh, so thin and pale and weak-looking. All the resolution has gone out of his dear eyes, and that quiet dignity which I told you was in his face has vanished."

30 September - "He is uncommonly clever, if one can judge from his face, and full of energy. [...] After reading his account of it I was prepared to meet a good specimen of manhood, but hardly the quiet, business-like gentleman who came here to-day."

3 October - "Harker was still and quiet; but over his face, as the awful narrative went on, came a grey look which deepened and deepened in the morning light, till when the first red streak of the coming dawn shot up, the flesh stood darkly out against the whitening hair. [...] Last night he was a frank, happy-looking man, with strong, youthful face, full of energy, and with dark brown hair. To-day he is a drawn, haggard old man, whose white hair matches well with the hollow burning eyes and grief-written lines of his face. His energy is still intact; in fact, he is like a living flame."

Mina Harker nee Murray: Very little physical description here. According to Jack she looks dainty and sweet and pretty. Her hair is beautiful. Temporarily has a scar on her forehead. Her teeth maybe start getting sharper when she's turning into a vampire.

29 September - "a sweet-faced, dainty-looking girl stepped up to me, and, after a quick glance, said: "Dr. Seward, is it not?" [...] She looked sweetly pretty, but very sad, and her eyes were flushed with crying."

3 October - "As he had placed the Wafer on Mina's forehead, it had seared it—had burned into the flesh as though it had been a piece of white-hot metal. [...] Pulling her beautiful hair over her face, as the leper of old his mantle,"

5 October - "Her teeth are some sharper, and at times her eyes are more hard."

Lucy Westenra: Definitely pretty, probably in an 'innocent/sweet' looking way based on other peoples' comments. Based on Mina's tracking of her health/color even early on, it seems like she might look pale/anemic on a semi-regular basis even before being bitten. Either pudgy when healthy, or too thin when ill, since her getting fat is mentioned as a positive sign of improving health. Wrinkles her face adorably at times. Super voluptuous as a vampire, and her presumably-blond (sunny) hair is now described as dark. Possibly red eyes as a vampire? Though Jack doesn't mention her eyes looking different when she was sleeping and van Helsing lifted her eyelids to look at them, so maybe not. 19 years old (maybe twenty when she died).

24 May - "Here am I, who shall be twenty in September,"

24 July - "Lucy met me at the station, looking sweeter and lovelier than ever,"

27 July - "Lucy frets at the postponement of seeing him, but it does not touch her looks; she is a trifle stouter, and her cheeks are a lovely rose-pink. She has lost that anæmic look which she had."

30 August - "I have an appetite like a cormorant, am full of life, and sleep well. You will be glad to know that I have quite given up walking in my sleep. I think I have not stirred out of my bed for a week, that is when I once got into it at night. Arthur says I am getting fat."

20 September - "He had even brushed Lucy's hair, so that it lay on the pillow in its usual sunny ripples."

29 September - "a ray of moonlight fell upon the masses of driving clouds and showed in startling prominence a dark-haired woman, dressed in the cerements of the grave. [...] Lucy's eyes in form and colour; but Lucy's eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew."

Arthur Holmwood: Tall, handsome, curly hair. ...That's it, that's all we've got. Jack thinks he's very manly. He does have a resemblance to Van Helsing's dead son, so he might look at least a little similar to the professor as well.

9 May - "I hear rumours, and especially of a tall, handsome, curly-haired man???"

7 September - "When first the Professor's eye had lit upon him he had been angry at his interruption at such a time; but now, as he took in his stalwart proportions and recognised the strong young manhood which seemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed."

22 September - "My heart bleed for that poor boy—that dear boy, so of the age of mine own boy had I been so blessed that he live, and with his hair and eyes the same."

Jack Seward: Handsome, good forehead, strong jaw. Common consensus usually gives him glasses and dark hair although neither is mentioned in the book. We have a canon age for him (29), unlike almost everyone else. Lucy says he's resolute and calm and imperturbable, but the way others react to him tends to disprove that since several other characters seem to be able to read him pretty well.

11 May - "He is an excellent parti, being handsome, well off, and of good birth. He is a doctor and really clever. Just fancy! He is only nine-and-twenty, and he has an immense lunatic asylum all under his own care. Mr. Holmwood introduced him to me, and he called here to see us, and often comes now. I think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw, and yet the most calm. He seems absolutely imperturbable. I can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patients. He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one's thoughts."

24 May - "I told you of him, Dr. John Seward, the lunatic-asylum man, with the strong jaw and the good forehead."

Quincey Morris: Looks young apparently. Sadly never once described as wearing a cowboy hat. Presumably handsome since Lucy talks up how charming he is, and Jack talks up how manly he is, but it's possible that's mostly force of personality.

24 May - "He is such a nice fellow, an American from Texas, and he looks so young and so fresh that it seems almost impossible that he has been to so many places and has had such adventures.

Abraham van Helsing: Tan/brown skin. Red hair, stocky frame. Clean shaven, high forehead. Blue eyes. Square chin, large mouth and nose, bushy eyebrows. Old, but it's unclear exactly how old.

20 August - "Very shortly after she opened her eyes in all their softness, and putting out her poor, pale, thin hand, took Van Helsing's great brown one; drawing it to her, she kissed it."

25 September - "a man of medium weight, strongly built, with his shoulders set back over a broad, deep chest and a neck well balanced on the trunk as the head is on the neck. The poise of the head strikes one at once as indicative of thought and power; the head is noble, well-sized, broad, and large behind the ears. The face, clean-shaven, shows a hard, square chin, a large, resolute, mobile mouth, a good-sized nose, rather straight, but with quick, sensitive nostrils, that seem to broaden as the big, bushy brows come down and the mouth tightens. The forehead is broad and fine, rising at first almost straight and then sloping back above two bumps or ridges wide apart; such a forehead that the reddish hair cannot possibly tumble over it, but falls naturally back and to the sides. Big, dark blue eyes are set widely apart, and are quick and tender or stern with the man's moods."

26 September - "It was so funny to hear my wife called "Madam Mina" by this kindly, strong-faced old man."

...and I know you didn't ask for him specifically, but just for completeness...

Count Dracula: Tall, thin, long mustache, bushy eyebrows, very pale, red lips, sharp teeth, hairy palms, dressed in black. He has a high forehead, a hooked nose, pointy ears, and red eyes. White hair at the start, which goes to grey and eventually black as he gets younger in appearance. No beard in Transylvania but he's sporting one in London. Bad breath, sleeps with his eyes open. His charming or suave smile is mentioned multiple times during Jonathan's stay. Shovel scar on his forehead after 30 June.

5 May - "Within, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere. [...] His face was a strong—a very strong—aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor. Hitherto I had noticed the backs of his hands as they lay on his knees in the firelight, and they had seemed rather white and fine; but seeing them now close to me, I could not but notice that they were rather coarse—broad, with squat fingers. Strange to say, there were hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder. It may have been that his breath was rank, but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal."

30 June - "There lay the Count, but looking as if his youth had been half renewed, for the white hair and moustache were changed to dark iron-grey; the cheeks were fuller, and the white skin seemed ruby-red underneath; the mouth was redder than ever, for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck. Even the deep, burning eyes seemed set amongst swollen flesh, for the lids and pouches underneath were bloated."

18 September - "a tall, thin chap, with a 'ook nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs runnin' through it. He had a 'ard, cold look and red eyes,"

22 September - "a tall, thin man, with a beaky nose and black moustache and pointed beard, who was also observing the pretty girl. [...] His face was not a good face; it was hard, and cruel, and sensual, and his big white teeth, that looked all the whiter because his lips were so red, were pointed like an animal's."

3 October - "a tall, thin man, all in black. I knew him at once from the description of the others. The waxen face; the high aquiline nose, on which the light fell in a thin white line; the parted red lips, with the sharp white teeth showing between; and the red eyes that I had seemed to see in the sunset on the windows of St. Mary's Church at Whitby. I knew, too, the red scar on his forehead where Jonathan had struck him."

[rabbithaver]

ok i know i didnt throw silver today here on tumblr but frankly i have been super busy, and now that i'm free, i'm totally exhausted. i'm gonna have to take a rain check on throwing him today, but rest assured that i DID throw him irl. and i'm holding him right now. so he's getting the love he deserves, i promise :)

i just hosted a 7 hour Bumblekast Server Movie Night since there was no recording today. it went so well!!! we watched Interstellar and The Martian, two of my all-time favorite films. i talked so much with so many people that now my throat hurts and i am absolutely exhausted... but oh my god, we had so much fun. i got to connect with a ton of friends in the server whose voices i'd never heard before. i got to infodump about my special interests to people who genuinely cared to hear what i had to say. we got to crack jokes and have fun during breaks. the very first ever Bumblekast Server Movie Night was, overall, a huge success!

in fact, it was such a successful event that i am going to have to host a second screening of Interstellar! like eight people really wanted to join us and see it, but couldn't due to their schedules. i've promised them that i'll ping them when i start planning the next screening so that way we can make sure everyone is able to participate. and Interstellar is one of those movies i will happily watch several times a week so it all works out.

everyone seemed to love the movies, and they even seemed to appreciate the fact that i had behind-the-scenes trivia and facts about the science in the movies. one of my huge worries is that people i watch movies with get annoyed when i share things like that, but if anything, folks seemed to appreciate the movies more because of it.

man, i know i keep saying it, but i really do love the Bumblekast community so much. i have never felt so at ease with so many people. i've never felt like a burden or an annoyance there... like, i truly think it's where i belong. everyone is so caring and supportive, especially the mod team and Kyle. hell, Kyle even set up an event in the server for me so that we could spread the word to people! it was such a kind gesture.

that place truly is something so special. i've been there since September 15, 2023, and i can count on one hand how many genuine fights and bigoted statements i've seen. the mod team is so exceptional at maintaining a positive and friendly atmosphere there. it helps that they nip heated conversations in the bud before they can become arguments. they're also very easy to talk to —they're all so incredibly funny and approachable. they're constantly interacting with the community, too. and they're also really willing to work with people.

for example, occasionally i've broken rules by accident or flown too close to the sun with a joke and they've had to DM me about it. and they know that i have severe anxiety, so when they broach these subjects with me, they know to say right off the bat, "hey, you're not in trouble or anything and we aren't mad, we just need to talk to you about something." it's a little thing, but it seriously means so much to me. the fact that they keep my struggles in mind when doing their jobs is proof to me that they care about the community they support.

a lot of discord servers have mods who are very... distant with their communities. like, they don't participate in conversation amongst members, or they take jokes way too seriously, or they throw their weight around just to intimidate users into submission. those discord server mods just don't bother interacting with their communities, either because they're too busy, or they're not interested in what their members are doing, or in the worst cases, they think they're better than everyone else. i've encountered a lot of these people before and they're always so unpleasant. it just highlights to me how unique the Bumbleserver is.

i'm so fucking glad i got into Sonic, man. if i hadn't watched the game grumps play Frontiers, i never would have picked up the comics. i never would have known how much fun they are. i never would have started listening to the Bumblekast. i never would have decided to create the clips blog. i never would've been reached out to by Puppy Bumblekast, who i now consider one of my closest friends. and of course, i never would have claimed Silver as my son, which lead to Seán reaching out to me. i never would have fallen so thoroughly in love with him, either. 💖

ok that was a WAY longer post than i meant it to be . im really really tired so im gonna go to bed. goodnight everybody

goodnight my friends!

[superwingshine-world]

Super Wings Birthday by their Zodiac

Start from today, I won't make "Happy Birthday" content anymore because I'm very busy (also lazy af) so I will make this to sum up all Super Wings birthday by their zodiac with the day and month in order (I'll add S8 characters too)

Aries:

1. Jett: March 23th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Poppa Wheel: April 1st, 1979 (45 years old)

3. Marc: April 2nd, 1999 (25 years old) (Earth age)

4. Tony: April 5th, 2004 (20 years old)

5. Tino: April 15th (3540 years old)

(Tino doesn't know his birthday so Super Wings decided to take the date he was found are April 15th as his birthday)

Taurus:

1. Scoop: April 25th, 2005 (19 years old)

2. Jerome: April 26th, 2004 (20 years old)

3. Crystal: April 28th, 2004 (20 years old)

4. Roy: May 6th, 2004 (20 years old)

Gemini:

1. Bello: May 27th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Leo: June 1st, 2004 (20 years old)

3. Sally: June 5th (3540 years old) (I don't know exactly her age but in a episode of S8, Sally said that her birthday are the day she was found in this place by Jimbo and in an episode that Tino and Sally team up, she said she born along with Tino so I think she same age as Tino)

4. Badge: June 20th, 1986 (38 years old)

Cancer:

1. Mira: June 27th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Sky: July 5th, 1997 (27 years old)

3. Taki & Tiki: July 8th, 2008 (15 years old) (cuz they're from parallel universe so they 3 years old younger, if they're in original universe, they're 19)

4. Sunny: July 13th, 2004 (20 years old)

Leo:

1. Zoey: July 29th, 2003 (21 years old)

2. Chase: August 5th, 2002 (22 years old)

3. Big Wing: August 12th, 1987 (37 years old)

Virgo:

1. Dizzy: August 26th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Remi: September 2nd, 1998 (26 years old)

3. Shine: September 11th, 2002 (22 years old) (Earth age)

4. Lime: September 17th, 2004 (20 years old)

Libra:

1. Donnie: September 23th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Marty: October 10th, 2007 (17 years old) (20 years old in original universe)

3. Ellie: October 15th, 2004 (20 years old)

4. Jimbo: October 17th, 1981 (43 years old)

5. Rover: October 19th, 1979 (45 years old)

Scorpio:

1. Swampy: October 29th, 2002 (22 years old)

2. Traver: November 10th, 2005 (19 years old) (22 years old in original universe)

3. Todd: November 12th, 2004 (20 years old)

Sagittarius:

1. Paul: November 29th, 1986 (38 years old)

2. Willy: December 5th, 1973 (51 years old)

Capricorn:

1. Grand Albert: December 22th, 1946 (78 years old)

2. Neo: December 29th, 2002 (22 years old)

3. Golden Boy: January 4th, 2004 (20 years old) (Earth age)

4. Bucky: January 7th, 2004 (20 years old)

5. Narae: January 12th, 2000 (24 years old)

Aquarius:

1. Astra: January 22th, 2004 (20 years old)

2. Sparky: February 17th, 1994 (30 years old)

Pisces:

1. Storm: February 27th, 2001 (23 years old)

2. Lucie: March 5th, 2008 (16 years old) (19 years old in original universe)

3. Kim: March 10th, 2006 (18 years old)

4. Golden Girl: March 14th, 2005 (19 years old) (Earth age )

(Golden Girl also from original universe like Tino and Golden Boy so I will take her age in original universe)

5. Flip: March 20th, 2005 (19 years old)

[coindraws]

Hello besties

First things first, happy new year! I've been super busy ever since I've started my master's degree in France, (still waiting for my bachelor's degree to get sorted out by the unis.........) so I haven't been able to be online much.

I also haven't really drawn anything in a month, simply because I've had so many things to do irl

Either way, I'm currently chilling with @cheeseballs-sao and I'm going back to Germany on the 4th and then I'll have to be in France again the next day. Hopefully my life becomes less stressful during my second semester 😭 It's definitely better than the 3 semesters I did in France during the bachelor's program but it's still very exhausting, lol

Been waiting for the office which approves the state scholarships to get back to me since September, they've just ghosted me and I kinda need money 😐 been living off of my savings for 4 months and I don't want to wait any longer tbh

Either way, onto an easy 2024 hopefully 👌🏼 I don't have the strength for another turbulent year

[danceintheskies]

The new topsters website is so finicky to use on mobile, the download button wasn't responding for me so I just took screenshots. but anyways here are my top albums for 2024!

I was super busy with finishing up my diploma and my placements and really checked out of new music for most of the year (I almost missed the brat phenomenon entirely. I started listening to it in like September LOL) and started frantically catching up in the last leg. I think all of those Imaginal Disk plays are just from this last week 😭

If you're wondering why the persona Q2 soundtrack is so high. I listened to the whole thing exactly once, all the way through, but it's like 62 tracks long with a bunch of really short tracks crammed in. I would say it's like the one dark spot on an otherwise good chart but you and I both know that's not true

Edit I thought it'd be fun to compare this to previous years-- just so this post isn't a mile long I'll put it under a readmore lol

......2022 ended up being the only one I could find LOL

I like this one. I think it's probably the most comprehensive in terms of "music I personally like". I'm actually shocked I didn't listen to more masu dore in 2024, but I did see them in concert :D

[yukaeso-week]

Here it is, the embarrassing sappy thank you post.

Crazy... how quickly the end arrives, like the sun after light rain. I'm so grateful to have been able to do this week! I will admit that it was just my drawings, my fics and an amazing drawing by a mutual of mine, but this week still is a gift. I decided to do this week just to show my love for it (and maybe also others) and I hope that it is felt in each wonderful creation for this week.

Unlike my mutual who actually worked during the week like you're supposed to, (props to her tbh!!) I started getting ready for YukaEso Week a whole 8 months before hand. This was mostly because I wanted to write fics AND drawings, and both things take a while for me so... that's on me. Especially fic writing. I broke down once suddenly because I got worried that people would get mad at me for writing Yuka and Esora out of character for chapter 6. (And I think I had those worries for no reason lol) My older sibling had to see me be my worst a LOT when I was readying my fics and drawings for this week. (I thank them so much for dealing with me) In addition, I did not want to be busy/held up with anything for this whole week. I worked really hard (and eventually) passed my really important exams for school simply because the retakes clashed with YukaEso Week. Because of those actions, I'll have an easier time going to university. That's another aspect that shows how devoted I am to these two dummies, I guess.

This whole week was a labor of love, literally. I have never put so much effort into drawing and writing until now. I learned a lot and maybe grew a lot as an artist because of this week, which I am very thankful for. I might not do this type of thing in a while (depends in a year, we'll see) but I'm glad I did it nonetheless! It was fun planning this week. It was so fun thinking up the prompts and what people could have done with them! Seeing new people comment on my fics that they have started to grow interested in YukaEso or that my writing is good just... makes me overjoyed from Neptune and back. I will never forget what this week as shown me about people's perception of myself.

To end off this sappy and cheesy post I'm already super embarrassed about, the official YukaEso day is September 8 (9/8) and I will (try) to make a drawing for it every year until I lose interest in D4DJ!

See you next time I do this~!

[amaiacid4meame]

Currently opening commissions for bust up/portraits in 2 styles 👉👈 5 slots available each! Thank you so much for the support everyone! Likes and reblogs are super duper appreciated 💞

Details are in my Carrd/ko-fi! Still updating it at the moment. I plan to do commissions throughout September-October to pay off bills before busy season starts for me 😭 I'm not accepting chibi commissions at the moment as I'm discontinuing my old style since I can't sustain it. I have a new style which I'll be posting soon and hopefully accepting commissions for chibis by next month because I'm having so much fun with this new style👉👈

[thelocalmuffin]

Hello everyone! I wanted to share my accomplishments in 2023 before the year ends with a little bit of self reflection notes. You can enjoy everything in the read below.

Some fandoms highlighted include DGS, nintendo, and pokemon.

First off, this year has been hard for me. It's been a lot of self reflection and figuring my goals out after some became unattainable.

With that being said, I did accomplish a lot this year. I published my first recipe in a zine, finishing my first zine, improved my writing a lot, and picked up drawing once again. I also was able to get some actual help with some issues I have struggled with for years.

I want thank you all for your support. It means a lot that you enjoyed my artworks, writing, and ambition. Now here are my highlights for each month.

January: Foxtrot - An Asoryuu kitsune AU. One of the stories I took in when I was at my lowest last year and sparked a lot of my interest to keep writing. Plus Kitsune Kazuma.

February: Encore - A hassius story about motivation and being patient about the creation process. Though this was more or less my thoughts on this topic in general, this story literally inspired me to take my own advice and pick up drawing again.

March: The Memories that Lie - This was one I actually finished, but am glad I did. It's an asoryuu vampire story I was actually planning on scrapping, but ended up finishing anyway out of sheer stubbornness. To finish it, it took me completely restarting five chapters, but it came out a lot better than the original draft had mapped out.

April: This is when I took my hiatus and started to draw again in my free time. I was worn out, stressed, and collapsing under the pressure. This was my first piece that I posted.

May: Was a huge month for me. I launched the @blossominglovezine that you can enjoy here and published my first recipe in The Grand Adventure to Make the Perfect Cake for the @tgaacspringzine

June: I made my first icon! I was really busy this month planning for the trip of my dreams and doing some irl side work that ended up being permanent employment.

July: So I went to Las Vegas for a foodie tour. When I had a moment, I decided to draw the lovely Unicorn Goddess outfit.

August: This is when I did the Timmverse art study. This month was more of finishing up some logistics of zine work and getting a story out in the wild.

September: Goes to the Princess Peach Showtime piece I did! This piece really cemented my current style. And yes, I keep calling it Princess Peach Spotlight. Also wanted to mention I helped successfully launch the @dgscrimezine

October: Goes to my OC piece. CW for blood, but this piece was made for Halloween and the shading was really on point. I love this design for this OC.

November: I'm going with the fact I completed a ship week, asoryuu week. I got everything done at a reasonable time and was able to create so many fun pieces. 1 2 3 4 5 7. I had to skip day 6 because I ended up having an emergency. I also started pre-orders for my first for purchase zine, @desire-asoryuu-zine. This is still in pre-orders, so I wasn't sure if I was going to add it, but this is a big accomplishment for me.

December: I actually haven't been able to do much this month due to the holidays and getting distracted by Pokemon DLC, but I did draw this super cute Yuma!

Other highlights do include being accepted to multiple zine projects as a mod and contributor, which has been very exciting for me. You can check out that list here.

This upcoming year, I'll be helping with more projects and the @aawlwminibang events! I really want to do a personal project that I've been building up my skills for before pursuing, but now I think I'll be able to handle it. I won't announce it yet since it's still very much in development, but I hope I can in 2024.

Thank you all for your support this year. It has meant a ton.

[howlingday]

My idea for a potential DEATH BATTLE! #4

2023, October 11, 12, 13, 15

Link to the third post:

Master list:

https://www.tumblr.com/donotmindme1/731003687600881664/mind-what-you-do?source=share

Achilles vs. Cú Chulainn (Greek Mythology vs Irish/ Mythology)

Let their anger be known and all warriors shall fear them!

Fighter 1: Achilles, the legendary warrior of the Trojan War.

Fighter 2: Cú Chulainn, the guard dog demigod of the Ulster Cycle.

Wiz: Mythology has given us heroes, monsters, and gods with amazing power.

*insert clips of Marvel's Thor on a Warrior's Madness, Clash of the Titans, God of War's Kratos, Asura's Wrath's Asura, and Troy 2004,*

Boomstick: Yet no one seems to get the memo: do NOT anger them, even if they're human! Chances are, they are NOT just human! He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

PREFACE: I am really, REALLY sorry for the late post. I tried to make PCBs for a project but for some reason or another, my attempts failed. I got super obsessed and stressed over it and because of it, I lost a night's worth of sleep. Add to it the fact that I've been struggling with my other STEM classes, and I haven't given myself the time to flesh this out. Not only that but starting next week, I'll be taking tests for two weeks. Safe to say that I'll be busy for a long time, so sorry again...

WHY:

Connections:

1. Cú Chulainn's association as "the Irish Achilles".

2. Both were born to a divine-like parent and/or royalty. Achilles was mothered by the sea nymph Thetis and fathered by Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. Cú Chulainn is the son of the god Lug (Lugh).

3. Both have done great deeds but at the cost of their very short lives. This tends to be one of the greater points of comparison between the two.

4. Both are known for their anger and fury. Achilles' most famous bout of anger stemmed from finding out that Patroclus died and Cú Chulainn is known for his battle frenzy (ríastrad, sometimes called a "warp spasm") in which his body becomes contorted and attacks anyone indiscriminately.

5. Both are super strong and are so skilled that they are deemed to be one of the greats of their respective myths. Achilles was said to be necessary for the conquest of Troy and Cú Chulainn was said to be the greatest of the Knights of the Red Branch.

Personal reasons: I can say with little if any hesitation that Season 9 giving us Heracles vs Sun Wukong was a shock to the system. No longer was DB! limited to pop culture's versions of ancient myths as they focused on the original texts and accounts, giving us what could honestly be one of the show's greatest analysis sections. Inspired by this, I thought up a matchup: a three-way battle between Achilles, Cú Chulainn, and Sigurd/Siegfried (I thank Persona 5 Strikers for introducing me to the last two, especially Cú Chulainn) because of how similar they at least appeared to be. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that Cú Chulainn was sometimes called "the Irish Achilles", but I couldn't find any solid connections between Achilles and Sigurd other than the fact they obtained their invincibility from a divine source only to leave a single spot uncovered (Thetis dipped Achilles as a child in the waters of the River Styx, by which means he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him and when Sigurd bathed himself in Fafnir's blood, a leaf had fallen and stuck itself on his shoulder). However, I encourage others to idea up MUs using Sigurd, Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Rama, and figures from Aztec, Mayan, and Native American mythos. We need more myth matchups that aren't just Greek figures. I have at least one more matchup for the Greek itch. I had a different matchup that could likely be Halloween-themed, but it's unique, to say the least, and would require a very different analytical lens due to the source material. Not only that, but the source material could be to the disinterest of some, even if unlikely.

THE FIGHT:

Art and animation: This one will likely be a 2D sprite fight like Heracles vs Wukong. It would have an aesthetic like that of a storybook or tapestry to separate it from HeraKong's scroll and brush aesthetic. It would be best to not have a narrator again, or at least to not have the ending spoiled by the narrator if there is one.

Possible setup:

Both heroes are on their paths to glory, having emerged from battles with nary a scratch. Cú Chulainn is riding on his chariot, thinking of his lovely Emer, but Achilles is still mourning his dear Patroclus. They see each other and prepare for battle. Warriors need no reasons to fight other than glory and survival. On their chariots, they charge into battle.

FIGHT! :

1. Both warriors used their spears to slay the charioteers and horses and were successful. They leave the chariots and start using their spears, resulting in parries and attempts to use their swords as well.

2. Both warriors slowly pick up their paces, but Achilles is able to successfully parry and even disarm Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn then attempts to strike from afar using his slingshot. Achilles uses his shield, but Cú Chulainn is able to get some shots in, including near his heel. Achilles slightly staggers, and Cú Chulainn takes notice, but Achilles only lets out an angry war cry and lunges forward like a bull.

3. Achilles closes the gap by throwing his spear and impales his enemy. However, Cú Chulainn lets out his own war cry and becomes horrid and deformed. Achilles is not taken slightly aback by the monster, and attempting to hurt the warp-spasming warrior is hit very hard and launched backward. Achilles could've sworn he heard his armor slightly crack. The deformed destroyer grabs boulders and hurls them at Achilles who is able to dodge all but one and is knocked down.

4. Cú Chulainn calms down, remembering his beloved Emer. He removes the spear with which he was impaled and notices something: his opponent does not seem to be too injured. His armor and his skin do not seem to be scratched. "Could it be a magical set of armor? Is he invincible?" No. His new nemesis faltered when hit in the heel, so he should try to use the Gae Bolg where his enemy seemed to be weak.

5. Achilles recollects himself and draws his sword again. His enemy can seem to mutate into a monster and become vicious, but becomes violent, almost to a mindless degree, putting a lot of force in his strikes. He should strike afar from with his spear and evade his opponent's spear and slingshot. "He's strong, but it looks like he can still be hurt with my weapons. He struck my weakness, but does he know of it?" With his plan in mind, Achilles raises his shield and charges, evading Cú Chulainn's projectiles. Cú Chulainn even throws Achilles' spear back at him which Achilles catches.

6. They start to clash swords, spears, and shields again, striking any exposed skin they can. Cú Chulainn cannot seem to injure his opponent and his armor is very sturdy. However, he is able to graze Achilles' weak point, and Achilles pushes him away. "Aha! So he IS weak there!". Using his shield, Cú Chulainn parries his attack and attempts to get another strike in, but Achilles, using his spear, keeps his adversary away. "He seems to know. I must keep him at bay." Achilles, using his own defensive techniques, is able to momentarily fend off his rival.

7. Cú Chulainn now knows what needs to do. He needs to end the fight soon, or else he'll never see his dear Emer again. "For Emer." With his dear love in mind, Cú Chulainn warp spasms again, and assaults Achilles, trying to hit his heel. Achilles attempts to rush his foe, and he is able to injure him, but Cú Chulainn flat-out launches Achilles away, leaving his weak point exposed.

8. Achilles knows his enemy is weak and desperate. Why else would he mutate like he did? However, Achilles still feels a bit of pain in his heel; his opponent has hit his weak spot and he knows of his heel's vulnerability. He grabs his weapons and prepares for one final clash. "For Patroclus." He meets his foe's eyes again and both let out one final war cry and charge.

9. Achilles wins by tiring out Cú Chulainn. The monster gets angrier and angrier, but Achilles dodges, and taking advantage of his foe's seeming mindlessness, slashes off one of his arms. The monster staggers, and in a short time, Cú Chulainn returns to normal, panting and bleeding. He ties himself to a stone using his own entrails and meets Achilles' eyes once again. Achilles throws his spear and successfully impales the now-normalized foe who lets out a shout of anger, seemingly not one of anger.

10. Cú Chulainn wins by keeping Achilles at a distance. Still in his ríastrad, Cú Chulainn is able to smash Achilles' armor so hard it starts to crack and break. The adversary attempts to rush him, but Sétanta knocks him away. He starts to calm down, knowing he only has one attempt to win. Seeing that Achilles' heel is exposed, he readies his weapon and throws the Gae Bolg with his foot. It successfully lands on Achilles' weak heel. The weapon then opens up into thirty barbs, causing Achilles to shout in agony and fall.

11. Both retrieve their weapons only after a raven lands on the corpse's shoulder. They pay their respects to their adversary for a great battle, entomb the other as a sign of respect, and depart the battlefield. Home is a long journey away, and without the horses, even longer.

12. KO!

RESULT:

Strengths and weaknesses:

Achilles:

+ Has divine armor from the god Hephaestus as well as his invulnerability from bathing in the Styx and/or the ambrosia he was fed as a baby.

+ Arguably the more experienced warrior due to his time in the Trojan War and his training under the centaur Chiron.

+ Is capable of killing powerful and skilled warriors like Hector, Penthesilea (Queen of the Amazons), and Memnon.

- The only weak point is his heel, but it was only exploited because of the god Apollo.

Cú Chulainn:

+ Actually favored by the gods of his pantheon.

+ Is likely the greater warrior as he defeated Fer Díad and Aífe. Fer Díad and Cú Chulainn were trained under the legendary Scottish warrior Scthach, and Aífe is said to be Scathach's rival and stated to be equal to Cú Chulainn in skill. Cú Chulainn also single-handedly fought Queen Mab's army and even harmed Morrigan, said to be a goddess of battle and war, though not in direct combat.

+ His anger is more dangerous due to the ríastrad.

+ Has a ranged option in a slingshot.

+ Likely has a healing option as when he met his father in a dream, his father healed him.

+ The Gae Bulg allows for an instant kill...

- ...assuming that Cú Chulainn can pull it off in time and Achilles doesn't avoid it.

- Can still be killed like a normal warrior, but that was because he broke his oaths which weakened him, and was killed by a magic king-killing spear.

- His healing was done in a dream, and Achilles doesn't tend to leave opponents in just a sleeping state. Even then, the healing doesn't seem to be instant.

Ending puns:

"Setanta just couldn't exploit his opponent's Achilles' heel."

"Achilles should've said 'Cú-dbye'." (Cú + goodbye)

MUSIC:

Name: "Face My Fury"

The title makes reference to both combatant's anger.

Art: The art would depict Achilles' shield being pierced by the Gae Bolg, but the spear would be chopped by Achilles' sword.

Sound: Grand and orchestral again, but it would be faster and even have some metal elements in it. The orchestra is for the mythological aspect and the metal is for when the two get angry.

THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS!

---------------------------------------------------

First and foremost, amazing work.

This would be an amazing fight to see. However, I might be a little rusty in my folkloric knowledge, because I must have missed the "warp-shift" (and to be honest, I'm not as familiar with Cú Chulainn as I, a huge myth fan, should be).

I also find the references to their bonds pretty interesting, since I don't think we get a lot of internal dialogue in either references.

"Face My Fury" is pretty good for a track, so...

FACE MY FURY

[ros3ybabe]

Daily Check-in September 13th, 2023 🎀

So yesterday was absolutely one of the most productive days I have ever had, and I swear I enjoyed it so much. I got so much done, so much planned out, and I'm super happy. I also just got paid, so I bought some Japanese language learning resources, some desk organizer stuff for my ne stationery, and... some more new stationery. I can't help it, I love it all!!

🩷 What I Ate Today -

Breakfast - small bowl of boiled frozen chicken dumplings

Lunch - Leftover homemade cheeseburger and fries

Dinner - Mac and Cheese, Quesadilla

Snacks - rest of Mac and cheese

Extra - 4 cups of coffee

It has been a struggle staying awake some days so I do tend to over indulge in my coffee. It's so yummy. I also bought a matcha set so maybe I'll learn to make my own matcha drinks now and I'll cut back on the coffee?

🩷 Personal Achievements -

Swept bedroom/bathroom

Replacd old carpets with new ones

Replaced old shower liner with new one

Replaced old fitted bed sheet with new one

Organized my desk more efficiently

Washed dishes

Dyed my hair a bit again

Did a load of laundry

Put away ALL laundry in room

Took my bedroom trash out

Studied Japanese 15 min

I got just about everything on my to do list done in my room yesterday! I am super proud of myself for getting it all done. None of it was hard or took long but I had been procrastinating it so I'm just happy it got done.

🩷 Academic Achievements -

Completed and passed NUTR Exam 1

Completed and passed Culinary Quiz Ch 6

Completed and submitted Meal Three Writing Assignment

I didn't do any note taking yesterday cause I was on a video call with my boyfriend for most of the day on my Ipad, and my ipad is how I take notes. Since I don't have much to do today, I figured it'd be a good time to take some notes, watch my lecture videos, and read some textbook chapters.

🩷 To Do List for Today -

Read Ch 11 for Personal finance class + take notes

Watch Fitness For Health and Sport online lectures + take notes

Complete my Sample Nutrition Log assignment + submit it

Study Japanese 15+ min

Clean Bathroom

Attend RD mentorship meeting

Therapy

Extra Credit Meeting + mini writing assignment

I don't want to have to do too much today because I do have three separate meetings to get done today, and I believe this meeting with my first RD mentor is going to kickstart this program for me and add more to my plate. I have a meeting with my second RD mentor next week, so my schedule is gonna get very busy.

🩷 Song of the Day - Are You Satisfied by MARINA

This is a good motivational song for me to keep me on track with all my responsibilities. I love music so much, what would I do without it?

That's all for now, lovelies! Trying to get back into a self care routine is definitely a top priority right now, so expect some of that to be sprinkled into my updates again as I start becoming more successful with implementing it!

Til next time, lovelies 🩷

[lovebillyhargrove]

Chapter 2 of "Wake me up when July is around"

Proofread by the amazing @dragonflylady77 thank you for your much appreciated help ❤️

Chapter 1

***

Notes: So, to avoid confusion: I've changed the timeline of canon events

Steve gets together with Nancy in spring 1984. In June Barb goes missing. Summer wasn't as fun as he had wanted it to be, obviously.

No fight with Jonathan, not yet. Jonathan hasn't developed the film yet. School was closed, summer was busy. They just got Will back, so he's waiting for September to develop the film when he gets access to the photography lab.

After that, certain events will start to unfold.

*** Billy's pov

As much as he hates being here, Billy's first day at Hawkins high is okay, all things considered. He is so beyond giving a shit, he just has to get through this year, it's not like he's desperate to make friends.

However, Billy won't mind a little fun, no harm in that. Especially when new acquaintances come looking for him. Also, getting through the year means taking each fucking day at a time, and even though he doesn't want to be talking to any of these people, he'll probably have to, eventually.

Motherfucking Hawkins. It's giving him a dull neverending headache.

During his first lunch when, as a new kid, he is of course sitting alone and feeling very comfortable about it, a couple of girls get close to his table. The one with light brown frizzy hair is clutching her tray nervously but is brave enough to start a whole conversation, although Billy can see the blush hiding under the layers of makeup. Come on, sweetie, I don't bite.

Or do I ?

"Hi."

"Hi." Billy is looking at her like he's looking at the dazzling sun, smiling languidly and squinting his eyes a little, letting his eyelashes do the dance. Add the husk, add the drawl, which he doesn't have to force, it comes naturally. The girl stutters.

"Are .. are you n-new here?"

"Yeah. Just moved from California." He should probably go easier on her, so he stops with the lashes.

"Oh, California? Wow. Uhm .. I'm Vicky. This is Tina."

"I'm Billy."

"Hi, Billy. Nice to meet you." Tina's joining in.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Billy can feel that practically all the girls' eyes in the lunch hall are on them.

"We wanted to ask you if you're free next Saturday cause I'm throwing a party. You know, the beginning of senior year. Uhm .. you are a senior, right?"

"Why, do I look like a freshman to you?"

Both girls are giggling. Billy knows how to party, so he's gonna say

"Yeah, I'm free next Saturday."

"Okay, great!" Vicky would be clapping her hands now if not for the tray. "I'll catch you later for the details?"

"Sure. Thanks for the invite, gorgeous."

Gorgeous is an exaggeration, but Billy always aims to please the ladies.

"See you around, Billy."

Tina is whispering something in Vicky's ear, and they again giggle sweetly, walking away.

Billy notices later that the dark-haired one, Tina, apparently is taken, cause a tall athletic-looking guy is hugging her and kissing her on the lips. He throws Billy a glance like a warning to stay away from his girl.

Noted. Billy's aware of the no trespassing signs.

Trespassing is super fun and risky, but it has to be really worth it.

Billy sips cola from a can and looks around the place absentmindedly. A usual scene, nothing extraordinary. There are guys from the basketball team, nerds, geeks, loners, all types of kids.

He misses being at his school in San Diego like crazy, sitting together with his buddies, listening to their stories about the summer, making plans for the year.

Fuck you, dad. I didn't want to move. I liked the way things were, but you just had to do it, didn’t you? Had to fuck up my last school year, the last year I'm under your roof and control.

Billy's eyes land on that jock who he's seen in the parking lot, again surrounded by the same company, a frail girl with brown hair, his girlfriend obviously, although ... something seems to be wrong there. Billy might be a dumb teenager but he's pretty good at reading people and the situation. He'd give them a couple of months, three tops. The other couple? The guy with freckles and his bitchy half, the one who's been flashing interested looks at Billy across the hall now and earlier in the parking lot? These two are solid, you can tell right away, despite his girlfriend's alluring glances.

If he puts a little effort into it, he'll be fine here. Even if he doesn't, he'll still be fine.

***

Or not. Jesus fucking christ. These small-town morons can't play basketball, like at all. He gets to know Tommy and Andy and Roy and other guys from the team during their first practice. Coach Nelson shows a spark of interest in Billy when he hears California. He doesn't seem super excited to be back to work at the beginning of the new school year, but who would, with this bunch of losers.

That stuck-up polo shirt guy is apparently captain of the team. Steve Harrington.

Give me a fucking break. More like a pretty bitch, busy styling his hair ninety percent of his time. Captain, my ass.

After the introduction and a long warm-up coach splits them up into two teams. Skins and shirts, let's go. Billy takes his shirt off and feels proud of his sculpted tanned body. Fucking superior. Everyone here definitely needs some sunshine and work outs. How uninteresting. No wonder the honeys are already throwing themselves at Billy, with such a gloomy landscape to look at. They play for like ten minutes and Billy is trying his best not to destroy the other team completely. Like, he's trying his hardest to let other guys show what they've got but

They haven't got much.

Faaantastic. Guess he'll glow here as well, like the bright ray of motherfucking sunshine that he is.

He can see that while the others are mostly looking at him in awe, as if he was some NBA super star, the captain? Steve .. what? Hair-rington? Ooohh, the captain is pissed, even though he's doing his best not to show it. That bratty curve of his lips says everything without words. Billy can feel the vicious energy here — the dislike, the jealousy? Something's definitely off, and Billy thinks there will come a time when the rich boy's gonna have to meet his fists.

Well, you better learn how to play, sucker, and hold that attitude back, or you'll get your ass handed to you for the whole fucking year.

The coach is whistling.

"You see, boys? That's how they play in California! Hargrove, you said, right? Billy Hargrove?"

Billy is nodding while going off to the showers. The skins have won, of fucking course. He has won.

With the amount of time Billy has spent on the streets playing basketball? He'll wipe the floor with these snotty idiots. Every damn game.

The idiots don't seem to mind that much. Only one is boring a hole in his back during the shower. What the fuck is his problem. If he's got a huge dick, which he does, he thinks he's king of the world? Billy's not small himself, so. Just learn to play the game, asshole, and maybe the attitude is not gonna be an issue. All the boys, even Tina's boyfriend, Andy, are like "Go Tigers" and "Maybe now we're actually gonna win some fucking matches", but the captain still hasn't said a word to Hargrove, which is very strange.

Tommy, the freckled dude? He's all over Billy. Asks him if he's gonna be at the party on Saturday. You wanna be best friends with me?

I don't think so.

***

Max is on time for the pick-up after her classes, and thank fuck for that, because Billy is not in the mood to be having siblings squabbles right now. He's speeding again, but just a teeny tiny bit. Still needs to find out the whole police situation here. Bets they have a very stern sheriff patrolling the roads.

"First day okay?" He's muttering through clenched teeth.

What the fuck is wrong with him? Does he want to talk to her? No. Then why the fuck?

"Fine."

"Anyone gave you shit?"

"No. Everyone seems friendly."

Alright, Billy's just checking. He couldn't care less about what's happening in the red-haired dweeb's life.

She's not his sister.

***

When Neil gets home, they all gather for family dinner. Neil likes it that way. Billy hates it with all his heart.

"How was your first school day, son?"

"It was good, dad."

Oops.

"Sir."

"I expect you to be on your best behavior here, do you hear me?"

When the fuck am I not on my best behavior.

"Of course, sir. I understand."

That's it, that's the conversation. Susan then asks Max about her day and Billy zones out. He hopes they aren't gonna sit at the table together every fucking day. Back in San Diego such dinners happened, but thankfully not every evening. Neil had different shifts, and Billy always tried to sneak away to shoot some hoops or go to the beach. It's been a week of such numbing dinners already, and Billy truly hopes he'll find an out.

He helps Susan with the dishes, and goes to his room. They already have some homework, not right for tomorrow but he can do it now since there's nothing else to do in this fucking town anyways. He's gonna ace all of his subjects if it goes on like that.

When Billy gets under the blanket and closes his eyes, he hears the ocean waves whispering their magic on the beach sand. It lulls him to sleep, and Billy dreams of the hot asphalt and the sun burning down on him. He's driving around in swim shorts and a tank top, cigarette between the lips, music blasting, flip flops on his feet and sand in his car.

Free.

***

In the next couple of days, Billy is already sitting with the guys from the basketball team during lunch, surrounded by Vicky, Laura, Katie, Tina, all the prime ladies of Hawkins High.

He can do absolute fine without all the attention, but if it's coming to him that easy, why not take advantage of it?

Billy wants to call his friend Nick so bad, but interstate calls are fucking expensive, and Neil is definitely gonna be mad when he sees the phone bill.

Billy has some cash saved from his San Diego jobs, but that's like ... for emergencies, until he finds a job here. Dad gives him an allowance, mostly because he drives Max around, well, and lunch at school, but that's it. Susan sometimes slips him a couple of bucks extra for gas, Billy spends it on cigarettes and beer. He thinks it's her way of saying sorry. For not seeing the problem. Whatever.

Billy needs a job. Needs to ask around. He'll get to it, soon.

*** Steve's pov

Steve is actually feeling pretty good at the start of the year. He's got a girl, his friends, this is his last year at Hawkins High which he is King of. He's a senior now, so he's got serious stuff on his mind like graduation and applying to colleges which, he fears, is not gonna go that smooth, but anyways, he's feeling good. Okay, the accident with Barb was terrible and it weighs him down, and Nancy sulks sometimes too much or gets in a mood, but hey, where was his fault in that? Exactly. It's not like he killed the girl. No-one knows what happened. It's creepy as fuck and Steve has never swum in his pool alone since that time, but nobody knows exactly what really went down in his backyard that night. Maybe she'd wandered off and got kidnapped by a maniac in the woods. The police have no clue. Steve doesn't either.

Steve can see that his friends still don't like his girlfriend, and she doesn't like them, but it's fine for now, they tolerate each other. He doesn't know how long it'll last though.

Anyways, he needs to focus on what's important this year. His parents have been nagging him with endless questions about his future - that is, when they are around. Steve's best shot is at a sports scholarship, he's not only King here, he's also captain of the Hawkins Tigers. They aren't a very prominent team, that's true, but .. the title is still his.

There's one little thing that's been on his mind for a few days already, and it's a bit of an annoyance. Like a splinter you catch by accident and then it poisons your entire existence until you take it out. That new guy, Hargrove or something. Steve doesn't like him. He plays basketball too well, he's smart and has all the girls spun around his finger, he looks too good. Other guys seem to like him. Steve doesn't get it why they do. He's a show-off, a fucking nobody. An exotic thing, who soon will stop being so interesting. Until then, Steve will have to put up with his bullshit, but the problem is, it’s been a week of school and he's already had enough. Hawkins High doesn't need a guy like Hargrove. It's got its current King, and Steve wants to be crowned at prom. He's studied in this school all twelve fucking years, so that's his god given right. There's a potential danger in Hargrove, like he just might ruin Steve's game, and that's not what he needs this year.

He doesn't like the dude. The mullet is atrocious. There's something in his whole look and his entire being that just puts Steve off. It's annoying, like an irritating itch.

***

The party at Vicky's place is loud and buzzing with all the summer energy that's still left in everyone's veins, multiplied by the last year of school drive. The doors of the house never close, it's a warm evening, and people are going in for a shot of excitement and deafening music, and out for a breath of fresh air. There's no keg, cause Vicky's cousin promised to get her one, but something went wrong, and he didn't deliver. The hostess is devastated, however, the hiccup turns out to be less of a problem than Vicky imagines it to be and is soon forgotten. People get drunk anyways. Punch saves the party. The crowd still needs some kind of a show though, so at some point Tommy shouts he's gonna arm wrestle Hargrove, and the entertainment begins. Everyone gathers round the dining room table.

Steve's with Nancy, sipping punch and watching how the new guy easily beats Tommy, Roy, Rick, Andy, Kevin, Johnny, Adam and Ryan. Against his will Steve has to agree that Hargrove looks good. He's wearing dark blue jeans and a black button down. His chest is out in the open, the right side of the shirt is tucked into those tight jeans while the left one is hanging loose. The pendant on his tanned chest is glistening. His mullet is a wild mess, like he didn't even brush it after getting out of bed in the morning.

Steve always styles his hair.

"King Steve!!" Tommy's drunkenly hollering. "King Steve, everyone!" and the crowd joins him.

Nancy is rolling her eyes, slightly, but Steve sees it.

"Promise me you'll take me home after this?"

"Why, you don't want to stay?"

"I'd rather study. We have this big project in Chemistry coming up."

"Are you sure?"

"Steeeeve. You know I don't really like all of," - she's gesturing around - "this."

God, she's always like that. Okay, Steve's happy he's with her, but why can't she just have a little bit of fun?

"Yeah .. Yeah of course, I'll drive you."

Nancy is looking at the red plastic cup of punch he's holding. There's a question, but Steve has been expecting this look all along

"Don't worry, it's just my first one, and I'm not drinking anymore."

Steve puts the cup down.

Tommy is already putting his arm around his shoulders

"Listen, man, the guy is crazy strong..." Tommy's punch scented breath is all in Steve's face. "You gotta show him that Hawkins still got it. You're our last hope. Whip his ass!"

Steve gets dragged to the table where Hargrove is waiting for his next opponent.

Harrington sits down opposite him. He can see that Hargrove's more drunk than he is, it's in the glint of his eyes. Deep blue.

Why is he paying attention to the colour of this asshole's eyes, anyways.

Hargrove's elbow is already on the table, expectant.

He's not saying anything and Steve's silent as well.

He puts his left arm on the field, and the battle begins.

Hargrove's hand is warm, hot even, and dry. Steve's slightly embarrassed cause his hands are just a bit sweaty, and getting sweatier under Hargrove's hard stare. The dude's grip is like iron.

Fuck, it's impossible to win, but Steve's trying, putting all of his body strength into the push. Hargrove's immovable and there's a disgusting smirk on his face

"The King doesn't like losing?"

"Fuck you."

With one swift motion Billy brings Steve's arm down. The crowd is whooping, Tommy's going insane.

"No, loser. Fuck you."

Billy's standing up and yelling.

"Anyone else?"

The guys are laughing, shaking heads and clinging to their alcohol. The party goes on, Vicky comes up to Billy, all flustered and touching his bicep. Harrington can't hear their conversation, but he knows it's something stupid like Wooow. Oh my god, Billy? .. You're sooo strong.

Lift me up with your strong arms and carry me upstairs.

Something like that.

Steve remembers about his promise to Nancy, and searches for her in the crowd.

***

He comes back about half an hour later to see the same scene, only everybody's more drunk. The majority of people are dancing, some have gone upstairs. Steve's gonna miss these stupid teenage parties. He should also throw one this year, for old times' sake.

Hargrove is nowhere to be seen. Steve thinks he's already slipping his dirty paws in Vicky's panties in her room, but then he sees Vicky all sad and disappointed near Tina who's trying to console her friend. Turns out, Hargrove ditched the party early, sending all the girls' hopes down the drain. Harrington is slightly amused. The Californian beach boy needs to get in bed in time for his beauty sleep? Who does he think he is, really, playing hard to get?

*** mixed povs

God knows what has gotten into him, but on Monday, at the beginning of History class Harrington sticks his foot out when Hargrove's passing him on the way to his desk. Just to mess with the Californian macho man. Maybe he's gonna trip and make an ass of himself. For funsies.

The asshole pays attention though, and sees it. Stops.

"Get your foot out of my way, dickhead."

"If it's in your way, I dunno ..." - Steve's shrugging his shoulders. "Just step over it."

Billy is aware that the entitled polo-wearing piece of Indiana cowshit wanted him to trip. What kind of kindergarten game is that? Are you for real? Dumbass.

He grabs Steve by the collar and gets closer to his pretty boy face.

"Mr. Hargrove!! The lesson is in progress."

Shit.

"Oh? I'm sorry, Mrs. Jenkins."

Mrs. Jenkins is as old as the first Pilgrim who stepped on the blessed new land.

"Just some trash on the floor. Must teach the kids to pick up after themselves."

He lets go of the collar and pats Steve's shoulder. Kicks Harrington's foot out of the way so hard it hurts.

Tommy is grinning like an idiot. The whole class is watching.

Billy takes a seat.

"I apologize for the interruption, ma'm. You have my undivided attention."

Shows Steve the middle finger the moment the teacher turns away to the blackboard.

Mother.

Fucker.

Harrington is fuming. It's like he doesn't have enough problems already.

***

Chapter 3